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Sample records for highly unstable environments

  1. Small Enterprise Strategies in an Unstable Public Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daryl D. Green

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Many small business owners in the United States dream about getting a large contract with the federal government, feeling that their lives would be easier if they did. Ironically, there have been numerous occasions where small businesses have gone out of business after being overwhelmed by a government contract. This case study addresses how small businesses can improve their survival and success rate in the public sector with a strategic approach to their operations. It begins by discussing the preparation that goes into federal contracting by small businesses. Case examples of four American companies involved in contracting with the Department of Energy are evaluated. Data collection is achieved through qualitative analysis. The application of these conclusions could increase the survival rate of small businesses operating in an unstable public environment. The study is significant because this research widens contemporary assumptions about strategic thinking for small businesses engaged in government contracting.

  2. BUSINESS STRATEGIES IN UNSTABLE INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT – CASE OF BRIC COUNTRIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Branko Rakita,

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available The visionary idea of BRIC1 countries and their leading position in the development of globaleconomy, conceived by the leading investment bank Goldman Sachs more than a decade ago, cameunder heavy skepticism. However, what many doubted came true. At the end of 2011 BRIC countriesgenerated approximately 26% of global GDP, and their share in the growth of global GDP was morethan 50%. The impressive growth of BRIC countries has been in large measure due to FDI inflow2.Intensive FDI inflow and economic development have not been followed by improved institutionalefficiency. This article will show that inefficient institutions in BRIC countries have not beendiscouraging to MNCs3, who were predominantly led by the extent and the growth dynamics of themarket. Modifications to business strategies applied in developed countries by MNCs, in order tomanage unstable institutional environment in BRIC countries, will be analyzed. The conclusion isthat the key modification is establishment of strong relationships with local stakeholders, in order forMNCs to gain necessary knowledge of the new business environment and create a sound basis forinstitutional efficiency improvement.

  3. Stable-unstable transition for a Bose-Hubbard chain coupled to an environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Chu; de Vega, Ines; Schollwöck, Ulrich; Poletti, Dario

    2018-05-01

    Interactions in quantum systems may induce transitions to exotic correlated phases of matter which can be vulnerable to coupling to an environment. Here, we study the stability of a Bose-Hubbard chain coupled to a bosonic bath at zero and nonzero temperature. We show that only above a critical interaction the chain loses bosons and its properties are significantly affected. The transition is of a different nature than the superfluid-Mott-insulator transition and occurs at a different critical interaction. We explain such a stable-unstable transition by the opening of a global charge gap. The comparison of accurate matrix product state simulations to approximative approaches that miss this transition reveals its many-body origin.

  4. Non-physical practice improves task performance in an unstable, perturbed environment: Motor imagery and observational balance training

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wolfgang eTaube

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available For consciously performed motor tasks executed in a defined and constant way, both motor imagery (MI and action observation (AO have been shown to promote motor learning. It is not known whether these forms of non-physical training also improve motor actions when these actions have to be variably applied in an unstable and unpredictable environment. The present study therefore investigated the influence of MI balance training (MI_BT and a balance training combining AO and MI (AO+MI_BT on postural control of undisturbed and disturbed upright stance on unstable ground. As spinal reflex excitability after classical (i.e., physical balance training (BT is generally decreased, we tested whether non-physical BT also has an impact on spinal reflex circuits. Thirty-six participants were randomly allocated into an MI_BT group, in which participants imagined postural exercises, an AO+MI_BT group, in which participants observed videos of other people performing balance exercises and imagined being the person in the video, and a non-active control group (CON. Before and after 4 weeks of non-physical training, balance performance was assessed on a free-moving platform during stance without perturbation and during perturbed stance. Soleus H-reflexes were recorded during stable and unstable stance. The post measurement revealed significantly decreased postural sway during undisturbed and disturbed stance after both MI_BT and AO+MI_BT. Spinal reflex excitability remained unchanged. This is the first study showing that non-physical training (MI_BT and AO+MI_BT not only promotes motor learning of ‘rigid’ postural tasks but also improves performance of highly variable and unpredictable balance actions. These findings may be relevant to improve postural control and thus reduce the risk of falls in temporarily immobilized patients.

  5. High energy nucleus-nucleus scattering and matter radius of unstable nucleus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, H.; Okuhara, Y.

    1985-07-01

    The interaction cross sections of high energy nucleus-nucleus scattering have been studied with the Glauber Model and Hartree-Fock like variational calculation for the nuclear structure. It is found that the experimental interaction cross sections of the light unstable nucleus-stable nucleus scatterings measured by INS-LBL collaboration are well reproduceable. (author)

  6. Vertical unstable stability of electrodynamic suspension of high-speed ground transport

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baiko, A.V.; Voevodskii, K.E.; Kochetkov, V.M.

    1980-01-01

    The problem considered is the vertical oscillation of a superconducting solenoid moving over a conducting sheet in connection with the electrodynamic suspension of high-speed ground transport. The oscillation is considered to be unstable at a sufficiently high speed. The current oscillation in the superconducting solenoid caused by its mechanical oscillation is also investigated. The superconducting properties of a solenoid are found to have a pronounced effect on stability. Both the theory and numerical results are presented. Methods of oscillation damping are also discussed. (author)

  7. Two dimensional unstable scar statistics.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Warne, Larry Kevin; Jorgenson, Roy Eberhardt; Kotulski, Joseph Daniel; Lee, Kelvin S. H. (ITT Industries/AES Los Angeles, CA)

    2006-12-01

    This report examines the localization of time harmonic high frequency modal fields in two dimensional cavities along periodic paths between opposing sides of the cavity. The cases where these orbits lead to unstable localized modes are known as scars. This paper examines the enhancements for these unstable orbits when the opposing mirrors are both convex and concave. In the latter case the construction includes the treatment of interior foci.

  8. Unstable maternal environment, separation anxiety, and heightened CO2 sensitivity induced by gene-by-environment interplay.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesca R D'Amato

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available In man, many different events implying childhood separation from caregivers/unstable parental environment are associated with heightened risk for panic disorder in adulthood. Twin data show that the occurrence of such events in childhood contributes to explaining the covariation between separation anxiety disorder, panic, and the related psychobiological trait of CO(2 hypersensitivity. We hypothesized that early interference with infant-mother interaction could moderate the interspecific trait of response to CO(2 through genetic control of sensitivity to the environment.Having spent the first 24 hours after birth with their biological mother, outbred NMRI mice were cross-fostered to adoptive mothers for the following 4 post-natal days. They were successively compared to normally-reared individuals for: number of ultrasonic vocalizations during isolation, respiratory physiology responses to normal air (20%O(2, CO(2-enriched air (6% CO(2, hypoxic air (10%O(2, and avoidance of CO(2-enriched environments.Cross-fostered pups showed significantly more ultrasonic vocalizations, more pronounced hyperventilatory responses (larger tidal volume and minute volume increments to CO(2-enriched air and heightened aversion towards CO(2-enriched environments, than normally-reared individuals. Enhanced tidal volume increment response to 6%CO(2 was present at 16-20, and 75-90 postnatal days, implying the trait's stability. Quantitative genetic analyses of unrelated individuals, sibs and half-sibs, showed that the genetic variance for tidal volume increment during 6%CO(2 breathing was significantly higher (Bartlett χ = 8.3, p = 0.004 among the cross-fostered than the normally-reared individuals, yielding heritability of 0.37 and 0.21 respectively. These results support a stress-diathesis model whereby the genetic influences underlying the response to 6%CO(2 increase their contribution in the presence of an environmental adversity. Maternal grooming

  9. Strategy switching in the stabilization of unstable dynamics.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacopo Zenzeri

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

  10. Crisis-induced unstable dimension variability in a dynamical system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kubo, Geraldo T.; Viana, Ricardo L.; Lopes, Sergio R.; Grebogi, Celso

    2008-01-01

    Unstable dimension variability is an extreme form of non-hyperbolic behavior in chaotic systems whose attractors have periodic orbits with a different number of unstable directions. We propose a new mechanism for the onset of unstable dimension variability based on an interior crisis, or a collision between a chaotic attractor and an unstable periodic orbit. We give a physical example by considering a high-dimensional dissipative physical system driven by impulsive periodic forcing

  11. Avoiding unstable regions in the design space of EUV mirror systems comprising high-order aspheric surfaces

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Marinescu, O.; Bociort, F.; Braat, J.

    2004-01-01

    When Extreme Ultraviolet mirror systems having several high-order aspheric surfaces are optimized, the configurations often enter into highly unstable regions of the parameter space. Small changes of system parameters lead then to large changes in ray paths, and therefore optimization algorithms

  12. Persistence of innovation in unstable environments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Suarez, Diana Valeria

    2014-01-01

    of the environment impact on the type of profitable innovations, and past innovations might not be suitable for the new environment. As a result, firm's innovative behavior might change, which means that the firm's set of decisions about engaging in the seek for innovations or not and, if so, the set of investments...... during 1998-2006, which coincides with a period of macroeconomic instability. Results suggest that persistence has to be analyzed in terms of a dynamic firm's innovative behavior - regardless of its results - and how it allows the firm to accumulate competences and resources, which increases the odds...... of successfully responding to changes in the environment and continuing to innovate....

  13. Unstable ductile fracture conditions in upper shelf region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakano, Yoshifumi; Kubo, Takahiro

    1985-01-01

    The phenomenon of unstability of ductile fracture in the upper shelf region of a forged steel for nuclear reactor pressure vessels A508 Cl. 3 was studied with a large compliance apparatus, whose spring constants were 100, 170 and 230 kgf/mm, at the test temperatures of 100, 200 and 300 0 C and at the loading rates of 2, 20 and 200 mm/min in the crosshead speed. The main results obtained are as follows: (1) The fracture modes of the specimens consisted of (a) stable fracture, (b) unstable fracture which leads to a complete fracture rapidly and (c) quasiunstable fracture which does not lead to a complete fracture though a rapid extension of ductile crack takes place. (2) Side groove, high temperature or small spring constant made a ductile crack more unstable. (3) High temperature or large spring constant made the occurrence of quasiunstable fracture easier. (4) Quasiunstable ductile fracture took place before the maximum load, that is, at the J integral value of about 10 kgf/mm. The initiation of a microscopic ductile crack, therefore, seems to lead to quasiunstable fracture. (5) The concept that unstable ductile fracture takes place when Tsub(app) exceeds Tsub(mat) seems applicable only to the case in which unstable ductile fracture takes place after the maximum load has been exceeded. (author)

  14. Nuclear data for unstable isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sorlin, O.

    1992-01-01

    Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics are both entrusted with the task of understanding nucleosynthesis and energy production in the stars. At high temperatures and densities present in explosive scenarii such as the early universe, cataclysmic binary stars (nova or accretion stars), and supernovae, the nucleosynthesis proceeds throughout unstable nuclei. In order to produce and to study the most exotic isotopes that are not accessible from stable beam - stable (or radioactive) target experiments, it is necessary to develop facilities that utilize Radioactive Nuclear Beams (RNB). The existing methods for producing unstable nuclei will be described in paragraph 2. A review of the major explosive stellar processes will be made through some selected examples using RNB

  15. The Fate of Unstable Circumbinary Planets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohler, Susanna

    2016-03-01

    What happens to Tattooine-like planets that are instead in unstable orbits around their binary star system? A new study examines whether such planets will crash into a host star, get ejected from the system, or become captured into orbit around one of their hosts.Orbit Around a DuoAt this point we have unambiguously detected multiple circumbinary planets, raising questions about these planets formation and evolution. Current models suggest that it is unlikely that circumbinary planets would be able to form in the perturbed environment close their host stars. Instead, its thought that the planets formed at a distance and then migrated inwards.One danger such planets face when migrating is encountering ranges of radii where their orbits become unstable. Two scientists at the University of Chicago, Adam Sutherland and Daniel Fabrycky, have studied what happens when circumbinary planets migrate into such a region and develop unstable orbits.Producing Rogue PlanetsTime for planets to either be ejected or collide with one of the two stars, as a function of the planets starting distance (in AU) from the binary barycenter. Colors represent different planetary eccentricities. [Sutherland Fabrycky 2016]Sutherland and Fabrycky used N-body simulations to determine the fates of planets orbiting around a star system consisting of two stars a primary like our Sun and a secondary roughly a tenth of its size that are separated by 1 AU.The authors find that the most common fate for a circumbinary planet with an unstable orbit is ejection from the system; over 80% of unstable planets were ejected. This has interesting implications: if the formation of circumbinary planets is common, this mechanism could be filling the Milky Way with a population of free-floating, rogue planets that no longer are associated with their host star.The next most common outcome for unstable planets is collision with one of their host stars (most often the secondary), resulting inaccretion of the planet

  16. Oxidation behavior of TD-NiCr in a dynamic high temperature environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tenney, D. R.; Young, C. T.; Herring, H. W.

    1974-01-01

    The oxidation behavior of TD-NiCr has been studied in static and high-speed flowing air environments at 1100 and 1200 C. It has been found that the stable oxide morphologies formed on the specimens exposed to the static and dynamic environments were markedly different. The faceted crystal morphology characteristic of static oxidation was found to be unstable under high-temperature, high-speed flow conditions and was quickly replaced by a porous NiO 'mushroom' type structure. Also, it was found that the rate of formation of CrO3 from Cr2O3 was greatly enhanced by high gas velocity conditions. The stability of Cr2-O3 was found to be greatly improved by the presence of an outer NiO layer, even though the NiO layer was very porous. An oxidation model is proposed to explain the observed microstructures and overall oxidation behavior of TD-NiCr alloys.

  17. Analysis of Plasma Homocysteine Levels in Patients with Unstable Angina

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    José Roberto Tavares

    2002-08-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE - To determine the prevalence of hyperhomocystinemia in patients with acute ischemic syndrome of the unstable angina type. METHODS - We prospectively studied 46 patients (24 females with unstable angina and 46 control patients (19 males, paired by sex and age, blinded to the laboratory data. Details of diets, smoking habits, medication used, body mass index, and the presence of hypertension and diabetes were recorded, as were plasma lipid and glucose levels, C-reactive protein, and lipoperoxidation in all participants. Patients with renal disease were excluded. Plasma homocysteine was estimated using high-pressure liquid chromatography. RESULTS - Plasma homocysteine levels were significantly higher in the group of patients with unstable angina (12.7±6.7 µmol/L than in the control group (8.7±4.4 µmol/L (p<0.05. Among males, homocystinemia was higher in the group with unstable angina than in the control group, but this difference was not statistically significant (14.1±5.9 µmol/L versus 11.9±4.2 µmol/L. Among females, however, a statistically significant difference was observed between the 2 groups: 11.0±7.4 µmol/L versus 6.4±2.9 µmol/L (p<0.05 in the unstable angina and control groups, respectively. Approximately 24% of the patients had unstable angina at homocysteine levels above 15 µmol/L. CONCLUSION - High homocysteine levels seem to be a relevant prevalent factor in the population with unstable angina, particularly among females.

  18. Signatures of unstable semiclassical trajectories in tunneling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Levkov, D G; Panin, A G; Sibiryakov, S M

    2009-01-01

    It was found recently that processes of multidimensional tunneling are generally described at high energies by unstable semiclassical trajectories. We study two observational signatures related to the instability of trajectories. First, we find an additional power-law dependence of the tunneling probability on the semiclassical parameter as compared to the standard case of potential tunneling. The second signature is a substantial widening of the probability distribution over final-state quantum numbers. These effects are studied using a modified semiclassical technique which incorporates stabilization of the tunneling trajectories. The technique is derived from first principles. We obtain expressions for the inclusive and exclusive tunneling probabilities in the case of unstable semiclassical trajectories. We also investigate the 'phase transition' between the cases of stable and unstable trajectories across certain 'critical' values of energy. Finally, we derive the relation between the semiclassical probabilities of tunneling from the low-lying and highly excited initial states. This puts on firm ground a conjecture made previously in the semiclassical description of collision-induced tunneling in field theory

  19. Paradoxes of unstable electron

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okun, L.B.; Zeldovich, Ya.B.

    1978-01-01

    The hypothesis that electron is unstable - when it is consistent with the vanishing mass of the photon- leads to a number of paradoxical statements. The lifetime of the electron is determined by emission of a huge number of longitudinal photons and exponentially depends on the amount of emitted energy. This suggests to discuss searches for charge nonconservation in experiments with high energy particles

  20. A high-power diode-laser-pumped CW Nd:YAG laser using a stable-unstable resonator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mudge, M.; Ostermeyer, P.; Veitch, J.; Munch, J.; Hamilton, M.W.

    2000-01-01

    Full text: The design and operation of a power-scalable diode-laser-pumped CW Nd:YAG zigzag slab laser that uses a stable-unstable resonator with a graded reflectivity mirror as an output coupler is described. We demonstrate control of the thermal lens strength in the unstable plane and weak thermal lensing in the stable plane that is independent of pump power, vital for efficient scalability. This enabled CW operation of the stable-unstable resonator with excellent near- and far-field beam quality

  1. Gamma-radiation Mutagenesis in Genetically Unstable Barley Mutants. Pt. 2. Comparison of Various Mutants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balchiuniene, L.

    1995-01-01

    Spontaneous and gamma-induced mutability was compared in two groups of genetically unstable barley ear structure mutants - tweaky spike (tw) and branched ear (be). Instability in different loci causes different levels of spontaneous and gamma-induced mutability. A high spontaneous level of chlorophyll mutations is peculiar to be-ust mutants. It is suggested that the high level of induced chlorophyll mutations in allelic tw mutants is a result of better surviving of chlorophyll mutation carriers in the genotypical-physiological environment created by mutant tw alleles. (author). 6 refs., 2 tabs

  2. Thallium-201 myocardial imaging in unstable angina and variant angina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wackers, F.J.Th.; Lie, K.I.; Liem, K.L.; Sokole, E.B.; Schoot, J.B. van der

    1980-01-01

    It is of clinical relevance in the coronary care unit to evaluate the potential role of 201 Tl scintigraphy in patients with unstable angina. In the present chapter the authors discuss 1) the pattern of 201 Tl scintigraphy in patients with unstable angina; and 2) the potential predictive value of 201 Tl scintigraphy in identifying patients with unstable angina who have a poorer prognosis or greater tendency to subsequently develop acute myocardial infarction. All patients with unstable angina pectoris were purposely studied during the pain free period. It seemed conceivable that injecting 201 Tl during an anginal attack would result in a high percentage of scintigraphic defects and probably diminish a potential discriminative value of the method. Moreover in clinical practice the majority of patients arrive at the coronary care unit some time after the last anginal attack. If a diagnostic test performed at this time could distinguish high and low risk patients, important therapeutic decisions might be made at the earliest possible times. (Auth.)

  3. Qualitative Data Gathering Challenges in a Politically Unstable Rural Environment: A Zimbabwean Experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tabitha Grace Mukeredzi

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Gaining access to participants in rural, politically unstable settings demands authority and consent not only from the participants and immediate line managers, but also from other players with interests in the research sites. This paper discusses data gathering experiences and challenges encountered during fieldwork for a PhD amidst a politically volatile situation in Zimbabwe in mid-2008. The article highlights the challenges encountered, how the researcher overcame some of them, and was stymied by others. Specifically, political challenges related to gaining access to schools and participants, which created time constraints and frustrations, fears and anxieties for the researcher. Issues of poor topography and interview space also emerged as other challenges. The paper proposes that the snags and surprises, the feelings of frustration, fear and anger that go with researching participants in politically unstable settings should not stall the research process but instead, handled with flexibility and patience, and used as motivation to continue. The experiences not only enhance the researcher's own reflexivity and reflectivity but also provide insights into the human conditions and actions as viewed from multiple perspectives.

  4. High proportion of subclinical Plasmodium falciparum infections in an area of seasonal and unstable malaria in Sudan

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elhassan, I M; Hviid, L; Jakobsen, P H

    1995-01-01

    In the present longitudinal study, a cohort (n = 98) of children and adults 5-30 years of age living in an area of highly seasonal and unstable malaria transmission were followed for malaria morbidity during several successive transmission seasons. Based on morbidity surveillance during 1993 and ...

  5. Isolation and Purification of Unstable Iridoid Glucosides from Traditional Chinese Medicine by Preparative High Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Solid-phase Extraction

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    LI Cun-man; XIAO Yuan-sheng; XUE Xing-ya; FENG Jia-tao; ZHANG Xiu-li; LIANG Xin-miao

    2011-01-01

    An efficient preparative method was successfully developed for isolation and purification of unstable components from medicinal plant extracts, using a combined method of preparative high performance liquid chro matography(HPLC) and solid-phase extraction(SPE). The aim of this study was to obtain an effective method with high preparative efficiency and importantly to avoid the transformation of unstable compounds. The preparative HPLC system was based on an LC/MS controlled four-channel autopurification system. The SPE method was per formed with a C1s packing material to trap the target compounds and to remove the acidic additive derived from the mobile phase. Using this method, the unstable iridoid glucosides(IGs) as model compounds were successfully iso lated and purified from the extract of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. Six IGs(including one new minor IG) and one nucleo tide compound were simultaneously obtained, each with a purity of >91% as determined by HPLC. The structures of the isolated compounds were identified by UPLC/Q-TOF MS, UV, ID and/or 2D NMR. It was demonstrated that the combination of preparative HPLC with SPE is a versatile tool for preparative purification of unstable compounds from complex natural products.

  6. Isolation and Purification of Unstable Iridoid Glucosides from Traditional Chinese Medicine by Preparative High Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Solid-phase Extraction

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2011-01-01

    An efficient preparative method was successfully developed for isolation and purification of unstable components from medicinal plant extracts, using a combined method of preparative high performance liquid chro-matography(HPLC) and solid-phase extraction(SPE). The aim of this study was to obtain an effective method with high preparative efficiency and importantly to avoid the transformation of unstable compounds. The preparative HPLC system was based on an LC/MS controlled four-channel autopurification system. The SPE method was performed with a C18 packing material to trap the target compounds and to remove the acidic additive derived from the mobile phase. Using this method, the unstable iridoid glucosides(IGs) as model compounds were successfully isolated and purified from the extract of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. Six IGs(including one new minor IG) and one nucleotide compound were simultaneously obtained, each with a purity of 〉91% as determined by HPLC. The structures of the isolated compounds were identified by UPLC/Q-TOF MS, UV, 1D and/or 2D NMR. It was demonstrated that the combination of preparative HPLC with SPE is a versatile tool for preparative purification of unstable compounds from complex natural products.

  7. Trichomonas vaginalis infection among homeless and unstably housed adult women living in a resource-rich urban environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riley, Elise D; Cohen, Jennifer; Dilworth, Samantha E; Grimes, Barbara; Marquez, Carina; Chin-Hong, Peter; Philip, Susan S

    2016-06-01

    The social context of poverty is consistently linked to Trichomonas vaginalis infection, yet few studies regarding T. vaginalis have been conducted exclusively among low-income individuals. We identified social determinants of health associated with prevalent T. vaginalis infection among homeless and unstably housed adult women. Between April and October of 2010, we conducted cross-sectional T. vaginalis screening and behavioural interviews in an existing cohort of San Francisco homeless and unstably housed women. Data were analysed using multivariable logistical regression. Among 245 study participants, the median age was 47 years and 72% were of non-Caucasian race/ethnicity. T. vaginalis prevalence was 12%, compared to 3% in the general population, and 33% of infected individuals reported no gynaecological symptoms. In adjusted analysis, the odds of T. vaginalis infection were lower among persons older than 47 years, the population median (OR=0.14, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.38), and higher among those reporting recent short-term homeless shelter stays (OR=5.36, 95% CI 1.57 to 18.26). Race and income did not reach levels of significance. Sensitivity analyses indicated that testing all women who report recent unprotected sex would identify more infections than testing those who report gynaecological symptoms (20/30 vs 10/30; p=0.01). The prevalence of T. vaginalis is high among homeless and unstably housed adult women, over one-third of infected individuals have no gynaecological symptoms, and correlates of infection differ from those reported in the general population. Targeted screening and treatment among impoverished women reporting recent unprotected sex, particularly young impoverished women and all women experiencing short-term homelessness, may reduce complications related to this treatable infection. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  8. High-resolution simulations of unstable cylindrical gravity currents undergoing wandering and splitting motions in a rotating system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Albert; Wu, Ching-Sen

    2018-02-01

    High-resolution simulations of unstable cylindrical gravity currents when wandering and splitting motions occur in a rotating system are reported. In this study, our attention is focused on the situation of unstable rotating cylindrical gravity currents when the ratio of Coriolis to inertia forces is larger, namely, 0.5 ≤ C ≤ 2.0, in comparison to the stable ones when C ≤ 0.3 as investigated previously by the authors. The simulations reproduce the major features of the unstable rotating cylindrical gravity currents observed in the laboratory, i.e., vortex-wandering or vortex-splitting following the contraction-relaxation motion, and good agreement is found when compared with the experimental results on the outrush radius of the advancing front and on the number of bulges. Furthermore, the simulations provide energy budget information which could not be attained in the laboratory. After the heavy fluid is released, the heavy fluid collapses and a contraction-relaxation motion is at work for approximately 2-3 revolutions of the system. During the contraction-relaxation motion of the heavy fluid, the unstable rotating cylindrical gravity currents behave similar to the stable ones. Towards the end of the contraction-relaxation motion, the dissipation rate in the system reaches a local minimum and a quasi-geostrophic equilibrium state is reached. After the quasi-geostrophic equilibrium state, vortex-wandering or vortex-splitting may occur depending on the ratio of Coriolis to inertia forces. The vortex-splitting process begins with non-axisymmetric bulges and, as the bulges grow, the kinetic energy increases at the expense of decreasing potential energy in the system. The completion of vortex-splitting is accompanied by a local maximum of dissipation rate and a local maximum of kinetic energy in the system. A striking feature of the unstable rotating cylindrical gravity currents is the persistent upwelling and downwelling motions, which are observed for both the

  9. Landscape sensitivity in a dynamic environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Jiun-Chuan; Jen, Chia-Horn

    2010-05-01

    Landscape sensitivity at different scales and topics is presented in this study. Methodological approach composed most of this paper. According to the environmental records in the south eastern Asia, the environment change is highly related with five factors, such as scale of influence area, background of environment characters, magnitude and frequency of events, thresholds of occurring hazards and influence by time factor. This paper tries to demonstrate above five points from historical and present data. It is found that landscape sensitivity is highly related to the degree of vulnerability of the land and the processes which put on the ground including human activities. The scale of sensitivity and evaluation of sensitivities is demonstrated in this paper by the data around east Asia. The methods of classification are mainly from the analysis of environmental data and the records of hazards. From the trend of rainfall records, rainfall intensity and change of temperature, the magnitude and frequency of earthquake, dust storm, days of draught, number of hazards, there are many coincidence on these factors with landscape sensitivities. In conclusion, the landscape sensitivities could be classified as four groups: physical stable, physical unstable, unstable, extremely unstable. This paper explain the difference.

  10. Unstable propagation behavior of a ductile crack in SUS-304 stainless steel under high compliance tensile loading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomoda, Yoshio

    1981-01-01

    In relation to the safe maintenance of nuclear power plants, it is necessary to prevent reactor coolant pipings from burst type failure caused by the unstable propagation of defects and cracks, such as stress corrosion cracking and fatigue cracks. In ductile materials, crack propagation is stable in tensile loading under fixed grip condition, when a specimen is controlled to deform in proportion to the increase of tensile load. However, it has been known that the instability of ductile cracks occurs after tensile load reached the maximum, especially under constant loading condition arising in the loading devices with high compliance or low tensile rigidity. In order to confirm the reliability of SUS 304 stainless pipes subjected to SCC, the crack propagation behavior was examined with the specimens having center cracks, using both testing machines with high compliance and low compliance. The instability of ductile cracks and the propagation velocity of unstable cracks were analyzed, and the calculated results were compated with the experimental results. Not only the compliance of testing machines but also the conditions of specimens affected the propagation of cracks. (Kako, I.)

  11. Unstable periodic orbits and chaotic economic growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishiyama, K.; Saiki, Y.

    2005-01-01

    We numerically find many unstable periodic solutions embedded in a chaotic attractor in a macroeconomic growth cycle model of two countries with different fiscal policies, and we focus on a special type of the unstable periodic solutions. It is confirmed that chaotic behavior represented by the model is qualitatively and quantitatively related to the unstable periodic solutions. We point out that the structure of a chaotic solution is dissolved into a class of finite unstable periodic solutions picked out among a large number of periodic solutions. In this context it is essential for the unstable periodic solutions to be embedded in the chaotic attractor

  12. Analysis of the Behavior of Undamped and Unstable High-Frequency Resonance in DFIG System

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Song, Yipeng; Blaabjerg, Frede

    2017-01-01

    As the wind power generation develops, the Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) based wind power system may suffer Sub Synchronous Resonance (SSR) and High Frequency Resonance (HFR) in the series and parallel compensated weak network. The principle and frequency of HFR have been discussed using...... the Bode diagram as an analysis tool. However, the HFR can be categorized into two different types: undamped HFR (which exists in steady state) and unstable HFR (which eventually results in complete instability and divergence), both of them are not investigated before. Since both the undamped HFR...

  13. Balancing for Unstable Nonlinear Systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Scherpen, J.M.A.

    1993-01-01

    A previously obtained method of balancing for stable nonlinear systems is extended to unstable nonlinear systems. The similarity invariants obtained by the concept of LQG balancing for an unstable linear system can also be obtained by considering a past and future energy function of the system. By

  14. Wear Behavior of an Unstable Knee: Stabilization via Implant Design?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jörn Reinders

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Wear-related failures and instabilities are frequent failure mechanisms of total knee replacements. High-conforming designs may provide additional stability for the joint. This study analyzes the effects of a ligamentous insufficiency on the stability and the wear behavior of a high-conforming knee design. Methods. Two simulator wear tests were performed on a high-conforming total knee replacement design. In the first, a ligamentous-stable knee replacement with a sacrificed anterior cruciate ligament was simulated. In the second, a ligamentous-unstable knee with additionally insufficient posterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament was simulated. Wear was determined gravimetrically and wear particles were analyzed. Implant kinematics was recorded during simulation. Results. Significantly higher wear rates (P≤0.001 were observed for the unstable knee (14.58±0.56 mg/106 cycles compared to the stable knee (7.97 ± 0.87 mg/106 cycles. A higher number of wear particles with only small differences in wear particle characteristics were observed. Under unstable knee conditions, kinematics increased significantly for translations and rotations (P≤0.01. This increase was mainly attributed to higher tibial posterior translation and internal rotations. Conclusion. Higher kinematics under unstable test conditions is a result of insufficient stabilization via implant design. Due to the higher kinematics, increased wear was observed in this study.

  15. Photo-oxidation of histidine peptides yields high concentrations of unstable peroxides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Policarpio, V.V.; Hawkins, C.L.; Davies, M.J.

    2003-01-01

    Oxidation of proteins by UV, and visible light in the presence of sensitizers, results in side chain modification as well as aggregation and fragmentation. In particular, singlet oxygen has been reported to oxidize Met, Trp, Tyr, Cys and His side chains in a selective manner. In this study the oxidation of histidine and its derivatives, and His-containing peptides is examined using a range of sensitizers, to determine whether peroxides are major intermediates, and the mechanism of formation of these species. Visible light-sensitised oxidation of Gly-His-Gly in the presence of oxygen and rose bengal gives unstable substrate-derived peroxides with the peroxide yield increasing with increasing photolysis time. Similar behaviour was detected with other photosensitizers, though the peroxide yields varied with the sensitizer at identical concentrations with rose bengal > aluminium phthalocyanine > hematoporphyrin IX > zinc phthalocyanine > tetrakisporphine. The peroxide yield was decreased in the presence of azide and enhanced when deuterium oxide was employed as the solvent, consistent with peroxide formation being singlet oxygen mediated. Experiments using anoxic conditions gave low yields of peroxides confirming the oxygen-dependence of these reactions. HPLC analysis showed rapid loss of the parent peptide, with subsequent formation of both stable and unstable products; these are currently being characterized by MS and NMR. Similar behavior has been observed with other His derivatives. The yield of singlet oxygen formed in these reactions has been estimated using a bleaching assay (N, N-dimethyl-4-nitrosoaniline). Quantification of singlet oxygen formation and Gly-His-Gly derived peroxide during rose bengal-mediated photooxidation indicated a conversion efficiency of the initial singlet oxygen into substrate-derived peroxides of ca. 75% indicating that peroxide formation is a highly efficient and major reaction pathway

  16. Cosmology and unstable nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schramm, D.N.

    1995-01-01

    Primordial nucleosynthesis has established itself as one of the three pillars of Big Bang cosmology. Many of the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis reactions involve unstable nuclei. Hence there is a tight relationship hetween the subject of this conference and cosmology. The prime role of unstable nuclei in cosmology is related to lithium synthesis and the lack of cosmological synthesis of Be and B. These nuclei will thus be focused upon. Nucleosynthesis involves comparing calculated abundances with observed abundances. In general, abundance determinations are dominated by systematic rather than statistical errors, and work on bounding systematics is crucial. The quark-hadron inspired inhomogeneous calculations now unanimously agree that only relatively small variations in Ω b are possible vis-a-vis the homogeneous model; hence the robustness of Ω b ∼0.05 is now apparent. (These calculations depend critically on unstable nuclei.) The above argues that the bulk of the baryons in the universe are not producing visible light. A comparison with the ROSAT cluster data is also shown to be consistent with the standard BBN model. Ω b ∼1 seems to be definitely excluded, so if Ω TOTAL =1, as some recent observations may hint, then non-baryonic dark matter is required. The implications of the recently reported halo microlensing events are discussed. In summary, it is argued that the physics of unstable nuclei affects the fundamental dark matter argument. ((orig.))

  17. Characterization of Unstable Rock Slopes Through Passive Seismic Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleinbrod, U.; Burjanek, J.; Fäh, D.

    2014-12-01

    Catastrophic rock slope failures have high social impact, causing significant damage to infrastructure and many casualties throughout the world each year. Both detection and characterization of rock instabilities are therefore of key importance. An analysis of ambient vibrations of unstable rock slopes might be a new alternative to the already existing methods, e.g. geotechnical displacement measurements. Systematic measurements have been performed recently in Switzerland to study the seismic response of potential rockslides concerning a broad class of slope failure mechanisms and material conditions. Small aperture seismic arrays were deployed at sites of interest for a short period of time (several hours) in order to record ambient vibrations. Each measurement setup included a reference station, which was installed on a stable part close to the instability. Recorded ground motion is highly directional in the unstable parts of the rock slope, and significantly amplified with respect to stable areas. These effects are strongest at certain frequencies, which were identified as eigenfrequencies of the unstable rock mass. In most cases the directions of maximum amplification are perpendicular to open cracks and in good agreement with the deformation directions obtained by geodetic measurements. Such unique signatures might improve our understanding of slope structure and stability. Thus we link observed vibration characteristics with available results of detailed geological characterization. This is supported by numerical modeling of seismic wave propagation in fractured media with complex topography.For example, a potential relation between eigenfrequencies and unstable rock mass volume is investigated.

  18. From stable to unstable anomaly-induced inflation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Netto, Tibério de Paula; Pelinson, Ana M.; Shapiro, Ilya L.; Starobinsky, Alexei A.

    2016-10-01

    Quantum effects derived through conformal anomaly lead to an inflationary model that can be either stable or unstable. The unstable version requires a large dimensionless coefficient of about 5× {10}^8 in front of the {R}^2 term that results in the inflationary regime in the R+{R}^2 ("Starobinsky") model being a generic intermediate attractor. In this case the non-local terms in the effective action are practically irrelevant, and there is a `graceful exit' to a low curvature matter-like dominated stage driven by high-frequency oscillations of R - scalarons, which later decay to pairs of all particles and antiparticles, with the amount of primordial scalar (density) perturbations required by observations. The stable version is a genuine generic attractor, so there is no exit from it. We discuss a possible transition from stable to unstable phases of inflation. It is shown that this transition is automatic if the sharp cut-off approximation is assumed for quantum corrections in the period of transition. Furthermore, we describe two different quantum mechanisms that may provide a required large {R}^2-term in the transition period.

  19. From stable to unstable anomaly-induced inflation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paula Netto, Tiberio de [Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Departamento de Fisica, ICE, Juiz de Fora, MG (Brazil); Pelinson, Ana M. [Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Departamento de Fisica, CFM, Bairro da Trindade, Florianopolis, SC (Brazil); Shapiro, Ilya L. [Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Departamento de Fisica, ICE, Juiz de Fora, MG (Brazil); Tomsk State Pedagogical University and Tomsk State University, Tomsk (Russian Federation); Starobinsky, Alexei A. [L.D. Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation); Utrecht University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for Theoretical Physics, Utrecht (Netherlands)

    2016-10-15

    Quantum effects derived through conformal anomaly lead to an inflationary model that can be either stable or unstable. The unstable version requires a large dimensionless coefficient of about 5 x 10{sup 8} in front of the R{sup 2} term that results in the inflationary regime in the R+R{sup 2} (''Starobinsky'') model being a generic intermediate attractor. In this case the non-local terms in the effective action are practically irrelevant, and there is a 'graceful exit' to a low curvature matter-like dominated stage driven by high-frequency oscillations of R - scalarons, which later decay to pairs of all particles and antiparticles, with the amount of primordial scalar (density) perturbations required by observations. The stable version is a genuine generic attractor, so there is no exit from it. We discuss a possible transition from stable to unstable phases of inflation. It is shown that this transition is automatic if the sharp cut-off approximation is assumed for quantum corrections in the period of transition. Furthermore, we describe two different quantum mechanisms that may provide a required large R{sup 2}-term in the transition period. (orig.)

  20. Patterns of Stochastic Behavior in Dynamically Unstable High-Dimensional Biochemical Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon Rosenfeld

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available The question of dynamical stability and stochastic behavior of large biochemical networks is discussed. It is argued that stringent conditions of asymptotic stability have very little chance to materialize in a multidimensional system described by the differential equations of chemical kinetics. The reason is that the criteria of asymptotic stability (Routh- Hurwitz, Lyapunov criteria, Feinberg’s Deficiency Zero theorem would impose the limitations of very high algebraic order on the kinetic rates and stoichiometric coefficients, and there are no natural laws that would guarantee their unconditional validity. Highly nonlinear, dynamically unstable systems, however, are not necessarily doomed to collapse, as a simple Jacobian analysis would suggest. It is possible that their dynamics may assume the form of pseudo-random fluctuations quite similar to a shot noise, and, therefore, their behavior may be described in terms of Langevin and Fokker-Plank equations. We have shown by simulation that the resulting pseudo-stochastic processes obey the heavy-tailed Generalized Pareto Distribution with temporal sequence of pulses forming the set of constituent-specific Poisson processes. Being applied to intracellular dynamics, these properties are naturally associated with burstiness, a well documented phenomenon in the biology of gene expression.

  1. Manual control of unstable systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allen, R. W.; Hogue, J. R.; Parseghian, Z.

    1986-01-01

    Under certain operational regimes and failure modes, air and ground vehicles can present the human operator with a dynamically unstable or divergent control task. Research conducted over the last two decades has explored the ability of the human operator to control unstable systems under a variety of circumstances. Past research is reviewed and human operator control capabilities are summarized. A current example of automobile directional control under rear brake lockup conditions is also reviewed. A control system model analysis of the driver's steering control task is summarized, based on a generic driver/vehicle model presented at last year's Annual Manual. Results from closed course braking tests are presented that confirm the difficulty the average driver has in controlling the unstable directional dynamics arising from rear wheel lockup.

  2. Correlation between Serum High Sensitivity CRP Level and Inhospital Cardiac Events in the Patients with Unstable Angina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Kazerani

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction & Objective: Several studies have been performed to evaluate correlation of serum high sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP level with the prognosis of the patients with diagnosis of unstable angina, and by now different results were reported. The aim of this study was to assess correlation between serum hs-CRP level and inhospital prognosis and cardiac events in the patients with unstable angina. Materials & Methods: This descriptive analytic study was performed from Sep 2004 till Feb 2006 in Shahid Beheshti hospital. Kermanshah, Iran. Sera were collected from 250 patients for hs-CRP measurement. Exclusion criteria were: acute ST elevation MI, non ST elevation MI, patients with history of recent infection, patients with recent trauma and patients with serum high sensitive CRP level more than 10 mg/lit. Patients were divided into two groups, first group whose serum hs-CRP level was less than 3 mg/lit and second group whose serum hs-CRP level was between 3 and 10 mg/lit. They were followed for recurrent chest pain, arrhythmias, pulmonary edema, acute myocardial infarction and in hospital death. Results were analyzed using x² and t-test. Results: Mean age were 57±7.8 and 58±11.5 years in first group and second group respectively. There was statistically significant difference in some cardiac complications such as dyspnea, duration of hospitalization, recurrent chest pain, CCU admission (p<0.001 and in hospital myocardial infarction (p=0.03, between two groups. Some complications did not have significant difference such as pulmonary edema, cardiogenic shock, arrhythmia, S3, S4 and pulmonary rates .There was no mortality in both groups. Conclusion: According to the results, we can use serum hs-CRP level for risk stratification in the patients with diagnosis of unstable angina. Obviously the patients with high serum hs-CRP level need more attention whether early invasive management help these patients, may be the matter of later studies.

  3. Stable and unstable fatigue crack propagation during high temperature creep-fatigue in austenitic steels: the role of precipitation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lloyd, G.J.; Wareing, J.

    1979-01-01

    The distinction between stable and unstable fatigue crack propagation during high temperature creep-fatigue in austenitic stainless steels is introduced. The transition from one class of behavior to the other is related to the precipitate distribution and to the nature of the prevailing crack path. It is shown by reference to new studies and examples drawn from the literature that this behavior is common to both high strain and predominantly elastic fatigue in austenitic stainless steels. The relevance of this distinction to a mechanistic approach to high temperature plant design is discussed

  4. Natriuretic peptides in unstable coronary artery disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jernberg, Tomas; James, Stefan; Lindahl, Bertil; Johnston, Nina; Stridsberg, Mats; Venge, Per; Wallentin, Lars

    2004-09-01

    Patients with unstable coronary artery disease (CAD), i.e., unstable angina or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction, vary widely in clinical presentation, prognosis and response to treatment. To select appropriate therapy, early risk stratification has become increasingly important. This review focuses on the emerging role of natriuretic peptides in the early assessment of patients with unstable CAD. We conclude that levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are strongly associated to mortality and the risk of future congestive heart failure, and carry important prognostic information independent from previously known risk factors in unstable CAD. There are some data indicating that these markers can also be helpful in the selection of appropriate therapy in these patients but further studies are needed. Before a routine use of BNP or NT-proBNP in unstable CAD can be recommended, the cost-effectiveness of adding these new markers to the currently routine markers and their impact on selection of treatment needs further evaluation. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Ltd

  5. Boundary Between Stable and Unstable Regimes of Accretion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Blinova A. A.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available We investigated the boundary between stable and unstable regimes of accretion and its dependence on different parameters. Simulations were performed using a “cubed sphere" code with high grid resolution (244 grid points in the azimuthal direction, which is twice as high as that used in our earlier studies. We chose a very low viscosity value, with alpha-parameter α=0.02. We observed from the simulations that the boundary strongly depends on the ratio between magnetospheric radius rm (where the magnetic stress in the magnetosphere matches the matter stress in the disk and corotation radius rcor (where the Keplerian velocity in the disk is equal to the angular velocity of the star. For a small misalignment angle of the dipole field, Θ = 5°, accretion is unstable if rcor/rm> 1.35, and is stable otherwise. In cases of a larger misalignment angle of the dipole, Θ = 20°, instability occurs at slightly larger values, rcor/rm> 1.41

  6. Unstable decay and state selection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKane, Alan; Tarlie, Martin

    2001-01-01

    The decay of unstable states when several metastable states are available for occupation is investigated using path-integral techniques. Specifically, a method is described that enables the probabilities with which the metastable states are occupied to be calculated by finding optimal paths, and fluctuations about them, in the weak-noise limit. The method is illustrated on a system described by two coupled Langevin equations, which are found in the study of instabilities in fluid dynamics and superconductivity. The problem involves a subtle interplay between nonlinearities and noise, and a naive approximation scheme that does not take this into account is shown to be unsatisfactory. The use of optimal paths is briefly reviewed and then applied to finding the conditional probability of ending up in one of the metastable states, having begun in the unstable state. There are several aspects of the calculation that distinguish it from most others involving optimal paths: (i) the paths do not begin and end on an attractor, and moreover, the final point is to a large extent arbitrary, (ii) the interplay between the fluctuations and the leading-order contribution are at the heart of the method, and (iii) the final result involves quantities that are not exponentially small in the noise strength. This final result, which gives the probability of a particular state being selected in terms of the parameters of the dynamics, is remarkably simple and agrees well with the results of numerical simulations. The method should be applicable to similar problems in a number of other areas, such as state selection in lasers, activationless chemical reactions, and population dynamics in fluctuating environments

  7. Monitoring Unstable Glaciers with Seismic Noise Interferometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preiswerk, L. E.; Walter, F.

    2016-12-01

    Gravity-driven glacier instabilities are a threat to human infrastructure in alpine terrain, and this hazard is likely to increase with future changes in climate. Seismometers have been used previously on hazardous glaciers to monitor the natural englacial seismicity. In some situations, an increase in "icequake" activity may indicate fracture growth and thus an imminent major break-off. However, without independent constraints on unstable volumes, such mere event counting is of little use. A promising new approach to monitor unstable masses in Alpine terrain is coda wave interferometry of ambient noise. While already established in the solid earth, application to glaciers is not straightforward, because the lack of inhomogeneities typically suppresses seismic coda waves in glacier ice. Only glaciers with pervasive crevasses provide enough scattering to generate long codas. This is requirement is likely met for highly dynamic unstable glaciers. Here, we report preliminary results from a temporary 5-station on-ice array of seismometers (corner frequencies: 1 Hz, array aperture: 500m) on Bisgletscher (Switzerland). The seismometers were deployed in shallow boreholes, directly above the unstable tongue of the glacier. In the frequency band 4-12 Hz, we find stable noise cross-correlations, which in principle allows monitoring on a subdaily scale. The origin and the source processes of the ambient noise in these frequencies are however uncertain. As a first step, we evaluate the stability of the sources in order to separate effects of changing source parameters from changes of englacial properties. Since icequakes occurring every few seconds may dominate the noise field, we compare their temporal and spatial occurrences with the cross-correlation functions (stability over time, the asymmetry between causal and acausal parts of the cross-correlation functions) as well as with results from beamforming to assess the influence of these transient events on the noise field.

  8. Gamma-unstable nuclei in the sdg boson model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuyucak, S.; Lac, V.-S.; Morrison, I.; Barret, B. R.

    Following the recent Pt(p,p') experiments which indicated the need for high angular momentum (g) bosons to reproduce the E4 data, we have extended the O(6) limit of the sd boson model to the sdg bosons. It is shown that a gamma-unstable Hamiltonian in the sdg model consisting of a quadrupole interaction and a g boson energy leads to results that are very similar to the O(6) limit. Deviations from the empirical energy spectrum that stem from the gamma-unstable nature of the Hamiltonian can be improved by including a consistent hexadecapole interaction which induces triaxiality. The same hexadecapole operator can also account for the strong E4 transitions to the 4(sup +) states presumed to be g boson states. Specific applications are made to the Xe and Pt isotopes.

  9. FEATURES MANAGEMENT OF INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES IN AN UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrey Vladimirovich Velikoselsky

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available High variability of the external and internal environment of the company determines the characteristics of the industrial enterprise management. Under these conditions, a high importance is the professionalism of the management team. The main task of the head is not only in maintaining the functioning of the production system, but also to improve and, in some cases, and the creation of new, more efficient production system. Managers involved in these tasks, it is necessary to continuously monitor requirements and adapt to changing external conditions of functioning of enterprises (units. To do this, it is advisable to use an appropriate organizational structure.In an innovative organizational structure of the functional manager is aimed at continuous development of the company and its most important part is the study of the formation and representation of staff about the goals and methods of achieving them, the development of the basic values of the personnel, the formation of organic relationships and connections, ensuring its harmonious cooperation in the development of the enterprise. In order to achieve a coherent interaction of employees needed concordance, which can significantly improve the efficiency and safety.

  10. Output Error Method for Tiltrotor Unstable in Hover

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lichota Piotr

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This article investigates unstable tiltrotor in hover system identification from flight test data. The aircraft dynamics was described by a linear model defined in Body-Fixed-Coordinate System. Output Error Method was selected in order to obtain stability and control derivatives in lateral motion. For estimating model parameters both time and frequency domain formulations were applied. To improve the system identification performed in the time domain, a stabilization matrix was included for evaluating the states. In the end, estimates obtained from various Output Error Method formulations were compared in terms of parameters accuracy and time histories. Evaluations were performed in MATLAB R2009b environment.

  11. Gravitationally self-bound quantum states in unstable potentials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jääskeläinen, Markku

    2018-04-01

    Quantum mechanics at present cannot be unified with the theory of gravity at the deepest level, and to guide research towards the solution of this fundamental problem, we need to look for ways to observe or refute predictions originating from attempts to combine quantum theory with gravity. The influence of the gravitational field created by the material density given by the wave function itself gives rise to nontrivial phenomena. In this study I consider the wave function for the center-of-mass coordinate of a spherical mass distribution under the influence of the self-interaction of Newtonian gravity. I solve numerically for the ground state in the presence of an unstable potential and find that the energy of the free-space bound state can be lowered despite the nontrapping character of the potential. The center-of-mass ground state becomes increasingly localized for the used unstable potentials, although only in a limited parameter regime. The feebleness of the energy shift makes the observation of these effects demanding and requires further developments in the cooling of material particles. In addition, the influence of gravitational perturbations that are present in typical laboratory settings necessitates the use of extremely quiet and controlled environments such as those provided by recently proposed space-borne experiments.

  12. Electromagnetic Radiation Originating from Unstable Electron Oscillations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Juul Rasmussen, Jens; Pécseli, Hans

    1975-01-01

    Electromagnetic oscillations in the range 300 – 700 MHz were observed from an unmagnetized argon discharge with an unstable electron velocity distribution function.......Electromagnetic oscillations in the range 300 – 700 MHz were observed from an unmagnetized argon discharge with an unstable electron velocity distribution function....

  13. Stable and unstable crack growth in Type 304 stainless steel plate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yagawa, G.

    1984-01-01

    Experimental and theoretical results on stable as well as unstable fractures for Type 304 stainless steel plates with a central crack subjected to tension force are given. In the experiment using a testing machine with a special spring for high compliance, the transition points from the stable to the unstable crack growth are observed and comparisons are made between the test results and the finite element solutions. A round robin calculation for the elastic-plastic stable crack growth using one of the specimens mentioned above is also given. (orig.)

  14. Unstable angina pectoris: the results of intracoronary administration of fibrinolytic agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gratsianskij, N.A.; Panchenko, E.P.; Agapov, A.A.; Logutov, Yu.A.; Vladimirov, S.S.

    1986-01-01

    Intracoronary thrombolytic infusions were used in 10 patients with unstable angina and high risk of myocardial infarction (MI). Streptokinase (500.000 units per hour) was used in 9 patients, and urokinase, in one. Vascular recanalization was achieved in 4 cases where angiografhy, showed coronary arterial occlusion by a thrombus. Myocardial infarction developed in 8 patients (large-focal in 6 and small focal in 2) within 1 to 16 days after the thrombolytic infuson. Therefore, short-term local thrombolytic infusion fails to prevent myocardial infarction in patients with unstable angina

  15. Pole mass, width, and propagators of unstable fermions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kniehl, B.A.; Sirlin, A.

    2008-01-01

    The concepts of pole mass and width are extended to unstable fermions in the general framework of parity-nonconserving gauge theories, such as the Standard Model. In contrast with the conventional on-shell definitions, these concepts are gauge independent and avoid severe unphysical singularities, properties of great importance since most fundamental fermions in nature are unstable particles. General expressions for the unrenormalized and renormalized dressed propagators of unstable fermions and their field-renormalization constants are presented. (orig.)

  16. On the Velocity of Moving Relativistic Unstable Quantum Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Urbanowski

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available We study properties of moving relativistic quantum unstable systems. We show that in contrast to the properties of classical particles and quantum stable objects the velocity of freely moving relativistic quantum unstable systems cannot be constant in time. We show that this new quantum effect results from the fundamental principles of the quantum theory and physics: it is a consequence of the principle of conservation of energy and of the fact that the mass of the quantum unstable system is not defined. This effect can affect the form of the decay law of moving relativistic quantum unstable systems.

  17. Restrictions in the realisation of multipass unstable resonators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strakhov, S Yu

    2009-01-01

    Main restrictions in the realisation of multipass unstable resonators caused by intracavity losses and large-scale aberrations are considered. The influence of intracavity losses on the laser radiation power and divergence is analysed based on the numerical simulation of an unstable resonator. The efficiency criterion for the unstable multipass resonator is proposed, which is proportional to the radiation brightness and takes into account the influence of the misalignment, thermal deformation and the main parameters of the active medium and resonator on the parameters of laser radiation. (resonators)

  18. Imaging unstable plaque

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    SRIRANJAN, Rouchelle S.; TARKIN, Jason M.; RUDD, James H.; EVANS, Nicholas R.; CHOWDHURY, Mohammed M.

    2016-01-01

    Recent advances in imaging technology have enabled us to utilise a range of diagnostic approaches to better characterise high-risk atherosclerotic plaque. The aim of this article is to review current and emerging techniques used to detect and quantify unstable plaque in the context of large and small arterial systems and will focus on both invasive and non-invasive imaging techniques. While the diagnosis of clinically relevant atherosclerosis still relies heavily on anatomical assessment of arterial luminal stenosis, evolving multimodal cross-sectional imaging techniques that encompass novel molecular probes can provide added information with regard to plaque composition and overall disease burden. Novel molecular probes currently being developed to track precursors of plaque rupture such as inflammation, micro-calcification, hypoxia and neoangiogenesis are likely to have translational applications beyond diagnostics and have the potential to play a part in quantifying early responses to therapeutic interventions and more accurate cardiovascular risk stratification.

  19. Unstable slope management program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-08-01

    This Rapid Response Project gathered information on existing unstable slope management programs, with a : focus on asset management practices in the United States and overseas. On the basis of this study, the research : team summarized and recommende...

  20. Unstable oscillators based hyperchaotic circuit

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Murali, K.; Tamasevicius, A.; G. Mykolaitis, A.

    1999-01-01

    A simple 4th order hyperchaotic circuit with unstable oscillators is described. The circuit contains two negative impedance converters, two inductors, two capacitors, a linear resistor and a diode. The Lyapunov exponents are presented to confirm hyperchaotic nature of the oscillations in the circ...... in the circuit. The performance of the circuit is investigated by means of numerical integration of appropriate differential equations, PSPICE simulations, and hardware experiment.......A simple 4th order hyperchaotic circuit with unstable oscillators is described. The circuit contains two negative impedance converters, two inductors, two capacitors, a linear resistor and a diode. The Lyapunov exponents are presented to confirm hyperchaotic nature of the oscillations...

  1. [Treatment aspects of unstable angina. Costs and payments for DRG].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brunelli, C; Spallarossa, P; Pasdera, A; Bezante, G P; Zorzet, F; Rossettin, P

    1998-01-01

    Patients with unstable angina fall into a wide prognostic and therapeutic spectrum but, in general, have great access to specialty care and invasive procedures. In the modern era, in which admissions for unstable angina outnumber those for myocardial infarction, and growing economic pressures are placed on health care systems, cardiologists must re-examine clinical strategies for treating unstable angina in the light of health-cost accounting. The aims of the present study were to examine the current management of patients admitted to our cardiology department and to calculate the medical costs. A patient schedule was drawn up to prospectively register the number and type of cardiac processes carried out during hospitalization for all unstable angina patients in the period between March 1st and May 30th, 1995. Time (minutes) actually spent by both physicians and nurses for each cardiac process were carefully recorded in order to calculate the activity budget. The effective economic budget was built for each cardiac process taking into account salaries, consumable supplies, equipment service contracts, depreciation and indirect medical and non medical costs for CCU and ward. Based to the Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) system, 53 out of 318 patients (16%) were admitted with documented or suspected unstable angina and allocated to discharge into four DRGs: DRG 140-medically treated unstable angina: 18 patients; DRG 124-unstable angina with angiography: 16 patients; DRG 122-unstable angina evolving in myocardial infarction: 6 patients; DRG 112-unstable angina with angioplasty: 13 patients. The mean cost for hospitalized patient with unstable angina was 5,574,958 Italian Liras (DRG 140 = 2,687,719; DRG 124 = 2,800,347; DRG 122 = 6,086,563; DRG 112 = 12,751,454). The difference in costs was essentially related to the procedures involved in medical care, DRGs with expensive cardiac processes having higher costs. Furthermore, these data show a deep discrepancy between

  2. Unstable mass outflow from a binary system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nariai, K [Tokyo Univ., Mitaka (Japan). Tokyo Astronomical Observatory; Sugimoto, D

    1976-12-01

    A contact binary system which fills the outer Lagrangian lobe is unstable against the mass loss from the second Lagrangian point. The effect of the mass loss on the remaining system is studied for several typical cases. It is shown that the separation between the components at the periastron decreases with a high rate in most cases; therefore, the system continues to lose mass once gas begins to flow out from the second Lagrangian point.

  3. Unstable drift eigenmode in slab geometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsotsonis, S.; Hirose, A.

    1986-01-01

    The unstable Pearlstein-Berk mode of drift waves in plane, sheared slab geometry has later been shown to be stable when electron Landau resonance is rigorously treated. Based on the variational method previously developed the authors have found that in addition to the absolutely stable Pearlstein-Berk mode, there exists an absolutely unstable eigenfunction characterized by ω ≤ ω/sub chemical bonde/, and weak ''radial'' dependence. Also, the growth rate, only weakly depends on the magnetic shear and ion/electron temperature ratio

  4. Damping capacity of unstable steels on chromium-nickel-manganese base

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kochkin, L.I.; Rudakov, A.A. (Kirovskij Politekhnicheskij Inst. (USSR))

    1982-02-01

    The paper deals with results of a study on the energy scattering in OKh13N3G8, 20Kh13N3G4 and 30Kh13N3G4 unstable steels. It is shown that the development of microplastic strains most easily occurs in low-carbon steel having a two-phase structure in the initial state. The proceeding of microplastic deformations in carbon unstable steels is limited by the interstitial atom effect on the dislocation movement. It is established that in OKh13N3G8 steel the martensite ..cap alpha --> gamma..- transformation begins under the cyclic stress amplitudes below the yield point of this steel. The steels studied possess a high vibrostrength.

  5. Unstable volatility

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Casas, Isabel; Gijbels, Irène

    2012-01-01

    The objective of this paper is to introduce the break-preserving local linear (BPLL) estimator for the estimation of unstable volatility functions for independent and asymptotically independent processes. Breaks in the structure of the conditional mean and/or the volatility functions are common...... in Finance. Nonparametric estimators are well suited for these events due to the flexibility of their functional form and their good asymptotic properties. However, the local polynomial kernel estimators are not consistent at points where the volatility function has a break. The estimator presented...

  6. Control of highly vertically unstable plasmas in TCV with internal coils and fast power supply

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Favre, A.; Moret, J.M.; Chavan, R.; Fasel, D.; Hofmann, F.; Lister, J.B.; Mayor, J.M.; Perez, A.; Elkjaer, A.

    1996-01-01

    The goal of TCV (Tokamak a Configuration Variable) is to investigate effects of plasma shape, in particular high elongation (up to 3), on tokamak physics. Such elongated configurations (I p ≅1 MA) are highly vertically unstable with growth rates up to γ=4000 s -1 . Control of the vertical position using the poloidal coils located outside the vessel is limited to γ≤1000 s -1 because of the shielding effect of the conductive vessel and because of the relative slow time response of their power supplies (0.8 ms thyristor 12 pulse switching at 120 Hz). This dictated the necessity to install a coil set inside the vacuum vessel fed with a Fast Power Supply (FPS). The choice and design of the system with a special attention to the mechanical and electrical constraints in TCV tokamak, as the results and real performances, will be presented. (author) 3 figs., 2 tabs., 2 refs

  7. Study on unstable fracture characteristics of light water reactor piping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurihara, Ryoichi

    1998-08-01

    Many testing studies have been conducted to validate the applicability of the leak before break (LBB) concept for the light water reactor piping in the world. It is especially important among them to clarify the condition that an inside surface crack of the piping wall does not cause an unstable fracture but ends in a stable fracture propagating only in the pipe thickness direction, even if the excessive loading works to the pipe. Pipe unstable fracture tests performed in Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute had been planned under such background, and clarified the condition for the cracked pipe to cause the unstable fracture under monotonous increase loading or cyclic loading by using test pipes with the inside circumferential surface crack. This paper examines the pipe unstable fracture by dividing it into two parts. One is the static unstable fracture that breaks the pipe with the inside circumferential surface crack by increasing load monotonously. Another is the dynamic unstable fracture that breaks the pipe by the cyclic loading. (author). 79 refs

  8. Cold or hot, stable or unstable collective nuclear motion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chomaz, Ph.; Lacroix, D.; Jacquot, B.; Colonna, M.; Ayik, S.

    1999-01-01

    We present a general discussion of the mean field dynamics of finite nuclei prepared under extreme of temperature and pressure. Many features of the dynamics are carefully studied such as the collective expansion, the evaporation process, the different time-scale. We show that under the thermal pressure and the effect of the compression, the system may reach low density regions where it may become unstable. Early development of the instabilities in a dilute nuclear source in investigated using a finite temperature quantal Rpa approach for different systems. The growth rates of the unstable collective modes are determining by solving a dispersion relation. Which is obtained by parameterizing the transition density in terms of its multipole moments. Under typical conditions of a dilute finite system at moderate temperatures the dispersion relation exhibits an ultraviolet cut-off. As a result, only a finite number of multiple modes becomes unstable , and the number of the unstable collective modes increases with the size of the source. Calculations indicate that for an expanding source, unstable modes show a transition from surface to volume character. (author)

  9. Damping capacity of unstable steels on chromium-nickel-manganese base

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kochkin, L.I.; Rudakov, A.A.

    1982-01-01

    The paper deals with results of a study on the energy scattering in OKh13N3G8, 20Kh13N3G4 and 30Kh13N3G4 unstable steels. It is shown that the development of microplastic strains most easily occurs in low-carbon steel having a two-phase structure in the initial state. The proceeding of microplastic deformations in carbon unstable steels is limited by the interstitial atom effect on the dislocation movement. It is established that in OKh13N3G8 steel the martensite α→γ- transformation begins under the cyclic stress amplitudes below the yield point of this steel. The steels studied possess a high vibrostrength [ru

  10. Unstable fracture of nuclear pressure vessel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Urata, Kazuyoshi

    1978-01-01

    Unstable fracture of nuclear pressure vessel shell for light water reactors up to 1,000 MWe class is discussed in accordance with ASME Code Sec. XI. The depth of surface crack required to protect against the unstable fracture is calculated on the basis of reactor operating conditions including loss of coolant accidents. Calculated surface crack depth a is equal to tαexp(2.19(a/l)) where l is crack length and t is weld thickness. α is crack depth required to protect against the unstable fracture in terms of the ratio of crack deth to weld thickness for surface crack have infinite length. Using this α, the safety factor included for allowable defect described in Sec. XI and the effects of thickness is discussed. It is derived that allowable defect described in Sec. XI include the safety factor of two on the crack depth for crack initiation at postulated accident and the safety factor of ten for crack depth calculated from point of view of crack arrest at normal conditions. (auth.)

  11. Rock slope instabilities in Norway: First systematic hazard and risk classification of 22 unstable rock slopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Böhme, Martina; Hermanns, Reginald L.; Oppikofer, Thierry; Penna, Ivanna

    2016-04-01

    Unstable rock slopes that can cause large failures of the rock-avalanche type have been mapped in Norway for almost two decades. Four sites have earlier been characterized as high-risk objects based on expertise of few researchers. This resulted in installing continuous monitoring systems and set-up of an early-warning system for those four sites. Other unstable rock slopes have not been ranked related to their hazard or risk. There are ca. 300 other sites known of which 70 sites were installed for periodic deformation measurements using multiple techniques (Global Navigation Satellite Systems, extensometers, measurement bolts, and others). In 2012 a systematic hazard and risk classification system for unstable rock slopes was established in Norway and the mapping approach adapted to that in 2013. Now, the first 22 sites were classified for hazard, consequences and risk using this classification system. The selection of the first group of sites to be classified was based on an assumed high hazard or risk and importance given to the sites by Norwegian media and the public. Nine of the classified 22 unstable rock slopes are large sites that deform inhomogeneously or are strongly broken up in individual blocks. This suggests that different failure scenarios are possible that need to be analyzed individually. A total of 35 failure scenarios for those nine unstable rock slopes were considered. The hazard analyses were based on 9 geological parameters defined in the classification system. The classification system will be presented based on the Gamanjunni unstable rock slope. This slope has a well developed back scarp that exposes 150 m preceding displacement. The lateral limits of the unstable slope are clearly visible in the morphology and InSAR displacement data. There have been no single structures observed that allow sliding kinematically. The lower extend of the displacing rock mass is clearly defined in InSAR data and by a zone of higher rock fall activity. Yearly

  12. Search for unstable photinos

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mayer, P.

    1987-04-01

    We have searched in e + e - -annihilation for the photino, the partner of the photon, which is predicted by supersymmetry. Photinos can be pair produced in e + e - annihilation by the exchange of a scalar electron, the partner of the electron. It was assumed that the photino is unstable and decays in a photon and a lighter supersymmetric particle. This second particle leaves the detector unobserved. In the final state one sees then two photons with missing energy and missing momentum. The data were taken with the detector CELLO at the e + e - storage ring PETRA at DESY, Hamburg. The CMS energy was between 38.3 GeV and 46.8 GeV, the total luminosity was 38.3 pb -1 . The liquid argon lead calorimeter of CELLO, the most important part for this analysis, is specialised for the measurement of electromagnetic showers. It has a good space resolution and covers 96% of the solid angle of 4π. We have selected events with 2 photons in the central calorimeter, both with an energy of more than 2 GeV. The high background due to cosmic showers was reduced by accepting only events which were correlated to the time of the e + e - annihilation. Also the direction of the showers had to point to the interaction point. The applied cuts accepted the expected events with a probability P≅0.3. No event was found which was compatible with the production of unstable photinos. One can give limits on the mass of the photino, which depend on the mass of the scalar electron and on the decay path of the photino. In the simplest case, if all photinos decay at the interaction point, photinos with masses below 21 GeV are excluded (with a mass of the scalar electron below 40 GeV). (orig.) [de

  13. Isotope shifts in unstable nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rebel, H.

    1980-05-01

    Current experimental investigations of isotope shifts in atomic spectra of unstable nuclei and the resulting information about size and shape of nuclei far off stability are discussed with reference to some representative examples. (orig.)

  14. Structure and clusters of light unstable nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    En'yo, Yoshiko

    2010-01-01

    As it is known, cluster structures are often observed in light nuclei. In the recent evolution of unstable nuclear research (on nuclei having unbalanced number of neutron and proton) further new types of clusters are coming to be revealed. In this report, structures of light unstable nuclei and some of the theoretical models to describe them are reviewed. The following topics are picked up. 1. Cluster structure and theoretical models, 2. Cluster structure of unstable nuclei (low excited state). 3. Cluster structure of neutron excess beryllium isotopes. 4. Cluster gas like state in C isotope. 5. Dineutron structure of He isotopes. Numbers of strange nuclear structures of light nuclei are illustrated. Antisymmetrized molecular dynamics (AMD) is the recently developed theoretical framework which has been successfully used in heavy ion reactions and nuclear structure studies. Successful application of AMD to the isotopes of Be, B and C are illustrated. (S. Funahashi)

  15. Proton scattering from unstable nuclei

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Recent improvements in the intensities and optical qualities of radioactive beams have made ... The quality of the data obtained are illustrated with recent results obtained at the GANIL facility for unstable oxygen, sulfur and argon isotopes.

  16. Emission temperatures from the decay of particle-unstable complex nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nayak, T.K.

    1990-01-01

    Relative populations of particle-unstable states were measured for complex fragments emitted in the reaction 14 N + Ag at E/A = 35 MeV by using a position sensitive high resolution hodoscope. Experimental population probabilities of particle-unstable states were extracted by fitting the coincidence spectra of the decay products by an appropriate R-matrix or Breit-Wigner formalism. According to thermal models, the populations of excited states at freezeout are expected to follow a Boltzmann distribution weighted by the emission temperature of the system. Tests of this freezeout assumption were made by comparing the experimental population to the predictions of statistical calculations. Extensive statistical calculation which include the effect of sequential feeding from heavier particle unstable nuclei were performed to estimate the population probabilities and the ratios of population probabilities indicate emission temperatures of about 3-4 MeV. But a detailed comparison for individual fragments for a calculation with T em = 4 MeV reveals that about half of the measured population probabilities and one third of the ratios of the population probabilities differ significantly from the predictions of statistical calculations. Calculations which include rotational effects could not satisfactorily account for this discrepancy. These results suggest a possible breakdown of the assumption of local thermal equilibrium at freezeout

  17. GPU-based simulation of the two-dimensional unstable structure of gaseous oblique detonations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Teng, H.H.; Kiyanda, C.B.; Ng, H.D. [Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, H3G 1M8 (Canada); Morgan, G.H.; Nikiforakis, N. [Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0HE (United Kingdom)

    2015-03-10

    In this paper, the two-dimensional structure of unstable oblique detonations induced by the wedge from a supersonic combustible gas flow is simulated using the reactive Euler equations with a one-step Arrhenius chemistry model. A wide range of activation energy of the combustible mixture is considered. Computations are performed on the Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) to reduce the simulation runtimes. A large computational domain covered by a uniform mesh with high grid resolution is used to properly capture the development of instabilities and the formation of different transverse wave structures. After the initiation point, where the oblique shock transits into a detonation, an instability begins to manifest and in all cases, the left-running transverse waves first appear, followed by the subsequent emergence of right-running transverse waves forming the dual-head triple point structure. This study shows that for low activation energies, a long computational length must be carefully considered to reveal the unstable surface due to the slow growth rate of the instability. For high activation energies, the flow behind the unstable oblique detonation features the formation of unburnt gas pockets and strong vortex-pressure wave interaction resulting in a chaotic-like vortical structure.

  18. Pre-failure behaviour of an unstable limestone cliff from displacement and seismic data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.-L. Got

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available We monitored the displacement and seismic activity of an unstable vertical rock slice in a natural limestone cliff of the southeast Vercors massif, southeast France, during the months preceding its collapse. Displacement measurements showed an average acceleration of the movement of its top, with clear increases in the displacement velocity and in the discrete seismic event production rate during periods where temperature falls, with more activity when rainfall or frost occurs. Crises of discrete seismic events produce high amplitudes in periodograms, but do not change the high frequency base noise level rate. We infer that these crises express the critical crack growth induced by water weakening (from water vapor condensation or rain of the rock strength rather than to a rapid change in applied stresses. Seismic noise analysis showed a steady increase in the high frequency base noise level and the emergence of spectral modes in the signal recorded by the sensor installed on the unstable rock slice during the weeks preceding the collapse. High frequency seismic noise base level seems to represent subcritical crack growth. It is a smooth and robust parameter whose variations are related to generalized changes in the rupture process. Drop of the seismic noise amplitude was concomitant with the emergence of spectral modes – that are compatible with high-order eigenmodes of the unstable rock slice – during the later stages of its instability. Seismic noise analysis, especially high frequency base noise level analysis may complement that of inverse displacement velocity in early-warning approaches when strong displacement fluctuations occur.

  19. Effects of constant immigration on the dynamics and persistence of stable and unstable Drosophila populations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dey, Snigdhadip; Joshi, Amitabh

    2013-01-01

    Constant immigration can stabilize population size fluctuations but its effects on extinction remain unexplored. We show that constant immigration significantly reduced extinction in fruitfly populations with relatively stable or unstable dynamics. In unstable populations with oscillations of amplitude around 1.5 times the mean population size, persistence and constancy were unrelated. Low immigration enhanced persistence without affecting constancy whereas high immigration increased constancy without enhancing persistence. In relatively stable populations with erratic fluctuations of amplitude close to the mean population size, both low and high immigration enhanced persistence. In these populations, the amplitude of fluctuations relative to mean population size went down due to immigration, and their dynamics were altered to low-period cycles. The effects of immigration on the population size distribution and intrinsic dynamics of stable versus unstable populations differed considerably, suggesting that the mechanisms by which immigration reduced extinction risk depended on underlying dynamics in complex ways. PMID:23470546

  20. A design method of bilateral control system with uncertain dynamics of environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamada, Kou; Iida, Noriyuki; Kudou, Naoki

    2002-01-01

    In the present paper, we examine a design method for master-slave systems of bilateral control systems. In master-slave systems, human operator works to achieve tasks via the master and the salve system. The salve system contacts the environment and works the tasks. According to past studies, when the dynamics of environment is treated as uncertainties, the number of unstable poles of the slave system is required to be equivalent to that of the slave system with the dynamics of the environment. In some cases, the number of unstable poles of the slave system with the dynamics of environment is different from that of the slave system. We propose a simple design method of bilateral control systems such that the number of unstable poles of the slave system with the dynamics of environmental is different from that of the slave system without the dynamics of the environment. (author)

  1. Symmetry energy, unstable nuclei and neutron star crusts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iida, Kei [Kochi University, Department of Natural Science, Kochi (Japan); RIKEN Nishina Center, Saitama (Japan); Oyamatsu, Kazuhiro [RIKEN Nishina Center, Saitama (Japan); Aichi Shukutoku University, Department of Human Informatics, Aichi (Japan)

    2014-02-15

    The phenomenological approach to inhomogeneous nuclear matter is useful to describe fundamental properties of atomic nuclei and neutron star crusts in terms of the equation of state of uniform nuclear matter. We review a series of researches that we have developed by following this approach. We start with more than 200 equations of state that are consistent with empirical masses and charge radii of stable nuclei and then apply them to describe matter radii and masses of unstable nuclei, proton elastic scattering and total reaction cross sections off unstable nuclei, and nuclei in neutron star crusts including nuclear pasta. We finally discuss the possibility of constraining the density dependence of the symmetry energy from experiments on unstable nuclei and even observations of quasi-periodic oscillations in giant flares of soft gamma-ray repeaters. (orig.)

  2. Tracer filamentation at an unstable ocean front

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Yen Chia; Mahadevan, Amala; Thiffeault, Jean-Luc; Yecko, Philip

    2017-11-01

    A front, where two bodies of ocean water with different physical properties meet, can become unstable and lead to a flow with high strain rate and vorticity. Phytoplankton and other oceanic tracers are stirred into filaments by such flow fields, as can often be seen in satellite imagery. The stretching and folding of a tracer by a two-dimensional flow field has been well studied. In the ocean, however, the vertical shear of horizontal velocity is typically two orders of magnitude larger than the horizontal velocity gradient. Theoretical calculations show that vertical shear alters the way in which horizontal strain affects the tracer, resulting in thin, sloping structures in the tracer field. Using a non-hydrostatic ocean model of an unstable ocean front, we simulate tracer filamentation to identify the effect of vertical shear on the deformation of the tracer. In a complementary laboratory experiment, we generate a simple, vertically sheared strain flow and use dye and particle image velocimetry to quantify the filamentary structures in terms of the strain and shear. We identify how vertical shear alters the tracer filaments and infer how the evolution of tracers in the ocean will differ from the idealized two-dimensional paradigm. Support of NSF DMS-1418956 is acknowledged.

  3. Brownian motion surviving in the unstable cubic potential and the role of Maxwell's demon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ornigotti, Luca; Ryabov, Artem; Holubec, Viktor; Filip, Radim

    2018-03-01

    The trajectories of an overdamped particle in a highly unstable potential diverge so rapidly, that the variance of position grows much faster than its mean. A description of the dynamics by moments is therefore not informative. Instead, we propose and analyze local directly measurable characteristics, which overcome this limitation. We discuss the most probable particle position (position of the maximum of the probability density) and the local uncertainty in an unstable cubic potential, V (x ) ˜x3 , both in the transient regime and in the long-time limit. The maximum shifts against the acting force as a function of time and temperature. Simultaneously, the local uncertainty does not increase faster than the observable shift. In the long-time limit, the probability density naturally attains a quasistationary form. We interpret this process as a stabilization via the measurement-feedback mechanism, the Maxwell demon, which works as an entropy pump. The rules for measurement and feedback naturally arise from the basic properties of the unstable dynamics. All reported effects are inherent in any unstable system. Their detailed understanding will stimulate the development of stochastic engines and amplifiers and, later, their quantum counterparts.

  4. Externally perturbed unstable systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Posch, H.A.; Narnhofer, H.; Thirring, W.

    1991-01-01

    We discuss computer solutions of Newton's equation of motion for unstable systems in a container with time-dependent walls. An expansion leads to the formation of a cluster and a significant increase of the temperature. The question of entropy increase for expansion and compression of the system and the related problem of the feasibility of a perpetuum mobile of the second kind are investigated. (Authors)

  5. Heteroclinic cycles between unstable attractors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Broer, Henk; Efstathiou, Konstantinos; Subramanian, Easwar

    We consider networks of pulse coupled linear oscillators with non-zero delay where the coupling between the oscillators is given by the Mirollo-Strogatz function. We prove the existence of heteroclinic cycles between unstable attractors for a network of four oscillators and for an open set of

  6. Soleus and lateral gastrocnemius H-reflexes during standing with unstable footwear.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friesenbichler, Bernd; Lepers, Romuald; Maffiuletti, Nicola A

    2015-05-01

    Unstable footwear has been shown to increase lower extremity muscle activity, but the reflex response to perturbations induced by this intervention is unknown. Twenty healthy subjects stood in stable and unstable footwear conditions (presented randomly) while H-reflex amplitude and background muscle activity were measured in the soleus and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscles. Wearing unstable footwear resulted in larger H-reflexes (normalized to the maximal M-wave) for the LG (+12%; P = 0.025), but not for the soleus (+4%; P > 0.05). Background activity of both muscles was significantly higher in the unstable condition. The H-reflex facilitation observed with unstable footwear was unexpected, as challenging postural conditions usually result in reflex depression. Increased muscle activity, decreased presynaptic inhibition, and/or more forward postural position may have (over-)compensated the expected reflex depression. Differences between LG and soleus H-reflex modulation may be due to diverging motor unit recruitment thresholds. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Direct numerical simulation of stable and unstable turbulent thermal boundary layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hattori, Hirofumi; Houra, Tomoya; Nagano, Yasutaka

    2007-01-01

    This paper presents direct numerical simulations (DNS) of stable and unstable turbulent thermal boundary layers. Since a buoyancy-affected boundary layer is often encountered in an urban environmental space where stable and unstable stratifications exist, exploring a buoyancy-affected boundary layer is very important to know the transport phenomena of the flow in an urban space. Although actual observation may qualitatively provide the characteristics of these flows, the relevant quantitative turbulent quantities are very difficult to measure. Thus, in order to quantitatively investigate a buoyancy-affected boundary layer in detail, we have here carried out for the first time time- and space-developing DNS of slightly stable and unstable turbulent thermal boundary layers. The DNS results show the quantitative turbulent statistics and structures of stable and unstable thermal boundary layers, in which the characteristic transport phenomena of thermally stratified boundary layers are demonstrated by indicating the budgets of turbulent shear stress and turbulent heat flux. Even though the input of buoyant force is not large, the influence of buoyancy is clearly revealed in both stable and unstable turbulent boundary layers. In particular, it is found that both stable and unstable thermal stratifications caused by the weak buoyant force remarkably alter the structure of near-wall turbulence

  8. Heteroclinic cycles between unstable attractors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broer, Henk; Efstathiou, Konstantinos; Subramanian, Easwar

    2008-01-01

    We consider networks of pulse coupled linear oscillators with non-zero delay where the coupling between the oscillators is given by the Mirollo–Strogatz function. We prove the existence of heteroclinic cycles between unstable attractors for a network of four oscillators and for an open set of parameter values

  9. Unstable Pore-Water Flow in Intertidal Wetlands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barry, D. A.; Shen, C.; Li, L.

    2014-12-01

    Salt marshes are important intertidal wetlands strongly influenced by interactions between surface water and groundwater. Bordered by coastal water, the marsh system undergoes cycles of inundation and exposure driven by the tide. This leads to dynamic, complex pore-water flow and solute transport in the marsh soil. Pore-water circulations occur over vastly different spatial and temporal scales with strong link to the marsh topography. These circulations control solute transport between the marsh soil and the tidal creek, and ultimately affect the overall nutrient exchange between the marsh and coastal water. The pore-water flows also dictate the soil condition, particularly aeration, which influences the marsh plant growth. Numerous studies have been carried out to examine the pore-water flow process in the marsh soil driven by tides, focusing on stable flow with the assumption of homogeneity in soil and fluid properties. This assumption, however, is questionable given the actual inhomogeneous conditions in the field. For example, the salinity of surface water in the tidal creek varies temporally and spatially due to the influence of rainfall and evapotranspiration as well as the freshwater input from upland areas to the estuary, creating density gradients across the marsh surface and within the marsh soil. Many marshes possess soil stratigraphy with low-permeability mud typically overlying high-permeability sandy deposits. Macropores such as crab burrows are commonly distributed in salt marsh sediments. All these conditions are prone to the development of non-uniform, unstable preferential pore-water flow in the marsh soil, for example, funnelling and fingering. Here we present results from laboratory experiments and numerical simulations to explore such unstable flow. In particular, the analysis aims to address how the unstable flow modifies patterns of local pore-water movement and solute transport, as well as the overall exchange between the marsh soil and

  10. Significance of Tc-99m pyrophosphate accumulation in unstable angina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tange, Shoichi; Kondo, Chisato; Ohta, Yoshiko; Kusakabe, Kiyoko; Shigeta, Akiko; Uchida, Tatsuro; Sumiyoshi, Tetsuya; Kaneko, Noboru; Hosoda, Saichi

    1993-01-01

    Tc-99m pyrophosphate (PYP) and Tl-201 simultaneous dual energy single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) were performed in 33 patients with clinically unstable angina. According to the presence or absence of PYP accumulation in the myocardium, the patients were classified as PYP (+) group (n=22) and PYP (-) group (n=11). Clinical features, types of unstable angina, ECG changes, and serial creatine kinase (CK) data were compared in the two groups. The 'new angina at rest' type of unstable angina was more significantly common in the PYP (+) group (16/22) than the PYP (-) group (2/11). The remaining 6 patients in the PYP (+) group and 2 patients in the PYP (-) group had 'angina of effort with changing pattern'. There was a significant difference in the occurrence of ST elevation and ST depression between the group: 59% in the PYP (+) group vs. 18% in the PYP (-) group for ST elevation and 23% in the PYP (+) group vs. 64% in the PYP (-) group for ST depression. The PYP (+) group showed significant improvement in ejection fraction in the stable state (57±12%) as compared with the unstable state (62±11%), although there was no difference between the stable and unstable state in the PYP (-) group. Although wall motion abnormality index (WMI) was poorer in the PYP (+) group than the PYP (-) group, it improved to the same degree as the PYP (-) group one month later. These data suggest that the area showing PYP (+) may reflect stunned myocardium and that Tc-99m PYP accumulation may correlate with clinical features of unstable angina. (N.K.)

  11. Revealing Bell's nonlocality for unstable systems in high energy physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hiesmayr, Beatrix C.; Gabriel, Andreas; Huber, Marcus; Di Domenico, Antonio; Curceanu, Catalina; Larsson, Jan-Aake; Moskal, Pawel

    2012-01-01

    Entanglement and its consequences - in particular the violation of Bell inequalities, which defies our concepts of realism and locality - have been proven to play key roles in Nature by many experiments for various quantum systems. Entanglement can also be found in systems not consisting of ordinary matter and light, i.e. in massive meson-antimeson systems. Bell inequalities have been discussed for these systems, but up to date no direct experimental test to conclusively exclude local realism was found. This mainly stems from the fact that one only has access to a restricted class of observables and that these systems are also decaying. In this Letter we put forward a Bell inequality for unstable systems which can be tested at accelerator facilities with current technology. Herewith, the long awaited proof that such systems at different energy scales can reveal the sophisticated ''dynamical'' nonlocal feature of Nature in a direct experiment gets feasible. Moreover, the role of entanglement and CP violation, an asymmetry between matter and antimatter, is explored, a special feature offered only by these meson-antimeson systems. (orig.)

  12. Synthesis of unstable cyclic peroxides for chemiluminescence studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bartoloni, Fernando H.; Oliveira, Marcelo A. de; Augusto, Felipe A.; Ciscato, Luiz Francisco M.L.; Bastos, Erick L.; Baader, Wilhelm J., E-mail: wjbaader@iq.usp.br [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica. Dept. de Quimica Fundamental

    2012-11-15

    Cyclic four-membered ring peroxides are important high-energy intermediates in a variety of chemi and bioluminescence transformations. Specifically, a-peroxy lactones (1,2-dioxetanones) have been considered as model systems for efficient firefly bioluminescence. However, the preparation of such highly unstable compounds is extremely difficult and, therefore, only few research groups have been able to study the properties of these substances. In this study, the synthesis, purification and characterization of three 1,2-dioxetanones are reported and a detailed procedure for the known synthesis of diphenoyl peroxide, another important model compound for the chemical generation of electronically excited states, is provided. For most of these peroxides, the complete spectroscopic characterization is reported here for the first time. (author)

  13. A study of unstable rock failures using finite difference and discrete element methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garvey, Ryan J.

    Case histories in mining have long described pillars or faces of rock failing violently with an accompanying rapid ejection of debris and broken material into the working areas of the mine. These unstable failures have resulted in large losses of life and collapses of entire mine panels. Modern mining operations take significant steps to reduce the likelihood of unstable failure, however eliminating their occurrence is difficult in practice. Researchers over several decades have supplemented studies of unstable failures through the application of various numerical methods. The direction of the current research is to extend these methods and to develop improved numerical tools with which to study unstable failures in underground mining layouts. An extensive study is first conducted on the expression of unstable failure in discrete element and finite difference methods. Simulated uniaxial compressive strength tests are run on brittle rock specimens. Stable or unstable loading conditions are applied onto the brittle specimens by a pair of elastic platens with ranging stiffnesses. Determinations of instability are established through stress and strain histories taken for the specimen and the system. Additional numerical tools are then developed for the finite difference method to analyze unstable failure in larger mine models. Instability identifiers are established for assessing the locations and relative magnitudes of unstable failure through measures of rapid dynamic motion. An energy balance is developed which calculates the excess energy released as a result of unstable equilibria in rock systems. These tools are validated through uniaxial and triaxial compressive strength tests and are extended to models of coal pillars and a simplified mining layout. The results of the finite difference simulations reveal that the instability identifiers and excess energy calculations provide a generalized methodology for assessing unstable failures within potentially complex

  14. Analysis of unstable secondary particles produced in jet of 30 TeV energy sum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogata, Takeshi

    1978-01-01

    High energy jet shower with energy sum of about 30 TeV has been obtained in the airplane-bone emulsion chamber. The size of the emulsion chamber was 20 cm x 25 cm x 12 cm. The airplane altitude was 260 g/cm 2 , and the exposure time was 600 hours. In this experiment, two jet events were found, and one of two events, KG-7, was the largest obtained so far. Three secondary charged particles produced by high energy interaction were analysed in detail. The analysis indicated that three charged particles seemed to be created by the decay of an unstable secondary particle. The lifetime of the unstable particle was estimated to be 10 -3 - 10 -14 sec, and this particle seems to be a charm particle. (Yoshimori, M.)

  15. Relevant signs of stable and unstable thoracolumbar vertebral column trauma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gehweiler, J.A.; Daffner, R.H.; Osborne, R.L.

    1981-01-01

    One-hundred and seventeen patients with acute thoracolumbar vertebral column fracture or fracture-dislocations were analyzed and classified into stable (36%) and unstable (64%). Eight helpful roentgen signs were observed that may serve to direct attention to serious underlying, often occult, fractures and dislocations. The changes fall into four principal groups: abnormal soft tissues, abnormal vertebral alignment, abnormal joints, and widened vertebral canal. All stable and unstable lesions showed abnormal soft tissues, while 70% demonstrated kyphosis and/or scoliosis, and an abnormal adjacent intervertebral disk space. All unstable lesions showed one or more of the following signs: displaced vertebra, widened interspinous space, abnormal apophyseal joint(s), and widened vertebral canal. (orig.)

  16. Weak gravitational lensing as a method to constrain unstable dark matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Meiyu; Zentner, Andrew R.

    2010-01-01

    The nature of the dark matter remains a mystery. The possibility of an unstable dark matter particle decaying to invisible daughter particles has been explored many times in the past few decades. Meanwhile, weak gravitational lensing shear has gained a lot of attention as a probe of dark energy, though it was previously considered a dark matter probe. Weak lensing is a useful tool for constraining the stability of the dark matter. In the coming decade a number of large galaxy imaging surveys will be undertaken and will measure the statistics of cosmological weak lensing with unprecedented precision. Weak lensing statistics are sensitive to unstable dark matter in at least two ways. Dark matter decays alter the matter power spectrum and change the angular diameter distance-redshift relation. We show how measurements of weak lensing shear correlations may provide the most restrictive, model-independent constraints on the lifetime of unstable dark matter. Our results rely on assumptions regarding nonlinear evolution of density fluctuations in scenarios of unstable dark matter and one of our aims is to stimulate interest in theoretical work on nonlinear structure growth in unstable dark matter models.

  17. Muscular outputs during dynamic bench press under stable versus unstable conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koshida, Sentaro; Urabe, Yukio; Miyashita, Koji; Iwai, Kanzunori; Kagimori, Aya

    2008-09-01

    Previous studies have suggested that resistance training exercise under unstable conditions decreases the isometric force output, yet little is known about its influence on muscular outputs during dynamic movement. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of an unstable condition on power, force, and velocity outputs during the bench press. Twenty male collegiate athletes (mean age, 21.3 +/- 1.5 years; mean height, 167.7 +/- 7.7 cm; mean weight, 75.9 +/- 17.5 kg) participated in this study. Each subject attempted 3 sets of single bench presses with 50% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM) under a stable condition with a flat bench and an unstable condition with a Swiss ball. Acceleration data were obtained with an accelerometer attached to the center of a barbell shaft, and peak outputs of power, force, and velocity were computed. Although significant loss of the peak outputs was found under the unstable condition (p velocity outputs, compared with previous findings. Such small reduction rates of muscular outputs may not compromise the training effect. Prospective studies are necessary to confirm whether the resistance training under an unstable condition permits the improvement of dynamic performance and trunk stability.

  18. Estimation scheme for unstable ductile fracture of pressure vessel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Jun; Okamura, Hiroyuki; Sakai, Shinsuke

    1990-01-01

    This paper presents a new scheme for the estimation of unstable ductile fracture using the J-integral. The proposed method uses a load-versus-displacement diagram which is generated using fully plastic solutions. By this method, the phenomena of the ductile fracture can be grasped visually. Thus, the parametrical survey can be executed far more easily than before. Then, using the proposed method, unstable ductile fracture is analyzed for single-edge cracked plates under both uniform tension and pure bending. In addition, several parametrical surveys are performed concerning (1) J-controlled crack growth, (2) compliance of the structure, (3) ductility of the material (i.e., J-resistance curve), and (4) scale of the structure (i.e., screening criterion). As a result, it is shown that the proposed method is especially effective for the paramtrical study of unstable ductile fracture. (author)

  19. Thin disk laser with unstable resonator and reduced output coupler

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gavili, Anwar; Shayganmanesh, Mahdi

    2018-05-01

    In this paper, feasibility of using unstable resonator with reduced output coupling in a thin disk laser is studied theoretically. Unstable resonator is modeled by wave-optics using Collins integral and iterative method. An Yb:YAG crystal with 250 micron thickness is considered as a quasi-three level active medium and modeled by solving rate equations of energy levels populations. The amplification of laser beam in the active medium is calculated based on the Beer-Lambert law and Rigrod method. Using generalized beam parameters method, laser beam parameters like, width, divergence, M2 factor, output power as well as near and far-field beam profiles are calculated for unstable resonator. It is demonstrated that for thin disk laser (with single disk) in spite of the low thickness of the disk which leads to low gain factor, it is possible to use unstable resonator (with reduced output coupling) and achieve good output power with appropriate beam quality. Also, the behavior of output power and beam quality versus equivalent Fresnel number is investigated and optimized value of output coupling for maximum output power is achieved.

  20. Incidence and follow-up of Braunwald subgroups in unstable angina pectoris

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Miltenburg-van Zijl, A. J.; Simoons, M. L.; Veerhoek, R. J.; Bossuyt, P. M.

    1995-01-01

    OBJECTIVES. This study was performed to establish the prognosis of patients with unstable angina within the subgroups of the Braunwald classification. BACKGROUND. Among many classifications of unstable angina, the Braunwald classification is frequently used. However, the incidence and risk for each

  1. Capture cross sections on unstable nuclei

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tonchev, A. P.; Escher, J. E.; Scielzo, N.; Bedrossian, P.; Ilieva, R. S.; Humby, P.; Cooper, N.; Goddard, P. M.; Werner, V.; Tornow, W.; Rusev, G.; Kelley, J. H.; Pietralla, N.; Scheck, M.; Savran, D.; Löher, B.; Yates, S. W.; Crider, B. P.; Peters, E. E.; Tsoneva, N.; Goriely, S.

    2017-09-01

    Accurate neutron-capture cross sections on unstable nuclei near the line of beta stability are crucial for understanding the s-process nucleosynthesis. However, neutron-capture cross sections for short-lived radionuclides are difficult to measure due to the fact that the measurements require both highly radioactive samples and intense neutron sources. Essential ingredients for describing the γ decays following neutron capture are the γ-ray strength function and level densities. We will compare different indirect approaches for obtaining the most relevant observables that can constrain Hauser-Feshbach statistical-model calculations of capture cross sections. Specifically, we will consider photon scattering using monoenergetic and 100% linearly polarized photon beams. Challenges that exist on the path to obtaining neutron-capture cross sections for reactions on isotopes near and far from stability will be discussed.

  2. Capture cross sections on unstable nuclei

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tonchev A.P.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Accurate neutron-capture cross sections on unstable nuclei near the line of beta stability are crucial for understanding the s-process nucleosynthesis. However, neutron-capture cross sections for short-lived radionuclides are difficult to measure due to the fact that the measurements require both highly radioactive samples and intense neutron sources. Essential ingredients for describing the γ decays following neutron capture are the γ-ray strength function and level densities. We will compare different indirect approaches for obtaining the most relevant observables that can constrain Hauser-Feshbach statistical-model calculations of capture cross sections. Specifically, we will consider photon scattering using monoenergetic and 100% linearly polarized photon beams. Challenges that exist on the path to obtaining neutron-capture cross sections for reactions on isotopes near and far from stability will be discussed.

  3. Neuromuscular adjustments of gait associated with unstable conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivanenko, Y. P.; d'Avella, A.; Serrao, M.; Ranavolo, A.; Draicchio, F.; Cappellini, G.; Casali, C.; Lacquaniti, F.

    2015-01-01

    A compact description of coordinated muscle activity is provided by the factorization of electromyographic (EMG) signals. With the use of this approach, it has consistently been shown that multimuscle activity during human locomotion can be accounted for by four to five modules, each one comprised of a basic pattern timed at a different phase of gait cycle and the weighting coefficients of synergistic muscle activations. These modules are flexible, in so far as the timing of patterns and the amplitude of weightings can change as a function of gait speed and mode. Here we consider the adjustments of the locomotor modules related to unstable walking conditions. We compared three different conditions, i.e., locomotion of healthy subjects on slippery ground (SL) and on narrow beam (NB) and of cerebellar ataxic (CA) patients on normal ground. Motor modules were computed from the EMG signals of 12 muscles of the right lower limb using non-negative matrix factorization. The unstable gait of SL, NB, and CA showed significant changes compared with controls in the stride length, stride width, range of angular motion, and trunk oscillations. In most subjects of all three unstable conditions, >70% of the overall variation of EMG waveforms was accounted for by four modules that were characterized by a widening of muscle activity patterns. This suggests that the nervous system adopts the strategy of prolonging the duration of basic muscle activity patterns to cope with unstable conditions resulting from either slippery ground, reduced support surface, or pathology. PMID:26378199

  4. A priori which-way information in quantum interference with unstable particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krause, D.E.; Fischbach, E.; Rohrbach, Z.J.

    2014-01-01

    If an unstable particle used in a two-path interference experiment decays before reaching a detector, which-way information becomes available that reduces the detected interference fringe visibility V. Here we argue that even when an unstable particle does not decay while in the interferometer, a priori which-way information is still available in the form of path predictability P which depends on the particle's decay rate Γ. We further demonstrate that in a matter-wave Mach–Zehnder interferometer using an excited atom with an appropriately tuned cavity, P is related to V through the duality relation P 2 +V 2 =1. - Highlights: • Even undecayed unstable particles exhibit novel interference effects. • Interference is studied in a Mach–Zehnder interferometer with a cavity. • More which-way information is available when using unstable particles. • A relation between which-way information and interference is satisfied

  5. Unstable Temperature Distribution in Friction Stir Welding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sadiq Aziz Hussein

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In the friction stir welding process, a nonuniform and high generated temperature is undesirable. Unstable temperature and distribution affect thermal and residual stresses along the welding line, thus necessitating mitigation. This paper presents a simple method to prevent significant temperature difference along the welding line and also to help nullifying some defect types associated with this welding, such as end-hole, initial unwelded line, and deformed areas. In the experimental investigation, a heat and force thermocouple and dynamometer were utilized while couple-field thermomechanical models were used to evaluate temperature and its distribution, plastic strain, and material displacement. The suggested method generated uniform temperature distributions. Measurement results are discussed, showing a good correlation with predictions.

  6. Non-Abelian magnetized blackholes and unstable attractors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mosaffa, A.E.; Randjbar-Daemi, S.; Sheikh-Jabbari, M.M.

    2006-12-01

    Fluctuations of non-Abelian gauge fields in a background magnetic flux contain tachyonic modes and hence the background is unstable. We extend these results to the cases where the background flux is coupled to Einstein gravity and show that the corresponding spherically symmetric geometries, which in the absence of a cosmological constant are of the form of Reissner-Nordstroem blackholes or the AdS 2 x S 2 , are also unstable. We discuss the relevance of these instabilities to several places in string theory including various string compactifications and the attractor mechanism. Our results for the latter imply that the attractor mechanism shown to work for the extremal Abelian charged blackholes, cannot be applied in a straightforward way to the extremal non-Abelian colored blackholes. (author)

  7. On the representations of Poincare group associated with unstable particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Exner, RP.

    1983-01-01

    The problem of relativistically-covariant description of unstable particles is reexamined. We follow the approach which associates a unitary reducible representation of Poincare group with a larger isolated system, and compare it with the one ascribing a non-unitary irreducible representation to the unstable particle alone. It is shown that the problem roots in choice of the subspace Hsub(u) of the state Hilbert space which could be related to the unstable particle. Translational invariance of Hsub(u) is proved to be incompatible with unitarity of the boosts. Further we propose a concrete choice of Hsub(u) and argue that in most cases of the actual experimental arrangements, this subspace is effectively one-dimensional. A correct slow-down for decay of a moving particle is obtained

  8. Nonlinear Analysis of an Unstable Bench Press Bar Path and Muscle Activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawrence, Michael A; Leib, Daniel J; Ostrowski, Stephanie J; Carlson, Lara A

    2017-05-01

    Lawrence, MA, Leib, DJ, Ostrowski, SJ, and Carlson, LA. Nonlinear analysis of an unstable bench press bar path and muscle activation. J Strength Cond Res 31(5): 1206-1211, 2017-Unstable resistance exercises are typically performed to improve the ability of stabilizing muscles to maintain joint integrity under a load. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an unstable load (as provided by a flexible barbell and a load suspended by elastic bands) on the bar path, the primary musculature, and stabilizing musculature while bench pressing using nonlinear analyses. Fifteen resistance-trained men (age 24.2 ± 2.7 years, mass 84.1 ± 12.0 kg, height 1.77 ± 0.05 m, 9.9 ± 3.4 years of lifting experience, and bench press 1 repetition maximum (RM) 107.5 ± 25.9 kg) volunteered for this study. Subjects pressed 2 sets of 5 repetitions in both stable (total load 75% 1RM) and unstable (total load 60% 1RM) conditions using a standard barbell and a flexible Earthquake bar, respectively. Surface electromyography was used to detect muscle activity of primary movers (pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, and triceps) and bar stabilizing musculature (latissimus dorsi, middle and posterior deltoid, biceps brachii, and upper trapezius). During the unstable condition, the bar moved in more ways and was less predictable in the mediolateral and anteroposterior directions. However, the muscle activation patterns of all muscles were more constrained with the unstable barbell. These findings suggest that the unstable condition was more challenging to control, but subjects controlled the instability by contracting their muscles in a more stable pattern or "staying tight" throughout the exercise.

  9. Demographic epidemiology of unstable pelvic fracture in the United States from 2000 to 2009: trends and in-hospital mortality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshihara, Hiroyuki; Yoneoka, Daisuke

    2014-02-01

    Unstable pelvic fracture is predominantly caused by high-energy blunt trauma and is associated with a high risk of mortality. The epidemiology in the United States is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the epidemiology of unstable pelvic fracture based on patient and hospital demographics in the United States during the last decade. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was used to identify patients who were hospitalized with unstable pelvic fracture from 2000 to 2009, using the International Classification of Diseases--9th Rev.--Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes. The primary outcome parameter consisted of analyzing the temporal trends of in-hospital admissions for unstable pelvic fracture and the associated in-hospital mortality. The data were stratified by demographic variables, including age, sex, race, and hospital region in the United States. From 2000 to 2009, there were 24,059 patients in total; among these, 1,823 (7.6%) had open fractures, and 22,236 (92.4%) had closed fractures. The population growth-adjusted incidence was stable over time (p = 0.431). The incidence was the lowest in the northeastern region. The in-hospital mortality rate in patients with unstable pelvic fracture was 8.3% (21.3% for open fracture, 7.2% for closed fracture) and remained stable over time (p = 0.089). The in-hospital mortality rate was higher in several subgroups of patients, such as older patients, male patients, African-American patients, and patients in the northeastern region. During the last decade, the incidence of unstable pelvic fracture has remained stable over time in the United States. The in-hospital mortality rate in patients with unstable pelvic fracture was 8.3% and remained stable over time. The rate in patients with an open fracture was approximately three times higher than that in patients with a closed fracture. The incidence was the lowest, but the in-hospital mortality rate was the highest in the northeastern region compared with the

  10. Can Unstable Shoe Be Used As a Safety Training Shoe for Rehabilitation Exercises?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amin Gandomkar

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Unstable shoes have been recommended to osteoarthritis patients in order to reduce walking injuries. The aim of this study was to test the effect of unstable shoe on biomechanical selected variables related to injury during stanse phase of running. Materials & Methods: Twenty five healthy young male students available men (21±2.27years participated in this study. Subjects were asked to ran on the force plate in barefoot, with unstable and control shoe conditions. Active and passive joint power, peak anterior-posterior forces, active and passive vertical force, loading rate and impulse of posterior and passive vertical forces variables were recorded using synchronizing force plate and video camera and calculated in MATLAB software. A repeated measure of ANOVA used to test the hypothesis in SPSS software (version 20, p<0.05. Results: negative power at Ankle joint decreased significantly by 49%, 35% using unstable shoe compared to contol shoe and barefoot conditions respectively (P=0.02,P<0.05. Furthemore, unstable shoe decreased significantly the active ankle power compared to barefoot condition by 23% (P=0.01. Loading rate and peak of passive vertical force, impulse and peak of posterior force increased significantly in unstable shoe compared to control shoe (P<0.05. Conclusion: Unstable shoe increased some of running related injuries risk factors such as Loading rate and peak of passive vertical force, impulse and peak of posterior force. Furthemore, this shoe could decrease absorption potential shank muscles and ankle active stability compared to control shoe. However, with increase of ankle active power compared to barefoot and lower anterior force, Unstable shoe could improve the ankle joint force generation and propulsion potential.

  11. Quantum demolition filtering and optimal control of unstable systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belavkin, V P

    2012-11-28

    A brief account of the quantum information dynamics and dynamical programming methods for optimal control of quantum unstable systems is given to both open loop and feedback control schemes corresponding respectively to deterministic and stochastic semi-Markov dynamics of stable or unstable systems. For the quantum feedback control scheme, we exploit the separation theorem of filtering and control aspects as in the usual case of quantum stable systems with non-demolition observation. This allows us to start with the Belavkin quantum filtering equation generalized to demolition observations and derive the generalized Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation using standard arguments of classical control theory. This is equivalent to a Hamilton-Jacobi equation with an extra linear dissipative term if the control is restricted to Hamiltonian terms in the filtering equation. An unstable controlled qubit is considered as an example throughout the development of the formalism. Finally, we discuss optimum observation strategies to obtain a pure quantum qubit state from a mixed one.

  12. Prognostic factors for survival of women with unstable spinal bone metastases from breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foerster, Robert; Bruckner, Thomas; Bostel, Tilman; Schlampp, Ingmar; Debus, Juergen; Rief, Harald

    2015-01-01

    Bone metastases are an important clinical issue in women with breast cancer. Particularly, unstable spinal bone metastases (SBM) are a major cause of severe morbidity and reduced quality of life (QoL) due to frequent immobilization. Radiotherapy (RT) is the major treatment modality and is capable of promoting re-ossification and improving stability. Since local therapy response is excellent, survival of these patients with unstable SBM is of high clinical importance. We therefore conducted this analysis to assess survival and to determine prognostic factors for bone survival (BS) in women with breast cancer and unstable SBM. A total population of 92 women with unstable SBM from breast cancer who were treated with RT at our department between January 2000 and January 2012 was retrospectively investigated. We calculated overall survival (OS) and BS (time between first diagnosis of bone metastases until death) with the Kaplan-Meier method and assessed prognostic factors for BS with a Cox regression model. Mean age at first diagnosis of breast cancer was 60.8 years ± SD 12.4 years. OS after 1, 2 and 5 years was 84.8, 66.3 and 50 %, respectively. BS after 1, 2 and 5 years was 62.0, 33.7 and 12 %, respectively. An age > 50 years (p < .001; HR 1.036 [CI 1.015–1.057]), the presence of a single bone metastasis (p = .002; HR 0.469 [CI 0.292–0.753]) and triple negative phenotype (p < .001; HR 1.068 [CI 0.933–1.125]) were identified as independent prognostic factors for BS. Our analysis demonstrated a short survival of women with breast cancer and unstable SBM. Age, presence of a solitary SBM and triple-negative phenotype correlated with survival. Our results may have an impact on therapeutic decisions in the future and offer a rationale for future prospective investigations

  13. Subphotospheric fluctuations in magnetized radiative envelopes: contribution from unstable magnetosonic waves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sen, Koushik; Fernández, Rodrigo; Socrates, Aristotle

    2018-06-01

    We examine the excitation of unstable magnetosonic waves in the radiative envelopes of intermediate- and high-mass stars with a magnetic field of ˜kG strength. Wind clumping close to the star and microturbulence can often be accounted for when including small-scale, subphotospheric density or velocity perturbations. Compressional waves - with wavelengths comparable to or shorter than the gas pressure scale height - can be destabilized by the radiative flux in optically thick media when a magnetic field is present, in a process called the radiation-driven magneto-acoustic instability (RMI). The instability does not require radiation or magnetic pressure to dominate over gas pressure, and acts independently of subsurface convection zones. Here we evaluate the conditions for the RMI to operate on a grid of stellar models covering a mass range 3-40 M⊙ at solar metallicity. For a uniform 1 kG magnetic field, fast magnetosonic modes are unstable down to an optical depth of a few tens, while unstable slow modes extend beyond the depth of the iron convection zone. The qualitative behaviour is robust to magnetic field strength variations by a factor of a few. When combining our findings with previous results for the saturation amplitude of the RMI, we predict velocity fluctuations in the range ˜0.1-10 km s-1. These amplitudes are a monotonically increasing function of the ratio of radiation to gas pressure, or alternatively, of the zero-age main sequence mass.

  14. Suspended Particulates Concentration (PM10 under Unstable Atmospheric Conditions over Subtropical Urban Area (Qena, Egypt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. El-Nouby Adam

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the suspended particulates (PM10 in the atmosphere under unstable atmospheric conditions. The variation of PM10 was investigated and primary statistics were employed. The results show that, the PM10 concentrations values ranged from 6.00 to 646.74 μg m−3. The average value of PM10 is equal to 114.32 μg m−3. The high values were recorded in April and May (155.17 μg m−3 and 171.82 μg m−3, respectively and the low values were noted in February and December (73.86 μg m−3 and 74.05 μg m−3, respectively. The average value of PM10 of the hot season (125.35 × 10−6 g m−3 was higher than its value for the cold season (89.27 μg m−3. In addition, the effect of weather elements (air temperature, humidity and wind on the concentration of PM10 was determined. The multiple R between PM10 and these elements ranged from 0.05 to 0.47 and its value increased to reach 0.73 for the monthly average of the database used. Finally, the PM10 concentrations were grouped depending on their associated atmospheric stability class. These average values were equal to 122.80 ± 9 μg m−3 (highly unstable or convective, 109.37 ± 12 μg m−3 (moderately unstable and 104.42 ± 15 μg m−3 (slightly unstable.

  15. Stable Versus Unstable Grade II High Ankle Sprains: A Prospective Study Predicting the Need for Surgical Stabilization and Time to Return to Sports.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calder, James D; Bamford, Richard; Petrie, Aviva; McCollum, Graham A

    2016-04-01

    To investigate grade II syndesmosis injuries in athletes and identify factors important in differentiating stable from dynamically unstable ankle sprains and those associated with a longer time to return to sports. Sixty-four athletes with an isolated syndesmosis injury (without fracture) were prospectively assessed, with a mean follow-up period of 37 months (range, 24 to 66 months). Those with an associated deltoid ligament injury or osteochondral lesion were included. Those whose injuries were considered stable (grade IIa) were treated conservatively with a boot and rehabilitation. Those whose injuries were clinically unstable underwent arthroscopy, and if instability was confirmed (grade IIb), the syndesmosis was stabilized. Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging assessments of injury to individual ligaments were recorded, along with time to return to play. A power analysis estimated that each group would need 28 patients. All athletes returned to the same level of professional sport. The 28 patients with grade IIa injuries returned at a mean of 45 days (range, 23 to 63 days) compared with 64 days (range, 27 to 104 days) for those with grade IIb injuries (P < .0001). There was a highly significant relationship between clinical and magnetic resonance imaging assessments of ligament injury (anterior tibiofibular ligament [ATFL], anterior-inferior tibiofibular ligament [AITFL], and deltoid ligament, P < .0001). Instability was 9.5 times as likely with a positive squeeze test and 11 times as likely with a deltoid injury. Combined injury to the anterior-inferior tibiofibular ligament and deltoid ligament was associated with a delay in return to sports. Concomitant injury to the ATFL indicated a different mechanism of injury-the syndesmosis is less likely to be unstable and is associated with an earlier return to sports. A positive squeeze test and injury to the ATFL and deltoid ligament are important factors in differentiating stable from dynamically unstable grade

  16. J-integral evaluation and stability analysis in the unstable ductile fracture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyoshi, Toshiro; Yoshida, Yuichiro; Shiratori, Masaki.

    1984-01-01

    Concerning unstable ductile fracture, which is an important problem on the structural stability of line pipes, nuclear reactor piping and so on, the research on fracture mechanics parameters which control the beginning of the stable growth and unstable growth of cracks attracts interest. At present, as the parameters, the T-modulus based on J-integral crack tip opening angle, crack opening angle averaged over crack developing part, plastic work coefficient and so on have been proposed. The research on the effectiveness and inter-relation of these parameters is divided into generation phase and application phase, and by these researches, it was reported that all T-modulus, CTOA and COA took almost constant values in relation to crack development, except initial transition period. In order to decide which parameter is most appropriate, the detailed analysis is required. In this study, the analysis of unstable ductile fracture of a central crack test piece and a small tensile test piece was carried out by finite element method, and the evaluation of J-integral in relation to crack development, J-integral resistance value when COA is assumed to be a constant, the form of an unstable fracture occurring point and the compliance dependence were examined. The method of analysis, the evaluation of J-integral, J-integral resistance value, unstable fracture occurring point and stability diagram are described. (Kako, I.)

  17. Emergency watershed protection measures in highly unstable terrain on the Blake Fire, Six Rivers National Forest, 1987

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mark E. Smith; Kenneth A. Wright

    1989-01-01

    The Blake Fire burned about 730 ha of mature timber on the west slope of South Fork Mountain in northwestern California. Many steep innergorge and landslide headwall areas burned very hot, killing most large trees and consuming much of the large organic debris in unstable drainages. This created a potential for adverse effects on downstream fisheries from landsliding...

  18. Unstable pigment mutants of Chlorella vulgaris B. as induced by UV irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chankova, S.; Vinarova, K.

    1987-01-01

    The dynamics of arising of unstable 'segregating' pigment mutants of Chlorella vulgaris B. has been investigated in dependence on the dose of UV-rays applied and the macro- and microstructural changes taking place. The mutants are found to occur with a low frequency, irrespective of the dose applied and the presence or absence of photo-reactivation. A constantly recurring process of decomposition into two subclones is observed: light green (unstable) and yellow-green (stable). The existence of two cellular populations - structurally damaged and structurally undamaged - in the light-green unstable subclone has been demonstrated. There exists a qualitative and a quantitative correlation between the structural deformations in the cell and the dose with which the unstable pigment mutants are induced. Disturbances in the cell division are observed,resulting in delayed growth rate and the formation of small colonies

  19. Evidence for a continental unstable triple junction as an alternate model for Vrancea seismicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Besutiu, L.

    2002-01-01

    The Vrancea active seismic zone located in the bending area of Romanian Carpathians stands for a long time as a challenge to geoscientists all over the world. Deep seismicity in continental collision circumstances is rather rare and always constraints on dynamics of subduction. The pattern of the intermediate-depth seismicity in the Vrancea region suggests a confined prismatic nearly vertical seismic body. The small size and geometry of the seismic zone have made it difficult to interpret the kinematics of subduction and continental collision in the area. During the years, several models, almost all subduction-related, have more or less successfully tried to explain this phenomenon. The paper represents an attempt to explain the Vrancea intermediate depth seismicity starting from a new concept, as introduced by the plate tectonics theory: the triple junction. A continental unstable triple junction is proposed as an alternate model to explain the unusual seismicity in the Vrancea seismic area. Three tectonic plates / microplates seem to join in the region: East European Plate (EEP), Moesian microplate (MoP), and the Intra-Alpine microplate (IaP). Their edges are geophysically documented and their motion is evidenced. The differentiation in their relative velocities generated an unstable transform-transform-compression triple junction that determined the vertical collapse of the lithospheric segment to which the intermediate seismicity within Vrancea zone is associated. Three major plates' wedges bound the seismic body: Tornquist-Teissyere zone, Peceneaga-Camena fault, and Trans-Getica fault. Temperature accommodation phenomena associated to the sinking lithospheric body into the hotter upper mantle environment (such as convective cells, phase-transform processes, and devolatilization) could be responsible for the earthquakes occurrence. The problem of the missing subduction related volcanism within Vrancea triple junction (VTJ) area is definitely solved in the case

  20. Technetium-99m-pyrophosphate myocardial imaging in unstable angina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Willerson, J.T.; Parkey, R.W.; Lewis, S.E.; Buja, L.M.; Bonte, F.J.

    1980-01-01

    The authors have found that approximately one third of patients with the syndrome of unstable angina pectoris have abnormal 99mTc-pyrophosphate myocardial scintigrams even in the absence of abnormal enzymes and electrocardiographic confirmation of the presence of acute myocardial necrosis. Thus, 99mTc-pyrophosphate myocardial imaging technique appears to represent a sensitive means to detect acute multicellular injury associated with the clinical syndrome of unstable angina pectoris even when cardiac enzymes are normal and the electrocardiogram does not definitively document the presence of acute myocardial necrosis. (Auth.)

  1. Effect of Tendon Vibration on Hemiparetic Arm Stability in Unstable Workspaces.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Megan O Conrad

    Full Text Available Sensory stimulation of wrist musculature can enhance stability in the proximal arm and may be a useful therapy aimed at improving arm control post-stroke. Specifically, our prior research indicates tendon vibration can enhance stability during point-to-point arm movements and in tracking tasks. The goal of the present study was to investigate the influence of forearm tendon vibration on endpoint stability, measured at the hand, immediately following forward arm movements in an unstable environment. Both proximal and distal workspaces were tested. Ten hemiparetic stroke subjects and 5 healthy controls made forward arm movements while grasping the handle of a two-joint robotic arm. At the end of each movement, the robot applied destabilizing forces. During some trials, 70 Hz vibration was applied to the forearm flexor muscle tendons. 70 Hz was used as the stimulus frequency as it lies within the range of optimal frequencies that activate the muscle spindles at the highest response rate. Endpoint position, velocity, muscle activity and grip force data were compared before, during and after vibration. Stability at the endpoint was quantified as the magnitude of oscillation about the target position, calculated from the power of the tangential velocity data. Prior to vibration, subjects produced unstable, oscillating hand movements about the target location due to the applied force field. Stability increased during vibration, as evidenced by decreased oscillation in hand tangential velocity.

  2. Unstable Titan-generated Rayleigh-Taylor Lakes Impact Ice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umurhan, O. M.; Korycansky, D. G.; Zahnle, K. J.

    2014-12-01

    The evolution of surface morphology on Titan, Triton, and other worlds is strongly influenced by the interplay of various fluid dynamical processes. Specifically, overturning instabilities can easily arise due to the special circumstances of landform evolution that probably occurred on these worlds. On Titan, large impacts that formed basins like Menrva crater (and possibly Hotei Regio) would have generated impact-melt ice lakes unstably arranged over less dense ice. Cantaloupe terrains, for example as seen on Triton, may be the result of condensation of volatiles (methane, nitrogen) leading to unstably stratified layers of different compositions and densities. In each of these cases, Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities leading to large scale diapirism may be at play. In addition to the dynamics of these instabilities, other physical effects (e.g. heat diffusion, freezing/melting, porosity, temperature dependent viscosity) likely play an important role in the evolution of these features. In this ongoing study, we examine the properties of unstably stratified fluids in which the lower less-dense ice has a temperature dependent viscosity. Surprisingly, we find that there exists an optimal disturbance length scale corresponding to the fastest growth of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. For unstably stratified layers of water (low viscosity heavy liquid lying above an ice whose viscosity increases with depth) the fastest growing mode corresponds to 40-60 km scales with overturn times of approximately 100 days. We present a detailed numerical stability analysis in a corresponding Boussinessq model (in the creeping flow limit) incorporating thermal conduction and latent heat release and we examine the stability properties surveying a variety of parameters. We have also developed a two-dimensional numerical code (a hybrid spectral/compact-differencing scheme) to model the evolution of such systems for which we shall present preliminary numerical results depicting the outcome of

  3. Scaling Laws for Unstable Interfaces Driven by Strong Shocks in Cylindrical Geometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Q.; Graham, M.J.; Graham, M.J.

    1997-01-01

    The Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM) instability is an interfacial interface between two fluids of different densities driven by shock waves and plays an important role in the studies of inertial confinement fusion and of supernovas. So far, most of the studies are for RM unstable interfaces driven by weak or intermediate shocks in planar geometry. For experiments conducted at the Nova laser, the unstable material interface is accelerated by very strong shocks. In this Letter, we present scaling laws for the RM unstable interface driven by strong imploding and exploding shocks. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

  4. Membrane extraction with thermodynamically unstable diphosphonic acid derivatives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horwitz, E.P.; Gatrone, R.C.; Nash, K.L.

    1997-10-14

    Thermodynamically-unstable complexing agents which are diphosphonic acids and diphosphonic acid derivatives (or sulphur containing analogs), like carboxyhydroxymethanediphosphonic acid and vinylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid, are capable of complexing with metal ions, and especially metal ions in the II, III, IV, V and VI oxidation states, to form stable, water-soluble metal ion complexes in moderately alkaline to highly-acidic media. However, the complexing agents can be decomposed, under mild conditions, into non-organic compounds which, for many purposes are environmentally-nondamaging compounds thereby degrading the complex and releasing the metal ion for disposal or recovery. Uses for such complexing agents as well as methods for their manufacture are also described. 1 fig.

  5. gamma. -unstable nuclei in the sdg boson model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuyucak, S.; Lac, V.S.; Morrison, I.; Barrett, B.R. (School of Physics, Univ. of Melbourne, Parkville (Australia))

    1991-07-18

    Following the recent Pt(p, p') experiments which indicated the need for g bosons to reproduce the E4 data, we have extended the O(6) limit of the sd boson model to include g bosons. It is shown that a {gamma}-unstable hamiltonian in the sdg model consisting of a quadrupole interaction and a g boson energy leads to results that are very similar to the O(6) limit. Deviations from the empirical energy spectrum that stem from the {gamma}-unstable nature of the hamiltonian can be improved by including a consistent hexadecapole interaction which induces triaxiality. The same hexadecapole operator can also account for the strong E4 transitions. Applications are made to the Xe and Pt isotopes. (orig.).

  6. γ-unstable nuclei in the sdg boson model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuyucak, S.; Lac, V.-S.; Morrison, I.; Barrett, B. R.

    1991-07-01

    Following the recent Pt(p, p‧) experiments which indicated the need for g bosons to reproduce the E4 data, we have extended the O(6) limit of the sd boson model to include g bosons. It is shown that a γ-unstable hamiltonian in the sdg model consisting of a quadrupole interaction and a g boson energy leads to results that are very similar to the O(6) limit. Deviations from the empirical energy spectrum that stem from the γ-unstable nature of the hamiltonian can be improved by including a consistent hexadecapole interaction which induces triaxiality. The same hexadecapole operator can also account for the strong E4 transitions. Applications are made to the Xe and Pt isotopes.

  7. Optical isotope shifts for unstable samarium isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eastham, D.A.; Walker, P.M.; Griffith, J.A.R.; Evans, D.E.; Grant, I.S.; England, J.G.; Fawcett, M.J.

    1984-01-01

    Using a tunable dye laser beam intersecting a thermal atomic beam, optical isotope shifts and hyperfine splittings have been measured for the four unstable samarium isotopes between 144 Sm and 154 Sm, covering the well known transition region from spherical to deformed shapes. (orig.)

  8. Unstable Systems in Relativistic Quantum Field Theory

    CERN Document Server

    Maiani, Luciano

    1998-01-01

    We show how the state of an unstable particle can be defined in terms of stable asymptotic states. This general definition is used to discuss and to solve some old problems connected with the short-time and large-time behaviour of the non-decay amplitude.

  9. Numerical simulation of a improving virtual confocal unstable resonator with circular mirrors of spherical surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Taichun; Fu Hanqing; Du Xiangwan

    1999-01-01

    Based on the analysis of advantages and disadvantages of the unstable resonator with a phase-unifying output coupler, the improving unstable resonator are designed. The numerical simulation results indicate that the improving unstable resonator overcomes disadvantages of that resonator and its far-field intensity focusing is better than the conventional resonator

  10. Diagnostic possibilities of radionuclide investigation in patterns with stable and unstable angina pectoris

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ponomareva, A.G.; Zudbinov, Yu.I.; Sokolov, O.K.; Kudinov, V.I.

    1986-01-01

    Myocardial radiocardiography and scintigraphy with 99m Tc-pyrophosphate was performed in 58 patients with stable angina and 60 patients with unstable angina. In patients with stable angina, positive scintigrams were mostly recorded after anginal attacks. Their central hemodynamic parameters deteriorated progressively as angina increased in severity. Patients with unstable angina typically showed myocardial accumulation of the label that was unrelated to anginal attacks and recordable by direct-projection scintigraphy. The assessment of myocardial radiocardiographic and scintigraphic data allows one to differentiate between stable and unstable angina

  11. Generating Unstable Resonances for Extraction Schemes Based on Transverse Splitting

    CERN Document Server

    Giovannozzi, M; Turchetti, G

    2009-01-01

    A few years ago, a novel multi-turn extraction scheme was proposed, based on particle trapping inside stable resonances. Numerical simulations and experimental tests have confirmed the feasibility of such a scheme for low order resonances. While the third-order resonance is generically unstable and those higher than fourth-order are generically stable, the fourth-order resonance can be either stable or unstable depending on the specifics of the system under consideration. By means of the Normal Form a general approach to control the stability of the fourth-order resonance has been derived. This approach is based on the control of the amplitude detuning and the general form for a lattice with an arbitrary number of sextupole and octupole families is derived in this paper. Numerical simulations have confirmed the analytical results and have shown that, when crossing the unstable fourth-order resonance, the region around the centre of the phase space is depleted and particles are trapped in only the four stable ...

  12. Effects of an unstable shoe construction on balance in women aged over 50 years

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ramstrand, Nerrolyn; Thuesen, Anna Helena; Nielsen, Dennis Brandborg

    2010-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Shoes with an unstable sole construction are commonly used as a therapeutic tool by physiotherapists and are widely available from shoe and sporting goods retailers. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of using an unstable shoe (Masai Barefoot Technology) on standing ....... INTERPRETATION: Results from the present study suggest that, for this group of individuals, use of unstable footwear may improve certain aspects of balance....

  13. Unstable roll motions by parametric resonance in following seas. Keisu reiki shindo ni motozuku oinamichu fuantei yokoyure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ishiguro, T.; Ito, A.; Mizoguchi, S. (Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan))

    1991-05-01

    The unstable rolling region and angle in the regular waves were studied by both tank test modeling a large container ship and theoretical calculation based on Mathieu{prime}s equation. Further research was made on the influence of metacentric height (GM) under the calm sea condition, ship speed and bilge keel dimension on the unstable rolling region. To avoid the unstable roll motion in the waves caused by the parametric resonance, the fluctuation in GM is designed to be diminished on the waves by U-shaping the hull fore and aft like a fat large ship hull, or the fluctuation in dynamic stability is done to be diminished by increasing the GM on the calm sea. However, the ship with a U-shaped hull fore and aft is large in rolling angle due to the smallness in righting arm at the large heeling angle. Generally regardless of oceanic condition and ship speed, it is impossible to establish the GM absolutely without the primary and secondary synchronizing points. To avoid the unstable roll motion with a low ship speed, it is desirable to do it by the ship speed to be as high as possible. 11 refs., 13 figs., 1 tab.

  14. Diagnosis of Unstable Angina Pectoris Has Declined Markedly with the Advent of More Sensitive Troponin Assays

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    D'Souza, Maria; Sarkisian, Laura; Saaby, Lotte

    2015-01-01

    ]) was established in cases of a rise and/or fall of cardiac troponin I together with cardiac ischemic features. Patients with unstable chest discomfort and cardiac troponin I values below the decision limit of myocardial infarction were diagnosed as having unstable angina pectoris. The definition of acute coronary...... syndrome included unstable angina pectoris, NSTEMI, and STEMI. Mortality data were obtained from the Danish Civil Personal Registration System. RESULTS: Of 3762 consecutive patients, 516 had acute coronary syndrome. Unstable angina pectoris was present in 7%, NSTEMI in 67%, and STEMI in 26%. The NSTEMI...... patients were older, more frequently women, and had more comorbidities than patients with unstable angina pectoris and STEMI. At median follow-up of 3.2 years 195 patients had died: 14% of unstable angina pectoris, 45% of NSTEMI, and 25% of STEMI patients. Age-adjusted log-rank statistics revealed...

  15. Some cases of terrain unstability from the Dolenjska karst area

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magda Čarman

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents some cases of terrain unstability from the Dolenjska karst area formed in the last yearsaround Žužemberk and Dolenjske Toplice. The Dolenjska karst has its own characteristic way of development. Themain features are thick soil top, mainly composed of clay, and high and strongly fluctuating water table. Presentedare a landslide, two rockfalls and a sinkhole collapse. A landslide nearby Žužemberk was initiated in soil top. Bothrockfalls appeared in tectonically highly disturbed carbonate rocks along the Žužemberk fault. The sinkhole collapsein the area around Dolenjske Toplice developed in tectonically damaged rocks inside the Dolenjska - Notranjskahorst and during a period of heavy rain.

  16. Trunk muscle activity increases with unstable squat movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Kenneth; Behm, David G

    2005-02-01

    The objective of this study was to determine differences in electromyographic (EMG) activity of the soleus (SOL), vastus lateralis (VL), biceps femoris (BF), abdominal stabilizers (AS), upper lumbar erector spinae (ULES), and lumbo-sacral erector spinae (LSES) muscles while performing squats of varied stability and resistance. Stability was altered by doing the squat movement on a Smith machine, a free squat, and while standing on two balance discs. Fourteen male subjects performed the movements. Activities of the SOL, AS, ULES, and LSES were highest during the unstable squat and lowest with the Smith machine protocol (p squats on unstable surfaces may permit a training adaptation of the trunk muscles responsible for supporting the spinal column (i.e., erector spinae) as well as the muscles most responsible for maintaining posture (i.e., SOL).

  17. Results of operative fixation of unstable ankle fractures in geriatric patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pagliaro, A J; Michelson, J D; Mizel, M S

    2001-05-01

    It is widely accepted that operative fixation of unstable ankle fractures yields predictably good outcomes in the general population. The current literature, however reports less acceptable results in the geriatric population age 65 years and older. The current study analyzes the outcome of the surgical treatment of unstable ankle fractures in patients at least 65 years old. Twenty three patient over 65 years old were surgically treated after sustaining 21 (91%) closed and 2 (9%) open grade II unstable ankle fractures. Fractures were classified according to the Danis-Weber and Lauge-Hansen schemes. Fracture type was predominantly Weber B (21/23, 91%), or supination external rotation stage IV (21/23, 91%). Fracture union rate was 100%. There were three significant complications including a lateral wound dehiscence with delayed fibular union in an open fracture dislocation, and two below knee amputations, neither of which was directly related to the fracture treatment. There were three minor complications; one superficial wound infection and two cases of prolonged incision drainage, all of which resolved without further surgical intervention. Complications were associated with open fractures and preexisting systemic disease. These results indicate that open reduction and internal fixation of unstable ankle fractures in geriatric patients is an efficacious treatment regime that with results that are comparable to the general population.

  18. The azimuthally anisotropic emission of unstable light nuclear in the heavy ion collisions at intermediate energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He Zhiyong; Jin Genming; Li Zuyu; Duan Limin; Dai Guangxi; Zhang Baoguo; Wu Heyu; Wen Wanxin; Qi Yujin; Luo Qingzheng

    1996-01-01

    The unstable light nuclei emitted in the interaction of 40 Ar on 197 Au have been detected at energy of 25 MeV/u by using particle-particle correlation measurement at small relative angle. Their in-plane and out-of-plane emission were measured for three bins of experimentally estimated impact parameter. The enhanced in-plane emission for mid-rapidity unstable nuclei is observed. This enhanced in-plane emission becomes stronger with increasing of impact parameter, but changes small with the mass of unstable nuclei. The in-plane enhancement decreases slightly with the energy of excited state of unstable nuclei. For projectile-like unstable nuclei, the in-plane emission dominates as expected

  19. Six years of cytogenetic follow-up of unstable chromosome aberrations in Goiania patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramalho, A.T.; Curado, M.P.; Natarajan, A.T.; Cohen, J.A.

    2000-01-01

    Following the radiological accident which occurred in the city of Goiania (Brazil), in September of 1987, a cytogenetic follow-up of 16 exposed patients was started, aiming to observe the mean life time of lymphocytes containing dicentric and ring aberrations. The results suggest that for the highly exposed individuals (doses above 1 Gy) the disappearance rate of unstable aberrations follows a two-term exponential function. Up to 470 days after exposure, there is a rapid fall in the aberration frequency. After 470 days, the disappearance rate is very slow. These results may reflect different subpopulations of human lymphocytes, with different life spans. The estimated average half-time of elimination of dicentrics and rings among the highly exposed group (doses above 1 Gy) was 140 days for the initial period after the exposure (up to 470 days). This value is significantly shorter than the usually accepted value of 3 years reported in the literature. For the individuals who had received less than 1 Gy the disappearance of aberrations seems to have occurred in a slower way. Mean disappearance functions of unstable chromosome aberrations were inferred, to be applied in accident situations in which there is a blood sampling delay. (author)

  20. Inertial and stick-slip regimes of unstable adhesive tape peeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalbe, Marie-Julie; Villey, Richard; Ciccotti, Matteo; Santucci, Stéphane; Cortet, Pierre-Philippe; Vanel, Loïc

    2016-05-18

    We present an experimental characterization of the detachment front unstable dynamics observed during the peeling of pressure sensitive adhesives. We use an experimental set-up specifically designed to control the peeling angle θ and the peeled tape length L, while peeling an adhesive tape from a flat substrate at a constant driving velocity V. High-speed imaging allows us to report the evolution of the period and amplitude of the front oscillations, as well as the relative durations of their fast and slow phases, as a function of the control parameters V, L and θ. Our study shows that, as the driving velocity or the peeling angle increases, the oscillations of the peeling front progressively evolve from genuine "stick-slip" oscillations, made of alternating long stick phases and very brief slip phases, to sinusoidal oscillations of amplitude twice the peeling velocity. We propose a model which, taking into account the peeling angle-dependent kinetic energy cost to accelerate and decelerate the peeled tape, explains the transition from the "stick-slip" to the "inertial" regime of the dynamical instability. Using independent direct measurements of the effective fracture energy of the adhesive-substrate joint, we show that our model quantitatively accounts for the two regimes of the unstable dynamics.

  1. Revealing Bell's nonlocality for unstable systems in high energy physics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hiesmayr, Beatrix C.; Gabriel, Andreas; Huber, Marcus [University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Vienna (Austria); Di Domenico, Antonio [Sapienza Universita di Roma (Italy); INFN Sezione di Roma, Rome (Italy); Curceanu, Catalina [Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati dell' INFN, Frascati (Italy); Larsson, Jan-Aake [Linkoepings Universitet, Institionen foer Systemteknik, Linkoeping (Sweden); Moskal, Pawel [Jagiellonian University, Institute of Physics, Cracow (Poland)

    2012-01-15

    Entanglement and its consequences - in particular the violation of Bell inequalities, which defies our concepts of realism and locality - have been proven to play key roles in Nature by many experiments for various quantum systems. Entanglement can also be found in systems not consisting of ordinary matter and light, i.e. in massive meson-antimeson systems. Bell inequalities have been discussed for these systems, but up to date no direct experimental test to conclusively exclude local realism was found. This mainly stems from the fact that one only has access to a restricted class of observables and that these systems are also decaying. In this Letter we put forward a Bell inequality for unstable systems which can be tested at accelerator facilities with current technology. Herewith, the long awaited proof that such systems at different energy scales can reveal the sophisticated ''dynamical'' nonlocal feature of Nature in a direct experiment gets feasible. Moreover, the role of entanglement and CP violation, an asymmetry between matter and antimatter, is explored, a special feature offered only by these meson-antimeson systems. (orig.)

  2. Generating unstable resonances for extraction schemes based on transverse splitting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Giovannozzi

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available A few years ago, a novel multiturn extraction scheme was proposed, based on particle trapping inside stable resonances. Numerical simulations and experimental tests have confirmed the feasibility of such a scheme for low order resonances. While the third-order resonance is generically unstable and those higher than fourth order are generically stable, the fourth-order resonance can be either stable or unstable depending on the specifics of the system under consideration. By means of the normal form, a general approach to control the stability of the fourth-order resonance has been derived. This approach is based on the control of the amplitude detuning and the general form for a lattice with an arbitrary number of sextupole and octupole families is derived in this paper. Numerical simulations have confirmed the analytical results and have shown that, when crossing the unstable fourth-order resonance, the region around the center of the phase space is depleted and particles are trapped in only the four stable islands. A four-turn extraction could be designed using this technique.

  3. Theory of elementary excitations in unstable Bose-Einstein condensates and the instability of sonic horizons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leonhardt, U.; Kiss, T.; Oehberg, P.

    2003-01-01

    Like classical fluids, quantum gases may suffer from hydrodynamic instabilities. Our paper develops a quantum version of the classical stability analysis in fluids, the Bogoliubov theory of elementary excitations in unstable Bose-Einstein condensates. In unstable condensates the excitation modes have complex frequencies. We derive the normalization conditions for unstable modes such that they can serve in a mode decomposition of the noncondensed component. Furthermore, we develop approximative techniques to determine the spectrum and the mode functions. Finally, we apply our theory to sonic horizons - sonic black and white holes. For sonic white holes the spectrum of unstable modes turns out to be intrinsically discrete, whereas black holes may be stable

  4. γ-unstable nuclei in the sdg boson model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuyucak, S.; Lac, V-S.; Morrison, I.; Barret, B.R.

    1991-01-01

    Following the recent Pt(p,p') experiments which indicated the need for g bosons to reproduce the E4 data, we have extended the O(6) limit of the sd boson model to the sdg bosons. It is shown that a γ-unstable Hamiltonian in the sdg model consisting of a quadrupole interaction and a g boson energy leads to results that are very similar to the O(6) limit. Deviations from the empirical energy spectrum that stem from the γ-unstable nature of the Hamiltonian can be improved by including a consistent hexadecapole interaction which induces triaxiality. The same hexadecapole operator can also account for the strong E4 transitions to the 4 + states presumed to be g boson states. Specific applications are made to the Xe and Pt isotopes. 12 refs., 2 tabs., 4 figs

  5. Energy harvesting by dynamic unstability and internal resonance for piezoelectric beam

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lan, Chunbo; Qin, Weiyang, E-mail: 353481781@qq.com; Deng, Wangzheng [Department of Engineering Mechanics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi' an 710072 (China)

    2015-08-31

    We investigated the energy harvesting of a vertical beam with tip mass under vertical excitations. We applied dynamic unstability and internal resonance to improve the efficiency of harvesting. The experiments of harmonic excitation were carried out. Results show that for the beam there exist internal resonances in the dynamically unstable and the buckling bistable cases. The dynamic unstability is a determinant for strong internal resonance or mode coupling, which can be used to create a large output from piezoelectric patches. Then, the experiments of stochastic excitation were carried out. Results prove that the internal resonance or mode coupling can transfer the excitation energy to the low order modes, mainly the first and the second one. This can bring about a large output voltage. For a stochastic excitation, it is proved that there is an optimal weight of tip mass for realizing internal resonance and producing large outputs.

  6. Infrared sensitivity of unstable vacua

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krotov, Dmitry; Polyakov, Alexander M.

    2011-01-01

    We discover that some unstable vacua have long memory. By that we mean that even in the theories containing only massive particles, there are correllators and expectation values which grow with time. We examine the cases of instabilities caused by the constant electric fields, expanding and contracting universes and, most importantly, the global de Sitter space. In the last case the interaction leads to a remarkable UV/IR mixing and to a large back reaction. This gives reasons to believe that the cosmological constant problem could be resolved by the infrared physics.

  7. DMBT1 encodes a protein involved in the immune defense and in epithelial differentiation and is highly unstable in cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mollenhauer, J; Herbertz, S; Holmskov, U

    2000-01-01

    in the respiratory immune defense. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that DMBT1 is produced by both tumor-associated macrophages and tumor cells and that it is deregulated in glioblastoma multiforme in comparison to normal brain tissue. Our data further suggest that the proteins CRP-ductin and hensin, both...... of which have been implicated in epithelial differentiation, are the DMBT1 orthologs in mice and rabbits, respectively. These findings and the spatial and temporal distribution of DMBT1 in fetal and adult epithelia suggest that DMBT1 further plays a role in epithelial development. Rearrangements of DMBT1......, DMBT1 is a gene that is highly unstable in cancer and encodes for a protein with at least two different functions, one in the immune defense and a second one in epithelial differentiation....

  8. Concluding remarks of the International symposium on structure and reactions of unstable nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mueller, A.C.

    1991-01-01

    A brief history of unstable beams is given, followed by a short description of the experimental facilities. The structure and reaction of unstable nuclei is discussed, and the neutron-halo nuclei are studied. Some considerations are given related to exotic-beam facilities. (K.A.) 14 refs., 2 figs

  9. The fate of unstable gauge flux compactifications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burgess, C P [McMaster Univ., Hamilton, ON (Canada). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy; [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, ON (Canada); Parameswaran, S L [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). 2. Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik; Zavala, I [Bonn Univ. (Germany). Bethe Center for Theoretical Physics and Physikalisches Inst.

    2008-12-15

    Fluxes are widely used to stabilise extra dimensions, but the supporting monopolelike configurations are often unstable, particularly if they arise as gauge flux within a non-abelian gauge sector. We here seek the endpoint geometries to which this instability leads, focussing on the simplest concrete examples: sphere-monopole compactifications in six dimensions. Without gravity most monopoles in non-abelian gauge groups are unstable, decaying into the unique stable monopole in the same topological class. We show that the same is true in Einstein-YM systems, with the new twist that the decay leads to a shrinkage in the size of the extra dimensions and curves the non-compact directions: in D dimensions a Mink{sub D-2} x S{sub 2} geometry supported by an unstable monopole relaxes to AdS{sub D-2} x S{sub 2}, with the endpoint sphere smaller than the initial one. For supergravity the situation is more complicated because the dilaton obstructs such a simple evolution. The endpoint instead acquires a dilaton gradient, thereby breaking some of the spacetime symmetries. For 6D supergravity we argue that it is the 4D symmetries that break, and examine several candidates for the endpoint geometry. By using the trick of dimensional oxidation it is possible to recast the supergravity system as a higher-dimensional Einstein-YM monopole, allowing understanding of this system to guide us to the corresponding endpoint. The result is a Kasner-like geometry conformal to Mink{sub 4} times S{sub 2}, with nontrivial conformal factor and dilaton breaking the maximal 4D symmetry and generating a singularity. Yet the resulting configuration has a lower potential energy than did the initial one, and is perturbatively stable, making it a sensible candidate endpoint for the evolution. (orig.)

  10. The fate of unstable gauge flux compactifications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burgess, C.P.; Parameswaran, S.L.; Zavala, I.

    2008-12-01

    Fluxes are widely used to stabilise extra dimensions, but the supporting monopolelike configurations are often unstable, particularly if they arise as gauge flux within a non-abelian gauge sector. We here seek the endpoint geometries to which this instability leads, focussing on the simplest concrete examples: sphere-monopole compactifications in six dimensions. Without gravity most monopoles in non-abelian gauge groups are unstable, decaying into the unique stable monopole in the same topological class. We show that the same is true in Einstein-YM systems, with the new twist that the decay leads to a shrinkage in the size of the extra dimensions and curves the non-compact directions: in D dimensions a Mink D-2 x S 2 geometry supported by an unstable monopole relaxes to AdS D-2 x S 2 , with the endpoint sphere smaller than the initial one. For supergravity the situation is more complicated because the dilaton obstructs such a simple evolution. The endpoint instead acquires a dilaton gradient, thereby breaking some of the spacetime symmetries. For 6D supergravity we argue that it is the 4D symmetries that break, and examine several candidates for the endpoint geometry. By using the trick of dimensional oxidation it is possible to recast the supergravity system as a higher-dimensional Einstein-YM monopole, allowing understanding of this system to guide us to the corresponding endpoint. The result is a Kasner-like geometry conformal to Mink 4 times S 2 , with nontrivial conformal factor and dilaton breaking the maximal 4D symmetry and generating a singularity. Yet the resulting configuration has a lower potential energy than did the initial one, and is perturbatively stable, making it a sensible candidate endpoint for the evolution. (orig.)

  11. Buoyant Unstable Behavior of Initially Spherical Lean Hydrogen-Air Premixed Flames

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zuo-Yu Sun

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Buoyant unstable behavior in initially spherical lean hydrogen-air premixed flames within a center-ignited combustion vessel have been studied experimentally under a wide range of pressures (including reduced, normal, and elevated pressures. The experimental observations show that the flame front of lean hydrogen-air premixed flames will not give rise to the phenomenon of cellular instability when the equivalence ratio has been reduced to a certain value, which is totally different from the traditional understanding of the instability characteristics of lean hydrogen premixed flames. Accompanied by the smoothened flame front, the propagation mode of lean hydrogen premixed flames transitions from initially spherical outwardly towards upwardly when the flames expand to certain sizes. To quantitatively investigate such buoyant instability behaviors, two parameters, “float rate (ψ” and “critical flame radius (Rcr”, have been proposed in the present article. The quantitative results demonstrate that the influences of initial pressure (Pint on buoyant unstable behaviors are different. Based on the effects of variation of density difference and stretch rate on the flame front, the mechanism of such buoyant unstable behaviors has been explained by the competition between the stretch force and the results of gravity and buoyancy, and lean hydrogen premixed flames will display buoyant unstable behavior when the stretch effects on the flame front are weaker than the effects of gravity and buoyancy.

  12. CT of hemodynamically unstable abdominal trauma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petridis, A.; Pilavaki, M.; Vafiadis, E.; Palladas, P.; Finitsis, S.; Drevelegas, A.

    1999-01-01

    This article is an appraisal of the use of CT in the management of patients with unstable abdominal trauma. We examined 41 patients with abdominal trauma using noncontrast dynamic CT. In 17 patients a postcontrast dynamic CT was also carried out. On CT, 25 patients had hemoperitoneum. Thirteen patients had splenic, 12 hepatic, 6 pancreatic, 8 bowel and mesenteric, 12 renal and 2 vascular injuries. Seven patients had retroperitoneal and 2 patients adrenal hematomas. All but five lesions (three renal, one pancreatic, and one splenic) were hypodense when CT was performed earlier than 8 h following the injury. Postcontrast studies (n = 17), revealed 4 splenic, 3 hepatic, 1 pancreatic, 3 renal, and 2 bowel and mesenteric injuries beyond what was found on noncontrast CT. Surgical confirmation (n = 21) was obtained in 81.81 % of splenic, 66.66 % of hepatic, 83.33 % of pancreatic, 100 % of renal, 100 % of retroperitoneal, and 85.71 % of bowel and mesenteric injuries. The majority of false diagnoses was obtained with noncontrast studies. Computed tomography is a remarkable method for evaluation and management of patients with hemodynamically unstable abdominal trauma, but only if it is revealed in the emergency room. Contrast injection, when it could be done, revealed lesions that were not suspected on initial plain scans. (orig.)

  13. Accelerator complex for unstable beams at INS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomizawa, M.; Arai, S.; Doi, M.; Katayama, T.; Niki, K.; Tokuda, N.; Yoshizawa, M.

    1992-11-01

    The construction of the prototype facility of the Exotic arena in the Japan Hadron Project (JHP) is started in 1992 at the Institute for Nuclear Study (INS), University of Tokyo. The purpose of this facility is to study the various technical problems of the Exotic arena, and to perform the experiment on nuclear and astrophysics with unstable nuclear beam. The unstable nuclei produced by bombarding a thick target with 40 MeV proton beam from the existing SF cyclotron are ionized in the ion sources, mass-analyzed by an ISOL, and transported to the accelerator complex. The accelerator complex consists of a split coaxial RFQ and an interdigital H type linac. The construction of accelerator will be completed in fiscal year 1994. The development of the SCRFQ and the IH linac which is suitable to the post-accelerator of the SCRFQ are reported. Charge stripper and the beam matching between the SCRFQ and the IH linac are explained. A buncher is necessary for the matching of longitudinal phase space between the SCRFQ and the IH linac. (K.I.)

  14. Clinical Course of Two Children with Unstable Hemoglobins : The Effect of Hydroxyurea Therapy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Loovers, Harriet M.; Tamminga, Nienke; Mulder, Andre B.; Tamminga, Rienk Y. J.

    Case reports on the effect of hydroxyurea (HU) therapy for unstable hemoglobins (Hbs) are sparse; only three adult cases have been reported. We report for the first time on the effect of HU therapy in children carrying unstable Hbs. The first case concerns a female child with a familial history of

  15. Effect of an Unstable Load on Primary and Stabilizing Muscles During the Bench Press.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ostrowski, Stephanie J; Carlson, Lara A; Lawrence, Michael A

    2017-02-01

    Ostrowski, SJ, Carlson, LA, and Lawrence, MA. Effect of an unstable load on primary and stabilizing muscles during the bench press. J Strength Cond Res 31(2): 430-434, 2017-Unstable resistance exercises are performed to increase activity of stabilizing muscles. The premise is that this increase in activity will yield greater strength gains than traditional resistance exercises. The purpose of this study was to determine if an unstable load increases muscle activity of stabilizing muscles during a bench press as compared with a standard bench press with a typical load. Fifteen resistance-trained males (age 24.2 ± 2.7 years, mass 84.8 ± 12.0 kg, height 1.77 ± 0.05 m, weight lifting experience 9.9 ± 3.4 years, and bench press 1 repetition maximum [1RM] 107.5 ± 25.9 kg) volunteered for this study. Subjects pressed 2 sets of 5 repetitions in both stable (75% 1RM) and unstable (60% 1RM) conditions using a standard barbell and a flexible Earthquake bar, respectively. Surface electromyography was used to detect muscle activity of primary movers (pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, and triceps) and stabilizing musculature (latissimus dorsi, middle and posterior deltoid, biceps brachii, and upper trapezius). Muscle activity was compared using a multivariate analysis of variance to determine significant (p ≤ 0.05) phase and condition differences. The right and left biceps and the left middle deltoid were significantly more active in the unstable condition. Some of the stabilizing muscles were found to be significantly more active in the unstable condition with 15% less weight. Therefore, bench pressing with an unstable load appears promising in activating stabilizing musculature compared with pressing a typical barbell.

  16. One-dimensional unstable eigenfunction and manifold computations in delay differential equations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Green, Kirk; Krauskopf, Bernd; Engelborghs, Koen

    2004-01-01

    In this paper we present a new numerical technique for computing the unstable eigenfunctions of a saddle periodic orbit in a delay differential equation. This is used to obtain the necessary starting data for an established algorithm for computing one-dimensional (1D) unstable manifolds of an associated saddle fixed point of a suitable Poincare map. To illustrate our method, we investigate an intermittent transition to chaos in a delay system describing a semiconductor laser subject to phase-conjugate feedback

  17. Considerations concering the generalization of the Dirac equations to unstable fermions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kniehl, Bernd A.; Sirlin, Alberto

    2014-08-01

    We discuss the generalization of the Dirac equations and spinors in momentum space to free unstable spin-1/2 fermions taking into account the fundamental requirement of Lorentz covariance. We derive the generalized adjoint Dirac equations and spinors, and explain the very simple relation that exists, in our formulation, between the unstable and stable cases. As an application of the generalized spinors, we evaluate the probability density. We also discuss the behavior of the generalized Dirac equations under time reversal.

  18. Dynamical formation of a hairy black hole in a cavity from the decay of unstable solitons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanchis-Gual, Nicolas; Font, José A; Carlos Degollado, Juan; Herdeiro, Carlos; Radu, Eugen

    2017-01-01

    Recent numerical relativity simulations within the Einstein–Maxwell–(charged-)Klein–Gordon (EMcKG) system have shown that the non-linear evolution of a superradiantly unstable Reissner–Nordström black hole (BH) enclosed in a cavity, leads to the formation of a BH with scalar hair. Perturbative evidence for the stability of such hairy BHs has been independently established, confirming they are the true endpoints of superradiant instability. The same EMcKG system admits also charged scalar soliton-type solutions, which can be either stable or unstable. Using numerical relativity techniques, we provide evidence that the time evolution of some of these unstable solitons leads, again, to the formation of a hairy BH. In some other cases, unstable solitons evolve into a (bald) Reissner–Nordström BH. These results establish that the system admits two distinct channels to form hairy BHs at the threshold of superradiance: growing hair from an unstable (bald) BH, or growing a horizon from an unstable (horizonless) soliton. Some parallelism with the case of asymptotically flat boson stars and Kerr BHs with scalar hair is drawn. (paper)

  19. Dynamical formation of a hairy black hole in a cavity from the decay of unstable solitons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchis-Gual, Nicolas; Degollado, Juan Carlos; Font, José A.; Herdeiro, Carlos; Radu, Eugen

    2017-08-01

    Recent numerical relativity simulations within the Einstein-Maxwell-(charged-)Klein-Gordon (EMcKG) system have shown that the non-linear evolution of a superradiantly unstable Reissner-Nordström black hole (BH) enclosed in a cavity, leads to the formation of a BH with scalar hair. Perturbative evidence for the stability of such hairy BHs has been independently established, confirming they are the true endpoints of superradiant instability. The same EMcKG system admits also charged scalar soliton-type solutions, which can be either stable or unstable. Using numerical relativity techniques, we provide evidence that the time evolution of some of these unstable solitons leads, again, to the formation of a hairy BH. In some other cases, unstable solitons evolve into a (bald) Reissner-Nordström BH. These results establish that the system admits two distinct channels to form hairy BHs at the threshold of superradiance: growing hair from an unstable (bald) BH, or growing a horizon from an unstable (horizonless) soliton. Some parallelism with the case of asymptotically flat boson stars and Kerr BHs with scalar hair is drawn.

  20. Minimal gain marching schemes: searching for unstable steady-states with unsteady solvers

    Science.gov (United States)

    de S. Teixeira, Renan; S. de B. Alves, Leonardo

    2017-12-01

    Reference solutions are important in several applications. They are used as base states in linear stability analyses as well as initial conditions and reference states for sponge zones in numerical simulations, just to name a few examples. Their accuracy is also paramount in both fields, leading to more reliable analyses and efficient simulations, respectively. Hence, steady-states usually make the best reference solutions. Unfortunately, standard marching schemes utilized for accurate unsteady simulations almost never reach steady-states of unstable flows. Steady governing equations could be solved instead, by employing Newton-type methods often coupled with continuation techniques. However, such iterative approaches do require large computational resources and very good initial guesses to converge. These difficulties motivated the development of a technique known as selective frequency damping (SFD) (Åkervik et al. in Phys Fluids 18(6):068102, 2006). It adds a source term to the unsteady governing equations that filters out the unstable frequencies, allowing a steady-state to be reached. This approach does not require a good initial condition and works well for self-excited flows, where a single nonzero excitation frequency is selected by either absolute or global instability mechanisms. On the other hand, it seems unable to damp stationary disturbances. Furthermore, flows with a broad unstable frequency spectrum might require the use of multiple filters, which delays convergence significantly. Both scenarios appear in convectively, absolutely or globally unstable flows. An alternative approach is proposed in the present paper. It modifies the coefficients of a marching scheme in such a way that makes the absolute value of its linear gain smaller than one within the required unstable frequency spectra, allowing the respective disturbance amplitudes to decay given enough time. These ideas are applied here to implicit multi-step schemes. A few chosen test cases

  1. Relationship between the serologic status of helicobacter pylori with the presence of unstable angina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alavi, S.M.; Adel, S. M. H.; Rajabzadeh, A.

    2008-01-01

    To determine whether unstable angina is co-related to seropositivity to chronic Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection. It is a case control, descriptive study conducted at CCU in Razi Hospital in Ahwaz a city southwest Iran, from 2004 to 2005. We measured serum HP- lgG levels of participants in CCU in a hospital. Blood samples were drawn during study period from 96 patients (mean age 56 years) with Unstable Angina (UA) according to American Heart Association criteria and from 96 participants free of cardiovascular disease (mean age 58 years) and stored at 20 degree C. Serology results were studied in relation to UA. Using chi squared test, odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated, adjusting for age, gender, and established risk factors. Seventy nine (82.3%) of patients with unstable angina and 55(61.1%) in the control group presented a positive anti HP-lgG. Odds ratio was 3 with 95% CI: 1.9 to 4.3. There was significant relation between HP-lgG positivity and unstable angina (P 0.05). Our study revealed relationship between seropositivity of HP-lgG and unstable angina. (author)

  2. Orbit dynamics for unstable linear motion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parzen, G.

    1997-01-01

    A treatment is given of the orbit dynamics for linear unstable motion that allows for the zeros in the beta function and makes no assumptions about the realness of the betatron and phase functions. The phase shift per turn is shown to be related to the beta function and the number of zeros the beta function goes through per turn. The solutions of the equations of motion are found in terms of the beta function

  3. Orbit dynamics for unstable linear motion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parzen, G.

    1996-04-01

    A treatment is given of the orbit dynamics for linear unstable motion that allows for the zeros in the beta function and makes no assumption about the realness of the betatron and phase functions. The phase shift per turn is shown to be related to the beta function and the number of zeros the beta function goes through per turn. The solutions of the equations of motion are found in terms of the beta function

  4. Unstable Resonator Retrofitted Handheld Laser Designator

    Science.gov (United States)

    1978-06-01

    retrofitted with a negative-branch unstable resona- tor laser and hybrid pump cavity in place of the conventional plane-mirror/ porro prism resonator and...directed by prism B to an expanding telescope, shared with the viewing system of the designator. The actual, unfolded resonator length is approxi...was performed based on using a plane- parallel cavity consisting of a 47% reflectivity output coupler, porro - prism reflector, and the same LiNb03

  5. Investigation of unstable periodic space-time states in distributed active system with supercritical current

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koronovskij, A.A.; Rempen, I.S.; Khramov, A.E.

    2003-01-01

    The set of the unstable periodic space-time states, characterizing the chaotic space-time dynamics of the electron beam with the supercritical current in the Pierce diode is discussed. The Lyapunov indicators of the revealed instable space-time states of the chaotic dynamics of the distributed self-excited system are calculated. It is shown that change in the set of the unstable periodic states in dependence on the Pierce parameter is determined by change in the various orbits stability, which is demonstrated by the values of senior Lyapunov unstable state index [ru

  6. Detection of unstable angina by /sup 99m/technetium pyrophosphate myocardial scintigraphy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdulla, A.M.; Canedo, M.I.; Cortez, B.C.; McGinnis, K.D.; Wilhelm, S.K.

    1976-01-01

    /sup 99m/Technetium stannous pyrophosphate has been shown to accumulate in acutely infarcted myocardium. To determine if the isotope is also taken up by severely ischemic, but not necrotic myocardium, we performed myocardial scintigraphic studies in 17 patients with chest pains. Seven of the patients satisfied conventional clinical, electrocardiographic, and laboratory criteria for the diagnosis of unstable angina and showed no electrocardiographic or enzymatic evidence of myocardial necrosis. Five of these seven patients with unstable angina demonstrated abnormal localized patterns, and one showed a borderline picture. Myocardial scintiscans were normal in all of a control group of ten patients with stable angina. Thus, scanning with /sup 99m/technetium stannous pyrophosphate is shown to be of value in the objective demonstration of myocardial abnormality in unstable angina

  7. Genesis and bifurcations of unstable periodic orbits in a jet flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uleysky, M Yu; Budyansky, M V; Prants, S V

    2008-01-01

    We study the origin and bifurcations of typical classes of unstable periodic orbits in a jet flow that was introduced before as a kinematic model of chaotic advection, transport and mixing of passive scalars in meandering oceanic and atmospheric currents. A method to detect and locate the unstable periodic orbits and classify them by the origin and bifurcations is developed. We consider in detail period-1 and period-4 orbits playing an important role in chaotic advection. We introduce five classes of period-4 orbits: western and eastern ballistic ones, whose origin is associated with ballistic resonances of the fourth-order, rotational ones, associated with rotational resonances of the second and fourth orders and rotational-ballistic ones associated with a rotational-ballistic resonance. It is a new kind of unstable periodic orbits that may appear in a chaotic flow with jets and/or circulation cells. Varying the perturbation amplitude, we track out the origin and bifurcations of the orbits for each class

  8. Stabilization of switched nonlinear systems with unstable modes

    CERN Document Server

    Yang, Hao; Cocquempot, Vincent

    2014-01-01

    This book provides its reader with a good understanding of the stabilization of switched nonlinear systems (SNS), systems that are of practical use in diverse situations: design of fault-tolerant systems in space- and aircraft; traffic control; and heat propagation control of semiconductor power chips. The practical background is emphasized throughout the book; interesting practical examples frequently illustrate the theoretical results with aircraft and spacecraft given particular prominence. Stabilization of Switched Nonlinear Systems with Unstable Modes treats several different subclasses of SNS according to the characteristics of the individual system (time-varying and distributed parameters, for example), the state composition of individual modes and the degree and distribution of instability in its various modes. Achievement and maintenance of stability across the system as a whole is bolstered by trading off between individual modes which may be either stable or unstable, or by exploiting areas of part...

  9. Spinal instrumentation for unstable C1-2 injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mizuno, J; Nakagawa, H

    1999-06-01

    Seventeen patients with unstable C1-2 injuries were treated between 1990 and 1997. Various methods of instrumentation surgery were performed in 16 patients, excluding a case of atlantoaxial rotatory fixation. Posterior stabilization was carried out in 14 cases using Halifax interlaminar clamp, Sof'wire or Danek cable, or more recently, transarticular screws. Transodontoid anterior screw fixation was performed in four cases of odontoid process fractures, with posterior instrumentation in two cases because of malunion. Rigid internal fixation by instrumentation surgery for the unstable C1-2 injury avoids long-term application of a Halo brace and facilitates early rehabilitation. However, the procedure is technically demanding with the risk of neural and vascular injuries, particularly with posterior screw fixation. Sagittal reconstruction of thin-sliced computed tomography scans at the C1-2 region, neuronavigator, and intraoperative fluoroscopy are essential to allow preoperative surgical planning and intraoperative guidance.

  10. Metastable and unstable cellular solidification of colloidal suspensions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deville, Sylvain; Maire, Eric; Bernard-Granger, Guillaume; Lasalle, Audrey; Bogner, Agnès; Gauthier, Catherine; Leloup, Jérôme; Guizard, Christian

    2009-12-01

    Colloidal particles are often seen as big atoms that can be directly observed in real space. They are therefore becoming increasingly important as model systems to study processes of interest in condensed-matter physics such as melting, freezing and glass transitions. The solidification of colloidal suspensions has long been a puzzling phenomenon with many unexplained features. Here, we demonstrate and rationalize the existence of instability and metastability domains in cellular solidification of colloidal suspensions, by direct in situ high-resolution X-ray radiography and tomography observations. We explain such interface instabilities by a partial Brownian diffusion of the particles leading to constitutional supercooling situations. Processing under unstable conditions leads to localized and global kinetic instabilities of the solid/liquid interface, affecting the crystal morphology and particle redistribution behaviour.

  11. Archaeal Viruses from High-Temperature Environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munson-McGee, Jacob H; Snyder, Jamie C; Young, Mark J

    2018-02-27

    Archaeal viruses are some of the most enigmatic viruses known, due to the small number that have been characterized to date. The number of known archaeal viruses lags behind known bacteriophages by over an order of magnitude. Despite this, the high levels of genetic and morphological diversity that archaeal viruses display has attracted researchers for over 45 years. Extreme natural environments, such as acidic hot springs, are almost exclusively populated by Archaea and their viruses, making these attractive environments for the discovery and characterization of new viruses. The archaeal viruses from these environments have provided insights into archaeal biology, gene function, and viral evolution. This review focuses on advances from over four decades of archaeal virology, with a particular focus on archaeal viruses from high temperature environments, the existing challenges in understanding archaeal virus gene function, and approaches being taken to overcome these limitations.

  12. Archaeal Viruses from High-Temperature Environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacob H. Munson-McGee

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Archaeal viruses are some of the most enigmatic viruses known, due to the small number that have been characterized to date. The number of known archaeal viruses lags behind known bacteriophages by over an order of magnitude. Despite this, the high levels of genetic and morphological diversity that archaeal viruses display has attracted researchers for over 45 years. Extreme natural environments, such as acidic hot springs, are almost exclusively populated by Archaea and their viruses, making these attractive environments for the discovery and characterization of new viruses. The archaeal viruses from these environments have provided insights into archaeal biology, gene function, and viral evolution. This review focuses on advances from over four decades of archaeal virology, with a particular focus on archaeal viruses from high temperature environments, the existing challenges in understanding archaeal virus gene function, and approaches being taken to overcome these limitations.

  13. Quantum electrodynamics with unstable vacuum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fradkin, E.S. (P.N. Lebedev Physical Inst., USSR Academy of Sciences, Moscow (USSR)); Gitman, D.M. (Moscow Inst. of Radio Engineering Electronics and Automation (USSR)); Shvartsman, Sh.M. (Tomsk State Pedagogical Inst. (USSR))

    1991-01-01

    Intense external fields destabilize vacuum inducing the creation of particle pairs. In this book the formalism of quantum electrodynamics (QED), using a special perturbation theory with matrix propagators, is systematically analyzed for such systems. The developed approach is, however, general for any quantum field with unstable vacuum. The authors propose solutions for real pair-creating fields. They discuss the general form for the causal function and many other Green's functions, as well as methods for finding them. Analogies to the optical theorem and rules for computing total probabilities are given, as are solutions for non-Abelian theories. (orig.).

  14. Force production during squats performed with a rotational resistance device under stable versus unstable conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moras, Gerard; Vázquez-Guerrero, Jairo

    2015-11-01

    [Purpose] Force production during a squat action on a rotational resistance device (RRD) under stable and unstable conditions. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-one healthy males were asked to perform six sets of six repetitions of squats on an RRD on either stable or unstable surfaces. The stable and unstable sets were performed on different days. Muscular outputs were obtained from a linear encoder and a strain gauge fixed to a vest. [Results] Overall, the results showed no significant differences for any of the dependent variables across exercise modes. Forcemean outputs were higher in the concentric phase than in the eccentric phase for each condition, but there were no differences in velocity, time or displacement. The forcepeak was similar in the eccentric and concentric phases of movement under both stable and unstable conditions. There were no significant differences in forcemean between sets per condition or between conditions. [Conclusion] These results suggest that performing squats with a RRD achieves similar forcemean and forcepeak under stable and unstable conditions. The forcepeak produced is also similar in concentric and eccentric phases.

  15. Computed Tomography Angiography Evaluation of Risk Factors for Unstable Intracranial Aneurysms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Guang-Xian; Gong, Ming-Fu; Wen, Li; Liu, Lan-Lan; Yin, Jin-Bo; Duan, Chun-Mei; Zhang, Dong

    2018-03-19

    To evaluate risk factors for instability in intracranial aneurysms (IAs) using computed tomography angiography (CTA). A total of 614 consecutive patients diagnosed with 661 IAs between August 2011 and February 2016 were reviewed. Patients and IAs were divided into stable and unstable groups. Along with clinical characteristics, IA characteristics were evaluated by CTA. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent risk factors associated with unstable IAs. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed on the final model, and optimal thresholds were obtained. Patient age (odds ratio [OR], 0.946), cerebral atherosclerosis (CA; OR, 0.525), and IAs located at the middle cerebral artery (OR, 0.473) or internal carotid artery (OR, 0.512) were negatively correlated with instability, whereas IAs with irregular shape (OR, 2.157), deep depth (OR, 1.557), or large flow angle (FA; OR, 1.015) were more likely to be unstable. ROC analysis revealed threshold values of age, depth, and FA of 59.5 years, 4.25 mm, and 87.8°, respectively. The stability of IAs is significantly affected by several factors, including patient age and the presence of CA. IA shape and location also have an impact on the stability of IAs. Growth into an irregular shape, with a deep depth, and a large FA are risk factors for a change in IAs from stable to unstable. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Unstable power threatens the powerful and challenges the powerless: evidence from cardiovascular markers of motivation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheepers, Daan; Röell, Charlotte; Ellemers, Naomi

    2015-01-01

    Possessing social power has psychological and biological benefits. For example, during task interactions, people high in power are more likely to display a benign cardiovascular (CV) response pattern indicative of “challenge” whereas people low in power are more likely to display a maladaptive CV pattern indicative of “threat” (Scheepers et al., 2012). Challenge is marked by high cardiac output (CO) and low total peripheral resistance (TPR), while threat is marked by low CO and high TPR (Blascovich and Mendes, 2010). In the current work we addressed a possible moderator of the power-threat/challenge relationship, namely the stability of power. We examined the influence of the stability of power (roles could or could not change) on CV responses during a dyadic task where one person was the “chief designer” (high power) and one person was the “assistant” (low power). During the task, different CV-measures were taken [CO, TPR, heart rate, pre-ejection period). Whereas participants in the unstable low power condition showed a stronger tendency toward challenge, participants in the unstable high power condition showed a stronger tendency toward threat. Moreover, participants in the stable low power condition showed CV signs of task disengagement. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of contextual variables in shaping the relationship between power and benign/maladaptive physiological responses. PMID:26074860

  17. Mixing phases of unstable two-level systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sokolov, V.V.; Brentano, P. von.

    1993-01-01

    An unstable two-level system decaying into an arbitrary number of channels is considered. It is shown that the mixing phases of the two overlapping resonances can be expressed in the terms of their partial widths and one additional universal mixing parameter. Some applications to a doublet of 2 + resonances in 8 Be and to the ρ-ω systems are considered. 18 refs

  18. Single room occupancy (SRO) hotels as mental health risk environments among impoverished women: the intersection of policy, drug use, trauma, and urban space.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knight, Kelly R; Lopez, Andrea M; Comfort, Megan; Shumway, Martha; Cohen, Jennifer; Riley, Elise D

    2014-05-01

    Due to the significantly high levels of comorbid substance use and mental health diagnosis among urban poor populations, examining the intersection of drug policy and place requires a consideration of the role of housing in drug user mental health. In San Francisco, geographic boundedness and progressive health and housing polices have coalesced to make single room occupancy hotels (SROs) a key urban built environment used to house poor populations with co-occurring drug use and mental health issues. Unstably housed women who use illicit drugs have high rates of lifetime and current trauma, which manifests in disproportionately high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression when compared to stably housed women. We report data from a qualitative interview study (n=30) and four years of ethnography conducted with housing policy makers and unstably housed women who use drugs and live in SROs. Women in the study lived in a range of SRO built environments, from publicly funded, newly built SROs to privately owned, dilapidated buildings, which presented a rich opportunity for ethnographic comparison. Applying Rhodes et al.'s framework of socio-structural vulnerability, we explore how SROs can operate as "mental health risk environments" in which macro-structural factors (housing policies shaping the built environment) interact with meso-level factors (social relations within SROs) and micro-level, behavioral coping strategies to impact women's mental health. The degree to which SRO built environments were "trauma-sensitive" at the macro level significantly influenced women's mental health at meso- and micro-levels. Women who were living in SROs which exacerbated fear and anxiety attempted, with limited success, to deploy strategies on the meso- and micro-level to manage their mental health symptoms. Study findings underscore the importance of housing polices which consider substance use in the context of current and cumulative trauma

  19. Subsets of microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancers exhibit discordance between the CpG island methylator phenotype and MLH1 methylation status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jung H; Rhee, Ye-Y; Bae, Jeong-M; Kwon, Hyeong-J; Cho, Nam-Y; Kim, Mi J; Kang, Gyeong H

    2013-07-01

    Although the presence of MLH1 methylation in microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancer generally indicates involvement of the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) in the development of the tumor, these two conditions do not always correlate. A minority of microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancers exhibit discordance between CIMP and MLH1 methylation statuses. However, the clinicopathological features of such microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancers with discrepant MLH1 methylation and CIMP statuses remain poorly studied. Microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancers (n=220) were analyzed for CIMP and MLH1 methylation statuses using the MethyLight assay. Based on the combinatorial CIMP and MLH1 methylation statuses, the microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancers were grouped into four subtypes (CIMP-high (CIMP-H) MLH1 methylation-positive (MLH1m+), CIMP-H MLH1 methylation-negative, CIMP-low/0 (CIMP-L/0) MLH1m+, and CIMP-L/0 MLH1 methylation-negative), which were compared in terms of their associations with clinicopathological and molecular features. The CIMP-L/0 MLH1 methylation-negative and CIMP-H MLH1m+ subtypes were predominant, comprising 63.6 and 24.1% of total microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancers, respectively. The discordant subtypes, CIMP-H MLH1 methylation-negative and CIMP-L/0 MLH1m+, were found in 5 and 7% of microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancers, respectively. The CIMP-H MLH1 methylation-negative subtype exhibited elevated incidence rates in male patients and was associated with larger tumor size, more frequent loss of MSH2 expression, increased frequency of KRAS mutation, and advanced cancer stage. The CIMP-L/0 MLH1m+ subtype was associated with onset at an earlier age, a predominance of MLH1 loss, and earlier cancer stage. None of the CIMP-L/0 MLH1m+ subtype patients succumbed to death during the follow-up. Our findings suggest that the discordant subtypes of colorectal cancers exhibit distinct clinicopathological and molecular features

  20. Influence of unstable footwear on lower leg muscle activity, volume change and subjective discomfort during prolonged standing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karimi, Zanyar; Allahyari, Teimour; Azghani, Mahmood Reza; Khalkhali, Hamidreza

    2016-03-01

    The present study was an attempt to investigate the effect of unstable footwear on lower leg muscle activity, volume change and subjective discomfort during prolonged standing. Ten healthy subjects were recruited to stand for 2 h in three footwear conditions: barefoot, flat-bottomed shoe and unstable shoe. During standing, lower leg discomfort and EMG activity of medial gastrocnemius (MG) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles were continuously monitored. Changes in lower leg volume over standing time also were measured. Lower leg discomfort rating reduced significantly while subjects standing on unstable shoe compared to the flat-bottomed shoe and barefoot condition. For lower leg volume, less changes also were observed with unstable shoe. The activity level and variation of right MG muscle was greater with unstable shoe compared to the other footwear conditions; however regarding the left MG muscle, significant difference was found between unstable shoe and flat-bottomed shoe only for activity level. Furthermore no significant differences were observed for the activity level and variation of TA muscles (right/left) among all footwear conditions. The findings suggested that prolonged standing with unstable footwear produces changes in lower leg muscles activity and leads to less volume changes. Perceived discomfort also was lower for this type of footwear and this might mean that unstable footwear can be used as ergonomic solution for employees whose work requires prolonged standing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  1. CT of hemodynamically unstable abdominal trauma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Petridis, A.; Pilavaki, M.; Vafiadis, E.; Palladas, P.; Finitsis, S.; Drevelegas, A. [Department of Radiology, General Hospital ``G. Papanikolaou,`` Thessaloniki (Greece)

    1999-03-01

    This article is an appraisal of the use of CT in the management of patients with unstable abdominal trauma. We examined 41 patients with abdominal trauma using noncontrast dynamic CT. In 17 patients a postcontrast dynamic CT was also carried out. On CT, 25 patients had hemoperitoneum. Thirteen patients had splenic, 12 hepatic, 6 pancreatic, 8 bowel and mesenteric, 12 renal and 2 vascular injuries. Seven patients had retroperitoneal and 2 patients adrenal hematomas. All but five lesions (three renal, one pancreatic, and one splenic) were hypodense when CT was performed earlier than 8 h following the injury. Postcontrast studies (n = 17), revealed 4 splenic, 3 hepatic, 1 pancreatic, 3 renal, and 2 bowel and mesenteric injuries beyond what was found on noncontrast CT. Surgical confirmation (n = 21) was obtained in 81.81 % of splenic, 66.66 % of hepatic, 83.33 % of pancreatic, 100 % of renal, 100 % of retroperitoneal, and 85.71 % of bowel and mesenteric injuries. The majority of false diagnoses was obtained with noncontrast studies. Computed tomography is a remarkable method for evaluation and management of patients with hemodynamically unstable abdominal trauma, but only if it is revealed in the emergency room. Contrast injection, when it could be done, revealed lesions that were not suspected on initial plain scans. (orig.) With 6 figs., 5 tabs., 20 refs.

  2. Challenges in modeling unstable two-phase flow experiments in porous micromodels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meheust, Y.; Ferrari, A.; Jimenez-Martinez, J.; Le Borgne, T.; Lunati, I.

    2014-12-01

    The simulation of unstable invasion patterns in porous media flow is challenging since small perturbations tend to grow in time, so that slight differences in geometry or initial conditions potentially give rise to significantly different solutions. Here we present a detailed comparison of pore scale simulations and experiments of unstable primary drainage in porous micromodels. The porous medium consists of a Hele-Shaw cell containing cylindrical obstacles. Two experimental flow cells have been constructed by soft lithography, with different degrees of heterogeneity in the grain size distribution. To model two-phase flow at the pore scale, we solve Navier-Stokes equations for mass and momentum conservation in the discretized pore space and employ the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method to track the evolution of the interface. During drainage, if the defending fluid is the most viscous, viscous forces destabilize the interface, giving rise to the formation of preferential flow paths, in the form of a branched fingering structure. We test different numerical models (a 2D vertical integrated model and a full 3D model) and different initial conditions, studying their impact on the simulated spatial distributions of the fluid phases. Although due to the unstable nature of the invasion, small discrepancies between the experimental setup and the numerical model can result in different fluids patterns (see figure), simulations show a satisfactory agreement with the structures observed experimentally. To estimate the ability of the numerical approach to reproduce unstable displacement, we compare several quantities in both the statistical and deterministic sense. We demonstrate the impact of three main sources of uncertainty : i) the uncertainty on the pore space geometry, ii) the interface initialization and ii) three dimensional effects [1]. Simulations in weakly heterogeneous geometries are found to be more challenging because uncertainties on pore neck widths are on the same

  3. Small Kerr-anti-de Sitter black holes are unstable

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cardoso, Vitor; Dias, Oscar J.C.

    2004-01-01

    Superradiance in black hole spacetimes can trigger instabilities. Here we show that, due to superradiance, small Kerr-anti-de Sitter black holes are unstable. Our demonstration uses a matching procedure, in a long wavelength approximation

  4. Percutaneous pedicle screw for unstable spine fractures in polytraumatized patients: A report of two cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boon Beng Tan

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Unstable spine fractures commonly occur in the setting of a polytraumatized patient. The aim of management is to balance the need for early operative stabilization and prevent additional trauma due to the surgery. Recent published literature has demonstrated the benefits of early stabilization of an unstable spine fracture particularly in patients with higher injury severity score (ISS. We report two cases of polytrauma with unstable spine fractures stabilized with a minimally invasive percutaneous pedicle screw instrumentation system as a form of damage control surgery. The patients had good recovery from the polytrauma injuries. These two cases illustrate the role of minimally invasive stabilization, its limitations and technical pitfalls in the management of unstable spine fractures in the polytrauma setting as a form of damage control surgery.

  5. Management of acute unstable acromioclavicular joint injuries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cisneros, Luis Natera; Reiriz, Juan Sarasquete

    2016-12-01

    Surgical management of acute unstable acromioclavicular joint injuries should be focused on realigning the torn ends of the ligaments to allow for healing potential. The most widely utilized treatment methods incorporate the use of metal hardware, which can alter the biomechanics of the acromioclavicular joint. This leads to a second surgical procedure for hardware removal once the ligaments have healed. Patients with unstable acromioclavicular joint injuries managed with arthroscopy-assisted procedures have shown good and excellent clinical outcomes, without the need for a second operation. These procedures incorporate a coracoclavicular suspension device aimed to function as an internal brace, narrowing the coracoclavicular space thus allowing for healing of the torn coracoclavicular ligaments. The lesser morbidity of a minimally invasive approach and the possibility to diagnose and treat concomitant intraarticular injuries; no obligatory implant removal, and the possibility of having a straight visualization of the inferior aspect of the base of the coracoid (convenient when placing coracoclavicular fixation systems) are the main advantages of the arthroscopic approach over classic open procedures. This article consists on a narrative review of the literature in regard to the management of acute acromioclavicular joint instability.

  6. Diagnosis of unstable angina pectoris has declined markedly with the advent of more sensitive troponin assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Souza, Maria; Sarkisian, Laura; Saaby, Lotte; Poulsen, Tina S; Gerke, Oke; Larsen, Torben B; Diederichsen, Axel C P; Jangaard, Nikolaj; Diederichsen, Søren Z; Hosbond, Susanne; Hove, Jens; Thygesen, Kristian; Mickley, Hans

    2015-08-01

    Since the arrival of the universal definition of myocardial infarction more sensitive troponin assays have been developed. How these occurrences have influenced the proportions and clinical features of the components of acute coronary syndrome have not been studied prospectively in unselected hospital patients. During 2010 we evaluated all patients in whom cardiac troponin I had been measured at a single university hospital. The diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (ST-elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI] or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction [NSTEMI]) was established in cases of a rise and/or fall of cardiac troponin I together with cardiac ischemic features. Patients with unstable chest discomfort and cardiac troponin I values below the decision limit of myocardial infarction were diagnosed as having unstable angina pectoris. The definition of acute coronary syndrome included unstable angina pectoris, NSTEMI, and STEMI. Mortality data were obtained from the Danish Civil Personal Registration System. Of 3762 consecutive patients, 516 had acute coronary syndrome. Unstable angina pectoris was present in 7%, NSTEMI in 67%, and STEMI in 26%. The NSTEMI patients were older, more frequently women, and had more comorbidities than patients with unstable angina pectoris and STEMI. At median follow-up of 3.2 years 195 patients had died: 14% of unstable angina pectoris, 45% of NSTEMI, and 25% of STEMI patients. Age-adjusted log-rank statistics revealed differences in mortality: NSTEMI vs unstable angina pectoris (P = .0091) and NSTEMI vs STEMI (P = .0045). The application of the universal definition together with the use of a contemporary troponin assay seems to have reduced the proportion of patients with unstable angina pectoris to the benefit of patients with NSTEMI. Despite this, NSTEMI patients have a sustained higher mortality than patients with STEMI. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Fluid mechanical dispersion of airborne pollutants inside urban street canyons subjecting to multi-component ventilation and unstable thermal stratifications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mei, Shuo-Jun; Liu, Cheng-Wei; Liu, Di; Zhao, Fu-Yun; Wang, Han-Qing; Li, Xiao-Hong

    2016-09-15

    The pedestrian level pollutant transport in street canyons with multiple aspect ratios (H/W) is numerically investigated in the present work, regarding of various unstable thermal stratification scenarios and plain surrounding. Non-isothermal turbulent wind flow, temperature field and pollutant spread within and above the street canyons are solved by the realizable k-ε turbulence model along with the enhanced wall treatment. One-vortex flow regime is observed for shallow canyons with H/W=0.5, whereas multi-vortex flow regime is observed for deep canyons with H/W=2.0. Both one-vortex and multi-vortex regimes could be observed for the street canyons with H/W=1.0, where the secondary vortex could be initiated by the flow separation and intensified by unstable thermal stratification. Air exchange rate (AER) and pollutant retention time are adopted to respectively evaluate the street canyon ventilation and pollutant removal performance. A second-order polynomial functional relationship is established between AER and Richardson number (Ri). Similar functional relationship could be established between retention time and Ri, and it is only valid for canyons with one-vortex flow regime. In addition, retention time could be prolonged abruptly for canyons with multi-vortex flow regime. Very weak secondary vortex is presented at the ground level of deep canyons with mild stratification, where pollutants are highly accumulated. However, with the decrease of Ri, pollutant concentration adjacent to the ground reduces accordingly. Present research could be applied to guide the urban design and city planning for enhancing pedestrian environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Stable or unstable tear of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee: an MR diagnosis?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dyck, Pieter van; Gielen, Jan L.; Parizel, Paul M. [University Hospital Antwerp and University of Antwerp, Department of Radiology, Edegem (Belgium); Vanhoenacker, Filip M. [University Hospital Antwerp and University of Antwerp, Department of Radiology, Edegem (Belgium); AZ St-Maarten Duffel/Mechelen, Department of Radiology, Duffel (Belgium); Wouters, Kristien [University Hospital Antwerp and University of Antwerp, Department of Scientific Coordination and Biostatistics, Edegem (Belgium); Dossche, Lieven [University Hospital Antwerp and University of Antwerp, Department of Orthopedics, Edegem (Belgium)

    2012-03-15

    To determine the usefulness of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to distinguish stable from unstable tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee. MR images of 97 patients with surgically confirmed ACL tear were retrospectively reviewed. According to arthroscopic and clinical examination, these patients had 36 stable and 61 unstable (9 partial and 52 complete) ACL tears. MR images were interpreted by two blinded reviewers and scored with respect to previously reported primary and secondary MR signs of ACL injury. Based on a comprehensive assessment of all the MR findings, ACLs were categorized as being stable or unstable. MR accuracy was calculated considering only primary MR signs and considering both primary and secondary MR signs of ACL injury, separately. Accuracy of each individual primary and secondary MR sign was calculated. Considering only primary MR signs, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MR were 77, 92, and 82%, respectively. Considering both primary and secondary MR signs, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MR were 59, 81, and 67%, respectively. Of all MR signs, discontinuity and abnormal orientation had highest test accuracy (79 and 87%, respectively). Anterior tibial translation, uncovering of the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus, and hyperbuckled PCL were only seen in unstable ACLs (specificity 100%), but these secondary findings had low sensitivity (23%). Bone contusion around the lateral knee compartment was seen in both unstable and stable ACLs (accuracy 64%). Previously reported MR imaging signs do not allow accurate distinction between clinically stable and unstable ACL injuries. Anterior tibial translation, uncovering of the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus, and hyperbuckled PCL, if present, are helpful signs in the diagnosis of an unstable tear. The presence of bone marrow edema around the lateral knee compartment is not predictive of ACL insufficiency. (orig.)

  9. Unstable oscillatory Pierce modes of neutralized electron beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cary, J.R.; Lemons, D.S.

    1982-01-01

    Oscillatory modes of the Pierce system have been calculated. These modes are found to have growth rates comparable to the previously investigated purely growing modes. When these modes are included, it is found that the Pierce system is unstable for most values of ω/sub p/ L/V 0 >π

  10. Long-term effects of electrical neurostimulation in patients with unstable angina : Refractory to conventional therapies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Vries, Jessica; DeJongste, Mike J. L.; Zijlstra, Felix; Staal, Michiel

    2007-01-01

    Background. Patients with unstable angina pectoris may become refractory to conventional therapies. Electrical neurostimulation with transcutaneous electrical stimulation and/or spinal cord stimulation has been shown to be effective for patients with refractory unstable angina pectoris in hospital

  11. Finite-width effects in unstable-particle production at hadron colliders

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Falgari, P. [Utrecht Univ. (Netherlands). Inst. for Theoretical Physics; Utrecht Univ. (Netherlands). Spinoza Inst.; Papanastasiou, A.S. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg (Germany); Signer, A. [Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen (Switzerland); Zuerich Univ. (Switzerland). Inst. for Theoretical Physics

    2013-03-15

    We present a general formalism for the calculation of finite-width contributions to the differential production cross sections of unstable particles at hadron colliders. In this formalism, which employs an effective-theory description of unstable-particle production and decay, the matrix element computation is organized as a gauge-invariant expansion in powers of {Gamma}{sub X}/m{sub X}, with {Gamma}{sub X} and m{sub X} the width and mass of the unstable particle. This framework allows for a systematic inclusion of off-shell and non-factorizable effects whilst at the same time keeping the computational effort minimal compared to a full calculation in the complex-mass scheme. As a proof-of-concept example, we give results for an NLO calculation of top-antitop production in the q anti q partonic channel. As already found in a similar calculation of single-top production, the finite-width effects are small for the total cross section, as expected from the naive counting {proportional_to}{Gamma}{sub t}/m{sub t}{proportional_to}1%. However, they can be sizeable, in excess of 10%, close to edges of certain kinematical distributions. The dependence of the results on the mass renormalization scheme, and its implication for a precise extraction of the top-quark mass, is also discussed.

  12. Finite-width effects in unstable-particle production at hadron colliders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Falgari, P.; Signer, A.; Zuerich Univ.

    2013-03-01

    We present a general formalism for the calculation of finite-width contributions to the differential production cross sections of unstable particles at hadron colliders. In this formalism, which employs an effective-theory description of unstable-particle production and decay, the matrix element computation is organized as a gauge-invariant expansion in powers of Γ X /m X , with Γ X and m X the width and mass of the unstable particle. This framework allows for a systematic inclusion of off-shell and non-factorizable effects whilst at the same time keeping the computational effort minimal compared to a full calculation in the complex-mass scheme. As a proof-of-concept example, we give results for an NLO calculation of top-antitop production in the q anti q partonic channel. As already found in a similar calculation of single-top production, the finite-width effects are small for the total cross section, as expected from the naive counting ∝Γ t /m t ∝1%. However, they can be sizeable, in excess of 10%, close to edges of certain kinematical distributions. The dependence of the results on the mass renormalization scheme, and its implication for a precise extraction of the top-quark mass, is also discussed.

  13. Noncontiguous double-level unstable spinal injuries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takami, Masanari; Okada, Motohiro; Enyo, Yoshio; Iwasaki, Hiroshi; Yamada, Hiroshi; Yoshida, Munehito

    2017-01-01

    Noncontiguous double-level unstable spinal injuries (NDUSI) are uncommon and have not been well described. In this study, we aimed to better understand the patterns of NDUSI, in order to recommend proper diagnostic and treatment methods, as well as to raise awareness among traumatologists about the possibility of these uncommon injuries. A total of 710 consecutive patients with spine fractures were treated for >9 years since 2007 at a single regional trauma center. Of them, 18 patients with NDUSI were reviewed retrospectively. The incidence of NDUSI was 2.5 % of all spine fractures. In 17 of 18 patients (94.7 %), NDUSI was caused by a high-energy trauma. Nine patients (50.0 %) exhibited complete neurological deficit. Spinal cord injury occurred in the cranial injured region in all American Spinal Injury Association grade A cases. In one case, a second fracture was overlooked at the initial examination. NDUSI are common in cases of high-energy trauma and should be taken into consideration at the initial examination. A second fracture may be easily overlooked because of the high frequency of concomitant severe spinal cord injury in the cranial injured region and/or loss of consciousness due to associated injuries. To avoid overlooking injuries, full spine computed tomography is useful at the initial examination. Operative reduction and internal fixation with instrumentation through a posterior approach is recommendable for cases of NDUSI. In elderly patients, a very rapid stabilizing surgery should be planned before aspiration pneumonia occurs or the pulmonary condition worsens.

  14. Production of spin-polarized unstable nuclei by using polarized electron capture process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimizu, S.

    1998-01-01

    Measurements of emitted radiation from spin polarized nuclei are used to get information on electromagnetic moment of ground state unstable nuclei together with spin or parity state of excited states of their decayed (daughter) nuclei. These data are known to be useful for experimental investigation into the structure of unstable nuclei far from the stability line. The present study aims to establish a general method applicable to 11 Be and 16 N nuclei. To produce spin polarization, a new method in which the electron spin polarization of Rb is firstly produced by laser pumping, then the electron is transferred to the unstable nuclear beam (RNB) when they passes through the Rb vapor is proposed. Finally the polarized RNB will be implanted into superfluid helium to remain with a long spin-relaxation time. Future experimental set up for the above measurement adopted in the available radioactive nuclear beam facilities is briefly described. (Ohno, S.)

  15. Modified Firefly Algorithm based controller design for integrating and unstable delay processes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Gupta

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, Modified Firefly Algorithm has been used for optimizing the controller parameters of Smith predictor structure. The proposed algorithm modifies the position formula of the standard Firefly Algorithm in order to achieve faster convergence rate. Performance criteria Integral Square Error (ISE is optimized using this optimization technique. Simulation results show high performance for Modified Firefly Algorithm as compared to conventional Firefly Algorithm in terms of convergence rate. Integrating and unstable delay processes are taken as examples to indicate the performance of the proposed method.

  16. Relativistic mean field theory for unstable nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toki, Hiroshi

    2000-01-01

    We discuss the properties of unstable nuclei in the framework of the relativistic mean field (RMF) theory. We take the RMF theory as a phenomenological theory with several parameters, whose form is constrained by the successful microscopic theory (RBHF), and whose values are extracted from the experimental values of unstable nuclei. We find the outcome with the newly obtained parameter sets (TM1 and TMA) is promising in comparison with various experimental data. We calculate systematically the ground state properties of even-even nuclei up to the drip lines; about 2000 nuclei. We find that the neutron magic shells (N=82, 128) at the standard magic numbers stay at the same numbers even far from the stability line and hence provide the feature of the r-process nuclei. However, many proton magic numbers disappear at the neutron numbers far away from the magic numbers due to the deformations. We discuss how to describe giant resonances for the case of the non-linear coupling terms for the sigma and omega mesons in the relativistic RPA. We mention also the importance of the relativistic effect on the spin observables as the Gamow-Teller strength and the longitudinal and transverse spin responses. (author)

  17. Dynamics and statistics of unstable quantum states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sokolov, V.V.; Zelevinsky, V.G.

    1989-01-01

    The statistical theory of spectra formulated in terms of random matrices is extended to unstable states. The energies and widths of these states are treated as real and imaginary parts of complex eigenvalues for an effective non-hermitian hamiltonian. Eigenvalue statistics are investigated under simple assumptions. If the coupling through common decay channels is weak we obtain a Wigner distribution for the level spacings and a Porter-Thomas one for the widths, with the only exception for spacings less than widths where level repulsion fades out. Meanwhile in the complex energy plane the repulsion of eigenvalues is quadratic in accordance with the T-noninvariant character of decaying systems. In the opposite case of strong coupling with the continuum, k short-lived states are formed (k is the number of open decay channels). These states accumulate almost the whole total width, the rest of the states becoming long-lived. Such a perestroika corresponds to separation of direct processes (a nuclear analogue of Dicke coherent superradiance). At small channel number, Ericson fluctuations of the cross sections are found to be suppressed. The one-channel case is considered in detail. The joint distribution of energies and widths is obtained. The average cross sections and density of unstable states are calculated. (orig.)

  18. Thallium-201 scintigraphy in unstable angina pectoris

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wackers, F.J.T.; Lie, K.I.; Liem, K.L.; Sokole, E.B.; Samson, G.; Van Der Schoot, J.B.; Durrer, D.

    1978-01-01

    Thallium-201 scintigraphy was performed during the pain free period in 98 patients with unstable angina. Scintiscans were positive in 39 patients, questionable in 27 patients and normal in 32 patients. Eighty-one patients responded favorably to treatment (group I). Seventeen patients had complicated courses (group II) and despite maximal treatment with propranolol either developed infarction (six patients) or continued to have angina necessitating coronary surgery (11 patients). In group I during the pain free period 26 of 81 patients had positive thallium-201 scans, whereas 20 patients had an abnormal ECG at that time; during angina 18 patients had transient ECG changes. In group II during the pain free period 13 of 17 patients had positive scans, whereas two patients had abnormal ECG at that time; during angina 12 patients showed transient ECG changes. The sensitivity to recognize group II was 76% for thallium-201 scintigraphy, 11% for ECG during the pain free period; 70% for ECG during angina; 94% for the combination of either positive scans or abnormal ECG. Thus, positive thallium-201 scans occur in patients with unstable angina, positive scans can be obtained during the pain free period, thallium-201 scans are more frequently positive in patients with complicated course

  19. Velocity Spectra in the Unstable Planetary Boundary Layer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Højstrup, Jørgen

    1982-01-01

    Models for velocity spectra of all three components in the lower half of the unstable PBL are presented. The model spectra are written as a sum of two parts, nS(n) = A(fi, z/zi)w*2 + B(f, z/zi)u*02, a mixed layer part with a stability dependence, and a surface layer part without stability...

  20. C-reactive protein and angiographic characteristics of stable and unstable coronary artery disease : Data from the prospective PREVEND cohort

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Geluk, C.A.; Post, W.J.; Hillege, H.L.; Tio, R.A.; Tijssen, J.G.; van Dijk, R.B.; Dijk, Willem; Bakker, S.J.; de Jong, P.E.; van Gilst, W.H.; Zijlstra, F.

    Aims: High sensitive-C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is associated with coronary risk, which may be explained by an association with (unstable) coronary artery disease (CAD). Until now, histopathological and angiographic studies have failed to consistently demonstrate a strong relationship. However,

  1. Treatment of Unstable Trochanteric Femur Fractures: Proximal Femur Nail Versus Proximal Femur Locking Compression Plate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Ashutosh Kumar; Narsaria, Nidi; G R, Arun; Srivastava, Vivek

    Unstable trochanteric femur fractures are common fractures that are difficult to manage. We conducted a prospective study to compare functional outcomes and complications of 2 different implant designs, proximal femur nail (PFN) and proximal femur locking compression plate (PFLCP), used in internal fixation of unstable trochanteric femur fractures. On hospital admission, 48 patients with unstable trochanteric fractures were randomly assigned (using a sealed envelope method) to treatment with either PFN (24 patients) or PFLCP (24 patients). Perioperative data and complications were recorded. All cases were followed up for 2 years. The groups did not differ significantly (P > .05) in operative time, reduction quality, complications, hospital length of stay, union rate, or time to union. Compared with the PFLCP group, the PFN group had shorter incisions and less blood loss. Regarding functional outcomes, there was no significant difference in mean Harris Hip Score (P = .48) or Palmer and Parker mobility score (P = .58). Both PFN and PFLCP are effective in internal fixation of unstable trochanteric femur fractures.

  2. Stimulation of confocal unstable resonators using thin gain sheet

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du Yanyi

    2000-01-01

    Mode calculation in unstable resonators with flowing saturable gain using the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm and thin gain sheet just nearly inside the big mirror. This method is in resonators of small disturbance (ψ 0max = π/2), middle magnification (m 0 ∼= 1%)

  3. Composition, somatic cell count and casein fractions of ethanol unstable milks - doi: 10.4025/actascitechnol.v35i1.11481

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Augusto Fernandes de Oliveira

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This study determined the composition, somatic cell count (SCC and relative percentage of a-S1, a-S2, b and k caseins in ethanol-unstable (UNA and stable bulk milk samples. The sampling plan involved farms that supplied milk to one dairy plant located in the northeast region of São Paulo, Brazil, in May (fall, July (winter, and September (spring 2007. Three hundred thirty-four bulk milk samples within an acceptable range of pH and acidity were included in the study and divided into two groups: a stable milk, when protein precipitation only occurred with 78% ethanol (v/v; and b unstable (UNA milk, when the precipitation occurred with 72% ethanol (v/v. From the total samples analyzed, 77 (23% were unstable in the 72% ethanol (v/v, although they have shown normal pH and acidity, and 41 (12.3% were stable in 78% ethanol (v/v. No differences were found between relative percentages of a and b-casein in UNA or stable milks. However, UNA samples showed higher SCC, as well as lower casein and lactose contents. Results indicated that the high SCC may be involved as a causal factor for the high incidence of UNA milks in the herds studied.  

  4. Malaria infection has spatial, temporal, and spatiotemporal heterogeneity in unstable malaria transmission areas in northwest Ethiopia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kassahun Alemu

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Malaria elimination requires successful nationwide control efforts. Detecting the spatiotemporal distribution and mapping high-risk areas are useful to effectively target pockets of malaria endemic regions for interventions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to identify patterns of malaria distribution by space and time in unstable malaria transmission areas in northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: Data were retrieved from the monthly reports stored in the district malaria offices for the period between 2003 and 2012. Eighteen districts in the highland and fringe malaria areas were included and geo-coded for the purpose of this study. The spatial data were created in ArcGIS10 for each district. The Poisson model was used by applying Kulldorff methods using the SaTScan™ software to analyze the purely temporal, spatial and space-time clusters of malaria at a district levels. RESULTS: The study revealed that malaria case distribution has spatial, temporal, and spatiotemporal heterogeneity in unstable transmission areas. Most likely spatial malaria clusters were detected at Dera, Fogera, Farta, Libokemkem and Misrak Este districts (LLR =197764.1, p<0.001. Significant spatiotemporal malaria clusters were detected at Dera, Fogera, Farta, Libokemkem and Misrak Este districts (LLR=197764.1, p<0.001 between 2003/1/1 and 2012/12/31. A temporal scan statistics identified two high risk periods from 2009/1/1 to 2010/12/31 (LLR=72490.5, p<0.001 and from 2003/1/1 to 2005/12/31 (LLR=26988.7, p<0.001. CONCLUSION: In unstable malaria transmission areas, detecting and considering the spatiotemporal heterogeneity would be useful to strengthen malaria control efforts and ultimately achieve elimination.

  5. Using decision analysis to assess comparative clinical efficacy of surgical treatment of unstable ankle fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michelson, James D

    2013-11-01

    usual cutoff for the determination of cost effectiveness) for patients aged up to 90 years. Decision analysis is a useful methodology in developing treatment guidelines. Numerous previous studies have indicated superior clinical outcomes when unstable ankle fractures underwent operative reduction and stabilization. What has been lacking was an examination of the cost effectiveness of such an approach, particularly in older patients who have fewer expected years of life. In light of the evidence for satisfactory outcomes for surgery of severe ankle fractures in older people, the justification for operative intervention is an obvious question that can be asked in the current increasingly cost-conscious environment. Using a decision-tree decision analysis structured around the stability-based ankle fracture classification system, in conjunction with a relatively simple cost effectiveness analysis, this study was able to demonstrate that surgical treatment of unstable ankle fractures in elderly patients is in fact cost effective. The clinical implication of the present analysis is that these existing treatment protocols for ankle fracture treatment are also cost effective when quality of life outcome measures are taken into account. Economic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

  6. Corrosion behaviour of high temperature alloys in impure helium environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shindo, Masami; Quadakkers, W.J.; Schuster, H.

    1986-01-01

    Corrosion tests with Ni-base high temperature alloys were carried out at 900 and 950 0 C in simulated high temperature reactor helium environments. It is shown that the carburization and decarburization behaviour is strongly affected by the Cr and Ti(Al) contents of the alloys. In carburizing environments, additions of Ti, alone or in combination with Al, significantly improve the carburization resistance. In oxidizing environment, the alloys with high Cr and Al(Ti) contents are the most resistant against decarburization. In this environment alloys with additions of Ti and Al show poor oxidation resistance. The experimental results obtained are compared with a recently developed theory describing corrosion of high temperature alloys in high temperature reactor helium environments. (orig.)

  7. A unified double-loop multi-scale control strategy for NMP integrating-unstable systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seer, Qiu Han; Nandong, Jobrun

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents a new control strategy which unifies the direct and indirect multi-scale control schemes via a double-loop control structure. This unified control strategy is proposed for controlling a class of highly nonminimum-phase processes having both integrating and unstable modes. This type of systems is often encountered in fed-batch fermentation processes which are very difficult to stabilize via most of the existing well-established control strategies. A systematic design procedure is provided where its applicability is demonstrated via a numerical example. (paper)

  8. A STUDY OF PRIMARY CEMENTED BIPOLAR HEMIARTHROPLASTY OF HIP IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH OSTEOPOROTIC, UNSTABLE INTERTROCHANTERIC FRACTURE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maheshwar

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Intertrochanteric fractures are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in geriatric population. Osteoporosis contributes significantly to the comminution and instability in such fractures. Internal fixations in unstable intertrochanteric fractures are a ssociated with high rates of implant failures and gross restriction of hip movements. This study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of cemented bipolar hemiart h roplasty in elderly patients with osteoporotic, unstable intertrochanteric fractures. PATIE NTS AND METHODS: 52 patients aged above 60 years with unstable, comminuted intertrochanteric fractures with Singh’s index < 4 were operated with primary cemented bipolar hemireplacement arthroplasty. All the patients were mobilized early with full weight b earing in the post - operative period as permitted. 50 patients were evaluated for the functional outcome with Harris Hip score. RESULTS: The average age of patients was 65 years with female predominance (64%. Left side (56% was commonly involved and the c ommonest mode of injury was due to a trivial fall at home. Hypertension (30% was the commonest co - morbid condition. Limb shortening was the commonest complication (8%. The mean ± S.D. of the Harris Hip score was 85.6 ± 10.59 with a range from 56 to 96. Resul ts were excellent in 62%, good in 22%, fair in 12% and poor in 4% of cases. CONCLUSION: Elderly osteoporotic patients with comminuted, unstable intertrochanteric fractures have an increased prevalence of unsatisfactory functional results with conventional internal fixation devices. Primary cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty with anatomical reconstruction of the trochanters allows early mobilization, improved functional outcome with relatively low incidence of associated complications.

  9. Treatment options for unstable trochanteric fractures: Screw or helical proxima femoral nail.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bajpai, Jeetendra; Maheshwari, Rajesh; Bajpai, Akansha; Saini, Sumit

    2015-01-01

    To compare treatment outcome of screw proximal femoral nail (PFN) system with that of a helical PFN. The study included 77 patients with closed unstable intertrochanteric fracture classified as AO 31A2&31A3, between June 2008 to August 2011. Inclusion criteria were: all mature skeletons above 50 years of age; closed unstable trochanteric fracture classified as AO 31A2&A3. Exclusion criteria were: immature skeleton, pathological fracture of any cause other than osteoporosis, inability to walk inde- pendently prior to injury. Patients were randomized to 2 treatment groups based on admission sequence. Forty patients were treated with screw PFN and thirty seven were treated with helical PFN. Both groups were similar in respect of time of surgery, blood loss and functional assessment and duration of hospitalization. In screw PFN group 2 patients had superficial wound infection, 1 patient had persistent hip pain and 1 patient had shortening>1 cm buttrochanteric fractures even in Indian patients where the bones are narrow and neck diameter is small. It is an implant of choice for osteoporotic and unstable trochanteric fractures.

  10. The use of unstable chromosome aberrations and micronuclei in the individual biomonitoring: a comparative study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernandes, Thiago de Salazar e

    2005-02-01

    Biodosimetry is based on the investigation of radioinduced biological effects in order to correlate them with the absorbed dose. The quantification of unstable chromosome aberrations and micronuclei, in peripheral blood lymphocytes, are two methods commonly used in biodosimetry. In this context, the aim of this research was to compare these methods in the biomonitoring of health care professionals occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation. In parallel, the technique of C-banding was evaluated for quality control of unstable chromosome aberrations analyses. Thus, samples of peripheral blood from health care professionals of three hospitals from Recife (Brazil) were collected, and the lymphocytes cultures were carried out based on the cytogenetic classical technique. It was pointed out that analysis of micronuclei is faster than the unstable chromosome aberrations ones, which suggests the use of the former in preliminary evaluation in cases of suspected accidental exposure. C-banding technique was efficient, as confirmatory test, in the identification of dicentrics and rings during the analyses of unstable chromosome aberrations, being able to be applied in the quality control in biodosimetry. The comparison between the individual work conditions with the frequencies of unstable aberrations and micronuclei obtained from cytogenetic analysis, resulted in the change of behavior of the professionals involved in this research, with a better observance of the radioprotection standards. (author)

  11. Prognostic value of thallium-201 myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with unstable angina who respond to medical treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, K.A.

    1991-01-01

    Although the prognostic value of thallium-201 imaging is well established, its ability to risk stratify patients who present with unstable angina is unclear. Fifty-two consecutive patients admitted with unstable angina who responded to medical treatment and underwent stress thallium-201 imaging within 1 week of discharge were studied. Patients were followed up for 39 +/- 11 months. Cardiac events included cardiac death (n = 3), nonfatal myocardial infarction (n = 4) and admission for unstable angina or revascularization (n = 17). The ability of thallium-201 data (redistribution, fixed defects, normal) to predict cardiac events was compared with clinical data (age, gender, prior myocardial infarction, anginal syndrome, rest and stress electrocardiogram) and cardiac catheterization data using logistic regression. Thallium-201 redistribution was the only significant predictor of cardiac death or nonfatal myocardial infarction (p less than 0.05). The number of myocardial segments with thallium-201 redistribution (p less than 0.0005) and a history of prior myocardial infarction (p less than 0.05) were the only significant predictors of all cardiac events. Cardiac death or nonfatal myocardial infarction occurred more frequently in patients with thallium-201 redistribution (6 [26%] of 23) than in those without redistribution (1 [3%] of 29, p less than 0.05). Similarly, total cardiac events developed more frequently in patients with thallium-201 redistribution (p less than 0.001). Stress thallium-201 imaging has important prognostic value in patients admitted with unstable angina who respond to medical therapy and can identify subgroups at high versus low risk for future cardiac events

  12. Exploring the Physics of Unstable Nuclei

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volya, Alexander

    In this presentation the Continuum Shell Model (CSM) approach is advertised as a powerful theoretical tool for studying physics of unstable nuclei. The approach is illustrated using 17O as an example, which is followed by a brief presentation of the general CSM formalism. The successes of the CSM are highlighted and references are provided throughout the text. As an example, the CSM is applied perturbatively to 20O allowing one to explore the effects of continuum on positions of weakly bound states and low-lying resonances, as well as to discern some effects of threshold discontinuity.

  13. Exploring the physics of unstable nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Volya, Alexander

    2015-01-01

    In this presentation the Continuum Shell Model (CSM) approach is advertised as a powerful theoretical tool for studying physics of unstable nuclei. The approach is illustrated using 17 O as an example, which is followed by a brief presentation of the general CSM formalism. The successes of the CSM are highlighted and references are provided throughout the text. As an example, the CSM is applied perturbatively to 20 O allowing one to explore the effects of continuum on positions of weakly bound states and low-lying resonances, as well as to discern some effects of threshold discontinuity. (author)

  14. The functional outcome of surgically treated unstable pelvic ring fractures by open reduction, internal fixation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaykhosro Mardanpour

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Background:Unstable Pelvic fracture,a result of high energy antero-posterior compression injury, has been managed based on internal fixation and open reduction. The mode of fixation in Unstable Pelvic fracture has, however, been a subject of controversy and some authors have proposed a need to address the issue of partial breach of the pelvic ring elements in these injuries. This study was performed to evaluate the functional and radiological results of treatment of pelvic ring fractures by open reduction, internal fixation. Methods: Thirty eight patients with unstable pelvic fractures, treated from 2002 to2008 were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age of patients’ was 37 years old (range 20 to 67. Twenty six patients were men and 12 women. The most common cause was a road traffic accident (N=37, 97%. There were 11 type-C and 27 type-B fractures according to Tile’s classification. Thirty six patients sustained additional injuries. The most prevalent additional injuries were lower extremity fractures. Open reduction, internal fixation as a definite management was applied for all patients. Quality of reduction was graded according to the grades proposed by Matta and Majeed’s score was used to assess the clinical outcome. The mean period of follow-up was 25 months (ranged from 6 to 109 months. About 81.6% of patients had either good or excellent radiological reduction. Results: The functional outcome was excellent in 66%, good in 15%, fair in 11% and poor in 7% of the patients. There were 4 postoperative infections. No sexual function problem was reported. Nerve deficits recovered completely in 2 and partially in 3 of 11 patients with preoperative neurologic deficiency. There was no significant relation between functional outcome and the site of fracture Conclusion: Unstable pelvic ring fracture injuries should be managed surgically by rigid stabilization that must be carried out as soon as the general ndition of the patient permits, and

  15. A chaotic system with a single unstable node

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sprott, J.C. [Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Jafari, Sajad, E-mail: sajadjafari@aut.ac.ir [Biomedical Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran 15875-4413 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Pham, Viet-Thanh [School of Electronics and Telecommunications, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, 01 Dai Co Viet, Hanoi (Viet Nam); Hosseini, Zahra Sadat [Biomedical Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran 15875-4413 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2015-09-25

    This paper describes an unusual example of a three-dimensional dissipative chaotic flow with quadratic nonlinearities in which the only equilibrium is an unstable node. The region of parameter space with bounded solutions is relatively small as is the basin of attraction, which accounts for the difficulty of its discovery. Furthermore, for some values of the parameters, the system has an attracting torus, which is uncommon in three-dimensional systems, and this torus can coexist with a strange attractor or with a limit cycle. The limit cycle and strange attractor exhibit symmetry breaking and attractor merging. All the attractors appear to be hidden in that they cannot be found by starting with initial conditions in the vicinity of the equilibrium, and thus they represent a new type of hidden attractor with important and potentially problematic engineering consequences. - Highlights: • An unusual example of a three-dimensional dissipative chaotic flow is introduced. • In this system the only equilibrium is an unstable node. • For some values of the parameters, the system has an attracting torus. • This torus can coexist with a strange attractor or with a limit cycle. • These properties are uncommon in three-dimensional systems.

  16. Emergency department external fixation for provisional treatment of pilon and unstable ankle fractures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Craig R Lareau

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Unstable ankle fractures and impacted tibial pilon fractures often benefit from provisional external fixation as a temporizing measure prior to definitive fixation. Benefits of external fixation include improved articular alignment, decreased articular impaction, and soft tissue rest. Uniplanar external fixator placement in the Emergency Department (ED ex-fix is a reliable and safe technique for achieving ankle reduction and stability while awaiting definitive fixation. This procedure involves placing transverse proximal tibial and calcaneal traction pins and connecting the pins with two external fixator rods. This technique is particularly useful in austere environments or when the operating room is not immediately available. Additionally, this bedside intervention prevents the patient from requiring general anesthesia and may be a cost-effective strategy for decreasing valuable operating time. The ED ex-fix is an especially valuable procedure in busy trauma centers and during mass casualty events, in which resources may be limited.

  17. Effect of Teriparatide on Unstable Pertrochanteric Fractures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tsan-Wen Huang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available We retrospectively analyzed the radiographic and clinical outcomes of unstable pertrochanteric fractures (AO/OTA 31-A2 in 44 patients who underwent dynamic hip screw (DHS fixation and compared the results with 29 patients who received teriparatide in addition to DHS fixation. A significantly shorter time for fracture healing was recorded in the teriparatide-treated group than in the control group. Rates of lag screw sliding, femoral shortening, and varus collapse were all significantly reduced in the teriparatide-treated group. There were no significant differences with regard to superficial wound infection, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, mortality, malunion, and cutting of the lag screw. The mean overall mobility scores were significantly better in the teriparatide-treated group at 3 and 6 months (P<0.001 and P<0.001, resp. but not at 12 months or the last follow-up. The pain scores were also significantly better in the teriparatide-treated group at 3 and 6 months (P=0.040 and P=0.041, resp. but not at 12 months or the last follow-up. Teriparatide improves radiographic outcomes and yields better clinical outcomes at 3 and 6 months postoperatively. The improvement in union time may be important for elderly populations with unstable pertrochanteric fractures to enable them to return to daily activities and reduce morbidity and mortality.

  18. A comparison of locked versus nonlocked Enders rods for length unstable pediatric femoral shaft fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, Henry Bone; Ho, Christine A; Podeszwa, David A; Wilson, Philip L

    2011-12-01

    Stainless steel flexible Enders rods have been used for intramedullary fixation of pediatric femur fractures with good success. Despite intraoperative anatomic alignment, length unstable femur fractures can present postoperatively with fracture shortening. The purpose of this study was to review all length unstable pediatric femoral shaft fractures in which Enders rods were used and compare those that were locked to those that were not locked. A retrospective clinical and radiographic review of all patients at a single institution undergoing flexible intramedullary fixation for length unstable femoral shaft fractures from 2001 to 2008. A length unstable fracture was defined as either a comminuted fracture or a spiral fracture longer than twice the diameter of the femoral shaft. A total of 107 length unstable femoral shaft fractures fixed with Enders rods were identified, of which 37 cases (35%) had both Enders rods "locked" through the eyelet in the distal femur with a 2.7 mm fully threaded cortical screw. Patient demographics, clinical course, complications, fracture characteristics, and radiographic outcomes were compared for the locked and nonlocked groups. There were no statistical differences between the groups in demographic data, operative variables, fracture pattern, fracture location, time to union, femoral alignment, or major complications. Shortening of the femur and nail migration measured at 1 to 6 weeks postoperatively was significantly greater for the nonlocked cases. The medial and lateral locked Enders rods moved 1.3 and 1.9 mm, respectively, and the unlocked Enders each moved 12.1 mm (P < 0.05). At final follow-up there were significantly more (P < 0.05) clinical complaints in nonlocked group, including limp, clinical shortening, and painful palpable rods. Locking Enders rods for length unstable pediatric fractures is an excellent option to prevent shortening and resulted in no additional complications, added surgical time, or increased blood loss

  19. Risk stratification by using non-invasive radionuclide imaging in patients with unstable angina spec tories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saghari, M.

    2002-01-01

    Unstable angina represents a heterogeneous spectrum of clinical entities between chronic stable angina and acute myocardial infraction. Acute ischemic syndromes (including unstable angina) result from abrupt reduction in coronary flow, frequently after atherosclerotic plaque disruption and with or without associated thrombosis or vasospasm. Nuclear cardiology studies and in particular, myocardial perfusion imaging are powerful noninvasive tools for detecting and assessing the severity of acute ischemic syndromes, including unstable angina pec tories. The information derived from a nuclear cardiology study can answer unresolved clinical question and aid in subsequent patient management, specifically jeopardized myocardium detected during spontaneously occurring acute chest pain or controlled stress testing are important determinant of: 1) The need for admission to an intensive care monitoring unit 2) The need for and urgency of coronary angiography 3) The appropriate use of percutaneous or surgical coronary revascularization procedures. Extensive information suggests the stress nuclear perfusion imaging is the best validated technique for predischarge risk stratification with unstable angina patients who have been medically stabilized. Early information suggests avoidance of unecessary coronary angiography or revascularization is the cost effective strategy

  20. Genotype x Environment Interaction and Yield Stability of Maize ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Most of the cultivars had significant deviation mean square (S2di), implying that these cultivars had unstable performance across the testing environments. However, Additive Main Effect and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI) analysis showed Gibe-1 (mean yield, 7.40 t ha-1) had relatively stable performance across the ...

  1. Mean-Field and RPA Approaches to Stable and Unstable Nuclei with Semi-Realistic Interactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakada, H.

    2009-01-01

    We have developed semi-realistic NN interactions [1, 2] by modifying the M3Y interaction [3] that was derived from the G-matrix. The modification has been made so that the saturation and the spin-orbit splittings could be reproduced. The new interactions contain finite-range LS and tensor channels, as well as Yukawa-form central channels having reasonable spin and spin-isospin properties. In order to handle such interactions in practical calculations, we have also developed new numerical methods [4-6], in which the Gaussian expansion method [7] is applied. It is noted that these methods have the following advantages: (i) we can efficiently describe the energy-dependent asymptotics of single-particle wave functions at large r, as is typified in arguments on the deformed neutron halo in 4 0M g [6], (ii) we can handle various effective interactions, including those having non-locality, and (iii) a single-set of bases is applicable to wide mass range of nuclei and therefore is suitable to systematic calculations. Thereby we can implement Hartree-Fock, Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov and RPA calculations for stable and unstable nuclei with the semi-realistic interactions. It will be shown first that the new interactions have desired characters for the nuclear matter and for the single- and double-closed nuclei. We shall particularly focus on roles of specific channels of the effective interaction, by studying (a) 'shell evolution' and role of the spin-isospin and the tensor channels [8] in stable and unstable nuclei, and (b) the magnetic response in a fully self-consistent RPA calculation with the tensor force [9]. All these properties seem to be simultaneously and naturally reproduced by the semi-realistic interactions. Thus the semi-realistic interactions are promising in describing various aspects of nuclear structure from stable to drip-line nuclei, in a self-consistent and unified manner. Since they have microscopic origin with minimal modification, we can expect high

  2. Interaction effects on the unstable discharge-energy characteristic of pump-turbine in pump mode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, R.; Xiao, R. F.; Yang, W.; Liu, W. C.

    2013-12-01

    For a pump-turbine, unstable discharge-energy characteristic is an important factor for operating stability. In this study, the rotor-stator interaction effects on the pump-turbine which has the unstable discharge-energy characteristic has been studied. A series of transient CFD simulations under different discharge conditions have been conducted. Through the contrast between the simulations and experiments, it is found out that the energy decline is strongly affected by the flow loss in the adjustable vane. More importantly, the magnitude and direction of fluid flowing into the adjustable vane are varying with the impeller rotating. Disordered flow structure occurs in the adjustable vane and causes the energy losses due to the interaction effects. Based on this study, improvements on the flow uniformity at impeller outlet will help us to solve the unstable discharge-energy problem.

  3. Hartree-Fock+BCS approach to unstable nuclei with the Skyrme force

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tajima, Naoki

    2001-01-01

    We reanalyze the results of our extensive Hartree-Fock+BCS calculation from new points of view paying attention to the properties of unstable nuclei. The calculation has been done with the Skyrme SIII force for the ground and shape isomeric states of 1029 even-even nuclei ranging 2≤Z≤114. We also discuss the advantages of the employed three-dimensional Cartesian-mesh representation, especially on its remarkably high precision with apparently coarse meshes when applied to atomic nuclei. In Appendices we give the coefficients of finite-point numerical differentiation and integration formulae suitable for Cartesian mesh representation and elucidate the features of each formula and the differences from a method based on the Fourier transformation. (author)

  4. Initial and regime situations in the decay of unstable quantum systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rimini, A.; Zambotti, G.

    1980-01-01

    Two different definitions of survival probability in the decay of an unstable quantum system are considered and the equations for them are deduced from the equation for the density operator. The regime situation for the ensemble of unstable systems is studied and the density operator in such a situation is derived. The possible definitions of lifetime are discussed. If the adopted definition makes reference to all time including the early ones, then it is compulsory to specify exactly the state at the initial time. The correct equations for the survival probabilities in such conditions are derived. Two typical examples of decay experiments are considered and the influence of the initial preparation on the mean life is discussed. Numerical examples are given. (author)

  5. Characterization of the structural collapse undergone by an unstable system of ultrasoft particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prestipino, Santi; Malescio, Gianpietro

    2016-09-01

    The effective repulsion between macromolecules such as polymer chains or dendrimers is everywhere finite, implying that interaction centers can even coincide. If, in addition, the large-distance attraction is sufficiently strong, then the system is driven unstable. An unstable system lacks a conventional thermodynamics since, in the infinite-size limit, it eventually collapses to a finite-size cluster (for instance, a polymer dispersion undergoes irreversible coagulation when increasing the amount of dissolved salt beyond a certain limit). Using a double-Gaussian (DG) potential for demonstration, we study the phase behavior of a system of ultrasoft particles as a function of the attraction strength η. Above a critical threshold ηc, the DG system is unstable but its collective behavior is far from trivial since two separate regions of the thermodynamic plane can be identified, based on the value taken by the average waiting time for collapse: this is finite and small on one side of the boundary, while presumably infinite in the other region. In order to make sense of this evidence, we consider a stable system of particles interacting through a DG potential augmented with a hard core (stabilized DG, or SDG potential). We provide arguments supporting the view that the boundary line of the unstable DG model is the remnant of the spinodal line of a fluid-fluid phase transition occurring in the SDG model when the hard-core diameter is sent to zero.

  6. The effect of unstable sandals on instability in gait in healthy female subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Carina; Smith, Laura; Graham-Smith, Philip; Jones, Richard

    2013-07-01

    Unstable footwear generally lacks thorough peer-review published research to support concepts and marketing claims. The purpose of this study was to investigate the instability induced by four (FitFlop, Masai Barefoot Technology, Reebok Easy-Tone and Skechers Tone-Ups) commercially available unstable sandals and one stable control sandal (Earth) in walking in 15 females (mean±SD age was 29±6.7 years, mass 62.6±6.9kg and height 167.1±4.2cm). Three-dimensional motion with synchronised electromyography and kinetic data were collected. Walking speed and step length remained consistent between conditions, however double support time decreased in Masai Barefoot Technology. Centre of pressure data identified no consistent difference between the stable control and the unstable sandals, however Masai Barefoot Technology reduced the anterior-posterior range of centre of pressure. Muscle activity differed significantly at the ankle in the unstable footwear. FitFlop, Reebok and Skechers increased peroneal activity during pre-swing, whereas Masai Barefoot Technology increased medial gastrocnemius and decreased tibialis anterior activity in loading response and mid-stance. The larger rocker sole of the Masai Barefoot Technology altered gait and muscle activation with regard to braking and progression in the sagittal plane. Reebok, Skechers and FitFlop, with softer, less stable foreparts increased evertor action at toe-off, having their effect in the coronal plane. The study highlighted that any instability induced by the shoes is design-specific. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Does Unstable Employment Have an Association with Suicide Rates among the Young?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Chungah; Cho, Youngtae

    2017-04-28

    Although a growing body of literature has indicated that unemployment has a positive association with suicide, the dynamic aspects of unstable employment have not yet been considered in suicidology. This study explored the association between employment stability and completed suicide among people aged 25-34 years in 20 OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries with time-series data (1994-2010). In order to consider the different aspects of unstable employment, we tested the impacts of employment protection legislation indicators as another proxy of job insecurity (employed, but unstable) apart from unemployment rates. Covariates, including economic growth rates, GDP per capita, fertility rates, and divorce rate, were controlled for. The analysis was designed to be gender- and age-specific, where observations with ages of 25-29 were separated from those with ages of 30-34. Random effect models were applied to examine changes over time in suicide rates, and other models were presented to check robustness. The results showed that it is a low level of employment protection, rather than unemployment itself, that was associated with increased suicide rates among all of the studied populations. The magnitude of the effect differed by gender.

  8. Nd:YAG (2 omega) pumped dye laser using self-filtering unstable resonator

    CERN Document Server

    Rahimian, K; Hariri, H

    2002-01-01

    A self-filtering unstable resonator with a magnification of M=-3 in a Nd:YAG (2 omega) dye laser has been studied. The dye solution is Rhodamine 6 G in alcohol with the concentration of 5*10 sub - 3 Mol/lit. The spatial intensity distribution of the resonator has been compared has been compared with that of a plane-parallel resonator of equal length. The output energy in both configurations are comparable (20 mu J ,and 26 mu J ,respectively). A significant difference between these two resonators is the laser beam divergence, where beam divergences of 0.77 mrad for the self-filtering unstable resonator and 1.6 mrad for the plane-parallel resonator have been measured. The brightness corresponding to these two resonators are 1.5* 10 sub 1 1 and 2.2* 10 sub 1 0W.cm sub - 2.Sr sub - 1, and the pulse widths are 7 and 17 ns, respectively. These figures show clearly that laser resonator based on the self-filtering unstable resonator design an increase the laser brightness a factor of 10, with a beam divergence of a f...

  9. Safety and efficacy of angioplasty with intracoronary stenting in patients with unstable coronary syndromes. Comparison with stable coronary syndromes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luís C. L. Correia

    2000-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To assess safety and efficacy of coronary angioplasty with stent implantation in unstable coronary syndromes. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of in-hospital and late evolution of 74 patients with unstable coronary syndromes (unstable angina or infarction without elevation of the ST segment undergoing coronary angioplasty with stent placement. These 74 patients were compared with 31 patients with stable coronary syndromes (stable angina or stable silent ischemia undergoing the same procedure. RESULTS: No death and no need for revascularization of the culprit artery occurred in the in-hospital phase. The incidences of acute non-Q-wave myocardial infarction were 1.4% and 3.2% (p=0.6 in the unstable and stable coronary syndrome groups, respectively. In the late follow-up (11.2±7.5 months, the incidences of these events combined were 5.7% in the unstable coronary syndrome group and 6.9% (p=0.8 in the stable coronary syndrome group. In the multivariate analysis, the only variable with a tendency to significance as an event predictor was diabetes mellitus (p=0.07; OR=5.2; 95% CI=0.9-29.9. CONCLUSION: The in-hospital and late evolutions of patients with unstable coronary syndrome undergoing angioplasty with intracoronary stent implantation are similar to those of the stable coronary syndrome group, suggesting that this procedure is safe and efficacious when performed in unstable coronary syndrome patients.

  10. How thermodynamic environments control stratocumulus microphysics and interactions with aerosols

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersen, Hendrik; Cermak, Jan

    2015-01-01

    Aerosol–cloud interactions are central to climate system changes and depend on meteorological conditions. This study identifies distinct thermodynamic regimes and proposes a conceptual framework for interpreting aerosol effects. In the analysis, ten years (2003–2012) of daily satellite-derived aerosol and cloud products are combined with reanalysis data to identify factors controlling Southeast Atlantic stratocumulus microphysics. Considering the seasonal influence of aerosol input from biomass burning, thermodynamic environments that feature contrasting microphysical cloud properties and aerosol–cloud relations are classified. While aerosol impact is stronger in unstable environments, it is mostly confined to situations with low aerosol loading (aerosol index AI ≲ 0.15), implying a saturation of aerosol effects. Situations with high aerosol loading are associated with weaker, seasonally contrasting aerosol-droplet size relationships, likely caused by thermodynamically induced processes and aerosol swelling. (letter)

  11. Hemi replacement arthroplasty for unstable inter-trochanteric fractures of femur.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Sudhir; Shrivastava, Chetan; Kumar, Sanjiv

    2014-10-01

    Unstable inter-trochanteric fracture in the geriatric population is a common injury and is associated with poor bone quality, excessive collapse, loss of fixation, and cut-out of the lag screw, are the common problems of attempts to fix these fractures. Present study is an attempt to evaluate the functional outcome of primary cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty in unstable inter-trochanteric fractures in elderly patients. This prospective study included 25 cases with unstable inter-trochanteric fracture of femur between 60 -75 y of age in whom primary Cemented Bipolar hemi - arthroplasty was performed. The patients were followed up at six week, three month, six month and one year postoperatively and assessed using Harris Hip Score (HHS), Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), Visual analogue scale (VAS) for evaluation of outcome. The mean HHS score was 78.86+8.13 by the end of one year. Similarly mean LEFS score was 34.36+7.01 by the end of one year, whereas the mean pain score on VAS Scale by the year end was 1.04+1.02. The changes in HHS, LEFS and VAS up to six months periods are much greater which starts showing a stable trend thereafter. Fair to good scores were observed in all the patients. We compared our results with those reported by other authors and our study gave quite comparable results. We also used lower extremity function status score (LEFS) for assessment of functional ability. The purpose of its use was that while Harris Hip Score (HHS) provides information on a multitude of factors, LEFS is more patient oriented and provides the correct information about the level of activities a patient can resume post-operatively and can be offered as a self assessment tool. No significant complication except for grade I pressure sores in four patients were seen in postoperative period but they all resolved with proper nursing care by six week follow up. No patient required revision surgery. The authors believe that primary cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty for

  12. Nuclear Data on Unstable Nuclei for Astrophysics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, Michael Scott; Meyer, Richard A; Lingerfelt, Eric; Scott, J.P.; Hix, William Raphael; Ma, Zhanwen; Bardayan, Daniel W.; Blackmon, Jeff C.; Guidry, Mike W.; KOZUB, RAYMOND L.; Chae, Kyung YuK.

    2004-01-01

    Recent measurements with radioactive beams at ORNL's Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) have prompted the evaluation of a number of reactions involving unstable nuclei needed for stellar explosion studies. We discuss these evaluations, as well as the development of a new computational infrastructure to enable the rapid incorporation of the latest nuclear physics results in astrophysics models. This infrastructure includes programs that simplify the generation of reaction rates, manage rate databases, and visualize reaction rates, all hosted at a new website http://www.nucastrodata.org

  13. Analysis of PITFL injuries in rotationally unstable ankle fractures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warner, Stephen J; Garner, Matthew R; Schottel, Patrick C; Hinds, Richard M; Loftus, Michael L; Lorich, Dean G

    2015-04-01

    Reduction and stabilization of the syndesmosis in unstable ankle fractures is important for ankle mortise congruity and restoration of normal tibiotalar contact forces. Of the syndesmotic ligaments, the posterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (PITFL) provides the most strength for maintaining syndesmotic stability, and previous work has demonstrated the significance of restoring PITFL function when it remains attached to a posterior malleolus fracture fragment. However, little is known regarding the nature of a PITFL injury in the absence of a posterior malleolus fracture. The goal of this study was to describe the PITFL injury pattern based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and intraoperative observation. A prospective database of all operatively treated ankle fractures by a single surgeon was used to identify all supination-external rotation (SER) types III and IV ankle fracture patients with complete preoperative orthogonal ankle radiographs and MRI. All patients with a posterior malleolus fracture were excluded. Using a combination of preoperative imaging and intraoperative findings, we analyzed the nature of injuries to the PITFL. In total, 185 SER III and IV operatively treated ankle fractures with complete imaging were initially identified. Analysis of the preoperative imaging and operative reports revealed 34% (63/185) had a posterior malleolus fracture and were excluded. From the remaining 122 ankle fractures, the PITFL was delaminated from the posterior malleolus in 97% (119/122) of cases. A smaller proportion (3%; 3/122) had an intrasubstance PITFL rupture. Accurate and stable syndesmotic reduction is a significant component of restoring the ankle mortise after unstable ankle fractures. In our large cohort of rotationally unstable ankle fractures without posterior malleolus fractures, we found that most PITFL injuries occur as a delamination off the posterior malleolus. This predictable PITFL injury pattern may be used to guide new methods for

  14. Disabilities caused by unstable mutations in Costa Rica

    OpenAIRE

    Morales Montero, Fernando; Cuenca Berger, Patricia; Castro Volio, Isabel

    2004-01-01

    Myotonic dystrophy and fragile X syndrome are two genetically determined relatively common disabilities. Both are examples of a new type of mutation mechanism called unstable or dynamic mutations, triple repeats expansions or DNA amplification. Fragile X syndrome is recognized as the main cause of hereditary mental retardation and myotonic dystrophy is considered the most common muscular dystrophy of adults. This is a prospective non randomized study of clinically affected people,...

  15. Unstable states produced in collisions among complex nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sepulveda J, D.

    1978-01-01

    A theory about resonant elastic dispersion is formulated and the wave function of unstable states associated with the resonances observed in the differential and total sections is studied. The object of this theory is to extend to the elastic collisions among complex nuclei interesting case, the methods and formalism of the dispersion of particles without structure by an external potential, following an idea originally formulated by H. Feshbach. (author)

  16. Circumferential wires as a supplement to intramedullary nailing in unstable trochanteric hip fractures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ban, Ilija; Birkelund, Lasse; Palm, Henrik

    2012-01-01

    Fixation of unstable trochanteric fractures is challenging. Application of a circumferential wire may facilitate bone contact and avoid postoperative fracture displacement. However, the use of circumferential wires remains controversial due to possible disturbance of the blood supply to the under......Fixation of unstable trochanteric fractures is challenging. Application of a circumferential wire may facilitate bone contact and avoid postoperative fracture displacement. However, the use of circumferential wires remains controversial due to possible disturbance of the blood supply...... to the underlying bone. We evaluated the results of applied circumferential wires, concentrating mainly on complications and reoperations....

  17. Anatomical reconstruction of unstable trochanteric fractures through posterior approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Partha Saha

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective Unstable intertrochanteric fractures continue to be a challenge for orthopedic surgeons due to the functional limitations it results in the postoperative period. Anatomical reconstruction of the posteromedial fragment becomes difficult through conventional lateral approach, leading to excessive fracture collapse and limping. Materials and Methods: prospective, nonrandomized study was done with 40 patients. They were operated in prone position through posterior approach. Cancellous screws or SS-wires were used to fix the greater or lesser trochanteric fragments and dynamic hip screw (DHS or dynamic condylar screw (DCS for the main two fragments. Bone grafts were used to pack cavities at the posterior trochanteric regions. Results: Fracture healing occurred earlier compared to conventional lateral approach without excessive fracture collapse in majority of cases (average time to achieve union was 13.8 weeks; range: 10–18 weeks. Good functional recovery was noted with 75% 'Good' or 'Excellent' Harris Hip Scores at 24 weeks. Conclusion: Anatomical reconstruction of unstable trochanteric fractures becomes easier through posterior approach with earlier and better functional recovery.

  18. Examination of the creep behaviour of microstructurally unstable ferritic steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, K.R.

    1981-01-01

    The inherent microstructural instability of 1/2Cr 1/2Mo 1/4V; 21/4Cr 1Mo and carbon steels creep tested or service exposed at low stresses is demonstrated. Measurements of important dispersion parameters have been made during creep life and have been found to follow normal coarsening kinetics. Using the measured time dependent change of the dispersion parameters, a dislocation source controlled model for recovery creep is used and further developed. The model allows the calculation of the Manson-Haferd plot of log (time to failure) against temperature for unstable steels. In addition, a classification of material stability is proposed, based on the ratio of time to fracture, t(sub f), and time to tertiary creep, tsub(t). This classification enables estimates of remaining creep life to be based either on well established criteria for stable materials or modifications of these criteria for unstable steels. (author)

  19. Bench Press Upper-Body Muscle Activation Between Stable and Unstable Loads.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunnick, Dustin D; Brown, Lee E; Coburn, Jared W; Lynn, Scott K; Barillas, Saldiam R

    2015-12-01

    The bench press is one of the most commonly used upper-body exercises in training and is performed with many different variations, including unstable loads (ULs). Although there is much research on use of an unstable surface, there is little to none on the use of an UL. The purpose of this study was to investigate muscle activation during the bench press while using a stable load (SL) vs. UL. Twenty resistance-trained men (age = 24.1 ± 2 years; ht = 177.5 ± 5.8 cm; mass = 88.7 ± 13.7 kg) completed 2 experimental conditions (SL and UL) at 2 different intensities (60 and 80% one repetition maximum). Unstable load was achieved by hanging 16 kg kettlebells by elastic bands from the end of the bar. All trial lifts were set to a 2-second cadence with a slight pause at the bottom. Subjects had electrodes attached to 5 muscles (pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, triceps brachii, and latissimus dorsi) and performed 3 isometric bench press trials to normalize electromyographic data. All 5 muscles demonstrated significantly greater activation at 80% compared with 60% load and during concentric compared with eccentric actions. These results suggest that upper body muscle activation is not different in the bench press between UL and SL. Therefore, coaches should use their preference when designing training programs.

  20. Conventional radiation-biological dosimetry using frequencies of unstable chromosome aberrations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramalho, Adriana T.; Costa, Maria Lucia P.; Oliveira, Monica S.

    1998-01-01

    Frequency of chromosome aberrations detected by conventional cytogenetics is a very useful parameter in biological radiodosimetry. It can be used for estimating absorbed doses in individuals working with radioactive sources and individuals accidentally exposed to radiation. In the first case subjects wear physical dosimeters as a routine safety habit. The laboratory at the Institute of Radioprotection and Dosimetry (IRD, Brazil) has been using conventional cytogenetic analysis to complement data obtained by physical dosimetry since 1983. Until now, more than one hundred cases were investigated where individual physical dosimeters detected occupational exposure (above the safety limits allowed). In total, only 34% of these cases were confirmed by conventional cytogenetic dosimetry. Also, conventional cytogenetic analysis following the radiation accident of Goiania (Brazil) in 1987 have been used. Peripheral lymphocytes from 129 exposed or potentially exposed individuals were analyzed for the frequencies of unstable chromosomal aberrations (dicentrics, centric rings and acentrics fragments) to estimate absorbed radiation doses. During the emergency period, doses were estimated to help immediate medical treatment using in vitro calibration curves produced before the accident. Later on, doses were assessed once more using new in vitro calibration curves. A drawback of this technique is that unstable aberrations are lost after exposure. To investigate the mean lifespan of lymphocytes containing dicentric and ring aberrations, we have followed 15 victims of the Goiania accident over all these years. Results suggest that the disappearance of unstable aberrations is dose-dependent. This could explain the variation in the results found among studies in this field

  1. Conventional radiation-biological dosimetry using frequencies of unstable chromosome aberrations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ramalho, Adriana T.; Costa, Maria Lucia P.; Oliveira, Monica S. [Institute of Radioprotection and Dosimetry (IRD), National Commission of Nuclear Energy (CNEN), Av. Salvador Allende, Cx. P. 37750, Rio de Janeiro 22.780-160 (Brazil)

    1998-08-03

    Frequency of chromosome aberrations detected by conventional cytogenetics is a very useful parameter in biological radiodosimetry. It can be used for estimating absorbed doses in individuals working with radioactive sources and individuals accidentally exposed to radiation. In the first case subjects wear physical dosimeters as a routine safety habit. The laboratory at the Institute of Radioprotection and Dosimetry (IRD, Brazil) has been using conventional cytogenetic analysis to complement data obtained by physical dosimetry since 1983. Until now, more than one hundred cases were investigated where individual physical dosimeters detected occupational exposure (above the safety limits allowed). In total, only 34% of these cases were confirmed by conventional cytogenetic dosimetry. Also, conventional cytogenetic analysis following the radiation accident of Goiania (Brazil) in 1987 have been used. Peripheral lymphocytes from 129 exposed or potentially exposed individuals were analyzed for the frequencies of unstable chromosomal aberrations (dicentrics, centric rings and acentrics fragments) to estimate absorbed radiation doses. During the emergency period, doses were estimated to help immediate medical treatment using in vitro calibration curves produced before the accident. Later on, doses were assessed once more using new in vitro calibration curves. A drawback of this technique is that unstable aberrations are lost after exposure. To investigate the mean lifespan of lymphocytes containing dicentric and ring aberrations, we have followed 15 victims of the Goiania accident over all these years. Results suggest that the disappearance of unstable aberrations is dose-dependent. This could explain the variation in the results found among studies in this field

  2. Seismic monitoring of the unstable rock slope at Aaknes, Norway

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roth, M.; Blikra, L. H.

    2009-04-01

    The unstable rock slope at Aaknes has an estimated volume of about 70 million cubic meters, and parts of the slope are moving at a rate between 2-15 cm/year. Amongst many other direct monitoring systems we have installed a small-scale seismic network (8 three-component geophones over an area of 250 x 150 meters) in order to monitor microseismic events related to the movement of the slope. The network has been operational since November 2005 with only a few short-term outages. Seismic data are transferred in real-time from the site to NORSAR for automatic detection processing. The resulting detection lists and charts and the associated waveform are forwarded immediately to the early warning centre of the Municipality of Stranda. Furthermore, we make them available after a delay of about 10-15 minutes on our public project web page (http://www.norsar.no/pc-47-48-Latest-Data.aspx). Seismic monitoring provides independent and complementary data to the more direct monitoring systems at Aaknes. We observe increased seismic activity in periods of heavy rain fall or snow melt, when laser ranging data and extensometer readings indicate temporary acceleration phases of the slope. The seismic network is too small and the velocity structure is too heterogeneous in order to obtain reliable localizations of the microseismic events. In summer 2009 we plan to install a high-sensitive broadband seismometer (60 s - 100 Hz) in the middle of the unstable slope. This will allow us to better constrain the locations of the microseismic events and to investigate potential low-frequency signals associated with the slope movement.

  3. Oblique Axis Body Fracture: An Unstable Subtype of Anderson Type III Odontoid Fractures—Apropos of Two Cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hirokazu Takai

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. Anderson type III odontoid fractures have traditionally been considered stable and treated conservatively. However, unstable cases with unfavorable results following conservative treatment have been reported. Methods. We present the cases of two patients who sustained minimally displaced Anderson type III fractures with a characteristic fracture pattern that we refer to as “oblique type axis body fracture.” Results. The female patients aged 90 and 72 years, respectively, were both diagnosed with minimally displaced Anderson type III fractures. Both fractures had a characteristic “oblique type” fracture pattern. The first patient was treated conservatively with cervical spine immobilization in a semirigid collar. However, gross displacement was noted at the 6-week follow-up visit. The second patient was therefore treated operatively by C1–C3/4 posterior fusion and the course was uneventful. Conclusions. Oblique type axis body fractures resemble a highly unstable subtype of Anderson type III fractures with the potential of severe secondary deformity following conservative treatment, irrespective of initial grade of displacement. The authors therefore warrant a high index of suspicion for this injury and suggest early operative stabilization.

  4. High temperature reactor safety and environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brisbois, J.; Charles, J.

    1975-01-01

    High-temperature reactors are endowed with favorable safety and environmental factors resulting from inherent design, main-component safety margins, and conventional safety systems. The combination of such characteristics, along with high yields, prove in addition, that such reactors are plagued with few problems, can be installed near users, and broaden the recourse to specific power, therefore fitting well within a natural environment [fr

  5. Comparison of the effects of an eight-week push-up program using stable versus unstable surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chulvi-Medrano, Iván; Martínez-Ballester, Esteban; Masiá-Tortosa, Laura

    2012-12-01

    Recently, the trend among physical training and rehabilitation professionals is the use of resistance exercise on unstable equipment in order to increase the effort of the agonist and stabilizing muscles. It is unknown if performing exercises on unstable surfaces provides a greater training stimulus as compared to training on a stable training surface. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to compare the effect that push-up training on stable and unstable surfaces had on strength performance in healthy young men. Thirty subjects with experience in resistance training participated in push-up training two days per week for eight weeks on one of three different surfaces: the floor (Tp), the T-Bow® (TBp) or the BOSU® (Bp). Strength, as measured by one repetition maximum (1-RM) and muscle endurance, as measured by number of pushups performed did not improve significantly (p>0.05) for any of the intervention groups. The addition of unstable surfaces in push-up training does not provide greater improvement in muscular strength and endurance than push up training performed on a stable surface in young men. 3b.

  6. How do classical particle-field systems become unstable? - The last physics problem that Ronald Davidson studied

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Hong

    2016-10-01

    Many of the classical particle-field systems in (neutral and nonneutral) plasma physics and accelerator physics become unstable when the system parameters vary. How do these instabilities happen? It turns out, very interestingly, that all conservative systems become unstable by the same mechanism, i.e, the resonance between a positive- and a negative-action modes. And this is the only route that a stable system can become unstable. In this talk, I will use several examples in plasma physics and accelerator physics with finite and infinite degrees of freedom to illustrate the basic physical picture and the rigorous theoretical structure of the process. The features at the transition between stable and unstable regions in the parameter space are the fundamental characteristics of the underlying real Hamiltonian system and complex G-Hamiltonian system. The resonance between a positive- and a negative-action modes at the transition is the Krein collision well-known to mathematicians. Research supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DE-AC02-09CH11466).

  7. Experiments in nonlinear dynamics using control-based continuation: Tracking stable and unstable response curves

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bureau, Emil; Schilder, Frank; Santos, Ilmar

    2014-01-01

    We show how to implement control-based continuation in a nonlinear experiment using existing and freely available software. We demonstrate that it is possible to track the complete frequency response, including the unstable branches, for a harmonically forced impact oscillator.......We show how to implement control-based continuation in a nonlinear experiment using existing and freely available software. We demonstrate that it is possible to track the complete frequency response, including the unstable branches, for a harmonically forced impact oscillator....

  8. Search for Unstable Heavy and Excited Leptons at LEP2

    CERN Document Server

    Abbiendi, G.; Akesson, P.F.; Alexander, G.; Allison, John; Anderson, K.J.; Arcelli, S.; Asai, S.; Ashby, S.F.; Axen, D.; Azuelos, G.; Bailey, I.; Ball, A.H.; Barberio, E.; Barlow, Roger J.; Batley, J.R.; Baumann, S.; Behnke, T.; Bell, Kenneth Watson; Bella, G.; Bellerive, A.; Bentvelsen, S.; Bethke, S.; Betts, S.; Biebel, O.; Biguzzi, A.; Bloodworth, I.J.; Bock, P.; Bohme, J.; Boeriu, O.; Bonacorsi, D.; Boutemeur, M.; Braibant, S.; Bright-Thomas, P.; Brigliadori, L.; Brown, Robert M.; Burckhart, H.J.; Capiluppi, P.; Carnegie, R.K.; Carter, A.A.; Carter, J.R.; Chang, C.Y.; Charlton, David G.; Chrisman, D.; Ciocca, C.; Clarke, P.E.L.; Clay, E.; Cohen, I.; Conboy, J.E.; Cooke, O.C.; Couchman, J.; Couyoumtzelis, C.; Coxe, R.L.; Cuffiani, M.; Dado, S.; Dallavalle, G.Marco; Dallison, S.; Davis, R.; de Roeck, A.; Dervan, P.; Desch, K.; Dienes, B.; Dixit, M.S.; Donkers, M.; Dubbert, J.; Duchovni, E.; Duckeck, G.; Duerdoth, I.P.; Estabrooks, P.G.; Etzion, E.; Fabbri, F.; Fanfani, A.; Fanti, M.; Faust, A.A.; Feld, L.; Ferrari, P.; Fiedler, F.; Fierro, M.; Fleck, I.; Frey, A.; Furtjes, A.; Futyan, D.I.; Gagnon, P.; Gary, J.W.; Gaycken, G.; Geich-Gimbel, C.; Giacomelli, G.; Giacomelli, P.; Gingrich, D.M.; Glenzinski, D.; Goldberg, J.; Gorn, W.; Grandi, C.; Graham, K.; Gross, E.; Grunhaus, J.; Gruwe, M.; Hajdu, C.; Hanson, G.G.; Hansroul, M.; Hapke, M.; Harder, K.; Harel, A.; Hargrove, C.K.; Harin-Dirac, M.; Hauschild, M.; Hawkes, C.M.; Hawkings, R.; Hemingway, R.J.; Herten, G.; Heuer, R.D.; Hildreth, M.D.; Hill, J.C.; Hobson, P.R.; Hocker, James Andrew; Hoffman, Kara Dion; Homer, R.J.; Honma, A.K.; Horvath, D.; Hossain, K.R.; Howard, R.; Huntemeyer, P.; Igo-Kemenes, P.; Imrie, D.C.; Ishii, K.; Jacob, F.R.; Jawahery, A.; Jeremie, H.; Jimack, M.; Jones, C.R.; Jovanovic, P.; Junk, T.R.; Kanaya, N.; Kanzaki, J.; Karapetian, G.; Karlen, D.; Kartvelishvili, V.; Kawagoe, K.; Kawamoto, T.; Kayal, P.I.; Keeler, R.K.; Kellogg, R.G.; Kennedy, B.W.; Kim, D.H.; Klier, A.; Kobayashi, T.; Kobel, M.; Kokott, T.P.; Kolrep, M.; Komamiya, S.; Kowalewski, Robert V.; Kress, T.; Krieger, P.; von Krogh, J.; Kuhl, T.; Kupper, M.; Kyberd, P.; Lafferty, G.D.; Landsman, H.; Lanske, D.; Lauber, J.; Lawson, I.; Layter, J.G.; Lellouch, D.; Letts, J.; Levinson, L.; Liebisch, R.; Lillich, J.; List, B.; Littlewood, C.; Lloyd, A.W.; Lloyd, S.L.; Loebinger, F.K.; Long, G.D.; Losty, M.J.; Lu, J.; Ludwig, J.; Macchiolo, A.; Macpherson, A.; Mader, W.; Mannelli, M.; Marcellini, S.; Marchant, T.E.; Martin, A.J.; Martin, J.P.; Martinez, G.; Mashimo, T.; Mattig, Peter; McDonald, W.John; McKenna, J.; Mckigney, E.A.; McMahon, T.J.; McPherson, R.A.; Meijers, F.; Mendez-Lorenzo, P.; Merritt, F.S.; Mes, H.; Meyer, I.; Michelini, A.; Mihara, S.; Mikenberg, G.; Miller, D.J.; Mohr, W.; Montanari, A.; Mori, T.; Nagai, K.; Nakamura, I.; Neal, H.A.; Nisius, R.; O'Neale, S.W.; Oakham, F.G.; Odorici, F.; Ogren, H.O.; Okpara, A.; Oreglia, M.J.; Orito, S.; Pasztor, G.; Pater, J.R.; Patrick, G.N.; Patt, J.; Perez-Ochoa, R.; Petzold, S.; Pfeifenschneider, P.; Pilcher, J.E.; Pinfold, J.; Plane, David E.; Poli, B.; Polok, J.; Przybycien, M.; Quadt, A.; Rembser, C.; Rick, H.; Robins, S.A.; Rodning, N.; Roney, J.M.; Rosati, S.; Roscoe, K.; Rossi, A.M.; Rozen, Y.; Runge, K.; Runolfsson, O.; Rust, D.R.; Sachs, K.; Saeki, T.; Sahr, O.; Sang, W.M.; Sarkisian, E.K.G.; Sbarra, C.; Schaile, A.D.; Schaile, O.; Scharff-Hansen, P.; Schieck, J.; Schmitt, S.; Schoning, A.; Schroder, Matthias; Schumacher, M.; Schwick, C.; Scott, W.G.; Seuster, R.; Shears, T.G.; Shen, B.C.; Shepherd-Themistocleous, C.H.; Sherwood, P.; Siroli, G.P.; Skuja, A.; Smith, A.M.; Snow, G.A.; Sobie, R.; Soldner-Rembold, S.; Spagnolo, S.; Sproston, M.; Stahl, A.; Stephens, K.; Stoll, K.; Strom, David M.; Strohmer, R.; Surrow, B.; Tafirout, R.; Talbot, S.D.; Taras, P.; Tarem, S.; Teuscher, R.; Thiergen, M.; Thomas, J.; Thomson, M.A.; Torrence, E.; Towers, S.; Trefzger, T.; Trigger, I.; Trocsanyi, Z.; Tsur, E.; Turner-Watson, M.F.; Ueda, I.; Van Kooten, Rick J.; Vannerem, P.; Verzocchi, M.; Voss, H.; Wackerle, F.; Waller, D.; Ward, C.P.; Ward, D.R.; Watkins, P.M.; Watson, A.T.; Watson, N.K.; Wells, P.S.; Wengler, T.; Wermes, N.; Wetterling, D.; White, J.S.; Wilson, G.W.; Wilson, J.A.; Wyatt, T.R.; Yamashita, S.; Zacek, V.; Zer-Zion, D.

    2000-01-01

    Searches for unstable neutral and charged heavy leptons, N and L+-, and for excited states of neutral and charged leptons, nu*, e*, mu*, and tau*, have been performed in e+e- collisions using data collected by the OPAL detector at LEP. The data analysed correspond to an integrated luminosity of about 58pb-1 at a centre-of-mass energy of 183GeV, and about 10pb-1 each at 161GeV and 172GeV. No evidence for new particles was found. Lower limits on the masses of unstable heavy and excited leptons are derived. From the analysis of charged-current, neutral-current, and photonic decays of singly produced excited leptons, upper limits are determined for the ratio of the coupling to the compositeness scale, f/Lambda, for masses up to the kinematic limit. For excited leptons, the limits are established independently of the relative values of the coupling constants f and f'.

  9. Stability investigation of a high number density Pt1/Fe2O3 single-atom catalyst under different gas environments by HAADF-STEM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Sibin; Wang, Rongming; Liu, Jingyue

    2018-05-01

    Catalysis by supported single metal atoms has demonstrated tremendous potential for practical applications due to their unique catalytic properties. Unless they are strongly anchored to the support surfaces, supported single atoms, however, are thermodynamically unstable, which poses a major obstacle for broad applications of single-atom catalysts (SACs). In order to develop strategies to improve the stability of SACs, we need to understand the intrinsic nature of the sintering processes of supported single metal atoms, especially under various gas environments that are relevant to important catalytic reactions. We report on the synthesis of high number density Pt1/Fe2O3 SACs using a facial strong adsorption method and the study of the mobility of these supported Pt single atoms at 250 °C under various gas environments that are relevant to CO oxidation, water–gas shift, and hydrogenation reactions. Under the oxidative gas environment, Fe2O3 supported Pt single atoms are stable even at high temperatures. The presence of either CO or H2 molecules in the gas environment, however, facilitates the movement of the Pt atoms. The strong interaction between CO and Pt weakens the binding between the Pt atoms and the support, facilitating the movement of the Pt single atoms. The dissociation of H2 molecules on the Pt atoms and their subsequent interaction with the oxygen species of the support surfaces dislodge the surface oxygen anchored Pt atoms, resulting in the formation of Pt clusters. The addition of H2O molecules to the CO or H2 significantly accelerates the sintering of the Fe2O3 supported Pt single atoms. An anchoring-site determined sintering mechanism is further proposed, which is related to the metal–support interaction.

  10. Beneficial effect of nitrates on myocardial glucose utilization in unstable angina pectoris

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Araujo, L.I.; Camici, P.; Spinks, T.; Jones, T.; Maseri, A.

    1987-01-01

    Myocardial uptake of the glucose analog F-18-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) was assessed by positron emission tomography in 6 normal volunteers, 7 patients with chronic stable angina and 22 patients with unstable angina at rest in fasting conditions. Regional myocardial perfusion was assessed by rubidium-82. The study was repeated a few days later after intravenous infusion of isosorbide dinitrate. FDG uptake was similar in control subjects and patients with stable angina (0.023 +/- 0.032 vs 0.012 +/- 0.008 mol/ml/min, p less than 0.42) but was about 4-fold higher on the average in patients with unstable angina (0.084 +/- 0.047, p less than 0.01). The severity of coronary obstructions in stable and unstable angina patients was similar. The increased uptake involved the whole heart, including areas not distal to critically stenosed vessels; it was not associated with reduced myocardial perfusion and was not related to a recent episode of transient ischemia as assessed by symptoms and by Holter monitoring. After continuous infusion of nitrates, FDG uptake was consistently and significantly reduced toward normal levels both in areas perfused by critically stenosed coronary arteries and by noncritically stenosed vessels

  11. Unstable system with Coulomb interaction distorted near the origin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kerbikov, B.O.

    1981-01-01

    An unstable system with Coulomb interaction distorted at small distances is considered. The results are applicable to hadronic atoms analysis. A detailed investigation of the model which can be solved exactly is presented. This model contains the separable short-range potential with the Yamaguchi form factor. Closed expressions for the modified effective range function and the Coulomb-modified scattering length ase obtained [ru

  12. [Kirschner wire transfixation of unstable ankle fractures: indication, surgical technique and outcomes].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marvan, J; Džupa, V; Bartoška, R; Kachlík, D; Krbec, M; Báča, V

    2015-01-01

    transfixation, no radiographic evidence of ankle osteoarthritis was recorded in 25 (42%) patients. While tibiofibular synostosis was recorded in only few patients (9%) of the group with one-stage osteosynthesis, it showed a high occurrence in the group with temporary transfixation (35%). The patients with one-stage osteosynthesis (188/68%) had a higher proportion of excellent outcomes measured on the Olerund-Molander ankle scoring scale than the other two groups (temporary transfixation, 47%; definitive transfixation,10%); in both cases the difference was significant (p ankle fractures were assessed. The patients with one-stage osteosynthesis were compared with those treated by temporary or definitive transfixation. The majority of patients undergoing temporary transfixation had a fractured posterior margin of the tibia and major ankle joint dislocation, which suggested serious injuries to bone and ligament structures. Generally, the use of only two K-wires inserted through the calcaneus and talus into the distal tibia is recommended. Patients with K-wire transfixation usually require a longer hospital stay because of the serious nature of their injuries. CONCLUSIONS The therapy of choice for unstable ankle fractures is one-stage osteosynthesis. Temporary transfixation is an effective method of primary management when an unstable fracture cannot be treated by definitive osteosynthesis at the early stage due to local or general health conditions of the patient. The temporary transfixation provides good alignment of the ankle joint necessary for successful healing of soft tissues. A higher occurrence of post-traumatic ankle osteoarthritis, ossification and distal tibiotalar synostosis found in the patients treated by temporary transfixation is more related to serious types of ankle fractures the patient had suffered than to the method itself. Key words: unstable ankle fracture, soft tissue condition, indications for transfixation, treatment outcome.

  13. Force Outputs during Squats Performed Using a Rotational Inertia Device under Stable versus Unstable Conditions with Different Loads.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jairo Vázquez-Guerrero

    Full Text Available The purpose of the study was to compare the force outputs achieved during a squat exercise using a rotational inertia device in stable versus unstable conditions with different loads and in concentric and eccentric phases. Thirteen male athletes (mean ± SD: age 23.7 ± 3.0 years, height 1.80 ± 0.08 m, body mass 77.4 ± 7.9 kg were assessed while squatting, performing one set of three repetitions with four different loads under stable and unstable conditions at maximum concentric effort. Overall, there were no significant differences between the stable and unstable conditions at each of the loads for any of the dependent variables. Mean force showed significant differences between some of the loads in stable and unstable conditions (P < 0.010 and peak force output differed between all loads for each condition (P < 0.045. Mean force outputs were greater in the concentric than in the eccentric phase under both conditions and with all loads (P < 0.001. There were no significant differences in peak force between concentric and eccentric phases at any load in either stable or unstable conditions. In conclusion, squatting with a rotational inertia device allowed the generation of similar force outputs under stable and unstable conditions at each of the four loads. The study also provides empirical evidence of the different force outputs achieved by adjusting load conditions on the rotational inertia device when performing squats, especially in the case of peak force. Concentric force outputs were significantly higher than eccentric outputs, except for peak force under both conditions. These findings support the use of the rotational inertia device to train the squatting exercise under unstable conditions for strength and conditioning trainers. The device could also be included in injury prevention programs for muscle lesions and ankle and knee joint injuries.

  14. Force Outputs during Squats Performed Using a Rotational Inertia Device under Stable versus Unstable Conditions with Different Loads.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vázquez-Guerrero, Jairo; Moras, Gerard; Baeza, Jennifer; Rodríguez-Jiménez, Sergio

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to compare the force outputs achieved during a squat exercise using a rotational inertia device in stable versus unstable conditions with different loads and in concentric and eccentric phases. Thirteen male athletes (mean ± SD: age 23.7 ± 3.0 years, height 1.80 ± 0.08 m, body mass 77.4 ± 7.9 kg) were assessed while squatting, performing one set of three repetitions with four different loads under stable and unstable conditions at maximum concentric effort. Overall, there were no significant differences between the stable and unstable conditions at each of the loads for any of the dependent variables. Mean force showed significant differences between some of the loads in stable and unstable conditions (P inertia device allowed the generation of similar force outputs under stable and unstable conditions at each of the four loads. The study also provides empirical evidence of the different force outputs achieved by adjusting load conditions on the rotational inertia device when performing squats, especially in the case of peak force. Concentric force outputs were significantly higher than eccentric outputs, except for peak force under both conditions. These findings support the use of the rotational inertia device to train the squatting exercise under unstable conditions for strength and conditioning trainers. The device could also be included in injury prevention programs for muscle lesions and ankle and knee joint injuries.

  15. EFFECTS OF UNSTABLE SHOES ON ENERGY COST DURING TREADMILL WALKING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keiji Koyama

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, shoes having rounded soles in the anterior- posterior direction have been commercially introduced, which are commonly known as unstable shoes (US. However, physiological responses during walking in US, particularly at various speeds, have not been extensively studied to date. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of wearing unstable shoes while walking at low to high speeds on the rate of perceived exertion (RPE, muscle activation, oxygen consumption (VO2, and optimum speed. Healthy male adults wore US or normal walking shoes (WS, and walked at various speeds on a treadmill with no inclination. In experiment 1, subjects walked at 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 km·h-1 (duration, 3 min for all speeds and were recorded on video from the right sagittal plane to calculate the step length and cadence. Simultaneously, electromyogram (EMG was recorded from six different thigh and calf muscles, and the integrated EMG (iEMG was calculated. In experiment 2, RPE, heart rate and VO2 were measured with the walking speed being increased from 3.6 to 7.2 km·h-1 incrementally by 0.9 km·h-1 every 6 min. The optimum speed, defined by the least oxygen cost, was calculated from the fitted quadratic relationship between walking speed and oxygen cost. Wearing US resulted in significantly longer step length and lower cadence compared with WS condition at any given speed. For all speeds, iEMG in the medial gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, heart rate, and VO2 were significantly higher in US than WS. However, RPE and optimum speed (US, 4.75 ± 0.32 km·h-1; WS, 4. 79 ± 0.18 km·h-1 did not differ significantly between the two conditions. These results suggest that unstable shoes can increase muscle activity of lower legs and energy cost without influencing RPE and optimum speed during walking at various speeds

  16. Assessment of additional impacts to environment during Ukryttya object stabilization works

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klyuchnikov, A.A.; Shcherbin, V.N.; Rud'ko, V.M.; Batij, V.G.; Sizov, A.A.; Khavrus', V.G.

    2004-01-01

    Estimates of impact levels onto environment were made when implementing stabilization works of unstable building structures of Ukryttya object. The impact were evaluated to air water medium, as well to ground cover, social and technogenic environments. It was demonstrated, that impact levels to above environmental components under normal conditions of work implementation are negligible, and radioactive substance amount, which will penetrate into the environment, will make parts of percents to existing contamination of exclusion zone area. Estimates are also made of accident impacts onto environment, whose origination is probable during the stabilization works of Ukryttya object

  17. Robust Model-based Control of Open-loop Unstable Processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Emad, Ali

    1999-01-01

    This paper addresses the development of new formulations for estimating modeling errors or unmeasured disturbances to be used in Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithms during open-loop prediction. Two different formulations were developed in this paper. One is used in MPC that directly utilizes linear models and the other in MPC that utilizes non-linear models. These estimation techniques were utilized to provide robust performance for MPC algorithms when the plant is open-loop unstable and under the influence of modeling error and/or unmeasured disturbances. For MPC that utilizes a non-linear model, the estimation technique is formulated as a fixed small size on-line optimization problem, while for linear MPC, the unmeasured disturbances are estimated via a proposed linear disturbance model. The disturbance model coefficients are identified on-line from historical estimates of plant-model mismatch. The effectiveness of incorporating these proposed estimation techniques into MPC is tested through simulated implementation on non-linear unstable exothermic fluidized bed reactor. Closed-loop simulations proved the capability of the proposed estimation methods to stabilize and, thereby, improve the MPC performance in such cases. (Author)

  18. Monitoring cardiac output during hyperbaric oxygen treatment of haemodynamically unstable patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Marco Bo; Treschow, Frederik; Skielboe, Martin

    2013-01-01

    Patients suffering from necrotizing fasciitis (NF) are often haemodynamically unstable and require extended monitoring of cardiovascular parameters; yet this is limited during hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT). We aimed to evaluate the use and safety of transoesophageal Doppler (TED) monitoring ...

  19. The effect of nonlinearity on unstable zones of Mathieu equation

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2017-02-09

    Feb 9, 2017 ... Abstract. Mathieu equation is a well-known ordinary differential equation in which the excitation term appears as the non-constant coefficient. The mathematical modelling of many dynamic systems leads to Mathieu equation. The determination of the locus of unstable zone is important for the control of ...

  20. Study Progress of Physiological Responses in High Temperature Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, K.; Zheng, G. Z.; Bu, W. T.; Wang, Y. J.; Lu, Y. Z.

    2017-10-01

    Certain workers are exposed to high temperatures for a long time. Heat stress will result in a series of physiological responses, and cause adverse effects on the health and safety of workers. This paper summarizes the physiological changes of cardiovascular system, core temperature, skin temperature, water-electrolyte metabolism, alimentary system, neuroendocrine system, reaction time and thermal fatigue in high temperature environments. It can provide a theoretical guidance for labor safety in high temperature environment.

  1. Closed reduction with CT-guided screw fixation for unstable sacroiliac joint fracture-dislocation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baskin, Kevin M.; Cahill, Ann Marie; Kaye, Robin D. [Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Born, Christopher T. [Temple University Hospital/Temple Children' s Hospital, Temple Sports Medicine, Marlton, NJ (United States); Grudziak, Jan S. [Children' s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Towbin, Richard B.

    2004-12-01

    Unstable posterior pelvic ring fractures and dislocations are uncommon but potentially life-threatening injuries in children. Early definitive management reduces risk of immediate complications as well as chronic pain and gait dysfunction. Conventional operative therapy carries substantial risk of extensive blood loss and iatrogenic neurological and vascular injury. Minimally invasive image-guided intervention may further reduce immediate risk and improve long-term outcome. To describe CT-guided closed reduction and internal fixation (CRIF) and review outcomes of unstable fracture-dislocation of the sacroiliac (SI) joint in children. Between 2000 and 2003, three children (two girls, one boy) age 8-14 years were referred to interventional radiology for treatment of unstable SI joint fracture-dislocation not adequately treated with anterior external fixation alone. The three affected SI joints (two left, one right) were treated in a combined approach by pediatric interventional radiologists and orthopedic surgeons, using a percutaneous approach under CT guidance. Over a threaded guiding pin, 7.3 mm cannulated screws were used to achieve stable reduction of the affected SI joints. One screw was removed after slight (2 mm) migration. No neurovascular or other complications occurred. All patients had satisfactory healing with near-anatomic reduction, although recovery of the youngest was delayed by associated spinal injury. Compared to open surgical alternatives, CRIF under CT guidance reduces operating time, decreases blood loss, and allows early definitive fixation and immediate non-weight-bearing mobilization with a low rate of complication for unstable posterior pelvic ring fractures. In addition, CT-guided placement of the guide pin may allow safer screw positioning and may minimize the total number of screws needed to achieve pelvic stability. (orig.)

  2. Cost-utility of enoxaparin compared with unfractionated heparin in unstable coronary artery disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milne Ruairidh

    2001-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Low molecular weight heparins hold several advantages over unfractionated heparin including convenience of administration. Enoxaparin is one such heparin licensed in the UK for use in unstable coronary artery disease (unstable stable angina and non-Q wave myocardial infarction. In these patients, two large randomised controlled trials and their meta-analysis showed small benefits for enoxaparin over unfractionated heparin at 30–43 days and potentially at one year. We found no relevant published full economic evaluations, only cost studies, one of which was conducted in the UK. The other studies, from the US, Canada and France, are difficult to interpret since their resource use and costs may not reflect UK practice. Methods We aimed to compare the benefits and costs of short-term treatment (two to eight days with enoxaparin and unfractionated heparin in unstable coronary artery disease. We used published data sources to estimate the incremental cost per quality adjusted life year (QALY, adopting a NHS perspective and using 1998 prices. Results The base case was a 0.013 QALY gain and net cost saving of £317 per person treated with enoxaparin instead of unfractionated heparin. All but one sensitivity analysis showed net savings and QALY gains, the exception (the worst case being a cost per QALY of £3,305. Best cases were a £495 saving and 0.013 QALY gain, or a £317 saving and 0.014 QALY gain per person. Conclusions Enoxaparin appears cost saving compared with unfractionated heparin in patients with unstable coronary artery disease. However, cost implications depend on local revascularisation practice.

  3. Closed reduction with CT-guided screw fixation for unstable sacroiliac joint fracture-dislocation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baskin, Kevin M.; Cahill, Ann Marie; Kaye, Robin D.; Born, Christopher T.; Grudziak, Jan S.; Towbin, Richard B.

    2004-01-01

    Unstable posterior pelvic ring fractures and dislocations are uncommon but potentially life-threatening injuries in children. Early definitive management reduces risk of immediate complications as well as chronic pain and gait dysfunction. Conventional operative therapy carries substantial risk of extensive blood loss and iatrogenic neurological and vascular injury. Minimally invasive image-guided intervention may further reduce immediate risk and improve long-term outcome. To describe CT-guided closed reduction and internal fixation (CRIF) and review outcomes of unstable fracture-dislocation of the sacroiliac (SI) joint in children. Between 2000 and 2003, three children (two girls, one boy) age 8-14 years were referred to interventional radiology for treatment of unstable SI joint fracture-dislocation not adequately treated with anterior external fixation alone. The three affected SI joints (two left, one right) were treated in a combined approach by pediatric interventional radiologists and orthopedic surgeons, using a percutaneous approach under CT guidance. Over a threaded guiding pin, 7.3 mm cannulated screws were used to achieve stable reduction of the affected SI joints. One screw was removed after slight (2 mm) migration. No neurovascular or other complications occurred. All patients had satisfactory healing with near-anatomic reduction, although recovery of the youngest was delayed by associated spinal injury. Compared to open surgical alternatives, CRIF under CT guidance reduces operating time, decreases blood loss, and allows early definitive fixation and immediate non-weight-bearing mobilization with a low rate of complication for unstable posterior pelvic ring fractures. In addition, CT-guided placement of the guide pin may allow safer screw positioning and may minimize the total number of screws needed to achieve pelvic stability. (orig.)

  4. Use of unstable chromosome aberrations for biological dosimetry after the first postirradiation mitosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doloy, M.T.; Malarbet, J.L.; Guedeney, G.; Bourguignon, M.; Leroy, A.; Reillaudou, M.; Masse, R.

    1991-01-01

    The loss of unstable chromosome aberrations after the first postirradiation mitosis makes their use difficult in radiation dosimetry. We describe here a method which, in a cell population observed at this stage, allows retrospective estimation of the frequencies of the unstable aberrations induced at the time of irradiation, and their use as a dosimeter. The laws controlling the behavior of unstable aberrations during mitosis were defined from a large-scale experiment on irradiated human lymphocytes. For cells undergoing the first, second, or third mitosis after irradiation, relationships were determined between the frequency, at irradiation time, of acentric fragments not arising from formation of dicentrics or rings, and the ratio of dicentrics and centric rings appearing without acentric fragments to the total number of dicentrics plus rings. On the basis of this ratio, the method described here provides an assessment of the postirradiation mitotic activity in a cell population. This assessment permitted estimation of the cell distribution and frequency of dicentrics plus centric rings, and of the frequency of acentric fragments at the time of irradiation. The use of this method for retrospective dosimetry after whole-body irradiation under various conditions of exposure is illustrated

  5. Temperature-Driven Change in the Unstable Growth Mode on Patterned GaAs(001)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tadayyon-Eslami, T.; Phaneuf, R. J.; Kan, H.-C.; Calhoun, L. C.

    2006-01-01

    We observe a dramatic change in the unstable growth mode during GaAs molecular beam epitaxy on patterned GaAs(001) as the temperature is lowered through approximately 540 deg. C, roughly coincident with the preroughening temperature. Observations of the As 2 flux dependence, however, rule out thermodynamic preroughening as driving the growth mode change. Similar observations rule out the change in surface reconstruction as the cause. Instead, we find evidence that the change in the unstable growth mode can be explained by a competition between the decreased adatom collection rate on small terraces and a small anisotropic barrier to adatom diffusion downward across step bunches

  6. Chemical stability of high-temperature superconductors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bansal, Narottam P.

    1992-01-01

    A review of the available studies on the chemical stability of the high temperature superconductors (HTS) in various environments was made. The La(1.8)Ba(0.2)CuO4 HTS is unstable in the presence of H2O, CO2, and CO. The YBa2Cu3O(7-x) superconductor is highly susceptible to degradation in different environments, especially water. The La(2-x)Ba(x)CuO4 and Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O HTS are relatively less reactive than the YBa2Cu3O(7-x). Processing of YBa2Cu3O(7-x) HTS in purified oxygen, rather than in air, using high purity noncarbon containing starting materials is recommended. Exposure of this HTS to the ambient atmosphere should also be avoided at all stages during processing and storage. Devices and components made out of these oxide superconductors would have to be protected with an impermeable coating of a polymer, glass, or metal to avoid deterioration during use.

  7. On Debye radius measurement in an unstable gas discharged plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shvilkin, B.N.

    1998-01-01

    It is shown that at low concentrations of charged particles conditions can be realized in a magnetized unstable-to-drift plasma for which concentration perturbations are comparable to the concentration itself. The electron temperature is then determined by potential fluctuations, and the drift oscillation wavelength is of the order of the Debye length

  8. An environment for high energy physics code development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wisinski, D.E.

    1987-01-01

    As the size and complexity of high energy experiments increase there will be a greater need for better software tools and new programming environments. If these are not commercially available, then we must build them ourselves. This paper describes a prototype programming environment featuring a new type of file system, a ''smart'' editor, and integrated file management tools. This environment was constructed under the IBM VM/SP operating system. It uses the system interpreter, the system editor and the NOMAD2 relational database management system to create a software ''shell'' for the programmer. Some extensions to this environment are explored. (orig.)

  9. Treatment of unstable trochanteric fractures : the balance between man and material

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    I.B. Schipper (Inger)

    2003-01-01

    textabstractTreatment of unstable trochanteric fractures poses a challenge to surgeons in many ways. Accepting this challenge requires understanding of those parameters that determine the outcome. In operative fracture care at least four elements influence the outcome of treatment: the patient, the

  10. Unstable genes unstable mind: beyond the central dogma of molecular biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hegde, Mahabaleshwar V; Saraph, Arundhati A

    2011-08-01

    Schizophrenia has a polygenic mode of inheritance and an estimated heritability of over 80%, but success in understanding its genetic underpinnings to date has been modest. Unlike in trinucleotide neurodegenerative disorders, the phenomenon of genetic anticipation observed in schizophrenia or bipolar disorder has not been explained. For the first time, we provide a plausible molecular explanation of genetic anticipation and pathophysiology of schizophrenia, at least in part, with supporting evidence. We postulate that abnormally increased numbers of CAG repeats in many genes being expressed in the brain, coding for glutamine, cumulatively press for higher demand of glutamine in the respective brain cells, resulting in a metabolic crisis and dysregulation of the glutamate-glutamine cycle. This can adversely affect the functioning of both glutamate and GABA receptors, which are known to be involved in psychosis, and may also affect glutathione levels, increasing oxidative stress. The resulting psychosis (gain in function), originating from unstable genes, is described as an effect "beyond the central dogma of molecular biology". The hypothesis explains genetic anticipation, as further expansions in subsequent generations may result in increased severity and earlier occurrence. Many other well described findings provide proof of concept. This is a testable hypothesis, does not deny any known facts and opens up new avenues of research. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Unstable footwear as a speed-dependent noise-based training gear to exercise inverted pendulum motion during walking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dierick, Frédéric; Bouché, Anne-France; Scohier, Mikaël; Guille, Clément; Buisseret, Fabien

    2018-05-15

    Previous research on unstable footwear has suggested that it may induce mechanical noise during walking. The purpose of this study was to explore whether unstable footwear could be considered as a noise-based training gear to exercise body center of mass (CoM) motion during walking. Ground reaction forces were collected among 24 healthy young women walking at speeds between 3 and 6 km h -1 with control running shoes and unstable rocker-bottom shoes. The external mechanical work, the recovery of mechanical energy of the CoM during and within the step cycles, and the phase shift between potential and kinetic energy curves of the CoM were computed. Our findings support the idea that unstable rocker-bottom footwear could serve as a speed-dependent noise-based training gear to exercise CoM motion during walking. At slow speed, it acts as a stochastic resonance or facilitator that reduces external mechanical work; whereas at brisk speed it acts as a constraint that increases external mechanical work and could mimic a downhill slope.

  12. The effect of social environment on markers of vascular oxidative stress and inflammation in the Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nation, Daniel A; Gonzales, Julie A; Mendez, Armando J; Zaias, Julia; Szeto, Angela; Brooks, Larry G; Paredes, Jamespaul; D'Angola, Alyssa; Schneiderman, Neil; McCabe, Philip M

    2008-04-01

    Previous research demonstrated that social environment can influence progression of atherosclerosis in the Watanabe Heritable Hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbit. This study examined the effect of social environment on markers of oxidative stress and inflammation to clarify the physiological pathways potentially responsible for the influence of social environment on disease. WHHL rabbits were assigned to 1 of 3 social groups: an unstable group, in which unfamiliar rabbits were paired daily, with the pairing switched each week; a stable group, in which littermates were paired daily; and an individually-caged group. The stable group engaged in more affiliative social behavior than the unstable group. The unstable group showed more agonistic behavior compared with the stable group and higher C-reactive protein levels than the individually caged group. The individually caged group was behaviorally sedentary, had higher 24-hour urinary catecholamine levels than the other groups, and exhibited higher NAD(P)H-oxidase activity in the aortic arch relative to the stable group. The results suggest that social environment creates distinct behavioral contexts that can affect markers of inflammation and oxidative stress early in the development of atherosclerosis. Specifically, physical inactivity associated with individual caging affects indices of oxidative stress and inflammation. These pathophysiological markers may help to explain behaviorally related differences in the extent of atherosclerosis observed in prior studies.

  13. Organizational environment of outpatient drug treatment services in Hungary: a pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gazdag, Gábor; Ungvari, Gabor S; Rozália, Takács; Rácz, József

    2012-12-01

    Organizations engaged in drug addiction treatment started their activities only recently in Hungary. This paper examines the organisational environment in drug outpatient treatment using the example of Blue Point Foundation (BPF), a non-governmental organization (NGO). The authors describe BPF's organizational structure and functioning related to its effectiveness. BPF staff members anonymously completed a 59-item questionnaire about its organizational characteristics and functioning. The questionnaire covered demographic data, 50 items of the Quality Control questionnaire and a SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats) analysis. Policy and strategy were considered BPF's best feature, while the management of funds received the lowest rating. The assessment of the staff and that of the organization as a whole was closer to the midpoint of the scale. High risk of staff burnout and unstable organizational environment are the most important threats on the NGOs working in addictology in Hungary.

  14. Unstable bodyweight and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: A meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kodama, Satoru; Fujihara, Kazuya; Ishiguro, Hajime; Horikawa, Chika; Ohara, Nobumasa; Yachi, Yoko; Tanaka, Shiro; Shimano, Hitoshi; Kato, Kiminori; Hanyu, Osamu; Sone, Hirohito

    2017-07-01

    The present meta-analysis aimed to clarify the association of unstable bodyweight with the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, an association that has been controversial among longitudinal studies. An electronic literature search using EMBASE and MEDLINE was followed up to 31 August 2016. The relative risks (RRs) of type 2 diabetes mellitus in individuals with unstable bodyweight were pooled using the inverse variance method. Eight studies were eligible for the meta-analysis. The median duration of measurements of weight change and follow-up years for ascertaining type 2 diabetes mellitus were 13.5 and 9.4 years, respectively. The pooled RR for the least vs most stable category was 1.33 (95% confidence interval 1.12-1.57). Between-study heterogeneity was statistically significant (P = 0.048). Whether type 2 diabetes mellitus was ascertained by blood testing explained 66.0% of the variance in the logarithm of RR (P = 0.02). In three studies in which blood testing was carried out, type 2 diabetes mellitus risk was not significant (RR 1.06, 95% confidence interval 0.91-1.25). Furthermore, publication bias that inflated type 2 diabetes mellitus risk was statistically detected by Egger's test (P = 0.09). Unstable bodyweight might be modestly associated with the elevated risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus; although serious biases, such as diagnostic suspicion bias and publication bias, made it difficult to assess this association. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Diabetes Investigation published by Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes (AASD) and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  15. Scaling laws of resistive magnetohydrodynamic reconnection in the high-Lundquist-number, plasmoid-unstable regime

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Yimin; Bhattacharjee, A.

    2010-01-01

    The Sweet-Parker layer in a system that exceeds a critical value of the Lundquist number (S) is unstable to the plasmoid instability. In this paper, a numerical scaling study has been done with an island coalescing system driven by a low level of random noise. In the early stage, a primary Sweet-Parker layer forms between the two coalescing islands. The primary Sweet-Parker layer breaks into multiple plasmoids and even thinner current sheets through multiple levels of cascading if the Lundquist number is greater than a critical value S c ≅4x10 4 . As a result of the plasmoid instability, the system realizes a fast nonlinear reconnection rate that is nearly independent of S, and is only weakly dependent on the level of noise. The number of plasmoids in the linear regime is found to scales as S 3/8 , as predicted by an earlier asymptotic analysis [N. F. Loureiro et al., Phys. Plasmas 14, 100703 (2007)]. In the nonlinear regime, the number of plasmoids follows a steeper scaling, and is proportional to S. The thickness and length of current sheets are found to scale as S -1 , and the local current densities of current sheets scale as S -1 . Heuristic arguments are given in support of theses scaling relations.

  16. Multiphonon structure of γ-unstable or O(6) nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Otsuka, T.; Kim, K.H.

    1995-01-01

    The multiphonon structure is shown for the O(6) limit of the Interacting Boson Model. The phonon states are created by the O(6) quadrupole operator with proper symmetrization. All the σ = N states can be described in this scheme in terms of phonon quanta and two-phonon anharmonicity, while the ground state is γ unstable. This structure is carried over into higher-lying σ < N states. (author)

  17. Fixation of Trochanteric Fragments in Cementless Bipolar Hemiarthroplasty of Unstable Intertrochanteric Fracture: Cerclage Wiring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Young-Kyun; Park, Chan Ho; Koo, Kyung-Hoi

    2017-12-01

    Bipolar hemiarthroplasty (HA) is an option for the treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fracture in elderly patients. There is a raising concern regarding cable-grip related complications for the fixation of trochanteric fragments. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate outcome of cementless HA with fixation for the trochanteric fragments using monofilament wires in unstable intertrochanteric fracture. We reviewed 92 cementless bipolar HAs using a grit-blasted long stem design for unstable intertrochanteric fractures in 91 elderly patients with a mean age of 81.7 years. During the arthroplasty, trochanteric fracture fragments were fixed using 1 or 2 vertical wires and transverse wires. We evaluated the clinical outcomes such as abductor power, ambulatory ability and wire-related complications, and radiologic outcomes including the union of the trochanteric fragment and subsidence of stem. Sixty-two patients were followed for a minimum of 2 years (mean, 59 months) postoperatively. The mean abductor power and Koval category was 4.1 (range, 3 to 5) and 4.6 (range, 1 to 6). The wire was broken in 3 hips (4.8%) and the nonunion of the greater trochanter occurred in 1 hips (1.6%). Two stems subsided by 3 mm and 8 mm, respectively, during postoperative 6 weeks, after which the subsidence was not progressive. Cerclage wiring of the trochanter using monofilament wire leads to acceptable outcome in cementless HA for senile patients with unstable intertrochanteric fracture. Cerclage wiring using a monofilament wire is recommended for the fixation of trochanteric fragments.

  18. Is the timing of surgery associated with avascular necrosis after unstable slipped capital femoral epiphysis? A multicenter study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohno, Yusuke; Nakashima, Yasuharu; Kitano, Toshio; Irie, Taichi; Kita, Atsushi; Nakamura, Tomoyuki; Endo, Hirosuke; Fujii, Yosuke; Kuroda, Takayuki; Mitani, Shigeru; Kitoh, Hiroshi; Matsushita, Masaki; Hattori, Tadashi; Iwata, Koji; Iwamoto, Yukihide

    2017-01-01

    An unstable slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is associated with a high rate of avascular necrosis (AVN). The etiology of AVN seems to be multifactorial, although it is not thoroughly known. The aims of our study were to determine the rate of AVN after an unstable SCFE and to investigate the risk factors for AVN, specifically evaluating the notion of an "unsafe window", during which medical interventions would increase the risk for AVN. This retrospective multicenter study included 60 patients with an unstable SCFE diagnosed between 1985 and 2014. Timing of surgery was evaluated for three time periods, from acute onset of symptoms to surgery: period I, 7 days. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for AVN. Closed reduction and pinning was performed in 43 patients and in situ pinning in 17. Among these cases, 16 patients (27%) developed AVN. The rate of AVN was significantly higher in patients treated by closed reduction and pinning (15/43, 35%) than in those treated by in situ pinning (1/17, 5.9%) (p = 0.022). In patients treated by closed reduction and pinning, the incidence of AVN was 2/11 (18%) in period I, 10/13 (77%) in period II and 3/15 (20%) in period III, showing the significantly higher rate in period II (p = 0.002). The surgery provided in period II was identified as an independent risk factor for the development of AVN. Our rate of AVN was 27% using two classical treatment methods. Time-to-surgery, between 24 h and 7 days, was independently associated with AVN, supporting the possible existence of an "unsafe window" in patients with unstable SCFE treated by closed reduction and pinning. Copyright © 2016 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Porter-Thomas distribution in unstable many-body systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Volya, Alexander

    2011-01-01

    We use the continuum shell model approach to explore the resonance width distribution in unstable many-body systems. The single-particle nature of a decay, the few-body character of the interaction Hamiltonian, and the collectivity that emerges in nonstationary systems due to the coupling to the continuum of reaction states are discussed. Correlations between the structures of the parent and daughter nuclear systems in the common Fock space are found to result in deviations of decay width statistics from the Porter-Thomas distribution.

  20. The effects of HIV stigma on health, disclosure of HIV status, and risk behavior of homeless and unstably housed persons living with HIV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolitski, Richard J; Pals, Sherri L; Kidder, Daniel P; Courtenay-Quirk, Cari; Holtgrave, David R

    2009-12-01

    HIV-related stigma negatively affects the lives of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Homeless/unstably housed PLWHA experience myriad challenges and may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of HIV-related stigma. Homeless/unstably housed PLWHA from 3 U.S. cities (N = 637) completed computer-assisted interviews that measured demographics, self-assessed physical and mental health, medical utilization, adherence, HIV disclosure, and risk behaviors. Internal and perceived external HIV stigma were assessed and combined for a total stigma score. Higher levels of stigma were experienced by women, homeless participants, those with a high school education or less, and those more recently diagnosed with HIV. Stigma was strongly associated with poorer self-assessed physical and mental health, and perceived external stigma was associated with recent non-adherence to HIV treatment. Perceived external stigma was associated with decreased HIV disclosure to social network members, and internal stigma was associated with drug use and non-disclosure to sex partners. Interventions are needed to reduce HIV-related stigma and its effects on the health of homeless/unstably housed PLWHA.

  1. Unstable quantum states and rigged Hilbert spaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorini, V.; Parravicini, G.

    1978-10-01

    Rigged Hilbert space techniques are applied to the quantum mechanical treatment of unstable states in nonrelativistic scattering theory. A method is discussed which is based on representations of decay amplitudes in terms of expansions over complete sets of generalized eigenvectors of the interacting Hamiltonian, corresponding to complex eigenvalues. These expansions contain both a discrete and a continuum contribution. The former corresponds to eigenvalues located at the second sheet poles of the S matrix, and yields the exponential terms in the survival amplitude. The latter arises from generalized eigenvectors associated to complex eigenvalues on background contours in the complex plane, and gives the corrections to the exponential law. 27 references

  2. Search for unstable sequential neutral and charged heavy leptons in $e^{+}e^{-}$ annihilation at $\\sqrt{s}$ = 130 and 136 GeV

    CERN Document Server

    Acciarri, M; Adriani, O; Aguilar-Benítez, M; Ahlen, S P; Alpat, B; Alcaraz, J; Alemanni, G; Allaby, James V; Aloisio, A; Alverson, G; Alviggi, M G; Ambrosi, G; Anderhub, H; Andreev, V P; Angelescu, T; Antreasyan, D; Arefev, A; Azemoon, T; Aziz, T; Bagnaia, P; Baksay, L; Ball, R C; Banerjee, S; Banicz, K; Barillère, R; Barone, L; Bartalini, P; Baschirotto, A; Basile, M; Battiston, R; Bay, A; Becattini, F; Becker, U; Behner, F; Berdugo, J; Berges, P; Bertucci, B; Betev, B L; Biasini, M; Biland, A; Bilei, G M; Blaising, J J; Blyth, S C; Bobbink, Gerjan J; Böck, R K; Böhm, A; Borgia, B; Boucham, A; Bourilkov, D; Bourquin, Maurice; Brambilla, Elena; Branson, J G; Brigljevic, V; Brock, I C; Buijs, A; Bujak, A T; Burger, J D; Burger, W J; Busenitz, J K; Buytenhuijs, A O; Cai, X D; Campanelli, M; Capell, M; Cara Romeo, G; Caria, M; Carlino, G; Cartacci, A M; Casaus, J; Castellini, G; Castello, R; Cavallari, F; Cavallo, N; Cecchi, C; Cerrada-Canales, M; Cesaroni, F; Chamizo-Llatas, M; Chan, A; Chang, Y H; Chaturvedi, U K; Chemarin, M; Chen, A; Chen, G; Chen, G M; Chen, H F; Chen, H S; Chéreau, X J; Chiefari, G; Chien, C Y; Choi, M T; Cifarelli, Luisa; Cindolo, F; Civinini, C; Clare, I; Clare, R; Cohn, H O; Coignet, G; Colijn, A P; Colino, N; Commichau, V; Costantini, S; Cotorobai, F; de la Cruz, B; Dai, T S; D'Alessandro, R; De Asmundis, R; De Boeck, H; Degré, A; Deiters, K; Denes, P; De Notaristefani, F; DiBitonto, Daryl; Diemoz, M; Van Dierendonck, D N; Di Lodovico, F; Dionisi, C; Dittmar, Michael; Dominguez, A; Doria, A; Dorne, I; Dova, M T; Drago, E; Duchesneau, D; Duinker, P; Durán, I; Dutta, S; Easo, S; Efremenko, Yu V; El-Mamouni, H; Engler, A; Eppling, F J; Erné, F C; Ernenwein, J P; Extermann, Pierre; Fabre, M; Faccini, R; Falciano, S; Favara, A; Fay, J; Felcini, Marta; Furetta, C; Ferguson, T; Fernández, D; Ferroni, F; Fesefeldt, H S; Fiandrini, E; Field, J H; Filthaut, Frank; Fisher, P H; Forconi, G; Fredj, L; Freudenreich, Klaus; Galaktionov, Yu; Ganguli, S N; Gau, S S; Gentile, S; Gerald, J; Gheordanescu, N; Giagu, S; Goldfarb, S; Goldstein, J; Gong, Z F; Gougas, Andreas; Gratta, Giorgio; Grünewald, M W; Gupta, V K; Gurtu, A; Gutay, L J; Hangarter, K; Hartmann, B; Hasan, A; Hebbeker, T; Hervé, A; Van Hoek, W C; Hofer, H; Hoorani, H; Hou, S R; Hu, G; Ilyas, M M; Innocente, Vincenzo; Janssen, H; Jin, B N; Jones, L W; de Jong, P; Josa-Mutuberria, I; Kasser, A; Khan, R A; Kamyshkov, Yu A; Kapinos, P; Kapustinsky, J S; Karyotakis, Yu; Kaur, M; Kienzle-Focacci, M N; Kim, D; Kim, J K; Kim, S C; Kim, Y G; Kinnison, W W; Kirkby, A; Kirkby, D; Kirkby, Jasper; Kittel, E W; Klimentov, A; König, A C; Köngeter, A; Korolko, I; Koutsenko, V F; Koulbardis, A; Krämer, R W; Kramer, T; Krenz, W; Kuijten, H; Kunin, A; Ladrón de Guevara, P; Landi, G; Lapoint, C; Lassila-Perini, K M; Lebeau, M; Lebedev, A; Lebrun, P; Lecomte, P; Lecoq, P; Le Coultre, P; Lee Jae Sik; Lee, K Y; Le Goff, J M; Leiste, R; Lenti, M; Leonardi, E; Levchenko, P M; Li Chuan; Lieb, E H; Lin, W T; Linde, Frank L; Lindemann, B; Lista, L; Liu, Z A; Lohmann, W; Longo, E; Lu, W; Lü, Y S; Lübelsmeyer, K; Luci, C; Luckey, D; Ludovici, L; Luminari, L; Lustermann, W; Ma Wen Gan; Macchiolo, A; Maity, M; Majumder, G; Malgeri, L; Malinin, A; Maña, C; Mangla, S; Marchesini, P A; Marin, A; Martin, J P; Marzano, F; Massaro, G G G; Mazumdar, K; McNally, D; McNeil, R R; Mele, S; Merola, L; Meschini, M; Metzger, W J; Von der Mey, M; Mi, Y; Mihul, A; Van Mil, A J W; Mirabelli, G; Mnich, J; Möller, M; Monteleoni, B; Moore, R; Morganti, S; Mount, R; Müller, S; Muheim, F; Nagy, E; Nahn, S; Napolitano, M; Nessi-Tedaldi, F; Newman, H; Nippe, A; Nowak, H; Organtini, G; Ostonen, R; Pandoulas, D; Paoletti, S; Paolucci, P; Park, H K; Pascale, G; Passaleva, G; Patricelli, S; Paul, T; Pauluzzi, M; Paus, C; Pauss, Felicitas; Peach, D; Pei, Y J; Pensotti, S; Perret-Gallix, D; Petrak, S; Pevsner, A; Piccolo, D; Pieri, M; Pinto, J C; Piroué, P A; Pistolesi, E; Plyaskin, V; Pohl, M; Pozhidaev, V; Postema, H; Produit, N; Raghavan, R; Rahal-Callot, G; Rancoita, P G; Rattaggi, M; Raven, G; Razis, P A; Read, K; Ren, D; Rescigno, M; Reucroft, S; Van Rhee, T; Ricker, A; Riemann, S; Riemers, B C; Riles, K; Ro, S; Robohm, A; Rodin, J; Rodríguez-Calonge, F J; Roe, B P; Röhner, S; Romero, L; Rosier-Lees, S; Rosselet, P; Van Rossum, W; Roth, S; Rubio, Juan Antonio; Rykaczewski, H; Salicio, J; Sánchez, E; Santocchia, A; Sarakinos, M E; Sarkar, S; Sassowsky, M; Schäfer, C; Shchegelskii, V; Schmidt-Kärst, S; Schmitz, D; Schmitz, P; Schneegans, M; Schöneich, B; Scholz, N; Schopper, Herwig Franz; Schotanus, D J; Schulte, R; Schultze, K; Schwenke, J; Schwering, G; Sciacca, C; Sciarrino, D; Sens, Johannes C; Servoli, L; Shevchenko, S; Shivarov, N; Shoutko, V; Shukla, J; Shumilov, E; Siedenburg, T; Son, D; Sopczak, André; Smith, B; Spillantini, P; Steuer, M; Stickland, D P; Sticozzi, F; Stone, H; Stoyanov, B; Strässner, A; Strauch, K; Sudhakar, K; Sultanov, G G; Sun, L Z; Susinno, G F; Suter, H; Swain, J D; Tang, X W; Tauscher, Ludwig; Taylor, L; Ting, Samuel C C; Ting, S M; Toker, O; Tonisch, F; Tonutti, M; Tonwar, S C; Tóth, J; Tsaregorodtsev, A Yu; Tully, C; Tuchscherer, H; Tung, K L; Ulbricht, J; Uwer, U; Valente, E; Van de Walle, R T; Vetlitskii, I; Viertel, Gert M; Vivargent, M; Völkert, R; Vogel, H; Vogt, H; Vorobev, I; Vorobyov, A A; Vorvolakos, A; Wadhwa, M; Wallraff, W; Wang, J C; Wang, X L; Wang, Y F; Wang, Z M; Weber, A; Wittgenstein, F; Wu, S X; Wynhoff, S; Xu, J; Xu, Z Z; Yang, B Z; Yang, C G; Yao, X Y; Ye, J B; Yeh, S C; You, J M; Zaccardelli, C; Zalite, A; Zemp, P; Zeng, Y; Zhang, Z; Zhang, Z P; Zhou, B; Zhou, Y; Zhu, G Y; Zhu, R Y; Zichichi, Antonino

    1996-01-01

    A search for unstable sequential neutral and charged heavy leptons has been made at center-of-mass energies 130 and 136 \\GeV\\ with the L3 detector at LEP. The neutral leptons are assumed to decay via mixing to electrons and muons. No evidence for their existence was found. We exclude unstable Dirac neutrinos for masses below 59.3 (57.9) \\GeV\\ and unstable Majorana neutrinos below 48.6 (47.2) \\GeV\\ if the neutrino couples to the electron(muon) family. We exclude unstable charged heavy leptons for masses below 61 \\GeV\\ for a wide range of the associated neutral lepton mass.

  3. Treatment of unstable intraarticular fracture of distal radius: POP casting with external fixation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    ur Rahman, Obaid; Khan, Mohammad Qadeem; Rasheed, Haroon; Ahmad, Saleem

    2012-04-01

    To compare radiological and functional outcome of external fixation and distraction with conservative Plaster of Paris (POP) cast for unstable intra-articular fractures of the distal radius. The study was conducted on 60 patients with unstable intra-articular fracture of distal radius who reported to emergency or outpatient Orthopaedic Surgery department of Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi, between March and August 2007. They were divided into two equal groups: Group A and Group B, treated by Plaster of Paris cast, and external fixation with distraction respectively. The functional outcome in terms of freedom from pain, range of movement, grip power and deformity, and the radiological outcome of radial length, incongruity and radio-ulnar joint position were analysed at three months follow-up using a 3-point scoring scale. In Group A, 1 (3%) patient showed excellent result, 8 (27%) patients good results, 19 (63%) patients fair results and 2 (7%) patients poor result. In Group B, 14 (47%) patients showed excellent results, 11 (37%) patients good results, 4 (13%) patients fair results and 1 (3%) patient poor result. The outcome score of the Group B patients was significantly better compared to the Group A patients (p value advantages over conventional Plaster of Paris cast in the treatment of unstable intra-articular fractures of distal radius.

  4. Immediate percutaneous sacroiliac screw insertion for unstable pelvic fractures: is it safe enough?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acker, A; Perry, Z H; Blum, S; Shaked, G; Korngreen, A

    2018-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare the results of immediate and delayed percutaneous sacroiliac screws surgery for unstable pelvic fractures, regarding technical results and complication rate. Retrospective study. The study was conducted at the Soroka University Medical center, Beer Sheva, Israel, which is a level 1 trauma Center. 108 patients with unstable pelvic injuries were operated by the orthopedic department at the Soroka University Medical Center between the years 1999-2010. A retrospective analysis found 50 patients with immediate surgery and 58 patients with delayed surgery. Preoperative and postoperative imaging were analyzed and data was collected regarding complications. All patients were operated on by using the same technique-percutaneous fixation of sacroiliac joint with cannulated screws. The study's primary outcome measure was the safety and quality of the early operation in comparison with the late operation. A total of 156 sacroiliac screws were inserted. No differences were found between the immediate and delayed treatment groups regarding technical outcome measures (P value = 0.44) and complication rate (P value = 0.42). The current study demonstrated that immediate percutaneous sacroiliac screw insertion for unstable pelvic fractures produced equally good technical results, in comparison with the conventional delayed operation, without additional complications.

  5. On the Kalman Filter error covariance collapse into the unstable subspace

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Trevisan

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available When the Extended Kalman Filter is applied to a chaotic system, the rank of the error covariance matrices, after a sufficiently large number of iterations, reduces to N+ + N0 where N+ and N0 are the number of positive and null Lyapunov exponents. This is due to the collapse into the unstable and neutral tangent subspace of the solution of the full Extended Kalman Filter. Therefore the solution is the same as the solution obtained by confining the assimilation to the space spanned by the Lyapunov vectors with non-negative Lyapunov exponents. Theoretical arguments and numerical verification are provided to show that the asymptotic state and covariance estimates of the full EKF and of its reduced form, with assimilation in the unstable and neutral subspace (EKF-AUS are the same. The consequences of these findings on applications of Kalman type Filters to chaotic models are discussed.

  6. Scalar Hairy Black Holes in Four Dimensions are Unstable

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganchev, Bogdan; Santos, Jorge E.

    2018-04-01

    We present a numerical analysis of the stability properties of the black holes with scalar hair constructed by Herdeiro and Radu. We prove the existence of a novel gauge where the scalar field perturbations decouple from the metric perturbations, and analyze the resulting quasinormal mode spectrum. We find unstable modes with characteristic growth rates which for uniformly small hair are almost identical to those of a massive scalar field on a fixed Kerr background.

  7. Three-dimensional TDHF calculation for reactions of unstable nuclei

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Ka-Hae; Otsuka, Takaharu [Tokyo Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Physics; Bonche, P.

    1998-07-01

    The fusion is studied for reactions between a stable and an unstable nuclei with neutron skin. The reactions {sup 16,28}O+{sup 40}Ca and {sup 16}O+{sup 16,28}O are taken as examples, and the three-dimensional time-dependent Hartree-Fock method with the full Skyrme interaction is used. It is confirmed that the fusion cross section in low-energy region is sensitive to the interaction used in the calculation. (author)

  8. Scalar Hairy Black Holes in Four Dimensions are Unstable.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganchev, Bogdan; Santos, Jorge E

    2018-04-27

    We present a numerical analysis of the stability properties of the black holes with scalar hair constructed by Herdeiro and Radu. We prove the existence of a novel gauge where the scalar field perturbations decouple from the metric perturbations, and analyze the resulting quasinormal mode spectrum. We find unstable modes with characteristic growth rates which for uniformly small hair are almost identical to those of a massive scalar field on a fixed Kerr background.

  9. Computed tomography fluoroscopy-guided placement of iliosacral screws in patients with unstable posterior pelvic fractures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iguchi, Toshihiro; Ogawa, Ken-Ichi; Doi, Takeshi; Munetomo, Kazuo; Miyasho, Koji; Hiraki, Takao; Kanazawa, Susumu; Ozaki, Toshifumi

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the safety and effectiveness of the computed tomography (CT) fluoroscopy-guided placement of iliosacral screws in patients with unstable posterior pelvic fractures. Six patients (four women and two men; mean age 55.8 years; range 35-77 years) with unstable posterior pelvic fractures underwent iliosacral screw placement under CT fluoroscopy guidance between November 2007 and August 2008. Unstable pelvic ring injury (AO types B and C) was the indication for this procedure. In all the six patients except one, CT fluoroscopy-guided placement had been technically successful. In one patient, a second screw had been inserted, with a tilt to the caudal site, and slightly advanced into the extrasacral body; afterward, it could be exchanged safely for a shorter screw. Five patients and one patient underwent placement of two screws and one screw, respectively. The mean duration of the procedure was 15.0 min (range 9-30 min) per screw; the duration was 12.3 min and 18.2 min for the first and second screws, respectively. No complications requiring treatment occurred during or after the procedure. The mean clinical and radiologic follow-up period was 14 months (range 6-21 months). All pelvic injuries had healed satisfactorily, without complication, and all patients are now doing well clinically and can walk. CT fluoroscopy-guided placement of iliosacral screws is a safe and effective treatment in patients with unstable posterior pelvic fractures. (orig.)

  10. Ankle proprioception is not targeted by exercises on an unstable surface

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kiers, H.; Brumagne, S.; van Dieen, J.; Wees, P.J. van der; Vanhees, L.

    2012-01-01

    Laboratory study using a repeated measures design. The aim of this study was to determine if ankle proprioception is targeted in exercises on unstable surfaces. Lateral ankle sprain (LAS) has recurrence rates over 70%, which are believed to be due to a reduced accuracy of proprioceptive signals from

  11. Lyapunov vectors and assimilation in the unstable subspace: theory and applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Palatella, Luigi; Carrassi, Alberto; Trevisan, Anna

    2013-01-01

    Based on a limited number of noisy observations, estimation algorithms provide a complete description of the state of a system at current time. Estimation algorithms that go under the name of assimilation in the unstable subspace (AUS) exploit the nonlinear stability properties of the forecasting model in their formulation. Errors that grow due to sensitivity to initial conditions are efficiently removed by confining the analysis solution in the unstable and neutral subspace of the system, the subspace spanned by Lyapunov vectors with positive and zero exponents, while the observational noise does not disturb the system along the stable directions. The formulation of the AUS approach in the context of four-dimensional variational assimilation (4DVar-AUS) and the extended Kalman filter (EKF-AUS) and its application to chaotic models is reviewed. In both instances, the AUS algorithms are at least as efficient but simpler to implement and computationally less demanding than their original counterparts. As predicted by the theory when error dynamics is linear, the optimal subspace dimension for 4DVar-AUS is given by the number of positive and null Lyapunov exponents, while the EKF-AUS algorithm, using the same unstable and neutral subspace, recovers the solution of the full EKF algorithm, but dealing with error covariance matrices of a much smaller dimension and significantly reducing the computational burden. Examples of the application to a simplified model of the atmospheric circulation and to the optimal velocity model for traffic dynamics are given. This article is part of a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical devoted to ‘Lyapunov analysis: from dynamical systems theory to applications’. (paper)

  12. Critical operations capabilities in a high cost environment: a multiple case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sansone, C.; Hilletofth, P.; Eriksson, D.

    2018-04-01

    Operations capabilities have been a popular research area for many years and several frameworks have been proposed in the literature. The current frameworks do not take specific contexts into consideration, for instance a high cost environment. This research gap is of particular interest since a manufacturing relocation process has been ongoing the last decades, leading to a huge amount of manufacturing being moved from high to low cost environments. The purpose of this study is to identify critical operations capabilities in a high cost environment. The two research questions were: What are the critical operations capabilities dimensions in a high cost environment? What are the critical operations capabilities in a high cost environment? A multiple case study was conducted and three Swedish manufacturing firms were selected. The study was based on the investigation of an existing framework of operations capabilities. The main dimensions of operations capabilities included in the framework were: cost, quality, delivery, flexibility, service, innovation and environment. Each of the dimensions included two or more operations capabilities. The findings confirmed the validity of the framework and its usefulness in a high cost environment and a new operations capability was revealed (employee flexibility).

  13. Research of Medical Expenditure among Inpatients with Unstable Angina Pectoris in a Single Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Suo-Wei; Pan, Qi; Chen, Tong; Wei, Liang-Yu; Xuan, Yong; Wang, Qin; Li, Chao; Song, Jing-Chen

    2017-07-05

    With the rising incidence as well as the medical expenditure among patients with unstable angina pectoris, the research aimed to investigate the inpatient medical expenditure through the combination of diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) among patients with unstable angina pectoris in a Grade A tertiary hospital to conduct the referential standards of medical costs for the diagnosis. Single-factor analysis and multiple linear stepwise regression method were used to investigate 3933 cases between 2014 and 2016 in Beijing Hospital (China) whose main diagnosis was defined as unstable angina pectoris to determine the main factors influencing the inpatient medical expenditure, and decision tree method was adopted to establish the model of DRGs grouping combinations. The major influential factors of inpatient medical expenditure included age, operative method, therapeutic effects as well as comorbidity and complications (CCs) of the disease, and the 3933 cases were divided into ten DRGs by four factors: age, CCs, therapeutic effects, and the type of surgery with corresponding inpatient medical expenditure standards setup. Data of nonparametric test on medical costs among different groups were all significant (P angina pectoris is conducive in standardizing the diagnosis and treatment behaviors of the hospital and reducing economic burdens among patients.

  14. Analog Electronic Implementation of Unstable Dissipative Systems of Type I with Multi-Scrolls Displaced Along Space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ontañón-García, L. J.; Lozoya-Ponce, R. E.

    2017-06-01

    Multi-scroll Unstable Dissipative Systems (UDS) in R3 which consist of piecewise linear systems are implemented electronically by means of analog computing. The scrolling behavior of the systems can be designed to oscillate along a specific axis or into space depending on the unstable and stable manifolds. In order for a multi-scroll attractor, this switching system must present at least two unstable hyperbolic focus-saddle equilibria with the same stability index, a negative real eigenvalue and a pair of complex conjugated eigenvalues with positive real part. Then, to displace the scrolls among the axes and space different switching control laws must be designed. By taking into consideration the mathematical expressions of the switching systems, the electronic implementations are carried out by means of operational amplifiers representing the real analog physical solution of the systems, from which the voltage is measured representing the states solution.

  15. High Ra, high Pr convection with viscosity gradients

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. High Ra, high Pr convection with viscosity gradients. Weak upward flow through mesh. Top fluid more viscous. Unstable layer Instability Convection.

  16. Sutudy on exchange flow under the unstably stratified field

    OpenAIRE

    文沢, 元雄

    2005-01-01

    This paper deals with the exchange flow under the unstably stratified field. The author developed the effective measurement system as well as the numerical analysis program. The system and the program are applied to the helium-air exchange flow in a rectangular channel with inclination. Following main features of the exchange flow were discussed based on the calculated results.(1) Time required for establishing a quasi-steady state exchange flow.(2) The relationship between the inclination an...

  17. Antisocial personality disorder--stable and unstable subtypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ullrich, Simone; Coid, Jeremy

    2010-04-01

    There have been criticisms that the criteria for antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) are over-dependent on criminal behavior. This study aimed to identify unrelated criteria of social and behavioral problems and instability, and to investigate their associations in a representative household sample of adults in the UK. Approximately one third of adults with ASPD did not fulfill any of the criteria for instability. They were less aggressive and involved in illegal activities but expressed less remorse for their behaviors. Instability in ASPD was mediated primarily through comorbid anxiety disorders and borderline personality disorder. The concept of Secondary Psychopathy, which has not generally been applied to ASPD, demonstrated many similarities to the unstable subtype.

  18. Accumulation of unstable periodic orbits and the stickiness in the two-dimensional piecewise linear map.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akaishi, A; Shudo, A

    2009-12-01

    We investigate the stickiness of the two-dimensional piecewise linear map with a family of marginal unstable periodic orbits (FMUPOs), and show that a series of unstable periodic orbits accumulating to FMUPOs plays a significant role to give rise to the power law correlation of trajectories. We can explicitly specify the sticky zone in which unstable periodic orbits whose stability increases algebraically exist, and find that there exists a hierarchy in accumulating periodic orbits. In particular, the periodic orbits with linearly increasing stability play the role of fundamental cycles as in the hyperbolic systems, which allows us to apply the method of cycle expansion. We also study the recurrence time distribution, especially discussing the position and size of the recurrence region. Following the definition adopted in one-dimensional maps, we show that the recurrence time distribution has an exponential part in the short time regime and an asymptotic power law part. The analysis on the crossover time T(c)(*) between these two regimes implies T(c)(*) approximately -log[micro(R)] where micro(R) denotes the area of the recurrence region.

  19. Stabilization and analytical tuning rule of double-loop control scheme for unstable dead-time process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ugon, B.; Nandong, J.; Zang, Z.

    2017-06-01

    The presence of unstable dead-time systems in process plants often leads to a daunting challenge in the design of standard PID controllers, which are not only intended to provide close-loop stability but also to give good performance-robustness overall. In this paper, we conduct stability analysis on a double-loop control scheme based on the Routh-Hurwitz stability criteria. We propose to use this unstable double-loop control scheme which employs two P/PID controllers to control first-order or second-order unstable dead-time processes typically found in process industries. Based on the Routh-Hurwitz stability necessary and sufficient criteria, we establish several stability regions which enclose within them the P/PID parameter values that guarantee close-loop stability of the double-loop control scheme. A systematic tuning rule is developed for the purpose of obtaining the optimal P/PID parameter values within the established regions. The effectiveness of the proposed tuning rule is demonstrated using several numerical examples and the result are compared with some well-established tuning methods reported in the literature.

  20. Numerical simulation on beam breakup unstability of linear induction accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Kaizhi; Wang Huacen; Lin Yuzheng

    2003-01-01

    A code is written to simulate BBU in induction linac according to theoretical analysis. The general form of evolution of BBU in induction linac is investigated at first, then the effect of related parameters on BBU is analyzed, for example, the alignment error, oscillation frequency of beam centroid, beam pulse shape and acceleration gradient. At last measures are put forward to damp beam breakup unstability (BBU)

  1. Renormalization, unstable manifolds, and the fractal structure of mode locking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cvitanovic, P.; Jensen, M.H.; Kadanoff, L.P.; Procaccia, I.

    1985-01-01

    The apparent universality of the fractal dimension of the set of quasiperiodic windings at the onset of chaos in a wide class of circle maps is described by construction of a universal one-parameter family of maps which lies along the unstable manifold of the renormalization group. The manifold generates a universal ''devil's staircase'' whose dimension agrees with direct numerical calculations. Applications to experiments are discussed

  2. Extension of a chaos control method to unstable trajectories on infinite- or finite-time intervals: Experimental verification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yagasaki, Kazuyuki

    2007-01-01

    In experiments for single and coupled pendula, we demonstrate the effectiveness of a new control method based on dynamical systems theory for stabilizing unstable aperiodic trajectories defined on infinite- or finite-time intervals. The basic idea of the method is similar to that of the OGY method, which is a well-known, chaos control method. Extended concepts of the stable and unstable manifolds of hyperbolic trajectories are used here

  3. Magnetic resonance imaging in patients with unstable angina: comparison with acute myocardial infarction and normals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, M.; Johnson, R.F. Jr.; Fawcett, H.D.; Schreiber, M.H.

    1988-01-01

    The role of magnetic resonance imaging in characterizing normal, ischemic and infarcted segments of myocardium was examined in 8 patients with unstable angina, 11 patients with acute myocardial infarction, and 7 patients with stable angina. Eleven normal volunteers were imaged for comparison. Myocardial segments in short axis magnetic resonance images were classified as normal or abnormal on the basis of perfusion changes observed in thallium-201 images in 22 patients and according to the electrocariographic localization of infarction in 4 patients. T2 relaxation time was measured in 57 myocardial segments with abnormal perfusion (24 with reversible and 33 with irreversible perfusion changes) and in 25 normally perfused segments. T2 measurements in normally perfused segments of patients with acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina and stable angina were within normal range derived from T2 measurements in 48 myocardial segments of 11 normal volunteers (42 +/- 10 ms). T2 in abnormal myocardial segments of patients with stable angina also was not significantly different from normal. T2 of abnormal segments in patients with unstable angina (64 +/- 14 in reversibly ischemic and 67 +/- 21 in the irreversibly ischemic segments) was prolonged when compared to normal (p less than 0.0001) and was not significantly different from T2 in abnormal segments of patients with acute myocardial infarction (62 +/- 18 for reversibly and 66 +/- 11 for irreversibly ischemic segments). The data indicate that T2 prolongation is not specific for acute myocardial infarction and may be observed in abnormally perfused segments of patients with unstable angina

  4. A STUDY OF UNSTABLE INTERTROCHANTERIC FEMORAL FRACTURES TREATED BY TROCHANTERIC FEMORAL NAIL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sreenivasa Neikar

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND Intertrochanteric fracture is one of the most common fracture of the hip especially in the elderly. The incidence of intertrochanteric fracture is rising because of the increase in number of elderly population along with superadded osteoporosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study included cases of unstable intertrochanteric fractures (AO and OTA Classification 31-A2 and 31-A3 fracture patterns that were operated with the short trochanteric femoral nail, which fitted into the inclusion criteria done in medical college hospital, Vijayanagara Institute of Medical Sciences, Bellary, from February 2015 to September 2016. RESULTS The age distribution was from 40 to 80 years. The largest group of patients were from 61 to 70 years. The average age was 60.5 years. The number of male patients in our series was 20 (66.7% and female was 10 (33.3%. Right side was affected in 11 cases (36.7% and left side in 19 cases (63.3%. Good reduction was achieved in 23 patients (76.7%. Acceptable reduction was achieved in 7 (23.3% patients due to severe comminution. In our study, 25 patients (83.33% had no complications. We encountered one intraoperative complication in the form of greater trochanter splintering, while inserting the nail. In our study, we encountered following postoperative complications. We noticed one case of delayed union, one case of Z effect and 2 cases of varus malunion. CONCLUSION We conclude that short trochanteric femoral nail provides good fixation for unstable intertrochanteric fractures if proper preoperative planning, good reduction and surgical technique are followed leading to high rate of bone union and minimal soft tissue damage especially for Asian patients with relatively small femora.

  5. Disposal of high level nuclear wastes: Thermodynamic equilibrium and environment ethics

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    RANA Mukhtar Ahmed

    2009-01-01

    Contamination of soil, water or air, due to a failure of containment or disposal of high level nuclear wastes, can potentially cause serious hazards to the environment or human health. Essential elements of the environment and radioactivity dangers to it are illustrated. Issues of high level nuclear waste disposal are discussed with a focus on thermodynamic equilibrium and environment ethics. Major aspects of the issues are analyzed and described briefly to build a perception of risks involved and ethical implications. Nuclear waste containment repository should be as close as possible to thermodynamic equilibrium. A clear demonstration about safety aspects of nuclear waste management is required in gaining public and political confidence in any possible scheme of permanent disposal. Disposal of high level nuclear waste offers a spectrum of environment connected challenges and a long term future of nuclear power depends on the environment friendly solution of the problem of nuclear wastes.

  6. Percutaneous cardiopulmonary support for catheter ablation of unstable ventricular arrhythmias in high-risk patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carbucicchio, Corrado; Della Bella, Paolo; Fassini, Gaetano; Trevisi, Nicola; Riva, Stefania; Giraldi, Francesco; Baratto, Francesca; Marenzi, Giancarlo; Sisillo, Erminio; Bartorelli, Antonio; Alamanni, Francesco

    2009-11-01

    two patients (11%); one patient (5%) with persistent VT episodes acutely died after heart transplant. At a mean follow-up of 42 months (range 15-60 months), 5/18 patients (28%) were free from VT recurrence, 7/18 (39%) had a clear clinical improvement with reduced implantable cardioverter defibrillator interventions. 5/14 patients (36%) had ES recurrence; among them, three died because of acute heart failure. No serious CPS-related complications were observed. The CPS warrants acceptable hemodynamic stabilization and efficacious mapping in high-risk patients undergoing CA for unstable VT in the emergency setting. Safety and efficacy of this technique translate into significant clinical improvement in the majority of patients. Even if only relatively invasive, CPS should be reserved to patients with ES or intractable arrhythmia causing acute heart failure; moreover, the need for an experienced team of multidisciplinary operators implies that its use is restricted to selected high-competency institutions.

  7. Stable, metastable and unstable solutions of a spin-1 Ising system based on the free energy surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keskİin, Mustafa; Özgan, Şükrü

    1990-04-01

    Stable, metastable and unstable solutions of a spin-1 Ising model with bilinear and biquadratic interactions are found by using the free energy surfaces. The free energy expression is obtained in the lowest approximation of the cluster variation method. All these solutions are shown in the two-dimensional phase space, especially the unstable solutions which in some cases are difficult to illustrate in the two-dimensional phase space, found by Keskin et al. recently.

  8. Teamwork in high-risk environments analogous to space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanki, Barbara G.

    1990-01-01

    Mountaineering expeditions combine a number of factors which make them potentially good analogs to the planetary exploration facet of long-duration space missions. A study of mountain climbing teams was conducted in order to evaluate the usefulness of the environment as a space analog and to specifically identify the factors and issues surrounding teamwork and 'successful' team performance in two mountaineering environments. This paper focuses on social/organizational factors, including team size and structure, leadership styles and authority structure which were found in the sample of 22 climb teams (122 individuals). The second major issue discussed is the construction of a valid performance measure in this high-risk environment.

  9. An intermittent control model of flexible human gait using a stable manifold of saddle-type unstable limit cycle dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Chunjiang; Suzuki, Yasuyuki; Kiyono, Ken; Morasso, Pietro; Nomura, Taishin

    2014-12-06

    Stability of human gait is the ability to maintain upright posture during walking against external perturbations. It is a complex process determined by a number of cross-related factors, including gait trajectory, joint impedance and neural control strategies. Here, we consider a control strategy that can achieve stable steady-state periodic gait while maintaining joint flexibility with the lowest possible joint impedance. To this end, we carried out a simulation study of a heel-toe footed biped model with hip, knee and ankle joints and a heavy head-arms-trunk element, working in the sagittal plane. For simplicity, the model assumes a periodic desired joint angle trajectory and joint torques generated by a set of feed-forward and proportional-derivative feedback controllers, whereby the joint impedance is parametrized by the feedback gains. We could show that a desired steady-state gait accompanied by the desired joint angle trajectory can be established as a stable limit cycle (LC) for the feedback controller with an appropriate set of large feedback gains. Moreover, as the feedback gains are decreased for lowering the joint stiffness, stability of the LC is lost only in a few dimensions, while leaving the remaining large number of dimensions quite stable: this means that the LC becomes saddle-type, with a low-dimensional unstable manifold and a high-dimensional stable manifold. Remarkably, the unstable manifold remains of low dimensionality even when the feedback gains are decreased far below the instability point. We then developed an intermittent neural feedback controller that is activated only for short periods of time at an optimal phase of each gait stride. We characterized the robustness of this design by showing that it can better stabilize the unstable LC with small feedback gains, leading to a flexible gait, and in particular we demonstrated that such an intermittent controller performs better if it drives the state point to the stable manifold, rather

  10. ${ \\mathcal P }{ \\mathcal T }$-symmetric interpretation of unstable effective potentials

    CERN Document Server

    Bender, Carl M.; Mavromatos, Nick E.; Sarkar, Sarben

    2016-01-01

    The conventional interpretation of the one-loop effective potentials of the Higgs field in the Standard Model and the gravitino condensate in dynamically broken supergravity is that these theories are unstable at large field values. A ${ \\mathcal P }{ \\mathcal T }$-symmetric reinterpretation of these models at a quantum-mechanical level eliminates these instabilities and suggests that these instabilities may also be tamed at the quantum-field-theory level.

  11. Effectiveness of Dual-Maneuver Using K-Wire and Dingman Elevator for the Reduction of Unstable Zygomatic Arch Fracture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Hyungwoo; Kim, Jiye; Chung, Seum; Chung, Yoon-Kyu

    2014-08-01

    The zygoma is the most prominent portion of the face. Almost all simple zygomatic arch fractures are treated in a closed fashion with a Dingman elevator. However, the open approach should be considered for unstable zygomatic arch fractures. The coronal approach for a zygomatic arch fracture has complications. In this study, we introduce our method to reduce a special type of unstable zygomatic fracture. We retrospectively reviewed zygomatic arch view and facial bone computed tomography scans of 424 patients who visited the Wonju Severance Christian Hospital from 2007 to 2010 with zygomaticomaxillary fractures, among whom 15 patients met the inclusion criteria. We used a Dingman elevator and K-wire simultaneously to manage this type of zygomatic arch fracture. Simple medial rotation force usually collapses the posterior fractured segment, and the fracture becomes unstable. Thus, the posterior fracture segment must be concurrently elevated with a Dingman elevator through Keen's approach with rotation force applied through the K-wire. All fractures were reduced without any instability using this method. We were able to reduce unstable and difficult zygomatic arch fractures without an open incision or any external fixation device.

  12. Corporate professional unity under the unstable labor market in the industrial region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A S Ogorodov

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The article examines the phenomenon of corporatism, which under the adverse external environment can be used by the professional community to improve the effectiveness of organization. The authors define corporatism of the professional society as a combination of homogenous interests, attitudes, traditions and values; and provide a sociological interpretation of the corporate unity through its organizational and behavioral parameters. The former consists of the perception of the organization reliability, the staff’s confidence in the future, satisfaction with the financial situation (static features, estimates of the innovative capabilities of the company, and the willingness to develop (dynamic features. The behavioral parameters include staff’s values and patterns of behavior that can contribute to the consolidation of the professional community. The authors believe that for corporate management vertical social ties are less important that the horizontal ones, such as the rule of law and honesty, and the team unity under the unstable external environment. The sample of the study conducted by the authors in 2015 consisted of various types of settlements typical for the Sverdlovsk Region: mono-towns and mono-settlements (Nizhny Tagil, Serov, towns and villages with the differentiated economic activities (Ekaterinburg, Irbit. The results of the empirical study of corporatism among different professional societies - industrial workers, social services’ and business organizations’ staff, individual entrepreneurs and authorities - revealed the internal resources that can reduce tensions on the labor market. The research data can be useful for the comparative analysis of corporatism in different regions of Russia (not only industrial and similar to the Ural Region, but differing from it by significant social and economic parameters.

  13. Robustness of unstable attractors in arbitrarily sized pulse-coupled networks with delay

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Broer, Hendrik; Efstathiou, Konstantinos; Subramanian, Easwar

    We consider arbitrarily large networks of pulse-coupled oscillators with non-zero delay where the coupling is given by the Mirollo-Strogatz function. We prove that such systems have unstable attractors (saddle periodic orbits whose stable set has non-empty interior) in an open parameter region for

  14. Disposal of high level nuclear wastes: thermodynamic equilibrium and environment ethics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rana, M.A.

    2009-01-01

    Contamination of soil, water or air, due to a failure of containment or disposal of high level nuclear wastes, can potentially cause serious hazards to the environment or human health. Essential elements of the environment and radioactivity dangers to it are illustrated. Issues of high level nuclear waste disposal are discussed with a focus on thermodynamic equilibrium and environment ethics. Major aspects of the issues are analyzed and described briefly to build a perception of risks involved and ethical implications. Nuclear waste containment repository should be as close as possible to thermodynamic equilibrium. A clear demonstration about safety aspects of nuclear waste management is required in gaining public and political confidence in any possible scheme of permanent disposal. Disposal of high level nuclear waste offers a spectrum of environment connected challenges and a long term future of nuclear power depends on the environment friendly solution of the problem of nuclear wastes. (authors)

  15. METHODS FOR THE ARRANGEMENT OF IMMERSED TUBE TUNNELS DURING CONSTRUCTION BASED ON STRUCTURALLY UNSTABLE SOILS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. N. Kurbatskiy

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives. The aim of the research is to develop the most effective construction and technological methods for strengthening the bottom of rivers and bays, composed of weak structurally unstable soils, including zones with seismic activity, using pile foundations with broadening and rock filling with micropiles.Methods. The method of constructing combined transport transitions was applied, consisting of overpasses running over relatively shallow channels from coasts to artificial islands on which the route enters tunnels crossing deep shipping canals.Results. The foreign experience in the construction of immersed tube tunnels in the construction of transport crossings through the extended river and sea barriers has been analytically generalised. The features, advantages and disadvantages of the construction of immersed tube tunnels in some countries of the world are revealed.Conclusion. A large number of already constructed and operated transport transits, including immersed tube tunnels, testifies to the advantages of such projects, as compared to other types of transport transitions like bridges and tunnels constructed using mining techniques. Constructiontechnological methods for strengthening the bottom of rivers and bays, composed of weak structurally unstable soils, are proposed. When selecting a design of a bridge to ensure the passage of hightonnage vessels, it is necessary to build large-span bridges on high supports. Weak, structurally unstable soils, deep bedding of bedrock and high seismicity of the area will create serious problems in the construction and operation of such structures. The natural vibration frequencies of the large-span bridges fall into the region of the dominant earthquake frequencies, which can lead to resonant phenomena and damage the structure even under weak seismic influences. Tunnels are less susceptible to seismic impacts, since, unlike ground structures, they don't experience resonance phenomena. When

  16. High-Temperature Corrosion Behavior of Alloy 617 in Helium Environment of Very High Temperature Gas Reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Gyeong-Geun; Jung, Sujin; Kim, Daejong; Jeong, Yong-Whan; Kim, Dong-Jin

    2012-01-01

    Alloy 617 is a Ni-base superalloy and a candidate material for the intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) of a very high temperature gas reactor (VHTR) which is one of the next generation nuclear reactors under development. The high operating temperature of VHTR enables various applications such as mass production of hydrogen with high energy efficiency. Alloy 617 has good creep resistance and phase stability at high temperatures in an air environment. However, it was reported that the mechanical properties decreased at a high temperature in an impure helium environment. In this study, high-temperature corrosion tests were carried out at 850°C-950°C in a helium environment containing the impurity gases H_2, CO, and CH_4, in order to examine the corrosion behavior of Alloy 617. Until 250 h, Alloy 617 specimens showed a parabolic oxidation behavior at all temperatures. The activation energy for oxidation in helium environment was 154 kJ/mol. The SEM and EDS results elucidated a Cr-rich surface oxide layer, Al-rich internal oxides and depletion of grain boundary carbides. The thickness and depths of degraded layers also showed a parabolic relationship with time. A normal grain growth was observed in the Cr-rich surface oxide layer. When corrosion tests were conducted in a pure helium environment, the oxidation was suppressed drastically. It was elucidated that minor impurity gases in the helium would have detrimental effects on the high temperature corrosion behavior of Alloy 617 for the VHTR application.

  17. Finite toroidal flow generated by unstable tearing mode in a toroidal plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hao, G. Z., E-mail: haogz@swip.ac.cn; Wang, A. K.; Xu, Y. H.; He, H. D.; Xu, M.; Qu, H. P.; Peng, X. D.; Xu, J. Q.; Qiu, X. M. [Southwestern Institute of Physics, P.O. Box 432, Chengdu 610041 (China); Liu, Y. Q. [Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Sun, Y. [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academic of Sciences, P.O. Box 1126, Hefei 230031 (China); Cui, S. Y. [School of Mathematics and Statistics Science, Ludong University, Yantai 264025 (China)

    2014-12-15

    The neoclassical toroidal plasma viscosity torque and electromagnetic torque, generated by tearing mode (TM) in a toroidal plasma, are numerically investigated using the MARS-Q code [Liu et al., Phys. Plasmas 20, 042503 (2013)]. It is found that an initially unstable tearing mode can intrinsically drive a toroidal plasma flow resulting in a steady state solution, in the absence of the external momentum input and external magnetic field perturbation. The saturated flow is in the order of 0.5%ω{sub A} at the q=2 rational surface in the considered case, with q and ω{sub A} being the safety factor and the Alfven frequency at the magnetic axis, respectively. The generation of the toroidal flow is robust, being insensitive to the given amplitude of the perturbation at initial state. On the other hand, the flow amplitude increases with increasing the plasma resistivity. Furthermore, the initially unstable tearing mode is fully stabilized by non-linear interaction with the self-generated toroidal flow.

  18. On the definition of entropy for quantum unstable states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Civitarese, Osvaldo; Gadella, Manuel

    2015-01-01

    The concept of entropy is central to the formulation of the quantum statistical mechanics, and it is linked to the definition of the density operator and the associated probabilities of occupation of quantum states. The extension of this scheme to accommodate for quantum decaying states is conceptually difficult, because of the nature of these states. Here we present a way to treat quantum unstable states in the context of statistical mechanics. We focuss on the definition of the entropy and avoid the use of complex temperatures

  19. Unstable dynamics, nonequilibrium phases, and criticality in networked excitable media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Franciscis, S. de; Torres, J. J.; Marro, J.

    2010-01-01

    Excitable systems are of great theoretical and practical interest in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. Here, we numerically study models of excitable media, namely, networks whose nodes may occasionally be dormant and the connection weights are allowed to vary with the system activity on a short-time scale, which is a convenient and realistic representation. The resulting global activity is quite sensitive to stimuli and eventually becomes unstable also in the absence of any stimuli. Outstanding consequences of such unstable dynamics are the spontaneous occurrence of various nonequilibrium phases--including associative-memory phases and one in which the global activity wanders irregularly, e.g., chaotically among all or part of the dynamic attractors--and 1/f noise as the system is driven into the phase region corresponding to the most irregular behavior. A net result is resilience which results in an efficient search in the model attractor space that can explain the origin of some observed behavior in neural, genetic, and ill-condensed matter systems. By extensive computer simulation we also address a previously conjectured relation between observed power-law distributions and the possible occurrence of a ''critical state'' during functionality of, e.g., cortical networks, and describe the precise nature of such criticality in the model which may serve to guide future experiments.

  20. Myocardial rest iodine-123-β-methyl-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid scintigraphy compared with dipyridamole stress thallium-201 scintigraphy in unstable angina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Misumi, Ikuo; Kimura, Yoshihiro; Hokamura, Youichi; Yamabe, Hiroshige; Ueno, Kazuhiro

    1998-01-01

    Twelve patients with stable angina and 12 patients with unstable angina underwent rest iodine-123-β-methyl-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid (BMIPP), dipyridamole stress thallium scintigraphy and delayed thallium scintigraphy. In stable angina, sensitivity for detecting ischemic segments was higher in dipyridamole thallium (74%) than rest BMIPP (48%) images (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the 2 images in unstable angina. In unstable angina, the incidence of segments with higher defect scores on BMIPP images than on delayed thallium images and the opposite pattern was 27 and 5 (p<0.01). In stable angina, there was no difference. The mean defect score on BMIPP (6.3±5.6) was higher than that on delayed thallium scintigraphy (2.9±2.7) and it was almost the same as on the initial dipyridamole stress test (6.5±5.2). In conclusion, BMIPP scintigraphy is safer and may be as useful in detecting myocardial ischemia in patients with unstable angina as thallium scintigraphy. (author)

  1. Unstable metacarpal and phalangeal fractures: treatment by internal fixation using AO mini-fragment plates and screws.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mumtaz, Mohammad Umar; Farooq, Muneer Ahmad; Rasool, Altaf Ahmad; Kawoosa, Altaf Ahmad; Badoo, Abdul Rashid; Dhar, Shabir Ahmad

    2010-07-01

    Accurate open reduction and internal fixation for metacarpal and phalangeal fractures of the hand is required in less than 5% of the patients; otherwise, closed treatment techniques offer satisfactory results in most of these cases as these fractures are stable either before or after closed reduction. AO mini-fragment screws and plates, when used in properly selected cases, can provide rigid fixation, allowing early mobilization of joints and hence good functional results while avoiding problems associated with protruding K-wires and immobilization. The advantages of such internal fixation urged us to undertake such a study in our state where such hand injuries are commonly seen. Forty patients with 42 unstable metacarpal and phalangeal fractures were treated with open reduction and internal fixation using AO mini-fragment screws and plates over a period of three years in a prospective manner. The overall results were good in 78.5% of cases, fair in 19% of cases and poor in 2.5% of cases, as judged according to the criteria of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. This technique is a reasonable option for treating unstable metacarpal and phalangeal fractures as it provides a highly rigid fixation, which is sufficient to allow early mobilization of the adjacent joints, thus helping to achieve good functional results.

  2. Unstable chromosome aberrations on peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with cervical uterine cancer following radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Magnata, Simey de Souza Leao Pereira

    2002-09-01

    Absorbed dose determination is an important step for risk assessment related to an exposure to ionizing radiation. However, physical dosimetry cannot be always performed, principally in the case of retrospective estimates. In this context, the use of bioindicators (biological effects) has been proposed, which defines the so-called biological dosimetry. In particular, scoring of unstable chromosomes aberrations (dicentrics, centric rings and fragments) of peripheral blood lymphocytes, while is the most reliable biological method for estimating individual exposure to ionizing radiation. In this work, blood samples from 5 patients, with cervical uterine cancer, were evaluated after partial-body radiotherapy with a source of 69 Co. For this, conventional cytogenetic method was employed, based on Giemsa coloration and fluorescence in situ hybridization, in order to correlate the frequency of unstable chromosome aberrations of blood lymphocytes with absorbed dose, as a result of the radiotherapy. A good agreement was observed between the frequency of chromosome aberrations scored and the values of dose previously calculated by physical dosimetry during patient's radiotherapy. The results presented in this work point out the importance of concerning analyses of unstable chromosome aberrations as biological dosimeter in the investigation of partial-body exposure to ionizing radiation. (author)

  3. Appearance of Unstable Monopoly State Caused by Selective and Concentrative Mergers in Business Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goto, Hayato; Viegas, Eduardo; Jensen, Henrik Jeldtoft; Takayasu, Hideki; Takayasu, Misako

    2017-07-11

    Recently, growth mechanism of firms in complex business networks became new targets of scientific study owing to increasing availability of high quality business firms' data. Here, we paid attention to comprehensive data of M&A events for 40 years and derived empirical laws by applying methods and concepts of aggregation dynamics of aerosol physics. It is found that the probability of merger between bigger firms is bigger than that between smaller ones, and such tendency is enhancing year by year. We introduced a numerical model simulating the whole ecosystem of firms and showed that the system is already in an unstable monopoly state in which growth of middle sized firms are suppressed.

  4. Nuclear structure and magnetic moment of the unstable 12B-12N mirror pair

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Yongnan; Zhou Dongmei; Yuan Daqing; Zuo Yi; Fan Ping; Xu Yongjun; Zhu Jiazheng; Wang Zhiqiang; Luo Hailong; Zhang Xizhen; Zhu Shengyun; Mihara, M.; Matsuta, K.; Fukuda, M.; Minamisono, T.; Suzuki, T.

    2010-01-01

    Magnetic moments of the A=12 unstable mirror pair nuclides 12 B and 12 N have been measured by the β-NMR technique. The experimentally measured magnetic moments are μ( 12 B)=1.00(17)μ N and μ( 12 N)=0.4571(1)μ N . The improved shell model using an SFO Hamiltonian with enhanced spin-isospin monopole proton-neutron interaction and modified single-particle energies is employed to calculate the magnetic moments of 12 B and 12 N. The calculation yields μ( 12 B)=0.929μ N and μ( 12 N)=0.452μ N and has produced a new magic number 6 for the short-lived unstable mirror pair nuclides 12 B and 12 N. (authors)

  5. Efficacy evaluation of fluoxetine combined with conventional drug treatment on unstable angina patients complicated with depression

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Chun-Hua Liao

    2015-01-01

    Objective:To study the efficacy of fluoxetine combined with conventional drug treatment on unstable angina patients complicated with depression. Methods:120 cases of unstable angina patients with depression were randomly divided into two groups. The anti-depression group received fluoxetine combined with conventional drug therapy; the conventional group received conventional drug therapy. Then contents of monoamine neurotransmitters and their metabolites, antioxidants and inflammatory mediators of both groups were compared. Results:Serum monoamine neurotransmitters NE, 5-HT and HA levels of the anti-depression group were higher than those of the conventional group and metabolites 5-HIAA and HVA contents were lower than those of the conventional group; serum SOD, CAT, GSH and HSP-70 contents of the anti-depression group were higher than those of the conventional group, and hs-CRP, MMP9, MCP1 and HMGB1 contents were lower than those of the conventional group. Conclusion:Fluoxetine combined with conventional drug therapy can increase the contents of monoamine neurotransmitters and antioxidants, and reduce oxidative stress response and inflammatory response; it is an ideal method for treating unstable angina complicated with depression.

  6. Unstable volatility functions: the break preserving local linear estimator

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Casas, Isabel; Gijbels, Irene

    The objective of this paper is to introduce the break preserving local linear (BPLL) estimator for the estimation of unstable volatility functions. Breaks in the structure of the conditional mean and/or the volatility functions are common in Finance. Markov switching models (Hamilton, 1989......) and threshold models (Lin and Terasvirta, 1994) are amongst the most popular models to describe the behaviour of data with structural breaks. The local linear (LL) estimator is not consistent at points where the volatility function has a break and it may even report negative values for finite samples...

  7. Selection of unstable patterns and control of optical turbulence by Fourier plane filtering

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mamaev, A.V.; Saffman, M.

    1998-01-01

    We report on selection and stabilization of transverse optical patterns in a feedback mirror experiment. Amplitude filtering in the Fourier plane is used to select otherwise unstable spatial patterns. Optical turbulence observed for nonlinearities far above the pattern formation threshold...

  8. Treatment for unstable pulmonary sequestration injury in patient with severe blunt trauma: A case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiraki, Sakiko; Okada, Yohei; Arai, Yusuke; Ishii, Wataru; Iiduka, Ryoji

    2017-08-01

    Pulmonary sequestration is a congenital malformation characterized by nonfunctioning tissue not communicating with the tracheobronchial tree. As the blood pressure in the artery feeding the sequestrated lung tissue is higher than that in the normal pulmonary artery, the risk of massive hemorrhage in pulmonary sequestration is high. We herein present the first case of a severe blunt trauma patient with unstable pulmonary sequestration injury. The mechanism of pulmonary sequestration injury is vastly different than that of injury to normal lung. We suggest that proximal feeding artery embolization should be performed before surgical intervention in patients with massive hemorrhage of pulmonary sequestration due to severe chest trauma.

  9. Detection of angina-related coronary artery in patients with unstable angina pectoris by using 123I-BMIPP myocardial scintigraphy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oka, Toshiaki; Inoue, Seiji; Asano, Ryuta; Handa, Atsushi; Iguchi, Nobuo; Sumiyoshi, Tetsuya; Hosoda, Saichi; Kobayashi, Hideki; Kusakabe, Kiyoko.

    1996-01-01

    To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of detection of angina-related coronary arteries in patients with unstable angina pectoris. Twenty patients with unstable angina pectoris underwent 123 I-BMIPP scintigraphy at rest. A mean duration from last anginal attack to 123 I-BMIPP scintigraphy was 4.8±3.2 days. Seventeen of 20 angina-related coronary territories were detected by reduced 123 -BMIPP uptake. The sensitivity and specificity for detection of angina-related coronary arteries were 85% and 95%, respectively. The decrease in myocardial uptake of 123 I-BMIPP agreed with the decrease in regional wall motion by using ultrasonic echocardiography. 123 I-BMIPP scintigraphy may be useful for detection of angina-related coronary artery in a routine clinical examination in patients with unstable angina pectoris. (author)

  10. Study of shell evolution around the doubly magic $^{208}$Pb via a multinucleon transfer reaction with an unstable beam

    CERN Multimedia

    This proposal aims at the study of the neutron-rich region around the doubly-magic nucleus $^{208}$Pb populated via a multinucleon transfer reaction. An unstable $^{94}$Rb beam will be delivered by HIE-ISOLDE at 5.5 MeV$\\cdot$u onto a $^{208}$Pb 13.0 mg/cm$^{2}$ target. The $\\gamma$- rays will be recorded by the MINIBALL $\\gamma$-ray spectrometer. The aim of the experiment is twofold: \\\\ \\\\ i) firstly it will represent the proof of principle that multinucleon transfer reactions with neutron-rich unstable beams is efficient to populate neutron-rich heavy binary partners and represents a competitive method to cold fragmentation \\\\ ii) secondly we aim at populating medium- to high-spin states in $^{212;214}$Pb and $^{208;210}$Hg to elucidate the existence of the 16$^{+}$ isomer in the lead isotopes and at the same time to disentangle the puzzling case of a very low energy 3$^{-}$ state in $^{210}$Hg not described by any nuclear model. \\\\ \\\\ The experimental results will be compared with large-scale shell-model ...

  11. Detection of the Unstable Hb Köln (HBB: c.295G>A) by a Capillary Electrophoresis Method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, You-Qiong; Ye, Li-Hua; Mo, Yun

    2016-11-01

    Hb Köln (HBB: c.295G>A) is an unstable β-globin gene variant with a GTG>ATG substitution at codon 98. This variant is quite frequent in Europe and the USA but rare in China. It can easily be misdiagnosed as Hb Constant Spring (Hb CS; HBA2: c.427T>C) by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), but detection and quantification of both Hb Köln and degraded Hb Köln by capillary electrophoresis (CE) are possible. Thus, we concluded that CE was the preferred method for Hb Köln detection.

  12. Cemented Hemiarthroplasty in Elderly Osteoporotic Unstable Trochanteric Fractures using Fracture Window

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thakur A

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: We would like to analyze the role of cemented hemiarthroplasty in elderly osteoporotic unstable intertrochanteric fractures through trochanteric fracture window. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted from July 2011 to July 2014. From a total of 265 consecutive patients with intertrochanteric fractures of 42 patients were selected according to inclusion criteria and results were analyzed prospectively. All patients were operated at tertiary care institute. Patients which matched the inclusion criteria were selected. 42 patients entered the study and all completed the study. Primary cemented hemiarthroplasty was done in all patients. Modified Harris Hip Score was used to assess all the patients. Results: 42 patients were included in the study with an average age of 80.7 years. Only AO/OTA type 31-A2.2 and 31-A2.3 were included, average HHS at final follow up of three years was 86.2. No revision or reoperation was done. Conclusion: In a selected cohort of patients primary prosthetic replacement in elderly osteoporotic unstable intertrochanteric fractures is good option and the surgical technique allowed us to perform it more easily.

  13. Wind tunnel experiments on unstable self-excited vibration of sectional girders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Král, Radomil; Pospíšil, Stanislav; Náprstek, Jiří

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, a wind tunnel analysis of two degrees-of-freedom system represented by sectional girders is carried out. Besides an evaluation of the aeroelastic coefficients, the analysis is focused on the influence of the natural frequency ratio on the initiation of unstable vibration, which can be of practical interest. On the phenomenological level, the paper also discusses experimentally ascertained response regimes, with an emphasis on their stability character. The attention is paid to the memory effect in the response described by the hysteresis loop together with the separation curves determining the stability boundaries. The influence of initial disturbance on the stability is examined. Two types of cross-sections were investigated: (i) rectangular one with the aspect ratio 1:5, and (ii) bridge-like cross-section with comparable principal dimensions. For both types of cross-sections, the limits of the stability are significantly affected by an intentionally introduced initial disturbance. This holds especially with regard to the rectangular profile where the separation curves create very narrow sub-domains between a stable and an unstable response, while the bridge-like cross-section demonstrates much stable behaviour.

  14. Politics in evaluation: Politically responsive evaluation in high stakes environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azzam, Tarek; Levine, Bret

    2015-12-01

    The role of politics has often been discussed in evaluation theory and practice. The political influence of the situation can have major effects on the evaluation design, approach and methods. Politics also has the potential to influence the decisions made from the evaluation findings. The current study focuses on the influence of the political context on stakeholder decision making. Utilizing a simulation scenario, this study compares stakeholder decision making in high and low stakes evaluation contexts. Findings suggest that high stakes political environments are more likely than low stakes environments to lead to reduced reliance on technically appropriate measures and increased dependence on measures better reflect the broader political environment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Utilization of Point Clouds Characteristics in Interpretation and Evaluation Geophysical Resistivity Surveying of Unstable Running Block

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcel Brejcha

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Close to human residences the places often abound where anthropogenic activity and external factors cause their changes. The changes can often influence their inhabitants’ life thanks to incipient dangerous places. The project of successful design of measures to ensure stability of unstable running blocks depends on chosen approaches and primary resource preparation. Utilization of modern technologies in their taking and processing is required nowadays. The paper describes the taking and processing of data for project of solution „Stabilization of unstable running block“ in a municipal settled part with efficient utilization of unusual method of processing of geophysical resistivity method.

  16. A Harsh Environment Wireless Pressure Sensing Solution Utilizing High Temperature Electronics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jie

    2013-01-01

    Pressure measurement under harsh environments, especially at high temperatures, is of great interest to many industries. The applicability of current pressure sensing technologies in extreme environments is limited by the embedded electronics which cannot survive beyond 300 °C ambient temperature as of today. In this paper, a pressure signal processing and wireless transmission module based on the cutting-edge Silicon Carbide (SiC) devices is designed and developed, for a commercial piezoresistive MEMS pressure sensor from Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc. Equipped with this advanced high-temperature SiC electronics, not only the sensor head, but the entire pressure sensor suite is capable of operating at 450 °C. The addition of wireless functionality also makes the pressure sensor more flexible in harsh environments by eliminating the costly and fragile cable connections. The proposed approach was verified through prototype fabrication and high temperature bench testing from room temperature up to 450 °C. This novel high-temperature pressure sensing technology can be applied in real-time health monitoring of many systems involving harsh environments, such as military and commercial turbine engines. PMID:23447006

  17. Electromyographic activity and 6RM strength in bench press on stable and unstable surfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saeterbakken, Atle H; Fimland, Marius S

    2013-04-01

    The purpose of the study was to compare 6-repetition maximum (6RM) loads and muscle activity in bench press on 3 surfaces, namely, stable bench, balance cushion, and Swiss ball. Sixteen healthy, resistance-trained men (age 22.5 ± 2.0 years, stature 1.82 ± 6.6 m, and body mass 82.0 ± 7.8 kg) volunteered for 3 habituation/strength testing sessions and 1 experimental session. In randomized order on the 3 surfaces, 6RM strength and electromyographic activity of pectoralis major, deltoid anterior, biceps brachii, triceps brachii, rectus abdominis, oblique external and erector spinae were assessed. Relative to stable bench, the 6RM strength was approximately 93% for balance cushion (p ≤ 0.001) and approximately 92% for Swiss ball (p = 0.008); the pectoralis major electromyographic (EMG) activity was approximately 90% using the balance cushion (p = 0.080) and approximately 81% using Swiss ball (p = 0.006); the triceps EMG was approximately 79% using the balance cushion (p = 0.028) and approximately 69% using the Swiss ball (p = 0.002). Relative to balance cushion, the EMG activity in pectoralis, triceps, and erector spinae using Swiss ball was approximately 89% (p = 0.016), approximately 88% (p = 0.014) and approximately 80% (p = 0.020), respectively. In rectus abdominis, the EMG activity relative to Swiss ball was approximately 69% using stable bench (p = 0.042) and approximately 65% using the balance cushion (p = 0.046). Similar EMG activities between stable and unstable surfaces were observed for deltoid anterior, biceps brachii, and oblique external. In conclusion, stable bench press had greater 6RM strength and triceps and pectoralis EMG activity compared with the unstable surfaces. These findings have implications for athletic training and rehabilitation, because they demonstrate an inferior effect of unstable surfaces on muscle activation of prime movers and strength in bench press. If an unstable surface in bench press is desirable, a balance cushion should

  18. A pilot study on the influence of exercising on unstable training machine on balance control and trunk muscles activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Domeika, Aurelijus; Aleknaite-Dambrauskiene, Ieva; Poskaitis, Vytautas; Zaveckas, Vidmantas; Grigas, Vytautas; Zvironiene, Ausra

    2018-05-16

    The main position of the working population is becoming sitting. Immobile prolonged sedentary time may cause negative effects including reduced intervertebral discs nutrition. Main ways of mitigating them are regular position changes and exercising. To evaluate influence of the short term training on unstable training machine on balance control and trunk muscles activity in patients with lower back pain. Participants (n=16) experiencing lower back pain were trained on an unstable sculling machine "Rehabili". Their balance tested by (Biodex Balance System) and rectus abdominis, externus oblique, transverse abdominis, multifidus and erector spine muscles activity (measured by surface electromyography) while sitting and standing with usual and aligned body postures both before and after six weeks of training (three 15 minutes sessions per week) were compared in between. Balance control improved after the training program. Besides, more symmetrical activation of both sides rectus and transversus abdominis muscles, as well as increased transversus abdominis muscle activation of 19% (p< 0.05), were observed. Six weeks short sessions training on unstable training machine improved balance control and increased trunk muscles activity especially in aligned body posture when standing or sitting on unstable surface.

  19. Study on development of differential transformer for use in high-temperature environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ara, Katsuyuki

    1983-11-01

    Today, in many fields of industrial science and technology, various efforts are being directed to the development of new technology aiming the technological inovation of the coming generation. Under these circumstances, new requirements are called for in instrumentation and measurement; one is the measurement at very severe environments such as high-temperature and high-pressure. Especially in the field of nuclear energy development, various kinds of measurements are needed under a high-temperature, high-pressure and high-radiation environments, and many sensors have been developed for such purposes. One of the most excellent heat-resisting sensors is the sensor based on and utilizing electromagnetic induction. Various electromagnetic sensors have been, therefore, developed and used in in-core environments of nuclear reactors. The author has been engaged in the development of differential transformers for use in in-core environments of Light Water Reactors: this paper compiles the results obtained through the development. (author)

  20. Detection of coronary artery disease using 12-lead electrocardiogram and simultaneous dual myocardial imaging with iodine-123-β-methyl iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) and thallium-201 in patients with unstable angina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saitoh, Makoto; Hasegawa, Koh; Hasegawa, Kazuo; Kondoh, Teruo; Yanagawa, Tetsuo.

    1995-01-01

    We investigated the usefulness of 12-lead electrocardiogram and simultaneous single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with 123 I-β-methyl iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) and thallium-201 ( 201 Tl) for detecting coronary artery disease (CAD) in 54 consecutive patients with unstable angina. Discordant BMIPP uptake was defined as less 123 I-BMIPP uptake than 201 Tl uptake in 123 I-BMIPP/ 201 Tl dual SPECT. In the detection of CAD, ischemic electrocardiographic change during anginal attack had high sensitivity and low specificity, while discordant BMIPP finding had low sensitivity and high specificity. In patients showing ST depression during anginal attack, discordant BMIPP uptake showed high sensitivity and high specificity for detecting CAD. In conclusion, both 12-lead electrocardiogram during anginal attack and discordant BMIPP uptake are useful in detecting CAD in patients with unstable angina. (author)

  1. Comparison of occipitocervical and atlantoaxial fusion in treatment of unstable Jefferson fractures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong Hu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Controversy exists regarding the management of unstable Jefferson fractures, with some surgeons performing reduction and immobilization of the patient in a halo vest and others performing open reduction and internal fixation. This study compares the clinical and radiological outcome parameters between posterior atlantoaxial fusion (AAF and occipitocervical fusion (OCF constructs in the treatment of the unstable atlas fracture. Materials and Methods: 68 consecutive patients with unstable Jefferson fractures treated by AAF or OCF between October 2004 and March 2011 were included in this retrospective evaluation from institutional databases. The authors reviewed medical records and original images. The patients were divided into two surgical groups treated with either AAF ( n = 48, F/M 30:18 and OCF ( n = 20, F/M 13:7 fusion. Blood loss, operative time, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA score, visual analog scale (VAS score, atlanto-dens interval, lateral mass displacement, complications, and the bone fusion rates were recorded. Results: Five patients with incomplete paralysis (7.4% demonstrated postoperative improvement by more than 1 grade on the American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale. The JOA score of the AAF group improved from 12.5 ± 3.6 preoperatively to 15.7 ± 2.3 postoperatively, while the JOA score of the OCF group improved from 11.2 ± 3.3 preoperatively to 14.8 ± 4.2 postoperatively. The VAS score of AAF group decreased from 4.8 ± 1.5 preoperatively to 1.0 ± 0.4 postoperatively, the VAS score of the OCF group decreased from 5.4 ± 2.2 preoperatively to 1.3 ± 0.9 postoperatively. Conclusions: The OCF or AAF combined with short-term external immobilization can establish the upper cervical stability and prevent further spinal cord injury and nerve function damage.

  2. On the persistence of unstable bump-on-tail electron velocity distributions in the earth's foreshock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klimas, A.J.; Fitzenreiter, R.J.

    1988-01-01

    Further evidence for the persistence of bump-on-tail unstable reduced velocity distribution in the Earth's electron foreshock is presented. This persistence contradicts our understanding of quasi-linear saturation of the bump-on-tail instability; the distributions should be stabilized through velocity space diffusion too quickly to allow an observation of their unstable form. A modified theory for the saturation of the bump-on-tail instability in the Earth's foreshock is proposed and examined using numerical simulation and quasi-linear theoretical techniques. It is argued the mechanism due to Filbert and Kellogg and to Cairns which is responsible for the creation of the bump-on-tail velocity distribution in the foreshock is still operative during the evolution of the bump-on-tail instability. The saturated state of the plasma must represent a balance between this creation mechanism and velocity space diffusion; the saturated state is not determined by velocity space diffusion alone. Thus the velocity distribution of the saturated stat may still appear bump-on-tail unstable to standard linear analysis which does not take the creation mechanism into account. The bump-on-tail velocity distributions in the foreshock would then represent the state of the plasma after saturation of the bump-on-tail instability, not before

  3. Reliability and Repetition Effect of the Center of Pressure and Kinematics Parameters That Characterize Trunk Postural Control During Unstable Sitting Test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbado, David; Moreside, Janice; Vera-Garcia, Francisco J

    2017-03-01

    Although unstable seat methodology has been used to assess trunk postural control, the reliability of the variables that characterize it remains unclear. To analyze reliability and learning effect of center of pressure (COP) and kinematic parameters that characterize trunk postural control performance in unstable seating. The relationships between kinematic and COP parameters also were explored. Test-retest reliability design. Biomechanics laboratory setting. Twenty-three healthy male subjects. Participants volunteered to perform 3 sessions at 1-week intervals, each consisting of five 70-second balancing trials. A force platform and a motion capture system were used to measure COP and pelvis, thorax, and spine displacements. Reliability was assessed through standard error of measurement (SEM) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC 2,1 ) using 3 methods: (1) comparing the last trial score of each day; (2) comparing the best trial score of each day; and (3) calculating the average of the three last trial scores of each day. Standard deviation and mean velocity were calculated to assess balance performance. Although analyses of variance showed some differences in balance performance between days, these differences were not significant between days 2 and 3. Best result and average methods showed the greatest reliability. Mean velocity of the COP showed high reliability (0.71 reliability (0.37 reliability using the average method (0.62 reliability than kinematics ones. Specifically, mean velocity of COP showed the highest test-retest reliability, especially for the average and best methods. Although correlations between COP and mean joint angular velocity were high, the few relationships between COP and kinematic standard deviation suggest different postural behavior can lead to a similar balance performance during an unstable sitting protocol. III. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights

  4. NT-proBNP in unstable coronary artery disease--experiences from the FAST, GUSTO IV and FRISC II trials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jernberg, Tomas; James, Stefan; Lindahl, Bertil; Stridsberg, Mats; Venge, Per; Wallentin, Lars

    2004-03-15

    Risk stratification is important in patients with unstable coronary artery disease (CAD), i.e. unstable angina or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction. This article focuses on the emerging role of N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and the results from the FAST, GUSTO IV and FRISC II trials. In the FAST study, NT-proBNP was measured on admission in 755 patients admitted because of symptoms suggestive of unstable CAD. Follow up was performed after 40 months. The GUSTO IV and the FRISC II-trials included patients with unstable CAD and NT-proBNP was analyzed in 6806 and 2019 patients, with follow up after 1 and 2 years, respectively. In the FAST study, patients in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th NT-proBNP quartile had a relative risk of subsequent death of 4.2 (1.6-11.1), 10.7 (4.2-26.8) and 26.6 (10.8-65.5), respectively. In the GUSTO IV trial, increasing quartiles of NT-proBNP were related to short and long term mortality which at 1 year was; 1.8%, 3.9%, 7.7% and 19.2% (P<0.001), respectively. In multivariable analyses including well-known predictors of outcome, NT-proBNP level was independently associated to mortality in all three studies. In the FRISC II trial, the NT-proBNP level, especially if combined with a marker of inflammation, identified those with the greatest benefit from an early invasive strategy. NT-proBNP is strongly associated with mortality in patients with suspected or confirmed unstable CAD and, combined with a marker of inflammation, seems helpful in identifying those with greatest benefit from an early invasive strategy.

  5. High Temperature Wireless Communication And Electronics For Harsh Environment Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunter, G. W.; Neudeck, P. G.; Beheim, G. M.; Ponchak, G. E.; Chen, L.-Y

    2007-01-01

    In order for future aerospace propulsion systems to meet the increasing requirements for decreased maintenance, improved capability, and increased safety, the inclusion of intelligence into the propulsion system design and operation becomes necessary. These propulsion systems will have to incorporate technology that will monitor propulsion component conditions, analyze the incoming data, and modify operating parameters to optimize propulsion system operations. This implies the development of sensors, actuators, and electronics, with associated packaging, that will be able to operate under the harsh environments present in an engine. However, given the harsh environments inherent in propulsion systems, the development of engine-compatible electronics and sensors is not straightforward. The ability of a sensor system to operate in a given environment often depends as much on the technologies supporting the sensor element as the element itself. If the supporting technology cannot handle the application, then no matter how good the sensor is itself, the sensor system will fail. An example is high temperature environments where supporting technologies are often not capable of operation in engine conditions. Further, for every sensor going into an engine environment, i.e., for every new piece of hardware that improves the in-situ intelligence of the components, communication wires almost always must follow. The communication wires may be within or between parts, or from the engine to the controller. As more hardware is added, more wires, weight, complexity, and potential for unreliability is also introduced. Thus, wireless communication combined with in-situ processing of data would significantly improve the ability to include sensors into high temperature systems and thus lead toward more intelligent engine systems. NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is presently leading the development of electronics, communication systems, and sensors capable of prolonged stable

  6. High-rise Buildings versus Outdoor Thermal Environment in Chongqing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin-sha Wang

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper gives a brief description of the over quick urbanization sinceChongqing, one of the biggest cities in China, has been a municipality directly under theCentral Government in 1997, excessive development and exceeding increase of high-risebuildings because of its special geographical position which finally leads to the worseningof the urban outdoor thermal environment. Then, this paper makes a bright balance to thefield measurement and simulated results of the wind speed field, temperature field of onemultifunctional high-rise building in Chongqing university located in the city center, andthe contrasted results validate the correctness of CFD in the outdoor thermal environmentalsimulation, expose the disadvantages of high-rise buildings on the aspects of blocking thewind field, decreasing wind speed which results in accumulation of the air-conditioningheat revolving around and periscian region where sunshine can not rip into. Finally, inorder to improve the urban outdoor thermal environment near the high-rise buildingsespecially for the angle of natural ventilation, this paper simulates the wind environment indifferent architectural compositions and architectural layouts by CFD, and the simulatedresults show that freestyle and tower buildings which can guarantee the wind speed andtake the air-conditioning heat away are much suitable and reasonable for the specialChongqing geography. These conclusions can also be used as a reference in othermountain cities, especially for the one with a great number of populations.

  7. Modeling and control of an unstable system using probabilistic fuzzy inference system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sozhamadevi N.

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available A new type Fuzzy Inference System is proposed, a Probabilistic Fuzzy Inference system which model and minimizes the effects of statistical uncertainties. The blend of two different concepts, degree of truth and probability of truth in a unique framework leads to this new concept. This combination is carried out both in Fuzzy sets and Fuzzy rules, which gives rise to Probabilistic Fuzzy Sets and Probabilistic Fuzzy Rules. Introducing these probabilistic elements, a distinctive probabilistic fuzzy inference system is developed and this involves fuzzification, inference and output processing. This integrated approach accounts for all of the uncertainty like rule uncertainties and measurement uncertainties present in the systems and has led to the design which performs optimally after training. In this paper a Probabilistic Fuzzy Inference System is applied for modeling and control of a highly nonlinear, unstable system and also proved its effectiveness.

  8. Stability of unstably stratified shear flow between parallel plates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fujimura, Kaoru; Kelly, R E

    1987-09-01

    The linear stability of unstably stratified shear flows between two horizontal parallel plates was investigated. Eigenvalue problems were solved numerically by making use of the expansion method in Chebyshev polynomials, and the critical Rayleigh numbers were obtained accurately in the Reynolds number range of (0.01, 100). It was found that the critical Rayleigh number increases with an increase of the Reynolds number. The result strongly supports previous stability analyses except for the analysis by Makino and Ishikawa (J. Jpn. Soc. Fluid Mech. 4 (1985) 148 - 158) in which a decrease of the critical Rayleigh number was obtained.

  9. Stability of unstably stratified shear flow between parallel plates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujimura, Kaoru; Kelly, R.E.

    1987-01-01

    The linear stability of unstably stratified shear flows between two horizontal parallel plates was investigated. Eigenvalue problems were solved numerically by making use of the expansion method in Chebyshev polynomials, and the critical Rayleigh numbers were obtained accurately in the Reynolds number range of [0.01, 100]. It was found that the critical Rayleigh number increases with an increase of the Reynolds number. The result strongly supports previous stability analyses except for the analysis by Makino and Ishikawa [J. Jpn. Soc. Fluid Mech. 4 (1985) 148 - 158] in which a decrease of the critical Rayleigh number was obtained. (author)

  10. Sacral neuromodulation in the treatment of the unstable bladder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosch, J L

    1998-07-01

    Sacral neuromodulation as a treatment for urge incontinence in patients with an unstable bladder is the subject of ongoing clinical studies. Although approximately 75% of the patients treated with a permanent sacral foramen electrode implant have experienced significant improvements, it is now also clear that there is an initial failure rate of about 25%. Recent studies have pointed out the importance of improved patient selection on the basis of sex differences, urodynamic parameters and psychological factors. Also, newer forms of test stimulation and permanent electrode implantation are being explored in an effort to improve on the present results.

  11. [Clinical significance of early percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with Braunwald III-B type unstable angina pectoris].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nozaki, Katsuhiro; Nakao, Koichi; Horiuchi, Kenji; Kasanuki, Hiroshi; Honda, Takashi

    2003-06-01

    To assess the efficacy of early invasive strategy for the treatment of Braunwald III-B type unstable angina pectoris. This study included 573 consecutive patients of whom 267 underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (312 lesions). The patients were divided into two groups, 95 treated with the early invasive strategy of coronary angiography within 24 hr of admission (Group PCI-I) and the remaining 172 treated with the early conservative strategy of coronary angiography 24 hr after admission (Group PCI-C). No significant differences were noted in the baseline characteristics of the two groups except for ST segment elevation on electrocardiography at presentation, which occurred significantly less frequently in Group PCI-C (36.8% vs 8.1%, p strategy for unstable angina pectoris were almost equivalent to those of the early conservative strategy, despite more frequent ST segmental elevation at admission in Group PCI-I. These findings suggest that the early invasive strategy for unstable angina pectoris may be acceptable even in the current Japanese clinical setting without the use of GP IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist, low molecular weight heparin or clopidogrel.

  12. On the persistence of unstable bump-on-tail electron velocity distributions in the earth's foreshock

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klimas, Alexander J.; Fitzenreiter, Richard J.

    1988-01-01

    This paper presents further evidence for the persistence of bump-on-tail unstable reduced velocity distributions in the earth's electron foreshock, which contradicts the understanding of quasi-linear saturation of the bump-on-tail instability. A modified theory for the saturation of the bump-on-tail instability in the earth's foreshock is proposed to explain the mechanism of this persistence, and the predictions are compared to the results of a numerical simulation of the electron plasma in the foreshock. The results support the thesis that quasi-linear saturation of the bump-on-tail instability is modified in the foreshock, due to the driven nature of the region, so that at saturation the stabilized velocity distribution still appears bump-on-tail unstable to linear plasma analysis.

  13. Correction of aggregative thrombocytes activity in patients with unstable angina by THz irradiation of nitrogen oxide occurrence at in vitro conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vyacheslav F. Kirichuk

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available There had been shown a normalizing effect of THz radiation of MEAS (molecular emission and absorption spectrum of 400 GHz nitrogen oxide occurrence on aggregation parameters of thrombocytes in patients with unstable angina at in vitro conditions. 180 patients with an unstable angina had been involved in to the research.

  14. Experimental Demonstration of the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam Recurrence in a Modulationally Unstable Optical Wave

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Simaeys, G.; Emplit, Ph.; Haelterman, M.

    2001-01-01

    Through a detailed spectral analysis of the propagation of square-shaped laser pulses in optical fibers, we provide the experimental demonstration of the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam recurrence phenomenon in modulationally unstable optical waves ruled by the nonlinear Schroedinger equation

  15. Convection due to an unstable density difference across a permeable membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puthenveettil, Baburaj A.; Arakeri, Jaywant H.

    We study natural convection driven by unstable concentration differences of sodium chloride (NaCl) across a horizontal permeable membrane at Rayleigh numbers (Ra) of 1010 to 1011 and Schmidt number (Sc)=600. A layer of brine lies over a layer of distilled water, separated by the membrane, in square-cross-section tanks. The membrane is permeable enough to allow a small flow across it at higher driving potentials. Based on the predominant mode of transport across the membrane, three regimes of convection, namely an advection regime, a diffusion regime and a combined regime, are identified. The near-membrane flow in all the regimes consists of sheet plumes formed from the unstable layers of fluid near the membrane. In the advection regime observed at higher concentration differences (Bb) show a common log-normal probability density function at all Ra. We propose a phenomenology which predicts /line{lambda}_b sqrt{Z_w Z_{V_i}}, where Zw and Z_{V_i} are, respectively, the near-wall length scales in Rayleighnard convection (RBC) and due to the advection velocity. In the combined regime, which occurs at intermediate values of C/2)4/3. At lower driving potentials, in the diffusion regime, the flux scaling is similar to that in turbulent RBC.

  16. Superluminal warp drives are semiclassically unstable

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Finazzi, S; Liberati, S [SISSA, via Beirut 2-4, Trieste 34151, Italy and INFN sezione di Trieste (Italy); Barcelo, C, E-mail: finazzi@sissa.i, E-mail: liberati@sissa.i, E-mail: carlos@iaa.e [Instituto de Astrofisica de AndalucIa, CSIC, Camino Bajo de Huetor 50, 18008 Granada (Spain)

    2010-04-01

    Warp drives are very interesting configurations of General Relativity: they provide a way to travel at superluminal speeds, albeit at the cost of requiring exotic matter to build them. Even if one succeeded in providing the necessary exotic matter, it would still be necessary to check whether they would survive to the switching on of quantum effects. Semiclassical corrections to warp-drive geometries created out of an initially flat spacetime have been analyzed in a previous work by the present authors in special locations, close to the wall of the bubble and in its center. Here, we present an exact numerical analysis of the renormalized stress-energy tensor (RSET) in the whole bubble. We find that the the RSET will exponentially grow in time close to the front wall of the superluminal bubble, after some transient terms have disappeared, hence strongly supporting our previous conclusion that the warp-drive geometries are unstable against semiclassical back-reaction. This result seems to implement the chronology protection conjecture, forbiddig the set up of a structure potentially dangerous for causality.

  17. Spectroscopic gamma camera for use in high dose environments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ueno, Yuichiro, E-mail: yuichiro.ueno.bv@hitachi.com [Research and Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki-ken 319-1221 (Japan); Takahashi, Isao; Ishitsu, Takafumi; Tadokoro, Takahiro; Okada, Koichi; Nagumo, Yasushi [Research and Development Group, Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki-ken 319-1221 (Japan); Fujishima, Yasutake; Kometani, Yutaka [Hitachi Works, Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd., Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki-ken (Japan); Suzuki, Yasuhiko [Measuring Systems Engineering Dept., Hitachi Aloka Medical, Ltd., Ome-shi, Tokyo (Japan); Umegaki, Kikuo [Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido (Japan)

    2016-06-21

    We developed a pinhole gamma camera to measure distributions of radioactive material contaminants and to identify radionuclides in extraordinarily high dose regions (1000 mSv/h). The developed gamma camera is characterized by: (1) tolerance for high dose rate environments; (2) high spatial and spectral resolution for identifying unknown contaminating sources; and (3) good usability for being carried on a robot and remotely controlled. These are achieved by using a compact pixelated detector module with CdTe semiconductors, efficient shielding, and a fine resolution pinhole collimator. The gamma camera weighs less than 100 kg, and its field of view is an 8 m square in the case of a distance of 10 m and its image is divided into 256 (16×16) pixels. From the laboratory test, we found the energy resolution at the 662 keV photopeak was 2.3% FWHM, which is enough to identify the radionuclides. We found that the count rate per background dose rate was 220 cps h/mSv and the maximum count rate was 300 kcps, so the maximum dose rate of the environment where the gamma camera can be operated was calculated as 1400 mSv/h. We investigated the reactor building of Unit 1 at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant using the gamma camera and could identify the unknown contaminating source in the dose rate environment that was as high as 659 mSv/h.

  18. Low frequency noise in the unstable contact region of Au-to-Au microcontact for microelectromechanical system switches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Haodong; Wang, Hong; Ke, Feixiang

    2014-06-01

    The noise behavior of Au-to-Au microcontact for microelectromechanical system switches has been experimentally studied in the unstable contact region. The results suggest that the electrical conduction remains nonmetallic at the initial stage during contact formation due to the existence of alien films, and traps in the alien layer located at the contact interface could play an important role in determining the conduction noise. The conduction fluctuation induced by electron trapping-detrapping associated with the hydrocarbon layer is found to be an intrinsic noise source contributing to the low frequency noise in the unstable contact region.

  19. Low frequency noise in the unstable contact region of Au-to-Au microcontact for microelectromechanical system switches

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qiu, Haodong; Wang, Hong, E-mail: ewanghong@ntu.edu.sg [NOVITAS, Nanoelectronics Centre of Excellence, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798 (Singapore); Ke, Feixiang [Temasek Laboratories at Nanyang Technological University, Research Techno Plaza, Singapore 637553 (Singapore)

    2014-06-23

    The noise behavior of Au-to-Au microcontact for microelectromechanical system switches has been experimentally studied in the unstable contact region. The results suggest that the electrical conduction remains nonmetallic at the initial stage during contact formation due to the existence of alien films, and traps in the alien layer located at the contact interface could play an important role in determining the conduction noise. The conduction fluctuation induced by electron trapping-detrapping associated with the hydrocarbon layer is found to be an intrinsic noise source contributing to the low frequency noise in the unstable contact region.

  20. Low frequency noise in the unstable contact region of Au-to-Au microcontact for microelectromechanical system switches

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiu, Haodong; Wang, Hong; Ke, Feixiang

    2014-01-01

    The noise behavior of Au-to-Au microcontact for microelectromechanical system switches has been experimentally studied in the unstable contact region. The results suggest that the electrical conduction remains nonmetallic at the initial stage during contact formation due to the existence of alien films, and traps in the alien layer located at the contact interface could play an important role in determining the conduction noise. The conduction fluctuation induced by electron trapping-detrapping associated with the hydrocarbon layer is found to be an intrinsic noise source contributing to the low frequency noise in the unstable contact region.

  1. Augmentation of proximal femoral nail in unstable trochanteric fractures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gadegone Wasudeo M.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Biomechanically proximal femoral nail (PFN is a better choice of implant, still it is associated with screw breakage, cut out of screw through femoral head, Z effect, reverse Z effect, and lateral migration of screws. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the results of augmented PFN in terms of prevention of postoperative complications and failure rates in unstable trochanteric fractures. Material and methods: We carried out a prospective study of 82 cases with unstable trochanteric femoral fractures from April 2010 to December 2015. Forty-two females and 40 males in the age group between 58 and 81 years were included in this study. There were 45 cases of AO 31 A2 (2.2, 2.3 and 37 cases of AO 31 A3 (3.1, 3.2, 3.3. Fractures were fixed by PFN with augmentation by an additional screw from trochanter to inferior quadrant of femoral head or cerclage wire to strengthen the lateral trochanteric wall. Results: The bone healing is observed in all the cases in the mean period of 14.2 weeks. Nine patients developed complications, including lateral migration of neck screws (n = 5, Z effect (n = 1, infection (n = 2, and breakage of distal interlocking bolt in one case. Removal of screws was required in five cases. Patients were followed up for a mean of 8.4 months. At the end of follow-up the Salvati and Wilson hip function was 32 (out of 40 in 88% of patients. Conclusion: The stabilization of lateral trochanteric wall with additional screw or cerclage wire increases the stability of construct.

  2. Angular Stable Miniplate Fixation of Chronic Unstable Scaphoid Nonunion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schormans, Philip M J; Brink, Peter R G; Poeze, Martijn; Hannemann, Pascal F W

    2018-02-01

    Background  Around 5 to 15% of all scaphoid fractures result in nonunion. Treatment of long-lasting scaphoid nonunion remains a challenge for the treating surgeon. Healing of scaphoid nonunion is essential for prevention of scaphoid nonunion advanced collapse and the subsequent predictable pattern of radiocarpal osteoarthritis. Purpose  The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of fixation of the scaphoid nonunion with a volar angular stable miniplate and cancellous bone grafting. We hypothesized that this technique could be successful, even in patients with previous surgery for nonunion and in patients with a long duration of nonunion. Patients and Methods  A total of 21 patients enrolled in a single-center prospective cohort study. Healing of nonunion was assessed on multiplanar computed tomography scan of the wrist at a 3-month interval. Functional outcome was assessed by measuring grip strength, range of motion, and by means of the patient-rated wrist and hand evaluation (PRWHE) questionnaire. Results  During follow-up, 19 out of 21 patients (90%) showed radiological healing of the nonunion. The range of motion did not improve significantly. Postoperative PRWHE scores decreased by 34 points. Healing occurred regardless of the length of time of the nonunion (range: 6-183 months) and regardless of previous surgery (38% of patients). Conclusion  Volar angular stable miniplate fixation with autologous cancellous bone grafting is a successful technique for the treatment of chronic unstable scaphoid nonunion, even in patients with long-lasting nonunion and in patients who underwent previous surgery for a scaphoid fracture. Rotational interfragmentary stability might be an important determining factor for the successful treatment of unstable scaphoid nonunion. Level of Evidence  Level IV.

  3. Pipeline modeling and assessment in unstable slopes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Caceres, Carlos Nieves [Oleoducto Central S.A., Bogota, Cundinamarca (Colombia); Ordonez, Mauricio Pereira [SOLSIN S.A.S, Bogota, Cundinamarca (Colombia)

    2010-07-01

    The OCENSA pipeline system is vulnerable to geotechnical problems such as faults, landslides or creeping slopes, which are well-known in the Andes Mountains and tropical countries like Colombia. This paper proposes a methodology to evaluate the pipe behaviour during the soil displacements of slow landslides. Three different cases of analysis are examined, according to site characteristics. The process starts with a simplified analytical model and develops into 3D finite element numerical simulations applied to the on-site geometry of soil and pipe. Case 1 should be used when the unstable site is subject to landslides impacting significant lengths of pipeline, pipeline is straight, and landslide is simple from the geotechnical perspective. Case 2 should be used when pipeline is straight and landslide is complex (creeping slopes and non-conventional stabilization solutions). Case 3 should be used if the pipeline presents vertical or horizontal bends.

  4. Modeling of supermodes in coupled unstable resonators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Townsend, S.S.

    1986-01-01

    A general formalism describing the supermodes of an array of N identical, circulantly coupled resonators is presented. The symmetry of the problem results in a reduction of the N coupled integral equations to N decoupled integral equations. Each independent integral equation defines a set of single-resonator modes derived for a hypothetical resonator whose geometry resembles a member of the real array with the exception that all coupling beams are replaced by feedback beams, each with a prescribed constant phase. A given array supermode consists of a single equivalent resonator mode appearing repetitively in each resonator with a prescribed relative phase between individual resonators. The specific array design chosen for example is that of N adjoint coupled confocal unstable resonators. The impact of coupling on the computer modeling of this system is discussed and computer results for the cases of two- and four-laser coupling are presented

  5. Kangaroo mother care for clinically unstable neonates weighing ≤2000 g: Is it feasible at a hospital in Uganda?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, Melissa C; Nambuya, Harriet; Waiswa, Peter; Tann, Cally; Elbourne, Diana; Seeley, Janet; Allen, Elizabeth; Lawn, Joy E

    2018-06-01

    Kangaroo mother care (KMC) for stable neonates ≤2000 g (g) is associated with decreased mortality, sepsis, hypothermia, and length of stay compared to conventional care. The World Health Organization states that KMC "should be initiated… as soon as newborns are clinically stable " [12]. However, the majority of deaths occur in unstable neonates. We aimed to determine the proportion of admitted neonates meeting proposed instability criteria, assess the feasibility of providing KMC to unstable neonates, and evaluate the acceptability of this intervention to parents and providers at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda. This was a mixed-methods study. We recorded data including birthweight, chronological age, and treatments administered from medical charts, and calculated the percentage of clinically unstable neonates, defined as the need for ≥2 medical therapies in the first 48 hours of admission. We enrolled a sample of neonates meeting pre-defined instability criteria. Mothers were counselled to provide KMC as close to continuously as possible. We calculated the median duration of KMC per episode and per day. To explore acceptability, we conducted semi-structured interviews with parents and newborn unit care providers, and analysed data using the thematic content approach. We included 254 neonates in the audit, 10 neonates in the feasibility sub-study, and 20 participants in the acceptability sub-study. Instability criteria were easily implementable, identifying 89% of neonates as unstable in the audit. The median duration of individual KMC episodes ranged from 115 to 134 minutes. The median daily duration ranged from 4.5 to 9.7 hours. Seventy-five percent of interviewees felt KMC could be used in neonates concurrently receiving other medical therapies. Barriers included lack of resources (beds/space, monitoring devices), privacy issues, inadequate education, and difficulties motivating mothers to devote time to KMC. Recommendations included staff

  6. The Relationship between High School Mathematics Classroom Environment and Student Self-Handicapping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorman, Jeffrey P.; Adams, Joan E.; Ferguson, Janet M.

    Classroom environment research investigating the relationship between classroom environment and self-handicapping was conducted in Australian, Canadian, and British high schools. A sample of 3,602 students from 29 schools responded to a questionnaire that assessed student perceptions of classroom environment, self-handicapping, and academic…

  7. Randomised, double-blind trial of intravenous diltiazem versus glyceryl trinitrate for unstable angina pectoris

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gobel, EJAM; Hautvast, RWM; vanGilst, WH; Spanjaard, JN; Hillege, HL; DeJongste, MJL; Molhoek, GP; Lie, KI

    1995-01-01

    The effect of dihydropyridines in patients with unstable angina is discouraging. To find out the effect of the non- dihydropyridine-like calcium-channel blocker diltiazem, a randomised, double-blind trial was conducted comparing diltiazem with glyceryl trinitrate. both given intravenously, in 129

  8. Development of atomic-beam resonance method to measure the nuclear moments of unstable nuclei

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sugimoto, T., E-mail: sugimoto@ribf.riken.jp [SPring-8 (Japan); Asahi, K. [Tokyo Institute of Technology, Department of Physics (Japan); Kawamura, H.; Murata, J. [Rikkyo University, Department of Physics (Japan); Nagae, D.; Shimada, K. [Tokyo Institute of Technology, Department of Physics (Japan); Ueno, H.; Yoshimi, A. [RIKEN Nishina Center (Japan)

    2008-01-15

    We have been working on the development of a new technique of atomic-beam resonance method to measure the nuclear moments of unstable nuclei. In the present study, an ion-guiding system to be used as an atomic-beam source have been developed.

  9. Response characteristics of vegetation and soil environment to permafrost degradation in the upstream regions of the Shule River Basin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Shengyun; Liu Wenjie; Qin Xiang; Liu Yushuo; Ren Jiawen; Qin Dahe; Zhang Tongzuo; Hu Fengzu; Chen Kelong

    2012-01-01

    Permafrost degradation exhibits striking and profound influences on the alpine ecosystem, and response characteristics of vegetation and soil environment to such degradation inevitably differ during the entire degraded periods. However, up to now, the related research is lacking in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP). For this reason, twenty ecological plots in the different types of permafrost zones were selected in the upstream regions of the Shule River Basin on the northeastern margin of the QTP. Vegetation characteristics (species diversity, community coverage and biomass etc) and topsoil environment (temperature (ST), water content (SW), mechanical composition (SMC), culturable microorganism (SCM), organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents and so on), as well as active layer thickness (ALT) were investigated in late July 2009 and 2010. A spatial–temporal shifts method (the spatial pattern that is represented by different types of permafrost shifting to the temporal series that stands for different stages of permafrost degradation) has been used to discuss response characteristics of vegetation and topsoil environment throughout the entire permafrost degradation. The results showed that (1) ST of 0–40 cm depth and ALT gradually increased from highly stable and stable permafrost (H-SP) to unstable permafrost (UP). SW increased initially and then decreased, and SOC content and the quantities of SCM at a depth of 0–20 cm first decreased and then increased, whereas TN content and SMC showed obscure trends throughout the stages of permafrost degradation with a stability decline from H-SP to extremely unstable permafrost (EUP); (2) further, species diversity, community coverage and biomass first increased and then decreased in the stages from H-SP to EUP; (3) in the alpine meadow ecosystem, SOC and TN contents increased initially and then decreased, soil sandy fractions gradually increased with stages of permafrost degradation from substable (SSP

  10. Robust Output Model Predictive Control of an Unstable Rijke Tube

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabian Jarmolowitz

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available This work investigates the active control of an unstable Rijke tube using robust output model predictive control (RMPC. As internal model a polytopic linear system with constraints is assumed to account for uncertainties. For guaranteed stability, a linear state feedback controller is designed using linear matrix inequalities and used within a feedback formulation of the model predictive controller. For state estimation a robust gain-scheduled observer is developed. It is shown that the proposed RMPC ensures robust stability under constraints over the considered operating range.

  11. A novel experimental scheme of electron scattering off unstable nuclei with a self-confining radioactive ion target (SCRIT)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wakasugi, Masanori

    2005-01-01

    We proposed a new experimental scheme of an electron scattering off unstable nuclei using a Self-Confining Radioactive Ion Target (SCRIT). The SCRIT is an unstable ion target formed in the electron storage ring, and is based on completely new idea. We constructed prototype of the SCRIT device and installed it in the electron storage ring KSR in Kyoto University. In the test experiment, 10 7 -Cs ions are confined in the SCRIT with the lifetime of about 2 s and the feasibility of the SCRIT as the target has been confirmed. (author)

  12. Adaptation in stochastic environments

    CERN Document Server

    Clark, Colib

    1993-01-01

    The classical theory of natural selection, as developed by Fisher, Haldane, and 'Wright, and their followers, is in a sense a statistical theory. By and large the classical theory assumes that the underlying environment in which evolution transpires is both constant and stable - the theory is in this sense deterministic. In reality, on the other hand, nature is almost always changing and unstable. We do not yet possess a complete theory of natural selection in stochastic environ­ ments. Perhaps it has been thought that such a theory is unimportant, or that it would be too difficult. Our own view is that the time is now ripe for the development of a probabilistic theory of natural selection. The present volume is an attempt to provide an elementary introduction to this probabilistic theory. Each author was asked to con­ tribute a simple, basic introduction to his or her specialty, including lively discussions and speculation. We hope that the book contributes further to the understanding of the roles of "Cha...

  13. Indicating the Attitudes of High School Students to Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozkan, Recep

    2013-01-01

    Within this work in which it has been aimed to indicate the attitudes of High School Students to environment, indication of the attitudes of high school students in Nigde has been regarded as the problem matter. This analysis has the qualification of survey model and techniques of questionnaire and observation have been used. The investigation has…

  14. NOvel Refractory Materials for High Alkali, High Temperature Environments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hemrick, J.G.; Griffin, R. (MINTEQ International, Inc.)

    2011-08-30

    Refractory materials can be limited in their application by many factors including chemical reactions between the service environment and the refractory material, mechanical degradation of the refractory material by the service environment, temperature limitations on the use of a particular refractory material, and the inability to install or repair the refractory material in a cost effective manner or while the vessel was in service. The objective of this project was to address the need for new innovative refractory compositions by developing a family of novel MgO-Al2O3 spinel or other similar magnesia/alumina containing unshaped refractory composition (castables, gunnables, shotcretes, etc) utilizing new aggregate materials, bond systems, protective coatings, and phase formation techniques (in-situ phase formation, altered conversion temperatures, accelerated reactions, etc). This family of refractory compositions would then be tailored for use in high-temperature, highalkaline industrial environments like those found in the aluminum, chemical, forest products, glass, and steel industries. A research team was formed to carry out the proposed work led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and was comprised of the academic institution Missouri University of Science and Technology (MS&T), and the industrial company MINTEQ International, Inc. (MINTEQ), along with representatives from the aluminum, chemical, glass, and forest products industries. The two goals of this project were to produce novel refractory compositions which will allow for improved energy efficiency and to develop new refractory application techniques which would improve the speed of installation. Also methods of hot installation were sought which would allow for hot repairs and on-line maintenance leading to reduced process downtimes and eliminating the need to cool and reheat process vessels.

  15. Analysis of unstable chromosome alterations frequency induced by neutron-gamma mixed field radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Souza, Priscilla L.G.; Brandao, Jose Odinilson de C.; Vale, Carlos H.F.P.; Santos, Joelan A.L.; Vilela, Eudice C.; Lima, Fabiana F. [Centro Regional de Ciencias Nucleares (CRCN-NE/CNEN-PE), Recife, PE (Brazil)], e-mail: psouza@cnen.gov.br, e-mail: jodinilson@cnen.gov.br; Calixto, Merilane S.; Santos, Neide [Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE (Brazil). Dept. de Genetica

    2009-07-01

    Nowadays monitoring chromosome alterations in peripheral blood lymphocytes have been used to access the radiation absorbed dose in individuals exposed accidental or occupationally to gamma radiation. However there are not many studies based on the effects of mixed field neutron-gamma. The radiobiology of neutrons has great importance because in nuclear factories worldwide there are several hundred thousand individuals monitored as potentially receiving doses of neutron. In this paper it was observed the frequencies of unstable chromosome alterations induced by a gamma-neutron mixed field. Blood was obtained from one healthy donor and exposed to mixed field neutron-gamma sources {sup 241}AmBe (20 Ci) at the Neutron Calibration Laboratory (NCL-CRCN/NE-PE-Brazil). The chromosomes were observed at metaphase, following colcemid accumulation and 1000 well-spread metaphases were analyzed for the presence of chromosome alterations by two experienced scorers. The results suggest that there is the possibility of a directly proportional relationship between absorbed dose of neutron-gamma mixed field radiation and the frequency of unstable chromosome alterations analyzed in this paper. (author)

  16. Minimally invasive surgical treatment for unstable fractures of the proximal phalanx: intramedullary screw

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcio Aurélio Aita

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical-functional parameters and quality of life of patients undergoing minimally invasive surgical treatment for extra-articular fractures of the proximal phalanx, using an intramedullary screw (Acutrak(r. METHODS: Between January 2011 and September 2014, a prospective study was conducted on 41 patients (48 fingers with unstable extra-articular fractures of the proximal phalanx, who underwent minimally invasive surgical treatment using an intramedullary screw (Acutrak(r. These patients were evaluated 12 months after the surgery by means of the DASH quality-of-life questionnaire, VAS pain scale, measurement of range of motion (ROM, in degrees and radiographic assessment. RESULTS: All the patients achieved adequate reduction and consolidation of their fractures. There were statistically significant improvements in quality of life on the DASH scale, pain on the VAS scale and range of motion. CONCLUSION: The minimally invasive technique for treating unstable extra-articular fractures of the proximal phalanx using an intramedullary screw (Acutrak(r is effective and safe, and it presents satisfactory clinical-functional results.

  17. Analysis of unstable chromosome alterations frequency induced by neutron-gamma mixed field radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souza, Priscilla L.G.; Brandao, Jose Odinilson de C.; Vale, Carlos H.F.P.; Santos, Joelan A.L.; Vilela, Eudice C.; Lima, Fabiana F.; Calixto, Merilane S.; Santos, Neide

    2009-01-01

    Nowadays monitoring chromosome alterations in peripheral blood lymphocytes have been used to access the radiation absorbed dose in individuals exposed accidental or occupationally to gamma radiation. However there are not many studies based on the effects of mixed field neutron-gamma. The radiobiology of neutrons has great importance because in nuclear factories worldwide there are several hundred thousand individuals monitored as potentially receiving doses of neutron. In this paper it was observed the frequencies of unstable chromosome alterations induced by a gamma-neutron mixed field. Blood was obtained from one healthy donor and exposed to mixed field neutron-gamma sources 241 AmBe (20 Ci) at the Neutron Calibration Laboratory (NCL-CRCN/NE-PE-Brazil). The chromosomes were observed at metaphase, following colcemid accumulation and 1000 well-spread metaphases were analyzed for the presence of chromosome alterations by two experienced scorers. The results suggest that there is the possibility of a directly proportional relationship between absorbed dose of neutron-gamma mixed field radiation and the frequency of unstable chromosome alterations analyzed in this paper. (author)

  18. Large Eddy Simulation of Unstably Stratified Turbulent Flow over Urban-Like Building Arrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bobin Wang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Thermal instability induced by solar radiation is the most common condition of urban atmosphere in daytime. Compared to researches under neutral conditions, only a few numerical works studied the unstable urban boundary layer and the effect of buoyancy force is unclear. In this paper, unstably stratified turbulent boundary layer flow over three-dimensional urban-like building arrays with ground heating is simulated. Large eddy simulation is applied to capture main turbulence structures and the effect of buoyancy force on turbulence can be investigated. Lagrangian dynamic subgrid scale model is used for complex flow together with a wall function, taking into account the large pressure gradient near buildings. The numerical model and method are verified with the results measured in wind tunnel experiment. The simulated results satisfy well with the experiment in mean velocity and temperature, as well as turbulent intensities. Mean flow structure inside canopy layer varies with thermal instability, while no large secondary vortex is observed. Turbulent intensities are enhanced, as buoyancy force contributes to the production of turbulent kinetic energy.

  19. Treatment for unstable pulmonary sequestration injury in patient with severe blunt trauma: A case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sakiko Hiraki

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Case: Pulmonary sequestration is a congenital malformation characterized by nonfunctioning tissue not communicating with the tracheobronchial tree. As the blood pressure in the artery feeding the sequestrated lung tissue is higher than that in the normal pulmonary artery, the risk of massive hemorrhage in pulmonary sequestration is high. We herein present the first case of a severe blunt trauma patient with unstable pulmonary sequestration injury. Outcome and conclusion: The mechanism of pulmonary sequestration injury is vastly different than that of injury to normal lung. We suggest that proximal feeding artery embolization should be performed before surgical intervention in patients with massive hemorrhage of pulmonary sequestration due to severe chest trauma. Keywords: Blunt trauma, Coil embolization, Massive hemorrhage, Pulmonary sequestration

  20. Optimisation and application of electrochemical techniques for high temperature aqueous environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bojinov, M.; Laitinen, B. T.; Maekelae, K.; Maekelae, M; Saario, T.; Sirkiae, P.; Beverskog, B.

    1999-01-01

    Different localised corrosion phenomena may pose a serious hazard to construction materials employed in high-temperature aqueous environments. The operating temperatures in electric power production have been increased to improve plant efficiencies. This has lead to the demand for new, further improved engineering materials. The applicability of these materials in the operating power plant environments largely depends on the existence of a protective surface oxide film. Extensive rupture of these films can lead to increased reaction of the underlying metal with environment. Therefore by modifying the composition of the base metal the properties of the surface oxides can be optimised to withstand the new operational environments of interest. To mitigate the risk of detrimental corrosion phenomena of structural materials, mechanistic understanding of the contributing processes is required. This calls for more experimental information and necessitates the development of new experimental techniques and procedures capable of operating in situ in high temperature aqueous environments. The low conductivity of the aqueous medium complicates electrochemical studies on construction and fuel cladding materials carried out in simulated LWR coolant conditions or in actual plant conditions, especially in typical BWR environments. To obtain useful information of reactions and transport processes occurring on and within oxide films on different materials, an electrochemical arrangement based on a thin-layer electrode (TLEC) concept was developed. In this presentation the main results are shown from work carried out to optimise further the geometry of the TLEC arrangement and to propose recommendations for how to use this arrangement in different low-conductivity environments. Results will be also given from the test in which the TLEC arrangement was equipped with a detector electrode. The detector electrode allows detecting soluble products and reaction intermediates at

  1. A framework for identifying plant species to be used as 'ecological engineers' for fixing soil on unstable slopes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghestem, Murielle; Cao, Kunfang; Ma, Wenzhang; Rowe, Nick; Leclerc, Raphaëlle; Gadenne, Clément; Stokes, Alexia

    2014-01-01

    Major reforestation programs have been initiated on hillsides prone to erosion and landslides in China, but no framework exists to guide managers in the choice of plant species. We developed such a framework based on the suitability of given plant traits for fixing soil on steep slopes in western Yunnan, China. We examined the utility of 55 native and exotic species with regard to the services they provided. We then chose nine species differing in life form. Plant root system architecture, root mechanical and physiological traits were then measured at two adjacent field sites. One site was highly unstable, with severe soil slippage and erosion. The second site had been replanted 8 years previously and appeared to be physically stable. How root traits differed between sites, season, depth in soil and distance from the plant stem were determined. Root system morphology was analysed by considering architectural traits (root angle, depth, diameter and volume) both up- and downslope. Significant differences between all factors were found, depending on species. We estimated the most useful architectural and mechanical traits for physically fixing soil in place. We then combined these results with those concerning root physiological traits, which were used as a proxy for root metabolic activity. Scores were assigned to each species based on traits. No one species possessed a suite of highly desirable traits, therefore mixtures of species should be used on vulnerable slopes. We also propose a conceptual model describing how to position plants on an unstable site, based on root system traits.

  2. A framework for identifying plant species to be used as 'ecological engineers' for fixing soil on unstable slopes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Murielle Ghestem

    Full Text Available Major reforestation programs have been initiated on hillsides prone to erosion and landslides in China, but no framework exists to guide managers in the choice of plant species. We developed such a framework based on the suitability of given plant traits for fixing soil on steep slopes in western Yunnan, China. We examined the utility of 55 native and exotic species with regard to the services they provided. We then chose nine species differing in life form. Plant root system architecture, root mechanical and physiological traits were then measured at two adjacent field sites. One site was highly unstable, with severe soil slippage and erosion. The second site had been replanted 8 years previously and appeared to be physically stable. How root traits differed between sites, season, depth in soil and distance from the plant stem were determined. Root system morphology was analysed by considering architectural traits (root angle, depth, diameter and volume both up- and downslope. Significant differences between all factors were found, depending on species. We estimated the most useful architectural and mechanical traits for physically fixing soil in place. We then combined these results with those concerning root physiological traits, which were used as a proxy for root metabolic activity. Scores were assigned to each species based on traits. No one species possessed a suite of highly desirable traits, therefore mixtures of species should be used on vulnerable slopes. We also propose a conceptual model describing how to position plants on an unstable site, based on root system traits.

  3. Non-Abelian magnetized blackholes and unstable attractors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mosaffa, A.E. [Institute for Studies in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics (IPM), PO Box 19395-5531, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)], E-mail: mosaffa@theory.ipm.ac.ir; Randjbar-Daemi, S. [The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Strada Costiera 11 34014, Trieste (Italy)], E-mail: seif@ictp.trieste.it; Sheikh-Jabbari, M.M. [Institute for Studies in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics (IPM), PO Box 19395-5531, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)], E-mail: jabbari@theory.ipm.ac.ir

    2008-01-21

    Fluctuations of non-Abelian gauge fields in a background magnetic charge contain 'tachyonic' modes which as we will show cause an instability of the background. We extend this result to the cases where the background charge (flux) is coupled to four-dimensional Einstein gravity and show that the corresponding spherically symmetric geometries, which in the absence of a cosmological constant are of the form of (colored) Reissner-Nordstroem blackholes or the AdS{sub 2}xS{sup 2}, are also unstable unless the flux assumes its smallest allowed value, in which case the configuration is stable. We discuss the relevance of these instabilities to several places in string theory including various string compactifications and the attractor mechanism. Our results for the latter imply that the attractor mechanism shown to work for the extremal Abelian charged blackholes, cannot be applied in a straightforward way to the extremal non-Abelian colored blackholes, with the exception of the minimally charged stable ones.

  4. A boundary integral approach to unstable solidification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strain, J.

    1989-01-01

    We consider the supercooled Stefan problem with a general anisotropic curvature- and velocity-dependent boundary condition on the moving interface. We present numerical methods, based on an integral equation formulation and including a new algorithm for moving curves with curvature-dependent velocity. These methods compute a periodic interface with O(Δt) accuracy, where Δt is the time step. Previous work has been limited to short time spans and achieved slightly less than O(Δt 1/2 ) accuracy. Accurate numerical results are seen to agree with the predictions of linear stability theory. This agreement has eluded previous authors, because their numerical methods suffered from grid effects and their linear stability theory was incorrect. We study the long-time evolution of an unstable interface. Our computations exhibit the beginnings of a sidebranching instability when the boundary condition includes anisotropy and tip-splitting in the isotropic case. copyright 1989 Academic Press, Inc

  5. Research of Medical Expenditure among Inpatients with Unstable Angina Pectoris in a Single Center

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suo-Wei Wu

    2017-01-01

    Conclusions: The classification of DRGs by adopting the type of surgery as the main branch node to develop cost control standards in inpatient treatment of unstable angina pectoris is conducive in standardizing the diagnosis and treatment behaviors of the hospital and reducing economic burdens among patients.

  6. [Bone surgery for unstable hips in patients with cerebral palsy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poul, J; Pesl, M; Pokorná, M

    2004-01-01

    The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the efficacy of femoral osteotomy alone with that of osteotomy combined with an acetabular procedure in patients with unstable hips due to spastic cerebral palsy. Sixty-one hip joints in 50 patients who had shown distinct subluxation or dislocation of the joint were operated on. Eleven patients underwent bilateral surgery. Before bone surgery, soft-tissue release involving both the flexors and adductors was performed on 19 hips. Femoral osteotomy alone was performed on 29 hip joints and combined femoral and pelvic osteotomy was carried out on 32 joints.Twelve resections of the proximal femur in seven patients were evaluated as a separate group. All treated hip joints were assessed by clinical and radiographic examination at a follow-up of more than 5 years. The skiagraphs taken in a strictly neutral position of the lower limbs before surgery and at the final examination were evaluated on the basis of Reimers's migration index and Wiberg's centre-edge angle. The locomotor abilities of each child were categorized according to the Vojta scoring system for locomotor development. The range of motion in the treated hip joint was assessed using the standard S. F. T. R. method. The results obtained were statistically analyzed by the Kruskal- Wallis, one-way ANOVA test. A comparison of the results of femoral osteotomy alone with those of combined femoral and pelvic osteotomy showed that the post-operative values of the migration index and centre-edge angle, as compared with the pre-operative ones, were statistically higher (pVojta rating system. There was no change in the range of motion in the treated hip joints after the operation. In 28, out of the 32 joints treated by combined femoral and pelvic osteotomy, Salter osteotomy was performed and it showed a high efficacy in providing hip joint stability. The main emphasis during surgery was placed on the maximum acetabular rotation laterally. Femoral osteotomy alone was less

  7. Dual action of high estradiol doses on MNU-induced prostate neoplasms in a rodent model with high serum testosterone: Protective effect and emergence of unstable epithelial microenvironment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonçalves, Bianca F; de Campos, Silvana G P; Góes, Rejane M; Scarano, Wellerson R; Taboga, Sebastião R; Vilamaior, Patricia S L

    2017-06-01

    Estrogens are critical players in prostate growth and disease. Estrogen therapy has been the standard treatment for advanced prostate cancer for several decades; however, it has currently been replaced by alternative anti-androgenic therapies. Additionally, studies of its action on prostate biology, resulting from an association between carcinogens and estrogen, at different stages of life are scarce or inconclusive about its protective and beneficial role on induced-carcinogenesis. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine whether estradiol exerts a protective and/or stimulatory role on N-methyl-N-nitrosurea-induced prostate neoplasms. We adopted a rodent model that has been used to study induced-prostate carcinogenesis: the Mongolian gerbil. We investigated the occurrence of neoplasms, karyometric patterns, androgen and estrogen receptors, basal cells, and global methylation status in ventral and dorsolateral prostate tissues. Histopathological analysis showed that estrogen was able to slow tumor growth in both lobes after prolonged treatment. However, a true neoplastic regression was observed only in the dorsolateral prostate. In addition to the protective effects against neoplastic progression, estrogen treatment resulted in an epithelium that exhibited features distinctive from a normal prostate, including increased androgen-insensitive basal cells, high androgens and estrogen receptor positivity, and changes in DNA methylation patterns. Estrogen was able to slow tumor growth, but the epithelium exhibited features distinct from a normal prostatic epithelium, and this unstable microenvironment could trigger lesion recurrence over time. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Coherent production on nuclei and measurements of total cross sections for unstable particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Czyz, W.; Zielinski, M.

    1980-01-01

    The Koelbig-Margolis Formula is fitted to some explicity nonperturbative models of diffractive production. It is shown that, in spite of the fact that the standard procedure of fitting the integrated cross sections may give acceptable fits, thus obtained ''cross sections of unstable particles'', grossly disagree with the ''true'' cross sections known exactly from the models. (author)

  9. On the Fate of Unstable Circumbinary Planets: Tatooine’s Close Encounters with a Death Star

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutherland, Adam P.; Fabrycky, Daniel C.

    2016-02-01

    Circumbinary planets whose orbits become unstable may be ejected, accreted, or even captured by one of the stars. We quantify the relative rates of these channels, for a binary of secondary star’s mass fraction 0.1 with an orbit of 1 AU. The most common outcome is ejection, which happens ∼80% of the time. If binary systems form circumbinary planets readily and sloppily, this process may fill the Milky Way with free-floating planets. A significant fraction of the time, ∼20%, the unstable planet strikes the primary or secondary. We tracked whether a Jupiter-like planet would undergo tidal stripping events during close passages, and find that these events are rarely strong enough to capture the planet, although this may be observable via free-floating planets that are heated or spun-up by this process.

  10. Robustness of unstable attractors in arbitrarily sized pulse-coupled networks with delay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broer, Henk; Efstathiou, Konstantinos; Subramanian, Easwar

    2008-01-01

    We consider arbitrarily large networks of pulse-coupled oscillators with non-zero delay where the coupling is given by the Mirollo–Strogatz function. We prove that such systems have unstable attractors (saddle periodic orbits whose stable set has non-empty interior) in an open parameter region for three or more oscillators. The evolution operator of the system can be discontinuous and we propose an improved model with continuous evolution operator

  11. Analysing the physics learning environment of visually impaired students in high schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toenders, Frank G. C.; de Putter-Smits, Lesley G. A.; Sanders, Wendy T. M.; den Brok, Perry

    2017-07-01

    Although visually impaired students attend regular high school, their enrolment in advanced science classes is dramatically low. In our research we evaluated the physics learning environment of a blind high school student in a regular Dutch high school. For visually impaired students to grasp physics concepts, time and additional materials to support the learning process are key. Time for teachers to develop teaching methods for such students is scarce. Suggestions for changes to the learning environment and of materials used are given.

  12. A Versatile Route to Unstable Diazo Compounds via Oxadiazolines and their Use in Aryl–Alkyl Cross‐Coupling Reactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greb, Andreas; Poh, Jian‐Siang; Greed, Stephanie; Battilocchio, Claudio; Pasau, Patrick; Blakemore, David C.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Coupling of readily available boronic acids and diazo compounds has emerged recently as a powerful metal‐free carbon–carbon bond forming method. However, the difficulty in forming the unstable diazo compound partner in a mild fashion has hitherto limited their general use and the scope of the transformation. Here, we report the application of oxadiazolines as precursors for the generation of an unstable family of diazo compounds using flow UV photolysis and their first use in divergent protodeboronative and oxidative C(sp2)−C(sp3) cross‐coupling processes, with excellent functional‐group tolerance. PMID:29088512

  13. High Fidelity Simulation of Littoral Environments: Applications and Coupling of Participating Models

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Allard, Richard

    2003-01-01

    The High Fidelity Simulation of Littoral Environments (HFSoLE) Challenge Project (C75) encompasses a suite of seven oceanographic models capable of exchanging information in a physically meaningful sense across the littoral environment...

  14. High-resolution spectroscopy of gases at elevated temperatures for industrial applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    measurements have to be done in a very aggressive and unstable in time hot gas environment which is realized, for example, in boilers, gasifires and engines. An optically based technique is beneficial because it is non-intrusive, accurate, fast and can be performed in situ for various extremely hard conditions....... The quality of the in situ gas composition measurements depends, among other things, on the quality of reference data (i.e. partial absorption spectra gases of interest) which are in general highly temperature dependent. Existing databases (e.g. HITRAN, HITEMP or CDSD) can normally be used for absorption...

  15. Advocacy for Child Wellness in High-Poverty Environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mullen, Carol A.

    2014-01-01

    Child wellness needs to be understood holistically so that children and youth from high-poverty environments can succeed in schooling and life. Teachers who foster advocacy in themselves are well equipped to teach students to take ownership of their own well-being. Such advocacy can enrich the classroom curriculum and mitigate the negative effects…

  16. Decreased soluble cell adhesion molecules after tirofiban infusion in patients with unstable angina pectoris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aliyev Emil

    2004-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Aim The inflammatory response, initiated by neutrophil and monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells, is important in the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndromes. Platelets play an important role in inflammatory process by interacting with monocytes and neutrophils. In this study, we investigated the effect of tirofiban on the levels of cell adhesion molecules (soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, sICAM-1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, sVCAM-1 in patients with unstable angina pectoris (AP. Methods Thirty-five patients with unstable AP (Group I, ten patients with stable AP (Group II and ten subjects who had angiographycally normal coronary arteries (Group III were included the study. Group I was divided into two subgroups for the specific treatment regimens: Group IA (n = 15 received tirofiban and Group IB (n = 20 did not. Blood samples for investigating the cell adhesion molecules were drawn at zero time (baseline; 0 h in all patients and at 72 h in Group I. Results The baseline levels of sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 were higher in Group I than in Groups II and III. They were higher in Group IA than in Group IB. However, the sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 levels decreased significantly in Group IA after tirofiban infusion. In contrast, these levels remained unchanged or were increased above the baseline value in Group IB at 72 h. Conclusion The levels of cell adhesion molecules in patients with unstable AP decreased significantly after tirofiban infusion. Inhibition of platelet function by specific glycoprotein IIb/IIIa antagonists may decrease platelet-mediated inflammation and the ischemic end-point.

  17. Model of the transverse modes of stable and unstable porro–prism resonators using symmetry considerations

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Burger, L

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available of this type of resonator. Further use of the model reveals the formation of more complex beam patterns, and the nature of these patterns is investigated. Also, the output of stable and unstable resonator modes is presented....

  18. Evaluation of S-type fiberglass composites for use in high-level radioactive waste environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parra, S.A.

    1996-01-01

    Two types of S-type fiberglass materials were evaluated for use in a high-level radioactive waste environment. The S-type fiberglass composites tested were in the form of tubes and were exposed to a simulated high-level radioactive waste environment consisting of corrosive chemicals, high gamma radiation, and elevated temperatures. The physical properties of the exposed and unexposed tube samples were compared to determine the effects of the simulated environment on the S-type fiberglass composites

  19. Rehabilitation of children at the inpatient stage after surgical treatment of unstable fractures of the thoracolumbar and lumbar spine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alla V. Ovechkina

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. The modern approach to the treatment of unstable fractures of the thoracolumbar and lumbar spine in children is surgical stabilization at the early stages after trauma by using metal structures that quickly restore vertical functionality to the patient and shorten the period of inpatient treatment. However, the issues related to restorative treatment have not been sufficiently addressed. Aim. To develop an algorithm for restorative treatment of children at the inpatient stage after surgical treatment of unstable uncomplicated fractures of the thoracolumbar and lumbar spine. Material and methods. Based on the results of treatment of 73 patients aged 9 to 17 years with unstable uncomplicated vertebral fractures, an algorithm of stage-by-stage rehabilitation by means of therapeutic gymnastics depending on the severity of the injury, method of surgical stabilization of the spine, physical condition of the child, and time passed after the operation was developed. Results and discussion. The use of differentiated groups of respiratory gymnastics and isometric and dynamic exercises for muscle groups restored vertical functionality to patients in 1–3 days after surgery, restored spine and motor functions, and shortened the duration of inpatient treatment to a range of 10–14 days. Conclusion. The developed algorithm for physical rehabilitation of children after surgical treatment of unstable injuries of the thoracic and lumbar spine by using metal structures at the inpatient stage contributed to the selection of the most rational and effective program of restorative treatment.

  20. Extension of the CPT theorem to non-Hermitian Hamiltonians and unstable states

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mannheim, Philip D., E-mail: philip.mannheim@uconn.edu

    2016-02-10

    We extend the CPT theorem to quantum field theories with non-Hermitian Hamiltonians and unstable states. Our derivation is a quite minimal one as it requires only the time-independent evolution of scalar products, invariance under complex Lorentz transformations, and a non-standard but nonetheless perfectly legitimate interpretation of charge conjugation as an antilinear operator. The first of these requirements does not force the Hamiltonian to be Hermitian. Rather, it forces its eigenvalues to either be real or to appear in complex conjugate pairs, forces the eigenvectors of such conjugate pairs to be conjugates of each other, and forces the Hamiltonian to admit of an antilinear symmetry. The latter two requirements then force this antilinear symmetry to be CPT, while forcing the Hamiltonian to be real rather than Hermitian. Our work justifies the use of the CPT theorem in establishing the equality of the lifetimes of unstable particles that are charge conjugates of each other. We show that the Euclidean time path integrals of a CPT-symmetric theory must always be real. In the quantum-mechanical limit the key results of the PT symmetry program of Bender and collaborators are recovered, with the C-operator of the PT symmetry program being identified with the linear component of the charge conjugation operator.

  1. The negative impact of living environment on intelligence quotient of primary school children in Baghdad City, Iraq: a cross-sectional study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghazi Hasanain

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Environmental factors play a very important role in the child development process, especially in a situation like that of Iraq. Thirteen years of economic sanctions followed by the 2003 war and 8 years of unstable security have affected the daily life of Iraqi families and children. The objective of this study was to assess the associations between living environment domains and child intelligence quotient (IQ score. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 529 children aged 7–8 years from five primary schools in Baghdad during September–October, 2011. The five schools represent people living a range of conditions, and include of both high and low socio-economic groups. Living environment was assessed by 13 questionnaire items, consists of three domains: physical safety , mental stress and public services. While IQ was assessed by Raven Colored progressive matrices. Results Among the participants, 22% were of low intelligence versus 77% of high intelligence and 19% lived in a poor environment. There were significant associations between the mental stress and service living environment domains and child IQ (p = 0.009 and p = 0.001, respectively. Conclusion In Iraq, child IQ was found to be associated with the mental stress and service domains of the living environment. This study findings will help authorities in their efforts to improve living environment.

  2. The negative impact of living environment on intelligence quotient of primary school children in Baghdad City, Iraq: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghazi, Hasanain Faisal; Isa, Zaleha Md; Aljunid, Syed; Shah, Shamsul Azhar; Tamil, Azmi Mohd; Abdalqader, Mohammed A

    2012-07-27

    Environmental factors play a very important role in the child development process, especially in a situation like that of Iraq. Thirteen years of economic sanctions followed by the 2003 war and 8 years of unstable security have affected the daily life of Iraqi families and children. The objective of this study was to assess the associations between living environment domains and child intelligence quotient (IQ) score. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 529 children aged 7-8 years from five primary schools in Baghdad during September-October, 2011. The five schools represent people living a range of conditions, and include of both high and low socio-economic groups. Living environment was assessed by 13 questionnaire items, consists of three domains: physical safety , mental stress and public services. While IQ was assessed by Raven Colored progressive matrices. Among the participants, 22% were of low intelligence versus 77% of high intelligence and 19% lived in a poor environment. There were significant associations between the mental stress and service living environment domains and child IQ (p = 0.009 and p = 0.001, respectively). In Iraq, child IQ was found to be associated with the mental stress and service domains of the living environment. This study findings will help authorities in their efforts to improve living environment.

  3. Astroglial Pentose Phosphate Pathway Rates in Response to High-Glucose Environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shinichi Takahashi

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available ROS (reactive oxygen species play an essential role in the pathophysiology of diabetes, stroke and neurodegenerative disorders. Hyperglycaemia associated with diabetes enhances ROS production and causes oxidative stress in vascular endothelial cells, but adverse effects of either acute or chronic high-glucose environments on brain parenchymal cells remain unclear. The PPP (pentose phosphate pathway and GSH participate in a major defence mechanism against ROS in brain, and we explored the role and regulation of the astroglial PPP in response to acute and chronic high-glucose environments. PPP activity was measured in cultured neurons and astroglia by determining the difference in rate of 14CO2 production from [1-14C]glucose and [6-14C]glucose. ROS production, mainly H2O2, and GSH were also assessed. Acutely elevated glucose concentrations in the culture media increased PPP activity and GSH level in astroglia, decreasing ROS production. Chronically elevated glucose environments also induced PPP activation. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that chronic high-glucose environments induced ER (endoplasmic reticulum stress (presumably through increased hexosamine biosynthetic pathway flux. Nuclear translocation of Nrf2 (nuclear factor-erythroid 2 p45 subunit-related factor 2, which regulates G6PDH (glyceraldehyde-6-phosphate dehydrogenase by enhancing transcription, was also observed in association with BiP (immunoglobulin heavy-chain-binding protein expression. Acute and chronic high-glucose environments activated the PPP in astroglia, preventing ROS elevation. Therefore a rapid decrease in glucose level seems to enhance ROS toxicity, perhaps contributing to neural damage when insulin levels given to diabetic patients are not properly calibrated and plasma glucose levels are not adequately maintained. These findings may also explain the lack of evidence for clinical benefits from strict glycaemic control during the acute phase of stroke.

  4. Astroglial pentose phosphate pathway rates in response to high-glucose environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Shinichi; Izawa, Yoshikane; Suzuki, Norihiro

    2012-01-01

    ROS (reactive oxygen species) play an essential role in the pathophysiology of diabetes, stroke and neurodegenerative disorders. Hyperglycaemia associated with diabetes enhances ROS production and causes oxidative stress in vascular endothelial cells, but adverse effects of either acute or chronic high-glucose environments on brain parenchymal cells remain unclear. The PPP (pentose phosphate pathway) and GSH participate in a major defence mechanism against ROS in brain, and we explored the role and regulation of the astroglial PPP in response to acute and chronic high-glucose environments. PPP activity was measured in cultured neurons and astroglia by determining the difference in rate of 14CO2 production from [1-14C]glucose and [6-14C]glucose. ROS production, mainly H2O2, and GSH were also assessed. Acutely elevated glucose concentrations in the culture media increased PPP activity and GSH level in astroglia, decreasing ROS production. Chronically elevated glucose environments also induced PPP activation. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that chronic high-glucose environments induced ER (endoplasmic reticulum) stress (presumably through increased hexosamine biosynthetic pathway flux). Nuclear translocation of Nrf2 (nuclear factor-erythroid 2 p45 subunit-related factor 2), which regulates G6PDH (glyceraldehyde-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) by enhancing transcription, was also observed in association with BiP (immunoglobulin heavy-chain-binding protein) expression. Acute and chronic high-glucose environments activated the PPP in astroglia, preventing ROS elevation. Therefore a rapid decrease in glucose level seems to enhance ROS toxicity, perhaps contributing to neural damage when insulin levels given to diabetic patients are not properly calibrated and plasma glucose levels are not adequately maintained. These findings may also explain the lack of evidence for clinical benefits from strict glycaemic control during the acute phase of stroke. PMID:22300409

  5. Unstable femoral neck fractures in children - A new treatment option

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pruthi K

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Background : Femoral neck fractures in children are an uncommon but difficult situation. The aim of our study was to evaluate clinical results of closed reduction internal fixation and primary valgus osteotomy fixed with a tension band wire loop in high angled pediatric femoral neck fractures. Methods : In a prospective nonrandomized study conducted at 2 centres, sixteen children and adolescents with a Pauwel type 2/3 fracture neck femur were taken as participants. The femoral neck fractures were stabilized using closed reduction and internal fixation (6.5 mm noncannulated screw and a primary valgus osteotomy fixed with a tension band wire loop preferably within 24-36 hours of injury. Patients were evaluated to determine complications, clinical and radiological outcome. Results : At a mean post operative follow up of 5 years, union was achieved in all cases. Three patients had AVN and one developed coxavara. Results were evaluated using IOWA hip scores. Thirteen patients had an excellent result while 3 patients had a good result. Conclusion : Use of this technique holds promise in treating these difficult unstable fractures. Although results from a larger series are still awaited yet the use of this technique can safely be extended to stable fractures also, to minimize the incidence of complications as nonunion and AVN.

  6. Nature of unstable insertional mutations and reversions at the cut locus of Drosophila melanogaster: Molecular mechanism for transpositional memory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mizrokhi, L.Yu.; Georgieva, S.G.; Obolenkova, L.A.; Priimyagi, A.F.; Gerasimova, T.I.; Il'in, Yu.V.

    1988-01-01

    A segment of the cut locus containing an mdg4 insertion as a result of ct MR and ct MRp10 mutations was cloned. Clones were obtained for the phenotypically different ct MR2 and ct MRpN10 mutants and for stable and unstable revertants. All mutations studied are associated with mdg4 insertion at an identical nucleotide sequence of the cut locus, the same site at which mdg4 is inserted at the ct 6 allele. The ct MRpN line differs from ct MR2 in that the mobile element jockey (3 kbp) is inserted in mdg4. Jockey is represented by about 1,000 copies per genome; it is homogeneous and lacks long terminal repeats (LTRs). In stable ct + reversions, mdg4 is completely excised. In unstable ct + reversions, in which there is a high degree of reverse directed transposition of mdg4 to the cut locus, an LTR of mdg4 is preserved at the site of the mutation. It is a sequence along which new copies of mdg4 or jockey-containing mdg4 are inserted into the genome. The authors discuss a molecular mechanism for transpositional memory involving homologous recombination of the remnant LTR and circular extrachromosomal copies of mdg4

  7. Beautiful Trees on Unstable Ground: Notes on the Data Problem in Lexicostatistics

    OpenAIRE

    Geisler , Hans; List , Johann-Mattis

    2010-01-01

    The manuscript was submitted in 2010, and is now still waiting for publication as:Geisler, H. and List, J.-M. (to appear in 201?): Beautiful trees on unstable ground: Notes on the dataproblem in lexicostatistics. In: Hettrich, Heinrich (ed.): Die Ausbreitung des Indogermanischen.Thesen aus Sprachwissenschaft, Archäologie und Genetik, Akten der Arbeitstagung derIndogermanischen Gesellschaft Würzburg, 24.-26. September 2009. Wiesbaden: Reichert.Please note that the content of this paper is outd...

  8. Influence of an unstable shoe on compensatory postural adjustments: An experimental evaluation

    OpenAIRE

    Andreia S. P. Sousa; Rui Macedo; Rubim Santos; João Manuel R. S. Tavares

    2010-01-01

    This study attempted to evaluate the influence of using an unstable shoe in muscle re-cruitment strategies and center of pressure (CoP) displacement after the application of an external perturba-tion. Fourteen healthy female subjects participated in this study. The electromyographic activity of medial ga-strocnemius, tibialis anterior, rectus femoris, biceps femoris, rectus abdominis and erector spinae muscles and the kinetic values to calculate the CoP were collected and analyzed after the a...

  9. Strategies for Proximal Femoral Nailing of Unstable Intertrochanteric Fractures: Lateral Decubitus Position or Traction Table.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonmez, Mesut Mehmet; Camur, Savas; Erturer, Erden; Ugurlar, Meric; Kara, Adnan; Ozturk, Irfan

    2017-03-01

    The aim of this prospective randomized study was to compare the traction table and lateral decubitus position techniques in the management of unstable intertrochanteric fractures. Eighty-two patients with unstable intertrochanteric fractures between 2011 and 2013 were included in this study. All patients were treated surgically with the Proximal Femoral Nail Antirotation implant (DePuy Synthes). Patients were randomized to undergo the procedure in the lateral decubitus position (42 patients) or with the use of a traction table (40 patients). Patients whose procedure was not performed entirely with a semi-invasive method or who required the use of additional fixation materials, such as cables, were excluded from the study. The groups were compared on the basis of the setup time, surgical time, fluoroscopic exposure time, tip-to-apex distance, collodiaphyseal angle, and modified Baumgaertner criteria for radiologic reduction. The setup time, surgical time, and fluoroscopic exposure time were lower and the differences were statistically significant in the lateral decubitus group compared with the traction table group. The collodiaphyseal angles were significantly different between the groups in favor of the lateral decubitus method. The tip-to-apex distance and the classification of reduction according to the modified Baumgaertner criteria did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference between the groups. The lateral decubitus position is used for most open procedures of the hip. We found that this position facilitates exposure for the surgical treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fractures and has advantages over the traction table in terms of set up time, surgical time and fluoroscopic exposure time.

  10. Transient effects in unstable ablation fronts and mixing layers in HEDP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clarisse, J-M; Gauthier, S; Dastugue, L; Vallet, A; Schneider, N

    2016-01-01

    We report results obtained for two elementary unstable flow configurations relevant to high energy density physics: the ablation front instability and the Rayleigh–Taylor -instability induced mixing layer. These two flows are characterized by a transience of their perturbation dynamics. In the ablative flow case, this perturbation dynamics transience takes the form of finite-durations of successive linear-perturbation evolution phases until reaching regimes of decaying oscillations. This behaviour is observed in various regimes: weakly or strongly accelerated ablation fronts, irradiation asymmetries or initial external-surface defects, and is a result of the mean-flow unsteadiness and stretching. In the case of the Rayleigh–Taylor-instability induced mixing layer, perturbation dynamics transience manifests itself through the extinction of turbulence and mixing as the flow reaches a stable state made of two stably stratified layers of pure fluids separated by an unstratified mixing layer. A second feature, also due to compressibility, takes the form of an intense acoustic wave production, mainly localized in the heavy fluid. Finally, we point out that a systematic short-term linear-perturbation dynamics analysis should be undertaken within the framework of non-normal stability theory. (paper)

  11. Persistence of unstable and stable chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes of cancer patients treated with radiotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Di Giorgio, M.; Vallerga, M.B.; Taja, M.R. [Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Sardi, M. [Hospital Italiano - Mevaterapia, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    2006-07-01

    Background: Radiation-induced DNA damage in human lymphocytes has equal probability of producing both stable or unstable chromosome aberrations (C.A.). Reports of its in vivo persistence show considerable variations. The quantification of unstable C.A. (dicentrics) in peripheral blood lymphocytes (P.B.L.) is the most reliable biological method for estimating whole-body doses of recent overexposures to ionizing radiation. Given that during the division of T cell precursors, proliferative death of cells containing dicentrics reduces the number of such lymphocytes in peripheral blood, dicentric methodology should be modified to account for past exposures. Micronuclei (M.N.) in cytokinesis-blocked human P.B.L. are well established bio markers for assessing radiation damage in vivo. However, persistence of radiation induced M.N. is limited. Unlike dicentrics and M.N., stable C.A. (translocations) identified at present by the FISH technique, seem to be an adequate indicator for the dosimetric evaluation of past exposures, since translocations are not selected against during mitotic division in the haematopoietic stem cells compartment. Nevertheless, for partial -body exposures with high dose there is some evidence that the decline with time of dicentrics causes some reduction in the yield of translocations. Purpose: To assess the persistence along time of dicentrics, M.N. and translocations in lymphocytes of cancer patients after radiotherapy in order to model changes in C.A. frequencies with partial-body exposures. Materials and methods: 22 cancer patients with different tumor sites, treated with radiotherapy, were evaluated through dicentric chromosome, M.N. and FISH techniques with a follow-up time of up to 90 months after the end of radiotherapy. Regression analysis were performed: 1) for dicentric and for M.N. frequencies in relation to time after the end of radiotherapy and total tumor dose; 2) for the percentage of uns table cells in relation to time after the end

  12. A Versatile Route to Unstable Diazo Compounds via Oxadiazolines and their Use in Aryl-Alkyl Cross-Coupling Reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greb, Andreas; Poh, Jian-Siang; Greed, Stephanie; Battilocchio, Claudio; Pasau, Patrick; Blakemore, David C; Ley, Steven V

    2017-12-22

    Coupling of readily available boronic acids and diazo compounds has emerged recently as a powerful metal-free carbon-carbon bond forming method. However, the difficulty in forming the unstable diazo compound partner in a mild fashion has hitherto limited their general use and the scope of the transformation. Here, we report the application of oxadiazolines as precursors for the generation of an unstable family of diazo compounds using flow UV photolysis and their first use in divergent protodeboronative and oxidative C(sp 2 )-C(sp 3 ) cross-coupling processes, with excellent functional-group tolerance. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Complex and unstable simple elbow dislocations: a review and quantitative analysis of individual patient data

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Haan, Jeroen; Schep, Niels; Tuinebreijer, Wim; den Hartog, Dennis

    2010-01-01

    The primary objective of this review of the literature with quantitative analysis of individual patient data was to identify the results of available treatments for complex elbow dislocations and unstable simple elbow dislocations. The secondary objective was to compare the results of patients with

  14. Comparing Potential Unstable Sites and Stable Sites on Revegetated Cut-Slopes of Mountainous Terrain in Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sung-Ho Kil

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available This study employs a diverse set of variables to explain slope stabilization on stable versus failure-prone revegetated cut-slopes in Korea. A field survey was conducted at potential unstable sites and stable sites using 23 variables. Through a non-parametric test of the field survey results, 15 variables were identified as primary determinants of slope failure. Of these variables, one described physical characteristics (elapsed year; four variables described vegetation properties (plant community, vegetation coverage rate, number of trees, and number of herbs; and 10 variables represented soil properties (porosity, soil hardness, water content, sand ratio and silt ratio of soil texture, tensile strength, permeability coefficient, soil depth, soil acidity, salt concentration, and organic matter. Slope angle, which was mainly considered in previous studies, of variables in physical characteristics was not statistically selected as one of the 15 variables because most of sites were located on steep slopes. The vegetation community, vegetation coverage, and number of trees influence slope stabilization. Vegetation coverage is highly correlated with other soil and vegetation variables, making it a major indicator of slope stabilization. All soil variables were related to slope failure such that subsequent slope failure was related to the method of slope revegetation rather than the environmental condition of the slope. Slope failure did not occur in revegetated slopes that matched the characteristics of the surrounding landscape and contained a large number of native trees. Most soil and vegetation variables showed differing values for whether a revegetated slope is potentially unstable or stable.

  15. Ambient vibrations of unstable rock slopes - insights from numerical modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burjanek, Jan; Kleinbrod, Ulrike; Fäh, Donat

    2017-04-01

    The recent events in Nepal (2015 M7.8 Gorkha) and New Zealand (2016 M7.8 Kaikoura) highlighted the importance of earthquake-induced landslides, which caused significant damages. Moreover, landslide created dams present a potential developing hazard. In order to reduce the costly consequences of such events it is important to detect and characterize earthquake susceptible rock slope instabilities before an event, and to take mitigation measures. For the characterisation of instable slopes, acquisition of ambient vibrations might be a new alternative to the already existing methods. We present both observations and 3D numerical simulations of the ambient vibrations of unstable slopes. In particular, models of representative real sites have been developed based on detailed terrain mapping and used for the comparison between synthetics and observations. A finite-difference code has been adopted for the seismic wave propagation in a 3D inhomogeneous visco-elastic media with irregular free surface. It utilizes a curvilinear grid for a precise modeling of curved topography and local mesh refinement to make computational mesh finer near the free surface. Topographic site effects, controlled merely by the shape of the topography, do not explain the observed seismic response. In contrast, steeply-dipping compliant fractures have been found to play a key role in fitting observations. Notably, the synthetized response is controlled by inertial mass of the unstable rock, and by stiffness, depth and network density of the fractures. The developed models fit observed extreme amplification levels (factors of 70!) and show directionality as well. This represents a possibility to characterize slope structure and infer depth or volume of the slope instability from the ambient noise recordings in the future.

  16. Closed string emission from unstable D-brane with background electric field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagami, Kenji

    2004-01-01

    We study the closed string emission from an unstable Dp-brane with constant background electric field in bosonic string theory. The average total number density and the average total energy density of emitted closed strings are explicitly calculated in the presence of electric field. It is explicitly shown that the energy density in the UV region becomes finite whenever the background electric field is switched on. The energy density converted into closed strings in the presence of electric field is negligibly small compared with the D-brane tension in the weak string coupling limit. (author)

  17. Unstable structure of ribosomal particles synthesized in. gamma. -irradiated Escherichia coli

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fujita, H; Morita, K [National Inst. of Radiological Sciences, Chiba (Japan)

    1975-06-01

    Stability of Escherichia coli ribosomes newly synthesized after ..gamma..-irradiation was compared with that of normal ribosomes. The ribosomal particles around 70-S synthesized in irradiated cells were more sensitive to digestion by pancreatic ribonuclease A. A larger number of the salt-unstable '50-S' precursor particles existed in the extract from irradiated cells than in the extract from unirradiated cells. These facts suggest that ribosomal particles, synthesized during an earlier stage in irradiated cells, maintain an incomplete structure even though they are not distinguishable from normal ribosomes by means of sucrose density-gradient centrifugation.

  18. FUNDAMENTALIZATION OF ICT LEARNING IN MODERN HIGH TECH ENVIRONMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. P. Shyshkina

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The article outlines the features of the process of fundamentalization of ICT learning, educational background to ensure it in high school. The concept of fundamental knowledge and its role in training of a specialist is described. The problems of access to qualitative education, particularly to electronic learning resources in modern high-tech environment are revealed. The role of computer mathematics as a tool of ICT learning fundamentalization is emphasized.

  19. Linear devices in combined high-level radiation environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    van Vonno, N.W.

    1987-01-01

    The design of precision analog integrated circuits for use in combined high-level radiation environments has traditionally been on a full-custom basis. The use of semicustom design methods has become prevalent in digital devices, with standard cell libraries and gate arrays readily available from multiple vendors. This paper addresses the application of semicustom design techniques to analog parts. In all cases the emphasis is on bipolar technology, since this provides an optimal combination of precision and radiation hardness. A mixed mode analog/digital (A/D) cell family for implementing semicustom designs is described, together with the fabrication process used. Specific processing and design methods are used to provide circuit hardness against neutron, total gamma dose, and transient gamma environments. Semicustom mixed analog/digital design is seen as an appropriate methodology for implementation of medium-performance mixed mode functions for radiation-hardened applications. This leads to trade-offs in process complexity and performance. Full custom design remains necessary for demanding applications such as high-speed A/D conversion and associated sample/hold functions. An A/D cell family optimized for hardness is described, together with the bipolar process used to implement it

  20. Unstable Periodic Orbit Analysis of Histograms of Chaotic Time Series

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zoldi, S.M.

    1998-01-01

    Using the Lorenz equations, we have investigated whether unstable periodic orbits (UPOs) associated with a strange attractor may predict the occurrence of the robust sharp peaks in histograms of some experimental chaotic time series. Histograms with sharp peaks occur for the Lorenz parameter value r=60.0 but not for r=28.0 , and the sharp peaks for r=60.0 do not correspond to a histogram derived from any single UPO. However, we show that histograms derived from the time series of a non-Axiom-A chaotic system can be accurately predicted by an escape-time weighting of UPO histograms. copyright 1998 The American Physical Society

  1. Role of platelet parameters and haematological indices in myocardial infarction and unstable angina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yaghoubi, A.; Golmohamadi, Z.; Alizadehasi, A.; Azarfarin, R.

    2013-01-01

    Objective: To explore the significance of platelet parameters, including mean platelet volume, platelet count and other haematological indices, in patients of acute coronary syndrome. Methods: In this one-year retrospective cross-sectional study in 2010, a total of 631 patients were enrolled at the Cardiovascular Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran, and classified into three groups: myocardial infarction, unstable angina, and Control. Cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia and hypertension status were compared. Blood samples were collected for the measurement of platelet count, mean platelet volume and other haematological indices, including prothrombin time, partial thromoplastin time, blood group and Rh, haematocrit, haemoglobin, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. SPSS 18 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Of the total, there were 210 (33.3%; 163 men, 47 women) with myocardial infarction whose mean age was 62.7+-14.2 years; 211 (33.3%; 110 men, 101 women) had unstable angina with a mean age of 63.5+-13.1 years and 210 (33.3%; 117 men, 90 women) health controls with a mean age of 60.6+-12.8 years. The mean platelet volume values of patients in the first two groups were significantly higher than the control group (10.14 +-1.05 fL, 9.82 +- 0.93 fL and 9.34+-1.14 fL, respectively; p< 0.001). The platelet count was detected to be significantly lower in the patients than the controls (207.92+-58.40*109/L, 220.18+-65.81*109/L, 238+-56.10*109/L, respectively, p<0.001). While blood cell count was significantly higher in those with myocardial infarction compared to the unstable angina patients and control group (P<0.001). Differences in mean values of mean platelet volume between the two patient groups was not significant, but mean values of platelet count was statistically significant between these two groups (p<0.04). Conclusion: Mean platelet volume and platelet count may be considered

  2. Effects of unstable shoes on chronic low back pain in health professionals: a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armand, Stéphane; Tavcar, Ziva; Turcot, Katia; Allet, Lara; Hoffmeyer, Pierre; Genevay, Stéphane

    2014-12-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of unstable shoes in reducing low back pain in health professionals. Of a volunteer sample of 144 participants, 40 with nonspecific chronic low back pain were eligible and enrolled in this study. Participants were randomized to an intervention group, who wore unstable shoes (model MBT Fora), or a control group, who wore conventional sports shoes (model Adidas Bigroar). The participants had to wear the study shoes during their work hours, and at least 6 hours per workday, over a period of 6 weeks. The primary outcome was low back pain assessed on a Visual Analog Scale. The secondary outcomes were patient satisfaction, disability evaluated using Roland-Morris questionnaire and quality of life evaluated using EQ-VAS. The intervention group showed a significant decrease in pain scores compared to the control group. The rate of satisfaction was higher in the intervention group (79%) compared to the control group (25%). There was no significant difference for the Roland-Morris disability questionnaire score and the EQ-VAS scale. The results of this clinical trial suggest that wearing unstable shoes for 6 weeks significantly decreases low back pain in patients suffering from chronic low back pain but had no significant effect on quality of life and disability scores. Copyright © 2014 Société française de rhumatologie. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

  3. Unstable magnetic moments in Ce compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aarts, J.

    1984-01-01

    The problems which are connected with the appearance or disappearance of local moments in metals are well reflected in the magnetic behaviour of Ce intermetallic compounds. This work describes experiments on two Ce compounds which are typical examples of unstable moment systems. The first of these is CeAl 2 which at low temperatures, shows coexistence of antiferromagnetic order and the Kondo effect. Measurements are presented of the magnetization and the susceptibility in different magnetic field and temperature regions. An analysis of these measurements, using a model for the crystal field effects, shows the agreement between the measurements and the calculations to be reasonably good for CeAl 2 , but this agreement becomes worse upon decreasing Ce concentration. A phenomenological description of the observations is given. The second compound reported on is CeCu 2 Si 2 , the first 'heavy-fermion' superconductor to be investigated. The superconducting state is possibly formed by the quasi-particles of a non-magnetic many body singlet state, and not simply by the (sd) conduction electrons. This being a novel phenomenon, a number of experiments were performed to test this picture and to obtain a detailed description of the behaviour of CeCu 2 Si 2 . Measurements of the Meissner volume, confirmed the superconductivity to be intrinsic. (Auth.)

  4. Development of an RFQ linac for unstable nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arai, S.; Imanishi, A.; Morimoto, T.; Shibuya, S.; Tojyo, E.; Tokuda, N.

    1990-05-01

    A split coaxial RFQ (SCRFQ) is being developed for accelerating unstable nuclei with a charge-to-mass ratio larger than 1/60 from 1 to 170 keV/u in the JHP heavy-ion linac. The SCRFQ is equipped with modulated vanes to generate ideal quadrupole and accelerating fields. The fundamental problems on the SCRFQ have been clarified and solved through studies on a cold model, and the excellent accelerating performance has been confirmed by using a proton accelerating model working at 50 MHz. A 25.5-MHz prototype for the JHP SCRFQ is now under development. The prototype, 2.1 m in length and 0.9 m in diameter, will accelerate ions with a charge-to-mass ratio larger than 1/30 from 1 to 45 keV/u. Low-power tests conducted so far show that the prototype cavity has good rf characteristics. (author)

  5. SRAM-Based Passive Dosimeter for High-Energy Accelerator Environments

    CERN Document Server

    Makowski, D R; Napieralski, A; Swiercz, B P

    2005-01-01

    This paper reports a novel NVRAM-based neutron dose monitor (REM counter). The principle of this device is based on the radiation effect initiating the Single Event Upset SEU in high density microelectronic memories. Several batches of Non-Volatile memories from different manufactures were examined in various radiation environments, i.e. 241Am-Be (alpha,n) and Linear accelerators produced radiation fields. A suitable moderator was used to enhance the detector sensitivity. Further experiments were carried out in Linear Accelerators: Linac II, TTF2 and Beam Loss Environment of various Experimental Facilities at DESY Research Centre in Hamburg. A separate batch of SRAM was irradiated with 60Co-gamma rays up to a dose of about 60 Gy. No Single Event Upset (SEU) was registered. This validates, that gamma radiation has a negligible effect to trigger SEU in the SRAM. The proposed detector could be ideal for a neutron dose measurement produced by a high-energy electron linac, including synchrotron and Free Electron L...

  6. High-dependency care: experiences of the psychosocial work environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Hanif Abdul; Naing, Lin; Abdul-Mumin, Khadizah

    2017-11-23

    to explore high-dependency care nurses' experiences of their psychosocial work environment. four focus groups were conducted with 23 emergency and critical care hospital nurses in Brunei. All sessions were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive-approach thematic analysis. three major themes were identified. 'Specialisation/specific skills' explained a fundamental requirement for the high-dependency care nurses to work effectively and efficiently in their workplace. 'Task completion' narrated the pressure they experienced to complete their tasks within time constraints exacerbated by a reduced number of staff. 'Acknowledgement' signified their need for fair and adequate reward for their hard work through career progression and promotion. this study facilitates the design of future interventions and policies that promote a healthy psychosocial work environment by ensuring nurses working in these areas have the required specialisation skills, there is a balance of workload and nurse-to-patient ratios, and they are offered fairness and equity in career progression and promotion.

  7. Turbulent transport of passive scalar behind line sources in an unstably stratified open channel flow

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Chun-Ho [The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon (Hong Kong). Department of Building and Real Estate; Leung, Dennis Y.C. [The University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong). Department of Mechanical Engineering

    2006-11-15

    This study employs a direct numerical simulation (DNS) technique to study the flow, turbulence structure, and passive scalar plume transport behind line sources in an unstably stratified open channel flow. The scalar transport behaviors for five emission heights (z{sub s}=0, 0.25H, 0.5H, 0.75H, and H, where H is the channel height) at a Reynolds number of 3000, a Prandtl number and a Schmidt number of 0.72, and a Richardson number of -0.2 are investigated. The vertically meandering mean plume heights and dispersion coefficients calculated by the current DNS model agree well with laboratory results and field measurements in literature. It is found that the plume meandering is due to the movement of the positive and negative vertical turbulent scalar fluxes above and below the mean plume heights, respectively. These findings help explaining the plume meandering mechanism in the unstably stratified atmospheric boundary layer. (author)

  8. Analysis of unstable DNA sequence in FRM1 gene in Polish families with fragile X syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Milewski, Michal; Bal, Jerzy; Obersztyn, Ewa; Bocian, Ewa; Mazurczak, Tadeusz; Zygulska, Marta; Horst, Juergen; Deelen, Wout H.; Halley, Dicky J.J.

    1996-01-01

    The unstable DNA sequence in the FMR1 gene was analyzed in 85 individuals from Polish families with fragile X syndrome in order to characterize mutations responsible for the disease in Poland. In all affected individuals classified on the basis of clinical features and expression of the fragile site at X(q27.3) a large expansion of the unstable sequence (full mutation) was detected. About 5% (2 of 43) of individuals with full mutation did not express the fragile site. Among normal alleles, ranging in size from 20 to 41 CGC repeats, allele with 29 repeats was the most frequent (37%). Transmission of premutated and fully mutated alleles to the offspring was always associated with size increase. No change in repeat number was found when normal alleles were transmitted. (author). 19 refs., 4 figs, 1 tab

  9. Towards an integrated approach for characterization of sinkhole hazards in urban environments: the unstable coastal site of Casalabate, Lecce, Italy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delle Rose, Marco; Leucci, Giovanni

    2010-01-01

    Sinkholes occur in many areas of the world, especially where carbonate rocks crop out. They are formed due to natural processes or caused by man's activities. In both cases, severe consequences have to be registered on the anthropogenic environment and related infrastructures. Knowledge of both the mechanism of the sinkhole formation and the localization of this subtle geohazard is therefore necessary for planners and decision makers to perform the most appropriate and suitable programs of land use and development. The Apulia region of southern Italy is characterized for most of its extension by carbonate rocks, which makes it one of the most remarkable examples of karst in the Mediterranean basin. The sinkhole formation in Apulia urban areas has recently produced severe damages, especially along its coastal planes, where different types of sinkholes occur. The detection of cavities, that could collapse and create a sinkhole, in an urban environment presents numerous difficulties (buried networks, reworked soils, etc). A methodology has been developed to respond to this need based on the integration of four complementary methods: geological analysis of outcrops and existing borehole descriptions, aerophotogrammetric interpretation of aerial photos, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and ground penetrating radar (GPR). The combination of these methods, applied to a test sector in the city of Casalabate, made it possible to locate the principal karstic conduits beneath the study area and identify a zone of high sinkhole geohazard associated with one such feature

  10. Treatment of unstable distal radius fractures with Ilizarov circular, nonbridging external fixator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyllianakis, Minos; Mylonas, Spyros; Saridis, Alkis; Kallivokas, Alkiviadis; Kouzelis, Antonis; Megas, Panagiotis

    2010-03-01

    Unstable distal radius fractures remain a challenge for the treating orthopaedic surgeon. We present a retrospective follow-up study (mean follow-up 12.5 months) of 20 patients with 21 unstable distal radius fractures that were reduced in a closed manner and stabilized with a nonbridging Ilizarov external fixator. Subsequent insertion of olive wires for interfragmentary compression was performed in cases with intra-articular fractures. According to the overall evaluation proposed by Gartland and Werley scoring system 12 wrists were classified as excellent, 6 as good, 2 as fair and 1 as poor. Grade II pin-tract infection in distal fracture fragment was detected in 3 wires from a total of 78 (3.8%) and in 4 half pins out of a total of 9 (44.4%). Pronation was the most frequently impaired movement. This was restricted in 4 patients (19%) in whom a radioulnar transfixing wire was applied. Symptoms of irritation of superficial sensory branch of the radial nerve occurred in 3 patients with an olive wire applied in a closed manner in the distal fragment. Ilizarov method yields functional results comparable to that of other methods whilst it avoids wrist immobilization, open reduction and reoperation for implant removal. The method is associated with a low rate of major complication and satisfactory functional outcome. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. The Impact of High-Rise Buildings on the Living Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giyasov Botir

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Urbanization as a socio-economic process manifested in the concentration of the population in modern big cities contributes to the development of high-rise building construction. With the development of education and culture, changing leisure habits, city residents put forward new architectural and functional requirements to the living environment and urban infrastructure. This calls for the creation of new types and forms of residential buildings, the structure of the city and transport networks. In addition, the need to develop high-rise building construction is justified by the growing demand for residential, public and administrative buildings and the lack of free space.The paper analyzes the development of high-rise building construction in urban areas. The problem of the impact of high-rise building construction in big cities on the living environment is considered. Using analytical methods, causes and sources of pollution, such as transport and engineering infrastructure have been identified. In some urban areas, there are zones with modified thermal conditions and air exchange resulting in the formation of the “urban heat island”The qualitative and quantitative characteristics of variations in temperature and wind speed with respect to the height of the building have been calculated, using the example of the Evolution Tower of the Moscow International Business Center (“Moscow City”. Calculation and comparative analysis for the cities of Moscow, Khanty-Mansiysk and Vladivostok has made it possible to assess the variation in temperature and wind speed and their impact on the living environment under different climatic conditions.

  12. The Impact of High-Rise Buildings on the Living Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giyasov, Botir; Giyasova, Irina

    2018-03-01

    Urbanization as a socio-economic process manifested in the concentration of the population in modern big cities contributes to the development of high-rise building construction. With the development of education and culture, changing leisure habits, city residents put forward new architectural and functional requirements to the living environment and urban infrastructure. This calls for the creation of new types and forms of residential buildings, the structure of the city and transport networks. In addition, the need to develop high-rise building construction is justified by the growing demand for residential, public and administrative buildings and the lack of free space.The paper analyzes the development of high-rise building construction in urban areas. The problem of the impact of high-rise building construction in big cities on the living environment is considered. Using analytical methods, causes and sources of pollution, such as transport and engineering infrastructure have been identified. In some urban areas, there are zones with modified thermal conditions and air exchange resulting in the formation of the "urban heat island"The qualitative and quantitative characteristics of variations in temperature and wind speed with respect to the height of the building have been calculated, using the example of the Evolution Tower of the Moscow International Business Center ("Moscow City"). Calculation and comparative analysis for the cities of Moscow, Khanty-Mansiysk and Vladivostok has made it possible to assess the variation in temperature and wind speed and their impact on the living environment under different climatic conditions.

  13. Serum potassium values in relation to the use of diuretics in patients with unstable angina pectoris

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Gilst, W. H.; Tijssen, J. G.; van Es, G. A.; Lubsen, J.

    1988-01-01

    Transient hypokalaemia may occur in acutely ill patients and is associated with an increased incidence of life-threatening arrhythmias. Therefore, we performed a retrospective analysis of the serum potassium values of 538 patients with unstable angina included in the Holland Interuniversity

  14. High voltage interactions of a sounding rocket with the ambient and system-generated environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuharski, R.A.; Jongeward, G.A.; Wilcox, K.G.; Rankin, T.V.; Roche, J.C.

    1990-01-01

    The high-power space systems will interact with their environment far more severely than the low-voltage, low-power space systems flown to date. As a minimum, these interactions will include ionization and bulk breakdown, plasma-induced surface flashover, oxygen erosion, meteor and debris damage, and radiation effects. The SPEAR program is addressing some of these issues through the development and testing of high-powered systems for the space environment. SPEAR III, the latest in the SPEAR program, is scheduled to fly in early 1991. It will test high-voltage designs in both ambient and system-generated environments. Two of the key questions that the experiment hopes to address are whether or not the Earth's magnetic field can cause the current that a high-voltage object draws from the plasma to be far less then the current that would be drawn in the absence of the magnetic field and under what neutral environment conditions a discharge from the high-voltage object to the plasma will occur. In this paper, the authors use EPSAT (the environment power system analysis tool) to baseline the design of SPEAR III. The authors' calculations indicate that the experiment will produce the conditions necessary to address these questions

  15. Quantum correlation of high dimensional system in a dephasing environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Yinghua; Ke, Qiang; Hu, Juju

    2018-05-01

    For a high dimensional spin-S system embedded in a dephasing environment, we theoretically analyze the time evolutions of quantum correlation and entanglement via Frobenius norm and negativity. The quantum correlation dynamics can be considered as a function of the decoherence parameters, including the ratio between the system oscillator frequency ω0 and the reservoir cutoff frequency ωc , and the different environment temperature. It is shown that the quantum correlation can not only measure nonclassical correlation of the considered system, but also perform a better robustness against the dissipation. In addition, the decoherence presents the non-Markovian features and the quantum correlation freeze phenomenon. The former is much weaker than that in the sub-Ohmic or Ohmic thermal reservoir environment.

  16. Silver-Catalyzed [2+1] Cyclopropenation of Alkynes with Unstable Diazoalkanes: N-Nosylhydrazones as Room-Temperature Decomposable Diazo Surrogates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhaohong; Li, Qiangqiang; Liao, Peiqiu; Bi, Xihe

    2017-04-06

    The [2+1] cycloaddition of alkynes with diazo compounds represents one of the most powerful and reliable methods for the construction of cyclopropenes. However, it remains a formidable challenge to accomplish the cyclopropenation of alkynes with non-stabilized diazoalkanes, owing to the fact that such compounds are unstable and prone to detonation. Herein, we report a general silver-catalyzed cyclopropenation reaction of alkynes with unstable diazoalkanes, by for the first time the discovery and application of N-nosylhydrazones as room-temperature decomposiable diazo surrogates. This method allows for the efficient assembly a wide variety of cyclopropene derivatives that are otherwise difficult to access by conventional methods. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Synchronizing movements with the metronome: nonlinear error correction and unstable periodic orbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engbert, Ralf; Krampe, Ralf Th; Kurths, Jürgen; Kliegl, Reinhold

    2002-02-01

    The control of human hand movements is investigated in a simple synchronization task. We propose and analyze a stochastic model based on nonlinear error correction; a mechanism which implies the existence of unstable periodic orbits. This prediction is tested in an experiment with human subjects. We find that our experimental data are in good agreement with numerical simulations of our theoretical model. These results suggest that feedback control of the human motor systems shows nonlinear behavior. Copyright 2001 Elsevier Science (USA).

  18. Decision making in high-velocity environments: implications for healthcare.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stepanovich, P L; Uhrig, J D

    1999-01-01

    Healthcare can be considered a high-velocity environment and, as such, can benefit from research conducted in other industries regarding strategic decision making. Strategic planning is not only relevant to firms in high-velocity environments, but is also important for high performance and survival. Specifically, decision-making speed seems to be instrumental in differentiating between high and low performers; fast decision makers outperform slow decision makers. This article outlines the differences between fast and slow decision makers, identifies five paralyses that can slow decision making in healthcare, and outlines the role of a planning department in circumventing these paralyses. Executives can use the proposed planning structure to improve both the speed and quality of strategic decisions. The structure uses planning facilitators to avoid the following five paralyses: 1. Analysis. Decision makers can no longer afford the luxury of lengthy, detailed analysis but must develop real-time systems that provide appropriate, timely information. 2. Alternatives. Many alternatives (beyond the traditional two or three) need to be considered and the alternatives must be evaluated simultaneously. 3. Group Think. Decision makers must avoid limited mind-sets and autocratic leadership styles by seeking out independent, knowledgeable counselors. 4. Process. Decision makers need to resolve conflicts through "consensus with qualification," as opposed to waiting for everyone to come on board. 5. Separation. Successful implementation requires a structured process that cuts across disciplines and levels.

  19. The development of Micromegas for high particle-flux environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giomataris, Y.; Mangeot, Ph.; Rebourgeard, Ph.; Robert, J.P.

    1996-01-01

    Detectors able to operate in high rate environments, with particle flux beyond 10 14 particles/mm 2 /s, are needed for future high energy physics projects and medical radiography. A new promising technique called Micromegas has been proposed. It consists of a 2-stage parallel-plate avalanche chamber of small amplification gap (100 μm) combined with a conversion-drift space. In this paper we present results obtained with such a detector and we see that the detector combines most of the qualities required for high-rate position-sensitive particle detection, particularly it shows excellent spatial and energy resolutions. (author)

  20. Construction of an Unstable Ring-X Chromosome Bearing the Autosomal Dopa Decarboxylase Gene in Drosophila melanogaster and Analysis of Ddc Mosaics

    OpenAIRE

    Gailey, Donald A.; Bordne, Deborah L.; Vallés, Ana Maria; Hall, Jeffrey C.; White, Kalpana

    1987-01-01

    An unstable Ring-X chromosome, Ddc+- Ring-X carrying a cloned Dopa decarboxylase (Ddc) encoding segment was constructed. The construction involved a double recombination event between the unstable Ring-X, R(1)wvC and a Rod-X chromosome which contained a P-element mediated Ddc + insert. The resulting Ddc+-Ring-X chromosome behaves similarly to the parent chromosome with respect to somatic instability. The Ddc+-Ring-X chromosome was used to generate Ddc mosaics. Analyses of Ddc mosaics reveal...

  1. High-resolution polypeptide structure and dynamics in anisotropic environments: The gramicidin channel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cross, T.A.; Lee, K.C.; Ketchem, R.R.; Hu, W.; Lazo, N.D.; Huo, S. [Florida State Univ., Tallahassee, FL (United States)

    1994-12-01

    To understand the details of macromolecular function, high-resolution structural and dynamic detail is essential. The polypeptide fold of the gramicidin channel has been effectively modeled for the past 20 years, yet the functional changes in conductance and channel lifetime associated with amino acid substitutions cannot be predicted. To accomplish this goal, high-resolution electrostatic modeling and the precise orientation of all dipoles are required. Furthermore, an enhanced knowledge of the complex molecular environment of this membrane-bound peptide is needed. An aqueous environment is relatively uniform and achiral. The membrane environment is very heterogenous and chiral. A knowledge of the interactions, specific and nonspecific, between peptide and lipid will aid in developing a better understanding of this environment. To accomplish this goal, it is necessary to study the peptide in an extended lipid bilayer, rather than in a vesicular or micellar form. These latter environments are likely to possess increased dynamics, increased water penetration, and distorted interactions between the polypeptide and membrane surface. To perform NMR studies on bilayer bound peptides, solid state NMR methods are required, and for specific site information, isotopic labels are incorporated using solid phase peptide synthesis.

  2. Effects of core strength training using stable versus unstable surfaces on physical fitness in adolescents: a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Granacher, Urs; Schellbach, Jörg; Klein, Katja; Prieske, Olaf; Baeyens, Jean-Pierre; Muehlbauer, Thomas

    2014-01-01

    It has been demonstrated that core strength training is an effective means to enhance trunk muscle strength (TMS) and proxies of physical fitness in youth. Of note, cross-sectional studies revealed that the inclusion of unstable elements in core strengthening exercises produced increases in trunk muscle activity and thus provide potential extra training stimuli for performance enhancement. Thus, utilizing unstable surfaces during core strength training may even produce larger performance gains. However, the effects of core strength training using unstable surfaces are unresolved in youth. This randomized controlled study specifically investigated the effects of core strength training performed on stable surfaces (CSTS) compared to unstable surfaces (CSTU) on physical fitness in school-aged children. Twenty-seven (14 girls, 13 boys) healthy subjects (mean age: 14 ± 1 years, age range: 13-15 years) were randomly assigned to a CSTS (n = 13) or a CSTU (n = 14) group. Both training programs lasted 6 weeks (2 sessions/week) and included frontal, dorsal, and lateral core exercises. During CSTU, these exercises were conducted on unstable surfaces (e.g., TOGU© DYNAIR CUSSIONS, THERA-BAND© STABILITY TRAINER). Significant main effects of Time (pre vs. post) were observed for the TMS tests (8-22%, f = 0.47-0.76), the jumping sideways test (4-5%, f = 1.07), and the Y balance test (2-3%, f = 0.46-0.49). Trends towards significance were found for the standing long jump test (1-3%, f = 0.39) and the stand-and-reach test (0-2%, f = 0.39). We could not detect any significant main effects of Group. Significant Time x Group interactions were detected for the stand-and-reach test in favour of the CSTU group (2%, f = 0.54). Core strength training resulted in significant increases in proxies of physical fitness in adolescents. However, CSTU as compared to CSTS had only limited additional effects (i.e., stand-and-reach test). Consequently, if the

  3. The development of advanced robotics technology in high radiation environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Yong Bum; Cho, Jaiwan; Lee, Nam Ho; Choi, Young Soo; Park, Soon Yong; Lee, Jong Min; Park, Jin Suk; Kim, Seung Ho; Kim, Byung Soo; Moon, Byung Soo

    1997-07-01

    In the tele-operation technology using tele-presence in high radiation environment, stereo vision target tracking by centroid method, vergence control of stereo camera by moving vector method, stereo observing system by correlation method, horizontal moving axis stereo camera, and 3 dimensional information acquisition by stereo image is developed. Also, gesture image acquisition by computer vision and construction of virtual environment for remote work in nuclear power plant. In the development of intelligent control and monitoring technology for tele-robot in hazardous environment, the characteristics and principle of robot operation. And, robot end-effector tracking algorithm by centroid method and neural network method are developed for the observation and survey in hazardous environment. 3-dimensional information acquisition algorithm by structured light is developed. In the development of radiation hardened sensor technology, radiation-hardened camera module is designed and tested. And radiation characteristics of electric components is robot system is evaluated. Also 2-dimensional radiation monitoring system is developed. These advanced critical robot technology and telepresence techniques developed in this project can be applied to nozzle-dam installation /removal robot system, can be used to realize unmanned remotelization of nozzle-dam installation / removal task in steam generator of nuclear power plant, which can be contributed for people involved in extremely hazardous high radioactivity area to eliminate their exposure to radiation, enhance their task safety, and raise their working efficiency. (author). 75 refs., 21 tabs., 15 figs.

  4. The development of advanced robotics technology in high radiation environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Yong Bum; Cho, Jaiwan; Lee, Nam Ho; Choi, Young Soo; Park, Soon Yong; Lee, Jong Min; Park, Jin Suk; Kim, Seung Ho; Kim, Byung Soo; Moon, Byung Soo.

    1997-07-01

    In the tele-operation technology using tele-presence in high radiation environment, stereo vision target tracking by centroid method, vergence control of stereo camera by moving vector method, stereo observing system by correlation method, horizontal moving axis stereo camera, and 3 dimensional information acquisition by stereo image is developed. Also, gesture image acquisition by computer vision and construction of virtual environment for remote work in nuclear power plant. In the development of intelligent control and monitoring technology for tele-robot in hazardous environment, the characteristics and principle of robot operation. And, robot end-effector tracking algorithm by centroid method and neural network method are developed for the observation and survey in hazardous environment. 3-dimensional information acquisition algorithm by structured light is developed. In the development of radiation hardened sensor technology, radiation-hardened camera module is designed and tested. And radiation characteristics of electric components is robot system is evaluated. Also 2-dimensional radiation monitoring system is developed. These advanced critical robot technology and telepresence techniques developed in this project can be applied to nozzle-dam installation /removal robot system, can be used to realize unmanned remotelization of nozzle-dam installation / removal task in steam generator of nuclear power plant, which can be contributed for people involved in extremely hazardous high radioactivity area to eliminate their exposure to radiation, enhance their task safety, and raise their working efficiency. (author). 75 refs., 21 tabs., 15 figs

  5. The fate of high redshift massive compact galaxies in dense environments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaufmann, Tobias; /Zurich, ETH; Mayer, Lucio; /Zurich U.; Carollo, Marcella; /Zurich, ETH; Feldmann, Robert; /Fermilab /Chicago U., KICP

    2012-01-01

    Massive compact galaxies seem to be more common at high redshift than in the local universe, especially in denser environments. To investigate the fate of such massive galaxies identified at z {approx} 2 we analyse the evolution of their properties in three cosmological hydrodynamical simulations that form virialized galaxy groups of mass {approx} 10{sup 13} M{sub {circle_dot}} hosting a central massive elliptical/S0 galaxy by redshift zero. We find that at redshift {approx} 2 the population of galaxies with M{sub *} > 2 x 10{sup 10} M{sub {circle_dot}} is diverse in terms of mass, velocity dispersion, star formation and effective radius, containing both very compact and relatively extended objects. In each simulation all the compact satellite galaxies have merged into the central galaxy by redshift 0 (with the exception of one simulation where one of such satellite galaxy survives). Satellites of similar mass at z = 0 are all less compact than their high redshift counterparts. They form later than the galaxies in the z = 2 sample and enter the group potential at z < 1, when dynamical friction times are longer than the Hubble time. Also, by z = 0 the central galaxies have increased substantially their characteristic radius via a combination of in situ star formation and mergers. Hence in a group environment descendants of compact galaxies either evolve towards larger sizes or they disappear before the present time as a result of the environment in which they evolve. Since the group-sized halos that we consider are representative of dense environments in the {Lambda}CDM cosmology, we conclude that the majority of high redshift compact massive galaxies do not survive until today as a result of the environment.

  6. Treatment of unstable trochanteric fractures. Randomised comparison of the gamma nail and the proximal femoral nail.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schipper, I.B.; Steyerberg, E.W.; Castelein, R.M.; Heijden, F.H. van der; Hoed, P.T. den; Kerver, A.J.; Vugt, A.B. van

    2004-01-01

    The proximal femoral nail (PFN) is a recently introduced intramedullary system, designed to improve treatment of unstable trochanteric fractures of the hip. In a multicentre prospective clinical study, the intra-operative use, complications and outcome of treatment using the PFN (n = 211) were

  7. A study of unstable slopes in permafrost areas : Alaskan case studies used as a training tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-01

    This report is the companion to the PowerPoint presentation for the project A Study of Unstable Slopes in Permafrost: Alaskan Case Studies Used as a Training Tool. The objectives of this study are 1) to provide a comprehensive review of literat...

  8. Applicability of Pulse Pressure Variation during Unstable Hemodynamic Events in the Intensive Care Unit: A Five-Day Prospective Multicenter Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bertrand Delannoy

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Pulse pressure variation can predict fluid responsiveness in strict applicability conditions. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical applicability of pulse pressure variation during episodes of patient hemodynamic instability in the intensive care unit. We conducted a five-day, seven-center prospective study that included patients presenting with an unstable hemodynamic event. The six predefined inclusion criteria for pulse pressure variation applicability were as follows: mechanical ventilation, tidal volume >7 mL/kg, sinus rhythm, no spontaneous breath, heart rate/respiratory rate ratio >3.6, absence of right ventricular dysfunction, or severe valvulopathy. Seventy-three patients presented at least one unstable hemodynamic event, with a total of 163 unstable hemodynamic events. The six predefined criteria for the applicability of pulse pressure variation were completely present in only 7% of these. This data indicates that PPV should only be used alongside a strong understanding of the relevant physiology and applicability criteria. Although these exclusion criteria appear to be profound, they likely represent an absolute contraindication of use for only a minority of critical care patients.

  9. Evaluation of the contamination by stable and unstable isotopes in the coastal zones associated to hydrographic basins of Costa Rica

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loria Meneses, Luis Guillermo; Lizano Rodriguez, Omar G.; Salazar Matarrita, Alfonso; Jimenez Dam, Ricardo

    2003-01-01

    The degree of contamination by the stable and unstable isotopes concentration in sediments of beaches of Costa Rica is evaluated. It establishes relations between the trace elements in sediments from beaches not associated to hydrographic basins and associated sediments to basins. The totality of sediments coming of beaches were analyzed by the technique of gamma spectroscopy and x-rays spectroscopy. It was determined that the beaches associated to bays and gulfs present greater concentrations as for the presence of radioactive isotopes. In addition, the existing concentrations for unstable isotopes present low values in the zones of open sea; whereas the values of radiation background in beaches and gulfs allow, to future, to detect if is presenting anthropogenic contamination of origin in that type of isotopes or could be a greater presence of these. The obtained results show that the values of radiation of background in beaches were unknown, as well as the unstable isotopes concentration. Also was found the presence of Cs 137, which comes normally from nuclear blasts. The work already includes two published documents [es

  10. Retrospective dosimetry using Japanese brick quartz: A way forward despite an unstable fast decaying OSL signal

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fujita, Hiroki; Jain, Mayank; Murray, A.S.

    2011-01-01

    signals has been carried out towards identification of common source traps. It is observed that OSL from Japanese brick quartz shows unusual luminescence characteristics; in particular, the initial fast decaying OSL signal contains a dominant (>90%) thermally unstable component related to the 85 °C TL...... peak, which necessitates a prior heat treatment. A single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol is developed and tested using thermal treatments intended to isolate a stable dosimetric signal. A minimum detection limit of 65 mGy is then estimated using this protocol. Following irradiation using 60Co...... of Japanese brick quartz examined here can be used to derive precise estimates of accident dose, and, possibly to distinguish between sources of gamma radiation in a nuclear accident. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the existence of an unstable fast decaying OSL signal in quartz derived from...

  11. Unstable propagation of a Gaussian laser beam in a plasma waveguide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feit, M.D.; Maiden, D.E.

    1976-01-01

    Laser heating of long magnetically confined plasma columns to fusion temperatures requires propagation of a trapped laser beam over considerable distances. The present paper employs the parabolic approximation to the wave equation to analyze the propagation of a Gaussian beam through a plasma with a parabolic transverse density profile. Although propagation is stable in the axially uniform case, exhibiting alternate focusing and defocusing of the beam, it is unstable to small axial perturbations of certain wavelengths. In particular, an exponentially growing beam radius results from perturbations at wavelengths near that associated with the alternate focusing and defocusing mentioned above

  12. High-Precision Direct Mass Determination of Unstable Isotopes

    CERN Multimedia

    2002-01-01

    The extension of systematic high-precision measurements of the nuclear mass to nuclei far from the valley of $\\beta$ stability is of great interest in nuclear physics and astrophysics. The mass, or binding energy, is a fundamental gross property and a key input parameter for nuclear matter calculations. It is also a sensitive probe for collective and single-particle effects in nuclear structure. \\\\ \\\\ For such purposes, nuclear masses need to be known to an accuracy of about 10$^{-7}$ (i.e. $\\Delta$M~$\\leq$~10~keV for A~=~100). To resolve a particular mass from its nuclear isomers and isobars, resolving power of 10$^6$ are often required. To achieve this, the ions delivered by the on-line mass separator ISOLDE are confined in a Penning quadrupole trap. This trap is placed in the very homogeneous and stable magnetic field of a superconducting magnet. Here, the cyclotron frequency and hence the mass are determined. \\\\ \\\\ The first measurements using this new technique have been completed for a long chain of Cs ...

  13. Organizing vertical layout environments: a forward-looking development strategy for high-rise building projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magay, A. A.; Bulgakova, E. A.; Zabelina, S. A.

    2018-03-01

    The article highlights issues surrounding development of high rise buildings. With the rapid increase of the global population there has been a trend for people to migrate into megacities and has caused the expansion of big city territories. This trend, coupled with the desire for a comfortable living environment, has resulted in numerous problems plaguing the megacity. This article proposes that a viable solution to the problems facing megacities is to create vertical layout environments. Potential options for creating vertical layout environments are set out below including the construction of buildings with atriums. Further, the article puts forth suggested spatial organization of the environment as well as optimal landscaping of high-rise buildings and constructions for the creation of vertical layout environments. Finally, the persuasive reasons for the adoption of vertical layout environments is that it will decrease the amount of developed urban areas, decrease traffic and increase environmental sustainability.

  14. Fatigue Crack Propagation Behavior of RC Beams Strengthened with CFRP under High Temperature and High Humidity Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dongyang Li

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Numerical and experimental methods were applied to investigate fatigue crack propagation behavior of reinforced concrete (RC beams strengthened with a new type carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP named as carbon fiber laminate (CFL subjected to hot-wet environment. J-integral of a central crack in the strengthened beam under three-point bending load was calculated by ABAQUS. In finite element model, simulation of CFL-concrete interface was based on the bilinear cohesive zone model under hot-wet environment and indoor atmosphere. And, then, fatigue crack propagation tests were carried out under high temperature and high humidity (50°C, 95% R · H environment pretreatment and indoor atmosphere (23°C, 78% R · H to obtain a-N curves and crack propagation rate, da/dN, of the strengthened beams. Paris-Erdogan formula was developed based on the numerical analysis and environmental fatigue tests.

  15. Some new fatigue tests in high temperature water and liquid sodium environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hattori, Takahiro; Yamauchi, Takayoshi; Kanasaki, Hiroshi; Kondo, Yoshiyuki; Endo, Tadayoshi.

    1987-01-01

    To evaluate the fatigue strength of structural materials for PWR or FBR plants, fatigue test data must be obtained in an environment of simulated primary and secondary water for PWR or of high temperature liquid sodium for FBR. Generally, such tests make it necessary to prepare expensive facilities, so when large amount of fatigue data are required, it is necessary to rationalize and simplify the fatigue tests while maintaining high accuracy. At the Takasago Research Development Center, efforts to rationalize facilities and maintain accuracy in fatigue tests have been made by developing new test methods and improving conventional techniques. This paper introduces a new method of low cycle fatigue test in high temperature water, techniques for automatic measurement of crack initiation and propagation in high temperature water environment and a multiple type fatigue testing machine for high temperature liquid sodium. (author)

  16. The role of imaging in the choice of correct treatment of unstable thoraco-lumbar fractures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valentini, Maria Consuelo; Busch, Rolf; Ferraris, Maria Maddalena; Venturi, Fabrizio

    2006-01-01

    The concept of unstable burst fracture has been discussed since over 50 years and this injury has received much attention in the literature as regards its radiological diagnosis and clinical treatment. The purpose of this article is to review the way we use imaging to diagnose the injury and to guide treatment

  17. The effect of topography on the evolution of unstable disturbances in a baroclinic atmosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, J. H. E.

    1985-01-01

    A two layer spectral quasi-geostrophic model is used to simulate the effects of topography on the equilibria, their stability, and the long term evolution of incipient unstable waves. The flow is forced by latitudinally dependent radiative heating. Dissipation is in the form of Rayleigh friction. An analytical solution is found for the propagating finite amplitude waves which result from baroclinic instability of the zonal winds when topography is absent. The appearance of this solution for wavelengths just longer than the Rossby radius of deformation and disappearance of ultra-long wavelengths is interpreted in terms of the Hopf bifurcation theory. Simple dynamic and thermodynamic criteria for the existence of periodic Rossby solutions are presented. A Floquet stability analysis shows that the waves are neutral. The nature of the form drag instability of high index equilibria is investigated. The proximity of the equilibrium shear to a resonant value is essential for the instability, provided the equilibrium occurs at a slightly stronger shear than resonance.

  18. The evaluation of B-type Natriuretic Peptide and Troponin I in acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nafija Serdarevic

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The diagnostic utility of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP has prompted interest in its use as an aid in the detection of early heart failure and assessment of diseases. The first objective of this study was measurement of BNP and troponin I (TnI blood levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI and unstable angina. The second objective of this study was to find a correlation between TnI and BNP in blood.Methods: The concentrations of BNP and TnI in 150 blood levels were determined using CMIA (chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay Architect and 2000 (Abbott diagnostics. The retrospective study included 100 patients who were hospitalized at the Department of Internal Medicine of the University Clinical Center Sarajevo and 50 healthy control. The reference blood range of BNP is 0-100 pg/mL and TnI is 0.00-0.4 ng/mL.Results: In the patients with AMI the mean value of BNP is 764.48 ± 639.52 pg/mL and TnI is 2.50 ± 2.28ng/mL. The patients with unstable angina have BNP 287.18 ± 593.20 pg/mL and TnI 0.10 ± 0.23 ng/mL. Our studies have shown that the correlation between BNP and TnI was statistically significant for p< 0.05 using Student t test with correlation coefficient r = 0.36. Conclusions: BNP and TnI levels can help to identify the patients with a high risk for cardiovascular diseases.

  19. Crowd behaviour during high-stress evacuations in an immersive virtual environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kapadia, Mubbasir; Thrash, Tyler; Sumner, Robert W.; Gross, Markus; Helbing, Dirk; Hölscher, Christoph

    2016-01-01

    Understanding the collective dynamics of crowd movements during stressful emergency situations is central to reducing the risk of deadly crowd disasters. Yet, their systematic experimental study remains a challenging open problem due to ethical and methodological constraints. In this paper, we demonstrate the viability of shared three-dimensional virtual environments as an experimental platform for conducting crowd experiments with real people. In particular, we show that crowds of real human subjects moving and interacting in an immersive three-dimensional virtual environment exhibit typical patterns of real crowds as observed in real-life crowded situations. These include the manifestation of social conventions and the emergence of self-organized patterns during egress scenarios. High-stress evacuation experiments conducted in this virtual environment reveal movements characterized by mass herding and dangerous overcrowding as they occur in crowd disasters. We describe the behavioural mechanisms at play under such extreme conditions and identify critical zones where overcrowding may occur. Furthermore, we show that herding spontaneously emerges from a density effect without the need to assume an increase of the individual tendency to imitate peers. Our experiments reveal the promise of immersive virtual environments as an ethical, cost-efficient, yet accurate platform for exploring crowd behaviour in high-risk situations with real human subjects. PMID:27605166

  20. Crowd behaviour during high-stress evacuations in an immersive virtual environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moussaïd, Mehdi; Kapadia, Mubbasir; Thrash, Tyler; Sumner, Robert W; Gross, Markus; Helbing, Dirk; Hölscher, Christoph

    2016-09-01

    Understanding the collective dynamics of crowd movements during stressful emergency situations is central to reducing the risk of deadly crowd disasters. Yet, their systematic experimental study remains a challenging open problem due to ethical and methodological constraints. In this paper, we demonstrate the viability of shared three-dimensional virtual environments as an experimental platform for conducting crowd experiments with real people. In particular, we show that crowds of real human subjects moving and interacting in an immersive three-dimensional virtual environment exhibit typical patterns of real crowds as observed in real-life crowded situations. These include the manifestation of social conventions and the emergence of self-organized patterns during egress scenarios. High-stress evacuation experiments conducted in this virtual environment reveal movements characterized by mass herding and dangerous overcrowding as they occur in crowd disasters. We describe the behavioural mechanisms at play under such extreme conditions and identify critical zones where overcrowding may occur. Furthermore, we show that herding spontaneously emerges from a density effect without the need to assume an increase of the individual tendency to imitate peers. Our experiments reveal the promise of immersive virtual environments as an ethical, cost-efficient, yet accurate platform for exploring crowd behaviour in high-risk situations with real human subjects. © 2016 The Authors.

  1. Analysing the physics learning environment of visually impaired students in high schools

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Toenders, F.G.C.; de Putter - Smits, L.G.A.; Sanders, W.T.M.; den Brok, P.J.

    2017-01-01

    Although visually impaired students attend regular high school, their enrolment in advanced science classes is dramatically low. In our research we evaluated the physics learning environment of a blind high school student in a regular Dutch high school. For visually impaired students to grasp

  2. STABLE AND UNSTABLE REGIMES OF MASS ACCRETION ONTO RW AUR A

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takami, Michihiro; Wei, Yu-Jie; Chou, Mei-Yin; Karr, Jennifer L.; Liu, Hauyu Baobab [Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, 11F of Astronomy-Mathematics Building, AS/NTU, No.1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 10617, Taiwan, R.O.C. (China); Beck, Tracy L. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Manset, Nadine [Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope, 65-1238 Mamalahoa Hwy., Kamuela, HI 96743 (United States); Chen, Wen-Ping [Institute of Astronomy, National Central University, Taiwan 320, Taiwan (China); Kurosawa, Ryuichi [Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn (Germany); Fukagawa, Misato [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); White, Marc [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Cotter Rd., Weston, ACT 2611 (Australia); Galván-Madrid, Roberto [Centro de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, UNAM, Apdo. Postal 3-72 (Xangari), 58089 Morelia, Michoacán, México (Mexico); Pyo, Tae-Soo [Subaru Telescope, 650 North Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Donati, Jean-Francois, E-mail: hiro@asiaa.snica.edu.tw [UPS-Toulouse/CNRS-INSU, Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Plańetologie (IRAP) UMR 5277, Toulouse F-31400 (France)

    2016-04-01

    We present monitoring observations of the active T Tauri star RW Aur, from 2010 October to 2015 January, using optical high-resolution (R ≥ 10,000) spectroscopy with Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope/ESPaDOnS. Optical photometry in the literature shows bright, stable fluxes over most of this period, with lower fluxes (by 2–3 mag) in 2010 and 2014. In the bright period our spectra show clear photospheric absorption, complicated variation in the Ca ii λ8542 emission profile shapes, and a large variation in redshifted absorption in the O i λλ7772 and 8446 and He i λ5876 lines, suggesting unstable mass accretion during this period. In contrast, these line profiles are relatively uniform during the faint periods, suggesting stable mass accretion. During the faint periods, the photospheric absorption lines are absent or marginal, and the averaged Li i profile shows redshifted absorption due to an inflow. We discuss (1) occultation by circumstellar material or a companion and (2) changes in the activity of mass accretion to explain the above results, together with near-infrared and X-ray observations from 2011 to 2015. Neither scenario can simply explain all the observed trends, and more theoretical work is needed to further investigate their feasibilities.

  3. Unstable mixed convective transport in groundwater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schincariol, R.A.; Schwartz, F.W.

    1990-01-01

    This study is an experimental investigation of variable density groundwater flow in homogeneous and lenticular porous media. A solution of 500 mg/l Rhodamine WT dye served as the carrier for various concentrations of solute (NaCl) introduced into a two-dimensional flow tank at concentrations ranging from 1000 to 100,000 mg/l. At the scale of the experiments, mass transport depends upon both forced and free convection. In addition, density differences as low as 0.008 g/cm 3 (1000 mg/l NaCl) between a plume of dense water and ambient groundwater in homogeneous medium produces gravitational instabilities at realistic groundwater velocities. These instabilities are manifest by lobe-shaped protuberances that formed first along the bottom edge of the plume and later within the plume. As the density difference increases to 0.0015 g/cm 3 (2000 mg/l NaCl), 0.0037 g/cm 3 (5000 mg/l NaCl) or higher, this unstable mixing due to convective dispersion significantly alters the spreading process, resulting in a large degree of vertical spreading of the plume. In a lenticular medium the combination of convective dispersion and nonuniform flow due to heterogeneities results in relatively large dispersion. Scale considerations indicate that convective dispersion may provide an important component of mixing at the field scale. (Author) (30 refs., 12 figs., 3 tabs.)

  4. Search for Unstable Heavy and Excited Leptons in $e^+ e^-$ Collisions at $\\sqrt{s}$ = 170-172 GeV

    CERN Document Server

    Ackerstaff, K; Allison, J; Altekamp, N; Anderson, K J; Anderson, S; Arcelli, S; Asai, S; Axen, D A; Azuelos, Georges; Ball, A H; Barberio, E; Barlow, R J; Bartoldus, R; Batley, J Richard; Baumann, S; Bechtluft, J; Beeston, C; Behnke, T; Bell, A N; Bell, K W; Bella, G; Bentvelsen, Stanislaus Cornelius Maria; Bethke, Siegfried; Biebel, O; Biguzzi, A; Bird, S D; Blobel, Volker; Bloodworth, Ian J; Bloomer, J E; Bobinski, M; Bock, P; Bonacorsi, D; Boutemeur, M; Bouwens, B T; Braibant, S; Brigliadori, L; Brown, R M; Burckhart, Helfried J; Burgard, C; Bürgin, R; Capiluppi, P; Carnegie, R K; Carter, A A; Carter, J R; Chang, C Y; Charlton, D G; Chrisman, D; Clarke, P E L; Cohen, I; Conboy, J E; Cooke, O C; Cuffiani, M; Dado, S; Dallapiccola, C; Dallavalle, G M; Davis, R; De Jong, S; del Pozo, L A; Desch, Klaus; Dienes, B; Dixit, M S; do Couto e Silva, E; Doucet, M; Duchovni, E; Duckeck, G; Duerdoth, I P; Eatough, D; Edwards, J E G; Estabrooks, P G; Evans, H G; Evans, M; Fabbri, Franco Luigi; Fanti, M; Faust, A A; Fiedler, F; Fierro, M; Fischer, H M; Fleck, I; Folman, R; Fong, D G; Foucher, M; Fürtjes, A; Futyan, D I; Gagnon, P; Gary, J W; Gascon, J; Gascon-Shotkin, S M; Geddes, N I; Geich-Gimbel, C; Geralis, T; Giacomelli, G; Giacomelli, P; Giacomelli, R; Gibson, V; Gibson, W R; Gingrich, D M; Glenzinski, D A; Goldberg, J; Goodrick, M J; Gorn, W; Grandi, C; Gross, E; Grunhaus, Jacob; Gruwé, M; Hajdu, C; Hanson, G G; Hansroul, M; Hapke, M; Hargrove, C K; Hart, P A; Hartmann, C; Hauschild, M; Hawkes, C M; Hawkings, R; Hemingway, Richard J; Herndon, M; Herten, G; Heuer, R D; Hildreth, M D; Hill, J C; Hillier, S J; Hobson, P R; Homer, R James; Honma, A K; Horváth, D; Hossain, K R; Howard, R; Hüntemeyer, P; Hutchcroft, D E; Igo-Kemenes, P; Imrie, D C; Ingram, M R; Ishii, K; Jawahery, A; Jeffreys, P W; Jeremie, H; Jimack, Martin Paul; Joly, A; Jones, C R; Jones, G; Jones, M; Jost, U; Jovanovic, P; Junk, T R; Karlen, D A; Kartvelishvili, V G; Kawagoe, K; Kawamoto, T; Kayal, P I; Keeler, Richard K; Kellogg, R G; Kennedy, B W; Kirk, J; Klier, A; Kluth, S; Kobayashi, T; Kobel, M; Koetke, D S; Kokott, T P; Kolrep, M; Komamiya, S; Kress, T; Krieger, P; Von Krogh, J; Kyberd, P; Lafferty, G D; Lahmann, R; Lai, W P; Lanske, D; Lauber, J; Lautenschlager, S R; Layter, J G; Lazic, D; Lee, A M; Lefebvre, E; Lellouch, Daniel; Letts, J; Levinson, L; Lloyd, S L; Loebinger, F K; Long, G D; Losty, Michael J; Ludwig, J; Macchiolo, A; MacPherson, A L; Mannelli, M; Marcellini, S; Markus, C; Martin, A J; Martin, J P; Martínez, G; Mashimo, T; Mättig, P; McDonald, W J; McKenna, J A; McKigney, E A; McMahon, T J; McPherson, R A; Meijers, F; Menke, S; Merritt, F S; Mes, H; Meyer, J; Michelini, Aldo; Mikenberg, G; Miller, D J; Mincer, A; Mir, R; Mohr, W; Montanari, A; Mori, T; Morii, M; Müller, U; Mihara, S; Nagai, K; Nakamura, I; Neal, H A; Nellen, B; Nisius, R; O'Neale, S W; Oakham, F G; Odorici, F; Ögren, H O; Oh, A; Oldershaw, N J; Oreglia, M J; Orito, S; Pálinkás, J; Pásztor, G; Pater, J R; Patrick, G N; Patt, J; Pearce, M J; Pérez-Ochoa, R; Petzold, S; Pfeifenschneider, P; Pilcher, J E; Pinfold, J L; Plane, D E; Poffenberger, P R; Poli, B; Posthaus, A; Rees, D L; Rigby, D; Robertson, S; Robins, S A; Rodning, N L; Roney, J M; Rooke, A M; Ros, E; Rossi, A M; Routenburg, P; Rozen, Y; Runge, K; Runólfsson, O; Ruppel, U; Rust, D R; Rylko, R; Sachs, K; Saeki, T; Sarkisyan-Grinbaum, E; Sbarra, C; Schaile, A D; Schaile, O; Scharf, F; Scharff-Hansen, P; Schenk, P; Schieck, J; Schleper, P; Schmitt, B; Schmitt, S; Schöning, A; Schröder, M; Schultz-Coulon, H C; Schumacher, M; Schwick, C; Scott, W G; Shears, T G; Shen, B C; Shepherd-Themistocleous, C H; Sherwood, P; Siroli, G P; Sittler, A; Skillman, A; Skuja, A; Smith, A M; Snow, G A; Sobie, Randall J; Söldner-Rembold, S; Springer, R W; Sproston, M; Stephens, K; Steuerer, J; Stockhausen, B; Stoll, K; Strom, D; Szymanski, P; Tafirout, R; Talbot, S D; Tanaka, S; Taras, P; Tarem, S; Teuscher, R; Thiergen, M; Thomson, M A; Von Törne, E; Towers, S; Trigger, I; Trócsányi, Z L; Tsur, E; Turcot, A S; Turner-Watson, M F; Utzat, P; Van Kooten, R; Verzocchi, M; Vikas, P; Vokurka, E H; Voss, H; Wäckerle, F; Wagner, A; Ward, C P; Ward, D R; Watkins, P M; Watson, A T; Watson, N K; Wells, P S; Wermes, N; White, J S; Wilkens, B; Wilson, G W; Wilson, J A; Wolf, G; Wyatt, T R; Yamashita, S; Yekutieli, G; Zacek, V; Zer-Zion, D

    1998-01-01

    We have searched for unstable neutral and charged heavy leptons, N and L^+/-, and for excited states of neutral and charged leptons, nu*, e*, mu* and tau*, in e^+e^- collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 170 and 172 GeV using the OPAL detector at LEP. No evidence for their existence was found. From the analysis of charged-current decays of pair-produced unstable heavy leptons, and of charged-current and photonic decays of pair-produced excited leptons, lower limits on their masses are derived. From the analysis of charged-current and photonic decays of singly-produced excited leptons, upper limits on the ratio of the coupling to the compositeness scale, f/Lambda, are determined for masses up to the kinematic limit.

  5. Robust piezoelectric composites for energy harvesting in high-strain environments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ende, D.A. van der; Groen, W.A.; Zwaag, S. van der

    2013-01-01

    High-strain environments, such as are found in automobile tires, provide deformation energy that can be harvested using piezoelectric materials, for instance, for powering electronics such as wireless sensors. Despite numerous efforts, none of the present devices easily satisfy the stringent

  6. Silicon sensors for trackers at high-luminosity environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peltola, Timo, E-mail: timo.peltola@helsinki.fi

    2015-10-01

    The planned upgrade of the LHC accelerator at CERN, namely the high luminosity (HL) phase of the LHC (HL-LHC foreseen for 2023), will result in a more intense radiation environment than the present tracking system that was designed for. The required upgrade of the all-silicon central trackers at the ALICE, ATLAS, CMS and LHCb experiments will include higher granularity and radiation hard sensors. The radiation hardness of the new sensors must be roughly an order of magnitude higher than in the current LHC detectors. To address this, a massive R&D program is underway within the CERN RD50 Collaboration “Development of Radiation Hard Semiconductor Devices for Very High Luminosity Colliders” to develop silicon sensors with sufficient radiation tolerance. Research topics include the improvement of the intrinsic radiation tolerance of the sensor material and novel detector designs with benefits like reduced trapping probability (thinned and 3D sensors), maximized sensitive area (active edge sensors) and enhanced charge carrier generation (sensors with intrinsic gain). A review of the recent results from both measurements and TCAD simulations of several detector technologies and silicon materials at radiation levels expected for HL-LHC will be presented. - Highlights: • An overview of the recent results from the RD50 collaboration. • Accuracy of TCAD simulations increased by including both bulk and surface damage. • Sensors with n-electrode readout and MCz material offer higher radiation hardness. • 3D detectors are a promising choice for the extremely high fluence environments. • Detectors with an enhanced charge carrier generation under systematic investigation.

  7. Is 'bosonic matter' unstable in 2D?

    CERN Document Server

    Manoukian, E B

    2003-01-01

    An upper bound is derived for the exact ground-state energy in 2D, E sub N <= -(me sup 4 /2 h-bar sup 2)(N sup 3 sup / sup 2 /50 pi sup 2), of 'bosonic matter' consisting of N positive and N negative charges with Coulombic interactions. This is to be compared with the classic N sup 7 sup / sup 5 3D-law of Dyson and gives rise to a more 'violent' collapse of such matter in 2D for large N. The derivation is based on a rigorous analysis which, in the process, controls the negative part of the Hamiltonian over its positive kinetic energy part and detailed estimates needed for counting trial wavefunctions of arbitrary states. A formal dimensional analysis in the style of Dyson alone shows, in arbitrary dimensions of space d = 1, 2, ..., that E sub N approx = -(me sup 4 /2 h-bar sup 2)C sub d N suprho, rho = (d + 4)/(d + 2), where C sub d is a positive constant depending on d, consistent with our rigorous bound, and we are led to conjecture that 'bosonic matter' is unstable in all dimensions.

  8. Endotracheal Intubation in Patients with Unstable Cervical Spine Using LMA-Fastrach and Gum Elastic Bogie

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khan, M. U.

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the success of alternative technique of ET- intubation in patients with unstable cervical spine with Philadelphia collar around the neck. Study Design: Case series. Place and Duration of Study: The Department of Anaesthesia, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from June 2009 to June 2012. Methodology: Adult patients of either gender with unstable cervical spine wearing Philadelphia collar electively scheduled for cervical spine decompression and fixation more than one level were included. Those with anticipated difficult intubation, mouth opening 27 kg/m2 were excluded. After induction of anaesthesia FT-LMA was inserted. Correct position of FT-LMA was confirmed then soft straight end of gum elastic bogie was passed through FTLMA into trachea. FT-ILMA was removed on bogie. Reinforced silicon ET- tube was rail road on bogie. The bogie was pulled out and position of ET- tube was confirmed with ETCO2, chest movement and auscultation on bag ventilation. The ease of insertion of FT-LMA, ET- intubation and maximum time taken for successful intubation was noted. Results: 26 patients were studied with mean age of 59.3 A +- 2.93 years and M: F ratio of 7:3. The mean time taken from the insertion of gum elastic bogie to the ET intubation was 38.9 A +- 1.20 seconds. The success rate of ET- intubation in the first attempt was 88.4% and 7.6% in two attempts. Intubation failed in one patient. The mean ease of insertion of FT-LMA and ET- intubation in all patients was 46.7 A +- 2.59 and 46.5 A +- 2.66 respectively on VAS ( 0-100). No complication was noted in any patient. Conclusion: This technique is safe and reliable for achieving adequate ventilation and intubation in patients with unstable cervical spine with Philadelphia collar in place. (author)

  9. Numerical detection of unstable periodic orbits in continuous-time dynamical systems with chaotic behaviors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Saiki

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available An infinite number of unstable periodic orbits (UPOs are embedded in a chaotic system which models some complex phenomenon. Several algorithms which extract UPOs numerically from continuous-time chaotic systems have been proposed. In this article the damped Newton-Raphson-Mees algorithm is reviewed, and some important techniques and remarks concerning the practical numerical computations are exemplified by employing the Lorenz system.

  10. A high-fidelity virtual environment for the study of paranoia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broome, Matthew R; Zányi, Eva; Hamborg, Thomas; Selmanovic, Elmedin; Czanner, Silvester; Birchwood, Max; Chalmers, Alan; Singh, Swaran P

    2013-01-01

    Psychotic disorders carry social and economic costs for sufferers and society. Recent evidence highlights the risk posed by urban upbringing and social deprivation in the genesis of paranoia and psychosis. Evidence based psychological interventions are often not offered because of a lack of therapists. Virtual reality (VR) environments have been used to treat mental health problems. VR may be a way of understanding the aetiological processes in psychosis and increasing psychotherapeutic resources for its treatment. We developed a high-fidelity virtual reality scenario of an urban street scene to test the hypothesis that virtual urban exposure is able to generate paranoia to a comparable or greater extent than scenarios using indoor scenes. Participants (n = 32) entered the VR scenario for four minutes, after which time their degree of paranoid ideation was assessed. We demonstrated that the virtual reality scenario was able to elicit paranoia in a nonclinical, healthy group and that an urban scene was more likely to lead to higher levels of paranoia than a virtual indoor environment. We suggest that this study offers evidence to support the role of exposure to factors in the urban environment in the genesis and maintenance of psychotic experiences and symptoms. The realistic high-fidelity street scene scenario may offer a useful tool for therapists.

  11. A High-Fidelity Virtual Environment for the Study of Paranoia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew R. Broome

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Psychotic disorders carry social and economic costs for sufferers and society. Recent evidence highlights the risk posed by urban upbringing and social deprivation in the genesis of paranoia and psychosis. Evidence based psychological interventions are often not offered because of a lack of therapists. Virtual reality (VR environments have been used to treat mental health problems. VR may be a way of understanding the aetiological processes in psychosis and increasing psychotherapeutic resources for its treatment. We developed a high-fidelity virtual reality scenario of an urban street scene to test the hypothesis that virtual urban exposure is able to generate paranoia to a comparable or greater extent than scenarios using indoor scenes. Participants (n=32 entered the VR scenario for four minutes, after which time their degree of paranoid ideation was assessed. We demonstrated that the virtual reality scenario was able to elicit paranoia in a nonclinical, healthy group and that an urban scene was more likely to lead to higher levels of paranoia than a virtual indoor environment. We suggest that this study offers evidence to support the role of exposure to factors in the urban environment in the genesis and maintenance of psychotic experiences and symptoms. The realistic high-fidelity street scene scenario may offer a useful tool for therapists.

  12. Salvianolate injection in the treatment of unstable angina pectoris

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Dan; Wu, Jiarui; Liu, Shi; Zhang, Xiaomeng; Zhang, Bing

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Background: To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Salvianolate injection in the treatment of unstable angina pectoris (UAP). Methods: Using literature databases, we conducted a thorough and systematic retrieval of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that using Salvianolate injection for treating UAP. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the RCTs, and then the data were extracted and meta-analyzed by RevMan5.2 software. Results: A total of 22 RCTs with 2050 participants were included. The meta-analysis indicated that the combined use of Salvianolate injection and western medicine (WM) in the treatment of UAP can achieve a superior effect in angina pectoris total effective rate (risk ratio [RR] = 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] (1.17, 1.27), Z = 10.15, P < 0.00001], and the total effectiveness rate of electrocardiogram [RR = 1.26, 95% CI (1.19,1.34), Z = 7.77, P < 0.00001]. In addition, Salvianolate injection can improve the nitroglycerin withdrawal rate and the serum level of NO, decrease high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) or adverse drug events (ADEs) were reported in 6 RCTs involving 15 cases; however, there were no serious ADRs/ADEs. Conclusion: Based on the systematic review, the combined use of Salvianolate injection and WM in the treatment of UAP can achieve a better effect; however, there was no definitive conclusion about its safety. More the large-sample and multicenter RCTs are needed to support its clinical usage. PMID:28002341

  13. The role of learning environment on high school chemistry students' motivation and self-regulatory processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Judd, Jeffrey S.

    Changes to the global workforce and technological advancements require graduating high school students to be more autonomous, self-directed, and critical in their thinking. To reflect societal changes, current educational reform has focused on developing more problem-based, collaborative, and student-centered classrooms to promote effective self-regulatory learning strategies, with the goal of helping students adapt to future learning situations and become life-long learners. This study identifies key features that may characterize these "powerful learning environments", which I term "high self-regulating learning environments" for ease of discussion, and examine the environment's role on students' motivation and self-regulatory processes. Using direct observation, surveys, and formal and informal interviews, I identified perceptions, motivations, and self-regulatory strategies of 67 students in my high school chemistry classes as they completed academic tasks in both high and low self-regulating learning environments. With social cognitive theory as a theoretical framework, I then examined how students' beliefs and processes changed after they moved from low to a high self-regulating learning environment. Analyses revealed that key features such as task meaning, utility, complexity, and control appeared to play a role in promoting positive changes in students' motivation and self-regulation. As embedded cases, I also included four students identified as high self-regulating, and four students identified as low self-regulating to examine whether the key features of high and low self-regulating learning environments played a similar role in both groups. Analysis of findings indicates that key features did play a significant role in promoting positive changes in both groups, with high self-regulating students' motivation and self-regulatory strategies generally remaining higher than the low self-regulating students; this was the case in both environments. Findings

  14. Risk factors for unstable blood glucose level: integrative review of the risk factors related to the nursing diagnosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andressa Magalhães Teixeira

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: to identify evidence in the literature on the possible risk factors for the risk of unstable blood glucose diagnosis in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and to compare them with the risk factors described by NANDA International. Method: an integrative literature review guided by the question: what are the risk factors for unstable blood glucose level in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus? Primary studies were included whose outcomes were variations in glycemic levels, published in English, Portuguese or Spanish, in PubMed or CINAHL between 2010 and 2015. Results: altered levels of glycated hemoglobin, body mass index>31 kg/m2, previous history of hypoglycemia, cognitive deficit/dementia, autonomic cardiovascular neuropathy, comorbidities and weight loss corresponded to risk factors described in NANDA International. Other risk factors identified were: advanced age, black skin color, longer length of diabetes diagnosis, daytime sleepiness, macroalbuminuria, genetic polymorphisms, insulin therapy, use of oral antidiabetics, and use of metoclopramide, inadequate physical activity and low fasting glycemia. Conclusions: risk factors for the diagnosis, risk for unstable blood glucose level, for persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus were identified, and 42% of them corresponded to those of NANDA International. These findings may contribute to the practice of clinical nurses in preventing the deleterious effects of glycemic variation.

  15. Rapid Identification of unstable acyl glucoside flavonoids of Oxytropis racemosa Turcz by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-electrospray ionisation/multi-stage mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Shuang; Zheng, Xiu-Ping; Liu, Wei-Dong; Du, Rui-Fang; Feng, Zi-Ming; Zhang, Pei-Cheng; Bi, Li-Fu

    2013-02-01

    Oxytropis racemosa Turcz is an important minority medicine that is used mainly to improve children's indigestion, especially in inner Mongolia and Tibet. Previous studies indicated that the characteristic constituents of this plant are acylated flavonoids. Rapidly identify the characteristic chemical constituents of O. racemosa by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-electrospray ionisation/multi-stage mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS(n) ) and suggest a useful method to control the quality of this medicinal plant. In the HPLC fingerprint, 32 flavonoids were tentatively identified by a detailed analysis of their mass spectra, UV spectra and retention times. Furthermore, 13 flavonoids were confirmed by comparison with previously isolated compounds obtained from O. racemosa. In total, 32 flavonoids, including 13 flavonoids with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric acid (HMG) moieties and four flavonoids with 3-malonyl moieties, were identified in the extract of O. racemosa. Among the compounds identified, 10 were characterised as new compounds for their particular acylated sugar moieties. The method described is effective for obtaining a comprehensive phytochemical profile of plants containing unstable acylated flavonoids. The method is also useful for constructing the chromatographic fingerprint of the minority medicine -O. racemosa Turcz for quality control. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  16. Computer Cataloging of Electronic Journals in Unstable Aggregator Databases: The Hong Kong Baptist University Library Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yiu-On; Leung, Shirley W.

    2001-01-01

    Discussion of aggregator databases focuses on a project at the Hong Kong Baptist University library to integrate full-text electronic journal titles from three unstable aggregator databases into its online public access catalog (OPAC). Explains the development of the electronic journal computer program (EJCOP) to generate MARC records for…

  17. Photo-neutron cross sections for unstable neutron-rich oxygen isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leistenschneider, A.; Aumann, T.; Boretzky, K.

    2001-05-01

    The dipole response of stable and unstable neutron-rich oxygen nuclei of masses A = 17 to A = 22 has been investigated experimentally utilizing electromagnetic excitation in heavy-ion collisions at beam energies around 600 MeV/nucleon. A kinematically complete measurement of the neutron decay channel in inelastic scattering of the secondary beam projectiles from a Pb target was performed. Differential electromagnetic excitation cross sections dσ/dE were derived up to 30 MeV excitation energy. In contrast to stable nuclei, the deduced dipole strength distribution appears to be strongly fragmented and systematically exhibits a considerable fraction of low-lying strength, exhausting up to 12% of the energy-weighted dipole sum rule at excitation energies below 15 MeV. (orig.)

  18. PRIMARY CEMENTED BIPOLAR HEMIARTHROPLASTY WITH TROCHANTERIC AND CALCAR RECONSTRUCTION IN UNSTABLE INTERTROCHANTERIC FRACTURES IN ELDERLY: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pandu Ranga Vital

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION : To avoid the complications and morbidity associated with attempted Osteosynthesis of the so called Unstable inter - trochanteric fractures in the elderly population, Primary Cemented Bipolar hemiarthroplasty been around for over three decades now. But, hardly any emphasis been given over the technical aspects to i mprove the functional outcome. Present study is one such, following reconstructive attempts ( O f primary cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty with trochanter and calcar reconstruction in the elderly population to reduce the risk of unstable Hemiarthroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study included 20 cases of elderly patients with mean age of 73.5 years (Age range 66 to 82 yr who sustained multifragmentary/communited inter - trochanteric femur fracture treated with Primary cemented bipolar hemiar throplasty with trochanteric and calcar reconstruction to emphasize the importance of restoration soft tissue tension to reduce the risk of unstable Hemiarthroplasty. Essential Technical steps include Figure of eight / multiple wire loop technique of recons truction ( with or without K ‘wires of greater trochanter/ abductor mechanism and calcar reconstruction either by wiring Lesser trochanteric fragment and or insertion of cortical piece of bone graft (medially under the collar of the prosthesis harvested f rom head and neck fragment. The patients were followed up at six week, three month, six month and one year postoperatively and assessed using Harris Hip Score (HHS. RESULTS: The mean HHS score was 85 (range 69 to 91 at the end of one year. The main clini cal measures were early post - operative full weight bearing, post - operative complication & functional outcome. The time to full weight bearing, the rate of post - operative complications & functional outcome was significantly better in cemented bipolar arthro plasty group. CONCLUSION: The authors strongly believe that primary cemented bipolar

  19. TURBULENCE SETS THE INITIAL CONDITIONS FOR STAR FORMATION IN HIGH-PRESSURE ENVIRONMENTS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rathborne, J. M.; Contreras, Y.; Longmore, S. N.; Bastian, N.; Jackson, J. M.; Kruijssen, J. M. D.; Alves, J. F.; Bally, J.; Foster, J. B.; Garay, G.; Testi, L.; Walsh, A. J.

    2014-01-01

    Despite the simplicity of theoretical models of supersonically turbulent, isothermal media, their predictions successfully match the observed gas structure and star formation activity within low-pressure (P/k < 10 5 K cm –3 ) molecular clouds in the solar neighborhood. However, it is unknown whether or not these theories extend to clouds in high-pressure (P/k > 10 7 K cm –3 ) environments, like those in the Galaxy's inner 200 pc central molecular zone (CMZ) and in the early universe. Here, we present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array 3 mm dust continuum emission within a cloud, G0.253+0.016, which is immersed in the high-pressure environment of the CMZ. While the log-normal shape and dispersion of its column density probability distribution function (PDF) are strikingly similar to those of solar neighborhood clouds, there is one important quantitative difference: its mean column density is one to two orders of magnitude higher. Both the similarity and difference in the PDF compared to those derived from solar neighborhood clouds match predictions of turbulent cloud models given the high-pressure environment of the CMZ. The PDF shows a small deviation from log-normal at high column densities confirming the youth of G0.253+0.016. Its lack of star formation is consistent with the theoretically predicted, environmentally dependent volume density threshold for star formation which is orders of magnitude higher than that derived for solar neighborhood clouds. Our results provide the first empirical evidence that the current theoretical understanding of molecular cloud structure derived from the solar neighborhood also holds in high-pressure environments. We therefore suggest that these theories may be applicable to understand star formation in the early universe

  20. TURBULENCE SETS THE INITIAL CONDITIONS FOR STAR FORMATION IN HIGH-PRESSURE ENVIRONMENTS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rathborne, J. M.; Contreras, Y. [CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, P.O. Box 76, Epping NSW, 1710 (Australia); Longmore, S. N.; Bastian, N. [Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L3 5RF (United Kingdom); Jackson, J. M. [Institute for Astrophysical Research, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Kruijssen, J. M. D. [Max-Planck Institut fur Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 1, D-85748, Garching (Germany); Alves, J. F. [University of Vienna, Türkenschanzstrasse 17, A-1180 Vienna (Austria); Bally, J. [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, UCB 389, Boulder, CO 8030 (United States); Foster, J. B. [Department of Astronomy, Yale University, P.O. Box 208101 New Haven, CT 06520-8101 (United States); Garay, G. [Universidad de Chile, Camino El Observatorio1515, Las Condes, Santiago (Chile); Testi, L. [European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, D-85748 Garching bei Munchen (Germany); Walsh, A. J., E-mail: Jill.Rathborne@csiro.au [International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth (Australia)

    2014-11-10

    Despite the simplicity of theoretical models of supersonically turbulent, isothermal media, their predictions successfully match the observed gas structure and star formation activity within low-pressure (P/k < 10{sup 5} K cm{sup –3}) molecular clouds in the solar neighborhood. However, it is unknown whether or not these theories extend to clouds in high-pressure (P/k > 10{sup 7} K cm{sup –3}) environments, like those in the Galaxy's inner 200 pc central molecular zone (CMZ) and in the early universe. Here, we present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array 3 mm dust continuum emission within a cloud, G0.253+0.016, which is immersed in the high-pressure environment of the CMZ. While the log-normal shape and dispersion of its column density probability distribution function (PDF) are strikingly similar to those of solar neighborhood clouds, there is one important quantitative difference: its mean column density is one to two orders of magnitude higher. Both the similarity and difference in the PDF compared to those derived from solar neighborhood clouds match predictions of turbulent cloud models given the high-pressure environment of the CMZ. The PDF shows a small deviation from log-normal at high column densities confirming the youth of G0.253+0.016. Its lack of star formation is consistent with the theoretically predicted, environmentally dependent volume density threshold for star formation which is orders of magnitude higher than that derived for solar neighborhood clouds. Our results provide the first empirical evidence that the current theoretical understanding of molecular cloud structure derived from the solar neighborhood also holds in high-pressure environments. We therefore suggest that these theories may be applicable to understand star formation in the early universe.

  1. Oxidative stress and the high altitude environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jakub Krzeszowiak

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available In the recent years there has been considerable interest in mountain sports, including mountaineering, owing to the general availability of climbing clothing and equipment as well trainings and professional literature. This raised a new question for the environmental and mountain medicine: Is mountaineering harmful to health? Potential hazards include the conditions existing in the alpine environment, i.e. lower atmospheric pressure leading to the development of hypobaric hypoxia, extreme physical effort, increased UV radiation, lack of access to fresh food, and mental stress. A reasonable measure of harmfulness of these factors is to determine the increase in the level of oxidative stress. Alpine environment can stimulate the antioxidant enzyme system but under specific circumstances it may exceed its capabilities with simultaneous consumption of low-molecular antioxidants resulting in increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS. This situation is referred to as oxidative stress. Rapid and uncontrolled proliferation of reactive oxygen species leads to a number of adverse changes, resulting in the above-average damage to the lipid structures of cell membranes (peroxidation, proteins (denaturation, and nucleic acids. Such situation within the human body cannot take place without resultant systemic consequences. This explains the malaise of people returning from high altitude and a marked decrease in their physical fitness. In addition, a theory is put forward that the increase in the level of oxidative stress is one of the factors responsible for the onset of acute mountain sickness (AMS. However, such statement requires further investigation because the currently available literature is inconclusive. This article presents the causes and effects of development of oxidative stress in the high mountains.

  2. Effect of PCI on inflammatory factors, cTnI, MMP-9 and NT-pro BNP in patients with unstable angina pectoris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ke-Tong Liu

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the effect of PCI on inflammatory factors, cTnI, MMP-9and NTpro BNP in patients with unstable angina pectoris. Methods: A total of 80 unstable angina pectoris patients were divided into observation group (40 cases and control group (40 cases. The observation group was given the therapy of PCI, and the control group was given coronary angiography. To observe the of inflammatory factors, cTnI, MMP-9 and NT-pro BNP were tested and compared before and after operation. Results: At 24 h after operation, CRP and IL-18 levels were increased significantly after treatment inoperation groups, there was no difference on inflammatory factors in control group, and had significant difference on inflammatory factors in two groups; At 24 h after operation, cTnI, MMP-9 and NT-pro BNP levels were increased significantly after treatment inoperation groups, there was no difference on inflammatory factors in control group, and had significant difference on inflammatory factors in two groups. Conclusion: PCI therapy can induce inflammation and myocardial injury in patients with unstable angina pectoris.

  3. Adenosine stress and exercise 99Tcm-MIBI myocardial perfusion imaging in the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with unstable angina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia Peng; Guo Wanhua; Xu Shoulin; Feng Xuefeng

    2008-01-01

    Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical value of adenosine stress or exercise 99 Tc m -methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) myocardial perfusion imaging in the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with unstable angina. Methods: Eighty-seven hospitalized patients with unstable angina [54 men and 33 women, aged of (56.5±12.5) years] underwent adenosine stress or exercise myocardial perfusion imaging and coronary angiography. Patients were followed up. Results: Fifty-seven patients had abnormal myocardial perfusion imaging and significant coronary artery stenosis. Ten patients had abnormal myocardial perfusion imaging but normal coronary angiography. Eight patients had normal myocardial perfusion imaging but significant coronary artery stenosis. Twelve patients had normal myocardial perfusion imaging and normal coronary angiography. Patients with abnormal myocardial perfusion imaging had worse prognosis. There was relationship between cardiac events and the extent and severity of myocardial ischemia. Conclusion: Adenosine stress and exercise myocardial perfusion imaging is of important clinical value in the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with unstable angina. (authors)

  4. Open MR imaging of the unstable shoulder in the apprehension test position: description and evaluation of an alternative MR examination position

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wintzell, G.; Larsson, S.; Larsson, H.; Zyto, K.

    1999-01-01

    The aim of this study was to describe and evaluate an alternative MR assessment procedure for analysis of unstable shoulders. Twelve patients with unilateral recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation had both shoulders examined. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed with an open-MR system in the apprehension position with the shoulder in 90 of abduction and maximum tolerable external rotation. Contrast enhancement was achieved with intravenous gadolinium. Correlations were made to the findings at operation. In 10 of 12 unstable shoulders the inferior glenohumeral ligament labral complex (IGHLLC) was detached from the glenoid as seen on MR and later verified during surgery. In one shoulder MR was unable to show a capsulolabral detachment that was verified at surgery, whereas in one shoulder both MR and surgical assessment revealed no soft tissue detachment (accuracy 92 %). A Hill-Sachs lesion was visualized and verified in all unstable shoulders, whereas the stable controls revealed normal IGHLLC and no Hill-Sachs lesion. Open-MRI evaluation of the shoulder in the apprehension test position may become a useful tool for the evaluation of anterior shoulder instability. (orig.)

  5. [Long-term efficacy of open reduction and internal fixation versus external fixation for unstable distal radius fractures: a meta-analysis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Z; Yuan, Z Z; Ma, J X; Ma, X L

    2017-11-07

    Objective: To make a systematic assessment of the Long-term efficacy of open reduction and internal fixation versus external fixation for unstable distal radius fractures. Methods: A computer-based online search of PubMed, ScienceDirect, EMBASE, BIOSIS, Springer and Cochrane Library were performed. The randomized and controlled trials of open reduction and internal fixation versus external fixation for unstable distal radius fractures were collected. The included trials were screened out strictly based on the criterion of inclusion and exclusion. The quality of included trials was evaluated. RevMan 5.0 was used for data analysis. Results: Sixteen studies involving 1 268 patients were included. There were 618 patients with open reduction and internal fixation and 650 with external fixation. The results of meta-analysis indicated that there were statistically significant differences with regard to the complications postoperatively (infection( I (2)=0%, RR =0.27, 95% CI 0.16-0.45, Z =4.92, P internal fixation and external fixation are effective treatment for unstable distal radius fractures. Compared with external fixation, open reduction and internal fixation provides reduced complications postoperatively, lower DASH scores and better restoration of volar tilt for treatment of distal radius fractures.

  6. Proceedings of the specialist research meeting on scientific and engineering researches of unstable nuclei and on their nuclear methodology (3)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawade, K.; Taniguchi, A.; Yamada, S.

    1998-01-01

    New research fields with the use of radioactive ion beams are now rapidly developing by virtue of recent progress in radioactive beam accelerators. The scientific and engineering researches on unstable nuclei far from stability are getting particular interests aiming at the full use of their radiation. In the circumstance many laboratories report utilizations and researches of the RI beam, the Tohoku University's renewal plan of the cyclotron and the short-lived nuclear beam facility at KEK have started. To discuss these new subjects on the scientific and engineering researches of unstable nuclei and on their nuclear methodology, the third specialist meeting was held at the KUR on February 16 and 17, 1998. Several noticeable and wide scope works on the method of RI-beam generation and on the new development of nuclear methodology have been reported, such as fundamental researches with laser, new isotope searchings and researches of nuclear structures with ISOL, in-beam nuclear spectroscopies through the deep-inelastic collision. In this meeting, especially, fundamental support-researches are reported, which are precise measurements of absolute disintegration rates, a gamma peak analysis method, evaluations of fundamental nuclear data, measurements of beta detector response functions for reducing Q values and precise measurement of high energy gamma intensities up to 11 MeV. The 14 papers are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

  7. Operative versus nonoperative treatment of unstable lateral malleolar fractures: a randomized multicenter trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanders, David W; Tieszer, Christina; Corbett, Bradley

    2012-03-01

    To compare clinical and functional outcomes after operative and nonoperative treatment of undisplaced, unstable, isolated fibula fractures. Randomized multicenter clinical trial. Six level 1 trauma centers. Eighty-one patients with undisplaced, unstable, isolated fibula fractures as confirmed by an external rotation stress examination demonstrating an increase in medial clear space to 5 mm or greater were followed for 12 months after treatment. Forty-one patients were treated operatively by open reduction and internal fixation of the fibula. Forty patients underwent nonoperative treatment, which included the use of a short leg cast or brace and protected weight bearing for 6 weeks. Functional outcomes determined using the Olerud-Molander Ankle Score and the Short Form 36. Radiographic outcomes included measurement of union and displacement at each visit. There were no statistically significant differences in functional outcome scores or pace of recovery between the operative and nonoperative groups at any time interval (β = -0.28, 3.49; P = 0.936). Complications in the nonoperative group included 8 patients with a medial clear space ≥5 mm and 8 patients with delayed union or nonunion. In the operative group, 5 patients had a surgical site infection and 5 patients required hardware removal. Patients managed operatively had equivalent functional outcomes compared with nonoperative treatment; however, the risk of displacement and problems with union was substantially lower in patients managed with surgery.

  8. Nonlinearity from quantum mechanics: Dynamically unstable Bose-Einstein condensate in a double-well trap

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Javanainen, Juha

    2010-01-01

    We study theoretically an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate in a double-well trap, both quantum-mechanically and classically, under conditions such that in the classical model an unstable equilibrium dissolves into large-scale oscillations of the atoms between the potential wells. Quantum mechanics alone does not exhibit such nonlinear dynamics, but measurements of the atom numbers in the potential wells may nevertheless cause the condensate to behave essentially classically.

  9. Induced singularities of mass distributions of unstable particles connected with cascade decay and the CP-problem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khalfin, L.A.

    1975-01-01

    On the basis of the strong energy-momentum conservation law, the induced singularities of mass distributions of unstable particles connected with cascade decay are investigated. The possible solution of the CP-problem in the decay of Kaon neutral - Antikaon neutral mesons based on the mechanism of the induced singularities is proposed

  10. Do posture correction exercises have to be boring? Using unstable surfaces to prevent poor posture in children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka Jankowicz-Szymanska

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Poor posture in children is a common problem. It appears most often in early school-age children and, if not corrected, progresses quickly as they mature. Aim of the research: To find a method that can prevent poor posture, is effective and attractive for children, and can be used on a wide scale in state schools. Material and methods : Seventy-seven first year pupils were tested at the beginning and at the end of the school year. Nineteen children undertook corrective exercises using unstable surfaces; 41 children sat on sensorimotor pillows during classes; and 17 children were the control group. Body mass and body height were measured. Body mass index was calculated. The symmetry of the position of selected skeletal points was assessed: the acromions, lower angles of the scapulas, apexes of the iliac crests, antero-superior iliac spine, and postero-superior iliac spine using a Duometer electronic device. The differences between the groups and changes between the first and second study for each group were estimated. Results : In the first study there were no significant differences in quality of posture. In the second study a significant improvement was noted in symmetry of the shoulders, scapulas, and pelvis in children who sat on sensorimotor pillows, as well as the position of the iliac crests and iliac spines in children exercising regularly on unstable surfaces. Conclusions: Exercises using unstable surfaces and sitting on sensorimotor pillows during classes might be an effective alternative to traditional posture correction exercises.

  11. Low energy current accumulator for high-energy proton rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Month, M.

    1977-01-01

    Building current in high-energy p-p colliding beam machines is most appropriately done in a low-energy (small circumference) current accumulator. Three significant factors favor such a procedure: First, large rings tend to be susceptible to unstable longitudinal density oscillations. These can be avoided by pumping up the beam in the accumulator. When the current stack is injected into the storage ring, potentially harmful instability is essentially neutralized. Second, high-field magnets characteristic of future high energy proton rings are designed with superconducting coils within the iron magnetic shield. This means coil construction and placement errors propagate rapidly within the beam aperture. An intermediate ''stacking ring'' allows the minimum use of the superconducting ring aperture. Finally, the coils are vulnerable to radiation heating and possible magnet quenching. By minimizing beam manipulaion in the superconducting environment and using only the central portion of the beam aperture, coil vulnerability can be put at a minimum

  12. Predictive value of focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) for laparotomy in unstable polytrauma Egyptians patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elbaih, Adel Hamed; Abu-Elela, Sameh T

    2017-12-01

    The emergency physicians face significant clinical uncertainty when multiple trauma patients arrive in the emergency department (ED). The priorities for assessment and treatment of polytrauma patients are established in the primary survey. Focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) is very essential clinical skill during trauma resuscitation. Use of point of care ultrasound among the trauma team working in the primary survey in emergency care settings is lacking in Suez Canal University Hospitals even ultrasound machine not available in ED. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of FAST in hemodynamically unstable polytraumatized patients and to determine its role as an indication of laparotomy. This study is a cross-sectional study included 150 polytrauma patients with a blunt mechanism admitted in Suez Canal University Hospital. Firstly primary survey by airway check, cervical spine securing with neck collar, maintenance of breathing/circulation and management of life threading conditions if present were conducted accordingly to ATLS (advanced trauma life support) guidelines. The patients were assessed in the primary survey using the FAST as a tool to determine the presence of intra-abdominal collection. A total of 150 patients, and FAST scans were performed in all cases. The sensitivity and specificity were 92.6% and 100%, respectively. The negative predictive value was 92%, while the positive predictive value of FAST was 100%. The accuracy of FAST was 96%. FAST is an important method to detect intra-abdominal fluid in the initial assessment in hemodynamically unstable polytrauma patients with high accuracy. Copyright © 2017 Daping Hospital and the Research Institute of Surgery of the Third Military Medical University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Fifteen minute consultation: A structured approach to the management of children and adolescents with medically unstable anorexia nervosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allison, Elizabeth; Dawson, Nicola; Phillips, Jane; Lynch, Catherine; Coleman, Jacinta

    2017-08-01

    Assessing and managing children who are underweight is an integral part of paediatric practice. Young people with anorexia nervosa (AN) are mainly cared for in the community by specialist eating disorder services. However, increasing numbers require admission to paediatric wards with medical instability due to the complications of starvation. Despite recommendations published in the junior MARSIPAN report in 2012, many paediatricians still feel poorly equipped to care for these high-risk patients. This article aims to provide a safe and structured approach to the assessment and management of children and adolescents with medically unstable AN. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  14. TORUS: Theory of Reactions for Unstable iSotopes - Year 1 Continuation and Progress Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arbanas, G; Elster, C; Escher, J; Mukhamedzhanov, A; Nunes, F; Thompson, I J

    2011-02-24

    The TORUS collaboration derives its name from the research it focuses on, namely the Theory of Reactions for Unstable iSotopes. It is a Topical Collaboration in Nuclear Theory, and funded by the Nuclear Theory Division of the Office of Nuclear Physics in the Office of Science of the Department of Energy. The funding started on June 1, 2010, it will have been running for nine months by the date of submission of this Annual Continuation and Progress Report on March 1, 2011. The extent of funding was reduced from the original application, and now supports one postdoctoral researcher for the years 1 through 3. The collaboration brings together as Principal Investigators a large fraction of the nuclear reaction theorists currently active within the USA. The mission of the TORUS Topical Collaboration is to develop new methods that will advance nuclear reaction theory for unstable isotopes by using three-body techniques to improve direct-reaction calculations, and, by using a new partial-fusion theory, to integrate descriptions of direct and compound-nucleus reactions. This multi-institution collaborative effort is directly relevant to three areas of interest: the properties of nuclei far from stability; microscopic studies of nuclear input parameters for astrophysics, and microscopic nuclear reaction theory.

  15. A Brief Screening Instrument for Emotionally Unstable and Dissocial Personality Disorder in Male Offenders with Intellectual Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, John L.; Novaco, Raymond W.

    2013-01-01

    Personality disorder is prevalent among offenders with intellectual disabilities (ID), and it is associated with their risk for violence and recurrent offending behaviour. A new staff-rated instrument, the Personality Disorder Characteristics Checklist (PDCC), designed to screen for ICD-10 dissocial and emotionally unstable personality…

  16. Rheology of unstable mineral emulsions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sokolović Dunja S.

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the rheology of mineral oils and their unstable water emulsion were investigated. The oil samples were domestic crude oil UA, its fractions UA1, UA4 and blend semi-product UP1, while the concentration of oil in water emulsions was in the range from 1 up to 30%. The results were analyzed based on shear stress. The oil samples UA, UA1 and UP1 are Newtonian fluids, while UA4 is pseudoplastic fluid. The samples UA and UA4 show higher value of shear stress (83.75 Pa, 297 Pa, then other two samples UA1 and UP1 (18.41 Pa, 17.52 Pa. Rheology of investigated oils due to its complex chemical composition should be analyzed as a simultaneous effect of all their components. Therefore, structural composition of the oils was determined, namely content of paraffins, naphthenes, aromatics and asphaltenes. All samples contain paraffins, naphthenes and aromatics but only oils UA and UA4 contain asphaltenes as well. All investigated emulsions except 30% EUA4 are Newtonian fluids. The EUA4 30% emulsion shows pseudoplastic behaviour, and it is the only 30% emulsion among investigated ones that achieves lower shear stress then its oil. The characteristics of oil samples that could have an influence on their properties and their emulsion rheology, were determined. These characteristics are: neutralization number, interfacial tension, dielectric constant, and emulsivity. Oil samples UA and UA4 have significantly higher values of neutralization number, dielectric constants, and emulsivity. The sample UA has the lowest value of interface tension and the greatest emulsivity, indicating that this oil, among all investigated, has the highest preference for building emulsion. This could be the reason why 20% and 30% emulsions of the oil UA achieve the highest shear stress among all investigated emulsions.

  17. Effect of casemix funding on outcomes in patients admitted to hospital with suspected unstable angina.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerr, G D; Dunt, D; Gordon, I R

    1998-01-19

    To determine the effect of the introduction of casemix funding on resource utilisation and clinical outcomes in patients admitted to hospital with suspected unstable angina. A prospective cohort study with a 6-month follow-up. A suburban community hospital in Melbourne, Victoria. 336 consecutive patients admitted to the coronary care unit with suspected unstable angina before (156) and after (180) the introduction of casemix funding. Introduction of casemix funding in July 1993. Indices of resource utilisation: length of stay in hospital, length of stay in the coronary care unit, and total cost of investigations (pathology and radiology). Rates of serious cardiac events during hospital stay and after discharge. Readmissions within 28 days and 6 months of discharge. After the introduction of casemix funding there was a 1% increase in duration of hospital stay and a 5% increase in time spent in the coronary care unit, but neither of these increases was statistically significant. However, there was a significant reduction in total cost of investigations (39% decrease; 95% confidence interval, 14%-70%; P Casemix funding had no effect on short term clinical outcomes but resulted in significantly reduced investigation costs.

  18. Update on open reduction and internal fixation of unstable pelvic fractures during pregnancy: case reports

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Roberto Schwartsmann

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT This article aims to report four cases of unstable pelvic fractures in pregnant women treated by open reduction and internal fixation. Cases report: The study included four cases of pregnant women with unstable pelvic fractures; their outcomes were analyzed and discussed. Data were obtained from two University Hospitals. The mean age of women was 23 years; most (3/4 were primiparous, with a mean pregnancy age of 23 weeks. Two women had Malgaigne-type fractures and the other two had symphyseal disjunction associated with acetabular fractures. All fractures were treated surgically. One foetus was dead on admission to hospital. The other three developed well, along with their mothers. Good evolution was only possible with careful pre-, peri-, and postoperative care for the mother, as well as foetal assessment by a multidisciplinary team. In complex cases such as those presented in the present study, pre-, peri-, and postoperative care are mandatory, as well as the presence of a multidisciplinary team. The mother's life always takes priority in acute clinical pictures, as it offers the best chance of survival to both mother and child.

  19. Unstable low-mass planetary systems as drivers of white dwarf pollution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mustill, Alexander J.; Villaver, Eva; Veras, Dimitri; Gänsicke, Boris T.; Bonsor, Amy

    2018-05-01

    At least 25 {per cent} of white dwarfs show atmospheric pollution by metals, sometimes accompanied by detectable circumstellar dust/gas discs or (in the case of WD 1145+017) transiting disintegrating asteroids. Delivery of planetesimals to the white dwarf by orbiting planets is a leading candidate to explain these phenomena. Here, we study systems of planets and planetesimals undergoing planet-planet scattering triggered by the star's post-main-sequence mass loss, and test whether this can maintain high rates of delivery over the several Gyr that they are observed. We find that low-mass planets (Earth to Neptune mass) are efficient deliverers of material and can maintain the delivery for Gyr. Unstable low-mass planetary systems reproduce the observed delayed onset of significant accretion, as well as the slow decay in accretion rates at late times. Higher-mass planets are less efficient, and the delivery only lasts a relatively brief time before the planetesimal populations are cleared. The orbital inclinations of bodies as they cross the white dwarf's Roche limit are roughly isotropic, implying that significant collisional interactions of asteroids, debris streams and discs can be expected. If planet-planet scattering is indeed responsible for the pollution of white dwarfs, many such objects, and their main-sequence progenitors, can be expected to host (currently undetectable) super-Earth planets on orbits of several au and beyond.

  20. An unstable donor-recipient DNA complex in transformation of Bacillus subtilis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Popowski, J.; Venema, G.

    1978-01-01

    In re-extracted DNA obtained shortly after uptake of transforming DNA by Bacillus subtilis, increased amounts of donor DNA radioactivity banding at the position of donor-recipient DNA complex (DRC) are observed in CsCl gradients, if the cells are irradiated with high doses of UV prior to reextraction of the DNA. Qualitatively, the same phenomenon is observed if lysates of transforming cells are irradiated. UV-irradiation of lysates of competent cells to which single-stranded DNA is added after lysis, does not result in linkage of this DNA to the chromosomal DNA. Two observations argue in favour of the formation of a specific labile complex between donor and resident DNA during transformation. Firstly, heterologous donor DNA from Escherichia coli, although being processed to single-stranded DNA in competent B. subtilis, does not seem to be linked to the recipient chromosome upon UV-irradiation, and secondly, the labile complex of donor and recipient DNA can be stabilized by means of treatment of the lysates of transforming cells with 4, 5 1 , 8-trimethylpsoralen in conjuction with long-wave-ultra violet light irradiation. This indicates that basepairing is involved in the formation of the complex. On the basis of these results we assume that the unstable complex of donor and recipient DNA is an early intermediate in genetic recombination during transformation. (orig.) [de