Direct observation of OH production from the ozonolysis of olefins

Science.gov (United States)

Donahue, Neil M.; Kroll, Jesse H.; Anderson, James G.; Demerjian, Kenneth L.

Ozone olefin reactions may be a significant source of OH in the urban atmosphere, but current evidence for OH production is indirect and contested. We report the first direct observation of OH radicals from the reaction of ozone with a series of olefins (ethene, isoprene, trans-2-butene and 2,3 dimethyl-2-butene) in 4-6 torr of nitrogen. Using LIF to directly observe the steady-state of OH produced by the initial ozone-olefin reaction and subsequently destroyed by the OH-olefin reaction, we are able to establish OH yields broadly consistent with indirect values. The identification of the OH is unequivocal, and there is no indication that it is produced by a secondary process. To support these observations, we present a complete ab-initio potential energy surface for the O3-ethene reaction, extending from the reactants to available products.

WMAP haze: Directly observing dark matter?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forbes, Michael McNeil; Zhitnitsky, Ariel R.

2008-01-01

In this paper, we show that dark matter in the form of dense matter/antimatter nuggets could provide a natural and unified explanation for several distinct bands of diffuse radiation from the core of the Galaxy spanning over 13 orders of magnitude in frequency. We fix all of the phenomenological properties of this model by matching to x-ray observations in the keV band, and then calculate the unambiguously predicted thermal emission in the microwave band, at frequencies smaller by 11 orders of magnitude. Remarkably, the intensity and spectrum of the emitted thermal radiation are consistent with - and could entirely explain - the so-called 'WMAP haze': a diffuse microwave excess observed from the core of our Galaxy by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). This provides another strong constraint of our proposal, and a remarkable nontrivial validation. If correct, our proposal identifies the nature of the dark matter, explains baryogenesis, and provides a means to directly probe the matter distribution in our Galaxy by analyzing several different types of diffuse emissions.

Direct observations of blob deformation during a substorm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Ishida

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Ionospheric blobs are localized plasma density enhancements, which are mainly produced by the transportation process of plasma. To understand the deformation process of a blob, observations of plasma parameters with good spatial–temporal resolution are desirable. Thus, we conducted the European Incoherent Scatter radar observations with high-speed meridional scans (60–80 s during October and December 2013, and observed the temporal evolution of a blob during a substorm on 4 December 2013. This paper is the first report of direct observations of blob deformation during a substorm. The blob deformation arose from an enhanced plasma flow shear during the substorm expansion phase, and then the blob split into two smaller-scale blobs, whose scale sizes were more than ~100 km in latitude. Our analysis indicates that the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability and dissociative recombination could have deformed the blob structure.

Tracking individual membrane proteins and their biochemistry: The power of direct observation.

Science.gov (United States)

Barden, Adam O; Goler, Adam S; Humphreys, Sara C; Tabatabaei, Samaneh; Lochner, Martin; Ruepp, Marc-David; Jack, Thomas; Simonin, Jonathan; Thompson, Andrew J; Jones, Jeffrey P; Brozik, James A

2015-11-01

The advent of single molecule fluorescence microscopy has allowed experimental molecular biophysics and biochemistry to transcend traditional ensemble measurements, where the behavior of individual proteins could not be precisely sampled. The recent explosion in popularity of new super-resolution and super-localization techniques coupled with technical advances in optical designs and fast highly sensitive cameras with single photon sensitivity and millisecond time resolution have made it possible to track key motions, reactions, and interactions of individual proteins with high temporal resolution and spatial resolution well beyond the diffraction limit. Within the purview of membrane proteins and ligand gated ion channels (LGICs), these outstanding advances in single molecule microscopy allow for the direct observation of discrete biochemical states and their fluctuation dynamics. Such observations are fundamentally important for understanding molecular-level mechanisms governing these systems. Examples reviewed here include the effects of allostery on the stoichiometry of ligand binding in the presence of fluorescent ligands; the observation of subdomain partitioning of membrane proteins due to microenvironment effects; and the use of single particle tracking experiments to elucidate characteristics of membrane protein diffusion and the direct measurement of thermodynamic properties, which govern the free energy landscape of protein dimerization. The review of such characteristic topics represents a snapshot of efforts to push the boundaries of fluorescence microscopy of membrane proteins to the absolute limit. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Fluorescent Tools in Neuropharmacology'. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Directional Wave Spectra Observed During Intense Tropical Cyclones

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, C. O.; Potter, H.; Lund, B.; Tamura, H.; Graber, H. C.

2018-02-01

Two deep-sea moorings were deployed 780 km off the coast of southern Taiwan for 4-5 months during the 2010 typhoon season. Directional wave spectra, wind speed and direction, and momentum fluxes were recorded on two Extreme Air-Sea Interaction buoys during the close passage of Severe Tropical Storm Dianmu and three tropical cyclones (TCs): Typhoon Fanapi, Super Typhoon Megi, and Typhoon Chaba. Conditions sampled include significant wave heights up to 11 m and wind speeds up to 26 m s-1. Details varied for large-scale spectral structure in frequency and direction but were mostly bimodal. The modes were generally composed of a swell system emanating from the most intense storm region and local wind-seas. The peak systems were consistently young, meaning actively forced by winds, when the storms were close. During the peaks of the most intense passages—Chaba at the northern mooring and Megi at the southern—the bimodal seas coalesced. During Chaba, the swell and wind-sea coupling directed the high frequency waves and the wind stress away from the wind direction. A spectral wave model was able reproduce many of the macrofeatures of the directional spectra.

Using direct clinical observation to assess the quality of cesarean delivery in Afghanistan: an exploratory study

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background As part of a National Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) Needs Assessment, a special study was undertaken in July 2010 to examine the quality of cesarean deliveries in Afghanistan and examine the utility of direct clinical observation as an assessment method in low-resource settings. Methods This cross-sectional assessment of the quality of cesareans at 14 facilities in Afghanistan included a survey of surgeons regarding their routine cesarean practices, direct observation of 29 cesarean deliveries and comparison of observations with facility records for 34 additional cesareans conducted during the 3 days prior to the observation period at each facility. For both observed cases and record reviews, we assessed time intervals between specified points of care-arrival to the ward, first evaluation, detection of a complication, decision for cesarean, incision, and birth. Results All time intervals with the exception of “decision to skin incision” were longer in the record reviews than in observed cases. Prior cesarean was the most common primary indication for all cases. All mothers in both groups observed survived through one hour postpartum. Among newborns there were two stillbirths (7%) in observed births and seven (21%) record reviews. Although our sample is too small to show statistical significance, the difference is noteworthy. In six of the reviewed cesareans resulting in stillbirth, a fetal heart rate was recorded in the operating theater, although four were recorded as macerated. For the two fresh stillbirths, the cesarean surgeries were recorded as scheduled and not urgent. Conclusions Direct observation of cesarean deliveries enabled us to assess a number of preoperative, postoperative, and intraoperative procedures that are often not described in medical records in low resource settings. Comparison of observations with findings from provider interviews and facility records allowed us to infer whether observed practices were typical

Direct fragmentation of quarkonia including Fermi motion using light-cone wave function

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nobary, M.A. Gomshi [Razi University, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Kermanshah (Iran); A.E.O.I., Center for Theoretical Physics and Mathematics, Tehran (Iran); Javadi, B. [Razi University, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Kermanshah (Iran)

2005-07-01

We investigate the effect of Fermi motion on the direct fragmentation of the J/{psi} and {upsilon} states employing a light-cone wave function. Consistent with such a wave function we set up the kinematics of a heavy quark fragmenting into quarkonia such that the Fermi motion of the constituents splits into a longitudinal as well as a transverse direction and thus calculate the fragmentation functions for these states. In the framework of our investigation, we estimate that the fragmentation probabilities of J/{psi} and {upsilon} may increase at least up to 14 percent when including this degree of freedom. (orig.)

Concordance of chart and billing data with direct observation in dental practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Demko, Catherine A; Victoroff, Kristin Zakariasen; Wotman, Stephen

2008-10-01

The commonly used methods of chart review, billing data summaries and practitioner self-reporting have not been examined for their ability to validly and reliably represent time use and service delivery in routine dental practice. A more thorough investigation of these data sources would provide insight into the appropriateness of each approach for measuring various clinical behaviors. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of commonly used methods such as dental chart review, billing data, or practitioner self-report compared with a 'gold standard' of information derived from direct observation of routine dental visits. A team of trained dental hygienists directly observed 3751 patient visits in 120 dental practices and recorded the behaviors and procedures performed by dentists and hygienists during patient contact time. Following each visit, charts and billing records were reviewed for the performed and billed procedures. Dental providers characterized their frequency of preventive service delivery through self-administered surveys. We standardized the observation and abstraction methods to obtain optimal measures from each of the multiple data sources. Multi-rater kappa coefficients were computed to monitor standardization, while sensitivity, specificity, and kappa coefficients were calculated to compare the various data sources with direct observation. Chart audits were more sensitive than billing data for all observed procedures and demonstrated higher agreement with directly observed data. Chart and billing records were not sensitive for several prevention-related tasks (oral cancer screening and oral hygiene instruction). Provider self-reports of preventive behaviors were always over-estimated compared with direct observation. Inter-method reliability kappa coefficients for 13 procedures ranged from 0.197 to 0.952. These concordance findings suggest that strengths and weaknesses of data collection sources should be considered when investigating

Development of direct observation aparatus of coal carbonization process by x-ray computerized tomography method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakawa, Mitsuhiro; Shiraishi, Katsuhiko; Sakurai, Yoshihisa; Shimomura, Yasuto

1987-01-01

Coke production by chamber ovens has a long history and efforts are being continued to make the manufacturing process efficient and to preserve the environment. In this production by this method, however, it is hardly possible to obtain direct information during coal carbonization. Since the elements that compose coal and coke are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, etc. and are similar to those of the human body, authors has developed a coke oven that permits the direct observation of the coal carbonization process using a soft X-ray computerized tomography (CT) apparatus used in medical treatment. The following phenomena can be observed as images by the coke oven for the CT method : 1) Changes in the bulk density of charge coal (including the difference in the water content), 2) Width of the plastic layer and movement of the plastic layer in the coke oven chamber, 3) Expansion and shrinkage of the charge in the coke oven chamber, 4) Initiation and growth of cracks. (author)

Quality of life among dots (directly observed treatment short course ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Quality of life among dots (directly observed treatment short course) cured patients: ... which is a specific instrument and covers four domains of health i.e. physical, ... thereby necessitating measures for the improvement of the overall health of ...

Observations of a bi-directional lightning leader producing an M-component

Science.gov (United States)

Kotovsky, D. A.; Uman, M. A.; Wilkes, R.; Carvalho, F. L.; Jordan, D. M.

2017-12-01

Lightning discharges to ground often exhibit millisecond-scale surges in the continuing currents following return strokes, called M-components. Relatively little is known regarding the source of M-component charge and the mechanisms by which that charge is transferred to ground. In this work, we seek to directly address these questions by presenting correlated high-speed video and Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) observations of a bi-directional leader that resulted in an M-component occurring in a rocket-and-wire triggered lightning flash. The observed leader initiated in the decayed remnants of a positive leader channel that had traversed virgin air approximately 90 msec prior. Three-dimensional locations and speeds of the photographed bi-directional leader and M-component processes are calculated by mapping video images to the observed LMA channel geometry. Both ends of the bi-directional leader exhibited speeds on the order of 2 x106 m sec-1 over 570 meters of the visible channel. Propagation of the luminosity wave from the in-cloud leader to ground ( 8.8 km channel length) exhibited appreciable dispersion, with rise-times (10-90%) increasing from 330 to 410 μsec and pulse-widths (half-maximum) increasing from 380 to 810 μsec - the M-component current pulse measured at ground-level exhibited a rise-time of 290 μsec and a pulse-width of 770 μsec. Group velocities of the luminosity wave have been calculated as a function of frequency, increasing from 2 x107 to 6 x107 m sec-1 over the dominant signal bandwidth (DC to 2 kHz). Additionally, multiple waves of luminosity are observed within the in-cloud channel, indicating nuanced wave phenomena possibly associated with reflection from the end of the leader channel and attachment with the main lightning channel carrying continuing current to ground.

Cosmic curvature tested directly from observations

Science.gov (United States)

Denissenya, Mikhail; Linder, Eric V.; Shafieloo, Arman

2018-03-01

Cosmic spatial curvature is a fundamental geometric quantity of the Universe. We investigate a model independent, geometric approach to measure spatial curvature directly from observations, without any derivatives of data. This employs strong lensing time delays and supernova distance measurements to measure the curvature itself, rather than just testing consistency with flatness. We define two curvature estimators, with differing error propagation characteristics, that can crosscheck each other, and also show how they can be used to map the curvature in redshift slices, to test constancy of curvature as required by the Robertson-Walker metric. Simulating realizations of redshift distributions and distance measurements of lenses and sources, we estimate uncertainties on the curvature enabled by next generation measurements. The results indicate that the model independent methods, using only geometry without assuming forms for the energy density constituents, can determine the curvature at the ~6×10‑3 level.

Direct Observation of Radiation Defects: Experiment and Interpretation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dudarev, S.L.

2012-01-01

Electron microscopy is arguably the only available experimental method suitable for the direct visualization of nano-scale defect structures formed under irradiation. Images of dislocation loops and point-defect clusters in crystals are usually produced using diffraction contrast methods. For relatively large defects, a combination of dynamical imaging and image contrast simulations is required for determining the nature of visible radiation defects. At the same time, density functional theory (DFT) models developed over the last decade have provided unique information about the structure of nano-scale defects produced by irradiation, including the defects that are so small that they cannot be observed in an electron microscope, and about the pathways of migration and interaction between radiation defects. DFT models, involving no experimental input parameters and being as quantitatively accurate and informative as the most advanced experimental techniques for the direct observation of defects, have created a new paradigm for the scientific investigation of radiation damage phenomena. In particular, DFT models offer new insight into the origin of temperature-dependent response of materials to irradiation, a problem of pivotal significance for applications. By combining information derived from the first-principles models for radiation defects with information derived from small-scale experimental observations it may be possible to acquire quantitative knowledge about how materials respond to irradiation and, using this knowledge, develop materials suitable for advanced applications in fission and fusion. It now appears possible to pose the question about the development of integrated fusion power plant models, combining neutron transport calculations and microscopic models for microstructural evolution of materials, for example models for ab initio prediction of helium embrittlement. Such models, based on scientific principles and quantitative data, and developed

Isotopic and molecular fractionation in combustion; three routes to molecular marker validation, including direct molecular 'dating' (GC/AMS)

Science.gov (United States)

Currie, L. A.; Klouda, G. A.; Benner, B. A.; Garrity, K.; Eglinton, T. I.

The identification of unique isotopic, elemental, and molecular markers for sources of combustion aerosol has growing practical importance because of the potential effects of fine particle aerosol on health, visibility and global climate. It is urgent, therefore, that substantial efforts be directed toward the validation of assumptions involving the use of such tracers for source apportionment. We describe here three independent routes toward carbonaceous aerosol molecular marker identification and validation: (1) tracer regression and multivariate statistical techniques applied to field measurements of mixed source, carbonaceous aerosols; (2) a new development in aerosol 14C metrology: direct, pure compound accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) by off-line GC/AMS ('molecular dating'); and (3) direct observation of isotopic and molecular source emissions during controlled laboratory combustion of specific fuels. Findings from the combined studies include: independent support for benzo( ghi)perylene as a motor vehicle tracer from the first (statistical) and second (direct 'dating') studies; a new indication, from the third (controlled combustion) study, of a relation between 13C isotopic fractionation and PAH molecular fractionation, also linked with fuel and stage of combustion; and quantitative data showing the influence of both fuel type and combustion conditions on the yields of such species as elemental carbon and PAH, reinforcing the importance of exercising caution when applying presumed conservative elemental or organic tracers to fossil or biomass burning field data as in the first study.

An attempt to observe directly beauty particles in nuclear emulsions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albanese, J.P.; Arnold, R.; Matteuzzi, C.; Musset, P.; Piuz, F.; Poulard, G.; Price, M.J.; Ramello, L.; Sletten, H.; Allasia, D.; Bisi, V.; Gamba, D.; Marzari-Chiesa, A.; Riccati, L.; Romero, A.; Armenise, N.; Calicchio, M.; Erriquez, O.; Lavopa, P.; Maggi, G.; Muciaccia, M.T.; Natali, S.; Nuzzo, S.; Romano, F.; Ruggieri, F.; Baroni, G.; Di Ciaccio, L.; Di Liberto, S.; Manfredini, A.; Meddi, F.; Petrera, S.; Romano, G.; Rosa, G.; Santonico, R.; Sebastiani, F.; Barth, M.; Bertrand, D.; Bertrand-Coremans, G.; Roosen, R.; Sacton, J.; Schorochoff, G.; Wickens, J.; Breslin, A.C.; Montwill, A.; O'Connor, A.; Davis, D.G.; Davis, D.H.; Downes, J.K.; Duff, B.G.; Esten, M.J.; Gjerpe, I.; Heymann, F.F.; Imrie, D.C.; Lush, G.J.; Tovee, D.N.; Hazama, M.; Isokane, Y.; Tsuneoka, Y.; Maeda, Y.; Tasaka, S.

1983-01-01

An attempt at the direct observation of the cascade decay of beauty particles, produced by π - of 350 GeV/c leading to 3 muons or 4 muons in the final state, has been made in an emulsion/counter hybrid experiment at CERN. Under the assumption that the lifetime of beauty particles is of the order of 10 - 13 s the non-observation of any candidates provides an upper limit for beauty production of approx.=90 nb at the 90% confidence level. (orig.)

Analysis of multidimensional difference-of-Gaussians filters in terms of directly observable parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Cope, Davis; Blakeslee, Barbara; McCourt, Mark E

2013-05-01

The difference-of-Gaussians (DOG) filter is a widely used model for the receptive field of neurons in the retina and lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and is a potential model in general for responses modulated by an excitatory center with an inhibitory surrounding region. A DOG filter is defined by three standard parameters: the center and surround sigmas (which define the variance of the radially symmetric Gaussians) and the balance (which defines the linear combination of the two Gaussians). These parameters are not directly observable and are typically determined by nonlinear parameter estimation methods applied to the frequency response function. DOG filters show both low-pass (optimal response at zero frequency) and bandpass (optimal response at a nonzero frequency) behavior. This paper reformulates the DOG filter in terms of a directly observable parameter, the zero-crossing radius, and two new (but not directly observable) parameters. In the two-dimensional parameter space, the exact region corresponding to bandpass behavior is determined. A detailed description of the frequency response characteristics of the DOG filter is obtained. It is also found that the directly observable optimal frequency and optimal gain (the ratio of the response at optimal frequency to the response at zero frequency) provide an alternate coordinate system for the bandpass region. Altogether, the DOG filter and its three standard implicit parameters can be determined by three directly observable values. The two-dimensional bandpass region is a potential tool for the analysis of populations of DOG filters (for example, populations of neurons in the retina or LGN), because the clustering of points in this parameter space may indicate an underlying organizational principle. This paper concentrates on circular Gaussians, but the results generalize to multidimensional radially symmetric Gaussians and are given as an appendix.

Application of Observed Precipitation in NCEP Global and Regional Data Assimilation Systems, Including Reanalysis and Land Data Assimilation

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, K. E.

2006-12-01

precipitation analyses by other institutions. Other global precipitation analyses produced by other methodologies are also used by EMC in certain applications, such as CPC's well-known satellite-IR based technique known as "GPI", and satellite-microwave based estimates from NESDIS or NASA. Finally, the presentation will cover the three assimilation methods used by EMC to assimilate precipitation data, including 1) 3D-VAR variational assimilation in NCEP's Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS), 2) direct insertion of precipitation-inferred vertical latent heating profiles in NCEP's N. American Data Assimilation System (NDAS) and its N. American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) counterpart, and 3) direct use of observed precipitation to drive the Noah land model component of NCEP's Global and N. American Land Data Assimilation Systems (GLDAS and NLDAS). In the applications of precipitation analyses in data assimilation at NCEP, the analyses are temporally disaggregated to hourly or less using time-weights calculated from A) either radar-based estimates or an analysis of hourly gauge-observations for the CONUS-domain daily precipitation analyses, or B) global model forecasts of 6-hourly precipitation (followed by linear interpolation to hourly or less) for the global CMAP precipitation analysis.

Direct observation of crystal texture by neutron diffraction topography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomimitsu, Hiroshi

1982-02-01

This document reports the development and the applications of the neutron diffraction topography (NDT), which have been carried out at JAERI in these 10 years. This describes how the substructure of Cu-5%Ge single crystal of large-scale (3 cm in diameter and 10 cm in length) was revealed by the NDT-observation. It was discovered that the specimen crystal was made up from the layer-substructures parallel to (001) and to the [110] growth direction, and that each (001) layer-substructure mentioned above was further subdivided into the central thin sublayer parallel to (001) and thick plates of [100] and [010] directions, attached symmetrically to both sides of the central (001) sublayer with regular intervals. The model of the substructure described above was supported by the calculation of the diffraction intensities. The model of the layer-substructure described above, on the other hand, suggested a simple mechanism of crystal growth of the specimen. This document also reports the NDT-observation of the three-dimensional distribution of the lattice strains within a hot-pressed Ge single crystal, and the equal thickness fringes and the coherent boundaries of a twinned Si crystal. The powerfulness and the reliability of the NDT-technique were thus demonstrated. (author)

Combined Flux Observer With Signal Injection Enhancement for Wide Speed Range Sensorless Direct Torque Control of IPMSM Drives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blaabjerg, Frede; Andreescu, G.-D.; Pitic, C.I.

2008-01-01

voltage-current model with PI compensator for low-speed operations. As speed increases, the observer switches gradually to a PI compensated closed-loop voltage model, which is solely used at high speeds. High-frequency rotating-voltage injection with a single D-module bandpass vector filter and a phase......This paper proposes a motion-sensorless control system using direct torque control with space vector modulation for interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) drives, for wide speed range operation, including standstill. A novel stator flux observer with variable structure uses a combined...

Direct-phase-variable model of a synchronous reluctance motor including all slot and winding harmonics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Obe, Emeka S.; Binder, A.

2011-01-01

A detailed model in direct-phase variables of a synchronous reluctance motor operating at mains voltage and frequency is presented. The model includes the stator and rotor slot openings, the actual winding layout and the reluctance rotor geometry. Hence, all mmf and permeance harmonics are taken into account. It is seen that non-negligible harmonics introduced by slots are present in the inductances computed by the winding function procedure. These harmonics are usually ignored in d-q models. The machine performance is simulated in the stator reference frame to depict the difference between this new direct-phase model including all harmonics and the conventional rotor reference frame d-q model. Saturation is included by using a polynomial fitting the variation of d-axis inductance with stator current obtained by finite-element software FEMAG DC (registered) . The detailed phase-variable model can yield torque pulsations comparable to those obtained from finite elements while the d-q model cannot.

Direct Power Control for Three-Phase Two-Level Voltage-Source Rectifiers Based on Extended-State Observation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Song, Zhanfeng; Tian, Yanjun; Yan, Zhuo

2016-01-01

This paper proposed a direct power control strategy for three-phase two-level voltage-source rectifiers based on extended-state observation. Active and reactive powers are directly regulated in the stationary reference frame. Similar to the family of predictive controllers whose inherent characte......This paper proposed a direct power control strategy for three-phase two-level voltage-source rectifiers based on extended-state observation. Active and reactive powers are directly regulated in the stationary reference frame. Similar to the family of predictive controllers whose inherent...

Attainment of students’ conception in magnetic fields by using of direct observation and symbolic language ability

Science.gov (United States)

Desy Fatmaryanti, Siska; Suparmi; Sarwanto; Ashadi

2017-11-01

This study focuses on description attainment of students’ conception in the magnetic field. The conception was based by using of direct observation and symbolic language ability. The method used is descriptive quantitative research. The subject of study was about 86 students from 3 senior high school at Purworejo. The learning process was done by guided inquiry model. During the learning, students were required to actively investigate the concept of a magnetic field around a straight wire electrical current Data retrieval was performed using an instrument in the form of a multiple choice test reasoned and observation during the learning process. There was four indicator of direct observation ability and four indicators of symbolic language ability to grouping category of students conception. The results of average score showed that students conception about the magnitude more better than the direction of magnetic fields in view of symbolic language. From the observation, we found that students could draw the magnetic fields line not from a text book but their direct observation results. They used various way to get a good accuracy of observation results. Explicit recommendations are presented in the discussion section at the end of this paper.

Direct observation of stochastic domain-wall depinning in magnetic nanowires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Im, Mi-Young; Bocklage, Lars; Fischer, Peter; Meier, Guido

2008-11-01

The stochastic field-driven depinning of a domain wall pinned at a notch in a magnetic nanowire is directly observed using magnetic X-ray microscopy with high lateral resolution down to 15 nm. The depinning-field distribution in Ni{sub 80}Fe{sub 20} nanowires considerably depends on the wire width and the notch depth. The difference in the multiplicity of domain-wall types generated in the vicinity of a notch is responsible for the observed dependence of the stochastic nature of the domain wall depinning field on the wire width and the notch depth. Thus the random nature of the domain wall depinning process is controllable by an appropriate design of the nanowire.

Self-administered Versus Directly Observed Once-Weekly Isoniazid and Rifapentine Treatment of Latent Tuberculosis Infection

Science.gov (United States)

Belknap, Robert; Holland, David; Feng, Pei-Jean; Millet, Joan-Pau; Caylà, Joan A.; Martinson, Neil A.; Wright, Alicia; Chen, Michael P.; Moro, Ruth N.; Scott, Nigel A.; Arevalo, Bert; Miró, José M.; Villarino, Margarita E.; Weiner, Marc; Borisov, Andrey S.

2017-01-01

Background Expanding latent tuberculosis treatment is important to decrease active disease globally. Once-weekly isoniazid and rifapentine for 12 doses is effective but limited by requiring direct observation. Objective To compare treatment completion and safety of once-weekly isoniazid and rifapentine by self-administration versus direct observation. Design An open-label, phase 4 randomized clinical trial designed as a noninferiority study with a 15% margin. Seventy-five percent or more of study patients were enrolled from the United States for a prespecified subgroup analysis. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01582711) Setting Outpatient tuberculosis clinics in the United States, Spain, Hong Kong, and South Africa. Participants 1002 adults (aged ≥18 years) recommended for treatment of latent tuberculosis infection. Intervention Participants received once-weekly isoniazid and rifapentine by direct observation, self-administration with monthly monitoring, or self-administration with weekly text message reminders and monthly monitoring. Measurements The primary outcome was treatment completion, defined as 11 or more doses within 16 weeks and measured using clinical documentation and pill counts for direct observation, and self-reports, pill counts, and medication event–monitoring devices for self-administration. The main secondary outcome was adverse events. Results Median age was 36 years, 48% of participants were women, and 77% were enrolled at the U.S. sites. Treatment completion was 87.2% (95% CI, 83.1% to 90.5%) in the direct-observation group, 74.0% (CI, 68.9% to 78.6%) in the self-administration group, and 76.4% (CI, 71.3% to 80.8%) in the self-administration–with–reminders group. In the United States, treatment completion was 85.4% (CI, 80.4% to 89.4%), 77.9% (CI, 72.7% to 82.6%), and 76.7% (CI, 70.9% to 81.7%), respectively. Self-administered therapy without reminders was noninferior to direct observation in the United States; no other comparisons met

Feedback in formative OSCEs: comparison between direct observation and video-based formats

Science.gov (United States)

Junod Perron, Noëlle; Louis-Simonet, Martine; Cerutti, Bernard; Pfarrwaller, Eva; Sommer, Johanna; Nendaz, Mathieu

2016-01-01

Introduction Medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland, have the opportunity to practice clinical skills with simulated patients during formative sessions in preparation for clerkships. These sessions are given in two formats: 1) direct observation of an encounter followed by verbal feedback (direct feedback) and 2) subsequent review of the videotaped encounter by both student and supervisor (video-based feedback). The aim of the study was to evaluate whether content and process of feedback differed between both formats. Methods In 2013, all second- and third-year medical students and clinical supervisors involved in formative sessions were asked to take part in the study. A sample of audiotaped feedback sessions involving supervisors who gave feedback in both formats were analyzed (content and process of the feedback) using a 21-item feedback scale. Results Forty-eight audiotaped feedback sessions involving 12 supervisors were analyzed (2 direct and 2 video-based sessions per supervisor). When adjusted for the length of feedback, there were significant differences in terms of content and process between both formats; the number of communication skills and clinical reasoning items addressed were higher in the video-based format (11.29 vs. 7.71, p=0.002 and 3.71 vs. 2.04, p=0.010, respectively). Supervisors engaged students more actively during the video-based sessions than during direct feedback sessions (self-assessment: 4.00 vs. 3.17, p=0.007; active problem-solving: 3.92 vs. 3.42, p=0.009). Students made similar observations and tended to consider that the video feedback was more useful for improving some clinical skills. Conclusion Video-based feedback facilitates discussion of clinical reasoning, communication, and professionalism issues while at the same time actively engaging students. Different time and conceptual frameworks may explain observed differences. The choice of feedback format should depend on the educational

Feedback in formative OSCEs: comparison between direct observation and video-based formats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noëlle Junod Perron

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland, have the opportunity to practice clinical skills with simulated patients during formative sessions in preparation for clerkships. These sessions are given in two formats: 1 direct observation of an encounter followed by verbal feedback (direct feedback and 2 subsequent review of the videotaped encounter by both student and supervisor (video-based feedback. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether content and process of feedback differed between both formats. Methods: In 2013, all second- and third-year medical students and clinical supervisors involved in formative sessions were asked to take part in the study. A sample of audiotaped feedback sessions involving supervisors who gave feedback in both formats were analyzed (content and process of the feedback using a 21-item feedback scale. Results: Forty-eight audiotaped feedback sessions involving 12 supervisors were analyzed (2 direct and 2 video-based sessions per supervisor. When adjusted for the length of feedback, there were significant differences in terms of content and process between both formats; the number of communication skills and clinical reasoning items addressed were higher in the video-based format (11.29 vs. 7.71, p=0.002 and 3.71 vs. 2.04, p=0.010, respectively. Supervisors engaged students more actively during the video-based sessions than during direct feedback sessions (self-assessment: 4.00 vs. 3.17, p=0.007; active problem-solving: 3.92 vs. 3.42, p=0.009. Students made similar observations and tended to consider that the video feedback was more useful for improving some clinical skills. Conclusion: Video-based feedback facilitates discussion of clinical reasoning, communication, and professionalism issues while at the same time actively engaging students. Different time and conceptual frameworks may explain observed differences. The choice of feedback format should depend on

First direct observation of time-reversal violation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angelopoulos, A.; Apostolakis, A.; Aslanides, E.; Bertin, V.; Ealet, A.; Henry-Couannier, F.; Le Gac, R.; Montanet, F.; Touchard, F.; Backenstoss, G.; Benelli, A.; Kokkas, P.; Leimgruber, F.; Pavlopoulos, P.; Polivka, G.; Rickenbach, R.; Schietinger, T.; Tauscher, L.; Vlachos, S.; Bargassa, P.

2000-01-01

Using its unique capability of strangeness tagging at K 0 production in pp-bar→K ± π ± K 0 (K-bar) 0 ) and at decay with the lepton charge in semileptonic decays CPLEAR measured the semileptonic decay-rate asymmetry (R(K-bar) 0 →e + π - ν)-R(K 0 →e - π + ν-bar)/R(K-bar) 0 →e + π - ν)+R(K 0 →e - π + ν-bar). The asymmetry, fitted over the eigentime interval 1-20 τ S , yielded a non-zero result of (6.6±1.3 stat ±1.1 syst )x10 -3 . A thorough phenomenological analysis identifies T violation in K 0 mixing and/or CPT violation in semileptonic decays as possible interpretations. A confrontation with world data on neutral kaon decays, however, excludes the latter with sufficient precision to establish the result as the first direct observation of time reversal non-invariance

Direct observation of ionic structure at solid-liquid interfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Siretanu, Igor; Ebeling, Daniel; Andersson, Martin Peter

2014-01-01

The distribution of ions and charge at solid-water interfaces plays an essential role in a wide range of processes in biology, geology and technology. While theoretical models of the solid-electrolyte interface date back to the early 20th century, a detailed picture of the structure of the electric...... double layer has remained elusive, largely because of experimental techniques have not allowed direct observation of the behaviour of ions, i.e. with subnanometer resolution. We have made use of recent advances in high-resolution Atomic Force Microscopy to reveal, with atomic level precision, the ordered...

Three-item Direct Observation Screen (TIDOS) for autism spectrum disorder

OpenAIRE

Oner, Pinar; Oner, Ozgur; Munir, Kerim

2013-01-01

We compared ratings on the Three-Item Direct Observation Screen test for autism spectrum disorders completed by pediatric residents with the Social Communication Questionnaire parent reports as an augmentative tool for improving autism spectrum disorder screening performance. We examined three groups of children (18–60 months) comparable in age (18–24 month, 24–36 month, 36–60 preschool subgroups) and gender distribution: n = 86 with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ...

Direct observation of mass oscillations due to ablative Richtmyer-Meshkov instability and feedout in planar plastic targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aglitskiy, Y.; Velikovich, A.L.; Karasik, M.; Serlin, V.; Pawley, C.J.; Schmitt, A.J.; Obenschain, S.P.; Mostovych, A.N.; Gardner, J.H.; Metzler, N.

2002-01-01

Perturbations that seed Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability in laser-driven targets form during the early-time period. This time includes a shock wave transit from the front to the rear surface of the target, and a rarefaction wave transit in the opposite direction. During this time interval, areal mass perturbations caused by all sources of nonuniformity (laser imprint, surface ripple) are expected to oscillate. The first direct experimental observations of the areal mass oscillations due to ablative Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM) instability and feedout followed by the RT growth of areal mass modulation are discussed. The experiments were made with 40-99 μm thick planar plastic targets rippled either on the front or on the rear with a sine wave ripple with either 30 or 45 μm wavelength and with 0.5, 1, or 1.5 μm amplitude. Targets were irradiated with 4 ns long Nike KrF laser pulses at ∼50 TW/cm2. The oscillations were observed with our novel diagnostic technique, a monochromatic x-ray imager coupled to a streak camera. For the ablative RM instability (front side ripple), the mass modulation amplitude was typically observed to grow, reach a peak, and then decrease, after which the exponential RT growth started. In some cases, one phase reversal due to the ablative RM instability was observed. For the feedout geometry (rear side ripple), in all cases two phase reversals were observed: a distinct half-oscillation was followed by the onset of the RT growth, resulting in a second phase reversal

Anna Freud: the Hampstead War Nurseries and the role of the direct observation of children for psychoanalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Midgley, Nick

2007-08-01

The psychoanalytic tradition of direct observation of children has a long history, going back to the early 20th century, when psychoanalysis and the emerging field of 'child studies' came into fruitful contact in Freud's Vienna. As a leading figure in the attempted integration of direct observation with the new psychoanalytic knowledge emerging from the consulting room, Anna Freud played a crucial role in the emergence of this field. But her major contribution to the theory and practice of observing children came during the Second World War, when she founded the Hampstead War Nurseries. The author describes in detail this important period of Anna Freud's career, and discusses the impact it had on later work. He explores the theoretical contribution that Anna Freud made in the post-war years to the debate about the place of direct observation in psychoanalysis, and concludes that Anna Freud's 'double approach' (direct observation plus analytic reconstruction) still has a great deal to offer as a method of both psychoanalytic research and education.

An accuracy measurement method for star trackers based on direct astronomic observation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Ting; Xing, Fei; Wang, Xiaochu; You, Zheng; Chu, Daping

2016-03-07

Star tracker is one of the most promising optical attitude measurement devices and it is widely used in spacecraft for its high accuracy. However, how to realize and verify such an accuracy remains a crucial but unsolved issue until now. The authenticity of the accuracy measurement method of a star tracker will eventually determine the satellite performance. A new and robust accuracy measurement method for a star tracker based on the direct astronomical observation is proposed here. In comparison with the conventional method with simulated stars, this method utilizes real navigation stars as observation targets which makes the measurement results more authoritative and authentic. Transformations between different coordinate systems are conducted on the account of the precision movements of the Earth, and the error curves of directional vectors are obtained along the three axes. Based on error analysis and accuracy definitions, a three-axis accuracy evaluation criterion has been proposed in this paper, which could determine pointing and rolling accuracy of a star tracker directly. Experimental measurements confirm that this method is effective and convenient to implement. Such a measurement environment is close to the in-orbit conditions and it can satisfy the stringent requirement for high-accuracy star trackers.

Direct observation of the spin-dependent Peltier effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Flipse, J; Bakker, F L; Slachter, A; Dejene, F K; van Wees, B J

2012-02-05

The Peltier coefficient describes the amount of heat that is carried by an electrical current when it passes through a material. When two materials with different Peltier coefficients are placed in contact with one another, the Peltier effect causes a net flow of heat either towards or away from the interface between them. Spintronics describes the transport of electric charge and spin angular momentum by separate spin-up and spin-down channels in a device. The observation that spin-up and spin-down charge transport channels are able to transport heat independently of each other has raised the possibility that spin currents could be used to heat or cool the interface between materials with different spin-dependent Peltier coefficients. Here, we report the direct observation of the heating and cooling of such an interface by a spin current. We demonstrate this spin-dependent Peltier effect in a spin-valve pillar structure that consists of two ferromagnetic layers separated by a non-ferromagnetic metal. Using a three-dimensional finite-element model, we extract spin-dependent Peltier coefficients in the range -0.9 to -1.3 mV for permalloy. The magnetic control of heat flow could prove useful for the cooling of nanoscale electronic components or devices.

A new force field including charge directionality for TMAO in aqueous solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Usui, Kota; Nagata, Yuki, E-mail: sulpizi@uni-mainz.de, E-mail: nagata@mpip-mainz.mpg.de; Hunger, Johannes; Bonn, Mischa [Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz (Germany); Sulpizi, Marialore, E-mail: sulpizi@uni-mainz.de, E-mail: nagata@mpip-mainz.mpg.de [Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Staudingerweg 7, 55099 Mainz (Germany)

2016-08-14

We propose a new force field for trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which is designed to reproduce the long-lived and highly directional hydrogen bond between the TMAO oxygen (O{sub TMAO}) atom and surrounding water molecules. Based on the data obtained by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, we introduce three dummy sites around O{sub TMAO} to mimic the O{sub TMAO} lone pairs and we migrate the negative charge on the O{sub TMAO} to the dummy sites. The force field model developed here improves both structural and dynamical properties of aqueous TMAO solutions. Moreover, it reproduces the experimentally observed dependence of viscosity upon increasing TMAO concentration quantitatively. The simple procedure of the force field construction makes it easy to implement in molecular dynamics simulation packages and makes it compatible with the existing biomolecular force fields. This paves the path for further investigation of protein-TMAO interaction in aqueous solutions.

A new force field including charge directionality for TMAO in aqueous solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Usui, Kota; Nagata, Yuki; Hunger, Johannes; Bonn, Mischa; Sulpizi, Marialore

2016-01-01

We propose a new force field for trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which is designed to reproduce the long-lived and highly directional hydrogen bond between the TMAO oxygen (O TMAO ) atom and surrounding water molecules. Based on the data obtained by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, we introduce three dummy sites around O TMAO to mimic the O TMAO lone pairs and we migrate the negative charge on the O TMAO to the dummy sites. The force field model developed here improves both structural and dynamical properties of aqueous TMAO solutions. Moreover, it reproduces the experimentally observed dependence of viscosity upon increasing TMAO concentration quantitatively. The simple procedure of the force field construction makes it easy to implement in molecular dynamics simulation packages and makes it compatible with the existing biomolecular force fields. This paves the path for further investigation of protein-TMAO interaction in aqueous solutions.

Consistency of direct integral estimator for partially observed systems of ordinary differential equations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vujačić, Ivan; Dattner, Itai

In this paper we use the sieve framework to prove consistency of the ‘direct integral estimator’ of parameters for partially observed systems of ordinary differential equations, which are commonly used for modeling dynamic processes.

Participant observation of time allocation, direct patient contact and simultaneous activities in hospital physicians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zupanc Andrea

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hospital physicians' time is a critical resource in medical care. Two aspects are of interest. First, the time spent in direct patient contact – a key principle of effective medical care. Second, simultaneous task performance ('multitasking' which may contribute to medical error, impaired safety behaviour, and stress. There is a call for instruments to assess these aspects. A preliminary study to gain insight into activity patterns, time allocation and simultaneous activities of hospital physicians was carried out. Therefore an observation instrument for time-motion-studies in hospital settings was developed and tested. Methods 35 participant observations of internists and surgeons of a German municipal 300-bed hospital were conducted. Complete day shifts of hospital physicians on wards, emergency ward, intensive care unit, and operating room were continuously observed. Assessed variables of interest were time allocation, share of direct patient contact, and simultaneous activities. Inter-rater agreement of Kappa = .71 points to good reliability of the instrument. Results Hospital physicians spent 25.5% of their time at work in direct contact with patients. Most time was allocated to documentation and conversation with colleagues and nursing staff. Physicians performed parallel simultaneous activities for 17–20% of their work time. Communication with patients, documentation, and conversation with colleagues and nursing staff were the most frequently observed simultaneous activities. Applying logit-linear analyses, specific primary activities increase the probability of particular simultaneous activities. Conclusion Patient-related working time in hospitals is limited. The potential detrimental effects of frequently observed simultaneous activities on performance outcomes need further consideration.

Modelling 1-minute directional observations of the global irradiance.

Science.gov (United States)

Thejll, Peter; Pagh Nielsen, Kristian; Andersen, Elsa; Furbo, Simon

2016-04-01

Direct and diffuse irradiances from the sky has been collected at 1-minute intervals for about a year from the experimental station at the Technical University of Denmark for the IEA project "Solar Resource Assessment and Forecasting". These data were gathered by pyrheliometers tracking the Sun, as well as with apertured pyranometers gathering 1/8th and 1/16th of the light from the sky in 45 degree azimuthal ranges pointed around the compass. The data are gathered in order to develop detailed models of the potentially available solar energy and its variations at high temporal resolution in order to gain a more detailed understanding of the solar resource. This is important for a better understanding of the sub-grid scale cloud variation that cannot be resolved with climate and weather models. It is also important for optimizing the operation of active solar energy systems such as photovoltaic plants and thermal solar collector arrays, and for passive solar energy and lighting to buildings. We present regression-based modelling of the observed data, and focus, here, on the statistical properties of the model fits. Using models based on the one hand on what is found in the literature and on physical expectations, and on the other hand on purely statistical models, we find solutions that can explain up to 90% of the variance in global radiation. The models leaning on physical insights include terms for the direct solar radiation, a term for the circum-solar radiation, a diffuse term and a term for the horizon brightening/darkening. The purely statistical model is found using data- and formula-validation approaches picking model expressions from a general catalogue of possible formulae. The method allows nesting of expressions, and the results found are dependent on and heavily constrained by the cross-validation carried out on statistically independent testing and training data-sets. Slightly better fits -- in terms of variance explained -- is found using the purely

Direct observation of two proton radioactivity using digital photography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rykaczewski, Krzysztof Piotr; Pfutzner, M.; Dominik, Wojciech; Janas, Z.; Miernik, K.; Bingham, C.R.; Czyrkowski, HenryK.; Cwiok, Mikolaj; Darby, Iain; Dabrowski, Ryszard; Ginter, T. N.; Grzywacz, Robert Kazimierz; Karny, M.; Korgul, A.; Kusmierz, Waldemar; Liddick, Sean; Rajabali, Mustafa; Stolz, A.

2007-01-01

Recently the observation of a new type of spontaneous radioactive decay has been claimed in which two protons are simultaneously ejected by an atomic nucleus from the ground state1,2,3. Experimental data obtained for the extremely neutron-deficient nuclei 45Fe and 54Zn, were interpreted as the first evidence of such a decay mode which has been sought since 1960.4 However, the technique applied in those studies allowed only measurements of the decay time and the total energy released. Particles emitted in the decay were not identified and the conclusions had to be supported by theoretical arguments. Here we show for the first time, directly and unambiguously, that 45Fe indeed disintegrates by two-proton decay. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the decay branch of this isotope leads to various particle emission channels including two-proton and three-proton emission. To achieve this result we have developed a new type of detector V the Optical Time Projection Chamber (OTPC) in which digital photography is applied to nuclear physics for the first time. The detector records images of tracks from charged particles, allowing for their unambiguous identification and the reconstruction of decay events in three dimensions. This new and simple technique provides a powerful method to identify exotic decay channels involving emission of charged particles. It is expected that further studies with the OTPC device will yield important information on nuclei located at and beyond the proton drip-line, thus providing new material for testing and improving models of very unstable atomic nuclei

Direct observation of cascade defect formation at low temperatures in ion-irradiated metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muroga, T.; Hirooka, K.; Ishino, S.

1984-01-01

Direct transmission electron microscopy observations of cascade defect formation have been carried out in gold, Type 316 stainless steel, and aluminum irradiated by Al + , Ar - , and Xe + ions with energies between 80 and 400 keV. By utilizing a link of an ion accelerator to an electron microscope, in situ observations at low temperature (-150 0 C) have become possible. In gold, subcascade structures are clearly observed in all cases. Obvious dependence on projectile mass and energy is observed for cascade structure and vacancy clustering efficiency in gold and for defect visibility in aluminum and Type 316 stainless steel. A computer simulation calculation using MARLOWE shows subcascade distributions a little smaller in size and larger in number than the present observation

Costs and cost-effectiveness of different DOT strategies for the treatment of tuberculosis in Pakistan. Directly Observed Treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, M A; Walley, J D; Witter, S N; Imran, A; Safdar, N

2002-06-01

An economic study was conducted alongside a clinical trial at three sites in Pakistan to establish the costs and effectiveness of different strategies for implementing directly observed treatment (DOT) for tuberculosis. Patients were randomly allocated to one of three arms: DOTS with direct observation by health workers (at health centres or by community health workers); DOTS with direct observation by family members; and DOTS without direct observation. The clinical trial found no statistically significant difference in cure rate for the different arms. The economic study collected data on the full range of health service costs and patient costs of the different treatment arms. Data were also disaggregated by gender, rural and urban patients, by treatment site and by economic categories, to investigate the costs of the different strategies, their cost-effectiveness and the impact that they might have on patient compliance with treatment. The study found that direct observation by health centre-based health workers was the least cost-effective of the strategies tested (US dollars 310 per case cured). This is an interesting result, as this is the model recommended by the World Health Organization and International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. Attending health centres daily during the first 2 months generated high patient costs (direct and in terms of time lost), yet cure rates for this group fell below those of the non-observed group (58%, compared with 62%). One factor suggested by this study is that the high costs of attending may be deterring patients, and in particular, economically active patients who have most to lose from the time taken by direct observation. Without stronger evidence of benefits, it is hard to justify the costs to health services and patients that this type of direct observation imposes. The self-administered group came out as most cost-effective (164 dollars per case cured). The community health worker sub-group achieved the

Direct observation of labelled aerosols deposition into the respiratory tract of the rat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duport, P.

1977-01-01

With a new process the deposition of labelled aerosols into the respiratory tract of the rat can be directly observed. A qualitative convergence between the theoretical retention and real retention for a large scale of aerosol dimensions, is found out [fr

Detachment of Tertiary Dendrite Arms during Controlled Directional Solidification in Aluminum - 7 wt Percent Silicon Alloys: Observations from Ground-based and Microgravity Processed Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Grugel, Richard N.; Erdman, Robert; Van Hoose, James R.; Tewari, Surendra; Poirier, David

2012-01-01

Electron Back Scattered Diffraction results from cross-sections of directionally solidified aluminum 7wt% silicon alloys unexpectedly revealed tertiary dendrite arms that were detached and mis-oriented from their parent arm. More surprisingly, the same phenomenon was observed in a sample similarly processed in the quiescent microgravity environment aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in support of the joint US-European MICAST investigation. The work presented here includes a brief introduction to MICAST and the directional solidification facilities, and their capabilities, available aboard the ISS. Results from the ground-based and microgravity processed samples are compared and possible mechanisms for the observed tertiary arm detachment are suggested.

Recent observations of distant matter - Direct clues to birth and evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koo, D.C.

1988-01-01

Highlights of recent deep observations of field galaxies, clusters of galaxies, radio galaxies, quasar absorption lines, and quasars are used to illustrate our progress since the 1981 Vatican Conference on Astrophysical Cosmology and to review the current status of evidence for evolution in their intrinsic properties and large-scale clustering. The birth and ages of galaxies can be explored directly by exploiting these classes of objects to search for primeval galaxies. 96 refs

Direct observation during surgery shows preservation of cerebral microcirculation in patients with traumatic brain injury

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pérez-Bárcena, Jon; Romay, Eduardo; Llompart-Pou, Juan Antonio; Ibáñez, Javier; Brell, Marta; Llinás, Pedro; González, Elsa; Merenda, Amedeo; Ince, Can; Bullock, Ross

2015-01-01

To describe the alterations of the cortical microcirculation of the brain (blood flow and vessel density) in TBI patients who and compare them with a control group. Prospective and observational study in a third-level university hospital. Cortical microcirculation in the brain was directly observed

Performing Gram stain directly on catheter tips: assessment of the quality of the observation process.

Science.gov (United States)

Guembe, M; Pérez-Granda, M J; Rivera, M L; Martín-Rabadán, P; Bouza, E

2015-06-01

A previous study performed in our institution showed that catheter tip (CT) staining by combining acridine orange and Gram stain (GS) before culture anticipated catheter colonization with exhaustive and careful observation by a highly trained technician. Our objective was to assess the validity values of GS without acridine orange on an external smear of CT for predicting catheter colonization and catheter-related bloodstream infection (C-RBSI). We compared different periods of observation and the results of two technicians with different levels of professional experience. Over a 5-month period, the roll-plate technique was preceded by direct GS of all CTs sent to the microbiology laboratory. The reading was taken at ×100 by two observers with different skill levels. Each observer performed a routine examination (3 min along three longitudinal lines) and an exhaustive examination (5 min along five longitudinal lines). The presence of at least one cell was considered positive. All slides were read before culture results were known. We included a total of 271 CTs from 209 patients. The prevalence of catheter colonization and C-RBSI was 16.2 % and 5.1 %, respectively. Routine and exhaustive examinations revealed only 29.5 % and 40.9 % of colonized catheters, respectively (p staining is performed exhaustively. However, the decision to implement this approach in daily routine will depend on the prevalence rate of catheter colonization at each institution.

Direct observation, study and control of molecular super rotors

Science.gov (United States)

Korobenko, Aleksey; Milner, Alexander; Hepburn, John; Milner, Valery

2014-05-01

Extremely fast rotating molecules whose rotational energy is comparable with or exceeds the molecular bond strength are known as ``super rotors''. It has been speculated that super rotors may exhibit a number of unique properties, yet only indirect evidence of these molecular objects has been reported to date. We demonstrate the first direct observation of molecular super rotors by detecting coherent unidirectional molecular rotation with extreme frequencies exceeding 10 THz. The technique of an ``optical centrifuge'' is used to control the degree of rotational excitation in an ultra-broad range of rotational quantum numbers, reaching as high as N = 95 in oxygen and N = 60 in nitrogen. State-resolved detection enables us to determine the shape of the excited rotational wave packet and quantify the effect of centrifugal distortion on the rotational spectrum. Femtosecond time resolution reveals coherent rotational dynamics with increasing coherence times at higher angular momentum. We demonstrate that molecular super rotors can be created and observed in dense samples under normal conditions where the effects of ultrafast rotation on many-body interactions, inter-molecular collisions and chemical reactions can be readily explored.

Direct observation of syringeal muscle function in songbirds and a parrot

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Ole Næsbye; Goller, Franz

2002-01-01

on the syrinx. Contraction of m. tracheobronchialis ventralis enlarges the syringeal lumen and thus increases airflow by abducting the LL but does not affect the ML. The largest syringeal muscle, m. syringealis ventralis, plays a minor role, if any, in direct aperture control and thus in gating airflow...... the LTMs further into the tracheal lumen but does not close the syringeal aperture fully. The intrinsic deep muscle, m. syringealis profundus, abducts the LTMs through cranio-laterad movement of a paired, protruding half-ring. The weakly developed extrinsic m. sternotrachealis seems to increase tension......The role of syringeal muscles in controlling the aperture of the avian vocal organ, the syrinx, was evaluated directly for the first time by observing and filming through an endoscope while electrically stimulating different muscle groups of anaesthetised birds. In songbirds (brown thrashers...

New Directions in the NOAO Observing Proposal System

Science.gov (United States)

Gasson, David; Bell, Dave

For the past eight years NOAO has been refining its on-line observing proposal system. Virtually all related processes are now handled electronically. Members of the astronomical community can submit proposals through email, web form, or via the Gemini Phase I Tool. NOAO staff can use the system to do administrative tasks, scheduling, and compilation of various statistics. In addition, all information relevant to the TAC process is made available on-line, including the proposals themselves (in HTML, PDF and PostScript) and technical comments. Grades and TAC comments are entered and edited through web forms, and can be sorted and filtered according to specified criteria. Current developments include a move away from proprietary solutions, toward open standards such as SQL (in the form of the MySQL relational database system), Perl, PHP and XML.

Pipe elbow stiffness coefficients including shear and bend flexibility factors for use in direct stiffness codes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perry, R.F.

1977-01-01

Historically, developments of computer codes used for piping analysis were based upon the flexibility method of structural analysis. Because of the specialized techniques employed in this method, the codes handled systems composed of only piping elements. Over the past ten years, the direct stiffness method has gained great popularity because of its systematic solution procedure regardless of the type of structural elements composing the system. A great advantage is realized with a direct stiffness code that combines piping elements along with other structural elements such as beams, plates, and shells, in a single model. One common problem, however, has been the lack of an accurate pipe elbow element that would adequately represent the effects of transverse shear and bend flexibility factors. The purpose of the present paper is to present a systematic derivation of the required 12x12 stiffness matrix and load vectors for a three dimensional pipe elbow element which includes the effects of transverse shear and pipe bend flexibility according to the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III. The results are presented analytically and as FORTRAN subroutines to be directly incorporated into existing direct stiffness codes. (Auth.)

[Preliminary study on detox in outpatient care units with 18 alcoholic patients in Directly Observed Treatment].

Science.gov (United States)

Lloréns Martínez, Ramón; Calatayud Francés, María; Morales Gallús, Esperanza; Añó Cervera, Consol; Adriá Caballero, Librada

2008-01-01

Directly Observed Treatment (TOD-DOT) has been tested in different conditions. The objective of this work is to check whether a UCA-CAB (Centre for Addictive Behaviour) can achieve detox and reduce the risk of early relapse (up to 12 weeks) in alcoholic patients. All patients had an established organic addiction and serious withdrawal syndrome, and had undergone multiple previous treatments. Furthermore, they had not managed to abstain for a 3-month consecutive period over the previous 2 years. The aim of the Directly Observed Treatment was to attain detox and reduce relapse by following a multi-method approach: medical, psychological and personal care, based on a brief daily consultation and pharmacological supervision. The results were as follows: Of the 18 patients included in the study, after 12 weeks, 13 (72 %) were still abstinent and 4 (22 %) had relapsed. Thus, 17 (94 %) were still following the treatment, with just one drop-out. We analysed the profiles of the patients abstaining, of those who relapsed (4) and of the one who dropped out. The average CIWA-Ar was 27.05 (21-36). Any value over 20 is considered to indicate serious withdrawal syndrome, though there were no negative events leading to hospitalization. Level of adherence to the treatment (94 %) meant that the most seriously affected patients and those with fewest financial resources could benefit, not only from any auxiliary social schemes, but also from basic health services, permitting them to improve the quality of their everyday life.

First Direct Observation of Runaway-Electron-Driven Whistler Waves in Tokamaks

Science.gov (United States)

Spong, D. A.; Heidbrink, W. W.; Paz-Soldan, C.; Du, X. D.; Thome, K. E.; Van Zeeland, M. A.; Collins, C.; Lvovskiy, A.; Moyer, R. A.; Austin, M. E.; Brennan, D. P.; Liu, C.; Jaeger, E. F.; Lau, C.

2018-04-01

DIII-D experiments at low density (ne˜1019 m-3 ) have directly measured whistler waves in the 100-200 MHz range excited by multi-MeV runaway electrons. Whistler activity is correlated with runaway intensity (hard x-ray emission level), occurs in novel discrete frequency bands, and exhibits nonlinear limit-cycle-like behavior. The measured frequencies scale with the magnetic field strength and electron density as expected from the whistler dispersion relation. The modes are stabilized with increasing magnetic field, which is consistent with wave-particle resonance mechanisms. The mode amplitudes show intermittent time variations correlated with changes in the electron cyclotron emission that follow predator-prey cycles. These can be interpreted as wave-induced pitch angle scattering of moderate energy runaways. The tokamak runaway-whistler mechanisms have parallels to whistler phenomena in ionospheric plasmas. The observations also open new directions for the modeling and active control of runaway electrons in tokamaks.

Clinical observation of Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation for refractory glaucoma by directly puncturing the sclerotic tunnel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhi-Ke Xu

2015-02-01

Full Text Available AIM: To observe the clinic effects and complication of Ahmed glaucoma valve(AGVimplantation in refractory glaucoma by using the 23G syringe needle direct puncture the sclerotic tunnel.METHODS: Forty-four cases(44 eyesof refractory glaucoma underwent AGV implantation by useing the 23G syringe needle direct puncture the sclerotic tunnel. The intraocular pressure(IOP, visual acuity, and complication of post-operation were contrasted with those of pre-operation. RESULTS:The success rate was 84.1%, the mean preoperative IOP in research group was 52.1±10.1mmHg, and the last follow up mean IOP was 15.6±6.9mmHg. Compared with the preoperative visual acuity, 11 eyes increased, 27 eyes had no changes and 6 eyes decreased. The main post-operative complications included shallow anterior chamber(4 eyes, choroidal detachment(3 eyes, drainage tube shift(1 eye, hyphema(6 eyes, drainage tube blockage(1 eye, expulsive choroidal hemorrhage(1 eye, and fiber wrap of drainage tray(5 eyes.CONCLUSION: AGV implantation by direct puncture the sclerotic tunnel is feasible and easy. It avoids of making sclerotic petal and the xenogenic sclera transplanting, simplified the operation technique, prevent the leakage of around tube. The shallow anterior chamber rate is lower. It is an effective procedure for refractory glaucoma.

Direct observation of the orbital spin Kondo effect in gallium arsenide quantum dots

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, Ru-Nan; Zhang, Ting; Cao, Gang; Li, Hai-Ou; Xiao, Ming; Guo, Guang-Can; Guo, Guo-Ping

2018-02-01

Besides the spin Kondo effect, other degrees of freedom can give rise to the pseudospin Kondo effect. We report a direct observation of the orbital spin Kondo effect in a series-coupled gallium arsenide (GaAs) double quantum dot device where orbital degrees act as pseudospin. Electron occupation in both dots induces a pseudospin Kondo effect. In a region of one net spin impurity, complete spectra with three resonance peaks are observed. Furthermore, we observe a pseudo-Zeeman effect and demonstrate its electrical controllability for the artificial pseudospin in this orbital spin Kondo process via gate voltage control. The fourfold degeneracy point is realized at a specific value supplemented by spin degeneracy, indicating a transition from the SU(2) to the SU(4) Kondo effect.

Useful technique for submucous myomectomy under direct transcervical resectoscope observation

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Tatsuji Hoshino

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The transcervical resectoscope (TCR is used for resecting a submucous myoma (SMM. Safe grasping of an SMM with forceps and its complete resection under transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS guidance is not always easy. SMMs are slippery, making them difficult to grasp. The SMM moves right to left and anterior to posterior when the surgeon tries to grasp it with placental forceps. Surgeons could use small Martin forceps (65% smaller to grasp SMMs safely and tightly under direct TCR (transcervical resectoscope observation. We present a case in which this operative procedure was used to remove an SMM with Figure and Video. The benefits of this procedure are enormous and could be immeasurably important to hysteroscopists and gynecologists.

Direct observation of thermal disorder and decomposition of black phosphorus

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Seung Jo; Kim, Heejin; Lee, Ji-Hyun; Kim, Jin-Gyu

2018-02-01

Theoretical research has been devoted to reveal the properties of black phosphorus as a two-dimensional nanomaterial, but little attention has been paid for the experimental characterization. In this study, the thermal disorder and decomposition of black phosphorus were examined using in situ heating transmission electron microscopy experiments. We observed that the breaking of crystallographic symmetry begins at 380 °C under vacuum condition, followed by the phosphorus evaporates after long-term heating at 400 °C. This decomposition process can be initiated by the surficial vacancy and proceeds toward both interlayer ([010]) and intralayer ([001]) directions. The results on the thermal behavior of black phosphorus provide useful guidance for thin film deposition and fabrication processes with black phosphorus.

Influence of observed diurnal cycles of aerosol optical depth on aerosol direct radiative effect

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A. Arola

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The diurnal variability of aerosol optical depth (AOD can be significant, depending on location and dominant aerosol type. However, these diurnal cycles have rarely been taken into account in measurement-based estimates of aerosol direct radiative forcing (ADRF or aerosol direct radiative effect (ADRE. The objective of our study was to estimate the influence of diurnal aerosol variability at the top of the atmosphere ADRE estimates. By including all the possible AERONET sites, we wanted to assess the influence on global ADRE estimates. While focusing also in more detail on some selected sites of strongest impact, our goal was to also see the possible impact regionally. We calculated ADRE with different assumptions about the daily AOD variability: taking the observed daily AOD cycle into account and assuming diurnally constant AOD. Moreover, we estimated the corresponding differences in ADREs, if the single AOD value for the daily mean was taken from the the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS Terra or Aqua overpass times, instead of accounting for the true observed daily variability. The mean impact of diurnal AOD variability on 24 h ADRE estimates, averaged over all AERONET sites, was rather small and it was relatively small even for the cases when AOD was chosen to correspond to the Terra or Aqua overpass time. This was true on average over all AERONET sites, while clearly there can be much stronger impact in individual sites. Examples of some selected sites demonstrated that the strongest observed AOD variability (the strongest morning afternoon contrast does not typically result in a significant impact on 24 h ADRE. In those cases, the morning and afternoon AOD patterns are opposite and thus the impact on 24 h ADRE, when integrated over all solar zenith angles, is reduced. The most significant effect on daily ADRE was induced by AOD cycles with either maximum or minimum AOD close to local noon. In these cases, the impact on

Associations between informant ratings of personality disorder traits, self-reports of personality, and directly observed behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaurin, Aleksandra; Sauerberger, Kyle S; Funder, David C

2018-03-02

Diagnoses of personality disorders (PD) must rely on judgments of observers-either clinicians or acquaintances-because personality disorders are primarily defined in terms of maladaptive interpersonal behavior. Little is known, however, about how closely acquaintances' judgments of PD traits relate to self-reports of theoretically relevant Big Five traits or directly observed behavioral outcomes in interpersonal situations. The present study examines associations between judgments of the 10 PD traits provided by close acquaintances, self-reports of PD-relevant Big Five personality traits, and observed interpersonal behaviors across three different three-person laboratory interactions (i.e., unstructured chat, cooperative task, competitive game). The sample consisted of 256 undergraduate students (130 females; M age  = 19.83, SD = 1.25). Four unacquainted observers independently rated participants' behaviors from video recordings. In line with previous work, informant reports of PD traits demonstrate strong convergent validity with relevant self-reported Big Five traits (as identified by Lynam & Widiger, 2001). Directly observed behavior is meaningfully associated with acquaintances' judgments and self-reports of PD-relevant traits, and the associations between these judgments and behavior are strongest for traits associated with histrionic and schizoid PD. Vector correlations between behavioral profiles associated with informant and self-reports show that both assessments have similar behavioral correlates. Associations between PD trait ratings and behavior appeared to differ as a function of gender, with males showing more and stronger correlations. Informants' ratings of PD traits are impressively accurate, converging both with self-reports of relevant traits and directly observed interpersonal behavior. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of PDs and associated traits can be augmented by information from multiple acquaintances who have the

Direct Observation of Sub-100 fs Mobile Charge Generation in a Polymer-Fullerene Film

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cooke, D. G.; Krebs, Frederik C; Jepsen, Peter Uhd

2012-01-01

The formation of mobile charges in a roll-to-roll processed poly-3-hexylthiophene-fullerene bulk heterojunction film is observed directly by using transient terahertz spectroscopy with sub-100 fs temporal resolution. The transient terahertz ac conductivity reveals that 20% of the incident pump...

Direct spectroscopic observation of charge-exchange recombination of medium-Z elements in the PLT tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skinner, C.H.; Suckewer, S.; Cohen, S.A.; Schilling, G.; Wilson, R.; Stratton, B.

1984-03-01

We report the first observation of line emission resulting directly from charge-exchange recombination of medium-Z elements (Al, Sc) injected into a PLT discharge. Transitions due to the radiative cascade immediately following charge-exchange of He-like Al and Sc were observed by a VUV spectrograph and two air monochromators. In two cases, AlXI 3209 A and ScXIX 112.1 A, the observed transition had not previously been experimentally identified. Spatial scans provided information on the profile of the neutral beam in the plasma

Modelled radiative forcing of the direct aerosol effect with multi-observation evaluation

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G. Myhre

2009-02-01

Full Text Available A high-resolution global aerosol model (Oslo CTM2 driven by meteorological data and allowing a comparison with a variety of aerosol observations is used to simulate radiative forcing (RF of the direct aerosol effect. The model simulates all main aerosol components, including several secondary components such as nitrate and secondary organic carbon. The model reproduces the main chemical composition and size features observed during large aerosol campaigns. Although the chemical composition compares best with ground-based measurement over land for modelled sulphate, no systematic differences are found for other compounds. The modelled aerosol optical depth (AOD is compared to remote sensed data from AERONET ground and MODIS and MISR satellite retrievals. To gain confidence in the aerosol modelling, we have tested its ability to reproduce daily variability in the aerosol content, and this is performing well in many regions; however, we also identified some locations where model improvements are needed. The annual mean regional pattern of AOD from the aerosol model is broadly similar to the AERONET and the satellite retrievals (mostly within 10–20%. We notice a significant improvement from MODIS Collection 4 to Collection 5 compared to AERONET data. Satellite derived estimates of aerosol radiative effect over ocean for clear sky conditions differs significantly on regional scales (almost up to a factor two, but also in the global mean. The Oslo CTM2 has an aerosol radiative effect close to the mean of the satellite derived estimates. We derive a radiative forcing (RF of the direct aerosol effect of −0.35 Wm⁻² in our base case. Implementation of a simple approach to consider internal black carbon (BC mixture results in a total RF of −0.28 Wm⁻². Our results highlight the importance of carbonaceous particles, producing stronger individual RF than considered in the recent IPCC estimate; however, net RF is less different

Direct observations of ice seasonality reveal changes in climate over the past 320–570 years

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Sapna; Magnuson, John J.; Batt, Ryan D.; Winslow, Luke; Korhonen, Johanna; Yasuyuki Aono,

2016-01-01

Lake and river ice seasonality (dates of ice freeze and breakup) responds sensitively to climatic change and variability. We analyzed climate-related changes using direct human observations of ice freeze dates (1443–2014) for Lake Suwa, Japan, and of ice breakup dates (1693–2013) for Torne River, Finland. We found a rich array of changes in ice seasonality of two inland waters from geographically distant regions: namely a shift towards later ice formation for Suwa and earlier spring melt for Torne, increasing frequencies of years with warm extremes, changing inter-annual variability, waning of dominant inter-decadal quasi-periodic dynamics, and stronger correlations of ice seasonality with atmospheric CO2 concentration and air temperature after the start of the Industrial Revolution. Although local factors, including human population growth, land use change, and water management influence Suwa and Torne, the general patterns of ice seasonality are similar for both systems, suggesting that global processes including climate change and variability are driving the long-term changes in ice seasonality.

Direct and inverse Staebler-Wronski effects observed in carbon-doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon photo-detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arce, P.; Barcala, J.M.; Calvo, E.; Ferrando, A.; Josa, M.I.; Molinero, A.; Navarrete, J.; Oller, J.C.; Yuste, C.; Brochero, J.; Calderon, A.; Fernandez, M.G.; Gomez, G.; Gonzalez-Sanchez, F.J.; Martinez-Rivero, C.; Matorras, F.; Rodrigo, T.; Ruiz-Arbol, P.; Scodellaro, L.; Sobron, M.

2011-01-01

The photo-response behaviour of Amorphous Silicon Position Detectors (ASPDs) under prolonged illumination with a 681 nm diode-laser and a 633 nm He-Ne laser is presented. Both direct and inverse Staebler-Wronski effects are observed.

Social communication with virtual agents: The effects of body and gaze direction on attention and emotional responding in human observers.

Science.gov (United States)

Marschner, Linda; Pannasch, Sebastian; Schulz, Johannes; Graupner, Sven-Thomas

2015-08-01

In social communication, the gaze direction of other persons provides important information to perceive and interpret their emotional response. Previous research investigated the influence of gaze by manipulating mutual eye contact. Therefore, gaze and body direction have been changed as a whole, resulting in only congruent gaze and body directions (averted or directed) of another person. Here, we aimed to disentangle these effects by using short animated sequences of virtual agents posing with either direct or averted body or gaze. Attention allocation by means of eye movements, facial muscle response, and emotional experience to agents of different gender and facial expressions were investigated. Eye movement data revealed longer fixation durations, i.e., a stronger allocation of attention, when gaze and body direction were not congruent with each other or when both were directed towards the observer. This suggests that direct interaction as well as incongruous signals increase the demands of attentional resources in the observer. For the facial muscle response, only the reaction of muscle zygomaticus major revealed an effect of body direction, expressed by stronger activity in response to happy expressions for direct compared to averted gaze when the virtual character's body was directed towards the observer. Finally, body direction also influenced the emotional experience ratings towards happy expressions. While earlier findings suggested that mutual eye contact is the main source for increased emotional responding and attentional allocation, the present results indicate that direction of the virtual agent's body and head also plays a minor but significant role. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Direct Observations of ULF and Whistler-Mode Chorus Modulation of 500eV EDI Electrons by MMS

Science.gov (United States)

Paulson, K. W.; Argall, M. R.; Ahmadi, N.; Torbert, R. B.; Le Contel, O.; Ergun, R.; Khotyaintsev, Y. V.; Strangeway, R. J.; Magnes, W.; Russell, C. T.

2016-12-01

We present here direct observations of chorus-wave modulated field-aligned 500 eV electrons using the Electron Drift Instrument (EDI) on board the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. These periods of wave activity were additionally observed to be modulated by Pc5-frequency magnetic perturbations, some of which have been identified as drifting mirror-mode structures. The spacecraft encountered these mirror-mode structures just inside of the duskside magnetopause. Using the high sampling rate provided by EDI in burst sampling mode, we are able to observe the individual count fluctuations of field-aligned electrons in this region up to 512 Hz. We use the multiple look directions of EDI to generate both pitch angle and gyrophase plots of the fluctuating counts. Our observations often show unidirectional flow of these modulated electrons along the background field, and in some cases demonstrate gyrophase bunching in the wave region.

Direct Observation of Asperity Deformation of Specimen with Random Rough Surface in Upsetting Process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Azushima, A.; Kuba, S.; Tani, S.

2004-01-01

The trapping behavior of liquid lubricant and contact behavior of asperities at the workpiece-tool interface during upsetting and indentation are observed directly using a compression subpress which consists of a transparent die made of sapphire, a microscope with a CCD camera and a video system....... The experiments are carried out without lubricant and with lubricant. Specimens used are commercially pure A1100 Aluminum with a random rough surface. From this observation, the change in the fraction of real contact area is measured by an image processor. The real contact area ratios in upsetting experiment...

Observational constraint on the interacting dark energy models including the Sandage-Loeb test

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ming-Jian; Liu, Wen-Biao

2014-05-01

Two types of interacting dark energy models are investigated using the type Ia supernova (SNIa), observational data (OHD), cosmic microwave background shift parameter, and the secular Sandage-Loeb (SL) test. In the investigation, we have used two sets of parameter priors including WMAP-9 and Planck 2013. They have shown some interesting differences. We find that the inclusion of SL test can obviously provide a more stringent constraint on the parameters in both models. For the constant coupling model, the interaction term has been improved to be only a half of the original scale on corresponding errors. Comparing with only SNIa and OHD, we find that the inclusion of the SL test almost reduces the best-fit interaction to zero, which indicates that the higher-redshift observation including the SL test is necessary to track the evolution of the interaction. For the varying coupling model, data with the inclusion of the SL test show that the parameter at C.L. in Planck priors is , where the constant is characteristic for the severity of the coincidence problem. This indicates that the coincidence problem will be less severe. We then reconstruct the interaction , and we find that the best-fit interaction is also negative, similar to the constant coupling model. However, for a high redshift, the interaction generally vanishes at infinity. We also find that the phantom-like dark energy with is favored over the CDM model.

Direct Observation of Individual Charges and Their Dynamics on Graphene by Low-Energy Electron Holography.

Science.gov (United States)

Latychevskaia, Tatiana; Wicki, Flavio; Longchamp, Jean-Nicolas; Escher, Conrad; Fink, Hans-Werner

2016-09-14

Visualizing individual charges confined to molecules and observing their dynamics with high spatial resolution is a challenge for advancing various fields in science, ranging from mesoscopic physics to electron transfer events in biological molecules. We show here that the high sensitivity of low-energy electrons to local electric fields can be employed to directly visualize individual charged adsorbates and to study their behavior in a quantitative way. This makes electron holography a unique probing tool for directly visualizing charge distributions with a sensitivity of a fraction of an elementary charge. Moreover, spatial resolution in the nanometer range and fast data acquisition inherent to lens-less low-energy electron holography allows for direct visual inspection of charge transfer processes.

A direct observation method for auditing large urban centers using stratified sampling, mobile GIS technology and virtual environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Lafontaine, Sean J V; Sawada, M; Kristjansson, Elizabeth

2017-02-16

With the expansion and growth of research on neighbourhood characteristics, there is an increased need for direct observational field audits. Herein, we introduce a novel direct observational audit method and systematic social observation instrument (SSOI) for efficiently assessing neighbourhood aesthetics over large urban areas. Our audit method uses spatial random sampling stratified by residential zoning and incorporates both mobile geographic information systems technology and virtual environments. The reliability of our method was tested in two ways: first, in 15 Ottawa neighbourhoods, we compared results at audited locations over two subsequent years, and second; we audited every residential block (167 blocks) in one neighbourhood and compared the distribution of SSOI aesthetics index scores with results from the randomly audited locations. Finally, we present interrater reliability and consistency results on all observed items. The observed neighbourhood average aesthetics index score estimated from four or five stratified random audit locations is sufficient to characterize the average neighbourhood aesthetics. The SSOI was internally consistent and demonstrated good to excellent interrater reliability. At the neighbourhood level, aesthetics is positively related to SES and physical activity and negatively correlated with BMI. The proposed approach to direct neighbourhood auditing performs sufficiently and has the advantage of financial and temporal efficiency when auditing a large city.

Direct observation of short-circuit diffusion during the formation of a single cupric oxide nanowire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, C-L; Ma, Y-R; Chou, M H; Huang, C Y; Yeh, V; Wu, S Y

2007-01-01

Short-circuit diffusion was observed in a single CuO nanowire synthesized using a thermal oxidation method. The confocal Raman spectra of a single CuO nanowire permit direct observation of the nature of an individual CuO nanowire. The parameter order obtained from the inverse Raman B g 2 peak linewidth results in the length dependence of the linewidth and a short-circuit diffusion length of 3.3 μm. The observed structural information is also consistent with the energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopic mapping. The results confirm that the growth of CuO nanowires occurs through the short-circuit diffusion mechanism

Airborne hyperspectral observations of surface and cloud directional reflectivity using a commercial digital camera

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Ehrlich

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Spectral radiance measurements by a digital single-lens reflex camera were used to derive the directional reflectivity of clouds and different surfaces in the Arctic. The camera has been calibrated radiometrically and spectrally to provide accurate radiance measurements with high angular resolution. A comparison with spectral radiance measurements with the Spectral Modular Airborne Radiation measurement sysTem (SMART-Albedometer showed an agreement within the uncertainties of both instruments (6% for both. The directional reflectivity in terms of the hemispherical directional reflectance factor (HDRF was obtained for sea ice, ice-free ocean and clouds. The sea ice, with an albedo of ρ = 0.96 (at 530 nm wavelength, showed an almost isotropic HDRF, while sun glint was observed for the ocean HDRF (ρ = 0.12. For the cloud observations with ρ = 0.62, the cloudbow – a backscatter feature typically for scattering by liquid water droplets – was covered by the camera. For measurements above heterogeneous stratocumulus clouds, the required number of images to obtain a mean HDRF that clearly exhibits the cloudbow has been estimated at about 50 images (10 min flight time. A representation of the HDRF as a function of the scattering angle only reduces the image number to about 10 (2 min flight time.

The measured cloud and ocean HDRF have been compared to radiative transfer simulations. The ocean HDRF simulated with the observed surface wind speed of 9 m s⁻¹ agreed best with the measurements. For the cloud HDRF, the best agreement was obtained by a broad and weak cloudbow simulated with a cloud droplet effective radius of R_eff = 4 μm. This value agrees with the particle sizes derived from in situ measurements and retrieved from the spectral radiance of the SMART-Albedometer.

An imprecise Dirichlet model for Bayesian analysis of failure data including right-censored observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coolen, F.P.A.

1997-01-01

This paper is intended to make researchers in reliability theory aware of a recently introduced Bayesian model with imprecise prior distributions for statistical inference on failure data, that can also be considered as a robust Bayesian model. The model consists of a multinomial distribution with Dirichlet priors, making the approach basically nonparametric. New results for the model are presented, related to right-censored observations, where estimation based on this model is closely related to the product-limit estimator, which is an important statistical method to deal with reliability or survival data including right-censored observations. As for the product-limit estimator, the model considered in this paper aims at not using any information other than that provided by observed data, but our model fits into the robust Bayesian context which has the advantage that all inferences can be based on probabilities or expectations, or bounds for probabilities or expectations. The model uses a finite partition of the time-axis, and as such it is also related to life-tables

Direct observation of the nutrition care practices of Australian general practitioners

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ball LE

2014-06-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Nutrition care refers to nutrition-related advice or counselling provided by health professionals in an attempt to improve the nutrition behaviour of patients. AIM: The aim of this study was to describe the practices of a sample of Australian general practitioners (GPs when providing nutrition care to adult patients. METHODS: Eighteen GPs (13 male, 5 female were observed by fourth-year medical students during their general practice rotation. Each GP was observed for five consultations that included nutrition care, totalling 90 observed consultations. In each consultation, students completed a 31-item nutrition care checklist of nutrition care practices that could feasibly occur in a standard consultation. Each practice was marked with either a ‘yes’ (completed, ‘no’ (did not complete or ‘completed by practice nurse prior to or after the consultation’. RESULTS: Twenty-eight nutrition care practices were observed at least once. The most frequently observed practices were measuring and discussing blood pressure (76.7%; n=69, followed by general questions about current diet (74.4%; n=67. Approximately half of the consultations included a statement of a nutrition-related problem (52.2%; n=47, and the provision of nutrition advice that focused on a nutrient (45.6%; n=41 or food group (52.2%; n=47. Consultations with male GPs, as well as GPs with more than 25 years of experience, were associated with an increased number of nutrition care practices per consultation. DISCUSSION: The GPs performed nutrition care practices in varying frequencies. Further research is required to identify the most effective GP nutrition care practices to improve the nutrition behaviour of patients.

Suzaku observations of the outskirts of the galaxy cluster Abell 3395, including a filament toward Abell 3391

Science.gov (United States)

Sugawara, Yuuki; Takizawa, Motokazu; Itahana, Madoka; Akamatsu, Hiroki; Fujita, Yutaka; Ohashi, Takaya; Ishisaki, Yoshitaka

2017-12-01

The results of Suzaku observations of the outskirts of Abell 3395, including a large-scale structure filament toward Abell 3391, are presented. We measured temperature and abundance distributions from the southern outskirt of A 3395 to the north at the virial radius, where a filament structure has been found in the former X-ray and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect observations between A 3391 and A 3395. The overall temperature structure is consistent with the universal profile proposed by Okabe, N., et al. 2014, PASJ, 66, 99 for relaxed clusters, except for the filament region. A hint of intracluster medium heating is found between the two clusters, which might be due to their interaction in the early phase of a cluster merger. Although we obtained a relatively low metal abundance of Z=0.169^{+0.164+0.009+0.018}_{-0.150-0.004-0.015} solar, where the first, second, and third errors are statistical, cosmic X-ray background systematic, and non-X-ray background systematic, respectively, at the virial radius in the filament, our results are still consistent with previous results for other clusters (Z ˜ 0.3 solar) within errors. Therefore, our results are also consistent with the early enrichment scenario. We estimated Compton y parameters only from X-ray results in the region between A 3391 and A 3395 assuming a simple geometry. They are smaller than the previous SZ results with the Planck satellite. The difference could be attributed to a more elaborate geometry such as a filament inclined to the line-of-sight direction, or underestimation of the X-ray temperature because of the unresolved multi-temperature structures or undetected hot X-ray emission of the shock-heated gas.

Development of a two-dimensional simulation code (koad) including atomic processes for beam direct energy conversion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Y.; Yoshikawa, K.; Hattori, Y.

1987-01-01

A two-dimensional simulation code for the beam direct energy conversion called KVAD (Kyoto University Advanced DART) including various loss mechanisms has been developed, and shown excellent agreement with the authors' experiments using the He + beams. The beam direct energy converter (BDC) is the device to recover the kinetic energy of unneutralized ions in the neutral beam injection (NBI) system directly into electricity. The BDC is very important and essential not only to the improvements of NBI system efficiency, but also to the relaxation of high heat flux problems on the beam dump with increase of injection energies. So far no simulation code could have successfully predicted BDC experimental results. The KUAD code applies, an optimized algorithm for vector processing, the finite element method (FEM) for potential calculation, and a semi-automatic method for spatial segmentations. Since particle trajectories in the KVAD code are analytically solved, very high speed tracings of the particle could be achieved by introducing an adjacent element matrix to identify the neighboring triangle elements and electrodes. Ion space charges are also analytically calculated by the Cloud in Cell (CIC) method, as well as electron space charges. Power losses due to atomic processes can be also evaluated in the KUAD code

Direct observations of the charge states of low energy solar particles

Science.gov (United States)

Gloeckler, G.; Fan, C. Y.; Hovestadt, D.

1974-01-01

The charge states of carbon and oxygen of solar origin have been measured directly in interplanetary space. At 100 keV per nucleon the C(+5)/C(+6) and O(+7)/O(+8) ratios are 1.8 and 1.6, respectively. Abundance ratios of low energy heavy nuclei to He are found which are significantly larger than the corresponding photospheric values. The enhancement of O/He is 35, and both Si/He and Fe/He are overabundant by a factor of 100. To explain these observations a mechanism is proposed which first preferentially accelerates heavy ions and is followed by either storage of these ions in the coronal regions or strong adiabatic deceleration.

Direct observation of TALE protein dynamics reveals a two-state search mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuculis, Luke; Abil, Zhanar; Zhao, Huimin; Schroeder, Charles M

2015-06-01

Transcription activator-like effector (TALE) proteins are a class of programmable DNA-binding proteins for which the fundamental mechanisms governing the search process are not fully understood. Here we use single-molecule techniques to directly observe TALE search dynamics along DNA templates. We find that TALE proteins are capable of rapid diffusion along DNA using a combination of sliding and hopping behaviour, which suggests that the TALE search process is governed in part by facilitated diffusion. We also observe that TALE proteins exhibit two distinct modes of action during the search process-a search state and a recognition state-facilitated by different subdomains in monomeric TALE proteins. Using TALE truncation mutants, we further demonstrate that the N-terminal region of TALEs is required for the initial non-specific binding and subsequent rapid search along DNA, whereas the central repeat domain is required for transitioning into the site-specific recognition state.

The cost-effectiveness of directly observed highly-active antiretroviral therapy in the third trimester in HIV-infected pregnant women.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caitlin J McCabe

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In HIV-infected pregnant women, viral suppression prevents mother-to-child HIV transmission. Directly observed highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART enhances virological suppression, and could prevent transmission. Our objective was to project the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of directly observed administration of antiretroviral drugs in pregnancy. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A mathematical model was created to simulate cohorts of one million asymptomatic HIV-infected pregnant women on HAART, with women randomly assigned self-administered or directly observed antiretroviral therapy (DOT, or no HAART, in a series of Monte Carlo simulations. Our primary outcome was the quality-adjusted life expectancy in years (QALY of infants born to HIV-infected women, with the rates of Caesarean section and HIV-transmission after DOT use as intermediate outcomes. Both self-administered HAART and DOT were associated with decreased costs and increased life-expectancy relative to no HAART. The use of DOT was associated with a relative risk of HIV transmission of 0.39 relative to conventional HAART; was highly cost-effective in the cohort as a whole (cost-utility ratio $14,233 per QALY; and was cost-saving in women whose viral loads on self-administered HAART would have exceeded 1000 copies/ml. Results were stable in wide-ranging sensitivity analyses, with directly observed therapy cost-saving or highly cost-effective in almost all cases. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the best available data, programs that optimize adherence to HAART through direct observation in pregnancy have the potential to diminish mother-to-child HIV transmission in a highly cost-effective manner. Targeted use of DOT in pregnant women with high viral loads, who could otherwise receive self-administered HAART would be a cost-saving intervention. These projections should be tested with randomized clinical trials.

The cost-effectiveness of directly observed highly-active antiretroviral therapy in the third trimester in HIV-infected pregnant women.

Science.gov (United States)

McCabe, Caitlin J; Goldie, Sue J; Fisman, David N

2010-04-13

In HIV-infected pregnant women, viral suppression prevents mother-to-child HIV transmission. Directly observed highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) enhances virological suppression, and could prevent transmission. Our objective was to project the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of directly observed administration of antiretroviral drugs in pregnancy. A mathematical model was created to simulate cohorts of one million asymptomatic HIV-infected pregnant women on HAART, with women randomly assigned self-administered or directly observed antiretroviral therapy (DOT), or no HAART, in a series of Monte Carlo simulations. Our primary outcome was the quality-adjusted life expectancy in years (QALY) of infants born to HIV-infected women, with the rates of Caesarean section and HIV-transmission after DOT use as intermediate outcomes. Both self-administered HAART and DOT were associated with decreased costs and increased life-expectancy relative to no HAART. The use of DOT was associated with a relative risk of HIV transmission of 0.39 relative to conventional HAART; was highly cost-effective in the cohort as a whole (cost-utility ratio $14,233 per QALY); and was cost-saving in women whose viral loads on self-administered HAART would have exceeded 1000 copies/ml. Results were stable in wide-ranging sensitivity analyses, with directly observed therapy cost-saving or highly cost-effective in almost all cases. Based on the best available data, programs that optimize adherence to HAART through direct observation in pregnancy have the potential to diminish mother-to-child HIV transmission in a highly cost-effective manner. Targeted use of DOT in pregnant women with high viral loads, who could otherwise receive self-administered HAART would be a cost-saving intervention. These projections should be tested with randomized clinical trials.

Cloud-edge mixing: Direct numerical simulation and observations in Indian Monsoon clouds

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Bipin; Bera, Sudarsan; Prabha, Thara V.; Grabowski, Wojceich W.

2017-03-01

A direct numerical simulation (DNS) with the decaying turbulence setup has been carried out to study cloud-edge mixing and its impact on the droplet size distribution (DSD) applying thermodynamic conditions observed in monsoon convective clouds over Indian subcontinent during the Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement EXperiment (CAIPEEX). Evaporation at the cloud-edges initiates mixing at small scale and gradually introduces larger-scale fluctuations of the temperature, moisture, and vertical velocity due to droplet evaporation. Our focus is on early evolution of simulated fields that show intriguing similarities to the CAIPEEX cloud observations. A strong dilution at the cloud edge, accompanied by significant spatial variations of the droplet concentration, mean radius, and spectral width, are found in both the DNS and in observations. In DNS, fluctuations of the mean radius and spectral width come from the impact of small-scale turbulence on the motion and evaporation of inertial droplets. These fluctuations decrease with the increase of the volume over which DNS data are averaged, as one might expect. In cloud observations, these fluctuations also come from other processes, such as entrainment/mixing below the observation level, secondary CCN activation, or variations of CCN activation at the cloud base. Despite large differences in the spatial and temporal scales, the mixing diagram often used in entrainment/mixing studies with aircraft data is remarkably similar for both DNS and cloud observations. We argue that the similarity questions applicability of heuristic ideas based on mixing between two air parcels (that the mixing diagram is designed to properly represent) to the evolution of microphysical properties during turbulent mixing between a cloud and its environment.

The FluxCompensator: Making Radiative Transfer Models of Hydrodynamical Simulations Directly Comparable to Real Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Koepferl, Christine M.; Robitaille, Thomas P.

2017-11-01

When modeling astronomical objects throughout the universe, it is important to correctly treat the limitations of the data, for instance finite resolution and sensitivity. In order to simulate these effects, and to make radiative transfer models directly comparable to real observations, we have developed an open-source Python package called the FluxCompensator that enables the post-processing of the output of 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer codes, such as Hyperion. With the FluxCompensator, realistic synthetic observations can be generated by modeling the effects of convolution with arbitrary point-spread functions, transmission curves, finite pixel resolution, noise, and reddening. Pipelines can be applied to compute synthetic observations that simulate observatories, such as the Spitzer Space Telescope or the Herschel Space Observatory. Additionally, this tool can read in existing observations (e.g., FITS format) and use the same settings for the synthetic observations. In this paper, we describe the package as well as present examples of such synthetic observations.

The FluxCompensator: Making Radiative Transfer Models of Hydrodynamical Simulations Directly Comparable to Real Observations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koepferl, Christine M.; Robitaille, Thomas P., E-mail: koepferl@usm.lmu.de [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany)

2017-11-01

When modeling astronomical objects throughout the universe, it is important to correctly treat the limitations of the data, for instance finite resolution and sensitivity. In order to simulate these effects, and to make radiative transfer models directly comparable to real observations, we have developed an open-source Python package called the FluxCompensator that enables the post-processing of the output of 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer codes, such as Hyperion. With the FluxCompensator, realistic synthetic observations can be generated by modeling the effects of convolution with arbitrary point-spread functions, transmission curves, finite pixel resolution, noise, and reddening. Pipelines can be applied to compute synthetic observations that simulate observatories, such as the Spitzer Space Telescope or the Herschel Space Observatory . Additionally, this tool can read in existing observations (e.g., FITS format) and use the same settings for the synthetic observations. In this paper, we describe the package as well as present examples of such synthetic observations.

Detecting frontal ablation processes from direct observations of submarine terminus morphology

Science.gov (United States)

Fried, M.; Carroll, D.; Catania, G. A.; Sutherland, D. A.; Stearns, L. A.; Bartholomaus, T. C.; Shroyer, E.; Nash, J. D.

2017-12-01

Tidewater glacier termini couple glacier and ocean systems. Subglacial discharge emerging from the terminus produces buoyant plumes that modulate submarine melting, calving, fjord circulation and, in turn, changes in ice dynamics from back-stress perturbations. However, the absence of critical observational data at the ice-ocean interface limits plume and, by extension, melt models from incorporating realistic submarine terminus face morphologies and assessing their impact on terminus behavior at tidewater glaciers. Here we present a comprehensive inventory and characterization of submarine terminus face shapes from a side-looking, multibeam echo sounding campaign across Kangerdlugssuaq Sermerssua glacier, central-west Greenland. We combine these observations with in-situ measurements of ocean stratification and remotely sensed subglacial discharge, terminus positions, ice velocity, and ice surface datasets to infer the spectrum of processes sculpting the submarine terminus face. Subglacial discharge outlet locations are confirmed through observations of sediment plumes, localized melt-driven undercutting of the terminus face, and bathymetry of the adjacent seafloor. From our analysis, we differentiate terminus morphologies resulting from submarine melt and calving and assess the contribution of each process to the net frontal ablation budget. Finally, we constrain a plume model using direct observations of the submarine terminus face and conduit geometry. Plume model simulations demonstrate that the majority of discharge outlets are fed by small discharge fluxes, suggestive of a distributed subglacial hydrologic system. Outlets with the largest, concentrated discharge fluxes are morphologically unique and strongly control seasonal terminus position. At these locations, we show that the spatiotemporal pattern of terminus retreat is well correlated with time periods when local melt rate exceeds ice velocity.

Direct Observation of Magnetocrystalline Anisotropy Tuning Magnetization Configurations in Uniaxial Magnetic Nanomaterials

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Shimeng; Fu, Jiecai; Li, Hongli; Zhu, Liu; Hu, Yang; Xia, Weixing; Zhang, Xixiang; Peng, Yong; Zhang, Junli

2018-01-01

Discovering the effect of magnetic anisotropy on the magnetization configurations of magnetic nanomaterials is essential and significant for not only enriching the fundamental knowledge of magnetics but also facilitating the designs of desired magnetic nanostructures for diverse technological applications, such as data storage devices, spintronic devices, and magnetic nanosensors. Herein, we present a direct observation of magnetocrystalline anisotropy tuning magnetization configurations in uniaxial magnetic nanomaterials with hexagonal structure by means of three modeled samples. The magnetic configuration in polycrystalline BaFe12O19 nanoslice is a curling structure, revealing that the effect of magnetocrystalline anisotropy in uniaxial magnetic nanomaterials can be broken by forming an amorphous structure or polycrystalline structure with tiny grains. Both single crystalline BaFe12O19 nanoslice and individual particles of single-particle-chain BaFe12O19 nanowire appear in a single domain state, revealing a dominant role of magnetocrystalline anisotropy in the magnetization configuration of uniaxial magnetic nanomaterials. These observations are further verified by micromagnetic computational simulations.

Direct Observation of Magnetocrystalline Anisotropy Tuning Magnetization Configurations in Uniaxial Magnetic Nanomaterials

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Shimeng

2018-03-20

Discovering the effect of magnetic anisotropy on the magnetization configurations of magnetic nanomaterials is essential and significant for not only enriching the fundamental knowledge of magnetics but also facilitating the designs of desired magnetic nanostructures for diverse technological applications, such as data storage devices, spintronic devices, and magnetic nanosensors. Herein, we present a direct observation of magnetocrystalline anisotropy tuning magnetization configurations in uniaxial magnetic nanomaterials with hexagonal structure by means of three modeled samples. The magnetic configuration in polycrystalline BaFe12O19 nanoslice is a curling structure, revealing that the effect of magnetocrystalline anisotropy in uniaxial magnetic nanomaterials can be broken by forming an amorphous structure or polycrystalline structure with tiny grains. Both single crystalline BaFe12O19 nanoslice and individual particles of single-particle-chain BaFe12O19 nanowire appear in a single domain state, revealing a dominant role of magnetocrystalline anisotropy in the magnetization configuration of uniaxial magnetic nanomaterials. These observations are further verified by micromagnetic computational simulations.

Direct observation of interfacial Au atoms on TiO₂ in three dimensions.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Wenpei; Sivaramakrishnan, Shankar; Wen, Jianguo; Zuo, Jian-Min

2015-04-08

Interfacial atoms, which result from interactions between the metal nanoparticles and support, have a large impact on the physical and chemical properties of nanoparticles. However, they are difficult to observe; the lack of knowledge has been a major obstacle toward unraveling their role in chemical transformations. Here we report conclusive evidence of interfacial Au atoms formed on the rutile (TiO2) (110) surfaces by activation using high-temperature (∼500 °C) annealing in air. Three-dimensional imaging was performed using depth-sectioning enabled by aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. Results show that the interface between Au nanocrystals and TiO2 (110) surfaces consists of a single atomic layer with Au atoms embedded inside Ti-O. The number of interfacial Au atoms is estimated from ∼1-8 in an interfacial atomic column. Direct impact of interfacial Au atoms is observed on an enhanced Au-TiO2 interaction and the reduction of surface TiO2; both are critical to Au catalysis.

Direct observation of shear piezoelectricity in poly-l-lactic acid nanowires

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Smith

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Piezoelectric polymers are capable of interconverting mechanical and electrical energy, and are therefore candidate materials for biomedical applications such as sensors, actuators, and energy harvesters. In particular, nanowires of these materials are attractive as they can be unclamped, flexible and sensitive to small vibrations. Poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA nanowires have been investigated for their use in biological applications, but their piezoelectric properties have never been fully characterised, even though macroscopic films and fibres have been shown to exhibit shear piezoelectricity. This piezoelectric mode is particularly interesting for in vivo applications where shear forces are especially relevant, and is similar to what has been observed in natural materials such as bone and DNA. Here, using piezo-response force microscopy (PFM, we report the first direct observation of shear piezoelectricity in highly crystalline and oriented PLLA nanowires grown by a novel template-wetting method. Our results are validated using finite-element simulations and numerical analysis, which importantly and more generally allow for accurate interpretation of PFM signals in soft nanostructured materials. Our work opens up the possibility for the development of biocompatible and sustainable piezoelectric nanogenerators and sensors based on polymer nanowires.

Direct observation of microtwin formation at crack tips in InP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanderschaeve, G.; Caillard, D.; Peyrade, J.P.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that in brittle materials which contain cracks, stress concentrations arise at crack tips. At low temperatures, when the load is increased, brittle fracture happens for a critical stress intensity factor, which is an intrinsic material property, depending on the loading mode and on the cleavage plane. At higher temperatures dislocations may be emitted at the crack tip: a plastic zone is formed, which releases the stresses and increases the critical load for crack propagation. It is generally accepted that the brittle-to ductile transition is controlled directly or indirectly by dislocation mobility. During the course of an in situ transmission electron microscopy, study of dislocation mobility in the III-V compound InP, we have observed the nucleation at a crack tip and the propagation of partial dislocations of same Burgers vectors, resulting in a microtwinning of the crystal. Such an observation provides information on both the way stress relaxation occurs and the relative mobilities of the partial dislocations in this material. In spite of the importance of twin formation on the quality of the material used as substrate in semiconducting devices, this last point is rather poorly documented

Direct observation of shear piezoelectricity in poly-l-lactic acid nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Michael; Calahorra, Yonatan; Jing, Qingshen; Kar-Narayan, Sohini

2017-07-01

Piezoelectric polymers are capable of interconverting mechanical and electrical energy, and are therefore candidate materials for biomedical applications such as sensors, actuators, and energy harvesters. In particular, nanowires of these materials are attractive as they can be unclamped, flexible and sensitive to small vibrations. Poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) nanowires have been investigated for their use in biological applications, but their piezoelectric properties have never been fully characterised, even though macroscopic films and fibres have been shown to exhibit shear piezoelectricity. This piezoelectric mode is particularly interesting for in vivo applications where shear forces are especially relevant, and is similar to what has been observed in natural materials such as bone and DNA. Here, using piezo-response force microscopy (PFM), we report the first direct observation of shear piezoelectricity in highly crystalline and oriented PLLA nanowires grown by a novel template-wetting method. Our results are validated using finite-element simulations and numerical analysis, which importantly and more generally allow for accurate interpretation of PFM signals in soft nanostructured materials. Our work opens up the possibility for the development of biocompatible and sustainable piezoelectric nanogenerators and sensors based on polymer nanowires.

NEW MASER EMISSION FROM NONMETASTABLE AMMONIA IN NGC 7538. II. GREEN BANK TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS INCLUDING WATER MASERS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoffman, Ian M. [St. Paul' s School, Concord, NH 03301 (United States); Seojin Kim, Stella, E-mail: ihoffman@sps.edu [Current address: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)

2011-12-15

We present new maser emission from {sup 14}NH{sub 3} (9,6) in NGC 7538. Our observations include the known spectral features near v{sub LSR} = -60 km s{sup -1} and -57 km s{sup -1} and several more features extending to -46 km s{sup -1}. In three epochs of observation spanning two months we do not detect any variability in the ammonia masers, in contrast to the >10-fold variability observed in other {sup 14}NH{sub 3} (9,6) masers in the Galaxy over comparable timescales. We also present observations of water masers in all three epochs for which emission is observed over the velocity range -105 km s{sup -1} < v{sub LSR} < -4 km s{sup -1}, including the highest velocity water emission yet observed from NGC 7538. Of the remarkable number of maser species in IRS 1, H{sub 2}O and, now, {sup 14}NH{sub 3} are the only masers known to exhibit emission outside of the velocity range -62 km s{sup -1} < v{sub LSR} < -51 km s{sup -1}. However, we find no significant intensity or velocity correlations between the water emission and ammonia emission. We also present a non-detection in the most sensitive search to date toward any source for emission from the CC{sup 32}S and CC{sup 34}S molecules, indicating an age greater than Almost-Equal-To 10{sup 4} yr for IRS 1-3. We discuss these findings in the context of embedded stellar cores and recent models of the region.

Simultaneous recording of electroretinogram and visual evoked response. Focal stimulation under direct observation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirose, T; Miyake, Y; Hara, A

1977-07-01

A system has been tested that allows simultaneous recording of the retinal response (electroretinogram [ERG]) and the occipital response (visual evoked response [VER]) with focal photic stimulation of the retina under direct observation of the fundus. A helium-neon gas laser is used as a stimulus source. The laser is chopped either by a pen motor or a rotating disc. The laser is attached to a biomicroscope through which the examiner can observe the fundus of the subject during the entire recording session. The optically clear contact lens is made with a flat surface that neutralizes refraction due to the cornea, thereby allowing fundus observation by microscope. Two metal wires mounted inside and outside of the lens serve as the electrode for the ERG. Graticules consisting of concentric circles and radial lines are projected onto the subject's fundus, providing a pattern that the examiner can use to determine the exact location to be stimulated in the fundus. With proper adjustment of stimulus and background illumination, local ERG and VER can be recorded simultaneously by stimulating the macula.

Friction of elastomer-on-glass system and direct observation of its frictional interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamoto, Yoshihiro; Nishio, Kazuyuki; Sugiura, Jun-ichi; Hirano, Motohisa; Nitta, Takahiro

2007-01-01

We performed a study on the static friction of PDMS elastomers with well-defined surface topography sliding over glass. An experimental setup for simultaneous measurements of friction force and direct observations of frictional interface has been developed. The static friction force was nearly proportional to normal load. The static friction force was independent of stick time. The simultaneous measurements revealed that the static friction force was proportional to the total area of contact. The coefficient was nearly independent of the surface topography of PDMS elastomers

Direct observation of surface reconstruction and termination on a complex metal oxide catalyst by electron microscopy

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Yihan

2012-03-19

On the surface: The surface reconstruction of an MoVTeO complex metal oxide catalyst was observed directly by various electron microscopic techniques and the results explain the puzzling catalytic behavior. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Direct observation of superconducting gaps in MgB 2 by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Souma, S.; Machida, Y.; Sato, T.; Takahashi, T.; Matsui, H.; Wang, S.-C.; Ding, H.; Kaminski, A.; Campuzano, J. C.; Sasaki, S.; Kadowaki, K.

2004-08-01

High-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy has been carried out to clarify the anomalous superconductivity of MgB 2. We observed three bands crossing the Fermi level, which are ascribed to B2p-σ, π and surface bands. We have succeeded for the first time in directly observing the superconducting gaps of these bands separately. We have found that the superconducting-gap sizes of σ and surface bands are 6.5 ± 0.5 and 6.0 ± 0.5 meV, respectively, while that of the π band is much smaller (1.5 ± 0.5 meV). The present experimental result unambiguously demonstrates the validity of the two-band superconductivity in MgB 2.

Direct observation of superconducting gaps in MgB2 by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souma, S.; Machida, Y.; Sato, T.; Takahashi, T.; Matsui, H.; Wang, S.-C.; Ding, H.; Kaminski, A.; Campuzano, J.C.; Sasaki, S.; Kadowaki, K.

2004-01-01

High-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy has been carried out to clarify the anomalous superconductivity of MgB 2 . We observed three bands crossing the Fermi level, which are ascribed to B2p-σ, π and surface bands. We have succeeded for the first time in directly observing the superconducting gaps of these bands separately. We have found that the superconducting-gap sizes of σ and surface bands are 6.5 ± 0.5 and 6.0 ± 0.5 meV, respectively, while that of the π band is much smaller (1.5 ± 0.5 meV). The present experimental result unambiguously demonstrates the validity of the two-band superconductivity in MgB 2

Direct correlation of observed phonon anomalies and maxima in the generalized susceptibilities of transition metal carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, M.J.; Freeman, A.B.

1976-01-01

The generalized susceptibility, chi(q), of both NbC and TaC determined from APW energy band calculations show large maxima to occur at precisely those q/sub max/ values at which soft phonon modes were observed by Smith. Maxima in chi(q) are predicted for other directions. The locus of these q/sub max/ values can be represented by a warped cube of dimension approximately 1.2(2π/a) in momentum space--in striking agreement with the soft mode surface proposed phenomenologically by Weber. In sharp contrast, the chi(q) calculated for both ZrC and HfC--for which no phonon anomalies have been observed--fall off in all symmetry directions away from the zone center. The phonon anomalies in the transition metal carbides are thus interpreted as due to an ''overscreening'' effect resulting from an anomalous increase of the response function of the conduction electrons

ARCADO - Adding random case analysis to direct observation in workplace-based formative assessment of general practice registrars.

Science.gov (United States)

Ingham, Gerard; Fry, Jennifer; Morgan, Simon; Ward, Bernadette

2015-12-10

Workplace-based formative assessments using consultation observation are currently conducted during the Australian general practice training program. Assessment reliability is improved by using multiple assessment methods. The aim of this study was to explore experiences of general practice medical educator assessors and registrars (trainees) when adding random case analysis to direct observation (ARCADO) during formative workplace-based assessments. A sample of general practice medical educators and matched registrars were recruited. Following the ARCADO workplace assessment, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted. The data was analysed thematically. Ten registrars and eight medical educators participated. Four major themes emerged - formative versus summative assessment; strengths (acceptability, flexibility, time efficiency, complementarity and authenticity); weaknesses (reduced observation and integrity risks); and contextual factors (variation in assessment content, assessment timing, registrar-medical educator relationship, medical educator's approach and registrar ability). ARCADO is a well-accepted workplace-based formative assessment perceived by registrars and assessors to be valid and flexible. The use of ARCADO enabled complementary insights that would not have been achieved with direct observation alone. Whilst there are some contextual factors to be considered in its implementation, ARCADO appears to have utility as formative assessment and, subject to further evaluation, high-stakes assessment.

High Spectral Resolution Observation of the Soft Diffuse X-ray Background in the Direction of the Galactic Anti-Center

Science.gov (United States)

Wulf, Dallas; Eckart, Mega E.; Galeazzi, Massimiliano; Jaeckel, Felix; Kelley, Richard L.; Kilbourne, Caroline A.; McCammon, Dan; Morgan, Kelsey M.; Porter, Frederick S.; Szymkowiak, Andrew E.

2018-01-01

High spectral resolution observations in the soft x-rays are necessary for understanding and modelling the hot component of the interstellar medium and its contribution to the Soft X-ray Background (SXRB). This extended source emission cannot be resolved with most wavelength dispersive spectrometers, making energy dispersive microcalorimeters the ideal choice for these observations. We present here the analysis of the most recent sounding rocket flight of the University of Wisconsin-Madison/Goddard Space Flight Center X-ray Quantum Calorimeter (XQC), a large area silicon thermistor microcalorimeter. This 111 second observation integrates a nearly 1 steradian field of view in the direction of the galactic anti-center (l, b = 165°, -5°) and features ~5 eV spectral resolution below 1 keV. Direct comparison will also be made to the previous, high-latitude observations.

Is Seeing Believing?: Observation in Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Franklin, Allan David

2017-12-01

In 2016 the LIGO-Virgo collaboration announced "the first direct detection of gravitational waves." This was to distinguish their result from the indirect observation of Russell Hulse, Joel Weisberg, and Joseph Taylor, which used the decrease in the period of a binary pulsar to "establish, with a high degree of confidence the existence of gravitational radiation as predicted by general relativity." This raises several interesting questions. One might ask how one can distinguish between direct and indirect observation and whether that distinction is exemplified in the practice of science. One might also ask whether a direct observation has more epistemic weight than an indirect observation. In this essay, I briefly discuss several episodes from the history of modern physics in an attempt to answer those questions. These episodes include Galileo and falling bodies, the discovery of the neutrino, the Higgs boson, and gravitational radiation.

Direct Observation of Domain-Wall Surface Tension by Deflating or Inflating a Magnetic Bubble

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xueying; Vernier, Nicolas; Zhao, Weisheng; Yu, Haiming; Vila, Laurent; Zhang, Yue; Ravelosona, Dafiné

2018-02-01

The surface energy of a magnetic domain wall (DW) strongly affects its static and dynamic behaviors. However, this effect is seldom directly observed, and some of the related phenomena are not well understood. Moreover, a reliable method to quantify the DW surface energy is still absent. Here, we report a series of experiments in which the DW surface energy becomes a dominant parameter. We observe that a semicircular magnetic domain bubble can spontaneously collapse under the Laplace pressure induced by DW surface energy. We further demonstrate that the surface energy can lead to a geometrically induced pinning when the DW propagates in a Hall cross or from a nanowire into a nucleation pad. Based on these observations, we develop two methods to quantify the DW surface energy, which can be very helpful in the estimation of intrinsic parameters such as Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions or exchange stiffness in magnetic ultrathin films.

Direct observation of forward-scattering oscillations in the H+HD→H2+D reaction

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Daofu; Yu, Shengrui; Chen, Wentao; Sang, Jiwei; Luo, Chang; Wang, Tao; Xu, Xin; Casavecchia, Piergiorgio; Wang, Xingan; Sun, Zhigang; Zhang, Dong H.; Yang, Xueming

2018-06-01

Accurate measurements of product state-resolved angular distributions are central to fundamental studies of chemical reaction dynamics. Yet, fine quantum-mechanical structures in product angular distributions of a reactive scattering process, such as the fast oscillations in the forward-scattering direction, have never been observed experimentally and the nature of these oscillations has not been fully explored. Here we report the crossed-molecular-beam experimental observation of these fast forward-scattering oscillations in the product angular distribution of the benchmark chemical reaction, H + HD → H2 + D. Clear oscillatory structures are observed for the H2(v' = 0, j' = 1, 3) product states at a collision energy of 1.35 eV, in excellent agreement with the quantum-mechanical dynamics calculations. Our analysis reveals that the oscillatory forward-scattering components are mainly contributed by the total angular momentum J around 28. The partial waves and impact parameters responsible for the forward scatterings are also determined from these observed oscillations, providing crucial dynamics information on the transient reaction process.

Direct AFM observation of an opening event of a DNA cuboid constructed via a prism structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Endo, Masayuki; Hidaka, Kumi; Sugiyama, Hiroshi

2011-04-07

A cuboid structure was constructed using a DNA origami design based on a square prism structure. The structure was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and dynamic light scattering. The real-time opening event of the cuboid was directly observed by high-speed AFM.

Direct correlation of observed phonon anomalies and maxima in the generalized susceptibilities of transition metal carbides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, M.; Freeman, A.J.

1976-01-01

The generalized susceptibility, chi(q vector), of both NbC and TaC determined from APW energy band calculations show large maxima to occur at precisely those q vector/sub max/ values at which soft phonon modes were observed by Smith. Maxima in chi (q vector) are predicted for other directions. The locus of these q vector/sub max/ values can be represented by a warped cube of dimension approximately 1.2 (2π/a) in momentum space, in striking agreement with the soft mode surface proposed phenomenologically by Weber. In sharp contrast, the chi(q vector) calculated for both ZrC and HfC (for which no phonon anomalies have been observed) fall off in all symmetry directions away from the zone center. The phonon anomalies in the transition metal carbides are interpreted as due to an ''overscreening'' effect resulting from an anomalous increase of the response function of the conduction electrons. 8 figures, 41 references

Direct atomic force microscopy observation of DNA tile crystal growth at the single-molecule level.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Constantine G; Hariadi, Rizal F; Winfree, Erik

2012-06-27

While the theoretical implications of models of DNA tile self-assembly have been extensively researched and such models have been used to design DNA tile systems for use in experiments, there has been little research testing the fundamental assumptions of those models. In this paper, we use direct observation of individual tile attachments and detachments of two DNA tile systems on a mica surface imaged with an atomic force microscope (AFM) to compile statistics of tile attachments and detachments. We show that these statistics fit the widely used kinetic Tile Assembly Model and demonstrate AFM movies as a viable technique for directly investigating DNA tile systems during growth rather than after assembly.

Direct observation of electrothermal instability structures on intensely Ohmically heated aluminum with current flowing in a surface skin layer

Science.gov (United States)

Awe, Thomas

2017-10-01

Implosions on the Z Facility assemble high-energy-density plasmas for radiation effects and ICF experiments, but achievable stagnation pressures and temperatures are degraded by the Magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor (MRT) instability. While the beryllium liners (tubes) used in Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) experiments are astonishingly smooth (10 to 50 nm RMS roughness), they also contain distributed micron-scale resistive inclusions, and large MRT amplitudes are observed. Early in the implosion, an electrothermal instability (ETI) may provide a perturbation which greatly exceeds the initial surface roughness of the liner. Resistive inhomogeneities drive nonuniform current density and Joule heating, resulting in locally higher temperature, and thus still higher resistivity. Such unstable temperature and pressure growth produce density perturbations which seed MRT. For MagLIF liners, ETI seeding of MRT has been inferred by evaluating late-time MRT, but a direct observation of ETI is not made. ETI is directly observed on the surface of 1.0-mm-diameter solid Al rods pulsed to 1 MA in 100 ns via high resolution gated optical imaging (2 ns temporal and 3 micron spatial resolution). Aluminum 6061 alloy rods, with micron-scale resistive inclusions, consistently first demonstrate overheating from distinct, 10-micron-scale, sub-eV spots, which 5-10 ns later merge into azimuthally stretched elliptical spots and discrete strata (40-100 microns wide by 10 microns tall). Axial plasma filaments form shortly thereafter. Surface plasma can be suppressed for rods coated with dielectric, enabling extended study of the evolution of stratified ETI structures, and experimental inference of ETI growth rates. This fundamentally new and highly 3-dimensional dataset informs ETI physics, including when the ETI seed of MRT may be initiated.

Structured Parent-Child Observations Predict Development of Conduct Problems: the Importance of Parental Negative Attention in Child-Directed Play.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleming, Andrew P; McMahon, Robert J; King, Kevin M

2017-04-01

Structured observations of parent-child interactions are commonly used in research and clinical settings, but require additional empirical support. The current study examined the capacity of child-directed play, parent-directed play, and parent-directed chore interaction analogs to uniquely predict the development of conduct problems across a 6-year follow-up period. Parent-child observations were collected from 338 families from high-risk neighborhoods during the summer following the child's first-grade year. Participating children were 49.2 % female, 54.4 % white, and 45.6 % black, and had an average age of 7.52 years at the first assessment. Conduct problems were assessed via parent report and teacher report at five assessment points between first grade and seventh grade. Latent growth curve modeling was used to analyze predictors of conduct problem trajectory across this 6-year follow-up period. When race, sex, socioeconomic status, and maternal depressive symptoms were controlled, parental negative attention during child-directed play predicted higher levels of parent-reported conduct problems concurrently and after a 6-year follow-up period. Parental negative attention during child-directed play also predicted higher teacher-reported conduct problems 6 years later. Findings support the use of child-directed play and parent-directed chore analogs in predicting longitudinal development of conduct problems. The presence of parental negative attention during child-directed play appears to be an especially important predictor of greater conduct problems over time and across multiple domains. Additionally, the potential importance of task-incongruent behavior is proposed for further study.

CORRELATIONS OF THE ARRIVAL DIRECTIONS OF ULTRA-HIGH ENERGY COSMIC RAYS WITH EXTRAGALACTIC OBJECTS AS OBSERVED BY THE TELESCOPE ARRAY EXPERIMENT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abu-Zayyad, T.; Allen, M.; Anderson, R.; Barcikowski, E.; Belz, J. W.; Bergman, D. R.; Blake, S. A.; Cady, R.; Hanlon, W. [High Energy Astrophysics Institute and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Aida, R. [Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Yamanashi (Japan); Azuma, R.; Fukuda, T. [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo (Japan); Cheon, B. G.; Cho, E. J. [Department of Physics and The Research Institute of Natural Science, Hanyang University, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Chiba, J. [Department of Physics, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba (Japan); Chikawa, M. [Department of Physics, Kinki University, Higashi Osaka, Osaka (Japan); Cho, W. R. [Department of Physics, Yonsei University, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Fujii, H. [Institute of Particle and Nuclear Studies, KEK, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan); Fujii, T. [Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka (Japan); Fukushima, M. [Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba (Japan); and others

2013-11-10

We search for correlations between the positions of extragalactic objects and the arrival directions of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) with primary energy E ≥ 40 EeV as observed by the surface detector array of the Telescope Array (TA) experiment during the first 40 months of operation. We examine several public astronomical object catalogs, including the Veron-Cetty and Veron catalog of active galactic nuclei. We count the number of TA events correlated with objects in each catalog as a function of three parameters: the maximum angular separation between a TA event and an object, the minimum energy of the events, and the maximum redshift of the objects. We determine the combination of these parameters that maximizes the correlations, and we calculate the probability of having the same levels of correlations from an isotropic distribution of UHECR arrival directions. No statistically significant correlations are found when penalties for scanning over the above parameters and for searching in several catalogs are taken into account.

Direct observation of hematopoietic progenitor chimerism in fetal freemartin cattle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taponen Juhani

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cattle twins are well known as blood chimeras. However, chimerism in the actual hematopoietic progenitor compartment has not been directly investigated. Here, we analyzed fetal liver of chimeric freemartin cattle by combining a new anti-bovine CD34 antibody and Y-chromosome specific in situ hybridization. Results Bull-derived CD34+ cells were detected in the liver of the female sibling (freemartin at 60 days gestation. The level of bull-derived CD34+ cells was lower in the freemartin than in its male siblings. Bull (Y+ and cow hematopoietic cells often occurred in separate clusters. Around clusters of Y+CD34+ cells, Y+CD34- cells were typically observed. The thymi were also strongly chimeric at 60 days of gestation. Conclusion The fetal freemartin liver contains clusters of bull-derived hematopoietic progenitors, suggesting clonal expansion and differentiation. Even the roots of the hematopoietic system in cattle twins are thus strongly chimeric from the early stages of fetal development. However, the hematopoietic seeding of fetal liver apparently started already before the onset of functional vascular anastomosis.

The novel programmable riometer for in-depth ionospheric and magnetospheric observations (PRIAMOS) using direct sampling DSP techniques

OpenAIRE

Dekoulis, G.; Honary, F.

2005-01-01

This paper describes the feasibility study and simulation results for the unique multi-frequency, multi-bandwidth, Programmable Riometer for in-depth Ionospheric And Magnetospheric ObservationS (PRIAMOS) based on direct sampling digital signal processing (DSP) techniques. This novel architecture is based on sampling the cosmic noise wavefront at the antenna. It eliminates the usage of any intermediate frequency (IF) mixer stages (-6 dB) and the noise balancing technique (-3 dB), providing a m...

Letter to the Editor: First direct observations of the reduced striations at pump frequencies close to the electron gyroharmonics

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M. T. Rietveld

Full Text Available It is well known that the ionospheric plasma response to high-power HF radio waves changes drastically as the heater frequency approaches harmonics of the electron gyrofrequency. These include changes in the spectrum of the stimulated electromagnetic emission, reduction in the anomalous absorption of low-power diagnostic waves propagating through the heated volume, and reduction in the large scale F-region heating. Theoretical models as well as previous experimental evidence point towards the absence of small-scale field-aligned plasma density irregularities at pump frequencies close to electron gyroharmonics as the main cause of these changes. Results presented in this paper are the first direct observations of the reduced striations at the 3rd gyroharmonic made by the CUTLASS radar. In addition, simultaneous EISCAT observations have revealed that the "enhanced ion-line" usually present in the EISCAT ion-line spectrum during the first few seconds after heater switch on, persisted at varying strengths while the heater was transmitting at frequencies close to the 3rd electron gyroharmonics.Key words. Ionosphere (active experiments; ionospheric irregularities · Radio science (ionospheric physics

Letter to the Editor: First direct observations of the reduced striations at pump frequencies close to the electron gyroharmonics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Honary

1999-09-01

Full Text Available It is well known that the ionospheric plasma response to high-power HF radio waves changes drastically as the heater frequency approaches harmonics of the electron gyrofrequency. These include changes in the spectrum of the stimulated electromagnetic emission, reduction in the anomalous absorption of low-power diagnostic waves propagating through the heated volume, and reduction in the large scale F-region heating. Theoretical models as well as previous experimental evidence point towards the absence of small-scale field-aligned plasma density irregularities at pump frequencies close to electron gyroharmonics as the main cause of these changes. Results presented in this paper are the first direct observations of the reduced striations at the 3rd gyroharmonic made by the CUTLASS radar. In addition, simultaneous EISCAT observations have revealed that the "enhanced ion-line" usually present in the EISCAT ion-line spectrum during the first few seconds after heater switch on, persisted at varying strengths while the heater was transmitting at frequencies close to the 3rd electron gyroharmonics.Key words. Ionosphere (active experiments; ionospheric irregularities · Radio science (ionospheric physics

Direct observation of asperity deformation of specimens with random rough surfaces in upsetting and indentation processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Azushima, A.; Kuba, S.; Tani, S.

2006-01-01

The trapping behavior of liquid lubricant and contact behavior of asperities at the workpiece-tool interface during upsetting and indentation are observed directly using a compression subpress which consists of a transparent die made of sapphire, a microscope with a CCD camera and a video system....... The experiments are carried out without lubricant and with lubricant. Specimens used are commercially pure A1100 aluminum with a random rough surface. From these observations, the change in the fraction of real contact area is measured by an image processor. The real contact area ratios in upsetting experiments...

Direct observation of mother-child communication in pediatric cancer: assessment of verbal and non-verbal behavior and emotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Madeleine J; Rodriguez, Erin M; Miller, Kimberly S; Gerhardt, Cynthia A; Vannatta, Kathryn; Saylor, Megan; Scheule, C Melanie; Compas, Bruce E

2011-06-01

To examine the acceptability and feasibility of coding observed verbal and nonverbal behavioral and emotional components of mother-child communication among families of children with cancer. Mother-child dyads (N=33, children ages 5-17 years) were asked to engage in a videotaped 15-min conversation about the child's cancer. Coding was done using the Iowa Family Interaction Rating Scale (IFIRS). Acceptability and feasibility of direct observation in this population were partially supported: 58% consented and 81% of those (47% of all eligible dyads) completed the task; trained raters achieved 78% agreement in ratings across codes. The construct validity of the IFIRS was demonstrated by expected associations within and between positive and negative behavioral/emotional code ratings and between mothers' and children's corresponding code ratings. Direct observation of mother-child communication about childhood cancer has the potential to be an acceptable and feasible method of assessing verbal and nonverbal behavior and emotion in this population.

Interactions between C and Cu atoms in single-layer graphene: direct observation and modelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Kano, Emi; Hashimoto, Ayako; Kaneko, Tomoaki; Tajima, Nobuo; Ohno, Takahisa; Takeguchi, Masaki

2016-01-07

Metal doping into the graphene lattice has been studied recently to develop novel nanoelectronic devices and to gain an understanding of the catalytic activities of metals in nanocarbon structures. Here we report the direct observation of interactions between Cu atoms and single-layer graphene by transmission electron microscopy. We document stable configurations of Cu atoms in the graphene sheet and unique transformations of graphene promoted by Cu atoms. First-principles calculations based on density functional theory reveal a reduction of energy barrier that caused rotation of C-C bonds near Cu atoms. We discuss two driving forces, electron irradiation and in situ heating, and conclude that the observed transformations were mainly promoted by electron irradiation. Our results suggest that individual Cu atoms can promote reconstruction of single-layer graphene.

Gossip as an alternative for direct observation in games of indirect reciprocity.

Science.gov (United States)

Sommerfeld, Ralf D; Krambeck, Hans-Jürgen; Semmann, Dirk; Milinski, Manfred

2007-10-30

Communication about social topics is abundant in human societies, and many functions have been attributed to such gossiping. One of these proposed functions is the management of reputations. Reputation by itself has been shown to have a strong influence on cooperation dynamics in games of indirect reciprocity, and this notion helps to explain the observed high level of cooperation in humans. Here we designed a game to test a widespread assumption that gossip functions as a vector for the transmission of social information. This empirical study (with 14 groups of nine students each) focuses on the composition of gossip, information transfer by gossip, and the behavior based on gossip information. We show that gossip has a strong influence on the resulting behavior even when participants have access to the original information (i.e., direct observation) as well as gossip about the same information. Thus, it is evident that gossip has a strong manipulative potential. Furthermore, gossip about cooperative individuals is more positive than gossip about uncooperative individuals, gossip comments transmit social information successfully, and cooperation levels are higher when people encounter positive compared with negative gossip.

Implementation of directly observed patient hand hygiene for hospitalized patients by hand hygiene ambassadors in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Vincent C C; Tai, Josepha W M; Li, W S; Chau, P H; So, Simon Y C; Wong, Lisa M W; Ching, Radley H C; Ng, Modissa M L; Ho, Sara K Y; Lee, Doris W Y; Lee, W M; Wong, Sally C Y; Yuen, K Y

2016-06-01

The importance of compliance with hand hygiene by patients is increasingly recognized to prevent health care-associated infections. This descriptive study observed the effects of an education campaign, targeted to increase patients' self-initiated hand hygiene, and a hand hygiene ambassador-initiated directly observed hand hygiene program on patients' hand hygiene compliance in a university-affiliated hospital. The overall audited compliance of patients' self-initiated hand hygiene was only 37.5%, with a rate of 26.9% (112/416 episodes) before meals and medications, 27.5% (19/69 episodes) after using a urinal or bedpan, and 89.7% (87/97 episodes) after attending toilet facilities. Patients referred from a residential care home for older adults had significantly lower hand hygiene compliance (P = .007). Comparatively, the overall audited compliance of ambassador-initiated directly observed hand hygiene was 97.3% (428/440 episodes), which was significantly higher than patients' self-initiated hand hygiene via a patient education program (37.5%, 218/582 episodes, P hand hygiene can play an important role in improving compliance with hand hygiene by hospitalized patients. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Direct observation of superconducting gaps in MgB{sub 2} by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Souma, S.; Machida, Y.; Sato, T.; Takahashi, T.; Matsui, H.; Wang, S.-C.; Ding, H.; Kaminski, A.; Campuzano, J.C.; Sasaki, S.; Kadowaki, K

2004-08-01

High-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy has been carried out to clarify the anomalous superconductivity of MgB{sub 2}. We observed three bands crossing the Fermi level, which are ascribed to B2p-{sigma}, {pi} and surface bands. We have succeeded for the first time in directly observing the superconducting gaps of these bands separately. We have found that the superconducting-gap sizes of {sigma} and surface bands are 6.5 {+-} 0.5 and 6.0 {+-} 0.5 meV, respectively, while that of the {pi} band is much smaller (1.5 {+-} 0.5 meV). The present experimental result unambiguously demonstrates the validity of the two-band superconductivity in MgB{sub 2}.

Direct Observation of Heavy-Tailed Storage Times of Bed Load Tracer Particles Causing Anomalous Superdiffusion

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, D. Nathan

2017-12-01

A consensus has formed that the step length distribution of fluvial bed load is thin tailed and that the observed anomalous superdiffusion of bed load tracer particles must arise from heavy-tailed resting times. However, heavy-tailed resting times have never been directly observed in the field over multiple floods. Using 9 years of data from a large bed load tracer experiment, I show that the spatial variance of the tracer plume scales faster than linearly with integrated excess stream power, indicating anomalous superdiffusion. The superdiffusion is caused by a heavy-tailed distribution of observed storage times that is fit with a truncated Pareto distribution with a tail parameter that is predicted by anomalous diffusion theory. The heavy-tailed distribution of storage times causes the tracer virtual velocity to slow over time, indicated by a sublinear increase in the mean displacement that is predicted by the storage time distribution tail parameter.

Tools for the direct observation and assessment of psychomotor skills in medical trainees: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Jelovsek, J Eric; Kow, Nathan; Diwadkar, Gouri B

2013-07-01

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Milestone Project mandates programmes to assess the attainment of training outcomes, including the psychomotor (surgical or procedural) skills of medical trainees. The objectives of this study were to determine which tools exist to directly assess psychomotor skills in medical trainees on live patients and to identify the data indicating their psychometric and edumetric properties. An electronic search was conducted for papers published from January 1948 to May 2011 using the PubMed, Education Resource Information Center (ERIC), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Web of Science electronic databases and the review of references in article bibliographies. A study was included if it described a tool or instrument designed for the direct observation of psychomotor skills in patient care settings by supervisors. Studies were excluded if they referred to tools that assessed only clinical or non-technical skills, involved non-medical health professionals, or assessed skills performed on a simulator. Overall, 4114 citations were screened, 168 (4.1%) articles were reviewed for eligibility and 51 (1.2%) manuscripts were identified as meeting the study inclusion criteria. Three authors abstracted and reviewed studies using a standardised form for the presence of key psychometric and edumetric elements as per ACGME and American Psychological Association (APA) recommendations, and also assigned an overall grade based on the ACGME Committee on Educational Outcome Assessment grading system. A total of 30 tools were identified. Construct validity based on associations between scores and training level was identified in 24 tools, internal consistency in 14, test-retest reliability in five and inter-rater reliability in 20. The modification of attitudes, knowledge or skills was reported using five tools. The seven-item Global Rating Scale and the Procedure-Based Assessment received an

Establishing the Feasibility of Direct Observation in the Assessment of Tics in Children with Chronic Tic Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Himle, Michael B.; Chang, Susanna; Woods, Douglas W.; Pearlman, Amanda; Buzzella, Brian; Bunaciu, Liviu; Piacentini, John C.

2006-01-01

Behavior analysis has been at the forefront in establishing effective treatments for children and adults with chronic tic disorders. As is customary in behavior analysis, the efficacy of these treatments has been established using direct-observation assessment methods. Although behavior-analytic treatments have enjoyed acceptance and integration…

Method for observing phase objects without halos and directional shadows

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Yoshimasa; Kajitani, Kazuo; Ohde, Hisashi

2015-03-01

A new microscopy method for observing phase objects without halos and directional shadows is proposed. The key optical element is an annular aperture at the front focal plane of a condenser with a larger diameter than those used in standard phase contrast microscopy. The light flux passing through the annular aperture is changed by the specimen's surface profile and then passes through an objective and contributes to image formation. This paper presents essential conditions for realizing the method. In this paper, images of colonies formed by induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells using this method are compared with the conventional phase contrast method and the bright-field method when the NA of the illumination is small to identify differences among these techniques. The outlines of the iPS cells are clearly visible with this method, whereas they are not clearly visible due to halos when using the phase contrast method or due to weak contrast when using the bright-field method. Other images using this method are also presented to demonstrate a capacity of this method: a mouse ovum and superimposition of several different images of mouse iPS cells.

Adjustable Parameter-Based Distributed Fault Estimation Observer Design for Multiagent Systems With Directed Graphs.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ke; Jiang, Bin; Shi, Peng

2017-02-01

In this paper, a novel adjustable parameter (AP)-based distributed fault estimation observer (DFEO) is proposed for multiagent systems (MASs) with the directed communication topology. First, a relative output estimation error is defined based on the communication topology of MASs. Then a DFEO with AP is constructed with the purpose of improving the accuracy of fault estimation. Based on H ∞ and H 2 with pole placement, multiconstrained design is given to calculate the gain of DFEO. Finally, simulation results are presented to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed DFEO design with AP.

Direct observations of evolving subglacial drainage beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, Lauren C; Catania, Ginny A; Hoffman, Matthew J; Gulley, Jason D; Lüthi, Martin P; Ryser, Claudia; Hawley, Robert L; Neumann, Thomas A

2014-10-02

Seasonal acceleration of the Greenland Ice Sheet is influenced by the dynamic response of the subglacial hydrologic system to variability in meltwater delivery to the bed via crevasses and moulins (vertical conduits connecting supraglacial water to the bed of the ice sheet). As the melt season progresses, the subglacial hydrologic system drains supraglacial meltwater more efficiently, decreasing basal water pressure and moderating the ice velocity response to surface melting. However, limited direct observations of subglacial water pressure mean that the spatiotemporal evolution of the subglacial hydrologic system remains poorly understood. Here we show that ice velocity is well correlated with moulin hydraulic head but is out of phase with that of nearby (0.3-2 kilometres away) boreholes, indicating that moulins connect to an efficient, channelized component of the subglacial hydrologic system, which exerts the primary control on diurnal and multi-day changes in ice velocity. Our simultaneous measurements of moulin and borehole hydraulic head and ice velocity in the Paakitsoq region of western Greenland show that decreasing trends in ice velocity during the latter part of the melt season cannot be explained by changes in the ability of moulin-connected channels to convey supraglacial melt. Instead, these observations suggest that decreasing late-season ice velocity may be caused by changes in connectivity in unchannelized regions of the subglacial hydrologic system. Understanding this spatiotemporal variability in subglacial pressures is increasingly important because melt-season dynamics affect ice velocity beyond the conclusion of the melt season.

Direct quantum process tomography via measuring sequential weak values of incompatible observables.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yosep; Kim, Yong-Su; Lee, Sang-Yun; Han, Sang-Wook; Moon, Sung; Kim, Yoon-Ho; Cho, Young-Wook

2018-01-15

The weak value concept has enabled fundamental studies of quantum measurement and, recently, found potential applications in quantum and classical metrology. However, most weak value experiments reported to date do not require quantum mechanical descriptions, as they only exploit the classical wave nature of the physical systems. In this work, we demonstrate measurement of the sequential weak value of two incompatible observables by making use of two-photon quantum interference so that the results can only be explained quantum physically. We then demonstrate that the sequential weak value measurement can be used to perform direct quantum process tomography of a qubit channel. Our work not only demonstrates the quantum nature of weak values but also presents potential new applications of weak values in analyzing quantum channels and operations.

Treatment of tuberculosis in a rural area of Haiti: directly observed and non-observed regimens. The experience of H pital Albert Schweitzer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ollé-Goig, J E; Alvarez, J

2001-02-01

Artibonite Valley, a rural area in Haiti. To evaluate a tuberculosis control program in rural Haiti and to compare two strategies for treatment implemented in two areas that were not chosen at random: treatment delivered at the patients' homes observed by former tuberculosis patients (DOT), and non observed treatment (non-DOT). Retrospective analysis of the clinical records of adult patients diagnosed with tuberculosis at H pital Albert Schweitzer in Deschapelles, Haiti, during 1994-1995. There were 143 patients in the non-DOT group and 138 patients in the DOT group. The results of treatment were significantly different: in the non-DOT group 29% defaulted, 12% died and 58% had a successful outcome; in the DOT group 7% defaulted (P < 0.01), 4% died (P = 0.01) and 87% had a successful outcome (P < 0.01). These differences are also significant when considering only human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients (defaulted P < 0.01; died P = 0.09; successful outcome P < 0.01). Delivering treatment in patients' homes with direct observation by former tuberculosis patients can achieve good results, even in an area of extreme poverty and high rates of HIV infection. In this population the number of patients who are able to complete their treatment without observed administration is far from optimal.

FUZZY LOGIC BASED ADAPTATION MECHANISM FOR ADAPTIVE LUENBERGER OBSERVER SENSORLESS DIRECT TORQUE CONTROL OF INDUCTION MOTOR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. BENNASSAR

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Many industrial applications require high performance speed sensorless operation and demand new control methods in order to obtain fast dynamic response and insensitive to external disturbances. The current research aims to present the performance of the sensorless direct torque control (DTC of an induction motor (IM using adaptive Luenberger observer (ALO with fuzzy logic controller (FLC for adaptation mechanism. The rotor speed is regulated by proportional integral (PI anti-windup controller. The proposed strategy is directed to reduce the ripple on the torque and the flux. Numerical simulation results show the good performance and effectiveness of the proposed sensorless control for different references of the speed even both low and high speeds.

Direct Observation of Virtual Electrode Formation Through a Novel Electrolyte-to-Electrode Transition

Science.gov (United States)

Siegel, David; El Gabaly, Farid; Bartelt, Norman; McCarty, Kevin

2014-03-01

Novel electrochemical solutions to problems in energy storage and transportation can drive renewable energy to become an economically viable alternative to fossil fuels. In many electrochemical systems, the behavior of a device can be fundamentally limited by the surface area of a triple phase boundary, the boundary region where a gas-phase species, electrode, and electrolyte coincide. When the electrode is an ionic insulator the triple phase boundary is typically a one-dimensional boundary with nanometer-scale thickness: ions cannot transport through the electrode, while electrons cannot be transported through the electrolyte. Here we present direct experimental measurements of a novel electrolyte-to-electrode transition with photoemission electron microscopy, and observe that the surface of an ionically conductive, electronically insulative solid oxide electrolyte undergoes a transition into a mixed electron-ion conductor in the vicinity of a metal electrode. Our direct experimental measurements allow us to characterize this system and address the mechanisms of ionic reactions and transport through comparisons with theoretical modeling to provide us with a physical picture of the processes involved. Our results provide insight into one of the mechanisms of ion transport in an electrochemical cell that may be generalizable to other systems.

Direct observations of the Antarctic Slope Current transport at 113°E

Science.gov (United States)

Peña-Molino, B.; McCartney, M. S.; Rintoul, S. R.

2016-10-01

The Antarctic Slope Current (ASC), defined here as the region of westward flow along the continental slope off Antarctica, forms the southern limb of the subpolar gyres. It regulates the exchange of water across the shelf break and provides a path for interbasin westward transport. Despite its significance, the ASC remains largely unobserved around most of the Antarctic continent. Here we present direct velocity observations from a 17 month current meter moored array deployed across the continental slope between the 1000 and the 4200 m isobaths, in the southeastern Indian Ocean near 113°E. The observed time-mean flow consists of a surface-intensified jet associated with the Antarctic Slope Front (ASF) and a broader bottom-intensified westward flow that extends out to approximately the 4000 m isobath and is strongest along the upper slope. The time-mean transport of the ASC is -29.2 Sv. Fluctuations in the transport are large, typically exceeding the mean by a factor of 2. They are mainly due to changes in the northward extent of the current over the lower slope. However, seasonal changes in the wind also drive variations in the transport of the ASF and the flow in the upper slope. Both mean and variability are largely barotropic, thus invisible to traditional geostrophic methods.

Automated Ecological Assessment of Physical Activity: Advancing Direct Observation.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, Jordan A; Liu, Bo; Sallis, James F; Kerr, Jacqueline; Hipp, J Aaron; Staggs, Vincent S; Papa, Amy; Dean, Kelsey; Vasconcelos, Nuno M

2017-12-01

Technological advances provide opportunities for automating direct observations of physical activity, which allow for continuous monitoring and feedback. This pilot study evaluated the initial validity of computer vision algorithms for ecological assessment of physical activity. The sample comprised 6630 seconds per camera (three cameras in total) of video capturing up to nine participants engaged in sitting, standing, walking, and jogging in an open outdoor space while wearing accelerometers. Computer vision algorithms were developed to assess the number and proportion of people in sedentary, light, moderate, and vigorous activity, and group-based metabolic equivalents of tasks (MET)-minutes. Means and standard deviations (SD) of bias/difference values, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) assessed the criterion validity compared to accelerometry separately for each camera. The number and proportion of participants sedentary and in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) had small biases (within 20% of the criterion mean) and the ICCs were excellent (0.82-0.98). Total MET-minutes were slightly underestimated by 9.3-17.1% and the ICCs were good (0.68-0.79). The standard deviations of the bias estimates were moderate-to-large relative to the means. The computer vision algorithms appeared to have acceptable sample-level validity (i.e., across a sample of time intervals) and are promising for automated ecological assessment of activity in open outdoor settings, but further development and testing is needed before such tools can be used in a diverse range of settings.

Automated Ecological Assessment of Physical Activity: Advancing Direct Observation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jordan A. Carlson

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Technological advances provide opportunities for automating direct observations of physical activity, which allow for continuous monitoring and feedback. This pilot study evaluated the initial validity of computer vision algorithms for ecological assessment of physical activity. The sample comprised 6630 seconds per camera (three cameras in total of video capturing up to nine participants engaged in sitting, standing, walking, and jogging in an open outdoor space while wearing accelerometers. Computer vision algorithms were developed to assess the number and proportion of people in sedentary, light, moderate, and vigorous activity, and group-based metabolic equivalents of tasks (MET-minutes. Means and standard deviations (SD of bias/difference values, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC assessed the criterion validity compared to accelerometry separately for each camera. The number and proportion of participants sedentary and in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA had small biases (within 20% of the criterion mean and the ICCs were excellent (0.82–0.98. Total MET-minutes were slightly underestimated by 9.3–17.1% and the ICCs were good (0.68–0.79. The standard deviations of the bias estimates were moderate-to-large relative to the means. The computer vision algorithms appeared to have acceptable sample-level validity (i.e., across a sample of time intervals and are promising for automated ecological assessment of activity in open outdoor settings, but further development and testing is needed before such tools can be used in a diverse range of settings.

Direct Atomic Force Microscopy Observation of DNA Tile Crystal Growth at the Single-Molecule Level

OpenAIRE

Evans, Constantine G.; Hariadi, Rizal F.; Winfree, Erik

2012-01-01

While the theoretical implications of models of DNA tile self-assembly have been extensively researched and such models have been used to design DNA tile systems for use in experiments, there has been little research testing the fundamental assumptions of those models. In this paper, we use direct observation of individual tile attachments and detachments of two DNA tile systems on a mica surface imaged with an atomic force microscope (AFM) to compile statistics of tile attachments and detach...

Condom-use skills checklist: a proxy for assessing condom-use knowledge and skills when direct observation is not possible.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanton, B; Deveaux, L; Lunn, S; Yu, S; Brathwaite, N; Li, X; Cottrell, L; Harris, C; Clemens, R; Marshall, S

2009-06-01

Because of the continued importance of correct condom-use in controlling the HIV epidemic and the limited availability of tools for assessing correct condom-use, methods for assessing condom-application skills, especially when direct observation is not feasible, are needed. Accordingly, in the context of a high-risk population (The Bahamas) for HIV, a 17-item scale--the Condom-use Skills Checklist (CUSC)--was developed for use among young adolescents and adults. The rationale and approach to developing the scale and some measures of internal consistency, construct validity, and criterion-related validity have been described. It is concluded that the scale offers a reasonable alternative to direct observation among older subjects and that further development may make it more useful among pre-adolescents.

Direct Observation of the BCC (100) Plane in Thin Films of Sphere-forming Diblock Copolymers

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Shengxiang; Nagpal, Umang; Liao, Wen; de Pablo, Juan; Nealey, Paul

2010-03-01

In sphere-forming diblock copolymers, periodic arrays of spheres are arranged in a body-centred cubic (BCC) lattice structure in bulk. However, in thin films different surface morphologies were observed as a function of the film thickness, and the transition from the hexagonal array to the BCC (110) arrangement of spheres on film surfaces was located with respect to the increase of the film thickness. Here we report the first direct observation of the BCC (100) plane in thin films of poly (styrene-b-methyl methacrylate) diblock copolymers on homogeneous substrates. By balancing the surface energies of both blocks, the lower energy BCC (100) plane corresponding to a square arrangement of half spheres, formed on film surfaces when the film thickness was commensurate with the spacing, L100, between (100) planes or greater than 2 L100. A hexagonal arrangement of spheres was only observed when the thickness was less than 2 L100 and incommensurate with 1 L100. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation confirmed our experimental observation and was used to investigate the transition of the arrangement of spheres as a function of the film thickness.

Assessing distractors and teamwork during surgery: developing an event-based method for direct observation.

Science.gov (United States)

Seelandt, Julia C; Tschan, Franziska; Keller, Sandra; Beldi, Guido; Jenni, Nadja; Kurmann, Anita; Candinas, Daniel; Semmer, Norbert K

2014-11-01

To develop a behavioural observation method to simultaneously assess distractors and communication/teamwork during surgical procedures through direct, on-site observations; to establish the reliability of the method for long (>3 h) procedures. Observational categories for an event-based coding system were developed based on expert interviews, observations and a literature review. Using Cohen's κ and the intraclass correlation coefficient, interobserver agreement was assessed for 29 procedures. Agreement was calculated for the entire surgery, and for the 1st hour. In addition, interobserver agreement was assessed between two tired observers and between a tired and a non-tired observer after 3 h of surgery. The observational system has five codes for distractors (door openings, noise distractors, technical distractors, side conversations and interruptions), eight codes for communication/teamwork (case-relevant communication, teaching, leadership, problem solving, case-irrelevant communication, laughter, tension and communication with external visitors) and five contextual codes (incision, last stitch, personnel changes in the sterile team, location changes around the table and incidents). Based on 5-min intervals, Cohen's κ was good to excellent for distractors (0.74-0.98) and for communication/teamwork (0.70-1). Based on frequency counts, intraclass correlation coefficient was excellent for distractors (0.86-0.99) and good to excellent for communication/teamwork (0.45-0.99). After 3 h of surgery, Cohen's κ was 0.78-0.93 for distractors, and 0.79-1 for communication/teamwork. The observational method developed allows a single observer to simultaneously assess distractors and communication/teamwork. Even for long procedures, high interobserver agreement can be achieved. Data collected with this method allow for investigating separate or combined effects of distractions and communication/teamwork on surgical performance and patient outcomes. Published by the

The Sunburst Arc: Direct Lyman α escape observed in the brightest known lensed galaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Rivera-Thorsen, T. E.; Dahle, H.; Gronke, M.; Bayliss, M.; Rigby, J. R.; Simcoe, R.; Bordoloi, R.; Turner, M.; Furesz, G.

2017-11-01

We present rest-frame ultraviolet and optical spectroscopy of the brightest lensed galaxy yet discovered, at redshift z = 2.4. The source reveals a characteristic triple-peaked Lyman α profile that has been predicted in various theoretical works, but to our knowledge has not been unambiguously observed previously. The feature is well fit by a superposition of two components: a double-peak profile emerging from substantial radiative transfer, and a narrow, central component resulting from directly escaping Lyman α photons, but it is poorly fit by either component alone. We demonstrate that the feature is unlikely to contain contamination from nearby sources, and that the central peak is unaffected by radiative transfer effects except for very slight absorption. The feature is detected at signal-to-noise ratios exceeding 80 per pixel at line center, and bears strong resemblance to synthetic profiles predicted by numerical models. Based on observations obtained at the Magellan-I (Baade) Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile.

Photoacoustics of single laser-trapped nanodroplets for the direct observation of nanofocusing in aerosol photokinetics

Science.gov (United States)

Cremer, Johannes W.; Thaler, Klemens M.; Haisch, Christoph; Signorell, Ruth

2016-03-01

Photochemistry taking place in atmospheric aerosol droplets has a significant impact on the Earth's climate. Nanofocusing of electromagnetic radiation inside aerosols plays a crucial role in their absorption behaviour, since the radiation flux inside the droplet strongly affects the activation rate of photochemically active species. However, size-dependent nanofocusing effects in the photokinetics of small aerosols have escaped direct observation due to the inability to measure absorption signatures from single droplets. Here we show that photoacoustic measurements on optically trapped single nanodroplets provide a direct, broadly applicable method to measure absorption with attolitre sensitivity. We demonstrate for a model aerosol that the photolysis is accelerated by an order of magnitude in the sub-micron to micron size range, compared with larger droplets. The versatility of our technique promises broad applicability to absorption studies of aerosol particles, such as atmospheric aerosols where quantitative photokinetic data are critical for climate predictions.

The breakup of large tabular icebergs - direct observations and theoretical considerations

Science.gov (United States)

Wadhams, P.

2013-12-01

Peter Wadhams and Till Wagner Dept. of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP), University of Cambridge. We review the factors governing the stability, dynamics and decay of icebergs and describe areas where current models are inadequate. These include questions such as draft changes in capsizing icebergs; iceberg trajectory modelling; the melt rate of the ice underside and ways of reducing it; and wave-induced flexure and its role in the break-up of tabular icebergs. In July 2012 the authors worked on a very large (42 sq km) tabular iceberg in Baffin Bay, which had calved from the Petermann Glacier in NW Greenland. We measured incoming swell spectrum and the iceberg response; also the role of buoyancy forces due to erosion of a waterline wave cut and the creation of an underwater ram. The iceberg broke up while we were on it, allowing an instrumental measurement of the calving event. The experiments were included in the BBC-2 film 'Operation Iceberg' shown on Nov 1 2012 and repeated on Nov 18. We conclude that two processes interacted in the break-up event: increased bending stress due to buoyancy of underwater rams; and direct flexural strain due to incidence of ocean swell. Implications for icebergs in the open sea are estimated.

Chase the direct impact of rainfall into groundwater in Mt. Fuji from multiple analyses including microbial DNA

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Kenji; Sugiyama, Ayumi; Nagaosa, Kazuyo; Tsujimura, Maki

2016-04-01

A huge amount of groundwater is stored in subsurface environment of Mt. Fuji, the largest volcanic mountain in Japan. Based on the concept of piston flow transport of groundwater an apparent residence time was estimated to ca. 30 years by 36Cl/Cl ratio (Tosaki et al., 2011). However, this number represents an averaged value of the residence time of groundwater which had been mixed before it flushes out. We chased signatures of direct impact of rainfall into groundwater to elucidate the routes of groundwater, employing three different tracers; stable isotopic analysis (delta 18O), chemical analysis (concentration of silica) and microbial DNA analysis. Though chemical analysis of groundwater shows an averaged value of the examined water which was blended by various water with different sources and routes in subsurface environment, microbial DNA analysis may suggest the place where they originated, which may give information of the source and transport routes of the water examined. Throughout the in situ observation of four rainfall events showed that stable oxygen isotopic ratio of spring water and shallow groundwater obtained from 726m a.s.l. where the average recharge height of rainfall was between 1500 and 1800 m became higher than the values before a torrential rainfall, and the concentration of silica decreased after this event when rainfall exceeded 300 mm in precipitation of an event. In addition, the density of Prokaryotes in spring water apparently increased. Those changes did not appear when rainfall did not exceed 100 mm per event. Thus, findings shown above indicated a direct impact of rainfall into shallow groundwater, which appeared within a few weeks of torrential rainfall in the studied geological setting. In addition, increase in the density of Archaea observed at deep groundwater after the torrential rainfall suggested an enlargement of the strength of piston flow transport through the penetration of rainfall into deep groundwater. This finding was

[Nursing performance in the policy transfer of directly observed treatment of tuberculosis].

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, Káren Mendes Jorge de; Sá, Lenilde Duarte de; Silva, Laís Mara Caetano da; Palha, Pedro Fredemir

2014-10-01

Analyzing the policy transfer of directly observed treatment of tuberculosis from the perspective of nursing. This is a descriptive study with qualitative approach, which had 10 nurses of the Family Health Strategy in São Paulo as subjects. The interviews were carried out between May and June 2013, and were adopted the technique of thematic content analysis and the referential of policy transfer. On the signification of this treatment, are related the senses of disciplinary monitoring, the bond and approximation to the context of patients' lives. Operationally, nurses, community health agents and nursing technicians stand out as agents of implementation of this policy, developing multiple actions of user embracement. The nurse is evidenced as an educator in health, leader in the family health team, and capable of creating emotional bond with users. It was found that the innovations proposed in the treatment are incipient in the daily work of nurses.

Direct observation of multistep energy transfer in LHCII with fifth-order 3D electronic spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhengyang; Lambrev, Petar H; Wells, Kym L; Garab, Győző; Tan, Howe-Siang

2015-07-31

During photosynthesis, sunlight is efficiently captured by light-harvesting complexes, and the excitation energy is then funneled towards the reaction centre. These photosynthetic excitation energy transfer (EET) pathways are complex and proceed in a multistep fashion. Ultrafast two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) is an important tool to study EET processes in photosynthetic complexes. However, the multistep EET processes can only be indirectly inferred by correlating different cross peaks from a series of 2DES spectra. Here we directly observe multistep EET processes in LHCII using ultrafast fifth-order three-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (3DES). We measure cross peaks in 3DES spectra of LHCII that directly indicate energy transfer from excitons in the chlorophyll b (Chl b) manifold to the low-energy level chlorophyll a (Chl a) via mid-level Chl a energy states. This new spectroscopic technique allows scientists to move a step towards mapping the complete complex EET processes in photosynthetic systems.

The first direct observation of hydrogen trapping sites in TiC precipitation-hardening steel through atom probe tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Jun; Kawakami, Kazuto; Kobayashi, Yukiko; Tarui, Toshimi

2010-01-01

For the first time ever, atomic-scale direct observation of deuterium atoms trapping at nano-sized titanium carbide (TiC) precipitates in steel was successfully achieved using atom probe tomography (APT). Deuterium gas charging into the needle specimen and subsequently quenching were conducted in our designed chamber attached to three-dimensional atom probe (3DAP). The deuterium atoms were definitely observed on the broad surface of TiC platelets, which indicated that the broad interface between the matrix and TiC was the main trapping site.

Patterns of postural deformity in non-ambulant people with cerebral palsy: what is the relationship between the direction of scoliosis, direction of pelvic obliquity, direction of windswept hip deformity and side of hip dislocation?

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, David; Michael, Shona; Kirkwood, Craig

2007-12-01

To investigate: (a) associations between the direction of scoliosis, direction of pelvic obliquity, direction of windswept deformity and side of hip subluxation/ dislocation in non-ambulant people with cerebral palsy; and (b) the lateral distribution of these postural asymmetries. Cross-sectional observational study. Posture management services in three centres in the UK. Non-ambulant people at level five on the gross motor function classification system for cerebral palsy. Direction of pelvic obliquity and lateral spinal curvature determined from physical examination, direction of windswept hip deformity derived from range of hip abduction/adduction, and presence/side of unilateral hip subluxation defined by hip migration percentage. A total of 747 participants were included in the study, aged 6-80 years (median 18 years 10 months). Associations between the direction of scoliosis and direction of pelvic obliquity, and between the direction of windswept hip deformity and side hip subluxation/dislocation were confirmed. A significant association was also seen between the direction of scoliosis and the direction of the windswept hip deformity (P<0.001) such that the convexity of the lateral spinal curve was more likely to be opposite to the direction of windsweeping. Furthermore, significantly more windswept deformities to the right (P=0.007), hips subluxed on the left (P=0.002) and lateral lumbar/lower thoracic spinal curves convex to the left (P=0.03) were observed. The individual asymmetrical postural deformities are not unrelated in terms of direction and not equally distributed to the left/right. A pattern of postural deformity was observed.

Direct observation of ballistic Andreev reflection

Science.gov (United States)

Klapwijk, T. M.; Ryabchun, S. A.

2014-12-01

An overview is presented of experiments on ballistic electrical transport in inhomogeneous superconducting systems which are controlled by the process of Andreev reflection. The initial experiments based on the coexistence of a normal phase and a superconducting phase in the intermediate state led to the concept itself. It was followed by a focus on geometrically inhomogeneous systems like point contacts, which provided a very clear manifestation of the energy and direction dependence of the Andreev reflection process. The point contacts have recently evolved towards the atomic scale owing to the use of mechanical break-junctions, revealing a very detailed dependence of Andreev reflection on the macroscopic phase of the superconducting state. In present-day research, the superconducting in homogeneity is constructed by clean room technology and combines superconducting materials, for example, with low-dimensional materials and topological insulators. Alternatively, the superconductor is combined with nano-objects, such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, or semiconducting nanowires. Each of these "inhomogeneous systems" provides a very interesting range of properties, all rooted in some manifestation of Andreev reflection.

Validity, reliability, feasibility, acceptability and educational impact of direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS).

Science.gov (United States)

Naeem, Naghma

2013-01-01

Direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS) is a new workplace assessment tool. The aim of this narrative review of literature is to summarize the available evidence about the validity, reliability, feasibility, acceptability and educational impact of DOPS. A PubMed database and Google search of the literature on DOPS published from January 2000 to January 2012 was conducted which yielded 30 articles. Thirteen articles were selected for full text reading and review. In the reviewed literature, DOPS was found to be a useful tool for assessment of procedural skills, but further research is required to prove its utility as a workplace based assessment instrument.

Inter-observer reliability of animal-based welfare indicators included in the Animal Welfare Indicators welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats.

Science.gov (United States)

Vieira, A; Battini, M; Can, E; Mattiello, S; Stilwell, G

2018-01-08

This study was conducted within the context of the Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) project and the underlying scientific motivation for the development of the study was the scarcity of data regarding inter-observer reliability (IOR) of welfare indicators, particularly given the importance of reliability as a further step for developing on-farm welfare assessment protocols. The objective of this study is therefore to evaluate IOR of animal-based indicators (at group and individual-level) of the AWIN welfare assessment protocol (prototype) for dairy goats. In the design of the study, two pairs of observers, one in Portugal and another in Italy, visited 10 farms each and applied the AWIN prototype protocol. Farms in both countries were visited between January and March 2014, and all the observers received the same training before the farm visits were initiated. Data collected during farm visits, and analysed in this study, include group-level and individual-level observations. The results of our study allow us to conclude that most of the group-level indicators presented the highest IOR level ('substantial', 0.85 to 0.99) in both field studies, pointing to a usable set of animal-based welfare indicators that were therefore included in the first level of the final AWIN welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats. Inter-observer reliability of individual-level indicators was lower, but the majority of them still reached 'fair to good' (0.41 to 0.75) and 'excellent' (0.76 to 1) levels. In the paper we explore reasons for the differences found in IOR between the group and individual-level indicators, including how the number of individual-level indicators to be assessed on each animal and the restraining method may have affected the results. Furthermore, we discuss the differences found in the IOR of individual-level indicators in both countries: the Portuguese pair of observers reached a higher level of IOR, when compared with the Italian observers. We argue how the

Direct observation and measurements of neutron induced deep levels responsible for N{sub eff} changes in high resistivity silicon detectors using TCT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Z.; Li, C.J. [Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States); Eremin, V.; Verbitskaya, E. [AN SSSR, Leningrad (Russian Federation). Fiziko-Tekhnicheskij Inst.

1996-03-01

Neutron induced deep levels responsible for changes of space charge concentration {ital N{sub eff}} in high resistivity silicon detectors have been observed directly using the transient current technique (TCT). It has been observed by TCT that the absolute value and sign of {ital N{sub eff}} experience changes due to the trapping of non- equilibrium free carriers generated near the surface (about 5 micrometers depth into the silicon) by short wavelength laser pulses in fully depleted detectors. Electron trapping causes {ital N{sub eff}} to change toward negative direction (or more acceptor-like space charges) and hole trapping causes {ital N{sub eff}} to change toward positive direction (or more donor-like space charges). The specific temperature associated with these {ital N{sub eff}} changes are those of the frozen-up temperatures for carrier emission of the corresponding deep levels. The carrier capture cross sections of various deep levels have been measured directly using different free carrier injection schemes. 10 refs., 12 figs., 3 tabs.

Directional topographic site response at Tarzana observed in aftershocks of the 1994 Northridge, California, earthquake: Implications for mainshock motions

Science.gov (United States)

Spudich, P.; Hellweg, M.; Lee, W.H.K.

1996-01-01

The Northridge earthquake caused 1.78 g acceleration in the east-west direction at a site in Tarzana, California, located about 6 km south of the mainshock epicenter. The accelerograph was located atop a hill about 15-m high, 500-m long, and 130-m wide, striking about N78??E. During the aftershock sequence, a temporary array of 21 three-component geophones was deployed in six radial lines centered on the accelerograph, with an average sensor spacing of 35 m. Station COO was located about 2 m from the accelerograph. We inverted aftershock spectra to obtain average relative site response at each station as a function of direction of ground motion. We identified a 3.2-Hz resonance that is a transverse oscillation of the hill (a directional topographic effect). The top/base amplification ratio at 3.2 Hz is about 4.5 for horizontal ground motions oriented approximately perpendicular to the long axis of the hill and about 2 for motions parallel to the hill. This resonance is seen most strongly within 50 m of COO. Other resonant frequencies were also observed. A strong lateral variation in attenuation, probably associated with a fault, caused substantially lower motion at frequencies above 6 Hz at the east end of the hill. There may be some additional scattered waves associated with the fault zone and seen at both the base and top of the hill, causing particle motions (not spectral ratios) at the top of the hill to be rotated about 20?? away from the direction transverse to the hill. The resonant frequency, but not the amplitude, of our observed topographic resonance agrees well with theory, even for such a low hill. Comparisons of our observations with theoretical results indicate that the 3D shape of the hill and its internal structure are important factors affecting its response. The strong transverse resonance of the hill does not account for the large east-west mainshock motions. Assuming linear soil response, mainshock east-west motions at the Tarzana accelerograph

Direct Observation of 2D Electrostatics and Ohmic Contacts in Template-Grown Graphene/WS2 Heterostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Changxi; Zhang, Qianhui; Weber, Bent; Ilatikhameneh, Hesameddin; Chen, Fan; Sahasrabudhe, Harshad; Rahman, Rajib; Li, Shiqiang; Chen, Zhen; Hellerstedt, Jack; Zhang, Yupeng; Duan, Wen Hui; Bao, Qiaoliang; Fuhrer, Michael S

2017-03-28

Large-area two-dimensional (2D) heterojunctions are promising building blocks of 2D circuits. Understanding their intriguing electrostatics is pivotal but largely hindered by the lack of direct observations. Here graphene-WS 2 heterojunctions are prepared over large areas using a seedless ambient-pressure chemical vapor deposition technique. Kelvin probe force microscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy characterize the doping in graphene-WS 2 heterojunctions as-grown on sapphire and transferred to SiO 2 with and without thermal annealing. Both p-n and n-n junctions are observed, and a flat-band condition (zero Schottky barrier height) is found for lightly n-doped WS 2 , promising low-resistance ohmic contacts. This indicates a more favorable band alignment for graphene-WS 2 than has been predicted, likely explaining the low barriers observed in transport experiments on similar heterojunctions. Electrostatic modeling demonstrates that the large depletion width of the graphene-WS 2 junction reflects the electrostatics of the one-dimensional junction between two-dimensional materials.

Nursing performance in the policy transfer of directly observed treatment of tuberculosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Káren Mendes Jorge de Souza

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Objective Analyzing the policy transfer of directly observed treatment of tuberculosis from the perspective of nursing. Method This is a descriptive study with qualitative approach, which had 10 nurses of the Family Health Strategy in São Paulo as subjects. The interviews were carried out between May and June 2013, and were adopted the technique of thematic content analysis and the referential of policy transfer. Results On the signification of this treatment, are related the senses of disciplinary monitoring, the bond and approximation to the context of patients’ lives. Operationally, nurses, community health agents and nursing technicians stand out as agents of implementation of this policy, developing multiple actions of user embracement. The nurse is evidenced as an educator in health, leader in the family health team, and capable of creating emotional bond with users. Conclusion It was found that the innovations proposed in the treatment are incipient in the daily work of nurses.

Carbon Footprint of Inbound Tourism to Iceland: A Consumption-Based Life-Cycle Assessment including Direct and Indirect Emissions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hannah Sharp

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The greenhouse gas (GHG emissions caused by tourism have been studied from several perspectives, but few studies exist that include all direct and indirect emissions, particularly those from aviation. In this study, an input/output-based hybrid life-cycle assessment (LCA method is developed to assess the consumption-based carbon footprint of the average tourist including direct and indirect emissions. The total inbound tourism-related GHG emissions are also calculated within a certain region. As a demonstration of the method, the full carbon footprint of an average tourist is assessed as well as the total GHG emissions induced by tourism to Iceland over the period of 2010–2015, with the presented approach applicable in other contexts as well. Iceland provides an interesting case due to three features: (1 the tourism sector in Iceland is the fastest-growing industry in the country with an annual growth rate of over 20% over the past five years; (2 almost all tourists arrive by air; and (3 the country has an almost emissions-free energy industry and an import-dominated economy, which emphasise the role of the indirect emissions. According to the assessment, the carbon footprint for the average tourist is 1.35 tons of CO2-eq, but ranges from 1.1 to 3.2 tons of CO2-eq depending on the distance travelled by air. Furthermore, this footprint is increasing due to the rise in average flight distances travelled to reach the country. The total GHG emissions caused by tourism in Iceland have tripled from approximately 600,000 tons of CO2-eq in 2010 to 1,800,000 tons in 2015. Aviation accounts for 50%–82% of this impact (depending on the flight distance underlining the importance of air travel, especially as tourism-related aviation is forecasted to grow significantly in the near future. From a method perspective, the carbon footprinting application presented in the study would seem to provide an efficient way to study both the direct and indirect

Electronic monitoring in combination with direct observation as a means to significantly improve hand hygiene compliance.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyce, John M

2017-05-01

Monitoring hand hygiene compliance among health care personnel (HCP) is an essential element of hand hygiene promotion programs. Observation by trained auditors is considered the gold standard method for establishing hand hygiene compliance rates. Advantages of observational surveys include the unique ability to establish compliance with all of the World Health Organization "My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene" initiative Moments and to provide just-in-time coaching. Disadvantages include the resources required for observational surveys, insufficient sample sizes, and nonstandardized methods of conducting observations. Electronic and camera-based systems can monitor hand hygiene performance on all work shifts without a Hawthorne effect and provide significantly more data regarding hand hygiene performance. Disadvantages include the cost of installation, variable accuracy in estimating compliance rates, issues related to acceptance by HCP, insufficient data regarding their cost-effectiveness and influence on health care-related infection rates, and the ability of most systems to monitor only surrogates for Moments 1, 4, and 5. Increasing evidence suggests that monitoring only Moments 1, 4, and 5 provides reasonable estimates of compliance with all 5 Moments. With continued improvement of electronic monitoring systems, combining electronic monitoring with observational methods may provide the best information as part of a multimodal strategy to improve and sustain hand hygiene compliance rates among HCP. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stool frequency recording in severe acute malnutrition ('StoolSAM'); an agreement study comparing maternal recall versus direct observation using diapers.

Science.gov (United States)

Voskuijl, Wieger; Potani, Isabel; Bandsma, Robert; Baan, Anne; White, Sarah; Bourdon, Celine; Kerac, Marko

2017-06-07

Approximately 50% of the deaths of children under the age of 5 can be attributed to undernutrition, which also encompasses severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Diarrhoea is strongly associated with these deaths and is commonly diagnosed solely based on stool frequency and consistency obtained through maternal recall. This trial aims to determine whether this approach is equivalent to a 'directly observed method' in which a health care worker directly observed stool frequency using diapers in hospitalised children with complicated SAM. This study was conducted at 'Moyo' Nutritional Rehabilitation Unit, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Malawi. Participants were children aged 5-59 months admitted with SAM. We compared 2 days of stool frequency data obtained with next-day maternal-recall versus a 'gold standard' in which a health care worker observed stool frequency every 2 h using diapers. After study completion, guardians were asked their preferred method and their level of education. We found poor agreement between maternal recall and the 'gold standard' of directly observed diapers. The sensitivity to detect diarrhoea based on maternal recall was poor, with only 75 and 56% of diarrhoea cases identified on days 1 and 2, respectively. However, the specificity was higher with more than 80% of children correctly classified as not having diarrhoea. On day 1, the mean stool frequency difference between the two methods was -0.17 (SD; 1.68) with limits of agreement (of stool frequency) of -3.55 and 3.20 and, similarly on day 2, the mean difference was -0.2 (SD; 1.59) with limits of agreement of -3.38 and 2.98. These limits extend beyond the pre-specified 'acceptable' limits of agreement (±1.5 stool per day) and indicate that the 2 methods are non-equivalent. The higher the stool frequency, the more discrepant the two methods were. Most primary care givers strongly preferred using diapers. This study shows lack of agreement between the assessment of stool frequency in SAM

Ground-Based Observations of Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flashes Associated with Downward-Directed Lightning Leaders

Science.gov (United States)

Belz, J.; Abbasi, R.; Krehbiel, P. R.; LeVon, R.; Remington, J.; Rison, W.; Thomas, R. J.

2017-12-01

and energy measurement, simulation studies indicate that the fluxes and forward-beaming observed are consistent with production in processes such as the relativistic runaway electron avalanche. We conclude that the anomalous triggers observed by TA are most likely downward-directed Terrestrial Gamma Flashes.

Direct observation of nanowire growth and decomposition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rackauskas, Simas; Shandakov, Sergey D; Jiang, Hua

2017-01-01

knowledge, so far this has been only postulated, but never observed at the atomic level. By means of in situ environmental transmission electron microscopy we monitored and examined the atomic layer transformation at the conditions of the crystal growth and its decomposition using CuO nanowires selected...

Observer-Based Perturbation Extremum Seeking Control with Input Constraints for Direct-Contact Membrane Distillation Process

KAUST Repository

Eleiwi, Fadi

2017-05-08

An Observer-based Perturbation Extremum Seeking Control (PESC) is proposed for a Direct-Contact Membrane Distillation (DCMD) process. The process is described with a dynamic model that is based on a 2D Advection-Diffusion Equation (ADE) model which has pump flow rates as process inputs. The objective of the controller is to optimize the trade-off between the permeate mass flux and the energy consumption by the pumps inside the process. Cases of single and multiple control inputs are considered through the use of only the feed pump flow rate or both the feed and the permeate pump flow rates. A nonlinear Lyapunov-based observer is designed to provide an estimation for the temperature distribution all over the designated domain of the DCMD process. Moreover, control inputs are constrained with an anti-windup technique to be within feasible and physical ranges. Performance of the proposed structure is analyzed, and simulations based on real DCMD process parameters for each control input are provided.

Observer-based perturbation extremum seeking control with input constraints for direct-contact membrane distillation process

Science.gov (United States)

Eleiwi, Fadi; Laleg-Kirati, Taous Meriem

2018-06-01

An observer-based perturbation extremum seeking control is proposed for a direct-contact membrane distillation (DCMD) process. The process is described with a dynamic model that is based on a 2D advection-diffusion equation model which has pump flow rates as process inputs. The objective of the controller is to optimise the trade-off between the permeate mass flux and the energy consumption by the pumps inside the process. Cases of single and multiple control inputs are considered through the use of only the feed pump flow rate or both the feed and the permeate pump flow rates. A nonlinear Lyapunov-based observer is designed to provide an estimation for the temperature distribution all over the designated domain of the DCMD process. Moreover, control inputs are constrained with an anti-windup technique to be within feasible and physical ranges. Performance of the proposed structure is analysed, and simulations based on real DCMD process parameters for each control input are provided.

Directly observed therapy reduces tuberculosis-specific mortality: a population-based follow-up study in Taipei, Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Yung-Feng; Yen, Muh-Yong; Lin, Yi-Ping; Shih, Hsiu-Chen; Li, Lan-Huei; Chou, Pesus; Deng, Chung-Yeh

2013-01-01

To determine the effect of directly observed therapy (DOT) on tuberculosis-specific mortality and non-TB-specific mortality and identify prognostic factors associated with mortality among adults with culture-positive pulmonary TB (PTB). All adult Taiwanese with PTB in Taipei, Taiwan were included in a retrospective cohort study in 2006-2010. Backward stepwise multinomial logistic regression was used to identify risk factors associated with each mortality outcome. Mean age of the 3,487 patients was 64.2 years and 70.4% were male. Among 2471 patients on DOT, 4.2% (105) died of TB-specific causes and 15.4% (381) died of non-TB-specific causes. Among 1016 patients on SAT, 4.4% (45) died of TB-specific causes and 11.8% (120) died of non-TB-specific causes. , After adjustment for potential confounders, the odds ratio for TB-specific mortality was 0.45 (95% CI: 0.30-0.69) among patients treated with DOT as compared with those on self-administered treatment. Independent predictors of TB-specific and non-TB-specific mortality included older age (ie, 65-79 and ≥80 years vs. 18-49 years), being unemployed, a positive sputum smear for acid-fast bacilli, and TB notification from a general ward or intensive care unit (reference: outpatient services). Male sex, end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis, malignancy, and pleural effusion on chest radiography were associated with increased risk of non-TB-specific mortality, while presence of lung cavities on chest radiography was associated with lower risk. DOT reduced TB-specific mortality by 55% among patients with PTB, after controlling for confounders. DOT should be given to all TB patients to further reduce TB-specific mortality.

Visually observing comets

CERN Document Server

Seargent, David A J

2017-01-01

In these days of computers and CCD cameras, visual comet observers can still contribute scientifically useful data with the help of this handy reference for use in the field. Comets are one of the principal areas for productive pro-amateur collaboration in astronomy, but finding comets requires a different approach than the observing of more predictable targets. Principally directed toward amateur astronomers who prefer visual observing or who are interested in discovering a new comet or visually monitoring the behavior of known comets, it includes all the advice needed to thrive as a comet observer. After presenting a brief overview of the nature of comets and how we came to the modern understanding of comets, this book details the various types of observations that can usefully be carried out at the eyepiece of a telescope. Subjects range from how to search for new comets to visually estimating the brightness of comets and the length and orientation of tails, in addition to what to look for in comet heads a...

Direct Observation of the M1 Transition between the Ground Term Fine Structure Levels of W VIII

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Momoe Mita

2017-03-01

Full Text Available We present a direct observation of the M1 transition between the fine structure splitting in the 4 f 13 5 s 2 5 p 6 2 F ground term of W VIII. The spectroscopic data of few-times ionized tungsten ions are important for the future ITER diagnostics, but there is a serious lack of data. The present study is part of an ongoing effort to solve this problem. Emission from the tungsten ions produced and trapped in a compact electron beam ion trap is observed with a Czerny–Turner visible spectrometer. Spectra in the EUV range are also observed at the same time to help identify the previously-unreported visible lines. The observed wavelength 574.47 ± 0.03 nm (air, which corresponds to the fine structure splitting of 17,402.5 ± 0.9 cm − 1 , shows reasonable agreement with the previously reported value 17,410 ± 5 cm − 1 obtained indirectly through the analysis of EUV spectra [Ryabtsev et al., Atoms 3 (2015 273].

Direct Single-Molecule Observation of Mode and Geometry of RecA-Mediated Homology Search.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Andrew J; Endo, Masayuki; Hobbs, Jamie K; Wälti, Christoph

2018-01-23

Genomic integrity, when compromised by accrued DNA lesions, is maintained through efficient repair via homologous recombination. For this process the ubiquitous recombinase A (RecA), and its homologues such as the human Rad51, are of central importance, able to align and exchange homologous sequences within single-stranded and double-stranded DNA in order to swap out defective regions. Here, we directly observe the widely debated mechanism of RecA homology searching at a single-molecule level using high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) in combination with tailored DNA origami frames to present the reaction targets in a way suitable for AFM-imaging. We show that RecA nucleoprotein filaments move along DNA substrates via short-distance facilitated diffusions, or slides, interspersed with longer-distance random moves, or hops. Importantly, from the specific interaction geometry, we find that the double-stranded substrate DNA resides in the secondary DNA binding-site within the RecA nucleoprotein filament helical groove during the homology search. This work demonstrates that tailored DNA origami, in conjunction with HS-AFM, can be employed to reveal directly conformational and geometrical information on dynamic protein-DNA interactions which was previously inaccessible at an individual single-molecule level.

Observing Convective Aggregation

Science.gov (United States)

Holloway, Christopher E.; Wing, Allison A.; Bony, Sandrine; Muller, Caroline; Masunaga, Hirohiko; L'Ecuyer, Tristan S.; Turner, David D.; Zuidema, Paquita

2017-11-01

Convective self-aggregation, the spontaneous organization of initially scattered convection into isolated convective clusters despite spatially homogeneous boundary conditions and forcing, was first recognized and studied in idealized numerical simulations. While there is a rich history of observational work on convective clustering and organization, there have been only a few studies that have analyzed observations to look specifically for processes related to self-aggregation in models. Here we review observational work in both of these categories and motivate the need for more of this work. We acknowledge that self-aggregation may appear to be far-removed from observed convective organization in terms of time scales, initial conditions, initiation processes, and mean state extremes, but we argue that these differences vary greatly across the diverse range of model simulations in the literature and that these comparisons are already offering important insights into real tropical phenomena. Some preliminary new findings are presented, including results showing that a self-aggregation simulation with square geometry has too broad distribution of humidity and is too dry in the driest regions when compared with radiosonde records from Nauru, while an elongated channel simulation has realistic representations of atmospheric humidity and its variability. We discuss recent work increasing our understanding of how organized convection and climate change may interact, and how model discrepancies related to this question are prompting interest in observational comparisons. We also propose possible future directions for observational work related to convective aggregation, including novel satellite approaches and a ground-based observational network.

Optimization study of direct morphology observation by cold field emission SEM without gold coating.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Dan; Fu, Cheng; Xue, Zhigang

2018-06-01

Gold coating is a general operation that is generally applied on non-conductive or low conductive materials, during which the morphology of the materials can be examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). However, fatal deficiencies in the materials can result in irreversible distortion and damage. The present study directly characterized different low conductive materials such as hydroxyapatite, modified poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) fiber, and zinc oxide nanopillar by cold field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) without a gold coating. According to the characteristics of the low conductive materials, various test conditions, such as different working signal modes, accelerating voltages, electron beam spots, and working distances, were characterized to determine the best morphological observations of each sample. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DIRECT OBSERVATION OF SOLAR CORONAL MAGNETIC FIELDS BY VECTOR TOMOGRAPHY OF THE CORONAL EMISSION LINE POLARIZATIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kramar, M.; Lin, H.; Tomczyk, S.

2016-01-01

We present the first direct “observation” of the global-scale, 3D coronal magnetic fields of Carrington Rotation (CR) Cycle 2112 using vector tomographic inversion techniques. The vector tomographic inversion uses measurements of the Fe xiii 10747 Å Hanle effect polarization signals by the Coronal Multichannel Polarimeter (CoMP) and 3D coronal density and temperature derived from scalar tomographic inversion of Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO)/Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUVI) coronal emission lines (CELs) intensity images as inputs to derive a coronal magnetic field model that best reproduces the observed polarization signals. While independent verifications of the vector tomography results cannot be performed, we compared the tomography inverted coronal magnetic fields with those constructed by magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations based on observed photospheric magnetic fields of CR 2112 and 2113. We found that the MHD model for CR 2112 is qualitatively consistent with the tomography inverted result for most of the reconstruction domain except for several regions. Particularly, for one of the most noticeable regions, we found that the MHD simulation for CR 2113 predicted a model that more closely resembles the vector tomography inverted magnetic fields. In another case, our tomographic reconstruction predicted an open magnetic field at a region where a coronal hole can be seen directly from a STEREO-B/EUVI image. We discuss the utilities and limitations of the tomographic inversion technique, and present ideas for future developments

Shallow vent architecture of Puyehue Cordón-Caulle, as revealed by direct observation of explosive activity

Science.gov (United States)

Schipper, C. I.; Tuffen, H.; Castro, J. M.

2012-04-01

On June 4, 2011, an explosive eruption of rhyodacitic magma began at the Puyehue Cordón-Caulle volcanic complex (PCCVC), southern Chile. Initial Plinian phases of the eruption produced tephra plumes reaching > 14 km high, the ash from which quickly circumnavigated the globe to cause widespread disruption to air traffic in the Southern Hemisphere. Within two weeks, the continuing explosive eruption was joined by synchronous effusion of lava. We present observations of complex vent activity made 7 months after the eruption onset, on January 4th and 10th, 2012, when explosive activity from PCCVC continued at a lower level of intensity. Fortuitous climatic conditions permitted direct, ground-based observation and video recording of transient vent dynamics within the asymmetrical tephra cone around the main eruptive vent complex and site of lava effusion, as well as real-time collection of juvenile ash as it rained out directly from the active plume. On Jan. 4, explosive activity was semi-continuous ash jetting punctuated by Vulcanian-like blasts. In the ~50m-diameter sub-circular base of the ~400 m-wide, asymmetrical tephra cone, near-continuous ash jetting was observed from two primary point sources. The northerly source was clearly visible, with time-averaged diameter of ~10 m, and the apparently larger southerly source was mostly obscured from view by the ash plume. Activity was at all times somewhat erratic, but followed a rough cyclicity on 30-45 s timescales, consisting of: (1) restriction of the point source into a focused ash jet up to ~50 m high, producing coarse ash dominated by tube pumice (with minor free pyroxene crystals); followed by (2) Vulcanian-like failure of the region around the point source, producing incandescent ballistic bombs thrown up to 100-200 m from the vent. Jetting from the two main point sources combined in the crater to produce a low gas-thrust region and sustained buoyant plume. Directed ash plumes that climbed and breached the inner

Directly observed treatment short course in immunocompetent patients of tuberculous cervical lymphadenopathy treated in revised national tuberculosis control programme

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Venu Kandala

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Prospective observation analysis to evaluate the cure in tuberculous cervical lymphadenopathy with directly observed treatment short course category III (DOTS CAT III treatment as per revised national tuberculosis control program (RNTCP at a tertiary care hospital in AP, India, from October 2007 to September 2009. These cases were followed up for period of 22 months. Materials and Methods: Total 1521 tuberculous cases were screened in KIMS both pulmonary and extra pulmonary cases out of which 146 cases were tuberculous lymphadenitis. Fifty cases of tuberculous cervical lymphadenopathy were included after diagnostic and treatment algorithm and fine needle biopsy or excision biopsy. Patients below 5 yrs, immunocompromised, having diabetes mellitus, pulmonary tuberculosis and with other co-morbid conditions were excluded from the study. All patients were put on DOTS CAT III as per RNTCP guidelines. Follow-up was done every 2 months till 6 months for 1 Constitution symptoms 2 Weight gain or loss 3 Appetite gain or loss 4 Regression of lymph nodes or increase 5 Compliance 6 Side effects 7 Failures by demonstration of organism by direct smear, culture or histopathological examination. Results: In this study, lymph node regression was found in 78% at the end of 2 months, 94% at the end of 4 months and 96% at the end of 6 months, 9 patients had regression in size though the nodes were palpable, 2 had no regression but fresh lymph nodes appeared on the same side and sinus discharge was present, culture was negative in these cases. Two cases had immune reconstitution syndrome, constitutional symptoms disappeared and showed clinical improvement. Four cases were subjected for surgical intervention. Conclusion: DOTS CAT III is effective in the treatment of tuberculous cervical lymphadenopathy. Compliance was good with minimal, minor side effects, only two had immune reconstitution syndrome and two had sinus formation; they were referred for

Influence of patient symptoms and physical findings on general practitioners' treatment of respiratory tract infections: a direct observation study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kochen Michael M

2005-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The high rate of antibiotic prescriptions general practitioners (GPs make for respiratory tract infections (RTI are often explained by non-medical reasons e.g. an effort to meet patient expectations. Additionally, it is known that GPs to some extent believe in the necessity of antibiotic treatment in patients with assumed bacterial infections and therefore attempt to distinguish between viral and bacterial infections by history taking and physical examination. The influence of patient complaints and physical examination findings on GPs' prescribing behaviour was mostly investigated by indirect methods such as questionnaires. Methods Direct, structured observation during a winter "cough an cold period" in 30 (single handed general practices. All 273 patients with symptoms of RTI (age above 14, median 37 years, 51% female were included. Results The most frequent diagnoses were 'uncomplicated upper RTI/common cold' (43% followed by 'bronchitis' (26%. On average, 1.8 (95%-confidence interval (CI: 1.7–2.0 medicines per patient were prescribed (cough-and-cold preparations in 88% of the patients, antibiotics in 49%. Medical predictors of antibiotic prescribing were pathological findings in physical examination such as coated tonsils (odds ratio (OR 15.4, 95%-CI: 3.6–66.2 and unspecific symptoms like fatigue (OR 3.1, 95%-CI 1.4–6.7, fever (OR 2.2, 95%-CI: 1.1–4.5 and yellow sputum (OR 2.1, 95%-CI: 1.1–4.1. Analysed predictors explained 70% of the variance of antibiotic prescribing (R2 = 0,696. Efforts to reduce antibiotic prescribing, e.g. recommendations for self-medication, counselling on home remedies or delayed antibiotic prescribing were rare. Conclusions Patient complaints and pathological results in physical examination were strong predictors of antibiotic prescribing. Efforts to reduce antibiotic prescribing should account for GPs' beliefs in those (non evidence based predictors. The method of direct observation was

Measuring Medical Housestaff Teamwork Performance Using Multiple Direct Observation Instruments: Comparing Apples and Apples.

Science.gov (United States)

Weingart, Saul N; Yaghi, Omar; Wetherell, Matthew; Sweeney, Megan

2018-04-10

To examine the composition and concordance of existing instruments used to assess medical teams' performance. A trained observer joined 20 internal medicine housestaff teams for morning work rounds at Tufts Medical Center, a 415-bed Boston teaching hospital, from October through December 2015. The observer rated each team's performance using 9 teamwork observation instruments that examined domains including team structure, leadership, situation monitoring, mutual support, and communication. Observations recorded on paper forms were stored electronically. Scores were normalized from 1 (low) to 5 (high) to account for different rating scales. Overall mean scores were calculated and graphed; weighted scores adjusted for the number of items in each teamwork domain. Teamwork scores were analyzed using t-tests, pair-wise correlations, and the Kruskal-Wallis statistic, and team performance was compared across instruments by domain. The 9 tools incorporated 5 major domains, with 5-35 items per instrument for a total of 161 items per observation session. In weighted and unweighted analyses, the overall teamwork performance score for a given team on a given day varied by instrument. While all of the tools identified the same low outlier, high performers on some instruments were low performers on others. Inconsistent scores for a given team across instruments persisted in domain-level analyses. There was substantial variation in the rating of individual teams assessed concurrently by a single observer using multiple instruments. Since existing teamwork observation tools do not yield concordant assessments, researchers should create better tools for measuring teamwork performance.

Direct Democracy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beramendi, Virginia; Ellis, Andrew; Kaufman, Bruno

While many books on direct democracy have a regional or national approach, or simply focus on one of the many mechanisms associated with direct democracy, this Handbook delves into a global comparison of direct democracy mechanisms, including referendums, citizens' initiatives, agenda initiatives...... learned. In addition, the uniquely comprehensive world survey outlines direct democracy provisions in 214 countries and territories and indicates which, if any, of these provisions are used by each country or territory at both the national and sub-national levels. Furthermore, the world survey includes...

ERNE observations of energetic particles associated with Earth-directed coronal mass ejections in April and May, 1997

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Anttila

2000-11-01

Full Text Available Two Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs, which were most effective in energetic (~1–50 MeV particle acceleration during the first 18 months since the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO launch, occurred on April 7 and May 12, 1997. In the analysis of these events we have deconvoluted the injection spectrum of energetic protons by using the method described by Anttila et al. In order to apply the method developed earlier for data of a rotating satellite (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, GOES, we first had to develop a method to calculate the omnidirectional energetic particle intensities from the observations of Energetic and Relativistic Nuclei and Electrons (ERNE, which is an energetic particle detector onboard the three-axis stabilized SOHO spacecraft. The omnidirectional intensities are calculated by fitting an exponential pitch angle distribution from directional information of energetic protons observed by ERNE. The results of the analysis show that, compared to a much faster and more intensive CMEs observed during the previous solar maximum, the acceleration efficiency decreases fast when the shock propagates outward from the Sun. The particles injected at distances <0.5 AU from the Sun dominate the particle flux during the whole period, when the shock propagates to the site of the spacecraft. The main portion of particles injected by the shock during its propagation further outward from the Sun are trapped around the shock, and are seen as an intensity increase at the time of the shock passage.Key words: Interplanetary physics (interplanetary shocks – Solar physics, astrophysics and astronomy (energetic particles; flares and mass ejections

ERNE observations of energetic particles associated with Earth-directed coronal mass ejections in April and May, 1997

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Anttila

Full Text Available Two Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs, which were most effective in energetic (~1–50 MeV particle acceleration during the first 18 months since the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO launch, occurred on April 7 and May 12, 1997. In the analysis of these events we have deconvoluted the injection spectrum of energetic protons by using the method described by Anttila et al. In order to apply the method developed earlier for data of a rotating satellite (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, GOES, we first had to develop a method to calculate the omnidirectional energetic particle intensities from the observations of Energetic and Relativistic Nuclei and Electrons (ERNE, which is an energetic particle detector onboard the three-axis stabilized SOHO spacecraft. The omnidirectional intensities are calculated by fitting an exponential pitch angle distribution from directional information of energetic protons observed by ERNE. The results of the analysis show that, compared to a much faster and more intensive CMEs observed during the previous solar maximum, the acceleration efficiency decreases fast when the shock propagates outward from the Sun. The particles injected at distances <0.5 AU from the Sun dominate the particle flux during the whole period, when the shock propagates to the site of the spacecraft. The main portion of particles injected by the shock during its propagation further outward from the Sun are trapped around the shock, and are seen as an intensity increase at the time of the shock passage.

Key words: Interplanetary physics (interplanetary shocks – Solar physics, astrophysics and astronomy (energetic particles; flares and mass ejections

Quantifying the weight of fingerprint evidence through the spatial relationship, directions and types of minutiae observed on fingermarks.

Science.gov (United States)

Neumann, Cedric; Champod, Christophe; Yoo, Mina; Genessay, Thibault; Langenburg, Glenn

2015-03-01

This paper presents a statistical model for the quantification of the weight of fingerprint evidence. Contrarily to previous models (generative and score-based models), our model proposes to estimate the probability distributions of spatial relationships, directions and types of minutiae observed on fingerprints for any given fingermark. Our model is relying on an AFIS algorithm provided by 3M Cogent and on a dataset of more than 4,000,000 fingerprints to represent a sample from a relevant population of potential sources. The performance of our model was tested using several hundreds of minutiae configurations observed on a set of 565 fingermarks. In particular, the effects of various sub-populations of fingers (i.e., finger number, finger general pattern) on the expected evidential value of our test configurations were investigated. The performance of our model indicates that the spatial relationship between minutiae carries more evidential weight than their type or direction. Our results also indicate that the AFIS component of our model directly enables us to assign weight to fingerprint evidence without the need for the additional layer of complex statistical modeling involved by the estimation of the probability distributions of fingerprint features. In fact, it seems that the AFIS component is more sensitive to the sub-population effects than the other components of the model. Overall, the data generated during this research project contributes to support the idea that fingerprint evidence is a valuable forensic tool for the identification of individuals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Direct radiative feedback due to biogenic secondary organic aerosol estimated from boreal forest site observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lihavainen, Heikki; Asmi, Eija; Aaltonen, Veijo; Makkonen, Ulla; Kerminen, Veli-Matti

2015-01-01

We used more than five years of continuous aerosol measurements to estimate the direct radiative feedback parameter associated with the formation of biogenic secondary organic aerosol (BSOA) at a remote continental site at the edge of the boreal forest zone in Northern Finland. Our upper-limit estimate for this feedback parameter during the summer period (ambient temperatures above 10 °C) was −97 ± 66 mW m −2 K −1 (mean ± STD) when using measurements of the aerosol optical depth (f AOD ) and −63 ± 40 mW m −2 K −1 when using measurements of the ‘dry’ aerosol scattering coefficient at the ground level (f σ ). Here STD represents the variability in f caused by the observed variability in the quantities used to derive the value of f. Compared with our measurement site, the magnitude of the direct radiative feedback associated with BSOA is expected to be larger in warmer continental regions with more abundant biogenic emissions, and even larger in regions where biogenic emissions are mixed with anthropogenic pollution. (letter)

3-dimensional magnetotelluric inversion including topography using deformed hexahedral edge finite elements and direct solvers parallelized on symmetric multiprocessor computers - Part II: direct data-space inverse solution

Science.gov (United States)

Kordy, M.; Wannamaker, P.; Maris, V.; Cherkaev, E.; Hill, G.

2016-01-01

Following the creation described in Part I of a deformable edge finite-element simulator for 3-D magnetotelluric (MT) responses using direct solvers, in Part II we develop an algorithm named HexMT for 3-D regularized inversion of MT data including topography. Direct solvers parallelized on large-RAM, symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) workstations are used also for the Gauss-Newton model update. By exploiting the data-space approach, the computational cost of the model update becomes much less in both time and computer memory than the cost of the forward simulation. In order to regularize using the second norm of the gradient, we factor the matrix related to the regularization term and apply its inverse to the Jacobian, which is done using the MKL PARDISO library. For dense matrix multiplication and factorization related to the model update, we use the PLASMA library which shows very good scalability across processor cores. A synthetic test inversion using a simple hill model shows that including topography can be important; in this case depression of the electric field by the hill can cause false conductors at depth or mask the presence of resistive structure. With a simple model of two buried bricks, a uniform spatial weighting for the norm of model smoothing recovered more accurate locations for the tomographic images compared to weightings which were a function of parameter Jacobians. We implement joint inversion for static distortion matrices tested using the Dublin secret model 2, for which we are able to reduce nRMS to ˜1.1 while avoiding oscillatory convergence. Finally we test the code on field data by inverting full impedance and tipper MT responses collected around Mount St Helens in the Cascade volcanic chain. Among several prominent structures, the north-south trending, eruption-controlling shear zone is clearly imaged in the inversion.

Direct observation of atomic-level nucleation and growth processes from an ultrathin metallic glass films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, K. Q.; Cao, C. R.; Sun, Y. T.; Li, J.; Bai, H. Y.; Zheng, D. N., E-mail: l.gu@iphy.ac.cn, E-mail: dzheng@iphy.ac.cn, E-mail: whw@iphy.ac.cn; Wang, W. H., E-mail: l.gu@iphy.ac.cn, E-mail: dzheng@iphy.ac.cn, E-mail: whw@iphy.ac.cn [Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Gu, L., E-mail: l.gu@iphy.ac.cn, E-mail: dzheng@iphy.ac.cn, E-mail: whw@iphy.ac.cn [Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Beijing 100190 (China)

2016-01-07

Till date, there have been no direct atomic-level experimental observations of the earliest stages of the nucleation and growth processes of nanocrystals formed by thermally induced crystallization in ultrathin metallic glasses (MGs). Here, we present a study of the crystallization process in atomically thin and highly stable MG films using double spherical aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (Cs-TEM). Taking advantage of the stability of MG films with a slow crystallization process and the atomic-level high resolution of Cs-TEM, we observe the formation of the nucleus precursor of nanocrystals formed by atom aggregation followed by concomitant coalescence and stepwise evolution of the shape of the nanocrystals with a monodispersed and separated bimodal size distribution. Molecular dynamics simulation of the atomic motion in the glass film on a rigid amorphous substrate confirms the stepwise evolution processes of atom aggregation, cluster formation, cluster movement on the substrate, and cluster coalescence into larger crystalline particles. Our results might provide a better fundamental understanding of the nucleation and growth processes of nanocrystals in thin MG films.

Applying the model of Goal-Directed Behavior, including descriptive norms, to physical activity intentions: A contribution to improving the Theory of Planned Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

The theory of planned behavior (TPB) has received its fair share of criticism lately, including calls for it to retire. We contributed to improving the theory by testing extensions such as the model of goal-directed behavior (MGDB, which adds desire and anticipated positive and negative emotions) ap...

A medaka model of cancer allowing direct observation of transplanted tumor cells in vivo at a cellular-level resolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasegawa, Sumitaka; Maruyama, Kouichi; Takenaka, Hikaru; Furukawa, Takako; Saga, Tsuneo

2009-08-18

The recent success with small fish as an animal model of cancer with the aid of fluorescence technique has attracted cancer modelers' attention because it would be possible to directly visualize tumor cells in vivo in real time. Here, we report a medaka model capable of allowing the observation of various cell behaviors of transplanted tumor cells, such as cell proliferation and metastasis, which were visualized easily in vivo. We established medaka melanoma (MM) cells stably expressing GFP and transplanted them into nonirradiated and irradiated medaka. The tumor cells were grown at the injection sites in medaka, and the spatiotemporal changes were visualized under a fluorescence stereoscopic microscope at a cellular-level resolution, and even at a single-cell level. Tumor dormancy and metastasis were also observed. Interestingly, in irradiated medaka, accelerated tumor growth and metastasis of the transplanted tumor cells were directly visualized. Our medaka model provides an opportunity to visualize in vivo tumor cells "as seen in a culture dish" and would be useful for in vivo tumor cell biology.

Direct observation of radial distribution change during tensile deformation of metallic glass by high energy X-ray diffraction method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nasu, Toshio, E-mail: nasu@kekexafs.kj.yamagata-u.ac.j [Faculty of Education, Arts and Science, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa, Yamagata, Yamagata, 990-8560 (Japan); Sasaki, Motokatsu [Faculty of Education, Arts and Science, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa, Yamagata, Yamagata, 990-8560 (Japan); Usuki, Takeshi; Sekine, Mai [Faculty of Science, Yamagata University, Yamagata 990-8560 (Japan); Takigawa, Yorinobu; Higashi, Kenji [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai 599-8531 (Japan); Kohara, Shinji [Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, Harima Science Garden City, Sayo town, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Sakurai, Masaki; Wei Zhang; Inoue, Akihisa [Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan)

2009-08-26

The purpose of this research is to investigate the micro-mechanism of deformation behavior of metallic glasses. We report the results of direct observations of short-range and medium-range structural change during tensile deformation of metallic glasses by high energy X-ray diffraction method. Cu{sub 50}Zr{sub 50} and Ni{sub 30}Zr{sub 70} metallic glass samples in the ribbon shape (1.5 mm width and 25 mum) were made by using rapid quenching method. Tensile deformation added to the sample was made by using special equipment adopted for measuring the high energy X-ray diffraction. The peaks in pair distribution function g(r) for Cu{sub 50}Zr{sub 50} and N{sub 30}iZr{sub 70} metallic glasses move zigzag into front and into rear during tensile deformation. These results of direct observation on atomic distribution change for Cu{sub 50}Zr{sub 50} and Ni{sub 30}Zr{sub 70} metallic glass ribbons during tensile deformation suggest that the micro-relaxations occur.

Observations of radio emission in the 18 cm hydroxyl lines in the direction of Herbig-Haro objects and reflection nebulae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pashchenko, M.I.; Rudnitskij, G.M.

1980-01-01

In 1978 observations of Herbig-Haro objects and R associations in the 1665 and 1667 MHz main lines of the ground state of the OH molecule have been carried out at the Large radio telescope of the Nancay Radio Astronomy Station (France). Out of the 63 objects searched, the OH emission has been observed in 36 directions. In most cases, the observed line profiles have a simple singlepeak structure, with the line widths of 1-3 km/s. This emission most probably originates in interstellar dust clouds surrounding the Herbig-Haro objects and R associations. Some consequences of the results obtained are briefly discussed. Results of observations show that the quantity of strong maser radio sources near Herbig-Haro objects is not large

Does direct observation of procedural skills reflect trainee's progress in otolaryngology?

Science.gov (United States)

Awad, Z; Hayden, L; Muthuswamy, K; Ziprin, P; Darzi, A; Tolley, N S

2014-06-01

UK surgical trainees are required to undertake work-based assessments each year in order to progress in their training. Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) is one of these assessments. We aim to investigate the validity of DOPS in assessing otolaryngology trainees at all levels. A retrospective search of the portfolios of all otolaryngology trainees in North Thames was carried out to identify otolaryngology-specific DOPS. A score (Cs) was calculated for each DOPS based on the percentage of satisfactorily-rated items. The overall performance rating (Ps) was analysed as a separate variable and compared with Cs. The Ps and Cs results were then compared across trainee grades and levels within each grade: Core trainees (CT1-CT2) and specialty trainees (ST3-ST8). Seven hundred and sixty-seven otolaryngology DOPS were completed between August 2008 and September 2013. The tool was found to be reliable and internally consistent. Trainees in ST grade had higher Cs and Ps scores than CT grade (P Otolaryngology DOPS is a useful tool in assessing otolaryngology trainees especially from CT1-ST3 level. DOPS can also differentiate between junior and senior trainees. However, it was not able to demonstrate progress at levels above ST3, most likely due to the simplicity of the procedures which trainees tend to master in the first few years of training. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Adherence is associated with the quality of professional-patient interaction in Directly Observed Treatment Short-course, DOTS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mishra, Pranaya; Hansen, Ebba Holme; Sabroe, Svend

2006-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the behaviour of health professionals as reported by patients, the quality of communication, patients' communication about their disease, and non-adherence to Directly Observed Tuberculosis Treatment Short-course, DOTS. METHODS: This study...... was designed as a case-control study based on 50 cases (non-adherents) and 100 controls (adherents), conducted in a hilly western district in Nepal. The participation rate was 80% for 50 cases and 95% for 100 controls. All covariates with p-value

The New Worlds Observer: Direct Detection and Study of Exoplanets from the Habitable Zone Outward

Science.gov (United States)

Cash, Webster C.; New Worlds Study Team

2009-01-01

Direct detection and spectroscopic study of the planets around the nearby stars is generally recognized as a prime goal of astronomy. The New Worlds Observer mission concept is being studied as an Astrophysics Strategic Mission Concept Study for this purpose. NWO features two spacecraft: a general purpose 4m telescope that operates from the UV to the Near IR, and a starshade, a flower-shaped occulter about 50m in diameter flying in alignment about 70,000km away. Our study shows this is the most effective way to map nearby planetary systems. Images will show dust and debris down to a fraction of our zodiacal light level. Planets fainter than the Earth can be seen from the Habitable Zone outward, at distances up to 20pc. High throughput and low noise enable immediate follow-up spectroscopy of discovered planets. NWO can discover many more Earth-like planets than all competing approaches including astrometric, interferometric, and internal coronagraphic. Within hours of discovery, a high quality spectrum can determine the true nature of the exoplanet and open the search for biomarkers and life. Over half of the time will be spent with the starshade in transit to the next target. During those times the telescope will be available to for general astrophysics purposes. Operating from the ultraviolet to the near infrared, this will be a true HST follow-on. The study shows all needed technologies already exist. The cost scales primarily with telescope size. The mission is definitely within the financial and technical reach of NASA for the coming decade.

Direct Observation of Very Large Zero-Field Splitting in a Tetrahedral Ni(II)Se4 Coordination Complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Shang-Da; Maganas, Dimitrios; Levesanos, Nikolaos; Ferentinos, Eleftherios; Haas, Sabrina; Thirunavukkuarasu, Komalavalli; Krzystek, J; Dressel, Martin; Bogani, Lapo; Neese, Frank; Kyritsis, Panayotis

2015-10-14

The high-spin (S = 1) tetrahedral Ni(II) complex [Ni{(i)Pr2P(Se)NP(Se)(i)Pr2}2] was investigated by magnetometry, spectroscopic, and quantum chemical methods. Angle-resolved magnetometry studies revealed the orientation of the magnetization principal axes. The very large zero-field splitting (zfs), D = 45.40(2) cm(-1), E = 1.91(2) cm(-1), of the complex was accurately determined by far-infrared magnetic spectroscopy, directly observing transitions between the spin sublevels of the triplet ground state. These are the largest zfs values ever determined--directly--for a high-spin Ni(II) complex. Ab initio calculations further probed the electronic structure of the system, elucidating the factors controlling the sign and magnitude of D. The latter is dominated by spin-orbit coupling contributions of the Ni ions, whereas the corresponding effects of the Se atoms are remarkably smaller.

Experimental observation of the improvement in MTF from backthinning a CMOS direct electron detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McMullan, G.; Faruqi, A.R.; Henderson, R.; Guerrini, N.; Turchetta, R.; Jacobs, A.; Hoften, G. van

2009-01-01

The advantages of backthinning monolithic active pixel sensors (MAPS) based on complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) direct electron detectors for electron microscopy have been discussed previously; they include better spatial resolution (modulation transfer function or MTF) and efficiency at all spatial frequencies (detective quantum efficiency or DQE). It was suggested that a 'thin' CMOS detector would have the most outstanding properties because of a reduction in the proportion of backscattered electrons. In this paper we show, theoretically (using Monte Carlo simulations of electron trajectories) and experimentally that this is indeed the case. The modulation transfer functions of prototype backthinned CMOS direct electron detectors have been measured at 300 keV. At zero spatial frequency, in non-backthinned 700-μm-thick detectors, the backscattered component makes up over 40% of the total signal but, by backthinning to 100, 50 or 35 μm, this can be reduced to 25%, 15% and 10%, respectively. For the 35 μm backthinned detector, this reduction in backscatter increases the MTF by 40% for spatial frequencies between 0.1 and 1.0 Nyquist. As discussed in the main text, reducing backscattering in backthinned detectors should also improve DQE.

Brown spider dermonecrotic toxin directly induces nephrotoxicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaim, Olga Meiri; Sade, Youssef Bacila; Bertoni da Silveira, Rafael; Toma, Leny; Kalapothakis, Evanguedes; Chavez-Olortegui, Carlos; Mangili, Oldemir Carlos; Gremski, Waldemiro; Dietrich, Carl Peter von; Nader, Helena B.; Sanches Veiga, Silvio

2006-01-01

Brown spider (Loxosceles genus) venom can induce dermonecrotic lesions at the bite site and systemic manifestations including fever, vomiting, convulsions, disseminated intravascular coagulation, hemolytic anemia and acute renal failure. The venom is composed of a mixture of proteins with several molecules biochemically and biologically well characterized. The mechanism by which the venom induces renal damage is unknown. By using mice exposed to Loxosceles intermedia recombinant dermonecrotic toxin (LiRecDT), we showed direct induction of renal injuries. Microscopic analysis of renal biopsies from dermonecrotic toxin-treated mice showed histological alterations including glomerular edema and tubular necrosis. Hyalinization of tubules with deposition of proteinaceous material in the tubule lumen, tubule epithelial cell vacuoles, tubular edema and epithelial cell lysis was also observed. Leukocytic infiltration was neither observed in the glomerulus nor the tubules. Renal vessels showed no sign of inflammatory response. Additionally, biochemical analyses showed such toxin-induced changes in renal function as urine alkalinization, hematuria and azotemia with elevation of blood urea nitrogen levels. Immunofluorescence with dermonecrotic toxin antibodies and confocal microscopy analysis showed deposition and direct binding of this toxin to renal intrinsic structures. By immunoblotting with a hyperimmune dermonecrotic toxin antiserum on renal lysates from toxin-treated mice, we detected a positive signal at the region of 33-35 kDa, which strengthens the idea that renal failure is directly induced by dermonecrotic toxin. Immunofluorescence reaction with dermonecrotic toxin antibodies revealed deposition and binding of this toxin directly in MDCK epithelial cells in culture. Similarly, dermonecrotic toxin treatment caused morphological alterations of MDCK cells including cytoplasmic vacuoles, blebs, evoked impaired spreading and detached cells from each other and from

The New Worlds Observer: An Optimal Path to Direct Study of Earth-like Planets

Science.gov (United States)

Cash, Webster C., Jr.; New Worlds Study Team

2009-01-01

Direct detection and spectroscopic study of the planets around the nearby stars is generally recognized as a prime goal of astronomy. The New Worlds Observer mission concept is being studied as an Astrophysics Strategic Mission Concept Study for this purpose. NWO features two spacecraft: a general purpose 4m telescope that operates from the UV to the Near IR, and a starshade, a flower-shaped occulter about 50m in diameter flying in alignment about 70,000km away. Our study shows this is the most effective way to map nearby planetary systems. In this poster we will show that NWO can return much more science than any of the competing approaches at any given price point. Images will show dust and debris down to a fraction of our zodiacal light level. Planets fainter than the Earth can be seen from the Habitable Zone outward, at distances up to 20pc. High throughput and low noise enable immediate follow-up spectroscopy of discovered planets. NWO can discover many more Earth-like planets than all competing approaches including astrometric, interferometric, and internal coronagraphic. Within hours of discovery, a high quality spectrum can determine the true nature of the exoplanet and open the search for biomarkers and life. Over half of the time will be spent with the starshade in transit to the next target. During those times the telescope will be available to for general astrophysics purposes. Operating from the ultraviolet to the near infrared, this will be a true HST follow-on. The study shows all needed technologies already exist. The cost scales primarily with telescope size. The mission is definitely within the financial and technical reach of NASA for the coming decade.

Digital Processing for Modifying and Rearranging Rectilinear and Section Scan Data under Direct Observation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuhl, D. E.; Edwards, R. Q. [University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

1969-01-15

Our digital processor for scan data is an on-site instrument that is intermediate in complexity between conventional optical processing devices and large digital computers. It is designed to provide for a wide and flexible range of secondary data operations, direct picture display on a CRT screen, and full operator control of both processing and display operations at the time of viewing. The instrument does not require the user to learn complicated programing schemes. The operator is expected to be a physician who will control the parameters of interest by punching preset buttons on a keyboard while observing changes displayed on a CRT screen. The system functions primarily as an investigative tool for studying perception of scan information and ways of making this information more meaningful. Data operations include data bounding, spatial averaging, iso-count line generation, image addition and subtraction, and several forms of quantitative read-out for analysis of regional data. The instrument is intended to serve as a central processor and reader for data from several units. Investigations with this processor have served as a source of information leading to the design of more simple processing devices suitable for wider acceptance. For example, the Mark III rectilinear and transverse section brain scanner that has evolved from this project is expected to be a practical improvement of the brain study method. This instrument is designed especially for rapid brain scanning using {sup 99m}Tc pertechnetate. It has a self-contained computer, integrated digital circuits for compactness and economy, and provision for transverse section scanning. The advantages of this system are that it provides a more thorough study using both transverse section and rectilinear modes, rapid performance, precise orientation of section and rectilinear views to the patient position, efficient transfer of information between physician and machine during studies, and economy of design

On propagating direction of ring current proton ULF waves observed by ATS 6 at 6.6 R/sub e/

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, S.; Konradi, A.; Fritz, T.A.

1977-01-01

From June 11 to September 16, 1974, the NOAA low-energy proton detector on board the ATS 6 satellite observed 71 cases of ultralow-frequency oscillations of proton flux intensities. The oscillation periods varied from 40 s to 6 min, and the events were observed most frequently during moderate geomagnetic conditions. The flux oscillations occurred at various local times, yet almost two thirds of the events were detected in the near-dusk region of the magentosphere. For a majority of the events in this set a substantial phase shift in flux oscillation was detected between different energy channels and/or between two oppositely oriented detector telescopes. The phase shift is mainly due to the finite gyroradius effect of the protons gyrating in the geomagnetic field. By examining this finite gyroradius effect on the perturbed particle distribution function associated with the wave in a nonuniform magnetic field we are able to determine the propagation direction of the wave from particle observations made by a single spacecraft. Although the type of wave and its excitation mechanism can only be conjectured at the present time, it is concluded that the wave propagates in the westward direction with a phase velocity of about 13 km/s. Furthermore, it also has a very small phase velocity approx.0.15 km/s propagating toward the earth. If the wave had been traveling 1 hour or so before it was observed near the dusk magnetosphere, it might have originated in the dark magnetosphere in associating with some changes in geophysical conditions. The statistical correlation between the times of the observed wave events and the onsets of the auroral magnetic bays indicates that although they seldom occurred simultaneously, 80% of the waves were observed within 1 hour of the bay onset. Therefore it is concluded that the condition of the magnetosphere after a substorm is favorable for the occurrence of the ring current proton ultralow-frequency waves

Using ACE Observations of Interplanetary Particles and Magnetic Fields as Possible Contributors to Variations Observed at Van Allen Probes during Major events in 2013

Science.gov (United States)

Armstrong, T. P.; Manweiler, J. W.; Gerrard, A. J.; Gkioulidou, M.; Lanzerotti, L. J.; Patterson, J. D.

2013-12-01

Observations from ACE EPAM including energy spectra of protons, helium, and oxygen will be prepared for coordinated use in estimating the direct and indirect access of energetic particles to inner and outer geomagnetic trapping zones. Complete temporal coverage from ACE at 12 seconds, 5 minutes, 17 minutes, hourly and daily cadences will be used to catalog interplanetary events arriving at Earth including interplanetary magnetic field sector boundaries, interplanetary shocks, and interplanetary coronal mass ejections, ICMEs. The first 6 months of 2013 have included both highly disturbed times, March 17 and May 22, and extended quiet periods of little or no variations. Among the specific questions that ACE and Van Allen Probes coordinated observations may aid in resolving are: 1. How much, if any, direct capture of interplanetary energetic particles occurs and what conditions account for it? 2. How much influence do interplanetary field and particle variations have on energization and/or loss of geomagnetically trapped populations? The poster will also present important links and describe methods and important details of access to numerically expressed ACE EPAM and Van Allen Probes RBSPICE observations that can be flexibly and easily accessed via the internet for student and senior researcher use.

Direct and semi-direct radiative forcing of smoke aerosols over clouds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. M. Wilcox

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Observations from Earth observing satellites indicate that dark carbonaceous aerosols that absorb solar radiation are widespread in the tropics and subtropics. When these aerosols mix with clouds, there is generally a reduction of cloudiness owing to absorption of solar energy in the aerosol layer. Over the subtropical South Atlantic Ocean, where smoke from savannah burning in southern Africa resides above a persistent deck of marine stratocumulus clouds, radiative heating of the smoke layer leads to a thickening of the cloud layer. Here, satellite observations of the albedo of overcast scenes of 25 km² size or larger are combined with additional satellite observations of clouds and aerosols to estimate the top-of-atmosphere direct radiative forcing attributable to presence of dark aerosol above bright cloud, and the negative semi-direct forcing attributable to the thickening of the cloud layer. The average positive direct radiative forcing by smoke over an overcast scene is 9.2±6.6 W m⁻² for cases with an unambiguous signal of absorbing aerosol over cloud in passive ultraviolet remote sensing observations. However, cloud liquid water path is enhanced by 16.3±7.7 g m⁻² across the range of values for sea surface temperature for cases of smoke over cloud. The negative radiative forcing associated with this semi-direct effect of smoke over clouds is estimated to be −5.9±3.5 W m⁻². Therefore, the cooling associated with the semi-direct cloud thickening effect compensates for greater than 60 % of the direct radiative effect. Accounting for the frequency of occurrence of significant absorbing aerosol above overcast scenes leads to an estimate of the average direct forcing of 1.0±0.7 W m⁻² contributed by these scenes averaged over the subtropical southeast Atlantic Ocean during austral winter. The regional average of the negative semi-direct forcing is −0.7±0.4 W m⁻²

Accurate SHAPE-directed RNA secondary structure modeling, including pseudoknots.

Science.gov (United States)

Hajdin, Christine E; Bellaousov, Stanislav; Huggins, Wayne; Leonard, Christopher W; Mathews, David H; Weeks, Kevin M

2013-04-02

A pseudoknot forms in an RNA when nucleotides in a loop pair with a region outside the helices that close the loop. Pseudoknots occur relatively rarely in RNA but are highly overrepresented in functionally critical motifs in large catalytic RNAs, in riboswitches, and in regulatory elements of viruses. Pseudoknots are usually excluded from RNA structure prediction algorithms. When included, these pairings are difficult to model accurately, especially in large RNAs, because allowing this structure dramatically increases the number of possible incorrect folds and because it is difficult to search the fold space for an optimal structure. We have developed a concise secondary structure modeling approach that combines SHAPE (selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension) experimental chemical probing information and a simple, but robust, energy model for the entropic cost of single pseudoknot formation. Structures are predicted with iterative refinement, using a dynamic programming algorithm. This melded experimental and thermodynamic energy function predicted the secondary structures and the pseudoknots for a set of 21 challenging RNAs of known structure ranging in size from 34 to 530 nt. On average, 93% of known base pairs were predicted, and all pseudoknots in well-folded RNAs were identified.

Direct observation of nanoparticle-cancer cell nucleus interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Dam, Duncan Hieu M; Lee, Jung Heon; Sisco, Patrick N; Co, Dick T; Zhang, Ming; Wasielewski, Michael R; Odom, Teri W

2012-04-24

We report the direct visualization of interactions between drug-loaded nanoparticles and the cancer cell nucleus. Nanoconstructs composed of nucleolin-specific aptamers and gold nanostars were actively transported to the nucleus and induced major changes to the nuclear phenotype via nuclear envelope invaginations near the site of the construct. The number of local deformations could be increased by ultrafast, light-triggered release of the aptamers from the surface of the gold nanostars. Cancer cells with more nuclear envelope folding showed increased caspase 3 and 7 activity (apoptosis) as well as decreased cell viability. This newly revealed correlation between drug-induced changes in nuclear phenotype and increased therapeutic efficacy could provide new insight for nuclear-targeted cancer therapy.

Evaluation of the implementation of the directly observed treatment strategy for tuberculosis in a large city.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavôr, Débora Cristina Brasil da Silva; Pinheiro, Jair Dos Santos; Gonçalves, Maria Jacirema Ferreira

2016-04-01

To assess the degree of implementation of the Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course - DOTS for tuberculosis (TB) in a large city. Assessment of the implementation of the logic model, whose new cases of infectious pulmonary TB were recruited from specialized clinics and followed-up in basic health units. The judgment matrix covering the five components of the DOTS strategy were used. The result of the logic model indicates DOTS was partially implemented. In external, organizational and implementation contexts, the DOTS strategy was partially implemented; and, the effectiveness was not implemented. The partial implementation of the DOTS strategy in the city of Manaus did not reflect in TB control compliance, leading to low effectiveness of the program. Avaliar o grau de implantação da estratégia de tratamento diretamente observado (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course - DOTS) para tuberculose (TB) em um município de grande porte. Avaliação de implantação por meio de modelo lógico, cujos casos novos de TB pulmonar bacilífera foram recrutados em ambulatórios especializados e acompanhados nas unidades básicas de saúde. Utilizou-se matriz de julgamento que abrange os cinco componentes da estratégia DOTS. O resultado do modelo lógico indica DOTS implantada parcialmente. Nos contextos externo, organizacional e de implantação, a estratégia DOTS está implantada parcialmente; e, na efetividade não está implantada. A implantação parcial da estratégia DOTS, na cidade de Manaus, reflete na não conformidade do controle da TB, levando à baixa efetividade do programa.

Direct Observation of Energy Detrapping in LH1-RC Complex by Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Fei; Yu, Long-Jiang; Hendrikx, Ruud; Wang-Otomo, Zheng-Yu; van Grondelle, Rienk

2017-01-18

The purple bacterial core light harvesting antenna-reaction center (LH1-RC) complex is the simplest system able to achieve the entire primary function of photosynthesis. During the past decade, a variety of photosynthetic proteins were studied by a powerful technique, two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES). However, little attention has been paid to LH1-RC, although its reversible uphill energy transfer, trapping, and backward detrapping processes, represent a crucial step in the early photosynthetic reaction dynamics. Thus, in this work, we employed 2DES to study two LH1-RC complexes of Thermochromatium (Tch.) tepidum. By direct observation of detrapping, the complex reversible process was clearly identified and an overall scheme of the excitation evolution in LH1-RC was obtained.

Direct observation of rectified motion of vortices by Lorentz microscopy

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

one-directional selective motion of field-gradient-driven vortices along fabricated channels. This results from ... was irradiated around etched holes to fabricate the asymmetric potential [19]. Fig- ures 1a .... The dotted line is a guide to the eye.

Direct Observation of Zitterbewegung in a Bose Einstein Condensate

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-03

analogous to the Higgs mechanism where a Higgs condensate (a coherent matter wave) generates mass in the standard model [28].) The zitterbewegung of...directly realize Dirac– boson systems in the laboratory [12, 29], permitting access to new classes of experimental systems. Though BECs near these Dirac...http://www.njp.org/) 10 in an optical lattice, can stably populate these states [34, 35], for example leading to bosonic composite-fermion states [36, 37

Caregiver talk to young Spanish-English bilinguals: Comparing direct observation and parent-report measures of dual-language exposure

Science.gov (United States)

Marchman, Virginia A.; Martínez, Lucía Z.; Hurtado, Nereyda; Grüter, Theres; Fernald, Anne

2016-01-01

In research on language development by bilingual children, the early language environment is commonly characterized in terms of the relative amount of exposure a child gets to each language based on parent report. Little is known about how absolute measures of child-directed speech in two languages relate to language growth. In this study of 3-year-old Spanish-English bilinguals (n = 18), traditional parent-report estimates of exposure were compared to measures of the number of Spanish and English words children heard during naturalistic audio recordings. While the two estimates were moderately correlated, observed numbers of child-directed words were more consistently predictive of children's processing speed and standardized test performance, even when controlling for reported proportion of exposure. These findings highlight the importance of caregiver engagement in bilingual children's language outcomes in both of the languages they are learning. PMID:27197746

Direct observations of American eels migrating across the continental shelf to the Sargasso Sea.

Science.gov (United States)

Béguer-Pon, Mélanie; Castonguay, Martin; Shan, Shiliang; Benchetrit, José; Dodson, Julian J

2015-10-27

Since inferring spawning areas from larval distributions in the Sargasso Sea a century ago, the oceanic migration of adult American eels has remained a mystery. No adult eel has ever been observed migrating in the open ocean or in the spawning area. Here, we track movements of maturing eels equipped with pop-up satellite archival tags from the Scotian Shelf (Canada) into the open ocean, with one individual migrating 2,400 km to the northern limit of the spawning site in the Sargasso Sea. The reconstructed routes suggest a migration in two phases: one over the continental shelf and along its edge in shallow waters; the second in deeper waters straight south towards the spawning area. This study is the first direct evidence of adult Anguilla migrating to the Sargasso Sea and represents an important step forward in the understanding of routes and migratory cues.

Impact of a standardized nurse observation protocol including MEWS after Intensive Care Unit discharge.

Science.gov (United States)

De Meester, K; Das, T; Hellemans, K; Verbrugghe, W; Jorens, P G; Verpooten, G A; Van Bogaert, P

2013-02-01

Analysis of in-hospital mortality after serious adverse events (SAE's) in our hospital showed the need for more frequent observation in medical and surgical wards. We hypothesized that the incidence of SAE's could be decreased by introducing a standard nurse observation protocol. To investigate the effect of a standard nurse observation protocol implementing the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) and a color graphic observation chart. Pre- and post-intervention study by analysis of patients records for a 5-day period after Intensive Care Unit (ICU) discharge to 14 medical and surgical wards before (n=530) and after (n=509) the intervention. For the total study population the mean Patient Observation Frequency Per Nursing Shift (POFPNS) during the 5-day period after ICU discharge increased from .9993 (95% C.I. .9637-1.0350) in the pre-intervention period to 1.0732 (95% C.I. 1.0362-1.1101) (p=.005) in the post-intervention period. There was an increased risk of a SAE in patients with MEWS 4 or higher in the present nursing shift (HR 8.25; 95% C.I. 2.88-23.62) and the previous nursing shift (HR 12.83;95% C.I. 4.45-36.99). There was an absolute risk reduction for SAE's within 120h after ICU discharge of 2.2% (95% C.I. -0.4-4.67%) from 5.7% to 3.5%. The intervention had a positive impact on the observation frequency. MEWS had a predictive value for SAE's in patients after ICU discharge. The drop in SAE's was substantial but did not reach statistical significance. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Directional x-ray dark-field imaging of strongly ordered systems

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Torben Haugaard; Bech, Martin; Zanette, Irene; Weitkamp, Timm; David, Christian; Deyhle, Hans; Rutishauser, Simon; Reznikova, Elena; Mohr, Jürgen; Feidenhans'L, Robert; Pfeiffer, Franz

2010-12-01

Recently a novel grating based x-ray imaging approach called directional x-ray dark-field imaging was introduced. Directional x-ray dark-field imaging yields information about the local texture of structures smaller than the pixel size of the imaging system. In this work we extend the theoretical description and data processing schemes for directional dark-field imaging to strongly scattering systems, which could not be described previously. We develop a simple scattering model to account for these recent observations and subsequently demonstrate the model using experimental data. The experimental data includes directional dark-field images of polypropylene fibers and a human tooth slice.

Direct observation of the crystal structure changes in the Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}O alloy system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoo, Seung Jo; Lee, Ji-Hyun; Kim, Chang-Yeon [Nano-Bio Electron Microscopy Research Group, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), 169-148 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-806 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Chang Hoi [Department of Nano Semiconductor Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, 727 Taejong-ro, Yeongdo-Gu, Busan 606-791 (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Jae Won [Nano-Bio Electron Microscopy Research Group, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), 169-148 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-806 (Korea, Republic of); Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hong Seung, E-mail: hongseung@hhu.ac.kr [Department of Nano Semiconductor Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, 727 Taejong-ro, Yeongdo-Gu, Busan 606-791 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jin-Gyu, E-mail: jjintta@kbsi.re.kr [Nano-Bio Electron Microscopy Research Group, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), 169-148 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-806 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-08-03

We directly observed the crystal structure changes of the Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}O alloy thin film deposited on Si (111) substrates. Through the in situ heating transmission electron microscopy study, it was determined that the crystal structure changes did not occur up to at 400 °C, whereas the disappearance of the hexagonal structure was observed at 500 °C in the layer of nanosized grains. Additionally, the decreased intensity of the Zn L-edge was analyzed in the comparison of the core loss electron energy loss spectroscopy spectra of the Zn L-edge and the Mg K-edge obtained at room temperature and 500 °C. Based on these experimental results, the process of crystal structure changes could be explained by the evaporation of Zn atoms in the Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}O alloy system. This phenomenon is prominent in the improvement of the microstructure of the Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}O alloy thin film by controlling the thermal annealing temperature. - Highlights: • Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}O thin films coexisting with cubic and hexagonal structures were deposited. • Crystal structure changes of the thin films were directly observed at 500 °C. • The process of microstructure changes could be caused by the evaporation of Zn atoms.

Direct Torque Control with Full Order Stator Flux Observer for Dual-Three Phase Induction Motor Drives

Science.gov (United States)

Farina, Francesco; Bojoi, Radu; Tenconi, Alberto; Profumo, Francesco

A Direct Torque Control (DTC) strategy for dual-three phase induction motor drives is discussed in this paper. The induction machine has two sets of stator three-phase windings spatially shifted by 30 electrical degrees with isolated neutral points. The proposed control strategy is based on Proportional Integral (PI) regulators implemented in the stator flux synchronous reference frame. To improve the flux estimation, an Adaptive Stator Flux Observer (ASFO) has been used. Doing so, besides a better flux estimation in contrast to open-loop flux estimators, it is possible to use the observed currents to compensate the inverter non-linear behavior (such as dead-time effects), improving the drive performance at low speed. This is particularly important for low voltage/high current applications, as the drive considered in this paper. The advantages of the discussed control strategy are: constant inverter switching frequency, good transient and steady-state performance and less distorted machine currents in contrast to DTC schemes with variable switching frequency. Experimental results are presented for a 10kW dual three-phase induction motor drive prototype.

Direct observation of the influence of cardiolipin and antibiotics on lipid II binding to MurJ

Science.gov (United States)

Bolla, Jani Reddy; Sauer, Joshua B.; Wu, Di; Mehmood, Shahid; Allison, Timothy M.; Robinson, Carol V.

2018-03-01

Translocation of lipid II across the cytoplasmic membrane is essential in peptidoglycan biogenesis. Although most steps are understood, identifying the lipid II flippase has yielded conflicting results, and the lipid II binding properties of two candidate flippases—MurJ and FtsW—remain largely unknown. Here we apply native mass spectrometry to both proteins and characterize lipid II binding. We observed lower levels of lipid II binding to FtsW compared to MurJ, consistent with MurJ having a higher affinity. Site-directed mutagenesis of MurJ suggests that mutations at A29 and D269 attenuate lipid II binding to MurJ, whereas chemical modification of A29 eliminates binding. The antibiotic ramoplanin dissociates lipid II from MurJ, whereas vancomycin binds to form a stable complex with MurJ:lipid II. Furthermore, we reveal cardiolipins associate with MurJ but not FtsW, and exogenous cardiolipins reduce lipid II binding to MurJ. These observations provide insights into determinants of lipid II binding to MurJ and suggest roles for endogenous lipids in regulating substrate binding.

Direct observation of fatigue in epitaxially grown Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films using second harmonic piezoresponse force microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Murari, Nishit M.; Hong, Seungbum; Lee, Ho Nyung; Katiyar, Ram. S.

2011-08-01

Here, we present a direct observation of fatigue phenomena in epitaxially grown Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 (PZT) thin films using second harmonic piezoresponse force microscopy (SH-PFM). We observed strong correlation between the SH-PFM amplitude and phase signals with the remnant piezoresponse at different switching cycles. The SH-PFM results indicate that the average fraction of switchable domains decreases globally and the phase delays of polarization switching differ locally. In addition, we found that the fatigue developed uniformly over the whole area without developing region-by-region suppression of switchable polarization as in polycrystalline PZT thin films.

The direct observation of alkali vapor species in biomass combustion and gasification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

French, R J; Dayton, D C; Milne, T A

1994-01-01

This report summarizes new data from screening various feedstocks for alkali vapor release under combustion conditions. The successful development of a laboratory flow reactor and molecular beam, mass spectrometer interface is detailed. Its application to several herbaceous and woody feedstocks, as well as a fast-pyrolysis oil, under 800 and 1,100{degrees}C batch combustion, is documented. Chlorine seems to play a large role in the facile mobilization of potassium. Included in the report is a discussion of relevant literature on the alkali problem in combustors and turbines. Highlighted are the phenomena identified in studies on coal and methods that have been applied to alkali speciation. The nature of binding of alkali in coal versus biomass is discussed, together with the implications for the ease of release. Herbaceous species and many agricultural residues appear to pose significant problems in release of alkali species to the vapor at typical combustor temperatures. These problems could be especially acute in direct combustion fired turbines, but may be ameliorated in integrated gasification combined cycles.

Direct observation of hierarchical nucleation of martensite and size-dependent superelasticity in shape memory alloys.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lifeng; Ding, Xiangdong; Li, Ju; Lookman, Turab; Sun, Jun

2014-02-21

Martensitic transformation usually creates hierarchical internal structures beyond mere change of the atomic crystal structure. Multi-stage nucleation is thus required, where nucleation (level-1) of the underlying atomic crystal lattice does not have to be immediately followed by the nucleation of higher-order superstructures (level-2 and above), such as polysynthetic laths. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we directly observe the nucleation of the level-2 superstructure in a Cu-Al-Ni single crystal under compression, with critical super-nuclei size L2c around 500 nm. When the sample size D decreases below L2c, the superelasticity behavior changes from a flat stress plateau to a continuously rising stress-strain curve. Such size dependence definitely would impact the application of shape memory alloys in miniaturized MEMS/NEMS devices.

Toward observational neutrino astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koshiba, M.

1988-01-01

It is true that: (1) The first observation of the neutrino burst from the supernova SN1987a by Kamiokande-II which was immediately confirmed by IBM; and (2) the first real-time, directional, and spectral observation of solar 8 B neutrinos also by Kamiokande-II could perhaps be considered as signalling the birth of observational astrophysics. The field, however, is still in its infancy and is crying out for tender loving care. Namely, while the construction of astronomy requires the time and the direction of the signal and that of astrophysics requires, in addition to the spectral information, the observations of (1) could not give the directional information and the results of both (1) and (2) are still suffering from the meager statistics. How do we remedy this situation to let this new born science of observational neutrino astrophysics grow healthy. This is what the author addresses in this talk. 15 refs., 8 figs

Direct observation of glycogen synthesis in human muscle with 13C NMR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jue, T.; Rothman, D.L.; Shulman, G.I.; Tavitian, B.A.; DeFronzo, R.A.; Shulman, R.G.

1989-01-01

On the basis of previous indirect measurements, skeletal muscle has been implicated as the major site of glucose uptake and it has been suggested that muscle glycogen formation is the dominant pathway. However, direct measurements of the rates of glycogen synthesis have not been possible by previous techniques. The authors have developed 13 C NMR methods to measure directly the rate of human muscle glycogen formation from infused, isotopically labeled [1- 13 C]glucose. They show that under conditions of imposed hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, a majority of the infused glucose was converted to muscle glycogen in a normal man. This directly shows that muscle is the major site of glucose disposal under these conditions, and provides quantitation of the glucose flux to muscle glycogen

Direct observation of lithium polysulfides in lithium-sulfur batteries using operando X-ray diffraction

Science.gov (United States)

Conder, Joanna; Bouchet, Renaud; Trabesinger, Sigita; Marino, Cyril; Gubler, Lorenz; Villevieille, Claire

2017-06-01

In the on going quest towards lithium-battery chemistries beyond the lithium-ion technology, the lithium-sulfur system is emerging as one of the most promising candidates. The major outstanding challenge on the route to commercialization is controlling the so-called polysulfide shuttle, which is responsible for the poor cycling efficiency of the current generation of lithium-sulfur batteries. However, the mechanistic understanding of the reactions underlying the polysulfide shuttle is still incomplete. Here we report the direct observation of lithium polysulfides in a lithium-sulfur cell during operation by means of operando X-ray diffraction. We identify signatures of polysulfides adsorbed on the surface of a glass-fibre separator and monitor their evolution during cycling. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the adsorption of the polysulfides onto SiO2 can be harnessed for buffering the polysulfide redox shuttle. The use of fumed silica as an electrolyte additive therefore significantly improves the specific charge and Coulombic efficiency of lithium-sulfur batteries.

Direct observation of shear–induced nanocrystal attachment and coalescence in CuZr-based metallic glasses: TEM investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hajlaoui, K.; Alrasheedi, Nashmi H.; Yavari, A.R.

2016-01-01

In-situ tensile straining tests were performed in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) to analyse the deformation processes in CuZr-based metallic glasses and to directly observe the phase transformation occurrence. We report evidence of shear induced coalescence of nanocrystals in the vicinity of deformed regions. Nanocrystals grow in shear bands, come into contact, being attached and progressively coalesce under applied shear stress. - Highlights: • In-situ tensile straining test in TEM was investigated on CuZr-Based metallic glass. • Strain induces nanocrystallization and subsequent attachment and coalescence of nanocrystals. • The coalescence of nanocrystals compensates strain softening in metallic glasses.

Ocean Response to Tropical Storms as Observed by a Moored Ocean Observing System in the Deep Gulf of Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Oropeza, F.; Jaramillo, S.; Fan, S.

2013-05-01

As part of the support activities for a deepwater development in the Gulf of Mexico, a moored ocean observing system (OOS) was deployed in a water depth of approximately 2500m, 300km south of the Louisiana Coast. From June 2007 to May 2009, the system comprised seven single point Aanderaa Recording Current Meters (RCM), deployed at 450m, 700m, 1,100m, 1,500m, 2,000m, 2,400m and 2,490m below surface, and an RDI 75kHz Longranger Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), deployed between 249 and 373m below surface in upward-looking mode. Since May 2009, the OOS was upgraded to a Wavescan Buoy based moored system including meteorological sensors for: atmospheric pressure, air temperature, wind speed and direction; directional waves sensor; a Doppler Current Sensor (DCS) at 1.5 m depth for surface currents; and two downward-looking ADCP's covering the upper 1,000m of the water column. This OOS has been operating without interruptions from 2007 to the present and has registered data associated with nine tropical storms, including the direct passage of Hurricane Ike, in September of 2008, and loop current events with speeds of up to 4 knots. It has provided one of the most comprehensive set of velocity observations in the Gulf of Mexico, especially, the near surface currents, during pre-storm conditions, response, and ocean relaxation following hurricanes/tropical storms. Based on these observations the upper ocean responses to the energy input from tropical storms are characterized in terms of the associated mixing processes and momentum balances.

Direct observation of the carrier transport process in InGaN quantum wells with a pn-junction

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Haiyan; Ma, Ziguang; Jiang, Yang; Wang, Lu; Yang, Haojun; Li, Yangfeng; Zuo, Peng; Jia, Haiqiang; Wang, Wenxin; Zhou, Junming; Liu, Wuming; Chen, Hong

2016-11-01

A new mechanism of light-to-electricity conversion that uses InGaN/GaN QWs with a p-n junction is reported. According to the well established light-to-electricity conversion theory, quantum wells (QWs) cannot be used in solar cells and photodetectors because the photogenerated carriers in QWs usually relax to ground energy levels, owing to quantum confinement, and cannot form a photocurrent. We observe directly that more than 95% of the photoexcited carriers escape from InGaN/GaN QWs to generate a photocurrent, indicating that the thermionic emission and tunneling processes proposed previously cannot explain carriers escaping from QWs. We show that photoexcited carriers can escape directly from the QWs when the device is under working conditions. Our finding challenges the current theory and demonstrates a new prospect for developing highly efficient solar cells and photodetectors. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11574362, 61210014, and 11374340) and the Innovative Clean-energy Research and Application Program of Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, China (Grant No. Z151100003515001).

Multipoint observations of a small substorm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, R.E.; Luehr, H.; Anderson, B.J.; Newell, P.T.; McEntire, R.W.

1990-01-01

In this paper the authors present multipoint observations of a small substorm which occurred just after 0110 UT on April 25, 1985. The observations were made by spacecraft (AMPTE CCE, AMPTE IRM, DMSP F6, and DMSP F7), ground auroral stations (EISCAT magnetometer cross, Syowa, Narssarssuaq, Great Whale River, and Fort Churchill), and mid-latitude stations (Furstenfeldbruck, Toledo, and Argentine Island). These data provide them with a broad range of observations, including the latitudinal extent of the polar cap, visual identification of substorm aurorae and the magnetic perturbations produced directly beneath them, in situ magnetic field and energetic particle observations of the disruption of the cross-tail current sheet, and observations concerning the spatial expansion of the current disruption region from two radially aligned spacecraft. The DMSP data indicate that the event took place during a period when the polar cap was relatively contracted, yet the disruption of the current sheet was observed by CCE at 8.56 R E . They have been able to infer a considerable amount of detail concerning the structure and westward expansion of the auroral features associated with the event, and they show that those auroral surges were located more than 10 degree equatorward of the boundary between open and closed field lines. Moreover, they present evidence that the current sheet disruption observed by CCE in the neutral sheet was located on field lines which mapped to the westward traveling surge observed directly overhead of the ground station at Syowa. Furthermore, the observations strongly imply that disruption of the cross-tail current began in the near-Earth region and that it had a component of expansion which was radially antisunward

The Directly Observed Therapy Short-Course (DOTS strategy in Samara Oblast, Russian Federation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikolayevskyy V

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The World Health Organisation (WHO defines Russia as one of the 22 highest-burden countries for tuberculosis (TB. The WHO Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS strategy employing a standardised treatment for 6 months produces the highest cure rates for drug sensitive TB. The Russian TB service traditionally employed individualised treatment. The purpose of this study was to implement a DOTS programme in the civilian and prison sectors of Samara Region of Russia, describe the clinical features and outcomes of recruited patients, determine the proportion of individuals in the cohorts who were infected with drug resistant TB, the degree to which resistance was attributed to the Beijing TB strain family and establish risk factors for drug resistance. Methods prospective study Results 2,099 patients were recruited overall. Treatment outcomes were analysed for patients recruited up to the third quarter of 2003 (n = 920. 75.3% of patients were successfully treated. Unsuccessful outcomes occurred in 7.3% of cases; 3.6% of patients died during treatment, with a significantly higher proportion of smear-positive cases dying compared to smear-negative cases. 14.0% were lost and transferred out. A high proportion of new cases (948 sequential culture-proven TB cases had tuberculosis that was resistant to first-line drugs; (24.9% isoniazid resistant; 20.3% rifampicin resistant; 17.3% multidrug resistant tuberculosis. Molecular epidemiological analysis demonstrated that half of all isolated strains (50.7%; 375/740 belonged to the Beijing family. Drug resistance including MDR TB was strongly associated with infection with the Beijing strain (for MDR TB, 35.2% in Beijing strains versus 9.5% in non-Beijing strains, OR-5.2. Risk factors for multidrug resistant tuberculosis were: being a prisoner (OR 4.4, having a relapse of tuberculosis (OR 3.5, being infected with a Beijing family TB strain (OR 6.5 and having an unsuccessful outcome

Report of meteorological observations in site of Tokai Research Establishment in 1971

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-05-01

Covered are the meteorological observations from January to December 1971 in Tokai Research Establishment as monthly summaries, including daily and hourly mean wind speeds, frequencies of wind directions and atmospheric stability. (auth.)

Direct nitrate reductase assay versus microscopic observation drug susceptibility test for rapid detection of MDR-TB in Uganda.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Freddie Bwanga

Full Text Available The most common method for detection of drug resistant (DR TB in resource-limited settings (RLSs is indirect susceptibility testing on Lowenstein-Jensen medium (LJ which is very time consuming with results available only after 2-3 months. Effective therapy of DR TB is therefore markedly delayed and patients can transmit resistant strains. Rapid and accurate tests suitable for RLSs in the diagnosis of DR TB are thus highly needed. In this study we compared two direct techniques--Nitrate Reductase Assay (NRA and Microscopic Observation Drug Susceptibility (MODS for rapid detection of MDR-TB in a high burden RLS. The sensitivity, specificity, and proportion of interpretable results were studied. Smear positive sputum was collected from 245 consecutive re-treatment TB patients attending a TB clinic in Kampala, Uganda. Samples were processed at the national reference laboratory and tested for susceptibility to rifampicin and isoniazid with direct NRA, direct MODS and the indirect LJ proportion method as reference. A total of 229 specimens were confirmed as M. tuberculosis, of these interpretable results were obtained in 217 (95% with either the NRA or MODS. Sensitivity, specificity and kappa agreement for MDR-TB diagnosis was 97%, 98% and 0.93 with the NRA; and 87%, 95% and 0.78 with the MODS, respectively. The median time to results was 10, 7 and 64 days with NRA, MODS and the reference technique, respectively. The cost of laboratory supplies per sample was low, around 5 USD, for the rapid tests. The direct NRA and MODS offered rapid detection of resistance almost eight weeks earlier than with the reference method. In the study settings, the direct NRA was highly sensitive and specific. We consider it to have a strong potential for timely detection of MDR-TB in RLS.

What Do Children Eat in the Summer? A Direct Observation of Summer Day Camps That Serve Meals.

Science.gov (United States)

Kenney, Erica L; Lee, Rebekka M; Brooks, Carolyn J; Cradock, Angie L; Gortmaker, Steven L

2017-07-01

More than 14 million children in the United States attend summer camp annually, yet little is known about the food environment in day camps. Our aim was to describe the nutritional quality of meals served to, brought by, and consumed by children attending summer day camps serving meals and snacks, and to describe camp water access. We conducted a cross-sectional study. Participants were 149 children attending five summer camps in Boston, MA, in 2013. Foods and beverages served were observed for 5 consecutive days. For 2 days, children's dietary intake was directly observed using a validated protocol. Outcome measures included total energy (kilocalories) and servings of different types of foods and beverages served and consumed during breakfast, lunch, and snack. Mean total energy, trans fats, sodium, sugar, and fiber served per meal were calculated across the camps, as were mean weekly frequencies of serving fruits, vegetables, meat/meat alternates, grains, milk, 100% juice, sugar-sweetened beverages, whole grains, red/highly processed meats, grain-based desserts, and salty snacks. Mean consumption was calculated per camper per day. Camps served a mean (standard deviation) of 647.7 (134.3) kcal for lunch, 401.8 (149.6) kcal for breakfast, and 266.4 (150.8) kcal for snack. Most camps served red/highly processed meats, salty snacks, and grain-based desserts frequently, and rarely served vegetables or water. Children consumed little (eg, at lunch, 36.5% of fruit portions, 35.0% of meat/meat alternative portions, and 37.6% of milk portions served) except for salty snacks (66.9% of portions) and grain-based desserts (64.1% of portions). Sugar-sweetened beverages and salty snacks were frequently brought to camp. One-quarter of campers drank nothing throughout the entire camp day. The nutritional quality of foods and beverages served at summer day camps could be improved. Future studies should assess barriers to consumption of healthy foods and beverages in these

Tracking the direct impact of rainfall on groundwater at Mt. Fuji by multiple analyses including microbial DNA

Science.gov (United States)

Sugiyama, Ayumi; Masuda, Suguru; Nagaosa, Kazuyo; Tsujimura, Maki; Kato, Kenji

2018-02-01

A total of 2 to 3 million tons of spring water flushes out from the foot of Mt. Fuji, the largest volcanic mountain in Japan. Based on the concept of piston flow transport, residence time of stored groundwater at Mt. Fuji was estimated at ˜ 15-30 years by the 36Cl / Cl ratio (Tosaki et al., 2011). This range, however, represents the average residence time of groundwater that was mixed before it flushed out. To elucidate the route of groundwater in a given system, we determined signatures of direct impacts of rainfall on groundwater, using microbial, stable isotopic (δ18O), and chemical analyses (concentration of silica). Chemical analysis of the groundwater gave an average value of the water, which was already mixed with waters from various sources and routes in the subsurface environment. The microbial analysis suggested locations of water origin and paths. In situ observation during four rainfall events revealed that the stable oxygen isotopic signature obtained from spring water (at 726 m a.s.l., site SP-0 m) and shallow groundwater (at 150 m a.s.l., site GW-42 m), where the average recharge height from rainfall was 1700-1800 m, became greater than values observed prior to a torrential rain producing more than 300 mm of precipitation. The concentration of silica decreased after this event. In addition, the abundance of Bacteria in spring water increased, suggesting the influence of heavy rain. Such changes did not appear when rainfall was less than 100 mm per event. The above findings indicate a rapid flow of rain through the shallow part of the aquifer, which appeared within a few weeks of torrential rain extracting abundant microbes from soil in the studied geologic setting. Interestingly, we found that after the torrential rain, the abundance of Archaea increased in the deep groundwater at site GW-550 m, ˜ 12 km downstream of SP-0 m. However, chemical parameters did not show any change after the event. This suggests that strengthened piston flow caused by

IRIS , Hinode , SDO , and RHESSI Observations of a White Light Flare Produced Directly by Non-thermal Electrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Kyoung-Sun [Hinode Science Center, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), 2-21-1, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Imada, Shinsuke [Institute for Space–Earth Environmental Research (ISEE), Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550 (Japan); Watanabe, Kyoko [National Defense Academy of Japan, 1-10-20 Hashirimizu, Yokosuka 239-8686 (Japan); Bamba, Yumi [Hinode team, ISAS/JAXA, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210 (Japan); Brooks, David H., E-mail: ksun.lee@nao.ac.jp [College of Science, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States)

2017-02-20

An X1.6 flare occurred in active region AR 12192 on 2014 October 22 at 14:02 UT and was observed by Hinode , IRIS , SDO , and RHESSI . We analyze a bright kernel that produces a white light (WL) flare with continuum enhancement and a hard X-ray (HXR) peak. Taking advantage of the spectroscopic observations of IRIS and Hinode /EIS, we measure the temporal variation of the plasma properties in the bright kernel in the chromosphere and corona. We find that explosive evaporation was observed when the WL emission occurred, even though the intensity enhancement in hotter lines is quite weak. The temporal correlation of the WL emission, HXR peak, and evaporation flows indicates that the WL emission was produced by accelerated electrons. To understand the WL emission process, we calculated the energy flux deposited by non-thermal electrons (observed by RHESSI ) and compared it to the dissipated energy estimated from a chromospheric line (Mg ii triplet) observed by IRIS . The deposited energy flux from the non-thermal electrons is about (3–7.7) × 10{sup 10} erg cm{sup −2} s{sup −1} for a given low-energy cutoff of 30–40 keV, assuming the thick-target model. The energy flux estimated from the changes in temperature in the chromosphere measured using the Mg ii subordinate line is about (4.6–6.7) × 10{sup 9} erg cm{sup −2} s{sup −1}: ∼6%–22% of the deposited energy. This comparison of estimated energy fluxes implies that the continuum enhancement was directly produced by the non-thermal electrons.

Direct observation of Young’s double-slit interferences in vibrationally resolved photoionization of diatomic molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Canton, Sophie E.; Plésiat, Etienne; Bozek, John D.; Rude, Bruce S.; Decleva, Piero; Martín, Fernando

2011-01-01

Vibrationally resolved valence-shell photoionization spectra of H2, N2 and CO have been measured in the photon energy range 20–300 eV using third-generation synchrotron radiation. Young’s double-slit interferences lead to oscillations in the corresponding vibrational ratios, showing that the molecules behave as two-center electron-wave emitters and that the associated interferences leave their trace in the angle-integrated photoionization cross section. In contrast to previous work, the oscillations are directly observable in the experiment, thereby removing any possible ambiguity related to the introduction of external parameters or fitting functions. A straightforward extension of an original idea proposed by Cohen and Fano [Cohen HD, Fano U (1966) Phys Rev 150:30] confirms this interpretation and shows that it is also valid for diatomic heteronuclear molecules. Results of accurate theoretical calculations are in excellent agreement with the experimental findings.

15 CFR 2006.1 - Information to be included in petition.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... property right, or foreign direct investment matter for which the rights of the United States under the... nature of any foreign direct investment proposed by the United States person, including estimates of... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Information to be included in petition...

Mesoscopic simulation of dendritic growth observed in x-ray video microscopy during directional solidification of Al-Cu alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delaleau, Pierre; Beckermann, Christoph; Mathiesen, Ragnvald H.; Arnberg, Lars

2010-01-01

A mesoscopic model is developed to simulate microstructures observed in situ by X-ray video microscopy during directional solidification of Al-Cu alloys in a Hele-Shaw cell. In the model, a volume-averaged species conservation equation is solved to obtain the solute concentration and solid fraction fields, and an analytical stagnant film model is used to predict the motion of the dendrite envelopes. The model is carefully validated in several test cases. Then, the model is applied to simulate the columnar dendritic microstructures observed in the X-ray video microscopy experiments for two different alloy compositions. Reasonable agreement is found between the measured and predicted dendrite envelope shapes, solid fractions, and solute concentration fields. The predicted size of the mushy zone and the extent of the undercooled melt region ahead of the columnar front agree well with the in situ experimental observations. The simulation results show quantitative agreement with the internal solid fraction variations measured from the radiographs. The present model is also able to realistically simulate a primary dendrite trunk spacing adjustment that was observed in one of the experiments. Overall, the present study represents the first successful validation of a solidification model using real time, in situ data from an experiment with a metallic alloy. Considerable additional research is needed to account in the model for the effect of gravity driven melt convection. (author)

Direct Observation of Clinical Skills Feedback Scale: Development and Validity Evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Halman, Samantha; Dudek, Nancy; Wood, Timothy; Pugh, Debra; Touchie, Claire; McAleer, Sean; Humphrey-Murto, Susan

2016-01-01

Construct: This article describes the development and validity evidence behind a new rating scale to assess feedback quality in the clinical workplace. Competency-based medical education has mandated a shift to learner-centeredness, authentic observation, and frequent formative assessments with a focus on the delivery of effective feedback. Because feedback has been shown to be of variable quality and effectiveness, an assessment of feedback quality in the workplace is important to ensure we are providing trainees with optimal learning opportunities. The purposes of this project were to develop a rating scale for the quality of verbal feedback in the workplace (the Direct Observation of Clinical Skills Feedback Scale [DOCS-FBS]) and to gather validity evidence for its use. Two panels of experts (local and national) took part in a nominal group technique to identify features of high-quality feedback. Through multiple iterations and review, 9 features were developed into the DOCS-FBS. Four rater types (residents n = 21, medical students n = 8, faculty n = 12, and educators n = 12) used the DOCS-FBS to rate videotaped feedback encounters of variable quality. The psychometric properties of the scale were determined using a generalizability analysis. Participants also completed a survey to gather data on a 5-point Likert scale to inform the ease of use, clarity, knowledge acquisition, and acceptability of the scale. Mean video ratings ranged from 1.38 to 2.96 out of 3 and followed the intended pattern suggesting that the tool allowed raters to distinguish between examples of higher and lower quality feedback. There were no significant differences between rater type (range = 2.36-2.49), suggesting that all groups of raters used the tool in the same way. The generalizability coefficients for the scale ranged from 0.97 to 0.99. Item-total correlations were all above 0.80, suggesting some redundancy in items. Participants found the scale easy to use (M = 4.31/5) and clear

Inconsistency between direct and indirect comparisons of competing interventions: meta-epidemiological study.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Fujian; Xiong, Tengbin; Parekh-Bhurke, Sheetal; Loke, Yoon K; Sutton, Alex J; Eastwood, Alison J; Holland, Richard; Chen, Yen-Fu; Glenny, Anne-Marie; Deeks, Jonathan J; Altman, Doug G

2011-08-16

To investigate the agreement between direct and indirect comparisons of competing healthcare interventions. Meta-epidemiological study based on sample of meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials. Data sources Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and PubMed. Inclusion criteria Systematic reviews that provided sufficient data for both direct comparison and independent indirect comparisons of two interventions on the basis of a common comparator and in which the odds ratio could be used as the outcome statistic. Inconsistency measured by the difference in the log odds ratio between the direct and indirect methods. The study included 112 independent trial networks (including 1552 trials with 478,775 patients in total) that allowed both direct and indirect comparison of two interventions. Indirect comparison had already been explicitly done in only 13 of the 85 Cochrane reviews included. The inconsistency between the direct and indirect comparison was statistically significant in 16 cases (14%, 95% confidence interval 9% to 22%). The statistically significant inconsistency was associated with fewer trials, subjectively assessed outcomes, and statistically significant effects of treatment in either direct or indirect comparisons. Owing to considerable inconsistency, many (14/39) of the statistically significant effects by direct comparison became non-significant when the direct and indirect estimates were combined. Significant inconsistency between direct and indirect comparisons may be more prevalent than previously observed. Direct and indirect estimates should be combined in mixed treatment comparisons only after adequate assessment of the consistency of the evidence.

Primordial oscillations in life: Direct observation of glycolytic oscillations in individual HeLa cervical cancer cells

Science.gov (United States)

Amemiya, Takashi; Shibata, Kenichi; Itoh, Yoshihiro; Itoh, Kiminori; Watanabe, Masatoshi; Yamaguchi, Tomohiko

2017-10-01

We report the first direct observation of glycolytic oscillations in HeLa cervical cancer cells, which we regard as primordial oscillations preserved in living cells. HeLa cells starved of glucose or both glucose and serum exhibited glycolytic oscillations in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), exhibiting asynchronous intercellular behaviors. Also found were spatially homogeneous and inhomogeneous intracellular NADH oscillations in the individual cells. Our results demonstrate that starved HeLa cells may be induced to exhibit glycolytic oscillations by either high-uptake of glucose or the enhancement of a glycolytic pathway (Crabtree effect or the Warburg effect), or both. Their asynchronous collective behaviors in the oscillations were probably due to a weak intercellular coupling. Elucidation of the relationship between the mechanism of glycolytic dynamics in cancer cells and their pathophysiological characteristics remains a challenge in future.

Observer roles that optimise learning in healthcare simulation education: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Regan, Stephanie; Molloy, Elizabeth; Watterson, Leonie; Nestel, Debra

2016-01-01

Simulation is widely used in health professional education. The convention that learners are actively involved may limit access to this educational method. The aim of this paper is to review the evidence for learning methods that employ directed observation as an alternative to hands-on participation in scenario-based simulation training. We sought studies that included either direct comparison of the learning outcomes of observers with those of active participants or identified factors important for the engagement of observers in simulation. We systematically searched health and education databases and reviewed journals and bibliographies for studies investigating or referring to observer roles in simulation using mannequins, simulated patients or role play simulations. A quality framework was used to rate the studies. We sought studies that included either direct comparison of the learning outcomes of observers with those of active participants or identified factors important for the engagement of observers in simulation. We systematically searched health and education databases and reviewed journals and bibliographies for studies investigating or referring to observer roles in simulation using mannequins, simulated patients or role play simulations. A quality framework was used to rate the studies. Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Five studies suggest learning outcomes in observer roles are as good or better than hands-on roles in simulation. Four studies document learner satisfaction in observer roles. Five studies used a tool to guide observers. Eight studies involved observers in the debrief. Learning and satisfaction in observer roles is closely associated with observer tools, learner engagement, role clarity and contribution to the debrief. Learners that valued observer roles described them as affording an overarching view, examination of details from a distance, and meaningful feedback during the debrief. Learners who did not value observer roles

Direct Observation of Double Hydrogen Transfer via Quantum Tunneling in a Single Porphycene Molecule on a Ag(110) Surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Koch, Matthias; Pagan, Mark; Persson, Mats; Gawinkowski, Sylwester; Waluk, Jacek; Kumagai, Takashi

2017-09-13

Quantum tunneling of hydrogen atoms (or protons) plays a crucial role in many chemical and biological reactions. Although tunneling of a single particle has been examined extensively in various one-dimensional potentials, many-particle tunneling in high-dimensional potential energy surfaces remains poorly understood. Here we present a direct observation of a double hydrogen atom transfer (tautomerization) within a single porphycene molecule on a Ag(110) surface using a cryogenic scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The tautomerization rates are temperature independent below ∼10 K, and a large kinetic isotope effect (KIE) is observed upon substituting the transferred hydrogen atoms by deuterium, indicating that the process is governed by tunneling. The observed KIE for three isotopologues and density functional theory calculations reveal that a stepwise transfer mechanism is dominant in the tautomerization. It is also found that the tautomerization rate is increased by vibrational excitation via an inelastic electron tunneling process. Moreover, the STM tip can be used to manipulate the tunneling dynamics through modification of the potential landscape.

Direct observation of a 'devil's staircase' in wave-particle interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doveil, Fabrice; Macor, Alessandro; Elskens, Yves

2006-01-01

We report the experimental observation of a 'devil's staircase' in a time-dependent system considered as a paradigm for the transition to large-scale chaos in the universality class of Hamiltonian systems. A test electron beam is used to observe its non-self-consistent interaction with externally excited wave(s) in a traveling wave tube (TWT). A trochoidal energy analyzer records the beam energy distribution at the output of the interaction line. An arbitrary waveform generator is used to launch a prescribed spectrum of waves along the slow wave structure (a 4 m long helix) of the TWT. The resonant velocity domain associated to a single wave is observed, as well as the transition to large-scale chaos when the resonant domains of two waves and their secondary resonances overlap. This transition exhibits a 'devil's staircase' behavior for increasing excitation amplitude, due to the nonlinear forcing by the second wave on the pendulum-like motion of a charged particle in one electrostatic wave

Observations of fast, transient gamma-ray phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kouveliotou, C.

1981-09-01

The present work is devoted primarily to the study of the solar GRBs as seen by the ISEE-3 satellite, in the energy range between 100 keV and 6.5 MeV. We have also included the cosmic GRB observations from ISEE-3, as a direct comparison for the two phenomena. Thus this thesis comprises 7 chapters: introduction, a chapter providing information on the instruments used, a discussion on the physics of the gamma-ray emission, a chapter describing the cosmic GRBs, and a chapter analysing the solar ones. Finally, we give the conclusions and a summary of our results and indications for the future observations. (orig./WL)

Observations of fast, transient gamma-ray phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kouveliotou, C.

1981-01-01

The present work is devoted primarily to the study of the solar GRBs as seen by the ISEE-3 satellite, in the energy range between 100 keV and 6.5 MeV. We have also included the cosmic GRB observations from ISEE-3, as a direct comparison for the two phenomena. Thus this thesis comprises 7 chapters: introduction, a chapter providing information on the instruments used, a discussion on the physics of the gamma-ray emission, a chapter describing the cosmic GRBs, and a chapter analysing the solar ones. Finally, we give the conclusions and a summary of our results and indications for the future observations. (orig./UPO)

Derivation of the Boltzmann Equation for Financial Brownian Motion: Direct Observation of the Collective Motion of High-Frequency Traders

Science.gov (United States)

Kanazawa, Kiyoshi; Sueshige, Takumi; Takayasu, Hideki; Takayasu, Misako

2018-03-01

A microscopic model is established for financial Brownian motion from the direct observation of the dynamics of high-frequency traders (HFTs) in a foreign exchange market. Furthermore, a theoretical framework parallel to molecular kinetic theory is developed for the systematic description of the financial market from microscopic dynamics of HFTs. We report first on a microscopic empirical law of traders' trend-following behavior by tracking the trajectories of all individuals, which quantifies the collective motion of HFTs but has not been captured in conventional order-book models. We next introduce the corresponding microscopic model of HFTs and present its theoretical solution paralleling molecular kinetic theory: Boltzmann-like and Langevin-like equations are derived from the microscopic dynamics via the Bogoliubov-Born-Green-Kirkwood-Yvon hierarchy. Our model is the first microscopic model that has been directly validated through data analysis of the microscopic dynamics, exhibiting quantitative agreements with mesoscopic and macroscopic empirical results.

Clear Direction. The Montessori Observer. Volume 32, Number 2

Science.gov (United States)

International Montessori Society (NJ3), 2011

2011-01-01

"The Montessori Observer" is mailed four times each year, in March, May, September and November, to Society members throughout the world. The purpose is to provide news and information about the Society's work in Montessori education, and to extend awareness of Montessori principles throughout the world. This issue contains a feature…

An intervention to improve the catheter associated urinary tract infection rate in a medical intensive care unit: Direct observation of catheter insertion procedure.

Science.gov (United States)

Galiczewski, Janet M; Shurpin, Kathleen M

2017-06-01

Healthcare associated infections from indwelling urinary catheters lead to increased patient morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to determine if direct observation of the urinary catheter insertion procedure, as compared to the standard process, decreased catheter utilization and urinary tract infection rates. This case control study was conducted in a medical intensive care unit. During phase I, a retrospective data review was conducted on utilsiation and urinary catheter infection rates when practitioners followed the institution's standard insertion algorithm. During phase II, an intervention of direct observation was added to the standard insertion procedure. The results demonstrated no change in utilization rates, however, CAUTI rates decreased from 2.24 to 0 per 1000 catheter days. The findings from this study may promote changes in clinical practice guidelines leading to a reduction in urinary catheter utilization and infection rates and improved patient outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Observing a fictitious stressful event: haematological changes, including circulating leukocyte activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mian, Rubina; Shelton-Rayner, Graham; Harkin, Brendan; Williams, Paul

2003-03-01

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of watching a psychological stressful event on the activation of leukocytes in healthy human volunteers. Blood samples were obtained from 32 healthy male and female subjects aged between 20 and 26 years before, during and after either watching an 83-minute horror film that none of the subjects had previously seen (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 1974) or by sitting quietly in a room (control group). Total differential cell counts, leukocyte activation as measured by the nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) test, heart rate and blood pressure (BP) measurements were taken at defined time points. There were significant increases in peripheral circulating leukocytes, the number of activated circulating leukocytes, haemoglobin (Hb) concentration and haematocrit (Hct) in response to the stressor. These were accompanied by significant increases in heart rate, systolic and diastolic BP (P<0.05 from baseline). This is the first reported study on the effects of observing a psychologically stressful, albeit fictitious event on circulating leukocyte numbers and the state of leukocyte activation as determined by the nitrotetrazolium test.

Directly observed road safety compliance by Motor Cycle Riders ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: To assess the extent of compliance with road safety regulations by motorcycle riders following a five year road safety campaign in Naivasha town, Kenya. Design: A cross sectional study. Setting: Naivasha town, Nakuru county, Kenya. Results: A total of 9,280 MCs ferrying 13,733 people were observed. Less than ...

Spontaneous direct and reverse osmosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valitov, N.Kh.

1996-01-01

It has been ascertained experimentally that in the course of separation of CsCl, KCl, NaCl aqueous solutions by semi-permeable membrane from distilled water the direct and then reverse osmosis are observed. The same sequence is observed in case of separation of CsCl aqueous solutions from NaCl of different concentrations. The reason for the direct and reverse osmosis has been explained. 5 refs.; 3 figs. 1 tab

Investigating preventive-medicine consultations in first-opinion small-animal practice in the United Kingdom using direct observation.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, N J; Brennan, M L; Cobb, M; Dean, R S

2016-02-01

Preventive-medicine consultations account for a large proportion of the veterinary caseload and previous research has suggested these consultations are fundamentally different from those in which the animal is presented for a specific health problem. There has been recent controversy around some aspects of preventive medicine for cats and dogs, and the full health benefits of the preventive-medicine consultation remain unclear. The aim of this study was to compare characteristics of the consultation and the problems discussed during the consultation between preventive-medicine consultations and other types of consultations. Data were gathered during direct observation of small-animal consultations in seven first-opinion practices in the United Kingdom. Data collected included type of clinical examination performed, patient signalment, and details of all problems discussed (including whether the problem was presenting or non-presenting, new or pre-existing, who had raised the problem, body system affected and whether an action was taken). A two-level multivariable logistic-regression model was developed, with canine and feline patients at Level 1 nested within consulting veterinary surgeons at Level 2, and a binary outcome variable of preventive-medicine consultation versus specific health-problem consultation. A total of 1807 patients were presented, of which 690 (38.2%) presented for a preventive-medicine consultation. Dogs were the most frequently presented species (n=1168; 64.6%) followed by cats (n=510; 28.2%), rabbits (n=86; 4.8%) and patients of other species (n=43; 2.4%). The five variables remaining in the multi-level model were whether multiple patients were presented, patient age, clinical examination type, weighing and number of problems discussed. Species, breed, sex, neutering status and practice did not remain in the final model. Many non-presenting problems, including both preventive-medicine problems and specific-health problems, were discussed and

Direct Sulfation of Limestone

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Guilin; Dam-Johansen, Kim; Wedel, Stig

2007-01-01

The direct sulfation of limestone was studied in a laboratory fixed-bed reactor. It is found that the direct sulfation of limestone involves nucleation and crystal grain growth of the solid product (anhydrite). At 823 K and at low-conversions (less than about 0.5 %), the influences of SO2, O-2...... and CO2 on the direct sulfation of limestone corresponds to apparent reaction orders of about 0.2, 0.2 and -0.5, respectively. Water is observed to promote the sulfation reaction and increase the apparent reaction orders of SO2 and O-2. The influence of O-2 at high O-2 concentrations (> about 15...... %) becomes negligible. In the temperature interval from 723 K to 973 K, an apparent activation energy of about 104 kJ/mol is observed for the direct sulfation of limestone. At low temperatures and low conversions, the sulfation process is most likely under mixed control by chemical reaction and solid...

Direct observation of vibrational energy dispersal via methyl torsions.

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, Adrian M; Tuttle, William D; Whalley, Laura E; Wright, Timothy G

2018-02-28

Explicit evidence for the role of methyl rotor levels in promoting energy dispersal is reported. A set of coupled zero-order vibration/vibration-torsion (vibtor) levels in the S 1 state of para -fluorotoluene ( p FT) are investigated. Two-dimensional laser-induced fluorescence (2D-LIF) and two-dimensional zero-kinetic-energy (2D-ZEKE) spectra are reported, and the assignment of the main features in both sets of spectra reveals that the methyl torsion is instrumental in providing a route for coupling between vibrational levels of different symmetry classes. We find that there is very localized, and selective, dissipation of energy via doorway states, and that, in addition to an increase in the density of states, a critical role of the methyl group is a relaxation of symmetry constraints compared to direct vibrational coupling.

Advancing Patient-Centered Care in Tuberculosis Management: A Mixed-Methods Appraisal of Video Directly Observed Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Holzman, Samuel B; Zenilman, Avi; Shah, Maunank

2018-04-01

Directly observed therapy (DOT) remains an integral component of treatment support and adherence monitoring in tuberculosis care. In-person DOT is resource intensive and often burdensome for patients. Video DOT (vDOT) has been proposed as an alternative to increase treatment flexibility and better meet patient-specific needs. We conducted a pragmatic, prospective pilot implementation of vDOT at 3 TB clinics in Maryland. A mixed-methods approach was implemented to assess (1) effectiveness, (2) acceptability, and (3) cost. Medication adherence on vDOT was compared with that of in-person DOT. Interviews and surveys were conducted with patients and providers before and after implementation, with framework analysis utilized to extract salient themes. Last, a cost analysis assessed the economic impacts of vDOT implementation across heterogeneous clinic structures. Medication adherence on vDOT was comparable to that of in-person DOT (94% vs 98%, P = .17), with a higher percentage of total treatment doses (inclusive of weekend/holiday self-administration) ultimately observed during the vDOT period (72% vs 66%, P = .03). Video DOT was well received by staff and patients alike, who cited increased treatment flexibility, convenience, and patient privacy. Our cost analysis estimated a savings with vDOT of $1391 per patient for a standard 6-month treatment course. Video DOT is an acceptable and important option for measurement of TB treatment adherence and may allow a higher proportion of prescribed treatment doses to be observed, compared with in-person DOT. Video DOT may be cost-saving and should be considered as a component of individualized, patient-centered case management plans.

Directional clustering in highest energy cosmic rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldberg, Haim; Weiler, Thomas J.

2001-01-01

An unexpected degree of small-scale clustering is observed in highest-energy cosmic ray events. Some directional clustering can be expected due to purely statistical fluctuations for sources distributed randomly in the sky. This creates a background for events originating in clustered sources. We derive analytic formulas to estimate the probability of random cluster configurations, and use these formulas to study the strong potential of the HiRes, Auger, Telescope Array and EUSO-OWL-AirWatch facilities for deciding whether any observed clustering is most likely due to nonrandom sources. For a detailed comparison to data, our analytical approach cannot compete with Monte Carlo simulations, including experimental systematics. However, our derived formulas do offer two advantages: (i) easy assessment of the significance of any observed clustering, and most importantly, (ii) an explicit dependence of cluster probabilities on the chosen angular bin size

Observing Interstellar and Intergalactic Magnetic Fields

Science.gov (United States)

Han, J. L.

2017-08-01

Observational results of interstellar and intergalactic magnetic fields are reviewed, including the fields in supernova remnants and loops, interstellar filaments and clouds, Hii regions and bubbles, the Milky Way and nearby galaxies, galaxy clusters, and the cosmic web. A variety of approaches are used to investigate these fields. The orientations of magnetic fields in interstellar filaments and molecular clouds are traced by polarized thermal dust emission and starlight polarization. The field strengths and directions along the line of sight in dense clouds and cores are measured by Zeeman splitting of emission or absorption lines. The large-scale magnetic fields in the Milky Way have been best probed by Faraday rotation measures of a large number of pulsars and extragalactic radio sources. The coherent Galactic magnetic fields are found to follow the spiral arms and have their direction reversals in arms and interarm regions in the disk. The azimuthal fields in the halo reverse their directions below and above the Galactic plane. The orientations of organized magnetic fields in nearby galaxies have been observed through polarized synchrotron emission. Magnetic fields in the intracluster medium have been indicated by diffuse radio halos, polarized radio relics, and Faraday rotations of embedded radio galaxies and background sources. Sparse evidence for very weak magnetic fields in the cosmic web is the detection of the faint radio bridge between the Coma cluster and A1367. Future observations should aim at the 3D tomography of the large-scale coherent magnetic fields in our Galaxy and nearby galaxies, a better description of intracluster field properties, and firm detections of intergalactic magnetic fields in the cosmic web.

A STUDY OF CHINESE YUAN (RMB APPRECIATION ACCOMPANYING WITH OTHERS FACTORS INCLUDING FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT (FDI AND THEIR EFFECT ON CHINA ECONOMY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ping-fu (Brian LAI

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The Chinese Yuan (RMB has been on the trend of appreciation over the last decade, and such a trend will likely be continuing for some years over the next decade. According to some scholars in their published literatures, the appreciation of RMB, the influx of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI has been ongoing accompanying the sustained growing economy in mainland China over the past decade. It is believed that the China economy has an implication from some significant factors including appreciation of RMB, interest rate of RMB, inflation and continuous increase of FDI for the next several years. The present study aims to provide an emphasis on investigation into effect on China economy as a result of appreciation of RMB and FDI together with some other factors, and to provide an outlook on the economy in China for the coming decades. First, a review was carried on relevant background information and development history of RMB and FDI. There are many reasons and factors behind leading to the sustained growth in the economy in China in the last decade and such effects were in coverage in the literature review. An overview of the development of RMB exchange mechanism, and other variables including (1 RMB exchange rate, (2 China interest rate, (3 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI, (4 Trade Balance of China, (5 Annual Inflation rate in China, (6 Energy Consumption in China, (7 Foreign Exchange Reserve in China, (8 China wages, (9 China External Debt and (10 China Consumer Price Index, which may have effect on the growth of the economy in China is covered in the literature review conducted in Chapter 2.

The nature of the redshift and directly observed quasar statistics.

Science.gov (United States)

Segal, I E; Nicoll, J F; Wu, P; Zhou, Z

1991-07-01

The nature of the cosmic redshift is one of the most fundamental questions in modern science. Hubble's discovery of the apparent Expansion of the Universe is derived from observations on a small number of galaxies at very low redshifts. Today, quasar redshifts have a range more than 1000 times greater than those in Hubble's sample, and represent more than 100 times as many objects. A recent comprehensive compilation of published measurements provides the basis for a study indicating that quasar observations are not in good agreement with the original predictions of the Expanding Universe theory, but are well fit by the predictions of an alternative theory having fewer adjustable parameters.

Direct comparison of observed magnitude-redshift relations in complete galaxy samples with systematic predictions of alternative redshift-distance laws

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segal, I.E.

1989-01-01

The directly observed average apparent magnitude (or in one case, angular diameter) as a function of redshift in each of a number of large complete galaxy samples is compared with the predictions of hypothetical redshift-distance power laws, as a systematic statistical question. Due account is taken of observational flux limits by an entirely objective and reproducible optimal statistical procedure, and no assumptions are made regarding the distribution of the galaxies in space. The laws considered are of the form z varies as r p , where r denotes the distance, for p = 1, 2 and 3. The comparative fits of the various redshift-distance laws are similar in all the samples. Overall, the cubic law fits better than the linear law, but each shows substantial systematic deviations from observation. The quadratic law fits extremely well except at high redshifts in some of the samples, where no power law fits closely and the correlation of apparent magnitude with redshift is small or negative. In all cases, the luminosity function required for theoretical prediction was estimated from the sample by the non-parametric procedure ROBUST, whose intrinsic neutrality as programmed was checked by comprehensive computer simulations. (author)

Direct Observations of Isoprene Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation in Ambient Cloud Droplets

Science.gov (United States)

Zelenyuk, A.; Bell, D.; Thornton, J. A.; Fast, J. D.; Shrivastava, M. B.; Berg, L. K.; Imre, D. G.; Mei, F.; Shilling, J.; Suski, K. J.; Liu, J.; Tomlinson, J. M.; Wang, J.

2017-12-01

Multiphase chemistry of isoprene photooxidation products has been shown to be one of the major sources of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in the atmosphere. A number of recent studies indicate that aqueous aerosol phase provides a medium for reactive uptake of isoprene photooxidation products, and in particular, isomeric isoprene epoxydiols (IEPOX), with reaction rates and yields being dependent on aerosol acidity, water content, sulfate concentration, and organic coatings. However, very few studies focused on chemistry occurring within actual cloud droplets. We will present data acquired during recent Holistic Interactions of Shallow Clouds, Aerosols, and Land Ecosystems (HI-SCALE) Campaign, which provide direct evidence for IEPOX-SOA formation in cloud droplets. Single particle mass spectrometer, miniSPLAT, and a high-resolution, time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer were used to characterize the composition of aerosol particles and cloud droplet residuals, while a high-resolution, time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-CIMS) was used to characterize gas-phase compounds. We find that the composition of cloud droplet residuals was markedly different than that of aerosol particles sampled outside the cloud. Cloud droplet residuals were comprised of individual particles with high relative fractions of sulfate and nitrate and significant fraction of particles with mass spectra that are nearly identical to those of laboratory-generated IEPOX-SOA particles. The observed cloud-induced formation of IEPOX-SOA was accompanied by simultaneous decrease in measured concentrations of IEPOX and other gas-phase isoprene photooxidation products. Ultimately, the combined cloud, aerosol, and gas-phase measurements conducted during HI-SCALE will be used to develop and evaluate model treatments of aqueous-phase isoprene SOA formation.

Peer Observation of Rounds Leads to Collegial Discussion of Teaching.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, J Rush; Rendón, Patrick; Rao, Deepti

2018-01-01

Faculty in the Division of Hospital Medicine provide most of the clinical teaching for learners at our institution. The majority of these faculty are Assistant Professors with limited formal instruction in clinical teaching. Previous Divisional strategies to improve clinical teaching ability included discussion of effective teaching behaviors, developing written expectations for teaching faculty, and instituting seminars on effective clinical teaching. Heretofore, the Division had not utilized a direct observation exercise. We developed a direct observation exercise to encourage discussion of teaching techniques and contemplation of change. Using a social learning model, we developed a peer-to-peer observation followed by a nonevaluative discussion. We created a tool for describing teaching behaviors in 5 domains that were similar to or different from the usual behavior of the observing peer: learner presentations, team leadership, bedside teaching, professionalism, and other. After the observation, the observing and observed faculty met to discuss observed teaching behaviors. Both faculty members discussed and then recorded any teaching behaviors that they planned to adopt or change. We implemented this intervention in a 22-member Academic Division of Hospital Medicine at a tertiary care medical center in the United States. A high proportion were junior faculty and graduates of our residency program. We reviewed records of 28 of 31 observations that were completed during the initial 9-month period of implementation and later surveyed faculty. The exercise resulted in planned changes in teaching behaviors that included instituting new methods to improve teaching team leadership, triaging of patients seen on rounds, faculty behaviors during oral presentations, giving real-time feedback, use of technology and humor, demonstrating physical examination findings, and modeling professional behaviors. Faculty later reported adoption of new teaching behaviors that were

A direct observation technique for evaluating sclerotium germination by Macrophomina phaseolina and effects of biocontrol materials on survival of sclerotia in soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Pratt, Robert G

2006-08-01

Germination of sclerotia of Macrophomina phaseolina was quantified by direct microscopic observation following application of experimental treatments in vitro and incubation of sclerotia in soil. To assay germination, pieces of agar containing sclerotia were macerated in dilute, liquid cornmeal agar on glass slides; thinly spread; and incubated in a saturated atmosphere for 18-22 h. Germinated sclerotia then were identified by morphological features of germ hyphae. Frequencies of germination were similar in three dilute agar media. Germination was not affected by air-drying sclerotia for 2 weeks, but it was significantly reduced after 4 weeks and greatly reduced or eliminated after 6 or 8 weeks. Survival of sclerotia for 14 days in soil was greatest at 50, 75, and 100% moisture-holding capacity, less at 0 and 25%, and least at 125% (flooded soil). Incorporation of ground poultry litter into soil at 5% by weight reduced survival of sclerotia after 13 days, and incorporation of litter at 10% nearly eliminated it. These results indicate that the direct-observation technique may be used to evaluate animal wastes and other agricultural byproducts for biocontrol activity against sclerotia of M. phaseolina in soil.

Black carbon and West African Monsoon precipitation. Observations and simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, J.; Adams, A.; Zhang, C.; Wang, C.

2009-01-01

We have recently investigated large-scale co-variability between aerosol and precipitation and other meteorological variables in the West African Monsoon (WAM) region using long term satellite observations and reanalysis data. In this study we compared the observational results to a global model simulation including only direct radiative forcing of black carbon (BC). From both observations and model simulations we found that in boreal cold seasons anomalously high African aerosols are associated with significant reductions in cloud amount, cloud top height, and surface precipitation. These results suggest that the observed precipitation reduction in the WAM region is caused by radiative effect of BC. The result also suggests that the BC effect on precipitation is nonlinear. (orig.)

Observed Workplace Incivility toward Women, Perceptions of Interpersonal Injustice, and Observer Occupational Well-Being: Differential Effects for Gender of the Observer

Science.gov (United States)

Miner, Kathi N.; Cortina, Lilia M.

2016-01-01

The present study examined perceptions of interpersonal injustice as a mediator of the relationship between observed incivility toward women at work and employees' occupational well-being. We also examined gender of the observer as a moderator of these mediational relationships. Using online survey data from 1702 (51% women; 92% White) employees, results showed that perceptions of injustice partially mediated the relationship between observed incivility toward women and job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and organizational trust. Men reported greater perceptions of injustice than did women the more they observed the uncivil treatment of women at work, and the indirect effects of observed incivility toward women on well-being were stronger for men compared to women. Observed incivility toward women also had direct relationships with the occupational well-being outcomes over and above the impact mediated through injustice, particularly for women. Specifically, observing incivility toward female coworkers directly related to lowered job satisfaction and perceptions of safety for female bystanders. In addition, although both male and female bystanders reported heightened turnover intentions and lowered trust in the organization with higher levels of observed incivility toward women, these relationships were stronger for female than male observers. Our findings both replicate and extend past research on vicarious workplace incivility toward women. PMID:27242558

Observed Workplace Incivility toward Women, Perceptions of Interpersonal Injustice, and Observer Occupational Well-Being: Differential Effects for Gender of the Observer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathi eMiner

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The present study examined perceptions of interpersonal injustice as a mediator of the relationship between observed incivility toward women at work and employees’ occupational well-being. We also examined gender of the observer as a moderator of these mediational relationships. Using online survey data from 1,702 (51% women; 92% White employees, results showed that perceptions of injustice partially mediated the relationship between observed incivility toward women and job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and organizational trust. Men reported greater perceptions of injustice than did women the more they observed the uncivil treatment of women at work and the indirect effects of observed incivility toward women on well-being were stronger for men compared to women. Observed incivility toward women also had direct relationships with the occupational well-being outcomes over and above the impact mediated through injustice, particularly for women. Specifically, observing incivility toward female coworkers directly related to lowered job satisfaction and perceptions of safety for female bystanders. In addition, although both male and female bystanders reported heightened turnover intentions and lowered trust in the organization with higher levels of observed incivility toward women, these relationships were stronger for female than male observers. Our findings both replicate and extend past research on vicarious workplace incivility toward women.

First Observation of Cross-Beam Energy Transfer Mitigation for Direct-Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion Implosions Using Wavelength Detuning at the National Ignition Facility.

Science.gov (United States)

Marozas, J A; Hohenberger, M; Rosenberg, M J; Turnbull, D; Collins, T J B; Radha, P B; McKenty, P W; Zuegel, J D; Marshall, F J; Regan, S P; Sangster, T C; Seka, W; Campbell, E M; Goncharov, V N; Bowers, M W; Di Nicola, J-M G; Erbert, G; MacGowan, B J; Pelz, L J; Yang, S T

2018-02-23

Cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) results from two-beam energy exchange via seeded stimulated Brillouin scattering, which detrimentally reduces ablation pressure and implosion velocity in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion. Mitigating CBET is demonstrated for the first time in inertial-confinement implosions at the National Ignition Facility by detuning the laser-source wavelengths (±2.3  Å UV) of the interacting beams. We show that, in polar direct-drive, wavelength detuning increases the equatorial region velocity experimentally by 16% and alters the in-flight shell morphology. These experimental observations are consistent with design predictions of radiation-hydrodynamic simulations that indicate a 10% increase in the average ablation pressure.

THE ASSESSMENT OF INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOUNG-CHILDREN WITH A PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER BY MEANS OF BEHAVIOR SCALES WHICH ARE DERIVED FROM DIRECT OBSERVATION

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ALTHAUS, M; MINDERAA, RB; DIENSKE, H

Data obtained by direct observation of 112 3-6-year-old normal children and 31 children with a pervasive developmental disorder aged 3-6 were used to construct behaviour scales by means of simultaneous component analysis. This is a technique for finding behaviour clusters (components) common to

First direct observations linking confined supercritical turbidity currents to their depositional architecture and facies characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Hage, S.; Cartigny, M.; Hughes Clarke, J. E.; Clare, M. A.; Sumner, E.; Hubbard, S. M.; Talling, P.; Lintern, G.; Stacey, C.; Vardy, M. E.; Hunt, J.; Vendettuoli, D.; Yokokawa, M.; Hizzett, J. L.; Vellinga, A. J.; Azpiroz, M.

2017-12-01

Turbidity currents transfer globally significant amounts of sediment via submarine channels from the continental margin to deep submarine fans. Submarine channel inception is thought to result from erosive, supercritical turbidity currents that are common in proximal settings of the marine realm. Recent monitoring of submarine processes have provided the first measurements of supercritical turbidity currents (Hughes Clarke, 2016), demonstrating that they drive the upstream migration of crescentic bedforms in confined submarine channels. Although upstream-migrating bedforms are common in confined channels across the world's oceans, there is considerable debate over the type of deposits that they produce. It is important to understand what types of deposit record these supercritical bedforms to potentially identify them from geological archives. For the first time, we combine direct measurements from supercritical field-scale turbidity currents with the facies and depositional architecture resulting from such flows. We show how the subsurface architecture evolves in a highly active channel at Squamish submarine delta, British Columbia, Canada. Repeated upstream migration of bedforms is found to create two main deposit geometries. First, regular back-stepping beds result from flow deceleration on the slightly-inclined sides of the bedforms. Second, lens-shaped scour fills composed of massive deposits result from erosion of the back-stepping beds by subsequent turbidity currents. We relate our findings to a range of ancient outcrop studies to demonstrate that supercritical flows are common in proximal settings through the geological record. This study provides the first direct observation-based model to identify confined supercritical turbidity currents and their associated upslope-migrating bedforms in the sedimentary record. This is important for correctly identifying the proximal sites of ancient submarine channels that served as past conduits for globally

Uncertainty enabled Sensor Observation Services

Science.gov (United States)

Cornford, Dan; Williams, Matthew; Bastin, Lucy

2010-05-01

Almost all observations of reality are contaminated with errors, which introduce uncertainties into the actual observation result. Such uncertainty is often held to be a data quality issue, and quantification of this uncertainty is essential for the principled exploitation of the observations. Many existing systems treat data quality in a relatively ad-hoc manner, however if the observation uncertainty is a reliable estimate of the error on the observation with respect to reality then knowledge of this uncertainty enables optimal exploitation of the observations in further processes, or decision making. We would argue that the most natural formalism for expressing uncertainty is Bayesian probability theory. In this work we show how the Open Geospatial Consortium Sensor Observation Service can be implemented to enable the support of explicit uncertainty about observations. We show how the UncertML candidate standard is used to provide a rich and flexible representation of uncertainty in this context. We illustrate this on a data set of user contributed weather data where the INTAMAP interpolation Web Processing Service is used to help estimate the uncertainty on the observations of unknown quality, using observations with known uncertainty properties. We then go on to discuss the implications of uncertainty for a range of existing Open Geospatial Consortium standards including SWE common and Observations and Measurements. We discuss the difficult decisions in the design of the UncertML schema and its relation and usage within existing standards and show various options. We conclude with some indications of the likely future directions for UncertML in the context of Open Geospatial Consortium services.

Effect of formative evaluation using direct observation of procedural skills in assessment of postgraduate students of obstetrics and gynecology: Prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Naina; Singh, Namit Kant; Rudra, Samar; Pathak, Swanand

2017-01-01

Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) is a way of evaluating procedural skills through observation in the workplace. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of DOPS in teaching and assessment of postgraduate students and to know the effect of repeated DOPS on improvement of the skills and confidence of the students. In both phases, significant difference was observed between the two groups on first DOPS comparison (1st phase: p=0.000; 2nd phase: p=0.002), with simulation group performing better. Comparison of sixth DOPS in the two groups revealed no difference in both phases, but significant difference on first and sixth DOPS comparison in each group (p=0.000). Repeated DOPS results in improved skills and confidence of students in managing real life obstetric emergencies irrespective of the teaching modality. Repeated DOPS results in improved skills and confidence of students in managing real life obstetric emergencies irrespective of the teaching modality.

Prediction of SEP Peak Proton Intensity Based on CME Speed, Direction and Observations of Associated Solar Phenomena

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, I. G.; Mays, M. L.; Thompson, B. J.; Kwon, R.; Frechette, B. P.

2017-12-01

We assess whether a formula obtained by Richardson et al. (Solar Phys., 289, 3059, 2014; DOI 10.1007/s11207-014-0524-8) relating the intensity of 14-24 MeV protons in a solar energetic particle event at 1 AU to the solar event location and the speed of the associated coronal mass ejection (CME), may be used to "predict" the intensity of a solar energetic particle event. Starting with a subset of several hundred CMEs in the CCMC/SWRC DONKI real-time database (http://kauai.ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov/DONKI/) selected without consideration of whether they were associated with SEP events, we first use the CME speed and direction to predict the proton intensity at Earth or the STEREO spacecraft using this formula. Since most of these CMEs were not in fact associated with SEP events, many "false alarms" result. We then examine whether considering other phenomena which may accompany the CMEs, such as the X-ray flare intensity and the properties of type II and type III radio emissions, may help to reduce the false alarm rate. We also use CME parameters calculated from an ellipsoidal shell fit to multi-spacecraft CME shock observations for a smaller number of events to predict the SEP intensity. We calculate skill scores for each case and assess whether the Richardson et al. (2014) formula, using additional observations to reduce the false alarm rate, has any potential as a SEP prediction tool, assuming that the required observations could be acquired sufficiently rapidly following the onset of the related solar event/CME.

DIRECT OBSERVATIONS OF TETHER-CUTTING RECONNECTION DURING A MAJOR SOLAR EVENT FROM 2014 FEBRUARY 24 TO 25

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Huadong; Zhang, Jun; Yang, Shuhong; Li, Ting [Key Laboratory of Solar Activity, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China); Cheng, Xin [School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Ma, Suli, E-mail: hdchen@nao.cas.cn [College of Science, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao 266580 (China)

2014-12-20

Using multi-wavelength data from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory, we investigated two successive solar flares, a C5.1 confined flare and an X4.9 ejective flare with a halo coronal mass ejection, in NOAA active region 11990 from 2014 February 24 to 25. Before the confined flare onset, EUV brightening beneath the filament was detected. As the flare began, a twisted helical flux rope (FR) wrapping around the filament moved upward and then stopped, and in the meantime an obvious X-ray source below it was observed. Prior to the ejective X4.9 flare, some pre-existing loop structures in the active region interacted with each other, which produced a brightening region beneath the filament. Meanwhile, a small flaring loop appeared below the interaction region and some new helical lines connecting the far ends of the loop structures were gradually formed and continually added into the former twisted FR. Then, due to the resulting imbalance between the magnetic pressure and tension, the new FR, together with the filament, erupted outward. Our observations coincide well with a tether-cutting model, suggesting that the two flares probably have the same triggering mechanism, i.e., tether-cutting reconnection. To our knowledge, this is the first direct observation of tether-cutting reconnection occurring between pre-existing loops in an active region. In the ejective flare case, the erupting filament exhibited an Ω-like kinked structure and underwent an exponential rise after a slow-rise phase, indicating that the kink instability might be also responsible for the eruption initiation.

Sustained ecological observing, how hard can it be?

Science.gov (United States)

Moltmann, T.; Proctor, R.

2016-02-01

Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) is a national scale, sustained observing system that has now been operating for a decade. The direction of IMOS has been strongly influenced by developments in the Global Ocean Observing System, particularly the integration of physical, chemical and biological observing, from open-ocean to coast. In addition to more mature approaches for measuring physical and chemical variables, IMOS has piloted sustained observing of benthic habitats, primary and secondary producers, mid-trophic, and higher trophic level organisms. Observing technologies used include autonomous underwater vehicles, continuous plankton recorders, underway measurements from ships of opportunity, monthly vessel-based sampling, bio-optical sensors on buoys and gliders, echo sounders, acoustic telemetry, bio-logging, noise logging and satellite remote sensing. Increased focus is now being placed on producing valued added products from biological time series, and working with biogeochemical and ecosystem modellers to help reduce model uncertainties, and to get feedback on future design of the observing system. Significant steps have been made towards the long term goal of sustained ecological observing, and important lessons learned along the way.

Direct observations and analyses of dislocation substructures in the α phase of an α/β Ti-alloy formed by nanoindentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viswanathan, G.B.; Lee, Eunha; Maher, Dennis M.; Banerjee, S.; Fraser, Hamish L.

2005-01-01

The hardness of α-titanium grains as a function of both indentation depth and orientation has been assessed using nanoindentation. Direct observations and analyses of the dislocation substructures have been achieved by cutting thin-foil membranes exactly through given indents with a dual-beam focused-ion-beam instrument and from diffraction-contrast experiments in a transmission electron microscope. It was found, as expected, that the hardness varied with the depth of indentation. Regarding the orientation dependence of hardness, the nature of the statistically stored dislocations as well as that of the geometrically necessary dislocations has been identified. Thus, the occurrence of the majority of the former dislocations can be predicted on the basis of Schmid's law, while noting the presence of minor densities of other dislocations required presumably because of the arbitrary shape change imposed by the nanoindenter. The geometrically necessary dislocations have been identified as the appropriate combinations of slip dislocations such that an overall displacement parallel to the direction of the indentation results

Determining the direction of tooth grinding: an in vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

ten Berge, F; te Poel, J; Ranjitkar, S; Kaidonis, J A; Lobbezoo, F; Hughes, T E; Townsend, G C

2012-08-01

The analysis of microwear patterns, including scratch types and widths, has enabled reconstruction of the dietary habits and lifestyles of prehistoric and modern humans. The aim of this in vitro study was to determine whether an assessment of microwear features of experimental scratches placed on enamel, perpendicularly to the direction of grinding, could predict the grinding direction. Experimental scratches were placed using a scalpel blade on standardised wear facets that had been prepared by wearing opposing enamel surfaces in an electromechanical tooth wear machine. These control 'baseline' facets (with unworn experimental scratches) were subjected to 50 wear cycles, so that differential microwear could be observed on the leading and trailing edges of the 'final' facets. In Group 1 (n=28), the 'footprint' microwear patterns corresponding to the known grinding direction of specimens in the tooth wear machine were identified. Then, they were used to predict the direction of tooth grinding blindly in the same sample after a 2-week intermission period. To avoid overfitting the predictive model, its sensitivity was also cross-validated in a new sample (Group 2, n=14). A crescent-shaped characteristic observed in most experimental scratches matched the grinding direction on all occasions. The best predictor of the direction of grinding was a combined assessment of the leading edge microwear pattern and the crescent characteristic (82.1% in Group 1 and 92.9% in Group 2). In conclusion, a simple scratch test can determine the direction of tooth grinding with high reliability, although further improvement in sensitivity is desirable. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Testing a direction-dependent primordial power spectrum with observations of the cosmic microwave background

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Yinzhe; Efstathiou, George; Challinor, Anthony

2011-01-01

Statistical isotropy is often assumed in cosmology and should be tested rigorously against observational data. We construct simple quadratic estimators to reconstruct asymmetry in the primordial power spectrum from CMB temperature and polarization data and verify their accuracy using simulations with quadrupole power asymmetry. We show that the Planck mission, with its millions of signal-dominated modes of the temperature anisotropy, should be able to constrain the amplitude of any spherical multipole of a scale-invariant quadrupole asymmetry at the 0.01 level (2σ). Almost independent constraints can be obtained from polarization at the 0.03 level after four full-sky surveys, providing an important consistency test. If the amplitude of the asymmetry is large enough, constraining its scale dependence should become possible. In scale-free quadrupole models with 1% asymmetry, consistent with the current limits from WMAP temperature data (after correction for beam asymmetries), Planck should constrain the spectral index q of power-law departures from asymmetry to Δq=0.3. Finally, we show how to constrain models with axisymmetry in the same framework. For scale-free quadrupole models, Planck should constrain the direction of the asymmetry to a 1σ accuracy of about 2 degrees using one year of temperature data.

Direct observations of the 3D pore network of a Callovo-Oxfordian clay-stone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinet, J.C.; Talandier, J.; Davy, C.A.; Ghayaza, M.; Skoczylas, F.; Troadec, D.; Sardini, P.

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Long term deep underground storage of radioactive nuclear waste is planned in the East of France within an argillaceous rock layer (the host rock), also called argillite, situated at ca. 450-500 m depth. Andra, the French national agency for nuclear waste management, is in charge of assessing the feasibility, the safety and the performance of this underground disposal. The drilling of storage tunnels generates an Excavated Damaged Zone (EDZ), where argillite is macro-cracked in various locations. This requires strengthening by different means, e.g. shotcrete or pre-fabricated concrete arches. It is also expected that underground water seepage will contribute to argillite sealing: mainly self-sealing, and sealing at the interface with concrete. Sealing phenomena include crystalline swelling of smectitic clay components of argillite and inter-particle swelling of clay minerals due to osmosis mechanisms. Small scale pores and mineral organisation of the COx clay-stone are widely acknowledged to control transfer properties of water, gas and varied solutes. In order to assess these properties, the COx small-scale structure has been imaged down to micrometric resolution by various means, including classical Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray computed microtomography and autoradiography. To go further into pore and mineral characterisation of COx clay-stone, the following investigations are currently under way: (i) acquiring/quantifying the 3D geometry of the pore network of undisturbed COx with a nano-metric resolution and (ii) imaging/quantifying the small-scale (mm-nm) structure of self-sealed volumes. The FIB (Focused Ion Beam) /SEM technique allows performing 3D observations of solid volumes of ca. a few microns, with a resolution of about ten nanometers, by acquiring and computing regularly spaced 2D SEM images. This technique provides quantification of the 3D spatial distribution mainly of macro- and meso

Tracking the direct impact of rainfall on groundwater at Mt. Fuji by multiple analyses including microbial DNA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Sugiyama

2018-02-01

Full Text Available A total of 2 to 3 million tons of spring water flushes out from the foot of Mt. Fuji, the largest volcanic mountain in Japan. Based on the concept of piston flow transport, residence time of stored groundwater at Mt. Fuji was estimated at  ∼  15–30 years by the 36Cl ∕ Cl ratio (Tosaki et al., 2011. This range, however, represents the average residence time of groundwater that was mixed before it flushed out. To elucidate the route of groundwater in a given system, we determined signatures of direct impacts of rainfall on groundwater, using microbial, stable isotopic (δ18O, and chemical analyses (concentration of silica. Chemical analysis of the groundwater gave an average value of the water, which was already mixed with waters from various sources and routes in the subsurface environment. The microbial analysis suggested locations of water origin and paths. In situ observation during four rainfall events revealed that the stable oxygen isotopic signature obtained from spring water (at 726 m a.s.l., site SP-0 m and shallow groundwater (at 150 m a.s.l., site GW-42 m, where the average recharge height from rainfall was 1700–1800 m, became greater than values observed prior to a torrential rain producing more than 300 mm of precipitation. The concentration of silica decreased after this event. In addition, the abundance of Bacteria in spring water increased, suggesting the influence of heavy rain. Such changes did not appear when rainfall was less than 100 mm per event. The above findings indicate a rapid flow of rain through the shallow part of the aquifer, which appeared within a few weeks of torrential rain extracting abundant microbes from soil in the studied geologic setting. Interestingly, we found that after the torrential rain, the abundance of Archaea increased in the deep groundwater at site GW-550 m,  ∼  12 km downstream of SP-0 m. However, chemical parameters did not show any change

The colour of thermal noise in classical Brownian motion: a feasibility study of direct experimental observation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berg-Soerensen, Kirstine; Flyvbjerg, Henrik

2005-01-01

One hundred years after Einstein modelled Brownian motion, a central aspect of this motion in incompressible fluids has not been verified experimentally: the thermal noise that drives the Brownian particle, is not white, as in Einstein's simple theory. It is slightly coloured, due to hydrodynamics and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem. This theoretical result from the 1970s was prompted by computer simulation results in apparent violation of Einstein's theory. We discuss how a direct experimental observation of this colour might be carried out by using optical tweezers to separate the thermal noise from the particle's dynamic response to it. Since the thermal noise is almost white, very good statistics is necessary to resolve its colour. That requires stable equipment and long recording times, possibly making this experiment one for the future only. We give results for experimental requirements and for stochastic errors as functions of experimental window and measurement time, and discuss some potential sources of systematic errors

Observation and control of blinking nitrogen-vacancy centres in discrete nanodiamonds.

Science.gov (United States)

Bradac, C; Gaebel, T; Naidoo, N; Sellars, M J; Twamley, J; Brown, L J; Barnard, A S; Plakhotnik, T; Zvyagin, A V; Rabeau, J R

2010-05-01

Nitrogen-vacancy colour centres in diamond can undergo strong, spin-sensitive optical transitions under ambient conditions, which makes them attractive for applications in quantum optics, nanoscale magnetometry and biolabelling. Although nitrogen-vacancy centres have been observed in aggregated detonation nanodiamonds and milled nanodiamonds, they have not been observed in very small isolated nanodiamonds. Here, we report the first direct observation of nitrogen-vacancy centres in discrete 5-nm nanodiamonds at room temperature, including evidence for intermittency in the luminescence (blinking) from the nanodiamonds. We also show that it is possible to control this blinking by modifying the surface of the nanodiamonds.

Study of direct Cp violation in B decay into vector mesons including rho zero-omega mixing in the framework of the LHCb experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rimbault, C.

2004-02-01

ρ 0 - ω mixing effect on direct CP violation in B decay into vector mesons is one of the main studies of this work. The first part is dedicated to the calculation of the decay amplitudes of the channels B → Vρ 0 (ω) which have been represented by a model. We have used the helicity formalism. In such a way branching ratios and asymmetries depending on form factor models and other parameters are predicted. Direct CP violation appears at several levels: in branching ratios, in angular distributions and in differential asymmetry as a function of ρ 0 - ω mass. The dominance of the longitudinal polarization in the studied channels is confirmed by Babar and Belle experimental results. We calculated too the strong phase and the ratio of Penguin to Tree amplitudes for each channel. In a second part, was developed an analysis of the channel B 0 → K *0 ρ 0 (ω) in the framework of LHCb experiment. It will start in 2007 and is dedicated to b flavor study and CP violation. The realistic analysis which has been performed shows that this channel is not appropriate to observe ρ 0 - ω mixing effect on asymmetry in LHCb, while the ρ + ρ 0 (ω) channel, for which we have predicted a branching ratio value confirmed by Babar and Belle, is much more promising. (author)

Removal of trichloroethylene DNAPL trapped in porous media using nanoscale zerovalent iron and bimetallic nanoparticles: Direct observation and quantification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Qiliang [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), 261 Cheomdan-gwagiro, Buk-gu, 500-712 Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Seung-Woo, E-mail: swjeong@kunsan.ac.kr [Department of Environmental Engineering, Kunsan National University, Kunsan 550-701 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Heechul, E-mail: hcchoi@gist.ac.kr [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), 261 Cheomdan-gwagiro, Buk-gu, 500-712 Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

2012-04-30

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer TCE DNAPL removal inside pores using NZVI or bimetals in a 2-D system was visualized. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Presence of nitrate and humic substances decrease the TCE DNAPL removal efficiency. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Presence of ethanol increases the TCE DNAPL removal efficiency. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Metal catalysts enhance the TCE DNAPL removal using NZVI in a short term reaction. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Metal catalysts do not increase the DNAPL removal efficiency for a long term reaction. - Abstract: Direct trichloroethylene (TCE) dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) removal inside pore areas using nanoscale zerovalent iron (NZVI) and bimetallic nanoparticles were first investigated in a water-saturated porous glass micromodel. Effects of nitrate, aqueous ethanol co-solvent, humic substance, and elapsed time on TCE DNAPL removal using NZVI were studied by direct visualization. The removal efficiency was then quantified by directly measuring the remaining TCE DNAPL blobs area using an image analyzer. As ethanol content of co-solvent increased, TCE DNAPL removal by NZVI was also increased implying sequential TCE DNAPL removal mechanisms: as dissolved TCE was degraded by NZVI, TCE dissolution from TCE blobs would be then facilitated and the TCE blob areas would be eventually reduced. The presence of nitrate and humic substance hindered the NZVI reactivity for the TCE DNAPL removal. In contrast, the TCE DNAPL removal efficiency was enhanced using bimetallic nanoparticles in a short-term reaction by generating atomic hydrogen for catalytic hydro-dechlorination. However, all TCE DNAPL removal efficiencies reached the same level after long-term reaction using both NZVI and bimetallic nanoparticles. Direct TCE DNAPL observation clearly implied that TCE blobs existed for long time even though all TCE blobs were fully exposed to NZVI and bimetallic nanoparticles.

Removal of trichloroethylene DNAPL trapped in porous media using nanoscale zerovalent iron and bimetallic nanoparticles: Direct observation and quantification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Qiliang; Jeong, Seung-Woo; Choi, Heechul

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► TCE DNAPL removal inside pores using NZVI or bimetals in a 2-D system was visualized. ► Presence of nitrate and humic substances decrease the TCE DNAPL removal efficiency. ► Presence of ethanol increases the TCE DNAPL removal efficiency. ► Metal catalysts enhance the TCE DNAPL removal using NZVI in a short term reaction. ► Metal catalysts do not increase the DNAPL removal efficiency for a long term reaction. - Abstract: Direct trichloroethylene (TCE) dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) removal inside pore areas using nanoscale zerovalent iron (NZVI) and bimetallic nanoparticles were first investigated in a water-saturated porous glass micromodel. Effects of nitrate, aqueous ethanol co-solvent, humic substance, and elapsed time on TCE DNAPL removal using NZVI were studied by direct visualization. The removal efficiency was then quantified by directly measuring the remaining TCE DNAPL blobs area using an image analyzer. As ethanol content of co-solvent increased, TCE DNAPL removal by NZVI was also increased implying sequential TCE DNAPL removal mechanisms: as dissolved TCE was degraded by NZVI, TCE dissolution from TCE blobs would be then facilitated and the TCE blob areas would be eventually reduced. The presence of nitrate and humic substance hindered the NZVI reactivity for the TCE DNAPL removal. In contrast, the TCE DNAPL removal efficiency was enhanced using bimetallic nanoparticles in a short-term reaction by generating atomic hydrogen for catalytic hydro-dechlorination. However, all TCE DNAPL removal efficiencies reached the same level after long-term reaction using both NZVI and bimetallic nanoparticles. Direct TCE DNAPL observation clearly implied that TCE blobs existed for long time even though all TCE blobs were fully exposed to NZVI and bimetallic nanoparticles.

Events per variable for risk differences and relative risks using pseudo-observations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Stefan Nygaard; Andersen, Per Kragh; Parner, Erik Thorlund

2014-01-01

A method based on pseudo-observations has been proposed for direct regression modeling of functionals of interest with right-censored data, including the survival function, the restricted mean and the cumulative incidence function in competing risks. The models, once the pseudo-observations have...... been computed, can be fitted using standard generalized estimating equation software. Regression models can however yield problematic results if the number of covariates is large in relation to the number of events observed. Guidelines of events per variable are often used in practice. These rules...

Direct observation of strong localization of quasi-two-dimensional light waves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bozhevolnyi, Sergey I.

1999-01-01

Scattering of surface plasmon polaritons on rough metal surfaces is investigated by using scanning near-field optical microscopy. Different scattering regimes, i.e. single, double and multiple scattering, are observed and related to the spatial Fourier spectra of the corresponding near-field opti...... caused by surface roughness. Similar bright light spots are observed with light scattering by silver colloid clusters deposited on glass substrates. Differences and similarities in these scattering phenomena are discussed....

Some observations concerning the direct titration of nitrite with cerium(IV)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muralikrishna, U.; Subrahmanyam, K.; Suryanarayana, M.V.S.; Krishnamurthy, M.

1983-01-01

Direct titration of nitrite with cerium(IV), with ferroin as indicator, is shown to give satisfactory results if the acidity is kept between 0.033 and 0.055 M at the end-point. Loss of nitrous acid owing to volatilization and decomposition is discussed. From 10 to 60 mg of sodium nitrite can be estimated with a standard deviation of 5 μg and an average error of 0.2%. (author)

Directional Limits on Persistent Gravitational Waves from Advanced LIGO's First Observing Run.

Science.gov (United States)

Abbott, B P; Abbott, R; Abbott, T D; Abernathy, M R; Acernese, F; Ackley, K; Adams, C; Adams, T; Addesso, P; Adhikari, R X; Adya, V B; Affeldt, C; Agathos, M; Agatsuma, K; Aggarwal, N; Aguiar, O D; Aiello, L; Ain, A; Ajith, P; Allen, B; Allocca, A; Altin, P A; Ananyeva, A; Anderson, S B; Anderson, W G; Appert, S; Arai, K; Araya, M C; Areeda, J S; Arnaud, N; Arun, K G; Ascenzi, S; Ashton, G; Ast, M; Aston, S M; Astone, P; Aufmuth, P; Aulbert, C; Avila-Alvarez, A; Babak, S; Bacon, P; Bader, M K M; Baker, P T; Baldaccini, F; Ballardin, G; Ballmer, S W; Barayoga, J C; Barclay, S E; Barish, B C; Barker, D; Barone, F; Barr, B; Barsotti, L; Barsuglia, M; Barta, D; Bartlett, J; Bartos, I; Bassiri, R; Basti, A; Batch, J C; Baune, C; Bavigadda, V; Bazzan, M; Beer, C; Bejger, M; Belahcene, I; Belgin, M; Bell, A S; Berger, B K; Bergmann, G; Berry, C P L; Bersanetti, D; Bertolini, A; Betzwieser, J; Bhagwat, S; Bhandare, R; Bilenko, I A; Billingsley, G; Billman, C R; Birch, J; Birney, R; Birnholtz, O; Biscans, S; Biscoveanu, A S; Bisht, A; Bitossi, M; Biwer, C; Bizouard, M A; Blackburn, J K; Blackman, J; Blair, C D; Blair, D G; Blair, R M; Bloemen, S; Bock, O; Boer, M; Bogaert, G; Bohe, A; Bondu, F; Bonnand, R; Boom, B A; Bork, R; Boschi, V; Bose, S; Bouffanais, Y; Bozzi, A; Bradaschia, C; Brady, P R; Braginsky, V B; Branchesi, M; Brau, J E; Briant, T; Brillet, A; Brinkmann, M; Brisson, V; Brockill, P; Broida, J E; Brooks, A F; Brown, D A; Brown, D D; Brown, N M; Brunett, S; Buchanan, C C; Buikema, A; Bulik, T; Bulten, H J; Buonanno, A; Buskulic, D; Buy, C; Byer, R L; Cabero, M; Cadonati, L; Cagnoli, G; Cahillane, C; Calderón Bustillo, J; Callister, T A; Calloni, E; Camp, J B; Campbell, W; Canepa, M; Cannon, K C; Cao, H; Cao, J; Capano, C D; Capocasa, E; Carbognani, F; Caride, S; Casanueva Diaz, J; Casentini, C; Caudill, S; Cavaglià, M; Cavalier, F; Cavalieri, R; Cella, G; Cepeda, C B; Cerboni Baiardi, L; Cerretani, G; Cesarini, E; Chamberlin, S J; Chan, M; Chao, S; Charlton, P; Chassande-Mottin, E; Cheeseboro, B D; Chen, H Y; Chen, Y; Cheng, H-P; Chincarini, A; Chiummo, A; Chmiel, T; Cho, H S; Cho, M; Chow, J H; Christensen, N; Chu, Q; Chua, A J K; Chua, S; Chung, S; Ciani, G; Clara, F; Clark, J A; Cleva, F; Cocchieri, C; Coccia, E; Cohadon, P-F; Colla, A; Collette, C G; Cominsky, L; Constancio, M; Conti, L; Cooper, S J; Corbitt, T R; Cornish, N; Corsi, A; Cortese, S; Costa, C A; Coughlin, E; Coughlin, M W; Coughlin, S B; Coulon, J-P; Countryman, S T; Couvares, P; Covas, P B; Cowan, E E; Coward, D M; Cowart, M J; Coyne, D C; Coyne, R; Creighton, J D E; Creighton, T D; Cripe, J; Crowder, S G; Cullen, T J; Cumming, A; Cunningham, L; Cuoco, E; Dal Canton, T; Danilishin, S L; D'Antonio, S; Danzmann, K; Dasgupta, A; Da Silva Costa, C F; Dattilo, V; Dave, I; Davier, M; Davies, G S; Davis, D; Daw, E J; Day, B; Day, R; De, S; DeBra, D; Debreczeni, G; Degallaix, J; De Laurentis, M; Deléglise, S; Del Pozzo, W; Denker, T; Dent, T; Dergachev, V; De Rosa, R; DeRosa, R T; DeSalvo, R; Devenson, J; Devine, R C; Dhurandhar, S; Díaz, M C; Di Fiore, L; Di Giovanni, M; Di Girolamo, T; Di Lieto, A; Di Pace, S; Di Palma, I; Di Virgilio, A; Doctor, Z; Dolique, V; Donovan, F; Dooley, K L; Doravari, S; Dorrington, I; Douglas, R; Dovale Álvarez, M; Downes, T P; Drago, M; Drever, R W P; Driggers, J C; Du, Z; Ducrot, M; Dwyer, S E; Edo, T B; Edwards, M C; Effler, A; Eggenstein, H-B; Ehrens, P; Eichholz, J; Eikenberry, S S; Essick, R C; Etienne, Z; Etzel, T; Evans, M; Evans, T M; Everett, R; Factourovich, M; Fafone, V; Fair, H; Fairhurst, S; Fan, X; Farinon, S; Farr, B; Farr, W M; Fauchon-Jones, E J; Favata, M; Fays, M; Fehrmann, H; Fejer, M M; Fernández Galiana, A; Ferrante, I; Ferreira, E C; Ferrini, F; Fidecaro, F; Fiori, I; Fiorucci, D; Fisher, R P; Flaminio, R; Fletcher, M; Fong, H; Forsyth, S S; Fournier, J-D; Frasca, S; Frasconi, F; Frei, Z; Freise, A; Frey, R; Frey, V; Fries, E M; Fritschel, P; Frolov, V V; Fulda, P; Fyffe, M; Gabbard, H; Gadre, B U; Gaebel, S M; Gair, J R; Gammaitoni, L; Gaonkar, S G; Garufi, F; Gaur, G; Gayathri, V; Gehrels, N; Gemme, G; Genin, E; Gennai, A; George, J; Gergely, L; Germain, V; Ghonge, S; Ghosh, Abhirup; Ghosh, Archisman; Ghosh, S; Giaime, J A; Giardina, K D; Giazotto, A; Gill, K; Glaefke, A; Goetz, E; Goetz, R; Gondan, L; González, G; Gonzalez Castro, J M; Gopakumar, A; Gorodetsky, M L; Gossan, S E; Gosselin, M; Gouaty, R; Grado, A; Graef, C; Granata, M; Grant, A; Gras, S; Gray, C; Greco, G; Green, A C; Groot, P; Grote, H; Grunewald, S; Guidi, G M; Guo, X; Gupta, A; Gupta, M K; Gushwa, K E; Gustafson, E K; Gustafson, R; Hacker, J J; Hall, B R; Hall, E D; Hammond, G; Haney, M; Hanke, M M; Hanks, J; Hanna, C; Hannam, M D; Hanson, J; Hardwick, T; Harms, J; Harry, G M; Harry, I W; Hart, M J; Hartman, M T; Haster, C-J; Haughian, K; Healy, J; Heidmann, A; Heintze, M C; Heitmann, H; Hello, P; Hemming, G; Hendry, M; Heng, I S; Hennig, J; Henry, J; Heptonstall, A W; Heurs, M; Hild, S; Hoak, D; Hofman, D; Holt, K; Holz, D E; Hopkins, P; Hough, J; Houston, E A; Howell, E J; Hu, Y M; Huerta, E A; Huet, D; Hughey, B; Husa, S; Huttner, S H; Huynh-Dinh, T; Indik, N; Ingram, D R; Inta, R; Isa, H N; Isac, J-M; Isi, M; Isogai, T; Iyer, B R; Izumi, K; Jacqmin, T; Jani, K; Jaranowski, P; Jawahar, S; Jiménez-Forteza, F; Johnson, W W; Jones, D I; Jones, R; Jonker, R J G; Ju, L; Junker, J; Kalaghatgi, C V; Kalogera, V; Kandhasamy, S; Kang, G; Kanner, J B; Karki, S; Karvinen, K S; Kasprzack, M; Katsavounidis, E; Katzman, W; Kaufer, S; Kaur, T; Kawabe, K; Kéfélian, F; Keitel, D; Kelley, D B; Kennedy, R; Key, J S; Khalili, F Y; Khan, I; Khan, S; Khan, Z; Khazanov, E A; Kijbunchoo, N; Kim, Chunglee; Kim, J C; Kim, Whansun; Kim, W; Kim, Y-M; Kimbrell, S J; King, E J; King, P J; Kirchhoff, R; Kissel, J S; Klein, B; Kleybolte, L; Klimenko, S; Koch, P; Koehlenbeck, S M; Koley, S; Kondrashov, V; Kontos, A; Korobko, M; Korth, W Z; Kowalska, I; Kozak, D B; Krämer, C; Kringel, V; Królak, A; Kuehn, G; Kumar, P; Kumar, R; Kuo, L; Kutynia, A; Lackey, B D; Landry, M; Lang, R N; Lange, J; Lantz, B; Lanza, R K; Lartaux-Vollard, A; Lasky, P D; Laxen, M; Lazzarini, A; Lazzaro, C; Leaci, P; Leavey, S; Lebigot, E O; Lee, C H; Lee, H K; Lee, H M; Lee, K; Lehmann, J; Lenon, A; Leonardi, M; Leong, J R; Leroy, N; Letendre, N; Levin, Y; Li, T G F; Libson, A; Littenberg, T B; Liu, J; Lockerbie, N A; Lombardi, A L; London, L T; Lord, J E; Lorenzini, M; Loriette, V; Lormand, M; Losurdo, G; Lough, J D; Lousto, C O; Lovelace, G; Lück, H; Lundgren, A P; Lynch, R; Ma, Y; Macfoy, S; Machenschalk, B; MacInnis, M; Macleod, D M; Magaña-Sandoval, F; Majorana, E; Maksimovic, I; Malvezzi, V; Man, N; Mandic, V; Mangano, V; Mansell, G L; Manske, M; Mantovani, M; Marchesoni, F; Marion, F; Márka, S; Márka, Z; Markosyan, A S; Maros, E; Martelli, F; Martellini, L; Martin, I W; Martynov, D V; Mason, K; Masserot, A; Massinger, T J; Masso-Reid, M; Mastrogiovanni, S; Matas, A; Matichard, F; Matone, L; Mavalvala, N; Mazumder, N; McCarthy, R; McClelland, D E; McCormick, S; McGrath, C; McGuire, S C; McIntyre, G; McIver, J; McManus, D J; McRae, T; McWilliams, S T; Meacher, D; Meadors, G D; Meidam, J; Melatos, A; Mendell, G; Mendoza-Gandara, D; Mercer, R A; Merilh, E L; Merzougui, M; Meshkov, S; Messenger, C; Messick, C; Metzdorff, R; Meyers, P M; Mezzani, F; Miao, H; Michel, C; Middleton, H; Mikhailov, E E; Milano, L; Miller, A L; Miller, A; Miller, B B; Miller, J; Millhouse, M; Minenkov, Y; Ming, J; Mirshekari, S; Mishra, C; Mitra, S; Mitrofanov, V P; Mitselmakher, G; Mittleman, R; Moggi, A; Mohan, M; Mohapatra, S R P; Montani, M; Moore, B C; Moore, C J; Moraru, D; Moreno, G; Morriss, S R; Mours, B; Mow-Lowry, C M; Mueller, G; Muir, A W; Mukherjee, Arunava; Mukherjee, D; Mukherjee, S; Mukund, N; Mullavey, A; Munch, J; Muniz, E A M; Murray, P G; Mytidis, A; Napier, K; Nardecchia, I; Naticchioni, L; Nelemans, G; Nelson, T J N; Neri, M; Nery, M; Neunzert, A; Newport, J M; Newton, G; Nguyen, T T; Nielsen, A B; Nissanke, S; Nitz, A; Noack, A; Nocera, F; Nolting, D; Normandin, M E N; Nuttall, L K; Oberling, J; Ochsner, E; Oelker, E; Ogin, G H; Oh, J J; Oh, S H; Ohme, F; Oliver, M; Oppermann, P; Oram, Richard J; O'Reilly, B; O'Shaughnessy, R; Ottaway, D J; Overmier, H; Owen, B J; Pace, A E; Page, J; Pai, A; Pai, S A; Palamos, J R; Palashov, O; Palomba, C; Pal-Singh, A; Pan, H; Pankow, C; Pannarale, F; Pant, B C; Paoletti, F; Paoli, A; Papa, M A; Paris, H R; Parker, W; Pascucci, D; Pasqualetti, A; Passaquieti, R; Passuello, D; Patricelli, B; Pearlstone, B L; Pedraza, M; Pedurand, R; Pekowsky, L; Pele, A; Penn, S; Perez, C J; Perreca, A; Perri, L M; Pfeiffer, H P; Phelps, M; Piccinni, O J; Pichot, M; Piergiovanni, F; Pierro, V; Pillant, G; Pinard, L; Pinto, I M; Pitkin, M; Poe, M; Poggiani, R; Popolizio, P; Post, A; Powell, J; Prasad, J; Pratt, J W W; Predoi, V; Prestegard, T; Prijatelj, M; Principe, M; Privitera, S; Prodi, G A; Prokhorov, L G; Puncken, O; Punturo, M; Puppo, P; Pürrer, M; Qi, H; Qin, J; Qiu, S; Quetschke, V; Quintero, E A; Quitzow-James, R; Raab, F J; Rabeling, D S; Radkins, H; Raffai, P; Raja, S; Rajan, C; Rakhmanov, M; Rapagnani, P; Raymond, V; Razzano, M; Re, V; Read, J; Regimbau, T; Rei, L; Reid, S; Reitze, D H; Rew, H; Reyes, S D; Rhoades, E; Ricci, F; Riles, K; Rizzo, M; Robertson, N A; Robie, R; Robinet, F; Rocchi, A; Rolland, L; Rollins, J G; Roma, V J; Romano, J D; Romano, R; Romie, J H; Rosińska, D; Rowan, S; Rüdiger, A; Ruggi, P; Ryan, K; Sachdev, S; Sadecki, T; Sadeghian, L; Sakellariadou, M; Salconi, L; Saleem, M; Salemi, F; Samajdar, A; Sammut, L; Sampson, L M; Sanchez, E J; Sandberg, V; Sanders, J R; Sassolas, B; Sathyaprakash, B S; Saulson, P R; Sauter, O; Savage, R L; Sawadsky, A; Schale, P; Scheuer, J; Schlassa, S; Schmidt, E; Schmidt, J; Schmidt, P; Schnabel, R; Schofield, R M S; Schönbeck, A; Schreiber, E; Schuette, D; Schutz, B F; Schwalbe, S G; Scott, J; Scott, S M; Sellers, D; Sengupta, A S; Sentenac, D; Sequino, V; Sergeev, A; Setyawati, Y; Shaddock, D A; Shaffer, T J; Shahriar, M S; Shapiro, B; Shawhan, P; Sheperd, A; Shoemaker, D H; Shoemaker, D M; Siellez, K; Siemens, X; Sieniawska, M; Sigg, D; Silva, A D; Singer, A; Singer, L P; Singh, A; Singh, R; Singhal, A; Sintes, A M; Slagmolen, B J J; Smith, B; Smith, J R; Smith, R J E; Son, E J; Sorazu, B; Sorrentino, F; Souradeep, T; Spencer, A P; Srivastava, A K; Staley, A; Steinke, M; Steinlechner, J; Steinlechner, S; Steinmeyer, D; Stephens, B C; Stevenson, S P; Stone, R; Strain, K A; Straniero, N; Stratta, G; Strigin, S E; Sturani, R; Stuver, A L; Summerscales, T Z; Sun, L; Sunil, S; Sutton, P J; Swinkels, B L; Szczepańczyk, M J; Tacca, M; Talukder, D; Tanner, D B; Tao, D; Tápai, M; Taracchini, A; Taylor, R; Theeg, T; Thomas, E G; Thomas, M; Thomas, P; Thorne, K A; Thrane, E; Tippens, T; Tiwari, S; Tiwari, V; Tokmakov, K V; Toland, K; Tomlinson, C; Tonelli, M; Tornasi, Z; Torrie, C I; Töyrä, D; Travasso, F; Traylor, G; Trifirò, D; Trinastic, J; Tringali, M C; Trozzo, L; Tse, M; Tso, R; Turconi, M; Tuyenbayev, D; Ugolini, D; Unnikrishnan, C S; Urban, A L; Usman, S A; Vahlbruch, H; Vajente, G; Valdes, G; van Bakel, N; van Beuzekom, M; van den Brand, J F J; Van Den Broeck, C; Vander-Hyde, D C; van der Schaaf, L; van Heijningen, J V; van Veggel, A A; Vardaro, M; Varma, V; Vass, S; Vasúth, M; Vecchio, A; Vedovato, G; Veitch, J; Veitch, P J; Venkateswara, K; Venugopalan, G; Verkindt, D; Vetrano, F; Viceré, A; Viets, A D; Vinciguerra, S; Vine, D J; Vinet, J-Y; Vitale, S; Vo, T; Vocca, H; Vorvick, C; Voss, D V; Vousden, W D; Vyatchanin, S P; Wade, A R; Wade, L E; Wade, M; Walker, M; Wallace, L; Walsh, S; Wang, G; Wang, H; Wang, M; Wang, Y; Ward, R L; Warner, J; Was, M; Watchi, J; Weaver, B; Wei, L-W; Weinert, M; Weinstein, A J; Weiss, R; Wen, L; Weßels, P; Westphal, T; Wette, K; Whelan, J T; Whiting, B F; Whittle, C; Williams, D; Williams, R D; Williamson, A R; Willis, J L; Willke, B; Wimmer, M H; Winkler, W; Wipf, C C; Wittel, H; Woan, G; Woehler, J; Worden, J; Wright, J L; Wu, D S; Wu, G; Yam, W; Yamamoto, H; Yancey, C C; Yap, M J; Yu, Hang; Yu, Haocun; Yvert, M; Zadrożny, A; Zangrando, L; Zanolin, M; Zendri, J-P; Zevin, M; Zhang, L; Zhang, M; Zhang, T; Zhang, Y; Zhao, C; Zhou, M; Zhou, Z; Zhu, S J; Zhu, X J; Zucker, M E; Zweizig, J

2017-03-24

We employ gravitational-wave radiometry to map the stochastic gravitational wave background expected from a variety of contributing mechanisms and test the assumption of isotropy using data from the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory's (aLIGO) first observing run. We also search for persistent gravitational waves from point sources with only minimal assumptions over the 20-1726 Hz frequency band. Finding no evidence of gravitational waves from either point sources or a stochastic background, we set limits at 90% confidence. For broadband point sources, we report upper limits on the gravitational wave energy flux per unit frequency in the range F_{α,Θ}(f)<(0.1-56)×10^{-8}    erg cm^{-2} s^{-1} Hz^{-1}(f/25  Hz)^{α-1} depending on the sky location Θ and the spectral power index α. For extended sources, we report upper limits on the fractional gravitational wave energy density required to close the Universe of Ω(f,Θ)<(0.39-7.6)×10^{-8}  sr^{-1}(f/25  Hz)^{α} depending on Θ and α. Directed searches for narrowband gravitational waves from astrophysically interesting objects (Scorpius X-1, Supernova 1987 A, and the Galactic Center) yield median frequency-dependent limits on strain amplitude of h_{0}<(6.7,5.5,  and  7.0)×10^{-25}, respectively, at the most sensitive detector frequencies between 130-175 Hz. This represents a mean improvement of a factor of 2 across the band compared to previous searches of this kind for these sky locations, considering the different quantities of strain constrained in each case.

Rates of ingestion and their variability between individual calanoid copepods: Direct observations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paffenhoefer, G.A.; Lewis, K.D. [Skidaway Inst. of Oceanography, Savannah, GA (United States); Bundy, M.H. [Skidaway Inst. of Oceanography, Savannah, GA (United States)]|[Alfred-Wegener-Institut fuer Polar- und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven (Germany). Inst. fuer Fernerkundung (IFE); Metz, C. [Alfred-Wegener-Institut fuer Polar- und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven (Germany). Inst. fuer Fernerkundung (IFE)

1995-12-01

The goals of this study were to determine rates of ingestion and fecal pellet release, and their variability, for individual planktonic copepods over extended periods of time (>20 min). Ingestions and rejections of individual cells of the diatom Thalassiosira eccentrica by a adult females of the calanoid Paracalanus aculeatus were directly quantified by observing individual copepods continuously at cell concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 1.2 mm{sup 3} l{sup {minus}1}. Average ingestion rates increased with increasing food concentration, but were not significantly different between 0.3 and 1.0 mm{sup 3} l{sup {minus}1} (9.8 and 32.7 {mu}g Cl{sup {minus}1}) of T.eccentrica. Rates of cell rejections were low and similar at 0.1 and 0.3. but were significantly higher at 1.0 mm{sup 3} l{sup {minus}1}. The coefficients of variation for average ingestion rates of individual copepods hardly differed between food concentrations, ranging from 17 to 22%, and were close to those for average fecal pellet release intervals which ranged from 15 to 21%. A comparison between individuals at each food concentration found no significant differences at 1.0; at 0.1 and 0.3 mm{sup 3} l{sup {minus}1}, respectively, ingestion rates of four out of five females did not differ significantly from each other. Average intervals between fecal pellet releases were similar at 0.3 and 1.0 mm{sup 3} l{sup {minus}1}. Fecal pellet release intervals between individuals were significantly different at each food concentration; these significant differences were attributed to rather narrow ranges of pellet release intervals of each individual female. Potential sources/causes of variability in the sizes and rates of copepods in the ocean are evaluated.

Direct Heat

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lienau, P J

1990-01-01

Potential resources and applications of earth heat in the form of geothermal energy are large. United States direct uses amount to 2,100 MWt thermal and worldwide 8,850 MWt above a reference temperature of 35 degrees Celsius. Space and district heating are the major direct uses of geothermal energy. Equipment employed in direct use projects is of standard manufacture and includes downhole and circulation pumps, transmission and distribution pipelines, heat exchangers and convectors, heat pumps and chillers. Direct uses of earth heat discussed are space and district heating, greenhouse heating and fish farming, process and industrial applications. The economic feasibility of direct use projects is governed by site specific factors such as location of user and resource, resource quality, system load factor and load density, as well as financing. Examples are presented of district heating in Klamath Falls, and Elko. Further developments of direct uses of geothermal energy will depend on matching user needs to the resource, and improving load factors and load density.

Observation of an Aligned Gas - Solid "Eutectic" during Controlled Directional Solidification Aboard the International Space Station - Comparison with Ground-based Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Grugel, R. N.; Anilkumar, A.

2005-01-01

Direct observation of the controlled melting and solidification of succinonitrile was conducted in the glovebox facility of the International Space Station (ISS). The experimental samples were prepared on ground by filling glass tubes, 1 cm ID and approximately 30 cm in length, with pure succinonitrile (SCN) in an atmosphere of nitrogen at 450 millibar pressure for eventual processing in the Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI) apparatus in the glovebox facility (GBX) on board the ISS. Real time visualization during controlled directional melt back of the sample showed nitrogen bubbles emerging from the interface and moving through the liquid up the imposed temperature gradient. Over a period of time these bubbles disappear by dissolving into the melt. Translation is stopped after melting back of about 9 cm of the sample, with an equilibrium solid-liquid interface established. During controlled re-solidification, aligned tubes of gas were seen growing perpendicular to the planar solid/liquid interface, inferring that the nitrogen previously dissolved into the liquid SCN was now coming out at the solid/liquid interface and forming the little studied liquid = solid + gas eutectic-type reaction. The observed structure is evaluated in terms of spacing dimensions, interface undercooling, and mechanisms for spacing adjustments. Finally, the significance of processing in a microgravity environment is ascertained in view of ground-based results.

First observation of density profile in directly laser-driven polystyrene targets for ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujioka, Shinsuke; Shiraga, Hiroyuki; Nishikino, Masaharu; Shigemori, Keisuke; Sunahara, Atsushi; Nakai, Mitsuo; Azechi, Hiroshi; Nishihara, Katsunobu; Yamanaka, Tatsuhiko

2003-01-01

The temporal evolution of the density profile of a directly laser-driven polystyrene target was observed for the first time using an x-ray penumbral imaging technique coupled with side-on x-ray backlighting at the GEKKO XII [C. Yamanaka et al., IEEE J. Quantum Electron. QE-17, 1639 (1981)]-High Intensity Plasma Experimental Research laser facility (I L =0.7x10 14 W/cm 2 , λ L =0.35 μm). This density measurement makes it possible to experimentally confirm all physical parameters [γ(k),k,g,m,ρ a ,L m ] appearing in the modified Takabe formula for the growth rate of the ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The measured density profiles were well reproduced by a one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation code. The density measurement contributes toward fully understanding the ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability

Selective 15N labeling and direct observation by NMR of the active-site glutamine of Fe-containing superoxide dismutase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vance, Carrie K.; Kang, Young M.; Miller, Anne-Frances

1997-01-01

The glutamine in position 69 is one of only three conserved active-site amino acid differences between Fe- and Mn-containing superoxide dismutases (SODs). We have refined the conditions for extremely selective labeling of the side chains of glutamine with 15N, and thus obtained dramatically simplified spectra, despite the large size of Fe-SOD. The improved resolution afforded by such highly specific labeling permits the use of direct 15N detection to observe and assign Gln 69, even though its distance to the paramagnetic Fe2+ is only 5A. Selective glutamine side-chain labeling is inexpensive and has general utility for large (and paramagnet-containing) proteins

Direct observation of solid-phase adsorbate concentration profile in powdered activated carbon particle to elucidate mechanism of high adsorption capacity on super-powdered activated carbon.

Science.gov (United States)

Ando, Naoya; Matsui, Yoshihiko; Matsushita, Taku; Ohno, Koichi

2011-01-01

Decreasing the particle size of powdered activated carbon (PAC) by pulverization increases its adsorption capacities for natural organic matter (NOM) and polystyrene sulfonate (PSS, which is used as a model adsorbate). A shell adsorption mechanism in which NOM and PSS molecules do not completely penetrate the adsorbent particle and instead preferentially adsorb near the outer surface of the particle has been proposed as an explanation for this adsorption capacity increase. In this report, we present direct evidence to support the shell adsorption mechanism. PAC particles containing adsorbed PSS were sectioned with a focused ion beam, and the solid-phase PSS concentration profiles of the particle cross-sections were directly observed by means of field emission-scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (FE-SEM/EDXS). X-ray emission from sulfur, an index of PSS concentration, was higher in the shell region than in the inner region of the particles. The X-ray emission profile observed by EDXS did not agree completely with the solid-phase PSS concentration profile predicted by shell adsorption model analysis of the PSS isotherm data, but the observed and predicted profiles were not inconsistent when the analytical errors were considered. These EDXS results provide the first direct evidence that PSS is adsorbed mainly in the vicinity of the external surface of the PAC particles, and thus the results support the proposition that the increase in NOM and PSS adsorption capacity with decreasing particle size is due to the increase in external surface area on which the molecules can be adsorbed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does Breastfeeding Protect Against Childhood Obesity? Moving Beyond Observational Evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Woo, Jessica G; Martin, Lisa J

2015-06-01

Human milk is the optimal feeding choice for infants, as it dynamically provides the nutrients, immunity support, and other bioactive factors needed for infants at specific stages during development. Observational studies and several meta-analyses have suggested that breastfeeding is protective against development of obesity in childhood and beyond. However, these findings are not without significant controversy. This review includes an overview of observational findings to date, then focuses on three specific pathways that connect human milk and infant physiology: maternal obesity, microbiome development in the infant, and the development of taste preference and diet quality. Each of these pathways involves complex interactions between mother and infant, includes both biologic and non-biologic factors, and may have both direct and indirect effects on obesity risk in the offspring. This type of integrated approach to examining breastfeeding and childhood obesity is necessary to advance research in this area beyond observational findings.

Direct estimation and correction of bias from temporally variable non-stationary noise in a channelized Hotelling model observer.

Science.gov (United States)

Fetterly, Kenneth A; Favazza, Christopher P

2016-08-07

Channelized Hotelling model observer (CHO) methods were developed to assess performance of an x-ray angiography system. The analytical methods included correction for known bias error due to finite sampling. Detectability indices ([Formula: see text]) corresponding to disk-shaped objects with diameters in the range 0.5-4 mm were calculated. Application of the CHO for variable detector target dose (DTD) in the range 6-240 nGy frame(-1) resulted in [Formula: see text] estimates which were as much as 2.9×  greater than expected of a quantum limited system. Over-estimation of [Formula: see text] was presumed to be a result of bias error due to temporally variable non-stationary noise. Statistical theory which allows for independent contributions of 'signal' from a test object (o) and temporally variable non-stationary noise (ns) was developed. The theory demonstrates that the biased [Formula: see text] is the sum of the detectability indices associated with the test object [Formula: see text] and non-stationary noise ([Formula: see text]). Given the nature of the imaging system and the experimental methods, [Formula: see text] cannot be directly determined independent of [Formula: see text]. However, methods to estimate [Formula: see text] independent of [Formula: see text] were developed. In accordance with the theory, [Formula: see text] was subtracted from experimental estimates of [Formula: see text], providing an unbiased estimate of [Formula: see text]. Estimates of [Formula: see text] exhibited trends consistent with expectations of an angiography system that is quantum limited for high DTD and compromised by detector electronic readout noise for low DTD conditions. Results suggest that these methods provide [Formula: see text] estimates which are accurate and precise for [Formula: see text]. Further, results demonstrated that the source of bias was detector electronic readout noise. In summary, this work presents theory and methods to test for the

Some problems with the interpretation of recent microwave background observations in the direction of galaxy clusters, or, beware of negative antenna temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarter, J.C.

1978-01-01

Recently reported observations of the 3 K microwave background in the direction of rich clusters of galaxies should be viewed as placing stringent limits on the mass of cooler ionized gas within the clusters, rather than as a verification of thermal bremsstrahlung models for cluster X-ray sources. At the high radio frequencies employed in the observations, there is a positive contribution to the observed source brightness distributions from free-free emission by any cooler gas. This can overwhelm the anticipated inverse Compton diminution of the background radiation, even when the total mass in cooler gas is significantly less than the mass of hot plasma required to explain the X-Ray source. Future experiments of this type should be conducted only when atmospheric stability is sufficient to permit lengthy drift scans across the clusters. Extreme care must be taken to remove the contibutions from any discrete sources

Direct observation of localized dipolar excitations on rough nanostructured surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bozhevolnyi, Sergey I.; Markel, V.A.; Coello, V.

1998-01-01

Using a photon scanning tunneling microscope (operating alternatively at the wavelengths of 594 and 633 nm) with shear-force feedback we image the topography of silver colloid fractals simultaneously with a near-field intensity distribution. We observe that near-field optical images exhibit...

UV observations of local interstellar medium.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurt, V.; Mironova, E.; Fadeev, E.

2008-12-01

The methods of the interstellar matter study are described. The brief information of space missions aimed at observations in the unreachable for ground based telescopes UV spectral range (IUE, As- tron, HST and GALEX.) is presented. The history of discovery of H and He atoms entering the Solar System from the local interstellar medium (LISM) is given in brief. The results of observations performed by the group from Stern- berg Astronomical Institute (SAI MSU) and Space Research Institute (IKI RAS) performed with the help of the missions Prognoz-5, Prognoz-6 and the stations Zond-1, Venera and Mars and aimed at estimation of all basic LISM parameters (the velocity of the Sun in relation to LISM, directions of movement, densities of H and He atoms, LISM temperature) are presented. We also describe the present-day investigations of LISM performed with SOHO and ULYSSES mis- sions including the direct registration of He atoms entering the Solar System. The problem of interaction between the incoming flow of the ISM atoms ("in- terstellar wind") and the area of two shocks at the heliopause border (100-200 AU) is discussed. The LISM parameters obtained using the available data are presented in two tables.

Parameter estimation method that directly compares gravitational wave observations to numerical relativity

Science.gov (United States)

Lange, J.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Boyle, M.; Calderón Bustillo, J.; Campanelli, M.; Chu, T.; Clark, J. A.; Demos, N.; Fong, H.; Healy, J.; Hemberger, D. A.; Hinder, I.; Jani, K.; Khamesra, B.; Kidder, L. E.; Kumar, P.; Laguna, P.; Lousto, C. O.; Lovelace, G.; Ossokine, S.; Pfeiffer, H.; Scheel, M. A.; Shoemaker, D. M.; Szilagyi, B.; Teukolsky, S.; Zlochower, Y.

2017-11-01

We present and assess a Bayesian method to interpret gravitational wave signals from binary black holes. Our method directly compares gravitational wave data to numerical relativity (NR) simulations. In this study, we present a detailed investigation of the systematic and statistical parameter estimation errors of this method. This procedure bypasses approximations used in semianalytical models for compact binary coalescence. In this work, we use the full posterior parameter distribution for only generic nonprecessing binaries, drawing inferences away from the set of NR simulations used, via interpolation of a single scalar quantity (the marginalized log likelihood, ln L ) evaluated by comparing data to nonprecessing binary black hole simulations. We also compare the data to generic simulations, and discuss the effectiveness of this procedure for generic sources. We specifically assess the impact of higher order modes, repeating our interpretation with both l ≤2 as well as l ≤3 harmonic modes. Using the l ≤3 higher modes, we gain more information from the signal and can better constrain the parameters of the gravitational wave signal. We assess and quantify several sources of systematic error that our procedure could introduce, including simulation resolution and duration; most are negligible. We show through examples that our method can recover the parameters for equal mass, zero spin, GW150914-like, and unequal mass, precessing spin sources. Our study of this new parameter estimation method demonstrates that we can quantify and understand the systematic and statistical error. This method allows us to use higher order modes from numerical relativity simulations to better constrain the black hole binary parameters.

Direct photons in WA98

CERN Document Server

Aggarwal, M M; Ahammed, Z; Angelis, Aris L S; Antonenko, V G; Arefev, V; Astakhov, V A; Avdeichikov, V; Awes, T C; Baba, P V K S; Badyal, S K; Barlag, C; Bathe, S; Batyunya, B; Bernier, T; Bhalla, K B; Bhatia, V S; Blume, C; Bock, R; Bohne, E M; Böröcz, Z K; Bucher, D; Buijs, A; Büsching, H; Carlén, L; Chalyshev, V; Chattopadhyay, S; Cherbachev, R; Chujo, T; Claussen, A; Das, A C; Decowski, M P; Delagrange, H; Dzhordzhadze, V; Dönni, P; Dubovik, I; Dutt, S; Dutta-Majumdar, M R; El-Chenawi, K F; Eliseev, S; Enosawa, K; Foka, P Y; Fokin, S L; Ganti, M S; Garpman, S; Gavrishchuk, O P; Geurts, F J M; Ghosh, T K; Glasow, R; Gupta, S K; Guskov, B; Gustafsson, Hans Åke; Gutbrod, H H; Higuchi, R; Hrivnacova, I; Ippolitov, M S; Kalechofsky, H; Kamermans, R; Kampert, K H; Karadzhev, K; Karpio, K; Kato, S; Kees, S; Klein-Bösing, C; Knoche, S; Kolb, B W; Kosarev, I G; Kucheryaev, I; Krümpel, T; Kugler, A; Kulinich, P A; Kurata, M; Kurita, K; Kuzmin, N A; Langbein, I; Lee, Y Y; Löhner, H; Luquin, Lionel; Mahapatra, D P; Man'ko, V I; Martin, M; Martínez, G; Maksimov, A; Mgebrishvili, G; Miake, Y; Mir, M F; Mishra, G C; Miyamoto, Y; Mohanty, B; Morrison, D; Mukhopadhyay, D S; Naef, H; Nandi, B K; Nayak, S K; Nayak, T K; Neumaier, S; Nyanin, A; Nikitin, V A; Nikolaev, S; Nilsson, P O; Nishimura, S; Nomokonov, V P; Nystrand, J; Obenshain, F E; Oskarsson, A; Otterlund, I; Pachr, M; Pavlyuk, S; Peitzmann, Thomas; Petracek, V; Pinganaud, W; Plasil, F; Von Poblotzki, U; Purschke, M L; Rak, J; Raniwala, R; Raniwala, S; Ramamurthy, V S; Rao, N K; Retière, F; Reygers, K; Roland, G; Rosselet, L; Rufanov, I A; Roy, C; Rubio, J M; Sako, H; Sambyal, S S; Santo, R; Sato, S; Schlagheck, H; Schmidt, H R; Schutz, Y; Shabratova, G; Shah, T H; Sibiryak, Yu; Siemiarczuk, T; Silvermyr, D; Sinha, B C; Slavin, N V; Söderström, K; Solomey, Nickolas; Sood, G; Sørensen, S P; Stankus, P; Stefanek, G; Steinberg, P; Stenlund, E; Stüken, D; Sumbera, M; Svensson, S; Trivedi, M D; Tsvetkov, A A; Tykarski, L; Urbahn, J; Van den Pijll, E C; van Eijndhoven, N; van Nieuwenhuizen, G J; Vinogradov, A; Viyogi, Y P; Vodopyanov, A S; Vörös, S; Wyslouch, B; Yagi, K; Yokota, Y; Young, G R

2002-01-01

A measurement of direct photon production in /sup 208/Pb+/sup 208/Pb collisions at 158 A GeV has been carried out in the CERN WA98 experiment. The invariant yield of direct photons was extracted as a function of transverse momentum in the interval 0.51.5 GeV/c. the result constitutes the first observation of direct photons in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions. (19 refs).

Needs assessment for adapting TB directly observed treatment intervention programme in Limpopo Province, South Africa: A community-based participatory research approach

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Jabu T. Mabunda

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Limpopo Province is one of the hardest hit by tuberculosis and human immune virus infections in the country. The province has been implementing directly observed treatment strategy since 1996. However, the cure rate was 64% in 2015 and remains far from the set target by the World Health Organization of 85%. Poor health-care seeking and adherence behaviours were identified as major risk behaviours. Aim: To apply a community-based participatory research approach in identifying barriers and facilitators to health-care seeking and adherence to treatment, and to determine strategies and messages in order to inform the design of an adapted intervention programme. Setting: This study was conducted in three districts in the Limpopo Province, Capricorn, Mopani and Sekhukhune districts. Methods: Community participatory research approach was applied. Purposive sampling was used to sample participants. Focus group discussions were used to collect data. Participatory analysis was used comparing findings within and across all the participants. Results: A total of 161 participated in the study. Participants included coordinators, professional nurses, supporters and patients. Major modifiable behavioural-related barriers were lack of knowledge about tuberculosis, misinformation and misperceptions cultural beliefs, stigma and refusal of treatment support. Environment-related barriers were attitudes of health workers, lack of support by family and community, lack of food and use of alcohol and drugs. Strategies and messages included persuasive and motivational messages to promote healthy behaviour. Conclusion: Joint programmatic collaboration between the community and academic researchers is really needed for interventions to address the needs of the community. Keywords: Health seeking, Adherence, Community based participatory research, Tuberculosis

The management of metastatic radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer requires an integrated approach including both directed and systemic therapies.

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Cooray, Shamil D; Topliss, Duncan J

2017-01-01

A 58-year-old man with metastatic radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) presented with left thigh and right flank numbness. He had known progressive and widespread bony metastases, for which he received palliative radiotherapy, and multiple bilateral asymptomatic pulmonary metastases. CT scan and MRI of the spine revealed metastases at right T10-L1 vertebrae with extension into the central canal and epidural disease at T10 and T11 causing cord displacement and canal stenosis but retention of spinal cord signal. Spinal surgery was followed by palliative radiotherapy resulting in symptom resolution. Two months later, sorafenib received approval for use in Australia and was commenced and up-titrated with symptomatic management of mild adverse effects. Follow-up CT scan three months after commencement of sorafenib revealed regression of pulmonary metastases but no evident change in most bone metastases except for an advancing lesion eroding into the right acetabulum. The patient underwent a right total hip replacement, intra-lesional curettage and cementing. After six months of sorafenib therapy, CT scanning showed enlarging liver lesions with marked elevation of serum thyroglobulin. Lenvatinib was commenced and sorafenib was ceased. He now has stable disease with a falling thyroglobulin more than 5 years after metastatic radioiodine-refractory DTC was diagnosed. In DTC, 5% of distant metastases become radioiodine-refractory, resulting in a median overall survival of 2.5-3.5 years. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy has recently been demonstrated to increase progression-free survival in these patients but poses some unique management issues and is best used as part of an integrated approach with directed therapy. Directed therapies may have greater potential to control localised disease and related symptoms when compared to systemic therapies.Consider TKI therapy in progressive disease where benefits outweigh risks.Active surveillance and

Multi-GNSS high-rate RTK, PPP and novel direct phase observation processing method: application to precise dynamic displacement detection

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Paziewski, Jacek; Sieradzki, Rafal; Baryla, Radoslaw

2018-03-01

This paper provides the methodology and performance assessment of multi-GNSS signal processing for the detection of small-scale high-rate dynamic displacements. For this purpose, we used methods of relative (RTK) and absolute positioning (PPP), and a novel direct signal processing approach. The first two methods are recognized as providing accurate information on position in many navigation and surveying applications. The latter is an innovative method for dynamic displacement determination with the use of GNSS phase signal processing. This method is based on the developed functional model with parametrized epoch-wise topocentric relative coordinates derived from filtered GNSS observations. Current regular kinematic PPP positioning, as well as medium/long range RTK, may not offer coordinate estimates with subcentimeter precision. Thus, extended processing strategies of absolute and relative GNSS positioning have been developed and applied for displacement detection. The study also aimed to comparatively analyze the developed methods as well as to analyze the impact of combined GPS and BDS processing and the dependence of the results of the relative methods on the baseline length. All the methods were implemented with in-house developed software allowing for high-rate precise GNSS positioning and signal processing. The phase and pseudorange observations collected with a rate of 50 Hz during the field test served as the experiment’s data set. The displacements at the rover station were triggered in the horizontal plane using a device which was designed and constructed to ensure a periodic motion of GNSS antenna with an amplitude of ~3 cm and a frequency of ~4.5 Hz. Finally, a medium range RTK, PPP, and direct phase observation processing method demonstrated the capability of providing reliable and consistent results with the precision of the determined dynamic displacements at the millimeter level. Specifically, the research shows that the standard deviation of

Infrared observations of planetary atmospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orton, G.S.; Baines, K.H.; Bergstralh, J.T.

1988-01-01

The goal of this research in to obtain infrared data on planetary atmospheres which provide information on several aspects of structure and composition. Observations include direct mission real-time support as well as baseline monitoring preceding mission encounters. Besides providing a broader information context for spacecraft experiment data analysis, observations will provide the quantitative data base required for designing optimum remote sensing sequences and evaluating competing science priorities. In the past year, thermal images of Jupiter and Saturn were made near their oppositions in order to monitor long-term changes in their atmospheres. Infrared images of the Jovian polar stratospheric hot spots were made with IUE observations of auroral emissions. An exploratory 5-micrometer spectrum of Uranus was reduced and accepted for publication. An analysis of time-variability of temperature and cloud properties of the Jovian atomsphere was made. Development of geometric reduction programs for imaging data was initiated for the sun workstation. Near-infrared imaging observations of Jupiter were reduced and a preliminary analysis of cloud properties made. The first images of the full disk of Jupiter with a near-infrared array camera were acquired. Narrow-band (10/cm) images of Jupiter and Saturn were obtained with acousto-optical filters

Ball Screw Actuator Including an Axial Soft Stop

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Wingett, Paul T. (Inventor); Forrest, Steven Talbert (Inventor); Abel, Steve (Inventor); Woessner, George (Inventor); Hanlon, Casey (Inventor)

2016-01-01

An actuator includes an actuator housing, a ball screw, and an axial soft stop assembly. The ball screw extends through the actuator housing and has a first end and a second end. The ball screw is coupled to receive a drive force and is configured, upon receipt of the drive force, to selectively move in a retract direction and an extend direction. The axial soft stop assembly is disposed within the actuator housing. The axial soft stop assembly is configured to be selectively engaged by the ball screw and, upon being engaged thereby, to translate, with compliance, a predetermined distance in the extend direction, and to prevent further movement of the ball screw upon translating the predetermined distance.

Cluster PEACE observations of electrons of spacecraft origin

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S. Szita

2001-09-01

Full Text Available The two PEACE (Plasma Electron And Current Experiment sensors on board each Cluster spacecraft sample the electron velocity distribution across the full 4 solid angle and the energy range 0.7 eV to 26 keV with a time resolution of 4 s. We present high energy and angular resolution 3D observations of electrons of spacecraft origin in the various environments encountered by the Cluster constellation, including a lunar eclipse interval where the spacecraft potential was reduced but remained positive, and periods of ASPOC (Active Spacecraft POtential Control operation which reduced the spacecraft potential. We demonstrate how the spacecraft potential may be found from a gradient change in the PEACE low energy spectrum, and show how the observed spacecraft electrons are confined by the spacecraft potential. We identify an intense component of the spacecraft electrons with energies equivalent to the spacecraft potential, the arrival direction of which is seen to change when ASPOC is switched on. Another spacecraft electron component, observed in the sunward direction, is reduced in the eclipse but unaffected by ASPOC, and we believe this component is produced in the analyser by solar UV. We find that PEACE anodes with a look direction along the spacecraft surfaces are more susceptible to spacecraft electron contamination than those which look perpendicular to the surface, which justifies the decision to mount PEACE with its field-of-view radially outward rather than tangentially.Key words. Magnetosheric physics (general or miscellaneous Space plasma physics (spacecraft sheaths, wakes, charging

An observational study of defensible space in the neighbourhood park

Science.gov (United States)

Marzukhi, M. A.; Afiq, M. A.; Zaki, S. Ahmad; Ling, O. H. L.

2018-02-01

The planning of neighborhood park is important to provide space for interaction, leisure, and recreation among residents in any neighbourhood area. However, on an almost daily basis, newspapers report inappropriate incidents such as snatch theft, robbery and street attack that occurred in the neighborhood park. These cases reflect the significance of physical planning and design of neighborhood park that directly affect the safety and comfort of the users. Thus, this study attempts to engage with the defensible space concept in ensuring the security elements be applied in the planning of the recreational area. This study adopts a qualitative method form of research that is retrofitted to an observational study. The observational study is significant for revealing the condition of a neighbourhood park in the ‘real-world,’ in which direct observation is conducted on Taman Tasik Puchong Perdana. The observer focused on four elements or variables of defensible space concept including the provision of facilities in the neighborhood park, territoriality, surveillance, image and milieu. The findings revealed that the planning of Taman Tasik Puchong Perdana does not deliberate the defensible space elements, which may contribute to the crime activities in the park. In these circumstances, the planning of neighbourhood park needs to include proposals for the implementation of defensible space in response to the challenges underpinned by crime problems. Besides, the awareness among the residents needs to be emphasized with the support from local authorities and other organizations to manage and sustain the safety environment in the neighborhood park.

Solar Wind Halo Formation by the Scattering of the Strahl via Direct Cluster/PEACE Observations of the 3D Velocity Distribution Function

Science.gov (United States)

Figueroa-Vinas, Adolfo; Gurgiolo, Chris A.; Nieves-Chinchilla, Teresa; Goldstein, Melvyn L.

2010-01-01

It has been suggested by a number of authors that the solar wind electron halo can be formed by the scattering of the strahl. On frequent occasions we have observed in electron angular skymaps (Phi/Theta-plots) of the electron 3D velocity distribution functions) a bursty-filament of particles connecting the strahl to the solar wind core-halo. These are seen over a very limited energy range. When the magnetic field is well off the nominal solar wind flow direction such filaments are inconsistent with any local forces and are probably the result of strong scattering. Furthermore, observations indicates that the strahl component is frequently and significantly anisotropic (Tper/Tpal approx.2). This provides a possible free energy source for the excitation of whistler waves as a possible scattering mechanism. The empirical observational evidence between the halo and the strahl suggests that the strahl population may be, at least in part, the source of the halo component.

Unobtrusive Observation of Team Learning Attributes in Digital Learning

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David C. Gibson

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This article presents a new framework for unobtrusive observation analytics of knowledge and skills-in-action through continuous collection of data from individuals while they interact with digital assets either as individuals or on problem-solving teams. The framework includes measures of the skill and knowledge areas of collaboration, creativity, personal learning, problem solving, and global sustainability, which are observed during natural production and use of communications, intentional artifacts, and resources in a digital learning space designed for self-directed and team-based learning challenges. The article describes the digital context for data collection and shows some example data and analyses.

Parent-Child Mathematical Interactions: Examining Self-Report and Direct Observation

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Missall, Kristen N.; Hojnoski, Robin L.; Moreano, Ginna

2017-01-01

Variability in children's early-learning home environments points to the need to better understand specific mechanisms of early mathematical development. We used a sample of 66 parent-preschool child dyads to describe parent-reported mathematical activities in the home and observed parent-child mathematical activities in a semi-structured play…

Dynamic behaviors in directed networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sung Min; Kim, Beom Jun

2006-01-01

Motivated by the abundance of directed synaptic couplings in a real biological neuronal network, we investigate the synchronization behavior of the Hodgkin-Huxley model in a directed network. We start from the standard model of the Watts-Strogatz undirected network and then change undirected edges to directed arcs with a given probability, still preserving the connectivity of the network. A generalized clustering coefficient for directed networks is defined and used to investigate the interplay between the synchronization behavior and underlying structural properties of directed networks. We observe that the directedness of complex networks plays an important role in emerging dynamical behaviors, which is also confirmed by a numerical study of the sociological game theoretic voter model on directed networks

Value of Earth Observation for Risk Mitigation

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Pearlman, F.; Shapiro, C. D.; Grasso, M.; Pearlman, J.; Adkins, J. E.; Pindilli, E.; Geppi, D.

2017-12-01

Societal benefits flowing from Earth observation are intuitively obvious as we use the information to assess natural hazards (such as storm tracks), water resources (such as flooding and droughts in coastal and riverine systems), ecosystem vitality and other dynamics that impact the health and economic well being of our population. The most powerful confirmation of these benefits would come from quantifying the impact and showing direct quantitative links in the value chain from data to decisions. However, our ability to identify and quantify those benefits is challenging. The impact of geospatial data on these types of decisions is not well characterized and assigning a true value to the observations on a broad scale across disciplines still remains to be done in a systematic way. This presentation provides the outcomes of a workshop held in October 2017 as a side event of the GEO Plenary that addressed research on economic methodologies for quantification of impacts. To achieve practical outputs during the meeting, the workshop focused on the use and value of Earth observations in risk mitigation including: ecosystem impacts, weather events, and other natural and manmade hazards. Case studies on approaches were discussed and will be part of this presentation. The presentation will also include the exchange of lessons learned and a discussion of gaps in the current understanding of the use and value of earth observation information for risk mitigation.

Je pense donc je fais: transcranial direct current stimulation modulates brain oscillations associated with motor imagery and movement observation

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Olivia Morgan Lapenta

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Motor system neural networks are activated during movement imagery, observation and execution, with a neural signature characterized by suppression of the Mu rhythm. In order to investigate the origin of this neurophysiological marker, we tested whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS modifies Mu rhythm oscillations during tasks involving observation and imagery of biological and non-biological movements. We applied tDCS (anodal, cathodal and sham in 21 male participants (mean age 23.8+3.06, over the left M1 with a current of 2mA for 20 minutes. Following this, we recorded the EEG at C3, C4 and Cz and surrounding C3 and C4 electrodes. Analyses of C3 and C4 showed significant effects for biological vs. non-biological movement (p=0.005, and differential hemisphere effects according to the type of stimulation (p=0.04 and type of movement (p=0.02. Analyses of surrounding electrodes revealed significant interaction effects considering type of stimulation and imagery or observation of biological or non-biological movement (p=0.03. The main findings of this study were (i Mu desynchronization during biological movement of the hand region in the contralateral hemisphere after sham tDCS; (ii polarity-dependent modulation effects of tDCS on the Mu rhythm, i.e. anodal tDCS led to Mu synchronization while cathodal tDCS led to Mu desynchronization during movement observation and imagery (iii specific focal and opposite inter-hemispheric effects, i.e. contrary effects for the surrounding electrodes during imagery condition and also for inter-hemispheric electrodes (C3 vs. C4. These findings provide insights into the cortical oscillations during movement observation and imagery. Furthermore it shows that tDCS can be highly focal when guided by a behavioral task.

Je pense donc je fais: transcranial direct current stimulation modulates brain oscillations associated with motor imagery and movement observation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lapenta, Olivia M; Minati, Ludovico; Fregni, Felipe; Boggio, Paulo S

2013-01-01

Motor system neural networks are activated during movement imagery, observation and execution, with a neural signature characterized by suppression of the Mu rhythm. In order to investigate the origin of this neurophysiological marker, we tested whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) modifies Mu rhythm oscillations during tasks involving observation and imagery of biological and non-biological movements. We applied tDCS (anodal, cathodal, and sham) in 21 male participants (mean age 23.8 ± 3.06), over the left M1 with a current of 2 mA for 20 min. Following this, we recorded the EEG at C3, C4, and Cz and surrounding C3 and C4 electrodes. Analyses of C3 and C4 showed significant effects for biological vs. non-biological movement (p = 0.005), and differential hemisphere effects according to the type of stimulation (p = 0.04) and type of movement (p = 0.02). Analyses of surrounding electrodes revealed significant interaction effects considering type of stimulation and imagery or observation of biological or non-biological movement (p = 0.03). The main findings of this study were (1) Mu desynchronization during biological movement of the hand region in the contralateral hemisphere after sham tDCS; (2) polarity-dependent modulation effects of tDCS on the Mu rhythm, i.e., anodal tDCS led to Mu synchronization while cathodal tDCS led to Mu desynchronization during movement observation and imagery (3) specific focal and opposite inter-hemispheric effects, i.e., contrary effects for the surrounding electrodes during imagery condition and also for inter-hemispheric electrodes (C3 vs. C4). These findings provide insights into the cortical oscillations during movement observation and imagery. Furthermore, it shows that tDCS can be highly focal when guided by a behavioral task.

Effect of excess iodine intake on thyroid diseases in different populations: A systematic review and meta-analyses including observational studies.

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Ryoko Katagiri

Full Text Available Although several reports concerning the association of iodine excess and thyroid disease have appeared, no systematic review of the association between iodine excess intake and thyroid diseases, especially hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, has yet been reported.We conducted a systematic search of Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases, Ichushi-Web and CiNii database for intervention trials and observational studies. Search terms were constructed from related words for excess AND iodine intake or excretion AND thyroid hormones or diseases AND study designs. After considering the qualitative heterogeneity among studies, a meta-analysis was conducted and odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI were estimated in random-effects models. A protocol was registered with PROSPERO (No. CRD42015028081.50 articles were included, including three intervention trials, six case-control studies, six follow-up studies and 35 cross-sectional studies. Three cross-sectional studies in adults included in meta-analysis. Odds ratio of overt and subclinical hypothyroidism between excess and adequate populations were 2.78 (CI:1.47 to 5.27 and 2.03 (CI:1.58 to 2.62 in adults, respectively. Source of excess iodine status was mainly iodized salt or water in included studies.Although universal salt iodization has improved goiter rates, chronic exposure to excess iodine from water or poorly monitored salt are risk factors for hypothyroidism in free-living populations. Monitoring of both iodine concentration in salt as well as the iodine concentration in local drinking water are essential to preventing thyroid diseases. Hypothyroidism should be also carefully monitored in areas with excess iodine. Because of the low quality and limited number of included studies, further evidence and review are required.

Direct observation of both contact and remote oxygen scavenging of GeO2 in a metal-oxide-semiconductor stack

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fadida, S.; Shekhter, P.; Eizenberg, M.; Cvetko, D.; Floreano, L.; Verdini, A.; Nyns, L.; Van Elshocht, S.; Kymissis, I.

2014-01-01

In the path to incorporating Ge based metal-oxide-semiconductor into modern nano-electronics, one of the main issues is the oxide-semiconductor interface quality. Here, the reactivity of Ti on Ge stacks and the scavenging effect of Ti were studied using synchrotron X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, with an in-situ metal deposition and high resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging. Oxygen removal from the Ge surface was observed both in direct contact as well as remotely through an Al 2 O 3 layer. The scavenging effect was studied in situ at room temperature and after annealing. We find that the reactivity of Ti can be utilized for improved scaling of Ge based devices.

Decentralisation of directly observed treatment in a large African city: evaluation of the experience of Djibouti.

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Bernatas, J J; Ali, I M; Ismaël, H A; Matan, A B; Aboubakar, I H

2003-08-01

Decentralisation of directly observed treatment (DOT) for tuberculosis patients in three public centres in Djibouti city from April 2000. To evaluate decentralisation based on the success rate by site of treatment and according to certain critical variables. Comparative evaluation of the success rate of smear-positive patients followed in all treatment centres from 1 May 2000 to 31 March 2001. The success rate was 58% for the main centre, Centre Paul Faure, and 81% for all the peripheral centres together (P 0.05). Age under 20 years, female sex and treatment centre were factors linked to success. After stratification, sex was shown to be the confounding variable. Multivariate analysis shows that non-Djibouti nationality is related to treatment success (P = 0.02). In the groups of established and new centres, there is an inverse linear relationship between success rate and workload, with greater capacity in the established centres. Urban decentralisation of DOT increases the chances of treatment success among smear-positive patients. Another centre for supervised treatment needs to be created in one of the public health centres in Djibouti city.

Social worker assessment of bad news delivery by emergency medicine residents: a novel direct-observation milestone assessment.

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Min, Alice Ann; Spear-Ellinwood, Karen; Berman, Melissa; Nisson, Peyton; Rhodes, Suzanne Michelle

2016-09-01

The skill of delivering bad news is difficult to teach and evaluate. Residents may practice in simulated settings; however, this may not translate to confidence or competence during real experiences. We investigated the acceptability and feasibility of social workers as evaluators of residents' delivery of bad news during patient encounters, and assessed the attitudes of both groups regarding this process. From August 2013 to June 2014, emergency medicine residents completed self-assessments after delivering bad news. Social workers completed evaluations after observing these conversations. The Assessment tools were designed by modifying the global Breaking Bad News Assessment Scale. Residents and social workers completed post-study surveys. 37 evaluations were received, 20 completed by social workers and 17 resident self-evaluations. Social workers reported discussing plans with residents prior to conversations 90 % of the time (18/20, 95 % CI 64.5, 97.8). Social workers who had previously observed the resident delivering bad news reported that the resident was more skilled on subsequent encounters 90 % of the time (95 % CI 42.2, 99). Both social workers and residents felt that prior training or experience was important. First-year residents valued advice from social workers less than advice from attending physicians, whereas more experienced residents perceived advice from social workers to be equivalent with that of attending physicians (40 versus 2.9 %, p = 0.002). Social worker assessment of residents' abilities to deliver bad news is feasible and acceptable to both groups. This formalized self-assessment and evaluation process highlights the importance of social workers' involvement in delivery of bad news, and the teaching of this skill. This method may also be used as direct-observation for resident milestone assessment.

Direct observation of magnetization reversal of hot-deformed Nd-Fe-B magnet

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Zhu, Xiaoyun; Tang, Xu; Pei, Ke; Tian, Yue; Liu, Jinjun; Xia, Weixing; Zhang, Jian; Liu, J. Ping; Chen, Renjie; Yan, Aru

2018-01-01

The dynamic magnetic domain structure in magnetization and demagnetization process of hot-deformed and NdCu-diffused Nd2Fe14B magnets were in-situ observed by Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (LTEM). The demagnetization process of hot-deformed sample is dominated by domain-wall pinning, while that of NdCu-diffused sample is mainly the magnetization reversal of single grains or grain aggregations. This firstly observed result gives an explicit evidence to understand the coercivity mechanism of magnetically segregated magnet. The effect of magnetic field of TEM on decrease in domain wall energy was theoretically analyzed, which helps to understand the in-situ observation process of magnetic materials.

On the Retrieval of the Directional Scattering Matrix from Directional Noise

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wapenaar, C.P.A.; Thorbecke, J.W.

2013-01-01

The crosscorrelation of ambient acoustic noise observed at two receivers yields the impulse response between these receivers, assuming that the noise field is diffuse. In practical situations the noise field exhibits directionality, which imprints the angle-dependent correlation function. For the

Direct observation of two-step crystallization in nanoparticle superlattice formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Jungwon; Zheng, Haimei; Lee, Won Chul; Geissler, Phillip L.; Rabani, Eran; Alivisatos, A. Paul

2011-10-06

Direct imaging of nanoparticle solutions by liquid phase transmission electron microscopy has enabled unique in-situ studies of nanoparticle motion and growth. In the present work, we report on real-time formation of two-dimensional nanoparticle arrays in the very low diffusive limit, where nanoparticles are mainly driven by capillary forces and solvent fluctuations. We find that superlattice formation appears to be segregated into multiple regimes. Initially, the solvent front drags the nanoparticles, condensing them into an amorphous agglomerate. Subsequently, the nanoparticle crystallization into an array is driven by local fluctuations. Following the crystallization event, superlattice growth can also occur via the addition of individual nanoparticles drawn from outlying regions by different solvent fronts. The dragging mechanism is consistent with simulations based on a coarse-grained lattice gas model at the same limit.

Direct Observation of Room-Temperature Stable Magnetism in LaAlO3/SrTiO3 Heterostructures.

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Yang, Ming; Ariando; Zhou, Jun; Asmara, Teguh Citra; Krüger, Peter; Yu, Xiao Jiang; Wang, Xiao; Sanchez-Hanke, Cecilia; Feng, Yuan Ping; Venkatesan, T; Rusydi, Andrivo

2018-03-21

Along with an unexpected conducting interface between nonmagnetic insulating perovskites LaAlO 3 and SrTiO 3 (LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 ), striking interfacial magnetisms have been observed in LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 heterostructures. Interestingly, the strength of the interfacial magnetic moment is found to be dependent on oxygen partial pressures during the growth process. This raises an important, fundamental question on the origin of these remarkable interfacial magnetic orderings. Here, we report a direct evidence of room-temperature stable magnetism in a LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 heterostructure prepared at high oxygen partial pressure by using element-specific soft X-ray magnetic circular dichroism at both Ti L 3,2 and O K edges. By combining X-ray absorption spectroscopy at both Ti L 3,2 and O K edges and first-principles calculations, we qualitatively ascribe that this strong magnetic ordering with dominant interfacial Ti 3+ character is due to the coexistence of LaAlO 3 surface oxygen vacancies and interfacial (Ti Al -Al Ti ) antisite defects. On the basis of this new understanding, we revisit the origin of the weak magnetism in LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 heterostructures prepared at low oxygen partial pressures. Our calculations show that LaAlO 3 surface oxygen vacancies are responsible for the weak magnetism at the interface. Our result provides direct evidence on the presence of room-temperature stable magnetism and a novel perspective to understand magnetic and electronic reconstructions at such strategic oxide interfaces.

Direct observation of magnetization reversal of hot-deformed Nd-Fe-B magnet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoyun Zhu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The dynamic magnetic domain structure in magnetization and demagnetization process of hot-deformed and NdCu-diffused Nd2Fe14B magnets were in-situ observed by Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (LTEM. The demagnetization process of hot-deformed sample is dominated by domain-wall pinning, while that of NdCu-diffused sample is mainly the magnetization reversal of single grains or grain aggregations. This firstly observed result gives an explicit evidence to understand the coercivity mechanism of magnetically segregated magnet. The effect of magnetic field of TEM on decrease in domain wall energy was theoretically analyzed, which helps to understand the in-situ observation process of magnetic materials.

Including refugees in disease elimination: challenges observed from a sleeping sickness programme in Uganda.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Jennifer J; Robert, Okello; Kansiime, Freddie

2017-01-01

Ensuring equity between forcibly-displaced and host area populations is a key challenge for global elimination programmes. We studied Uganda's response to the recent refugee influx from South Sudan to identify key governance and operational lessons for national sleeping sickness programmes working with displaced populations today. A refugee policy which favours integration of primary healthcare services for refugee and host populations and the availability of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) to detect sleeping sickness at this health system level makes Uganda well-placed to include refugees in sleeping sickness surveillance. Using ethnographic observations of coordination meetings, review of programme data, interviews with sleeping sickness and refugee authorities and group discussions with health staff and refugees (2013-2016), we nevertheless identified some key challenges to equitably integrating refugees into government sleeping sickness surveillance. Despite fears that refugees were at risk of disease and posed a threat to elimination, six months into the response, programme coordinators progressed to a sentinel surveillance strategy in districts hosting the highest concentrations of refugees. This meant that RDTs, the programme's primary surveillance tool, were removed from most refugee-serving facilities, exacerbating existing inequitable access to surveillance and leading refugees to claim that their access to sleeping sickness tests had been better in South Sudan. This was not intentionally done to exclude refugees from care, rather, four key governance challenges made it difficult for the programme to recognise and correct inequities affecting refugees: (a) perceived donor pressure to reduce the sleeping sickness programme's scope without clear international elimination guidance on surveillance quality; (b) a problematic history of programme relations with refugee-hosting districts which strained supervision of surveillance quality; (c) difficulties that

Directed Forgetting of Recently Recalled Autobiographical Memories

Science.gov (United States)

Barnier, Amanda J.; Conway, Martin A.; Mayoh, Lyndel; Speyer, Joanne; Avizmil, Orit; Harris, Celia B.

2007-01-01

In 6 experiments, the authors investigated list-method directed forgetting of recently recalled autobiographical memories. Reliable directed forgetting effects were observed across all experiments. In 4 experiments, the authors examined the impact of memory valence on directed forgetting. The forget instruction impaired recall of negative,…

Verification of the directivity index and other measures of directivity in predicting directional benefit

Science.gov (United States)

Dittberner, Andrew; Bentler, Ruth

2005-09-01

The relationship between various directivity measures and subject performance with directional microphone hearing aids was determined. Test devices included first- and second-order directional microphones. Recordings of sentences and noise (Hearing in Noise Test, HINT) were made through each test device in simple, complex, and anisotropic background noise conditions. Twenty-six subjects, with normal hearing, were administered the HINT test recordings, and directional benefit was computed. These measures were correlated to theoretical, free-field, and KEMAR DI values, as well as front-to-back ratios, in situ SNRs, and a newly proposed Db-SNR, wherein a predictive value of the SNR improvement is calculated as a function of the noise source incidence. The different predictive scores showed high correlation to the measured directional benefit scores in the complex (diffuse-like) background noise condition (r=0.89-0.97, pThe Db-SNR approach and the in situ SNR measures provided excellent prediction of subject performance in all background noise conditions (0.85-0.97, pthe predictive measures could account for the effects of reverberation on the speech signal (r=0.35-0.40, p<0.05).

50 CFR 300.113 - Scientific observers.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

...) Procurement of observers by vessel. Owners of vessels required to carry scientific observers under this.... (ii) Must not solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gratuity, gift, favor, entertainment...

Modelled hydraulic redistribution by sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) matches observed data only after including night-time transpiration.

Science.gov (United States)

Neumann, Rebecca B; Cardon, Zoe G; Teshera-Levye, Jennifer; Rockwell, Fulton E; Zwieniecki, Maciej A; Holbrook, N Michele

2014-04-01

The movement of water from moist to dry soil layers through the root systems of plants, referred to as hydraulic redistribution (HR), occurs throughout the world and is thought to influence carbon and water budgets and ecosystem functioning. The realized hydrologic, biogeochemical and ecological consequences of HR depend on the amount of redistributed water, whereas the ability to assess these impacts requires models that correctly capture HR magnitude and timing. Using several soil types and two ecotypes of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in split-pot experiments, we examined how well the widely used HR modelling formulation developed by Ryel et al. matched experimental determination of HR across a range of water potential driving gradients. H. annuus carries out extensive night-time transpiration, and although over the last decade it has become more widely recognized that night-time transpiration occurs in multiple species and many ecosystems, the original Ryel et al. formulation does not include the effect of night-time transpiration on HR. We developed and added a representation of night-time transpiration into the formulation, and only then was the model able to capture the dynamics and magnitude of HR we observed as soils dried and night-time stomatal behaviour changed, both influencing HR. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Direct observation of a non-isothermal crystallization process in precursor Li10GeP2S12 glass electrolyte

Science.gov (United States)

Tsukasaki, Hirofumi; Mori, Shigeo; Shiotani, Shinya; Yamamura, Hideyuki; Iba, Hideki

2017-11-01

Crystallization of a precursor Li10GeP2S12 (LGPS) glass electrolyte by heat treatment significantly improves its ionic conductivity. The LGPS crystalline phase obtained by heat treatment above 450 °C shows an ionic conductivity on the order of 10-2 S/cm. To clarify the correlation between the crystallization behavior of precursor LGPS glasses and ionic conductivity, we developed an observation technique to visualize precipitated nanocrystallites and a new method to evaluate the crystallization degree via transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In-situ TEM observation revealed that LGPS nanocrystallites precipitated above 450 °C and their size remained fundamentally intact during heating. That is, the crystallization behavior could be characterized by only the formation of LGPS nanocrystallites in an amorphous matrix. In addition, the crystallization degree was quantitatively evaluated from electron diffraction patterns. The crystallization degree remarkably increased at around 450 °C and reached more than 60% above 450 °C. Based on these results, a high ionic conductivity of approximately 1.0 × 10-2 S/cm was confirmed to be directly associated with the appearance of the LGPS crystalline phase.

Direct observations of atmosphere - sea ice - ocean interactions during Arctic winter and spring storms

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, R. M.; Itkin, P.; Granskog, M. A.; Assmy, P.; Cohen, L.; Duarte, P.; Doble, M. J.; Fransson, A.; Fer, I.; Fernandez Mendez, M.; Frey, M. M.; Gerland, S.; Haapala, J. J.; Hudson, S. R.; Liston, G. E.; Merkouriadi, I.; Meyer, A.; Muilwijk, M.; Peterson, A.; Provost, C.; Randelhoff, A.; Rösel, A.; Spreen, G.; Steen, H.; Smedsrud, L. H.; Sundfjord, A.

2017-12-01

To study the thinner and younger sea ice that now dominates the Arctic the Norwegian Young Sea ICE expedition (N-ICE2015) was launched in the ice-covered region north of Svalbard, from January to June 2015. During this time, eight local and remote storms affected the region and rare direct observations of the atmosphere, snow, ice and ocean were conducted. Six of these winter storms passed directly over the expedition and resulted in air temperatures rising from below -30oC to near 0oC, followed by abrupt cooling. Substantial snowfall prior to the campaign had already formed a snow pack of approximately 50 cm, to which the February storms contributed an additional 6 cm. The deep snow layer effectively isolated the ice cover and prevented bottom ice growth resulting in low brine fluxes. Peak wind speeds during winter storms exceeded 20 m/s, causing strong snow re-distribution, release of sea salt aerosol and sea ice deformation. The heavy snow load caused widespread negative freeboard; during sea ice deformation events, level ice floes were flooded by sea water, and at least 6-10 cm snow-ice layer was formed. Elevated deformation rates during the most powerful winter storms damaged the ice cover permanently such that the response to wind forcing increased by 60 %. As a result of a remote storm in April deformation processes opened about 4 % of the total area into leads with open water, while a similar amount of ice was deformed into pressure ridges. The strong winds also enhanced ocean mixing and increased ocean heat fluxes three-fold in the pycnocline from 4 to 12 W/m2. Ocean heat fluxes were extremely large (over 300 W/m2) during storms in regions where the warm Atlantic inflow is located close to surface over shallow topography. This resulted in very large (5-25 cm/day) bottom ice melt and in cases flooding due to heavy snow load. Storm events increased the carbon dioxide exchange between the atmosphere and ocean but also affected the pCO2 in surface waters

Direct numerical simulation of annular flows

Science.gov (United States)

Batchvarov, Assen; Kahouadji, Lyes; Chergui, Jalel; Juric, Damir; Shin, Seungwon; Craster, Richard V.; Matar, Omar K.

2017-11-01

Vertical counter-current two-phase flows are investigated using direct numerical simulations. The computations are carried out using Blue, a front-tracking-based CFD solver. Preliminary results show good qualitative agreement with experimental observations in terms of interfacial phenomena; these include three-dimensional, large-amplitude wave formation, the development of long ligaments, and droplet entrainment. The flooding phenomena in these counter current systems are closely investigated. The onset of flooding in our simulations is compared to existing empirical correlations such as Kutateladze-type and Wallis-type. The effect of varying tube diameter and fluid properties on the flooding phenomena is also investigated in this work. EPSRC, UK, MEMPHIS program Grant (EP/K003976/1), RAEng Research Chair (OKM).

Direct observation of gliding dislocations interactions with defects in irradiated niobium single crystals by means of the high voltage electronic microscopy (HVEM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otero, M.P.

1985-01-01

The interactions of gliding dislocations with defects in irradiated niobium that result in the formation of dislocations channels. The effects in the mechanical behaviour of [941]- and [441]- oriented Nb single crystals due to oxygen addition, neutron and electron irradiation was observed either by macroscopic deformation in a Instron machine or 'in-situ' deformation in the HVEM-High Voltage Electron Microscope. Some specimens were irradiated at IPNS-Intense Pulsed Neutron Source, at 325 K, with 5 x 10 17 n/cm 2 , others were irradiated with electrons in the HVEM. The interactions between gliding dislocations with clusters point defects and dislocations were observed. The primary mechanism for removal of the clusters by the gliding dislocations was the 'sweeping' of the clusters along with the gliding dislocations. As to the point defects, they were 'swept' by the gliding dislocations and left as aligned loops close to the intersections of the gliding dislocations with the upper and lower specimen surfaces. For the illustration of this phenomena, a schematic drawing was made. The mechanism of 'bowing-out' interaction of dislocations with defect clusters was also observed. The reported anomalous slip observed to operate in the [941]- oriented Nb was also directly observed and a qualitive explanation along with a schematic drawing was proposed. This would explain the softenig observed after the yield stress in the [941]- oriented Nb deformed in the Instron machine. (Author) [pt

The Arctic Observing Viewer (AOV): Visualization, Data Discovery, Strategic Assessment, and Decision Support for Arctic Observing

Science.gov (United States)

Kassin, A.; Cody, R. P.; Barba, M.; Escarzaga, S. M.; Villarreal, S.; Manley, W. F.; Gaylord, A. G.; Habermann, T.; Kozimor, J.; Score, R.; Tweedie, C. E.

2017-12-01

To better assess progress in Arctic Observing made by U.S. SEARCH, NSF AON, SAON, and related initiatives, an updated version of the Arctic Observing Viewer (AOV; http://ArcticObservingViewer.org) has been released. This web mapping application and information system conveys the who, what, where, and when of "data collection sites" - the precise locations of monitoring assets, observing platforms, and wherever repeat marine or terrestrial measurements have been taken. Over 13,000 sites across the circumarctic are documented including a range of boreholes, ship tracks, buoys, towers, sampling stations, sensor networks, vegetation plots, stream gauges, ice cores, observatories, and more. Contributing partners are the U.S. NSF, NOAA, the NSF Arctic Data Center, ADIwg, AOOS, a2dc, CAFF, GINA, IASOA, INTERACT, NASA ABoVE, and USGS, among others. Users can visualize, navigate, select, search, draw, print, view details, and follow links to obtain a comprehensive perspective of environmental monitoring efforts. We continue to develop, populate, and enhance AOV. Recent updates include: a vastly improved Search tool with free text queries, autocomplete, and filters; faster performance; a new clustering visualization; heat maps to highlight concentrated research; and 3-D represented data to more easily identify trends. AOV is founded on principles of interoperability, such that agencies and organizations can use the AOV Viewer and web services for their own purposes. In this way, AOV complements other distributed yet interoperable cyber resources and helps science planners, funding agencies, investigators, data specialists, and others to: assess status, identify overlap, fill gaps, optimize sampling design, refine network performance, clarify directions, access data, coordinate logistics, and collaborate to meet Arctic Observing goals. AOV is a companion application to the Arctic Research Mapping Application (armap.org), which is focused on general project information at a

On the nature of directed behavior to drug-associated light cues in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

Science.gov (United States)

Reilly, Mark P; Berndt, Sonja I; Woods, James H

2016-11-01

The present study investigated the role of drug-paired stimuli in controlling the behavior of rhesus monkeys. Systematic observations were made with nine monkeys who had a history of drug self-administration; they had been lever pressing to produce intravenous infusions of various drugs. These observations revealed that the stimulus light co-occurring with drug infusion produced robust and cue-directed behavior such as orienting, touching and biting. Experiment 1 showed that this light-directed behavior would occur in naïve monkeys exposed to a Pavlovian pairing procedure. Four monkeys were given response-independent injections of cocaine. In two monkeys, a red light preceded cocaine injections by 5 s, and a green light co-occurred with the 5-s cocaine injections. In the other two monkeys, the light presentations and cocaine injections occurred independently. Light-directed behavior occurred in all four monkeys within the first couple of trials and at high levels but decreased across sessions. The cocaine-paired stimulus maintained behavior longer and at higher levels than the uncorrelated stimuli. Furthermore, light-directed behavior was not maintained when cocaine was replaced with saline. Light-directed behavior did not occur in the absence of the lights. When these monkeys were subsequently trained to lever press for cocaine, light-directed behavior increased to levels higher than previously observed. Behavior directed towards drug-paired stimuli is robust, reliable and multiply determined; the mechanisms underlying this activity likely include Pavlovian conditioning, stimulus novelty, habituation and operant conditioning.

Standardized Observational Assessment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Combined and Predominantly Inattentive Subtypes. II. Classroom Observations

Science.gov (United States)

McConaughy, Stephanie H.; Ivanova, Masha Y.; Antshel, Kevin; Eiraldi, Ricardo B.; Dumenci, Levent

2009-01-01

Trained classroom observers used the Direct Observation Form (DOF; McConaughy & Achenbach, 2009) to rate observations of 163 6- to 11-year-old children in their school classrooms. Participants were assigned to four groups based on a parent diagnostic interview and parent and teacher rating scales: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder…

Optical spectroscopy of an atomic nucleus: Progress toward direct observation of the {sup 229}Th isomer transition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hehlen, Markus P., E-mail: hehlen@lanl.gov [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mailstop E549, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Greco, Richard R. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mailstop E549, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Rellergert, Wade G.; Sullivan, Scott T. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); DeMille, David [Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511 (United States); Jackson, Robert A. [School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire ST5 5BG (United Kingdom); Hudson, Eric R. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Torgerson, Justin R. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Mailstop E549, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States)

2013-01-15

The nucleus of the thorium-229 isotope possesses a first excited nuclear state ({sup 229m}Th) at an exceptionally low energy of 7.8{+-}0.5 eV above the nuclear ground state ({sup 229g}Th), as determined by earlier indirect measurements. This is the only nuclear excited state known that is within the range of optical spectroscopy. This paper reports progress toward detecting the {sup 229m}Th state directly by luminescence spectroscopy in the vacuum ultraviolet spectral region. The estimated natural linewidth of the {sup 229g}Th{r_reversible}{sup 229m}Th isomer transition of 2{pi} Multiplication-Sign 0.1 to 2{pi} Multiplication-Sign 10 mHz is expected to broaden to {approx}10 kHz for {sup 229}Th{sup 4+} doped into a suitable crystal. The factors governing the choice of crystal system and the substantial challenges in acquiring a sufficiently large quantity of {sup 229}Th are discussed. We show that the {sup 229g}Th{r_reversible}{sup 229m}Th transition energy can be identified to within 0.1 nm by luminescence excitation and luminescence spectroscopy using the Advanced Light Source (ALS) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This would open the door for subsequent laser-based measurements of the isomer transition and future applications of {sup 229}Th in nuclear clocks. We also show that {sup 233}U-doped materials should produce an intrinsic, continuous, and sufficiently high rate of {sup 229m}Th{yields}{sup 229g}Th luminescence and could be a useful aid in the initial direct search of the isomer transition. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Thorium-229 has a long-lived nuclear excited state. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It is the only known nuclear isomer within the reach of optical spectroscopy. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Thorium-229 doped fluoride crystals may offer sufficiently high luminescence rates. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Luminescence excitation spectroscopy in the vacuum ultraviolet spectral region may enable the first direct observation of

A facile synthesis of δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) regio-selectively labeled with 13C and direct observation of enzymatic transformation from ALA to porphobilinogen (PBG)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurumaya, Katsuyuki; Okazaki, Takeo; Seido, Nobuo; Akasaka, Yuzuru; Kawajiri, Yoshiki; Kajiwara, Masahiro; Kondo, Masao

1989-01-01

δ-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA), labeled with 13 C at position 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, was synthesized from 13 C-labeled glycine, Meldrum's acid, or bromoacetate. The latter compounds were prepared from 13 C-sodium acetate or 13 C-acetic acid. Enzymatic transformation from ALA to porphobilinogen (PBG) was directly observed by 13 C-NMR. (author)

Observations of Lake-Breeze Events During the Toronto 2015 Pan-American Games

Science.gov (United States)

Mariani, Zen; Dehghan, Armin; Joe, Paul; Sills, David

2018-01-01

Enhanced meteorological observations were made during the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games in Toronto in order to measure the vertical and horizontal structure of lake-breeze events. Two scanning Doppler lidars (one fixed and one mobile), a C-band radar, and a network including 53 surface meteorological stations (mesonet) provided pressure, temperature, humidity, and wind speed and direction measurements over Lake Ontario and urban areas. These observations captured the full evolution (prior, during, and after) of 27 lake-breeze events (73% of observation days) in order to characterize the convective and dynamic processes driving lake breezes at the local scale and mesoscale. The dominant signal of a passing lake-breeze front (LBF) was an increase in dew-point temperature of 2.3 ± 0.3°C, coinciding with a 180° shift in wind direction and a decrease in air temperature of 2.1 ± 0.2°C. Doppler lidar observations over the lake detected lake breezes 1 hour (on average) before detection by radar and mesonet. On days with the synoptic flow in the offshore direction, the lidars observed wedge-shaped LBFs with shallow depths, which inhibited the radar's ability to detect the lake breeze. The LBF's ground speed and inland penetration distance were found to be well-correlated (r = 0.78), with larger inland penetration distances occurring on days with non-opposing (non-offshore) synoptic flow. The observed enhanced vertical motion ({>} 1 m s^{-1}) at the LBF, observed by the lidar on 54% of lake-breeze days, was greater (at times {>} 2.5 m s^{-1}) than that observed in previous studies and longer-lasting over the lake than over land. The weaker and less pronounced lake-breeze structure over land is illustrated in two case studies highlighting the lifetime of the lake-breeze circulation and the impact of propagation distance on lake-breeze intensity.

Directive of the Secretary of State for Social Affairs and Public Health and other Ministers of 24 November 1969, no. 132695, Stcrt. 239 concerning the implementation of Section 58, paragraphs 1 and 3 of the Nuclear Energy Act (Supervision of Observance)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1969-01-01

The Nuclear Energy Act lays down provisions relating to officials appointed by the Ministers concerned for the purpose of supervising observance of the Act. This Directive designates the Government Departments, the officials of which shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with the provisions governing the activities within their competence and provides for the setting up of a consultative and co-ordinating committee, which includes representatives of the Ministries concerned for co-operation between the different supervisory services. (NEA) [fr

Direct observation of strain in InAs quantum dots and cap layer during molecular beam epitaxial growth using in situ X-ray diffraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimomura, Kenichi; Ohshita, Yoshio; Kamiya, Itaru, E-mail: kamiya@toyota-ti.ac.jp [Toyota Technological Institute, 2-12-1 Hisakata, Tempaku, Nagoya 468-8511 (Japan); Suzuki, Hidetoshi [Faculty of Engineering, University of Miyazaki, 1-1 Gakuen Kibanadai-nishi, Miyazaki 889-2192 (Japan); Sasaki, Takuo; Takahasi, Masamitu [Quantum Beam Science Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Koto 1-1-1, Sayo-cho, Hyogo 679-5148 (Japan)

2015-11-14

Direct measurements on the growth of InAs quantum dots (QDs) and various cap layers during molecular beam epitaxy are performed by in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD). The evolution of strain induced both in the QDs and cap layers during capping is discussed based on the XRD intensity transients obtained at various lattice constants. Transients with different features are observed from those obtained during InGaAs and GaAs capping. The difference observed is attributed to In-Ga intermixing between the QDs and the cap layer under limited supply of In. Photoluminescence (PL) wavelength can be tuned by controlling the intermixing, which affects both the strain induced in the QDs and the barrier heights. The PL wavelength also varies with the cap layer thickness. A large redshift occurs by reducing the cap thickness. The in situ XRD observation reveals that this is a result of reduced strain. We demonstrate how such information about strain can be applied for designing and preparing novel device structures.

Direct observation of strain in InAs quantum dots and cap layer during molecular beam epitaxial growth using in situ X-ray diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimomura, Kenichi; Ohshita, Yoshio; Kamiya, Itaru; Suzuki, Hidetoshi; Sasaki, Takuo; Takahasi, Masamitu

2015-01-01

Direct measurements on the growth of InAs quantum dots (QDs) and various cap layers during molecular beam epitaxy are performed by in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD). The evolution of strain induced both in the QDs and cap layers during capping is discussed based on the XRD intensity transients obtained at various lattice constants. Transients with different features are observed from those obtained during InGaAs and GaAs capping. The difference observed is attributed to In-Ga intermixing between the QDs and the cap layer under limited supply of In. Photoluminescence (PL) wavelength can be tuned by controlling the intermixing, which affects both the strain induced in the QDs and the barrier heights. The PL wavelength also varies with the cap layer thickness. A large redshift occurs by reducing the cap thickness. The in situ XRD observation reveals that this is a result of reduced strain. We demonstrate how such information about strain can be applied for designing and preparing novel device structures

Plans to Observe the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse from near the Path Edges

Science.gov (United States)

Waring Dunham, David; Nugent, Richard; Guhl, Konrad; Bode, Hans-Joachim

2015-08-01

The August 21st, 2017 solar eclipse provides a good opportunity, to time the totality contacts, other Baily’s bead phenomena, and observe other dynamic edge phenomena, from locations near the edges of the path of totality. A good network of roads and generally favorable weather prospects means that more observers will likely be able to deploy more equipment than during most previous eclipses. The value of contact and Baily’s bead timings of total solar eclipses, for determining solar diameter and intensity variations, was described in an earlier presentation in Focus Meeting 13. This presentation will concentrate on how observations of different types that have been used during past eclipses can be made by different observers, to obtain better information about the accuracy of the different types of observations for determining the mean solar diameter, and the systematic differences between them. A problem has been that the few observers who have attempted recording Baily’s beads from path edge locations have wanted to use the latest technology, to try to record the observations better, rather than try to make the observations in the same ways that were used for many past eclipses. Several observers trying different techniques at the same location, and doing that at several locations at different places along the path, is needed. Past techniques that we would like to compare include direct visual observation (but keeping eye safety in mind); visual observation of telescopically projected images; direct filtered video telescopic observations; and recording the flash spectrum. There are several towns that straddle the path edges. The International Occultation Timing Association would like to mobilize people in those towns to observe the eclipse from many places, to say whether or not the eclipse happened, and if it did, time it. A suitable cell phone app could be designed to report observations, including the observer’s location, as was attempted for an

Impact of automated dispensing cabinets on medication selection and preparation error rates in an emergency department: a prospective and direct observational before-and-after study.

Science.gov (United States)

Fanning, Laura; Jones, Nick; Manias, Elizabeth

2016-04-01

The implementation of automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) in healthcare facilities appears to be increasing, in particular within Australian hospital emergency departments (EDs). While the investment in ADCs is on the increase, no studies have specifically investigated the impacts of ADCs on medication selection and preparation error rates in EDs. Our aim was to assess the impact of ADCs on medication selection and preparation error rates in an ED of a tertiary teaching hospital. Pre intervention and post intervention study involving direct observations of nurses completing medication selection and preparation activities before and after the implementation of ADCs in the original and new emergency departments within a 377-bed tertiary teaching hospital in Australia. Medication selection and preparation error rates were calculated and compared between these two periods. Secondary end points included the impact on medication error type and severity. A total of 2087 medication selection and preparations were observed among 808 patients pre and post intervention. Implementation of ADCs in the new ED resulted in a 64.7% (1.96% versus 0.69%, respectively, P = 0.017) reduction in medication selection and preparation errors. All medication error types were reduced in the post intervention study period. There was an insignificant impact on medication error severity as all errors detected were categorised as minor. The implementation of ADCs could reduce medication selection and preparation errors and improve medication safety in an ED setting. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Direct observation of quark-hadron duality in the free neutron $F_2$ structure function

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niculescu, I. [James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA (United States); Niculescu, G. [James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA (United States); Melnitchouk, W. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States); Arrington, J. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Christy, M. E. [Hampton Univ., Hampton, VA (United States); Ent, R. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States); Griffioen, K. A. [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (United States); Kalantarians, N. [Hampton Univ., Hampton, VA (United States); Keppel, C. E. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States); Kuhn, S. [Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA (United States); Tkachenko, S. [Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA (United States); Zhang, J. [Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA (United States)

2015-05-21

Using data from the recent BONuS experiment at Jefferson Lab, which utilized a novel spectator tagging technique to extract the inclusive electron-free neutron scattering cross section, we obtain the first direct observation of quark-hadron duality in the neutron F₂ structure function. In addition, the data are used to reconstruct the lowest few (N = 2, 4 and 6) moments of F₂ in the three prominent nucleon resonance regions, as well as the moments integrated over the entire resonance region. Comparison with moments computed from global parametrizations of parton distribution functions suggest that quark--hadron duality holds locally for the neutron in the second and third resonance regions down to Q² ≈ 1 GeV², with violations possibly up to 20% observed in the first resonance region.

Direct observation of the myosin Va recovery stroke that contributes to unidirectional stepping along actin.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katsuyuki Shiroguchi

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Myosins are ATP-driven linear molecular motors that work as cellular force generators, transporters, and force sensors. These functions are driven by large-scale nucleotide-dependent conformational changes, termed "strokes"; the "power stroke" is the force-generating swinging of the myosin light chain-binding "neck" domain relative to the motor domain "head" while bound to actin; the "recovery stroke" is the necessary initial motion that primes, or "cocks," myosin while detached from actin. Myosin Va is a processive dimer that steps unidirectionally along actin following a "hand over hand" mechanism in which the trailing head detaches and steps forward ∼72 nm. Despite large rotational Brownian motion of the detached head about a free joint adjoining the two necks, unidirectional stepping is achieved, in part by the power stroke of the attached head that moves the joint forward. However, the power stroke alone cannot fully account for preferential forward site binding since the orientation and angle stability of the detached head, which is determined by the properties of the recovery stroke, dictate actin binding site accessibility. Here, we directly observe the recovery stroke dynamics and fluctuations of myosin Va using a novel, transient caged ATP-controlling system that maintains constant ATP levels through stepwise UV-pulse sequences of varying intensity. We immobilized the neck of monomeric myosin Va on a surface and observed real time motions of bead(s attached site-specifically to the head. ATP induces a transient swing of the neck to the post-recovery stroke conformation, where it remains for ∼40 s, until ATP hydrolysis products are released. Angle distributions indicate that the post-recovery stroke conformation is stabilized by ≥ 5 k(BT of energy. The high kinetic and energetic stability of the post-recovery stroke conformation favors preferential binding of the detached head to a forward site 72 nm away. Thus, the recovery

Direct observation of X-ray induced atomic motion using scanning tunneling microscope combined with synchrotron radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, Akira; Tanaka, Takehiro; Takagi, Yasumasa; Hosokawa, Hiromasa; Notsu, Hiroshi; Ohzeki, Gozo; Tanaka, Yoshihito; Kohmura, Yoshiki; Akai-Kasaya, Megumi; Ishikawa, Tetsuya; Kuwahara, Yuji; Kikuta, Seishi; Aono, Masakazu

2011-04-01

X-ray induced atomic motion on a Ge(111)-c(2 x 8) clean surface at room temperature was directly observed with atomic resolution using a synchrotron radiation (SR)-based scanning tunneling microscope (STM) system under ultra high vacuum condition. The atomic motion was visualized as a tracking image by developing a method to merge the STM images before and after X-ray irradiation. Using the tracking image, the atomic mobility was found to be strongly affected by defects on the surface, but was not dependent on the incident X-ray energy, although it was clearly dependent on the photon density. The atomic motion can be attributed to surface diffusion, which might not be due to core-excitation accompanied with electronic transition, but a thermal effect by X-ray irradiation. The crystal surface structure was possible to break even at a lower photon density than the conventionally known barrier. These results can alert X-ray studies in the near future about sample damage during measurements, while suggesting the possibility of new applications. Also the obtained results show a new availability of the in-situ SR-STM system.

Development and application of a direct method to observe the implant/bone interface using simulated bone.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaguchi, Yoko; Shiota, Makoto; FuJii, Masaki; Sekiya, Michi; Ozeki, Masahiko

2016-01-01

Primary stability after implant placement is essential for osseointegration. It is important to understand the bone/implant interface for analyzing the influence of implant design on primary stability. In this study rigid polyurethane foam is used as artificial bone to evaluate the bone-implant interface and to identify where the torque is being generated during placement. Five implant systems-Straumann-Standard (ST), Straumann-Bone Level (BL), Straumann-Tapered Effect (TE), Nobel Biocare-Brånemark MKIII (MK3), and Nobel Biocare-Brånemark MKIV (MK4)-were used for this experiment. Artificial bone blocks were prepared and the implant was installed. After placement, a metal jig and one side artificial bone block were removed and then the implant embedded in the artificial bone was exposed for observing the bone-implant interface. A digital micro-analyzer was used for observing the contact interface. The insertion torque values were 39.35, 23.78, 12.53, 26.35, and 17.79 N cm for MK4, BL, ST, TE, and MK3, respectively. In ST, MK3, TE, MK4, and BL the white layer areas were 61 × 103 μm(2), 37 × 103 μm(2), 103 × 103 μm(2) in the tapered portion and 84 × 03 μm(2) in the parallel portion, 134 × 103 μm(2), and 98 × 103 μm(2) in the tapered portion and 87 × 103 μm(2) in the parallel portion, respectively. The direct observation method of the implant/artificial bone interface is a simple and useful method that enables the identification of the area where implant retention occurs. A white layer at the site of stress concentration during implant placement was identified and the magnitude of the stress was quantitatively estimated. The site where the highest torque occurred was the area from the thread crest to the thread root and the under and lateral aspect of the platform. The artificial bone debris created by the self-tapping blade accumulated in both the cutting chamber and in the space between the threads and artificial bone.

Protecting me from my Directive: Ensuring Appropriate Safeguards for Advance Directives in Dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Auckland, Cressida

2018-02-01

With one in six people over 80 now suffering from dementia, advance directives provide an important means of empowerment. Upholding directives in the context of dementia, however, raises extra challenges, given the potential for the directive to conflict with an assessment of what is in the person's current best interests. Given the profound harm that tying a person with dementia to their previous wishes can do, it is essential that we have sufficient safeguards in place to ensure that we only uphold such directives where we can be sure they are truly autonomous and are intended to apply to the situation at hand-safeguards which are at present, severely lacking. This article will consider various mechanisms by which safeguards can be built into the legal regime to ensure that the original decision is autonomous, including making it mandatory for the person to undergo a consultation with a healthcare professional, which would involve a contemporaneous capacity assessment. Clinicians must also be confident that the directive applies to the situation at hand. Introducing formalities, including a standardised (though not mandatory) proforma, may help to enhance specificity about when the directive is triggered, and to what treatments it relates, to enable clinicians to better assess the directive's applicability. A national registry for advance directives might also be beneficial. It will be argued that health care professionals will have to play a much greater role in the drafting and registering of advance directives, if we are to feel comfortable in upholding them.

Nevada Test Site-Directed Research, Development, and Demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Will Lewis, Compiler

2006-01-01

The Nevada Test Site-Directed Research, Development, and Demonstration (SDRD) program completed a very successful year of research and development activities in FY 2005. Fifty new projects were selected for funding this year, and five FY 2004 projects were brought to conclusion. The total funds expended by the SDRD program were $5.4 million, for an average per project cost of just under $100,000. Two external audits of SDRD accounting practices were conducted in FY 2005. Both audits found the program's accounting practices consistent with the requirements of DOE Order 413.2A, and one included the observation that the NTS contractor ''did an exceptional job in planning and executing year-start activities.'' Highlights for the year included: the filing of 18 invention disclosures for intellectual property generated by FY 2005 projects; programmatic adoption of 17 FY 2004 SDRD-developed technologies; participation in the tri-lab Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) and SDRD program review that was broadly attended by NTS, NNSA, LDRD, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security representatives; peer reviews of all FY 2005 projects; and the successful completion of 55 R and D projects, as presented in this report

A method for evaluating spatially-resolved NOx emissions using Kalman filter inversion, direct sensitivities, and space-based NO2 observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. V. Martin

2008-09-01

Full Text Available An inverse modeling method was developed and tested for identifying possible biases in emission inventories using satellite observations. The relationships between emission inputs and modeled ambient concentrations were estimated using sensitivities calculated with the decoupled direct method in three dimensions (DDM-3D implemented within the framework of the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ regional model. As a case study to test the approach, the method was applied to regional ground-level NOx emissions in the southeastern United States as constrained by observations of NO2 column densities derived from the Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography (SCIAMACHY satellite instrument. A controlled "pseudodata" scenario with a known solution was used to establish that the methodology can achieve the correct solution, and the approach was then applied to a summer 2004 period where the satellite data are available. The results indicate that emissions biases differ in urban and rural areas of the southeast. The method suggested slight downward (less than 10% adjustment to urban emissions, while rural region results were found to be highly sensitive to NOx processes in the upper troposphere. As such, the bias in the rural areas is likely not solely due to biases in the ground-level emissions. It was found that CMAQ was unable to predict the significant level of NO2 in the upper troposphere that was observed during the NASA Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment (INTEX measurement campaign. The best correlation between satellite observations and modeled NO2 column densities, as well as comparison to ground-level observations of NO2, was obtained by performing the inverse while accounting for the significant presence of NO2 in the upper troposphere not captured by the regional model.

Direct observation of coherent energy transfer in nonlinear micromechanical oscillators.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Changyao; Zanette, Damián H; Czaplewski, David A; Shaw, Steven; López, Daniel

2017-05-26

Energy dissipation is an unavoidable phenomenon of physical systems that are directly coupled to an external environmental bath. In an oscillatory system, it leads to the decay of the oscillation amplitude. In situations where stable oscillations are required, the energy dissipated by the vibrations is usually compensated by replenishment from external energy sources. Consequently, if the external energy supply is removed, the amplitude of oscillations start to decay immediately, since there is no means to restitute the energy dissipated. Here, we demonstrate a novel dissipation engineering strategy that can support stable oscillations without supplying external energy to compensate losses. The fundamental intrinsic mechanism of resonant mode coupling is used to redistribute and store mechanical energy among vibrational modes and coherently transfer it back to the principal mode when the external excitation is off. To experimentally demonstrate this phenomenon, we exploit the nonlinear dynamic response of microelectromechanical oscillators to couple two different vibrational modes through an internal resonance.

Pseudophakodonesis and corneal endothelial contact: direct observations by high-speed cinematography.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, P M; Cheng, H; Price, N C

1983-10-01

High-speed cinematography was used to observe the movement of Federov type I lens implants within the anterior chamber. Our measurements suggest that in most patients contact between the lens implant and corneal endothelium does not occur.

MAVEN observations of magnetic reconnection in the Martian magnetotail

Science.gov (United States)

Harada, Y.; Halekas, J. S.; McFadden, J. P.; Mitchell, D. L.; Mazelle, C. X.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Espley, J. R.; Larson, D. E.; Brain, D. A.; Andersson, L.; DiBraccio, G. A.; Collinson, G.; Livi, R.; Hara, T.; Ruhunusiri, S.; Jakosky, B. M.

2015-12-01

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process that changes magnetic field topology and converts magnetic energy into particle energy. Although reconnection may play a key role in controlling ion escape processes at Mars, the fundamental properties of local physics and global dynamics of magnetic reconnection in the Martian environment remain unclear owing to the lack of simultaneous measurements of ions, electrons, and magnetic fields by modern instrumentation. Here we present comprehensive MAVEN observations of reconnection signatures in the near-Mars magnetotail. The observed reconnection signatures include (i) Marsward bulk flows of H+, O+, and O2+ ions, (ii) counterstreaming ion beams along the current sheet normal direction, (iii) Hall magnetic fields, and (iv) trapped electrons with two-sided loss cones. The measured velocity distribution functions of different ion species exhibit mass-dependent characteristics which are qualitatively consistent with previous multi-species kinetic simulations and terrestrial tail observations. The MAVEN observations demonstrate that the near-Mars magnetotail provides a unique environment for studying multi-ion reconnection.

Direct observation of the decay of beauty particles into charm particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albanese, J.P.; Alpe, V.; Aoki, S.; Arnold, R.; Baroni, G.; Barth, M.; Bartley, J.H.; Bertrand, D.; Bertrand-Coremans, G.; Bisi, V.; Breslin, A.C.; Carboni, G.; Chesi, E.; Chiba, K.; Cook, G.S.; Coupland, M.; Crosetti, G.; Davis, D.H.; Dell'Uomo, S.; Di Liberto, S.; Bonnelly, W.; Duff, B.G.; Esten, M.J.; Gamba, D.; Gerke, C.; Hazama, M.; Heymann, F.F.; Hoshino, K.; Imrie, D.C.; Isokane, Y.; Kazuno, M.; Kodama, Y.; Lush, G.J.; Maeda, Y.; Marzari-Chiesa, A.; Mazzoni, M.A.; Meddi, F.; Miyanishi, M.; Montwill, A.; Muciaccia, M.T.; Musset, P.; Nakamura, M.; Nakazawa, K.; Natali, S.; Niu, K.; Niwa, K.; Nuzzo, S.; Ohashi, M.; Piuz, F.; Poulard, G.; Ramello, L.; Riccati, L.; Romano, G.; Roosen, R.; Rosa, G.; Ruggieri, F.; Sato, Y.; Sasaki, H.; Sgarbi, C.; Shibuya, H.; Simone, S.; Sletten, H.; Tasaka, S.; Tesuka, I.; Tomita, Y.; Tovee, D.N.; Trent, P.; Tsuneoka, Y.; Ushida, N.; Yamakawa, O.; Yanagisawa, Y.; Aichi Women's Coll., Nisshin-Cho; Bari Univ.; Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Bari; Birkbeck Coll., London; Interuniversity Inst. for High Energies, Brussels; European Organization for Nuclear Research, Geneva; University Coll., Dublin; Gifu Univ.; University Coll., London; Nagoya Univ.; Nagoya Inst. of Tech.; Rome Univ.; Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Rome; Toho Univ., Funabashi, Chiba; Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Turin; Turin Univ.; Utsunomiya Univ.; Yokohama National Univ.

1985-01-01

The associated production of a pair of beauty particles B - and anti B 0 by a 350 GeV π - interaction has been observed in an emulsion target inserted in an array of silicon microstrip detectors. Both beauty particles decay into charm particles, both of which are also observed to decay in the emulsion. Two negative muons were identified and their momenta measured in a large muon spectrometer. One muon has a psub(T) of 1.9 GeV/c and is associated with a beauty particle decay. The other, with a psub(T) of 0.45 GeV/c is associated with a charm particle decay. The flight times of the two beauty particles are respectively (0.8+-0.1).10 -13 s and (5sub(-1) +2 ).10 -13 s. Alternative interpretations of this event have negligible probability. (orig.)

Direct observation of interlayer Josephson vortices in heavily Pb-doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2Oy by scanning superconducting quantum interference device microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasai, Junpei; Hasegawa, Tetsuya; Okazaki, Noriaki; Koinuma, Hideomi; Nakayama, Yuri; Shimoyama, Jun-ichi; Kishio, Kohji; Motohashi, Teruki; Matsumoto, Yuji

2006-01-01

Josephson vortices trapped in cross-sectional edge surfaces of Pb 0.6 Bi 1.4 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O y has been directly observed by using a scanning superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) microscope. The magnetic field distribution B z around each vortex is substantially anisotropic, compared with the usual vortex in the ab-plane, and is extended over 100 μm toward the in-plane direction. By fitting a theoretical B z function to experimental ones, c-axis penetration depth λ c was estimated to be 11.2 ±0.7 μm, which is in good agreement with the literature value, 12.6 μm, obtained from the Josephson plasma edge frequency. (author)

Precision measurements, dark matter direct detection and LHC Higgs searches in a constrained NMSSM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bélanger, G.; Hugonie, C.; Pukhov, A.

2009-01-01

We reexamine the constrained version of the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model with semi universal parameters at the GUT scale (CNMSSM). We include constraints from collider searches for Higgs and susy particles, upper bound on the relic density of dark matter, measurements of the muon anomalous magnetic moment and of B-physics observables as well as direct searches for dark matter. We then study the prospects for direct detection of dark matter in large scale detectors and comment on the prospects for discovery of heavy Higgs states at the LHC

Direct observation of contact and channel resistance in pentacene four-terminal thin-film transistor patterned by laser ablation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yagi, Iwao; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhito; Aoyagi, Yoshinobu

2004-01-01

We established a dry-etching patterning process for the channel formation of pentacene thin-film transistor, and fabricated a four-terminal device equipped with a gate electrode. The four-terminal device enabled us to divide two-terminal source-drain resistance into two components of contact resistance and pentacene channel resistance. We obtained direct evidence of a gate-voltagedependent contact resistance change: the gate-induced charge significantly reduced the contact resistance and increased source-drain current. Furthermore, the temperature dependence of the device clearly indicated that the contact resistance was much higher than the channel resistance and was dominated in the two-terminal total resistance of the device below 120 K. An observed activation energy of 80 meV for contact resistance was higher than that of 42 meV for pentacene channel resistance

A Decade of Shear-Wave Splitting Observations in Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Bellesiles, A. K.; Christensen, D. H.; Abers, G. A.; Hansen, R. A.; Pavlis, G. L.; Song, X.

2010-12-01

Over the last decade four PASSCAL experiments have been conducted in different regions of Alaska. ARCTIC, BEAAR and MOOS form a north-south transect across the state, from the Arctic Ocean to Price Williams Sound, while the STEEP experiment is currently deployed to the east of that line in the St Elias Mountains of Southeastern Alaska. Shear-wave splitting observations from these networks in addition to several permanent stations of the Alaska Earthquake Information Center were determined in an attempt to understand mantle flow under Alaska in a variety of different geologic settings. Results show two dominant splitting patterns in Alaska, separated by the subducted Pacific Plate. North of the subducted Pacific Plate fast directions are parallel to the trench (along strike of the subducted Pacific Plate) indicating large scale mantle flow in the northeast-southwest direction with higher anisotropy (splitting times) within the mantle wedge. Within or below the Pacific Plate fast directions are normal to the trench in the direction of Pacific Plate convergence. In addition to these two prominent splitting patterns there are several regions that do not match either of these trends. These more complex regions which include the results from STEEP could be due to several factors including effects from the edge of the Pacific Plate. The increase of station coverage that Earthscope will bring to Alaska will aid in developing a more complete model for anisotropy and mantle flow in Alaska.

Pseudophakodonesis and corneal endothelial contact: direct observations by high-speed cinematography.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, P M; Cheng, H; Price, N C

1983-01-01

High-speed cinematography was used to observe the movement of Federov type I lens implants within the anterior chamber. Our measurements suggest that in most patients contact between the lens implant and corneal endothelium does not occur. Images PMID:6615750

Observation of Vacancies, Faults, and Superstructures in Ln5Mo2O12 (Ln = La, Y, and Lu) Compounds with Direct Mo-Mo Bonding.

Science.gov (United States)

Colabello, Diane M; Sobalvarro, Elizabeth M; Sheckelton, John P; Neuefeind, Joerg C; McQueen, Tyrel M; Khalifah, Peter G

2017-11-06

Among oxide compounds with direct metal-metal bonding, the Y 5 Mo 2 O 12 (A 5 B 2 O 12 ) structural family of compounds has a particularly intriguing low-dimensional structure due to the presence of bioctahedral B 2 O 10 dimers arranged in one-dimensional edge-sharing chains along the direction of the metal-metal bonds. Furthermore, these compounds can have a local magnetic moment due to the noninteger oxidation state (+4.5) of the transition metal, in contrast to the conspicuous lack of a local moment that is commonly observed when oxide compounds with direct metal-metal bonding have integer oxidation states resulting from the lifting of orbital degeneracy typically induced by the metal-metal bonding. Although a monoclinic C2/m structure has been previously proposed for Ln 5 Mo 2 O 12 (Ln = La-Lu and Y) members of this family based on prior single crystal diffraction data, it is found that this structural model misses many important structural features. On the basis of synchrotron powder diffraction data, it is shown that the C2/m monoclinic unit cell represents a superstructure relative to a previously unrecognized orthorhombic Immm subcell and that the superstructure derives from the ordering of interchangeable Mo 2 O 10 and LaO 6 building blocks. The superstructure for this reason is typically highly faulted, as evidenced by the increased breadth of superstructure diffraction peaks associated with a coherence length of 1-2 nm in the c* direction. Finally, it is shown that oxygen vacancies can occur when Ln = La, producing an oxygen deficient stoichiometry of La 5 Mo 2 O 11.55 and an approximately 10-fold reduction in the number of unpaired electrons due to the reduction of the average Mo valence from +4.5 to +4.05, a result confirmed by magnetic susceptibility measurements. This represents the first observation of oxygen vacancies in this family of compounds and provides an important means of continuously tuning the magnetic interactions within the one

40 CFR 26.405 - Observational research involving greater than minimal risk but presenting the prospect of direct...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... greater than minimal risk but presenting the prospect of direct benefit to the individual subjects. 26.405... but presenting the prospect of direct benefit to the individual subjects. If the IRB finds that an...: (a) The intervention or procedure holds out the prospect of direct benefit to the individual subject...

A direct observation the asteroid's structure from deep interior to regolith: why and how do it?

Science.gov (United States)

Herique, A.; Kofman, W. W.

2013-12-01

The internal structure of asteroids is still poorly known and has never been measured directly. Our knowledge is relying entirely on inferences from remote sensing observations of the surface, and theoretical modeling. Is the body a monolithic piece of rock or a rubble-pile, an aggregate of boulders held together by gravity and how much porosity it contains, both in the form of micro-scale or macro-scale porosity? What is the typical size of the constituent blocs? Are these blocs homogeneous or heterogeneous? Is the body a defunct or dormant comet and such MBC can become active? The body is covered by a regolith from whose properties remains largely unknown in term of depth, size distribution and spatial variation. Is resulting from fine particles re-accretion or from thermal fracturing? What are its coherent forces? How to model is thermal conductivity while this parameter is so important to estimate Yarkowsky and Yorp effects? Knowing asteroid deep interior and regolith structure is a key point for a better understanding of the asteroid accretion and dynamical evolution. There is no way to determine this from ground-based observation. Radar operating from a spacecraft is the only technique capable of achieving this science objective of characterizing the internal structure and heterogeneity from submetric to global scale for the science benefit as well as for the planetary defence and human exploration. The deep interior structure tomography requires low-frequency radar to penetrate throughout the complete body. The radar wave propagation delay and the received power are related to the complex dielectric permittivity (i.e to the composition and microporosity) and the small scale heterogeneities (scattering losses) while the spatial variation of the signal and the multiple paths provide information on the presence of heterogeneities (variations in composition or porosity), layers, ice lens. A partial coverage will provide "cuts" of the body when a dense coverage

Barkhausen noise measurements give direct observation of magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy in ferromagnetic polycrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Espina-Hernández, J H; Pérez-Benítez, J A; Caleyo, F; Hallen, J M; Baudin, T; Helbert, A L

2013-01-01

This paper presents experimental evidence of the capability of Barkhausen noise measurements to estimate the angular dependence of the average magnetocrystalline energy in soft magnetic polycrystalline materials. Three different API 5L steel samples, all obtained from out-of-service pipelines, were investigated using crystallographic texture and Barkhausen noise measurements. The angular dependence of the rms voltage of the Barkhausen signal was determined in each sample for the time band corresponding to the saturation-to-remanence part of the hysteresis loop where irreversible domain rotation occurs. For each angular position, the rms voltage of the Barkhausen noise signal in this time band was interpreted as a direct measure of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy of the polycrystal in the corresponding direction. A strong correlation between the angular dependence of both the rms voltage of the Barkhausen signal in the time band of interest and the average magnetocrystalline energy obtained from crystallographic texture measurements was found experimentally. (fast track communication)

Leader-Following Consensus Stability of Discrete-Time Linear Multiagent Systems with Observer-Based Protocols

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bingbing Xu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We consider the leader-following consensus problem of discrete-time multiagent systems on a directed communication topology. Two types of distributed observer-based consensus protocols are considered to solve such a problem. The observers involved in the proposed protocols include full-order observer and reduced-order observer, which are used to reconstruct the state variables. Two algorithms are provided to construct the consensus protocols, which are based on the modified discrete-time algebraic Riccati equation and Sylvester equation. In light of graph and matrix theory, some consensus conditions are established. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the obtained result.

Direct observation of the decay of beauty particles into charm particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Albanese, J P; Alpe, V; Aoki, S; Arnold, R; Baroni, G; Barth, M; Bartley, J H; Bertrand, D; Bertrand-Coremans, G; Bisi, V [Aichi Univ. of Education, Kariya (Japan); Aichi Women' s Coll, Nisshin-Cho [Japan; Bari Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Fisica; Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Bari (Italy); Birkbeck Coll, London [UK; Interuniversity Inst. for High Energies, Brussels (Belgium); European Organization for Nuclear Research, Geneva (Switzerland); University Coll., Dublin (Ireland); Gifu Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Education; University Coll., London (UK); Nagoya Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Physics; Nagoya Inst. of Tech. (Japan); Rome Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Fisica; Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Rome (Italy); Toho Univ., Funabashi, Chiba (Japan). Faculty of Science; Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Turin (Italy); Turin Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Fisica; Utsunomiya Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Education; Yokohama National Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Education

1985-08-08

The associated production of a pair of beauty particles B/sup -/ and anti B/sup 0/ by a 350 GeV ..pi../sup -/ interaction has been observed in an emulsion target inserted in an array of silicon microstrip detectors. Both beauty particles decay into charm particles, both of which are also observed to decay in the emulsion. Two negative muons were identified and their momenta measured in a large muon spectrometer. One muon has a psub(T) of 1.9 GeV/c and is associated with a beauty particle decay. The other, with a psub(T) of 0.45 GeV/c is associated with a charm particle decay. The flight times of the two beauty particles are respectively (0.8 +- 0.1).10/sup -13/s and (5sub(-1)/sup +2/).10/sup -13/s. Alternative interpretations of this event have negligible probability.

An experimental observation of the effect of flow direction for evaporation heat transfer in plate heat exchanger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Yueh-Hung; Li, Guang-Cheng; Yang, Chien-Yuh

2015-01-01

This study provides an Infrared Thermal Image observation on the evaporation heat transfer of refrigerant R-410A in plate heat exchanger with various flow arrangement and exit superheat conditions. An experimental method was derived for estimating the superheat region area of two-phase refrigerant evaporation in plate heat exchanger. The experimental results show that the superheat region area for parallel flow is much larger than that for counter flow as that estimated by Yang et al. [9]. There is an early superheated region at the central part of the plate heat exchanger for parallel flow arrangement. This effect is not significant for counter flow arrangement. The Yang et al. [9] method under estimated the superheat area approximately 40%–53% at various flow rates and degree of exit superheat. Even though the flow inside a plate heat exchanger is extremely turbulent because of the chevron flow passages, the assumption of uniform temperature distribution in the cross section normal to the bulk flow direction will cause significant uncertainties for estimating the superheat area for refrigerant evaporating in a plate heat exchanger

Direct Problem-Based Learning (DPBL): A Framework for Integrating Direct Instruction and Problem-Based Learning Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Winarno, Sri; Muthu, Kalaiarasi Sonai; Ling, Lew Sook

2018-01-01

Direct instruction approach has been widely used in higher education. Many studies revealed that direct instruction improved students' knowledge. The characteristics of direct instruction include the subject delivered through face-to-face interaction with the lecturers and materials that sequenced deliberately and taught explicitly. However,…

Direct observations of surface water-groundwater interaction using electrical resistivity tomography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Noell, Ursula; Wießner, Claudia; Ganz, Christina; Westhoff, Martijn

2011-01-01

Electrical resistivity tomography is a helpful tool to observe the infiltration process in and through the soil. Array 3-D measurements and 3-D inversion schemes are required for reliable interpretation of heterogeneous subsurface structures. Smoothing of the inversion can be minimized by using

Direct Visualization of the Hydration Layer on Alumina Nanoparticles with the Fluid Cell STEM in situ.

Science.gov (United States)

Firlar, Emre; Çınar, Simge; Kashyap, Sanjay; Akinc, Mufit; Prozorov, Tanya

2015-05-21

Rheological behavior of aqueous suspensions containing nanometer-sized powders is of relevance to many branches of industry. Unusually high viscosities observed for suspensions of nanoparticles compared to those of micron size powders cannot be explained by current viscosity models. Formation of so-called hydration layer on alumina nanoparticles in water was hypothesized, but never observed experimentally. We report here on the direct visualization of aqueous suspensions of alumina with the fluid cell in situ. We observe the hydration layer formed over the particle aggregates and show that such hydrated aggregates constitute new particle assemblies and affect the flow behavior of the suspensions. We discuss how these hydrated nanoclusters alter the effective solid content and the viscosity of nanostructured suspensions. Our findings elucidate the source of high viscosity observed for nanoparticle suspensions and are of direct relevance to many industrial sectors including materials, food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical among others employing colloidal slurries with nanometer-scale particles.

ALMA observations of molecular absorption in four directions toward the Galactic bulge

Science.gov (United States)

Liszt, H.; Gerin, M.

2018-02-01

Context. Alma Cycle 3 observations serendipitously showed strong absorption from diffuse molecular gas in the Galactic bulge at -200 km s-1 51(3σ) for the bulge gas toward J1744 and 58 ± 9 and 64 ± 4 for the disk gas toward J1717 and J1744, respectively, all well above the value of 20-25 typical of the central molecular zone. Conclusions: The kinematics and chemistry of the bulge gas observed toward J1744 more nearly resemble that of gas in the Milky Way disk than in the central molecular zone.

Preparing astronomical observations and observing with OHP facilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patris J.

2010-12-01

Full Text Available In addition to the general introduction to observational astronomy given in a past paper (J. Phys. IV France, ERCA 07 (2006 pp 373-390 some tools are given to the observer. These include the general knowledge of what is going to be observed and of the instruments used. A guideline is given to prepare an observing program and to follow it as efficiently as possible. Finally, some examples are given of observations to be made by ERCA participants at OHP observatory.

Dark matter spin determination with directional direct detection experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Catena, Riccardo; Conrad, Jan; Döring, Christian; Ferella, Alfredo Davide; Krauss, Martin B.

2018-01-01

If dark matter has spin 0, only two WIMP-nucleon interaction operators can arise as leading operators from the nonrelativistic reduction of renormalizable single-mediator models for dark matter-quark interactions. Based on this crucial observation, we show that about 100 signal events at next generation directional detection experiments can be enough to enable a 2 σ rejection of the spin 0 dark matter hypothesis in favor of alternative hypotheses where the dark matter particle has spin 1 /2 or 1. In this context, directional sensitivity is crucial since anisotropy patterns in the sphere of nuclear recoil directions depend on the spin of the dark matter particle. For comparison, about 100 signal events are expected in a CF4 detector operating at a pressure of 30 torr with an exposure of approximately 26,000 cubic-meter-detector days for WIMPs of 100 GeV mass and a WIMP-fluorine scattering cross section of 0.25 pb. Comparable exposures require an array of cubic meter time projection chamber detectors.

Reframing the issue of direct social perception. Comment on "Seeing mental states: An experimental strategy for measuring the observability of other minds" by Cristina Becchio et al.

Science.gov (United States)

Overgaard, Søren

2018-03-01

Becchio and colleagues make significant progress both in terms of clarifying what is at issue in the current debate about "direct social perception" (henceforth: DSP) and in terms of making the issue amenable to empirical investigation. Advances in these directions are much needed, since there is currently confusion about what the thesis of DSP states, and a near total lack of evidence pertaining to the truth or falsity of that thesis [1]. Thus, as Becchio et al. note, "The claim that mental states are 'observable' thus far remains just as speculative as the claim that they are 'unobservable' " [2, section 1.2].

X-Ray Radiographic Observation of Directional Solidification Under Microgravity: XRMON-GF Experiments on MASER12 Sounding Rocket Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Reinhart, G.; NguyenThi, H.; Bogno, A.; Billia, B.; Houltz, Y.; Loth, K.; Voss, D.; Verga, A.; dePascale, F.; Mathiesen, R. H.;

Directed network modules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palla, Gergely; Farkas, Illes J; Pollner, Peter; Derenyi, Imre; Vicsek, Tamas

2007-01-01

A search technique locating network modules, i.e. internally densely connected groups of nodes in directed networks is introduced by extending the clique percolation method originally proposed for undirected networks. After giving a suitable definition for directed modules we investigate their percolation transition in the Erdos-Renyi graph both analytically and numerically. We also analyse four real-world directed networks, including Google's own web-pages, an email network, a word association graph and the transcriptional regulatory network of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The obtained directed modules are validated by additional information available for the nodes. We find that directed modules of real-world graphs inherently overlap and the investigated networks can be classified into two major groups in terms of the overlaps between the modules. Accordingly, in the word-association network and Google's web-pages, overlaps are likely to contain in-hubs, whereas the modules in the email and transcriptional regulatory network tend to overlap via out-hubs

A Manual Transportable Instrument Platform for Ground-Based Spectro-Directional Observations (ManTIS and the Resultant Hyperspectral Field Goniometer System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcel Buchhorn

2013-11-01

Full Text Available This article presents and technically describes a new field spectro-goniometer system for the ground-based characterization of the surface reflectance anisotropy under natural illumination conditions developed at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI. The spectro-goniometer consists of a Manual Transportable Instrument platform for ground-based Spectro-directional observations (ManTIS, and a hyperspectral sensor system. The presented measurement strategy shows that the AWI ManTIS field spectro-goniometer can deliver high quality hemispherical conical reflectance factor (HCRF measurements with a pointing accuracy of ±6 cm within the constant observation center. The sampling of a ManTIS hemisphere (up to 30° viewing zenith, 360° viewing azimuth needs approx. 18 min. The developed data processing chain in combination with the software used for the semi-automatic control provides a reliable method to reduce temporal effects during the measurements. The presented visualization and analysis approaches of the HCRF data of an Arctic low growing vegetation showcase prove the high quality of spectro-goniometer measurements. The patented low-cost and lightweight ManTIS instrument platform can be customized for various research needs and is available for purchase.

Direct observation of hopping induced spin polarization current in oxygen deficient Co-doped ZnO by Andreev reflection technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Kung-Shang; Huang, Tzu-Yu; Dwivedi, G.D. [Department of Physics, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Lin, Lu-Kuei; Lee, Shang-Fan [Taiwan Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan (China); Sun, Shih-Jye [Department of Applied Physics, National Kaohsiung University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Chou, Hsiung, E-mail: hchou@mail.nsysu.edu.tw [Department of Physics, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China)

2017-07-01

Highlights: • Co-doped ZnO thin-films were grown with varying V{sub O} concentartion. • PCAR measurements were done to study the SPC. • High spin polarization was observed above a certain V{sub O} concentartion. • High V{sub O} samples provide a high density of completed percolation path. • This complete percolation path gives rise to high SPC. - Abstract: Oxygen vacancy induced ferromagnetic coupling in diluted magnetic oxide (DMO) semiconductors have been reported in several studies, but technologically more crucial spin-polarized current (SPC) is still under-developed in DMOs. Few studies have claimed that VRH mechanism can originate the SPC, but, how VRH mechanism associated with percolation path, is not clearly understood. We used Point-contact Andreev reflection (PCAR) technique to probe the SPC in Co-doped ZnO (CZO) films. Since the high resistance samples cause broadening in conductance(G)-voltage(V) curves, which may result in an unreliable evaluation of spin polarization, we include two extra parameters, (i) effective temperature and (ii) spreading resistance, for the simulation to avoid the uncertainty in extracting spin polarization. The effective G-V curves and higher spin polarization can be obtained above a certain oxygen vacancy concentration. The number of completed and fragmentary percolation paths is proportional to the concentration of oxygen vacancies. For low oxygen vacancy samples, the Pb-tip has a higher probability of covering fragmentary percolation paths than the complete ones, due to its small contact size. The completed paths may remain independent of one another and get polarized in different directions, resulting in lower spin-polarization value. High oxygen vacancy samples provide a high density of completed path, most of them link to one another by crossing over, and gives rise to high spin-polarization value.

OUTWARD BRAZILIAN FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT: IMPULSES AND RESPONSES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ronald de Oliveira Concer

2010-12-01

Full Text Available This paper models the outward foreign direct investment from Brazil series using time a series econometrics model, namely the Vector Auto Regressive (VAR model. We have drawn impulse response functions for the key relevant factors that may explain the outward foreign direct investment flows. We start with a review of the literature on the Dunning location approach to international business. We worked with a data set of quarterly observations from Q1-1995 to Q1-2010. We carried also out Granger causality tests as for determining whether international business travelling should be included as an explanatory variable in our model. Results stressed that although the strong exchange rate in Brazil is often blamed for forcing companies to invest abroad, the evidence found in the aggregate data suggests that there is not a significant relationship between the level of foreign exchange rate and the outward Brazilian foreign direct investment. Differently from previous studies, this paper uses impulse response functions to present dynamic results, thus avoiding the typical binary results “affect” or “don’t affect”, and in so doing we provide a more detailed insight into this important location factor.

OUTWARD BRAZILIAN FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT: IMPULSES AND RESPONSES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ronald de Oliveira Concer

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper models the outward foreign direct investment from Brazil series using time a series econometrics model, namely the Vector Auto Regressive (VAR model. We have drawn impulse response functions for the key relevant factors that may explain the outward foreign direct investment flows. We start with a review of the literature on the Dunning location approach to international business. We worked with a data set of quarterly observations from Q1-1995 to Q1-2010. We carried also out Granger causality tests as for determining whether international business travelling should be included as an explanatory variable in our model. Results stressed that although the strong exchange rate in Brazil is often blamed for forcing companies to invest abroad, the evidence found in the aggregate data suggests that there is not a significant relationship between the level of foreign exchange rate and the outward Brazilian foreign direct investment. Differently from previous studies, this paper uses impulse response functions to present dynamic results, thus avoiding the typical binary results “affect” or “don’t affect”, and in so doing we provide a more detailed insight into this important location factor.

Direct and semi-direct effects of aerosol climatologies on long-term climate simulations over Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Schultze, Markus; Rockel, Burkhardt

2017-08-01

This study compares the direct and semi-direct aerosol effects of different annual cycles of tropospheric aerosol loads for Europe from 1950 to 2009 using the regional climate model COSMO-CLM, which is laterally forced by reanalysis data and run using prescribed, climatological aerosol optical properties. These properties differ with respect to the analysis strategy and the time window, and are then used for the same multi-decadal period. Five simulations with different aerosol loads and one control simulation without any tropospheric aerosols are integrated and compared. Two common limitations of our simulation strategy, to fully assess direct and semi-direct aerosol effects, are the applied observed sea surface temperatures and sea ice conditions, and the lack of short-term variations in the aerosol load. Nevertheless, the impact of different aerosol climatologies on common regional climate model simulations can be assessed. The results of all aerosol-including simulations show a distinct reduction in solar irradiance at the surface compared with that in the control simulation. This reduction is strongest in the summer season and is balanced primarily by a weakening of turbulent heat fluxes and to a lesser extent by a decrease in longwave emissions. Consequently, the seasonal mean surface cooling is modest. The temperature profile responses are characterized by a shallow near-surface cooling and a dominant warming up to the mid-troposphere caused by aerosol absorption. The resulting stabilization of stratification leads to reduced cloud cover and less precipitation. A decrease in cloud water and ice content over Central Europe in summer possibly reinforce aerosol absorption and thus strengthen the vertical warming. The resulting radiative forcings are positive. The robustness of the results was demonstrated by performing a simulation with very strong aerosol forcing, which lead to qualitatively similar results. A distinct added value over the default aerosol

Direct observation of two dimensional trace gas distributions with an airborne Imaging DOAS instrument

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K.-P. Heue

2008-11-01

Full Text Available In many investigations of tropospheric chemistry information about the two dimensional distribution of trace gases on a small scale (e.g. tens to hundreds of metres is highly desirable. An airborne instrument based on imaging Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy has been built to map the two dimensional distribution of a series of relevant trace gases including NO₂, HCHO, C₂H₂O₂, H₂O, O₄, SO₂, and BrO on a scale of 100 m.

Here we report on the first tests of the novel aircraft instrument over the industrialised South African Highveld, where large variations in NO₂ column densities in the immediate vicinity of several sources e.g. power plants or steel works, were measured. The observed patterns in the trace gas distribution are interpreted with respect to flux estimates, and it is seen that the fine resolution of the measurements allows separate sources in close proximity to one another to be distinguished.

Direct observation of backbone planarization via side-chain alignment in single bulky-substituted polythiophenes

Science.gov (United States)

Raithel, Dominic; Simine, Lena; Pickel, Sebastian; Schötz, Konstantin; Panzer, Fabian; Baderschneider, Sebastian; Schiefer, Daniel; Lohwasser, Ruth; Köhler, Jürgen; Thelakkat, Mukundan; Sommer, Michael; Köhler, Anna; Rossky, Peter J.; Hildner, Richard

2018-03-01

The backbone conformation of conjugated polymers affects, to a large extent, their optical and electronic properties. The usually flexible substituents provide solubility and influence the packing behavior of conjugated polymers in films or in bad solvents. However, the role of the side chains in determining and potentially controlling the backbone conformation, and thus the optical and electronic properties on the single polymer level, is currently under debate. Here, we investigate directly the impact of the side chains by studying the bulky-substituted poly(3-(2,5-dioctylphenyl)thiophene) (PDOPT) and the common poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), both with a defined molecular weight and high regioregularity, using low-temperature single-chain photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and quantum-classical simulations. Surprisingly, the optical transition energy of PDOPT is significantly (˜2,000 cm‑1 or 0.25 eV) red-shifted relative to P3HT despite a higher static and dynamic disorder in the former. We ascribe this red shift to a side-chain induced backbone planarization in PDOPT, supported by temperature-dependent ensemble PL spectroscopy. Our atomistic simulations reveal that the bulkier 2,5-dioctylphenyl side chains of PDOPT adopt a clear secondary helical structural motif and thus protect conjugation, i.e., enforce backbone planarity, whereas, for P3HT, this is not the case. These different degrees of planarity in both thiophenes do not result in different conjugation lengths, which we found to be similar. It is rather the stronger electronic coupling between the repeating units in the more planar PDOPT which gives rise to the observed spectral red shift as well as to a reduced calculated electron‑hole polarization.

Direct RF modulation transmitter, sampling clock frequency setting method for direct RF modulation transmitter

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fukuda, Shuichi; Nauta, Bram

2013-01-01

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a direct RF modulation transmitter capable of satisfying a radiation level regulation even without providing a SAW filter. SOLUTION: A direct RF modulation transmitter includes: digital/RF converters 105, 106 to which an I digital baseband signal, a Q digital

Direct RF modulation transmitter, sampling clock frequency setting method for direct RF modulation transmitter

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fukuda, Shuichi; Nauta, Bram

2014-01-01

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a direct RF modulation transmitter capable of satisfying a radiation level regulation even without providing a SAW filter. SOLUTION: A direct RF modulation transmitter includes: digital/RF converters 105, 106 to which an I digital baseband signal, a Q digital

Enhancing Scalability of Sparse Direct Methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Xiaoye S.; Demmel, James; Grigori, Laura; Gu, Ming; Xia, Jianlin; Jardin, Steve; Sovinec, Carl; Lee, Lie-Quan

2007-01-01

TOPS is providing high-performance, scalable sparse direct solvers, which have had significant impacts on the SciDAC applications, including fusion simulation (CEMM), accelerator modeling (COMPASS), as well as many other mission-critical applications in DOE and elsewhere. Our recent developments have been focusing on new techniques to overcome scalability bottleneck of direct methods, in both time and memory. These include parallelizing symbolic analysis phase and developing linear-complexity sparse factorization methods. The new techniques will make sparse direct methods more widely usable in large 3D simulations on highly-parallel petascale computers

Observing nebulae

CERN Document Server

Griffiths, Martin

2016-01-01

This book enables anyone with suitable instruments to undertake an examination of nebulae and see or photograph them in detail. Nebulae, ethereal clouds of gas and dust, are among the most beautiful objects to view in the night sky. These star-forming regions are a common target for observers and photographers. Griffiths describes many of the brightest and best nebulae and includes some challenges for the more experienced observer. Readers learn the many interesting astrophysical properties of these clouds, which are an important subject of study in astronomy and astrobiology. Non-mathematical in approach, the text is easily accessible to anyone with an interest in the subject. A special feature is the inclusion of an observational guide to 70 objects personally observed or imaged by the author. The guide also includes photographs of each object for ease of identification along with their celestial coordinates, magnitudes and other pertinent information. Observing Nebulae provides a ready resource to allow an...

Infants Show Stability of Goal-Directed Imitation

Science.gov (United States)

Sakkalou, Elena; Ellis-Davies, Kate; Fowler, Nia C.; Hilbrink, Elma E.; Gattis, Merideth

2013-01-01

Previous studies have reported that infants selectively reproduce observed actions and have argued that this selectivity reflects understanding of intentions and goals, or goal-directed imitation. We reasoned that if selective imitation of goal-directed actions reflects understanding of intentions, infants should demonstrate stability across…

Exoplanet Biosignatures: Observational Prospects

Science.gov (United States)

Angerhausen, Daniel; Deitrick, Russell; Domagal-Goldman, Shawn; Grenfell, John Lee; Hori, Yasunori; Kane, Stephen R.; Pallé, Enric; Rauer, Heike; Siegler, Nicholas; Stapelfeldt, Karl; Stevenson, Kevin B.

2018-01-01

Abstract Exoplanet hunting efforts have revealed the prevalence of exotic worlds with diverse properties, including Earth-sized bodies, which has fueled our endeavor to search for life beyond the Solar System. Accumulating experiences in astrophysical, chemical, and climatological characterization of uninhabitable planets are paving the way to characterization of potentially habitable planets. In this paper, we review our possibilities and limitations in characterizing temperate terrestrial planets with future observational capabilities through the 2030s and beyond, as a basis of a broad range of discussions on how to advance “astrobiology” with exoplanets. We discuss the observability of not only the proposed biosignature candidates themselves but also of more general planetary properties that provide circumstantial evidence, since the evaluation of any biosignature candidate relies on its context. Characterization of temperate Earth-sized planets in the coming years will focus on those around nearby late-type stars. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and later 30-meter-class ground-based telescopes will empower their chemical investigations. Spectroscopic studies of potentially habitable planets around solar-type stars will likely require a designated spacecraft mission for direct imaging, leveraging technologies that are already being developed and tested as part of the Wide Field InfraRed Survey Telescope (WFIRST) mission. Successful initial characterization of a few nearby targets will be an important touchstone toward a more detailed scrutiny and a larger survey that are envisioned beyond 2030. The broad outlook this paper presents may help develop new observational techniques to detect relevant features as well as frameworks to diagnose planets based on the observables. Key Words: Exoplanets—Biosignatures—Characterization—Planetary atmospheres—Planetary surfaces. Astrobiology 18, 739–778. PMID:29938537

Interpreting the Ultraviolet Aerosol Index Observed with the OMI Satellite Instrument to Understand Absorption by Organic Aerosols: Implications for Atmospheric Oxidation and Direct Radiative Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Hammer, Melanie S.; Martin, Randall V.; Donkelaar, Aaron van; Buchard, Virginie; Torres, Omar; Ridley, David A.; Spurr, Robert J. D.

2016-01-01

Satellite observations of the ultraviolet aerosol index (UVAI) are sensitive to absorption of solar radiation by aerosols; this absorption affects photolysis frequencies and radiative forcing. We develop a global simulation of the UVAI using the 3-D chemical transport model GEOSChem coupled with the Vector Linearized Discrete Ordinate Radiative Transfer model (VLIDORT). The simulation is applied to interpret UVAI observations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) for the year 2007. Simulated and observed values are highly consistent in regions where mineral dust dominates the UVAI, but a large negative bias (-0.32 to -0.97) exists between simulated and observed values in biomass burning regions. We determine effective optical properties for absorbing organic aerosol, known as brown carbon (BrC), and implement them into GEOS-Chem to better represent observed UVAI values over biomass burning regions. The inclusion of absorbing BrC decreases the mean bias between simulated and OMI UVAI values from -0.57 to -0.09 over West Africa in January, from -0.32 to +0.0002 over South Asia in April, from -0.97 to -0.22 over southern Africa in July, and from -0.50 to +0.33 over South America in September. The spectral dependence of absorption after including BrC in the model is broadly consistent with reported observations for biomass burning aerosol, with absorbing Angstrom exponent (AAE) values ranging from 2.9 in the ultraviolet (UV) to 1.3 across the UV-Near IR spectrum. We assess the effect of the additional UV absorption by BrC on atmospheric photochemistry by examining tropospheric hydroxyl radical (OH) concentrations in GEOS-Chem. The inclusion of BrC decreases OH by up to 30% over South America in September, up to 20% over southern Africa in July, and up to 15% over other biomass burning regions. Global annual mean OH concentrations in GEOS-Chem decrease due to the presence of absorbing BrC, increasing the methyl chloroform lifetime from 5.62 to 5.68 years, thus

Directly Observed Physical Activity among 3-Year-Olds in Finnish Childcare

Science.gov (United States)

Soini, Anne; Villberg, Jari; Sääkslahti, Arja; Gubbels, Jessica; Mehtälä, Anette; Kettunen, Tarja; Poskiparta, Marita

2014-01-01

The main purpose of the study was to determine 3-year-olds' physical activity levels and how these vary across season, gender, time of day, location, and the physical and social environment in childcare settings in Finland. A modified version of the Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children-Preschool (OSRAC-P) was used to…

Community-based directly observed treatment for TB patients to improve HIV services: a cross-sectional study in a South African province.

Science.gov (United States)

Howell, Embry M; Kigozi, N Gladys; Heunis, J Christo

2018-04-07

There is uncertainty about how directly observed treatment (DOT) support for tuberculosis (TB) can be delivered most effectively and how DOT support can simultaneously be used to strengthen human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention and control among TB patients. This study describes how DOT support by community health workers (CHWs) was used in four municipalities in the Free State province - a high TB/HIV burden, poorly-resourced setting - to provide HIV outreach, referrals, and health education for TB patients. The study was part of a larger cross-sectional study of HIV counselling and testing (HCT) among 1101 randomly-selected TB patients registered at 40 primary health care (PHC) facilities (clinics and community health centres) across small town/rural and large town/urban settings. Univariate analysis of percentages, chi-square tests and t-tests for difference in means were used to describe differences between the types of TB treatment support and patient characteristics, as well as the types of - and patient satisfaction with - HIV information and referrals received from various types of treatment supporters including home-based DOT supporters, clinic-based DOT supporters or support from family/friends/employers. Multivariate logistic regression was used to predict the likelihood of not having receiving home-based DOT and of never having received HIV counselling. The independent variables include poverty-related health and socio-economic risk factors for poor outcomes. Statistical significance is shown using a 95% confidence interval and a 0.05 p-value. Despite the fact that DOT support for all TB patients was the goal of South African health policy at the time (2012), most TB patients were not receiving formal DOT support. Only 155 (14.1%) were receiving home-based DOT, while 114 (10.4%) received clinic-based DOT. TB patients receiving home-based DOT reported higher rates of HIV counselling than other patients. Public health providers should train DOT

Side-to-side differences in lower extremity biomechanics during multi-directional jump landing in volleyball athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinsurin, Komsak; Srisangboriboon, Sarun; Vachalathiti, Roongtiwa

2017-07-01

Side-to-side differences of lower extremities may influence the likelihood of injury. Moreover, adding the complexity of jump-landing direction would help to explain lower extremity control during sport activities. The aim was to determine the effects of limb dominance and jump-landing direction on lower extremity biomechanics. Nineteen female volleyball athletes participated. Both dominant limbs (DLs) and non-dominant limbs (NLs) were examined in single-leg jump-landing tests in four directions, including forward (0°), diagonal (30° and 60°), and lateral (90°) directions. Kinematic marker trajectories and ground reaction forces were collected using a 10 camera Vicon system and an AMTI force plate. Repeated measures ANOVA (2 × 4, limb × direction) was used to analyse. The finding showed that, at peak vertical GRF, a significant interaction of limb dominance and direction effects was found in the hip flexion angle and lower extremity joint kinetics (p < .05). NLs and DLs exhibited significantly different strategies while landing in various directions. Significantly higher increase of ankle dorsiflexion angle was observed in lateral direction compared to other directions for both DLs and NLs (p < .05). Increasingly using ankle dorsiflexion was observed from the forward to the lateral direction for both DLs and NLs. However, NLs and DLs preferentially used different strategies of joint moment organization to respond to similar VGRFs in various directions. The response pattern of DLs might not be effective and may expose DLs to a higher injury risk, especially with regard to landing with awkward posture compared with NLs.

The Coordination Dynamics of Observational Learning: Relative Motion Direction and Relative Phase as Informational Content Linking Action-Perception to Action-Production.

Science.gov (United States)

Buchanan, John J

2016-01-01

The primary goal of this chapter is to merge together the visual perception perspective of observational learning and the coordination dynamics theory of pattern formation in perception and action. Emphasis is placed on identifying movement features that constrain and inform action-perception and action-production processes. Two sources of visual information are examined, relative motion direction and relative phase. The visual perception perspective states that the topological features of relative motion between limbs and joints remains invariant across an actor's motion and therefore are available for pickup by an observer. Relative phase has been put forth as an informational variable that links perception to action within the coordination dynamics theory. A primary assumption of the coordination dynamics approach is that environmental information is meaningful only in terms of the behavior it modifies. Across a series of single limb tasks and bimanual tasks it is shown that the relative motion and relative phase between limbs and joints is picked up through visual processes and supports observational learning of motor skills. Moreover, internal estimations of motor skill proficiency and competency are linked to the informational content found in relative motion and relative phase. Thus, the chapter links action to perception and vice versa and also links cognitive evaluations to the coordination dynamics that support action-perception and action-production processes.

Direct observations of the MOF (UiO-66) structure by transmission electron microscopy

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Liangkui

2013-01-01

As a demonstration of ab initio structure characterizations of nano metal organic framework (MOF) crystals by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and electron diffraction tomography methods, a Zr-MOF (UiO-66) structure was determined and further confirmed by Rietveld refinements of powder X-ray diffraction. HRTEM gave direct imaging of the channels. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Observations of gamma-ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strong, I.B.; Klebesadel, R.W.; Evans, W.D.

1975-01-01

Observational data on gamma-ray bursts are reviewed. Information is grouped into temporal properties, energy fluxes and spectral properties, and directions and distributions of the sources in space. (BJG)

{sup 13}C-METHYL FORMATE: OBSERVATIONS OF A SAMPLE OF HIGH-MASS STAR-FORMING REGIONS INCLUDING ORION-KL AND SPECTROSCOPIC CHARACTERIZATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Favre, Cécile; Bergin, Edwin A.; Crockett, Nathan R.; Neill, Justin L. [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Carvajal, Miguel [Dpto. Física Aplicada, Unidad Asociada CSIC, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Huelva, E-21071 Huelva (Spain); Field, David [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Aarhus, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark); Jørgensen, Jes K.; Bisschop, Suzanne E. [Centre for Star and Planet Formation, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Juliane Maries Vej 30, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø (Denmark); Brouillet, Nathalie; Despois, Didier; Baudry, Alain [Univ. Bordeaux, LAB, UMR 5804, F-33270, Floirac (France); Kleiner, Isabelle [Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques (LISA), CNRS, UMR 7583, Université de Paris-Est et Paris Diderot, 61, Av. du Général de Gaulle, F-94010 Créteil Cedex (France); Margulès, Laurent; Huet, Thérèse R.; Demaison, Jean, E-mail: cfavre@umich.edu, E-mail: miguel.carvajal@dfa.uhu.es [Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers, Atomes et Molécules, UMR CNRS 8523, Université Lille I, F-59655 Villeneuve d' Ascq Cedex (France)

2015-01-01

We have surveyed a sample of massive star-forming regions located over a range of distances from the Galactic center for methyl formate, HCOOCH{sub 3}, and its isotopologues H{sup 13}COOCH{sub 3} and HCOO{sup 13}CH{sub 3}. The observations were carried out with the APEX telescope in the frequency range 283.4-287.4 GHz. Based on the APEX observations, we report tentative detections of the {sup 13}C-methyl formate isotopologue HCOO{sup 13}CH{sub 3} toward the following four massive star-forming regions: Sgr B2(N-LMH), NGC 6334 IRS 1, W51 e2, and G19.61-0.23. In addition, we have used the 1 mm ALMA science verification observations of Orion-KL and confirm the detection of the {sup 13}C-methyl formate species in Orion-KL and image its spatial distribution. Our analysis shows that the {sup 12}C/{sup 13}C isotope ratio in methyl formate toward the Orion-KL Compact Ridge and Hot Core-SW components (68.4 ± 10.1 and 71.4 ± 7.8, respectively) are, for both the {sup 13}C-methyl formate isotopologues, commensurate with the average {sup 12}C/{sup 13}C ratio of CO derived toward Orion-KL. Likewise, regarding the other sources, our results are consistent with the {sup 12}C/{sup 13}C in CO. We also report the spectroscopic characterization, which includes a complete partition function, of the complex H{sup 13}COOCH{sub 3} and HCOO{sup 13}CH{sub 3} species. New spectroscopic data for both isotopomers H{sup 13}COOCH{sub 3} and HCOO{sup 13}CH{sub 3}, presented in this study, have made it possible to measure this fundamentally important isotope ratio in a large organic molecule for the first time.

Evolution of a Greenland Ice sheet Including Shelves and Regional Sea Level Variations

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, Sarah; Reerink, Thomas; van de Wal, Roderik S. W.; Helsen, Michiel; Goelzer, Heiko

2016-04-01

Observational evidence, including offshore moraines and marine sediment cores infer that at the Last Glacial maximum (LGM) the Greenland ice sheet (GIS) grounded out across the Davis Strait into Baffin Bay, with fast flowing ice streams extending out to the continental shelf break along the NW margin. These observations lead to a number of questions as to weather the GIS and Laurentide ice sheet (LIS) coalesced during glacial maximums, and if so, did a significant ice shelf develop across Baffin Bay and how would such a configuration impact on the relative contribution of these ice sheets to eustatic sea level (ESL). Most previous paleo ice sheet modelling simulations of the GIS recreated an ice sheet that either did not extend out onto the continental shelf or utilised a simplified marine ice parameterisation to recreate an extended GIS, and therefore did not fully include ice shelf dynamics. In this study we simulate the evolution of the GIS from 220 kyr BP to present day using IMAU-ice; a 3D thermodynamical ice sheet model which fully accounts for grounded and floating ice, calculates grounding line migration and ice shelf dynamics. As there are few observational estimates of the long-term (yrs) sub marine basal melting rates (mbm) for the GIS, we developed a mbm parameterization within IMAU-ice controlled primarily by changes in paleo water depth. We also investigate the influence of the LIS on the GIS evolution by including relative sea level forcing's derived from a Glacial Isostatic Adjustment model. We will present results of how changes in the mbm directly impacts on the ice sheet dynamics, timing and spatial extent of the GIS at the glacial maximums, but also on the rate of retreat and spatial extent at the Last interglacial (LIG) minimum. Results indicate that with the inclusion of ice shelf dynamics, a larger GIS is generated which is grounded out into Davis strait, up to a water depth of -750 m, but significantly reduces the GIS contribution to Last

An Experiment to Observe Directly Beauty Particles Selected by Muonic Decay in Emulsion & to Estimate their Lifetimes

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

A hybrid experiment to observe directly particles with open beauty and estimate their lifetimes is proposed. The experiment will take place in a @p|- beam at 360 GeV/c. Events of the type @p|-N @A B$\\bar{B}$X will be produced in a thick emulsion, allowing for a lifetime range of 10|-|1|5~-~10|-|1|2~s. The decay vertices of B and $\\bar{B}$ and of the subsequent charm decays will be identified in emulsion. \\\\ \\\\ The precise location of the production vertex will be measured by high precision (50@mm~pitch) silicon microstrip detectors. A set of planes of such detectors will be placed in front of the target to measure the incoming beam particle, and another set of planes, together with 16~planes of MWPC's will be plac target to measure the secondaries. \\\\ \\\\ The semi-leptonic decays of B's and C's are used to create a selective trigger. The data taking will be triggered by l@m with an angle to the beam @a~$>$~30~mrad, or by~@$>$~2@m. Transverse momentum cuts will be applied off-line.\\\\ \\\\ The muons are identified...

Directed emission of CdSe nanoplatelets originating from strongly anisotropic 2D electronic structure

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Riccardo; Heckmann, Jan; Prudnikau, Anatol V.; Antanovich, Artsiom; Mikhailov, Aleksandr; Owschimikow, Nina; Artemyev, Mikhail; Climente, Juan I.; Woggon, Ulrike; Grosse, Nicolai B.; Achtstein, Alexander W.

2017-12-01

Intrinsically directional light emitters are potentially important for applications in photonics including lasing and energy-efficient display technology. Here, we propose a new route to overcome intrinsic efficiency limitations in light-emitting devices by studying a CdSe nanoplatelets monolayer that exhibits strongly anisotropic, directed photoluminescence. Analysis of the two-dimensional k-space distribution reveals the underlying internal transition dipole distribution. The observed directed emission is related to the anisotropy of the electronic Bloch states governing the exciton transition dipole moment and forming a bright plane. The strongly directed emission perpendicular to the platelet is further enhanced by the optical local density of states and local fields. In contrast to the emission directionality, the off-resonant absorption into the energetically higher 2D-continuum of states is isotropic. These contrasting optical properties make the oriented CdSe nanoplatelets, or superstructures of parallel-oriented platelets, an interesting and potentially useful class of semiconductor-based emitters.

Observational fear learning in degus is correlated with temporal vocalization patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Lidhar, Navdeep K; Insel, Nathan; Dong, June Yue; Takehara-Nishiuchi, Kaori

2017-08-14

Some animals learn to fear a situation after observing another individual come to harm, and this learning is influenced by the animals' social relationship and history. An important but sometimes overlooked factor in studies of observational fear learning is that social context not only affects observers, but may also influence the behavior and communications expressed by those being observed. Here we sought to investigate whether observational fear learning in the degu (Octodon degus) is affected by social familiarity, and the degree to which vocal expressions of alarm or distress contribute. 'Demonstrator' degus underwent contextual fear conditioning in the presence of a cagemate or stranger observer. Among the 15 male pairs, observers of familiar demonstrators exhibited higher freezing rates than observers of strangers when returned to the conditioning environment one day later. Observer freezing during testing was, however, also related to the proportion of short- versus long- inter-call-intervals (ICIs) in vocalizations recorded during prior conditioning. In a regression model that included both social relationship and ICI patterns, only the latter was significant. Further investigation of vocalizations, including use of a novel, directed k-means clustering approach, suggested that temporal structure rather than tonal variations may have been responsible for communicating danger. These data offer insight into how different expressions of distress or fear may impact an observer, adding to the complexity of social context effects in studies of empathy and social cognition. The experiments also offer new data on degu alarm calls and a potentially novel methodological approach to complex vocalizations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of observer performance reading from a video CRT vs. reading from film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keyes, J.W. Jr.; Kline, R.C.; Resinger, W.W.; Rose, E.A.; Koral, K.F.; Rogers, W.L.

1983-01-01

The developing trend for all medical images to be in digital form raises an important question: should diagnostic interpretations be made directly from a CRT or from some form of hard copy recording of the CRT. This question was studied by having two observers read a series of digital images of the thyroid including both conventional scintigrams and computer-generated tomograms. The CRT images were photographed in a carefully controlled fashion. Images were read once from film and a second time directly from the CRT. No significant difference in performance could be found for either display modality based on an ROC analysis. Although based on uncomplicated images and analysis, this result suggests that the decision to read from film or from the CRT can be made on other grounds than observer performance. This important result needs confirmation with more complex images such as ultrasound or CT

Wave directional spreading at shallow and intermediate depth

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

SanilKumar, V.; Deo, M.C.; Anand, N.M.

. The spectrum computed from measured data shows that Scott spectrum approximates the observations in a fairly satisfactory way. A comparative study was carried out based on the directional spectrum estimated from Fourier coefficients and the model directional...

Directed ortho-Lithiation: Observation of an Unexpected 1-Lithio to 3-Lithio Conversion of 1-Lithio-naphthyllithium Compounds with an ortho-Directing 2-(Dimethylamino)methyl Group

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jastrzebski, J.T.B.H.; Arink, A.M.; Kleijn, H.; Braam, T.W.; Lutz, M.; Spek, A.L.; van Koten, G.

2013-01-01

Regioselectivity is an important aspect in the design of organic protocols involving Directed ortho-Lithiation (DoL) of arenes, in particular with those arenes containing heteroatom substituents as directing groups. The DoL of 2-[(dimethylamino)methyl]naphthalene (dman) that proceeds with low

Sparsely-Observed Pulsating Red Giants in the AAVSO Observing Program

Science.gov (United States)

Percy, J. R.

2018-06-01

This paper reports on time-series analysis of 156 pulsating red giants (21 SRa, 52 SRb, 33 SR, 50 Lb) in the AAVSO observing program for which there are no more than 150-250 observations in total. Some results were obtained for 68 of these stars: 17 SRa, 14 SRb, 20 SR, and 17 Lb. These results generally include only an average period and amplitude. Many, if not most of the stars are undoubtedly more complex; pulsating red giants are known to have wandering periods, variable amplitudes, and often multiple periods including "long secondary periods" of unknown origin. These results (or lack thereof) raise the question of how the AAVSO should best manage the observation of these and other sparsely-observed pulsating red giants.

Observation of hard processes in rapidity gap events in {gamma}p interactions at HERA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmed, T.; Aid, S.; Andreev, V.; Andrieu, B.; Appuhn, R.D.; Arpagaus, M.; Babaev, A.; Baehr, J.; Ban, J.; Baranov, P.; Barrelet, E.; Bartel, W.; Barth, M.; Bassler, U.; Beck, H.P.; Behrend, H.J.; Belousov, A.; Berger, C.; Bergstein, H.; Bernardi, G.; Bernet, R.; Bertrand-Coremans, G.; Besancon, M.; Beyer, R.; Biddulph, P.; Bizot, J.C.; Blobel, V.; Borras, K.; Botterweck, F.; Boudry, V.; Braemer, A.; Brasse, F.; Braunschweig, W.; Brisson, V.; Bruncko, D.; Brune, C.; Buchholz, R.; Buengener, L.; Buerger, J.; Buesser, F.W.; Buniatian, A.; Burke, S.; Buschhorn, G.; Campbell, A.J.; Carli, T.; Charles, F.; Clarke, D.; Clegg, A.B.; Clerbaux, B.; Colombo, M.; Contreras, J.G.; Coughlan, J.A.; Courau, A.; Coutures, C.; Cozzika, G.; Criegee, L.; Cussans, D.G.; Cvach, J.; Dagoret, S.; Dainton, J.B.; Danilov, M.; Dau, W.D.; Daum, K.; David, M.; Deffur, E.; Delcourt, B.; Del Buono, L.; De Roeck, A.; De Wolf, E.A.; Di Nezza, P.; Dollfus, C.; Dowell, J.D.; Dreis, H.B.; Droutskoi, V.; Duboc, J.; Duellmann, D.; Duenger, O.; Duhm, H.; Ebert, J.; Ebert, T.R.; Eckerlin, G.; Efremenko, V.; Egli, S.; Ehrlichmann, H.; Eichenberger, S.; Eichler, R.; Eisele, F.; Eisenhandler, E.; Ellison, R.J.; Elsen, E.; Erdmann, M.; Erdmann, W.; Evrard, E.; Favart, L.; Fedotov, A.; Feeken, D.; Felst, R.; Feltesse, J.; Ferencei, J.; Ferrarotto, F.; Flamm, K.; Fleischer, M.; Flieser, M.; Fluegge, G.; Fomenko, A.; Fominykh, B.; Forbush, M.; Formanek, J.; Foster, J.M.; Franke, G.; Fretwurst, E.; Gabathuler, E.; Gabathuler, K.; Gamerdinger, K.; Garvey, J.; Gayler, J.; Gebauer, M.; Gellrich, A.; Genzel, H.; Gerhards, R.; Goerlach, U.; Goerlich, L.; Gogitidze, N.; Goldberg, M.; Goldner, D.; Gonzalez-Pineiro, B.; Goodall, A.M.; Gorelov, I.; Goritchev, P.; Grab, C.; Graessler, H.; Graessler, R.; Greenshaw, T.; Grindhammer, G.; Gruber, A.; Gruber, C.; Haack, J.; Haidt, D.; Hajduk, L.; Hamon, O.; Hampel, M.; Hanlon, E.M.; Hapke, M.; Haynes, W.J.; Heatherington, J.; Heinzelmann, G.; Henderson, R.C.W.; H1 Collaboration

1995-02-06

Events with no hadronic energy flow in a large interval of pseudo-rapidity in the proton direction are observed in photon-proton interactions at an average centre of mass energy left angle {radical}(s{sub {gamma}p}) right angle of 200 GeV. These events are interpreted as photon diffractive dissociation. Evidence for hard scattering in photon diffractive dissociation is demonstrated using inclusive single particle spectra, thrust as a function of transverse energy, and the observation of jet production. The data can be described by a Monte Carlo calculation including hard photon-pomeron scattering. ((orig.))

A facile synthesis of. delta. -aminolevulinic acid (ALA) regio-selectively labeled with sup 13 C and direct observation of enzymatic transformation from ALA to porphobilinogen (PBG)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurumaya, Katsuyuki; Okazaki, Takeo; Seido, Nobuo; Akasaka, Yuzuru; Kawajiri, Yoshiki; Kajiwara, Masahiro (Meiji College of Pharmacy, Tokyo (Japan)); Kondo, Masao (Institute of Public Health, Tokyo (Japan))

1989-02-01

{delta}-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA), labeled with {sup 13}C at position 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, was synthesized from {sup 13}C-labeled glycine, Meldrum's acid, or bromoacetate. The latter compounds were prepared from {sup 13}C-sodium acetate or {sup 13}C-acetic acid. Enzymatic transformation from ALA to porphobilinogen (PBG) was directly observed by {sup 13}C-NMR. (author).

Elementary teachers' ideas about, planning for and implementation of learner-directed and teacher-directed inquiry: A mixed methods study

Science.gov (United States)

Biggers, Mandy Sue

Using a framework for variations of classroom inquiry (National Research Council [NRC], 2000, p. 29), this study explored 40 inservice elementary teachers' planning, modification, and enactment of kit-based science curriculum materials. As part of the study, a new observation protocol was modified from an existing protocol (Practices of Science Observation Protocol [P-SOP]) to measure the amount of teacher direction in science inquiry lessons (Practices of Science Observation Protocol + Directedness [P-SOPd]). An embedded mixed methods design was employed to investigate four questions: 1. How valid and reliable is the P-SOPd? 2. In what ways do inservice elementary teachers adapt existing elementary science curriculum materials across the inquiry continuum? 3. What is the relationship between the overall quality of inquiry and variations of inquiry in elementary teachers' enacted science instruction? 4. How do inservice elementary teachers' ideas about the inquiry continuum influence their adaptation of elementary science curriculum materials? Each teacher chose three lessons from a science unit for video-recorded observation, and submitted lesson plans for the three lessons. Lesson plans and videos were scored using the P-SOPd. The scores were also compared between the two protocols to determine if a correlation existed between the level of inquiry (measured on the P-SOP) and the amount of teacher direction (measured on the P-SOPd). Findings indicated no significant differences between planned and enacted lessons for the amount of teacher direction, but a correlation existed between the level of inquiry and the amount of teacher direction. In effect, the elementary teachers taught their science curriculum materials with a high level of fidelity for both the features of inquiry and the amount of teacher direction. A smaller group of three case study teachers were followed for the school year to give a more in-depth explanation of the quantitative findings. Case

Human-directed aggression in the cat.

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, Terry Marie

2008-09-01

Feline aggression-between cats or directed at humans-is, after inappropriate elimination and urine-marking behaviors, the second most common reason cats are seen by behavioral specialists. For diagnosis and treatment it is important to determine the motivation for the aggression. The more common causes for human-directed aggression in cats include play, fear, petting intolerance, and redirected aggression. Other causes include pain and maternal behavior. Sexually motivated and status related aggression are much more rare. Treatment includes a combination of behavioral modification, environmental modification, and, in some cases, medication.

A Primer on Observational Measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Girard, Jeffrey M; Cohn, Jeffrey F

2016-08-01

Observational measurement plays an integral role in a variety of scientific endeavors within biology, psychology, sociology, education, medicine, and marketing. The current article provides an interdisciplinary primer on observational measurement; in particular, it highlights recent advances in observational methodology and the challenges that accompany such growth. First, we detail the various types of instrument that can be used to standardize measurements across observers. Second, we argue for the importance of validity in observational measurement and provide several approaches to validation based on contemporary validity theory. Third, we outline the challenges currently faced by observational researchers pertaining to measurement drift, observer reactivity, reliability analysis, and time/expense. Fourth, we describe recent advances in computer-assisted measurement, fully automated measurement, and statistical data analysis. Finally, we identify several key directions for future observational research to explore.

Triplet-State Dissolved Organic Matter Quantum Yields and Lifetimes from Direct Observation of Aromatic Amine Oxidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitt, Markus; Erickson, Paul R; McNeill, Kristopher

2017-11-21

Excited triplet state chromophoric dissolved organic matter ( 3 CDOM*) is a short-lived mixture of excited-state species that plays important roles in aquatic photochemical processes. Unlike the study of the triplet states of well-defined molecules, which are amenable to transient absorbance spectroscopy, the study of 3 CDOM* is hampered by it being a complex mixture and its low average intersystem crossing quantum yield (Φ ISC ). This study is an alternative approach to investigating 3 CDOM* using transient absorption laser spectroscopy. The radical cation of N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD), formed through oxidation by 3 CDOM*, was directly observable by transient absorption spectroscopy and was used to probe basic photophysical properties of 3 CDOM*. Quenching and control experiments verified that TMPD •+ was formed from 3 CDOM* under anoxic conditions. Model triplet sensitizers with a wide range of excited triplet state reduction potentials and CDOM oxidized TMPD at near diffusion-controlled rates. This gives support to the idea that a large cross-section of 3 CDOM* moieties are able to oxidize TMPD and that the complex mixture of 3 CDOM* can be simplified to a single signal. Using the TMPD •+ transient, the natural triplet lifetime and Φ ISC for different DOM isolates and natural waters were quantified; values ranged from 12 to 26 μs and 4.1-7.8%, respectively.

Children's Physical Activity While Gardening: Development of a Valid and Reliable Direct Observation Tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, Beth M; Wells, Nancy M

2015-04-01

Gardens are a promising intervention to promote physical activity (PA) and foster health. However, because of the unique characteristics of gardening, no extant tool can capture PA, postures, and motions that take place in a garden. The Physical Activity Research and Assessment tool for Garden Observation (PARAGON) was developed to assess children's PA levels, tasks, postures, and motions, associations, and interactions while gardening. PARAGON uses momentary time sampling in which a trained observer watches a focal child for 15 seconds and then records behavior for 15 seconds. Sixty-five children (38 girls, 27 boys) at 4 elementary schools in New York State were observed over 8 days. During the observation, children simultaneously wore Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometers. The overall interrater reliability was 88% agreement, and Ebel was .97. Percent agreement values for activity level (93%), garden tasks (93%), motions (80%), associations (95%), and interactions (91%) also met acceptable criteria. Validity was established by previously validated PA codes and by expected convergent validity with accelerometry. PARAGON is a valid and reliable observation tool for assessing children's PA in the context of gardening.

Spin-directed momentum transfers in SIDIS baryon production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sivers, D.

2016-01-01

The measurement of transverse single-spin asymmetries for baryon production in the target fragmentation region of semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering (SIDIS), can produce important insight into those nonperturbative aspects of QCD directly associated with confinement and with the dynamical breaking of chiral symmetry. We discuss here, in terms of spin-directed momentum transfers, the powerful quantum field- theoretical constraints on the spin-orbit dynamics underlying these transverse spin observables. The A τ -odd spin-directed momentum shifts, originating either in the target nucleon (δk TN ) or in the QCD jets (δp TN ) produced in the deep inelastic scattering process, represent significant quantum entanglement effects connecting information from current fragmentation with observables in target fragmentation. (author)

A direct carbon budgeting approach to infer carbon sources and sinks. Design and synthetic application to complement the NACP observation network

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crevoisier, Cyril; Gloor, Manuel; Gloaguen, Erwan; Sarmiento, Jorge L. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States). Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; Horowitz, Larry W. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States). Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory; Sweeney, Colm; Tans, Pieter P. [NOAA/ESRL Global Monitoring Division, Boulder, CO (United States)

2006-11-15

In order to exploit the upcoming regular measurements of vertical carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) profiles over North America implemented in the framework of the North American Carbon Program (NACP), we design a direct carbon budgeting approach to infer carbon sources and sinks over the continent using model simulations. Direct budgeting puts a control volume on top of North America, balances air mass in- and outflows into the volume and solves for the surface fluxes. The flows are derived from the observations through a geostatistical interpolation technique called Kriging combined with transport fields from weather analysis. The use of CO{sub 2} vertical profiles simulated by the atmospheric transport model MOZART-2 at the planned 19 stations of the NACP network has given an estimation of the error of 0.39 GtC/yr within the model world. Reducing this error may be achieved through a better estimation of mass fluxes associated with convective processes affecting North America. Complementary stations in the north-west and the north-east are also needed to resolve the variability of CO{sub 2} in these regions. For instance, the addition of a single station near 52 deg N; 110 deg W is shown to decrease the estimation error to 0.34 GtC/yr.

A direct carbon budgeting approach to infer carbon sources and sinks. Design and synthetic application to complement the NACP observation network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crevoisier, Cyril; Gloor, Manuel; Gloaguen, Erwan; Sarmiento, Jorge L.

2006-01-01

In order to exploit the upcoming regular measurements of vertical carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) profiles over North America implemented in the framework of the North American Carbon Program (NACP), we design a direct carbon budgeting approach to infer carbon sources and sinks over the continent using model simulations. Direct budgeting puts a control volume on top of North America, balances air mass in- and outflows into the volume and solves for the surface fluxes. The flows are derived from the observations through a geostatistical interpolation technique called Kriging combined with transport fields from weather analysis. The use of CO 2 vertical profiles simulated by the atmospheric transport model MOZART-2 at the planned 19 stations of the NACP network has given an estimation of the error of 0.39 GtC/yr within the model world. Reducing this error may be achieved through a better estimation of mass fluxes associated with convective processes affecting North America. Complementary stations in the north-west and the north-east are also needed to resolve the variability of CO 2 in these regions. For instance, the addition of a single station near 52 deg N; 110 deg W is shown to decrease the estimation error to 0.34 GtC/yr

Direct transmission electron microscopy observations of martensitic transformations in Ni-rich NiTi single crystals during in situ cooling and straining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kroeger, A.; Dziaszyk, S.; Frenzel, J.; Somsen, Ch.; Dlouhy, A.; Eggeler, G.

2008-01-01

We investigate martensitic transformations using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in compression aged Ni-rich NiTi single crystals with one family of Ni 4 Ti 3 precipitates. Small cylinders from a Ni-rich NiTi single crystal with a Ni content of 51.0 at.% were compression aged at 550 deg. C in the [1 1 1] B2 direction for different aging times. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) investigations show that a three-step martensitic transformation (three DSC peaks on cooling from the high temperature regime) can be observed for aging times of 4 ks. In situ cooling TEM investigations reveal that the first peak on cooling is associated with a transformation from B2 to R-phase, starting from all precipitate/matrix interfaces. On further cooling, the B19'-phase appears and grows along precipitate/matrix interfaces (second step). With further decreasing temperature, the remaining R-phase between the precipitates transforms to B19' (third peak). In situ TEM straining experiments of B2 above the martensitic start temperature reveal that first some microstructural regions directly transform in microscopic burst like events from B2 to B19'. On further straining, the B19'-phase grows along precipitate/matrix interfaces. However, no formation of R-phase precedes the formation of stress-induced B19'

Spondylolysis outcomes in adolescents after direct screw repair of the pars interarticularis.

Science.gov (United States)

Snyder, Laura A; Shufflebarger, Harry; O'Brien, Michael F; Thind, Harjot; Theodore, Nicholas; Kakarla, Udaya K

2014-09-01

Isthmic spondylolysis can significantly decrease functional abilities, especially in adolescent athletes. Although treatment can range from observation to surgery, direct screw placement through the fractured pars, or Buck's procedure, may be a more minimally invasive procedure than the more common pedicle screw-hook construct. Review of surgical databases identified 16 consecutive patients treated with Buck's procedure from 2004 to 2010. Twelve patients were treated at Miami Children's Hospital and 4 at Barrow Neurological Institute. Demographics and clinical and radiographic outcomes were recorded and analyzed retrospectively. The 16 patients had a median age of 16 years, and 14 were 20 years or younger at the time of treatment. Symptoms included axial back pain in 100% of patients with concomitant radiculopathy in 38%. Pars defects were bilateral in 81% and unilateral in 19% for a total of 29 pars defects treated using Buck's procedure. Autograft or allograft augmented with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein as well as postoperative bracing was used in all cases. Postoperatively, symptoms resolved completely or partially in 15 patients (94%). Of 29 pars defects, healing was observed in 26 (89.6%) prior to 1 revision surgery, and an overall fusion rate of 97% was observed at last radiological follow-up. There were no implant failures. All 8 athletes in this group had returned to play at last follow-up. Direct screw repair of the pars interarticularis defect as described in this series may provide a more minimally invasive treatment of adolescent patients with satisfactory clinical and radiological outcomes, including return to play of adolescent athletes.

Determining Directional Dependency in Causal Associations

Science.gov (United States)

Pornprasertmanit, Sunthud; Little, Todd D.

2012-01-01

Directional dependency is a method to determine the likely causal direction of effect between two variables. This article aims to critique and improve upon the use of directional dependency as a technique to infer causal associations. We comment on several issues raised by von Eye and DeShon (2012), including: encouraging the use of the signs of…

Adiabatic equilibrium models for direct containment heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pilch, M.; Allen, M.D.

1991-01-01

Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) studies are being extended to include a wider spectrum of reactor plants than was considered in NUREG-1150. There is a need for simple direct containment heating (DCH) models that can be used for screening studies aimed at identifying potentially significant contributors to overall risk in individual nuclear power plants. This paper presents two adiabatic equilibrium models suitable for the task. The first, a single-cell model, places a true upper bound on DCH loads. This upper bound, however, often far exceeds reasonable expectations of containment loads based on CONTAIN calculations and experiment observations. In this paper, a two cell model is developed that captures the major mitigating feature of containment compartmentalization, thus providing more reasonable estimates of the containment load

Van Allen Probe observations of EMIC wave propagation in the inner magnetosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Saikin, A.; Zhang, J.; Smith, C. W.; Spence, H. E.; Torbert, R. B.; Kletzing, C.; Wygant, J. R.

2017-12-01

This study examines the propagation of inner magnetosphere (L vector, , analysis on all observed EMIC wave events to determine the direction of propagation, with bi-directionally propagating EMIC waves indicating the presence of the EMIC wave source region. EMIC waves were considered bi-directional (i.e., in the source region) if at least two wave packets exhibited opposing flux components, and (W/km2), consistently for 60 seconds. Events not observed to have opposing flux components are considered unidirectional. EMIC wave events observed at relatively high magnetic latitudes, generally, are found to propagate away from the magnetic equator (i.e., unidirectional). Bi-directionally propagating EMIC waves are preferably observed at lower magnetic latitudes. The occurrence rate, spatial distribution, and the energy propagation angle of both unidirectionally and bi-directionally propagating EMIC waves are examined with respect to L, MLT, and MLAT.

Sensitivity of the Action Observation Network to Physical and Observational Learning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cross, E.S.; Kraemer, D.J.M.; Hamilton, A.F.D.C.; Kelley, W.M.; Grafton, S.T.

2009-01-01

Human motor skills can be acquired by observation without the benefit of immediate physical practice. The current study tested if physical rehearsal and observational learning share common neural substrates within an action observation network (AON) including premotor and inferior parietal regions,

Observing bullying at school: The mental health implications of witness status

OpenAIRE

Rivers, I; Poteat, V P; Noret, N; Ashurst, N

2009-01-01

This study explores the impact of bullying on the mental health of students who witness it. A representative sample of 2,002 students aged 12 to 16 years attending 14 schools in the United Kingdom were surveyed using a questionnaire that included measures of bullying at school, substance abuse, and mental health risk. The results suggest that observing bullying at school predicted risks to mental health over and above that predicted for those students who were directly involved in bullying...

Directly-observed therapy (DOT for the radical 14-day primaquine treatment of Plasmodium vivax malaria on the Thai-Myanmar border

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thanyavanich Nipon

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Plasmodium vivax has a dormant hepatic stage, called the hypnozoite, which can cause relapse months after the initial attack. For 50 years, primaquine has been used as a hypnozoitocide to radically cure P. vivax infection, but major concerns remain regarding the side-effects of the drug and adherence to the 14-day regimen. This study examined the effectiveness of using the directly-observed therapy (DOT method for the radical treatment of P. vivax malaria infection, to prevent reappearance of the parasite within the 90-day follow-up period. Other potential risk factors for the reappearance of P. vivax were also explored. Methods A randomized trial was conducted from May 2007 to January 2009 in a low malaria transmission area along the Thai-Myanmar border. Patients aged ≥ 3 years diagnosed with P. vivax by microscopy, were recruited. All patients were treated with the national standard regimen of chloroquine for three days followed by primaquine for 14 days. Patients were randomized to receive DOT or self-administered therapy (SAT. All patients were followed for three months to check for any reappearance of P. vivax. Results Of the 216 patients enrolled, 109 were randomized to DOT and 107 to SAT. All patients recovered without serious adverse effects. The vivax reappearance rate was significantly lower in the DOT group than the SAT group (3.4/10,000 person-days vs. 13.5/10,000 person-days, p = 0.021. Factors related to the reappearance of vivax malaria included inadequate total primaquine dosage received (P. vivax-genotype infection, and presence of P. falciparum infection during the follow-up period. Conclusions Adherence to the 14-day primaquine regimen is important for the radical cure of P. vivax malaria infection. Implementation of DOT reduces the reappearance rate of the parasite, and may subsequently decrease P. vivax transmission in the area.

Observation of Faraday Waves in a Bose-Einstein Condensate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engels, P.; Atherton, C.; Hoefer, M. A.

2007-01-01

Faraday waves in a cigar-shaped Bose-Einstein condensate are created. It is shown that periodically modulating the transverse confinement, and thus the nonlinear interactions in the BEC, excites small amplitude longitudinal oscillations through a parametric resonance. It is also demonstrated that even without the presence of a continuous drive, an initial transverse breathing mode excitation of the condensate leads to spontaneous pattern formation in the longitudinal direction. Finally, the effects of strongly driving the transverse breathing mode with large amplitude are investigated. In this case, impact-oscillator behavior and intriguing nonlinear dynamics, including the gradual emergence of multiple longitudinal modes, are observed

Comparison between AGC and a tuningless LFC approach based on direct observation of DERs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prostejovsky, Alexander Maria; Marinelli, Mattia

2017-01-01

, and the resulting reduction of available inertia. In this paper, we propose a tuningless Load-Frequency Control (LFC) approach able to cope with the changing dynamics of electric power grids. Harnessing the possibilities of modern monitoring and communication means, the so-called Direct Load-Frequency Control (DLFC...

Comparative safety of direct oral anticoagulants and warfarin in venous thromboembolism: multicentre, population based, observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jun, Min; Lix, Lisa M; Durand, Madeleine; Dahl, Matt; Paterson, J Michael; Dormuth, Colin R; Ernst, Pierre; Yao, Shenzhen; Renoux, Christel; Tamim, Hala; Wu, Cynthia; Mahmud, Salaheddin M; Hemmelgarn, Brenda R

2017-10-17

Objective  To determine the safety of direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) use compared with warfarin use for the treatment of venous thromboembolism. Design  Retrospective matched cohort study conducted between 1 January 2009 and 31 March 2016. Setting  Community based, using healthcare data from six jurisdictions in Canada and the United States. Participants  59 525 adults (12 489 DOAC users; 47 036 warfarin users) with a new diagnosis of venous thromboembolism and a prescription for a DOAC or warfarin within 30 days of diagnosis. Main outcome measures  Outcomes included hospital admission or emergency department visit for major bleeding and all cause mortality within 90 days after starting treatment. Propensity score matching and shared frailty models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios of the outcomes comparing DOACs with warfarin. Analyses were conducted independently at each site, with meta-analytical methods used to estimate pooled hazard ratios across sites. Results  Of the 59 525 participants, 1967 (3.3%) had a major bleed and 1029 (1.7%) died over a mean follow-up of 85.2 days. The risk of major bleeding was similar for DOAC compared with warfarin use (pooled hazard ratio 0.92, 95% confidence interval 0.82 to 1.03), with the overall direction of the association favouring DOAC use. No difference was found in the risk of death (pooled hazard ratio 0.99, 0.84 to 1.16) for DOACs compared with warfarin use. There was no evidence of heterogeneity across centres, between patients with and without chronic kidney disease, across age groups, or between male and female patients. Conclusions  In this analysis of adults with incident venous thromboembolism, treatment with DOACs, compared with warfarin, was not associated with an increased risk of major bleeding or all cause mortality in the first 90 days of treatment. Trial registration  Clinical trials NCT02833987. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not

Hurricane Ike: Observations and Analysis of Coastal Change

Science.gov (United States)

Doran, Kara S.; Plant, Nathaniel G.; Stockdon, Hilary F.; Sallenger, Asbury H.; Serafin, Katherine A.

2009-01-01

Understanding storm-induced coastal change and forecasting these changes require knowledge of the physical processes associated with the storm and the geomorphology of the impacted coastline. The primary physical processes of interest are the wind field, storm surge, and wave climate. Not only does wind cause direct damage to structures along the coast, but it is ultimately responsible for much of the energy that is transferred to the ocean and expressed as storm surge, mean currents, and large waves. Waves and currents are the processes most responsible for moving sediments in the coastal zone during extreme storm events. Storm surge, the rise in water level due to the wind, barometric pressure, and other factors, allows both waves and currents to attack parts of the coast not normally exposed to those processes. Coastal geomorphology, including shapes of the shoreline, beaches, and dunes, is equally important to the coastal change observed during extreme storm events. Relevant geomorphic variables include sand dune elevation, beach width, shoreline position, sediment grain size, and foreshore beach slope. These variables, in addition to hydrodynamic processes, can be used to predict coastal vulnerability to storms The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards Project (http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes), strives to provide hazard information to those interested in the Nation's coastlines, including residents of coastal areas, government agencies responsible for coastal management, and coastal researchers. As part of the National Assessment, observations were collected to measure coastal changes associated with Hurricane Ike, which made landfall near Galveston, Texas, on September 13, 2008. Methods of observation included aerial photography and airborne topographic surveys. This report documents these data-collection efforts and presents qualitative and quantitative descriptions of hurricane-induced changes to the shoreline

An extended TRANSCAR model including ionospheric convection: simulation of EISCAT observations using inputs from AMIE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P.-L. Blelly

2005-02-01

Full Text Available The TRANSCAR ionospheric model was extended to account for the convection of the magnetic field lines in the auroral and polar ionosphere. A mixed Eulerian-Lagrangian 13-moment approach was used to describe the dynamics of an ionospheric plasma tube. In the present study, one focuses on large scale transports in the polar ionosphere. The model was used to simulate a 35-h period of EISCAT-UHF observations on 16-17 February 1993. The first day was magnetically quiet, and characterized by elevated electron concentrations: the diurnal F2 layer reached as much as 1012m-3, which is unusual for a winter and moderate solar activity (F10.7=130 period. An intense geomagnetic event occurred on the second day, seen in the data as a strong intensification of the ionosphere convection velocities in the early afternoon (with the northward electric field reaching 150mVm-1 and corresponding frictional heating of the ions up to 2500K. The simulation used time-dependent AMIE outputs to infer flux-tube transports in the polar region, and to provide magnetospheric particle and energy inputs to the ionosphere. The overall very good agreement, obtained between the model and the observations, demonstrates the high ability of the extended TRANSCAR model for quantitative modelling of the high-latitude ionosphere; however, some differences are found which are attributed to the precipitation of electrons with very low energy. All these results are finally discussed in the frame of modelling the auroral ionosphere with space weather applications in mind.

Recent Variability Observations of Solar System Giant Planets: Fresh Context for Understanding Exoplanet and Brown Dwarf Weather

Science.gov (United States)

Marley, Mark Scott

2016-01-01

Over the past several years a number of high cadence photometric observations of solar system giant planets have been acquired by various platforms. Such observations are of interest as they provide points of comparison to the already expansive set of brown dwarf variability observations and the small, but growing, set of exoplanet variability observations. By measuring how rapidly the integrated light from solar system giant planets can evolve, variability observations of substellar objects that are unlikely to ever be resolved can be placed in a fuller context. Examples of brown dwarf variability observations include extensive work from the ground (e.g., Radigen et al. 2014), Spitzer (e.g., Metchev et al. 2015), Kepler (Gizis et al. 2015), and HST (Yang et al. 2015).Variability has been measured on the planetary mass companion to the brown dwarf 2MASS 1207b (Zhou et al. 2016) and further searches are planned in thermal emission for the known directly imaged planets with ground based telescopes (Apai et al. 2016) and in reflected light with future space based telescopes. Recent solar system variability observations include Kepler monitoring of Neptune (Simon et al. 2016) and Uranus, Spitzer observations of Neptune (Stauffer et al. 2016), and Cassini observations of Jupiter (West et al. in prep). The Cassini observations are of particular interest as they measured the variability of Jupiter at a phase angle of approximately 60 deg, comparable to the viewing geometry expected for space based direct imaging of cool extrasolar Jupiters in reflected light. These solar system analog observations capture many of the characteristics seen in brown dwarf variability, including large amplitudes and rapid light curve evolution on timescales as short as a few rotation periods. Simon et al. (2016) attribute such variations at Neptune to a combination of large scale, stable cloud structures along with smaller, more rapidly varying, cloud patches. The observed brown dwarf and

Predicting gaze direction from head pose yaw and pitch

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Johnson, D.O.; Cuijpers, R.H.; Arabnia, H.R.; Deligiannidis, L.; Lu, J.; Tinetti, F.G.; You, J.

2013-01-01

Abstract - Socially assistive robots (SARs) must be able to interpret non-verbal communication from a human. A person’s gaze direction informs the observer where the visual attention is directed to. Therefore it is useful if a robot can interpret the gaze direction, so that it can assess whether a

Law on advance health care directives: a medical perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Luca, A; Del Rio, A; Bosco, M; Di Luca, N M

2018-01-01

The paper's authors aim to elaborate on law 22 dicembre 2017, n. 219 , designed to regulate informed consent practices and advance health care directives", which has sparked a passionate debate centered on the substantial innovation achieved over the past decades in bio-medical science and at the same time, the noteworthy accomplishments made in enforcing human and personal rights. Within the paper, article three is delved into, which covers the creation of the so-called DAT ("Disposizioni anticipate di trattamento", advance health care directives), by which patients, in light of possible future incapacity to choose, can express their convictions and decisions on how to be treated and their consent or dissent to undergo treatments and procedures, including artificial nutrition and hydration. The authors peruse the new law's provisions through a medical perspective, and observe how they are heavily tilted towards patient choice, thus making doctors little more than mere tools of such decisions.

The direct piezoelectric effect in the globular protein lysozyme

Science.gov (United States)

Stapleton, A.; Noor, M. R.; Sweeney, J.; Casey, V.; Kholkin, A. L.; Silien, C.; Gandhi, A. A.; Soulimane, T.; Tofail, S. A. M.

2017-10-01

Here, we present experimental evidence of the direct piezoelectric effect in the globular protein, lysozyme. Piezoelectric materials are employed in many actuating and sensing applications because they can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy and vice versa. Although originally studied in inorganic materials, several biological materials including amino acids and bone, also exhibit piezoelectricity. The exact mechanisms supporting biological piezoelectricity are not known, nor is it known whether biological piezoelectricity conforms strictly to the criteria of classical piezoelectricity. The observation of piezoelectricity in protein crystals presented here links biological piezoelectricity with the classical theory of piezoelectricity. We quantify the direct piezoelectric effect in monoclinic and tetragonal aggregate films of lysozyme using conventional techniques based on the Berlincourt Method. The largest piezoelectric effect measured in a crystalline aggregate film of lysozyme was approximately 6.5 pC N-1. These findings raise fundamental questions as to the possible physiological significance of piezoelectricity in lysozyme and the potential for technical applications.

A comparison of stresses in molar teeth restored with inlays and direct restorations, including polymerization shrinkage of composite resin and tooth loading during mastication.

Science.gov (United States)

Dejak, Beata; Młotkowski, Andrzej

2015-03-01

Polymerization shrinkage of composites is one of the main causes of leakage around dental restorations. Despite the large numbers of studies there is no consensus, what kind of teeth reconstruction--direct or indirect composite restorations are the most beneficial and the most durable. The aim was to compare equivalent stresses and contact adhesive stresses in molar teeth with class II MOD cavities, which were restored with inlays and direct restorations (taking into account polymerization shrinkage of composite resin) during simulated mastication. The study was conducted using the finite elements method with the application of contact elements. Three 3D models of first molars were created: model A was an intact tooth; model B--a tooth with a composite inlay, and model C--a tooth with a direct composite restoration. Polymerization linear shrinkage 0.7% of a direct composite restoration and resin luting cement was simulated (load 1). A computer simulation of mastication was performed (load 2). In these 2 situations, equivalent stresses according to the modified von Mises criterion (mvM) in the materials of mandibular first molar models with different restorations were calculated and compared. Contact stresses in the luting cement-tooth tissue adhesive interface around the restorations were also assessed and analyzed. Equivalent stresses in a tooth with a direct composite restoration (the entire volume of which was affected by polymerization shrinkage) were many times higher than in the tooth restored with a composite inlay (where shrinkage was present only in a thin layer of the luting cement). In dentin and enamel the stress values were 8-14 times higher, and were 13 times higher in the direct restoration than in the inlay. Likewise, contact stresses in the adhesive bond around the direct restoration were 6.5-7.7 times higher compared to an extraorally cured restoration. In the masticatory simulation, shear contact stresses in the adhesive bond around the direct

Estimating directional epistasis

Science.gov (United States)

Le Rouzic, Arnaud

2014-01-01

Epistasis, i.e., the fact that gene effects depend on the genetic background, is a direct consequence of the complexity of genetic architectures. Despite this, most of the models used in evolutionary and quantitative genetics pay scant attention to genetic interactions. For instance, the traditional decomposition of genetic effects models epistasis as noise around the evolutionarily-relevant additive effects. Such an approach is only valid if it is assumed that there is no general pattern among interactions—a highly speculative scenario. Systematic interactions generate directional epistasis, which has major evolutionary consequences. In spite of its importance, directional epistasis is rarely measured or reported by quantitative geneticists, not only because its relevance is generally ignored, but also due to the lack of simple, operational, and accessible methods for its estimation. This paper describes conceptual and statistical tools that can be used to estimate directional epistasis from various kinds of data, including QTL mapping results, phenotype measurements in mutants, and artificial selection responses. As an illustration, I measured directional epistasis from a real-life example. I then discuss the interpretation of the estimates, showing how they can be used to draw meaningful biological inferences. PMID:25071828

Interpreting the ultraviolet aerosol index observed with the OMI satellite instrument to understand absorption by organic aerosols: implications for atmospheric oxidation and direct radiative effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. S. Hammer

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Satellite observations of the ultraviolet aerosol index (UVAI are sensitive to absorption of solar radiation by aerosols; this absorption affects photolysis frequencies and radiative forcing. We develop a global simulation of the UVAI using the 3-D chemical transport model GEOS-Chem coupled with the Vector Linearized Discrete Ordinate Radiative Transfer model (VLIDORT. The simulation is applied to interpret UVAI observations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI for the year 2007. Simulated and observed values are highly consistent in regions where mineral dust dominates the UVAI, but a large negative bias (−0.32 to −0.97 exists between simulated and observed values in biomass burning regions. We determine effective optical properties for absorbing organic aerosol, known as brown carbon (BrC, and implement them into GEOS-Chem to better represent observed UVAI values over biomass burning regions. The inclusion of absorbing BrC decreases the mean bias between simulated and OMI UVAI values from −0.57 to −0.09 over West Africa in January, from −0.32 to +0.0002 over South Asia in April, from −0.97 to −0.22 over southern Africa in July, and from −0.50 to +0.33 over South America in September. The spectral dependence of absorption after including BrC in the model is broadly consistent with reported observations for biomass burning aerosol, with absorbing Ångström exponent (AAE values ranging from 2.9 in the ultraviolet (UV to 1.3 across the UV–Near IR spectrum. We assess the effect of the additional UV absorption by BrC on atmospheric photochemistry by examining tropospheric hydroxyl radical (OH concentrations in GEOS-Chem. The inclusion of BrC decreases OH by up to 30 % over South America in September, up to 20 % over southern Africa in July, and up to 15 % over other biomass burning regions. Global annual mean OH concentrations in GEOS-Chem decrease due to the presence of absorbing BrC, increasing the methyl chloroform

An Improved Ocean Observing System for Coastal Louisiana: WAVCIS (WAVE-CURRENT-SURGE Information System )

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, X.; Stone, G. W.; Gibson, W. J.; Braud, D.

2005-05-01

WAVCIS is a regional ocean observing and forecasting system. It was designed to measure, process, forecast, and distribute oceanographic and meteorological information. WAVCIS was developed and is maintained by the Coastal Studies Institute at Louisiana State University. The in-situ observing stations are distributed along the central Louisiana and Mississippi coast. The forecast region covers the entire Gulf of Mexico with emphasis on offshore Louisiana. By using state-of-the-art instrumentation, WAVCIS measures directional waves, currents, temperature, water level, conductivity, turbidity, salinity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, Meteorological parameters include wind speed and direction, air pressure and temperature visibility and humidity. Through satellite communication links, the measured data are transmitted to the WAVCIS laboratory. After processing, they are available to the public via the internet on a near real-time basis. WAVCIS also includes a forecasting capability. Waves, tides, currents, and winds are forecast daily for up to 80 hours in advance. There are a number of numerical wave and surge models that can be used for forecasts. WAM and SWAN are used for operational purposes to forecast sea state. Tides at each station are predicted based on the harmonic constants calculated from past in-situ observations at respective sites. Interpolated winds from the ETA model are used as input forcing for waves. Both in-situ and forecast information are available online to the users through WWW. Interactive GIS web mapping is implemented on the WAVCIS webpage to visualize the model output and in-situ observational data. WAVCIS data can be queried, retrieved, downloaded, and analyzed through the web page. Near real-time numerical model skill assessment can also be performed by using the data from in-situ observing stations.

Direct observation of salts as micro-inclusions in the Greenland GRIP ice core

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahl-Jensen, Dorthe; Sakurai, Toshimitsu; Iizuka, Yoshinori

2009-01-01

We provide the first direct evidence that a number of water-soluble compounds, in particular calcium sulfate (CaSO4·2H2O) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3), are present as solid, micron-sized inclusions within the Greenland GRIP ice core. The compounds are detected by two independent methods: micro...... distributions of the micro-inclusions. These results suggest that water-soluble aerosols in the GRIP ice core are dependable proxies for past atmospheric conditions. Udgivelsesdato: December...

High precision studies of directional correlations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-khosht, M.

1980-01-01

Two applications of the method of directional correlations are described. The first part deals with gamma-gamma directional correlations measurements. A total of 27 cascades have been studied in 97 Tc, 206 Pb and 206 Bi. Information is obtained on the angular momenta of levels, multipolarities of electromagnetic transitions and further, reduced transition probabilities. The later part of this thesis describes a determination of anisotropic directional correlation between gamma-rays and LX-rays in 160 Dy. To the authors' knowledge this is the first observation of an anisotropic correlation between gamma rays and X-rays following internal conversion. (Auth.)

EU DIRECTIVES IN THE FIELD OF COPYRIGHT AND RELATED RIGHTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana-Maria MARINESCU

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to underline the evolution and the importance of the European Directives in the field of copyright and related rights, their contribution to the development of the law and the national implementation, namely their transposition into Romanian Law no. 8/1996 on copyright and related rights. For this purpose, the article will analyze the historical evolution of the European Directives in the field of copyright and related rights and their most important dispositions. Given the wide range of subject matter with which it is concerned, the European Directives in the field of copyright and related rights address to enforcement, protection of databases, protection of computer programs, resale right, satellite and cable, term of protection, rental and lending rights, copyright and related rights in the information society, orphan works and management of copyright and related rights. Taking into account the wild range of subjects that European Directives in the field of copyright and related rights address, it is important to observe the permanent interest of the European legislator on the harmonization of the law on copyright and related rights. In this way, the result was the adoption of 7 directives in a 10-year interval between 1991 and 2001, and of 4 directives, including the one for the modification of the Directive on the term of protection, also in a 10-year interval between 2004 and 2014. Despite the extensive process of harmonization, copyright law in the Member States of the European Union is still largely linked to geographical boundaries of sovereign states.

Direct observation of CD4 T cell morphologies and their cross-sectional traction force derivation on quartz nanopillar substrates using focused ion beam technique

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dong-Joo; Kim, Gil-Sung; Hyung, Jung-Hwan; Lee, Won-Yong; Hong, Chang-Hee; Lee, Sang-Kwon

2013-07-01

Direct observations of the primary mouse CD4 T cell morphologies, e.g., cell adhesion and cell spreading by culturing CD4 T cells in a short period of incubation (e.g., 20 min) on streptavidin-functionalized quartz nanopillar arrays (QNPA) using a high-content scanning electron microscopy method were reported. Furthermore, we first demonstrated cross-sectional cell traction force distribution of surface-bound CD4 T cells on QNPA substrates by culturing the cells on top of the QNPA and further analysis in deflection of underlying QNPA via focused ion beam-assisted technique.

Effects of auditory vection speed and directional congruence on perceptions of visual vection

Science.gov (United States)

Gagliano, Isabella Alexis

Spatial disorientation is a major contributor to aircraft mishaps. One potential contributing factor is vection, an illusion of self-motion. Although vection is commonly thought of as a visual illusion, it can also be produced through audition. The purpose of the current experiment was to explore interactions between conflicting visual and auditory vection cues, specifically with regard to the speed and direction of rotation. The ultimate goal was to explore the extent to which aural vection could diminish or enhance the perception of visual vection. The study used a 3 x 2 within-groups factorial design. Participants were exposed to three levels of aural rotation velocity (slower, matched, and faster, relative to visual rotation speed) and two levels of aural rotational congruence (congruent or incongruent rotation) including two control conditions (visual and aural-only). Dependent measures included vection onset time, vection direction judgements, subjective vection strength ratings, vection speed ratings, and horizontal nystagmus frequency. Subjective responses to motion were assessed pre and post treatment, and oculomotor responses were assessed before, during, and following exposure to circular vection. The results revealed a significant effect of stimulus condition on vection strength. Specifically, directionally-congruent aural-visual vection resulted in significantly stronger vection than visual and aural vection alone. Perceptions of directionally-congruent aural-visual vection were slightly stronger vection than directionally-incongruent aural-visual vection, but not significantly so. No significant effects of aural rotation velocity on vection strength were observed. The results suggest directionally-incongruent aural vection could be used as a countermeasure for visual vection and directionally-congruent aural vection could be used to improve vection in virtual environments, provided further research is done.

An Observational Approach to Testing Bi-Directional Parent-Child Interactions as Influential to Child Eating and Weight

Science.gov (United States)

Demir, Defne; Skouteris, Helen; Dell'Aquila, Daniela; Aksan, Nazan; McCabe, Marita P.; Ricciardelli, Lina A.; Milgrom, Jeannette; Baur, Louise A.

2012-01-01

Obesity among children has been on the rise globally for the past few decades. Previous research has centred mainly on self/parent-reported measures examining only uni-directional parental feeding styles and practices. Recent discussions in the literature have raised the importance of bi-directional parent-child interactions in influencing…

NEW X-RAY OBSERVATIONS OF THE GEMINGA PULSAR WIND NEBULA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavlov, George G.; Bhattacharyya, Sudip; Zavlin, Vyacheslav E.

2010-01-01

Previous observations of the middle-aged pulsar Geminga with XMM-Newton and Chandra have shown an unusual pulsar wind nebula (PWN), with a 20'' long central (axial) tail directed opposite to the pulsar's proper motion and two 2' long, bent lateral (outer) tails. Here, we report on a deeper Chandra observation (78 ks exposure) and a few additional XMM-Newton observations of the Geminga PWN. The new Chandra observation has shown that the axial tail, which includes up to three brighter blobs, extends at least 50'' (i.e., 0.06d 250 pc) from the pulsar (d 250 is the distance scaled to 250 pc). It also allowed us to image the patchy outer tails and the emission in the immediate vicinity of the pulsar with high resolution. The PWN luminosity, L 0.3-8 k eV ∼ 3 x 10 29 d 2 250 erg s -1 , is lower than the pulsar's magnetospheric luminosity by a factor of 10. The spectra of the PWN elements are rather hard (photon index Γ ∼ 1). Comparing the two Chandra images, we found evidence of PWN variability, including possible motion of the blobs along the axial tail. The X-ray PWN is the synchrotron radiation from relativistic particles of the pulsar wind (PW); its morphology is connected with the supersonic motion of Geminga. We speculate that the outer tails are either a sky projection of the limb-brightened boundary of a shell formed in the region of contact discontinuity, where the wind bulk flow is decelerated by shear instability, or polar outflows from the pulsar bent by the ram pressure from the interstellar medium. In the former case, the axial tail may be a jet emanating along the pulsar's spin axis, perhaps aligned with the direction of motion. In the latter case, the axial tail may be the shocked PW collimated by ram pressure.

Magnetic resonance arthrography including ABER view in diagnosing partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff: Accuracy, and inter- and intra-observer agreements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Joon-Yong; Jee, Won-Hee; Chun, Ho Jong; Ahn, Myeong Im (Dept. of Radiology, Seoul St. Mary' s Hospital, School of Medicine, Catholic Univ. of Korea, Seoul (Korea)), e-mail: whjee@catholic.ac.kr; Kim, Yang-Soo (Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery, Seoul St. Mary' s Hospital, School of Medicine, Catholic Univ. of Korea, Seoul (Korea))

2010-03-15

Background: Partial-thickness tear of the rotator cuff is a common cause of shoulder pain. Magnetic resonance (MR) arthrography has been described as a useful measure to diagnose rotator cuff abnormalities. Purpose: To determine the reliability and accuracy of MR arthrography with abduction and external rotation (ABER) view for the diagnosis of partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff. Material and Methods: Among patients who underwent MR arthrographies, 22 patients (12 men, 10 women; mean age 45 years) who had either partial-thickness tear or normal tendon on arthroscopy were included. MR images were independently scored by two observers for partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff. Interobserver and intraobserver agreements for detection of partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff were calculated by using kappa coefficients. The differences in areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were assessed with a univariate Z-score test. Differences in sensitivity and specificity for interpretations based on different imaging series were tested for significance using the McNemar statistic. Results: Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of each reader on MR imaging without ABER view were 83%, 90%, and 86%, and 83%, 80%, and 82%, respectively, whereas on overall interpretation including ABER view, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of each reader were 92%, 70%, and 82%, and 92%, 80%, and 86%, respectively. Including ABER view, interobserver agreement for partial-thickness tear increased from kappa=0.55 to kappa=0.68. Likewise, intraobserver agreements increased from kappa=0.79 and 0.53 to kappa=0.81 and 0.70 for each reader, respectively. The areas under the ROC curves for each reader were 0.96 and 0.90, which were not significantly different. Conclusion: Including ABER view in routine sequences of MR arthrography increases the sensitivity, and inter- and intraobserver agreements for detecting partial-thickness tear of rotator cuff

Magnetic resonance arthrography including ABER view in diagnosing partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff: Accuracy, and inter- and intra-observer agreements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Joon-Yong; Jee, Won-Hee; Chun, Ho Jong; Ahn, Myeong Im; Kim, Yang-Soo

2010-01-01

Background: Partial-thickness tear of the rotator cuff is a common cause of shoulder pain. Magnetic resonance (MR) arthrography has been described as a useful measure to diagnose rotator cuff abnormalities. Purpose: To determine the reliability and accuracy of MR arthrography with abduction and external rotation (ABER) view for the diagnosis of partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff. Material and Methods: Among patients who underwent MR arthrographies, 22 patients (12 men, 10 women; mean age 45 years) who had either partial-thickness tear or normal tendon on arthroscopy were included. MR images were independently scored by two observers for partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff. Interobserver and intraobserver agreements for detection of partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff were calculated by using κ coefficients. The differences in areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were assessed with a univariate Z-score test. Differences in sensitivity and specificity for interpretations based on different imaging series were tested for significance using the McNemar statistic. Results: Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of each reader on MR imaging without ABER view were 83%, 90%, and 86%, and 83%, 80%, and 82%, respectively, whereas on overall interpretation including ABER view, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of each reader were 92%, 70%, and 82%, and 92%, 80%, and 86%, respectively. Including ABER view, interobserver agreement for partial-thickness tear increased from κ=0.55 to κ=0.68. Likewise, intraobserver agreements increased from κ=0.79 and 0.53 to κ=0.81 and 0.70 for each reader, respectively. The areas under the ROC curves for each reader were 0.96 and 0.90, which were not significantly different. Conclusion: Including ABER view in routine sequences of MR arthrography increases the sensitivity, and inter- and intraobserver agreements for detecting partial-thickness tear of rotator cuff tendon

An extended TRANSCAR model including ionospheric convection: simulation of EISCAT observations using inputs from AMIE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P.-L. Blelly

2005-02-01

Full Text Available The TRANSCAR ionospheric model was extended to account for the convection of the magnetic field lines in the auroral and polar ionosphere. A mixed Eulerian-Lagrangian 13-moment approach was used to describe the dynamics of an ionospheric plasma tube. In the present study, one focuses on large scale transports in the polar ionosphere. The model was used to simulate a 35-h period of EISCAT-UHF observations on 16-17 February 1993. The first day was magnetically quiet, and characterized by elevated electron concentrations: the diurnal F₂ layer reached as much as 10¹²m^-3, which is unusual for a winter and moderate solar activity (F_10.7=130 period. An intense geomagnetic event occurred on the second day, seen in the data as a strong intensification of the ionosphere convection velocities in the early afternoon (with the northward electric field reaching 150mVm^-1 and corresponding frictional heating of the ions up to 2500K. The simulation used time-dependent AMIE outputs to infer flux-tube transports in the polar region, and to provide magnetospheric particle and energy inputs to the ionosphere. The overall very good agreement, obtained between the model and the observations, demonstrates the high ability of the extended TRANSCAR model for quantitative modelling of the high-latitude ionosphere; however, some differences are found which are attributed to the precipitation of electrons with very low energy. All these results are finally discussed in the frame of modelling the auroral ionosphere with space weather applications in mind.

SU-F-T-61: Treatment Planning Observations for the CivaSheet Directional Brachytherapy Device Using VariSeed 9.0

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rivard, MJ [Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA (United States); Rothley, DJ [Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Newnan, GA (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: The VariSeed 9.0 brachytherapy TPS is recently available and has new features such as ability to rotate a brachytherapy source away from normal to the imaging plane. Consequently, a dosimetric analysis was performed for a directional brachytherapy source (CivaSheet) with tests of this functionality and experiences from clinical treatment planning were documented. These observations contribute to safe, practical, and accurate use of such new software features. Methods: Several tests were established to evaluate the new rotational feature, specific to the CivaSheet for the first patients treated using this new brachytherapy device. These included suitability of imaging slice-thickness and in-plane resolution, window/level adjustments for brachytherapy source visualization, commissioning the source physical length for performing rotations, and using different planar and 3D window views to identify source orientation. Additional CivaSheet-specific tests were performed to determine the dosimetric influence on target coverage: changing the source tilt angle, source positioning in the treatment plan based on the CivaSheet rectangular array of CivaDots, and influence of prescription depth on the necessary treatment margin for adequate target coverage. Results: Higher imaging-resolution produced better accuracy for source orientation and positioning, with sub-millimeter CT slice-thickness and in-plane resolution preferred. Source rotation was possible only in sagittal or coronal views. The process for validating source orientation required iteratively altering rotations then checking them in the 3D view, which was cumbersome given the absence of quantitative plan documentation to indicate orientation. Given the small Pd-103 source size, influence of source tilt within 30° was negligible for <1.0 cm. Influence of source position was important when the source was positioned in/out of the adjacent source plane, causing changes of 15%, 7%, and 3% at depths of 0.5, 0

Geothermal direct use engineering and design guidebook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lienau, P.J.; Lunis, B.C.

1991-01-01

The Geothermal Direct Use Engineering and Design Guidebook is designed to be a comprehensive, thoroughly practical reference guide for engineers and designers of direct heat projects. These projects could include the conversion of geothermal energy into space heating and cooling of buildings, district heating, greenhouse heating, aquaculture and industrial processing. The Guidebook is directed at understanding the nature of geothermal resources and the exploration of the resources, fluid sampling techniques, drilling, and completion of geothermal wells through well testing, and reservoir evaluation. It presents information useful to engineers on the specification of equipment including well pumps, piping, heat exchangers, space heating equipment, heat pumps and absorption refrigeration. A compilation of current information about greenhouse aquaculture and industrial applications is included together with a discussion of engineering cost analysis, regulation requirements, and environmental consideration. The purpose of the Guidebook is to provide an integrated view for the development of direct use projects for which there is a very large potential in the United States

Geothermal direct use engineering and design guidebook

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lienau, P.J.; Lunis, B.C. (eds.)

1991-01-01

The Geothermal Direct Use Engineering and Design Guidebook is designed to be a comprehensive, thoroughly practical reference guide for engineers and designers of direct heat projects. These projects could include the conversion of geothermal energy into space heating and cooling of buildings, district heating, greenhouse heating, aquaculture and industrial processing. The Guidebook is directed at understanding the nature of geothermal resources and the exploration of the resources, fluid sampling techniques, drilling, and completion of geothermal wells through well testing, and reservoir evaluation. It presents information useful to engineers on the specification of equipment including well pumps, piping, heat exchangers, space heating equipment, heat pumps and absorption refrigeration. A compilation of current information about greenhouse aquaculture and industrial applications is included together with a discussion of engineering cost analysis, regulation requirements, and environmental consideration. The purpose of the Guidebook is to provide an integrated view for the development of direct use projects for which there is a very large potential in the United States.

Geothermal direct use engineering and design guidebook

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bloomquist, R.G.; Culver, G.; Ellis, P.F.; Higbee, C.; Kindle, C.; Lienau, P.J.; Lunis, B.C.; Rafferty, K.; Stiger, S.; Wright, P.M.

1989-03-01

The Geothermal Direct Use Engineering and Design Guidebook is designed to be a comprehensive, thoroughly practical reference guide for engineers and designers of direct heat projects. These projects could include the conversion of geothermal energy into space heating cooling of buildings, district heating, greenhouse heating, aquaculture and industrial processing. The Guidebook is directed at understanding the nature of geothermal resources and the exploration of these resources, fluid sampling techniques, drilling, and completion of geothermal wells through well testing, and reservoir evaluation. It presents information useful to engineers on the specification of equipment including well pumps, piping, heat exchangers, space heating equipment, heat pumps and absorption refrigeration. A compilation of current information about greenhouse, aquaculture and industrial applications is included together with a discussion of engineering cost analysis, regulation requirements, and environmental considerations. The purpose of the Guidebook is to provide an integrated view for the development of direct use projects for which there is a very potential in the United States.

Observing earthquakes triggered in the near field by dynamic deformations

Science.gov (United States)

Gomberg, J.; Bodin, P.; Reasenberg, P.A.

2003-01-01

We examine the hypothesis that dynamic deformations associated with seismic waves trigger earthquakes in many tectonic environments. Our analysis focuses on seismicity at close range (within the aftershock zone), complementing published studies of long-range triggering. Our results suggest that dynamic triggering is not confined to remote distances or to geothermal and volcanic regions. Long unilaterally propagating ruptures may focus radiated dynamic deformations in the propagation direction. Therefore, we expect seismicity triggered dynamically by a directive rupture to occur asymmetrically, with a majority of triggered earthquakes in the direction of rupture propagation. Bilaterally propagating ruptures also may be directive, and we propose simple criteria for assessing their directivity. We compare the inferred rupture direction and observed seismicity rate change following 15 earthquakes (M 5.7 to M 8.1) that occured in California and Idaho in the United States, the Gulf of Aqaba, Syria, Guatemala, China, New Guinea, Turkey, Japan, Mexico, and Antarctica. Nine of these mainshocks had clearly directive, unilateral ruptures. Of these nine, seven apparently induced an asymmetric increase in seismicity rate that correlates with the rupture direction. The two exceptions include an earthquake preceded by a comparable-magnitude event on a conjugate fault and another for which data limitations prohibited conclusive results. Similar (but weaker) correlations were found for the bilaterally rupturing earthquakes we studied. Although the static stress change also may trigger seismicity, it and the seismicity it triggers are expected to be similarly asymmetric only if the final slip is skewed toward the rupture terminus. For several of the directive earthquakes, we suggest that the seismicity rate change correlates better with the dynamic stress field than the static stress change.

Good is up – Spatial metaphors in action observation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janna Marleen Gottwald

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Positive objects or actions are associated with physical highness, whereas negative objects or actions are related to physical lowness. Previous research suggests that metaphorical connection (good is up or bad is down between spatial experience and evaluation of objects is grounded in actual experience with the body. Prior studies investigated effects of spatial metaphors with respect to verticality of either static objects or self-performed actions. By presenting videos of object placements, the current three experiments combined vertically-located stimuli with observation of vertically-directed actions. As expected, participants’ ratings of emotionally-neutral objects were systematically influenced by the observed vertical positioning, that is, ratings were more positive for objects that were observed being placed up as compared to down. Moreover, effects were slightly more pronounced for bad is down, because only the observed downward, but not the upward, action led to different ratings as compared to a medium-positioned action. Last, some ratings were even affected by observing only the upward/downward action, without seeing the final vertical placement of the object. Thus, both, a combination of observing a vertically-directed action and seeing a vertically-located object, and observing a vertically-directed action alone, affected participants’ evaluation of emotional valence of the involved object. The present findings expand the relevance of spatial metaphors to action observation, thereby giving new impetus to embodied-cognition research.