An integrated Ka/Ku-band payload for personal, mobile and private business communications

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Edward J.; Keelty, J. Malcolm

1991-01-01

The Canadian Department of Communications has been studying options for a government-sponsored demonstration payload to be launched before the end of the century. A summary of the proposed system concepts and network architectures for providing an advanced private business network service at Ku-band and personal and mobile communications at Ka-band is presented. The system aspects addressed include coverage patterns, traffic capacity, and grade of service, multiple access options as well as special problems, such as Doppler in mobile applications. Earth terminal types and the advanced payload concept proposed in a feasibility study for the demonstration mission are described. This concept is a combined Ka-band/Ku-band payload which incorporates a number of advanced satellite technologies including a group demodulator to convert single-channel-per-carrier frequency division multiple access uplink signals to a time division multiplex downlink, on-board signal regeneration, and baseband switching to support packet switched data operation. The on-board processing capability of the payload provides a hubless VSAT architecture which permits single-hop full mesh interconnectivity. The Ka-band and Ku-band portions of the payload are fully integrated through an on-board switch, thereby providing the capability for fully integrated services, such as using the Ku-band VSAT terminals as gateway stations for the Ka-band personal and mobile communications services.

Ka-Band Klystron Amplifier for CUBESATs, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — We propose a Ka-Band klystron amplifier for use in CubeSats. It will operate at 35.7 GHz, have 400 MHz of bandwidth, and output at least 32 watts of saturated power....

Ka-Band Electronically Steered CubeSat Antenna, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Kymeta Government Solutions (KGS) designed, analyzed, built, tested, and delivered a small, lightweight, low-cost, low-power electronically steered Ka-band prototype...

Ka-Band MMIC Subarray Technology Program (Ka-Mist)

Science.gov (United States)

Pottinger, W.

1995-01-01

Ka-band monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) arrays have been considered as having high potential for increasing the capability of space, aircraft, and land mobile communication systems in terms of scan performance, data rate, link margin, and flexibility while offering a significant reduction in size, weight, and power consumption. Insertion of MMIC technology into antenna systems, particularly at millimeter wave frequencies using low power and low noise amplifiers in closed proximity to the radiating elements, offers a significant improvement in the array transmit efficiency, receive system noise figure, and overall array reliability. Application of active array technology also leads to the use of advanced beamforming techniques that can improve beam agility, diversity, and adaptivity to complex signal environments. The objective of this program was to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the 'tile' array packaging architecture at EHF via the insertion of 1990 MMIC technology into a functional tile array or subarray module. The means test of this objective was to demonstrate and deliver to NASA a minimum of two 4 x 4 (16 radiating element) subarray modules operating in a transmit mode at 29.6 GHz. Available (1990) MMIC technology was chosen to focus the program effort on the novel interconnect schemes and packaging requirements rather than focusing on MMIC development. Major technical achievements of this program include the successful integration of two 4 x 4 subarray modules into a single antenna array. This 32 element array demonstrates a transmit EIRP of over 300 watts yielding an effective directive power gain in excess of 55 dB at 29.63 GHz. The array has been actively used as the transmit link in airborne/terrestrial mobile communication experiments accomplished via the ACTS satellite launched in August 1993.

Ka-Band, Multi-Gigabit-Per-Second Transceiver

Science.gov (United States)

Simons, Rainee N.; Wintucky, Edwin G.; Smith, Francis J.; Harris, Johnny M.; Landon, David G.; Haddadin, Osama S.; McIntire, William K.; Sun, June Y.

2011-01-01

A document discusses a multi-Gigabit-per-second, Ka-band transceiver with a software-defined modem (SDM) capable of digitally encoding/decoding data and compensating for linear and nonlinear distortions in the end-to-end system, including the traveling-wave tube amplifier (TWTA). This innovation can increase data rates of space-to-ground communication links, and has potential application to NASA s future spacebased Earth observation system. The SDM incorporates an extended version of the industry-standard DVB-S2, and LDPC rate 9/10 FEC codec. The SDM supports a suite of waveforms, including QPSK, 8-PSK, 16-APSK, 32- APSK, 64-APSK, and 128-QAM. The Ka-band and TWTA deliver an output power on the order of 200 W with efficiency greater than 60%, and a passband of at least 3 GHz. The modem and the TWTA together enable a data rate of 20 Gbps with a low bit error rate (BER). The payload data rates for spacecraft in NASA s integrated space communications network can be increased by an order of magnitude (>10 ) over current state-of-practice. This innovation enhances the data rate by using bandwidth-efficient modulation techniques, which transmit a higher number of bits per Hertz of bandwidth than the currently used quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) waveforms.

Ka-band SAR interferometry studies for the SWOT mission

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez, D. E.; Fu, L.; Rodriguez, E.; Hodges, R.; Brown, S.

2008-12-01

The primary objective of the NRC Decadal Survey recommended SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) Mission is to measure the water elevation of the global oceans, as well as terrestrial water bodies (such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands), to answer key scientific questions on the kinetic energy of ocean circulation, the spatial and temporal variability of the world's surface freshwater storage and discharge, and to provide societal benefits on predicting climate change, coastal zone management, flood prediction, and water resources management. The SWOT mission plans to carry the following suite of microwave instruments: a Ka-band interferometer, a dual-frequency nadir altimeter, and a multi-frequency water-vapor radiometer dedicated to measuring wet tropospheric path delay to correct the radar measurements. We are currently funded by the NASA Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) Instrument Incubator Program (IIP) to reduce the risk of the main technological drivers of SWOT, by addressing the following technologies: the Ka-band radar interferometric antenna design, the on-board interferometric SAR processor, and the internally calibrated high-frequency radiometer. The goal is to significantly enhance the readiness level of the new technologies required for SWOT, while laying the foundations for the next-generation missions to map water elevation for studying Earth. The first two technologies address the challenges of the Ka-band SAR interferometry, while the high- frequency radiometer addresses the requirement for small-scale wet tropospheric corrections for coastal zone applications. In this paper, we present the scientific rational, need and objectives behind these technology items currently under development.

Security scanning at 35 GHz

Science.gov (United States)

Anderton, Rupert N.; Appleby, Roger; Coward, Peter R.; Kent, P. J.; Price, Sean; Sinclair, Gordon N.; Wasley, Matthew R. M.

2001-08-01

It has been known for some time that millimeter waves can pas through clothing. In short range applications such as in the scanning of people for security purposes, operating at Ka band can be an advantage. The penetration through clothing is increased and the cost of the equipment when compared to operation at W band. In this paper a Ka band mechanically scanned imager designed for security scanning is discussed. This imager is based on the folded conical scan technology previously reported. It is constructed from low cost materials such as polystyrene and printed circuit board. The trade off between image spatial resolution and the number of receivers will be described and solutions, which minimize this number discussed.

Full Ka Band Waveguide-to-Microstrip Inline Transition Design

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jianxing; Li, Lei; Qiao, Yu; Chen, Juan; Chen, Jianzhong; Zhang, Anxue

2018-05-01

In this paper, a compact and broadband inline waveguide-to-microstrip transition is proposed to cover the full Ka band. The transition can be segmented from the electric point of view into three building blocks, comprising a microstrip line to rectangular coaxial line, a wedged rectangular coaxial line to ridged waveguide, and a final tapered ridged waveguide impedance transformer to standard waveguide. Both good electrical performance and simple modular assembly without any soldering have been simultaneously obtained. The validation of the design concept has been conducted by numerical simulations and experimental measurements. The experimental results of a fabricated back-to-back transition prototype coincide with the simulated results. It shows that the proposed transition achieves good return loss of lower than 15.5 dB and low insertion loss with a fluctuation between 0.23 to 0.60 dB across the entire Ka band. Details of design considerations and operation mechanism as well as simulation and measurement results are presented.

Miniaturized Ka-Band Dual-Channel Radar

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, James P.; Moussessian, Alina; Jenabi, Masud; Custodero, Brian

2011-01-01

Smaller (volume, mass, power) electronics for a Ka-band (36 GHz) radar interferometer were required. To reduce size and achieve better control over RFphase versus temperature, fully hybrid electronics were developed for the RF portion of the radar s two-channel receiver and single-channel transmitter. In this context, fully hybrid means that every active RF device was an open die, and all passives were directly attached to the subcarrier. Attachments were made using wire and ribbon bonding. In this way, every component, even small passives, was selected for the fabrication of the two radar receivers, and the devices were mounted relative to each other in order to make complementary components isothermal and to isolate other components from potential temperature gradients. This is critical for developing receivers that can track each other s phase over temperature, which is a key mission driver for obtaining ocean surface height. Fully hybrid, Ka-band (36 GHz) radar transmitter and dual-channel receiver were developed for spaceborne radar interferometry. The fully hybrid fabrication enables control over every aspect of the component selection, placement, and connection. Since the two receiver channels must track each other to better than 100 millidegrees of RF phase over several minutes, the hardware in the two receivers must be "identical," routed the same (same line lengths), and as isothermal as possible. This level of design freedom is not possible with packaged components, which include many internal passive, unknown internal connection lengths/types, and often a single orientation of inputs and outputs.

Improvement of Ka-band satellite link availability for real-time IP-based video contribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Berretta

2017-09-01

Full Text Available New High Throughput Satellite (HTS systems allow high throughput IP uplinks/contribution at Ka-band frequencies for relatively lower costs when compared to broadcasting satellite uplinks at Ku band. This technology offers an advantage for live video contribution from remote areas, where the terrestrial infrastructure may not be adequate. On the other hand, the Ka-band is more subject to impairments due to rain or bad weather. This paper addresses the target system specification and provides an optimized approach for the transmission of IP-based video flows through HTS commercial services operating at Ka-band frequencies. In particular, the focus of this study is on the service requirements and the propagation analysis that provide a reference architecture to improve the overall link availability. The approach proposed herein leads to the introduction of a new concept of live service contribution using pairs of small satellite antennas and cheap satellite terminals.

Additive manufacturing of Ka-band antennas for wireless communications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Armendariz, Unai; Rommel, Simon; Rodríguez Páez, Juan Sebastián

2016-01-01

This paper presents the design and fabrication of WR-28 waveguide horn antennas operating in the Ka-band frequency range between 26.5 GHz and 40 GHz through 3D printing. Three different antennas are fabricated from polylactide acid filaments in conductive and non-conductive variants; the latter i...

Ka-band InSAR Imaging and Analysis Based on IMU Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shi Jun

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Compared with other bands, the millimeter wave Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR has high accuracy and small size, which is a hot topic in InSAR research. On the other hand, shorter wavelength causes difficulties in 2D imaging and interferometric phase extraction. In this study, the imaging and phase performance of the streaming Back Projection (BP method combined with IMU data are analyzed and discussed on the basis of actual Ka-band InSAR data. It is found that because the wavelength of the Ka-band is short, it is more sensitive to the antenna phase-center history. To ensure the phase-preserving capacity, the IMU data must be used with accurate motion error compensation. Furthermore, during data processing, we verify the flat-earth-removing capacity of the BP algorithm that calculates and compensates the master and slave antenna phase centers individually.

Ferroelectric switch for a high-power Ka-band active pulse compressor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirshfield, Jay L. [Omega-P, Inc., New Haven, CT (United States)

2013-12-18

Results are presented for design of a high-power microwave switch for operation at 34.3 GHz, intended for use in an active RF pulse compressor. The active element in the switch is a ring of ferroelectric material, whose dielectric constant can be rapidly changed by application of a high-voltage pulse. As envisioned, two of these switches would be built into a pair of delay lines, as in SLED-II at SLAC, so as to allow 30-MW μs-length Ka-band pulses to be compressed in time by a factor-of-9 and multiplied in amplitude to generate 200 MW peak power pulses. Such high-power pulses could be used for testing and evaluation of high-gradient mm-wave accelerator structures, for example. Evaluation of the switch design was carried out with an X-band (11.43 GHz) prototype, built to incorporate all the features required for the Ka-band version.

Electromagnetic Properties of Graphene-like Films in Ka-Band

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sofia Voronovich

2014-05-01

Full Text Available We studied electromagnetic properties of pyrolytic carbon (PyC films with thicknesses from 9 nm to 110 nm. The PyC films consisted of randomly oriented and intertwined graphene flakes with a typical size of a few nanometers were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD at 1100 °C on a quartz substrate. The reflectance and transmittance of these films in Ka-band, 26–37 GHz, were studied both experimentally and theoretically. The discovered remarkably high absorption loss of up to 50% of incident power, along with chemical stability, makes PyC films attractive for electromagnetic (EM interference shielding in space and airspace communication systems, as well as in portable electronic devices occupying this frequency slot. Since, in practical applications, the PyC film should be employed for coating of dielectric surfaces, two important issues to be addressed are: (i which side (front or back of the substrate should be covered to ensure maximum absorption losses; and (ii the frequency dependence of absorbance/transmittance/reflectance of binary PyC/quartz structures in the Ka-band.

Ka Band Phase Locked Loop Oscillator Dielectric Resonator Oscillator for Satellite EHF Band Receiver

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Coco

2008-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the design and fabrication of a Ka Band PLL DRO having a fundamental oscillation frequency of 19.250 GHz, used as local oscillator in the low-noise block of a down converter (LNB for an EHF band receiver. Apposite circuital models have been created to describe the behaviour of the dielectric resonator and of the active component used in the oscillator core. The DRO characterization and measurements have shown very good agreement with simulation results. A good phase noise performance is obtained by using a very high Q dielectric resonator.

High Rate User Ka-Band Phased Array Antenna Test Results

Science.gov (United States)

Caroglanian, Armen; Perko, Kenneth; Seufert, Steve; Dod, Tom; Warshowsky, Jay; Day, John H. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The High Rate User Phased Array Antenna (HRUPAA) is a Ka-Band planar phased array designed by the Harris Corporation for the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The HRUPAA permits a satellite to downlink data either to a ground station or through the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). The HRUPAA is scanned electronically by ground station / user satellite command over a 120 degree cone angle. The phased array has the advantage of not imparting attitude disturbances to the user spacecraft. The 288-element transmit-only array has distributed RF amplifiers integrated behind each of the printed patch antenna elements. The array has 33 dBW EIRP and is left-hand circularly polarized. An engineering model of a partially populated array has been developed and delivered to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. This report deals with the testing of the engineering model at the Goddard Antenna Range near-field and compact range facilities. The antenna specifications are described first, followed by the test plan and test results.

Partially Observable Markov Decision Process-Based Transmission Policy over Ka-Band Channels for Space Information Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Jiao

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The Ka-band and higher Q/V band channels can provide an appealing capacity for the future deep-space communications and Space Information Networks (SIN, which are viewed as a primary solution to satisfy the increasing demands for high data rate services. However, Ka-band channel is much more sensitive to the weather conditions than the conventional communication channels. Moreover, due to the huge distance and long propagation delay in SINs, the transmitter can only obtain delayed Channel State Information (CSI from feedback. In this paper, the noise temperature of time-varying rain attenuation at Ka-band channels is modeled to a two-state Gilbert–Elliot channel, to capture the channel capacity that randomly ranging from good to bad state. An optimal transmission scheme based on Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDP is proposed, and the key thresholds for selecting the optimal transmission method in the SIN communications are derived. Simulation results show that our proposed scheme can effectively improve the throughput.

Multiple scattering effects on the Linear Depolarization Ratio (LDR) measured during CaPE by a Ka-band air-borne radar

Science.gov (United States)

Iguchi, Toshio; Meneghini, Robert

1993-01-01

Air-borne radar measurements of thunderstorms were made as part of the CaPE (Convection and Precipitation/Electrification) experiment in Florida in July 1991. The radar has two channels, X-band (10 GHz) and Ka-band (34.5 GHz), and is capable of measuring cross-polarized returns as well as co-polarized returns. In stratiform rain, the cross-polarized components can be observed only at the bright band region and from the surface reflection. The linear depolarization ratios (LDR's) measured at X-band and Ka-band at the bright band are nearly equal. In convective rain, however, the LDR in Ka-band often exceeds the X-band LDR by several dB, and sometimes by more than 10 dB, reaching LDR values of up to -5 dB over heavy convective rain. For randomly oriented hydrometeors, such high LDR values cannot be explained by single scattering from non-spherical scattering particles alone. Because the LDR by single backscatter depends weakly on the wavelength, the difference between the Ka-band and X-band LDR's suggests that multiple scattering effects prevail in the Ka-band LDR. In order to test this inference, the magnitude of the cross-polarized component created by double scattering was calculated using the parameters of the airborne radar, which for both frequencies has beamwidths of 5.1 degrees and pulse widths of 0.5 microsecond. Uniform rain beyond the range of 3 km is assumed.

High Efficiency Ka-Band Spatial Combiner

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Passi

2014-12-01

Full Text Available A Ka-Band, High Efficiency, Small Size Spatial Combiner (SPC is proposed in this paper, which uses an innovatively matched quadruple Fin Lines to microstrip (FLuS transitions. At the date of this paper and at the Author's best knowledge no such FLuS innovative transitions have been reported in literature before. These transitions are inserted into a WR28 waveguide T-junction, in order to allow the integration of 16 Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA's. A computational electromagnetic model using the finite elements method has been implemented. A mean insertion loss of 2 dB is achieved with a return loss better the 10 dB in the 31-37 GHz bandwidth.

MMIC for High-Efficiency Ka-BAnd GaN Power Amplifiers (2007043), Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This proposal addresses the need for high-efficiency, high-output power amplifiers operating in the Ka-band frequencies. For space communications, the power...

A New Blind Pointing Model Improves Large Reflector Antennas Precision Pointing at Ka-Band (32 GHz)

Science.gov (United States)

Rochblatt, David J.

2009-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)-Deep Space Network (DSN) subnet of 34-m Beam Waveguide (BWG) Antennas was recently upgraded with Ka-Band (32-GHz) frequency feeds for space research and communication. For normal telemetry tracking a Ka-Band monopulse system is used, which typically yields 1.6-mdeg mean radial error (MRE) pointing accuracy on the 34-m diameter antennas. However, for the monopulse to be able to acquire and lock, for special radio science applications where monopulse cannot be used, or as a back-up for the monopulse, high-precision open-loop blind pointing is required. This paper describes a new 4th order pointing model and calibration technique, which was developed and applied to the DSN 34-m BWG antennas yielding 1.8 to 3.0-mdeg MRE pointing accuracy and amplitude stability of 0.2 dB, at Ka-Band, and successfully used for the CASSINI spacecraft occultation experiment at Saturn and Titan. In addition, the new 4th order pointing model was used during a telemetry experiment at Ka-Band (32 GHz) utilizing the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft while at a distance of 0.225 astronomical units (AU) from Earth and communicating with a DSN 34-m BWG antenna at a record high rate of 6-megabits per second (Mb/s).

AltiKa: a Ka-band Altimetry Payload and System for Operational Altimetry during the GMES Period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacques Verron

2006-03-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the Ka-band altimetry payload and system that has beenstudied for several years by CNES, ALCATEL SPACE and some science laboratories.Altimetry is one of the major elements of the ocean observing system to be madesustainable through the GEOSS (Global Earth Observation System of Systems and GMES(Global Monitoring of the Environment and Security programs. A short review of somemission objectives to be fulfilled in terms of mesoscale oceanography in the frame of theGEOSS and GMES programs is performed. To answer the corresponding requirements, theapproach consisting in a constellation of nadir altimeter is discussed. A coupled Ka-bandaltimeter-radiometer payload is then described; technical items are detailed to explain howthis payload shall meet the science and operational requirements, and expectedperformances are displayed. The current status of the payload development and flightperspectives are given.

Transmission characteristic of graphene/TiO2 paper measured at Ka-band

Science.gov (United States)

Agusu, La; Mitsudo, Seitaro; Ahmad, La Ode; Herdianto, Fujii, Yutaka; Ishikawa, Yuya; Furuya, Takahashi; Ramadhan, La Ode Ahmad Nur

2017-01-01

The commercial telecommunication system in future would explore the electromagnetic spectrum with higher frequency than used now, because it requires higher speed of transmission data. Using the millimeter waves (mmW) with frequency ranging from 30 to 300 GHz, such requirement could be fulfilled. The upcoming 5G cellular technology is expected to use frequency 30 GHz or higher. Then materials with a specific characteristic at the mmW range are interesting to be explored and investigated. Here, we report the synthesis process of graphene/TiO2 deposited on paper and their transmission characteristics to the electromagnetic energy at frequency 27-40 GHz (Ka-Band). The reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was synthesized by a modified Hummers method with introduction of microwave irradiation in the process. rGO and TiO2 were mixed in ethanol solution and deposited on the paper by a spraying technique. Transmission coefficient of electromagnetic wave energy at Ka-Band was measured by using the millimeter vector network analyzer. Conductivity of rGO is 1.89 Scm-1 and for the graphene/TiO2 with TiO2 content is up to 50%, conductivity is down to Scm-1 Graphene/TiO2 layer with thickness of 60).lm and TiO2 loading up to 25% can has the transmission coefficient of -4 dB at the middle frequency of 31 GHz and bandwidth of 2.2 GHz. This can be useful as the electromagnetic interference shielding material at Ka-band.

High-Efficiency, Ka-band Solid-State Power Amplifier Utilizing GaN Technology, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — QuinStar Technology proposes to develop an efficient, solid-state power amplifier (SSPA), operating at Ka-band frequencies, for high data rate, long range space...

High-Efficiency, Ka-Band Solid-State Power Amplifier Utilizing GaN Technology, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — QuinStar Technology proposes to develop a high-efficiency, solid-state power amplifier (SSPA), operating at Ka-band frequencies, for high data rate, long range space...

Design considerations on a sparse array antenna for Ka-band spaceborne SAR applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jacobs, S.; Bekers, D.; Monni, S.; Otten, M.; Van Rossum, W.; Gerini, G.; Germani, C.; Fortini, D.; Toso, G.

2015-01-01

This contribution addresses the problem of designing a sparse active array antenna for spaceborne SAR applications at Ka-band. The main driver for the design is limiting the recurring manufacturing costs associated to the number of active modules, while preserving main performance and insuring a

Dynamic optical fiber delivery of Ka-band packet transmissions for wireless access networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rodríguez Páez, Juan Sebastián; Madsen, Peter; Tafur Monroy, Idelfonso

2017-01-01

A Reconfigurable Radio Access Unit is presented and experimentally demonstrated. In the unit, an optical switching system is set to dynamically deliver different packets to different points in the network. The packets are transmitted wirelesslty on the Ka-band (26–40 GHz), achieving BER values...

A novel Ka-band coaxial transit-time oscillator with a four-gap buncher

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Lili; He, Juntao; Ling, Junpu [College of Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073 (China)

2015-05-15

A novel Ka-band coaxial transit-time oscillator (TTO) with a four-gap buncher is proposed and investigated. Simulation results show that an output power of 1.27 GW and a frequency of 26.18 GHz can be achieved with a diode voltage of 447 kV and a beam current of 7.4 kA. The corresponding power efficiency is 38.5%, and the guiding magnetic field is 0.6 T. Studies and analysis indicate that a buncher with four gaps can modulate the electron beam better than the three-gap buncher in such a Ka-band TTO. Moreover, power efficiency increases with the coupling coefficient between the buncher and the extractor. Further simulation demonstrates that power efficiency can reach higher than 30% with a guiding magnetic field of above 0.5 T. Besides, the power efficiency exceeds 30% in a relatively large range of diode voltage from 375 kV to 495 kV.

Reconfigurable phased antenna array for extending cubesat operations to Ka-band: Design and feasibility

Science.gov (United States)

Buttazzoni, G.; Comisso, M.; Cuttin, A.; Fragiacomo, M.; Vescovo, R.; Vincenti Gatti, R.

2017-08-01

Started as educational tools, CubeSats have immediately encountered the favor of the scientific community, subsequently becoming viable platforms for research and commercial applications. To ensure competitive data rates, some pioneers have started to explore the usage of the Ka-band beside the conventional amateur radio frequencies. In this context, this study proposes a phased antenna array design for Ka-band downlink operations consisting of 8×8 circularly polarized subarrays of microstrip patches filling one face of a single CubeSat unit. The conceived structure is developed to support 1.5 GHz bandwidth and dual-task missions, whose feasibility is verified by proper link budgets. The dual-task operations are enabled by a low-complexity phase-only control algorithm that provides pattern reconfigurability in order to satisfy both orbiting and intersatellite missions, while remaining adherent to the cost-effective CubeSat paradigm.

Design of Ka-band antipodal finline mixer and detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao Changfei; Xu Jinping; Chen Mo

2009-01-01

This paper mainly discusses the analysis and design of a finline single-ended mixer and detector. In the circuit, for the purpose of eliminating high-order resonant modes and improving transition loss, metallic via holes are implemented along the mounting edge of the substrate embedded in the split-block of the WG-finline-microstrip transition. Meanwhile, a Ka band slow-wave and bandstop filter, which represents a reactive termination, is designed for the utilization of idle frequencies and operation frequencies energy. Full-wave analysis is carried out to optimize the input matching network of the mixer and the detector circuit using lumped elements to model the nonlinear diode. The exported S-matrix of the optimized circuit is used for conversion loss and voltage sensitivity analysis. The lowest measured conversion loss is 3.52 dB at 32.2 GHz; the conversion loss is flat and less than 5.68 dB in the frequency band of 29-34 GHz. The highest measured zero-bias voltage sensitivity is 1450 mV/mW at 38.6 GHz, and the sensitivity is better than 1000 mV/mW in the frequency band of 38-40 GHz.

Ka-band to L-band frequency down-conversion based on III-V-on-silicon photonic integrated circuits

Science.gov (United States)

Van Gasse, K.; Wang, Z.; Uvin, S.; De Deckere, B.; Mariën, J.; Thomassen, L.; Roelkens, G.

2017-12-01

In this work, we present the design, simulation and characterization of a frequency down-converter based on III-V-on-silicon photonic integrated circuit technology. We first demonstrate the concept using commercial discrete components, after which we demonstrate frequency conversion using an integrated mode-locked laser and integrated modulator. In our experiments, five channels in the Ka-band (27.5-30 GHz) with 500 MHz bandwidth are down-converted to the L-band (1.5 GHz). The breadboard demonstration shows a conversion efficiency of - 20 dB and a flat response over the 500 MHz bandwidth. The simulation of a fully integrated circuit indicates that a positive conversion gain can be obtained on a millimeter-sized photonic integrated circuit.

A Novel Low-cost, Ka-band, High Altitude, Multi-Baseline Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Sensor for Surface Water Ocean Topography, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This proposal presents the Ka-band SWOT Phenomenology Airborne Radar (KaSPAR) to support the surface water ocean topography (SWOT) mission for science and algorithm...

Miniaturized UHF, S-, and Ka-band RF MEMS Filters for Small Form Factor, High Performance EVA Radio, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — In Phase II of this SBIR, Harmonic Devices (HDI) proposes to develop miniaturized MEMS filters at UHF, S-band and Ka-band to address the requirements of NASA's...

Evaluation and Performance Analysis of 3D Printing Technique for Ka-Band Antenna Production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Armendariz, Unai; Rommel, Simon; Rodríguez Páez, Juan Sebastián

2016-01-01

This paper presents the design and fabrication of 3D printed WR-28 waveguide horn antennas operating in the Ka-band frequency range between 26.5GHz and 40GHz. Three antennas are fabricated from polylactide acid filaments in conductive and non-conductive variants; the latter is covered...

Concept Design of a Multi-Band Shared Aperture Reflectarray/Reflector Antenna

Science.gov (United States)

Spence, Thomas; Cooley, Michael; Stenger, Peter; Park, Richard; Li, Lihua; Racette, Paul; Heymsfield, Gerald; Mclinden, Matthew

2016-01-01

A scalable dual-band (KaW) shared-aperture antenna system design has been developed as a proposed solution to meet the needs of the planned NASA Earth Science Aerosol, Clouds, and Ecosystem (ACE) mission. The design is comprised of a compact Cassegrain reflector/reflectarray with a fixed pointing W-band feed and a cross track scanned Ka-band Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA). Critical Sub-scale prototype testing and flight tests have validated some of the key aspects of this innovative antenna design, including the low loss reflector/reflectarray surface.More recently the science community has expressed interest in a mission that offers the ability to measure precipitation in addition to clouds and aerosols. In this paper we present summaries of multiple designs that explore options for realizing a tri-frequency (KuKaW), shared-aperture antenna system to meet these science objectives. Design considerations include meeting performance requirements while emphasizing payload size, weight, prime power, and cost. The extensive trades and lessons learned from our previous dual-band ACE system development were utilized as the foundation for this work.

Compact Dual-Band Dipole Antenna with Asymmetric Arms for WLAN Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chung-Hsiu Chiu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A dual-band dipole antenna that consists of a horn- and a C-shaped metallic arm is presented. Depending on the asymmetric arms, the antenna provides two −10 dB impedance bandwidths of 225 MHz (about 9.2% at 2.45 GHz and 1190 MHz (about 21.6% at 5.5 GHz, respectively. This feature enables it to cover the required bandwidths for wireless local area network (WLAN operation at the 2.4 GHz band and 5.2/5.8 GHz bands for IEEE 802.11 a/b/g standards. More importantly, the compact size (7 mm × 24 mm and good radiating performance of the antenna are profitable to be integrated with wireless communication devices on restricted RF-elements spaces.

Lunar Noise-Temperature Increase Measurements at S-Band, X-Band, and Ka-Band Using a 34-Meter-Diameter Beam-Waveguide Antenna

Science.gov (United States)

Morabito, D. D.

2006-08-01

The Moon radiates energy at infrared and microwave wavelengths, in addition to reflecting sunlight at optical wavelengths. As a result, an antenna pointed at or near the Moon will cause an increase in receiver noise temperature that needs to be accounted for in telemetry, radio science, or ranging link budgets. The Deep Space Network may be required to use its antennas in future lunar robotic or human missions, and thus it is important to understand the nature of this temperature increase as a function of observing frequency, lunar phase, and angular offset of the antenna beam from the center of the lunar disk. This article quantifies such a set of measurements acquired at DSS 13, a 34-m-diameter research and development beam-waveguide antenna located at Goldstone, California, at three different telecommunication frequencies, S-band (2.3 GHz), X-band (8.4 GHz), and Ka-band (32 GHz), over a wide range of lunar phase, for both disk-centered and limb-centered positions of the antenna beam.

Ka-band IQ vector modulator employing GaAs HBTs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao Yuxiong; Wu Danyu; Chen Gaopeng; Jin Zhi; Liu Xinyu

2011-01-01

The importance of high-performance, low-cost and millimeter-wave transmitters for digital communications and radar applications is increasing. The design and performance of a Ka-band balanced in-phase and quadrature-phase (I-Q) type vector modulator, using GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) as switching elements, are presented. The balanced technique is used to remove the parasitics of the HBTs to result in near perfect constellations. Measurements of the monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) chip with a size of 1.89 x 2.26 mm 2 demonstrate an amplitude error below 1.5 dB and the phase error within 3 0 between 26 and 40 GHz except for a singular point at 35.6 GHz. The results show that the technique is suitable for millimeter-wave digital communications. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

Advanced mobile satellite communications system using Ka and MM-wave bands in Japan's R and D satellite project

Science.gov (United States)

Isobe, Shunkichi; Ohmori, Shingo; Hamamoto, Naokazu; Yamamoto, Minoru

1991-01-01

Communications Research Laboratory (CRL) studied an advanced mobile satellite communications system using Ka and millimeter-wave bands in the R&D Satellite project. The project started in 1990 and the satellite will be launched in 1997. On-board multi-beam interconnecting is one of basic functions to realize one-hop connection among Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs), mobile, and hand-held terminals in future mobile satellite communications system. An Intermediate Frequency (IF) filter bank and regenerative transponder are suitable for this function. The transponder configuration of an advanced mobile communications mission of the R&D Satellite for experiment is shown. High power transmitters of Ka and millimeter-wave bands, a 3x3 IF filter band and Single Channel Per Carrier/Time Division Multiplexing (SCPC/TDM) regenerative MODEMS, which will be boarded on the R&D Satellite, are being developed for the purpose of studying the feasibility of advanced mobile communications system.

Impact of Surface Soil Moisture Variations on Radar Altimetry Echoes at Ku and Ka Bands in Semi-Arid Areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christophe Fatras

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Radar altimetry provides information on the topography of the Earth surface. It is commonly used for the monitoring not only sea surface height but also ice sheets topography and inland water levels. The radar altimetry backscattering coefficient, which depends on surface roughness and water content, can be related to surface properties such as surface soil moisture content. In this study, the influence of surface soil moisture on the radar altimetry echo and backscattering coefficient is analyzed over semi-arid areas. A semi-empirical model of the soil’s complex dielectric permittivity that takes into account that small-scale roughness and large-scale topography was developed to simulate the radar echoes. It was validated using waveforms acquired at Ku and Ka-bands by ENVISAT RA-2 and SARAL AltiKa respectively over several sites in Mali. Correlation coefficients ranging from 0.66 to 0.94 at Ku-band and from 0.27 to 0.96 at Ka-band were found. The increase in surface soil moisture from 0.02 to 0.4 (i.e., the typical range of variations in semi-arid areas increase the backscattering from 10 to 15 dB between the core of the dry and the maximum of the rainy seasons.

Bandwidth-Efficient Communication through 225 MHz Ka-band Relay Satellite Channel

Science.gov (United States)

Downey, Joseph A.; Downey, James M.; Reinhart, Richard C.; Evans, Michael A.; Mortensen, Dale J.

2016-01-01

The communications and navigation space infrastructure of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) consists of a constellation of relay satellites (called Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS)) and a global set of ground stations to receive and deliver data to researchers around the world from mission spacecraft throughout the solar system. Planning is underway to enhance and transform the infrastructure over the coming decade. Key to the upgrade will be the simultaneous and efficient use of relay transponders to minimize cost and operations while supporting science and exploration spacecraft. Efficient use of transponders necessitates bandwidth efficient communications to best use and maximize data throughput within the allocated spectrum. Experiments conducted with NASA's Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed on the International Space Station provides a unique opportunity to evaluate advanced communication techniques, such as bandwidth-efficient modulations, in an operational flight system. Demonstrations of these new techniques in realistic flight conditions provides critical experience and reduces the risk of using these techniques in future missions. Efficient use of spectrum is enabled by using high-order modulations coupled with efficient forward error correction codes. This paper presents a high-rate, bandwidth-efficient waveform operating over the 225 MHz Ka-band service of the TDRS System (TDRSS). The testing explores the application of Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK), 2/4/8-phase shift keying (PSK) and 16/32- amplitude PSK (APSK) providing over three bits-per-second-per-Hertz (3 b/s/Hz) modulation combined with various LDPC encoding rates to maximize through- put. With a symbol rate of 200 M-band, coded data rates of 1000 Mbps were tested in the laboratory and up to 800 Mbps over the TDRS 225 MHz channel. This paper will present on the high-rate waveform design, channel characteristics, performance results

High Efficiency Traveling-Wave Tube Power Amplifier for Ka-Band Software Defined Radio on International Space Station-A Platform for Communications Technology Development

Science.gov (United States)

Simons, Rainee N.; Force, Dale A.; Kacpura, Thomas J.

2013-01-01

The design, fabrication and RF performance of the output traveling-wave tube amplifier (TWTA) for a space based Ka-band software defined radio (SDR) is presented. The TWTA, the SDR and the supporting avionics are integrated to forms a testbed, which is currently located on an exterior truss of the International Space Station (ISS). The SDR in the testbed communicates at Ka-band frequencies through a high-gain antenna directed to NASA s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), which communicates to the ground station located at White Sands Complex. The application of the testbed is for demonstrating new waveforms and software designed to enhance data delivery from scientific spacecraft and, the waveforms and software can be upgraded and reconfigured from the ground. The construction and the salient features of the Ka-band SDR are discussed. The testbed is currently undergoing on-orbit checkout and commissioning and is expected to operate for 3 to 5 years in space.

Installing the earth station of Ka-band satellite frequency in Malaysia: conceptual framework for site decision

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmud, M. R.; Reba, M. N. M.; Jaw, S. W.; Arsyad, A.; Ibrahim, M. A. M.

2017-05-01

This paper developed a conceptual framework in determining the suitable location in installing the earth station for Ka-band satellite communication in Malaysia. This current evolution of high throughput satellites experienced major challenge due to Malaysian climate. Because Ka-band frequency is highly attenuated by the rainfall; it is an enormous challenge to define the most appropriate site for the static communication. Site diversity, a measure to anticipate this conflict by choosing less attenuated region and geographically change the transmission strategy on season basis require accurate spatio-temporal information on the geographical, environmental and hydro-climatology at local scale. Prior to that request, this study developed a conceptual framework to cater the needs. By using the digital spatial data, acquired from site measurement and remote sensing, the proposed framework applied a multiple criteria analysis to perform the tasks of site selection. With the advancement of high resolution remotely sensed data, site determination can be conducted as in Malaysia; accommodating a new, fast, and effective satellite communication. The output of this study is one of the pioneer contributions to create a high tech-society.

Effects of non-paretic arm exercises using a tubing band on abdominal muscle activity in stroke patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Dong-Kyu; Kang, Min-Hyeok; Kim, Ji-Won; Kim, Yang-Gon; Park, Ji-Hyuk; Oh, Jae-Seop

2013-01-01

Abdominal strengthening exercises are important for stroke patients; however, there is a lack of research on therapeutic exercises for increasing abdominal muscle activity in stroke patients. We investigated the effects of non-paretic arm exercises using a tubing band on abdominal muscle activity in stroke patients. In total, 18 hemiplegic subjects (13 males, 5 females) were recruited. All subjects performed non-paretic arm exercises involving three different shoulder movements (extension, flexion, and horizontal abduction) using an elastic tubing band. Surface electromyography (EMG) signals were recorded from the rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), and internal oblique (IO) muscles bilaterally during non-paretic arm exercises. EMG activities of abdominal muscles during non-paretic arm extension and horizontal abduction were increased significantly versus shoulder flexion when subjects performed the arm exercise in a seated position. Muscle activity of the EO was significantly greater in the paretic than the non-paretic side during non-paretic arm extension and horizontal abduction. We suggest that non-paretic arm extension and horizontal abduction exercises using an elastic tubing band may be effective in increasing abdominal muscle activity.

Security scanning at 94GHz

Science.gov (United States)

Anderton, Rupert N.; Appleby, Roger; Beale, John E.; Coward, Peter R.; Price, Sean

2006-05-01

It is well known that millimetre waves can pass through clothing. In short range applications such as in the scanning of people for security purposes, operating at W band can be an advantage. The size of the equipment is decreased when compared to operation at Ka band and the equipments have similar performance. In this paper a W band mechanically scanned imager designed for imaging weapons and contraband hidden under clothing is discussed. This imager is based on a modified folded conical scan technology previously reported. In this design an additional optical element is added to give a Cassegrain configuration in image space. This increases the effective focal length and enables improved sampling of the image and provides more space for the receivers. This imager is constructed from low cost materials such as polystyrene, polythene and printed circuit board materials. The trade off between image spatial resolution and thermal sensitivity is discussed.

Rain Fade Compensation for Ka-Band Communications Satellites

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, W. Carl; Nguyen, Lan; Dissanayake, Asoka; Markey, Brian; Le, Anh

1997-01-01

This report provides a review and evaluation of rain fade measurement and compensation techniques for Ka-band satellite systems. This report includes a description of and cost estimates for performing three rain fade measurement and compensation experiments. The first experiment deals with rain fade measurement techniques while the second one covers the rain fade compensation techniques. The third experiment addresses a feedback flow control technique for the ABR service (for ATM-based traffic). The following conclusions were observed in this report; a sufficient system signal margin should be allocated for all carriers in a network, that is a fixed clear-sky margin should be typically in the range of 4-5 dB and should be more like 15 dB in the up link for moderate and heavy rain zones; to obtain a higher system margin it is desirable to combine the uplink power control technique with the technique that implements the source information rate and FEC code rate changes resulting in a 4-5 dB increase in the dynamic part of the system margin. The experiments would assess the feasibility of the fade measurements and compensation techniques, and ABR feedback control technique.

Ka-Band Waveguide Two-Way Hybrid Combiner for MMIC Amplifiers

Science.gov (United States)

Simons, Rainee N.; Chevalier, Christine T.; Wintucky, Edwin G.; Freeman, Jon C.

2010-01-01

The design, simulation, and characterization of a novel Ka-band (32.05 0.25 GHz) rectangular waveguide two-way branch-line hybrid unequal power combiner (with port impedances matched to that of a standard WR-28 waveguide) has been created to combine input signals, which are in phase and with an amplitude ratio of two. The measured return loss and isolation of the branch-line hybrid are better than 22 and 27 dB, respectively. The measured combining efficiency is 92.9 percent at the center frequency of 32.05 GHz. This circuit is efficacious in combining the unequal output power from two Ka-band GaAs pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (pHEMT) monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) power amplifiers (PAs) with high efficiency. The component parts include the branch-line hybrid-based power combiner and the MMIC-based PAs. A two-way branch-line hybrid is a four-port device with all ports matched; power entering port 1 is divided in phase, and into the ratio 2:1 between ports 3 and 4. No power is coupled to port 2. MMICs are a type of integrated circuit fabricated on GaAs that operates at microwave frequencies, and performs the function of signal amplification. The power combiner is designed to operate over the frequency band of 31.8 to 32.3 GHz, which is NASA's deep space frequency band. The power combiner would have an output return loss better than 20 dB. Isolation between the output port and the isolated port is greater than 25 dB. Isolation between the two input ports is greater than 25 dB. The combining efficiency would be greater than 90 percent when the ratio of the two input power levels is two. The power combiner is machined from aluminum with E-plane split-block arrangement, and has excellent reliability. The flexibility of this design allows the combiner to be customized for combining the power from MMIC PAs with an arbitrary power output ratio. In addition, it allows combining a low-power GaAs MMIC with a high-power GaN MMIC. The arbitrary

Analysis of Standards Efficiency in Digital Television Via Satellite at Ku and Ka Bands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Landeros-Ayala Salvador

2013-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper, an analysis on the main technical features of digital television standards for satellite transmission is carried out. Based on simulations and link budgets, the standard with the best operational performance is defined, based on simulations and link budget analysis, as well as a comparative efficiency analysis is conducted for the Ku and Ka bands for both transparent and regenerative transponders in terms of power, bandwidth, information rate and link margin, including clear sky, uplink rain, downlink rain and rain in both.

Advanced mobile satellite communications using COMETS satellite in MM-wave and Ka-band

Science.gov (United States)

Ohmori, Shingo; Isobe, Shunkichi; Takeuchi, Makoto; Naito, Hideyuki

1993-01-01

Early in the 21st century, the demand for personal communications using mobile, hand-held, and VSAT terminals will rapidly increase. In a future system, many different types of services should be provided with one-hop connection. The Communications Research Laboratory (CRL) has studied a future advanced mobile satellite communications system using millimeter wave and Ka band. In 1990, CRL started the Communications and Broadcasting Engineering Test Satellite (COMETS) project. The satellite has been developed in conjunction with NASDA and will be launched in 1997. This paper describes the COMETS payload configuration and the experimental system for the advanced mobile communications mission.

SU-F-207-03: Dosimetric Effect of the Position of Arms in Torso CT Scan with Tube Current Modulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, H; Gao, Y; Xu, X; Zhuo, W; Wu, J

2015-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the patient organ dose differences between the arms-raised and arms-lowered postures in Torso multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scan protocols with tube current modulation (TCM). Methods: Patient CT organ doses were simulated using the Monte Carlo method with human phantoms and a validated CT scanner model. A set of adult human phantoms with arms raised and arms lowered postures were developed using advanced BREP-based mesh surface geometries. Organ doses from routine Torso scan protocols such as chest, abdomen-pelvis, and CAP scans were simulated. The organ doses differences caused by two different posutres were investigated when tube current modulation (TCM) were applied during the CT scan. Results: With TCM applied, organ doses of all the listed organs of arms-lowered posture phantom are larger than those of arms raised phantom. The dose difference for most of the organs or tissues are larger than 50%, and the skin doses difference for abdomen-pelvis scan even reaches 112.03%. This is due to the fact that the tube current for patient with arms-lowered is much higher than for the arms raised posture. Conclusion: Considering CT scan with TCM, which is commonly applied clinically, patients who could not raise their arms will receive higher radiation dose than the arms raised patient, with dose differences for some tissues such as the skin being larger than 100%. This is due to the additional tube current necessary to penetrate the arms while maintaining consistent image quality. National Nature Science Foundation of China(No.11475047)

Proposal for a Joint NASA/KSAT Ka-band RF Propagation Terminal at Svalbard, Norway

Science.gov (United States)

Volosin, Jeffrey; Acosta, Roberto; Nessel, James; McCarthy, Kevin; Caroglanian, Armen

2010-01-01

This slide presentation discusses the placement of a Ka-band RF Propagation Terminal at Svalbard, Norway. The Near Earth Network (NEN) station would be managed by Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) and would benefit NASA and KSAT. There are details of the proposed NASA/KSAT campaign, and the responsibilities each would agree to. There are several reasons for the placement, a primary reason is comparison with the Alaska site, Based on climatological similarities/differences with Alaska, Svalbard site expected to have good radiometer/beacon agreement approximately 99% of time.

Bandwidth-Efficient Communication through 225 MHz Ka-band Relay Satellite Channel

Science.gov (United States)

Downey, Joseph; Downey, James; Reinhart, Richard C.; Evans, Michael Alan; Mortensen, Dale John

2016-01-01

The communications and navigation space infrastructure of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) consists of a constellation of relay satellites (called Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS)) and a global set of ground stations to receive and deliver data to researchers around the world from mission spacecraft throughout the solar system. Planning is underway to enhance and transform the infrastructure over the coming decade. Key to the upgrade will be the simultaneous and efficient use of relay transponders to minimize cost and operations while supporting science and exploration spacecraft. Efficient use of transponders necessitates bandwidth efficient communications to best use and maximize data throughput within the allocated spectrum. Experiments conducted with NASA's Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed on the International Space Station provides a unique opportunity to evaluate advanced communication techniques, such as bandwidth-efficient modulations, in an operational flight system. Demonstrations of these new techniques in realistic flight conditions provides critical experience and reduces the risk of using these techniques in future missions. Efficient use of spectrum is enabled by using high-order modulations coupled with efficient forward error correction codes. This paper presents a high-rate, bandwidth-efficient waveform operating over the 225 MHz Ka-band service of the TDRS System (TDRSS). The testing explores the application of Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK), 248-phase shift keying (PSK) and 1632- amplitude PSK (APSK) providing over three bits-per-second-per-Hertz (3 bsHz) modulation combined with various LDPC encoding rates to maximize throughput. With a symbol rate of 200 Mbaud, coded data rates of 1000 Mbps were tested in the laboratory and up to 800 Mbps over the TDRS 225 MHz channel. This paper will present on the high-rate waveform design, channel characteristics, performance results, compensation

Preliminary Analysis of X-Band and Ka-Band Radar for Use in the Detection of Icing Conditions Aloft

Science.gov (United States)

Reehorst, Andrew L.; Koenig, George G.

2004-01-01

NASA and the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) have an on-going activity to develop remote sensing technologies for the detection and measurement of icing conditions aloft. Radar has been identified as a strong tool for this work. However, since the remote detection of icing conditions with the intent to identify areas of icing hazard is a new and evolving capability, there are no set requirements for radar sensitivity. This work is an initial attempt to quantify, through analysis, the sensitivity requirements for an icing remote sensing radar. The primary radar of interest for cloud measurements is Ka-band, however, since NASA is currently using an X-band unit, this frequency is also examined. Several aspects of radar signal analysis were examined. Cloud reflectivity was calculated for several forms of cloud using two different techniques. The Air Force Geophysical Laboratory (AFGL) cloud models, with different drop spectra represented by a modified gamma distribution, were utilized to examine several categories of cloud formation. Also a fundamental methods approach was used to allow manipulation of the cloud droplet size spectra. And an analytical icing radar simulator was developed to examine the complete radar system response to a configurable multi-layer cloud environment. Also discussed is the NASA vertical pointing X-band radar. The radar and its data system are described, and several summer weather events are reviewed.

Band excitation method applicable to scanning probe microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Jesse, Stephen [Knoxville, TN; Kalinin, Sergei V [Knoxville, TN

2010-08-17

Methods and apparatus are described for scanning probe microscopy. A method includes generating a band excitation (BE) signal having finite and predefined amplitude and phase spectrum in at least a first predefined frequency band; exciting a probe using the band excitation signal; obtaining data by measuring a response of the probe in at least a second predefined frequency band; and extracting at least one relevant dynamic parameter of the response of the probe in a predefined range including analyzing the obtained data. The BE signal can be synthesized prior to imaging (static band excitation), or adjusted at each pixel or spectroscopy step to accommodate changes in sample properties (adaptive band excitation). An apparatus includes a band excitation signal generator; a probe coupled to the band excitation signal generator; a detector coupled to the probe; and a relevant dynamic parameter extractor component coupled to the detector, the relevant dynamic parameter extractor including a processor that performs a mathematical transform selected from the group consisting of an integral transform and a discrete transform.

Use of the 37-38 GHz and 40-40.5 GHz Ka-bands for Deep Space Communications

Science.gov (United States)

Morabito, David; Hastrup, Rolf

2004-01-01

This paper covers a wide variety of issues associated with the implementation and use of these frequency bands for deep space communications. Performance issues, such as ground station pointing stability, ground antenna gain, antenna pattern, and propagation effects such as due to atmospheric, charged-particle and space loss at 37 GHz, will be addressed in comparison to the 32 GHz Ka-band deep space allocation. Issues with the use of and competition for this spectrum also will be covered. The state of the hardware developed (or proposed) for operating in this frequency band will be covered from the standpoint of the prospects for achieving higher data rates that could be accommodated in the available bandwidth. Hardware areas to be explored include modulators, digital-to-analog converters, filters, power amplifiers, receivers, and antennas. The potential users of the frequency band will be explored as well as their anticipated methods to achieve the potential high data rates and the implications of the competition for bandwidth.

A wave-bending structure at Ka-band using 3D-printed metamaterial

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Junqiang; Liang, Min; Xin, Hao

2018-03-01

Three-dimensional printing technologies enable metamaterials of complex structures with arbitrary inhomogeneity. In this work, a 90° wave-bending structure at the Ka-band (26.5-40 GHz) based on 3D-printed metamaterials is designed, fabricated, and measured. The wave-bending effect is realized through a spatial distribution of varied effective dielectric constants. Based on the effective medium theory, different effective dielectric constants are accomplished by special, 3D-printable unit cells, which allow different ratios of dielectric to air at the unit cell level. In contrast to traditional, metallic-structure-included metamaterial designs, the reported wave-bending structure here is all dielectric and implemented by the polymer-jetting technique, which features rapid, low-cost, and convenient prototyping. Both simulation and experiment results demonstrate the effectiveness of the wave-bending structure.

Calculation of attenuation by rain using the DAH model and diameter of antennas for the Ka Band in Mexico; Calculo de atenuacion por lluvia usando el modelo DAH y diametro de antena para Banda Ka en Mexico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Landeros-Ayala, S.; Neri-Vela, R; Cruz-Sanchez, H.; Hernandez-Bautista, H. [Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)

2002-03-01

In the last years, the peak in the demand of satellite communication service has caused the saturation in the use of the frequencies corresponding to the band, Cand Ku. Due to this, the engineers have looked for viable alternatives, in order to satisfy the current requisition, as well as the future demand, for which a considerable increment is expected. One of these alternatives is the use of the Ka Band (20Hz/30Hz), that is why the importance of studying the propagation effects that are experienced at these frequencies, especially the attenuation effect by rain, as in this case, where it is significant. The present article has the purpose to describe the use of the Modelo DAH (whose authors are Asoka Dissanayake, Jeremy Allnutt and Fatim Haidara), mixed with the global maps of distribution of rain by Crane, for the calculation of the attenuation by rain in satellite communication systems operated in the Ka Band. Besides, antenna diameters for the systems of communications in Ka Band in different locations of the Mexican Republic, using for it the attenuation margins for rain obtained through the Modelo DAH, and using as references the characteristics of the ANIK F2 satellite and a terrestrial station VSAT, are proposed. [Spanish] En los ultimos anos, el auge en la demanda de servicios de comunicacion por satelite ha provocado la saturacion en los uso de la frecuencia correspondientes a las bandas C y Ku. Debido a esta razon, se han buscado alternativas viables para poder satisfacer la demanda actual, asi como la demanda futura, para la cual se espera un incremento considerable. Una de estas alternativas es el uso de Banda Ka (20Hz/30Hz), de ahi la importancia del estudio sobre los efectos de programacion que se experimentan a esta frecuencia, en especial, el efecto de atencion por lluvias, ya que sen este caso resulta ser significativa. El presente articulo tiene como finalidad describir el uso del Modelo DAH (cuyos autores son Asoka Dissanayake, Jeremy Allnutt y

A flexible 3D laser scanning system using a robotic arm

Science.gov (United States)

Fei, Zixuan; Zhou, Xiang; Gao, Xiaofei; Zhang, Guanliang

2017-06-01

In this paper, we present a flexible 3D scanning system based on a MEMS scanner mounted on an industrial arm with a turntable. This system has 7-degrees of freedom and is able to conduct a full field scan from any angle, suitable for scanning object with the complex shape. The existing non-contact 3D scanning system usually uses laser scanner that projects fixed stripe mounted on the Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) or industrial robot. These existing systems can't perform path planning without CAD models. The 3D scanning system presented in this paper can scan the object without CAD models, and we introduced this path planning method in the paper. We also propose a practical approach to calibrating the hand-in-eye system based on binocular stereo vision and analyzes the errors of the hand-eye calibration.

Precision Deployable Mast for the SWOT KaRIn Instrument

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Design and prototype a lightweight, precision-deployable mast for the Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn) antennas in the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT)...

Simultaneous Ka-Band Site Characterization: Goldstone, CA, White Sands, NM, and Guam, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Acosta, Roberto; Morse, Jacquelynne; Zemba, Michael; Nessel, James; Morabito, David; Caroglanian, Armen

2011-01-01

To statistically characterize atmospheric effects on Ka-band links at NASA operational sites, NASA has constructed site test interferometers (STI s) which directly measure the tropospheric phase stability and rain attenuation. These instruments observe an unmodulated beacon signal broadcast from a geostationary satellite (e.g., Anik F2) and measure the phase difference between the signals received by the two antennas and its signal attenuation. Three STI s have been deployed so far: the first one at the NASA Deep Space Network Tracking Complex in Goldstone, California (May 2007); the second at the NASA White Sands Complex, in Las Cruses, New Mexico (February 2009); and the third at the NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) Remote Ground Terminal (GRGT) complex in Guam (May 2010). Two station-years of simultaneous atmospheric phase fluctuation data have been collected at Goldstone and White Sands, while one year of data has been collected in Guam. With identical instruments operating simultaneously, we can directly compare the phase stability and rain attenuation at the three sites. Phase stability is analyzed statistically in terms of the root-mean-square (rms) of the tropospheric induced time delay fluctuations over 10 minute blocks. For two years, the time delay fluctuations at the DSN site in Goldstone, CA, have been better than 2.5 picoseconds (ps) for 90% of the time (with reference to zenith), meanwhile at the White Sands, New Mexico site, the time delay fluctuations have been better than 2.2 ps with reference to zenith) for 90% of time. For Guam, the time delay fluctuations have been better than 12 ps (reference to zenith) at 90% of the time, the higher fluctuations are as expected from a high humidity tropical rain zone. This type of data analysis, as well as many other site quality characteristics (e.g., rain attenuation, infrastructure, etc.) will be used to determine the suitability of all the sites for NASA s future communication services at Ka-band.

Technique improvement of thoracoabdominal CT scan for patients with arm-raising disability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan Zhidong; Liu Yuanjian; Jiang Guoyin; Feng Fei; Wang Chenglin; Liu Pengcheng

2010-01-01

Objective: To explore a new scanning technique to reduce and avoid image artifacts of thoracoabdominal CT and improve image quality for patients who cannot raise their arms. Methods: Sixty-one patients with arm-raising disability between March 2004 and May 2009 were enrolled in the study. Thirty-one cases before June 2007 were scanned with their arms beside their body (control group), 30 cases after June 2007 were scanned with their arms shifting to different imaging planes of the spine (study group), and another 30 patients who can raising their arms were taken as routine group. The images artifacts were blindly evaluated by 5-points scale (severe, less severe, moderate, minimum and no artifact) by 2 experienced CT technologists and one radiologist and compared between the three groups (X 2 test). CT values and its noise of the liver with or without artifact of the three groups were measured and analyzed by one-way ANOVA test. Results: In the control group, 11 cases had severe, 15 cases had less severe, 5 cases had moderate. In the study group, 6 cases had moderate, 15 cases had minimum, 9 cases had no artifact. In the routine group, 8 cases minimum and 22 cases had no artifact. Image quality was significantly improved in the study group compared to the conventional group where X 2 =95.32 and P<0.01. CT value and the noise of the liver without artifact were (54.5 ± 3.0) HU and 10.7 ± 2.4 in the control group, (52.0 ± 3.5) HU and 10.7 ± 0.5 in the study group, (53.7 ± 3.1) HU and 9.9 ± 0.5 in the routine group, respectively. CT value and noise of the liver with artifact were (41.7 ± 8.4) HU and 17.9 ± 2.6 in control group, (53.1 ± 6.9) HU and 11.0 ± 0.7 in the study group, (54.1 ± 2.4) HU and 9.9 ± 0.5 in the routine group, respectively. The CT value and its noise variation with artifact were significantly higher in the control group than the study group and the control group, where F=36.352, 235.848, respectively and P<0.01. Conclusion: The image

Factors influencing the temporal growth rate of the high order TM{sub 0n} modes in the Ka-band overmoded Cherenkov oscillator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Dapeng, E-mail: vipbenjamin@163.com; Shu, Ting; Ju, Jinchuan [College of Photoelectric Science and Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073 (China)

2015-06-15

When the wavelength of overmoded Cherenkov oscillator goes into Ka-band, power handling capacity becomes an essential issue. Using the TM{sub 02} mode or higher order TM{sub 0n} modes as the operating mode is a potential solution. This paper is aimed to find some proper parameters to make the temporal growth rate of the TM{sub 02} mode higher in our previously studied Gigawatt (GW)-class Ka band oscillator. An accurate and fast calculation method of the “hot” dispersion equation is derived for rectangular corrugated SWSs, which are widely used in the high frequency Cherenkov devices. Then, factors that affect the temporal growth rate of the high order TM{sub 0n} modes are analyzed, including the depth of corrugation, the radius of drift tube, and the diode voltage. Results show that, when parameters are chosen properly, the temporal growth rate of the TM{sub 02} mode can be as high as 0.3 ns{sup −1}.

Performance Analysis of Ultra-Wideband Channel for Short-Range Monopulse Radar at Ka-Band

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naohiko Iwakiri

2012-01-01

Full Text Available High-range resolution is inherently provided with Ka-band ultra-wideband (UWB vehicular radars. The authors have developed a prototype UWB monopulse radar equipped with a two-element receiving antenna array and reported its measurement results. In this paper, a more detailed verification using these measurements is presented. The measurements were analyzed employing matched filtering and eigendecomposition, and then multipath components were extracted to examine the behavior of received UWB monopulse signals. Next, conventional direction finding algorithms based on narrowband assumption were evaluated using the extracted multipath components, resulting in acceptable angle-of-arrival (AOA from the UWB monopulse signal regardless of wideband signals. Performance degradation due to a number of averaging the received monopulses was also examined to design suitable radar's waveforms.

Scanning ARM Cloud Radars. Part II: Data Quality Control and Processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kollias, Pavlos; Jo, Ieng; Borque, Paloma; Tatarevic, Aleksandra; Lamer, Katia; Bharadwaj, Nitin; Widener, Kevin B.; Johnson, Karen L.; Clothiaux, Eugene E.

2014-03-01

The Scanning ARM Cloud Radars (SACR’s) are the primary instruments for documenting the four-dimensional structure and evolution of clouds within a 20-30 km radius from the ARM fixed and mobile sites. Here, the post-processing of the calibrated SACR measurements is discussed. First, a feature mask algorithm that objectively determines the presence of significant radar returns is described. The feature mask algorithm is based on the statistical properties of radar receiver noise. It accounts for atmospheric emission and is applicable even for SACR profiles with few or no signal-free range gates. Using the nearest-in-time atmospheric sounding, the SACR radar reflectivities are corrected for gaseous attenuation (water vapor and oxygen) using a line-by-line absorption model. Despite having a high pulse repetition frequency, the SACR has a narrow Nyquist velocity limit and thus Doppler velocity folding is commonly observed. An unfolding algorithm that makes use of a first guess for the true Doppler velocity using horizontal wind measurements from the nearest sounding is described. The retrieval of the horizontal wind profile from the HS-RHI SACR scan observations and/or nearest sounding is described. The retrieved horizontal wind profile can be used to adaptively configure SACR scan strategies that depend on wind direction. Several remaining challenges are discussed, including the removal of insect and second-trip echoes. The described algorithms significantly enhance SACR data quality and constitute an important step towards the utilization of SACR measurements for cloud research.

Validation of SARAL/AltiKa data in the Amazon basin

Science.gov (United States)

Santos da Silva, Joecila; Calmant, Stephane; Medeiros Moreira, Daniel; Oliveira, Robson; Conchy, Taina; Gennero, Marie-Claude; Seyler, Frederique

2015-04-01

SARAL/AltiKa is a link between past missions (since it flies on the ERS-ENVISAT orbit with Ku band nadir altimeters in LRM) and future missions such as SWOT's Ka band interferometry swaths. In the present study, we compare the capability of its altimeter AltiKa to that of previous missions working in the Ku band such as ENVISAT and Jason-2 in retrieving water levels over the Amazon basin. Same as for the aforementioned preceding missions, the best results were obtained with the ICE-1 retracking algorithm. We qualitatively analyze the impact of rainfalls in the loss of measurements. Since making long -multi mission- time series is of major importance either for hydro-climatic studies or for basin management, we also present an estimate of the altimeter bias in order that the SARAL series of water level can be appended to those of these previous missions.

Time-Dependent Response Versus Scan Angle for MODIS Reflective Solar Bands

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Junqiang; Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Angal, Amit; Chen, Hongda; Wu, Aisheng; Geng, Xu

2014-01-01

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments currently operate onboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA's) Terra and Aqua spacecraft, launched on December 18, 1999 and May 4, 2002, respectively. MODIS has 36 spectral bands, among which 20 are reflective solar bands (RSBs) covering a spectral range from 0.412 to 2.13 µm. The RSBs are calibrated on orbit using a solar diffuser (SD) and an SD stability monitor and with additional measurements from lunar observations via a space view (SV) port. Selected pseudo-invariant desert sites are also used to track the RSB on-orbit gain change, particularly for short-wavelength bands. MODIS views the Earth surface, SV, and the onboard calibrators using a two-sided scan mirror. The response versus scan angle (RVS) of the scan mirror was characterized prior to launch, and its changes are tracked using observations made at different angles of incidence from onboard SD, lunar, and Earth view (EV) measurements. These observations show that the optical properties of the scan mirror have experienced large wavelength-dependent degradation in both the visible and near infrared spectral regions. Algorithms have been developed to track the on-orbit RVS change using the calibrators and the selected desert sites. These algorithms have been applied to both Terra and Aqua MODIS Level 1B (L1B) to improve the EV data accuracy since L1B Collection 4, refined in Collection 5, and further improved in the latest Collection 6 (C6). In C6, two approaches have been used to derive the time-dependent RVS for MODIS RSB. The first approach relies on data collected from sensor onboard calibrators and mirror side ratios from EV observations. The second approach uses onboard calibrators and EV response trending from selected desert sites. This approach is mainly used for the bands with much larger changes in their time-dependent RVS, such as the Terra MODIS bands 1-4, 8, and 9 and the Aqua MODIS bands 8- and 9

Scanning ARM Cloud Radars Part II. Data Quality Control and Processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kollias, Pavlos [McGill Univ., Montreal, QC (Canada); Jo, Ieng [McGill Univ., Montreal, QC (Canada); Borque, Paloma [McGill Univ., Montreal, QC (Canada); Tatarevic, Aleksandra [McGill Univ., Montreal, QC (Canada); Lamer, Katia [McGill Univ., Montreal, QC (Canada); Bharadwaj, Nitin [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Widener, Kevin B. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Johnson, Karen [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Clothiaux, Eugene E. [Pennsylvania State Univ., State College, PA (United States)

2013-10-04

The Scanning ARM Cloud Radars (SACR’s) are the primary instruments for documenting the four-dimensional structure and evolution of clouds within a 20-30 km radius from the ARM fixed and mobile sites. Here, the post-processing of the calibrated SACR measurements is discussed. First, a feature mask algorithm that objectively determines the presence of significant radar returns is described. The feature mask algorithm is based on the statistical properties of radar receiver noise. It accounts for atmospheric emission and is applicable even for SACR profiles with few or no signal-free range gates. Using the nearest-in-time atmospheric sounding, the SACR radar reflectivities are corrected for gaseous attenuation (water vapor and oxygen) using a line-by-line absorption model. Despite having a high pulse repetition frequency, the SACR has a narrow Nyquist velocity limit and thus Doppler velocity folding is commonly observed. An unfolding algorithm that makes use of a first guess for the true Doppler velocity using horizontal wind measurements from the nearest sounding is described. The retrieval of the horizontal wind profile from the Hemispherical Sky – Range Height Indicator SACR scan observations and/or nearest sounding is described. The retrieved horizontal wind profile can be used to adaptively configure SACR scan strategies that depend on wind direction. Several remaining challenges are discussed, including the removal of insect and second-trip echoes. The described algorithms significantly enhance SACR data quality and constitute an important step towards the utilization of SACR measurements for cloud research.

Cryo-scanning electron microscopy investigation of the Octopus Vulgaris arm structures for the design of an octopus-like arm artefact.

Science.gov (United States)

Minnocci, Antonio; Cianchetti, Matteo; Mazzolai, Barbara; Sebastiani, Luca; Laschi, Cecilia

2015-12-01

Octopus vulgaris is a cephalopod of the Octopodidae family. It has four pairs of arms and two rows of suckers which perform many functions, including bending and elongation. For this reason the octopus was chosen as model to develop a new generation of soft-body robots. In order to explain some of the fine structures of the octopus arm in relation to its specific ability, we examined the external and internal structures of O. vulgaris arms in a frozen-hydrated state using cryo-scanning electron microscopy. The arms showed skin with a very complex design that is useful to elongation, and a pore pattern distribution on their surface which is functional to cutaneous oxygen uptake. The analysis of freeze-fractured frozen-hydrated arm samples allowed us to describe the developmental differences in the relative proportion of the areas of axial nerve cord, intrinsic and extrinsic musculature, in relation to the growth of the arms and of the increase in functional capability. In the suckers, we analyzed the shedding mechanisms in the outer part of the infundibulum and described the outer and inner characteristics of the denticles, showing in detail their pore system, which is fundamental for their ability to explore the environment. These results are discussed by considering their possible application in the design of new octopus-like artefacts, which will be able to take advantage of some of these ultrastructure characteristics and achieve advanced bioinspired functionalities. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comparison of AltiKa and CryoSat-2 Elevation and Elevation Rates over the Amundsen Sea Sector

Science.gov (United States)

Otosaka, I.; Shepherd, A.; Hogg, A.

2017-12-01

Altimeters have been successfully used for more than two decades to observe changes in the ice sheet surface and to estimate the contribution of ice sheets to sea level rise. The Satellite for Argos and AltiKa (SARAL) was launched in February 2013 as a joint mission between the French space agency (CNES) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). While the altimeters previously launched into space are operating at Ku-band (13.6 GHz), the altimeter on board SARAL, AltiKa, is the first instrument to operate at Ka-band (36.8 GHz). The higher frequency of AltiKa is expected to lead to reduced penetration of the radar signal into the snowpack, compared to Ku-band. A comparison of ice sheet elevation measurements recorded at the two frequencies may therefore provide useful information on surface and its scattering properties. In this study, we compare elevation and elevation rates recorded by AltiKa and CryoSat-2 between March 2013 and April 2017 over the Amundsen Sea Sector (ASS), one of the most rapidly changing sectors of West Antarctica. Elevation and elevation rates are computed within 5 km grid cells using a plane fit method, taking into account the contributions of topography and fluctuations in elevation and backscatter. The drifting orbit and imaging modes of CryoSat-2 result in 78,7 % sampling of the study area, whereas AltiKa samples 39,7 % due to its sparser orbit pattern and due to loss of signal in steeply sloping coastal margins. Over the study period, the root mean square difference between elevation and elevation change recorded at Ka-band and Ku-band were 40.3 m and 0.54 m/yr, respectively. While the broad spatial pattern of elevation change is well resolved by both satellites, data gaps along the Getz coastline may be partly responsible for the lower elevation change rate observed at Ka-band. We also compared CryoSat-2 and AltiKa to coincident airborne data from NASA's Operation IceBridge (OIB). The mean difference of elevation rate between

Large power microwave nonlinear effects on multifunction amplifier chip for Ka-band T/R module of phased array radar

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Guo; Gu, Ling; Wu, Ruowu; Xu, Xiong; Zhou, Taifu; Niu, Xinjian; Liu, Yinghui; Wang, Hui; Wei, Yanyu; Guo, Changyong

2017-12-01

Nonlinear effects of large power millimeter wave on critical chips for the T/R module of phased array radar is experimental studied and analyzed in this paper. A multifunction amplifier chip is selected for our experiments. A solid continuous wave (CW) source and a large power pulsed magnetron are both employed to generate the Ka-band microwave. The input-output characteristics, the degradation and destroy threshold of the chips are obtained through a series of experimental tests. At last, the results are given by figures and analyzed theoretically.

Calibration of the KA Band Tracking of the Bepi-Colombo Spacecraft (more Experiment)

Science.gov (United States)

Barriot, J.; Serafini, J.; Sichoix, L.

2013-12-01

The radiosciences Bepi-Colombo MORE experiment will use X/X, X/Ka and Ka/Ka band radio links to make accurate measurements of the spacecraft range and range rate. Tropospheric zenith wet delays range from 1.5 cm to 10 cm, with high variability (less than 1000 s) and will impair these accurate measurements. Conditions vary from summer (worse) to winter (better), from day (worse) to night (better). These wet delays cannot be estimated from ground weather measurements and alternative calibration methods should be used in order to cope with the MORE requirements (no more than 3 mm at 1000 s). Due to the Mercury orbit, MORE measurements will be performed by daylight and more frequently in summer than in winter (from Northern hemisphere). Two systems have been considered to calibrate this wet delay: Water Vapor Radiometers (WVRs) and GPS receivers. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has developed a new class of WVRs reaching a 5 percent accuracy for the wet delay calibration (0.75 mm to 5 mm), but these WVRs are expensive to build and operate. GPS receivers are also routinely used for the calibration of data from NASA Deep Space probes, but several studies have shown that GPS receivers can give good calibration (through wet delay mapping functions) for long time variations, but are not accurate enough for short time variations (100 to 1000 s), and that WVRs must be used to efficiently calibrate the wet troposphere delays over such time spans. We think that such a calibration could be done by assimilating data from all the GNSS constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou and IRNSS) that will be available at the time of the Bepi-Colombo arrival at Mercury (2021), provided that the underlying physics of the turbulent atmosphere and evapotranspiration processes are properly taken into account at such time scales. This implies to do a tomographic image of the troposphere overlying each Deep Space tracking station at time scales of less than 1000 s. For this purpose, we have

Thermal Deformation and RF Performance Analyses for the SWOT Large Deployable Ka-Band Reflectarray

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, H.; Sunada, E.; Chaubell, J.; Esteban-Fernandez, D.; Thomson, M.; Nicaise, F.

2010-01-01

A large deployable antenna technology for the NASA Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) Mission is currently being developed by JPL in response to NRC Earth Science Tier 2 Decadal Survey recommendations. This technology is required to enable the SWOT mission due to the fact that no currently available antenna is capable of meeting SWOT's demanding Ka-Band remote sensing requirements. One of the key aspects of this antenna development is to minimize the effect of the on-orbit thermal distortion to the antenna RF performance. An analysis process which includes: 1) the on-orbit thermal analysis to obtain the temperature distribution; 2) structural deformation analysis to get the geometry of the antenna surface; and 3) the RF performance with the given deformed antenna surface has been developed to accommodate the development of this antenna technology. The detailed analysis process and some analysis results will be presented and discussed by this paper.

X/Ka Celestial Frame Improvements: Vision to Reality

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, C. S.; Bagri, D. S.; Britcliffe, M. J.; Clark, J. E.; Franco, M. M.; Garcia-Miro, C.; Goodhart, C. E.; Horiuchi, S.; Lowe, S. T.; Moll, V. E.;

Elevation Change Derived from SARAL/ALtiKa Altimetric Mission: Quality Assessment and Performance of the Ka-Band

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Quanming Yang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The waveform retracking algorithm is a key factor that affects the accuracy of elevation change from satellite altimetry over an ice sheet. The elevation change results from four waveform retracker algorithms (ICE1/ICE2/Sea Ice/OCEAN provided by the Satellite with ARgos and ALtiKa (SARAL/ALtiKa data were compared using repeated SARAL data between March 2013 and April 2016 to determine the optimal retracker in the crossovers of descending and ascending orbits over a Greenland ice sheet (GrIS. The ICE1 provided slightly better results than the three other algorithms with the lowest standard deviation (SD of 0.30 m year−1. Further comparison was also conducted between the Satellite with ARgos and ALtiKa (SARAL and Operation ICEBridge laser data, thereby indicating that ICE1 was the best retracker with an Root Mean Square Error (RMSE of 0.43 m year−1. The distribution of elevation change rate and uncertainties over Greenland from SARAL were presented using the selected ICE1 retracker with a volume loss of 40 ± 12 km3 year−1. This volume loss did not include the fast-changing coastal areas of the GrIS. A large thinning was observed in Jakobshavn Isbræ, and a trend that extended far inland was also found from 2013–2016. Furthermore, a melting ice sheet was observed in the large areas northwest over the GrIS.

Ka-Band ARM Zenith Radar Corrections Value-Added Product

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, Karen [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Toto, Tami [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Giangrande, Scott [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

2017-10-15

The KAZRCOR Value -added Product (VAP) performs several corrections to the ingested KAZR moments and also creates a significant detection mask for each radar mode. The VAP computes gaseous attenuation as a function of time and radial distance from the radar antenna, based on ambient meteorological observations, and corrects observed reflectivities for that effect. KAZRCOR also dealiases mean Doppler velocities to correct velocities whose magnitudes exceed the radar’s Nyquist velocity. Input KAZR data fields are passed through into the KAZRCOR output files, in their native time and range coordinates. Complementary corrected reflectivity and velocity fields are provided, along with a mask of significant detections and a number of data quality flags. This report covers the KAZRCOR VAP as applied to the original KAZR radars and the upgraded KAZR2 radars. Currently there are two separate code bases for the different radar versions, but once KAZR and KAZR2 data formats are harmonized, only a single code base will be required.

Band-notched spiral antenna

Science.gov (United States)

Jeon, Jae; Chang, John

2018-03-13

A band-notched spiral antenna having one or more spiral arms extending from a radially inner end to a radially outer end for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic radiation over a frequency range, and one or more resonance structures positioned adjacent one or more segments of the spiral arm associated with a notch frequency band or bands of the frequency range so as to resonate and suppress the transmission or reception of electromagnetic radiation over said notch frequency band or bands.

Ka-Band Slot-Microstrip-Covered and Waveguide-Cavity-Backed Monopulse Antenna Array

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li-Ming Si

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A slot-microstrip-covered and waveguide-cavity-backed monopulse antenna array is proposed for high-resolution tracking applications at Ka-band. The monopulse antenna array is designed with a microstrip with 2×32 slots, a waveguide cavity, and a waveguide monopulse comparator, to make the structure simple, reduce the feeding network loss, and increase the frequency bandwidth. The 2×32 slot-microstrip elements are formed by a metal clad dielectric substrate and slots etched in the metal using the standard printed circuit board (PCB process with dimensions of 230 mm  ×  10 mm. The proposed monopulse antenna array not only maintains the advantages of the traditional waveguide slot antenna array, but also has the characteristics of wide bandwidth, high consistence, easy of fabrication, and low cost. From the measured results, it exhibits good monopulse characteristics, including the following: the maximum gains of sum pattern are greater than 24 dB, the 3 dB beamwidth of sum pattern is about 2.2 degrees, the sidelobe levels of the sum pattern are less than −18 dB, and the null depths of the difference pattern are less than −25 dB within the operating bandwidth between 33.65 GHz and 34.35 GHz for VSWR ≤ 2.

Reverberation Mapping of the Kepler target KA1858+48

Science.gov (United States)

Pei, Liuyi; Barth, A. J.; Malkan, M. A.; Cenko, S. B.; Clubb, K. I.; Filippenko, A. V.; Gates, E. L.; Horst, J.; Joner, M. D.; Leonard, D. C.; Sand, D. J.

2013-01-01

KA1858+48 is a Seyfert 1 galaxy at redshift 0.078 and is among the brightest active galaxies being monitored by the Kepler mission. We have carried out a reverberation mapping program designed to measure the broad-line region size and estimate the mass of the black hole in KA1858+48. We obtained spectroscopic data using the Kast Spectrograph at the Lick 3 m telescope during dark runs from late winter through fall of 2012, by requesting an observation on each night that the Kast Spectrograph was mounted on the telescope. We also obtained V-band images from the Nickel 1 m telescope at Lick Observatory, the 0.9 m telescope at Brigham Young University West Mountain Observatory, the Faulkes Telescope North at the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope, the KAIT telescope at Lick Observatory, and the 1 m telescope at Mt. Laguna Observatory. The H-beta light curve shows a lag time of approximately 12 days with respect to the V-band continuum flux variations. We will present the continuum and emission-line light curves, cross-correlation lag measurements, and a preliminary estimate of the black hole mass in KA1858+48.

On the Performance of Adaptive Data Rate over Deep Space Ka-Bank Link: Case Study Using Kepler Data

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Jay L.

2016-01-01

Future missions envisioned for both human and robotic exploration demand increasing communication capacity through the use of Ka-band communications. The Ka-band channel, being more sensitive to weather impairments, presents a unique trade-offs between data storage, latency, data volume and reliability. While there are many possible techniques for optimizing Ka-band operations such as adaptive modulation and coding and site-diversity, this study focus exclusively on the use of adaptive data rate (ADR) to achieve significant improvement in the data volume-availability tradeoff over a wide range of link distances for near Earth and Mars exploration. Four years of Kepler Ka-band downlink symbol signal-to-noise (SNR) data reported by the Deep Space Network were utilized to characterize the Ka-band channel statistics at each site and conduct various what-if performance analysis for different link distances. We model a notional closed-loop adaptive data rate system in which an algorithm predicts the channel condition two-way light time (TWLT) into the future using symbol SNR reported in near-real time by the ground receiver and determines the best data rate to use. Fixed and adaptive margins were used to mitigate errors in channel prediction. The performance of this closed-loop adaptive data rate approach is quantified in terms of data volume and availability and compared to the actual mission configuration and a hypothetical, optimized single rate configuration assuming full a priori channel knowledge.

ARM Cloud Radar Simulator Package for Global Climate Models Value-Added Product

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yuying [North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States); Xie, Shaocheng [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2017-05-01

It has been challenging to directly compare U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility ground-based cloud radar measurements with climate model output because of limitations or features of the observing processes and the spatial gap between model and the single-point measurements. To facilitate the use of ARM radar data in numerical models, an ARM cloud radar simulator was developed to converts model data into pseudo-ARM cloud radar observations that mimic the instrument view of a narrow atmospheric column (as compared to a large global climate model [GCM] grid-cell), thus allowing meaningful comparison between model output and ARM cloud observations. The ARM cloud radar simulator value-added product (VAP) was developed based on the CloudSat simulator contained in the community satellite simulator package, the Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project (CFMIP) Observation Simulator Package (COSP) (Bodas-Salcedo et al., 2011), which has been widely used in climate model evaluation with satellite data (Klein et al., 2013, Zhang et al., 2010). The essential part of the CloudSat simulator is the QuickBeam radar simulator that is used to produce CloudSat-like radar reflectivity, but is capable of simulating reflectivity for other radars (Marchand et al., 2009; Haynes et al., 2007). Adapting QuickBeam to the ARM cloud radar simulator within COSP required two primary changes: one was to set the frequency to 35 GHz for the ARM Ka-band cloud radar, as opposed to 94 GHz used for the CloudSat W-band radar, and the second was to invert the view from the ground to space so as to attenuate the beam correctly. In addition, the ARM cloud radar simulator uses a finer vertical resolution (100 m compared to 500 m for CloudSat) to resolve the more detailed structure of clouds captured by the ARM radars. The ARM simulator has been developed following the COSP workflow (Figure 1) and using the capabilities available in COSP

Ka-Band, MEMS Switched Line Phase Shifters Implemented in Finite Ground Coplanar Waveguide

Science.gov (United States)

Scardelletti, Maximilian C.; Ponchak, George E.; Varaljay, Nicholas C.

2005-01-01

Ka-band MEMS switched line phase shifters implemented in finite ground coplanar waveguide are described in this paper. The phase shifters are constructed of single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switches with additional reference and phase offset transmission line lengths. The one- and two-bit phase shifters are fabricated on high resistivity (HR) silicon with a dielectric constant, Epsilon(sub T) = 11.7 and a substrate thickness, t = 500microns. The switching architectures integrated within the phase shifters consist of MEMS switches that are doubly anchored cantilever beam capacitive switches with additional high inductive sections (MEMS LC device). The SPDT switch is composed of a T-junction with a MEMS LC device at each output port. The one-bit phase shifter described in this paper has an insertion loss (IL) and return loss (RL) of 0.9 dB and 30 dB while the two-bit described has an IL and RL of 1.8 dB and 30 dB respectively. The one-bit phase shifter's designed offset phase is 22.5deg and actual measured phase shift is 21.8deg. The two-bit phase shifter's designed offset phase is 22.5deg, 45deg, and 67.5deg and the actual measured phase shifts are 21.4deg, 44.2deg, and 65.8deg, respectively.

ARM tõestab, et ka analüütikud eksivad / Fredy-Edwin

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Esse, Fredy-Edwin

2011-01-01

Apple'i iPadidele ja iPhone'idele kiipe tootva Suurbritannia firma ARM Holdings aktsia on kõige suurem tõusja Londoni FTSE 100 indeksi kuue kuu, 12 kuu, 18 kuu, kahe aasta ja kolme aasta lõikes, samas on analüütikud kõigist indeksi aktsiatest kõige negatiivsemalt meelestatud just ARM Holdingsi suhtes. Graafik

Snowfall retrieval at X, Ka and W bands: consistency of backscattering and microphysical properties using BAECC ground-based measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. T. Falconi

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Radar-based snowfall intensity retrieval is investigated at centimeter and millimeter wavelengths using co-located ground-based multi-frequency radar and video-disdrometer observations. Using data from four snowfall events, recorded during the Biogenic Aerosols Effects on Clouds and Climate (BAECC campaign in Finland, measurements of liquid-water-equivalent snowfall rate S are correlated to radar equivalent reflectivity factors Ze, measured by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM cloud radars operating at X, Ka and W frequency bands. From these combined observations, power-law Ze–S relationships are derived for all three frequencies considering the influence of riming. Using microwave radiometer observations of liquid water path, the measured precipitation is divided into lightly, moderately and heavily rimed snow. Interestingly lightly rimed snow events show a spectrally distinct signature of Ze–S with respect to moderately or heavily rimed snow cases. In order to understand the connection between snowflake microphysical and multi-frequency backscattering properties, numerical simulations are performed by using the particle size distribution provided by the in situ video disdrometer and retrieved ice particle masses. The latter are carried out by using both the T-matrix method (TMM applied to soft-spheroid particle models with different aspect ratios and exploiting a pre-computed discrete dipole approximation (DDA database for rimed aggregates. Based on the presented results, it is concluded that the soft-spheroid approximation can be adopted to explain the observed multi-frequency Ze–S relations if a proper spheroid aspect ratio is selected. The latter may depend on the degree of riming in snowfall. A further analysis of the backscattering simulations reveals that TMM cross sections are higher than the DDA ones for small ice particles, but lower for larger particles. The differences of computed cross sections for larger and

Snowfall retrieval at X, Ka and W bands: consistency of backscattering and microphysical properties using BAECC ground-based measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Tecla Falconi, Marta; von Lerber, Annakaisa; Ori, Davide; Silvio Marzano, Frank; Moisseev, Dmitri

2018-05-01

Radar-based snowfall intensity retrieval is investigated at centimeter and millimeter wavelengths using co-located ground-based multi-frequency radar and video-disdrometer observations. Using data from four snowfall events, recorded during the Biogenic Aerosols Effects on Clouds and Climate (BAECC) campaign in Finland, measurements of liquid-water-equivalent snowfall rate S are correlated to radar equivalent reflectivity factors Ze, measured by the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) cloud radars operating at X, Ka and W frequency bands. From these combined observations, power-law Ze-S relationships are derived for all three frequencies considering the influence of riming. Using microwave radiometer observations of liquid water path, the measured precipitation is divided into lightly, moderately and heavily rimed snow. Interestingly lightly rimed snow events show a spectrally distinct signature of Ze-S with respect to moderately or heavily rimed snow cases. In order to understand the connection between snowflake microphysical and multi-frequency backscattering properties, numerical simulations are performed by using the particle size distribution provided by the in situ video disdrometer and retrieved ice particle masses. The latter are carried out by using both the T-matrix method (TMM) applied to soft-spheroid particle models with different aspect ratios and exploiting a pre-computed discrete dipole approximation (DDA) database for rimed aggregates. Based on the presented results, it is concluded that the soft-spheroid approximation can be adopted to explain the observed multi-frequency Ze-S relations if a proper spheroid aspect ratio is selected. The latter may depend on the degree of riming in snowfall. A further analysis of the backscattering simulations reveals that TMM cross sections are higher than the DDA ones for small ice particles, but lower for larger particles. The differences of computed cross sections for larger and smaller particles are

Scanning Cloud Radar Observations at Azores: Preliminary 3D Cloud Products

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kollias, P.; Johnson, K.; Jo, I.; Tatarevic, A.; Giangrande, S.; Widener, K.; Bharadwaj, N.; Mead, J.

2010-03-15

The deployment of the Scanning W-Band ARM Cloud Radar (SWACR) during the AMF campaign at Azores signals the first deployment of an ARM Facility-owned scanning cloud radar and offers a prelude for the type of 3D cloud observations that ARM will have the capability to provide at all the ARM Climate Research Facility sites by the end of 2010. The primary objective of the deployment of Scanning ARM Cloud Radars (SACRs) at the ARM Facility sites is to map continuously (operationally) the 3D structure of clouds and shallow precipitation and to provide 3D microphysical and dynamical retrievals for cloud life cycle and cloud-scale process studies. This is a challenging task, never attempted before, and requires significant research and development efforts in order to understand the radar's capabilities and limitations. At the same time, we need to look beyond the radar meteorology aspects of the challenge and ensure that the hardware and software capabilities of the new systems are utilized for the development of 3D data products that address the scientific needs of the new Atmospheric System Research (ASR) program. The SWACR observations at Azores provide a first look at such observations and the challenges associated with their analysis and interpretation. The set of scan strategies applied during the SWACR deployment and their merit is discussed. The scan strategies were adjusted for the detection of marine stratocumulus and shallow cumulus that were frequently observed at the Azores deployment. Quality control procedures for the radar reflectivity and Doppler products are presented. Finally, preliminary 3D-Active Remote Sensing of Cloud Locations (3D-ARSCL) products on a regular grid will be presented, and the challenges associated with their development discussed. In addition to data from the Azores deployment, limited data from the follow-up deployment of the SWACR at the ARM SGP site will be presented. This effort provides a blueprint for the effort required

Towards simultaneous Talbot bands based optical coherence tomography and scanning laser ophthalmoscopy imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Marques, Manuel J; Bradu, Adrian; Podoleanu, Adrian Gh

2014-05-01

We report a Talbot bands-based optical coherence tomography (OCT) system capable of producing longitudinal B-scan OCT images and en-face scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) images of the human retina in-vivo. The OCT channel employs a broadband optical source and a spectrometer. A gap is created between the sample and reference beams while on their way towards the spectrometer's dispersive element to create Talbot bands. The spatial separation of the two beams facilitates collection by an SLO channel of optical power originating exclusively from the retina, deprived from any contribution from the reference beam. Three different modes of operation are presented, constrained by the minimum integration time of the camera used in the spectrometer and by the galvo-scanners' scanning rate: (i) a simultaneous acquisition mode over the two channels, useful for small size imaging, that conserves the pixel-to-pixel correspondence between them; (ii) a hybrid sequential mode, where the system switches itself between the two regimes and (iii) a sequential "on-demand" mode, where the system can be used in either OCT or SLO regimes for as long as required. The two sequential modes present varying degrees of trade-off between pixel-to-pixel correspondence and independent full control of parameters within each channel. Images of the optic nerve and fovea regions obtained in the simultaneous (i) and in the hybrid sequential mode (ii) are presented.

Band Alignment in MoS2/WS2 Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Heterostructures Probed by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Heather M; Rigosi, Albert F; Rim, Kwang Taeg; Flynn, George W; Heinz, Tony F

2016-08-10

Using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS), we examine the electronic structure of transition metal dichalcogenide heterostructures (TMDCHs) composed of monolayers of MoS2 and WS2. STS data are obtained for heterostructures of varying stacking configuration as well as the individual monolayers. Analysis of the tunneling spectra includes the influence of finite sample temperature, yield information about the quasi-particle bandgaps, and the band alignment of MoS2 and WS2. We report the band gaps of MoS2 (2.16 ± 0.04 eV) and WS2 (2.38 ± 0.06 eV) in the materials as measured on the heterostructure regions and the general type II band alignment for the heterostructure, which shows an interfacial band gap of 1.45 ± 0.06 eV.

Preliminary Findings from the One-Year Electric Field Study in the North Slope of Alaska (OYES-NSA), Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Field Campaign

Science.gov (United States)

Lavigne, T.; Liu, C.

2017-12-01

Previous studies focusing on the comparison of the measured electric field to the physical properties of global electrified clouds have been conducted almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. The One-Year Electric Field Study-North Slope of Alaska (OYES-NSA) aims to establish a long-running collection of this valuable electric field data in the Northern Hemisphere. Presented here is the six-month preliminary data and results of the OYES-NSA Atmospheric Radiation Mission (ARM) field campaign. The local electric field measured in Barrow, Alaska using two CS110 reciprocating shutter field meters, has been compared to simultaneous measurements from the ARM Ka-Band zenith radar, to better understand the influence and contribution of different types of clouds on the local electric field. The fair-weather electric field measured in Barrow has also been analyzed and compared to the climatology of electric field at Vostok Station, Antarctica. The combination of the electric field dataset in the Northern Hemisphere, alongside the local Ka cloud radar, global Precipitation Feature (PF) database, and quasi-global lightning activity (55oN-55oS), allows for advances in the physical understanding of the local electric field, as well as the Global Electric Circuit (GEC).

The ALI-ARMS Code for Modeling Atmospheric non-LTE Molecular Band Emissions: Current Status and Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Kutepov, A. A.; Feofilov, A. G.; Manuilova, R. O.; Yankovsky, V. A.; Rezac, L.; Pesnell, W. D.; Goldberg, R. A.

2008-01-01

The Accelerated Lambda Iteration (ALI) technique was developed in stellar astrophysics at the beginning of 1990s for solving the non-LTE radiative transfer problem in atomic lines and multiplets in stellar atmospheres. It was later successfully applied to modeling the non-LTE emissions and radiative cooling/heating in the vibrational-rotational bands of molecules in planetary atmospheres. Similar to the standard lambda iterations ALI operates with the matrices of minimal dimension. However, it provides higher convergence rate and stability due to removing from the iterating process the photons trapped in the optically thick line cores. In the current ALI-ARMS (ALI for Atmospheric Radiation and Molecular Spectra) code version additional acceleration of calculations is provided by utilizing the opacity distribution function (ODF) approach and "decoupling". The former allows replacing the band branches by single lines of special shape, whereas the latter treats non-linearity caused by strong near-resonant vibration-vibrational level coupling without additional linearizing the statistical equilibrium equations. Latest code application for the non-LTE diagnostics of the molecular band emissions of Earth's and Martian atmospheres as well as for the non-LTE IR cooling/heating calculations are discussed.

Enzymatic activities associated with arm regeneration and calcification in the starfish Asterias forbesi

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donachy, J.E.

1988-01-01

The enzymes studied include Ka + , K + -ATPase, Ca 2+ -ATPase, Mg 2+ -ATPase, alkaline phosphatase and carbonic anhydrase. Each enzyme was examined for change in specific activity during salinity acclimation and arm regeneration. The effect of enzyme inhibition on 45 Ca deposition onto the calcified ossicles was examined and the enzymes were localized at the electron microscopic level. A. forbesi lacks a ouabain sensitive, Mg 2+ -dependent Ka + , K + -ATPase but possesses Mg 2+ -ATPase. Mg 2+ -ATPase was not affected by salinity and did not change during arm regeneration. A high affinity Ca 2+ -ATPase is also lacking in this starfish, but a low affinity form is present. Ca 2+ -ATPase is not involved in salinity acclimation of calcification, but may be involved in the would healing phase of arm regeneration. Alkaline phosphatase activity is not affected by salinity. Inhibition of this enzyme results in a significant increase in 45 Ca deposition onto the ossicles. During the early phase of arm regeneration, alkaline phosphatase activity increased significantly but gradually returned to control levels by 60 days post-autotomy

21 CFR 890.3640 - Arm sling.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... arm sling is a device intended for medical purposes to immobilize the arm, by means of a fabric band... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Arm sling. 890.3640 Section 890.3640 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES...

Tomographic scanning apparatus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abele, M.

1983-01-01

A computerized tomographic scanning apparatus suitable for diagnosis and for improving target identification in stereotactic neurosurgery is described. It consists of a base, a source of penetrating energy, a detector which produces scanning signals and detector positioning means. A frame with top and bottom arms secures the detector and source to the top and bottom arms respectively. A drive mechanism rotates the frame about an axis along which the frame may also be moved. Finally, the detector may be moved relative to the bottom arm in a direction contrary to the rotation of the frame. (U.K.)

Comparing and Merging Observation Data from Ka-Band Cloud Radar, C-Band Frequency-Modulated Continuous Wave Radar and Ceilometer Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liping Liu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Field experiment in South China was undertaken to improve understanding of cloud and precipitation properties. Measurements of the vertical structures of non-precipitating and precipitating clouds were obtained using passive and active remote sensing equipment: a Ka-band cloud radar (CR system, a C-band frequency modulated continuous wave vertical pointing radar (CVPR, a microwave radiometer and a laser ceilometer (CEIL. CR plays a key role in high-level cloud observation, whereas CVPR is important for observing low- and mid-level clouds and heavy precipitation. CEIL helps us diminish the effects of “clear-sky” in the planetary boundary layer. The experiment took place in Longmen, Guangdong Province, China from May to September of 2016. This study focuses on evaluating the ability of the two radars to deliver consistent observation data and develops an algorithm to merge the CR, CVPR and CEIL data. Cloud echo base, thickness, frequency of observed cloud types and reflectivity vertical distributions are analyzed in the radar data. Comparisons between the collocated data sets show that reflectivity biases between the CR three operating modes are less than 2 dB. The averaged difference between CR and CVPR reflectivity can be reduced with attenuation correction to 3.57 dB from the original 4.82 dB. No systemic biases were observed between velocity data collected in the three CR modes and CVPR. The corrected CR reflectivity and velocity data were then merged with the CVPR data and CEIL data to fill in the gaps during the heavy precipitation periods and reduce the effects of Bragg scattering and fog on cloud observations in the boundary layer. Meanwhile, the merging of velocity data with different Nyquist velocities and resolutions diminishes velocity folding to provide fine-grain information about cloud and precipitation dynamics. The three daily periods in which low-level clouds tended to occur were at sunrise, noon and sunset and large

Real-Time Imaging with Frequency Scanning Array Antenna for Industrial Inspection Applications at W band

Science.gov (United States)

Larumbe, Belen; Laviada, Jaime; Ibáñez-Loinaz, Asier; Teniente, Jorge

2018-01-01

A real-time imaging system based on a frequency scanning antenna for conveyor belt setups is presented in this paper. The frequency scanning antenna together with an inexpensive parabolic reflector operates at the W band enabling the detection of details with dimensions in the order of 2 mm. In addition, a low level of sidelobes is achieved by optimizing unequal dividers to window the power distribution for sidelobe reduction. Furthermore, the quality of the images is enhanced by the radiation pattern properties. The performance of the system is validated by showing simulation as well as experimental results obtained in real time, proving the feasibility of these kinds of frequency scanning antennas for cost-effective imaging applications.

Compaction bands in shale revealed through digital volume correlation of time-resolved X-ray tomography scans

Science.gov (United States)

McBeck, J.; Kobchenko, M.; Hall, S.; Tudisco, E.; Cordonnier, B.; Renard, F.

2017-12-01

Previous studies have identified compaction bands primarily within sandstones, and in fewer instances, within other porous rocks and sediments. Using Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) of X-ray microtomography scans, we find evidence of localized zones of high axial contraction that form tabular structures sub-perpendicular to maximum compression, σ1, in Green River shale. To capture in situ strain localization throughout loading, two shale cores were deformed in the HADES triaxial deformation apparatus installed on the X-ray microtomography beamline ID19 at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. In these experiments, we increase σ1 in increments of two MPa, with constant confining pressure (20 MPa), until the sample fails in macroscopic shear. After each stress step, a 3D image of the sample inside the rig is acquired at a voxel resolution of 6.5 μm. The evolution of lower density regions within 3D reconstructions of linear attenuation coefficients reveal the development of fractures that fail with some opening. If a fracture produces negligible dilation, it may remain undetected in image segmentation of the reconstructions. We use the DVC software TomoWarp2 to identify undetected fractures and capture the 3D incremental displacement field between each successive pair of microtomography scans acquired in each experiment. The corresponding strain fields reveal localized bands of high axial contraction that host minimal shear strain, and thus match the kinematic definition of compaction bands. The bands develop sub-perpendicular to σ1 in the two samples in which pre-existing bedding laminations were oriented parallel and perpendicular to σ1. As the shales deform plastically toward macroscopic shear failure, the number of bands and axial contraction within the bands increase, while the spacing between the bands decreases. Compaction band development accelerates the rate of overall axial contraction, increasing the mean axial contraction throughout the sample

Attenuation Effects of Plasma on Ka-Band Wave Propagation in Various Gas and Pressure Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joo Hwan Lee

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This work demonstrates attenuation effects of plasma on waves propagating in the 26.5–40 GHz range. The effect is investigated via experiments measuring the transmission between two Ka-band horn antennas set 30 cm apart. A dielectric-barrier-discharge (DBD plasma generator with a size of 200 mm × 100 mm × 70 mm and consisting of 20 layers of electrodes is placed between the two antennas. The DBD generator is placed in a 400 mm × 300 mm × 400 mm acrylic chamber so that the experiments can be performed for plasma generated under various conditions of gas and pressure, for instance, in air, Ar, and He environments at 0.001, 0.05, and 1 atm of pressure. Attenuation is calculated by the difference in the transmission level, with and without plasma, which is generated with a bias voltage of 20 kV in the 0.1–1.4 kHz range. Results show that the attenuation varies from 0.05 dB/m to 9.0 dB/m depending on the environment. Noble gas environments show higher levels of attenuation than air, and He is lossier than Ar. In all gas environments, attenuation increases as pressure increases. Finally, electromagnetic models of plasmas generated in various conditions are provided.

NASA's Evolution to K(sub a)- Band Space Communications for Near-Earth Spacecraft

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Kevin P.; Stocklin, Frank J.; Geldzahler, Barry J.; Friedman, Daniel E.; Celeste, Peter B.

2010-01-01

Over the next several years, NASA plans to launch multiple earth-science missions which will send data from low-Earth orbits to ground stations at 1-3 Gbps, to achieve data throughputs of 5-40 terabits per day. These transmission rates exceed the capabilities of S-band and X-band frequency allocations used for science probe downlinks in the past. Accordingly, NASA is exploring enhancements to its space communication capabilities to provide the Agency's first Ka-band architecture solution for next generation missions in the near-earth regime. This paper describes the proposed Ka-band solution's drivers and concept, constraints and analyses which shaped that concept, and expansibility for future needs

Low-Profile Multiband and Flush-Mountable Wideband Antennas for HF/VHF and K/Ka Band Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Garrido Lopez, David

emissions are planned. Following the same trend of antenna system size reduction with extension of capabilities in a congested spectral environment, the millimeter wave spectrum is explored next. Specifically, antenna systems for wideband amplitude only (AO) direction finding (DF) are thoroughly considered. Theory and design considerations are developed to fill gaps in open literature. Typical sources of errors are theoretically analyzed, and a discussion on limitations and advantages of different AO DF architectures is given. Practical millimeter wave realizations of AO DF antenna front-ends in the K/Ka/Q bands (18-45 GHz) are developed using two different architectures: a passive phased-array and a squinted antenna system. For the former, a tightly coupled two-element tapered slot antenna (TSA) array with a stacked arrangement is developed. A novel enclosure of the array inside an absorbing cavity is proposed and improved system performance with flush mounted configuration is demonstrated. The squinted antenna system avoids the use of a beamformer, therefore reducing insertion loss and amplitude/phase imbalances to reduce DF errors. For design robustness, the same TSA element used in the phased-array configuration is used. A novel tapered cavity is also developed to stabilize H-plane radiation patterns and suppress sidelobes. It is seen that the squinted antenna AO DF front-end has better performance than the phased-array antenna system at the expense of larger size.

Dual-band and high-efficiency polarization converter based on metasurfaces at microwave frequencies

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yajun; Xia, Song; Shi, Hongyu; Zhang, Anxue; Xu, Zhuo

2016-06-01

We present a dual-band and high-efficiency polarization converter in microwave regime. The proposed converter can convert a linearly polarized wave to its cross-polarized wave for two distinct bands: Ku (11.5-20.0 GHz) and Ka (28.8-34.0 GHz). It can also convert the linearly polarized wave to a circularly polarized wave at four other frequencies. The experimental results are in good agreement with simulation results for both frequency bands. The polarization conversion ratio is above 0.94 for the Ku-band and 0.90 for the Ka-band. Furthermore, the converter can achieve dual-band and high-efficiency polarization conversion over angles of incidence up to 45°. The converter is also polarization-selective in that only the x- and y-polarized waves can be converted. The physical mechanism of the dual-band polarization conversion effect is interpreted via decomposed electric field components that couple with different plasmon resonance modes of the structure.

Fiducial marker-based correction for involuntary motion in weight-bearing C-arm CT scanning of knees. II. Experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jang-Hwan; Maier, Andreas; Keil, Andreas; McWalter, Emily J.; Gold, Garry E.; Fahrig, Rebecca; Pal, Saikat; Beaupré, Gary S.

2014-01-01

Purpose: A C-arm CT system has been shown to be capable of scanning a single cadaver leg under loaded conditions by virtue of its highly flexible acquisition trajectories. In Part I of this study, using the 4D XCAT-based numerical simulation, the authors predicted that the involuntary motion in the lower body of subjects in weight-bearing positions would seriously degrade image quality and the authors suggested three motion compensation methods by which the reconstructions could be corrected to provide diagnostic image quality. Here, the authors demonstrate that a flat-panel angiography system is appropriate for scanning both legs of subjectsin vivo under weight-bearing conditions and further evaluate the three motion-correction algorithms using in vivo data. Methods: The geometry of a C-arm CT system for a horizontal scan trajectory was calibrated using the PDS-2 phantom. The authors acquired images of two healthy volunteers while lying supine on a table, standing, and squatting at several knee flexion angles. In order to identify the involuntary motion of the lower body, nine 1-mm-diameter tantalum fiducial markers were attached around the knee. The static mean marker position in 3D, a reference for motion compensation, was estimated by back-projecting detected markers in multiple projections using calibrated projection matrices and identifying the intersection points in 3D of the back-projected rays. Motion was corrected using three different methods (described in detail previously): (1) 2D projection shifting, (2) 2D deformable projection warping, and (3) 3D rigid body warping. For quantitative image quality analysis, SSIM indices for the three methods were compared using the supine data as a ground truth. Results: A 2D Euclidean distance-based metric of subjects’ motion ranged from 0.85 mm (±0.49 mm) to 3.82 mm (±2.91 mm) (corresponding to 2.76 to 12.41 pixels) resulting in severe motion artifacts in 3D reconstructions. Shifting in 2D, 2D warping, and 3D

Radial microstrip slotline feed network for circular mobile communications array

Science.gov (United States)

Simons, Rainee N.; Kelly, Eron S.; Lee, Richard Q.; Taub, Susan R.

1994-01-01

In mobile and satellite communications there is a need for low cost and low profile antennas which have a toroidal pattern. Antennas that have been developed for mobile communications include a L-Band electronically steered stripline phased array, a Ka-Band mechanically steered elliptical reflector antenna and a Ka-Band printed dipole. In addition, a L-Band mechanically steered microstrip array, a L-Band microstrip phased array tracking antenna for mounting on a car roof and an X-Band radial line slotted waveguide antenna have been demonstrated. In the above electronically scanned printed arrays, the individual element radiates normally to the plane of the array and hence require a phase shifter to scan the beam towards the horizon. Scanning in the azimuth is by mechanical or electronic steering. An alternate approach is to mount microstrip patch radiators on the surface of a cone to achieve the required elevation angle. The array then scans in the azimuth by beam switching.

Band-to-Band Misregistration of the Images of MODIS Onboard Calibrators and Its Impact on Calibration

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhipeng; Xiong, Xiaoxiong

2017-01-01

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments aboard Terra and Aqua satellites are radiometrically calibrated on-orbit with a set of onboard calibrators (OBCs), including a solar diffuser, a blackbody, and a space view port through which the detectors can view the dark space. As a whisk-broom scanning spectroradiometer, thirty-six MODIS spectral bands are assembled in the along-scan direction on four focal plane assemblies (FPAs). These bands capture images of the same target sequentially with the motion of a scan mirror. Then the images are coregistered onboard by delaying the appropriate band-dependent amount of time, depending on the band locations on the FPA. While this coregistration mechanismis functioning well for the far-field remote targets such as earth view scenes or the moon, noticeable band-to-band misregistration in the along-scan direction has been observed for near field targets, particularly in OBCs. In this paper, the misregistration phenomenon is presented and analyzed. It is concluded that the root cause of the misregistration is that the rotating element of the instrument, the scan mirror, is displaced from the focus of the telescope primary mirror. The amount of the misregistrationis proportional to the band location on the FPA and is inversely proportional to the distance between the target and the scan mirror. The impact of this misregistration on the calibration of MODIS bands is discussed. In particular, the calculation of the detector gain coefficient m1of bands 8-16 (412 nm 870 nm) is improved by up to 1.5% for Aqua MODIS.

A low-noise measurement system for scanning thermal microscopy resistive nanoprobes based on a transformer ratio-arm bridge

Science.gov (United States)

Świątkowski, Michał; Wojtuś, Arkadiusz; Wielgoszewski, Grzegorz; Rudek, Maciej; Piasecki, Tomasz; Jóźwiak, Grzegorz; Gotszalk, Teodor

2018-04-01

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a widely used technology for the investigation and characterization of nanomaterials. Its functionality can be easily expanded by applying dedicated extension modules, which can measure the electrical conductivity or temperature of a sample. In this paper, we introduce a transformer ratio-arm bridge setup dedicated to AFM-based thermal imaging. One of the key features of the thermal module is the use of a low-power driving signal that prevents undesirable tip heating during resistance measurement, while the other is the sensor location in a ratio-arm transformer bridge working in the audio frequency range and ensuring galvanic isolation of the tip, enabling contact-mode scanning of electronic circuits. The proposed expansion module is compact and it can be integrated onto the AFM head close to the cantilever. The calibration process and the resolution of 11 mK of the proposed setup are shown.

North Slope of Alaska Snow Intensive Operational Period Field Campaign Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verlinde, Johannes [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States); Bartholomew, Mary Jane [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Cherry, Jessica [Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK (United States); Ritsche, Michael [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2017-05-15

The campaign was motivated by the need to improve the quantification of measurements of ice-phase precipitation in the Arctic and was by the acquisition and deployment of the new X- and Ka/W-band radars. These radars opened up an opportunity for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility to obtain spatial estimates of snowfall rates using the polarimetric X-band measurements and dual-frequency measurements (using different combinations of the three wavelengths). However, calculations of X- and Ka-band radar back-scattering of ice crystal aggregates with their complex structure suggest that the commonly used T-matrix approach (Matrosov et al. 2007) for modeling the radar back-scattering underestimates the reflectivity by several decibels, with errors increasing with increasing radar frequency (Botta et al. 2010, 2011). Moreover, the X-band polarimetric measurements and the Ka/W-band measurements are sensitive to the assumed shape of the snow (Botta et al. 2011). One of the five ARM two-dimensional video disdrometers (manufactured by Joanneum Research) were deployed in Barrow at the ARM North Slope of Alaska (NSA) site from 1 October, 2011 to 31 May, 2012 in an attempt to use the instrument in a novel way. The instrument was originally designed to measure the drop size distribution of rain but it seemed worthwhile to explore its capability to quantify ice precipitation particle size and shape distributions in the cold north for scattering calculations and precipitation estimations. Furthermore, this deployment gave us an opportunity to see how reliable it could be in arctic conditions.

Band-to-Band Misregistration of the Images of MODIS On-Board Calibrators and Its Impact to Calibration

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhipeng; Xiong, Xiaoxiong

2017-01-01

The MODIS instruments aboard Terra and Aqua satellites are radiometrically calibrated on-orbit with a set of onboard calibrators (OBC) including a solar diffuser (SD), a blackbody (BB) and a space view (SV) port through which the detectors can view the dark space. As a whisk-broom scanning spectroradiometer, thirty-six MODIS spectral bands are assembled in the along-scan direction on four focal plane assemblies (FPA). These bands capture images of the same target sequentially with the motion of a scan mirror. Then the images are co-registered on board by delaying appropriate band dependent amount of time depending on the band locations on the FPA. While this co-registration mechanism is functioning well for the "far field" remote targets such as Earth view (EV) scenes or the Moon, noticeable band-to-band misregistration in the along-scan direction has been observed for near field targets, in particular the OBCs. In this paper, the misregistration phenomenon is presented and analyzed. It is concluded that the root cause of the misregistration is that the rotating element of the instrument, the scan mirror, is displaced from the focus of the telescope primary mirror. The amount of the misregistration is proportional to the band location on the FPA and is inversely proportional to the distance between the target and the scan mirror. The impact of this misregistration to the calibration of MODIS bands is discussed. In particular, the calculation of the detector gain coefficient m1 of bands 8-16 (412 nm 870 nm) is improved by up to 1.5% for Aqua MODIS.

Four-channel temperature and humidity microwave scanning radiometer

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Pei-Yuan

1994-06-01

A compact four-channel microwave scanning radiometer for tropospheric remote sensing is being developed. A pair of 53.85 and 56.02 GHz and a pair of 23.87 and 31.65 GHz are adopted as temperature and humidity channels' frequencies respectively. For each pair of frequencies it has an offset reflector antenna and a Dicke-switching receiver. The pair of receivers is assembled in an enclosure, which is mounted on the rotating table of an azimuth mounting and the pair of antennas is connected with the rotating table of an azimuth mounting in the opposite side by a pair of elevation arms. Each antenna is composed of a 90 degree off-set paraboloid and a conical corrugated horn. Each antenna patterrn of four channels has nearly same HPBW, low side lobes, and low VSWR. The dual band humidity receiver is a time sharing type with 0.2K sensitivity at 1-sec integration time. The dual band temperature receiver is a band sharing type with 0.2K sensitivity at 10-sec integration time. The radiometer and observation are controlled by a single chip microcomputer to realize the unattended operation.

HPLC ve Kağıt Kromatografisi Tekniklerinin Kombinasyonu ile Flavonoidlerin Saflaştırılması

OpenAIRE

Velioğlu, Sedat; Cemeroğlu, Bekir

1992-01-01

Bu araştırmada, kağıt kromatografisi ve yüksek basınç likit kromatografisi (HPLC) yöntemlerinin birlikte uygulanması ile flavonoidlerin saf olarak elde edilme olanakları incelenmiştir. Whatman 3MM kromatografi kağıdı ve BAW solvent sistemi kullanılarak inen tipte kağıt kromatografisi tekniğiyle 7 band elde edilmiş ve bu bantlar üzerindeki flavonoidler MAW solvent sistemiyle elue edildikten sonra HPLC kolonuna enjekte edilmiştir. Araştırma bulguları, bu yolla 15 adet pikin saf olarak elde edil...

An Autonomous Ultra-Wide Band-Based Attitude and Position Determination Technique for Indoor Mobile Laser Scanning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lawrence Lau

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Mobile laser scanning (MLS has been widely used in three-dimensional (3D city modelling data collection, such as Google cars for Google Map/Earth. Building Information Modelling (BIM has recently emerged and become prominent. 3D models of buildings are essential for BIM. Static laser scanning is usually used to generate 3D models for BIM, but this method is inefficient if a building is very large, or it has many turns and narrow corridors. This paper proposes using MLS for BIM 3D data collection. The positions and attitudes of the mobile laser scanner are important for the correct georeferencing of the 3D models. This paper proposes using three high-precision ultra-wide band (UWB tags to determine the positions and attitudes of the mobile laser scanner. The accuracy of UWB-based MLS 3D models is assessed by comparing the coordinates of target points, as measured by static laser scanning and a total station survey.

Development of an ultra wide band microwave radar based footwear scanning system

Science.gov (United States)

Rezgui, Nacer Ddine; Bowring, Nicholas J.; Andrews, David A.; Harmer, Stuart W.; Southgate, Matthew J.; O'Reilly, Dean

2013-10-01

At airports, security screening can cause long delays. In order to speed up screening a solution to avoid passengers removing their shoes to have them X-ray scanned is required. To detect threats or contraband items hidden within the shoe, a method of screening using frequency swept signals between 15 to 40 GHz has been developed, where the scan is carried out whilst the shoes are being worn. Most footwear is transparent to microwaves to some extent in this band. The scans, data processing and interpretation of the 2D image of the cross section of the shoe are completed in a few seconds. Using safe low power UWB radar, scattered signals from the shoe can be observed which are caused by changes in material properties such as cavities, dielectric or metal objects concealed within the shoe. By moving the transmission horn along the length of the shoe a 2D image corresponding to a cross section through the footwear is built up, which can be interpreted by the user, or automatically, to reveal the presence of concealed threat within the shoe. A prototype system with a resolution of 6 mm or less has been developed and results obtained for a wide range of commonly worn footwear, some modified by the inclusion of concealed material. Clear differences between the measured images of modified and unmodified shoes are seen. Procedures for enhancing the image through electronic image synthesis techniques and image processing methods are discussed and preliminary performance data presented.

Fan tomography of the tropospheric water vapor for the calibration of the Ka band tracking of the Bepi-Colombo spacecraft (MORE experiment).

Science.gov (United States)

Barriot, Jean-Pierre; Serafini, Jonathan; Sichoix, Lydie

2012-07-01

The radiosciences Bepi-Colombo MORE experiment will use X/X, X/Ka and Ka/Ka band radio links to make accurate measurements of the spacecraft range and range rate. Tropospheric zenith wet delays range from 1.5 cm to 10 cm, with high variability (less than 1000 s) and will impair these accurate measurements. Conditions vary from summer (worse) to winter (better), from day (worse) to night (better). These wet delays cannot be estimated from ground weather measurements and alternative calibration methods should be used in order to cope with the MORE requirements (no more than 3 mm at 1000 s). Due to the Mercury orbit, MORE measurements will be performed by daylight and more frequently in summer than in winter (from Northern hemisphere). Two systems have been considered to calibrate this wet delay: Water Vapour Radiometers (WVRs) and GPS receivers. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has developed a new class of WVRs reaching a 5 percent accuracy for the wet delay calibration (0.75 mm to 5 mm), but these WVRs are expensive to build and operate. GPS receivers are also routinely used for the calibration of data from NASA Deep Space probes, but several studies have shown that GPS receivers can give good calibration (through wet delay mapping functions) for long time variations, but are not accurate enough for short time variations (100 to 1000 s), and that WVRs must be used to efficiently calibrate the wet troposphere delays over such time spans. We think that such a calibration could be done by assimilating data from all the GNSS constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou and IRNSS) that will be available at the time of the Bepi-Colombo arrival at Mercury (2021), provided that the underlying physics of the turbulent atmosphere and evapotranspiration processes are properly taken into account at such time scales. This implies to do a tomographic image of the troposphere overlying each Deep Space tracking station at time scales of less than 1000 s. For this purpose, we have

Bohorodyts'ka and Starosamars'ka hundred (sotnya: administrative system and officer (starshyna corps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Repan, O. A.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Bohorodyts'ka and Starosamars'ka hundred (sotnyais an unique Cossack formations. They existed in a territorial isolation from the Hetmanate and Slobozhanshchyna, on the lands of the Zaporozhian Sich. The study of these formations will better understand the policy of the Russian government in relation to the Sich, to find out the methods by which the state authorities planned to put Zaporizhzhya Cossacks under their control. We do not know when the Bohorodyts'ka hundred (sotnya arose. Now the first mention in the documents dates back to 1700. The Russian government planned to create a Cossack regiment (polk here, but in reality was founded a Cossack hundred (sotnya. Ivan Mazepa, as an autonomous ruler, wanted to include this formation in the structure of Hetmanate, but a hundred (sotnya was subject to the authority of a representative of the Russian administration – the Kiev governor. The hundreds (sotnya were liquidated as a result of Russia's defeat in the war with Turkey and the signing of the Prut peace in 1711. We do not know when the Cossack hundred (sotnya was restored under the name Starosamars'ka. This happened in the late 1730s – early 1740s. In 1744, the Starosamarsʼka hundreds became part of the Poltava regiment (polk of the Hetmanate. The administrative apparatus of the hundreds was predominantly similar to other hundreds of Hetmanates, but the real power of the Cossack officers was a bit lower here. During the existence of the Starosamars'ka hundreds, such a body of self-government was preserved as a council (rada that was not typical for the Hetmanate in this period. This was due to the fact that the peoples could easily escape from their power and move to neighboring settlements and recognize the jurisdiction of the Zaporozhska Sich. The population of hundreds and officers consisted mainly of immigrants from the left bank of the Dnieper, to a lesser extent – from immigrants from the right bank. Summing up, I note that the

Analysis of the Biceps Brachii Muscle by Varying the Arm Movement Level and Load Resistance Band

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nuradebah Burhan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Biceps brachii muscle illness is one of the common physical disabilities that requires rehabilitation exercises in order to build up the strength of the muscle after surgery. It is also important to monitor the condition of the muscle during the rehabilitation exercise through electromyography (EMG signals. The purpose of this study was to analyse and investigate the selection of the best mother wavelet (MWT function and depth of the decomposition level in the wavelet denoising EMG signals through the discrete wavelet transform (DWT method at each decomposition level. In this experimental work, six healthy subjects comprised of males and females (26 ± 3.0 years and BMI of 22 ± 2.0 were selected as a reference for persons with the illness. The experiment was conducted for three sets of resistance band loads, namely, 5 kg, 9 kg, and 16 kg, as a force during the biceps brachii muscle contraction. Each subject was required to perform three levels of the arm angle positions (30°, 90°, and 150° for each set of resistance band load. The experimental results showed that the Daubechies5 (db5 was the most appropriate DWT method together with a 6-level decomposition with a soft heursure threshold for the biceps brachii EMG signal analysis.

Analysis of the Biceps Brachii Muscle by Varying the Arm Movement Level and Load Resistance Band

Science.gov (United States)

Abdullah, Shahrum Shah; Jali, Mohd Hafiz

2017-01-01

Biceps brachii muscle illness is one of the common physical disabilities that requires rehabilitation exercises in order to build up the strength of the muscle after surgery. It is also important to monitor the condition of the muscle during the rehabilitation exercise through electromyography (EMG) signals. The purpose of this study was to analyse and investigate the selection of the best mother wavelet (MWT) function and depth of the decomposition level in the wavelet denoising EMG signals through the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) method at each decomposition level. In this experimental work, six healthy subjects comprised of males and females (26 ± 3.0 years and BMI of 22 ± 2.0) were selected as a reference for persons with the illness. The experiment was conducted for three sets of resistance band loads, namely, 5 kg, 9 kg, and 16 kg, as a force during the biceps brachii muscle contraction. Each subject was required to perform three levels of the arm angle positions (30°, 90°, and 150°) for each set of resistance band load. The experimental results showed that the Daubechies5 (db5) was the most appropriate DWT method together with a 6-level decomposition with a soft heursure threshold for the biceps brachii EMG signal analysis. PMID:29138687

Influence of heart rhythm, breathing and arm position during computed tomography scanning on the registration accuracy of electro anatomical map (EAM) images, left atrium three-dimensional computed tomography angiography images, and fluoroscopy time during ablation to treat atrial fibrillation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chono, Taiki; Shimoshige, Shinya; Yoshikawa, Kenta; Mizonobe, Kazuhusa; Ogura, Keishi

2013-01-01

In CARTOMERGE for treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) by ablation, by integrating electro anatomical map (EAM) and left atrium three-dimensional computed tomography angiography (3D-CTA) images, identification of the ablation points is simplified and the procedure can be made carried out more rapidly. However, the influence that heart rhythm, breathing and arm position during CT scanning have on registration accuracy and fluoroscopy time is not clear. To clarify the influence on registration accuracy and fluoroscopy time of heart rhythm, breathing and arm position during CT scanning. The patients were CT-scanned during both sinus rhythm (SR) and AF in each study subject. We evaluated the registration accuracy of images reconstructed between the cardiac cycle and assessed the registration accuracy and fluoroscopy time of images obtained during inspiratory breath-hold, expiratory breath-hold and up and down position of the arm. Although the registration accuracy of the EAM image and left atrium 3D-CTA image showed a significant difference during SR, no significant difference was seen during AF. Expiratory breath-hold and down position of the arm resulted in the highest registration accuracy and the shortest fluoroscopy time. However, arm position had no significant effect on registration accuracy. Heart rhythm and breathing during CT scanning have a significant effect on the registration accuracy of EAM images, left atrium 3D-CTA images, and fluoroscopy time. (author)

25–34 GHz Single-Pole, Double-Throw CMOS Switches for a Ka-Band Phased-Array Transceiver

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sangyong Park

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents two single-pole, double-throw (SPDT mm-wave switches for Ka-band phased-array transceivers, fabricated with a 65-nm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS process. One switch employs cross-biasing (CB control with a single supply, while the other uses dual-supply biasing (DSB control with positive and negative voltages. Negative voltages were generated internally, using a ring oscillator and a charge pump. Identical gate and body floated N-type metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (N-MOSFETs in a triple well were used as the switch core transistors. Inductors were used to improve the isolation between the transmitter (TX and receiver (RX, as well as insertion loss, by canceling the parasitic capacitance of the switch core transistors at resonance. The size of the proposed radio frequency (RF switch is 260 μm × 230 μm, excluding all pads. The minimum insertion losses of the CB and DSB switches were 2.1 dB at 28 GHz and 1.93 dB at 24 GHz, respectively. Between 25 GHz and 34 GHz, the insertion losses were less than 2.3 dB and 2.5 dB, the return losses were less than 16.7 dB and 17.3 dB, and the isolation was over 18.4 dB and 15.3 dB, respectively. The third order input intercept points (IIP3 of the CB and DSB switches were 38.4 dBm and 39 dBm at 28 GHz, respectively.

Intraoperative radiation exposure in spinal scoliosis surgery for pediatric patients using the O-arm® imaging system.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Kazuyoshi; Ando, Kei; Ito, Kenyu; Tsushima, Mikito; Morozumi, Masayoshi; Tanaka, Satoshi; Machino, Masaaki; Ota, Kyotaro; Ishiguro, Naoki; Imagama, Shiro

2018-05-01

The O-arm ® navigation system allows intraoperative CT imaging that can facilitate highly accurate instrumentation surgery, but radiation exposure is higher than with X-ray radiography. This is a particular concern in pediatric surgery. The purpose of this study is to examine intraoperative radiation exposure in pediatric spinal scoliosis surgery using O-arm. The subjects were 38 consecutive patients (mean age 12.9 years, range 10-17) with scoliosis who underwent spinal surgery with posterior instrumentation using O-arm. The mean number of fused vertebral levels was 11.0 (6-15). O-arm was performed before and after screw insertion, using an original protocol for the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine doses. The average scanning range was 6.9 (5-9) intervertebral levels per scan, with 2-7 scans per patient (mean 4.0 scans). Using O-arm, the dose per scan was 92.5 (44-130) mGy, and the mean total dose was 401 (170-826) mGy. This dose was 80.2% of the mean preoperative CT dose of 460 (231-736) mGy (P = 0.11). The total exposure dose and number of scans using intraoperative O-arm correlated strongly and significantly with the number of fused levels; however, there was no correlation with the patient's height. As the fused range became wider, several scans were required for O-arm, and the total radiation exposure became roughly the same as that in preoperative CT. Use of O-arm in our original protocol can contribute to reduction in radiation exposure.

Ku/Ka/W-band Antenna for Electronically-Scanned Cloud and Precipitation Radar

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Previously, cloud radars such as CloudSat have been separated from precipitation radars such as TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission) and GPM (Global...

Potential forcings of summer temperature variability of the southeastern Tibetan Plateau in the past 12 ka

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Enlou; Chang, Jie; Sun, Weiwei; Cao, Yanmin; Langdon, Peter; Cheng, Jun

2018-06-01

Investigating potential forcing mechanisms of terrestrial summer temperature changes from the Asian summer monsoon influenced area is of importance to better understand the climate variability in these densely populated regions. The results of spectral and wavelet analyses of the published chironomid reconstructed mean July temperature data from Tiancai Lake on the SE Tibetan Plateau are presented. The evidence of solar forcing of the summer temperature variability from the site on centennial timescales where key solar periodicities (at 855 ± 40, 465 ± 40, 315 ± 40 and 165 ± 40 year) are revealed. By using a band-pass filter, coherent fluctuations were found in the strength of Asian summer monsoon, Northern Hemisphere high latitude climate and high elevation mid-latitude (26°N) terrestrial temperatures with solar sunspot cycles since about 7.6 ka. The two abrupt cooling events detected from the Tiancai Lake record, centered at ∼9.7 and 3.5 ka were examined respectively. Coupled with the paleoclimate modeling results, the early Holocene event (9.7 ka) is possibly linked to an ocean-atmospheric feedback mechanism whereas the latter event (3.5 ka) may be more directly related to external forcing.

Muscular injury in a child diagnosed by 99mTc-MDP bone scan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tondeur, M.; Piepsz, A.; Ham, H.R.; Haentjens, M.

1989-01-01

An 11-year-old boy had bone scanning to rule out an osseous lesion of the right arm. He presented progressive pain and hard swelling of the right arm. His past medical history and general physical examination were unremarkable. He trained for karate. The scan demonstrated considerable muscular uptake in both arms. CKP and CKP MB levels were both abnormally high, suggesting muscle injury. After a 10-day rest period the bone scan returned to normal. (orig.)

A Ka-band low-noise amplifier with a coplanar waveguide (CPW) structure with 0.15-μm GaAs pHEMT technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Chia-Song; Chang Chien-Huang; Liu Hsing-Chung; Lin Tah-Yeong; Wu Hsien-Ming

2010-01-01

This investigation explores a low-noise amplifier (LNA) with a coplanar waveguide (CPW) structure, in which a two-stage amplifier is associated with a cascade schematic circuit, implemented in 0.15-μm GaAs pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (pHEMT) technology in a Ka-band (26.5-40.0 GHz) microwave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC). The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed LNA has a peak gain of 12.53 dB at 30 GHz and a minimum noise figure of 3.3 dB at 29.5 GHz, when biased at a V ds of 2 V and a V gs of -0.6 V with a drain current of 16 mA in the circuit. The results show that the millimeter-wave LNA with coplanar waveguide structure has a higher gain and wider bandwidth than a conventional circuit. Finally, the overall LNA characterization exhibits high gain and low noise, indicating that the LNA has a compact circuit and favorable RF characteristics. The strong RF character exhibited by the LNA circuit can be used in millimeter-wave circuit applications. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

Muscular injury in a child diagnosed by /sup 99m/Tc-MDP bone scan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tondeur, M.; Piepsz, A.; Ham, H.R.; Haentjens, M.

1989-06-01

An 11-year-old boy had bone scanning to rule out an osseous lesion of the right arm. He presented progressive pain and hard swelling of the right arm. His past medical history and general physical examination were unremarkable. He trained for karate. The scan demonstrated considerable muscular uptake in both arms. CKP and CKP MB levels were both abnormally high, suggesting muscle injury. After a 10-day rest period the bone scan returned to normal.

Localization Performance of Multiple Vibrotactile Cues on Both Arms.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dangxiao; Peng, Cong; Afzal, Naqash; Li, Weiang; Wu, Dong; Zhang, Yuru

2018-01-01

To present information using vibrotactile stimuli in wearable devices, it is fundamental to understand human performance of localizing vibrotactile cues across the skin surface. In this paper, we studied human ability to identify locations of multiple vibrotactile cues activated simultaneously on both arms. Two haptic bands were mounted in proximity to the elbow and shoulder joints on each arm, and two vibrotactile motors were mounted on each band to provide vibration cues to the dorsal and palmar side of the arm. The localization performance under four conditions were compared, with the number of the simultaneously activated cues varying from one to four in each condition. Experimental results illustrate that the rate of correct localization decreases linearly with the increase in the number of activated cues. It was 27.8 percent for three activated cues, and became even lower for four activated cues. An analysis of the correct rate and error patterns show that the layout of vibrotactile cues can have significant effects on the localization performance of multiple vibrotactile cues. These findings might provide guidelines for using vibrotactile cues to guide the simultaneous motion of multiple joints on both arms.

Wide-scan dielectric dome antenna with reduced profile

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gandini, E.; Silvestri, F.; Benini, A.; Gerini, G.; Martini, E.; Maci, S.; Viganò, M.C.; Toso, G.; Monni, S.

2017-01-01

In this contribution, a dielectric dome antenna design in Ka-band is presented. The dome antenna is based on the combination of a phased array and a dielectric lens. The goal of the combination of these structures is to enlarge the field of view of the antenna. In particular, the array is considered

Large Aperture, Scanning, L-Band SAR

Science.gov (United States)

Moussessian, Alina; DelCastillo, Linda; Bach, Vinh; Grando, Maurio; Quijano, Ubaldo; Smith, Phil; Zawadzki, Mark

2011-01-01

We have developed the first L-band membrane-based active phased array. The antenna is a 16x16 element patch array with dimensions of 2.3mx2.6m. The array uses membrane-compatible Transmit/Receive (T/R) modules for electronic beam steering. We will discuss the antenna design, the fabrication of this large array, the T/R module development, the signal distribution approach and the measured results of the array

Ionization constants pKa of cardiolipin.

Science.gov (United States)

Olofsson, Gerd; Sparr, Emma

2013-01-01

Cardiolipin is a phospholipid found in the inner mitochondrial membrane and in bacteria, and it is associated with many physiological functions. Cardiolipin has a dimeric structure consisting of two phosphatidyl residues connected by a glycerol bridge and four acyl chains, and therefore it can carry two negative charges. The pKa values of the phosphate groups have previously been reported to differ widely with pKa1 = 2.8 and pKa2 = 7.5-9.5. Still, there are several examples of experimental observations from cardiolipin-containing systems that do not fit with this dissociation behavior. Therefore, we have carried out pH-titration and titration calorimetric experiments on two synthetic cardiolipins, 1,1',2,2'-tetradecanoyl cardiolipin, CL (C14:0), and 1,1',2,2'-tetraoctadecenoyl cardiolipin, CL (C18:1). Our results show that both behave as strong dibasic acids with pKa1 about the same as the first pKa of phosphoric acid, 2.15, and pKa2 about one unit larger. The characterization of the acidic properties of cardiolipin is crucial for the understanding of the molecular organization in self-assembled systems that contain cardiolipin, and for their biological function.

The Determination of "Apparent" pKa's. Part II: An Experiment Using Very Weak Acids (pKa's > 11.4).

Science.gov (United States)

Cawley, John J.

1995-01-01

Presents an experiment designed to show students that the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation will fail when they use this particular one-half titration technique for acids with large pKa's. Involves determining the apparent pKa for such acids and using that to calculate the true pKa. (JRH)

Segond fracture: involvement of the iliotibial band, anterolateral ligament, and anterior arm of the biceps femoris in knee trauma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maeseneer, Michel de; Boulet, Cedric; Willekens, Inneke; Mey, Johan de; Shahabpour, Maryam [Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Department of Radiology, Brussels (Belgium); Lenchik, Leon [Wake Forest University, Department of Radiology, Winston Salem, NC (United States); Cattrysse, Erik [Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Experimental Anatomy, Brussels (Belgium)

2014-12-04

To evaluate the involvement of the iliotibial band (ITB), the anterolateral ligament (ALL), and the anterior arm of the biceps femoris in MRI-diagnosed Segond fracture and to evaluate other associated findings of Segond fracture. We retrospectively reviewed the MRI of 13 cases of Segond fracture. The studies included proton density-weighted, T2-weighted, and proton density-weighted with fat saturation images in the three planes. We studied 2 cadaveric specimens with emphasis on the ALL. One cadaveric specimen was dissected while the other was sectioned in the sagittal plane. The mean age of the patients was 36 years (range, 17-52). There were 7 men and 6 women. The mean size of the Segond bone fragment was 8 x 10 x 2 mm. The distance from the tibia varied from 2 to 6 mm. Associated findings included anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear (n = 13), medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear (n = 8), meniscocapsular tear of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus (n = 5), and posterolateral corner involvement (n = 4). Bone marrow edema involved the mid-lateral femoral condyle and the posterior tibial plateau on both the medial and the lateral side. Edema at the Segond area was seen, but was limited. Fibular head edema was also seen. The ITB (11 out of 13) and ALL (10 out of 13) inserted on the Segond bone fragment. The anterior arm of the biceps tendon did not insert on the Segond fracture. Associated findings of Segond fracture include ACL tear, MCL tear, medial meniscus tear, and posterolateral corner injury. Both the ITB and the ALL may be involved in the Segond avulsion. The anterior arm of the biceps femoris tendon is not involved. (orig.)

Segond fracture: involvement of the iliotibial band, anterolateral ligament, and anterior arm of the biceps femoris in knee trauma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maeseneer, Michel de; Boulet, Cedric; Willekens, Inneke; Mey, Johan de; Shahabpour, Maryam; Lenchik, Leon; Cattrysse, Erik

2015-01-01

To evaluate the involvement of the iliotibial band (ITB), the anterolateral ligament (ALL), and the anterior arm of the biceps femoris in MRI-diagnosed Segond fracture and to evaluate other associated findings of Segond fracture. We retrospectively reviewed the MRI of 13 cases of Segond fracture. The studies included proton density-weighted, T2-weighted, and proton density-weighted with fat saturation images in the three planes. We studied 2 cadaveric specimens with emphasis on the ALL. One cadaveric specimen was dissected while the other was sectioned in the sagittal plane. The mean age of the patients was 36 years (range, 17-52). There were 7 men and 6 women. The mean size of the Segond bone fragment was 8 x 10 x 2 mm. The distance from the tibia varied from 2 to 6 mm. Associated findings included anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear (n = 13), medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear (n = 8), meniscocapsular tear of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus (n = 5), and posterolateral corner involvement (n = 4). Bone marrow edema involved the mid-lateral femoral condyle and the posterior tibial plateau on both the medial and the lateral side. Edema at the Segond area was seen, but was limited. Fibular head edema was also seen. The ITB (11 out of 13) and ALL (10 out of 13) inserted on the Segond bone fragment. The anterior arm of the biceps tendon did not insert on the Segond fracture. Associated findings of Segond fracture include ACL tear, MCL tear, medial meniscus tear, and posterolateral corner injury. Both the ITB and the ALL may be involved in the Segond avulsion. The anterior arm of the biceps femoris tendon is not involved. (orig.)

Ionization constants pKa of cardiolipin.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerd Olofsson

Full Text Available Cardiolipin is a phospholipid found in the inner mitochondrial membrane and in bacteria, and it is associated with many physiological functions. Cardiolipin has a dimeric structure consisting of two phosphatidyl residues connected by a glycerol bridge and four acyl chains, and therefore it can carry two negative charges. The pKa values of the phosphate groups have previously been reported to differ widely with pKa1 = 2.8 and pKa2 = 7.5-9.5. Still, there are several examples of experimental observations from cardiolipin-containing systems that do not fit with this dissociation behavior. Therefore, we have carried out pH-titration and titration calorimetric experiments on two synthetic cardiolipins, 1,1',2,2'-tetradecanoyl cardiolipin, CL (C14:0, and 1,1',2,2'-tetraoctadecenoyl cardiolipin, CL (C18:1. Our results show that both behave as strong dibasic acids with pKa1 about the same as the first pKa of phosphoric acid, 2.15, and pKa2 about one unit larger. The characterization of the acidic properties of cardiolipin is crucial for the understanding of the molecular organization in self-assembled systems that contain cardiolipin, and for their biological function.

Review: Bilirubin pKa studies; new models and theories indicate high pKa values in water, dimethylformamide and DMSO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ostrow J

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Correct aqueous pKa values of unconjugated bilirubin (UCB, a poorly-soluble, unstable substance, are essential for understanding its functions. Our prior solvent partition studies, of unlabeled and [14C] UCB, indicated pKa values above 8.0. These high values were attributed to effects of internal H-bonding in UCB. Many earlier and subsequent studies have reported lower pKa values, some even below 5.0, which are often used to describe the behavior of UCB. We here review 18 published studies that assessed aqueous pKa values of UCB, critically evaluating their methodologies in relation to essential preconditions for valid pKa measurements (short-duration experiments with purified UCB below saturation and accounting for self-association of UCB. Results These re-assessments identified major deficiencies that invalidate the results of all but our partition studies. New theoretical modeling of UCB titrations shows remarkable, unexpected effects of self-association, yielding falsely low pKa estimates, and provides some rationalization of the titration anomalies. The titration behavior reported for a soluble thioether conjugate of UCB at high aqueous concentrations is shown to be highly anomalous. Theoretical re-interpretations of data in DMSO and dimethylformamide show that those indirectly-derived aqueous pKa values are unacceptable, and indicate new, high average pKa values for UCB in non-aqueous media (>11 in DMSO and, probably, >10 in dimethylformamide. Conclusions No reliable aqueous pKa values of UCB are available for comparison with our partition-derived results. A companion paper shows that only the high pKa values can explain the pH-dependence of UCB binding to phospholipids, cyclodextrins, and alkyl-glycoside and bile salt micelles.

Assessment of stability of the response versus scan angle for the S-NPP VIIRS reflective solar bands using pseudo-invariant desert and Dome C sites

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Aisheng; Xiong, Xiaoxiong J.; Cao, Changyong

2017-09-01

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP (National Polar-orbiting Partnership) satellite has been in operation for over five years. VIIRS has 22 bands with a spectral range from 0.4 μm to 2.2 μm for the reflective solar bands (RSB). The Earth view swath covers a distance of 3000 km over scan angles of +/- 56.0° off nadir. The on-board calibration of the RSB relies on a solar diffuser (SD) located at a fixed scan angle and a solar diffuser stability monitor (SDSM). The response versus scan angle (RVS) was characterized prelaunch in ambient conditions and is currently used to determine the on-orbit response for all scan angles relative to the SD scan angle. Since the RVS is vitally important to the quality of calibrated level 1B products, it is important to monitor its on-orbit stability, particularly at the short wavelengths (blue) where the most degradation occurs. In this study, the RVS stability is examined based on reflectance trends collected at various scan angles over the selected pseudo-invariant desert sites in Northern Africa and the Dome C snow site in Antarctica. These trends are corrected by the site dependent BRDF (bi-directional reflectance function) model to reduce seasonally related fluctuations. The BRDF corrected trends are examined so any systematic drifts in the scan angle direction would indicate a potential change in RVS. The results of this study provide useful information on VIIRS RVS on-orbit stability performance.

A millimeter-wave reflectometer for whole-body hydration sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, W.-D.; Brown, E. R.

2016-05-01

This paper demonstrates a non-invasive method to determine the hydration level of human skin by measuring the reflectance of W-band (75-110 GHz) and Ka-band (26-40 GHz) radiation. Ka-band provides higher hydration accuracy ( 1 mm), thereby allowing access to the important dermis layer of skin. W-band provides less depth of penetration but finer spatial resolution (~2 mm). Both the hydration sensing concept and experimental results are presented here. The goal is to make a human hydration sensor that is 1% accurate or better, operable by mechanically scanning, and fast enough to measure large areas of the human body in seconds.

Advances in X-Band and S-Band Linear Accelerators for Security, NDT, and Other Applications

CERN Document Server

Mishin, Andrey V

2005-01-01

At AS&E High Energy Systems Division, we designed several new advanced high energy electron beam and X-ray sources. Our primary focus has always been in building the world's most portable commercial X-band accelerators. Today, our X-band systems frequently exceed performance of the similar S-band machines, while they are more portable compared to the latter. The new designs of the X-band accelerators in the most practical energy range from 1 MeV to 6 MeV have been tested delivering outstanding results. Seventy 6 MeV X-band linacs systems have been produced. The most compact linac for security is used by AS&E in a self-shielded, Shaped Energy™ cargo screening system. We pioneered using the X-band linear accelerators for CT, producing high quality images of oil pipes and wood logs. An X-band linear accelerator head on a robotic arm has been used for electron beam radiation curing of an odd-shaped graphite composite part. We developed the broad-range 4 MeV to over 10 MeV energy-regulated X-band ...

pKa predictions for proteins, RNAs, and DNAs with the Gaussian dielectric function using DelPhi pKa.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lin; Li, Lin; Alexov, Emil

2015-12-01

We developed a Poisson-Boltzmann based approach to calculate the pKa values of protein ionizable residues (Glu, Asp, His, Lys and Arg), nucleotides of RNA and single stranded DNA. Two novel features were utilized: the dielectric properties of the macromolecules and water phase were modeled via the smooth Gaussian-based dielectric function in DelPhi and the corresponding electrostatic energies were calculated without defining the molecular surface. We tested the algorithm by calculating pKa values for more than 300 residues from 32 proteins from the PPD dataset and achieved an overall RMSD of 0.77. Particularly, the RMSD of 0.55 was achieved for surface residues, while the RMSD of 1.1 for buried residues. The approach was also found capable of capturing the large pKa shifts of various single point mutations in staphylococcal nuclease (SNase) from pKa-cooperative dataset, resulting in an overall RMSD of 1.6 for this set of pKa's. Investigations showed that predictions for most of buried mutant residues of SNase could be improved by using higher dielectric constant values. Furthermore, an option to generate different hydrogen positions also improves pKa predictions for buried carboxyl residues. Finally, the pKa calculations on two RNAs demonstrated the capability of this approach for other types of biomolecules. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Digital Conically Scanned L-Band Radar, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The proposed effort seeks to develop a digitally steered polarimetric phased array L-Band radar utilizing a novel, high performance architecture leveraging recent...

Überlegungen zu der sumerischen Zeichen-Gruppe ŠÈ.KA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Such-Gutiérrez, Marcos

2003-12-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the different readings and meanings of the signs ŠÈ.KA. One of these readings is Zì.KA or zì-KA/ka, which has been traditionally interpreted as a kind of flour or as the process of milling. However, a revision of the texts from the Third Dynasty of Ur (c. 2117-2008 B.C., in which the group of signs ZÌ.KA o zì-KA/ka appears, shows that this term is actually a kind of gift.

El presente artículo trata de las diferentes lecturas y significados del grupo de signos ŠÈ.KA. Entre dichas lecturas se encuentra la de ZÌ.KA o zì-KA/ka, que ha sido tradicionalmente interpretada bien como un tipo de harina, o bien como la acción que conduce a su fabricación. Sin embargo, una revisión de los textos de la III Dinastía de Ur (c. 2117-2008 a.C. en los que aparece el término ZÌ.KA o zì-KA/ka demuestra que, en realidad, con él se hace referencia a un tipo de regalo.

Design and development of a surface micro-machined push–pull-type true-time-delay phase shifter on an alumina substrate for Ka-band T/R module application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dey, Sukomal; Koul, Shiban K

2012-01-01

A radio frequency micro-electro-mechanical system (RF-MEMS) phase shifter based on the distributed MEMS transmission line (DMTL) concept towards maximum achievable phase shift with low actuation voltage with good figure of merit (FOM) is presented in this paper. This surface micro-machined analog DMTL phase shifter demonstrates low power consumption for implementation in a Ka-band transmit/receive (T/R) module. The push–pull-type switch has been designed and optimized with an analytical method and validated with simulation, which is the fundamental building block of the design of a true-time-delay phase shifter. Change in phase has been designed and optimized in push and pull states with reference to the up-state performance of the phase shifter. The working principle of this push–pull-type DMTL phase shifter has been comprehensively worked out. A thorough detail of the design and performance analysis of the phase shifter has been carried out with various structural parameters using commercially available simulation tools with reference to a change in phase shift and has been verified using a system level simulation. The phase shifter is fabricated on the alumina substrate, using a suspended gold bridge membrane with a surface micromachining process. Asymmetric behaviour of push–pull bridge configuration has been noted and a corresponding effect on mechanical, electrical and RF performances has been extensively investigated. It is demonstrated 114° dB −1 FOM over 0–40 GHz band, which is the highest achievable FOM from a unit cell on an alumina substrate reported so far. A complete phase shifter contributes to a continuous differential phase shift of 0°–360° over 0–40 GHz band with a minimum actuation voltage of 8.1 V which is the highest achievable phase shift with the lowest actuation voltage as per till date on the alumina substrate with good repeatability and return loss better than 11.5 dB over 0–40 GHz band. (paper)

A 20-15 ka high-resolution paleomagnetic secular variation record from Black Sea sediments - no evidence for the 'Hilina Pali excursion'?

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jiabo; Nowaczyk, Norbert R.; Frank, Ute; Arz, Helge W.

2018-06-01

A comprehensive magnetostratigraphic investigation on sixteen sediment cores from the southeastern Black Sea yielded a very detailed high-quality paleosecular variation (PSV) record spanning from 20 to 15 ka. The age models are based on radiocarbon dating, stratigraphic correlation, and tephrochronology. Further age constraints were obtained by correlating four meltwater events, described from the western Black Sea, ranging in age from about 17 to 15 ka, with maxima in K/Ti ratios, obtained from X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning, and minima in S-ratios, reflecting increased hematite content, in the studied cores. Since the sedimentation rates in the investigated time window are up to 50 cm ka-1, the obtained PSVs records enabled a stacking using 50-yr bins. A directional anomaly at 18.5 ka, associated with pronounced swings in inclination and declination, as well as a low in relative paleointensity (rPI), is probably contemporaneous with the Hilina Pali excursion, originally reported from Hawaiian lava flows. However, virtual geomagnetic poles (VGPs) calculated from Black Sea sediments are not located at latitudes lower than 60°N, which denotes normal, though pronounced secular variations. During the postulated Hilina Pali excursion, the VGPs calculated from Black Sea data migrated clockwise only along the coasts of the Arctic Ocean from NE Canada (20.0 ka), via Alaska (18.6 ka) and NE Siberia (18.0 ka) to Svalbard (17.0 ka), then looping clockwise through the Eastern Arctic Ocean.

Reverberation Mapping of the Kepler-Field AGN KA1858+4850

Science.gov (United States)

Pei, Liuyi; Barth, Aaron J.; Aldering, Greg S.; Briley, Michael M.; Carroll, Carla J.; Carson, Daniel J.; Cenko, S., Bradley; Clubb, Kelsey I.; Cohen, Daniel P.; Cucchiara, Antonino;

Reverberation Mapping of the KEPLER Field AGN KA1858+4850

Science.gov (United States)

Pei, Liuyi; Barth, Aaron J.; Aldering, Greg S.; Briley, Michael M.; Carroll, Carla J.; Carson, Daniel J.; Cenko, S. Bradley; Clubb, Kelsey I.; Cohen, Daniel P.; Cucchiara, Antonino; Desjardins, Tyler D.; Edelson, Rick; Fang, Jerome J.; Fedrow, Joseph M.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Fox, Ori D.; Furniss, Amy; Gates, Elinor L.; Gregg, Michael; Gustafson, Scott; Horst, J. Chuck; Joner, Michael D.; Kelly, Patrick L.; Lacy, Mark; Laney, C. David; Leonard, Douglas C.; Li, Weidong; Malkan, Matthew A.; Margon, Bruce; Neeleman, Marcel; Nguyen, My L.; Prochaska, J. Xavier; Ross, Nathaniel R.; Sand, David J.; Searcy, Kinchen J.; Shivvers, Isaac S.; Silverman, Jeffrey M.; Smith, Graeme H.; Suzuki, Nao; Smith, Krista Lynne; Tytler, David; Werk, Jessica K.; Worseck, Gábor

2014-11-01

KA1858+4850 is a narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy at redshift 0.078 and is among the brightest active galaxies monitored by the Kepler mission. We have carried out a reverberation mapping campaign designed to measure the broad-line region size and estimate the mass of the black hole in this galaxy. We obtained 74 epochs of spectroscopic data using the Kast Spectrograph at the Lick 3 m telescope from 2012 February to November, and obtained complementary V-band images from five other ground-based telescopes. We measured the Hβ light curve lag with respect to the V-band continuum light curve using both cross-correlation techniques (CCF) and continuum light curve variability modeling with the JAVELIN method and found rest-frame lags of τ CCF = 13.53+2.03-2.32 days and τ JAVELIN = 13.15+1.08-1.00 days. The Hβ rms line profile has a width of σline = 770 ± 49 km s-1. Combining these two results and assuming a virial scale factor of f = 5.13, we obtained a virial estimate of M{BH} = 8.06+1.59-1.72 × 106 {M}⊙ for the mass of the central black hole and an Eddington ratio of L/L Edd ≈ 0.2. We also obtained consistent but slightly shorter emission-line lags with respect to the Kepler light curve. Thanks to the Kepler mission, the light curve of KA1858+4850 has among the highest cadences and signal-to-noise ratios ever measured for an active galactic nucleus; thus, our black hole mass measurement will serve as a reference point for relations between black hole mass and continuum variability characteristics in active galactic nuclei.

Reverberation mapping of the Kepler field AGN KA1858+4850

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pei, Liuyi; Barth, Aaron J.; Carson, Daniel J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697 (United States); Aldering, Greg S.; Cucchiara, Antonino [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Briley, Michael M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608 (United States); Carroll, Carla J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, N283 ESC, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 (United States); Cenko, S. Bradley; Edelson, Rick [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Clubb, Kelsey I.; Cohen, Daniel P.; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Fox, Ori D. [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States); Desjardins, Tyler D. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7 (Canada); Fang, Jerome J. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Fedrow, Joseph M. [Department of Astronomy, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182 (United States); Furniss, Amy [Department of Physics, Stanford University, 382 Via Pueblo Mall, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Gates, Elinor L. [Lick Observatory, P.O. Box 85, Mt. Hamilton, CA 95140 (United States); Gregg, Michael [Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Gustafson, Scott [Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); and others

2014-11-01

KA1858+4850 is a narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy at redshift 0.078 and is among the brightest active galaxies monitored by the Kepler mission. We have carried out a reverberation mapping campaign designed to measure the broad-line region size and estimate the mass of the black hole in this galaxy. We obtained 74 epochs of spectroscopic data using the Kast Spectrograph at the Lick 3 m telescope from 2012 February to November, and obtained complementary V-band images from five other ground-based telescopes. We measured the Hβ light curve lag with respect to the V-band continuum light curve using both cross-correlation techniques (CCF) and continuum light curve variability modeling with the JAVELIN method and found rest-frame lags of τ{sub CCF}=13.53{sub −2.32}{sup +2.03} days and τ {sub JAVELIN} =13.15{sub −1.00}{sup +1.08} days. The Hβ rms line profile has a width of σ{sub line} = 770 ± 49 km s{sup –1}. Combining these two results and assuming a virial scale factor of f = 5.13, we obtained a virial estimate of M{sub BH}=8.06{sub −1.72}{sup +1.59}×10{sup 6}M{sub ⊙} for the mass of the central black hole and an Eddington ratio of L/L {sub Edd} ≈ 0.2. We also obtained consistent but slightly shorter emission-line lags with respect to the Kepler light curve. Thanks to the Kepler mission, the light curve of KA1858+4850 has among the highest cadences and signal-to-noise ratios ever measured for an active galactic nucleus; thus, our black hole mass measurement will serve as a reference point for relations between black hole mass and continuum variability characteristics in active galactic nuclei.

A Ku-band magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator with overmoded slow-wave-structure

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Tao; He, Jun-Tao; Zhang, Jian-De; Li, Zhi-Qiang; Ling, Jun-Pu

2016-12-01

In order to enhance the power capacity, an improved Ku-band magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator (MILO) with overmoded slow-wave-structure (SWS) is proposed and investigated numerically and experimentally. The analysis of the dispersion relationship and the resonant curve of the cold test indicate that the device can operate at the near π mode of the TM01 mode, which is useful for mode selection and control. In the particle simulation, the improved Ku-band MILO generates a microwave with a power of 1.5 GW and a frequency of 12.3 GHz under an input voltage of 480 kV and input current of 42 kA. Finally, experimental investigation of the improved Ku-band MILO is carried out. A high-power microwave (HPM) with an average power of 800 MW, a frequency of 12.35 GHz, and pulse width of 35 ns is generated under a diode voltage of 500 kV and beam current of 43 kA. The consistency between the experimental and simulated far-field radiation pattern confirms that the operating mode of the improved Ku-band MILO is well controlled in π mode of the TM01 mode. Project supported partly by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61171021).

Ionization Constants pKa of Cardiolipin

OpenAIRE

Olofsson, Gerd; Sparr, Emma

2013-01-01

Cardiolipin is a phospholipid found in the inner mitochondrial membrane and in bacteria, and it is associated with many physiological functions. Cardiolipin has a dimeric structure consisting of two phosphatidyl residues connected by a glycerol bridge and four acyl chains, and therefore it can carry two negative charges. The pKa values of the phosphate groups have previously been reported to differ widely with pKa1 = 2.8 and pKa2 = 7.5-9.5. Still, there are several examples of experimental ob...

Time-resolved C-arm cone beam CT angiography (TR-CBCTA) imaging from a single short-scan C-arm cone beam CT acquisition with intra-arterial contrast injection

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yinsheng; Garrett, John W.; Li, Ke; Wu, Yijing; Johnson, Kevin; Schafer, Sebastian; Strother, Charles; Chen, Guang-Hong

2018-04-01

Time-resolved C-arm cone-beam CT (CBCT) angiography (TR-CBCTA) images can be generated from a series of CBCT acquisitions that satisfy data sufficiency condition in analytical image reconstruction theory. In this work, a new technique was developed to generate TR-CBCTA images from a single short-scan CBCT data acquisition with contrast media injection. The reconstruction technique enabling this application is a previously developed image reconstruction technique, synchronized multi-artifact reduction with tomographic reconstruction (SMART-RECON). In this new application, the acquired short-scan CBCT projection data were sorted into a union of several sub-sectors of view angles and each sub-sector of view angles corresponds to an individual image volume to be reconstructed. The SMART-RECON method was then used to jointly reconstruct all of these individual image volumes under two constraints: (1) each individual image volume is maximally consistent with the measured cone-beam projection data within the corresponding view angle sector and (2) the nuclear norm of the image matrix is minimized. The difference between these reconstructed individual image volumes is used to generated the desired subtracted angiograms. To validate the technique, numerical simulation data generated from a fractal tree angiogram phantom were used to quantitatively study the accuracy of the proposed method and retrospective in vivo human subject studies were used to demonstrate the feasibility of generating TR-CBCTA in clinical practice.

WE-EF-207-02: The Rotate-Plus-Shift C-Arm Trajectory: Theory and First Clinical Results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritschl, L; Kachelriess, M; Kuntz, J

2015-01-01

Purpose: The proposed method enables the acquisition of a complete dataset for 3D reconstruction of C-Arm data using less than 180° rotation. Methods: Typically a C–arm cone–beam CT scan is performed using a circle–like trajectory around a region of interest. Therefore an angular range of at least 180° plus fan–angle must be covered to ensure a completely sampled data set. This fact defines some constraints on the geometry and technical specifications of a C–arm system, for example a larger C radius or a smaller C opening respectively. This is even more important for mobile C-arm devices which are typically used in surgical applications.To overcome these limitations we propose a new trajectory which requires only 180° minusfan–angle of rotation for a complete data set. The trajectory consists of three parts: A rotation of the C around a defined iso–center and two translational movements parallel to the detector plane at the begin and at the end of the rotation (rotate plus shift trajectory). This enables the acquisition of a completely sampled dataset using only 180° minus fan–angle of rotation. Results: For the evaluation of the method we show simulated and measured data. The results show, that the rotate plus shift scan yields equivalent image quality compared to the short scan which is assumed to be the gold standard for C-arm CT today. Compared to the pure rotational scan over only 165°, the rotate plus shift scan shows strong improvements in image quality. Conclusion: The proposed method makes 3D imaging using C–arms with less than 180° rotation range possible. This enables integrating full 3D functionality into a C- arm device without any loss of handling and usability for 2D imaging

The sensitivity of the Late Saalian (140 ka) and LGM (21 ka) Eurasian ice sheets to sea surface conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Colleoni, Florence [Centro Euro-Mediterraneo per i Cambiamenti Climatici, Bologna (Italy); UJF, CNRS, Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l' Environnement, Saint Martin d' Heres Cedex (France); Stockholm University, Department of Geological Sciences, Stockhlom (Sweden); Liakka, Johan [Stockholm University, Department of Meteorology, Stockholm (Sweden); Krinner, Gerhard; Peyaud, Vincent [UJF, CNRS, Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l' Environnement, Saint Martin d' Heres Cedex (France); Jakobsson, Martin [Stockholm University, Department of Geological Sciences, Stockhlom (Sweden); Masina, Simona [Centro Euro-Mediterraneo per i Cambiamenti Climatici, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Bologna (Italy)

2011-08-15

This work focuses on the Late Saalian (140 ka) Eurasian ice sheets' surface mass balance (SMB) sensitivity to changes in sea surface temperatures (SST). An Atmospheric General Circulation Model (AGCM), forced with two preexisting Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 21 ka) SST reconstructions, is used to compute climate at 140 and 21 ka (reference glaciation). Contrary to the LGM, the ablation almost stopped at 140 ka due to the climatic cooling effect from the large ice sheet topography. Late Saalian SST are simulated using an AGCM coupled with a mixed layer ocean. Compared to the LGM, these 140 ka SST show an inter-hemispheric asymmetry caused by the larger ice-albedo feedback, cooling climate. The resulting Late Saalian ice sheet SMB is smaller due to the extensive simulated sea ice reducing the precipitation. In conclusion, SST are important for the stability and growth of the Late Saalian Eurasian ice sheet. (orig.)

Spectral line survey toward the spiral arm of M51 in the 3 and 2 mm bands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watanabe, Yoshimasa; Sakai, Nami; Yamamoto, Satoshi [Department of Physics, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Sorai, Kazuo, E-mail: nabe@taurus.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of Physics/Department of Cosmoscience, Hokkaido University, Kita 10, Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810 (Japan)

2014-06-10

We have conducted a spectral line survey in the 3 and 2 mm bands toward two positions in a spiral arm of M51 (NGC 5194) with the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique 30 m telescope. In this survey, we have identified 13 molecular species, including CN, CCH, N{sub 2}H{sup +}, HNCO, and CH{sub 3}OH. Furthermore, six isotopologues of the major species have been detected. On the other hand, SiO, HC{sub 3}N, CH{sub 3}CN, and deuterated species such as DCN and DCO{sup +} were not detected. The deuterium fractionation ratios are evaluated to be less than 0.8% and 1.2% for DCN/HCN and DCO{sup +}/HCO{sup +}, respectively. By comparing the results of the two positions with different star formation activities, we have found that the observed chemical compositions do not strongly depend on star formation activities. They seem to reflect a chemical composition averaged over the 1 kpc scale region including many giant molecular clouds. Among the detected molecules CN, CCH, and CH{sub 3}OH are found to be abundant. High abundances of CN and CCH are consistent with the above picture of a widespread distribution of molecules because they can be produced by photodissociation. On the other hand, it seems likely that CH{sub 3}OH is liberated in the gas phase by shocks associated with large-scale phenomena such as cloud-cloud collisions and/or by nonthermal desorption processes such as photoevaporation due to cosmic-ray-induced UV photons. The present result demonstrates a characteristic chemical composition of a giant molecular cloud complex in the spiral arm, which can be used as a standard reference for studying chemistry in active galactic nuclei and starbursts.

Performance of arm locking in LISA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKenzie, Kirk; Spero, Robert E.; Shaddock, Daniel A.

2009-01-01

For the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) to reach its design sensitivity, the coupling of the free-running laser frequency noise to the signal readout must be reduced by more than 14 orders of magnitude. One technique employed to reduce the laser frequency noise will be arm locking, where the laser frequency is locked to the LISA arm length. In this paper we detail an implementation of arm locking. We investigate orbital effects (changing arm lengths and Doppler frequencies), the impact of errors in the Doppler knowledge that can cause pulling of the laser frequency, and the noise limit of arm locking. Laser frequency pulling is examined in two regimes: at lock acquisition and in steady state. The noise performance of arm locking is calculated with the inclusion of the dominant expected noise sources: ultrastable oscillator (clock) noise, spacecraft motion, and shot noise. We find that clock noise and spacecraft motion limit the performance of dual arm locking in the LISA science band. Studying these issues reveals that although dual arm locking [A. Sutton and D. A. Shaddock, Phys. Rev. D 78, 082001 (2008)] has advantages over single (or common) arm locking in terms of allowing high gain, it has disadvantages in both laser frequency pulling and noise performance. We address this by proposing a modification to the dual arm-locking sensor, a hybrid of common and dual arm-locking sensors. This modified dual arm-locking sensor has the laser frequency pulling characteristics and low-frequency noise coupling of common arm locking, but retains the control system advantages of dual arm locking. We present a detailed design of an arm-locking controller and perform an analysis of the expected performance when used with and without laser prestabilization. We observe that the sensor phase changes beneficially near unity-gain frequencies of the arm-locking controller, allowing a factor of 10 more gain than previously believed, without degrading stability. With a time

L-band brightness temperature disaggregation for use with S-band and C-band radiometer data for WCOM

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, P.; Shi, J.; Zhao, T.; Cosh, M. H.; Bindlish, R.

2017-12-01

There are two passive microwave sensors onboard the Water Cycle Observation Mission (WCOM), which includes a synthetic aperture radiometer operating at L-S-C bands and a scanning microwave radiometer operating from C- to W-bands. It provides a unique opportunity to disaggregate L-band brightness temperature (soil moisture) with S-band C-bands radiometer data. In this study, passive-only downscaling methodologies are developed and evaluated. Based on the radiative transfer modeling, it was found that the TBs (brightness temperature) between the L-band and S-band exhibit a linear relationship, and there is an exponential relationship between L-band and C-band. We carried out the downscaling results by two methods: (1) downscaling with L-S-C band passive measurements with the same incidence angle from payload IMI; (2) downscaling with L-C band passive measurements with different incidence angle from payloads IMI and PMI. The downscaling method with L-S bands with the same incident angle was first evaluated using SMEX02 data. The RMSE are 2.69 K and 1.52 K for H and V polarization respectively. The downscaling method with L-C bands is developed with different incident angles using SMEX03 data. The RMSE are 2.97 K and 2.68 K for H and V polarization respectively. These results showed that high-resolution L-band brightness temperature and soil moisture products could be generated from the future WCOM passive-only observations.

Technology Development for 3-D Wide Swath Imaging Supporting ACE

Science.gov (United States)

Racette, Paul; Heymsfield, Gerry; Li, Lihua; Mclinden, Matthew; Park, Richard; Cooley, Michael; Stenger, Pete; Hand, Thomas

2014-01-01

The National Academy of Sciences Decadal Survey (DS) Aerosol-Cloud-Ecosystems Mission (ACE) aims to advance our ability to observe and predict changes to the Earth's hydrological cycle and energy balance in response to climate forcing, especially those changes associated with the effects of aerosol on clouds and precipitation. ACE is focused on obtaining measurements to reduce the uncertainties in current climate models arising from the lack in understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions. As part of the mission instrument suite, a dual-frequency radar comprised of a fixed-beam 94 gigahertz (W-band) radar and a wide-swath 35 gigahertz (Ka-band) imaging radar has been recommended by the ACE Science Working Group.In our 2010 Instrument Incubator Program project, we've developed a radar architecture that addresses the challenge associated with achieving the measurement objectives through an innovative, shared aperture antenna that allows dual-frequency radar operation while achieving wide-swath (100 kilometers) imaging at Ka-band. The antenna system incorporates 2 key technologies; a) a novel dual-band reflectorreflectarray and b) a Ka-band Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) feed module. The dual-band antenna is comprised of a primary cylindrical reflectorreflectarray surface illuminated by a point-focus W-band feed (compatible with a quasi-optical beam waveguide feed, such as that employed on CloudSat); the Ka-band AESA line feed provides wide-swath across-track scanning. The benefits of this shared-aperture approach include significant reductions in ACE satellite payload size, weight, and cost, as compared to a two aperture approach. Four objectives were addressed in our project. The first entailed developing the tools for the analysis and design of reflectarray antennas, assessment of candidate reflectarray elements, and validation using test coupons. The second objective was to develop a full-scale aperture design utilizing the reflectarray surface and to

Synthesis and design of waveguide band-stop filters without out-of-band spurious responses for plasma diagnosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montejo-Garai, Jose R., E-mail: jr@etc.upm.es [Departamento de Electromagnetismo y Teoria de Circuitos, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid 20840 (Spain); Leal-Sevillano, Carlos A. [Departamento de Electromagnetismo y Teoria de Circuitos, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid 20840 (Spain); Ruiz-Cruz, Jorge A. [Escuela Politecnica Superior, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, C/Fco. Tomas y Valiente 11, Madrid 28409 (Spain); Rebollar, Jesus M. [Departamento de Electromagnetismo y Teoria de Circuitos, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, Madrid 20840 (Spain); Estrada, Teresa [T. Laboratorio Nacional de Fusion, Asociacion Euratom-CIEMAT, Madrid 28040 (Spain)

2012-09-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A rigorous systematic design process based on circuit synthesis is proposed for band-stop filters. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The new compact E-plane waveguide structure reduces drastically the unwanted resonances in a very large pass band. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The manufacturing process together with the computation effort is significantly reduced. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Experimental results validate the state-of-art electrical responses. - Abstract: Band-stop or notch filters play a crucial role in plasma diagnosis systems to protect receivers from the stray radiation. In this work, a rigorous design process based on circuit synthesis in addition to an extremely compact E-plane waveguide structure is proposed for this kind of filters. On the one hand, the transfer function verifying the rejection specification is analytically obtained, fixing the minimum number of required cavities. On the other hand, a coupling structure that reduces drastically the unwanted resonances in filters with a very large pass band requirement, is presented. This coupling between the rejection cavities and the main rectangular waveguide has additional advantages; (a) unlike typical inductive irises, large coupling coefficients can be implemented (b) a pure E-plane configuration is achieved, which simplifies the manufacturing and also reduces significantly the computational effort. Experimental validation is demonstrated by two pseudo-elliptic fifth-order band-stop filters fabricated and measured in Ka and V bands. In both cases, the filters are free of spurious resonances in their total operation bands.

Synthesis and design of waveguide band-stop filters without out-of-band spurious responses for plasma diagnosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montejo-Garai, José R.; Leal-Sevillano, Carlos A.; Ruiz-Cruz, Jorge A.; Rebollar, Jesús M.; Estrada, Teresa

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► A rigorous systematic design process based on circuit synthesis is proposed for band-stop filters. ► The new compact E-plane waveguide structure reduces drastically the unwanted resonances in a very large pass band. ► The manufacturing process together with the computation effort is significantly reduced. ► Experimental results validate the state-of-art electrical responses. - Abstract: Band-stop or notch filters play a crucial role in plasma diagnosis systems to protect receivers from the stray radiation. In this work, a rigorous design process based on circuit synthesis in addition to an extremely compact E-plane waveguide structure is proposed for this kind of filters. On the one hand, the transfer function verifying the rejection specification is analytically obtained, fixing the minimum number of required cavities. On the other hand, a coupling structure that reduces drastically the unwanted resonances in filters with a very large pass band requirement, is presented. This coupling between the rejection cavities and the main rectangular waveguide has additional advantages; (a) unlike typical inductive irises, large coupling coefficients can be implemented (b) a pure E-plane configuration is achieved, which simplifies the manufacturing and also reduces significantly the computational effort. Experimental validation is demonstrated by two pseudo-elliptic fifth-order band-stop filters fabricated and measured in Ka and V bands. In both cases, the filters are free of spurious resonances in their total operation bands.

Whole-body CT in polytrauma patients: the effect of arm position on abdominal image quality when using a human phantom

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeon, Pil-Hyun [Yonsei University, Wonju (Korea, Republic of); Wonju Christian Hospital, Wonju (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hee-Joung; Lee, Chang-Lae; Kim, Dae-Hong [Yonsei University, Wonju (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Won-Hyung; Jeon, Sung-Su [Wonju Christian Hospital, Wonju (Korea, Republic of)

2012-06-15

For a considerable number of emergency computed tomography (CT) scans, patients are unable to position their arms above their head due to traumatic injuries. The arms-down position has been shown to reduce image quality with beam-hardening artifacts in the dorsal regions of the liver, spleen, and kidneys, rendering these images non-diagnostic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of arm position on the image quality in patients undergoing whole-body CT. We acquired CT scans with various acquisition parameters at voltages of 80, 120, and 140 kVp and an increasing tube current from 200 to 400 mAs in 50 mAs increments. The image noise and the contrast assessment were considered for quantitative analyses of the CT images. The image noise (IN), the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and the coefficient of variation (COV) were evaluated. Quantitative analyses of the experiments were performed with CT scans representative of five different arm positions. Results of the CT scans acquired at 120 kVp and 250 mAs showed high image quality in patients with both arms raised above the head (SNR: 12.4, CNR: 10.9, and COV: 8.1) and both arms flexed at the elbows on the chest (SNR: 11.5, CNR: 10.2, and COV: 8.8) while the image quality significantly decreased with both arms in the down position (SNR: 9.1, CNR: 7.6, and COV: 11). Both arms raised, one arm raised, and both arms flexed improved the image quality compared to arms in the down position by reducing beam-hardening and streak artifacts caused by the arms being at the side of body. This study provides optimal methods for achieving higher image quality and lower noise in abdominal CT for trauma patients.

Whole-body CT in polytrauma patients: The effect of arm position on abdominal image quality when using a human phantom

Science.gov (United States)

Jeon, Pil-Hyun; Kim, Hee-Joung; Lee, Chang-Lae; Kim, Dae-Hong; Lee, Won-Hyung; Jeon, Sung-Su

2012-06-01

For a considerable number of emergency computed tomography (CT) scans, patients are unable to position their arms above their head due to traumatic injuries. The arms-down position has been shown to reduce image quality with beam-hardening artifacts in the dorsal regions of the liver, spleen, and kidneys, rendering these images non-diagnostic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of arm position on the image quality in patients undergoing whole-body CT. We acquired CT scans with various acquisition parameters at voltages of 80, 120, and 140 kVp and an increasing tube current from 200 to 400 mAs in 50 mAs increments. The image noise and the contrast assessment were considered for quantitative analyses of the CT images. The image noise (IN), the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and the coefficient of variation (COV) were evaluated. Quantitative analyses of the experiments were performed with CT scans representative of five different arm positions. Results of the CT scans acquired at 120 kVp and 250 mAs showed high image quality in patients with both arms raised above the head (SNR: 12.4, CNR: 10.9, and COV: 8.1) and both arms flexed at the elbows on the chest (SNR: 11.5, CNR: 10.2, and COV: 8.8) while the image quality significantly decreased with both arms in the down position (SNR: 9.1, CNR: 7.6, and COV: 11). Both arms raised, one arm raised, and both arms flexed improved the image quality compared to arms in the down position by reducing beam-hardening and streak artifacts caused by the arms being at the side of body. This study provides optimal methods for achieving higher image quality and lower noise in abdominal CT for trauma patients.

Whole-body CT in polytrauma patients: the effect of arm position on abdominal image quality when using a human phantom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeon, Pil-Hyun; Kim, Hee-Joung; Lee, Chang-Lae; Kim, Dae-Hong; Lee, Won-Hyung; Jeon, Sung-Su

2012-01-01

For a considerable number of emergency computed tomography (CT) scans, patients are unable to position their arms above their head due to traumatic injuries. The arms-down position has been shown to reduce image quality with beam-hardening artifacts in the dorsal regions of the liver, spleen, and kidneys, rendering these images non-diagnostic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of arm position on the image quality in patients undergoing whole-body CT. We acquired CT scans with various acquisition parameters at voltages of 80, 120, and 140 kVp and an increasing tube current from 200 to 400 mAs in 50 mAs increments. The image noise and the contrast assessment were considered for quantitative analyses of the CT images. The image noise (IN), the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and the coefficient of variation (COV) were evaluated. Quantitative analyses of the experiments were performed with CT scans representative of five different arm positions. Results of the CT scans acquired at 120 kVp and 250 mAs showed high image quality in patients with both arms raised above the head (SNR: 12.4, CNR: 10.9, and COV: 8.1) and both arms flexed at the elbows on the chest (SNR: 11.5, CNR: 10.2, and COV: 8.8) while the image quality significantly decreased with both arms in the down position (SNR: 9.1, CNR: 7.6, and COV: 11). Both arms raised, one arm raised, and both arms flexed improved the image quality compared to arms in the down position by reducing beam-hardening and streak artifacts caused by the arms being at the side of body. This study provides optimal methods for achieving higher image quality and lower noise in abdominal CT for trauma patients.

Localized melt-scan strategy for site specific control of grain size and primary dendrite arm spacing in electron beam additive manufacturing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raghavan, Narendran; Simunovic, Srdjan; Dehoff, Ryan; Plotkowski, Alex; Turner, John; Kirka, Michael; Babu, Suresh

2017-01-01

In addition to design geometry, surface roughness, and solid-state phase transformation, solidification microstructure plays a crucial role in controlling the performance of additively manufactured components. Crystallographic texture, primary dendrite arm spacing (PDAS), and grain size are directly correlated to local solidification conditions. We have developed a new melt-scan strategy for inducing site specific, on-demand control of solidification microstructure. We were able to induce variations in grain size (30 μm–150 μm) and PDAS (4 μm - 10 μm) in Inconel 718 parts produced by the electron beam additive manufacturing system (Arcam ® ). A conventional raster melt-scan resulted in a grain size of about 600 μm. The observed variations in grain size with different melt-scan strategies are rationalized using a numerical thermal and solidification model which accounts for the transient curvature of the melt pool and associated thermal gradients and liquid-solid interface velocities. The refinement in grain size at high cooling rates (>10 4  K/s) is also attributed to the potential heterogeneous nucleation of grains ahead of the epitaxially growing solidification front. The variation in PDAS is rationalized using a coupled numerical-theoretical model as a function of local solidification conditions (thermal gradient and liquid-solid interface velocity) of the melt pool.

Thermally Evaporated Iron (Oxide) on an Alumina Barrier Layer, by XPS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madaan, Nitesh; Kanyal, Supriya S.; Jensen, David S.; Vail, Michael A.; Dadson, Andrew; Engelhard, Mark H.; Linford, Matthew R.

2013-09-06

We report the XPS characterization of a thermally evaporated iron thin film (6 nm) deposited on an Si/SiO_2/Al_2O_3 substrate using Al Ka X-rays. An XPS survey spectrum, narrow Fe 2p scan, narrow O 1s, and valence band scan are shown.

Franchisingkäsikirjan tuottaminen käytettyjen valokuvaustarvikkeiden verkkokaupalle

OpenAIRE

Heikkinen, Antti

2015-01-01

Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli luoda selkeä ja helppokäyttöinen franchisingkäsikirja Kameratori Oy:lle. Kameratori on vuonna 2010 perustettu käytettyyn valokuvauskalustoon keskittyvä verkkokauppa, joka myy Tampereen toimitiloista käsin kuntotarkistettua kuvauskalustoa Suomeen ja maailmalle. Franchisingkäsikirjaan on dokumentoitu Kameratori.fi-verkkosivuston käyttöön tarvittava ohjeistus. Käsikirja on yksi olennaisimmista dokumenteista franchisingantajan ja -ottajien...

Lock threshold deterioration induced by antenna vibration and signal coupling effects in hypersonic vehicle carrier tracking system of Ka band

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Congying ZHU

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The envelope of a hypersonic vehicle is affected by severe fluctuating pressure, which causes the airborne antenna to vibrate slightly. This vibration mixes with the transmitted signals and thus introduces additional multiplicative phase noise. Antenna vibration and signal coupling effects as well as their influence on the lock threshold of the hypersonic vehicle carrier tracking system of the Ka band are investigated in this study. A vibration model is initially established to obtain phase noise in consideration of the inherent relationship between vibration displacement and electromagnetic wavelength. An analytical model of the Phase-Locked Loop (PLL, which is widely used in carrier tracking systems, is established. The coupling effects on carrier tracking performance are investigated and quantitatively analyzed by imposing the multiplicative phase noise on the PLL model. Simulation results show that the phase noise presents a Gaussian distribution and is similar to vibration displacement variation. A large standard deviation in vibration displacement exerts a significant effect on the lock threshold. A critical standard deviation is observed in the PLL of Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK and Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK signals. The effect on QPSK signals is more severe than that on BPSK signals. The maximum tolerable standard deviations normalized by the wavelength of the carrier are 0.04 and 0.02 for BPSK and QPSK signals, respectively. With these critical standard deviations, lock thresholds are increased from −12 and −4 dB to 3 and −2 dB, respectively. Keywords: Antenna vibration, Carrier tracking performance, Lock threshold, Phase locked loop, Tracking Telemetry and Command (TT&C signals

Physical Validation of GPM Retrieval Algorithms Over Land: An Overview of the Mid-Latitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E)

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, Walter A.; Jensen, Michael P.

2011-01-01

The joint NASA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) -- DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) was conducted from April 22-June 6, 2011, centered on the DOE-ARM Southern Great Plains Central Facility site in northern Oklahoma. GPM field campaign objectives focused on the collection of airborne and ground-based measurements of warm-season continental precipitation processes to support refinement of GPM retrieval algorithm physics over land, and to improve the fidelity of coupled cloud resolving and land-surface satellite simulator models. DOE ARM objectives were synergistically focused on relating observations of cloud microphysics and the surrounding environment to feedbacks on convective system dynamics, an effort driven by the need to better represent those interactions in numerical modeling frameworks. More specific topics addressed by MC3E include ice processes and ice characteristics as coupled to precipitation at the surface and radiometer signals measured in space, the correlation properties of rainfall and drop size distributions and impacts on dual-frequency radar retrieval algorithms, the transition of cloud water to rain water (e.g., autoconversion processes) and the vertical distribution of cloud water in precipitating clouds, and vertical draft structure statistics in cumulus convection. The MC3E observational strategy relied on NASA ER-2 high-altitude airborne multi-frequency radar (HIWRAP Ka-Ku band) and radiometer (AMPR, CoSMIR; 10-183 GHz) sampling (a GPM "proxy") over an atmospheric column being simultaneously profiled in situ by the University of North Dakota Citation microphysics aircraft, an array of ground-based multi-frequency scanning polarimetric radars (DOE Ka-W, X and C-band; NASA D3R Ka-Ku and NPOL S-bands) and wind-profilers (S/UHF bands), supported by a dense network of over 20 disdrometers and rain gauges, all nested in the coverage of a six-station mesoscale rawinsonde

Recent Successes and Future Plans for NASA's Space Communications and Navigation Testbed on the International Space Station

Science.gov (United States)

Reinhart, Richard C.; Sankovic, John M.; Johnson, Sandra K.; Lux, James P.; Chelmins, David T.

2014-01-01

Flexible and extensible space communications architectures and technology are essential to enable future space exploration and science activities. NASA has championed the development of the Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) software defined radio (SDR) standard and the application of SDR technology to reduce the costs and risks of using SDRs for space missions, and has developed an on-orbit testbed to validate these capabilities. The Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed (previously known as the Communications, Navigation, and Networking reConfigurable Testbed (CoNNeCT)) is advancing SDR, on-board networking, and navigation technologies by conducting space experiments aboard the International Space Station. During its first year(s) on-orbit, the SCaN Testbed has achieved considerable accomplishments to better understand SDRs and their applications. The SDR platforms and software waveforms on each SDR have over 1500 hours of operation and are performing as designed. The Ka-band SDR on the SCaN Testbed is NASAs first space Ka-band transceiver and is NASA's first Ka-band mission using the Space Network. This has provided exciting opportunities to operate at Ka-band and assist with on-orbit tests of NASA newest Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS). During its first year, SCaN Testbed completed its first on-orbit SDR reconfigurations. SDR reconfigurations occur when implementing new waveforms on an SDR. SDR reconfigurations allow a radio to change minor parameters, such as data rate, or complete functionality. New waveforms which provide new capability and are reusable across different missions provide long term value for reconfigurable platforms such as SDRs. The STRS Standard provides guidelines for new waveform development by third parties. Waveform development by organizations other than the platform provider offers NASA the ability to develop waveforms itself and reduce its dependence and costs on the platform developer. Each of these

The profound effects of patient arm positioning on organ doses from CT procedures calculated using Monte Carlo simulations and deformable phantoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Haikuan; Gao, Yiming; Ding, Aiping; Caracappa, Peter F.; George Xu, X.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the organ dose differences caused by the arms-raised and arms-lowered postures for multidetector computed tomography procedures. Organ doses were calculated using computational phantoms and Monte Carlo simulations. The arm position in two previously developed adult male and female human phantoms was adjusted to represent 'raised' and 'lowered' postures using advanced BREP-based mesh surface geometries. Organ doses from routine computed tomography (CT) scan protocols, including the chest, abdomen-pelvis, and chest-abdomen-pelvis scans, were simulated at various tube voltages and reported in the unit of mGy per 100 mAs. The CT scanner model was based on previously tested work. The differences in organ dose per unit tube current between raised and lowered arm postures were studied. Furthermore, the differences due to the tube current modulation (TCM) for these two different postures and their impact on organ doses were also investigated. For a given scan parameter, a patient having lowered arms received smaller doses to organs located within the chest, abdomen or pelvis when compared with the patient having raised arms. As expected, this is caused by the attenuation of the primary X rays by the arms. However, the skin doses and bone surface doses in the patient having lowered arms were found to be 3.97-32.12 % larger than those in a patient having raised arms due to the fact that more skin and spongiosa were covered in the scan range when the arms are lowered. This study also found that dose differences become smaller with the increase in tube voltage for most of organs or tissues except the skin. For example, the liver dose differences decreased from -15.01 to -11.33 % whereas the skin dose differences increased from 21.53 to 25.24 % with tube voltage increased from 80 to 140 kVp. With TCM applied, the organ doses of all the listed organs in patient having lowered arms are larger due to the additional tube

New insights on water level variability for Lake Turkana for the past 15 ka and at 150 ka from relict beaches

Science.gov (United States)

Forman, S. L.; Wright, D.

2015-12-01

Relict beaches adjacent to Lake Turkana provide a record of water level variability for the Late Quaternary. This study focused on deciphering the geomorphology, sedimentology, stratigraphy and 14C chronology of strand plain sequences in the Kalokol and Lothagam areas. Nine >30 m oscillations in water level were documented between ca. 15 and 4 ka. The earliest oscillation between ca. 14.5 and 13 ka is not well constrained with water level to at least 70 m above the present surface and subsequently fell to at least 50 m. Lake level increased to ~ 90 m between ca. 11.2 and 10.4 ka, post Younger Dryas cooling. Water level fell by >30 m by 10.2 ka, with another potential rise at ca. 8.5 ka to >70 m above current level. Lake level regressed by > 40 m at 8.2 ka coincident with cooling in the equatorial Eastern Atlantic Ocean. Two major >70 m lake level oscillations centered at 6.6 and 5.2 ka may reflect enhanced convection with warmer sea surface temperatures in the Western Indian Ocean. The end of the African Humid Period occurred from ca. 8.0 to 4.5 ka and was characterized by variable lake level (± > 40 m), rather than one monotonic fall in water level. This lake level variability reflects a complex response to variations in the extent and intensity of the East and West African Monsoons near geographic and topographic limits within the catchment of Lake Turkana. Also, for this closed lake basin excess and deficits in water input are amplified with a cascading lake effect in the East Rift Valley and through the Chew Bahir Basin. The final regression from a high stand of > 90 m began at. 5.2 ka and water level was below 20 m by 4.5 ka; and for the remainder of the Holocene. This sustained low stand is associated with weakening of the West African Monsoon, a shift of the mean position of Congo Air Boundary west of the Lake Turkana catchment and with meter-scale variability in lake level linked to Walker circulation across the Indian Ocean. A surprising observation is

A case study on large-scale dynamical influence on bright band using cloud radar during the Indian summer monsoon

Science.gov (United States)

Jha, Ambuj K.; Kalapureddy, M. C. R.; Devisetty, Hari Krishna; Deshpande, Sachin M.; Pandithurai, G.

2018-02-01

The present study is a first of its kind attempt in exploring the physical features (e.g., height, width, intensity, duration) of tropical Indian bright band using a Ka-band cloud radar under the influence of large-scale cyclonic circulation and attempts to explain the abrupt changes in bright band features, viz., rise in the bright band height by 430 m and deepening of the bright band by about 300 m observed at around 14:00 UTC on Sep 14, 2016, synoptically as well as locally. The study extends the utility of cloud radar to understand how the bright band features are associated with light precipitation, ranging from 0 to 1.5 mm/h. Our analysis of the precipitation event of Sep 14-15, 2016 shows that the bright band above (below) 3.7 km, thickness less (more) than 300 m can potentially lead to light drizzle of 0-0.25 mm/h (drizzle/light rain) at the surface. It is also seen that the cloud radar may be suitable for bright band study within light drizzle limits than under higher rain conditions. Further, the study illustrates that the bright band features can be determined using the polarimetric capability of the cloud radar. It is shown that an LDR value of - 22 dB can be associated with the top height of bright band in the Ka-band observations which is useful in the extraction of the bright band top height and its width. This study is useful for understanding the bright band phenomenon and could be potentially useful in establishing the bright band-surface rain relationship through the perspective of a cloud radar, which would be helpful to enhance the cloud radar-based quantitative estimates of precipitation.

Tehnička služba Vojske Jugoslavije i pravci njenog razvoja / Technical Service of the Army of Yugoslavia and the directions of its development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milun Kokanović

2002-07-01

Full Text Available Tehničko-tehnološki razvoj u naučno i ekonomski moćnim zemljama sveta poslednjih decenija najvećim delom je potenciran i iskorišćen za proizvodnju oružja i sredstava naoružanja i vojne opreme. Time je radikalno izmenjena osnova rata, tako da se sa nuklearne, strategijske koncepcije prelazi na informatičku koncepciju rata. Tehnička služba Vojske Jugoslavije (Tehnička služba KoV, Vazduhoplovno-tehnička služba i Mornaričko-tehnička služba shodno izmenjenim uslovima, pratila je i izučavala razvoj tehničko-tehnološkog faktora u svetu i njegov uticaj na oružanu borbu. Kadrovskim osposobljavanjem, racionalnom organizacijom sistema tehničkog obezbeđenja i materijalnom podrškom, uspešno je podržavala potrebe Vojske Jugoslavije u razvoju tehničkih sredstava naoružanja i vojne opreme njihovom snabdevanju i održavanju u čitavom životnom veku. / Technological and technological development in the scientifically and economically powerful countries of the world in the last decades has been mostly emphasized and used for the production of weapons and weapons and military equipment. This radically changed the basis of the war, so that from the nuclear, strategic conception it switched to the informational conception of war. The Technical Service of the Army of Yugoslavia (Technical Service of Land Army, Aircraft and Technical Service and Naval-Technical Service, in accordance with the changed conditions, monitored and developed the technical and technological factors in the world and its impact on the armed struggle. Through staff training, rational organization of the system of technical security and material support, it successfully supported the needs of the Army of Yugoslavia in the development of technical means of arms and military equipment to their supply and maintenance throughout the life-span.

Assigning the pKa's of Polyprotic Acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodner, George M.

1986-01-01

Discusses (1) polyproptic acids for which the difference between K-a's is large; (2) the Henderson-Hasselbach equation; (3) polyprotic acids for which the difference between K-a's is small; (4) analysis of microscopic dissociation constants for cysteine; and (5) analysis of pK-a data. (JN)

Ulukiliha sobib ka jõululauale / Raivo Feldmann

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Feldmann, Raivo

2009-01-01

Adavere lihakauplusest, mida on külastanud ka president Toomas Hendrik Ilves ja proua Evelin Ilves. OÜ Chef Foodsi kaupa tellib ka presidendi kantselei. Juuresoleval fotol president Toomas Hendrik Ilves ja proua Evelin Ilves koos OÜ Chef Foodsi juhatuse liikme Veiko Villemi ja juhataja Priit Noorhaniga

RFID antenna design for circular polarization in UHF band

Science.gov (United States)

Shahid, Hamza; Khan, Muhammad Talal Ali; Tayyab, Umais; Irshad, Usama Bin; Alkhazraji, Emad; Javaid, Muhammad Sharjeel

2017-05-01

A miniature half cross dipole antenna for defense and aerospace RFID applications in UHF band is presented. The dipole printed line arms are half crossed shape on top of dielectric substrate backed by reactive impedance surface. The antenna fed by a coaxial cable at the gap separating the dipole arms. Our design is intended to work at 2.42 GHz for RFID readers. The radiation pattern obtained has HPBW of 112, return loss of 22.24 dB and 90 MHz bandwidth.

Research on Shore-Ship Photonic Link Performance for Two- Frequency-Band Signals

Science.gov (United States)

Zuo, Yanqin; Cong, Bo

2016-02-01

Ka and Ku bands links for shore-ship communications suffer limited bandwidth and high loss. In this paper, photonics-based links are proposed and modeled. The principle of phase modulation (PM) is elaborated and analyzed. It is showed that PM can effectively suppress high-order inter-modulation distortion (IMD), reduce the insert loss and improve the reliability of the system.

Design and analysis of X-band femtosecond linac

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uesaka, M; Kozawa, T; Takeshita, A; Kobayashi, T; Ueda, T; Miya, K [Tokyo Univ., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Nuclear Engineering Research Lab.

1997-03-01

Femtosecond quantum phenomena research project is proposed at Nuclear Engineering Research Laboratory, University of Tokyo. The research facility consists of an X-band (11.424GHz) femtosecond electron linac, a femtosecond wavelength tunable laser, two S-band (2.856GHz) picosecond electron linacs and measuring equipments. Especially, we aim to generate a 100 fs (FWHM) electron single bunch with more than 1 nC at the X-band femtosecond linac. Ultrafast processes in radiation physics, chemistry, material science and microscopic electromagnetic phenomena are going to be analyzed there. Here the design and analysis of an X-band femtosecond linac is presented. The simulation of electron dynamics is carried out including magnetic pulse compression by using PARMELA and SUPERFISH. It is found by the simulation that the 600 ps (tail-to-tail) electron emission from a 200 kV thermionic gun can be bunched and compressed to 110 fs (FWHM) with the charge of 0.8 nC which gives 7.3 kA. We plan to use one high power X-band klystron which can supply 60 MW with more than 200 ns pulse duration. The flatness of plateau of the pulse should be 0.2% for stable ultrashort bunch generation. (author)

Kuulus dress ka Evelinile!

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2009-01-01

Proua Evelin Ilves kinkis Eestis esinenud popstaar Madonnale eesti rahvusmotiividega dressid. Sarnased spordirõivad tulevad müügile ka Tallinnas Viru keskuses Bastioni esinduskaupluses. Proua Evelin Ilvesele valmistatakse ainulaadsed valgest kangast dressid

Solid state Ka-band pulse oscillator with frequency electronic switching

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dvornichenko V. P.

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Transmitting devices for small radars in the millimeter wavelength range with high resolution on range and noise immunity. The work presents the results of research and development of compact pulse oscillators with digital frequency switching from pulse to pulse. The oscillator consists of a frequency synthesizer and a synchronized amplifier on the IMPATT diode. Reference oscillator of synthesizer is synchronized by crystal oscillator with digital PLL system and contains a frequency multiplier and an amplifier operating in pulse mode. Small-sized frequency synthesizer of 8 mm wave lengths provides an output power of ~1.2 W per pulse with a frequency stability of no worse than 2•10–6. Radiation frequency is controlled by three-digit binary code in OOL levels. Synchronized amplifier made on IMPATT diodes provides microwave power up to 20 W in oscillator output with microwave pulse duration of 100—300 ns in an operating band. The oscillator can be used as a driving source for the synchronization of semiconductor and electro-vacuum devices of pulsed mode, and also as a transmitting device for small-sized radar of millimeter wave range.

Karyotype analysis of Lilium longiflorum and Lilium rubellum by chromosome banding and fluorescence in situ hybridisation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lim, K.B.; Wennekes, J.; Jong, de J.H.S.G.M.; Jacobsen, E.; Tuyl, van J.M.

2001-01-01

Detailed karyotypes of Lilium longiflorum and L. rubellum were constructed on the basis of chromosome arm lengths, C-banding, AgNO3 staining, and PI-DAPI banding, together with fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) with the 5S and 45S rDNA sequences as probes. The C-banding patterns that were

The Addition of SPECT/CT Lymphoscintigraphy to Breast Cancer Radiation Planning Spares Lymph Nodes Critical for Arm Drainage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheville, Andrea L., E-mail: Cheville.andrea@mayo.edu [Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Brinkmann, Debra H.; Ward, Shelly B. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Durski, Jolanta [Department of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Laack, Nadia N.; Yan, Elizabeth; Schomberg, Paula J.; Garces, Yolanda I. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Suman, Vera J. [Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Petersen, Ivy A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States)

2013-03-15

Background: This prospective cohort study was designed to determine whether the amount of radiation delivered to the nonpathological lymph nodes (LNs) that drain the arm can be significantly reduced by integrating single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) scans into radiation treatment planning. Methods: SPECT-CT scans were acquired for the 28 patients with stage I or II breast cancer and fused with the routinely obtained radiation oncology planning CT scans. Arm-draining LNs were contoured with 0.5-cm margins automatically using a threshold of 50% maximum intensity. Two treatment plans were generated: 1 per routine clinical practice (standard; STD) and the second (modified; MOD) with treatment fields modified to minimize dose to the arm-draining LNs visible on SPECT/CT images without interfering with the dosage delivered to target tissues. Participants were treated per the MOD plans. Arm volumes were measured prior to radiation and thereafter at least three subsequent 6-month intervals. Results: Sixty-eight level I-III arm-draining LNs were identified, 57% of which were inside the STD plan fields but could be blocked in the MOD plan fields. Sixty-five percent of arm-draining LNs in the STD versus 16% in the MOD plans received a mean of ≥10 Gy, and 26% in the STD versus 4% in the MOD plans received a mean of ≥40 Gy. Mean LN radiation exposure was 23.6 Gy (standard deviation 18.2) with the STD and 7.7 Gy (standard deviation 11.3) with the MOD plans (P<.001). No participant developed lymphedema. Conclusions: The integration of SPECT/CT scans into breast cancer radiation treatment planning reduces unnecessary arm-draining LN radiation exposure and may lessen the risk of lymphedema.

The addition of SPECT/CT lymphoscintigraphy to breast cancer radiation planning spares lymph nodes critical for arm drainage.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheville, Andrea L; Brinkmann, Debra H; Ward, Shelly B; Durski, Jolanta; Laack, Nadia N; Yan, Elizabeth; Schomberg, Paula J; Garces, Yolanda I; Suman, Vera J; Petersen, Ivy A

2013-03-15

This prospective cohort study was designed to determine whether the amount of radiation delivered to the nonpathological lymph nodes (LNs) that drain the arm can be significantly reduced by integrating single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) scans into radiation treatment planning. SPECT-CT scans were acquired for the 28 patients with stage I or II breast cancer and fused with the routinely obtained radiation oncology planning CT scans. Arm-draining LNs were contoured with 0.5-cm margins automatically using a threshold of 50% maximum intensity. Two treatment plans were generated: 1 per routine clinical practice (standard; STD) and the second (modified; MOD) with treatment fields modified to minimize dose to the arm-draining LNs visible on SPECT/CT images without interfering with the dosage delivered to target tissues. Participants were treated per the MOD plans. Arm volumes were measured prior to radiation and thereafter at least three subsequent 6-month intervals. Sixty-eight level I-III arm-draining LNs were identified, 57% of which were inside the STD plan fields but could be blocked in the MOD plan fields. Sixty-five percent of arm-draining LNs in the STD versus 16% in the MOD plans received a mean of ≥10 Gy, and 26% in the STD versus 4% in the MOD plans received a mean of ≥40 Gy. Mean LN radiation exposure was 23.6 Gy (standard deviation 18.2) with the STD and 7.7 Gy (standard deviation 11.3) with the MOD plans (P<.001). No participant developed lymphedema. The integration of SPECT/CT scans into breast cancer radiation treatment planning reduces unnecessary arm-draining LN radiation exposure and may lessen the risk of lymphedema. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multi-Step Ka/Ka Dichroic Plate with Rounded Corners for NASA's 34m Beam Waveguide Antenna

Science.gov (United States)

Veruttipong, Watt; Khayatian, Behrouz; Hoppe, Daniel; Long, Ezra

2013-01-01

A multi-step Ka/Ka dichroic plate Frequency Selective Surface (FSS structure) is designed, manufactured and tested for use in NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) 34m Beam Waveguide (BWG) antennas. The proposed design allows ease of manufacturing and ability to handle the increased transmit power (reflected off the FSS) of the DSN BWG antennas from 20kW to 100 kW. The dichroic is designed using HFSS and results agree well with measured data considering the manufacturing tolerances that could be achieved on the dichroic.

Rationalization of the pKa values of alcohols and thiols using atomic charge descriptors and its application to the prediction of amino acid pKa's.

Science.gov (United States)

Ugur, Ilke; Marion, Antoine; Parant, Stéphane; Jensen, Jan H; Monard, Gerald

2014-08-25

In a first step toward the development of an efficient and accurate protocol to estimate amino acids' pKa's in proteins, we present in this work how to reproduce the pKa's of alcohol and thiol based residues (namely tyrosine, serine, and cysteine) in aqueous solution from the knowledge of the experimental pKa's of phenols, alcohols, and thiols. Our protocol is based on the linear relationship between computed atomic charges of the anionic form of the molecules (being either phenolates, alkoxides, or thiolates) and their respective experimental pKa values. It is tested with different environment approaches (gas phase or continuum solvent-based approaches), with five distinct atomic charge models (Mulliken, Löwdin, NPA, Merz-Kollman, and CHelpG), and with nine different DFT functionals combined with 16 different basis sets. Moreover, the capability of semiempirical methods (AM1, RM1, PM3, and PM6) to also predict pKa's of thiols, phenols, and alcohols is analyzed. From our benchmarks, the best combination to reproduce experimental pKa's is to compute NPA atomic charge using the CPCM model at the B3LYP/3-21G and M062X/6-311G levels for alcohols (R(2) = 0.995) and thiols (R(2) = 0.986), respectively. The applicability of the suggested protocol is tested with tyrosine and cysteine amino acids, and precise pKa predictions are obtained. The stability of the amino acid pKa's with respect to geometrical changes is also tested by MM-MD and DFT-MD calculations. Considering its strong accuracy and its high computational efficiency, these pKa prediction calculations using atomic charges indicate a promising method for predicting amino acids' pKa in a protein environment.

Kan Kaşanmak Deyimi Üzerine On The Idiom Kan Kaşanmak

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaşar ŞİMŞEK

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Mankind chose to tell his own feeling and thoughts with stereotyped words by using the expression facilities of his vernacular. The meaning of stereotyped words form as community's mutual thought's product by switching of the word or phrase's first meaning via simile. Idioms have a crucial place in regard to show the expression facilities in stereotyped words. That's why, the detection of entitiy in a language have an importance. In this essay, it will be dwelled on the idiom "kan kaşanmak"which is forgotten in these days, on the other hand; is mentioned oftenin Old Anatolian Turkish texts. The essay is composed of two parts. Inthe first part; the word kaşanmak's usage which is used in the meaningof "to urinate" in Uighur Turkish, Karakhanid Turkish, ChagataiTurkish, Qipchaq Turkish and Old Anatolian Turkish since Old Turkishperiod and today exists in Anatolian and Azerbaijan dialects, is going tobe tried to be shown with examples now that it forms a basis for "kankaşanmak" idiom.In the second part of the study, it will be dwelled on the idiom kankaşanmak's meaning transformation which is idiomatic form of theword kaşanmak, starting with the first meaning of it. The first meaningof the idiom kan kaşanmak means "to urinate blood, but later itbecomes a idiom by meaning transformation; in the meaning of"frighten to death, be scared as piss oneself, be scared as peeing bloodand this is going to be shown with examples. The study is going to befinished with showing the idiom's first meaning which is used in today'sAnatolian dialects usage " using an animal to carry load and animal'speeing blood because of the heavy burden" in the close meaning it isused for people too. İnsanoğlu, konuştuğu dilin ifade olanaklarını kullanarak, kendisine has duygu ve düşünceleri kalıplaşmış sözlerle anlatma yoluna gitmiştir. Kalıplaşmış sözlerin anlamı, sözcüğün ya da sözcük grubunun ilk anlamından mecaz yolu ile geçiş yaparak halk

Image quality analysis of vibration effects In C-arm-flat panel X-ray imaging

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Snoeren, R.M.; Kroon, J.N.; With, de P.H.N.

2011-01-01

The motion of C-arm scanning X-ray systems may result in vibrations of the imaging sub-system. In this paper, we connect C-arm system vibrations to Image Quality (IQ) deterioration for 2D angiography and 3D cone beam X-ray imaging, using large Flat Panel detectors. Vibrations will affect the

Briti korruptsioonivastane seadus kehtib ka Eestis / Tõnis Tamme

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Tamme, Tõnis, 1972-

2011-01-01

Suurbritannias jõustub 1. juulil 2011 uus korruptsioonivastane seadus (Bribery Act 2010), mis kehtib ühtmoodi nii Briti ettevõtetele kui ka mujal maailmas asutatud äriühingutele, kelle äritegevus või ka osa sellest omab puutumust Suurbritanniaga

Scanning or treating device for smooth curved surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gemma, A.

1988-01-01

This robot for scanning or treating a smooth curved surface is made by a vehicle moving predeterminately on the surface, this vehicle having mobil grips. A support arm is attached to the vehicle by a swivel and fixed at the center of the curvature. It is orientable parralel to the axes of legs of the vehicle near the center. Scanning or treatment systems for the surface are fixed on the vehicle. Drives and control systems for the vehicle and treatment or scanning system are provided [fr

Concentrating Solar Power Projects - KaXu Solar One | Concentrating Solar

Science.gov (United States)

Power | NREL KaXu Solar One This page provides information on KaXu Solar One, a concentrating solar power (CSP) project, with data organized by background, parcipants and power plant configuration . Status Date: April 14, 2015 Project Overview Project Name: KaXu Solar One Country: South Africa Location

Amniotic band-like structures | Govender | Obstetrics and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Intra-amniotic band-like structures are seen fairly commonly on routine obstetric scans, especially during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. It is important to establish the cause for such findings in order to determine their clinical significance and to assess prognosis. The vast majority of band-like structures are ...

Classification of sea ice types with single-band (33.6 GHz) airborne passive microwave imagery

Science.gov (United States)

Eppler, Duane T.; Farmer, L. Dennis; Lohanick, Alan W.; Hoover, Mervyn

1986-09-01

During March 1983 extensive high-quality airborne passive Ka band (33.6 GHz) microwave imagery and coincident high-resolution aerial photography were obtained of ice along a 378-km flight line in the Beaufort Sea. Analysis of these data suggests that four classes of winter surfaces can be distinguished solely on the basis of 33.6-GHz brightness temperature: open water, frazil, old ice, and young/first-year ice. New ice (excluding frazil) and nilas display brightness temperatures that overlap the range of temperatures characteristic of old ice and, to a lesser extent, young/first-year ice. Scenes in which a new ice or nilas are present in appreciable amounts are subject to substantial errors in classification if static measures of Ka band radiometric brightness temperature alone are considered. Textural characteristics of nilas and new ice, however, differ significantly from textural features characteristic of other ice types and probably can be used with brightness temperature data to classify ice type in high-resolution single-band microwave images. In any case, open water is radiometrically the coldest surface observed in any scene. Lack of overlap between brightness temperatures characteristic of other surfaces indicates that estimates of the areal extent of open water based on only 33.6-GHz brightness temperatures are accurate.

Alternative Method of On-Orbit Response-Versus-Scan-Angle Characterization for MODIS Reflective Solar Bands

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hongda; Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Angal, Amit; Geng, Xu; Wu, Aisheng

2016-01-01

The moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) has 20 reflective solar bands (RSB), covering a spectral range from 0.41 to 2.2 microns, which are calibrated on-orbit using its onboard calibrators, which include a solar diffuser, a solar diffuser stability monitor, and a spectroradiometric calibration assembly. A space view (SV) port is used to provide a background reference and also facilitates near-monthly lunar observations through a spacecraft roll. In every scan, the Earth's surface, SV, and onboard calibrators are viewed via a two-sided scan mirror, the reflectance of which depends on the angle of incidence (AOI) as well as the wavelength of the incident light. Response-versus-scan-angle (RVS) is defined as a dependence function of the scan mirror's reflectance over AOI. An initial RVS for each RSB was measured prelaunch for both Terra and Aqua MODIS. Algorithms have been developed to track the on-orbit RVS variation using the measurements from the onboard calibrators, supplemented with the earth view (EV) trends from pseudoinvariant desert targets obtained at different AOI. Since the mission beginning, the MODIS characterization support team (MCST) has dedicated efforts in evaluating approaches of characterizing the on-orbit RVS. A majority of the approaches focused on fitting the data at each AOI over time and then deriving the relative change at different AOI. The current version of the on-orbit RVS algorithm, as implemented in the collection 6 (C6) level-1B (L1B), is also based on the above rationale. It utilizes the EV response trends from the pseudoinvariant Libyan desert targets to supplement the gain derived from the onboard calibrators. The primary limitation of this approach is the assumption of the temporal stability of these desert sites. Consequently, MCST developed an approach that derives the on-orbit RVS change using measurements from a single desert site, combined with the on-orbit lunar measurements. In addition, the EV and onboard

OT2_tvelusam_4: Probing Galactic Spiral Arm Tangencies with [CII

Science.gov (United States)

Velusamy, T.

2011-09-01

We propose to use the unique viewing geometry of the Galactic spiral arm tangents , which provide an ideal environment for studying the effects of density waves on spiral structure. We propose a well-sampled map of the[C II] 1.9 THz line emission along a 15-degree longitude region across the Norma-3kpc arm tangential, which includes the edge of the Perseus Arm. The COBE-FIRAS instrument observed the strongest [C II] and [N II] emission along these spiral arm tangencies.. The Herschel Open Time Key Project Galactic Observations of Terahertz C+ (GOT C+), also detects the strongest [CII] emission near these spiral arm tangential directions in its sparsely sampled HIFI survey of [CII] in the Galactic plane survey. The [C II] 158-micron line is the strongest infrared line emitted by the ISM and is an excellent tracer and probe of both the diffuse gases in the cold neutral medium (CNM) and the warm ionized medium (WIM). Furthermore, as demonstrated in the GOTC+ results, [C II] is an efficient tracer of the dark H2 gas in the ISM that is not traced by CO or HI observations. Thus, taking advantage of the long path lengths through the spiral arm across the tangencies, we can use the [C II] emission to trace and characterize the diffuse atomic and ionized gas as well as the diffuse H2 molecular gas in cloud transitions from HI to H2 and C+ to C and CO, throughout the ISM. The main goal of our proposal is to use the well sampled (at arcmin scale) [C II] to study these gas components of the ISM in the spiral-arm, and inter-arm regions, to constrain models of the spiral structure and to understand the influence of spiral density waves on the Galactic gas and the dynamical interaction between the different components. The proposed HIFI observations will consist of OTF 15 degree longitude scans and one 2-degree latitude scan sampled every 40arcsec across the Norma- 3kpc Perseus Spiral tangency.

Multi-band microwave photonic satellite repeater scheme employing intensity Mach-Zehnder modulators

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Yin Jie; Dong Tao; Zhang Bin; Hao Yan; Cao Guixing; Cheng Zijing; Xu Kun; Zhou Yue; Dai Jian

2017-01-01

To solve the satellite repeater's flexible and wideband frequency conversion problem,we propose a novel microwave photonic repeater system,which can convert the upload signal's carrier to six different frequencies.The scheme employs one 20 GHz bandwidth dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) and two 10 GHz bandwidth MZMs.The basic principle of this scheme is filtering out two optical sidebands after the optical carrier suppression (OCS) modulation and combining two sidebands modulated by the input radio frequency (RF) signal.This structure can realize simultaneous multi-band frequency conversion with only one frequency-fixed microwave source and prevent generating harmful interference sidebands by using two corresponding optical filters after optical modulation.In the simulation,one C-band signal of 6 GHz carrier can be successfully converted to 12 GHz (Ku-band),28 GHz,34 GHz,40 GHz,46 GHz (Ka-band) and 52 GHz (V-band),which can be an attractive method to realize multi-band microwave photonic satellite repeater.Alternatively,the scheme can be configured to generate multi-band local oscillators (LOs) for widely satellite onboard clock distribution when the input RF signal is replaced by the internal clock source.

20/30 GHz dual-band circularly polarized reflectarray antenna based on the concentric dual split-loop element

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smith, Thomas Gunst; Vesterdal Larsen, Niels; Vesterager Gothelf, Ulrich

2012-01-01

A concentric dual split-loop element is designed and investigated for reflectarray antenna design in the emerging 20 GHz and 30 GHz Ka-band satellite communication spectrum. The element is capable of providing adjustment of the phase of reflection coefficients for circular plane waves in two...

Predicting pKa for proteins using COSMO-RS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersson, Martin Peter; Jensen, Jan Halborg; Stipp, Susan Louise Svane

2013-01-01

We have used the COSMO-RS implicit solvation method to calculate the equilibrium constants, pKa, for deprotonation of the acidic residues of the ovomucoid inhibitor protein, OMTKY3. The root mean square error for comparison with experimental data is only 0.5 pH units and the maximum error 0.8 p......H units. The results show that the accuracy of pKa prediction using COSMO-RS is as good for large biomolecules as it is for smaller inorganic and organic acids and that the method compares very well to previous pKa predictions of the OMTKY3 protein using Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics. Our approach...

Snovanje in konstruiranje nadstreška za lahka gospodarska vozila

OpenAIRE

Čirić, Sebastijan

2015-01-01

Diplomska naloga opisuje primer snovanja in konstruiranja nadstreška za lahka gospodarska vozila. Naloga vsebuje statični preračun nadstreška sprogramom Scia Engineer 2011.1 in izdelavo modela nadstreška ter tehnično dokumentacijo v programu Pro Engineer 5.0. Rezultati statičnega preračuna so analizirane vrednosti povesa in napetosti.

Sub-band-gap laser micromachining of lithium niobate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, F. K.; Müllenborn, Matthias

1995-01-01

method is reported which enables us to do laser processing of lithium niobate using sub-band-gap photons. Using high scan speeds, moderate power densities, and sub-band-gap photon energies results in volume removal rates in excess of 106µm3/s. This enables fast micromachining of small piezoelectric...

Chromosome Banding in Amphibia. XXXII. The Genus Xenopus (Anura, Pipidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Schmid, Michael; Steinlein, Claus

2015-01-01

Mitotic chromosomes of 16 species of the frog genus Xenopus were prepared from kidney and lung cell cultures. In the chromosomes of 7 species, high-resolution replication banding patterns could be induced by treating the cultures with 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and deoxythymidine (dT) in succession, and in 6 of these species the BrdU/dT-banded chromosomes could be arranged into karyotypes. In the 3 species of the clade with 2n = 20 and 4n = 40 chromosomes (X. tropicalis, X. epitropicalis, X. new tetraploid 1), as well as in the 3 species with 4n = 36 chromosomes (X. laevis, X. borealis, X. muelleri), the BrdU/dT-banded karyotypes show a high degree of homoeology, though differences were detected between these groups. Translocations, inversions, insertions or sex-specific replication bands were not observed. Minor replication asynchronies found between chromosomes probably involve heterochromatic regions. BrdU/dT replication banding of Xenopus chromosomes provides the landmarks necessary for the exact physical mapping of genes and repetitive sequences. FISH with an X. laevis 5S rDNA probe detected multiple hybridization sites at or near the long-arm telomeric regions in most chromosomes of X. laevis and X. borealis, whereas in X. muelleri, the 5S rDNA sequences are located exclusively at the long-arm telomeres of a single chromosome pair. Staining with the AT base pair-specific fluorochrome quinacrine mustard revealed brightly fluorescing heterochromatic regions in the majority of X. borealis chromosomes which are absent in other Xenopus species.

Proposal for the Award of a Contract for the Supply of 13 kA and 20.5 kA, 18 V Switched-Mode Power Converters for the LHC

CERN Document Server

2003-01-01

This document concerns the award of a contract for the supply of 13 kA and 20.5 kA, 18 V switched-mode power converters using sub-converters of 3.25 kA. Following a market survey (MS-2866/SL/LHC) carried out among 81 firms in seventeen Member States and a call for tenders for prototypes (IT-2919/SL/LHC) sent on 11 June 2001, a call for tenders for the supply of the pre-series and series of 13 kA and 20.5 kA, 18 V switched-mode power converters both using sub-converters of 3.25 kA was sent to two firms on 17 September 2002. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of a contract with TRANSTECHNIK (DE), the only firm that has delivered a successfully qualifying prototype, for the supply of eighteen 13 kA and one 20.5 kA, 18 V switched-mode power converters and spares for a total amount of 4 607 731 euros (6 747 300 Swiss francs), not subject to revision. The rate of exchange used is that stipulated in the tender. The firm has indicated the following distribution by country of the contract val...

JPSS-1 VIIRS Pre-Launch Response Versus Scan Angle Testing and Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Moyer, David; McIntire, Jeff; Oudrari, Hassan; McCarthy, James; Xiong, Xiaoxiong; De Luccia, Frank

2016-01-01

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instruments on-board both the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) and the first Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS-1) spacecraft, with launch dates of October 2011 and December 2016 respectively, are cross-track scanners with an angular swath of +/-56.06 deg. A four-mirror Rotating Telescope Assembly (RTA) is used for scanning combined with a Half Angle Mirror (HAM) that directs light exiting from the RTA into the aft-optics. It has 14 Reflective Solar Bands (RSBs), seven Thermal Emissive Bands (TEBs) and a panchromatic Day Night Band (DNB). There are three internal calibration targets, the Solar Diffuser, the BlackBody and the Space View, that have fixed scan angles within the internal cavity of VIIRS. VIIRS has calibration requirements of 2% on RSB reflectance and as tight as 0.4% on TEB radiance that requires the sensor's gain change across the scan or Response Versus Scan angle (RVS) to be well quantified. A flow down of the top level calibration requirements put constraints on the characterization of the RVS to 0.2%-0.3% but there are no specified limitations on the magnitude of response change across scan. The RVS change across scan angle can vary significantly between bands with the RSBs having smaller changes of approximately 2% and some TEBs having approximately 10% variation. Within aband, the RVS has both detector and HAM side dependencies that vary across scan. Errors in the RVS characterization will contribute to image banding and striping artifacts if their magnitudes are above the noise level of the detectors. The RVS was characterized pre-launch for both S-NPP and JPSS-1 VIIRS and a comparison of the RVS curves between these two sensors will be discussed.

Dynamic Flaps Electronic Scan Antenna

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Gonzalez, Daniel

2000-01-01

A dynamic FLAPS(TM) electronic scan antenna was the focus of this research. The novelty S of this SBIR resides in the use of plasma as the main component of this dynamic X-Band phased S array antenna...

Postprocessing Algorithm for Driving Conventional Scanning Tunneling Microscope at Fast Scan Rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hao; Li, Xianqi; Chen, Yunmei; Park, Jewook; Li, An-Ping; Zhang, X-G

2017-01-01

We present an image postprocessing framework for Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) to reduce the strong spurious oscillations and scan line noise at fast scan rates and preserve the features, allowing an order of magnitude increase in the scan rate without upgrading the hardware. The proposed method consists of two steps for large scale images and four steps for atomic scale images. For large scale images, we first apply for each line an image registration method to align the forward and backward scans of the same line. In the second step we apply a "rubber band" model which is solved by a novel Constrained Adaptive and Iterative Filtering Algorithm (CIAFA). The numerical results on measurement from copper(111) surface indicate the processed images are comparable in accuracy to data obtained with a slow scan rate, but are free of the scan drift error commonly seen in slow scan data. For atomic scale images, an additional first step to remove line-by-line strong background fluctuations and a fourth step of replacing the postprocessed image by its ranking map as the final atomic resolution image are required. The resulting image restores the lattice image that is nearly undetectable in the original fast scan data.

Frequency scanning microstrip antennas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danielsen, Magnus; Jørgensen, Rolf

1979-01-01

The principles of using radiating microstrip resonators as elements in a frequency scanning antenna array are described. The resonators are cascade-coupled. This gives a scan of the main lobe due to the phase-shift in the resonator in addition to that created by the transmission line phase......-shift. Experimental results inX-band, in good agreement with the theory, show that it is possible to scan the main lobe an angle ofpm30degby a variation of the frequencypm300MHz, and where the 3 dB beamwidth is less than10deg. The directivity was 14.7 dB, while the gain was 8.1 dB. The efficiency might be improved...

An offset-fed 20/30 GHz dual-band circularly polarized reflectarray antenna

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smith, Thomas Gunst; Vesterdal, Niels; Gothelf, Ulrich

2013-01-01

A dual-frequency circularly polarized offset reflectarray antenna for Ka-band satellite communication is presented. The reflectarray is designed using the concentric dual split-loop element which enables full 360° phase adjustment simultaneously in two separate frequency bands. The elements have...... been optimized to suppress the cross-polar reflection. Thereafter, the element data is used for synthesis of the reflectarray layout and computation of the associated radiation patterns. The reflectarray is 400mm × 400mm and radiates LHCP at 19.95 GHz and RHCP at 29.75 GHz. Aperture efficiencies of 58......% and 60% are obtained at these frequencies, and the cross-polarization is more than 25 dB below peak gain....

Application of Synthetic Storm Technique for Diurnal and Seasonal Variation of Slant Path Ka-Band Rain Attenuation Time Series over a Subtropical Location in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. S. Ojo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available As technology advances and more demands are on satellite services, rain-induced attenuation still creates one of the most damaging effects of the atmosphere on the quality of radio communication signals, especially those operating above 10 GHz. System designers therefore require statistical information on rain-induced attenuation over the coverage area in order to determine the appropriate transmitter and receiver characteristics to be adopted. This paper presents results on the time-varying rain characterization and diurnal variation of slant path rain attenuation in the Ka-band frequency simulated with synthetic storm techniques over a subtropical location in South Africa using 10-year rain rate time-series data. The analysis is based on the CDF of one-minute rain rate; time-series seasonal variation of rain rate observed over four time intervals: 00:00–06:00, 06:00–12:00, 12:00–18:00, and 18:00–24:00; diurnal fades margin; and diurnal variation of rain attenuation. Comparison was also made between the synthesized values and measured attenuation data. The predicted statistics are in good agreement with those obtained from the propagation beacon measurement in the area. The overall results will be needed for an acceptable planning that can effectively reduce the fade margin to a very low value for an optimum data communication over this area.

Synthesis and Characterization of Well-Defined Regular Star Polyisoprenes with 3, 4, 6 and 8 Arms

KAUST Repository

Ratkanthwar, Kedar R.; Hadjichristidis, Nikolaos; Pudukulathan, Zubaidha

2013-01-01

Three series of regular well-defined star polyisoprenes (PIs) with 3, 4 and 6 arms (each series: same arm molecular weight) have been synthesized by anionic polymerization high vacuum techniques and chlorosilane chemistry. In addition, three linear PIs with practically the double arm molecular weight of the corresponding series (2-arm star PIs) have been synthesized, as well as one 8-arm star PI. All intermediate (arms) and final (stars) products have been characterized by size exclusion chromatography (SEC), SEC-multi-angle laser light scattering (SEC-MALLS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The Tg of the star PIs was determined by differential scanning calorimetry. These model polymeric materials are essential for polymer physics and polymer physical chemistry in order to establish the structure/property relationships.

Are environmental scanning units effective?

Science.gov (United States)

Stubbart, C

1982-06-01

Many authorities have urged companies to set up environmental scanning to assist corporate planning. Some advocates have recommended a unit at corporate level. This would give breadth of view and penetration into the future. It would arm decision makers with accurate forecasts. The information would be broad in scope and future directed. It could provide also assumptions for long-range planning. The Fahey and King study produced a model of corporate scanning types. The data showed that environmental information was built into the plan. Though the political environment was important, scanning was inadequate. The best location for scanning was not at corporate level and most firms used irregular methods. The Thomas study concluded that effective environmental scanning was permanent and multi level and that 'best practice' was continuous scanning. In 1978 the sample organizations were revisited. Five of the twelve have not changed their practice. The factors which encouraged a continuous model were the attitudes of academics and business media, demonstrated success of the units, the right kind of personnel. Contrary influences were changes in top management, decentralization moves, resource cuts, defining the environment and its significance, the availability of scanning competent personnel, surprise itself, and the availability of alternatives e.g. external forecasts.

Low AC Loss in a 3 kA HTS Cable of the Dutch Project

Science.gov (United States)

Chevtchenko, Oleg; Zuijderduin, Roy; Smit, Johan; Willén, Dag; Lentge, Heidi; Thidemann, Carsten; Traeholt, Chresten; Melnik, Irina; Geschiere, Alex

Requirements for a 6 km long high temperature superconducting (HTS) AC power cable of the Amsterdam project are: a cable has to fit in an annulus of 160 mm, with two cooling stations at the cable ends only. Existing solutions for HTS cables would lead to excessively high coolant pressure drop in the cable, potentially affecting public acceptance of the project. A way out would be to substantially reduce AC losses from 1 down to about 0.1 W/m per phase at rated current of 3 kArms, frequency of 50 Hz and temperature of 77 K. In this paper we discuss a strategy towards this ambitious goal, a concept design of the single phase cable 3 kA conductor made of YBCO tapes and present corresponding experimental and simulation data supporting the developed approach leading directly to this goal. HTS cable model was made that show a drastically reduced AC loss. The low loss was achieved by using appropriate pitch angles for two-layer cable conductor of relatively large diameter, by minimizing the gaps between the HTS tapes, and by using narrow HTS tapes that conform well to the roundness of the underlying former. AC loss of 0.12 W/m at 3 kArms was measured at a frequency of 60 Hz and at a temperature of 77 K.

How does arm positioning of polytraumatized patients in the initial computed tomography (CT) affect image quality and diagnostic accuracy?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kahn, Johannes; Grupp, Ulrich; Maurer, Martin

2014-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of different arm positions on abdominal image quality during initial whole-body CT (WBCT) in polytraumatized patients and to assess the risk of missing potentially life-threatening injuries due to arm artifacts. Materials and methods: Between July 2011 and February 2013, WBCT scans of 203 patients with arms in the abdominal area during initial WBCT were analyzed. Six different arms-down positions were defined: patients with both (group A)/one arm(s) (group B) down alongside the torso, patients with both (group C)/one arm(s) (group D) crossed in front of the upper abdomen, patients with both (group E)/one arm(s) (group F) crossed in front of the pelvic area. A group of 203 patients with elevated arms beside the head served as a control group. Two observers jointly evaluated image quality of different organ regions using a 4-point scale system. Follow-up examinations (CT scans and/or ultrasound) were analyzed to identify findings missed during initial WBCT due to reduced image quality. Results: Image quality for most of the organ regions analyzed was found to be significantly different among all groups (p < 0.05). Image quality was most severely degraded in group A, followed by groups E and C. Positioning with one arm up resulted in significantly better image quality than both arms down (p < 0.05). Overall, arms-up positioning showed significantly better image quality than arms-down positions (p < 0.05). In one case, liver hemorrhage missed in the initial WBCT because of arm artifacts, was revealed by follow-up CT. Conclusion: In WBCT arms-down positioning significantly degrades abdominal image quality and artifacts might even conceal potentially life-threatening injuries. If the patient's status does not allow elevation of both arms, image quality can benefit from raising at least one arm. Otherwise, arms should be placed in front of the upper abdomen instead of alongside the torso

Origin of the pKa shift of the catalytic lysine in acetoacetate decarboxylase.

OpenAIRE

Ishikita, Hiroshi

2010-01-01

The pKa value of Lys115, the catalytic residue in acetoacetate decarboxylate, was calculated using atomic coordinates of the X-ray crystal structure with consideration of the protonation states of all titratable sites in the protein. The calculated pKa value of Lys115 (pKa(Lys115)) was unusually low (approximately 6) in agreement with the experimentally measured value. Although charged residues impact pKa(Lys115) considerably in the native protein, the significant pKa(Lys115) downshift in the...

Computing pKa Values in Different Solvents by Electrostatic Transformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rossini, Emanuele; Netz, Roland R; Knapp, Ernst-Walter

2016-07-12

We introduce a method that requires only moderate computational effort to compute pKa values of small molecules in different solvents with an average accuracy of better than 0.7 pH units. With a known pKa value in one solvent, the electrostatic transform method computes the pKa value in any other solvent if the proton solvation energy is known in both considered solvents. To apply the electrostatic transform method to a molecule, the electrostatic solvation energies of the protonated and deprotonated molecular species are computed in the two considered solvents using a dielectric continuum to describe the solvent. This is demonstrated for 30 molecules belonging to 10 different molecular families by considering 77 measured pKa values in 4 different solvents: water, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide, and methanol. The electrostatic transform method can be applied to any other solvent if the proton solvation energy is known. It is exclusively based on physicochemical principles, not using any empirical fetch factors or explicit solvent molecules, to obtain agreement with measured pKa values and is therefore ready to be generalized to other solute molecules and solvents. From the computed pKa values, we obtained relative proton solvation energies, which agree very well with the proton solvation energies computed recently by ab initio methods, and used these energies in the present study.

Cytogenetic data of Partamona peckolti (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini by C banding and fluorochrome staining with DA/CMA3 and DA/DAPI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brito Rute Magalhães

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The stingless bees of the Partamona genus have been studied taxonomically, ecologically and behaviourally, but cytogenetic studies are still rare. The objective of this study was to obtain cytogenetic data to contribute to Partamona peckolti species characterization. Heterochromatin was localized in all chromosome pericentromeric regions but some blocks could be visualized on some large chromosomes arms. A large heterozygous DA-CMA3-positive band was observed on one large chromosome arm, but was completely absent when C banding was applied before fluorochrome staining, with only one small positive band being visualized. Sequential DA-CMA3-NOR staining of interphase nuclei provided coincident positive responses. This suggests that DA-CMA3-positive bands of P. peckolti correspond to nucleolar organizer regions, as previously confirmed for another Partamona species by FISH.

Mapping Regional Inundation with Spaceborne L-Band SAR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruce Chapman

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Shortly after the launch of ALOS PALSAR L-band SAR by the Japan Space Exploration Agency (JAXA, a program to develop an Earth Science Data Record (ESDR for inundated wetlands was funded by NASA. Using established methodologies, extensive multi-temporal L-band ALOS ScanSAR data acquired bi-monthly by the PALSAR instrument onboard ALOS were used to classify the inundation state for South America for delivery as a component of this Inundated Wetlands ESDR (IW-ESDR and in collaboration with JAXA’s ALOS Kyoto and Carbon Initiative science programme. We describe these methodologies and the final classification of the inundation state, then compared this with results derived from dual-season data acquired by the JERS-1 L-band SAR mission in 1995 and 1996, as well as with estimates of surface water extent measured globally every 10 days by coarser resolution sensors. Good correspondence was found when comparing open water extent classified from multi-temporal ALOS ScanSAR data with surface water fraction identified from coarse resolution sensors, except in those regions where there may be differences in sensitivity to widespread and shallow seasonal flooding event, or in areas that could be excluded through use of a continental-scale inundatable mask. It was found that the ALOS ScanSAR classification of inundated vegetation was relatively insensitive to inundated herbaceous vegetation. Inundation dynamics were examined using the multi-temporal ALOS ScanSAR acquisitions over the Pacaya-Samiria and surrounding areas in the Peruvian Amazon.

Kanegelo ya Nimirode: Re lebelela diphihlelelo t�a gagwe ka lefsa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elelwani B. Farisani

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Kanegelo ya Hama/Nimirode e �omi�it�we go gatelela Bathobaso ba Afrika-Borwa le ba Amerika. Taodi�wana ye e lekola Nimirode ka lefsa le go t�ea magato a go bu�et�a seriti sa gagwe le sa Bathobaso sekeng.Seo se tlo dirwa ka dikgato t�e tlhano ka mo tlase. Sa mathomo, re tlo lekola dimelo t�a bana ba Noage, go kwe�i�a Nimirode, yo e lego yena �edi ye kgolo ya taodi�wana ye. Sa bobedi re tlo lebelela ka fao bangwadi ba bangwe ba t�welet�ago seswant�ho sa go befa sa Nimirode. Sa boraro, re tlo sekaseka tiri�o ya kanegelo ya Hama/Nimirode go gatelela le go dira Bathobaso makgoba. Sa bone, re tlo sekaseka diphihlelelo le dikatlego t�a Nimirode. Mo re tlo tsepelela diphihlelelo t�a gagwe t�e tharo t�e kgolo bjalo ka go ba mmu�i wa maemo, motsomi yo maatla le moagi. Nepo ya karolo ye ke go ganet�ana le tshekatsheko ya go se be botse ye e nepilwego Nimirode nakong ya go feta. Re tlo tlalelet�a ka go fa tshekatsheko ye e tebilego ya thogako godimo ga Hama/Ku�e/Nimirode. Sa bohlano, ebile e le sa mafelelo, re tlo t�welet�a nyanyeng bohlokwa bja kanegelo ya Nimirode go bao ba bego ba gatelet�we le go ba makgoba ka baka la temana ye. Re tlo nepi�a Afrika-Borwa.

Updating and test on 12 kA HTSCL for Russia JINR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Tingzhi; Ding, K; Liu, C; Xu, C; Feng, H; Wu, H; Liu, X; Song, Y

2014-01-01

The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) started manufacture and test of superconducting magnets for the new accelerator complex Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility (NICA). A pair of current leads rated 12 kA was developed for cold testing of the magnets in 2012. The operation of the facility needs ∼350 leads rated from 100 A to 12 kA to convey current for the magnets. After the test of the pair of 12 kA leads in JINR a contract of supplying 3 pairs of 12 kA high temperature superconducting current leads (HTSCLs) were signed to ASIPP this year. In this paper the design updating and test of the current leads are introduced.

On the development of protein pKa calculation algorithms

Science.gov (United States)

Carstensen, Tommy; Farrell, Damien; Huang, Yong; Baker, Nathan A.; Nielsen, Jens Erik

2011-01-01

Protein pKa calculation methods are developed partly to provide fast non-experimental estimates of the ionization constants of protein side chains. However, the most significant reason for developing such methods is that a good pKa calculation method is presumed to provide an accurate physical model of protein electrostatics, which can be applied in methods for drug design, protein design and other structure-based energy calculation methods. We explore the validity of this presumption by simulating the development of a pKa calculation method using artificial experimental data derived from a human-defined physical reality. We examine the ability of an RMSD-guided development protocol to retrieve the correct (artificial) physical reality and find that a rugged optimization landscape and a huge parameter space prevent the identification of the correct physical reality. We examine the importance of the training set in developing pKa calculation methods and investigate the effect of experimental noise on our ability to identify the correct physical reality, and find that both effects have a significant and detrimental impact on the physical reality of the optimal model identified. Our findings are of relevance to all structure-based methods for protein energy calculations and simulation, and have large implications for all types of current pKa calculation methods. Our analysis furthermore suggests that careful and extensive validation on many types of experimental data can go some way in making current models more realistic. PMID:21744393

Historical review of bryological research in Fruška Gora Mt. (Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilić Miloš M.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Fruška Gora is a mountain located in the southern part of Pannonian plane and it is poorly bryologicaly investigated as well as most parts of Serbia. First data on bryophytes, for this region, were published in 1949 by Teodor Soška in his paper Pregled mahovina i lišajeva u okolini Beograda (Review of mosses and lichens in the vicinity of Belgrade. Soška listed 34 species of mosses and 8 liverworts species for this region. Later, in 1955, Zlatko Pavletić in his capital work Prodromus flore briofita Jugoslavije (Prodromus of Yugoslavian bryophyte flora, stated 26 moss species and 3 liverwort species, without indicating specific localities, but all of them were Soška’s original results. In 1966, the second botanist with original findings of bryophytes on Fruška Gora was Popović, who recorded 2 liverwort and 19 moss species, for this mountain, also without specific localities. By far, the most comprehensive data were given by Cvetić and Sabovljević in 2004. Their study A contribution to the bryophyte flora of Fruška Gora (Vojvodina, Serbia counted total number of 118 mosses and 14 liverworts, on 16 localities within National park Fruška Gora. The latest study on bryophytes of Fruška Gora was in 2013, and it is the first and so far, the last study of bryophyte assemblages on grasslands. Authors of this paper recorded 18 species of mosses from 29 releveé. Complete bryophyte flora of Fruška Gora is still unknown. Considering the fact that this is the region with high biodiversity, dense hydrological network and a rather complex geology, Fruška Gora certainly deserves further bryological researches.

Transfer doping of single isolated nanodiamonds, studied by scanning probe microscopy techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolker, Asaf; Saguy, Cecile; Kalish, Rafi

2014-09-26

The transfer doping of diamond surfaces has been applied in various novel two-dimensional electronic devices. Its extension to nanodiamonds (ND) is essential for ND-based applications in many fields. In particular, understanding the influence of the crystallite size on transfer doping is desirable. Here, we report the results of a detailed study of the electronic energetic band structure of single, isolated transfer-doped nanodiamonds with nanometric resolution using a combination of scanning tunneling spectroscopy and Kelvin force microscopy measurements. The results show how the band gap, the valence band maximum, the electron affinity and the work function all depend on the ND's size and nanoparticle surface properties. The present analysis, which combines information from both scanning tunneling spectroscopy and Kelvin force microscopy, should be applicable to any nanoparticle or surface that can be measured with scanning probe techniques.

Transfer doping of single isolated nanodiamonds, studied by scanning probe microscopy techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Bolker, Asaf; Saguy, Cecile; Kalish, Rafi

2014-09-01

The transfer doping of diamond surfaces has been applied in various novel two-dimensional electronic devices. Its extension to nanodiamonds (ND) is essential for ND-based applications in many fields. In particular, understanding the influence of the crystallite size on transfer doping is desirable. Here, we report the results of a detailed study of the electronic energetic band structure of single, isolated transfer-doped nanodiamonds with nanometric resolution using a combination of scanning tunneling spectroscopy and Kelvin force microscopy measurements. The results show how the band gap, the valence band maximum, the electron affinity and the work function all depend on the ND’s size and nanoparticle surface properties. The present analysis, which combines information from both scanning tunneling spectroscopy and Kelvin force microscopy, should be applicable to any nanoparticle or surface that can be measured with scanning probe techniques.

Transfer doping of single isolated nanodiamonds, studied by scanning probe microscopy techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolker, Asaf; Kalish, Rafi; Saguy, Cecile

2014-01-01

The transfer doping of diamond surfaces has been applied in various novel two-dimensional electronic devices. Its extension to nanodiamonds (ND) is essential for ND-based applications in many fields. In particular, understanding the influence of the crystallite size on transfer doping is desirable. Here, we report the results of a detailed study of the electronic energetic band structure of single, isolated transfer-doped nanodiamonds with nanometric resolution using a combination of scanning tunneling spectroscopy and Kelvin force microscopy measurements. The results show how the band gap, the valence band maximum, the electron affinity and the work function all depend on the ND’s size and nanoparticle surface properties. The present analysis, which combines information from both scanning tunneling spectroscopy and Kelvin force microscopy, should be applicable to any nanoparticle or surface that can be measured with scanning probe techniques. (paper)

Photonic band edge assisted spontaneous emission enhancement from all Er3+ 1-D photonic band gap structure

Science.gov (United States)

Chiasera, A.; Meroni, C.; Varas, S.; Valligatla, S.; Scotognella, F.; Boucher, Y. G.; Lukowiak, A.; Zur, L.; Righini, G. C.; Ferrari, M.

2018-06-01

All Er3+ doped dielectric 1-D Photonic Band Gap Structure was fabricated by rf-sputtering technique. The structure was constituted by of twenty pairs of SiO2/TiO2 alternated layers doped with Er3+ ions. The scanning electron microscopy was used to check the morphology of the structure. Transmission measurements put in evidence the stop band in the range 1500 nm-1950 nm. The photoluminescence measurements were obtained by optically exciting the sample and detecting the emitted light in the 1.5 μm region at different detection angles. Luminescence spectra and luminescence decay curves put in evidence that the presence of the stop band modify the emission features of the Er3+ ions.

Amobilisasi Sel Bacillus licheniformis KA-08 dalam Menghasilkan Keratinase Termostabil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anthoni Agustien

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Isolate local Bacillus licheniformis KA-08 known extracellular thermostable keratinase producers. Scale up of thermostable keratinase production can be with cells immobilized. The objective of the research is to thermostable keratinase production of B. licheniformis KA-08 cells immobilization. Thermostable keratinase activities were determined with modification of Brandelli and Riffel method. Protein concentration of enzyme determined with Lowry method. Immobilization of cells by Ca-alginate matrix with Adinarayana method, alginate concentration and amount of alginate bead effects with Beshay method. The result extracellular thermostable keratinase of B. licheniformis KA-08 cells immobilized was maximum produced at 12 times incubation with activity as 9.25 U/mg. Three percent alginate has optimum activity. Three hundred alginate beads has optimum activity. Cells immobilized ofB. licheniformis KA-08 has scale up of thermostable keratinase activity at 2 times than free cells. Thermostable keratinase produced by cell immobilized was nine cycles.

High Spectral Resolution Infrared and Raman Lidar Observations for the ARM Program: Clear and Cloudy Sky Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Revercomb, Henry; Tobin, David; Knuteson, Robert; Borg, Lori; Moy, Leslie

2009-06-17

This grant began with the development of the Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) for ARM. The AERI has provided highly accurate and reliable observations of downwelling spectral radiance (Knuteson et al. 2004a, 2004b) for application to radiative transfer, remote sensing of boundary layer temperature and water vapor, and cloud characterization. One of the major contributions of the ARM program has been its success in improving radiation calculation capabilities for models and remote sensing that evolved from the multi-year, clear-sky spectral radiance comparisons between AERI radiances and line-by-line calculations (Turner et al. 2004). This effort also spurred us to play a central role in improving the accuracy of water vapor measurements, again helping ARM lead the way in the community (Turner et al. 2003a, Revercomb et al. 2003). In order to add high-altitude downlooking AERI-like observations over the ARM sites, we began the development of an airborne AERI instrument that has become known as the Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (Scanning-HIS). This instrument has become an integral part of the ARM Unmanned Aerospace Vehicle (ARM-UAV) program. It provides both a cross-track mapping view of the earth and an uplooking view from the 12-15 km altitude of the Scaled Composites Proteus aircraft when flown over the ARM sites for IOPs. It has successfully participated in the first two legs of the “grand tour” of the ARM sites (SGP and NSA), resulting in a very good comparison with AIRS observations in 2002 and in an especially interesting data set from the arctic during the Mixed-Phase Cloud Experiment (M-PACE) in 2004.

A Cascaded Self-Similar Rat-Race Hybrid Coupler Architecture and its Compact Ka-Band Implementation

Science.gov (United States)

2017-03-01

real-estate and limit the system-level performance, including bandwidth, gain, and energy - efficiency. These many challenges are positioning passive...and are used in numerous RF/mm-wave systems for radar and wireless communications. Although a Marchand balun covers a large bandwidth, it is...requires multiple λ/4 transmission lines (t-lines), making its on-chip designs very costly even for RF/mm-wave bands. Reported miniaturized rat-race

Innovative method for optimizing Side-Scan Sonar mapping: The blind band unveiled

Science.gov (United States)

Pergent, Gérard; Monnier, Briac; Clabaut, Philippe; Gascon, Gilles; Pergent-Martini, Christine; Valette-Sansevin, Audrey

2017-07-01

Over the past few years, the mapping of Mediterranean marine habitats has become a priority for scientists, environment managers and stakeholders, in particular in order to comply with European directives (Water Framework Directive and Marine Strategy Framework Directive) and to implement legislation to ensure their conservation. Side-scan sonar (SSS) is recognised as one of the most effective tool for underwater mapping. However, interpretation of acoustic data (sonograms) requires extensive field calibration and the ground-truthing process remains essential. Several techniques are commonly used, with sampling methods involving grabs, scuba diving observations or Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) underwater video recordings. All these techniques are time consuming, expensive and only provide sporadic informations. In the present study, the possibility of coupling a camera with a SSS and acquiring underwater videos in a continuous way has been tested. During the 'PosidCorse' oceanographic survey carried out along the eastern coast of Corsica, optical and acoustic data were respectively obtained using a GoPro™ camera and a Klein 3000™ SSS. Thereby, five profiles were performed between 10 and 50 m depth, corresponding to more than 20 km of data acquisition. The vertical images recorded with the camera fixed under the SSS and positioned facing downwards provided photo mosaics of very good quality corresponding to the entire sonograms's blind band. From the photo mosaics, 94% of the different bottom types and main habitats have been identified; specific structures linked to hydrodynamics conditions, anthropic and biological activities have also been observed as well as the substrate on which the Posidonia oceanica meadow grows. The association between acoustic data and underwater videos has proved to be a non-destructive and cost-effective method for ground-truthing in marine habitats mapping. Nevertheless, in order to optimize the results over the next surveys

A Decade of MWC 758 Disk Images: Where Are the Spiral-arm-driving Planets?

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Bin; Dong, Ruobing; Esposito, Thomas M.; Pueyo, Laurent; Debes, John H.; Poteet, Charles A.; Choquet, Élodie; Benisty, Myriam; Chiang, Eugene; Grady, Carol A.; Hines, Dean C.; Schneider, Glenn; Soummer, Rémi

2018-04-01

Large-scale spiral arms have been revealed in scattered light images of a few protoplanetary disks. Theoretical models suggest that such arms may be driven by and corotate with giant planets, which has called for remarkable observational efforts to look for them. By examining the rotation of the spiral arms for the MWC 758 system over a 10 year timescale, we are able to provide dynamical constraints on the locations of their perturbers. We present reprocessed Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/NICMOS F110W observations of the target in 2005, and the new Keck/NIRC2 L‧-band observations in 2017. MWC 758's two well-known spiral arms are revealed in the NICMOS archive at the earliest observational epoch. With additional Very Large Telescope (VLT)/SPHERE data, our joint analysis leads to a pattern speed of 0\\buildrel{\\circ}\\over{.} {6}-0\\buildrel{\\circ\\over{.} 6}+3\\buildrel{\\circ\\over{.} 3} {yr}}-1 at 3σ for the two major spiral arms. If the two arms are induced by a perturber on a near-circular orbit, its best-fit orbit is at 89 au (0.″59), with a 3σ lower limit of 30 au (0.″20). This finding is consistent with the simulation prediction of the location of an arm-driving planet for the two major arms in the system.

Holocene Temperature Reconstructions from Arctic Lakes based on Alkenone Paleothermometry and Non-Destructive Scanning Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

D'Andrea, W. J.; Balascio, N. L.; Bradley, R. S.; Bakke, J.; Gjerde, M.; Kaufman, D. S.; Briner, J. P.; von Gunten, L.

2014-12-01

Generating continuous, accurate and quantitative Holocene temperature estimates from the Arctic is an ongoing challenge. In many Arctic regions, tree ring-based approaches cannot be used and lake sediments provide the most valuable repositories for extracting paleotemperature information. Advances in lacustrine alkenone paleothermometry now allow for quantitative reconstruction of lake-water temperature based on the UK37 values of sedimentary alkenones. In addition, a recent study demonstrated the efficacy of non-destructive scanning reflectance spectroscopy in the visible range (VIS-RS) for high-resolution quantitative temperature reconstruction from arctic lake sediments1. In this presentation, I will report a new UK37-based temperature reconstruction and a scanning VIS-RS record (using the RABD660;670 index as a measure of sedimentary chlorin content) from Kulusuk Lake in southeastern Greenland (65.6°N, 37.1°W). The UK37 record reveals a ~3°C increase in summer lake water temperatures between ~10ka and ~7ka followed by sustained warmth until ~4ka and a gradual (~3°C) cooling until ~400 yr BP. The strong correlation between UK37 and RABD660;670 measured in the same sediment core provides further evidence that in arctic lakes where temperature regulates primary productivity, and thereby sedimentary chlorin content, these proxies can be combined to develop high-resolution quantitative temperature records. The Holocene temperature history of Kulusuk Lake determined using this approach corresponds to changes in the size of the glaciers adjacent to the lake, as inferred from sediment minerogenic properties measured with scanning XRF. Glaciers retreated during early Holocene warming, likely disappeared during the period of mid-Holocene warmth, and advanced after 4ka. I will also discuss new UK37 and RABD660;670 reconstructions from northwestern Svalbard and the central Brooks Range of Alaska within the framework of published regional temperature reconstructions and

A surface refractive index scanning system and method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2015-01-01

The invention relates to a surface refractive index scanning system for characterization of a sample. The system comprises a grating device for holding or receiving the sample, the device comprising at least a first grating region having a first grating width along a transverse direction, and a s......The invention relates to a surface refractive index scanning system for characterization of a sample. The system comprises a grating device for holding or receiving the sample, the device comprising at least a first grating region having a first grating width along a transverse direction...... a grating period Λ2 in the longitudinal direction, where the longitudinal direction is orthogonal to the transverse direction. A grating period spacing ΔΛ = Λ1 - Λ2 is finite. Further, the first and second grating periods are chosen to provide optical resonances for light respectively in a first...... wavelength band and a second wavelength band, light is being emitted, transmitted, or reflected in an out-of-plane direction, wherein the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band are at least partially non-overlapping in wavelength. The system further comprises a light source for illuminating...

Proprioceptive Interaction between the Two Arms in a Single-Arm Pointing Task.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kazuyoshi Kigawa

Full Text Available Proprioceptive signals coming from both arms are used to determine the perceived position of one arm in a two-arm matching task. Here, we examined whether the perceived position of one arm is affected by proprioceptive signals from the other arm in a one-arm pointing task in which participants specified the perceived position of an unseen reference arm with an indicator paddle. Both arms were hidden from the participant's view throughout the study. In Experiment 1, with both arms placed in front of the body, the participants received 70-80 Hz vibration to the elbow flexors of the reference arm (= right arm to induce the illusion of elbow extension. This extension illusion was compared with that when the left arm elbow flexors were vibrated or not. The degree of the vibration-induced extension illusion of the right arm was reduced in the presence of left arm vibration. In Experiment 2, we found that this kinesthetic interaction between the two arms did not occur when the left arm was vibrated in an abducted position. In Experiment 3, the vibration-induced extension illusion of one arm was fully developed when this arm was placed at an abducted position, indicating that the brain receives increased proprioceptive input from a vibrated arm even if the arm was abducted. Our results suggest that proprioceptive interaction between the two arms occurs in a one-arm pointing task when the two arms are aligned with one another. The position sense of one arm measured using a pointer appears to include the influences of incoming information from the other arm when both arms were placed in front of the body and parallel to one another.

Potentiometric determination of acid dissociation constants (pKa) for human and veterinary antibiotics.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiang, Zhimin; Adams, Craig

2004-07-01

This work determined the acid dissociation constants (pKa) of 26 common human and veterinary antibiotics by potentiometric titration. Selected antibiotics consisted of sulfonamides, macrolides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, and other miscellaneous antibiotics. After validation of analysis methods using phosphoric acid as a model compound, a second-derivative (delta2pH/deltaV2) method was primarily applied to determining pKa's from titration curves for most antibiotics due to its convenience and accuracy. For tetracyclines, however, a least-square non-linear regression method was developed to determine their pKa's because the second-derivative method cannot well distinguish the pKa,2 and pKa,3 of tetracyclines. Results indicate that the pKa values are approximately 2 and 5-7.5 for sulfonamides; 7.5-9 for macrolides; 3-4, 7-8 and 9-10 for tetracyclines; 3-4, 6, 7.5-9 and 10-11 for fluoroquinolones; while compound-specific for other miscellaneous antibiotics. The moieties corresponding to specific pKa's were identified based on chemical structures of antibiotics. In addition, the pKa's available in literature determined by various techniques are compiled in comparison with the values of this work. These results are expected to essentially facilitate the research on occurrence, fate and effects, analysis methods development, and control of antibiotics in various treatment operations.

The rotate-plus-shift C-arm trajectory. Part I. Complete data with less than 180° rotation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritschl, Ludwig; Fleischmann, Christof; Kuntz, Jan; Kachelrieß, Marc

2016-01-01

Purpose: In the last decade, C-arm-based cone-beam CT became a widely used modality for intraoperative imaging. Typically a C-arm CT scan is performed using a circular or elliptical trajectory around a region of interest. Therefore, an angular range of at least 180° plus fan angle must be covered to ensure a completely sampled data set. However, mobile C-arms designed with a focus on classical 2D applications like fluoroscopy may be limited to a mechanical rotation range of less than 180° to improve handling and usability. The method proposed in this paper allows for the acquisition of a fully sampled data set with a system limited to a mechanical rotation range of at least 180° minus fan angle using a new trajectory design. This enables CT like 3D imaging with a wide range of C-arm devices which are mainly designed for 2D imaging. Methods: The proposed trajectory extends the mechanical rotation range of the C-arm system with two additional linear shifts. Due to the divergent character of the fan-beam geometry, these two shifts lead to an additional angular range of half of the fan angle. Combining one shift at the beginning of the scan followed by a rotation and a second shift, the resulting rotate-plus-shift trajectory enables the acquisition of a completely sampled data set using only 180° minus fan angle of rotation. The shifts can be performed using, e.g., the two orthogonal positioning axes of a fully motorized C-arm system. The trajectory was evaluated in phantom and cadaver examinations using two prototype C-arm systems. Results: The proposed trajectory leads to reconstructions without limited angle artifacts. Compared to the limited angle reconstructions of 180° minus fan angle, image quality increased dramatically. Details in the rotate-plus-shift reconstructions were clearly depicted, whereas they are dominated by artifacts in the limited angle scan. Conclusions: The method proposed here employs 3D imaging using C-arms with less than 180° rotation

The rotate-plus-shift C-arm trajectory. Part I. Complete data with less than 180° rotation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ritschl, Ludwig; Fleischmann, Christof [Ziehm Imaging GmbH, Donaustraße 31, Nürnberg 90451 (Germany); Kuntz, Jan, E-mail: j.kuntz@dkfz.de; Kachelrieß, Marc [Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg 69120 (Germany)

2016-05-15

Purpose: In the last decade, C-arm-based cone-beam CT became a widely used modality for intraoperative imaging. Typically a C-arm CT scan is performed using a circular or elliptical trajectory around a region of interest. Therefore, an angular range of at least 180° plus fan angle must be covered to ensure a completely sampled data set. However, mobile C-arms designed with a focus on classical 2D applications like fluoroscopy may be limited to a mechanical rotation range of less than 180° to improve handling and usability. The method proposed in this paper allows for the acquisition of a fully sampled data set with a system limited to a mechanical rotation range of at least 180° minus fan angle using a new trajectory design. This enables CT like 3D imaging with a wide range of C-arm devices which are mainly designed for 2D imaging. Methods: The proposed trajectory extends the mechanical rotation range of the C-arm system with two additional linear shifts. Due to the divergent character of the fan-beam geometry, these two shifts lead to an additional angular range of half of the fan angle. Combining one shift at the beginning of the scan followed by a rotation and a second shift, the resulting rotate-plus-shift trajectory enables the acquisition of a completely sampled data set using only 180° minus fan angle of rotation. The shifts can be performed using, e.g., the two orthogonal positioning axes of a fully motorized C-arm system. The trajectory was evaluated in phantom and cadaver examinations using two prototype C-arm systems. Results: The proposed trajectory leads to reconstructions without limited angle artifacts. Compared to the limited angle reconstructions of 180° minus fan angle, image quality increased dramatically. Details in the rotate-plus-shift reconstructions were clearly depicted, whereas they are dominated by artifacts in the limited angle scan. Conclusions: The method proposed here employs 3D imaging using C-arms with less than 180° rotation

Weathering rind formation in buried terrace cobbles during periods of up to 300ka

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, H.; Metcalfe, R.; Nishimoto, S.; Yamamoto, H.; Katsuta, N.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Weathering rinds in sandstone and basalt cobbles buried for up to 300 ka have been investigated. → The aim was to determine the formation process and elemental mass balances during rind development. → Elemental mass balances across the rinds were determined by using open system mass balance (τ i,j ) calculations. → The formation rates are slower than the tropical areas due to the lower rainfall in the studied area. - Abstract: Weathering rinds formed in Mesozoic sandstone and basalt cobbles buried in terrace deposits for up to 300 ka have been investigated. The aim was to determine the formation process and elemental mass balances during rind development. The ages of terraces distributed in the western part of Fukui prefecture, central Japan have been determined as 50 ka, 120 ka and 300 ka based on a tephro-stratigraphic method. Detailed investigations across the weathering rinds, consisting of microscopic observations, porosity measurements, and mineralogical and geochemical analyses using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), secondary X-ray analytical microscopy (SXAM), scanning electron microanalyser (SEM) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) have been carried out. The results revealed that the Fe concentrations in the weathering rind of a basalt cobble slightly decreased from the cobble's surface (rim) towards the unweathered core. In contrast, in a sandstone cobble formed under the same environmental conditions over the same period of time there is an Fe-rich layer at some distance below the cobble's surface. Elemental mass balances across the rinds were determined by using open system mass balance (τ i,j ) calculations and show that the Fe was precipitated as Fe-oxyhydroxides in the basalt cobbles, although Fe was slightly removed from the rims. In sandstone cobbles, on the other hand, Fe migrated along a Fe concentration gradient by diffusion and precipitated as Fe-oxyhydroxide minerals to form the weathering rinds

O2 atmospheric band measurements with WINDII: Performance of a narrow band filter/wide angle Michelson combination in space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ward, W.E.; Hersom, C.H.; Tai, C.C.; Gault, W.A.; Shepherd, G.G.; Solheim, B.H.

1994-01-01

Among the emissions viewed by the Wind Imaging Interferometer (WINDII) on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) are selected lines in the (0-0) transition of the O2 atmospheric band. These lines are viewed simultaneously using a narrow band filter/wide-angle Michelson interferometer combination. The narrow band filter is used to separate the lines on the CCD (spectral-spatial scanning) and the Michelson used to modulate the emissions so that winds and rotational temperatures may be measured from the Doppler shifts and relative intensities of the lines. In this report this technique will be outlined and the on-orbit behavior since launch summarized

[PELVIS/SACRAL syndrome with livedoid haemangioma and amniotic band].

Science.gov (United States)

Bourrat, E; Lemarchand-Venencie, F; Jacquemont, M-L; El Ghoneimi, A; Wassef, M; Leger, J; Morel, P

2008-12-01

PELVIS or SACRAL syndrome denotes the association of local haemangioma and malformation in the pelvic region. In this paper, we report a case noteworthy on account of the initially livedoid appearance of the haemangioma as well as associated amniotic banding of an upper limb. A newborn male infant underwent left colostomy on the day of birth due to anal imperforation and anomalies of the external genital organs with sexual ambiguity. Examination of the skin and appendages revealed poorly delineated hypopigmentation in the sacrolumbar region and a fibrous groove around the right arm characteristic of amniotic band syndrome. Sacrolumbar and pelvic MRI scans revealed deviation towards the left of the last three sacral vertebrae with no medullary anomalies. Retrograde cystography showed a recto-uretral fistula. Progression of the infant's condition was marked by the appearance during the first month of a flat, violaceous, angiomatous, livedoid lesion in the middle of the buttocks and the perineum and a linear lesion on the rear aspect of the right lower limb. The skin biopsy of this lesion revealed a single capillary lobule at the dermal-hypodermal junction of non-specific appearance but with marked Glut1 expression by endothelial cells highly evocative of infantile haemangioma. Segmented haemangiomas are commonly associated with extracutaneous abnormalities. By analogy with PHACE syndrome, defined as association of segmented facial haemangioma with cerebral, ocular and cardio-aortic abnormalities, PELVIS/SACRAL syndrome denotes the association of segmented haemangioma of the loins (sacrolumbar region, buttocks or perineum=napkin haemangioma) with spinal dysraphia affecting the sacrolumbar spine, the terminal medullary cone, the genitourinary organs and the anal region to different degrees. Diagnosis of haemangioma associated with PELVIS/SACRAL syndrome may be delayed or complicated due to the macular, telangiectasic or livedoid appearance commonly seen. To our

Generation of nanosecond S band microwave pulses based on superradiance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ginzburg, N.S.; Zotova, I.V.; Rozental, R.M.

2002-01-01

Modeling carried out demonstrates possibility of generation of gigawatt power level S band microwave pulse with duration of several nanoseconds using superradiation of short electron beam moving along slow-wave periodical structure. A 10 ns / 500 keV / 5 kA accelerator of Kanazawa University can be used in such experiments. It is shown that significant increasing peak power can be obtained by optimization of voltage and current pulses waveforms. Required increasing of electron energy and current by the end of electron pulse can be achieved by using self-acceleration of a short beam passing through a system of passive cavities. (author)

Generation of nanosecond S band microwave pulses based on superradiance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ginzburg, N.S.; Zotova, I.V.; Rozental, R.M. [Russian Academy of Science, Institute of Applied Physics, Nizhny Novgorod (RU)] [and others

2002-06-01

Modeling carried out demonstrates possibility of generation of gigawatt power level S band microwave pulse with duration of several nanoseconds using superradiation of short electron beam moving along slow-wave periodical structure. A 10 ns / 500 keV / 5 kA accelerator of Kanazawa University can be used in such experiments. It is shown that significant increasing peak power can be obtained by optimization of voltage and current pulses waveforms. Required increasing of electron energy and current by the end of electron pulse can be achieved by using self-acceleration of a short beam passing through a system of passive cavities. (author)

High power X-band coaxial amplifier experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, T.J.; Nation, J.A.

1991-01-01

Studies are continuing on the development of X-band coaxial microwave amplifiers as a source for next generation linear colliders. Coaxial amplifiers employ an annular electron beam propagating between inner and outer drift tube conductors, a configuration which allows large increases in beam current over standard pencil beam amplifiers. Large average diameter systems may still be used without mode competition since TM mode cutoff frequencies are controlled by the separation between conductors. A number of amplifier configurations are being studied, all primed by a driven initial cavity which resonates around 9 GHz. Simple theory of coaxial systems and particle-in-cell simulations are presented, as well as initial experimental results using a 420 keV, 7-8 kA, 9 cm diameter annular beam

Scatter correction using a primary modulator on a clinical angiography C-arm CT system.

Science.gov (United States)

Bier, Bastian; Berger, Martin; Maier, Andreas; Kachelrieß, Marc; Ritschl, Ludwig; Müller, Kerstin; Choi, Jang-Hwan; Fahrig, Rebecca

2017-09-01

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) suffers from a large amount of scatter, resulting in severe scatter artifacts in the reconstructions. Recently, a new scatter correction approach, called improved primary modulator scatter estimation (iPMSE), was introduced. That approach utilizes a primary modulator that is inserted between the X-ray source and the object. This modulation enables estimation of the scatter in the projection domain by optimizing an objective function with respect to the scatter estimate. Up to now the approach has not been implemented on a clinical angiography C-arm CT system. In our work, the iPMSE method is transferred to a clinical C-arm CBCT. Additional processing steps are added in order to compensate for the C-arm scanner motion and the automatic X-ray tube current modulation. These challenges were overcome by establishing a reference modulator database and a block-matching algorithm. Experiments with phantom and experimental in vivo data were performed to evaluate the method. We show that scatter correction using primary modulation is possible on a clinical C-arm CBCT. Scatter artifacts in the reconstructions are reduced with the newly extended method. Compared to a scan with a narrow collimation, our approach showed superior results with an improvement of the contrast and the contrast-to-noise ratio for the phantom experiments. In vivo data are evaluated by comparing the results with a scan with a narrow collimation and with a constant scatter correction approach. Scatter correction using primary modulation is possible on a clinical CBCT by compensating for the scanner motion and the tube current modulation. Scatter artifacts could be reduced in the reconstructions of phantom scans and in experimental in vivo data. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Robotic arm

Science.gov (United States)

Kwech, Horst

1989-04-18

A robotic arm positionable within a nuclear vessel by access through a small diameter opening and having a mounting tube supported within the vessel and mounting a plurality of arm sections for movement lengthwise of the mounting tube as well as for movement out of a window provided in the wall of the mounting tube. An end effector, such as a grinding head or welding element, at an operating end of the robotic arm, can be located and operated within the nuclear vessel through movement derived from six different axes of motion provided by mounting and drive connections between arm sections of the robotic arm. The movements are achieved by operation of remotely-controllable servo motors, all of which are mounted at a control end of the robotic arm to be outside the nuclear vessel.

Low-order-mode harmonic multiplying gyrotron traveling-wave amplifier in W band

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeh, Y. S.; Chen, C. H.; Yang, S. J.; Lai, C. H.; Lin, T. Y.; Lo, Y. C.; Hong, J. W.; Hung, C. L.; Chang, T. H.

2012-01-01

Harmonic multiplying gyrotron traveling-wave amplifiers (gyro-TWAs) allow for magnetic field reduction and frequency multiplication. To avoid absolute instabilities, this work proposes a W-band harmonic multiplying gyro-TWA operating at low-order modes. By amplifying a fundamental harmonic TE 11 drive wave, the second harmonic component of the beam current initiates a TE 21 wave to be amplified. Absolute instabilities in the gyro-TWA are suppressed by shortening the interaction circuit and increasing wall losses. Simulation results reveal that compared with Ka-band gyro-TWTs, the lower wall losses effectively suppress absolute instabilities in the W-band gyro-TWA. However, a global reflective oscillation occurs as the wall losses decrease. Increasing the length or resistivity of the lossy section can reduce the feedback of the oscillation to stabilize the amplifier. The W-band harmonic multiplying gyro-TWA is predicted to yield a peak output power of 111 kW at 98 GHz with an efficiency of 25%, a saturated gain of 26 dB, and a bandwidth of 1.6 GHz for a 60 kV, 7.5 A electron beam with an axial velocity spread of 8%.

Ravimiturg peaks ka sel aastal jõudsalt kasvama / Violetta Riidas

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Riidas, Violetta

2008-01-01

Ilmunud ka: Äripäev 30. apr. lk. 16. Eelmise aasta ravimituru kasv jätkub tõenäoliselt ka sel aastal, kuna negatiivne riigieelarve ravimihüvitisi ei kärbi. Vt. samas: Võrdlus: Ravimituru jaotus haiglaapteekide ning teiste asutuste vahel peamiste ATC rühmade lõikes, 2007

A 3D printed dual GSM band near isotropic on-package antenna

KAUST Repository

Zhen, Su

2017-10-25

In this paper, we propose an on-package dual band monopole antenna with near-isotropic radiation pattern for GSM mobile applications. The proposed antenna is well matched for both GSM 900 and 1800 bands and provides decent gain for both the bands (1.67 and 3.27 dBi at 900 MHz and 1800 MHz respectively). The antenna is printed with silver ink on a 3D printed polymer based package. The package houses the GSM electronics and the battery. By optimizing the antenna arms width and length, a near-isotropic radiation pattern is achieved. Unlike the published isotropic antennas which are either single band or large in size, the proposed antenna covers both GSM bands with required bandwidth and is only half wavelength long. The design is low cost and highly suitable for various GSM applications such as localization, in additional to conventional communication applications.

Presence of skeletal banding in a reef-building tropical crustose coralline alga.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bonnie Lewis

Full Text Available The presence of banding in the skeleton of coralline algae has been reported in many species, primarily from temperate and polar regions. Similar to tree rings, skeletal banding can provide information on growth rate, age, and longevity; as well as records of past environmental conditions and the coralline alga's growth responses to such changes. The aim of this study was to explore the presence and characterise the nature of banding in the tropical coralline alga Porolithon onkodes, an abundant and key reef-building species on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR Australia, and the Indo-Pacific in general. To achieve this we employed various methods including X-ray diffraction (XRD to determine seasonal mol% magnesium (Mg, mineralogy mapping to investigate changes in dominant mineral phases, scanning electron microscopy-electron dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS, and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT scanning to examine changes in cell size and density banding, and UV light to examine reproductive (conceptacle banding. Seasonal variation in the Mg content of the skeleton did occur and followed previously recorded variations with the highest mol% MgCO3 in summer and lowest in winter, confirming the positive relationship between seawater temperature and mol% MgCO3. Rows of conceptacles viewed under UV light provided easily distinguishable bands that could be used to measure vertical growth rate (1.4 mm year-1 and age of the organism. Micro-CT scanning showed obvious banding patterns in relation to skeletal density, and mineralogical mapping revealed patterns of banding created by changes in Mg content. Thus, we present new evidence for seasonal banding patterns in the tropical coralline alga P. onkodes. This banding in the P. onkodes skeleton can provide valuable information into the present and past life history of this important reef-building species, and is essential to assess and predict the response of these organisms to future climate and

Development of a 20kA current feedthrough using YBCO bulk conductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maehata, Keisuke; Ishibashi, Kenji; Shintomi, Takakazu; Iwamoto, Akifumi; Maekawa, Ryuji; Mito, Toshiyuki

2004-01-01

In the phase II experiment of the Large Helical Device (LHD) of the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), it is planned to operate the helical coils at 1.8 K by employing pressurized superfluid cooling to raise the magnetic field to 4 T with 17.3 kA. It is important to develop a 20kA-class current feedthrough into the 1.8 K region, but it must have a high current capacity and low heat leakage in the maximum magnetic leakage field of 1 T. Rectangle-shaped YBCO bulk conductors measuring 20 mm wide, 140 mm long and 10 mm thick were manufactured from square-pillar-shaped YBCO bulk materials for a 20 kA current. To check the quality of the bulk conductors, internal defects or cracks were detected by carrying out a precise survey of trapped magnetic flux. An assembled 20 kA current feedthrough was mounted in the λ-plate of a pressurized superfluid cooling cryostat. Experiments of current feeding into the 1.8 K region were carried out by operating the 20 kA current feedthrough. In the experiments, the transport current was kept at 20 kA for longer than 1,200 s. During the 20 kA operation, the current transport section of the YBCO bulk conductors remained in the superconducting state and the voltage drop between the YBCO bulk conductors and the copper electrode was observed to be constant. A contact resistance and the Joule heat generation in the joint region between the YBCO bulk conductors and the copper electrode were obtained as 1.45 nΩ and 0.72 W, respectively in the 20 kA operation. We have demonstrated the feasibility of using a 20 kA current feedthrough for the phase II experiment of the LHD. (author)

Cone Beam X-Ray Luminescence Tomography Imaging Based on KA-FEM Method for Small Animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Dongmei; Meng, Fanzhen; Zhao, Fengjun; Xu, Cao

2016-01-01

Cone beam X-ray luminescence tomography can realize fast X-ray luminescence tomography imaging with relatively low scanning time compared with narrow beam X-ray luminescence tomography. However, cone beam X-ray luminescence tomography suffers from an ill-posed reconstruction problem. First, the feasibility of experiments with different penetration and multispectra in small animal has been tested using nanophosphor material. Then, the hybrid reconstruction algorithm with KA-FEM method has been applied in cone beam X-ray luminescence tomography for small animals to overcome the ill-posed reconstruction problem, whose advantage and property have been demonstrated in fluorescence tomography imaging. The in vivo mouse experiment proved the feasibility of the proposed method.

Robotic arm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwech, H.

1989-01-01

A robotic arm positionable within a nuclear vessel by access through a small diameter opening and having a mounting tube supported within the vessel and mounting a plurality of arm sections for movement lengthwise of the mounting tube as well as for movement out of a window provided in the wall of the mounting tube is disclosed. An end effector, such as a grinding head or welding element, at an operating end of the robotic arm, can be located and operated within the nuclear vessel through movement derived from six different axes of motion provided by mounting and drive connections between arm sections of the robotic arm. The movements are achieved by operation of remotely-controllable servo motors, all of which are mounted at a control end of the robotic arm to be outside the nuclear vessel. 23 figs

Al2O3 e-Beam Evaporated onto Silicon (100)/SiO2, by XPS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madaan, Nitesh; Kanyal, Supriya S.; Jensen, David S.; Vail, Michael A.; Dadson, Andrew; Engelhard, Mark H.; Samha, Hussein; Linford, Matthew R.

2013-09-25

We report the XPS characterization of a thin film of Al2O3 (35 nm) deposited via e-beam evaporation onto silicon (100). The film was characterized with monochromatic Al Ka radiation. An XPS survey scan, an Al 2p narrow scan, and the valence band spectrum were collected. The Al2O3 thin film is used as a diffusion barrier layer for templated carbon nanotube (CNT) growth in the preparation of microfabricated thin layer chromatography plates.

Vesnička tesařů Ostrovec (Johannesdörfl)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vlček, Pavel

6/7, 2016/2017 (2017), s. 39-46 ISSN 1805-8906 R&D Projects: GA MK DG16P02H023 Keywords : Ostrovec (Johannesdörfl) * carpenters * church od St. John the Baptist * František Maxmilián Kaňka * Johann Mathes Spiess * Anton Haffenecker Subject RIV: AL - Art, Architecture, Cultural Heritage OBOR OECD: Architectural design

Determination of lactic acid bacteria in Kaºar cheese and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) arise in Kaşar cheese, an artisanal pasta filata cheese produced in Turkey from raw milk without starter addition or pasteurized milk with starter culture. In this study, 13 samples of Kaşar cheese that were produced from raw milk were used as reference materials. LAB were characterized by using ...

A 130 ka reconstruction of rainfall on the Bolivian Altiplano

Science.gov (United States)

Placzek, C. J.; Quade, J.; Patchett, P. J.

2013-02-01

New efforts to link climate reconstructions from shoreline deposits and sediment cores yield an improved and more detailed lake history from the Bolivian Altiplano. On the Southern Altiplano, 10 lake oscillations have been identified from this new unified chronology, each coincident with North Atlantic cold events such as Heinrich Events H5, H2, H1, and the Younger Dryas. By coupling this new lake history to a hydrologic budget model we are able to evaluate precipitation variability on the Southern Bolivian Altiplano over the last 130 ka. These modeling efforts underscore the relative aridity of the Altiplano during the rare and small lake cycles occurring between 80 and 20 ka, when colder temperatures combined with little or no change in rainfall produced smaller paleolakes. Relative aridity between 80 and 20 ka contrasts with the immense Tauca lake cycle (18.1-14.1 ka), which was six times larger than modern Lake Titicaca and coincided with Heinrich Event 1. This improved paleolake record from the Southern Altiplano reveals a strong link between central Andean climate and Atlantic sea-surface temperature gradients during the late Pleistocene, even though today rainfall variability is driven mostly by Pacific sea-surface temperature anomalies associated with El Niño/Southern Oscillation. However, not all Heinrich Events appear to result in lake expansions, most conspicuously during the global cold interval between 80 and 20 ka when the Altiplano and Amazon Basin were relatively arid.

Global Ocean Data Quality Assessment of SARAL/AltiKa GDR products

Science.gov (United States)

Picot, Nicolas; Prandi, Pierre; desjonqueres, jean-damien

2015-04-01

The SARAL mission was successfully launched on February, 5th 2013 and cycle 1 started a few days later on March 14th. For more than 2 years, the Ka-band altimeter and dual frequency radiometer on board have been collecting high quality ocean topography measurements. Within the first months of the mission, a first patch (P1) was developed to correct some small anomalies detected in the products and to account for in-flight calibration data. At the beginning of year 2014, a second patch (P2) was produced (applied from cycle 10 pass 407 on OGDR data and from pass 566 on IGDR data) and the all GDR produced before this were reprocessed in order to deliver a consistent dataset to users. This new version of the products provides, among other changes, important improvements regarding radiometer data processing, sea-state bias and wind speed. Since the beginning of the mission, data quality assessment of OGDR, IGDR and GDR data has been routinely performed at CNES and CLS (as part of the CNES SALP project). We will present the main results of the data quality assessment over ocean based on SARAL/AltiKa GDR data reprocessed using the homogeneous P2 version. The main data quality metrics presented will include: Data availability and validity, Monitoring of the main altimeter and radiometer parameters and comparisons to other altimeter missions such as OSTM/Jason-2, Mission performance through mono-mission crossovers analysis, Investigation of inter-mission biases and large-scale regional differences from multi-mission crossovers between SARAL and Jason-2. Monitoring of the global mean SLA and comparison to Jason-2 Finally, we will present the new product version standard that is currently under development on CNES side.

KA-102 Film/EO Standoff System

Science.gov (United States)

Turpin, Richard T.

1984-12-01

The KA-102 is an in-flight selectable film or electro-optic (EU) visible reconnaissance camera with a real-time data link. The lens is a 66-in., f/4 refractor with a 4° field-of-view. The focal plane is a continuous line array of 10,240 COD elements that opera tes in the pushbroom mode. In the film mode, the camera use standard 5-in.-wide 3414 or 3412 film. The E0 imagery is transmitted up to 500 n.mi. to the ground station over a 75-Mbit/sec )(- band data link via a relay aircraft (see Figure 1). The camera may be controlled from the ground station via an uplink or from the cockpit control panel. The 8-ft-diameter ground tracking antenna is located on high ground and linked to the ground station via a 1-mile-long, two-way fiber optic system. In the ground station the imagery is calibrated and displayed in real time on three crt's. Selected imagery may be stored on disk and enhanced, analyzed, and annotated in near-real-time. The imagery may be enhanced and magnified in real time. Hardcopy frames may be made on 8 x 10-in. Polaroid, 35-1m film, or dry silver paper. All the received image and engineering data is recorded on a high-density tape recorder. The aircraft track is recorded on a map plotter. Ground support equipment (GSE), manuals, spares, and training are included in the system. Falcon 20 aircraft were modified on a subcontract to Dynelectron--Ft. Worth.

Linkage Map of the Long Arm of Barley Chromosome 3 Using C-Bands and Marker Genes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Linde-Laursen, Ib

1982-01-01

locations. No recombination was observed between the two proximal C-band locations whereas the two distal locations recombined with a frequency of 12 2 per cent. The three C-band locations were linked with loci cer-zd, uz, and cer-zn, but not with the tightly linked loci Est-1 and Est-4. The order...

Supramolecular Properties of Triazole-containing Two Armed Peptidomimetics: From Organogelators to Nucleotide-binding Tweezers

Science.gov (United States)

Chui, Tin Ki

This thesis described the development of a new type of branched peptidomimetics using a class of previously reported triazole-containing peptidomimetics as the structural motif. The propensity of these new branched peptiomimetics in being an organogelator, forming supramolecular assemblies and recognizing anions and biomolecules was investigated. The quest began with the preparation of two different series of branched peptidomimetics, namely 69-K-aa3 (aa = V or L) and 70-B-aa3. The former series made use of the flexible L-lysine (K) as the branching unit while the latter series was composed of the relatively rigid 3,5-diminobenzoate (B). In each series, the peptidomimetic arms were composed of solely valine (V) or leucine (L). The effects of the identity of the amino acids and the branching units on the gelation and self-assembling properties of these branched bis(tripeptidomimetic)s were investigated. The 69-K-aa3 series was found to exhibit poor solubility in common organic solvents yet it was able to form strong and stable gels in aromatic solvents. The 70-B-aa3 series, on the other hand, was a poor organogelator despite its excellent solubility. Morphological studies using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the ability of the former to form a hyperbranched 3D network whereas the latter was only capable of forming isolated spherical lumps. Nevertheless, the latter displayed the ability in forming supramolecular polymers as shown from viscometric studies. Solution-to-gel transition temperature measurement of the gels formed by the 69-K-aa3 series and association constants determination by 1H NMR titration experiments for the supramolecular polymerization of the 70-B-aa3 series both suggested that peptidomimetic arms comprised of valine performed better than those made up of leucine in terms of association strength, and such a difference was attributed to the bulkier nature of the leucine side chain. In order to

KaBOB: ontology-based semantic integration of biomedical databases.

Science.gov (United States)

Livingston, Kevin M; Bada, Michael; Baumgartner, William A; Hunter, Lawrence E

2015-04-23

The ability to query many independent biological databases using a common ontology-based semantic model would facilitate deeper integration and more effective utilization of these diverse and rapidly growing resources. Despite ongoing work moving toward shared data formats and linked identifiers, significant problems persist in semantic data integration in order to establish shared identity and shared meaning across heterogeneous biomedical data sources. We present five processes for semantic data integration that, when applied collectively, solve seven key problems. These processes include making explicit the differences between biomedical concepts and database records, aggregating sets of identifiers denoting the same biomedical concepts across data sources, and using declaratively represented forward-chaining rules to take information that is variably represented in source databases and integrating it into a consistent biomedical representation. We demonstrate these processes and solutions by presenting KaBOB (the Knowledge Base Of Biomedicine), a knowledge base of semantically integrated data from 18 prominent biomedical databases using common representations grounded in Open Biomedical Ontologies. An instance of KaBOB with data about humans and seven major model organisms can be built using on the order of 500 million RDF triples. All source code for building KaBOB is available under an open-source license. KaBOB is an integrated knowledge base of biomedical data representationally based in prominent, actively maintained Open Biomedical Ontologies, thus enabling queries of the underlying data in terms of biomedical concepts (e.g., genes and gene products, interactions and processes) rather than features of source-specific data schemas or file formats. KaBOB resolves many of the issues that routinely plague biomedical researchers intending to work with data from multiple data sources and provides a platform for ongoing data integration and development and for

Modeling cell elongation during germ band retraction: cell autonomy versus applied anisotropic stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lynch, Holley E; Shane Hutson, M; Veldhuis, Jim; Wayne Brodland, G

2014-01-01

The morphogenetic process of germ band retraction in Drosophila embryos involves coordinated movements of two epithelial tissues—germ band and amnioserosa. The germ band shortens along its rostral–caudal or head-to-tail axis, widens along its perpendicular dorsal-ventral axis, and uncurls from an initial ‘U’ shape. The amnioserosa mechanically assists this process by pulling on the crook of the U-shaped germ band. The amnioserosa may also provide biochemical signals that drive germ band cells to change shape in a mechanically autonomous fashion. Here, we use a finite-element model to investigate how these two contributions reshape the germ band. We do so by modeling the response to laser-induced wounds in each of the germ band’s spatially distinct segments (T1–T3, A1–A9) during the middle of retraction when segments T1–A3 form the ventral arm of the ‘U’, A4–A7 form its crook, and A8–A9 complete the dorsal arm. We explore these responses under a range of externally applied stresses and internal anisotropy of cell edge tensions—akin to a planar cell polarity that can drive elongation of cells in a direction parallel to the minimum edge tension—and identify regions of parameter space (edge-tension anisotropy versus stress anisotropy) that best match previous experiments for each germ band segment. All but three germ band segments are best fit when the applied stress anisotropy and the edge-tension anisotropy work against one another—i.e., when the isolated effects would elongate cells in perpendicular directions. Segments in the crook of the germ band (A4–A7) have cells that elongate in the direction of maximum external stress, i.e., external stress anisotropy is dominant. In most other segments, the dominant factor is internal edge-tension anisotropy. These results are consistent with models in which the amnioserosa pulls on the crook of the germ band to mechanically assist retraction. In addition, they suggest a mechanical cue for

The spiral arms of the Milky Way: The relative location of each different arm tracer within a typical spiral arm width

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vallée, Jacques P., E-mail: jacques.vallee@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca [National Research Council Canada, National Science Infrastructure portfolio, Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics, 5071 West Saanich Road, Victoria, B.C., V9E 2E7 (Canada)

2014-07-01

From the Sun's location in the Galactic disk, different arm tracers (CO, H I, hot dust, etc.) have been employed to locate a tangent to each spiral arm. Using all various and different observed spiral arm tracers (as published elsewhere), we embark on a new goal, namely the statistical analysis of these published data (data mining) to statistically compute the mean location of each spiral arm tracer. We show for a typical arm cross-cut, a separation of 400 pc between the mid-arm and the dust lane (at the inner edge of the arm, toward the Galactic center). Are some arms major and others minor? Separating arms into two sets, as suggested by some, we find the same arm widths between the two sets. Our interpretation is that we live in a multiple (four-arm) spiral (logarithmic) pattern (around a pitch angle of 12°) for the stars and gas in the Milky Way, with a sizable interarm separation (around 3 kpc) at the Sun's location and the same arm width for each arm (near 400 pc from mid-arm to dust lane).

The spiral arms of the Milky Way: The relative location of each different arm tracer within a typical spiral arm width

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vallée, Jacques P.

2014-01-01

From the Sun's location in the Galactic disk, different arm tracers (CO, H I, hot dust, etc.) have been employed to locate a tangent to each spiral arm. Using all various and different observed spiral arm tracers (as published elsewhere), we embark on a new goal, namely the statistical analysis of these published data (data mining) to statistically compute the mean location of each spiral arm tracer. We show for a typical arm cross-cut, a separation of 400 pc between the mid-arm and the dust lane (at the inner edge of the arm, toward the Galactic center). Are some arms major and others minor? Separating arms into two sets, as suggested by some, we find the same arm widths between the two sets. Our interpretation is that we live in a multiple (four-arm) spiral (logarithmic) pattern (around a pitch angle of 12°) for the stars and gas in the Milky Way, with a sizable interarm separation (around 3 kpc) at the Sun's location and the same arm width for each arm (near 400 pc from mid-arm to dust lane).

2D-3D radiograph to cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) registration for C-arm image-guided robotic surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wen Pei; Otake, Yoshito; Azizian, Mahdi; Wagner, Oliver J; Sorger, Jonathan M; Armand, Mehran; Taylor, Russell H

2015-08-01

C-arm radiographs are commonly used for intraoperative image guidance in surgical interventions. Fluoroscopy is a cost-effective real-time modality, although image quality can vary greatly depending on the target anatomy. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans are sometimes available, so 2D-3D registration is needed for intra-procedural guidance. C-arm radiographs were registered to CBCT scans and used for 3D localization of peritumor fiducials during a minimally invasive thoracic intervention with a da Vinci Si robot. Intensity-based 2D-3D registration of intraoperative radiographs to CBCT was performed. The feasible range of X-ray projections achievable by a C-arm positioned around a da Vinci Si surgical robot, configured for robotic wedge resection, was determined using phantom models. Experiments were conducted on synthetic phantoms and animals imaged with an OEC 9600 and a Siemens Artis zeego, representing the spectrum of different C-arm systems currently available for clinical use. The image guidance workflow was feasible using either an optically tracked OEC 9600 or a Siemens Artis zeego C-arm, resulting in an angular difference of Δθ:∼ 30°. The two C-arm systems provided TRE mean ≤ 2.5 mm and TRE mean ≤ 2.0 mm, respectively (i.e., comparable to standard clinical intraoperative navigation systems). C-arm 3D localization from dual 2D-3D registered radiographs was feasible and applicable for intraoperative image guidance during da Vinci robotic thoracic interventions using the proposed workflow. Tissue deformation and in vivo experiments are required before clinical evaluation of this system.

A ˜50 ka record of monsoonal variability in the Darjeeling foothill region, eastern Himalayas

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Ruby; Bera, Subir; Sarkar, Anindya; Paruya, Dipak Kumar; Yao, Yi-Feng; Li, Cheng-Sen

2015-04-01

Pollen, phytoliths and δ 13C signatures of soil organic matter from two fluvial sedimentary sequences of the Darjeeling foothill region, eastern Himalayas are used to portray palaeoclimatic oscillations and their impact on regional plant communities over the last ˜50 ka. Quantitative palaeoclimate estimation using coexistence approach on pollen data and other proxies indicate significant oscillations in precipitation during the late part of MIS 3 (46.4-25.9 ka), early and middle part of MIS 2 (25.9-15.6 ka), and 5.4 to 3.5 ka. Middle to late MIS 3 (ca 46.4-31 ka.) was characterized by a comparatively low monsoonal activity and slightly higher temperature than that during ca 31 ka onwards. Simultaneous expansion of deciduous trees and chloridoid grasses also imply a drier and warmer phase. Between 31 and 22.3 ka (late MIS 3 to mid-MIS 2), higher precipitation and a slightly cooler temperature led to an increase in evergreen elements over deciduous taxa and wet-loving panicoid grasses over dry-loving chloridoid grasses than earlier. After ca 22.3 ka, shrinking of forest cover, expansion of C4 chloridoid grasses, Asteraceae and Cheno-ams in the vegetation with lowering of temperature and precipitation characterized the onset of the LGM which continued till 18.3 ka. End of the LGM is manifested by a restoration in the forest cover and in the temperature and precipitation regime. Later, during 5.4 to 4.3 ka, a strong monsoonal activity supported a dense moist evergreen forest cover that subsequently declined during 4.3 to 3.5 ka. A further increase in deciduous elements and non-arboreals might be a consequence of reduced precipitation and higher temperature during this phase. A comparison between monsoonal rainfall, MAT and palaeoatmospheric CO2 with floral dynamics since last ˜50 ka indicates that these fluctuations in plant succession were mainly driven by monsoonal variations.

Jaapani edumetoodika ka Eestis / Merike Lees

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Lees, Merike, 1976-

2004-01-01

Ilmunud ka: Delovõje Vedomosti 17. nov. lk. 28. Tootmissfääris kasutatavast Jaapani 20 võtme metoodikast loodab ettevõttele kasu saada lehtmetalli töötleva AS-i Favor Metaform nõukogu esimees Almar Proosi. Lisa: Mis on 20 võtit?

GPS and Galileo Developments on Board the International Space Station With the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed

Science.gov (United States)

Pozzobon, Oscar; Fantinato, Samuele; Dalla Chiara, Andrea; Gamba, Giovanni; Crisci, Massimo; Giordana, Pietro; Enderle, Werner; Chelmins, David; Sands, Obed S.; Clapper, Carolyn J.;

Detailed characterization of complex banding in air-cooled bainitic steels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morales-Rivas L.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The presence of banding in a hot-rolled air-cooled bainitic steel has been thoroughly characterized. The banded microstructure was observed due to distinctive sensitivities to the etching agent. Microstructural and crystallographic studies by means of Scanning Electron Microscopy and Electron Backscatter Diffraction did not reveal any substantial differences between bands and matrix. However, solute segregation of some alloying elements was detected by Wavelength- Dispersive Spectroscopy, being found that bands are enriched in Cr, Mo and Si and depleted in Mn. Finally, a set of theoretical calculations suggested that the solidification mode is responsible for such unusual partitioning behavior, which is beneficial in terms of the bainitic transformation.

Highly Perturbed pKa Values in the Unfolded State of Hen Egg White Lysozyme

OpenAIRE

Bradley, John; O'Meara, Fergal; Farrell, Damien; Nielsen, Jens Erik

2012-01-01

The majority of pKa values in protein unfolded states are close to the amino acid model pKa values, thus reflecting the weak intramolecular interactions present in the unfolded ensemble of most proteins. We have carried out thermal denaturation measurements on the WT and eight mutants of HEWL from pH 1.5 to pH 11.0 to examine the unfolded state pKa values and the pH dependence of protein stability for this enzyme. The availability of accurate pKa values for the folded state of HEWL and separa...

Snow measurement Using P-Band Signals of Opportunity Reflectometry

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, R.; Yueh, S. H.; Xu, X.; Elder, K.

2017-12-01

Snow water storage in land is a critical parameter of the water cycle. In this study, we develop methods for estimating reflectance from bistatic scattering of digital communication Signals of Opportunity (SoOp) across the available microwave spectrum from VHF to Ka band and show results from proof-of-concept experiments at the Fraser Experimental Forest, Colorado to acquire measurements to relate the SoOp phase and reflectivity to a snow-covered soil surface. The forward modeling of this scenario will be presented and multiple sensitivities were conducted. Available SoOp receiver data along with a network of in situ sensor measurements collected since January 2016 will be used to validate theoretical modeling results. In the winter season of 2016 and 2017, we conducted a field experiment using VHF/UHF-band illuminating sources to detect SWE and surface reflectivity. The amplitude of the reflectivity showed sensitivity to the wetness of snow pack and ground reflectivity while the phase showed sensitivity to SWE. This use of this concept can be helpful to measure the snow water storage in land globally.

Potential for Paragliding Tourism Development in Niška Banja (South Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lazar Pavić

2013-07-01

Full Text Available People today pay attention more on their health and because of that sports tourism becomes more popular. Especially popular segment of sports tourism is adventure sports including paragliding which has a special place. Tourist product of Niška Banja, as one of more visited tourism destination in Serbia, is mostly based on its health function. In the first part of this paper it is presented touristic valorisation of Niška Banja using criteria recommended form World Tourism Organization. In the second part of this paper it is used marketing mix as a tool for creating potential tourism product Paragliding weekend in Niška Banja. The aim of this paper is to show how the tourism offers of Niška Banja can be diversified using a new integrated product and how the touristic value can be increased.

Engineering flat electronic bands in quasiperiodic and fractal loop geometries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nandy, Atanu, E-mail: atanunandy1989@gmail.com; Chakrabarti, Arunava, E-mail: arunava_chakrabarti@yahoo.co.in

2015-11-06

Exact construction of one electron eigenstates with flat, non-dispersive bands, and localized over clusters of various sizes is reported for a class of quasi-one-dimensional looped networks. Quasiperiodic Fibonacci and Berker fractal geometries are embedded in the arms of the loop threaded by a uniform magnetic flux. We work out an analytical scheme to unravel the localized single particle states pinned at various atomic sites or over clusters of them. The magnetic field is varied to control, in a subtle way, the extent of localization and the location of the flat band states in energy space. In addition to this we show that an appropriate tuning of the field can lead to a re-entrant behavior of the effective mass of the electron in a band, with a periodic flip in its sign. - Highlights: • Exact construction of eigenstates with flat and dispersive bands is reported. • Competition between translational order and growth of aperiodicity is discussed. • The effect of magnetic field on the location of flat band states is shown. • Flux tunable re-entrant behavior of the effective mass of electron is studied.

Design of a 2 kA, 30 fs Rf-Photoinjector for Waterbag Compression

Science.gov (United States)

van der Geer, S. B.; Luiten, O. J.; de Loos, M. J.

Because uniformly filled ellipsoidal ‘waterbag’ bunches have linear self-fields in all dimensions, they do not suffer from space-charge induced brightness degradation. This in turn allows very efficient longitudinal compression of high-brightness bunches at sub or mildly relativistic energies, a parameter regime inaccessible up to now due to detrimental effects of non-linear space-charge forces. To demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, we investigate ballistic bunching of 1 MeV, 100 pC waterbag electron bunches, created in a half-cell rf-photogun, by means of a two-cell booster-compressor. Detailed GPT simulations of this table-top set-up are presented, including realistic fields, 3D space-charge effects, path-length differences and image charges at the cathode. It is shown that with a single 10MW S-band klystron and fields of 100 MV/m, 2kA peak current is attainable with a pulse duration of only 30 fs at a transverse normalized emittance of 1.5 μm.

An integrated physical map of 210 markers assigned to the short arm of human chromosome 11

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Redeker, E.; Hoovers, J. M.; Alders, M.; van Moorsel, C. J.; Ivens, A. C.; Gregory, S.; Kalikin, L.; Bliek, J.; de Galan, L.; van den Bogaard, R.; Visser, J.; van der Voort, R.; Feinberg, A. P.; Little, P. F. R.; Westerveld, A.; Mannens, M.

1994-01-01

Using a panel of patient cell lines with chromosomal breakpoints, we constructed a physical map for the short arm of human chromosome 11. We focused on 11p15, a chromosome band harboring at least 25 known genes and associated with the Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, several childhood tumors, and

Evolution of robotic arms.

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, Michael E

2007-01-01

The foundation of surgical robotics is in the development of the robotic arm. This is a thorough review of the literature on the nature and development of this device with emphasis on surgical applications. We have reviewed the published literature and classified robotic arms by their application: show, industrial application, medical application, etc. There is a definite trend in the manufacture of robotic arms toward more dextrous devices, more degrees-of-freedom, and capabilities beyond the human arm. da Vinci designed the first sophisticated robotic arm in 1495 with four degrees-of-freedom and an analog on-board controller supplying power and programmability. von Kemplen's chess-playing automaton left arm was quite sophisticated. Unimate introduced the first industrial robotic arm in 1961, it has subsequently evolved into the PUMA arm. In 1963 the Rancho arm was designed; Minsky's Tentacle arm appeared in 1968, Scheinman's Stanford arm in 1969, and MIT's Silver arm in 1974. Aird became the first cyborg human with a robotic arm in 1993. In 2000 Miguel Nicolalis redefined possible man-machine capacity in his work on cerebral implantation in owl-monkeys directly interfacing with robotic arms both locally and at a distance. The robotic arm is the end-effector of robotic systems and currently is the hallmark feature of the da Vinci Surgical System making its entrance into surgical application. But, despite the potential advantages of this computer-controlled master-slave system, robotic arms have definite limitations. Ongoing work in robotics has many potential solutions to the drawbacks of current robotic surgical systems.

Study of Shortwave Spectra in Fully 3D Environment: Synergy Between Scanning Radars and Spectral Radiation Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Wiscombe, Warren J.

2012-01-01

The main theme for our research is the understanding and closure of the surface spectral shortwave radiation problem in fully 3D cloud situations by combining the new ARM scanning radars, shortwave spectrometers, and microwave radiometers with the arsenal of radiative transfer tools developed by our group. In particular, we define first a large number of cloudy test cases spanning all 3D possibilities not just the customary uniform-overcast ones. Second, for each case, we define a "Best Estimate of Clouds That Affect Shortwave Radiation" using all relevant ARM instruments, notably the new scanning radars, and contribute this to the ARM Archive. Third, we test the ASR-signature radiative transfer model RRTMG_SW for those cases, focusing on the near-IR because of long-standing problems in this spectral region, and work with the developers to improve RRTMG_SW in order to increase its penetration into the modeling community.

Development of a thermally switched superconducting rectifier for 100 kA

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mulder, G.B.J.; Mulder, G.B.J.; ten Kate, Herman H.J.; Krooshoop, Hendrikus J.G.; van de Klundert, L.J.M.; van de Klundert, L.J.M.

1991-01-01

A full-wave superconducting rectifier for 100 kA has been developed. Typical design values of this device are: a secondary current of 100 kA, a primary amplitude of 20 A, an operating frequency of 0.5 Hz, and an average power on the order of 100 W. The rectification is achieved by means of thermally

Potentiometric pKa Determination of Piroxicam and Tenoxicam in Acetonitrile-Water Binary Mixtures

OpenAIRE

Çubuk Demiralay, Ebru; Yılmaz, Hülya

2012-01-01

Abstract: Ionization constant (pKa) is one among the parameter to be estimated with accuracy, irrespective of solubility constraints. In the present study, acid-base behaviour of the piroxicam and tenoxicam was studied. By using the potentiometric method, pKa values of piroxicam and tenoxicam have been determined in different percentage of acetonitrile-water binary mixtures (acetonitrile content between 30 and 45% in volume). Aqueous pKa values of these compounds were calculated by mole fract...

Effect of methylation on the side-chain pKa value of arginine.

Science.gov (United States)

Evich, Marina; Stroeva, Ekaterina; Zheng, Yujun George; Germann, Markus W

2016-02-01

Arginine methylation is important in biological systems. Recent studies link the deregulation of protein arginine methyltransferases with certain cancers. To assess the impact of methylation on interaction with other biomolecules, the pKa values of methylated arginine variants were determined using NMR data. The pKa values of monomethylated, symmetrically dimethylated, and asymmetrically dimethylated arginine are similar to the unmodified arginine (14.2 ± 0.4). Although the pKa value has not been significantly affected by methylation, consequences of methylation include changes in charge distribution and steric effects, suggesting alternative mechanisms for recognition. © 2015 The Protein Society.

Thermally Annealed Iron (Oxide) Thin Film on an Alumina Barrier Layer, by XPS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madaan, Nitesh; Kanyal, Supriya S.; Jensen, David S.; Vail, Michael A.; Dadson, Andrew; Engelhard, Mark H.; Linford, Matthew R.

2013-09-06

Herein we show characterization of an Fe thin film on Al_2O_3 after thermal annealing under H_2 using Al Ka X-rays. The XPS survey spectrum, narrow Fe 2p scan, and valence band regions are presented. The survey spectrum shows aluminum signals due to exposure of the underlying Al_2O_3 film during Fe nanoparticle formation.

Improving Cry8Ka toxin activity towards the cotton boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis).

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Gustavo R; Silva, Maria C M; Lucena, Wagner A; Nakasu, Erich Y T; Firmino, Alexandre A P; Beneventi, Magda A; Souza, Djair S L; Gomes, José E; de Souza, José D A; Rigden, Daniel J; Ramos, Hudson B; Soccol, Carlos R; Grossi-de-Sa, Maria F

2011-09-09

The cotton boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) is a serious insect-pest in the Americas, particularly in Brazil. The use of chemical or biological insect control is not effective against the cotton boll weevil because of its endophytic life style. Therefore, the use of biotechnological tools to produce insect-resistant transgenic plants represents an important strategy to reduce the damage to cotton plants caused by the boll weevil. The present study focuses on the identification of novel molecules that show improved toxicity against the cotton boll weevil. In vitro directed molecular evolution through DNA shuffling and phage display screening was applied to enhance the insecticidal activity of variants of the Cry8Ka1 protein of Bacillus thuringiensis. Bioassays carried out with A. grandis larvae revealed that the LC50 of the screened mutant Cry8Ka5 toxin was 3.15-fold higher than the wild-type Cry8Ka1 toxin. Homology modelling of Cry8Ka1 and the Cry8Ka5 mutant suggested that both proteins retained the typical three-domain Cry family structure. The mutated residues were located mostly in loops and appeared unlikely to interfere with molecular stability. The improved toxicity of the Cry8Ka5 mutant obtained in this study will allow the generation of a transgenic cotton event with improved potential to control A. grandis.

Improving Cry8Ka toxin activity towards the cotton boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gomes José E

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The cotton boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis is a serious insect-pest in the Americas, particularly in Brazil. The use of chemical or biological insect control is not effective against the cotton boll weevil because of its endophytic life style. Therefore, the use of biotechnological tools to produce insect-resistant transgenic plants represents an important strategy to reduce the damage to cotton plants caused by the boll weevil. The present study focuses on the identification of novel molecules that show improved toxicity against the cotton boll weevil. In vitro directed molecular evolution through DNA shuffling and phage display screening was applied to enhance the insecticidal activity of variants of the Cry8Ka1 protein of Bacillus thuringiensis. Results Bioassays carried out with A. grandis larvae revealed that the LC50 of the screened mutant Cry8Ka5 toxin was 3.15-fold higher than the wild-type Cry8Ka1 toxin. Homology modelling of Cry8Ka1 and the Cry8Ka5 mutant suggested that both proteins retained the typical three-domain Cry family structure. The mutated residues were located mostly in loops and appeared unlikely to interfere with molecular stability. Conclusions The improved toxicity of the Cry8Ka5 mutant obtained in this study will allow the generation of a transgenic cotton event with improved potential to control A. grandis.

AMF3 CloudSat Overpasses Field Campaign Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matrosov, Sergey [University of Colorado, Boulder; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO (United States). Earth System Research Lab.; Hardin, Joseph [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); De Boer, Gijs [University of Colorado, Boulder; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO (United States). Earth System Research Lab.; Shupe, Matthew [University of Colorado, Boulder; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO (United States). Earth System Research Lab.; Maahn, Maximillian [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO (United States). Earth System Research Lab.; Williams, Christopher [University of Colorado, Boulder; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO (United States). Earth System Research Lab.

2017-10-15

Synergy between ground-based and satellite radar observations of clouds and precipitation is important for refining the algorithms to retrieve hydrometeor microphysical parameters, improvements in the retrieval accuracy, and better understanding the advantages and limitations of different retrieval approaches. The new dual-frequency (Ka- and W-band, 35 GHz and 94 GHz) fully polarimetric scanning U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Research Facility cloud radars (SACRs-2) are advanced sensors aimed to significantly enhance remote sensing capabilities (Kollias et al. 2016). One of these radars was deployed as part of the third ARM Mobile Facility (AMF3) at Oliktok Point, Alaska (70.495o N, 149.886oW). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) CloudSat satellite, which is part of the polar-orbiting A-train satellite constellation, passes over the vicinity of the AMF3 location (typically within 0-7 km depending on a particular overpass) on a descending orbit every 16 days at approximately 13:21 UTC. The nadir pointing W-band CloudSat cloud profiling radar (CPR) provides vertical profiles of reflectivity that are then used for retrievals of hydrometeor parameters (Tanelli et al. 2008). The main objective of the AMF3 CloudSat overpasses intensive operating period (IOP) campaign was to collect approximately collocated in space and time radar data from the SACR-2 and the CloudSat CPR measurements for subsequent joint analysis of radar variables and microphysical retrievals of cloud and precipitation parameters. Providing the reference for the SACR-2 absolute calibration from the well-calibrated CloudSat CPR was another objective of this IOP. The IOP objectives were achieved by conducting seven special SACR-2 scans during the 10.5-min period centered at the exact time of the CloudSat overpass over the AMF3 (~1321 UTC) on six dates of the CloudSat overpasses during the three-month period allocated to this IOP. These six days

Multiple Nonconformities in Ice-Walled Lake Successions Indicate Periods with Cold Summers (24.4 - 22.5 ka, 21.1 - 19.2 ka, 18.5 - 18.1 ka) during the Last Deglaciation in Northeastern Illinois, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Curry, B. B.

2014-12-01

Unprecedented age control on many last glacial stratigraphic units and morainal ice-margin positions are interpreted from AMS radiocarbon ages of tundra plant macrofossils archived in low-relief ice-walled lake plain (IWLP) deposits the Lake Michigan Lobe (south-central Laurentide Ice Sheet). IWLPs are periglacial features that formed on morainal dead-ice permafrost. Lacustrine sediment, and the fossils contained therein, had physical and temporal proximity to the glacier which formed the underlying moraine. In modern ice-walled lakes, as the lake's ice cover begins to melt, moats form which allows access of sloughing tundra-mantled active layer sediment (soil) into the lakes. Multiple AMS ages from two sites with proglacial sediment buried by glacial max LIS diamicton, and IWLPs reveal evidence of episodic plant growth and sedimentation including ca. 24.0 to 24.4 ka (post Shelby Phase), 22.5 to 21.1 ka (post Livingston Phase), 18.1 to 17.4 ka (post Woodstock Phase). Although presently based on negative evidence, the associated nonconformities (listed in title) indicate periods when cold conditions did not promote development of the estival moat. Although the evidence does not preclude tundra growth during the cold summers, there was little landscape modification due to limited thawing of the active layer. At approximately the onset of the 19.2-18.5 "warm" period, at least two large deglacial discharge events flooded the Fox and Kankakee tributary valleys of the Illinois River. The latter, known as the Kankakee Torrent, occurred at 19.05 - 18.85 ka (σ1 range) at the Oswego channel complex. The temporal coincidence of the torrents and sedimentation in ice-walled lakes suggests that the post-Livingston Phase nonconformity (21.1 - 19.2 ka) was a period of lessened meltwater discharge through subglacial conduits (tunnel valleys) as the frozen toe promoted formation of subglacial lakes, buildup of pore-water pressures, and the release of subglacial water as "torrents

ATLAS computing operations within the GridKa Cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennedy, J; Walker, R; Olszewski, A; Nderitu, S; Serfon, C; Duckeck, G

2010-01-01

The organisation and operations model of the ATLAS T1-T2 federation/Cloud associated to the GridKa T1 in Karlsruhe is described. Attention is paid to Cloud level services and the experience gained during the last years of operation. The ATLAS GridKa Cloud is large and divers spanning 5 countries, 2 ROC's and is currently comprised of 13 core sites. A well defined and tested operations model in such a Cloud is of the utmost importance. We have defined the core Cloud services required by the ATLAS experiment and ensured that they are performed in a managed and sustainable manner. Services such as Distributed Data Management involving data replication,deletion and consistency checks, Monte Carlo Production, software installation and data reprocessing are described in greater detail. In addition to providing these central services we have undertaken several Cloud level stress tests and developed monitoring tools to aid with Cloud diagnostics. Furthermore we have defined good channels of communication between ATLAS, the T1 and the T2's and have pro-active contributions from the T2 manpower. A brief introduction to the GridKa Cloud is provided followed by a more detailed discussion of the operations model and ATLAS services within the Cloud.

Development of Methods for the Determination of pKa Values

Science.gov (United States)

Reijenga, Jetse; van Hoof, Arno; van Loon, Antonie; Teunissen, Bram

2013-01-01

The acid dissociation constant (pKa) is among the most frequently used physicochemical parameters, and its determination is of interest to a wide range of research fields. We present a brief introduction on the conceptual development of pKa as a physical parameter and its relationship to the concept of the pH of a solution. This is followed by a general summary of the historical development and current state of the techniques of pKa determination and an attempt to develop insight into future developments. Fourteen methods of determining the acid dissociation constant are placed in context and are critically evaluated to make a fair comparison and to determine their applications in modern chemistry. Additionally, we have studied these techniques in light of present trends in science and technology and attempt to determine how these trends might affect future developments in the field. PMID:23997574

CAMEX-4 MOBILE X-BAND POLARIMETRIC WEATHER RADAR V1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Mobile X-band Polarimetric Weather Radar on Wheels (X-POW)is a Doppler scanning radar operating at 9.3 GHz.with horizontal and vertical polarization. Used for...

Isolated effects of peripheral arm and central body cooling on arm performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Giesbrecht, G G; Wu, M P; White, M D; Johnston, C E; Bristow, G K

1995-10-01

Whole body cooling impairs manual arm performance. The independent contributions of local (peripheral) and/or whole body (central) cooling are not known. Therefore, a protocol was developed in which the arm and the rest of the body could be independently cooled. Biceps temperature (Tmus), at a depth of 20 mm, and esophageal temperature (Tes) were measured. Six subjects were immersed to the clavicles in a tank (body tank) of water under 3 conditions: 1) cold body-cold arm (CB-CA); 2) warm body-cold arm (WB-CA); and 3) cold body-warm arm (CB-WA). In the latter two conditions, subjects placed their dominant arm in a separate (arm) tank. Water temperature (Tw) in each tank was independently controlled. In conditions requiring cold body and/or cold arm, Tw in the appropriate tanks was 8 degrees C. In conditions requiring warm body and/or warm arm, Tw in the appropriate tanks was adjusted between 29 and 38 degrees C to maintain body/arm temperature at baseline values. A battery of 6 tests, requiring fine or gross motor movements, were performed immediately before immersion and after 15, 45, and 70 minutes of immersion. In CB-CA, Tes decreased from an average of 37.2 to 35.6 degrees C and Tmus decreased from 34.6 to 22.0 degrees C. In WB-CA, Tmus decreased to 18.1 degrees C (Tes = 37.1 degrees C), and in CB-WA, Tes decreased to 35.8 degrees C (Tmus = 34.5 degrees C). By the end of immersion, there were significant decrements (43-85%) in the performance of all tests in CB-CA and WB-CA (p body and/or the arm elicits large decrements in finger, hand and arm performance. The decrements are due almost entirely to the local effects of arm tissue cooling.

Risk Assessment of Mineral Groundwater Near Rogaška Slatina

Science.gov (United States)

Trcek, Branka; Leis, Albrecht

2017-10-01

Groundwater resources of mineral and thermo-mineral water are invaluable for planning a sustainable spatial and economic development of the Rogaška Slatina area, which requires a protection of this natural heritage. Numerous previous investigations of Rogaška groundwaters were subjects to balneology and to demands for larger exploitation quantities, that is why information are missing that are essential for definition of the Rogaška fractured aquifer system with mineral and thermo-mineral water and for its protection. The isotopic investigations of groundwaters stored in the Rogaška Slatina fractured aquifer system were performed aiming at answering open questions on the groundwater recharge and dynamics, on connections between different types of aquifers and on solute transport. Environmental isotopes 2H, 18O, 3H, 13C of dissolved inorganic carbon and 14C were analysed in mineral, thermo-mineral and spring waters. Results indicated the source and mechanism of groundwater recharge, its renewability, a transit time distribution, hydraulic interrelationships, the groundwater origin and its evolution due to effects of water-rock interaction. The mean residence time estimates of mineral and thermo- mineral water in the aquifer are between 3400 and 14000 years. On the other hand, the mixing processes between younger and older waters or mineral and spring waters are reflected as well as waters that infiltrated predominantly after the 1960s. These suggest the vulnerability of the research systems to man-made impacts. The presented results coupled with available information on a physical hydrogeology and water chemistry asses the optimal balance between the environmental protection and economic use of mineral water resources in the study area. They are essential for the protection strategy development of mineral and thermo-mineral water in the Rogaška Slatina area bringing together the state administration and local authorities and stakeholders.

Mechanically Reconfigurable Single-Arm Spiral Antenna Array for Generation of Broadband Circularly Polarized Orbital Angular Momentum Vortex Waves.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Long; Zhou, Xiaoxiao

2018-03-23

In this paper, a mechanically reconfigurable circular array with single-arm spiral antennas (SASAs) is designed, fabricated, and experimentally demonstrated to generate broadband circularly polarized orbital angular momentum (OAM) vortex waves in radio frequency domain. With the symmetrical and broadband properties of single-arm spiral antennas, the vortex waves with different OAM modes can be mechanically reconfigurable generated in a wide band from 3.4 GHz to 4.7 GHz. The prototype of the circular array is proposed, conducted, and fabricated to validate the theoretical analysis. The simulated and experimental results verify that different OAM modes can be effectively generated by rotating the spiral arms of single-arm spiral antennas with corresponding degrees, which greatly simplify the feeding network. The proposed method paves a reconfigurable way to generate multiple OAM vortex waves with spin angular momentum (SAM) in radio and microwave satellite communication applications.

"Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Research Facility at Oliktok Point Alaska"

Science.gov (United States)

Helsel, F.; Ivey, M.; Hardesty, J.; Roesler, E. L.; Dexheimer, D.

2017-12-01

Scientific Infrastructure To Support Atmospheric Science, Aerosol Science and UAS's for The Department Of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Programs At The Mobile Facility 3 Located At Oliktok Point, Alaska.The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program's Mobile Facility 3 (AMF3) located at Oliktok Point, Alaska is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) site designed to collect data and help determine the impact that clouds and aerosols have on solar radiation. AMF3 provides a scientific infrastructure to support instruments and collect arctic data for the international arctic research community. The infrastructure at AMF3/Oliktok is designed to be mobile and it may be relocated in the future to support other ARM science missions. AMF3's present base line instruments include: scanning precipitation Radars, cloud Radar, Raman Lidar, Eddy correlation flux systems, Ceilometer, Balloon sounding system, Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI), Micro-pulse Lidar (MPL) Along with all the standard metrological measurements. In addition AMF3 provides aerosol measurements with a Mobile Aerosol Observing System (MAOS). Ground support for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and tethered balloon flights. Data from these instruments and systems are placed in the ARM data archives and are available to the international research community. This poster will discuss what instruments and systems are at the ARM Research Facility at Oliktok Point Alaska.

Optimizing Lidar Scanning Strategies for Wind Energy Measurements (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, J. F.; Bonin, T. A.; Klein, P.; Wharton, S.; Chilson, P. B.

2013-12-01

Environmental concerns and rising fossil fuel prices have prompted rapid development in the renewable energy sector. Wind energy, in particular, has become increasingly popular in the United States. However, the intermittency of available wind energy makes it difficult to integrate wind energy into the power grid. Thus, the expansion and successful implementation of wind energy requires accurate wind resource assessments and wind power forecasts. The actual power produced by a turbine is affected by the wind speeds and turbulence levels experienced across the turbine rotor disk. Because of the range of measurement heights required for wind power estimation, remote sensing devices (e.g., lidar) are ideally suited for these purposes. However, the volume averaging inherent in remote sensing technology produces turbulence estimates that are different from those estimated by a sonic anemometer mounted on a standard meteorological tower. In addition, most lidars intended for wind energy purposes utilize a standard Doppler beam-swinging or Velocity-Azimuth Display technique to estimate the three-dimensional wind vector. These scanning strategies are ideal for measuring mean wind speeds but are likely inadequate for measuring turbulence. In order to examine the impact of different lidar scanning strategies on turbulence measurements, a WindCube lidar, a scanning Halo lidar, and a scanning Galion lidar were deployed at the Southern Great Plains Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site in Summer 2013. Existing instrumentation at the ARM site, including a 60-m meteorological tower and an additional scanning Halo lidar, were used in conjunction with the deployed lidars to evaluate several user-defined scanning strategies. For part of the experiment, all three scanning lidars were pointed at approximately the same point in space and a tri-Doppler analysis was completed to calculate the three-dimensional wind vector every 1 second. In another part of the experiment, one of

Electron beam and rf characterization of a low-emittance X-band photoinjector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. J. Gibson

2001-09-01

Full Text Available Detailed experimental studies of the first operation of an X-band (8.547 GHz rf photoinjector are reported. The rf characteristics of the device are first described, as well as the tuning technique used to ensure operation of the 11/2-cell rf gun in the balanced π-mode. The characterization of the photoelectron beam produced by the rf gun includes: measurements of the bunch charge as a function of the laser injection phase, yielding information about the quantum efficiency of the Cu photocathode ( 2×10^{-5} for a surface field of 100 MV/m; measurements of the beam energy (1.5–2 MeV and relative energy spread ( Δγ/γ_{0}=1.8±0.2% using a magnetic spectrometer; measurements of the beam 90% normalized emittance, which is found to be ɛ_{n}=1.65π mm mrad for a charge of 25 pC; and measurements of the bunch duration ( <2 ps. Coherent synchrotron radiation experiments at Ku-band and Ka-band confirm the extremely short duration of the photoelectron bunch and a peak power scaling quadratically with the bunch charge.

Scanning deep level transient spectroscopy using an MeV ion microprobe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laird, J.S.; Bardos, R.A.; Saint, A.; Moloney, G.M.; Legge, G.F.J. [Melbourne Univ., Parkville, VIC (Australia)

1993-12-31

Traditionally the scanning ion microprobe has given little or no information regarding the electronic structure of materials in particular semiconductors. A new imaging technique called Scanning Ion Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (SIDLTS) is presented which is able to spatially map alterations in the band gap structure of materials by lattice defects or impurities. 3 refs., 2 figs.

Scanning deep level transient spectroscopy using an MeV ion microprobe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laird, J S; Bardos, R A; Saint, A; Moloney, G M; Legge, G F.J. [Melbourne Univ., Parkville, VIC (Australia)

1994-12-31

Traditionally the scanning ion microprobe has given little or no information regarding the electronic structure of materials in particular semiconductors. A new imaging technique called Scanning Ion Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (SIDLTS) is presented which is able to spatially map alterations in the band gap structure of materials by lattice defects or impurities. 3 refs., 2 figs.

Space Radar Image of West Texas - SAR scan

Science.gov (United States)

1999-01-01

This radar image of the Midland/Odessa region of West Texas, demonstrates an experimental technique, called ScanSAR, that allows scientists to rapidly image large areas of the Earth's surface. The large image covers an area 245 kilometers by 225 kilometers (152 miles by 139 miles). It was obtained by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) flying aboard the space shuttle Endeavour on October 5, 1994. The smaller inset image is a standard SIR-C image showing a portion of the same area, 100 kilometers by 57 kilometers (62 miles by 35 miles) and was taken during the first flight of SIR-C on April 14, 1994. The bright spots on the right side of the image are the cities of Odessa (left) and Midland (right), Texas. The Pecos River runs from the top center to the bottom center of the image. Along the left side of the image are, from top to bottom, parts of the Guadalupe, Davis and Santiago Mountains. North is toward the upper right. Unlike conventional radar imaging, in which a radar continuously illuminates a single ground swath as the space shuttle passes over the terrain, a Scansar radar illuminates several adjacent ground swaths almost simultaneously, by 'scanning' the radar beam across a large area in a rapid sequence. The adjacent swaths, typically about 50 km (31 miles) wide, are then merged during ground processing to produce a single large scene. Illumination for this L-band scene is from the top of the image. The beams were scanned from the top of the scene to the bottom, as the shuttle flew from left to right. This scene was acquired in about 30 seconds. A normal SIR-C image is acquired in about 13 seconds. The ScanSAR mode will likely be used on future radar sensors to construct regional and possibly global radar images and topographic maps. The ScanSAR processor is being designed for 1996 implementation at NASA's Alaska SAR Facility, located at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and will produce digital images from the

pKa values in proteins determined by electrostatics applied to molecular dynamics trajectories.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Tim; Knapp, Ernst-Walter

2015-06-09

For a benchmark set of 194 measured pKa values in 13 proteins, electrostatic energy computations are performed in which pKa values are computed by solving the Poisson-Boltzmann equation. In contrast to the previous approach of Karlsberg(+) (KB(+)) that essentially used protein crystal structures with variations in their side chain conformations, the present approach (KB2(+)MD) uses protein conformations from four molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of 10 ns each. These MD simulations are performed with different specific but fixed protonation patterns, selected to sample the conformational space for the different protonation patterns faithfully. The root-mean-square deviation between computed and measured pKa values (pKa RMSD) is shown to be reduced from 1.17 pH units using KB(+) to 0.96 pH units using KB2(+)MD. The pKa RMSD can be further reduced to 0.79 pH units, if each conformation is energy-minimized with a dielectric constant of εmin = 4 prior to calculating the electrostatic energy. The electrostatic energy expressions upon which the computations are based have been reformulated such that they do not involve terms that mix protein and solvent environment contributions and no thermodynamic cycle is needed. As a consequence, conformations of the titratable residues can be treated independently in the protein and solvent environments. In addition, the energy terms used here avoid the so-called intrinsic pKa and can therefore be interpreted without reference to arbitrary protonation states and conformations.

Have Third-World Arms Industries Reduced Arms Imports?

OpenAIRE

Looney, R.E.

1989-01-01

Current Research on Peace and Violence, no. 1, 1989. Refereed Journal Article In 1945 only Argentina, Brazil, India and South Africa in the Third World possessed domestic arms industries which produced weapons systems other than small arms and ammunition (SIPRI, 1987, 76).

Tri-Band CPW-Fed Stub-Loaded Slot Antenna Design for WLAN/WiMAX Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jianxing; Guo, Jianying; He, Bin; Zhang, Anxue; Liu, Qing Huo

2016-11-01

A novel uniplanar CPW-fed tri-band stub-loaded slot antenna is proposed for wireless local area network (WLAN) and worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) applications. Dual resonant modes were effectively excited in the upper band by using two identical pairs of slot stubs and parasitic slots symmetrically along the arms of a traditional CPW-fed slot dipole, achieving a much wider bandwidth. The middle band was realized by the fundamental mode of the slot dipole. To obtain the lower band, two identical inverted-L-shaped open-ended slots were symmetrically etched in the ground plane. A prototype was fabricated and measured, showing that tri-band operation with 10-dB return loss bandwidths of 150 MHz from 2.375 to 2.525 GHz, 725 MHz from 3.075 to 3.8 GHz, and 1.9 GHz from 5.0 to 6.9 GHz has been achieved. Details of the antenna design as well as the measured and simulated results are presented and discussed.

Diatom species composition in the Raška river (Southwestern Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vidaković Danijela P.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents data on the composition of epilithic diatoms in the Raška River. Samples were collected by scraping stone surfaces with a brush from 5 localities along the Raška River in April, June, August and November 2011 and March and May 2012. Diatom frustules were cleaned using cold acid method, and mounted on permanent slides. An investigation of the Raška River resulted in description of 106 diatom taxa. The most species rich genera are Navicula (10, Gomphonema (10 and Nitzschia (9, while other genera are presented with one or more species. Detailed floristic analysis of the benthic diatom flora in this river has not been conducted before. Therefore, this paper provides a groundwork for future researches. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 037009

Symmetries and band gaps in nanoribbons

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhiwei; Tian, Yiteng; Fernando, Gayanath; Kocharian, Armen

In ideal graphene-like systems, time reversal and sublattice symmetries preserve the degeneracies at the Dirac point(s). We have examined such degeneracies in the band structure as well as the transport properties in various arm-twisted (graphene-related) nanoribbons. A twist angle is defined such that at 0 degrees the ribbon is a rectangular ribbon and at 60 degrees the ribbon is cut from a honeycomb lattice. Using model Hamiltonians and first principles calculations in these nanoribbons with Z2 topology, we have monitored the band structure as a function of the twist angle θ. In twisted ribbons, it turns out that the introduction of an extra hopping term leads to a gap opening. We have also calculated the size and temperature broadening effects in similar ribbons in addition to Rashba-induced transport properties. The authors acknowledge the computing facilities provided by the Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No.DE-AC02- 98CH10886.

Arm Pain

Science.gov (United States)

... be a sign of a heart attack. Seek emergency treatment if you have: Arm, shoulder or back ... http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/arm-pain/basics/definition/SYM-20050870 . Mayo Clinic Footer Legal Conditions and ...

Ostaci srednjevjekovne utvrde Kaštel (Fenarlik u kartografskim izvorima XIX i XX vijeka : The remains of the fortress Kaštel (Fenarlik in cartographic sources of the 19th and 20th centuries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jusuf Topoljak

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Utvrda Kaštel (Fenarlik, locirana između Novog Travnika i Bugojna, vjerovatno je podignuta u razdoblju srednjeg vijeka, a u kartografskim izvorima se prvi put javlja tek 1883. godine. Geodetski planovi i karte 19. i 20. vijeka vjerodostojno dokumentuju propadanje ostataka tog utvrđenja, isprva ga jasno prikazujući kao ruševinu, dok se naposljetku sačuvao samo toponim Kaštel. Ovim radom autori su pokušali identifikovati i objediniti sve relevantne kartografske izvore na kojima je predočen lokalitet Kaštela, uz analizu načina topografisanja ostataka srednjevjekovne utvrde. : The fortress Kaštel (Fenarlik, located between Novi Travnik and Bugojno, probably was built in the period of middle ages. Concerning cartographic sources, it first appeared in 1883. Geodetic plans and maps from the 19th and 20th century credibly documented deterioration of the fortress remains. At first, it clearly displayed a ruin, while ultimately toponym Kaštel was the only preserved. Authors of this paper tried to identify and consolidate all relevant cartographic sources that represent the place Kaštel, together with the analysis of topographing the medieval fortresses.

Arm CT scan

Science.gov (United States)

... M. Computed tomography. In: Adam A, Dixon AK, Gillard JH, Schaefer-Prokop CM, eds. Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic ... MRI and ultrasound. In: Adam A, Dixon AK, Gillard JH, Schaefer-Prokop CM, eds. Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic ...

Arm MRI scan

Science.gov (United States)

... MRI and ultrasound. In: Adam A, Dixon AK, Gillard JH, Schaefer-Prokop CM, eds. Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic ... Magnetic resonance imaging: In: Adam A, Dixon AK, Gillard JH, Schaefer-Prokop CM, eds. Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic ...

A 27 ka paleoenvironmental lake sediment record from Taro Co, central Tibetan Plateau: implications for the interplay between monsoon and the Westerlies

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, J.; Ma, Q.; Huang, L.; Ju, J.; Guo, Y.; Lin, X.; Li, Y.; Zhu, L.

2017-12-01

The climate of Tibetan Plateau (TP) is mainly influenced by the Indian Ocean Summer Monsoon (IOSM) and the Westerlies. The interaction of these two air masses is therefore a crucial scientific issue to understand how they impact the climate in this area, especially in the geological times. However, constrained by the available archives, researches on this topic are still very few in the hinterland of the TP, especially covering the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) period. Here we present a new lake sediment record retrieved from Taro Co covering the last 27 ka to elucidate how the IOSM and the Westerlies interact and the possible mechanisms. Taro Co (486 km2, Dmax: 132m, 4565 m a.s.l., currently closed), located on the central TP, is a fresh lake with the major supply from glaciers. Two parallel piston cores as well as several gravity cores were retrieved from the deepest parts. These cores were correlated based on high resolution XRF scanning and a continuous 1069 cm-long core was finally integrated. Chronology was determined by 210Pb, 137Cs and AMS 14C measurements. Multidiscipline analyses including grain size, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen, diatom, ostracod, pollen and n-alkanes were accomplished to reconstruct paleoenvironmental changes. The lake level of Taro Co was low since 27 cal ka BP indicated by very coarse materials and diatom assemblages with gradually increased temperature and salinity (TOC and carbonate getting higher). The terrestrial water input decreased continuously reflected by such elements as Si, Ti, Fe, K. It is likely that there was a sedimentation gap between 961-954cm, corresponding to 23.4 to 18.6 cal ka BP probably demonstrated Taro Co was very shallow at that period. The first prominent abrupt change of most proxies was observed at 14.7 cal ka BP showing a great lake deepening which likely indicated an enhancement of IOSM. There were several spells with abrupt changes of cold/warm stages before the Holocene and the Younger Dryas

Effects of arm truncation on the appearance of the halo artifact in {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11 (HBED-CC) PET/MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Afshar-Oromieh, Ali; Haberkorn, Uwe [Heidelberg University Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg (Germany); German Cancer Research Center, Clinical Cooperation Unit Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg (Germany); Wolf, Maya; Gnirs, Regula; Schlemmer, Heinz-Peter; Freitag, Martin T. [German Cancer Research Center, Department of Radiology, Heidelberg (Germany); Kachelriess, Marc [German Cancer Research Center, Department of Medical Physics in Radiology, Heidelberg (Germany); Kopka, Klaus [German Cancer Research Center, Division of Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry, Heidelberg (Germany)

2017-09-15

PSMA ligand imaging with hybrid PET/MRI scanners could be an integral part of the clinical routine in the future. However, the first study about this novel method revealed a severe photopenic artifact (''halo artifact'') around the urinary bladder causing significantly reduced tumor visibility. The aim of this evaluation was to analyze the role of arm truncation on the appearance of the halo artifact in {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11 PET/MRI hypothesizing that this influences the appearance. Twenty-seven consecutive patients were subjected to {sup 68}Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT (1 h p.i.) followed by PET/MRI (3 h p.i.). PET/MRI was first started with scans of the abdomen to pelvis with arms positioned up above the head. Immediately thereafter, additional scans from the pelvis to abdomen were conducted with arms positioned down beside the trunk. All investigations were first analyzed separately and then compared with respect to tumor detection and tumor uptake (SUV) as well as the presence and intensity of the halo artifact. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to determine statistical differences including Bonferroni correction. The halo was significantly reduced if the arms were elevated. Lesions inside the halo artifact (n = 16) demonstrated significantly increased SUVmean (p = 0.0007) and SUVmax (p = 0.0024) with arms positioned up. The halo appearance and intensity was not dependent on the total activity and activity concentration of the urinary bladder. Positioning the arms down was shown to be significantly associated with the appearance of the halo artifact in PET/MRI. Positioning the arms up above the head can significantly reduce the halo artifact, thereby detecting more tumor lesions. (orig.)

Influence of arm positioning on tomographic thallium-201 myocardial perfusion imaging and the effect of attenuation correction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prvulovich, E.M.; Jarritt, P.H.; Vorontsova, E.; Bomanji, J.B.; Ell, P.J.

2000-01-01

Lateral attenuation in single-photon emission tomography (SPET) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has been attributed to the left arm if it is held by the patient's side during data acquisition. As a result MPI data are conventionally acquired with the arms held above the head. The aims of this study were to determine the effect of imaging arms down on reconstructed tomographic images depicting regional myocardial thallium-201 distribution and to assess whether attenuation-corrected (AC) myocardial perfusion images acquired arms down could replace uncorrected (NC) images acquired arms up for routine clinical service. Twenty-eight patients referred for routine MPI underwent sequential 180 emission/transmission imaging for attenuation correction using an L-shaped dual-headed gamma camera (GE Optima) fitted with two gadolinium-153 scanning line sources. Delay data were acquired twice: once supine with the arms up and then supine with the arms down. Detector radius of rotation (ROR) for arms up and arms-down studies was recorded. For each data set, count density was measured in 17 segments of a polar plot and segmental uptake expressed relative to study maximum. Oblique images were assessed qualitatively by two observers blinded to study type for tracer distribution and overall quality. Transmission maps were assessed for truncation. Mean detector ROR was 190 mm for arms-up studies and 232 mm for arms-down studies (P 201 Tl distribution, particularly anterolaterally. There is lateral undercorrection in approximately 10% of AC arms-down studies, possibly because of attenuation map truncation. Image quality is reduced in about one-third of AC arms-down studies compared with NC arms-up studies. These data suggest that this attenuation correction method is not sufficiently robust to allow routine acquisition of MPI data with the arms down. (orig.)

Interfacial scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) of chalcogenide/metal hybrid nanostructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saad, Mahmoud M.; Abdallah, Tamer [Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo (Egypt); Easawi, Khalid; Negm, Sohair [Department of Physics and Mathematics, Faculty of Engineering (Shoubra), Benha University (Egypt); Talaat, Hassan, E-mail: hassantalaat@hotmail.com [Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo (Egypt)

2015-05-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Comparing band gaps values obtained optically with STS. • Comparing direct imaging with calculated dimensions. • STS determination of the interfacial band bending of metal/chalcogenide. - Abstract: The electronic structure at the interface of chalcogenide/metal hybrid nanostructure (CdSe–Au tipped) had been studied by UHV scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) technique at room temperature. This nanostructure was synthesized by a phase transfer chemical method. The optical absorption of this hybrid nanostructure was recorded, and the application of the effective mass approximation (EMA) model gave dimensions that were confirmed by the direct measurements using the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) as well as the high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The energy band gap obtained by STS agrees with the values obtained from the optical absorption. Moreover, the STS at the interface of CdSe–Au tipped hybrid nanostructure between CdSe of size about 4.1 ± 0.19 nm and Au tip of size about 3.5 ± 0.29 nm shows a band bending about 0.18 ± 0.03 eV in CdSe down in the direction of the interface. Such a result gives a direct observation of the electron accumulation at the interface of CdSe–Au tipped hybrid nanostructure, consistent with its energy band diagram. The presence of the electron accumulation at the interface of chalcogenides with metals has an important implication for hybrid nanoelectronic devices and the newly developed plasmon/chalcogenide photovoltaic solar energy conversion.

Reduction of measurement errors in OCT scanning

Science.gov (United States)

Morel, E. N.; Tabla, P. M.; Sallese, M.; Torga, J. R.

2018-03-01

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-destructive optical technique, which uses a light source with a wide band width that focuses on a point in the sample to determine the distance (strictly, the optical path difference, OPD) between this point and a reference surface. The point can be superficial or at an interior interface of the sample (transparent or semitransparent), allowing topographies and / or tomographies in different materials. The Michelson interferometer is the traditional experimental scheme for this technique, in which a beam of light is divided into two arms, one the reference and the other the sample. The overlap of reflected light in the sample and in the reference generates an interference signal that gives us information about the OPD between arms. In this work, we work on the experimental configuration in which the reference signal and the reflected signal in the sample travel on the same arm, improving the quality of the interference signal. Among the most important aspects of this improvement we can mention that the noise and errors produced by the relative reference-sample movement and by the dispersion of the refractive index are considerably reduced. It is thus possible to obtain 3D images of surfaces with a spatial resolution in the order of microns. Results obtained on the topography of metallic surfaces, glass and inks printed on paper are presented.

Utility of intraoperative diagnostic C-arm angiography for management of high grade subarachnoid hemorrhage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhikui Wei

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The accurate and efficient localization of underlying vascular lesions is crucial for prompt and definitive treatment of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH. To demonstrate the utility and feasibility of intraoperative C-arm angiography in cerebrovascular emergencies, we report five cases of high grade SAH and/or intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH where intraoperative diagnostic C-arm angiography was safely and effectively utilized. Initial evaluations of all patients included a non-contrast head CT scan, which was followed by urgent decompressive hemicraniectomy as a life-saving measure in the presence of markedly elevated intracranial pressure. Further diagnostic evaluations were performed intraoperatively using a multi-purpose C-arm angiography system. The C-arm angiography findings greatly aided the intraoperative planning and led to definitive treatments in four cases of SAH by elucidating the underlying neurovascular lesions. With this treatment strategy, two of the patients made moderately good recoveries from their SAH and/or ICH with a Glasgow outcome score (GOS of 4. Three of the patients expired despite maximal therapy mostly due to unfavorable presenting grade. These results suggest that C-arm angiography is a reasonable diagnostic and surgical planning tool for selected patients with high grade diffuse SAH who require immediate decompression.

Muukeelne elanikkond vajab ka ETVd / Ela Tomson

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Tomson, Ela, 1945-

2006-01-01

Ilmunud ka: Postimees : na russkom jazõke 4. juuli lk. 7, Pjarnuskii Ekspress 7. juuli lk. 7. Autori arvates on riik jätnud Eestis elava muukeelse elanikkonna Venemaa telekanalite mõju alla. Ometi poleks see, kui varustada ETV tähtsamad saated venekeelsete subtiitritega, midagi rahamahukat ja kaelamurdvat

Electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training for improving activities of daily living, arm function, and arm muscle strength after stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Mehrholz, Jan; Pohl, Marcus; Platz, Thomas; Kugler, Joachim; Elsner, Bernhard

2015-11-07

Electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training devices are used in rehabilitation, and may help to improve arm function after stroke. To assess the effectiveness of electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training for improving activities of daily living, arm function, and arm muscle strength in people after stroke. We also assessed the acceptability and safety of the therapy. We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group's Trials Register (last searched February 2015), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (the Cochrane Library 2015, Issue 3), MEDLINE (1950 to March 2015), EMBASE (1980 to March 2015), CINAHL (1982 to March 2015), AMED (1985 to March 2015), SPORTDiscus (1949 to March 2015), PEDro (searched April 2015), Compendex (1972 to March 2015), and Inspec (1969 to March 2015). We also handsearched relevant conference proceedings, searched trials and research registers, checked reference lists, and contacted trialists, experts, and researchers in our field, as well as manufacturers of commercial devices. Randomised controlled trials comparing electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training for recovery of arm function with other rehabilitation or placebo interventions, or no treatment, for people after stroke. Two review authors independently selected trials for inclusion, assessed trial quality and risk of bias, and extracted data. We contacted trialists for additional information. We analysed the results as standardised mean differences (SMDs) for continuous variables and risk differences (RDs) for dichotomous variables. We included 34 trials (involving 1160 participants) in this update of our review. Electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training improved activities of daily living scores (SMD 0.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.11 to 0.64, P = 0.005, I² = 62%), arm function (SMD 0.35, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.51, P arm muscle strength (SMD 0.36, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.70, P = 0.04, I² = 72%), but the quality of the evidence was low to very low

Predicting the pKa and stability of organic acids and bases at an oil-water interface.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersson, M P; Olsson, M H M; Stipp, S L S

2014-06-10

We have used density functional theory and the implicit solvent model, COSMO-RS, to investigate how the acidity constant, pKa, of organic acids and bases adsorbed at the organic compound-aqueous solution interface changes, compared to its value in the aqueous phase. The pKa determine the surface charge density of the molecules that accumulate at the fluid-fluid interface. We have estimated the pKa by comparing the stability of the protonated and unprotonated forms of a series of molecules in the bulk aqueous solution and at an interface where parts of each molecule reside in the hydrophobic phase and the rest remains in the hydrophilic phase. We found that the pKa for acids is shifted by ∼1 pH unit to higher values compared to the bulk water pKa, whereas they are shifted to lower values by a similar amount for bases. Because this pKa shift is similar in magnitude for each of the molecules studied, we propose that the pKa for molecules at a water-organic compound interface can easily be predicted by adding a small shift to the aqueous pKa. This shift is general and correlates with the functional group. We also found that the relative composition of molecules at the fluid-fluid interface is not the same as in the bulk. For example, species such as carboxylic acids are enriched at the interface, where they can dominate surface properties, even when they are a modest component in the bulk fluid. For high surface concentrations of carboxylic acid groups at an interface, such as a self-assembled monolayer, we have demonstrated that the pKa depends on the degree of deprotonation through direct hydrogen bonding between protonated and deprotonated acidic headgroups.

A reconfigurable frequency-selective surface for dual-mode multi-band filtering applications

Science.gov (United States)

Majidzadeh, Maryam; Ghobadi, Changiz; Nourinia, Javad

2017-03-01

A reconfigurable single-layer frequency-selective surface (FSS) with dual-mode multi-band modes of operation is presented. The proposed structure is printed on a compact 10 × 10 mm2 FR4 substrate with the thickness of 1.6 mm. A simple square loop is printed on the front side while another one along with two defected vertical arms is deployed on the backside. To realise the reconfiguration, two pin diodes are embedded on the backside square loop. Suitable insertion of conductive elements along with pin diodes yields in dual-mode multi-band rejection of applicable in service frequency ranges. The first operating mode due to diodes' 'ON' state provides rejection of 2.4 GHz WLAN in 2-3 GHz, 5.2/5.8 GHz WLAN and X band in 5-12 GHz, and a part of Ku band in 13.9-16 GHz. In diodes 'OFF' state, the FSS blocks WLAN in 4-7.3 GHz, X band in 8-12.7 GHz as well as part of Ku band in 13.7-16.7 GHz. As well, high attenuation of incident waves is observed by a high shielding effectiveness (SE) in the blocked frequency bands. Also, a stable behaviour against different polarisations and angles of incidence is obtained. Comprehensive studies are conducted on a fabricated prototype to assess its performance from which encouraging results are obtained.

AHP 44: BILINGUAL EDUCATION IN AMDO - A CASE STUDY OF KHRI KA NATIONALITIES BOARDING SCHOOL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tshe dpal rdo rje ཚེ་དཔལ་རྡོ་རྗེ། (Caihuan Duojie 才还多杰

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The state sponsored education of Tibetan children in Khri ka (Guide County, Mtsho lho (Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Mtsho sngon (Qinghai Province, China, using Khri ka Nationalities Boarding School as a case study, is described. School history, the government rationale for closing village-based Tibetan primary schools, and the nationalities boarding schools operating in Khri ka in 2015 are introduced. Detailed descriptions of teachers; students; instructional materials; classes; language use; rules; punishments; home visiting; communication between students, parents, and teachers; school reports to the local authorities; and official local supervision and evaluation of Khri ka Nationalities Boarding School are also provided. An overall evaluation of this school concludes the paper.

Effect of the Power Balance® band on static balance, hamstring flexibility, and arm strength in adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Verdan, Princess J R; Marzilli, Thomas S; Barna, Geanina I; Roquemore, Anntionette N; Fenter, Brad A; Blujus, Brittany; Gosselin, Kevin P

2012-08-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Power Balance® bands on strength, flexibility, and balance. Strength and flexibility were measured using the MicroFit system. Strength was measured via a bicep curl and flexibility via the sit-and-reach method. Balance was measured by the BIODEX System SD. There were 4 different conditions for the balance test: eyes open on a firm surface (EOFS), eyes closed on a firm surface (ECFS), eyes open on a foam surface (EOFoS), and eyes closed on a foam surface (ECFoS). There were 24 subjects in the study (10 men and 14 women). A counterbalance, double-blind, placebo, controlled within-subject design was used. Each of the subjects participated in 3 treatment sessions, consisting of Power Balance®, placebo band, and no band. An alpha level of p ≤ 0.05 was set a priori. There were no significant differences in strength, flexibility, or balance with regard to the treatments used. There was a significant difference between the conditions in the balance test (p = 0.000): EOFS (0.51), ECFS (0.68), EOFoS (0.99), and ECFoS (2.18); however, these were independent of the treatment conditions. The results indicate that the Power Balance® bands did not have an effect on strength, flexibility, or balance.

ARM Airborne Carbon Measurements (ARM-ACME) and ARM-ACME 2.5 Final Campaign Reports

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biraud, S. C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Tom, M. S. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sweeney, C. [NOAA Earth Systems Research Lab., Boulder, CO (United States)

2016-01-01

We report on a 5-year multi-institution and multi-agency airborne study of atmospheric composition and carbon cycling at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility’s Southern Great Plains (SGP) site, with scientific objectives that are central to the carbon-cycle and radiative-forcing goals of the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the North American Carbon Program (NACP). The goal of these measurements is to improve understanding of 1) the carbon exchange of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) SGP region; 2) how CO₂ and associated water and energy fluxes influence radiative-forcing, convective processes, and CO₂ concentrations over the ARM SGP region, and 3) how greenhouse gases are transported on continental scales.

First line shape analysis and spectroscopic parameters for the ν11 band of 12C2H4

KAUST Repository

Es-sebbar, Et-touhami

2016-08-11

An accurate knowledge of line intensities, collisional broadening coefficients and narrowing parameters is necessary for the interpretation of high-resolution infrared spectra of the Earth and other planetary atmospheres. One of the most promising spectral domains for (C2H4)-C-12 monitoring in such environments is located near the 336 gm window, through its v(11) C-H stretching mode. In this paper, we report an extensive study in which we precisely determine spectroscopic parameters of (C2H4)-C-12 v(11) band at 297 +/- 1 K, using a narrow Difference-Frequency-Generation (DFG) laser with 10(-4) cm(-1) resolution. Absorption measurements were performed in the 2975-2980 cm(-1) spectral window to investigate 32 lines corresponding to where, J\\'ka\\',kc\\'<- Jka,kc, 5 <= J <= 7; 0.5 <= K-a <= 6 and 1 <= K-c <= 14. Spectroscopic parameters are retrieved using either Voigt or appropriate Galatry profile to simulate the measured (C2H4)-C-12 line shape. Line intensities along with self-broadening coefficients are reported for all lines. Narrowing coefficients for each isolated line are also derived. To our knowledge, the current study reports the first extensive spectroscopic parameter measurements of the (C2H4)-C-12 v(11) band in the 2975-2980 cm(-1) range. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

First line shape analysis and spectroscopic parameters for the ν11 band of 12C2H4

KAUST Repository

Es-sebbar, Et-touhami; Mantzaras, John; Benilan, Yves; Farooq, Aamir

2016-01-01

An accurate knowledge of line intensities, collisional broadening coefficients and narrowing parameters is necessary for the interpretation of high-resolution infrared spectra of the Earth and other planetary atmospheres. One of the most promising spectral domains for (C2H4)-C-12 monitoring in such environments is located near the 336 gm window, through its v(11) C-H stretching mode. In this paper, we report an extensive study in which we precisely determine spectroscopic parameters of (C2H4)-C-12 v(11) band at 297 +/- 1 K, using a narrow Difference-Frequency-Generation (DFG) laser with 10(-4) cm(-1) resolution. Absorption measurements were performed in the 2975-2980 cm(-1) spectral window to investigate 32 lines corresponding to where, J'ka',kc'<- Jka,kc, 5 <= J <= 7; 0.5 <= K-a <= 6 and 1 <= K-c <= 14. Spectroscopic parameters are retrieved using either Voigt or appropriate Galatry profile to simulate the measured (C2H4)-C-12 line shape. Line intensities along with self-broadening coefficients are reported for all lines. Narrowing coefficients for each isolated line are also derived. To our knowledge, the current study reports the first extensive spectroscopic parameter measurements of the (C2H4)-C-12 v(11) band in the 2975-2980 cm(-1) range. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Kõik, mis valesti sai minna, see on ka valesti läinud / George Soros

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Soros, George, 1930-

2008-01-01

Ilmunud ka: Molodjozh Estonii : Biznes Sreda, Delovõje Vedomosti 6. veebr. lk. 10. Praegune finantskriis, mille käivitas kinnisvaramulli lõhkemine USA-s, tähistab ka dollari kui rahvusvahelisel reservvaluutal baseeruva laenuandmise laienemise ajastu lõppu

Computational chemical analysis of unconjugated bilirubin anions and insights into pKa values clarification

Science.gov (United States)

Vega-Hissi, Esteban G.; Estrada, Mario R.; Lavecchia, Martín J.; Pis Diez, Reinaldo

2013-01-01

The pKa, the negative logarithm of the acid dissociation equilibrium constant, of the carboxylic acid groups of unconjugated bilirubin in water is a discussed issue because there are quite different experimental values reported. Using quantum mechanical calculations we have studied the conformational behavior of unconjugated bilirubin species (in gas phase and in solution modeled implicitly and explicitly) to provide evidence that may clarify pKa values because of its pathophysiological relevance. Our results show that rotation of carboxylate group, which is not restricted, settles it in a suitable place to establish stronger interactions that stabilizes the monoanion and the dianion to be properly solvated, demonstrating that the rationalization used to justify the high pKa values of unconjugated bilirubin is inappropriate. Furthermore, low unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) pKa values were estimated from a linear regression analysis.

MARIJANSKA PUČKA BLAGDANSKA IMENA NA DUBROVAČKOM PODRUČJU

OpenAIRE

Vulić, Sanja

2009-01-01

U radu se opisuju pučka imena blagdana Gospe Karmelske, Gospe od Anđela, Gospina Pohoda sv. Elizabeti, Gospe od Krunice, Gospe Snježne, Gospe od Zdravlja, Gospe Lurdske, Gospe Fatimske, Imena Marijina, Gospe od Sedam Žalosti, Bezgrješnoga Začeća, Velike Gospe, Male Gospe i nekih lokalnih svetkovina. Uglavnom se razmatraju pučka blagdanska imena koja sam prikupila osobnim terenskim istraživanjem u samom gradu Dubrovniku, u Postranju u Župi dubrovačkoj, u Trpnju i Orebiću na Pelješcu te na otok...

Aeroflot tahab ka ise Moskvast Tallinna lennata / Raimo Poom

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Poom, Raimo

2011-01-01

Aeroflot kavatseb suurendada oma rahvusvaheliste reiside hulka umbes veerandi võrra, uute sihtkohtade seas on infoportaali ATO.ru andmeil ka Tallinn. Tallinna lennujaama juhatuse liikme Erik Sakkovi kommentaare

Powered manipulator control arm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Mouee, Theodore; Vertut, Jean; Marchal, Paul; Germon, J.C.; Petit, Michel

1975-01-01

A remote operated control arm for powered manipulators is described. It includes an assembly allowing several movements with position sensors for each movement. The number of possible arm movements equals the number of possible manipulator movements. The control systems may be interrupted as required. One part of the arm is fitted with a system to lock it with respect to another part of the arm without affecting the other movements, so long as the positions of the manipulator and the arm have not been brought into complete coincidence. With this system the locking can be ended when complete concordance is achieved [fr

pKa-critical Interpretations of Solubility–pH Profiles: PG 300995 and NSC-639829 Case Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George Butcher

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Two weak bases, PG-300995 (anti-HIV agent and NSC-639829 (anti-tumor agent, whose log S – pH profiles had been previously published, but whose pKa values had not been reported, were analyzed using a method which can determine pKa values from log S – pH data. This “SpH-pKa” technique, although often practiced, can result in inaccurate pKa values, for a variety of reasons. The operational SpH-pKa values were compared to those predicted by MarvinSketch (ChemAxon, ADMET Predictor (Simulation Plus, and ACD/Percepta (ACD/Labs. The agreement for the sparingly-soluble PG-300995 was reasonably good. However, a substantial difference was found for the practically-insoluble NSC-639829. To probe this further, the pKa of NSC‑639829 was measured by an independent spectrophotometric cosolvent technique. The log S - pH profile of NSC-639829 was then re‑analyzed with the independently-measured pKa. It was found that the equilibrium model which best fit the solubility data is consistent with the presence of a monocationic NSC-639829 dimeric species below pH 4. This illustrates that an independently-determined accurate pKa is critical to mechanistic interpretations of solubility-pH data. Apparently, the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation holds for PG-300995, but not NSC-639829.

Band Gap Modulated by Electronic Superlattice in Blue Phosphorene.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuang, Jincheng; Liu, Chen; Gao, Qian; Liu, Yani; Feng, Haifeng; Xu, Xun; Wang, Jiaou; Zhao, Jijun; Dou, Shi Xue; Hu, Zhenpeng; Du, Yi

2018-05-22

Exploring stable two-dimensional materials with appropriate band gaps and high carrier mobility is highly desirable due to the potential applications in optoelectronic devices. Here, the electronic structures of phosphorene on a Au(111) substrate are investigated by scanning tunneling spectroscopy, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The substrate-induced phosphorene superstructure gives a superlattice potential, leading to a strong band folding effect of the sp band of Au(111) on the band structure. The band gap could be clearly identified in the ARPES results after examining the folded sp band. The value of the energy gap (∼1.1 eV) and the high charge carrier mobility comparable to that of black phosphorus, which is engineered by the tensile strain, are revealed by the combination of ARPES results and DFT calculations. Furthermore, the phosphorene layer on the Au(111) surface displays high surface inertness, leading to the absence of multilayer phosphorene. All these results suggest that the phosphorene on Au(111) could be a promising candidate, not only for fundamental research but also for nanoelectronic and optoelectronic applications.

[Effect of freezing and cooking on the texture and electrophoretic pattern of the proteins of octopus arms (Octopus vulgaris)].

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes, Genara; Nirchio, Mauro; Bello, Rafael; Borderías, Javier

2014-09-01

Texture is the most valuable feature in cephalopods. Factors that mainly affect the texture of octopus are: freezing, scalding and cooking. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of freezing, scalding and length of cooking time on the texture and electrophoretic pattern of proteins of octopus arms. Octopuses were trapped near Margarita Island and carried with ice to the laboratory where they were packed and subjected to: a) freezing at -27 degrees C or at -20 degrees C b) scalding c) cooking for 25 min, 35 min or 45 min. Shear force was determined by Kramer cell on strips of octopus arms. SDS-PAGE was done according to the Laemmli method with 12% polyacrilamide gels. A sensory evaluation of the preference of texture was carried out using a hedonic scale of 7-points and a non-trained panel. Octopus texture was not affected by freezing temperature or scalding. Frozen octopus was softer after cooking than fresh. The longer the cooking time was, the softer the octopus was. Myosin heavy chain (MHC) was not significantly affected by scalding or cooking; however large aggregates heavier than MHC, new bands and loss of resolution of the bands appeared. Myosin and paramyosin bands were more affected by freezing prior to cooking.

Band Alignment at GaN/Single-Layer WSe2 Interface

KAUST Repository

Tangi, Malleswararao

2017-02-21

We study the band discontinuity at the GaN/single-layer (SL) WSe2 heterointerface. The GaN thin layer is epitaxially grown by molecular beam epitaxy on chemically vapor deposited SL-WSe2/c-sapphire. We confirm that the WSe2 was formed as an SL from structural and optical analyses using atomic force microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, micro-Raman, absorbance, and microphotoluminescence spectra. The determination of band offset parameters at the GaN/SL-WSe2 heterojunction is obtained by high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron affinities, and the electronic bandgap values of SL-WSe2 and GaN. The valence band and conduction band offset values are determined to be 2.25 ± 0.15 and 0.80 ± 0.15 eV, respectively, with type II band alignment. The band alignment parameters determined here provide a route toward the integration of group III nitride semiconducting materials with transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) for designing and modeling of their heterojunction-based electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Band Alignment at GaN/Single-Layer WSe2 Interface

KAUST Repository

Tangi, Malleswararao; Mishra, Pawan; Tseng, Chien-Chih; Ng, Tien Khee; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Alias, Mohd Sharizal; Wei, Nini; Li, Lain-Jong; Ooi, Boon S.

2017-01-01

We study the band discontinuity at the GaN/single-layer (SL) WSe2 heterointerface. The GaN thin layer is epitaxially grown by molecular beam epitaxy on chemically vapor deposited SL-WSe2/c-sapphire. We confirm that the WSe2 was formed as an SL from structural and optical analyses using atomic force microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, micro-Raman, absorbance, and microphotoluminescence spectra. The determination of band offset parameters at the GaN/SL-WSe2 heterojunction is obtained by high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron affinities, and the electronic bandgap values of SL-WSe2 and GaN. The valence band and conduction band offset values are determined to be 2.25 ± 0.15 and 0.80 ± 0.15 eV, respectively, with type II band alignment. The band alignment parameters determined here provide a route toward the integration of group III nitride semiconducting materials with transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) for designing and modeling of their heterojunction-based electronic and optoelectronic devices.

ARM Airborne Carbon Measurements VI (ARM-ACME VI) Field Campaign Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biraud, Sebastien [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2017-05-01

From October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016, AAF deployed a Cessna 206 aircraft over the Southern Great Plains, collecting observations of trace gas mixing ratios over the ARM/SGP Central Facility. The aircraft payload included two Atmospheric Observing Systems (AOS Inc.) analyzers for continuous measurements of CO2, and a 12-flask sampler for analysis of carbon cycle gases (CO2, CO, CH4, N2O, 13CO2). The aircraft payload also includes solar/infrared radiation measurements. This research (supported by DOE ARM and TES programs) builds upon previous ARM-ACME missions. The goal of these measurements is to improve understanding of: (a) the carbon exchange of the ARM region; (b) how CO2 and associated water and energy fluxes influence radiative forcing, convective processes, and CO2 concentrations over the ARM region, and (c) how greenhouse gases are transported on continental scales.

Descriptional Complexity of the Languages KaL: Automata, Monoids and Varieties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ondřej Klíma

2010-08-01

Full Text Available The first step when forming the polynomial hierarchies of languages is to consider languages of the form KaL where K and L are over a finite alphabet A and from a given variety V of languages, a being a letter from A. All such KaL's generate the variety of languages BPol1(V. We estimate the numerical parameters of the language KaL in terms of their values for K and L. These parameters include the state complexity of the minimal complete DFA and the size of the syntactic monoids. We also estimate the cardinality of the image of A* in the Schuetzenberger product of the syntactic monoids of K and L. In these three cases we obtain the optimal bounds. Finally, we also consider estimates for the cardinalities of free monoids in the variety of monoids corresponding to BPol1(V in terms of sizes of the free monoids in the variety of monoids corresponding to V.

ARM Mentor Selection Process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sisterson, D. L. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2015-10-01

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program was created in 1989 with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop several highly instrumented ground stations to study cloud formation processes and their influence on radiative transfer. In 2003, the ARM Program became a national scientific user facility, known as the ARM Climate Research Facility. This scientific infrastructure provides for fixed sites, mobile facilities, an aerial facility, and a data archive available for use by scientists worldwide through the ARM Climate Research Facility—a scientific user facility. The ARM Climate Research Facility currently operates more than 300 instrument systems that provide ground-based observations of the atmospheric column. To keep ARM at the forefront of climate observations, the ARM infrastructure depends heavily on instrument scientists and engineers, also known as lead mentors. Lead mentors must have an excellent understanding of in situ and remote-sensing instrumentation theory and operation and have comprehensive knowledge of critical scale-dependent atmospheric processes. They must also possess the technical and analytical skills to develop new data retrievals that provide innovative approaches for creating research-quality data sets. The ARM Climate Research Facility is seeking the best overall qualified candidate who can fulfill lead mentor requirements in a timely manner.

The arms race control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nemo, J.

2010-01-01

Written in 1961, this paper presents the content of a book entitled 'The arms race control' where the author outlined the difference between disarmament and arms control, described the economic and moral role of arms race, the importance of force balance for international security. He wandered whether arms control could ensure this balance and whether nuclear balance meant force balance. Force balance then appears to be a precarious and unsteady component of international security. He commented the challenges of disarmament, recalled some arguments for a nuclear disarmament. Then he discussed what would be an arms control with or without disarmament (either nuclear or conventional)

How do octopuses use their arms?

Science.gov (United States)

Mather, J A

1998-09-01

A taxonomy of the movement patterns of the 8 flexible arms of octopuses is constructed. Components consist of movements of the arm itself, the ventral suckers and their stalks, as well as the relative position of arms and the skin web between them. Within 1 arm, combinations of components result in a variety of behaviors. At the level of all arms, 1 group of behaviors is described as postures, on the basis of the spread of all arms and the web to make a 2-dimensional surface whose position differs in the 3rd dimension. Another group of arm behaviors is actions, more or less coordinated and involving several to all arms. Arm control appears to be based on radial symmetry, relative equipotentiality of all arms, relative independence of each arm, and separability of components within the arm. The types and coordination of arm behaviors are discussed with relationship to biomechanical limits, muscle structures, and neuronal programming.

Study of LEO-SAT microwave link for broad-band mobile satellite communication system

Science.gov (United States)

Fujise, Masayuki; Chujo, Wataru; Chiba, Isamu; Furuhama, Yoji; Kawabata, Kazuaki; Konishi, Yoshihiko

1993-01-01

In the field of mobile satellite communications, a system based on low-earth-orbit satellites (LEO-SAT's) such as the Iridium system has been proposed. The LEO-SAT system is able to offer mobile telecommunication services in high-latitude areas. Rain degradation, fading and shadowing are also expected to be decreased when the system is operated at a high elevation angle. Furthermore, the propagation delay generated in the LEO-SAT system is less pronounced than that in the geostationary orbit satellite (GEO-SAT) system and, in voice services, the effect of the delay is almost negligible. We proposed a concept of a broad-band mobile satellite communication system with LEO-SAT's and Optical ISL. In that system, a fixed L-band (1.6/1.5 GHz) multibeam is used to offer narrow band service to the mobile terminals in the entire area covered by a LEO-SAT and steerable Ka-band (30/20 GHz) spot beams are used for the wide band service. In this paper, we present results of a study of LEO-SAT microwave link between a satellite and a mobile terminal for a broad-band mobile satellite communication system. First, the results of link budget calculations are presented and the antennas mounted on satellites are shown. For a future mobile antenna technology, we also show digital beamforming (DBF) techniques. DBF, together with modulation and/or demodulation, is becoming a key technique for mobile antennas with advanced functions such as antenna pattern calibration, correction, and radio interference suppression. In this paper, efficient DBF techniques for transmitting and receiving are presented. Furthermore, an adaptive array antenna system suitable for this LEO-SAT is presented.

NOAA Ship Ka'imimoana Underway Meteorological Data, Quality Controlled

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — NOAA Ship Ka'imimoana Underway Meteorological Data (delayed ~10 days for quality control) are from the Shipboard Automated Meteorological and Oceanographic System...

Replication Banding Patterns in Human Chromosomes Detected Using 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine Incorporation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoshi, Osamu; Ushiki, Tatsuo

2011-01-01

A novel technique using the incorporation of 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) into replicating DNA is described for the analysis of replicating banding patterns of human metaphase chromosomes. Human lymphocytes were synchronized with excess thymidine and treated with EdU during the late S phase of the cell cycle. The incorporated EdU was then detected in metaphase chromosomes using Alexa Fluor® 488 azides, through the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of organic azides with the terminal acetylene group of EdU. Chromosomes with incorporated EdU showed a banding pattern similar to G-banding of normal human chromosomes. Imaging by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in liquid conditions showed that the structure of the chromosomes was well preserved even after EdU treatment. Comparison between fluorescence microscopy and AFM images of the same chromosome 1 indicated the presence of ridges and grooves in the chromatid arm, features that have been previously reported in relation to G-banding. These results suggest an intimate relationship between EdU-induced replication bands and G- or R-bands in human chromosomes. This technique is thus useful for analyzing the structure of chromosomes in relation to their banding patterns following DNA replication in the S phase

The pictures of CT scan of gold pneumonitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taguchi, Yoshio; Iwata, Takekuni; Kuroda, Yasumasa; Sadato, Norihiro; Tanemoto, Kiichiro; Adachi, Kazuhiko.

1987-01-01

We experienced two cases of gold pneumonitis and their interesting findings of CT scan. After the cessation of gold salt, both cases were treated with the corticosteroid, resulting in the disappearance of pulmonary manifestations and clearing of shadows on chest roentgenograms. The findings of CT scan on both cases were very interesting. They were the high density shadows along the bronchovascular bundles, the fluffy figures surroundings these shadows and band like shadows reached to the thoracic wall. We considered that each shadows were pathologically compatible with severe exudative changes of interstitial pneumonitis, shrinkage surroundings them and thickness of interlobular septum. (author)

CyARM: Haptic Sensing Device for Spatial Localization on Basis of Exploration by Arms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junichi Akita

2009-01-01

Full Text Available We introduce a new type of perception aid device based on user's exploration action, which is named as CyARM (acronym of “Cyber Arm”. The user holds this device in her/his arm, the extension of the arm is controlled by tension in wires, which are attached to her/his body according to the distance to the object. This user interface has unique characteristics that give users the illusion of an imaginary arm that extends to existing objects. The implementations of CyARM and our two experiments to investigate the efficiency and effectiveness of CyARM are described. The results show that we could confirm that CyARM can be used to recognize the presence of an object in front of the user and to measure the relative distance to the object.

Revalidation and rationale for high pKa values of unconjugated bilirubin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ostrow J Donald

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Our prior solvent partition analysis, published in 1992, yielded pKa values for unconjugated bilirubin of about 8.1 and 8.4, but these results have been challenged and studies by other methods have suggested pKa values below 5.0. Methods We repeated our published solvent partition studies, using 14C-unconjugated bilirubin highly purified by extraction of residual labeled impurities from CHCl3 into an aqueous buffer, pH 7.0. Partition ratios at six pH values from 5.0 to 9.0 were determined by radioassay and compared with our prior values obtained by diazo assay. Results At pH values ranging from 4.8 to 9.2, stable aqueous/chloroform 14C-partition ratios did not differ significantly from our published partition ratios based on diazo assay. Conclusion These results support the high pKa values of unconjugated bilirubin, above 8.0, derived from our earlier solvent partition study. In both studies, our measurements were based on the rapid analysis of clearly under-saturated solutions of highly-purified bilirubin over a wide pH range, using properly purified and preserved solvents. No previous direct estimate of the aqueous pKa values of unconjugated bilirubin meets all these preconditions. Three theoretical factors acting in combination, each related to the unique, extensive internal H-bonding of the -COOH groups, are proposed to support high pKa values of unconjugated bilirubin in water: a donation of an H-bond from the -OH moiety of the -COOH group, which is broken on ionization; b hindered solvation of the -COO- group after ionization; and c restricted rotation of the -COO- and -COOH groups. Our findings and rationale rebut methodological and theoretical criticisms leveled against our prior work. High pKa values for unconjugated bilirubin dictate that: a bilirubin diacid, which readily diffuses across membranes and can cause neurotoxicity, is the dominant unbound bilirubin species of unconjugated bilirubin in plasma at

pKa prediction for acidic phosphorus-containing compounds using multiple linear regression with computational descriptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Donghai; Du, Ruobing; Xiao, Ji-Chang

2016-07-05

Ninety-six acidic phosphorus-containing molecules with pKa 1.88 to 6.26 were collected and divided into training and test sets by random sampling. Structural parameters were obtained by density functional theory calculation of the molecules. The relationship between the experimental pKa values and structural parameters was obtained by multiple linear regression fitting for the training set, and tested with the test set; the R(2) values were 0.974 and 0.966 for the training and test sets, respectively. This regression equation, which quantitatively describes the influence of structural parameters on pKa , and can be used to predict pKa values of similar structures, is significant for the design of new acidic phosphorus-containing extractants. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

GPM, DPR Level 2A Ka Precipitation V03

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The 2AKa algorithm provides precipitation estimates from the Ka radar of the Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar on the core GPM spacecraft. The product contains two...

Assessing ScanSAR Interferometry for Deformation Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Buckley, S. M.; Gudipati, K.

2007-12-01

, we consider several vastly different study sites. Phoenix, Arizona is an urban area which is located in an arid region with very little vegetation. C-band data over Phoenix is generally coherent over 5+ years. ERS data collected through the 1990s is used to monitor land subsidence in and around the Phoenix metropolitan area. We contrast these measurements with both broad and narrow deformation features in the vegetated Houston, Texas and London, U.K. areas. We find that low resolution ScanSAR data can be used to detect narrow features with small spatial extent. Several additional interferograms demonstrate the general applicability of C-band ScanSAR interferometry to WInSAR community interests, e.g., the Hector Mine earthquake, aseismic fault motion and Long Valley and Yellowstone deformation over time. With the September 2006 implementation of a new burst synchronization strategy for Envisat, 90% of all ScanSAR acquisitions exhibit at least 50% burst overlap. Our results demonstrate that these new data can be successfully used for a number of InSAR applications.

Predicting the pKa and stability of organic acids and bases at an oil-water interface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersson, Martin Peter; Olsson, Mats Henrik Mikael; Stipp, Susan Louise Svane

2014-01-01

We have used density functional theory and the implicit solvent model, COSMO-RS, to investigate how the acidity constant, pKa, of organic acids and bases adsorbed at the organic compound-aqueous solution interface changes, compared to its value in the aqueous phase. The pKa determine the surface...... phase and the rest remains in the hydrophilic phase. We found that the pKa for acids is shifted by ∼1 pH unit to higher values compared to the bulk water pKa, whereas they are shifted to lower values by a similar amount for bases. Because this pKa shift is similar in magnitude for each of the molecules...... is not the same as in the bulk. For example, species such as carboxylic acids are enriched at the interface, where they can dominate surface properties, even when they are a modest component in the bulk fluid. For high surface concentrations of carboxylic acid groups at an interface, such as a self...

Quantitative operando visualization of the energy band depth profile in solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Qi; Mao, Lin; Li, Yaowen; Kong, Tao; Wu, Na; Ma, Changqi; Bai, Sai; Jin, Yizheng; Wu, Dan; Lu, Wei; Wang, Bing; Chen, Liwei

2015-07-13

The energy band alignment in solar cell devices is critically important because it largely governs elementary photovoltaic processes, such as the generation, separation, transport, recombination and collection of charge carriers. Despite the expenditure of considerable effort, the measurement of energy band depth profiles across multiple layers has been extremely challenging, especially for operando devices. Here we present direct visualization of the surface potential depth profile over the cross-sections of operando organic photovoltaic devices using scanning Kelvin probe microscopy. The convolution effect due to finite tip size and cantilever beam crosstalk has previously prohibited quantitative interpretation of scanning Kelvin probe microscopy-measured surface potential depth profiles. We develop a bias voltage-compensation method to address this critical problem and obtain quantitatively accurate measurements of the open-circuit voltage, built-in potential and electrode potential difference.

The 13 ka Pelée-Type Dome Collapse at Nevado de Toluca Volcano, México.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Antonio, M.; Capra, L.; Sarocchi, D.; Bellotti, F.

2007-05-01

The Nevado de Toluca is an active volcano located in the central sector of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, 80 km southwest of Mexico City. Activity at this andesitic to dacitic stratovolcano began ca. 2.6 Ma ago. During the last 42 ka, the volcano has been characterized by different eruptive styles, including five dome collapses dated at 37, 32, 28, 26, and 13 ka and five Plinian eruptions at 42 ka, 36 ka, 21.7 ka, 12.1 ka and 10.5 ka. The 13 ka dome collapse is the youngest event of this type, and originated a 0.11 km3 block-and-ash flow deposit on the north-eastern sector of the volcano. The deposit consists of two facies: channel-like, 10 m thick, monolitologic, that is composed of up to five units, with decimetric dacitic clasts set in a sandy matrix; and a lateral facies that consists of a gray, sandy horizon, up to 4 m thick, with a 30 cm-thick surge layer at the base. The main component is a dacitic lava, with different degree of vesciculation, with mineral association of Pl-Hbl-Opx. Plagioclases show two different textures: in equilibrium, with normal zoning (core = An37-64.3, rim = An30.7-45.8) or with spongy cellular texture with inverse zoning (core = An38-43.5, rim = An45-51.2). Hornblende is normally light green, barren of oxidation. The rock matrix contains up to 53 perc. of glass with abundant microlites, indicating over-pressure on the crystallizing magma and a rapid expulsion. All these stratigraphic and petrographic features indicate that the dome was quickly extruded on the summit of the volcano, probably triggered by a magma mixing process, and its collapse was accompanied by an explosive component, being classified as a Pelée-type event.

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program Science Plan. Current Status and Future Directions of the ARM Science Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ackerman, Thomas P.; Del Genio, Anthony D.; Ellingson, Robert G.; Ferrare, Richard A.; Klein, Steve A.; McFarquhar, Gregory M.; Lamb, Peter J.; Long, Charles M.; Verlinde, Johannes

2004-10-30

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program has matured into one of the key programs in the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. The ARM Program has achieved considerable scientific success in a broad range of activities, including site and instrument development, atmospheric radiative transfer, aerosol science, determination of cloud properties, cloud modeling, and cloud parameterization testing and development. The focus of ARM science has naturally shifted during the last few years to an increasing emphasis on modeling and parameterization studies to take advantage of the long time series of data now available. During the next 5 years, the principal focus of the ARM science program will be to: Maintain the data record at the fixed ARM sites for at least the next five years; Improve significantly our understanding of and ability to parameterize the 3-D cloud-radiation problem at scales from the local atmospheric column to the global climate model (GCM) grid square; Continue developing techniques to retrieve the properties of all clouds, with a special focus on ice clouds and mixed-phase clouds; Develop a focused research effort on the indirect aerosol problem that spans observations, physical models, and climate model parameterizations; Implement and evaluate an operational methodology to calculate broad-band heating rates in the atmospheric columns at the ARM sites; Develop and implement methodologies to use ARM data more effectively to test atmospheric models, both at the cloud-resolving model scale and the GCM scale; and, Use these methodologies to diagnose cloud parameterization performance and then refine these parameterizations to improve the accuracy of climate model simulations. In addition, the ARM Program is actively developing a new ARM Mobile Facility (AMF) that will be available for short deployments (several months to a year or more) in climatically important regions. The AMF will have much of the same instrumentation as the remote

Under tõi kirjanduse juurde ka Ilvese / Jaanus Kulli

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kulli, Jaanus, 1955-

2009-01-01

Sirje Kiini raamatust "Marie Under : elu, luuletaja identiteet ja teoste vastuvõtt" (Tallinn : Tänapäev, 2009), mille esitlus toimus 10. dets. Kirjanike Majas Tallinnas. Sõnavõtuga esines ka president Toomas Hendrik Ilves

Swedbank hüvitab tekitatud kahju ka fondi vahetajatele

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2009-01-01

Swedbank hüvitab veel enne 2009. aasta lõppu Private Debt Fondi osaku puhasväärtuse alanemise kolmandas kvartalis ning kompensatsiooni saavad ka need kliendid, kes on andnud sisse pensionifondi vahetamise taotluse

Internetiside VoIP sobib ka ettevõtteile / Valdur Laid

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Laid, Valdur, 1969-

2005-01-01

Ilmunud ka: Delovõje Vedomosti 8. juuni lk. 19. Kommunikatsiooni liikumisest internetti ehk IP-võrku ning selle võimalustest ettevõtjaile. Vt. samas: Väikefirmade IP-lahendus jõuab aasta lõpus massturule

Molecular Paleoclimate Reconstructions over the Last 9 ka from a Peat Sequence in South China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xinxin; Huang, Xianyu; Sachse, Dirk; Ding, Weihua; Xue, Jiantao

2016-01-01

To achieve a better understanding of Holocene climate change in the monsoon regions of China, we investigated the molecular distributions and carbon and hydrogen isotope compositions (δ13C and δD values) of long-chain n-alkanes in a peat core from the Shiwangutian (SWGT) peatland, south China over the last 9 ka. By comparisons with other climate records, we found that the δ13C values of the long-chain n-alkanes can be a proxy for humidity, while the δD values of the long-chain n-alkanes primarily recorded the moisture source δD signal during 9–1.8 ka BP and responded to the dry climate during 1.8–0.3 ka BP. Together with the average chain length (ACL) and the carbon preference index (CPI) data, the climate evolution over last 9 ka in the SWGT peatland can be divided into three stages. During the first stage (9–5 ka BP), the δ13C values were depleted and CPI and Paq values were low, while ACL values were high. They reveal a period of warm and wet climate, which is regarded as the Holocene optimum. The second stage (5–1.8 ka BP) witnessed a shift to relatively cool and dry climate, as indicated by the more positive δ13C values and lower ACL values. During the third stage (1.8–0.3 ka BP), the δ13C, δD, CPI and Paq values showed marked increase and ACL values varied greatly, implying an abrupt change to cold and dry conditions. This climate pattern corresponds to the broad decline in Asian monsoon intensity through the latter part of the Holocene. Our results do not support a later Holocene optimum in south China as suggested by previous studies. PMID:27505008

Molecular Paleoclimate Reconstructions over the Last 9 ka from a Peat Sequence in South China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xinxin Wang

Full Text Available To achieve a better understanding of Holocene climate change in the monsoon regions of China, we investigated the molecular distributions and carbon and hydrogen isotope compositions (δ13C and δD values of long-chain n-alkanes in a peat core from the Shiwangutian (SWGT peatland, south China over the last 9 ka. By comparisons with other climate records, we found that the δ13C values of the long-chain n-alkanes can be a proxy for humidity, while the δD values of the long-chain n-alkanes primarily recorded the moisture source δD signal during 9-1.8 ka BP and responded to the dry climate during 1.8-0.3 ka BP. Together with the average chain length (ACL and the carbon preference index (CPI data, the climate evolution over last 9 ka in the SWGT peatland can be divided into three stages. During the first stage (9-5 ka BP, the δ13C values were depleted and CPI and Paq values were low, while ACL values were high. They reveal a period of warm and wet climate, which is regarded as the Holocene optimum. The second stage (5-1.8 ka BP witnessed a shift to relatively cool and dry climate, as indicated by the more positive δ13C values and lower ACL values. During the third stage (1.8-0.3 ka BP, the δ13C, δD, CPI and Paq values showed marked increase and ACL values varied greatly, implying an abrupt change to cold and dry conditions. This climate pattern corresponds to the broad decline in Asian monsoon intensity through the latter part of the Holocene. Our results do not support a later Holocene optimum in south China as suggested by previous studies.

18 Ka BP records of climatic changes, Bay of Bengal: Isotopic and sedimentological evidences

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Chauhan, O.S.; Suneethi, J.

are also identified at 10.3 and 11.5 Ka BP. The later event matches well with that of the ‘Younger Dryas’ event of world climate models. The beginning of the Holocene is marked by lighter d18O values (at around 9.5 Ka BP), which has been interpreted...

Armed conflict and child health.

Science.gov (United States)

Rieder, Michael; Choonara, Imti

2012-01-01

Armed conflict has a major impact on child health throughout the world. One in six children worldwide lives in an area of armed conflict and civilians are more likely to die than soldiers as a result of the conflict. In stark contrast to the effect on children, the international arms trade results in huge profits for the large corporations involved in producing arms, weapons and munitions. Armed conflict is not inevitable but is an important health issue that should be prevented.

Hello to Arms

Science.gov (United States)

2005-01-01

This image highlights the hidden spiral arms (blue) that were discovered around the nearby galaxy NGC 4625 by the ultraviolet eyes of NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer. The image is composed of ultraviolet and visible-light data, from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer and the California Institute of Technology's Digitized Sky Survey, respectively. Near-ultraviolet light is colored green; far-ultraviolet light is colored blue; and optical light is colored red. As the image demonstrates, the lengthy spiral arms are nearly invisible when viewed in optical light while bright in ultraviolet. This is because they are bustling with hot, newborn stars that radiate primarily ultraviolet light. The youthful arms are also very long, stretching out to a distance four times the size of the galaxy's core. They are part of the largest ultraviolet galactic disk discovered so far. Located 31 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici, NGC 4625 is the closest galaxy ever seen with such a young halo of arms. It is slightly smaller than our Milky Way, both in size and mass. However, the fact that this galaxy's disk is forming stars very actively suggests that it might evolve into a more massive and mature galaxy resembling our own. The armless companion galaxy seen below NGC 4625 is called NGC 4618. Astronomers do not know why it lacks arms but speculate that it may have triggered the development of arms in NGC 4625.

Visual Display of 5p-arm and 3p-arm miRNA Expression with a Mobile Application.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Chao-Yu; Kuo, Wei-Ting; Chiu, Chien-Yuan; Lin, Wen-Chang

2017-01-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in human cancers. In previous studies, we have demonstrated that both 5p-arm and 3p-arm of mature miRNAs could be expressed from the same precursor and we further interrogated the 5p-arm and 3p-arm miRNA expression with a comprehensive arm feature annotation list. To assist biologists to visualize the differential 5p-arm and 3p-arm miRNA expression patterns, we utilized a user-friendly mobile App to display. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) miRNA-Seq expression information. We have collected over 4,500 miRNA-Seq datasets from 15 TCGA cancer types and further processed them with the 5p-arm and 3p-arm annotation analysis pipeline. In order to be displayed with the RNA-Seq Viewer App, annotated 5p-arm and 3p-arm miRNA expression information and miRNA gene loci information were converted into SQLite tables. In this distinct application, for any given miRNA gene, 5p-arm miRNA is illustrated on the top of chromosome ideogram and 3p-arm miRNA is illustrated on the bottom of chromosome ideogram. Users can then easily interrogate the differentially 5p-arm/3p-arm expressed miRNAs with their mobile devices. This study demonstrates the feasibility and utility of RNA-Seq Viewer App in addition to mRNA-Seq data visualization.

Visual Display of 5p-arm and 3p-arm miRNA Expression with a Mobile Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao-Yu Pan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs (miRNAs play important roles in human cancers. In previous studies, we have demonstrated that both 5p-arm and 3p-arm of mature miRNAs could be expressed from the same precursor and we further interrogated the 5p-arm and 3p-arm miRNA expression with a comprehensive arm feature annotation list. To assist biologists to visualize the differential 5p-arm and 3p-arm miRNA expression patterns, we utilized a user-friendly mobile App to display. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA miRNA-Seq expression information. We have collected over 4,500 miRNA-Seq datasets from 15 TCGA cancer types and further processed them with the 5p-arm and 3p-arm annotation analysis pipeline. In order to be displayed with the RNA-Seq Viewer App, annotated 5p-arm and 3p-arm miRNA expression information and miRNA gene loci information were converted into SQLite tables. In this distinct application, for any given miRNA gene, 5p-arm miRNA is illustrated on the top of chromosome ideogram and 3p-arm miRNA is illustrated on the bottom of chromosome ideogram. Users can then easily interrogate the differentially 5p-arm/3p-arm expressed miRNAs with their mobile devices. This study demonstrates the feasibility and utility of RNA-Seq Viewer App in addition to mRNA-Seq data visualization.

Ehitusala tõus jätkus ka mullu

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2004-01-01

Ilmunud ka: Delovõje Vedomosti, 3. nov. 2004, lk. 14-15. Ehitusfirmade TOP 95 aastal 2003. Kasumi TOP 40. Käibe TOP 40. TOP-i koostamise metoodika. Kasumi kasvu TOP 20. Käibe kasvu TOP 20. Omakapitali tootluse TOP 20. Rentaabluse TOP 20. Ehitusettevõtete üld- ja finantsandmed

Sensory-Feedback Exoskeletal Arm Controller

Science.gov (United States)

An, Bin; Massie, Thomas H.; Vayner, Vladimir

2004-01-01

An electromechanical exoskeletal arm apparatus has been designed for use in controlling a remote robotic manipulator arm. The apparatus, called a force-feedback exoskeleton arm master (F-EAM) is comfortable to wear and easy to don and doff. It provides control signals from the wearer s arm to a robot arm or a computer simulator (e.g., a virtual-reality system); it also provides force and torque feedback from sensors on the robot arm or from the computer simulator to the wearer s arm. The F-EAM enables the wearer to make the robot arm gently touch objects and finely manipulate them without exerting excessive forces. The F-EAM features a lightweight design in which the motors and gear heads that generate force and torque feedback are made smaller than they ordinarily would be: this is achieved by driving the motors to power levels greater than would ordinarily be used in order to obtain higher torques, and by providing active liquid cooling of the motors to prevent overheating at the high drive levels. The F-EAM (see figure) includes an assembly that resembles a backpack and is worn like a backpack, plus an exoskeletal arm mechanism. The FEAM has five degrees of freedom (DOFs) that correspond to those of the human arm: 1. The first DOF is that of the side-to-side rotation of the upper arm about the shoulder (rotation about axis 1). The reflected torque for this DOF is provided by motor 1 via drum 1 and a planar four-bar linkage. 2. The second DOF is that of the up-and-down rotation of the arm about the shoulder. The reflected torque for this DOF is provided by motor 2 via drum 2. 3. The third DOF is that of twisting of the upper arm about its longitudinal axis. This DOF is implemented in a cable remote-center mechanism (CRCM). The reflected torque for this DOF is provided by motor 3, which drives the upper-arm cuff and the mechanism below it. A bladder inflatable by gas or liquid is placed between the cuff and the wearer s upper arm to compensate for misalignment

Estimated pKa values for the environmentally relevant C1 through C8 perfluorinated sulfonic acid isomers.

Science.gov (United States)

Rayne, Sierra; Forest, Kaya

2016-10-14

In order to estimate isomer-specific acidity constants (pKa) for the perfluorinated sulfonic acid (PFSA) environmental contaminants, the parameterization method 6 (PM6) pKa prediction method was extensively validated against a wide range of carbon oxyacids and related sulfonic/sulfinic acids. Excellent pKa prediction performance was observed for the carbon oxyacids using the PM6 method, but this approach was found to have a severe positive bias for sulfonic/sulfinic acids. To overcome this obstacle, a correlation was developed between non-adjusted PM6 pKa values and the corresponding experimentally obtained/estimated acidity constants for a range of representative alkyl, aryl and halogen-substituted sulfonic acids. Application of this correction to the PM6 values allows for extension of this computational method to a new acid functional group. When used to estimate isomer-specific pKa values for the C1 through C8 PFSAs, the modified PM6 approach suggests an adjusted pKa range from -5.3 to -9.0, indicating that all members of this class of well-known environmental contaminants will be effectively completely dissociated in aquatic systems.

Unequal-Arms Michelson Interferometers

Science.gov (United States)

Tinto, Massimo; Armstrong, J. W.

2000-01-01

Michelson interferometers allow phase measurements many orders of magnitude below the phase stability of the laser light injected into their two almost equal-length arms. If, however, the two arms are unequal, the laser fluctuations can not be removed by simply recombining the two beams. This is because the laser jitters experience different time delays in the two arms, and therefore can not cancel at the photo detector. We present here a method for achieving exact laser noise cancellation, even in an unequal-arm interferometer. The method presented in this paper requires a separate readout of the relative phase in each arm, made by interfering the returning beam in each arm with a fraction of the outgoing beam. By linearly combining the two data sets with themselves, after they have been properly time shifted, we show that it is possible to construct a new data set that is free of laser fluctuations. An application of this technique to future planned space-based laser interferometer detector3 of gravitational radiation is discussed.

The IUPAC aqueous and non-aqueous experimental pKa data repositories of organic acids and bases.

Science.gov (United States)

Slater, Anthony Michael

2014-10-01

Accurate and well-curated experimental pKa data of organic acids and bases in both aqueous and non-aqueous media are invaluable in many areas of chemical research, including pharmaceutical, agrochemical, specialty chemical and property prediction research. In pharmaceutical research, pKa data are relevant in ligand design, protein binding, absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination as well as solubility and dissolution rate. The pKa data compilations of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, originally in book form, have been carefully converted into computer-readable form, with value being added in the process, in the form of ionisation assignments and tautomer enumeration. These compilations offer a broad range of chemistry in both aqueous and non-aqueous media and the experimental conditions and original reference for all pKa determinations are supplied. The statistics for these compilations are presented and the utility of the computer-readable form of these compilations is examined in comparison to other pKa compilations. Finally, information is provided about how to access these databases.

CAD-based intelligent robot system integrated with 3D scanning for shoe roughing and cementing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiu Cheng-Chang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Roughing and cementing are very essential to the process of bonding shoe uppers and the corresponding soles; however, for shoes with complicated design, such as sport shoes, roughing and cementing greatly relied on manual operation. Recently, shoe industry is progressing to 3D design, thus 3D model of the shoe upper and sole will be created before launching into mass production. Taking advantage of the 3D model, this study developed a plug-in program on Rhino 3D CAD platform, which realized the complicated roughing and cementing route planning to be performed by the plug-in program, integrated with real-time 3D scanning information to compensate the planned route, and then converted to working trajectory of robot arm to implement roughing and cementing. The proposed 3D CAD-based intelligent robot arm system integrated with 3D scanning for shoe roughing and cementing is realized and proved to be feasible.

Dermal safety assessment of Arm & Hammer laundry products formulated for sensitive skin.

Science.gov (United States)

Frederick, Douglas M; Vorwerk, Linda; Gupta, Archana; Ghassemi, Annahita

2017-09-01

The prevalence of sensitive skin among the general population in industrialized countries is reported to be over 50%. Sensitive skin subjects often report significant reactions to contact with cosmetics, soaps and other consumer products. This paper describes the overall skin compatibility and mildness program for a newly developed, lightly fragranced, colorant free laundry product (i.e. Arm & Hammer™ Sensitive Skin plus Skin-Friendly Fresh Scent), specially formulated for individuals with sensitive skin. The skin mildness of the product was compared to Arm & Hammer™ Free & Clear liquid laundry detergent with no fragrance or colorant, and an established history of safe use by sensitive skin consumers. The test material was a liquid laundry product with a light scent formulated for sensitive skin consumers (Arm & Hammer™ Sensitive Skin plus Skin-Friendly Fresh Scent). The product was compared to commercially marketed products for sensitive skin with a history of skin safety in the marketplace, including: a very similar product formulation (Arm & Hammer™ Free & Clear with no fragrance), and several selected competitors' products. Studies were conducted among individuals with self-assessed sensitive skin (based on a questionnaire) using standard protocols for the Human Repeat Insult Patch Test (HRIPT), 10-Day Cumulative Irritation, the Wrist Band Wear test, and the Safety In-Use testing. Responses in all protocols were evaluated by visual scoring of potential dermatologic reactions, and recording any sensory effects at the time of the examination. In addition, sensory effects collected from panelists' daily diaries were also evaluated. The HRIPT confirmed that neither the fragrance alone, nor the product formulation with fragrance, induced contact sensitization in sensitive skin subjects. The 10-Day cumulative irritation study conducted using sensitive skin subjects showed highly favorable skin compatibility, and the test product was comparable to the control

A spatial registration method for navigation system combining O-arm with spinal surgery robot

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, H.; Song, G. L.; Zhao, Y. W.; Liu, X. Z.; Jiang, Y. X.

2018-05-01

The minimally invasive surgery in spinal surgery has become increasingly popular in recent years as it reduces the chances of complications during post-operation. However, the procedure of spinal surgery is complicated and the surgical vision of minimally invasive surgery is limited. In order to increase the quality of percutaneous pedicle screw placement, the O-arm that is a mobile intraoperative imaging system is used to assist surgery. The robot navigation system combined with O-arm is also increasing, with the extensive use of O-arm. One of the major problems in the surgical navigation system is to associate the patient space with the intra-operation image space. This study proposes a spatial registration method of spinal surgical robot navigation system, which uses the O-arm to scan a calibration phantom with metal calibration spheres. First, the metal artifacts were reduced in the CT slices and then the circles in the images based on the moments invariant could be identified. Further, the position of the calibration sphere in the image space was obtained. Moreover, the registration matrix is obtained based on the ICP algorithm. Finally, the position error is calculated to verify the feasibility and accuracy of the registration method.

Design of Highly Selective Platinum Nanoparticle Catalysts for the Aerobic Oxidation of KA-Oil using Continuous-Flow Chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Gill, Arran M; Hinde, Christopher S; Leary, Rowan K; Potter, Matthew E; Jouve, Andrea; Wells, Peter P; Midgley, Paul A; Thomas, John M; Raja, Robert

2016-03-08

Highly active and selective aerobic oxidation of KA-oil to cyclohexanone (precursor for adipic acid and ɛ-caprolactam) has been achieved in high yields using continuous-flow chemistry by utilizing uncapped noble-metal (Au, Pt & Pd) nanoparticle catalysts. These are prepared using a one-step in situ methodology, within three-dimensional porous molecular architectures, to afford robust heterogeneous catalysts. Detailed spectroscopic characterization of the nature of the active sites at the molecular level, coupled with aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, reveals that the synthetic methodology and associated activation procedures play a vital role in regulating the morphology, shape and size of the metal nanoparticles. These active centers have a profound influence on the activation of molecular oxygen for selective catalytic oxidations. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High Current, Low Voltage Power Converter [20kA, 6V] LHC Converter Prototype

CERN Document Server

Jørgensen, H E; Dupaquier, A; Fernqvist, G

1998-01-01

The superconducting LHC accelerator requires high currents (~12.5kA) and relatively low voltages (~10 V) for its magnets. The need to install the power converters underground is the driving force for reduced volume and high efficiency. Moreover, the LHC machine will require a very high level of performance from the power converters, particularly in terms of DC stability, dynamic response and also in matters of EMC. To meet these requirements soft-switching techniques will be used. This paper describes the development of a [20kA,6V] power converter intended as a stable high-current source for D CCT calibration and an evaluation prototype for the future LHC converters. The converter is made with a modular concept with five current sources [4kA,6V] in parallel. The 4kA sources are built as plu g-in modules: a diode rectifier on the AC mains with a damped L-C passive filter, a Zero Voltage Switching inverter working at 20 kHz and an output stage (high frequency transformers, Schottky rectifi ers and output filter...

Armed conflict and child health

OpenAIRE

Rieder, Michael; Choonara, Imti

2012-01-01

Armed conflict has a major impact on child health\\ud throughout the world. One in six children worldwide lives\\ud in an area of armed conflict and civilians are more likely\\ud to die than soldiers as a result of the conflict. In stark\\ud contrast to the effect on children, the international arms\\ud trade results in huge profits for the large corporations\\ud involved in producing arms, weapons and munitions.\\ud Armed conflict is not inevitable but is an important\\ud health issue that should be...

[Relationship between the ankle-arm index determined by Doppler ultrasonography and cardiovascular outcomes and amputations, in a group of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus from the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán].

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda Garduño, Luis Miguel; Bermúdez Rocha, Rocío; Gómez Pérez, Francisco J; Aguilar Salinas, Carlos A

2011-01-01

An ankle/arm index 51 years, cardiovascular outcomes, and amputation. With the Mann Whitney U test we found that a relationship exists between pathological and amputation iliotibial band (p < 0.05). Diabetic patients have a high prevalence of pathological ankle/arm index.

Test results on prototype 50-kA conductors for tokamak induction heating coils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wollan, J.J.; Williamson, K.D. Jr.; Turck, B.

1979-01-01

Fabricability of a very large, 50-kA superconducting cable has been demonstrated. Test results of critical current and stability measurements are presented. The design critical current of 55 kA at 7 T was met. The recovery current was degraded as a result of the expectedly poor insulation system. Energy loss measurements on prototype advanced mixed matrix conductors, which will be incorporated into a second prototype cable, are presented

Effects of age, sex and arm on the precision of arm position sense—left-arm superiority in healthy right-handers

OpenAIRE

Schmidt, Lena; Depper, Lena; Kerkhoff, Georg

2013-01-01

Position sense is an important proprioceptive ability. Disorders of arm position sense (APS) often occur after unilateral stroke, and are associated with a negative functional outcome. In the present study we assessed horizontal APS by measuring angular deviations from a visually defined target separately for each arm in a large group of healthy subjects. We analyzed the accuracy and instability of horizontal APS as a function of age, sex and arm. Subjects were required to specify verbally th...

Design of a multi-arm randomized clinical trial with no control arm.

Science.gov (United States)

Magaret, Amalia; Angus, Derek C; Adhikari, Neill K J; Banura, Patrick; Kissoon, Niranjan; Lawler, James V; Jacob, Shevin T

2016-01-01

Clinical trial designs that include multiple treatments are currently limited to those that perform pairwise comparisons of each investigational treatment to a single control. However, there are settings, such as the recent Ebola outbreak, in which no treatment has been demonstrated to be effective; and therefore, no standard of care exists which would serve as an appropriate control. For illustrative purposes, we focused on the care of patients presenting in austere settings with critically ill 'sepsis-like' syndromes. Our approach involves a novel algorithm for comparing mortality among arms without requiring a single fixed control. The algorithm allows poorly-performing arms to be dropped during interim analyses. Consequently, the study may be completed earlier than planned. We used simulation to determine operating characteristics for the trial and to estimate the required sample size. We present a potential study design targeting a minimal effect size of a 23% relative reduction in mortality between any pair of arms. Using estimated power and spurious significance rates from the simulated scenarios, we show that such a trial would require 2550 participants. Over a range of scenarios, our study has 80 to 99% power to select the optimal treatment. Using a fixed control design, if the control arm is least efficacious, 640 subjects would be enrolled into the least efficacious arm, while our algorithm would enroll between 170 and 430. This simulation method can be easily extended to other settings or other binary outcomes. Early dropping of arms is efficient and ethical when conducting clinical trials with multiple arms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electrostatic contribution of surface charge residues to the stability of a thermophilic protein: benchmarking experimental and predicted pKa values.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chi-Ho Chan

Full Text Available Optimization of the surface charges is a promising strategy for increasing thermostability of proteins. Electrostatic contribution of ionizable groups to the protein stability can be estimated from the differences between the pKa values in the folded and unfolded states of a protein. Using this pKa-shift approach, we experimentally measured the electrostatic contribution of all aspartate and glutamate residues to the stability of a thermophilic ribosomal protein L30e from Thermococcus celer. The pKa values in the unfolded state were found to be similar to model compound pKas. The pKa values in both the folded and unfolded states obtained at 298 and 333 K were similar, suggesting that electrostatic contribution of ionizable groups to the protein stability were insensitive to temperature changes. The experimental pKa values for the L30e protein in the folded state were used as a benchmark to test the robustness of pKa prediction by various computational methods such as H++, MCCE, MEAD, pKD, PropKa, and UHBD. Although the predicted pKa values were affected by crystal contacts that may alter the side-chain conformation of surface charged residues, most computational methods performed well, with correlation coefficients between experimental and calculated pKa values ranging from 0.49 to 0.91 (p<0.01. The changes in protein stability derived from the experimental pKa-shift approach correlate well (r = 0.81 with those obtained from stability measurements of charge-to-alanine substituted variants of the L30e protein. Our results demonstrate that the knowledge of the pKa values in the folded state provides sufficient rationale for the redesign of protein surface charges leading to improved protein stability.

Nonspecific Arm Pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Moradi

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Nonspecific activity-related arm pain is characterized by an absence of objective physical findings and symptoms that do not correspond with objective pathophysiology. Arm pain without strict diagnosis is often related to activity, work-related activity in particular, and is often seen in patients with physically demanding work. Psychological factors such as catastrophic thinking, symptoms of depression, and heightened illness concern determine a substantial percentage of the disability associated with puzzling hand and arm pains. Ergonomic modifications can help to control symptoms, but optimal health may require collaborative management incorporating psychosocial and psychological elements of illness.

Nonspecific Arm Pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Moradi

2013-12-01

Full Text Available   Nonspecific activity-related arm pain is characterized by an absence of objective physical findings and symptoms that do not correspond with objective pathophysiology. Arm pain without strict diagnosis is often related to activity, work-related activity in particular, and is often seen in patients with physically demanding work. Psychological factors such as catastrophic thinking, symptoms of depression, and heightened illness concern determine a substantial percentage of the disability associated with puzzling hand and arm pains. Ergonomic modifications can help to control symptoms, but optimal health may require collaborative management incorporating psychosocial and psychological elements of illness.

Effects of age, sex and arm on the precision of arm position sense-left-arm superiority in healthy right-handers.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Lena; Depper, Lena; Kerkhoff, Georg

2013-01-01

Position sense is an important proprioceptive ability. Disorders of arm position sense (APS) often occur after unilateral stroke, and are associated with a negative functional outcome. In the present study we assessed horizontal APS by measuring angular deviations from a visually defined target separately for each arm in a large group of healthy subjects. We analyzed the accuracy and instability of horizontal APS as a function of age, sex and arm. Subjects were required to specify verbally the position of their unseen arm on a 0-90° circuit by comparing the current position with the target position indicated by a LED lamp, while the arm was passively moved by the examiner. Eighty-seven healthy subjects participated in the study, ranging from 20 to 77 years, subdivided into three age groups. The results revealed that APS was not a function of age or sex, but was significantly better in the non-dominant (left) arm in absolute errors (AE) but not in constant errors (CE) across all age groups of right-handed healthy subjects. This indicates a right-hemisphere superiority for left APS in right-handers and neatly fits to the more frequent and more severe left-sided body-related deficits in patients with unilateral stroke (i.e. impaired APS in left spatial neglect, somatoparaphrenia) or in individuals with abnormalities of the right cerebral hemisphere. These clinical issues will be discussed.

Drastic lake level changes of Lake Van (eastern Turkey) during the past ca. 600 ka: climatic, volcanic and tectonic control

Science.gov (United States)

Cukur, D.; Krastel, S.; Schmincke, H.; Sumita, M.; Tomonaga, Y.; Damci, E.

2013-12-01

Lake Van is the largest soda lake in the world with a present surface of 3,574 km2 and a maximum water depth of 450 m. Sedimentary deposits in the lake preserve one of the most complete record of continental climate in the Middle East since the Middle Pleistocene. We studied these deposits to characterize the evolution of the lake level and its possible relationships with changes in climate, volcanic, and regional tectonics since the formation of the lake ca. 600 ka ago. Changes in lake level were determined based on high-resolution seismic reflection profiles showing erosional surfaces, changes in stratal geometries such as downward shifts in coastal onlap, and recognition of distinctive stratigraphic features such as prograding delta clinoforms. Our results show that Lake Van has undergone drastic changes in surface elevation by as much as 600 meters over the past ca. 600 ka. Five major lowstands occurred at ca. ~600 ka, ca. 365-340 ka, ca 290-230 ka; ca. 150-130 ka; and ca. 30-14 ka. During a first period (A) (ca. 600-ca 230 ka) lake levels changed drastically by hundreds of m but at longer time intervals between low and high stands. Changes occurred more frequently but mostly by a few tens of m during the past ca. 230 ka years where we can distinguish a first period (B1) of stepwise transgressions between ca. 230 and 150 ka followed by a short regression between ca. 150 and 130 ka. Lake level rose stepwise again during period B2 lasting until ca 30 ka. During the past 30 ka a regression and a final transgression each lasted ca. 15 ka years. The major lowstand periods in Lake Van occurred during glacial periods, arguing for a climatic control of these lake-level fluctuations (i.e., significantly reduced precipitation leading to lake level low stands). Although climate forcing may have been the dominant cause for the drastic lake level changes of Lake Van, volcanic and tectonic forcing factors are also invoked. For example, the number of distinct tephra layers

Arms control and disarmament

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acton, P.

1992-01-01

Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty commits each party to work towards nuclear disarmament and to negotiations to stop the nuclear arms race. All parties to the Treaty are included and a wide range of arms control and disarmament issues are covered. However the main focus at Treaty review conferences has been on nuclear disarmament by the nuclear weapon states which are party to the Treaty. This has led to bilateral United States - Soviet Union negotiations resulting in the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty in December 1987 and the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) in July followed by unilateral arms control measures in September and October 1991. (UK)

Karyotypic evolution in family Hipposideridae (Chiroptera, Mammalia) revealed by comparative chromosome painting, G- and C-banding.

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Xiu-Guang; Wang, Jin-Huan; Su, Wei-Ting; Wang, Ying-Xiang; Yang, Feng-Tang; Nie, Wen-Hui

2010-10-01

Comparing to its sister-family (Rhinolophidae), Hipposideridae was less studied by cytogenetic approaches. Only a few high-resolution G-banded karyotypes have been reported so far, and most of the conclusions on the karyotypic evolution in Hipposideridae were based on conventional Giemsa-staining. In this study, we applied comparative chromosome painting, a method of choice for genome-wide comparison at the molecular level, and G- and C-banding to establish comparative map between five hipposiderid species from China, using a whole set of chromosome-specific painting probes from one of them (Aselliscus stoliczkanus). G-band and C-band comparisons between homologous segments defined by chromosome painting revealed that Robertsonian translocations, paracentric inversions and heterochromatin addition could be the main mechanism of chromosome evolution in Hipposideridae. Comparative analysis of the conserved chromosomal segments among five hipposiderid species and outgroup species suggests that bi-armed chromosomes should be included into the ancestral karyotype of Hipposideridae, which was previously believed to be exclusively composed of acrocentric chromosomes.

PODJETNIŠKA AKTIVNOST NA KOROŠKEM

OpenAIRE

Marhl, Anja

2010-01-01

Da bi se posameznik podal na podjetniško pot mora zaznati poslovno priložnost, hkrati pa mora imeti tudi ustrezno znanje oziroma sposobnosti. Odločitev za podjetništvo je vedno osebna odločitev. Posameznik se mora sam odločiti ali bo deloval kot podjetnik, ali pa se bo ukvarjal s čim drugim. Koroška regija je ena izmed najstarejših slovenskih industrijskih regij. Prevladujejo predelovalne dejavnosti (proizvodnja kovin in kovinskih izdelkov, proizvodnja iz gume in plastike ter proizvodnja ...

NOAA Ship Ka'imimoana Underway Meteorological Data, Near Real Time

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — NOAA Ship Ka'imimoana Underway Meteorological Data (Near Real Time, updated daily) are from the Shipboard Automated Meteorological and Oceanographic System (SAMOS)...

Determination of the pKa of Benzophenones in Ethanol-Water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. T. Castro

2000-03-01

Full Text Available The pKa of monohydroxylated benzophenones was determined by UV spectroscopy. The values obtained are coherent with the resonant forms and hydrogen bond intramolecular of the analyzed compounds.

Evaluation of imaging quality for flat-panel detector based low dose C-arm CT system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, Chang-Woo; Cha, Bo Kyung; Jeon, Sungchae; Huh, Young

2015-01-01

The image quality associated with the extent of the angle of gantry rotation, the number of projection views, and the dose of X-ray radiation was investigated in flat-panel detector (FPD) based C-arm cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) system for medical applications. A prototype CBCT system for the projection acquisition used the X-ray tube (A-132, Varian inc.) having rhenium-tungsten molybdenum target and flat panel a-Si X-ray detector (PaxScan 4030CB, Varian inc.) having a 397 x 298 mm active area with 388 μm pixel pitch and 1024 x 768 pixels in 2 by 2 binning mode. The performance comparison of X-ray imaging quality was carried out using the Feldkamp, Davis, and Kress (FDK) reconstruction algorithm between different conditions of projection acquisition. In this work, head-and-dental (75 kVp/20 mA) and chest (90 kVp/25 mA) phantoms were used to evaluate the image quality. The 361 (30 fps x 12 s) projection data during 360 deg. gantry rotation with 1 deg. interval for the 3D reconstruction were acquired. Parke weighting function were applied to handle redundant data and improve the reconstructed image quality in a mobile C-arm system with limited rotation angles. The reconstructed 3D images were investigated for comparison of qualitative image quality in terms of scan protocols (projection views, rotation angles and exposure dose). Furthermore, the performance evaluation in image quality will be investigated regarding X-ray dose and limited projection data for a FPD based mobile C-arm CBCT system. (authors)

Development of Personalized Urination Recognition Technology Using Smart Bands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sung-Jong Eun

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose This study collected and analyzed activity data sensed through smart bands worn by patients in order to resolve the clinical issues posed by using voiding charts. By developing a smart band-based algorithm for recognizing urination activity in patients, this study aimed to explore the feasibility of urination monitoring systems. Methods This study aimed to develop an algorithm that recognizes urination based on a patient’s posture and changes in posture. Motion data was obtained from a smart band on the arm. An algorithm that recognizes the 3 stages of urination (forward movement, urination, backward movement was developed based on data collected from a 3-axis accelerometer and from tilt angle data. Real-time data were acquired from the smart band, and for data corresponding to a certain duration, the absolute value of the signals was calculated and then compared with the set threshold value to determine the occurrence of vibration signals. In feature extraction, the most essential information describing each pattern was identified after analyzing the characteristics of the data. The results of the feature extraction process were sorted using a classifier to detect urination. Results An experiment was carried out to assess the performance of the recognition technology proposed in this study. The final accuracy of the algorithm was calculated based on clinical guidelines for urologists. The experiment showed a high average accuracy of 90.4%, proving the robustness of the proposed algorithm. Conclusions The proposed urination recognition technology draws on acceleration data and tilt angle data collected via a smart band; these data were then analyzed using a classifier after comparative analyses with standardized feature patterns.

Ku-Band Traveling Wave Slot Array Using Simple Scanning Control

Science.gov (United States)

Host, Nicholas K.; Chen, Chi-Chih; Volakis, John L.; Miranda, Felix A.

2015-01-01

This paper introduces a feeding concept aimed at simplifying the backend (phase shifters) of traditional phased arrays. As an alternative to traditional phased arrays, we employ a traveling wave array (TWA) using a single feedline whose propagation constant is controlled via a single, small mechanical movement without a need for phase shifters to enable scanning. Specifically, a dielectric plunger is positioned within a parallel plate waveguide (PPW) transmission line (TL) that feeds the TWA. By adjusting the position of the dielectric plunger within the PPW feeding the TWA, beam steering is achieved. A 20 element array is designed at 13GHz shown to give stable realized gain across the angular range of -25 deg. less than or equal to theta less than or equal to 25 deg. A proof of concept array is fabricated and measured to demonstrate and validate the concept's operation.

Using rapid scan EPR to improve the detection limit of quantitative EPR by more than one order of magnitude

OpenAIRE

Möser, J.; Lips, K.; Tseytlin, M.; Eaton, G.; Eaton, S.; Schnegg, A

2017-01-01

X band rapid scan EPR was implemented on a commercially available Bruker ELEXSYS E580 spectrometer. Room temperature rapid scan and continuous wave EPR spectra were recorded for amorphous silicon powder samples. By comparing the resulting signal intensities the feasibility of performing quantitative rapid scan EPR is demonstrated. For different hydrogenated amorphous silicon samples, rapid scan EPR results in signal to noise improvements by factors between 10 and 50. Rapid scan EPR is thus ca...

GPM GROUND VALIDATION DUAL POLARIZED C-BAND DOPPLER RADAR KING CITY GCPEX V1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The GPM Ground Validation Dual Polarized C-Band Doppler Radar King City GCPEx dataset has special Range Height Indicator (RHI) and sector scans of several dual...

Thermal Runaway of the 13 kA Busbar Joints in the LHC

OpenAIRE

Verweij, A P

2010-01-01

Triggered by the incident in the LHC in September 2008, the thermo-electrical stability of the 10,000 soldered busbar joints in the 13 kA circuits of the LHC has been re-assessed. For this purpose the computer model QP3 has been developed. In this paper the results of some calculations are presented, and it is shown how the results have been used to improve the quench detection system and ensure safe future operation. First the layout of the 13 kA circuits, the geometry of the soldered joints...

AN M DWARF COMPANION AND ITS INDUCED SPIRAL ARMS IN THE HD 100453 PROTOPLANETARY DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, Ruobing [Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Zhu, Zhaohuan [Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Fung, Jeffrey; Chiang, Eugene [Department of Astronomy, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Rafikov, Roman [Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States); Wagner, Kevin, E-mail: rdong2013@berkeley.edu [Department of Astronomy/Steward Observatory, The University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

2016-01-01

Recent VLT/SPHERE near-infrared imaging observations revealed two spiral arms with a near m = 2 rotational symmetry in the protoplanetary disk around the ∼1.7 M{sub ⊙} Herbig star HD 100453. A ∼0.3 M{sub ⊙} M dwarf companion, HD 100453 B, was also identified at a projected separation of 120 AU from the primary. In this Letter, we carry out hydrodynamic and radiative transfer simulations to examine the scattered light morphology of the HD 100453 disk as perturbed by the companion on a circular and coplanar orbit. We find that the companion truncates the disk at ∼45 AU in scattered light images, and excites two spiral arms in the remaining (circumprimary) disk with a near m = 2 rotational symmetry. Both the truncated disk size and the morphology of the spirals are in excellent agreement with the SPHERE observations at Y, J, H, and K1-bands, suggesting that the M dwarf companion is indeed responsible for the observed double-spiral-arm pattern. Our model suggests that the disk is close to face on (inclination angle ∼5°), and that the entire disk-companion system rotates counterclockwise on the sky. The HD 100453 observations, along with our modeling work, demonstrate that double spiral arm patterns in near-infrared scattered light images can be generically produced by companions, and support future observations to identify the companions responsible for the arms observed in the MWC 758 and SAO 206462 systems.

DARHT 2 kA Cathode Development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henestroza, E.; Houck, T.; Kwan, J.W.; Leitner, M.; Miram, G.; Prichard, B.; Roy, P.K.; Waldron, W.; Westenskow, G.; Yu, S.; Bieniosek, F.M.

2009-03-09

In the campaign to achieve 2 kA of electron beam current, we have made several changes to the DARHT-II injector during 2006-2007. These changes resulted in a significant increase in the beam current, achieving the 2 kA milestone. Until recently (before 2007), the maximum beam current that was produced from the 6.5-inch diameter (612M) cathode was about 1300 A when the cathode was operating at a maximum temperature of 1140 C. At this temperature level, the heat loss was dominated by radiation which is proportional to temperature to the fourth power. The maximum operating temperature was limited by the damage threshold of the potted filament and the capacity of the filament heater power supply, as well as the shortening of the cathode life time. There were also signs of overheating at other components in the cathode assembly. Thus it was clear that our approach to increase beam current could not be simply trying to run at a higher temperature and the preferred way was to operate with a cathode that has a lower work function. The dispenser cathode initially used was the type 612M made by SpectraMat. According to the manufacturer's bulletin, this cathode should be able to produce more than 10 A/cm{sup 2} of current density (corresponding to 2 kA of total beam current) at our operating conditions. Instead the measured emission (space charge limited) was 6 A/cm{sup 2}. The result was similar even after we had revised the activation and handling procedures to adhere more closely to the recommend steps (taking longer time and nonstop to do the out-gassing). Vacuum was a major concern in considering the cathode's performance. Although the vacuum gauges at the injector vessel indicated 10{sup -8} Torr, the actual vacuum condition near the cathode in the central region of the vessel, where there might be significant out-gassing from the heater region, was never determined. Poor vacuum at the surface of the cathode degraded the emission (by raising the work function

DARHT 2 kA Cathode Development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henestroza, E.; Houck, T.; Kwan, J.W.; Leitner, M.; Miram, G.; Prichard, B.; Roy, P.K.; Waldron, W.; Westenskow, G.; Yu, S.; Bieniosek, F.M.

2009-01-01

In the campaign to achieve 2 kA of electron beam current, we have made several changes to the DARHT-II injector during 2006-2007. These changes resulted in a significant increase in the beam current, achieving the 2 kA milestone. Until recently (before 2007), the maximum beam current that was produced from the 6.5-inch diameter (612M) cathode was about 1300 A when the cathode was operating at a maximum temperature of 1140 C. At this temperature level, the heat loss was dominated by radiation which is proportional to temperature to the fourth power. The maximum operating temperature was limited by the damage threshold of the potted filament and the capacity of the filament heater power supply, as well as the shortening of the cathode life time. There were also signs of overheating at other components in the cathode assembly. Thus it was clear that our approach to increase beam current could not be simply trying to run at a higher temperature and the preferred way was to operate with a cathode that has a lower work function. The dispenser cathode initially used was the type 612M made by SpectraMat. According to the manufacturer's bulletin, this cathode should be able to produce more than 10 A/cm 2 of current density (corresponding to 2 kA of total beam current) at our operating conditions. Instead the measured emission (space charge limited) was 6 A/cm 2 . The result was similar even after we had revised the activation and handling procedures to adhere more closely to the recommend steps (taking longer time and nonstop to do the out-gassing). Vacuum was a major concern in considering the cathode's performance. Although the vacuum gauges at the injector vessel indicated 10 -8 Torr, the actual vacuum condition near the cathode in the central region of the vessel, where there might be significant out-gassing from the heater region, was never determined. Poor vacuum at the surface of the cathode degraded the emission (by raising the work function value). We reexamined

p Ka determinations of xanthene derivates in aqueous solutions by multivariate analysis applied to UV-Vis spectrophotometric data

Science.gov (United States)

Batistela, Vagner Roberto; Pellosi, Diogo Silva; de Souza, Franciane Dutra; da Costa, Willian Ferreira; de Oliveira Santin, Silvana Maria; de Souza, Vagner Roberto; Caetano, Wilker; de Oliveira, Hueder Paulo Moisés; Scarminio, Ieda Spacino; Hioka, Noboru

2011-09-01

Xanthenes form to an important class of dyes which are widely used. Most of them present three acid-base groups: two phenolic sites and one carboxylic site. Therefore, the p Ka determination and the attribution of each group to the corresponding p Ka value is a very important feature. Attempts to obtain reliable p Ka through the potentiometry titration and the electronic absorption spectrophotometry using the first and second orders derivative failed. Due to the close p Ka values allied to strong UV-Vis spectral overlap, multivariate analysis, a powerful chemometric method, is applied in this work. The determination was performed for eosin Y, erythrosin B, and bengal rose B, and also for other synthesized derivatives such as 2-(3,6-dihydroxy-9-acridinyl) benzoic acid, 2,4,5,7-tetranitrofluorescein, eosin methyl ester, and erythrosin methyl ester in water. These last two compounds (esters) permitted to attribute the p Ka of the phenolic group, which is not easily recognizable for some investigated dyes. Besides the p Ka determination, the chemometry allowed for estimating the electronic spectrum of some prevalent protolytic species and the substituents effects evaluation.

Clinical effectiveness of decongestive treatments on excess arm volume and patient-centered outcomes in women with early breast cancer-related arm lymphedema: a systematic review

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffs, Eunice; Ream, Emma; Taylor, Cath; Bick, Debra

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: To identify the effect of decongestive lymphedema treatment on excess arm volume or patient-centered outcomes in women presenting within either 12 months or a mean nine months of developing arm lymphedema following breast cancer treatment. Introduction: Lymphedema is a common consequence of breast cancer treatment requiring life-long treatment to reduce symptoms and prevent complications. Currently, evidence to inform the optimal decongestive lymphedema treatment package is lacking. Inclusion criteria: The review included studies on women who received lymphedema treatment within either 12 months or a mean of nine months of developing unilateral breast cancer-related arm lymphedema. The intervention was any decongestive lymphedema treatment delivered with the purpose of reducing arm lymphedema, compared to another form of lymphedema treatment (whether self or practitioner-administered), placebo or no treatment. The clinical outcome was excess arm volume; patient-centered outcomes were health-related quality of life, arm heaviness, arm function, patient-perceived benefit and satisfaction with treatment. Experimental study designs were eligible, including randomized and non-randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, prospective and retrospective before and after studies were considered. Methods: A three-step search strategy was utilized to find published and unpublished studies. The search identified studies published from the inception of each database to July 6, 2016. Reference lists were scanned to identify further eligible studies. Studies were critically appraised using appropriate standardized critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Details describing each study and treatment results regarding outcomes of interest were extracted from papers included in the review using appropriate standardized data extraction tools from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Due to heterogeneity in included studies, results for similar

Kui suudab Steve, suudab ka Apple / Tarvo Vaarmets

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Vaarmets, Tarvo

2008-01-01

Ehkki Apple'i kolmanda kvartali kasum kasvas kolmandiku võrra ja oli oodatust kümnendiku jagu suurem, langes ettevõtte aktsia hind börsil. Investoreid teeb rahutuks nii ettevõtte juhi Steve Jobsi tervis kui ka Apple'i majandusprognoos neljandaks kvartaliks. Lisa: Analüütikud on aktsia suhtes üksmeelel. Diagramm: Aktsia hinnal taas suund alla

Understanding the conventional arms trade

Science.gov (United States)

Stohl, Rachel

2017-11-01

The global conventional arms trade is worth tens of billions of dollars every year and is engaged in by every country in the world. Yet, it is often difficult to control the legal trade in conventional arms and there is a thriving illicit market, willing to arm unscrupulous regimes and nefarious non-state actors. This chapter examines the international conventional arms trade, the range of tools that have been used to control it, and challenges to these international regimes.

Cryogenic Scan Mechanism for Fourier Transform Spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Brasunas, John C.; Francis, John L.

2011-01-01

A compact and lightweight mechanism has been developed to accurately move a Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) scan mirror (a cube corner) in a near-linear fashion with near constant speed at cryogenic temperatures. This innovation includes a slide mechanism to restrict motion to one dimension, an actuator to drive the motion, and a linear velocity transducer (LVT) to measure the speed. The cube corner mirror is double-passed in one arm of the FTS; double-passing is required to compensate for optical beam shear resulting from tilting of the moving cube corner. The slide, actuator, and LVT are off-the-shelf components that are capable of cryogenic vacuum operation. The actuator drives the slide for the required travel of 2.5 cm. The LVT measures translation speed. A proportional feedback loop compares the LVT voltage with the set voltage (speed) to derive an error signal to drive the actuator and achieve near constant speed. When the end of the scan is reached, a personal computer reverses the set voltage. The actuator and LVT have no moving parts in contact, and have magnetic properties consistent with cryogenic operation. The unlubricated slide restricts motion to linear travel, using crossed roller bearings consistent with 100-million- stroke operation. The mechanism tilts several arc seconds during transport of the FTS mirror, which would compromise optical fringe efficiency when using a flat mirror. Consequently, a cube corner mirror is used, which converts a tilt into a shear. The sheared beam strikes (at normal incidence) a flat mirror at the end of the FTS arm with the moving mechanism, thereby returning upon itself and compensating for the shear

"7 vaprat" ei lõpeta ka suvel / H. S.

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

H. S.

2002-01-01

Populaarne muusikaedetabelisaade "7 vaprat" läheb juunis ansamblitega Terminaator, Tuberkuloited, No Big Silence, Blacky, Speed Free ja Hell Can Wait suvetuurile. 11. juunil antakse kontsert Tartus, 12. juunil Rakveres, 13. juunil Pärnus ja 15. juunil Tallinnas. Kontsertidest valmivad ka telesaated, saatejuht Villu Tamme

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter K-Band (26 GHz) Signal Analysis: Initial Study Results

Science.gov (United States)

Morabito, D. D.; Heckman, D.

2017-11-01

Lower frequency telemetry bands are becoming more limited in bandwidth due to increased competition between flight projects and other entities. Higher frequency bands offer significantly more bandwidth and hence the prospect of much higher data rates. Future or prospective flight projects considering higher frequency bands such as Ka-band (32 GHz) for deep-space and K-band (26 GHz) for near-Earth telemetry links are interested in past flight experience with available received data at these frequencies. Given that there is increased degradation due to the atmosphere at these higher frequencies, there is an effort to retrieve flight data of received signal strength to analyze performance under a variety of factors. Such factors include elevation angle, season, and atmospheric conditions. This article reports on the analysis findings of over 10 million observations of received signal strength of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft collected between 2014 and 2017. We analyzed these data to characterize link performance over a wide range of weather conditions, season, and as a function of elevation angle. Based on this analysis, we have confirmed the safety of using a 3-dB margin for preflight planning purposes. These results suggest that a 3-dB margin with respect to adverse conditions will ensure a 98 to 99 percent data return under 95 percent weather conditions at 26 GHz (K-band), thus confirming expectations from link budget predictions. The results suggest that this margin should be applicable for all elevation angles above 10 deg. Thus, missions that have sufficient power for their desired data rates may opt to use 10 deg as their minimum elevation angle. Limitations of this study include climate variability and the fact that the observations require removal of hotbody noise in order to perform an adequate cumulative distribution function (CDF) analysis, which is planned for a future comprehensive study. Flight projects may use other link margins

Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer: setup reproducibility with novel arms-down immobilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Karen; Paterson, Claire; Hicks, Jonathan; Harrow, Stephen; McJury, Mark

2016-12-01

A clinical evaluation of the intrafraction and interfraction setup accuracy of a novel thermoplastic mould immobilization device and patient position in early-stage lung cancer being treated with stereotactic radiotherapy at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, UK. 35 patients were immobilized in a novel, arms-down position, with a four-point Klarity ™ (Klarity Medical Products, Ohio, US) clear thermoplastic mould fixed to a SinMed (CIVCO Medical solutions, lowa, US) head and neck board. A knee support was also used for patient comfort and support. Pre- and post-treatment kilovoltage cone beam CT (CBCT) images were fused with the planning CT scan to determine intra- and interfraction motion. A total of 175 CBCT scans were analysed in the longitudinal, vertical and lateral directions. The mean intrafraction errors were 0.05 ± 0.77 mm (lateral), 0.44 ± 1.2 mm (superior-inferior) and -1.44 ± 1.35 mm (anteroposterior), respectively. Mean composite three-dimensional displacement vector was 2.14 ± 1.2 mm. Interfraction errors were -0.66 ± 2.35 mm (lateral), -0.13 ± 3.11 mm (superior-inferior) and 0.00 ± 2.94 mm (anteroposterior), with three-dimensional vector 4.08 ± 2.73 mm. Setup accuracy for lung image-guided stereotactic ablative radiotherapy using a unique immobilization device, where patients have arms by their sides, has been shown to be safe and favourably comparable to other published setup data where more complex and cumbersome devices were utilised. There was no arm toxicity reported and low arm doses. Advances in knowledge: We report on the accuracy of a novel patient immobilization device.

Cijepani litički materijal s prapovijesnog nalazišta Slavča, Nova Gradiška

OpenAIRE

Šošić, Rajna; Karavanić, Ivor

2005-01-01

SUMMARY TECHNOLOGICAL AND TYPOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CHIPPED STONE ARTIFACTS FROM THE PREHISTORIC SITE OF SLAV^A, NOVA GRADI[KA The site of Slav~a is situated on the south flanks of Psunj Mountain, in the town of Nova Gradi{ ka, Western Slavonia. The site has been continuosly excavated since 1997 by the City Museum of Nova Gradi{ka. A total number of 1655 chipped stone artifacts have been analyised, classified to the Sopot, Kostolac and Lasinja cultures, in effect a peri...

Student measurement of blood pressure using a simulator arm compared with a live subject's arm.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jennifer J; Sobieraj, Diana M; Kuti, Effie L

2010-06-15

To compare accuracy of blood pressure measurements using a live subject and a simulator arm, and to determine students' preferences regarding measurement. This was a crossover study comparing blood pressure measurements from a live subject and a simulator arm. Students completed an anonymous survey instrument defining opinions on ease of measurement. Fifty-seven students completed blood pressure measurements on live subjects while 72 students completed blood pressure measurements using the simulator arm. There were no significant systematic differences between the 2 measurement techniques. Systolic blood pressure measurements from a live subject arm were less likely to be within 4 mm Hg compared with measurements of a simulator arm. Diastolic blood pressure measurements were not significantly different between the 2 techniques. Accuracy of student measurement of blood pressure using a simulator arm was similar to the accuracy with a live subject. There was no difference in students' preferences regarding measurement techniques.

Prediction of pKa values using the PM6 semiempirical method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jimmy C. Kromann

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The PM6 semiempirical method and the dispersion and hydrogen bond-corrected PM6-D3H+ method are used together with the SMD and COSMO continuum solvation models to predict pKa values of pyridines, alcohols, phenols, benzoic acids, carboxylic acids, and phenols using isodesmic reactions and compared to published ab initio results. The pKa values of pyridines, alcohols, phenols, and benzoic acids considered in this study can generally be predicted with PM6 and ab initio methods to within the same overall accuracy, with average mean absolute differences (MADs of 0.6–0.7 pH units. For carboxylic acids, the accuracy (0.7–1.0 pH units is also comparable to ab initio results if a single outlier is removed. For primary, secondary, and tertiary amines the accuracy is, respectively, similar (0.5–0.6, slightly worse (0.5–1.0, and worse (1.0–2.5, provided that di- and tri-ethylamine are used as reference molecules for secondary and tertiary amines. When applied to a drug-like molecule where an empirical pKa predictor exhibits a large (4.9 pH unit error, we find that the errors for PM6-based predictions are roughly the same in magnitude but opposite in sign. As a result, most of the PM6-based methods predict the correct protonation state at physiological pH, while the empirical predictor does not. The computational cost is around 2–5 min per conformer per core processor, making PM6-based pKa prediction computationally efficient enough to be used for high-throughput screening using on the order of 100 core processors.

Atmospheric correction for JPSS-2 VIIRS response versus scan angle measurements

Science.gov (United States)

McIntire, Jeffrey; Moeller, Chris; Oudrari, Hassan; Xiong, Xiaoxiong

2017-09-01

The Joint Polar Satellite System 2 (JPSS-2) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) includes one spectral band centered in a strong atmospheric absorption region. As much of the pre-launch calibration is performed under laboratory ambient conditions, accurately accounting for the absorption, and thereby ensuring the transfer of the sensor calibration to on-orbit operations, is necessary to generate science quality data products. This work is focused on the response versus scan angle (RVS) measurements, which characterize the relative scan angle dependent reflectance of the JPSS-2 VIIRS instrument optics. The spectral band of interest, centered around 1378 nm, is within a spectral region strongly effected by water vapor absorption. The methodology used to model the absolute humidity and the atmospheric transmittance under the laboratory conditions is detailed. The application of this transmittance to the RVS determination is then described including an uncertainty estimate; a comparison to the pre-launch measurements from earlier sensor builds is also performed.

Borehole tool outrigger arm displacement control mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, A.G.

1985-01-01

As the outrigger arms of a borehole logging tool are flexed inwardly and outwardly according to the diameter of the borehole opening through which they pass, the corresponding axial displacements of the ends of the arms are controlled to determine the axial positions of the arms relative to the tool. Specifically, as the arm ends move, they are caused to rotate by a cam mechanism. The stiffness of the arms causes the arm ends to rotate in unison, and the exact positions of the arms on the tool are then controlled by the differential movements of the arm ends in the cams

Accurate pKa calculation of the conjugate acids of alkanolamines, alkaloids and nucleotide bases by quantum chemical methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Gangarapu, Satesh; Marcelis, Antonius T M; Zuilhof, Han

2013-04-02

The pKa of the conjugate acids of alkanolamines, neurotransmitters, alkaloid drugs and nucleotide bases are calculated with density functional methods (B3LYP, M08-HX and M11-L) and ab initio methods (SCS-MP2, G3). Implicit solvent effects are included with a conductor-like polarizable continuum model (CPCM) and universal solvation models (SMD, SM8). G3, SCS-MP2 and M11-L methods coupled with SMD and SM8 solvation models perform well for alkanolamines with mean unsigned errors below 0.20 pKa units, in all cases. Extending this method to the pKa calculation of 35 nitrogen-containing compounds spanning 12 pKa units showed an excellent correlation between experimental and computational pKa values of these 35 amines with the computationally low-cost SM8/M11-L density functional approach. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Maksude tõstmine lööb nii ettevõtlust kui ka tavalist inimest / Mirko Ojakivi

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Ojakivi, Mirko

2008-01-01

Konjunktuuriinstituudi direktori Marje Josingu sõnul halvendaks maksutõus nii ettevõtluse konkurentsivõimet kui ka inimeste võimet eluga toime tulla, ka maksumaksjate liidu esimees Lasse Lehis peab maksude tõstmist valeks, eriti vale oleks tema väitel tõsta käibemaksu

Nonparetic arm force does not overinhibit the paretic arm in chronic poststroke hemiparesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dimyan, Michael A; Perez, Monica A; Auh, Sungyoung; Tarula, Erick; Wilson, Matthew; Cohen, Leonardo G

2014-05-01

To determine whether nonparetic arm force overinhibits the paretic arm in patients with chronic unilateral poststroke hemiparesis. Case-control neurophysiological and behavioral study of patients with chronic stroke. Research institution. Eighty-six referred patients were screened to enroll 9 participants (N=9) with a >6 month history of 1 unilateral ischemic infarct that resulted in arm hemiparesis with residual ability to produce 1Nm of wrist flexion torque and without contraindication to transcranial magnetic stimulation. Eight age- and handedness-matched healthy volunteers without neurologic diagnosis were studied for comparison. Not applicable. Change in interhemispheric inhibition targeting the ipsilesional primary motor cortex (M1) during nonparetic arm force. We hypothesized that interhemispheric inhibition would increase more in healthy controls than in patients with hemiparesis. Healthy age-matched controls had significantly greater increases in inhibition from their active to resting M1 than patients with stroke from their active contralesional to resting ipsilesional M1 in the same scenario (20%±7% vs -1%±4%, F1,12=6.61, P=.025). Patients with greater increases in contralesional to ipsilesional inhibition were better performers on the 9-hole peg test of paretic arm function. Our findings reveal that producing force with the nonparetic arm does not necessarily overinhibit the paretic arm. Though our study is limited in generalizability by the small sample size, we found that greater active contralesional to resting ipsilesional M1 inhibition was related with better recovery in this subset of patients with chronic poststroke. Copyright © 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scanning, non-contact, hybrid broadband diffuse optical spectroscopy and diffuse correlation spectroscopy system.

Science.gov (United States)

Johansson, Johannes D; Mireles, Miguel; Morales-Dalmau, Jordi; Farzam, Parisa; Martínez-Lozano, Mar; Casanovas, Oriol; Durduran, Turgut

2016-02-01

A scanning system for small animal imaging using non-contact, hybrid broadband diffuse optical spectroscopy (ncDOS) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (ncDCS) is presented. The ncDOS uses a two-dimensional spectrophotometer retrieving broadband (610-900 nm) spectral information from up to fifty-seven source-detector distances between 2 and 5 mm. The ncDCS data is simultaneously acquired from four source-detector pairs. The sample is scanned in two dimensions while tracking variations in height. The system has been validated with liquid phantoms, demonstrated in vivo on a human fingertip during an arm cuff occlusion and on a group of mice with xenoimplanted renal cell carcinoma.

Spectrum scanning and reserve channel methods for link maintenance in cognitive radio systems

OpenAIRE

Subramani, S; Armour, SMD; Kaleshi, D; Fan, Z

2008-01-01

Underutilization of the limited spectrum sparked the need for dynamic spectrum access and flexible spectrum policies. Accurate estimation of spectrum occupancy is an essential step for spectrum access in distributed networks. This paper analyzes a bidirectional and dual scanning method that scans multiple spectrum bands to find a suitable free-channel. Moreover, secondary users' access to available spectrum could be interrupted by the arrival of primary spectrum users, forcing the well-behave...

An FSS-Backed 20/30 GHz Circularly Polarized Reflectarray for a Shared Aperture L- and Ka-Band Satellite Communication Antenna

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smith, Thomas Gunst; Gothelf, Ulrich; Kim, Oleksiy S.

2014-01-01

antenna. The reflectarray is based on the concentric dual split-loop element backed by a concentric dual-loop FSS element. The reflectarray comprises 80 × 80 elements and it is printed on a 40 ×40 cm2 Rogers 5880 substrate, while the L-band antenna is a 2 × 2 patch array. The reflectarray antenna has been...

Developing hybrid approaches to predict pKa values of ionizable groups

Science.gov (United States)

Witham, Shawn; Talley, Kemper; Wang, Lin; Zhang, Zhe; Sarkar, Subhra; Gao, Daquan; Yang, Wei

2011-01-01

Accurate predictions of pKa values of titratable groups require taking into account all relevant processes associated with the ionization/deionization. Frequently, however, the ionization does not involve significant structural changes and the dominating effects are purely electrostatic in origin allowing accurate predictions to be made based on the electrostatic energy difference between ionized and neutral forms alone using a static structure. On another hand, if the change of the charge state is accompanied by a structural reorganization of the target protein, then the relevant conformational changes have to be taken into account in the pKa calculations. Here we report a hybrid approach that first predicts the titratable groups, which ionization is expected to cause conformational changes, termed “problematic” residues, then applies a special protocol on them, while the rest of the pKa’s are predicted with rigid backbone approach as implemented in multi-conformation continuum electrostatics (MCCE) method. The backbone representative conformations for “problematic” groups are generated with either molecular dynamics simulations with charged and uncharged amino acid or with ab-initio local segment modeling. The corresponding ensembles are then used to calculate the pKa of the “problematic” residues and then the results are averaged. PMID:21744395

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy of MoS2 monolayer in presence of ethanol gas

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseini, Seyed Ali; Iraji zad, Azam; Berahman, Masoud; Aghakhani Mahyari, Farzaneh; Shokouh, Seyed Hossein Hosseini

2018-04-01

Due to high surface to volume ratio and tunable band gap, two dimensional (2D) layered materials such as MoS2, is good candidate for gas sensing applications. This research mainly focuses on variation of Density of States (DOS) of MoS2 monolayes caused by ethanol adsorption. The nanosheets are synthesized by liquid exfoliation, and then using Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy (STS) and Density Functional Theory (DFT), local electronic characteristic such as DOS and band gap in non-vacuum condition are analyzed. The results show that ethanol adsorption enhances DOS and deform orbitals near the valence and conduction bands that increase transport of carriers on the sheet.

A thermally switched 9 kA superconducting rectifier fluxpump

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ten Kate, Herman H.J.; Bunk, Paul B.; Steffens, Harry A.; van de Klundert, Louis J.M.

1981-01-01

The feasibility of superconducting rectifier-fluxpumps has to be demonstrated at current levels of 10 - 100 kA, where is asked for in the superconducting devices now being planned. An intensive program has been started at the low temperature division of the University of Twente to construct such

Tõnu Talve "Ka" tuuritab Kadrinas ja Rakveres / Ants Juske

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Juske, Ants, 1956-2016

2005-01-01

Tõnu Talve maalidest. Kadrinas esitatud trio Fragile performance'st ja näitusest tsüklist "Ka" Rakveres. Rakvere näitusel Teele Tuuna ja kolmeaastase tütre Anneliise tööd. Trio Fragile koosseisus on kitarrist Robert Jürjendal, trummar Arvo Urb ja maalija Tõnu Talve

Nature of galaxy spiral arms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Efremov, Yu.N.

1984-01-01

The nature of galaxy spiral arms is discussed in a popular form. Two approaches in the theory of spiral arms are considered; they are related to the problem of differential galaxy rotation and the spiral structure wave theory. The example of Galaxy M31 is considered to compare the structural peculiarity of its spiral arms with the wave theory predictions. The situation in the central and south-eastern part of arm S4 in Galaxy M31 noted to be completely explained by the wave theory and modern concepts on the origin of massive stars

Arms races between and within species.

Science.gov (United States)

Dawkins, R; Krebs, J R

1979-09-21

An adaptation in one lineage (e.g. predators) may change the selection pressure on another lineage (e.g. prey), giving rise to a counter-adaptation. If this occurs reciprocally, an unstable runaway escalation or 'arms race' may result. We discuss various factors which might give one side an advantage in an arms race. For example, a lineage under strong selection may out-evolve a weakly selected one (' the life-dinner principle'). We then classify arms races in two independent ways. They may be symmetric or asymmetric, and they may be interspecific or intraspecific. Our example of an asymmetric interspecific arms race is that between brood parasites and their hosts. The arms race concept may help to reduce the mystery of why cuckoo hosts are so good at detecting cuckoo eggs, but so bad at detecting cuckoo nestlings. The evolutionary contest between queen and worker ants over relative parental investment is a good example of an intraspecific asymmetric arms race. Such cases raise special problems because the participants share the same gene pool. Interspecific symmetric arms races are unlikely to be important, because competitors tend to diverge rather than escalate competitive adaptations. Intraspecific symmetric arms races, exemplified by adaptations for male-male competition, may underlie Cope's Rule and even the extinction of lineages. Finally we consider ways in which arms races can end. One lineage may drive the other to extinction; one may reach an optimum, thereby preventing the other from doing so; a particularly interesting possibility, exemplified by flower-bee coevolution, is that both sides may reach a mutual local optimum; lastly, arms races may have no stable and but may cycle continuously. We do not wish necessarily to suggest that all, or even most, evolutionary change results from arms races, but we do suggest that the arms race concept may help to resolve three long-standing questions in evolutionary theory.

SCaN Network Ground Station Receiver Performance for Future Service Support

Science.gov (United States)

Estabrook, Polly; Lee, Dennis; Cheng, Michael; Lau, Chi-Wung

2012-01-01

Objectives: Examine the impact of providing the newly standardized CCSDS Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes to the SCaN return data service on the SCaN SN and DSN ground stations receivers: SN Current Receiver: Integrated Receiver (IR). DSN Current Receiver: Downlink Telemetry and Tracking (DTT) Receiver. Early Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) prototype of the SN User Service Subsystem Component Replacement (USS CR) Narrow Band Receiver. Motivate discussion of general issues of ground station hardware design to enable simple and cheap modifications for support of future services.

JPRS Report Arms Control

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1993-01-01

Table of Contents: (1) COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES - (A) GENERAL Flaws in U.S.-Russian SSD Agreement Viewed, Khariton - Espionage Not Crucial in Soviet Nuclear Arms Development, Further on Espionage Role in Nuclear Arms Projects...

Uusim tehnika annab säästu ka maasoojuspumpades / Lauri Lehtinen

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Lehtinen, Lauri

2009-01-01

Õhksoojuspumpadega tuntust kogunud inverter- ehk sagedusmuunduriga kompressortehnikat kasutatakse ka uue põlvkonna maasoojuspumpades. Tootjate sõnul annab invertertehnika varasemate seadmetega võrreldes umbes 10–15% kokkuhoidu

Maailma esimene online-maakler teenindab ka eesti keeles / Romet Kreek

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kreek, Romet, 1972-

2005-01-01

Maailma esimene online-maaklerfirma E*Trade avas eestikeelse kauplemiskeskkonna, kuhu lähikuudel lisandub võimalus kaubelda ka Eesti aktsiatega. Tabel: E*Trade pakub konkurentsi kohalikele maakleritele. Kommenteerib Peeter Koppel. Vt. samas: Lauri Matsulevitsh. LHV konkurenti ei karda

Tänane heategevuskontsert toetab ka Kiigemetsa kooli / Vaike Käosaar

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Käosaar, Vaike

2007-01-01

Heategevuskontserdist "Ma olen eriline" Põltsamaa lossihoovis, kus esinevad mitmed Eestimaa tuntud muusikud ja mille tulusid kasutatakse samasuguse pealkirjaga raamatu kirjastamise toetuseks, et aidata peresid, kus kasvab autistlikke lapsi ning Kiigemetsa Kooli, kus õpetatakse teiste seas ka autismipuudega lapsi

Biogenic Aerosols—Effects on Clouds and Climate: Snowfall Experiment Field Campaign Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moisseev, Dmitri [University of Helsinki

2016-04-01

The snowfall measurement campaign took place during deployment of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility second ARM Mobile Facility (AMF2) in Finland. The campaign focused on understanding snowfall microphysics and characterizing performance of surface-based snowfall measurement instruments. This was achieved by combining triple frequency (X, Ka, W-band) radar observations of vertical structure of the precipitation, microwave radiometer observations of liquid water path (LWP), and lidar measurements of supercooled water layers with surface-based observations of snowfall rate and particle size distributions. To facilitate accurate surface measurements of snowfall properties, a double-fence intercomparison reference wind protection for the weighing precipitation gauge and two-dimensional (2D)-video disdrometer was built on site. Due to the duplication of some instruments, namely the 2D-video disdrometer and the weighing gauge, we were able to characterize their measurement errors as a function of wind speed, thus aiming at providing a correction procedure for the other ARM sites.

Organization of octopus arm movements: a model system for studying the control of flexible arms.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutfreund, Y; Flash, T; Yarom, Y; Fiorito, G; Segev, I; Hochner, B

1996-11-15

Octopus arm movements provide an extreme example of controlled movements of a flexible arm with virtually unlimited degrees of freedom. This study aims to identify general principles in the organization of these movements. Video records of the movements of Octopus vulgaris performing the task of reaching toward a target were studied. The octopus extends its arm toward the target by a wave-like propagation of a bend that travels from the base of the arm toward the tip. Similar bend propagation is seen in other octopus arm movements, such as locomotion and searching. The kinematics (position and velocity) of the midpoint of the bend in three-dimensional space were extracted using the direct linear transformation algorithm. This showed that the bend tends to move within a single linear plane in a simple, slightly curved path connecting the center of the animal's body with the target location. Approximately 70% of the reaching movements demonstrated a stereotyped tangential velocity profile. An invariant profile was observed when movements were normalized for velocity and distance. Two arms, extended together in the same behavioral context, demonstrated identical velocity profiles. The stereotyped features of the movements were also observed in spontaneous arm extensions (not toward an external target). The simple and stereotypic appearance of the bend trajectory suggests that the position of the bend in space and time is the controlled variable. We propose that this strategy reduces the immense redundancy of the octopus arm movements and hence simplifies motor control.

Direct imaging of band profile in single layer MoS2 on graphite: quasiparticle energy gap, metallic edge states, and edge band bending.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chendong; Johnson, Amber; Hsu, Chang-Lung; Li, Lain-Jong; Shih, Chih-Kang

2014-05-14

Using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we probe the electronic structures of single layer MoS2 on graphite. The apparent quasiparticle energy gap of single layer MoS2 is measured to be 2.15 ± 0.06 eV at 77 K, albeit a higher second conduction band threshold at 0.2 eV above the apparent conduction band minimum is also observed. Combining it with photoluminescence studies, we deduce an exciton binding energy of 0.22 ± 0.1 eV (or 0.42 eV if the second threshold is use), a value that is lower than current theoretical predictions. Consistent with theoretical predictions, we directly observe metallic edge states of single layer MoS2. In the bulk region of MoS2, the Fermi level is located at 1.8 eV above the valence band maximum, possibly due to the formation of a graphite/MoS2 heterojunction. At the edge, however, we observe an upward band bending of 0.6 eV within a short depletion length of about 5 nm, analogous to the phenomena of Fermi level pinning of a 3D semiconductor by metallic surface states.

The hierarchically organized splitting of chromosome bands into sub-bands analyzed by multicolor banding (MCB).

Science.gov (United States)

Lehrer, H; Weise, A; Michel, S; Starke, H; Mrasek, K; Heller, A; Kuechler, A; Claussen, U; Liehr, T

2004-01-01

To clarify the nature of chromosome sub-bands in more detail, the multicolor banding (MCB) probe-set for chromosome 5 was hybridized to normal metaphase spreads of GTG band levels at approximately 850, approximately 550, approximately 400 and approximately 300. It could be observed that as the chromosomes became shorter, more of the initial 39 MCB pseudo-colors disappeared, ending with 18 MCB pseudo-colored bands at the approximately 300-band level. The hierarchically organized splitting of bands into sub-bands was analyzed by comparing the disappearance or appearance of pseudo-color bands of the four different band levels. The regions to split first are telomere-near, centromere-near and in 5q23-->q31, followed by 5p15, 5p14, and all GTG dark bands in 5q apart from 5q12 and 5q32 and finalized by sub-band building in 5p15.2, 5q21.2-->q21.3, 5q23.1 and 5q34. The direction of band splitting towards the centromere or the telomere could be assigned to each band separately. Pseudo-colors assigned to GTG-light bands were resistant to band splitting. These observations are in concordance with the recently proposed concept of chromosome region-specific protein swelling. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel

Changes in seasonal climate patterns from 34-4 ka in a Soreq Cave (Israel) speleothem: Sub-annual resolution by ion microprobe and CLFM

Science.gov (United States)

Orland, I. J.; Bar-Matthews, M.; Kita, N.; Ayalon, A.; Valley, J. W.

2009-12-01

Speleothems provide an important proxy-record of paleoclimate. Isotopic data from calcite-dominated cave formations have been used to identify changes in annual rainfall, monsoon strength, telecommunication of Northern Hemisphere climate aberrations, changes in vegetation cover, and other region-specific paleoclimate time-series over annual to millennial timescales. As more research is devoted to understanding abrupt climate change events, there is a need to develop high-temporal-resolution records from continental regions. However, in most isotopic studies, seasonality information is lost due to technical limitations. This study focuses on a speleothem from the semi-arid Eastern Mediterranean region (Soreq Cave, Israel) where prior research shows that conventional drill-sampling methods permit a temporal resolution of ~10-50 years in speleothem paleoclimate records. The WiscSIMS lab has developed analytical protocols for ion microprobe analysis that yield a precision of ~0.3‰ (2 s.d.) in δ18O from 10 μm-diameter spots, which permit multiple analyses/year in many speleothems. Orland et al. (2009, Quat. Res.) establish the methodology for the current study by identifying seasonal variability using a combination of confocal laser fluorescent microscopy (CLFM) and ion microprobe analysis in a younger (~2-1 ka) Soreq speleothem that has a consistent bright-grading-to-dark fluorescence pattern within each annual band. Further, Orland et al. define a quantitative measure of seasonality, Δ18O, that measures the difference in δ18O between bright and dark fluorescent portions of individual annual growth bands [Δ18O = δ18Odark - δ18Obright]. Smaller values of Δ18O are interpreted to be caused by dry years. The current study employs the aforementioned methods to examine seasonality trends in a sample that covers a much longer time period. We report δ18O from >1000 spots across a radial traverse of Soreq Cave sample 2N matched to imaging of annual growth bands by

High precision detector robot arm system

Science.gov (United States)

Shu, Deming; Chu, Yong

2017-01-31

A method and high precision robot arm system are provided, for example, for X-ray nanodiffraction with an X-ray nanoprobe. The robot arm system includes duo-vertical-stages and a kinematic linkage system. A two-dimensional (2D) vertical plane ultra-precision robot arm supporting an X-ray detector provides positioning and manipulating of the X-ray detector. A vertical support for the 2D vertical plane robot arm includes spaced apart rails respectively engaging a first bearing structure and a second bearing structure carried by the 2D vertical plane robot arm.

C-arm flat detector computed tomography parenchymal blood volume imaging: the nature of parenchymal blood volume parameter and the feasibility of parenchymal blood volume imaging in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamran, Mudassar; Byrne, James V. [University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, Oxford (United Kingdom)

2015-09-15

C-arm flat detector computed tomography (FDCT) parenchymal blood volume (PBV) measurements allow assessment of cerebral haemodynamics in the neurointerventional suite. This paper explores the feasibility of C-arm computed tomography (CT) PBV imaging and the relationship between the C-arm CT PBV and the MR-PWI-derived cerebral blood volume (CBV) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) parameters in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) patients developing delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI). Twenty-six patients with DCI following aneurysmal SAH underwent a research C-arm CT PBV scan using a biplane angiography system and contemporaneous MR-PWI scan as part of a prospective study. Quantitative whole-brain atlas-based volume-of-interest analysis in conjunction with Pearson correlation and Bland-Altman tests was performed to explore the agreement between C-arm CT PBV and MR-derived CBV and CBF measurements. All patients received medical management, while eight patients (31 %) underwent selective intra-arterial chemical angioplasty. Colour-coded C-arm CT PBV maps were 91 % sensitive and 100 % specific in detecting the perfusion abnormalities. C-arm CT rPBV demonstrated good agreement and strong correlation with both MR-rCBV and MR-rCBF measurements; the agreement and correlation were stronger for MR-rCBF relative to MR-rCBV and improved for C-arm CT PBV versus the geometric mean of MR-rCBV and MR-rCBF. Analysis of weighted means showed that the C-arm CT PBV has a preferential blood flow weighting (∼60 % blood flow and ∼40 % blood volume weighting). C-arm CT PBV imaging is feasible in DCI following aneurysmal SAH. PBV is a composite perfusion parameter incorporating both blood flow and blood volume weightings. That PBV has preferential (∼60 %) blood flow weighting is an important finding, which is of clinical significance when interpreting the C-arm CT PBV maps, particularly in the setting of acute brain ischemia. (orig.)

C-arm flat detector computed tomography parenchymal blood volume imaging: the nature of parenchymal blood volume parameter and the feasibility of parenchymal blood volume imaging in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamran, Mudassar; Byrne, James V.

2015-01-01

C-arm flat detector computed tomography (FDCT) parenchymal blood volume (PBV) measurements allow assessment of cerebral haemodynamics in the neurointerventional suite. This paper explores the feasibility of C-arm computed tomography (CT) PBV imaging and the relationship between the C-arm CT PBV and the MR-PWI-derived cerebral blood volume (CBV) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) parameters in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) patients developing delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI). Twenty-six patients with DCI following aneurysmal SAH underwent a research C-arm CT PBV scan using a biplane angiography system and contemporaneous MR-PWI scan as part of a prospective study. Quantitative whole-brain atlas-based volume-of-interest analysis in conjunction with Pearson correlation and Bland-Altman tests was performed to explore the agreement between C-arm CT PBV and MR-derived CBV and CBF measurements. All patients received medical management, while eight patients (31 %) underwent selective intra-arterial chemical angioplasty. Colour-coded C-arm CT PBV maps were 91 % sensitive and 100 % specific in detecting the perfusion abnormalities. C-arm CT rPBV demonstrated good agreement and strong correlation with both MR-rCBV and MR-rCBF measurements; the agreement and correlation were stronger for MR-rCBF relative to MR-rCBV and improved for C-arm CT PBV versus the geometric mean of MR-rCBV and MR-rCBF. Analysis of weighted means showed that the C-arm CT PBV has a preferential blood flow weighting (∼60 % blood flow and ∼40 % blood volume weighting). C-arm CT PBV imaging is feasible in DCI following aneurysmal SAH. PBV is a composite perfusion parameter incorporating both blood flow and blood volume weightings. That PBV has preferential (∼60 %) blood flow weighting is an important finding, which is of clinical significance when interpreting the C-arm CT PBV maps, particularly in the setting of acute brain ischemia. (orig.)

'The Ethiopian famine' revisited: band aid and the antipolitics of celebrity humanitarian action.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Tanja R

2013-01-01

In many ways the Ethiopian famine of 1983-85 has served as a watershed with respect to humanitarian action. One of its lasting legacies has been the emergence of Band Aid and the subsequent increase in celebrity humanitarianism. A revisiting of the events of 1983-85 occurred in 2010 during a dispute in which it was alleged that a portion of the donations of Band Aid were spent on arms purchases. This paper takes this controversy as its starting point. It goes on to use the theoretical reflections of Giorgio Agamben to consider the dynamics that unfolded during the Ethiopian famine of 1983-85 and to analyse the underlying conceptualisation behind the emergence of Band Aid-type celebrity humanitarianism. The paper concludes with some wider thoughts on how the in essence antipolitical agenda of celebrity humanitarian action is transported into the everyday understanding of 'African disaster', resulting ultimately in the perpetuation of hegemonic control by the global North. © 2013 The Author(s). Journal compilation © Overseas Development Institute, 2013.

pKa Determination of water-soluble calix[4]arenes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Shinkai, Seiji; Araki, Koji; Grootenhuis, P.D.J.; Reinhoudt, David

1991-01-01

Neutral, water-soluble 5,11,17,23-tetrakis[bis-(2-hydroxyethyl)aminosulphonyl]calix[4]arene-25,26,27,28-tetraol and 5,11,17,23-tetranitrocalix[4]arene-25,26,27,28-tetraol have been synthesized and the pKa values of the OH groups determined in an aqueous system.

Che legend elab ka 40 aastat hiljem / Evelyn Kaldoja

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kaldoja, Evelyn, 1980-

2007-01-01

Ilmunud ka: Postimees : na russkom jazõke 9. okt. lk. 10. Argentinas sündinud ja 1967. aastal hukatud revolutsionääri Ernesto Che Guevara poliitikukarjäärist, tema panusest Kuuba revolutsiooni ja poliitikasse. Ernesto Che Guevara mälestamisest Ladina-Ameeerika riikides. Lisa: Kuuba revolutsioon; Che Guevara elu

Euroopa Liit lubab toetada Afganistani ka tulevikus heldelt / Ahto Lobjakas

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Lobjakas, Ahto, 1970-

2005-01-01

Euroopa Komisjoni president Jose Manuel Barroso ja Euroopa Liidu ühise välispoliitika peakoordinaator Javier Solana lubasid Afganistani presidendile Hamid Karzaile, et Euroopa Liit jätkab kestva välisabi osutamist riigile ka peale parlamendivalimiste toimumist septembris

Algorithms for Unequal-Arm Michelson Interferometers

Science.gov (United States)

Giampieri, Giacomo; Hellings, Ronald W.; Tinto, Massimo; Bender, Peter L.; Faller, James E.

1994-01-01

A method of data acquisition and data analysis is described in which the performance of Michelson-type interferometers with unequal arms can be made nearly the same as interferometers with equal arms. The method requires a separate readout of the relative phase in each arm, made by interfering the returning beam in each arm with a fraction of the outgoing beam.

Eolian depositional phases during the past 50 ka and inferred climate variability for the Pampean Sand Sea, western Pampas, Argentina

Science.gov (United States)

Tripaldi, Alfonsina; Forman, Steven L.

2016-05-01

The Pampean Sand Sea, which occurs from the Argentinian Pampas to the eastern Andean piedmont, hosts presently stabilized dune fields spanning the late Quaternary. This study integrates previous results and presents new geomorphic, stratigraphic, sedimentological, and chronologic data for nineteen >2 m-thick eolian successions for the San Luis paleo-dune field, western Pampas, to better constrain the depositional history. Six eolian depositional phases are identified spanning the past 50 ka, interposed with paleosols and/or bounded by erosive surfaces. Age control was from 61 OSL ages of small aliquots of quartz grains from eolian stratigraphic units. The inferred timing of eolian phases are at ca. 70 ± 10 yr, 190 ± 20 yr, 12 to 1 ka, 22 to 17 ka, 29 to 24 ka, and 40 to 32 ka. A maximum span for periods of pedogenesis at ca. 12 to 17 ka, 22 to 24 ka, and 29 to 32 ka was provided by bounding OSL ages, which broadly overlap with high stands of pluvial lakes and glacier advances in the central Andes. We infer that the added precipitation may reflect expansion of the Southern Hemisphere monsoon, associated with Northern Hemisphere Heinrich events, leading to episodes of significantly wetter conditions (>350 mm MAP) to at least 35° S. Most of the Holocene (12 ka to 0.8 ka) was characterized by sand sheet deposit under drier than present conditions (100-450 mm MAP), associated with Monte-type vegetation (shrub steppe). The latest two eolian depositional phases, occurred at ca. 190 and 70 yr ago, during the historic period with European settlement and are related to anthropogenic landscape disturbance, though the youngest phase was concomitant with 1930s drought. Wet conditions dominated since ca. AD 1970 with new lakes and rivers forming across this eolian terrain; an incongruous environmental response in reference to drier conditions for most of the Holocene.

Planar C-Band Antenna with Electronically Controllable Switched Beams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariano Barba

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The design, manufacturing, and measurements of a switchable-beam antenna at 3.5 GHz for WLL or Wimax base station antennas in planar technology are presented. This antenna performs a discrete beam scan of a 60∘ sector in azimuth and can be easily upgraded to 5 or more steps. The switching capabilities have been implemented by the inclusion of phase shifters based on PIN diodes in the feed network following a strategy that allows the reduction of the number of switches compared to a classic design. The measurements show that the design objectives have been achieved and encourage the application of the acquired experience in antennas for space applications, such as X-band SAR and Ku-band DBS.

Cilvēka attēlojums nacionālsociālisma laikā: vācu cilvēka tēls plakātos

OpenAIRE

Ziemele, Agnese

2010-01-01

Bakalaura darbā „Cilvēka attēlojums nacionālsociālisma laikā: vācu cilvēka tēls plakātos” tiek noskaidrota sievietes, vīrieša un jaunieša loma sabiedrībā. No 1933. līdz 1945. gadam Vācijā pastāvošā nacionālsociālistiskās ideoloăija ietekmēja propagandas saturu, kā arī noteica sabiedrības locekĜu domāšanas veidu un uzskatus. Darba gaitā tiek aplūkotas tā laika Vācijā valdošās politiskās idejas, mediju un propagandas, kā arī Trešā reiha valodas īpatnības. Darba galvenais pētījumu...

Hydrometeor discrimination in melting layer using multiparameter airborne radar measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Kumagai, H.; Meneghini, R.; Kozu, T.

1992-01-01

Results from a multiparameter airborne radar/radiometer experiment (the Typhoon experiment) are presented. The experiment was conducted in the western Pacific with the NASA DC-8 aircraft, in which a dual-wavelength at X-band and Ka-band and dual-polarization at X-band radar was installed. The signatures of dBZ(X), dBZ(Ka), LDR (linear depolarization ratio) at X-band and DZ=dBZ(X)-dBZ(Ka) are discussed for the data obtained in the penetration of the typhoon Flo. With emphasis on discrimination of hydrometeor particles, some statistical features of the brightband in stratiform rain are discussed.

An ARM Mobile Facility Designed for Marine Deployments

Science.gov (United States)

Wiscombe, W. J.

2007-05-01

The U.S. Dept. of Energy's ARM (Atmospheric Radiation Measurements) Program is designing a Mobile Facility exclusively for marine deployments. This marine facility is patterned after ARM's land Mobile Facility, which had its inaugural deployment at Point Reyes, California, in 2005, followed by deployments to Niger in 2006 and Germany in 2007 (ongoing), and a planned deployment to China in 2008. These facilities are primarily intended for the study of clouds, radiation, aerosols, and surface processes with a goal to include these processes accurately in climate models. They are preferably embedded within larger field campaigns which provide context. They carry extensive instrumentation (in several large containers) including: cloud radar, lidar, microwave radiometers, infrared spectrometers, broadband and narrowband radiometers, sonde-launching facilities, extensive surface aerosol measurements, sky imagers, and surface latent and sensible heat flux devices. ARM's Mobile Facilities are designed for 6-10 month deployments in order to capture climatically-relevant datasets. They are available to any scientist, U.S. or international, who wishes to submit a proposal during the annual Spring call. The marine facility will be adapted to, and ruggedized for, the harsh marine environment and will add a scanning two-frequency radar, a boundary-layer wind profiler, a shortwave spectrometer, and aerosol instrumentation adapted to typical marine aerosols like sea salt. Plans also include the use of roving small UAVs, automated small boats, and undersea autonomous vehicles in order to address the point-to-area-average problem which is so crucial for informing climate models. Initial deployments are planned for small islands in climatically- interesting cloud regimes, followed by deployments on oceanic platforms (like decommissioned oil rigs and the quasi-permanent platform of this session's title) and eventually on large ships like car carriers plying routine routes.

Test results of the 18 kA EDIPO HTS current leads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wesche, Rainer; Bagnasco, Maurizio; Bruzzone, Pierluigi; Felder, Roland; Guetg, Marc; Holenstein, Manuel; Jenni, Markus; March, Stephen; Roth, Felix; Vogel, Martin

2011-01-01

For the new test facility EDIPO (European DIPOle), to be hosted by CRPP, two 18 kA HTS current leads were manufactured and successfully tested. The HTS module, made of AgMgAu/Bi-2223 tapes, is cooled only by heat conduction to the cold end, while the copper part is cooled by forced flow helium gas. The current leads were tested at low voltage up to the maximum current of 18 kA. The helium mass flow rates required for stable operation at various currents were determined. In addition to the steady state operation, the transient behavior in the case of a loss of flow was studied experimentally. The test results provide an estimate of the operational limits of the EDIPO HTS current leads.

ATLAS operations in the GridKa T1/T2 Cloud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duckeck, G; Serfon, C; Walker, R; Harenberg, T; Kalinin, S; Schultes, J; Kawamura, G; Leffhalm, K; Meyer, J; Nderitu, S; Olszewski, A; Petzold, A; Sundermann, J E

2011-01-01

The ATLAS GridKa cloud consists of the GridKa Tier1 centre and 12 Tier2 sites from five countries associated to it. Over the last years a well defined and tested operation model evolved. Several core cloud services need to be operated and closely monitored: distributed data management, involving data replication, deletion and consistency checks; support for ATLAS production activities, which includes Monte Carlo simulation, reprocessing and pilot factory operation; continuous checks of data availability and performance for user analysis; software installation and database setup. Of crucial importance is good communication between sites, operations team and ATLAS as well as efficient cloud level monitoring tools. The paper gives an overview of the operations model and ATLAS services within the cloud.

Test results of the 18 kA EDIPO HTS current leads

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wesche, Rainer, E-mail: rainer.wesche@psi.ch [Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas (CRPP), Association Euratom - Confederation Suisse, 5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Bagnasco, Maurizio; Bruzzone, Pierluigi; Felder, Roland; Guetg, Marc; Holenstein, Manuel; Jenni, Markus; March, Stephen; Roth, Felix; Vogel, Martin [Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas (CRPP), Association Euratom - Confederation Suisse, 5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland)

2011-10-15

For the new test facility EDIPO (European DIPOle), to be hosted by CRPP, two 18 kA HTS current leads were manufactured and successfully tested. The HTS module, made of AgMgAu/Bi-2223 tapes, is cooled only by heat conduction to the cold end, while the copper part is cooled by forced flow helium gas. The current leads were tested at low voltage up to the maximum current of 18 kA. The helium mass flow rates required for stable operation at various currents were determined. In addition to the steady state operation, the transient behavior in the case of a loss of flow was studied experimentally. The test results provide an estimate of the operational limits of the EDIPO HTS current leads.

FY1995 development of artificial arm 'SMART ARM' by spherical ultrasonic motor; 1995 nendo kyumen choonpa motor wo mochiita jinko gishu smart arm no kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-03-01

The project has an intention of development of new type artificial arm by spherical ultrasonic motor. We have succeeded in developing new type of spherical ultrasonic motor with three DOF. And we have succeeded in applying the motor to an artificial arm. This arm have advantages of small size, low weight torque comparing with conventional ones. We demonstrated them the new arm behaved well and it had good controlabilty. (NEDO)

Evaluation of optical localization in the visible band for ultrasound guidance in radiotherapy using a robotic arm

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Camps, S.M.; Costa, M.; Stevens, E.; Sanches, P.G.; Paiva Fonesca, G.; Bellezzo, M.; Verhaegen, F.

2017-01-01

In many medical fields, spatial localization of devices is of paramount importance to e.g. deliver treatments correctly or to perform accurate diagnostic evaluations. Among the different technologies available, optical localization in the visible band of the spectrum offers many advantages: minimum

Food safety assessment of Cry8Ka5 mutant protein using Cry1Ac as a control Bt protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Farias, Davi Felipe; Viana, Martônio Ponte; Oliveira, Gustavo Ramos; Santos, Vanessa Olinto; Pinto, Clidia Eduarda Moreira; Viana, Daniel Araújo; Vasconcelos, Ilka Maria; Grossi-de-Sa, Maria Fátima; Carvalho, Ana Fontenele Urano

2015-07-01

Cry8Ka5 is a mutant protein from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that has been proposed for developing transgenic plants due to promising activity against coleopterans, like Anthonomus grandis (the major pest of Brazilian cotton culture). Thus, an early food safety assessment of Cry8Ka5 protein could provide valuable information to support its use as a harmless biotechnological tool. This study aimed to evaluate the food safety of Cry8Ka5 protein following the two-tiered approach, based on weights of evidence, proposed by ILSI. Cry1Ac protein was used as a control Bt protein. The history of safe use revealed no convincing hazard reports for Bt pesticides and three-domain Cry proteins. The bioinformatics analysis with the primary amino acids sequence of Cry8Ka5 showed no similarity to any known toxic, antinutritional or allergenic proteins. The mode of action of Cry proteins is well understood and their fine specificity is restricted to insects. Cry8Ka5 and Cry1Ac proteins were rapidly degraded in simulated gastric fluid, but were resistant to simulated intestinal fluid and heat treatment. The LD50 for Cry8Ka5 and Cry1Ac was >5000 mg/kg body weight when administered by gavage in mice. Thus, no expected relevant risks are associated with the consumption of Cry8Ka5 protein. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of pKa values of alendronate sodium in aqueous solution by piecewise linear regression based on acid-base potentiometric titration.

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Jing; Dou, Hanfei; Zhang, Ximin; Uhagaze, Dushimabararezi Serge; Ding, Xiali; Dong, Yuming

2016-12-01

As a mono-sodium salt form of alendronic acid, alendronate sodium presents multi-level ionization for the dissociation of its four hydroxyl groups. The dissociation constants of alendronate sodium were determined in this work by studying the piecewise linear relationship between volume of titrant and pH value based on acid-base potentiometric titration reaction. The distribution curves of alendronate sodium were drawn according to the determined pKa values. There were 4 dissociation constants (pKa 1 =2.43, pKa 2 =7.55, pKa 3 =10.80, pKa 4 =11.99, respectively) of alendronate sodium, and 12 existing forms, of which 4 could be ignored, existing in different pH environments.

Kas kollaste kaartide lõpp toob lõpu ka lapsesoodustusele? / Jarno Laur

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Laur, Jarno, 1975-

2006-01-01

Erastamisväärtpaberite väljaandmise ja kasutamise lõpetamise eelnõust, millega lõpetataks ka lastega seotud 25 000 kroonine hinnasoodustus maa väljaostmisel. Sama ka Vali Uudised 13. jaan. 2005, lk. 2 ; Kuulutaja 13. jaan. 2006, lk. 4 ; Põhjarannik 13. jaan. 2006, lk. 2 ; Lääne Elu 17. jaan. 2006, lk. 2 ; Nädaline 17. jaan. 2006, lk. 2 ; Hiiu Leht 17. jaan. 2006, lk. 2 ; Lõunaleht 19. jaan. 2006, lk. 2 ; Meie Maa 17. jaan. 2006, lk. 2 ; Vooremaa 21. jaan. 2006, lk. 2 ; Virumaa Nädalaleht 13. jaan. 2006, lk. 2 ; Valgamaalane 19. jaan. 2006, lk. 2

Octopus-inspired multi-arm robotic swimming.

Science.gov (United States)

Sfakiotakis, M; Kazakidi, A; Tsakiris, D P

2015-05-13

The outstanding locomotor and manipulation characteristics of the octopus have recently inspired the development, by our group, of multi-functional robotic swimmers, featuring both manipulation and locomotion capabilities, which could be of significant engineering interest in underwater applications. During its little-studied arm-swimming behavior, as opposed to the better known jetting via the siphon, the animal appears to generate considerable propulsive thrust and rapid acceleration, predominantly employing movements of its arms. In this work, we capture the fundamental characteristics of the corresponding complex pattern of arm motion by a sculling profile, involving a fast power stroke and a slow recovery stroke. We investigate the propulsive capabilities of a multi-arm robotic system under various swimming gaits, namely patterns of arm coordination, which achieve the generation of forward, as well as backward, propulsion and turning. A lumped-element model of the robotic swimmer, which considers arm compliance and the interaction with the aquatic environment, was used to study the characteristics of these gaits, the effect of various kinematic parameters on propulsion, and the generation of complex trajectories. This investigation focuses on relatively high-stiffness arms. Experiments employing a compliant-body robotic prototype swimmer with eight compliant arms, all made of polyurethane, inside a water tank, successfully demonstrated this novel mode of underwater propulsion. Speeds of up to 0.26 body lengths per second (approximately 100 mm s(-1)), and propulsive forces of up to 3.5 N were achieved, with a non-dimensional cost of transport of 1.42 with all eight arms and of 0.9 with only two active arms. The experiments confirmed the computational results and verified the multi-arm maneuverability and simultaneous object grasping capability of such systems.

Kas läheb ka Ruudi tapmiseks? / Kati Murutar

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Murutar, Kati, 1967-

2006-01-01