Investigations on quantum mechanics with minimal length

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chargui, Yassine

2009-01-01

We consider a modified quantum mechanics where the coordinates and momenta are assumed to satisfy a non-standard commutation relation of the form( X i , P j ) = iℎ(δ ij (1+βP 2 )+β'P i P j ). Such an algebra results in a generalized uncertainty relation which leads to the existence of a minimal observable length. Moreover, it incorporates an UV/IR mixing and non commutative position space. We analyse the possible representations in terms of differential operators. The latter are used to study the low energy effects of the minimal length by considering different quantum systems : the harmonic oscillator, the Klein-Gordon oscillator, the spinless Salpeter Coulomb problem, and the Dirac equation with a linear confining potential. We also discuss whether such effects are observable in precision measurements on a relativistic electron trapped in strong magnetic field.

Effects of Pedal Speed and Crank Length on Pedaling Mechanics during Submaximal Cycling

Science.gov (United States)

BARRATT, PAUL RICHARD; MARTIN, JAMES C.; ELMER, STEVE J.; KORFF, THOMAS

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT During submaximal cycling, the neuromuscular system has the freedom to select different intermuscular coordination strategies. From both a basic science and an applied perspective, it is important to understand how the central nervous system adjusts pedaling mechanics in response to changes in pedaling conditions. Purpose To determine the effect of changes in pedal speed (a marker of muscle shortening velocity) and crank length (a marker of muscle length) on pedaling mechanics during submaximal cycling. Methods Fifteen trained cyclists performed submaximal isokinetic cycling trials (90 rpm, 240 W) using pedal speeds of 1.41 to 1.61 m·s−1 and crank lengths of 150 to 190 mm. Joint powers were calculated using inverse dynamics. Results Increases in pedal speed and crank length caused large increases knee and hip angular excursions and velocities (P 0.05). Joint moments and joint powers were less affected by changes in the independent variables, but some interesting effects and trends were observed. Most noteworthy, knee extension moments and powers tended to decrease, whereas hip extension power tended to increase with an increase in crank length. Conclusions The distribution of joint moments and powers is largely maintained across a range of pedaling conditions. The crank length induced differences in knee extension moments, and powers may represent a trade-off between the central nervous system’s attempts to simultaneously minimize muscle metabolic and mechanical stresses. These results increase our understanding of the neural and mechanical mechanisms underlying multi-joint task performance, and they have practical relevance to coaches, athletes, and clinicians. PMID:26559455

Ethanol sensing properties and dominant sensing mechanism of NiO-decorated SnO2 nanorod sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Gun-Joo; Lee, Jae Kyung; Lee, Wan In; Dwivedi, Ram Prakash; Lee, Chongmu; Ko, Taegyung

2017-05-01

NiO-decorated SnO2 nanorods were synthesized by the thermal evaporation of Sn powders followed by the solvothermal deposition of NiO. A multi-networked p- n heterostructured nanorod sensor was fabricated by dropping the p-NiO-decorated n-SnO2 nanorods onto the interdigited electrode pattern and then annealing. The multi-networked p- n heterostructured nanorod sensor exhibited enhanced response to ethanol compared with the pristine SnO2 nanorod and NiO nanoparticle sensors. The former also exhibited a shorter sensing time for ethanol. Both sensors exhibited selectivity for ethanol over other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as HCHO, methanol, benzene and toluene and the decorated sensor exhibited superior selectivity to the other two sensors. In addition, the dominant sensing mechanism is discussed in detail by comparing the sensing properties and current-voltage characteristics of a p-NiO/ n-SnO2 heterostructured nanorod sensor with those of a pristine SnO2 nanorod sensor and a pristine NiO nanoparticle sensor. Of the two competing electronic mechanisms: a potential barrier-controlled carrier transport mechanism at a NiO-SnO2 p- n junction and a surface-depletio n-controlled carrier transport mechanism, the former has some contribution to the enhanced gas sensing performance of the p- n heterostructured nanorod sensor, however, its contribution is not as significant as that of the latter. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

A quorum-sensing-induced bacteriophage defense mechanism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Høyland-Kroghsbo, Nina Molin; Mærkedahl, Rasmus Baadsgaard; Svenningsen, Sine

2013-01-01

of uninfected survivor cells after a potent attack by virulent phages. Notably, this mechanism may apply to a broader range of phages, as AHLs also reduce the risk of ¿ phage infection through a different receptor. IMPORTANCE To enable the successful manipulation of bacterial populations, a comprehensive...... sensing plays an important role in determining the susceptibility of E. coli to infection by bacteriophages ¿ and ¿. On the basis of our findings in the classical Escherichia coli-¿ model system, we suggest that quorum sensing may serve as a general strategy to protect bacteria specifically under...

Anatomical pathways involved in generating and sensing rhythmic whisker movements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurens W.J. Bosman

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The rodent whisker system is widely used as a model system for investigating sensorimotor integration, neural mechanisms of complex cognitive tasks, neural development, and robotics. The whisker pathways to the barrel cortex have received considerable attention. However, many subcortical structures are paramount to the whisker system. They contribute to important processes, like filtering out salient features, integration with other senses and adaptation of the whisker system to the general behavioral state of the animal. We present here an overview of the brain regions and their connections involved in the whisker system. We do not only describe the anatomy and functional roles of the cerebral cortex, but also those of subcortical structures like the striatum, superior colliculus, cerebellum, pontomedullary reticular formation, zona incerta and anterior pretectal nucleus as well as those of level setting systems like the cholinergic, histaminergic, serotonergic and noradrenergic pathways. We conclude by discussing how these brain regions may affect each other and how they together may control the precise timing of whisker movements and coordinate whisker perception.

Sensing of triacylglycerol in the gut

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kleberg, Karen; Jacobsen, Anne Katrine; Ferreira, Jozelia G

2015-01-01

KEY POINTS: Digestion is required for intestinal sensing of triacylglycerol in this behavioural model. The hydrolysis products of triacylglycerol, fatty acids and 2-monoacylglycerol, regulate feeding via separate mechanisms. Sensing of long-chain fatty acids, but not of 2-monoacylglycerol......, stimulated central dopaminergic signalling. Fatty acid chain length regulates behavioural responses to fatty acids. ABSTRACT: Sensing of dietary triacylglycerol in the proximal small intestine results in physiological, hormonal and behavioural responses. However, the exact physiological pathways linking...... intestinal fat sensing to food intake and the activation of brain circuits remain to be identified. In this study we examined the role of triacylglycerol digestion for intestinal fat sensing, and compared the effects of the triacylglycerol digestion products, fatty acids and 2-monoacylglycerol...

Sensing of RNA viruses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Søren; Thomsen, Allan Randrup

2012-01-01

pathogen-associated molecular patterns have emerged in great detail. This review presents an overview of our current knowledge regarding the receptors used to detect RNA virus invasion, the molecular structures these receptors sense, and the involved downstream signaling pathways.......Our knowledge regarding the contribution of the innate immune system in recognizing and subsequently initiating a host response to an invasion of RNA virus has been rapidly growing over the last decade. Descriptions of the receptors involved and the molecular mechanisms they employ to sense viral...

Importance of the Debye screening length on nanowire field effect transistor sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Stern, Eric; Wagner, Robin; Sigworth, Fred J; Breaker, Ronald; Fahmy, Tarek M; Reed, Mark A

2007-11-01

Nanowire field effect transistors (NW-FETs) can serve as ultrasensitive detectors for label-free reagents. The NW-FET sensing mechanism assumes a controlled modification in the local channel electric field created by the binding of charged molecules to the nanowire surface. Careful control of the solution Debye length is critical for unambiguous selective detection of macromolecules. Here we show the appropriate conditions under which the selective binding of macromolecules is accurately sensed with NW-FET sensors.

FTO associations with obesity and telomere length.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yuling; Hambly, Brett D; McLachlan, Craig S

2017-09-01

This review examines the biology of the Fat mass- and obesity-associated gene (FTO), and the implications of genetic association of FTO SNPs with obesity and genetic aging. Notably, we focus on the role of FTO in the regulation of methylation status as possible regulators of weight gain and genetic aging. We present a theoretical review of the FTO gene with a particular emphasis on associations with UCP2, AMPK, RBL2, IRX3, CUX1, mTORC1 and hormones involved in hunger regulation. These associations are important for dietary behavior regulation and cellular nutrient sensing via amino acids. We suggest that these pathways may also influence telomere regulation. Telomere length (TL) attrition may be influenced by obesity-related inflammation and oxidative stress, and FTO gene-involved pathways. There is additional emerging evidence to suggest that telomere length and obesity are bi-directionally associated. However, the role of obesity risk-related genotypes and associations with TL are not well understood. The FTO gene may influence pathways implicated in regulation of TL, which could help to explain some of the non-consistent relationship between weight phenotype and telomere length that is observed in population studies investigating obesity.

Telomere length maintenance--an ALTernative mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Royle, N J; Foxon, J; Jeyapalan, J N; Mendez-Bermudez, A; Novo, C L; Williams, J; Cotton, V E

2008-01-01

The Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) mechanism is utilised by approximately 10% of human tumours and a higher proportion of some types of sarcomas. ALT+ cell lines and tumours show heterogeneous telomere length, extra-chromosomal circular and linear telomeric DNA, ALT associated promyelocytic bodies (APBs), a high frequency of post-replication exchanges in telomeres (designated as telomere-sister chromatid exchanges, T-SCE) and high instability at a GC-rich minisatellite, MS32 (D1S8). It is clear that there is a link between the minisatellite instability and the mechanism that underpins ALT, however currently the nature of this relationship is uncertain. Single molecule analysis of telomeric DNA from ALT+ cell lines and tumours has revealed complex telomere mutations that have not been seen in cell lines or tumours that express telomerase. These complex telomere mutations cannot be explained by T-SCE but must arise by another inter-molecular process. The break-induced replication (BIR) model that may explain the observed high frequency of T-SCE and the presence of complex telomere mutations is reviewed. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Metabolic effects of portal vein sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Mithieux, G

2014-09-01

The extrinsic gastrointestinal nerves are crucial in the sensing of nutrients and hormones and its translation in terms of control of food intake. Major macronutrients like glucose and protein are sensed by the extrinsic nerves located in the portal vein walls, which signal to the brain and account for the satiety phenomenon they promote. Glucose is sensed in the portal vein by neurons expressing the glucose receptor SGLT3, which activate the main regions of the brain involved in the control of food intake. Proteins indirectly act on food intake by inducing intestinal gluconeogenesis and its sensing by the portal glucose sensor. The mechanism involves a prior antagonism by peptides of the μ-opioid receptors present in the portal vein nervous system and a reflex arc with the brain inducing intestinal gluconeogenesis. In a comparable manner, short-chain fatty acids produced from soluble fibre act via intestinal gluconeogenesis to exert anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects. In the case of propionate, the mechanism involves a prior activation of the free fatty acid receptor FFAR3 present in the portal nerves and a reflex arc initiating intestinal gluconeogenesis. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Predictive Mechanisms Are Not Involved the Same Way during Human-Human vs. Human-Machine Interactions: A Review

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Aïsha Sahaï

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, interactions with others do not only involve human peers but also automated systems. Many studies suggest that the motor predictive systems that are engaged during action execution are also involved during joint actions with peers and during other human generated action observation. Indeed, the comparator model hypothesis suggests that the comparison between a predicted state and an estimated real state enables motor control, and by a similar functioning, understanding and anticipating observed actions. Such a mechanism allows making predictions about an ongoing action, and is essential to action regulation, especially during joint actions with peers. Interestingly, the same comparison process has been shown to be involved in the construction of an individual's sense of agency, both for self-generated and observed other human generated actions. However, the implication of such predictive mechanisms during interactions with machines is not consensual, probably due to the high heterogeneousness of the automata used in the experimentations, from very simplistic devices to full humanoid robots. The discrepancies that are observed during human/machine interactions could arise from the absence of action/observation matching abilities when interacting with traditional low-level automata. Consistently, the difficulties to build a joint agency with this kind of machines could stem from the same problem. In this context, we aim to review the studies investigating predictive mechanisms during social interactions with humans and with automated artificial systems. We will start by presenting human data that show the involvement of predictions in action control and in the sense of agency during social interactions. Thereafter, we will confront this literature with data from the robotic field. Finally, we will address the upcoming issues in the field of robotics related to automated systems aimed at acting as collaborative agents.

Mechanisms of intragastric pH sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Goo, Tyralee; Akiba, Yasutada; Kaunitz, Jonathan D

2010-12-01

Luminal amino acids and lack of luminal acidity as a result of acid neutralization by intragastric foodstuffs are powerful signals for acid secretion. Although the hormonal and neural pathways underlying this regulatory mechanism are well understood, the nature of the gastric luminal pH sensor has been enigmatic. In clinical studies, high pH, tryptic peptides, and luminal divalent metals (Ca(2+) and Mg(2+)) increase gastrin release and acid production. The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), first described in the parathyroid gland but expressed on gastric G cells, is a logical candidate for the gastric acid sensor. Because CaSR ligands include amino acids and divalent metals, and because extracellular pH affects ligand binding in the pH range of the gastric content, its pH, metal, and nutrient-sensing functions are consistent with physiologic observations. The CaSR is thus an attractive candidate for the gastric luminal sensor that is part of the neuroendocrine negative regulatory loop for acid secretion.

Reaction Force/Torque Sensing in a Master-Slave Robot System without Mechanical Sensors

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Kyoko Shibata

2010-07-01

Full Text Available In human-robot cooperative control systems, force feedback is often necessary in order to achieve high precision and high stability. Usually, traditional robot assistant systems implement force feedback using force/torque sensors. However, it is difficult to directly mount a mechanical force sensor on some working terminals, such as in applications of minimally invasive robotic surgery, micromanipulation, or in working environments exposed to radiation or high temperature. We propose a novel force sensing mechanism for implementing force feedback in a master-slave robot system with no mechanical sensors. The system consists of two identical electro-motors with the master motor powering the slave motor to interact with the environment. A bimanual coordinated training platform using the new force sensing mechanism was developed and the system was verified in experiments. Results confirm that the proposed mechanism is capable of achieving bilateral force sensing and mirror-image movements of two terminals in two reverse control directions.

Advanced and Exploratory Shock Sensing Mechanisms.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nelsen, Nicholas H. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Kolb, James D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Kulkarni, Akshay G. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Sorscher, Zachary [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Habing, Clayton D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Mathis, Allen [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Beller, Zachary J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-09-01

Mechanical component response to shock environments must be predictable in order to ensure reliability and safety. Whether the shock input results from accidental drops during transportation to projectile impact scenarios, the system must irreversibly transition into a safe state that is incapable of triggering the component . With this critical need in mind, the 2017 Nuclear Weapons Summer Product Realization Institute (NW SPRINT) program objective sought the design of a passive shock failsafe with emphasis on additively manufactured (AM) components. Team Advanced and Exploratory (A&E) responded to the challenge by designing and delivering multiple passive shock sensing mech anisms that activate within a prescribed mechanical shock threshold. These AM failsafe designs were tuned and validated using analytical and computational techniques including the shock response spectrum (SRS) and finite element analysis (FEA). After rapid prototyping, the devices experienced physical shock tests conducted on Sandia drop tables to experimentally verify performance. Keywords: Additive manufacturing, dynamic system, failsafe, finite element analysis, mechanical shock, NW SPRINT, shock respon se spectrum

How mechanical context and feedback jointly determine the use of mechanical variables in length perception by dynamic touch

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Menger, Rudmer; Withagen, Rob

Earlier studies have revealed that both mechanical context and feedback determine what mechanical invariant is used to perceive length by dynamic touch. In the present article, the authors examined how these two factors jointly constrain the informational variable that is relied upon. Participants

How mechanical context and feedback jointly determine the use of mechanical variables in length perception by dynamic touch

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Menger, Rudmer; Withagen, Rob

2009-01-01

Earlier studies have revealed that both mechanical context and feedback determine what mechanical invariant is used to perceive length by dynamic touch. In the present article, the authors examined how these two factors jointly constrain the informational variable that is relied upon. Participants

LIGO sensing system performance

CERN Document Server

Landry, M

2002-01-01

The optical sensing subsystem of a LIGO interferometer is described. The system includes two complex interferometric sensing schemes to control test masses in length and alignment. The length sensing system is currently employed on all LIGO interferometers to lock coupled cavities on resonance. Auto-alignment is to be accomplished by a wavefront-sensing scheme which automatically corrects for angular fluctuations of the test masses. Improvements in lock stability and duration are noted when the wavefront auto-alignment system is employed. Preliminary results from the commissioning of the 2 km detector in Washington are shown.

Fabrication of nano piezoelectric based vibration accelerometer for mechanical sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Murugan, S.; Prasad, M. V. N.; Jayakumar, K.

2016-05-01

An electromechanical sensor unit has been fabricated using nano PZT embedded in PVDF polymer. Such a polymer nano composite has been used as vibration sensor element and sensitivity, detection of mechanical vibration, and linearity measurements have been investigated. It is found from its performance, that this nano composite sensor is suitable for mechanical sensing applications.

Mechanical properties of rubberwood oriented strand lumber (OSL: The effect of strand length

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Buhnnum Kyokong

2005-09-01

Full Text Available Effect of strand length on mechanical properties (tension, compression and bending of oriented strand lumber (OSL made of rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg. was reported. Three strand lengths of 50 mm, 100 mm, and 150 mm with 1 mm thickness and 15 mm width were used. The strands were mixed with 5% pMDI glue (weight basis in a tumble mixer. The OSL specimens were formed by hot pressing process of unidirectionally aligned strands. Average specific gravity and moisture content were 0.76 and 8.34%, respectively. Tension and compression tests were carried out for directions both parallel and perpendicular to grain while bending test was performed only in parallel direction. Ultimate stresses and moduli of elasticity were examined from the stress-strain curves. It was found that for the parallel-to-grain direction, the longer strand OSL gave higher strength. The role of the strand length did not appear for the direction normal to the grain. The relationship between the mechanical properties of OSL and strand length was well described by the modified Hankinson formula.

A novel flow sensor based on resonant sensing with two-stage microleverage mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, B.; Guo, X.; Wang, Q. H.; Lu, C. F.; Hu, D.

2018-04-01

The design, simulation, fabrication, and experiments of a novel flow sensor based on resonant sensing with a two-stage microleverage mechanism are presented in this paper. Different from the conventional detection methods for flow sensors, two differential resonators are adopted to implement air flow rate transformation through two-stage leverage magnification. The proposed flow sensor has a high sensitivity since the adopted two-stage microleverage mechanism possesses a higher amplification factor than a single-stage microleverage mechanism. The modal distribution and geometric dimension of the two-stage leverage mechanism and hair are analyzed and optimized by Ansys simulation. A digital closed-loop driving technique with a phase frequency detector-based coordinate rotation digital computer algorithm is implemented for the detection and locking of resonance frequency. The sensor fabricated by the standard deep dry silicon on a glass process has a device dimension of 5100 μm (length) × 5100 μm (width) × 100 μm (height) with a hair diameter of 1000 μm. The preliminary experimental results demonstrate that the maximal mechanical sensitivity of the flow sensor is approximately 7.41 Hz/(m/s)2 at a resonant frequency of 22 kHz for the hair height of 9 mm and increases by 2.42 times as hair height extends from 3 mm to 9 mm. Simultaneously, a detection-limit of 3.23 mm/s air flow amplitude at 60 Hz is confirmed. The proposed flow sensor has great application prospects in the micro-autonomous system and technology, self-stabilizing micro-air vehicles, and environmental monitoring.

Verifiably Truthful Mechanisms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Branzei, Simina; Procaccia, Ariel D.

2015-01-01

the computational sense). Our approach involves three steps: (i) specifying the structure of mechanisms, (ii) constructing a verification algorithm, and (iii) measuring the quality of verifiably truthful mechanisms. We demonstrate this approach using a case study: approximate mechanism design without money...

Mechano-sensing and cell migration: a 3D model approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borau, C; García-Aznar, J M; Kamm, R D

2011-01-01

Cell migration is essential for tissue development in different physiological and pathological conditions. It is a complex process orchestrated by chemistry, biological factors, microstructure and surrounding mechanical properties. Focusing on the mechanical interactions, cells do not only exert forces on the matrix that surrounds them, but they also sense and react to mechanical cues in a process called mechano-sensing. Here, we hypothesize the involvement of mechano-sensing in the regulation of directional cell migration through a three-dimensional (3D) matrix. For this purpose, we develop a 3D numerical model of individual cell migration, which incorporates the mechano-sensing process of the cell as the main mechanism regulating its movement. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that factors, such as substrate stiffness, boundary conditions and external forces, regulate specific and distinct cell movements

A Truthful Incentive Mechanism for Online Recruitment in Mobile Crowd Sensing System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao Chen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We investigate emerging mobile crowd sensing (MCS systems, in which new cloud-based platforms sequentially allocate homogenous sensing jobs to dynamically-arriving users with uncertain service qualities. Given that human beings are selfish in nature, it is crucial yet challenging to design an efficient and truthful incentive mechanism to encourage users to participate. To address the challenge, we propose a novel truthful online auction mechanism that can efficiently learn to make irreversible online decisions on winner selections for new MCS systems without requiring previous knowledge of users. Moreover, we theoretically prove that our incentive possesses truthfulness, individual rationality and computational efficiency. Extensive simulation results under both real and synthetic traces demonstrate that our incentive mechanism can reduce the payment of the platform, increase the utility of the platform and social welfare.

A Truthful Incentive Mechanism for Online Recruitment in Mobile Crowd Sensing System.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiao; Liu, Min; Zhou, Yaqin; Li, Zhongcheng; Chen, Shuang; He, Xiangnan

2017-01-01

We investigate emerging mobile crowd sensing (MCS) systems, in which new cloud-based platforms sequentially allocate homogenous sensing jobs to dynamically-arriving users with uncertain service qualities. Given that human beings are selfish in nature, it is crucial yet challenging to design an efficient and truthful incentive mechanism to encourage users to participate. To address the challenge, we propose a novel truthful online auction mechanism that can efficiently learn to make irreversible online decisions on winner selections for new MCS systems without requiring previous knowledge of users. Moreover, we theoretically prove that our incentive possesses truthfulness, individual rationality and computational efficiency. Extensive simulation results under both real and synthetic traces demonstrate that our incentive mechanism can reduce the payment of the platform, increase the utility of the platform and social welfare.

Global versus local mechanisms of temperature sensing in ion channels.

Science.gov (United States)

Arrigoni, Cristina; Minor, Daniel L

2018-05-01

Ion channels turn diverse types of inputs, ranging from neurotransmitters to physical forces, into electrical signals. Channel responses to ligands generally rely on binding to discrete sensor domains that are coupled to the portion of the channel responsible for ion permeation. By contrast, sensing physical cues such as voltage, pressure, and temperature arises from more varied mechanisms. Voltage is commonly sensed by a local, domain-based strategy, whereas the predominant paradigm for pressure sensing employs a global response in channel structure to membrane tension changes. Temperature sensing has been the most challenging response to understand and whether discrete sensor domains exist for pressure and temperature has been the subject of much investigation and debate. Recent exciting advances have uncovered discrete sensor modules for pressure and temperature in force-sensitive and thermal-sensitive ion channels, respectively. In particular, characterization of bacterial voltage-gated sodium channel (BacNa V ) thermal responses has identified a coiled-coil thermosensor that controls channel function through a temperature-dependent unfolding event. This coiled-coil thermosensor blueprint recurs in other temperature sensitive ion channels and thermosensitive proteins. Together with the identification of ion channel pressure sensing domains, these examples demonstrate that "local" domain-based solutions for sensing force and temperature exist and highlight the diversity of both global and local strategies that channels use to sense physical inputs. The modular nature of these newly discovered physical signal sensors provides opportunities to engineer novel pressure-sensitive and thermosensitive proteins and raises new questions about how such modular sensors may have evolved and empowered ion channel pores with new sensibilities.

A qrr noncoding RNA deploys four different regulatory mechanisms to optimize quorum-sensing dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Lihui; Rutherford, Steven T; Papenfort, Kai; Bagert, John D; van Kessel, Julia C; Tirrell, David A; Wingreen, Ned S; Bassler, Bonnie L

2015-01-15

Quorum sensing is a cell-cell communication process that bacteria use to transition between individual and social lifestyles. In vibrios, homologous small RNAs called the Qrr sRNAs function at the center of quorum-sensing pathways. The Qrr sRNAs regulate multiple mRNA targets including those encoding the quorum-sensing regulatory components luxR, luxO, luxM, and aphA. We show that a representative Qrr, Qrr3, uses four distinct mechanisms to control its particular targets: the Qrr3 sRNA represses luxR through catalytic degradation, represses luxM through coupled degradation, represses luxO through sequestration, and activates aphA by revealing the ribosome binding site while the sRNA itself is degraded. Qrr3 forms different base-pairing interactions with each mRNA target, and the particular pairing strategy determines which regulatory mechanism occurs. Combined mathematical modeling and experiments show that the specific Qrr regulatory mechanism employed governs the potency, dynamics, and competition of target mRNA regulation, which in turn, defines the overall quorum-sensing response. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Understanding the mechanisms of lung mechanical stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C.S.N.B. Garcia

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Physical forces affect both the function and phenotype of cells in the lung. Bronchial, alveolar, and other parenchymal cells, as well as fibroblasts and macrophages, are normally subjected to a variety of passive and active mechanical forces associated with lung inflation and vascular perfusion as a result of the dynamic nature of lung function. These forces include changes in stress (force per unit area or strain (any forced change in length in relation to the initial length and shear stress (the stress component parallel to a given surface. The responses of cells to mechanical forces are the result of the cell's ability to sense and transduce these stimuli into intracellular signaling pathways able to communicate the information to its interior. This review will focus on the modulation of intracellular pathways by lung mechanical forces and the intercellular signaling. A better understanding of the mechanisms by which lung cells transduce physical forces into biochemical and biological signals is of key importance for identifying targets for the treatment and prevention of physical force-related disorders.

Mechanisms of quorum sensing and strategies for quorum sensing disruption in aquaculture pathogens.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, J; Chen, M; Quan, C S; Fan, S D

2015-09-01

In many countries, infectious diseases are a considerable threat to aquaculture. The pathogenicity of micro-organisms that infect aquaculture systems is closely related to the release of virulence factors and the formation of biofilms, both of which are regulated by quorum sensing (QS). Thus, QS disruption is a potential strategy for preventing disease in aquaculture systems. QS inhibitors (QSIs) not only inhibit the expression of virulence-associated genes but also attenuate the virulence of aquaculture pathogens. In this review, we discuss QS systems in important aquaculture pathogens and focus on the relationship between QS mechanisms and bacterial virulence in aquaculture. We further elucidate QS disruption strategies for targeting aquaculture pathogens. Four main types of QSIs that target aquaculture pathogens are discussed based on their mechanisms of action. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Statistical mechanics approach to 1-bit compressed sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Yingying; Kabashima, Yoshiyuki

2013-01-01

Compressed sensing is a framework that makes it possible to recover an N-dimensional sparse vector x∈R N from its linear transformation y∈R M of lower dimensionality M 1 -norm-based signal recovery scheme for 1-bit compressed sensing using statistical mechanics methods. We show that the signal recovery performance predicted by the replica method under the replica symmetric ansatz, which turns out to be locally unstable for modes breaking the replica symmetry, is in good consistency with experimental results of an approximate recovery algorithm developed earlier. This suggests that the l 1 -based recovery problem typically has many local optima of a similar recovery accuracy, which can be achieved by the approximate algorithm. We also develop another approximate recovery algorithm inspired by the cavity method. Numerical experiments show that when the density of nonzero entries in the original signal is relatively large the new algorithm offers better performance than the abovementioned scheme and does so with a lower computational cost. (paper)

Determination of molecular configuration by debye length modulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Vacic, Aleksandar; Criscione, Jason M; Rajan, Nitin K; Stern, Eric; Fahmy, Tarek M; Reed, Mark A

2011-09-07

Silicon nanowire field effect transistors (FETs) have emerged as ultrasensitive, label-free biodetectors that operate by sensing bound surface charge. However, the ionic strength of the environment (i.e., the Debye length of the solution) dictates the effective magnitude of the surface charge. Here, we show that control of the Debye length determines the spatial extent of sensed bound surface charge on the sensor. We apply this technique to different methods of antibody immobilization, demonstrating different effective distances of induced charge from the sensor surface.

Complex Teichmüller Space below the Planck Length for the Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

Science.gov (United States)

Winterberg, Friedwardt

2014-03-01

As Newton's mysterious action at a distance law of gravity was explained as a Riemannian geometry by Einstein, it is proposed that the likewise mysterious non-local quantum mechanics is explained by the analytic continuation below the Planck length into a complex Teichmüller space. Newton's theory worked extremely well, as does quantum mechanics, but no satisfactory explanation has been given for quantum mechanics. In one space dimension, sufficient to explain the EPR paradox, the Teichmüller space is reduced to a space of complex Riemann surfaces. Einstein's curved space-time theory of gravity was confirmed by a tiny departure from Newton's theory in the motion of the planet Mercury, and an experiment is proposed to demonstrate the possible existence of a Teichmüller space below the Planck length.

High-Resolution Remotely Sensed Small Target Detection by Imitating Fly Visual Perception Mechanism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fengchen Huang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The difficulty and limitation of small target detection methods for high-resolution remote sensing data have been a recent research hot spot. Inspired by the information capture and processing theory of fly visual system, this paper endeavors to construct a characterized model of information perception and make use of the advantages of fast and accurate small target detection under complex varied nature environment. The proposed model forms a theoretical basis of small target detection for high-resolution remote sensing data. After the comparison of prevailing simulation mechanism behind fly visual systems, we propose a fly-imitated visual system method of information processing for high-resolution remote sensing data. A small target detector and corresponding detection algorithm are designed by simulating the mechanism of information acquisition, compression, and fusion of fly visual system and the function of pool cell and the character of nonlinear self-adaption. Experiments verify the feasibility and rationality of the proposed small target detection model and fly-imitated visual perception method.

High-resolution remotely sensed small target detection by imitating fly visual perception mechanism.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Fengchen; Xu, Lizhong; Li, Min; Tang, Min

2012-01-01

The difficulty and limitation of small target detection methods for high-resolution remote sensing data have been a recent research hot spot. Inspired by the information capture and processing theory of fly visual system, this paper endeavors to construct a characterized model of information perception and make use of the advantages of fast and accurate small target detection under complex varied nature environment. The proposed model forms a theoretical basis of small target detection for high-resolution remote sensing data. After the comparison of prevailing simulation mechanism behind fly visual systems, we propose a fly-imitated visual system method of information processing for high-resolution remote sensing data. A small target detector and corresponding detection algorithm are designed by simulating the mechanism of information acquisition, compression, and fusion of fly visual system and the function of pool cell and the character of nonlinear self-adaption. Experiments verify the feasibility and rationality of the proposed small target detection model and fly-imitated visual perception method.

OPERATIONALANALYSIS OF MECHANICAL CUT-TO-LENGTH FOREST HARVESTING SYSTEM

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Nilton Cesar Fiedler

2017-08-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The objective of this research was to conduct an operational analysis of forest harvesting activities in a mechanized of the system cut to length in eucalypt plantations in south of Bahia, to determine the distribution of operation times, productivity, operational efficiency and mechanical availability of two models of harvester and two models of forwarder, evaluating these machines in three modules harvesting methodology through time and motion studies. Auxiliary activities corresponded to the lowest percentages within the operating times (mean 1.9% to 1.8% for harvester and forwarder, already operating activities were those that had the highest percentages. The first shift was presented the worst results of operations for the harvester (average 66.3% and the third shift for the forwarder (55.5%. For the harvester module 1 showed the best result of productive times (average 70.36%. In relation to the forwarder, this same module showed the worst results with unproductive times (average of 22.17%. The availability and mechanical parameters were superior productivity for the forwarder (mean 82.31% and 51.33 m3/h, respectively, as indicators of degree of utilization and operational efficiency were higher in harvester (average 85.01% and 66.41%, respectively. Thus, for the forwarder, the parameters mechanical availability and productivity were higher, while for the harvester, they were the indicators of degree of utilization and operational efficiency

Structural mechanism of ligand activation in human calcium-sensing receptor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geng, Yong; Mosyak, Lidia; Kurinov, Igor; Zuo, Hao; Sturchler, Emmanuel; Cheng, Tat Cheung; Subramanyam, Prakash; Brown, Alice P.; Brennan, Sarah C.; Mun, Hee-chang; Bush, Martin; Chen, Yan; Nguyen, Trang X.; Cao, Baohua; Chang, Donald D.; Quick, Matthias; Conigrave, Arthur D.; Colecraft, Henry M.; McDonald, Patricia; Fan, Qing R.

2016-07-19

Human calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) is a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that maintains extracellular Ca²⁺homeostasis through the regulation of parathyroid hormone secretion. It functions as a disulfide-tethered homodimer composed of three main domains, the Venus Flytrap module, cysteine-rich domain, and seven-helix transmembrane region. Here, we present the crystal structures of the entire extracellular domain of CaSR in the resting and active conformations. We provide direct evidence that L-amino acids are agonists of the receptor. In the active structure, L-Trp occupies the orthosteric agonist-binding site at the interdomain cleft and is primarily responsible for inducing extracellular domain closure to initiate receptor activation. Our structures reveal multiple binding sites for Ca²⁺and PO₄^3-ions. Both ions are crucial for structural integrity of the receptor. While Ca²⁺ions stabilize the active state, PO₄^3-ions reinforce the inactive conformation. The activation mechanism of CaSR involves the formation of a novel dimer interface between subunits.

Detection beyond Debye's length with an electrolyte-gated organic field-effect transistor.

Science.gov (United States)

Palazzo, Gerardo; De Tullio, Donato; Magliulo, Maria; Mallardi, Antonia; Intranuovo, Francesca; Mulla, Mohammad Yusuf; Favia, Pietro; Vikholm-Lundin, Inger; Torsi, Luisa

2015-02-04

Electrolyte-gated organic field-effect transistors are successfully used as biosensors to detect binding events occurring at distances from the transistor electronic channel that are much larger than the Debye length in highly concentrated solutions. The sensing mechanism is mainly capacitive and is due to the formation of Donnan's equilibria within the protein layer, leading to an extra capacitance (CDON) in series to the gating system. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The full-length form of the Drosophila amyloid precursor protein is involved in memory formation.

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Bourdet, Isabelle; Preat, Thomas; Goguel, Valérie

2015-01-21

The APP plays a central role in AD, a pathology that first manifests as a memory decline. Understanding the role of APP in normal cognition is fundamental in understanding the progression of AD, and mammalian studies have pointed to a role of secreted APPα in memory. In Drosophila, we recently showed that APPL, the fly APP ortholog, is required for associative memory. In the present study, we aimed to characterize which form of APPL is involved in this process. We show that expression of a secreted-APPL form in the mushroom bodies, the center for olfactory memory, is able to rescue the memory deficit caused by APPL partial loss of function. We next assessed the impact on memory of the Drosophila α-secretase kuzbanian (KUZ), the enzyme initiating the nonamyloidogenic pathway that produces secreted APPLα. Strikingly, KUZ overexpression not only failed to rescue the memory deficit caused by APPL loss of function, it exacerbated this deficit. We further show that in addition to an increase in secreted-APPL forms, KUZ overexpression caused a decrease of membrane-bound full-length species that could explain the memory deficit. Indeed, we observed that transient expression of a constitutive membrane-bound mutant APPL form is sufficient to rescue the memory deficit caused by APPL reduction, revealing for the first time a role of full-length APPL in memory formation. Our data demonstrate that, in addition to secreted APPL, the noncleaved form is involved in memory, raising the possibility that secreted and full-length APPL act together in memory processes. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/351043-09$15.00/0.

Gene dosage compensation calibrates four regulatory RNAs to control Vibrio cholerae quorum sensing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svenningsen, Sine L; Tu, Kimberly C; Bassler, Bonnie L

2009-01-01

the quorum regulatory RNAs 1-4 (Qrr1-4). The four Qrr sRNAs are functionally redundant. That is, expression of any one of them is sufficient for wild-type quorum-sensing behaviour. Here, we show that the combined action of two feedback loops, one involving the sRNA-activator LuxO and one involving the sRNA......Quorum sensing is a mechanism of cell-to-cell communication that allows bacteria to coordinately regulate gene expression in response to changes in cell-population density. At the core of the Vibrio cholerae quorum-sensing signal transduction pathway reside four homologous small RNAs (sRNAs), named......-target HapR, promotes gene dosage compensation between the four qrr genes. Gene dosage compensation adjusts the total Qrr1-4 sRNA pool and provides the molecular mechanism underlying sRNA redundancy. The dosage compensation mechanism is exquisitely sensitive to small perturbations in Qrr levels. Precisely...

Self-sensing CF-GFRP rods as mechanical reinforcement and sensors of concrete beams

Science.gov (United States)

Nanni, F.; Auricchio, F.; Sarchi, F.; Forte, G.; Gusmano, G.

2006-02-01

In this paper testing carried out on concrete beams reinforced with self-sensing composite rods is presented. Such concrete beams, whose peculiarity is to be reinforced by self-sensing materials able to generate an alarm signal when fixed loads are reached, were designed, manufactured and tested. The reinforcing rods were manufactured by pultrusion and consisted of self-sensing hybrid composites containing both glass and carbon fibres in an epoxy resin. The experimentation was carried out by performing simultaneously mechanical tests on the reinforced beams and electrical measurements on the composite rods. The results showed that the developed system reached the target proposed, giving an alarm signal.

Length-scale dependent mechanical properties of Al-Cu eutectic alloy: Molecular dynamics based model and its experimental verification

Science.gov (United States)

Tiwary, C. S.; Chakraborty, S.; Mahapatra, D. R.; Chattopadhyay, K.

2014-05-01

This paper attempts to gain an understanding of the effect of lamellar length scale on the mechanical properties of two-phase metal-intermetallic eutectic structure. We first develop a molecular dynamics model for the in-situ grown eutectic interface followed by a model of deformation of Al-Al2Cu lamellar eutectic. Leveraging the insights obtained from the simulation on the behaviour of dislocations at different length scales of the eutectic, we present and explain the experimental results on Al-Al2Cu eutectic with various different lamellar spacing. The physics behind the mechanism is further quantified with help of atomic level energy model for different length scale as well as different strain. An atomic level energy partitioning of the lamellae and the interface regions reveals that the energy of the lamellae core are accumulated more due to dislocations irrespective of the length-scale. Whereas the energy of the interface is accumulated more due to dislocations when the length-scale is smaller, but the trend is reversed when the length-scale is large beyond a critical size of about 80 nm.

Altered DNA methylation: a secondary mechanism involved in carcinogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodman, Jay I; Watson, Rebecca E

2002-01-01

This review focuses on the role that DNA methylation plays in the regulation of normal and aberrant gene expression and on how, in a hypothesis-driven fashion, altered DNA methylation may be viewed as a secondary mechanism involved in carcinogenesis. Research aimed at discerning the mechanisms by which chemicals can transform normal cells into frank carcinomas has both theoretical and practical implications. Through an increased understanding of the mechanisms by which chemicals affect the carcinogenic process, we learn more about basic biology while, at the same time, providing the type of information required to make more rational safety assessment decisions concerning their actual potential to cause cancer under particular conditions of exposure. One key question is: does the mechanism of action of the chemical in question involve a secondary mechanism and, if so, what dose may be below its threshold?

Homogeneous Field and WKB Approximation in Deformed Quantum Mechanics with Minimal Length

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Jun Tao

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In the framework of the deformed quantum mechanics with a minimal length, we consider the motion of a nonrelativistic particle in a homogeneous external field. We find the integral representation for the physically acceptable wave function in the position representation. Using the method of steepest descent, we obtain the asymptotic expansions of the wave function at large positive and negative arguments. We then employ the leading asymptotic expressions to derive the WKB connection formula, which proceeds from classically forbidden region to classically allowed one through a turning point. By the WKB connection formula, we prove the Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization rule up to Oβ2. We also show that if the slope of the potential at a turning point is too steep, the WKB connection formula is no longer valid around the turning point. The effects of the minimal length on the classical motions are investigated using the Hamilton-Jacobi method. We also use the Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization to study statistical physics in deformed spaces with the minimal length.

Summary of neutron scattering lengths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koester, L.

1981-12-01

All available neutron-nuclei scattering lengths are collected together with their error bars in a uniform way. Bound scattering lengths are given for the elements, the isotopes, and the various spin-states. They are discussed in the sense of their use as basic parameters for many investigations in the field of nuclear and solid state physics. The data bank is available on magnetic tape, too. Recommended values and a map of these data serve for an uncomplicated use of these quantities. (orig.)

Mature clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats RNA (crRNA) length is measured by a ruler mechanism anchored at the precursor processing site.

Science.gov (United States)

Hatoum-Aslan, Asma; Maniv, Inbal; Marraffini, Luciano A

2011-12-27

Precise RNA processing is fundamental to all small RNA-mediated interference pathways. In prokaryotes, clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) loci encode small CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) that protect against invasive genetic elements by antisense targeting. CRISPR loci are transcribed as a long precursor that is cleaved within repeat sequences by CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins. In many organisms, this primary processing generates crRNA intermediates that are subject to additional nucleolytic trimming to render mature crRNAs of specific lengths. The molecular mechanisms underlying this maturation event remain poorly understood. Here, we defined the genetic requirements for crRNA primary processing and maturation in Staphylococcus epidermidis. We show that changes in the position of the primary processing site result in extended or diminished maturation to generate mature crRNAs of constant length. These results indicate that crRNA maturation occurs by a ruler mechanism anchored at the primary processing site. We also show that maturation is mediated by specific cas genes distinct from those genes involved in primary processing, showing that this event is directed by CRISPR/Cas loci.

Design of a Novel Telerehabilitation System with a Force-Sensing Mechanism

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Songyuan Zhang

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Many stroke patients are expected to rehabilitate at home, which limits their access to proper rehabilitation equipment, treatment, or assessment by therapists. We have developed a novel telerehabilitation system that incorporates a human-upper-limb-like device and an exoskeleton device. The system is designed to provide the feeling of real therapist–patient contact via telerehabilitation. We applied the principle of a series elastic actuator to both the master and slave devices. On the master side, the therapist can operate the device in a rehabilitation center. When performing passive training, the master device can detect the therapist’s motion while controlling the deflection of elastic elements to near-zero, and the patient can receive the motion via the exoskeleton device. When performing active training, the design of the force-sensing mechanism in the master device can detect the assisting force added by the therapist. The force-sensing mechanism also allows force detection with an angle sensor. Patients’ safety is guaranteed by monitoring the motor’s current from the exoskeleton device. To compensate for any possible time delay or data loss, a torque-limiter mechanism was also designed in the exoskeleton device for patients’ safety. Finally, we successfully performed a system performance test for passive training with transmission control protocol/internet protocol communication.

Structural and Molecular Mechanism of CdpR Involved in Quorum-Sensing and Bacterial Virulence in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

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Jingru Zhao

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Although quorum-sensing (QS systems are important regulators of virulence gene expression in the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, their detailed regulatory mechanisms have not been fully characterized. Here, we show that deletion of PA2588 resulted in increased production of pyocyanin and biofilm, as well as enhanced pathogenicity in a mouse model. To gain insights into the function of PA2588, we performed a ChIP-seq assay and identified 28 targets of PA2588, including the intergenic region between PA2588 and pqsH, which encodes the key synthase of Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS. Though the C-terminal domain was similar to DNA-binding regions of other AraC family members, structural studies revealed that PA2588 has a novel fold at the N-terminal region (NTR, and its C-terminal HTH (helix-turn-helix domain is also unique in DNA recognition. We also demonstrated that the adaptor protein ClpS, an essential regulator of ATP-dependent protease ClpAP, directly interacted with PA2588 before delivering CdpR to ClpAP for degradation. We named PA2588 as CdpR (ClpAP-degradation and pathogenicity Regulator. Moreover, deletion of clpP or clpS/clpA promotes bacterial survival in a mouse model of acute pneumonia infection. Taken together, this study uncovered that CdpR is an important QS regulator, which can interact with the ClpAS-P system to regulate the expression of virulence factors and pathogenicity.

Developmental programming of O2 sensing by neonatal intermittent hypoxia via epigenetic mechanisms

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Nanduri, Jayasri; Prabhakar, Nanduri R.

2014-01-01

Recurrent apnea with intermittent hypoxia (IH) is a major clinical problem in infants born preterm. Carotid body chemo-reflex and catecholamine secretion from adrenal medullary chromaffin cells (AMC) are important for maintenance of cardio-respiratory homeostasis during hypoxia. This article highlights studies on the effects of IH on O2 sensing by the carotid body and AMC in neonatal rodents. Neonatal IH augments hypoxia-evoked carotid body sensory excitation and catecholamine secretion from AMC which are mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent recruitment of endothelin-1 and Ca2+ signaling, respectively. The effects of neonatal IH persist into adulthood. Evidence is emerging that neonatal IH initiates epigenetic mechanisms involving DNA hypermethylation contributing to long-lasting increase in ROS levels. Since adult human subjects born preterm exhibit higher incidence of sleep-disordered breathing and hypertension, DNA hypomethylating agents might offer a novel therapeutic intervention to decrease long-term cardio-respiratory morbidity caused by neonatal IH. PMID:22846496

Developmental programming of O(2) sensing by neonatal intermittent hypoxia via epigenetic mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Nanduri, Jayasri; Prabhakar, Nanduri R

2013-01-01

Recurrent apnea with intermittent hypoxia (IH) is a major clinical problem in infants born preterm. Carotid body chemo-reflex and catecholamine secretion from adrenal medullary chromaffin cells (AMC) are important for maintenance of cardio-respiratory homeostasis during hypoxia. This article highlights studies on the effects of IH on O(2) sensing by the carotid body and AMC in neonatal rodents. Neonatal IH augments hypoxia-evoked carotid body sensory excitation and catecholamine secretion from AMC which are mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent recruitment of endothelin-1 and Ca(2+) signaling, respectively. The effects of neonatal IH persist into adulthood. Evidence is emerging that neonatal IH initiates epigenetic mechanisms involving DNA hypermethylation contributing to long-lasting increase in ROS levels. Since adult human subjects born preterm exhibit higher incidence of sleep-disordered breathing and hypertension, DNA hypomethylating agents might offer a novel therapeutic intervention to decrease long-term cardio-respiratory morbidity caused by neonatal IH. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[Nutrient sensing by the gastro-intestinal nervous system and control of energy homeostasis].

Science.gov (United States)

Gilles, Mithieux

2015-01-01

The gastrointestinal nerves are crucial in the sensing of nutrients and hormones and its translation in terms of control of food intake. Major macronutrients like glucose and proteins are sensed by the extrinsic nerves located around the portal vein walls, which signal to the brain and account for the satiety phenomenon they promote. Glucose is sensed in the portal vein by neurons expressing the glucose receptor SGLT3, which activates the main regions of the brain involved in the control of food intake. Proteins indirectly act on food intake by inducing intestinal gluconeogenesis and its sensing by the portal glucose sensor. The mechanism involves a prior antagonism by peptides of the μ-opioid receptors present in the portal vein nervous system and a reflex arc with the brain inducing intestinal gluconeogenesis. In a comparable manner, short chain fatty acids produced from soluble fibers act via intestinal gluconeogenesis to exert anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects. In the case of propionate, the mechanism involves a prior activation of the free fatty acid receptor FFAR3 present in the portal nerves and a reflex arc initiating intestinal gluconeogenesis. © Société de Biologie, 2016.

Fluid mechanics as a driver of tissue-scale mechanical signaling in organogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilbert, Rachel M; Morgan, Joshua T; Marcin, Elizabeth S; Gleghorn, Jason P

2016-12-01

Organogenesis is the process during development by which cells self-assemble into complex, multi-scale tissues. Whereas significant focus and research effort has demonstrated the importance of solid mechanics in organogenesis, less attention has been given to the fluid forces that provide mechanical cues over tissue length scales. Fluid motion and pressure is capable of creating spatial gradients of forces acting on cells, thus eliciting distinct and localized signaling patterns essential for proper organ formation. Understanding the multi-scale nature of the mechanics is critically important to decipher how mechanical signals sculpt developing organs. This review outlines various mechanisms by which tissues generate, regulate, and sense fluid forces and highlights the impact of these forces and mechanisms in case studies of normal and pathological development.

Mechanical properties of porous silicon by depth-sensing nanoindentation techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang Zhenqian; Hu Ming; Zhang Wei; Zhang Xurui; Yang Haibo

2009-01-01

Porous silicon (PS) was prepared using the electrochemical corrosion method. Thermal oxidation of the as-prepared PS samples was performed at different temperatures for tuning their mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of as-prepared and oxidized PS were thoroughly investigated by depth-sensing nanoindentation techniques with the continuous stiffness measurements option. The morphology of as-prepared and oxidized PS was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope and the effect of observed microstructure changes on the mechanical properties was discussed. It is shown that the hardness and Young's elastic modulus of as-prepared PS exhibit a strong dependence on the preparing conditions and decrease with increasing current density. In particular, the mechanical properties of oxidized PS are improved greatly compared with that of as-prepared ones and increase with increasing thermal oxidation temperature. The mechanism responsible for the mechanical property enhancement is possibly the formation of SiO 2 cladding layers encapsulating on the inner surface of the incompact sponge PS to decrease the porosity and strengthen the interconnected microstructure

Functional characterization of a three-component regulatory system involved in quorum sensing-based regulation of peptide antibiotic production in Carnobacterium maltaromaticum

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Quadri Luis EN

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Quorum sensing is a form of cell-to-cell communication that allows bacteria to control a wide range of physiological processes in a population density-dependent manner. Production of peptide antibiotics is one of the processes regulated by quorum sensing in several species of Gram-positive bacteria, including strains of Carnobacterium maltaromaticum. This bacterium and its peptide antibiotics are of interest due to their potential applications in food preservation. The molecular bases of the quorum sensing phenomenon controlling peptide antibiotic production in C. maltaromaticum remain poorly understood. The present study was aimed at gaining a deeper insight into the molecular mechanism involved in quorum sensing-mediated regulation of peptide antibiotic (bacteriocin production by C. maltaromaticum. We report the functional analyses of the CS (autoinducer-CbnK (histidine protein kinase-CbnR (response regulator three-component regulatory system and the three regulated promoters involved in peptide antibiotic production in C. maltaromaticum LV17B. Results CS-CbnK-CbnR system-dependent activation of carnobacterial promoters was demonstrated in both homologous and heterologous hosts using a two-plasmid system with a β-glucuronidase (GusA reporter read-out. The results of our analyses support a model in which the CbnK-CbnR two-component signal transduction system is necessary and sufficient to transduce the signal of the peptide autoinducer CS into the activation of the promoters that drive the expression of the genes required for production of the carnobacterial peptide antibiotics and the immunity proteins that protect the producer bacterium. Conclusions The CS-CbnK-CbnR triad forms a three-component regulatory system by which production of peptide antibiotics by C. maltaromaticum LV17B is controlled in a population density-dependent (or cell proximity-dependent manner. This regulatory mechanism would permit the bacterial

Mechanical properties of fiber reinforced restorative composite with two distinguished fiber length distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Lassila, Lippo; Garoushi, Sufyan; Vallittu, Pekka K; Säilynoja, Eija

2016-07-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reinforcing effect of discontinuous glass fiber fillers with different length scales on fracture toughness and flexural properties of dental composite. Experimental fiber reinforced composite (Exp-FRC) was prepared by mixing 27wt% of discontinuous E-glass fibers having two different length scales (micrometer and millimeter) with various weight ratios (1:1, 2:1, 1:0 respectively) to the 23wt% of dimethacrylate based resin matrix and then 50wt% of silane treated silica filler were added gradually using high speed mixing machine. As control, commercial FRC and conventional posterior composites were used (everX Posterior, Alert, and Filtek Superme). Fracture toughness, work of fracture, flexural strength, and flexural modulus were determined for each composite material following ISO standards. The specimens (n=6) were dry stored (37°C for 2 days) before they were tested. Scanning electron microscopy was used to evaluate the microstructure of the experimental FRC composites. The results were statistically analyzed using ANOVA followed by post-hoc Tukey׳s test. Level of significance was set at 0.05. ANOVA revealed that experimental composites reinforced with different fiber length scales (hybrid Exp-FRC) had statistically significantly higher mechanical performance of fracture toughness (4.7MPam(1/2)) and flexural strength (155MPa) (plength scales of discontinues fiber fillers (hybrid) with polymer matrix yielded improved mechanical performance compared to commercial FRC and conventional posterior composites. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spectroscopic and electrical sensing mechanism in oxidant-mediated polypyrrole nanofibers/nanoparticles for ammonia gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishpal; Kaur, Amarjeet

2013-01-01

Ammonia gas sensing mechanism in oxidant-mediated polypyrrole (PPy) nanofibers/nanoparticles has been studied through spectroscopic and electrical investigations. PPy nanofibers/nanoparticles have been synthesized by chemical oxidation method in the presence of various oxidizing agents such as ammonium persulfate (APS), potassium persulfate (PPS), vanadium pentoxide (V 2 O 5 ), and iron chloride (FeCl 3 ). Scanning electron microscopy study revealed that PPy nanofibers of about 63, 71 and 79 nm diameters were formed in the presence of APS, PPS, V 2 O 5 , respectively, while PPy nanoparticles of about 100–110 nm size were obtained in the presence of FeCl 3 as an oxidant. The structural investigations and confirmation of synthesis of PPy were established through Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy. The gas sensing behavior of the prepared PPy samples is investigated by measuring the electrical resistance in ammonia environment. The observed gas sensing response (ΔR/Rx100) at 100 ppm level of ammonia is ∼4.5 and 18 % for the samples prepared with oxidizing agents FeCl 3 and APS, respectively, and by changing the ammonia level from 50 to 300 ppm, the sensing response varies from ∼4.5 to 11 % and ∼10 to 39 %, respectively. Out of all four samples, the PPy nanofibers prepared in the presence of APS have shown the best sensing response. The mechanism of gas sensing response of the PPy samples has been investigated through Raman spectroscopy study. The decrease of charge carrier concentration through reduction of polymeric chains has been recognized through Raman spectroscopic measurements recorded in ammonia environment.

Zonal Articular Cartilage Possesses Complex Mechanical Behavior Spanning Multiple Length Scales: Dependence on Chemical Heterogeneity, Anisotropy, and Microstructure

Science.gov (United States)

Wahlquist, Joseph A.

This work focused on characterizing the mechanical behavior of biological material in physiologically relevant conditions and at sub millimeter length scales. Elucidating the time, length scale, and directionally dependent mechanical behavior of cartilage and other biological materials is critical to adequately recapitulate native mechanosensory cues for cells, create computational models that mimic native tissue behavior, and assess disease progression. This work focused on three broad aspects of characterizing the mechanical behavior of articular cartilage. First, we sought to reveal the causes of time-dependent deformation and variation of mechanical properties with distance from the articular surface. Second, we investigated size dependence of mechanical properties. Finally, we examined material anisotropy of both the calcified and uncalcified tissues of the osteochondral interface. This research provides insight into how articular cartilage serves to support physiologic loads and simultaneously sustain chondrocyte viability.

Influence of solder joint length to the mechanical aspect during the thermal stress analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, J. S.; Khor, C. Y.; Rahim, Wan Mohd Faizal Wan Abd; Ishak, Muhammad Ikman; Rosli, M. U.; Jamalludin, Mohd Riduan; Zakaria, M. S.; Nawi, M. A. M.; Aziz, M. S. Abdul; Ani, F. Che

2017-09-01

Solder joint is an important interconnector in surface mount technology (SMT) assembly process. The real time stress, strain and displacement of the solder joint is difficult to observe and assess the experiment. To tackle these problems, simulation analysis was employed to study the von Mises stress, strain and displacement in the thermal stress analysis by using Finite element based software. In this study, a model of leadless electronic package was considered. The thermal stress analysis was performed to investigate the effect of the solder length to those mechanical aspects. The simulation results revealed that solder length gives significant effect to the maximum von Mises stress to the solder joint. Besides, changes in solder length also influence the displacement of the solder joint in the thermal environment. The increment of the solder length significantly reduces the von Mises stress and strain on the solder joint. Thus, the understanding of the physical parameter for solder joint is important for engineer prior to designing the solder joint of the electronic component.

The use of compressive sensing and peak detection in the reconstruction of microtubules length time series in the process of dynamic instability.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahrooghy, Majid; Yarahmadian, Shantia; Menon, Vineetha; Rezania, Vahid; Tuszynski, Jack A

2015-10-01

Microtubules (MTs) are intra-cellular cylindrical protein filaments. They exhibit a unique phenomenon of stochastic growth and shrinkage, called dynamic instability. In this paper, we introduce a theoretical framework for applying Compressive Sensing (CS) to the sampled data of the microtubule length in the process of dynamic instability. To reduce data density and reconstruct the original signal with relatively low sampling rates, we have applied CS to experimental MT lament length time series modeled as a Dichotomous Markov Noise (DMN). The results show that using CS along with the wavelet transform significantly reduces the recovery errors comparing in the absence of wavelet transform, especially in the low and the medium sampling rates. In a sampling rate ranging from 0.2 to 0.5, the Root-Mean-Squared Error (RMSE) decreases by approximately 3 times and between 0.5 and 1, RMSE is small. We also apply a peak detection technique to the wavelet coefficients to detect and closely approximate the growth and shrinkage of MTs for computing the essential dynamic instability parameters, i.e., transition frequencies and specially growth and shrinkage rates. The results show that using compressed sensing along with the peak detection technique and wavelet transform in sampling rates reduces the recovery errors for the parameters. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sensing surface mechanical deformation using active probes driven by motor proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Inoue, Daisuke; Nitta, Takahiro; Kabir, Arif Md. Rashedul; Sada, Kazuki; Gong, Jian Ping; Konagaya, Akihiko; Kakugo, Akira

2016-01-01

Studying mechanical deformation at the surface of soft materials has been challenging due to the difficulty in separating surface deformation from the bulk elasticity of the materials. Here, we introduce a new approach for studying the surface mechanical deformation of a soft material by utilizing a large number of self-propelled microprobes driven by motor proteins on the surface of the material. Information about the surface mechanical deformation of the soft material is obtained through changes in mobility of the microprobes wandering across the surface of the soft material. The active microprobes respond to mechanical deformation of the surface and readily change their velocity and direction depending on the extent and mode of surface deformation. This highly parallel and reliable method of sensing mechanical deformation at the surface of soft materials is expected to find applications that explore surface mechanics of soft materials and consequently would greatly benefit the surface science. PMID:27694937

Mathematical Modeling of Interacting Glucose-Sensing Mechanisms and Electrical Activity Underlying Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Secretion.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michela Riz

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Intestinal L-cells sense glucose and other nutrients, and in response release glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1, peptide YY and other hormones with anti-diabetic and weight-reducing effects. The stimulus-secretion pathway in L-cells is still poorly understood, although it is known that GLP-1 secreting cells use sodium-glucose co-transporters (SGLT and ATP-sensitive K+-channels (K(ATP-channels to sense intestinal glucose levels. Electrical activity then transduces glucose sensing to Ca2+-stimulated exocytosis. This particular glucose-sensing arrangement with glucose triggering both a depolarizing SGLT current as well as leading to closure of the hyperpolarizing K(ATP current is of more general interest for our understanding of glucose-sensing cells. To dissect the interactions of these two glucose-sensing mechanisms, we build a mathematical model of electrical activity underlying GLP-1 secretion. Two sets of model parameters are presented: one set represents primary mouse colonic L-cells; the other set is based on data from the GLP-1 secreting GLUTag cell line. The model is then used to obtain insight into the differences in glucose-sensing between primary L-cells and GLUTag cells. Our results illuminate how the two glucose-sensing mechanisms interact, and suggest that the depolarizing effect of SGLT currents is modulated by K(ATP-channel activity. Based on our simulations, we propose that primary L-cells encode the glucose signal as changes in action potential amplitude, whereas GLUTag cells rely mainly on frequency modulation. The model should be useful for further basic, pharmacological and theoretical investigations of the cellular signals underlying endogenous GLP-1 and peptide YY release.

Oriented particleboard made from tali bamboo (Gigantochloa Apus): effect of particle length on physical and mechanical properties

Science.gov (United States)

Iswanto, A. H.

2018-02-01

Strength properties are one of the problems of particleboard. The objective of this research was to analyze the effect of particle length on physical and mechanical properties oriented particleboard (OPB). The variation particle length size in this experiment namely 3, 5, and 7 cm. The width and thickness size of all bamboo particles were 1 and 0.1 cm respectively. 12% mixed resin of UF and MDI (70/30 %w/w) used for binding. Board size fabricated in 25 by 25 cm2 with thickness and density target of 1 cm and 0.75 gcm-3. The OPB layers for face and back layers aligned perpendicular to the core layer. The weight ratio of the face-to-core-to-back layers were set at 1:2:1. Mat was pressed at 160 °C under 30 kgcm-2 as the pressure for 10 minutes. The results showed that 7 cm length particle produced of the best strength and dimensional stability. The increase of particle length resulted in increasing of strength properties. Over all the parameters of physical and mechanical properties fulfill requirements of JIS A 5908 (2003) excepted of thickness swelling and modulus of elasticity.

Thick filament mechano-sensing is a calcium-independent regulatory mechanism in skeletal muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

Fusi, L; Brunello, E; Yan, Z; Irving, M

2016-10-31

Recent X-ray diffraction studies on actively contracting fibres from skeletal muscle showed that the number of myosin motors available to interact with actin-containing thin filaments is controlled by the stress in the myosin-containing thick filaments. Those results suggested that thick filament mechano-sensing might constitute a novel regulatory mechanism in striated muscles that acts independently of the well-known thin filament-mediated calcium signalling pathway. Here we test that hypothesis using probes attached to the myosin regulatory light chain in demembranated muscle fibres. We show that both the extent and kinetics of thick filament activation depend on thick filament stress but are independent of intracellular calcium concentration in the physiological range. These results establish direct control of myosin motors by thick filament mechano-sensing as a general regulatory mechanism in skeletal muscle that is independent of the canonical calcium signalling pathway.

Optimization of design parameters for bulk micromachined silicon membranes for piezoresistive pressure sensing application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belwanshi, Vinod; Topkar, Anita

2016-01-01

Finite element analysis study has been carried out to optimize the design parameters for bulk micro-machined silicon membranes for piezoresistive pressure sensing applications. The design is targeted for measurement of pressure up to 200 bar for nuclear reactor applications. The mechanical behavior of bulk micro-machined silicon membranes in terms of deflection and stress generation has been simulated. Based on the simulation results, optimization of the membrane design parameters in terms of length, width and thickness has been carried out. Subsequent to optimization of membrane geometrical parameters, the dimensions and location of the high stress concentration region for implantation of piezoresistors have been obtained for sensing of pressure using piezoresistive sensing technique.

Optimization of design parameters for bulk micromachined silicon membranes for piezoresistive pressure sensing application

Science.gov (United States)

Belwanshi, Vinod; Topkar, Anita

2016-05-01

Finite element analysis study has been carried out to optimize the design parameters for bulk micro-machined silicon membranes for piezoresistive pressure sensing applications. The design is targeted for measurement of pressure up to 200 bar for nuclear reactor applications. The mechanical behavior of bulk micro-machined silicon membranes in terms of deflection and stress generation has been simulated. Based on the simulation results, optimization of the membrane design parameters in terms of length, width and thickness has been carried out. Subsequent to optimization of membrane geometrical parameters, the dimensions and location of the high stress concentration region for implantation of piezoresistors have been obtained for sensing of pressure using piezoresistive sensing technique.

Impact of quorum sensing on the quality of fermented foods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Pernille; Jespersen, Lene

2017-01-01

The quality of fermented food highly dependents on the microorganisms involved, their metabolic activities and interactions. Recently, focus has been on quorum sensing (QS) being a cell density-dependent mechanism allowing adaptive responses. Specific QS molecules in prokaryotes and eukaryotes...

Pulse mode actuation-readout system based on MEMS resonator for liquid sensing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tang, Meng; Cagliani, Alberto; Davis, Zachary James

2014-01-01

A MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) bulk disk resonator is applied for mass sensing under its dynamic mode. The classical readout circuitry involves sophisticated feedback loop and feedthrough compensation. We propose a simple straightforward non-loop pulse mode actuation and capacitive...... readout scheme. In order to verify its feasibility in liquid bio-chemical sensing environment, an experimental measurement is conducted with humidity sensing application. The measured resonant frequency changes 60kHz of 67.7MHz with a humidity change of 0~80%....

Mechanical properties of metallic ribbons investigated by depth sensing indentation technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pesek, Ladislav; Dobrzanski, Leszek A.; Zubko, Pavol; Konieczny, Jaroslaw

2006-01-01

The paper presents mechanical properties of two kinds of Co-based and one Fe-based metallic ribbons by the depth sensing indentation (DSI) technique. Investigations were carried out on two kinds ternary alloy Co 77 Si 11,5 B 11,5 and Fe 78 Si 13 B 9 and multicomponent Co 68 Fe 4 Mo 1 Si 13,5 B 13,5 , which are so-called 'zero-magnetostriction' materials. Metallic ribbons were investigated in amorphous state and partially crystallized state after annealing in 400deg. C in argon atmosphere. Heating of ribbons obtained by melt spinning technique was performed to check its effect on changes of mechanical properties

The mechanisms involved at the cell level

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leblanc, G.; Pourcher, Th.; Perron, B.; Guillain, F.; Quemeneur, E.; Fritsch, P.

2003-01-01

The mechanisms responsible at the cell level for inducing toxic reactions after contamination are as yet only imperfectly known. Work still needs to be done for both contaminants that have a biological role, such as iodine, and those that do not, such as cadmium, uranium and plutonium. In particular, these mechanisms bring into play, in biological membranes, carriers which are the physiological partners responsible for material exchange with the environment or inside the body. As they lack absolute selectivity, these carriers, which are involved in the assimilation and accumulation of vital mineral elements, also have the ability to transport toxic elements and isotopes. (authors)

The ITO-capped WO3 nanowires biosensor based on field-effect transistor in label-free protein sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shariati, Mohsen

2017-01-01

The fabrication of ITO-capped WO 3 nanowires associated with their bio-sensing properties in field-effect transistor diagnostics basis as a biosensor has been reported. The bio-sensing property for manipulated nanowires elucidated that the grown nanostructures were very sensitive to protein. The ITO-capped WO 3 nanowires biosensor showed an intensive bio-sensing activity against reliable protein. Polylysine strongly charged bio-molecule was applied as model system to demonstrate the implementation of materialized biosensor. The employed sensing mechanism was 'label-free' and depended on bio-molecule's intrinsic charge. For nanowires synthesis, the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism was used. Nanowires were beyond a few hundred nanometers in lengths and around 15-20 nm in diameter, while the globe cap's size on the nanowires was around 15-25 nm. The indium tin oxide (ITO) played as catalyst in nanofabrication for WO 3 nanowires growth and had outstanding role in bio-sensing especially for bio-molecule adherence. In applied electric field presence, the fabricated device showed the great potential to enhance medical diagnostics. (orig.)

A Non-canonical Voltage-Sensing Mechanism Controls Gating in K2P K(+) Channels.

Science.gov (United States)

Schewe, Marcus; Nematian-Ardestani, Ehsan; Sun, Han; Musinszki, Marianne; Cordeiro, Sönke; Bucci, Giovanna; de Groot, Bert L; Tucker, Stephen J; Rapedius, Markus; Baukrowitz, Thomas

2016-02-25

Two-pore domain (K2P) K(+) channels are major regulators of excitability that endow cells with an outwardly rectifying background "leak" conductance. In some K2P channels, strong voltage-dependent activation has been observed, but the mechanism remains unresolved because they lack a canonical voltage-sensing domain. Here, we show voltage-dependent gating is common to most K2P channels and that this voltage sensitivity originates from the movement of three to four ions into the high electric field of an inactive selectivity filter. Overall, this ion-flux gating mechanism generates a one-way "check valve" within the filter because outward movement of K(+) induces filter opening, whereas inward movement promotes inactivation. Furthermore, many physiological stimuli switch off this flux gating mode to convert K2P channels into a leak conductance. These findings provide insight into the functional plasticity of a K(+)-selective filter and also refine our understanding of K2P channels and the mechanisms by which ion channels can sense voltage. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Remote Sensing

CERN Document Server

Khorram, Siamak; Koch, Frank H; van der Wiele, Cynthia F

2012-01-01

Remote Sensing provides information on how remote sensing relates to the natural resources inventory, management, and monitoring, as well as environmental concerns. It explains the role of this new technology in current global challenges. "Remote Sensing" will discuss remotely sensed data application payloads and platforms, along with the methodologies involving image processing techniques as applied to remotely sensed data. This title provides information on image classification techniques and image registration, data integration, and data fusion techniques. How this technology applies to natural resources and environmental concerns will also be discussed.

Amperometric Sensor for Heparin: Sensing Mechanism and Application in Human Blood Plasma Analysis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Langmaier, Jan; Olšák, J.; Samcová, E.; Samec, Zdeněk; Trojánek, Antonín

2006-01-01

Roč. 18, 13-14 (2006), s. 1329-1338 ISSN 1040-0397 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/04/0424 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40400503 Keywords : heparin * amperometry * PVC membrane electrode * sensing mechanism * human blood plasma Subject RIV: CG - Electrochemistry Impact factor: 2.444, year: 2006

Recent Advances in the Study of Marine Microbial Biofilm: From the Involvement of Quorum Sensing in Its Production up to Biotechnological Application of the Polysaccharide Fractions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paola Di Donato

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The present review will explore the most relevant findings on marine microbial biofilm, with particular attention towards its polysaccharide fraction, namely exopolysaccharide (EPS. EPSs of microbial origin are ubiquitous in nature, possess unique properties and can be isolated from the bacteria living in a variety of habitats, including fresh water or marine environments, extreme environments or different soil ecosystems. These biopolymers have many application in the field of biotechnology. Several studies showed that the biofilm formation is closely related to quorum sensing (QS systems, which is a mechanism relying on the production of small molecules defined as “autoinducers” that bacteria release in the surrounding environment where they accumulate. In this review, the involvement of microbial chemical communication, by QS mechanism, in the formation of marine biofilm will also be discussed.

Mechanisms involved in the transport of mercuric ions in target tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Bridges, Christy C.; Zalups, Rudolfs K.

2016-01-01

Mercury exists in the environment in various forms, all of which pose a risk to human health. Despite guidelines regulating the industrial release of mercury into the environment, humans continue to be exposed regularly to various forms of this metal via inhalation or ingestion. Following exposure, mercuric ions are taken up by and accumulate in numerous organs, including brain, intestine, kidney, liver, and placenta. In order to understand the toxicological effects of exposure to mercury, a thorough understanding of the mechanisms that facilitate entry of mercuric ions into target cells must first be obtained. A number of mechanisms for the transport of mercuric ions into target cells and organs have been proposed in recent years. However, the ability of these mechanisms to transport mercuric ions and the regulatory features of these carriers have not been characterized completely. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current findings related to the mechanisms that may be involved in the transport of inorganic and organic forms of mercury in target tissues and organs. This review will describe mechanisms known to be involved in the transport of mercury and will also propose additional mechanisms that may potentially be involved in the transport of mercuric ions into target cells. PMID:27422290

Diagonalizing sensing matrix of broadband RSE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Shuichi; Kokeyama, Keiko; Kawazoe, Fumiko; Somiya, Kentaro; Kawamura, Seiji

2006-01-01

For a broadband-operated RSE interferometer, a simple and smart length sensing and control scheme was newly proposed. The sensing matrix could be diagonal, owing to a simple allocation of two RF modulations and to a macroscopic displacement of cavity mirrors, which cause a detuning of the RF modulation sidebands. In this article, the idea of the sensing scheme and an optimization of the relevant parameters will be described

Refractive Index Sensing with D-Shaped Plastic Optical Fibers for Chemical and Biochemical Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Sequeira, Filipa; Duarte, Daniel; Bilro, Lúcia; Rudnitskaya, Alisa; Pesavento, Maria; Zeni, Luigi; Cennamo, Nunzio

2016-12-13

We report the optimization of the length of a D-shaped plastic optical fiber (POF) sensor for refractive index (RI) sensing from a numerical and experimental point of view. The sensing principle is based on total internal reflection (TIR). POFs with 1 mm in diameter were embedded in grooves, realized in planar supports with different lengths, and polished to remove the cladding and part of the core. All D-shaped POF sensors were tested using aqueous medium with different refractive indices (from 1.332 to 1.471) through intensity-based configuration. Results showed two different responses. Considering the refractive index (RI) range (1.33-1.39), the sensitivity and the resolution of the sensor were strongly dependent on the sensing region length. The highest sensitivity (resolution of 6.48 × 10 -3 refractive index units, RIU) was obtained with 6 cm sensing length. In the RI range (1.41-1.47), the length of the sensing region was not a critical aspect to obtain the best resolution. These results enable the application of this optical platform for chemical and biochemical evanescent field sensing. The sensor production procedure is very simple, fast, and low-cost.

The ITO-capped WO{sub 3} nanowires biosensor based on field-effect transistor in label-free protein sensing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shariati, Mohsen [Sharif University of Technology, Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-05-15

The fabrication of ITO-capped WO{sub 3} nanowires associated with their bio-sensing properties in field-effect transistor diagnostics basis as a biosensor has been reported. The bio-sensing property for manipulated nanowires elucidated that the grown nanostructures were very sensitive to protein. The ITO-capped WO{sub 3} nanowires biosensor showed an intensive bio-sensing activity against reliable protein. Polylysine strongly charged bio-molecule was applied as model system to demonstrate the implementation of materialized biosensor. The employed sensing mechanism was 'label-free' and depended on bio-molecule's intrinsic charge. For nanowires synthesis, the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism was used. Nanowires were beyond a few hundred nanometers in lengths and around 15-20 nm in diameter, while the globe cap's size on the nanowires was around 15-25 nm. The indium tin oxide (ITO) played as catalyst in nanofabrication for WO{sub 3} nanowires growth and had outstanding role in bio-sensing especially for bio-molecule adherence. In applied electric field presence, the fabricated device showed the great potential to enhance medical diagnostics. (orig.)

The giant protein titin regulates the length of the striated muscle thick filament.

Science.gov (United States)

Tonino, Paola; Kiss, Balazs; Strom, Josh; Methawasin, Mei; Smith, John E; Kolb, Justin; Labeit, Siegfried; Granzier, Henk

2017-10-19

The contractile machinery of heart and skeletal muscles has as an essential component the thick filament, comprised of the molecular motor myosin. The thick filament is of a precisely controlled length, defining thereby the force level that muscles generate and how this force varies with muscle length. It has been speculated that the mechanism by which thick filament length is controlled involves the giant protein titin, but no conclusive support for this hypothesis exists. Here we show that in a mouse model in which we deleted two of titin's C-zone super-repeats, thick filament length is reduced in cardiac and skeletal muscles. In addition, functional studies reveal reduced force generation and a dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) phenotype. Thus, regulation of thick filament length depends on titin and is critical for maintaining muscle health.

Humidity sensing in insects-from ecology to neural processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Enjin, Anders

2017-12-01

Humidity is an omnipresent climatic factor that influences the fitness, reproductive behavior and geographic distribution of animals. Insects in particular use humidity cues to navigate the environment. Although the sensory neurons of this elusive sense were first described more than fifty years ago, the transduction mechanism of humidity sensing (hygrosensation) remains unknown. Recent work has uncovered some of the key molecules involved, opening up for novel approaches to study hygrosensory transduction. In this review, I will discuss this progress made toward understanding hygrosensation in insects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Three exploratory studies of relations between young adults' preference for activities involving a specific sense modality and sensory attributes of early memories.

Science.gov (United States)

Westman, A S; Stuve, M

2001-04-01

Three studies explored whether young adults' preference for using a sense modality, e.g., hearing, correlated with presence or clarity of attributes of that sense modality in earliest memories from childhood, elementary school, or high school. In Study 1, 75 graduates or seniors in fine arts, fashion merchandising, music, conducting, or dance showed no greater frequency or clarity of any modality's sensory attributes. In Study 2, 213 beginning university students' ratings of current importance of activities emphasizing a sense modality correlated with sensory contents of recollections only for smell and taste. In Study 3, 102 beginning students' ratings of current enjoyment in using a sense modality and sensory contents of recollections were correlated and involved every modality except vision.

The density and length of root hairs are enhanced in response to cadmium and arsenic by modulating gene expressions involved in fate determination and morphogenesis of root hairs in Arabidopsis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramin Bahmani

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Root hairs are tubular outgrowths that originate from epidermal cells. Exposure of Arabidopsis to cadmium (Cd and arsenic [arsenite, As(III] increases root hair density and length. To examine the underlying mechanism, we measured the expression of genes involved in fate determination and morphogenesis of root hairs. Cd and As(III downregulated TTG1 and GL2 (negative regulators of fate determination and upregulated GEM (positive regulator, suggesting that root hair fate determination is stimulated by Cd and As(III. Cd and As(III increased the transcript levels of genes involved in root hair initiation (RHD6 and AXR2 and root hair elongation (AUX1, AXR1, ETR1, and EIN2 except CTR1. DR5::GUS transgenic Arabidopsis showed a higher DR5 expression in the root tip, suggesting that Cd and As(III increased the auxin content in the root tip. Knockdown of TTG1 in Arabidopsis resulted in increased root hair density and decreased root hair length compared with the control (Col-0 on 1/2 MS media. This phenotype may be attributed to the downregulation of GL2 and CTR1 and upregulation of RHD6. By contrast, gem mutant plants displayed a decrease in root hair density and length with reduced expression of RHD6, AXR2, AUX1, AXR1, ETR1, CTR1, and EIN2. Taken together, our results indicate that fate determination, initiation, and elongation of root hairs are stimulated in response to Cd and As(III through the modulation of the expression of genes involved in these processes in Arabidopsis.

Ionotropic and Metabotropic Proton-Sensing Receptors Involved in Airway Inflammation in Allergic Asthma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haruka Aoki

2014-01-01

Full Text Available An acidic microenvironment has been shown to evoke a variety of airway responses, including cough, bronchoconstriction, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR, infiltration of inflammatory cells in the lung, and stimulation of mucus hyperproduction. Except for the participation of transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1 and acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs in severe acidic pH (of less than 6.0-induced cough and bronchoconstriction through sensory neurons, the molecular mechanisms underlying extracellular acidic pH-induced actions in the airways have not been fully understood. Recent studies have revealed that ovarian cancer G protein-coupled receptor 1 (OGR1-family G protein-coupled receptors, which sense pH of more than 6.0, are expressed in structural cells, such as airway smooth muscle cells and epithelial cells, and in inflammatory and immune cells, such as eosinophils and dendritic cells. They function in a variety of airway responses related to the pathophysiology of inflammatory diseases, including allergic asthma. In the present review, we discuss the roles of ionotropic TRPV1 and ASICs and metabotropic OGR1-family G protein-coupled receptors in the airway inflammation and AHR in asthma and respiratory diseases.

Profiling of G protein-coupled receptors in vagal afferents reveals novel gut-to-brain sensing mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Egerod, Kristoffer L; Petersen, Natalia; Timshel, Pascal N; Rekling, Jens C; Wang, Yibing; Liu, Qinghua; Schwartz, Thue W; Gautron, Laurent

2018-06-01

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) act as transmembrane molecular sensors of neurotransmitters, hormones, nutrients, and metabolites. Because unmyelinated vagal afferents richly innervate the gastrointestinal mucosa, gut-derived molecules may directly modulate the activity of vagal afferents through GPCRs. However, the types of GPCRs expressed in vagal afferents are largely unknown. Here, we determined the expression profile of all GPCRs expressed in vagal afferents of the mouse, with a special emphasis on those innervating the gastrointestinal tract. Using a combination of high-throughput quantitative PCR, RNA sequencing, and in situ hybridization, we systematically quantified GPCRs expressed in vagal unmyelinated Na v 1.8-expressing afferents. GPCRs for gut hormones that were the most enriched in Na v 1.8-expressing vagal unmyelinated afferents included NTSR1, NPY2R, CCK1R, and to a lesser extent, GLP1R, but not GHSR and GIPR. Interestingly, both GLP1R and NPY2R were coexpressed with CCK1R. In contrast, NTSR1 was coexpressed with GPR65, a marker preferentially enriched in intestinal mucosal afferents. Only few microbiome-derived metabolite sensors such as GPR35 and, to a lesser extent, GPR119 and CaSR were identified in the Na v 1.8-expressing vagal afferents. GPCRs involved in lipid sensing and inflammation (e.g. CB1R, CYSLTR2, PTGER4), and neurotransmitters signaling (CHRM4, DRD2, CRHR2) were also highly enriched in Na v 1.8-expressing neurons. Finally, we identified 21 orphan GPCRs with unknown functions in vagal afferents. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive description of GPCR-dependent sensing mechanisms in vagal afferents, including novel coexpression patterns, and conceivably coaction of key receptors for gut-derived molecules involved in gut-brain communication. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.

Targeting Cytosolic Nucleic Acid-Sensing Pathways for Cancer Immunotherapies.

Science.gov (United States)

Iurescia, Sandra; Fioretti, Daniela; Rinaldi, Monica

2018-01-01

The innate immune system provides the first line of defense against pathogen infection though also influences pathways involved in cancer immunosurveillance. The innate immune system relies on a limited set of germ line-encoded sensors termed pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), signaling proteins and immune response factors. Cytosolic receptors mediate recognition of danger damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) signals. Once activated, these sensors trigger multiple signaling cascades, converging on the production of type I interferons and proinflammatory cytokines. Recent studies revealed that PRRs respond to nucleic acids (NA) released by dying, damaged, cancer cells, as danger DAMPs signals, and presence of signaling proteins across cancer types suggests that these signaling mechanisms may be involved in cancer biology. DAMPs play important roles in shaping adaptive immune responses through the activation of innate immune cells and immunological response to danger DAMPs signals is crucial for the host response to cancer and tumor rejection. Furthermore, PRRs mediate the response to NA in several vaccination strategies, including DNA immunization. As route of double-strand DNA intracellular entry, DNA immunization leads to expression of key components of cytosolic NA-sensing pathways. The involvement of NA-sensing mechanisms in the antitumor response makes these pathways attractive drug targets. Natural and synthetic agonists of NA-sensing pathways can trigger cell death in malignant cells, recruit immune cells, such as DCs, CD8 + T cells, and NK cells, into the tumor microenvironment and are being explored as promising adjuvants in cancer immunotherapies. In this minireview, we discuss how cGAS-STING and RIG-I-MAVS pathways have been targeted for cancer treatment in preclinical translational researches. In addition, we present a targeted selection of recent clinical trials employing agonists of cytosolic NA-sensing pathways showing how these pathways

Refractive Index Sensing with D-Shaped Plastic Optical Fibers for Chemical and Biochemical Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filipa Sequeira

2016-12-01

Full Text Available We report the optimization of the length of a D-shaped plastic optical fiber (POF sensor for refractive index (RI sensing from a numerical and experimental point of view. The sensing principle is based on total internal reflection (TIR. POFs with 1 mm in diameter were embedded in grooves, realized in planar supports with different lengths, and polished to remove the cladding and part of the core. All D-shaped POF sensors were tested using aqueous medium with different refractive indices (from 1.332 to 1.471 through intensity-based configuration. Results showed two different responses. Considering the refractive index (RI range (1.33–1.39, the sensitivity and the resolution of the sensor were strongly dependent on the sensing region length. The highest sensitivity (resolution of 6.48 × 10−3 refractive index units, RIU was obtained with 6 cm sensing length. In the RI range (1.41–1.47, the length of the sensing region was not a critical aspect to obtain the best resolution. These results enable the application of this optical platform for chemical and biochemical evanescent field sensing. The sensor production procedure is very simple, fast, and low-cost.

Remote sensing of on-road vehicle emissions: Mechanism, applications and a case study from Hong Kong

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yuhan; Organ, Bruce; Zhou, John L.; Surawski, Nic C.; Hong, Guang; Chan, Edward F. C.; Yam, Yat Shing

2018-06-01

Vehicle emissions are a major contributor to air pollution in cities and have serious health impacts to their inhabitants. On-road remote sensing is an effective and economic tool to monitor and control vehicle emissions. In this review, the mechanism, accuracy, advantages and limitations of remote sensing were introduced. Then the applications and major findings of remote sensing were critically reviewed. It was revealed that the emission distribution of on-road vehicles was highly skewed so that the dirtiest 10% vehicles accounted for over half of the total fleet emissions. Such findings highlighted the importance and effectiveness of using remote sensing for in situ identification of high-emitting vehicles for further inspection and maintenance programs. However, the accuracy and number of vehicles affected by screening programs were greatly dependent on the screening criteria. Remote sensing studies showed that the emissions of gasoline and diesel vehicles were significantly reduced in recent years, with the exception of NOx emissions of diesel vehicles in spite of greatly tightened automotive emission regulations. Thirdly, the experience and issues of using remote sensing for identifying high-emitting vehicles in Hong Kong (where remote sensing is a legislative instrument for enforcement purposes) were reported. That was followed by the first time ever identification and discussion of the issue of frequent false detection of diesel high-emitters using remote sensing. Finally, the challenges and future research directions of on-road remote sensing were elaborated.

Optical telescope refocussing mechanism concept design on remote sensing satellite

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Jen-Chueh; Ling, Jer

2017-09-01

The optical telescope system in remote sensing satellite must be precisely aligned to obtain high quality images during its mission life. In practical, because the telescope mirrors could be misaligned due to launch loads, thermal distortion on supporting structures or hygroscopic distortion effect in some composite materials, the optical telescope system is often equipped with refocussing mechanism to re-align the optical elements while optical element positions are out of range during image acquisition. This paper is to introduce satellite Refocussing mechanism function model design development process and the engineering models. The design concept of the refocussing mechanism can be applied on either cassegrain type telescope or korsch type telescope, and the refocussing mechanism is located at the rear of the secondary mirror in this paper. The purpose to put the refocussing mechanism on the secondary mirror is due to its higher sensitivity on MTF degradation than other optical elements. There are two types of refocussing mechanism model to be introduced: linear type model and rotation type model. For the linear refocussing mechanism function model, the model is composed of ceramic piezoelectric linear step motor, optical rule as well as controller. The secondary mirror is designed to be precisely moved in telescope despace direction through refocussing mechanism. For the rotation refocussing mechanism function model, the model is assembled with two ceramic piezoelectric rotational motors around two orthogonal directions in order to adjust the secondary mirror attitude in tilt angle and yaw angle. From the validation test results, the linear type refocussing mechanism function model can be operated to adjust the secondary mirror position with minimum 500 nm resolution with close loop control. For the rotation type model, the attitude angle of the secondary mirror can be adjusted with the minimum 6 sec of arc resolution and 5°/sec of angle velocity.

Gradient plasticity for thermo-mechanical processes in metals with length and time scales

Science.gov (United States)

Voyiadjis, George Z.; Faghihi, Danial

2013-03-01

A thermodynamically consistent framework is developed in order to characterize the mechanical and thermal behavior of metals in small volume and on the fast transient time. In this regard, an enhanced gradient plasticity theory is coupled with the application of a micromorphic approach to the temperature variable. A physically based yield function based on the concept of thermal activation energy and the dislocation interaction mechanisms including nonlinear hardening is taken into consideration in the derivation. The effect of the material microstructural interface between two materials is also incorporated in the formulation with both temperature and rate effects. In order to accurately address the strengthening and hardening mechanisms, the theory is developed based on the decomposition of the mechanical state variables into energetic and dissipative counterparts which endowed the constitutive equations to have both energetic and dissipative gradient length scales for the bulk material and the interface. Moreover, the microstructural interaction effect in the fast transient process is addressed by incorporating two time scales into the microscopic heat equation. The numerical example of thin film on elastic substrate or a single phase bicrystal under uniform tension is addressed here. The effects of individual counterparts of the framework on the thermal and mechanical responses are investigated. The model is also compared with experimental results.

Molecular mechanisms of root gravity sensing and signal transduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Strohm, Allison K; Baldwin, Katherine L; Masson, Patrick H

2012-01-01

Plants use gravity as a guide to direct their roots down into the soil to anchor themselves and to find resources needed for growth and development. In higher plants, the columella cells of the root tip form the primary site of gravity sensing, and in these cells the sedimentation of dense, starch-filled plastids (amyloplasts) triggers gravity signal transduction. This generates an auxin gradient across the root cap that is transmitted to the elongation zone where it promotes differential cell elongation, allowing the root to direct itself downward. It is still not well understood how amyloplast sedimentation leads to auxin redistribution. Models have been proposed to explain how mechanosensitive ion channels or ligand-receptor interactions could connect these events. Although their roles are still unclear, possible second messengers in this process include protons, Ca(2+), and inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate. Upon gravistimulation, the auxin efflux facilitators PIN3 and PIN7 relocalize to the lower side of the columella cells and mediate auxin redistribution. However, evidence for an auxin-independent secondary mechanism of gravity sensing and signal transduction suggests that this physiological process is quite complex. Furthermore, plants must integrate a variety of environmental cues, resulting in multifaceted relationships between gravitropism and other directional growth responses such as hydro-, photo-, and thigmotropism. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Novel sensing approach for LPG leakage detection: Part I: Operating Mechanism and Preliminary Results

KAUST Repository

Mukhopadhyay, Subhas; Nag, Anindya; Zia, Asif; Li, Xie; Kosel, Jü rgen

2015-01-01

Gas sensing technology has been among the topical research work for quite some time. This paper showcases the research done on the detection mechanism of leakage of domestic cooking gas at ambient conditions. MEMS-based interdigital sensors were fabricated on oxidized single crystal silicon surfaces by maskless photolithography technique. The electrochemical impedance analysis of these sensors was done to detect liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) with and without coated particles of tin oxide (SnO2) in form of thin layer.A thin-film of SnO2 was spin-coated on the sensing surface of the interdigital sensor to induce selectivity to LPG that consists of a 60/40 mixture of propane and butane respectively. The paper reports a novel strategy for gas detection under ambient temperature and humidity conditions. The response time of the coated sensor was encouraging and own a promising potential to the development of a complete efficient gas sensing system.

Novel sensing approach for LPG leakage detection: Part I: Operating Mechanism and Preliminary Results

KAUST Repository

Mukhopadhyay, Subhas

2015-10-30

Gas sensing technology has been among the topical research work for quite some time. This paper showcases the research done on the detection mechanism of leakage of domestic cooking gas at ambient conditions. MEMS-based interdigital sensors were fabricated on oxidized single crystal silicon surfaces by maskless photolithography technique. The electrochemical impedance analysis of these sensors was done to detect liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) with and without coated particles of tin oxide (SnO2) in form of thin layer.A thin-film of SnO2 was spin-coated on the sensing surface of the interdigital sensor to induce selectivity to LPG that consists of a 60/40 mixture of propane and butane respectively. The paper reports a novel strategy for gas detection under ambient temperature and humidity conditions. The response time of the coated sensor was encouraging and own a promising potential to the development of a complete efficient gas sensing system.

A Heme-Sensing Mechanism in the Translational Regulation of Mitochondrial Cytochrome c Oxidase Biogenesis

Science.gov (United States)

Soto, Iliana C.; Fontanesi, Flavia; Myers, Richard S.; Hamel, Patrice; Barrientos, Antoni

2012-01-01

Heme plays fundamental roles as cofactor and signaling molecule in multiple pathways devoted to oxygen sensing and utilization in aerobic organisms. For cellular respiration, heme serves as a prosthetic group in electron transfer proteins and redox enzymes. Here we report that in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae a heme-sensing mechanism translationally controls the biogenesis of cytochrome c oxidase (COX), the terminal mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme. We show that Mss51, a COX1 mRNA-specific translational activator and Cox1 chaperone, which coordinates Cox1 synthesis in mitoribosomes with its assembly in COX, is a heme-binding protein. Mss51 contains two heme regulatory motifs or Cys-Pro-X domains located in its N-terminus. Using a combination of in vitro and in vivo approaches, we have demonstrated that these motifs are important for heme binding and efficient performance of Mss51 functions. We conclude that heme sensing by Mss51 regulates COX biogenesis and aerobic energy production. PMID:23217259

Disulfide mapping the voltage-sensing mechanism of a voltage-dependent potassium channel.

Science.gov (United States)

Nozaki, Tomohiro; Ozawa, Shin-Ichiro; Harada, Hitomi; Kimura, Tomomi; Osawa, Masanori; Shimada, Ichio

2016-11-17

Voltage-dependent potassium (Kv) channels allow for the selective permeability of potassium ions in a membrane potential dependent manner, playing crucial roles in neurotransmission and muscle contraction. Kv channel is a tetramer, in which each subunit possesses a voltage-sensing domain (VSD) and a pore domain (PD). Although several lines of evidence indicated that membrane depolarization is sensed as the movement of helix S4 of the VSD, the detailed voltage-sensing mechanism remained elusive, due to the difficulty of structural analyses at resting potential. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive disulfide locking analysis of the VSD using 36 double Cys mutants, in order to identify the proximal residue pairs of the VSD in the presence or absence of a membrane potential. An intramolecular SS-bond was formed between 6 Cys pairs under both polarized and depolarized environment, and one pair only under depolarized environment. The multiple conformations captured by the SS-bond can be divided by two states, up and down, where S4 lies on the extracellular and intracellular sides of the membrane, respectively, with axial rotation of 180°. The transition between these two states is caused by the S4 translocation of 12 Å, enabling allosteric regulation of the gating at the PD.

Suppression of Instability on Sensing Signal of Optical Pulse Correlation Measurement in Remote Fiber Sensing

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Hirokazu Kobayashi

2012-01-01

response and improve the accuracy of signals at the focused sensing regions. We also experimentally demonstrate remote temperature monitoring over a 30 km-long distance using a remote reference technique, and we estimate the resolution and the measurable span of the temperature variation as (1.1/L∘C and (5.9×10/L°C, respectively, where L is the length of the fiber in the sensing region.

Diffusion as a Ruler: Modeling Kinesin Diffusion as a Length Sensor for Intraflagellar Transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendel, Nathan L; Thomson, Matthew; Marshall, Wallace F

2018-02-06

An important question in cell biology is whether cells are able to measure size, either whole cell size or organelle size. Perhaps cells have an internal chemical representation of size that can be used to precisely regulate growth, or perhaps size is just an accident that emerges due to constraint of nutrients. The eukaryotic flagellum is an ideal model for studying size sensing and control because its linear geometry makes it essentially one-dimensional, greatly simplifying mathematical modeling. The assembly of flagella is regulated by intraflagellar transport (IFT), in which kinesin motors carry cargo adaptors for flagellar proteins along the flagellum and then deposit them at the tip, lengthening the flagellum. The rate at which IFT motors are recruited to begin transport into the flagellum is anticorrelated with the flagellar length, implying some kind of communication between the base and the tip and possibly indicating that cells contain some mechanism for measuring flagellar length. Although it is possible to imagine many complex scenarios in which additional signaling molecules sense length and carry feedback signals to the cell body to control IFT, might the already-known components of the IFT system be sufficient to allow length dependence of IFT? Here we investigate a model in which the anterograde kinesin motors unbind after cargo delivery, diffuse back to the base, and are subsequently reused to power entry of new IFT trains into the flagellum. By mathematically modeling and simulating such a system, we are able to show that the diffusion time of the motors can in principle be sufficient to serve as a proxy for length measurement. We found that the diffusion model can not only achieve a stable steady-state length without the addition of any other signaling molecules or pathways, but also is able to produce the anticorrelation between length and IFT recruitment rate that has been observed in quantitative imaging studies. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical

Mechanical characterization of bucky gel morphing nanocomposite for actuating/sensing applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghamsari, Ali Kadkhoda; Woldesenbet, Eyassu; Jin, Yoonyoung

2012-01-01

Since the demonstration of the bucky gel actuator (BGA) in 2005, a great deal of effort has been exerted to develop novel applications for this electro-active morphing nanocomposite. This three-layered bimorph nanocomposite can be easily fabricated, operated in air and driven with a few volts. The BGA with improved mechanical strength is an excellent candidate for application in macro- to micro-scale smart structures with actuating and sensing capabilities. However, developing new applications requires identifying and understanding the effective design parameters and mechanical properties, respectively. There has been limited published studies on the mechanical properties of BGA. In this study, the effect of three parameters—layer thickness, carbon nanotube type and weight fraction of components—on the mechanical properties was investigated. Samples were characterized via nano-indentation and DMA. The BGA composed of 22 wt% single-walled carbon nanotubes and 45 wt% ionic liquid exhibited the highest hardness, adhesion, viscosity, and elastic and storage moduli. This study revealed the important role of the carbon nanotube type on BGA adhesion. Samples made with multi-walled carbon nanotubes had the lowest adhesion, which is a required factor in applications such as microfluidics. (paper)

Multi Length Scale Finite Element Design Framework for Advanced Woven Fabrics

Science.gov (United States)

Erol, Galip Ozan

Woven fabrics are integral parts of many engineering applications spanning from personal protective garments to surgical scaffolds. They provide a wide range of opportunities in designing advanced structures because of their high tenacity, flexibility, high strength-to-weight ratios and versatility. These advantages result from their inherent multi scale nature where the filaments are bundled together to create yarns while the yarns are arranged into different weave architectures. Their highly versatile nature opens up potential for a wide range of mechanical properties which can be adjusted based on the application. While woven fabrics are viable options for design of various engineering systems, being able to understand the underlying mechanisms of the deformation and associated highly nonlinear mechanical response is important and necessary. However, the multiscale nature and relationships between these scales make the design process involving woven fabrics a challenging task. The objective of this work is to develop a multiscale numerical design framework using experimentally validated mesoscopic and macroscopic length scale approaches by identifying important deformation mechanisms and recognizing the nonlinear mechanical response of woven fabrics. This framework is exercised by developing mesoscopic length scale constitutive models to investigate plain weave fabric response under a wide range of loading conditions. A hyperelastic transversely isotropic yarn material model with transverse material nonlinearity is developed for woven yarns (commonly used in personal protection garments). The material properties/parameters are determined through an inverse method where unit cell finite element simulations are coupled with experiments. The developed yarn material model is validated by simulating full scale uniaxial tensile, bias extension and indentation experiments, and comparing to experimentally observed mechanical response and deformation mechanisms. Moreover

Characterizing cellular mechanical phenotypes with mechano-node-pore sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Junghyun; Han, Sewoon; Lei, Andy; Miyano, Masaru; Bloom, Jessica; Srivastava, Vasudha; Stampfer, Martha M.; Gartner, Zev J.; LaBarge, Mark A.; Sohn, Lydia L.

2018-01-01

The mechanical properties of cells change with their differentiation, chronological age, and malignant progression. Consequently, these properties may be useful label-free biomarkers of various functional or clinically relevant cell states. Here, we demonstrate mechano-node-pore sensing (mechano-NPS), a multi-parametric single-cell-analysis method that utilizes a four-terminal measurement of the current across a microfluidic channel to quantify simultaneously cell diameter, resistance to compressive deformation, transverse deformation under constant strain, and recovery time after deformation. We define a new parameter, the whole-cell deformability index (wCDI), which provides a quantitative mechanical metric of the resistance to compressive deformation that can be used to discriminate among different cell types. The wCDI and the transverse deformation under constant strain show malignant MCF-7 and A549 cell lines are mechanically distinct from non-malignant, MCF-10A and BEAS-2B cell lines, and distinguishes between cells treated or untreated with cytoskeleton-perturbing small molecules. We categorize cell recovery time, ΔTr, as instantaneous (ΔTr ~ 0 ms), transient (ΔTr ≤ 40ms), or prolonged (ΔTr > 40ms), and show that the composition of recovery types, which is a consequence of changes in cytoskeletal organization, correlates with cellular transformation. Through the wCDI and cell-recovery time, mechano-NPS discriminates between sub-lineages of normal primary human mammary epithelial cells with accuracy comparable to flow cytometry, but without antibody labeling. Mechano-NPS identifies mechanical phenotypes that distinguishes lineage, chronological age, and stage of malignant progression in human epithelial cells. PMID:29780657

Mesoscale Modeling, Forecasting and Remote Sensing Research.

Science.gov (United States)

remote sensing , cyclonic scale diagnostic studies and mesoscale numerical modeling and forecasting are summarized. Mechanisms involved in the release of potential instability are discussed and simulated quantitatively, giving particular attention to the convective formulation. The basic mesoscale model is documented including the equations, boundary condition, finite differences and initialization through an idealized frontal zone. Results of tests including a three dimensional test with real data, tests of convective/mesoscale interaction and tests with a detailed

Length sensing and control of a Michelson interferometer with power recycling and twin signal recycling cavities.

Science.gov (United States)

Gräf, Christian; Thüring, André; Vahlbruch, Henning; Danzmann, Karsten; Schnabel, Roman

2013-03-11

The techniques of power recycling and signal recycling have proven as key concepts to increase the sensitivity of large-scale gravitational wave detectors by independent resonant enhancement of light power and signal sidebands within the interferometer. Developing the latter concept further, twin signal recycling was proposed as an alternative to conventional detuned signal recycling. Twin signal recycling features the narrow-band sensitivity gain of conventional detuned signal recycling but furthermore facilitates the injection of squeezed states of light, increases the detector sensitivity over a wide frequency band and requires a less complex detection scheme for optimal signal readout. These benefits come at the expense of an additional recycling mirror, thus increasing the number of degrees of freedom in the interferometer which need to be controlled.In this article we describe the development of a length sensing and control scheme and its successful application to a tabletop-scale power recycled Michelson interferometer with twin signal recycling. We were able to lock the interferometer in all relevant longitudinal degrees of freedom and thus laid the foundation for further investigations of this interferometer configuration to evaluate its viability for the application in gravitational wave detectors.

A new highly conserved antibiotic sensing/resistance pathway in firmicutes involves an ABC transporter interplaying with a signal transduction system.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stéphanie Coumes-Florens

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Signal transduction systems and ABC transporters often contribute jointly to adaptive bacterial responses to environmental changes. In Bacillus subtilis, three such pairs are involved in responses to antibiotics: BceRSAB, YvcPQRS and YxdJKLM. They are characterized by a histidine kinase belonging to the intramembrane sensing kinase family and by a translocator possessing an unusually large extracytoplasmic loop. It was established here using a phylogenomic approach that systems of this kind are specific but widespread in Firmicutes, where they originated. The present phylogenetic analyses brought to light a highly dynamic evolutionary history involving numerous horizontal gene transfers, duplications and lost events, leading to a great variety of Bce-like repertories in members of this bacterial phylum. Based on these phylogenetic analyses, it was proposed to subdivide the Bce-like modules into six well-defined subfamilies. Functional studies were performed on members of subfamily IV comprising BceRSAB from B. subtilis, the expression of which was found to require the signal transduction system as well as the ABC transporter itself. The present results suggest, for the members of this subfamily, the occurrence of interactions between one component of each partner, the kinase and the corresponding translocator. At functional and/or structural levels, bacitracin dependent expression of bceAB and bacitracin resistance processes require the presence of the BceB translocator loop. Some other members of subfamily IV were also found to participate in bacitracin resistance processes. Taken together our study suggests that this regulatory mechanism might constitute an important common antibiotic resistance mechanism in Firmicutes. [Supplemental material is available online at http://www.genome.org.].

Mutation-specific effects on thin filament length in thin filament myopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Winter, Josine M de; Joureau, Barbara; Lee, Eun-Jeong; Kiss, Balázs; Yuen, Michaela; Gupta, Vandana A; Pappas, Christopher T; Gregorio, Carol C; Stienen, Ger J M; Edvardson, Simon; Wallgren-Pettersson, Carina; Lehtokari, Vilma-Lotta; Pelin, Katarina; Malfatti, Edoardo; Romero, Norma B; Engelen, Baziel G van; Voermans, Nicol C; Donkervoort, Sandra; Bönnemann, C G; Clarke, Nigel F; Beggs, Alan H; Granzier, Henk; Ottenheijm, Coen A C

2016-06-01

Thin filament myopathies are among the most common nondystrophic congenital muscular disorders, and are caused by mutations in genes encoding proteins that are associated with the skeletal muscle thin filament. Mechanisms underlying muscle weakness are poorly understood, but might involve the length of the thin filament, an important determinant of force generation. We investigated the sarcomere length-dependence of force, a functional assay that provides insights into the contractile strength of muscle fibers as well as the length of the thin filaments, in muscle fibers from 51 patients with thin filament myopathy caused by mutations in NEB, ACTA1, TPM2, TPM3, TNNT1, KBTBD13, KLHL40, and KLHL41. Lower force generation was observed in muscle fibers from patients of all genotypes. In a subset of patients who harbor mutations in NEB and ACTA1, the lower force was associated with downward shifted force-sarcomere length relations, indicative of shorter thin filaments. Confocal microscopy confirmed shorter thin filaments in muscle fibers of these patients. A conditional Neb knockout mouse model, which recapitulates thin filament myopathy, revealed a compensatory mechanism; the lower force generation that was associated with shorter thin filaments was compensated for by increasing the number of sarcomeres in series. This allowed muscle fibers to operate at a shorter sarcomere length and maintain optimal thin-thick filament overlap. These findings might provide a novel direction for the development of therapeutic strategies for thin filament myopathy patients with shortened thin filament lengths. Ann Neurol 2016;79:959-969. © 2016 American Neurological Association.

Achieve Location Privacy-Preserving Range Query in Vehicular Sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Qinglei; Lu, Rongxing; Ma, Maode; Bao, Haiyong

2017-08-08

Modern vehicles are equipped with a plethora of on-board sensors and large on-board storage, which enables them to gather and store various local-relevant data. However, the wide application of vehicular sensing has its own challenges, among which location-privacy preservation and data query accuracy are two critical problems. In this paper, we propose a novel range query scheme, which helps the data requester to accurately retrieve the sensed data from the distributive on-board storage in vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) with location privacy preservation. The proposed scheme exploits structured scalars to denote the locations of data requesters and vehicles, and achieves the privacy-preserving location matching with the homomorphic Paillier cryptosystem technique. Detailed security analysis shows that the proposed range query scheme can successfully preserve the location privacy of the involved data requesters and vehicles, and protect the confidentiality of the sensed data. In addition, performance evaluations are conducted to show the efficiency of the proposed scheme, in terms of computation delay and communication overhead. Specifically, the computation delay and communication overhead are not dependent on the length of the scalar, and they are only proportional to the number of vehicles.

Theoretical study of chromophores for biological sensing: Understanding the mechanism of rhodol based multi-chromophoric systems

Science.gov (United States)

Rivera-Jacquez, Hector J.; Masunov, Artëm E.

2018-06-01

Development of two-photon fluorescent probes can aid in visualizing the cellular environment. Multi-chromophore systems display complex manifolds of electronic transitions, enabling their use for optical sensing applications. Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) methods allow for accurate predictions of the optical properties. These properties are related to the electronic transitions in the molecules, which include two-photon absorption cross-sections. Here we use TDDFT to understand the mechanism of aza-crown based fluorescent probes for metals sensing applications. Our findings suggest changes in local excitation in the rhodol chromophore between unbound form and when bound to the metal analyte. These changes are caused by a charge transfer from the aza-crown group and pyrazol units toward the rhodol unit. Understanding this mechanism leads to an optimized design with higher two-photon excited fluorescence to be used in medical applications.

Structural mechanism of voltage-dependent gating in an isolated voltage-sensing domain.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qufei; Wanderling, Sherry; Paduch, Marcin; Medovoy, David; Singharoy, Abhishek; McGreevy, Ryan; Villalba-Galea, Carlos A; Hulse, Raymond E; Roux, Benoît; Schulten, Klaus; Kossiakoff, Anthony; Perozo, Eduardo

2014-03-01

The transduction of transmembrane electric fields into protein motion has an essential role in the generation and propagation of cellular signals. Voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) carry out these functions through reorientations of positive charges in the S4 helix. Here, we determined crystal structures of the Ciona intestinalis VSD (Ci-VSD) in putatively active and resting conformations. S4 undergoes an ~5-Å displacement along its main axis, accompanied by an ~60° rotation. This movement is stabilized by an exchange in countercharge partners in helices S1 and S3 that generates an estimated net charge transfer of ~1 eo. Gating charges move relative to a ''hydrophobic gasket' that electrically divides intra- and extracellular compartments. EPR spectroscopy confirms the limited nature of S4 movement in a membrane environment. These results provide an explicit mechanism for voltage sensing and set the basis for electromechanical coupling in voltage-dependent enzymes and ion channels.

Length and temperature dependence of the mechanical properties of finite-size carbyne

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xueming; Huang, Yanhui; Cao, Bingyang; To, Albert C.

2017-09-01

Carbyne is an ideal one-dimensional conductor and the thinnest interconnection in an ultimate nano-device and it requires an understanding of the mechanical properties that affect device performance and reliability. Here, we report the mechanical properties of finite-size carbyne, obtained by a molecular dynamics simulation study based on the adaptive intermolecular reactive empirical bond order potential. To avoid confusion in assigning the effective cross-sectional area of carbyne, the value of the effective cross-sectional area of carbyne (4.148 Å2) was deduced via experiment and adopted in our study. Ends-constraints effects on the ultimate stress (maximum force) of the carbyne chains are investigated, revealing that the molecular dynamics simulation results agree very well with the experimental results. The ultimate strength, Young's Modulus and maximum strain of carbyne are rather sensitive to the temperature and all decrease with the temperature. Opposite tendencies of the length dependence of the overall ultimate strength and maximum strain of carbyne at room temperature and very low temperature have been found, and analyses show that this originates in the ends effect of carbyne.

Tuning the Mechanical Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites Filled with Grafted Nanoparticles by Varying the Grafted Chain Length and Flexibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zixuan Wang

2016-08-01

Full Text Available By employing coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation, we simulate the spatial organization of the polymer-grafted nanoparticles (NPs in homopolymer matrix and the resulting mechanical performance, by particularly regulating the grafted chain length and flexibility. The morphologies ranging from the agglomerate, cylinder, sheet, and string to full dispersion are observed, by gradually increasing the grafted chain length. The radial distribution function and the total interaction energy between NPs are calculated. Meanwhile, the stress–strain behavior of each morphology and the morphological evolution during the uniaxial tension are simulated. In particular, the sheet structure exhibits the best mechanical reinforcement compared to other morphologies. In addition, the change of the grafted chain flexibility to semi-flexibility leads to the variation of the morphology. We also find that at long grafted chain length, the stress–strain behavior of the system with the semi-flexible grafted chain begins to exceed that of the system with the flexible grafted chain, attributed to the physical inter-locking interaction between the matrix and grafted polymer chains. A similar transition trend is as well found in the presence of the interfacial chemical couplings between grafted and matrix polymer chains. In general, this work is expected to help to design and fabricate high performance polymer nanocomposites filled with grafted NPs with excellent and controllable mechanical properties.

Length-scale dependent microalloying effects on precipitation behaviors and mechanical properties of Al–Cu alloys with minor Sc addition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, L.; Li, J.K.; Liu, G.; Wang, R.H.; Chen, B.A.; Zhang, J.Y.; Sun, J.; Yang, M.X.; Yang, G.; Yang, J.; Cao, X.Z.

2015-01-01

Heat-treatable Al alloys containing Al–2.5 wt% Cu (Al–Cu) and Al–2.5 wt% Cu–0.3 wt% Sc (Al–Cu–Sc) with different grain length scales, i.e., average grain size >10 μm ( defined coarse grained, CG), 1–2 μm (fine grained, FG), and <1 μm (ultrafine grained, UFG), were prepared by equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP). The length scale and Sc microalloying effects and their interplay on the precipitation behavior and mechanical properties of the Al–Cu alloys were systematically investigated. In the Al–Cu alloys, intergranular θ-Al 2 Cu precipitation gradually dominated by sacrificing the intragranular θ′-Al 2 Cu precipitation with reducing the length scale. Especially in the UFG regime, only intergranular θ-Al 2 Cu particles were precipitated and intragranular θ′-Al 2 Cu precipitation was completely disappeared. This led to a remarkable reduction in yield strength and ductility due to insufficient dislocation storage capacity. The minor Sc addition resulted in a microalloying effect in the Al–Cu alloy, which, however, is strongly dependent on the length scale. The smaller is the grain size, the more active is the microalloying effect that promotes the intragranular precipitation while reduces the intergranular precipitation. Correspondingly, compared with their Sc-free counterparts, the yield strength of post-aged CG, FG, and UFG Al–Cu alloys with Sc addition increased by ~36 MPa, ~56 MPa, and ~150 MPa, simultaneously in tensile elongation by ~20%, ~30%, and 280%, respectively. The grain size-induced evolutions in vacancy concentration/distribution and number density of vacancy-solute/solute–solute clusters and their influences on precipitation nucleation and kinetics have been comprehensively considered to rationalize the length scale-dependent Sc microalloying mechanisms using positron annihilation lifetime spectrum and three dimension atom probe. The increase in ductility was analyzed in the light of Sc microalloying effect and the

Length-scale dependent microalloying effects on precipitation behaviors and mechanical properties of Al–Cu alloys with minor Sc addition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, L.; Li, J.K. [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Liu, G., E-mail: lgsammer@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Wang, R.H. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi' an University of Technology, Xi' an 710048 (China); Chen, B.A.; Zhang, J.Y. [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Sun, J., E-mail: junsun@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Yang, M.X.; Yang, G. [Central Iron and Steel Research Institute, Beijing 100081 (China); Yang, J.; Cao, X.Z. [Key Laboratory of Nuclear Radiation and Nuclear Energy Technology, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)

2015-06-18

Heat-treatable Al alloys containing Al–2.5 wt% Cu (Al–Cu) and Al–2.5 wt% Cu–0.3 wt% Sc (Al–Cu–Sc) with different grain length scales, i.e., average grain size >10 μm ( defined coarse grained, CG), 1–2 μm (fine grained, FG), and <1 μm (ultrafine grained, UFG), were prepared by equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP). The length scale and Sc microalloying effects and their interplay on the precipitation behavior and mechanical properties of the Al–Cu alloys were systematically investigated. In the Al–Cu alloys, intergranular θ-Al{sub 2}Cu precipitation gradually dominated by sacrificing the intragranular θ′-Al{sub 2}Cu precipitation with reducing the length scale. Especially in the UFG regime, only intergranular θ-Al{sub 2}Cu particles were precipitated and intragranular θ′-Al{sub 2}Cu precipitation was completely disappeared. This led to a remarkable reduction in yield strength and ductility due to insufficient dislocation storage capacity. The minor Sc addition resulted in a microalloying effect in the Al–Cu alloy, which, however, is strongly dependent on the length scale. The smaller is the grain size, the more active is the microalloying effect that promotes the intragranular precipitation while reduces the intergranular precipitation. Correspondingly, compared with their Sc-free counterparts, the yield strength of post-aged CG, FG, and UFG Al–Cu alloys with Sc addition increased by ~36 MPa, ~56 MPa, and ~150 MPa, simultaneously in tensile elongation by ~20%, ~30%, and 280%, respectively. The grain size-induced evolutions in vacancy concentration/distribution and number density of vacancy-solute/solute–solute clusters and their influences on precipitation nucleation and kinetics have been comprehensively considered to rationalize the length scale-dependent Sc microalloying mechanisms using positron annihilation lifetime spectrum and three dimension atom probe. The increase in ductility was analyzed in the light of Sc microalloying

Correlated evolution of sternal keel length and ilium length in birds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Zhao

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The interplay between the pectoral module (the pectoral girdle and limbs and the pelvic module (the pelvic girdle and limbs plays a key role in shaping avian evolution, but prior empirical studies on trait covariation between the two modules are limited. Here we empirically test whether (size-corrected sternal keel length and ilium length are correlated during avian evolution using phylogenetic comparative methods. Our analyses on extant birds and Mesozoic birds both recover a significantly positive correlation. The results provide new evidence regarding the integration between the pelvic and pectoral modules. The correlated evolution of sternal keel length and ilium length may serve as a mechanism to cope with the effect on performance caused by a tradeoff in muscle mass between the pectoral and pelvic modules, via changing moment arms of muscles that function in flight and in terrestrial locomotion.

Length-scale and strain rate-dependent mechanism of defect formation and fracture in carbon nanotubes under tensile loading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Javvaji, Brahmanandam [Indian Institute of Science, Department of Aerospace Engineering (India); Raha, S. [Indian Institute of Science, Department of Computational and Data Sciences (India); Mahapatra, D. Roy, E-mail: droymahapatra@aero.iisc.ernet.in [Indian Institute of Science, Department of Aerospace Engineering (India)

2017-02-15

Electromagnetic and thermo-mechanical forces play a major role in nanotube-based materials and devices. Under high-energy electron transport or high current densities, carbon nanotubes fail via sequential fracture. The failure sequence is governed by certain length scale and flow of current. We report a unified phenomenological model derived from molecular dynamic simulation data, which successfully captures the important physics of the complex failure process. Length-scale and strain rate-dependent defect nucleation, growth, and fracture in single-walled carbon nanotubes with diameters in the range of 0.47 to 2.03 nm and length which is about 6.17 to 26.45 nm are simulated. Nanotubes with long length and small diameter show brittle fracture, while those with short length and large diameter show transition from ductile to brittle fracture. In short nanotubes with small diameters, we observe several structural transitions like Stone-Wales defect initiation, its propagation to larger void nucleation, formation of multiple chains of atoms, conversion to monatomic chain of atoms, and finally complete fracture of the carbon nanotube. Hybridization state of carbon-carbon bonds near the end cap evolves, leading to the formation of monatomic chain in short nanotubes with small diameter. Transition from ductile to brittle fracture is also observed when strain rate exceeds a critical value. A generalized analytical model of failure is established, which correlates the defect energy during the formation of atomic chain with aspect ratio of the nanotube and strain rate. Variation in the mechanical properties such as elastic modulus, tensile strength, and fracture strain with the size and strain rate shows important implications in mitigating force fields and ways to enhance the life of electronic devices and nanomaterial conversion via fracture in manufacturing.

Rhizoids and protonemata of characean algae: model cells for research on polarized growth and plant gravity sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Braun, M; Limbach, C

2006-12-01

Gravitropically tip-growing rhizoids and protonemata of characean algae are well-established unicellular plant model systems for research on gravitropism. In recent years, considerable progress has been made in the understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying gravity sensing and gravity-oriented growth. While in higher-plant statocytes the role of cytoskeletal elements, especially the actin cytoskeleton, in the mechanisms of gravity sensing is still enigmatic, there is clear evidence that in the characean cells actin is intimately involved in polarized growth, gravity sensing, and the gravitropic response mechanisms. The multiple functions of actin are orchestrated by a variety of actin-binding proteins which control actin polymerisation, regulate the dynamic remodelling of the actin filament architecture, and mediate the transport of vesicles and organelles. Actin and a steep gradient of cytoplasmic free calcium are crucial components of a feedback mechanism that controls polarized growth. Experiments performed in microgravity provided evidence that actomyosin is a key player for gravity sensing: it coordinates the position of statoliths and, upon a change in the cell's orientation, directs sedimenting statoliths to specific areas of the plasma membrane, where contact with membrane-bound gravisensor molecules elicits short gravitropic pathways. In rhizoids, gravitropic signalling leads to a local reduction of cytoplasmic free calcium and results in differential growth of the opposite subapical cell flanks. The negative gravitropic response of protonemata involves actin-dependent relocation of the calcium gradient and displacement of the centre of maximal growth towards the upper flank. On the basis of the results obtained from the gravitropic model cells, a similar fine-tuning function of the actomyosin system is discussed for the early steps of gravity sensing in higher-plant statocytes.

Time, number and length: similarities and differences in discrimination in adults and children.

Science.gov (United States)

Droit-Volet, Sylvie; Clément, Angélique; Fayol, Michel

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to focus on similarities in the discrimination of three different quantities--time, number, and line length--using a bisection task involving children aged 5 and 8 years and adults, when number and length were presented nonsequentially (Experiment 1) and sequentially (Experiment 2). In the nonsequential condition, for all age groups, although to a greater extent in the younger children, the psychophysical functions were flatter, and the Weber ratio higher for time than for number and length. Number and length yielded similar psychophysical functions. Thus, sensitivity to time was lower than that to the other quantities, whether continuous or not. However, when number and length were presented sequentially (Experiment 2), the differences in discrimination performance between time, number, and length disappeared. Furthermore, the Weber ratio values as well as the bisection points for all quantities presented sequentially appeared to be close to that found for duration in the nonsequential condition. The results are discussed within the framework of recent theories suggesting a common mechanism for all analogical quantities.

Heritability of sperm length in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baer, Boris; de Jong, Gerdien; Schmid-Hempel, Regula

2006-01-01

estimates of narrow sense heritability of sperm length in a social insect, the bumblebee Bombus terrestris. In spite of a balanced and straightforward rearing design of colonies, and the possibility to replicate measurements of sperm within single males nested within colonies, the analysis proved...

Coupling between apical tension and basal adhesion allow epithelia to collectively sense and respond to substrate topography over long distances.

Science.gov (United States)

Broaders, Kyle E; Cerchiari, Alec E; Gartner, Zev J

2015-12-01

Epithelial sheets fold into complex topographies that contribute to their function in vivo. Cells can sense and respond to substrate topography in their immediate vicinity by modulating their interfacial mechanics, but the extent to which these mechanical properties contribute to their ability to sense substrate topography across length scales larger than a single cell has not been explored in detail. To study the relationship between the interfacial mechanics of single cells and their collective behavior as tissues, we grew cell-sheets on substrates engraved with surface features spanning macroscopic length-scales. We found that many epithelial cell-types sense and respond to substrate topography, even when it is locally nearly planar. Cells clear or detach from regions of local negative curvature, but not from regions with positive or no curvature. We investigated this phenomenon using a finite element model where substrate topography is coupled to epithelial response through a balance of tissue contractility and adhesive forces. The model correctly predicts the focal sites of cell-clearing and epithelial detachment. Furthermore, the model predicts that local tissue response to substrate curvature is a function of the surrounding topography of the substrate across long distances. Analysis of cell-cell and cell-substrate contact angles suggests a relationship between these single-cell interfacial properties, epithelial interfacial properties, and collective epithelial response to substrate topography. Finally, we show that contact angles change upon activation of oncogenes or inhibition of cell-contractility, and that these changes correlate with collective epithelial response. Our results demonstrate that in mechanically integrated epithelial sheets, cell contractility can be transmitted through multiple cells and focused by substrate topography to affect a behavioral response at distant sites.

Emerging GaN-based HEMTs for mechanical sensing within harsh environments

Science.gov (United States)

Köck, Helmut; Chapin, Caitlin A.; Ostermaier, Clemens; Häberlen, Oliver; Senesky, Debbie G.

2014-06-01

Gallium nitride based high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) have been investigated extensively as an alternative to Si-based power transistors by academia and industry over the last decade. It is well known that GaN-based HEMTs outperform Si-based technologies in terms of power density, area specific on-state resistance and switching speed. Recently, wide band-gap material systems have stirred interest regarding their use in various sensing fields ranging from chemical, mechanical, biological to optical applications due to their superior material properties. For harsh environments, wide bandgap sensor systems are deemed to be superior when compared to conventional Si-based systems. A new monolithic sensor platform based on the GaN HEMT electronic structure will enable engineers to design highly efficient propulsion systems widely applicable to the automotive, aeronautics and astronautics industrial sectors. In this paper, the advancements of GaN-based HEMTs for mechanical sensing applications are discussed. Of particular interest are multilayered heterogeneous structures where spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization between the interface results in the formation of a 2-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). Experimental results presented focus on the signal transduction under strained operating conditions in harsh environments. It is shown that a conventional AlGaN/GaN HEMT has a strong dependence of drain current under strained conditions, thus representing a promising future sensor platform. Ultimately, this work explores the sensor performance of conventional GaN HEMTs and leverages existing technological advances available in power electronics device research. The results presented have the potential to boost GaN-based sensor development through the integration of HEMT device and sensor design research.

Sensing, Measuring and Modelling the Mechanical Properties of Sandstone

Science.gov (United States)

Antony, S. J.; Olugbenga, A.; Ozerkan, N. G.

2018-02-01

We present a hybrid framework for simulating the strength and dilation characteristics of sandstone. Where possible, the grain-scale properties of sandstone are evaluated experimentally in detail. Also, using photo-stress analysis, we sense the deviator stress (/strain) distribution at the micro-scale and its components along the orthogonal directions on the surface of a V-notch sandstone sample under mechanical loading. Based on this measurement and applying a grain-scale model, the optical anisotropy index K 0 is inferred at the grain scale. This correlated well with the grain contact stiffness ratio K evaluated using ultrasound sensors independently. Thereafter, in addition to other experimentally characterised structural and grain-scale properties of sandstone, K is fed as an input into the discrete element modelling of fracture strength and dilation of the sandstone samples. Physical bulk-scale experiments are also conducted to evaluate the load-displacement relation, dilation and bulk fracture strength characteristics of sandstone samples under compression and shear. A good level of agreement is obtained between the results of the simulations and experiments. The current generic framework could be applied to understand the internal and bulk mechanical properties of such complex opaque and heterogeneous materials more realistically in future.

Development of an electronic nose sensing platform for undergraduate education in nanotechnology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Russo, Daniel V; Burek, Michael J; Iutzi, Ryan M; Mracek, James A; Hesjedal, Thorsten, E-mail: thesjeda@uwaterloo.ca [Nanotechnology Engineering Program and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1 (Canada)

2011-05-15

The teaching of the different aspects of a sensor system, with a focus on the involved nanotechnology, is a challenging, yet important task. We present the development of an electronic nose system that utilizes a nanoscale amperometric sensing mechanism for gas mixtures. The fabrication of the system makes use of a basic microfabrication facility, as well as an undergraduate chemistry laboratory for material synthesis and preparation. The sensing device consists of an array of cross-reactive sensors composed of metal-oxide semiconducting nanoparticles. Each sensor in the array produces a unique response in the presence of a target gas, allowing the sensor to determine the identity and concentration of multiple gases in a mixture. The educational aspects include microheater simulation and fabrication, design and fabrication of interdigitated electrodes, development of interfacing circuitry and software, development and calibration of a sensory array, sol-gel processing of nanoparticle films and their characterization, and details of the fundamental chemical sensing mechanism.

Actin-based gravity-sensing mechanisms in unicellular plant model systems

Science.gov (United States)

Braun, Markus; Limbach, Christoph

2005-08-01

Considerable progress has been made in the understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying gravity sensing and gravity-oriented polarized growth in single-celled rhizoids and protonemata of the characean algae. It is well known that the actin cytoskeleton plays a key role in these processes. Numerous actin-binding proteins control apical actin polymerization and the dynamic remodeling of the actin arrangement. An actomyosin-based system mediates the delivery and incorporation of secretory vesicles at the growing tip and coordinates the tip-high gradient of cytoplasmic free calcium which is required for local exocytosis. Additionally, the actomyosin system precisely controls the position of statoliths and, upon a change in orientation relative to the gravity vector, directs sedimenting statoliths to the confined graviperception sites of the plasma membrane where gravitropic signalling is initiated. The upward growth response of protonemata is preceded by an actin-dependent relocalization of the Ca2+-gradient to the upper flank. The downward growth response of rhizoids, however, is caused by differential growth of the opposite flankes due to a local reduction of cytoplasmic free calcium limited to the plasma membrane area where statoliths are sedimented. Thus, constant actin polymerization in the growing tip and the spatiotemporal control of actin remodeling are essential for gravity sensing and gravity-oriented polarized growth of characean rhizoids and protonemata.

A Novel Physical Sensing Principle for Liquid Characterization Using Paper-Based Hygro-Mechanical Systems (PB-HMS).

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Cruz, Angel; Stiharu, Ion; Dominguez-Gonzalez, Aurelio

2017-07-20

In recent years paper-based microfluidic systems have emerged as versatile tools for developing sensors in different areas. In this work; we report a novel physical sensing principle for the characterization of liquids using a paper-based hygro-mechanical system (PB-HMS). The PB-HMS is formed by the interaction of liquid droplets and paper-based mini-structures such as cantilever beams. The proposed principle takes advantage of the hygroscopic properties of paper to produce hygro-mechanical motion. The dynamic response of the PB-HMS reveals information about the tested liquid that can be applied to characterize certain properties of liquids. A suggested method to characterize liquids by means of the proposed principle is introduced. The experimental results show the feasibility of such a method. It is expected that the proposed principle may be applied to sense properties of liquids in different applications where both disposability and portability are of extreme importance.

Novel Mechanism of Fatty Acid Sensing in Enteroendocrine Cells: Specific Structures in Oxo-Fatty Acids Produced by Gut Bacteria are Responsible for CCK Secretion in STC-1 Cells via GPR40.

Science.gov (United States)

Hira, Tohru; Ogasawara, Shono; Yahagi, Asuka; Kamachi, Minami; Li, Jiaxin; Nishimura, Saki; Sakaino, Masayoshi; Yamashita, Takatoshi; Kishino, Shigenobu; Ogawa, Jun; Hara, Hiroshi

2018-06-25

The secretion of gut hormones, such as cholecystokinin (CCK) is stimulated by fatty acids. Although a chain length-dependent mechanism has been proposed, other structural relationships to releasing activity remain unclear. We aimed to elucidate specific structures in fatty acids that are responsible for their CCK-releasing activity, and related sensing mechanisms in enteroendocrine cells. We examined CCK secretory activities in a murine CCK-producing cell line STC-1 by exposing the cells to various modified fatty acids produced by gut lactic acid bacteria. The effects of fatty acids on gastric emptying rate as a CCK-mediated function were examined using acetaminophen- and phenol red-methods in rats. Out of more than thirty octadecanoic (C18)-derived fatty acids tested, five oxo-fatty acids potently stimulated CCK secretion without cytotoxic effects in STC-1 cells. Three fatty acids had a distinct specific structure containing one double-bond, whereas the other two had two double-bonds, nearby an oxo residue. CCK secretion induced by representative fatty acids (10-oxo-trans-11-18:1 and 13-oxo-cis-9,cis-15-18:2) was attenuated by a fatty acid-receptor GPR40 antagonist. Oral administration of 13-oxo-cis-9,cis-15-18:2 lowered the gastric emptying rate in rats in a dose- and structure-dependent manner. These results revealed a novel fatty acid-sensing mechanism in enteroendocrine cells. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Involvement of midbrain tectum neurokinin-mediated mechanisms in fear and anxiety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brenes, J.C.; Broiz, A.C.; Bassi, G.S.; Schwarting, R.K.W.; Brandão, M.L.

2012-01-01

Electrical stimulation of midbrain tectum structures, particularly the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) and inferior colliculus (IC), produces defensive responses, such as freezing and escape behavior. Freezing also ensues after termination of dPAG stimulation (post-stimulation freezing). These defensive reaction responses are critically mediated by Y -aminobutyric acid and 5-hydroxytryptamine mechanisms in the midbrain tectum. Neurokinins (NKs) also play a role in the mediation of dPAG stimulation-evoked fear, but how NK receptors are involved in the global processing and expression of fear at the level of the midbrain tectum is yet unclear. The present study investigated the role of NK-1 receptors in unconditioned defensive behavior induced by electrical stimulation of the dPAG and IC of male Wistar rats. Spantide (100 pmol/0.2 µL), a selective NK-1 antagonist, injected into these midbrain structures had anti-aversive effects on defensive responses and distress ultrasonic vocalizations induced by stimulation of the dPAG but not of the IC. Moreover, intra-dPAG injections of spantide did not influence post-stimulation freezing or alter exploratory behavior in rats subjected to the elevated plus maze. These results suggest that NK-1 receptors are mainly involved in the mediation of defensive behavior organized in the dPAG. Dorsal periaqueductal gray-evoked post-stimulation freezing was not affected by intra-dPAG injections of spantide, suggesting that NK-1-mediated mechanisms are only involved in the output mechanisms of defensive behavior and not involved in the processing of ascending aversive information from the dPAG

Involvement of midbrain tectum neurokinin-mediated mechanisms in fear and anxiety

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brenes, J.C. [Experimental and Physiological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg (Germany); Broiz, A.C.; Bassi, G.S. [Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento, Campus USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil); Laboratório de Psicobiologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil); Schwarting, R.K.W. [Experimental and Physiological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg (Germany); Brandão, M.L. [Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento, Campus USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil); Laboratório de Psicobiologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP (Brazil)

2012-03-09

Electrical stimulation of midbrain tectum structures, particularly the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) and inferior colliculus (IC), produces defensive responses, such as freezing and escape behavior. Freezing also ensues after termination of dPAG stimulation (post-stimulation freezing). These defensive reaction responses are critically mediated by {sub Y}-aminobutyric acid and 5-hydroxytryptamine mechanisms in the midbrain tectum. Neurokinins (NKs) also play a role in the mediation of dPAG stimulation-evoked fear, but how NK receptors are involved in the global processing and expression of fear at the level of the midbrain tectum is yet unclear. The present study investigated the role of NK-1 receptors in unconditioned defensive behavior induced by electrical stimulation of the dPAG and IC of male Wistar rats. Spantide (100 pmol/0.2 µL), a selective NK-1 antagonist, injected into these midbrain structures had anti-aversive effects on defensive responses and distress ultrasonic vocalizations induced by stimulation of the dPAG but not of the IC. Moreover, intra-dPAG injections of spantide did not influence post-stimulation freezing or alter exploratory behavior in rats subjected to the elevated plus maze. These results suggest that NK-1 receptors are mainly involved in the mediation of defensive behavior organized in the dPAG. Dorsal periaqueductal gray-evoked post-stimulation freezing was not affected by intra-dPAG injections of spantide, suggesting that NK-1-mediated mechanisms are only involved in the output mechanisms of defensive behavior and not involved in the processing of ascending aversive information from the dPAG.

Mechanisms Involved in Exercise-Induced Cardioprotection: A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Borges, Juliana Pereira; Lessa, Marcos Adriano

2015-01-01

Background Acute myocardial infarction is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Furthermore, research has shown that exercise, in addition to reducing cardiovascular risk factors, can also protect the heart against injury due to ischemia and reperfusion through a direct effect on the myocardium. However, the specific mechanism involved in exerciseinduced cardiac preconditioning is still under debate. Objective To perform a systematic review of the studies that have addressed the mechanisms by which aerobic exercise promotes direct cardioprotection against ischemia and reperfusion injury. Methods A search was conducted using MEDLINE, Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe de Informação em Ciências da Saúde, and Scientific Electronic Library Online databases. Data were extracted in a standardized manner by two independent researchers, who were responsible for assessing the methodological quality of the studies. Results The search retrieved 78 studies; after evaluating the abstracts, 30 studies were excluded. The manuscripts of the remaining 48 studies were completely read and, of these, 20 were excluded. Finally, 28 studies were included in this systematic review. Conclusion On the basis of the selected studies, the following are potentially involved in the cardioprotective response to exercise: increased heat shock protein production, nitric oxide pathway involvement, increased cardiac antioxidant capacity, improvement in ATP-dependent potassium channel function, and opioid system activation. Despite all the previous investigations, further research is still necessary to obtain more consistent conclusions. PMID:25830711

Remote sensing of impervious surface growth: A framework for quantifying urban expansion and re-densification mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Shahtahmassebi, Amir Reza; Song, Jie; Zheng, Qing; Blackburn, George Alan; Wang, Ke; Huang, Ling Yan; Pan, Yi; Moore, Nathan; Shahtahmassebi, Golnaz; Sadrabadi Haghighi, Reza; Deng, Jing Song

2016-04-01

A substantial body of literature has accumulated on the topic of using remotely sensed data to map impervious surfaces which are widely recognized as an important indicator of urbanization. However, the remote sensing of impervious surface growth has not been successfully addressed. This study proposes a new framework for deriving and summarizing urban expansion and re-densification using time series of impervious surface fractions (ISFs) derived from remotely sensed imagery. This approach integrates multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA), analysis of regression residuals, spatial statistics (Getis_Ord) and urban growth theories; hence, the framework is abbreviated as MRGU. The performance of MRGU was compared with commonly used change detection techniques in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the approach. The results suggested that the ISF regression residuals were optimal for detecting impervious surface changes while Getis_Ord was effective for mapping hotspot regions in the regression residuals image. Moreover, the MRGU outputs agreed with the mechanisms proposed in several existing urban growth theories, but importantly the outputs enable the refinement of such models by explicitly accounting for the spatial distribution of both expansion and re-densification mechanisms. Based on Landsat data, the MRGU is somewhat restricted in its ability to measure re-densification in the urban core but this may be improved through the use of higher spatial resolution satellite imagery. The paper ends with an assessment of the present gaps in remote sensing of impervious surface growth and suggests some solutions. The application of impervious surface fractions in urban change detection is a stimulating new research idea which is driving future research with new models and algorithms.

Quorum sensing: a quantum perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Majumdar, Sarangam; Pal, Sukla

2016-09-01

Quorum sensing is the efficient mode of communication in the bacterial world. After a lot of advancements in the classical theory of quorum sensing few basic questions of quorum sensing still remain unanswered. The sufficient progresses in quantum biology demands to explain these questions from the quantum perspective as non trivial quantum effects already have manifested in various biological processes like photosynthesis, magneto-reception etc. Therefore, it's the time to review the bacterial communications from the quantum view point. In this article we carefully accumulate the latest results and arguments to strengthen quantum biology through the addition of quorum sensing mechanism in the light of quantum mechanics.

Simultaneous Contact Sensing and Characterizing of Mechanical and Dynamic Heat Transfer Properties of Porous Polymeric Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bao-guo Yao

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Porous polymeric materials, such as textile fabrics, are elastic and widely used in our daily life for garment and household products. The mechanical and dynamic heat transfer properties of porous polymeric materials, which describe the sensations during the contact process between porous polymeric materials and parts of the human body, such as the hand, primarily influence comfort sensations and aesthetic qualities of clothing. A multi-sensory measurement system and a new method were proposed to simultaneously sense the contact and characterize the mechanical and dynamic heat transfer properties of porous polymeric materials, such as textile fabrics in one instrument, with consideration of the interactions between different aspects of contact feels. The multi-sensory measurement system was developed for simulating the dynamic contact and psychological judgment processes during human hand contact with porous polymeric materials, and measuring the surface smoothness, compression resilience, bending and twisting, and dynamic heat transfer signals simultaneously. The contact sensing principle and the evaluation methods were presented. Twelve typical sample materials with different structural parameters were measured. The results of the experiments and the interpretation of the test results were described. An analysis of the variance and a capacity study were investigated to determine the significance of differences among the test materials and to assess the gage repeatability and reproducibility. A correlation analysis was conducted by comparing the test results of this measurement system with the results of Kawabata Evaluation System (KES in separate instruments. This multi-sensory measurement system provides a new method for simultaneous contact sensing and characterizing of mechanical and dynamic heat transfer properties of porous polymeric materials.

On the mechanisms of interference between mobile phones and pacemakers: parasitic demodulation of GSM signal by the sensing amplifier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbaro, V; Bartolini, P; Calcagnini, G; Censi, F; Beard, B; Ruggera, P; Witters, D

2003-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms by which the radiated radiofrequency (RF) GSM (global system for mobile communication) signal may affect pacemaker (PM) function. We measured the signal at the output of the sensing amplifier of PMs with various configurations of low-pass filters. We used three versions of the same PM model: one with a block capacitor which short circuits high-frequency signals; one with a ceramic feedthrough capacitor, a hermetically sealed mechanism connecting the internal electronics to the external connection block, and one with both. The PMs had been modified to have an electrical shielded connection to the output of the sensing amplifier. For each PM, the output of the sensing amplifier was monitored under exposure to modulated and non-modulated RF signals, and to GSM signals (900 and 1800 MHz). Non-modulated RF signals did not alter the response of the PM sensing amplifier. Modulated RF signals showed that the block capacitor did not succeed in short circuiting the RF signal, which is somehow demodulated by the PM internal non-linear circuit elements. Such a demodulation phenomenon poses a critical problem because digital cellular phones use extremely low-frequency modulation (as low as 2 Hz), which can be mistaken for normal heartbeat

Attack or attacked: The sensory and fluid mechanical constraints of copepods’ predator–prey interactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiørboe, Thomas

2013-01-01

, and mechanisms for mobility of the parties involved. Here, I describe the mechanisms of sensing, escaping predators, and capturing prey in marine pelagic copepods. I demonstrate that feeding tradeoffs vary with feeding mode, and I describe simple fluid mechanical models that are used to quantify these tradeoffs......Many animals are predator and prey at the same time. This dual position represents a fundamental dilemma because gathering food often leads to increased exposure to predators. The optimization of the tradeoff between eating and not being eaten depends strongly on the sensing, feeding...

Mathematical Sense-Making in Quantum Mechanics: An Initial Peek

Science.gov (United States)

Dreyfus, Benjamin W.; Elby, Andrew; Gupta, Ayush; Sohr, Erin Ronayne

2017-01-01

Mathematical sense-making--looking for coherence between the structure of the mathematical formalism and causal or functional relations in the world--is a core component of physics expertise. Some physics education research studies have explored what mathematical sense-making looks like at the introductory physics level, while some historians and…

QUANTUM MECHANICS. Quantum squeezing of motion in a mechanical resonator.

Science.gov (United States)

Wollman, E E; Lei, C U; Weinstein, A J; Suh, J; Kronwald, A; Marquardt, F; Clerk, A A; Schwab, K C

2015-08-28

According to quantum mechanics, a harmonic oscillator can never be completely at rest. Even in the ground state, its position will always have fluctuations, called the zero-point motion. Although the zero-point fluctuations are unavoidable, they can be manipulated. Using microwave frequency radiation pressure, we have manipulated the thermal fluctuations of a micrometer-scale mechanical resonator to produce a stationary quadrature-squeezed state with a minimum variance of 0.80 times that of the ground state. We also performed phase-sensitive, back-action evading measurements of a thermal state squeezed to 1.09 times the zero-point level. Our results are relevant to the quantum engineering of states of matter at large length scales, the study of decoherence of large quantum systems, and for the realization of ultrasensitive sensing of force and motion. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Visual and tactile length matching in spatial neglect.

Science.gov (United States)

Bisiach, Edoardo; McIntosh, Robert D; Dijkerman, H Chris; McClements, Kevin I; Colombo, Mariarosa; Milner, A David

2004-01-01

Previous studies have shown that many patients with spatial neglect underestimate the horizontal extent of leftwardly located shapes (presented on screen or on paper) relative to rightwardly located shapes. This has been used to help explain their leftward biases in line bisection. In the present study we have tested patients with right hemisphere damage, either with or without neglect, on a comparable length matching task, but using 3-dimensional objects. The task was executed first visually without tactile contact, and second through touch without vision. In both sense modalities, we found that patients with neglect, but not those without, tended to underestimate leftward located objects relative to rightward located objects, differing significantly in this regard from healthy subjects. However these lateral biases were not as frequent or as pronounced as in previous studies using 2-D visual shapes. Despite the similar asymmetries in the two sense modalities, we found only a small correlation between them, and clear double dissociations were observed among our patients. We conclude that leftward length underestimation cannot be attributed to any one single cause. First it cannot be entirely due to impairments in the visual pathways, such as hemianopia and/or processing biases, since the disorder is also seen in the tactile modality. At the same time, however, length underestimation phenomena cannot be fully explained as a disruption of a supramodal central size processor, since they can occur in either vision or touch alone. Our data would fit best with a multiple-factor model in which some patients show leftward length underestimation for modality-specific reasons, while others do so due to a more high-level disruption of size judgements.

The sensing of respiratory gases in fish: Mechanisms and signalling pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, S F; Tzaneva, V

2016-04-01

Chemoreception in fish is critical for sensing changes in the chemical composition of the external and internal environments and is often the first step in a cascade of events leading to cardiorespiratory and metabolic adjustments. Of paramount importance is the ability to sense changes in the levels of the three respiratory gases, oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and ammonia (NH3). In this review, we discuss the role of piscine neuroepithelial cells (NEC), putative peripheral chemoreceptors, as tri-modal sensors of O2, CO2 and NH3. Where possible, we elaborate on the signalling pathways linking NEC stimulation to afferent responses, the potential role of neurotransmitters in activating downstream neuronal pathways and the impact of altered levels of the respiratory gases on NEC structure and function. Although serotonin, the major neurotransmitter contained within NECs, is presumed to be the principal agent eliciting the reflex responses to altered levels of the respiratory gases, there is accumulating evidence for the involvement of "gasomitters", a class of gaseous neurotransmitters which includes nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S). Recent data suggest that CO inhibits and H2S stimulates NEC activity whereas NO can either be inhibitory or stimulatory depending on developmental age. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characteristics and mechanisms of hypothalamic neuronal fatty acid sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Foll, Christelle; Irani, Boman G; Magnan, Christophe; Dunn-Meynell, Ambrose A; Levin, Barry E

2009-09-01

We assessed the mechanisms by which specialized hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMN) neurons utilize both glucose and long-chain fatty acids as signaling molecules to alter their activity as a potential means of regulating energy homeostasis. Fura-2 calcium (Ca(2+)) and membrane potential dye imaging, together with pharmacological agents, were used to assess the mechanisms by which oleic acid (OA) alters the activity of dissociated VMN neurons from 3- to 4-wk-old rats. OA excited up to 43% and inhibited up to 29% of all VMN neurons independently of glucose concentrations. In those neurons excited by both 2.5 mM glucose and OA, OA had a concentration-dependent effective excitatory concentration (EC(50)) of 13.1 nM. Neurons inhibited by both 2.5 mM glucose and OA had an effective inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) of 93 nM. At 0.5 mM glucose, OA had markedly different effects on these same neurons. Inhibition of carnitine palmitoyltransferase, reactive oxygen species formation, long-chain acetyl-CoA synthetase and ATP-sensitive K(+) channel activity or activation of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) accounted for only approximately 20% of OA's excitatory effects and approximately 40% of its inhibitory effects. Inhibition of CD36, a fatty acid transporter that can alter cell function independently of intracellular fatty acid metabolism, reduced the effects of OA by up to 45%. Thus OA affects VMN neuronal activity through multiple pathways. In glucosensing neurons, its effects are glucose dependent. This glucose-OA interaction provides a potential mechanism whereby such "metabolic sensing" neurons can respond to differences in the metabolic states associated with fasting and feeding.

Sensing of glucose in the brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Thorens, Bernard

2012-01-01

The brain, and in particular the hypothalamus and brainstem, have been recognized for decades as important centers for the homeostatic control of feeding, energy expenditure, and glucose homeostasis. These structures contain neurons and neuronal circuits that may be directly or indirectly activated or inhibited by glucose, lipids, or amino acids. The detection by neurons of these nutrient cues may become deregulated, and possibly cause metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Thus, there is a major interest in identifying these neurons, how they respond to nutrients, the neuronal circuits they form, and the physiological function they control. Here I will review some aspects of glucose sensing by the brain. The brain is responsive to both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, and the glucose sensing cells involved are distributed in several anatomical sites that are connected to each other. These eventually control the activity of the sympathetic or parasympathetic nervous system, which regulates the function of peripheral organs such as liver, white and brown fat, muscle, and pancreatic islets alpha and beta cells. There is now evidence for an extreme diversity in the sensing mechanisms used, and these will be reviewed.

Influence of exposure to pesticides on telomere length in tobacco farmers: A biology system approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kahl, Vivian Francília Silva [Laboratory of Genetic Toxicology, PPGBioSaúde and PPGGTA, Lutheran University of Brazil (ULBRA), Canoas, RS (Brazil); Silva, Juliana da, E-mail: juliana.silva@ulbra.br [Laboratory of Genetic Toxicology, PPGBioSaúde and PPGGTA, Lutheran University of Brazil (ULBRA), Canoas, RS (Brazil); Rabaioli da Silva, Fernanda, E-mail: fernanda.silva@unilasalle.edu.br [Master’s Degree in Environmental Impact Evaluation, Centro Universitário La Salle, Canoas, RS (Brazil)

2016-09-15

Highlights: • Exposure to pesticides in tobacco fields is related to shorten telomere length. • The molecular mechanism of pesticide on telomere length is not fully understood. • Pesticides inhibit ubiquitin proteasome system. • Nicotine activates ubiquitin proteasome system. • Pesticides and nicotine regulate telomere length. - Abstract: Various pesticides in the form of mixtures must be used to keep tobacco crops pest-free. Recent studies have shown a link between occupational exposure to pesticides in tobacco crops and increased damage to the DNA, mononuclei, nuclear buds and binucleated cells in buccal cells as well as micronuclei in lymphocytes. Furthermore, pesticides used specifically for tobacco crops shorten telomere length (TL) significantly. However, the molecular mechanism of pesticide action on telomere length is not fully understood. Our study evaluated the interaction between a complex mixture of chemical compounds (tobacco cultivation pesticides plus nicotine) and proteins associated with maintaining TL, as well as the biological processes involved in this exposure by System Biology tools to provide insight regarding the influence of pesticide exposure on TL maintenance in tobacco farmers. Our analysis showed that one cluster was associated with TL proteins that act in bioprocesses such as (i) telomere maintenance via telomere lengthening; (ii) senescence; (iii) age-dependent telomere shortening; (iv) DNA repair (v) cellular response to stress and (vi) regulation of proteasome ubiquitin-dependent protein catabolic process. We also describe how pesticides and nicotine regulate telomere length. In addition, pesticides inhibit the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) and consequently increase proteins of the shelterin complex, avoiding the access of telomerase in telomere and, nicotine activates UPS mechanisms and promotes the degradation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), decreasing telomerase activity.

Influence of exposure to pesticides on telomere length in tobacco farmers: A biology system approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kahl, Vivian Francília Silva; Silva, Juliana da; Rabaioli da Silva, Fernanda

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Exposure to pesticides in tobacco fields is related to shorten telomere length. • The molecular mechanism of pesticide on telomere length is not fully understood. • Pesticides inhibit ubiquitin proteasome system. • Nicotine activates ubiquitin proteasome system. • Pesticides and nicotine regulate telomere length. - Abstract: Various pesticides in the form of mixtures must be used to keep tobacco crops pest-free. Recent studies have shown a link between occupational exposure to pesticides in tobacco crops and increased damage to the DNA, mononuclei, nuclear buds and binucleated cells in buccal cells as well as micronuclei in lymphocytes. Furthermore, pesticides used specifically for tobacco crops shorten telomere length (TL) significantly. However, the molecular mechanism of pesticide action on telomere length is not fully understood. Our study evaluated the interaction between a complex mixture of chemical compounds (tobacco cultivation pesticides plus nicotine) and proteins associated with maintaining TL, as well as the biological processes involved in this exposure by System Biology tools to provide insight regarding the influence of pesticide exposure on TL maintenance in tobacco farmers. Our analysis showed that one cluster was associated with TL proteins that act in bioprocesses such as (i) telomere maintenance via telomere lengthening; (ii) senescence; (iii) age-dependent telomere shortening; (iv) DNA repair (v) cellular response to stress and (vi) regulation of proteasome ubiquitin-dependent protein catabolic process. We also describe how pesticides and nicotine regulate telomere length. In addition, pesticides inhibit the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) and consequently increase proteins of the shelterin complex, avoiding the access of telomerase in telomere and, nicotine activates UPS mechanisms and promotes the degradation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), decreasing telomerase activity.

Metabolic sensing neurons and the control of energy homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Levin, Barry E

2006-11-30

The brain and periphery carry on a constant conversation; the periphery informs the brain about its metabolic needs and the brain provides for these needs through its control of somatomotor, autonomic and neurohumoral pathways involved in energy intake, expenditure and storage. Metabolic sensing neurons are the integrators of a variety of metabolic, humoral and neural inputs from the periphery. Such neurons, originally called "glucosensing", also respond to fatty acids, hormones and metabolites from the periphery. They are integrated within neural pathways involved in the regulation of energy homeostasis. Unlike most neurons, they utilize glucose and other metabolites as signaling molecules to regulate their membrane potential and firing rate. For glucosensing neurons, glucokinase acts as the rate-limiting step in glucosensing while the pathways that mediate responses to metabolites like lactate, ketone bodies and fatty acids are less well characterized. Many metabolic sensing neurons also respond to insulin and leptin and other peripheral hormones and receive neural inputs from peripheral organs. Each set of afferent signals arrives with different temporal profiles and by different routes and these inputs are summated at the level of the membrane potential to produce a given neural firing pattern. In some obese individuals, the relative sensitivity of metabolic sensing neurons to various peripheral inputs is genetically reduced. This may provide one mechanism underlying their propensity to become obese when exposed to diets high in fat and caloric density. Thus, metabolic sensing neurons may provide a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity.

Asymptotic safety, emergence and minimal length

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Percacci, Roberto; Vacca, Gian Paolo

2010-01-01

There seems to be a common prejudice that asymptotic safety is either incompatible with, or at best unrelated to, the other topics in the title. This is not the case. In fact, we show that (1) the existence of a fixed point with suitable properties is a promising way of deriving emergent properties of gravity, and (2) there is a sense in which asymptotic safety implies a minimal length. In doing so we also discuss possible signatures of asymptotic safety in scattering experiments.

3G vector-primer plasmid for constructing full-length-enriched cDNA libraries.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Dong; Zhou, Yanna; Zhang, Zidong; Li, Zaiyu; Liu, Xuedong

2008-09-01

We designed a 3G vector-primer plasmid for the generation of full-length-enriched complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries. By employing the terminal transferase activity of reverse transcriptase and the modified strand replacement method, this plasmid (assembled with a polydT end and a deoxyguanosine [dG] end) combines priming full-length cDNA strand synthesis and directional cDNA cloning. As a result, the number of steps involved in cDNA library preparation is decreased while simplifying downstream gene manipulation, sequencing, and subcloning. The 3G vector-primer plasmid method yields fully represented plasmid primed libraries that are equivalent to those made by the SMART (switching mechanism at 5' end of RNA transcript) approach.

POLARIZATION REMOTE SENSING PHYSICAL MECHANISM, KEY METHODS AND APPLICATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Yang

2017-09-01

Full Text Available China's long-term planning major projects "high-resolution earth observation system" has been invested nearly 100 billion and the satellites will reach 100 to 2020. As to 2/3 of China's area covered by mountains，it has a higher demand for remote sensing. In addition to light intensity, frequency, phase, polarization is also the main physical characteristics of remote sensing electromagnetic waves. Polarization is an important component of the reflected information from the surface and the atmospheric information, and the polarization effect of the ground object reflection is the basis of the observation of polarization remote sensing. Therefore, the effect of eliminating the polarization effect is very important for remote sensing applications. The main innovations of this paper is as follows: (1 Remote sensing observation method. It is theoretically deduced and verified that the polarization can weaken the light in the strong light region, and then provide the polarization effective information. In turn, the polarization in the low light region can strengthen the weak light, the same can be obtained polarization effective information. (2 Polarization effect of vegetation. By analyzing the structure characteristics of vegetation, polarization information is obtained, then the vegetation structure information directly affects the absorption of biochemical components of leaves. (3 Atmospheric polarization neutral point observation method. It is proved to be effective to achieve the ground-gas separation, which can achieve the effect of eliminating the atmospheric polarization effect and enhancing the polarization effect of the object.

Remote Sensing for Wind Energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

The Remote Sensing in Wind Energy Compendium provides a description of several topics and it is our hope that students and others interested will learn from it. The idea behind this compendium began in year 2008 at Risø DTU during the first PhD Summer School: Remote Sensing in Wind Energy. Thus......-of-the-art compendium available for people involved in Remote Sensing in Wind Energy....

Electroactive polymers for sensing

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Electromechanical coupling in electroactive polymers (EAPs) has been widely applied for actuation and is also being increasingly investigated for sensing chemical and mechanical stimuli. EAPs are a unique class of materials, with low-moduli high-strain capabilities and the ability to conform to surfaces of different shapes. These features make them attractive for applications such as wearable sensors and interfacing with soft tissues. Here, we review the major types of EAPs and their sensing mechanisms. These are divided into two classes depending on the main type of charge carrier: ionic EAPs (such as conducting polymers and ionic polymer–metal composites) and electronic EAPs (such as dielectric elastomers, liquid-crystal polymers and piezoelectric polymers). This review is intended to serve as an introduction to the mechanisms of these materials and as a first step in material selection for both researchers and designers of flexible/bendable devices, biocompatible sensors or even robotic tactile sensing units. PMID:27499846

Remote Sensing for Wind Energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peña, Alfredo; Hasager, Charlotte Bay; Lange, Julia

The Remote Sensing in Wind Energy report provides a description of several topics and it is our hope that students and others interested will learn from it. The idea behind it began in year 2008 at DTU Wind Energy (formerly Risø) during the first PhD Summer School: Remote Sensing in Wind Energy...... state-of-the-art ‘guideline’ available for people involved in Remote Sensing in Wind Energy....

Length scale for configurational entropy in microemulsions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reiss, H.; Kegel, W.K.; Groenewold, J.

1996-01-01

In this paper we study the length scale that must be used in evaluating the mixing entropy in a microemulsion. The central idea involves the choice of a length scale in configuration space that is consistent with the physical definition of entropy in phase space. We show that this scale may be

MEMS Fabry-Perot sensor interrogated by optical system-on-a-chip for simultaneous pressure and temperature sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Cheng; Bae, Hyungdae; Gupta, Ashwani; Bryden, Kenneth; Yu, Miao

2013-09-23

We present a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) based Fabry-Perot (FP) sensor along with an optical system-on-a-chip (SOC) interrogator for simultaneous pressure and temperature sensing. The sensor employs a simple structure with an air-backed silicon membrane cross-axially bonded to a 45° polished optical fiber. This structure renders two cascaded FP cavities, enabling simultaneous pressure and temperature sensing in close proximity along the optical axis. The optical SOC consists of a broadband source, a MEMS FP tunable filter, a photodetector, and the supporting circuitry, serving as a miniature spectrometer for retrieving the two FP cavity lengths. Within the measured pressure and temperature ranges, experimental results demonstrate that the sensor exhibits a good linear response to external pressure and temperature changes.

Microstructural Evolution of Advanced Radiation-Resistant ODS Steel with Different Lengths of Mechanical Alloying Time

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noh, Sanghoon; Kim, Ga Eon; Kang, Suk Hoon; Kim, Tae Kyu [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

Austenitic stainless steel may be one of the candidates because of good strength and corrosion resistance at the high temperatures, however irradiation swelling well occurred to 120dpa at high temperatures and this leads the decrease of the mechanical properties and dimensional stability. Compared to this, ferritic/ martensitic steel is a good solution because of excellent thermal conductivity and good swelling resistance. Unfortunately, the available temperature range of ferritic/martensitic steel is limited up to 650 .deg. C. ODS steel is the most promising structural material because of excellent creep and irradiation resistance by uniformly distributed nano-oxide particles with a high density which is extremely stable at the high temperature in ferritic/martensitic matrix. In this study, powder properties and microstructures of the ODS steel with different length of mechanical alloying time was investigated. The ODS steel milled 5h showed homogeneous grain structure with the highest hardness.

Microstructural Evolution of Advanced Radiation-Resistant ODS Steel with Different Lengths of Mechanical Alloying Time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noh, Sanghoon; Kim, Ga Eon; Kang, Suk Hoon; Kim, Tae Kyu

2015-01-01

Austenitic stainless steel may be one of the candidates because of good strength and corrosion resistance at the high temperatures, however irradiation swelling well occurred to 120dpa at high temperatures and this leads the decrease of the mechanical properties and dimensional stability. Compared to this, ferritic/ martensitic steel is a good solution because of excellent thermal conductivity and good swelling resistance. Unfortunately, the available temperature range of ferritic/martensitic steel is limited up to 650 .deg. C. ODS steel is the most promising structural material because of excellent creep and irradiation resistance by uniformly distributed nano-oxide particles with a high density which is extremely stable at the high temperature in ferritic/martensitic matrix. In this study, powder properties and microstructures of the ODS steel with different length of mechanical alloying time was investigated. The ODS steel milled 5h showed homogeneous grain structure with the highest hardness

Artificially constructed quorum-sensing circuits are used for subtle control of bacterial population density.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaoshou Wang

Full Text Available Vibrio fischeri is a typical quorum-sensing bacterium for which lux box, luxR, and luxI have been identified as the key elements involved in quorum sensing. To decode the quorum-sensing mechanism, an artificially constructed cell-cell communication system has been built. In brief, the system expresses several programmed cell-death BioBricks and quorum-sensing genes driven by the promoters lux pR and PlacO-1 in Escherichia coli cells. Their transformation and expression was confirmed by gel electrophoresis and sequencing. To evaluate its performance, viable cell numbers at various time periods were investigated. Our results showed that bacteria expressing killer proteins corresponding to ribosome binding site efficiency of 0.07, 0.3, 0.6, or 1.0 successfully sensed each other in a population-dependent manner and communicated with each other to subtly control their population density. This was also validated using a proposed simple mathematical model.

Vehicle Detection and Classification Using Passive Infrared Sensing

KAUST Repository

Odat, Enas M.

2015-10-19

We propose a new sensing device that can simultaneously monitor urban traffic congestion and another phenomenon of interest (flash floods on the present case). This sensing device is based on the combination of an ultrasonic rangefinder with one or multiple remote temperature sensors. We show an implementation of this device, and illustrate its performance in both traffic flow sensing. Field data shows that the sensor can detect vehicles with a 99% accuracy, in addition to estimating their speed and classifying them in function of their length. The same sensor can also monitor urban water levels with an accuracy of less than 2 cm.

Sensing mechanism for a fluorescent off–on chemosensor for cyanide anion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yang; Chen, Junsheng; Chu, Tian-Shu

2016-01-01

In this article, the sensing mechanism of cyanide anion chemosensor 2-((2-phenyl-2H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methylene)malononitrile (M1) has been investigated through the density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) methods. The theoretical results demonstrate that the reaction barrier of 13.02 kcal/mol means a favorable response speed of the chemosensor M1 for cyanide anion. Cyanide anion attacks C=C double bond and hinders the ICT process from the malononitrile moiety to the fluorophore phenyl ring. The high viscosity of DMSO restrains the twisting of the group, inhibits the formation of the ICT state in the first excited state. Due to weak ICT character, the nucleophilic addition product shows the dramatic “off–on” fluorescence enhancement. Meanwhile, intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism accounts for how different solvents influence the fluorescence spectra. That is, more obvious ICT character of product in EtOH causes fluorescence quenching. The “reaction-based” recognition mode and large bond energy between M1 and cyanide anion minimize the interference by other anions, such as F − , AcO − . Thus, the chemosensor M1 has a high selectivity for cyanide.

Mechanical design optimization of a single-axis MOEMS accelerometer based on a grating interferometry cavity for ultrahigh sensitivity

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Qianbo; Bai, Jian; Wang, Kaiwei; Lou, Shuqi; Jiao, Xufen; Han, Dandan; Yang, Guoguang

2016-08-01

The ultrahigh static displacement-acceleration sensitivity of a mechanical sensing chip is essential primarily for an ultrasensitive accelerometer. In this paper, an optimal design to implement to a single-axis MOEMS accelerometer consisting of a grating interferometry cavity and a micromachined sensing chip is presented. The micromachined sensing chip is composed of a proof mass along with its mechanical cantilever suspension and substrate. The dimensional parameters of the sensing chip, including the length, width, thickness and position of the cantilevers are evaluated and optimized both analytically and by finite-element-method (FEM) simulation to yield an unprecedented acceleration-displacement sensitivity. Compared with one of the most sensitive single-axis MOEMS accelerometers reported in the literature, the optimal mechanical design can yield a profound sensitivity improvement with an equal footprint area, specifically, 200% improvement in displacement-acceleration sensitivity with moderate resonant frequency and dynamic range. The modified design was microfabricated, packaged with the grating interferometry cavity and tested. The experimental results demonstrate that the MOEMS accelerometer with modified design can achieve the acceleration-displacement sensitivity of about 150μm/g and acceleration sensitivity of greater than 1500V/g, which validates the effectiveness of the optimal design.

The Influences of Overlap Length, Bond Line Thickness and Pretreatmant on the Mechanical Properties of Adhesives : Focussing on Bonding Glass

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vervloed, J.; Kwakernaak, A.; Poulis, H.

2008-01-01

This paper focuses on the influences of overlap length, bond line thickness and pretreatment on the mechanical properties of adhesive bonds. In order to determine the bond strength, lap shear tests were performed. The researched adhesives are a 2 component epoxy and MS polymer. The smallest overlap

Simultaneous Water Vapor and Dry Air Optical Path Length Measurements and Compensation with the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer

Science.gov (United States)

Defrere, D.; Hinz, P.; Downey, E.; Boehm, M.; Danchi, W. C.; Durney, O.; Ertel, S.; Hill, J. M.; Hoffmann, W. F.; Mennesson, B.;

Luminescent microporous metal–organic framework with functional Lewis basic sites on the pore surface: Quantifiable evaluation of luminescent sensing mechanisms towards Fe{sup 3+}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Jun-Cheng [Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry of the Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Physico-Inorganic Chemistry, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi' an 710069 (China); Technology Promotion Center of Nano Composite Material of Biomimetic Sensor and Detecting Technology, Preparation and Application, Anhui Provincial Laboratory West Anhui University, Anhui 237012 (China); Guo, Rui-Li; Zhang, Wen-Yan [Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry of the Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Physico-Inorganic Chemistry, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi' an 710069 (China); Jiang, Chen [Technology Promotion Center of Nano Composite Material of Biomimetic Sensor and Detecting Technology, Preparation and Application, Anhui Provincial Laboratory West Anhui University, Anhui 237012 (China); Wang, Yao-Yu, E-mail: wyaoyu@nwu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry of the Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Physico-Inorganic Chemistry, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi' an 710069 (China)

2016-11-15

A systematic study has been conducted on a novel luminescent metal-organic framework, ([Zn(bpyp)(L-OH)]·DMF·2H{sub 2}O){sub n} (1), to explore its sensing mechanisms to Fe{sup 3+}. Structure analyses show that compound 1 exist pyridine N atoms and -OH groups on the pore surface for specific sensing of metal ions via Lewis acid-base interactions. On this consideration, the quenching mechanisms are studied and the processes are controlled by multiple mechanisms in which dynamic and static mechanisms are calculated, achieving the quantification evaluation of the quenching process. This work not only achieves the quantitative evaluation of the luminescence quenching but also provides certain insights into the quenching process, and the possible mechanisms explored in this work may inspire future research and design of target luminescent metal-organic frameworks (LMOFs) with specific functions. - Graphical abstract: A systematic study has been conducted on a novel luminescent metal-organic framework to explore its sensing mechanisms to Fe{sup 3+}. The quenching mechanisms are studied and the processes are controlled by multiple mechanisms in which dynamic and static mechanisms are calculated, achieving the quantification evaluation of the quenching process. - Highlights: • A novel porous luminescent MOF containing uncoordinated groups in interlayer channels was successfully synthesized. • The compound 1 can exhibit significant luminescent sensitivity to Fe{sup 3+}, which make its good candidate as luminescent sensor. • The corresponding dynamic and static quenching constants are calculated, achieving the quantification evaluation of the quenching process.

Nanoparticle mechanics: deformation detection via nanopore resistive pulse sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Darvish, Armin; Goyal, Gaurav; Aneja, Rachna; Sundaram, Ramalingam V. K.; Lee, Kidan; Ahn, Chi Won; Kim, Ki-Bum; Vlahovska, Petia M.; Kim, Min Jun

2016-07-01

Solid-state nanopores have been widely used in the past for single-particle analysis of nanoparticles, liposomes, exosomes and viruses. The shape of soft particles, particularly liposomes with a bilayer membrane, can greatly differ inside the nanopore compared to bulk solution as the electric field inside the nanopores can cause liposome electrodeformation. Such deformations can compromise size measurement and characterization of particles, but are often neglected in nanopore resistive pulse sensing. In this paper, we investigated the deformation of various liposomes inside nanopores. We observed a significant difference in resistive pulse characteristics between soft liposomes and rigid polystyrene nanoparticles especially at higher applied voltages. We used theoretical simulations to demonstrate that the difference can be explained by shape deformation of liposomes as they translocate through the nanopores. Comparing our results with the findings from electrodeformation experiments, we demonstrated that the rigidity of liposomes can be qualitatively compared using resistive pulse characteristics. This application of nanopores can provide new opportunities to study the mechanics at the nanoscale, to investigate properties of great value in fundamental biophysics and cellular mechanobiology, such as virus deformability and fusogenicity, and in applied sciences for designing novel drug/gene delivery systems.Solid-state nanopores have been widely used in the past for single-particle analysis of nanoparticles, liposomes, exosomes and viruses. The shape of soft particles, particularly liposomes with a bilayer membrane, can greatly differ inside the nanopore compared to bulk solution as the electric field inside the nanopores can cause liposome electrodeformation. Such deformations can compromise size measurement and characterization of particles, but are often neglected in nanopore resistive pulse sensing. In this paper, we investigated the deformation of various

Variability of the Quorum Sensing System in Natural Isolates of Bacillus sp.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ines Mandic-Mulec

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Bacteria communicate with one another by (emitting and/or reacting to chemical signals. These communications, also known as quorum sensing, enable cells to control gene expression in response to cell density at the intra- and inter-species level. While bacteria use common signaling themes, variations in the design of the extracellular signals, the signal detection apparatus, and the biochemical mechanisms of signal relay have allowed quorum sensing systems to be adapted to diverse uses. The quorum sensing systems that govern natural genetic competence in Bacillus subtilis involve the ComX pheromones and the ComP-ComA, two-component regulator. ComX is synthesized as an inactive precursor and is then cleaved and modified by ComQ before export to the extra-cellular environment. The comQXP' loci of a set of natural Bacillus isolates have been sequenced and a striking polymorphism that correlates with specific patterns of activation of the quorum sensing response was shown. The ComX molecules representing different pherotypes were purified and characterized by mass spectroscopy. The analyses revealed that ComX variants also differ at the level of posttranslational modification of a conserved tryptophane residue, which was found to be an isoprenoid. The striking variability found in competence quorum sensing systems might be important for the survival of these bacteria in nature to escape the inappropriate induction of competence by closely related strains, playing the role of a sexual isolation mechanism.

Quantum-mechanical transport equation for atomic systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Berman, P. R.

1972-01-01

A quantum-mechanical transport equation (QMTE) is derived which should be applicable to a wide range of problems involving the interaction of radiation with atoms or molecules which are also subject to collisions with perturber atoms. The equation follows the time evolution of the macroscopic atomic density matrix elements of atoms located at classical position R and moving with classical velocity v. It is quantum mechanical in the sense that all collision kernels or rates which appear have been obtained from a quantum-mechanical theory and, as such, properly take into account the energy-level variations and velocity changes of the active (emitting or absorbing) atom produced in collisions with perturber atoms. The present formulation is better suited to problems involving high-intensity external fields, such as those encountered in laser physics.

Pneumococcal Competence Coordination Relies on a Cell-Contact Sensing Mechanism.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marc Prudhomme

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Bacteria have evolved various inducible genetic programs to face many types of stress that challenge their growth and survival. Competence is one such program. It enables genetic transformation, a major horizontal gene transfer process. Competence development in liquid cultures of Streptococcus pneumoniae is synchronized within the whole cell population. This collective behavior is known to depend on an exported signaling Competence Stimulating Peptide (CSP, whose action generates a positive feedback loop. However, it is unclear how this CSP-dependent population switch is coordinated. By monitoring spontaneous competence development in real time during growth of four distinct pneumococcal lineages, we have found that competence shift in the population relies on a self-activated cell fraction that arises via a growth time-dependent mechanism. We demonstrate that CSP remains bound to cells during this event, and conclude that the rate of competence development corresponds to the propagation of competence by contact between activated and quiescent cells. We validated this two-step cell-contact sensing mechanism by measuring competence development during co-cultivation of strains with altered capacity to produce or respond to CSP. Finally, we found that the membrane protein ComD retains the CSP, limiting its free diffusion in the medium. We propose that competence initiator cells originate stochastically in response to stress, to form a distinct subpopulation that then transmits the CSP by cell-cell contact.

Effects of microscale damage evolution on piezoresistive sensing in nanocomposite bonded explosives under dynamic loading via electromechanical peridynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Prakash, Naveen; Seidel, Gary D.

2018-01-01

Polymer bonded explosives can sustain microstructural damage due to accidental impact, which may reduce their operational reliability or even cause unwanted ignition leading to detonation of the explosive. Therefore a nanocomposite piezoresistivity based sensing solution is discussed here that employs a carbon nanotube based nanocomposite binder in the explosive material by which in situ real-time sensing can be obtained. A coupled electromechanical peridynamics code is used to numerically obtain the piezoresistive response of such a material under dynamic conditions, which allows one to capture damage initiation and propagation mechanisms due to stress waves. The relative change in resistance at three locations along the length of the microstructure is monitored, and found to correlate well with deformation and damage mechanisms within the material. This response can depend on many factors, such as carbon nanotube content, electrical conductivity of the grain, impact velocity and fracture properties, which are explored through numerical simulations. For example, it is found that the piezoresistive response is highly dependent on preferential pathways of electrical current , i.e. the phase through which the current flows, which is in turn affected by the conductivity of the grain and the specific pattern of damage. It is found that the results qualitatively agree with experimental data on the dynamic piezoresistive response of nanocomposites and look promising as a sensing mechanism for explosive materials.

Neurobiological mechanisms involved in sleep bruxism.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavigne, G J; Kato, T; Kolta, A; Sessle, B J

2003-01-01

Sleep bruxism (SB) is reported by 8% of the adult population and is mainly associated with rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA) characterized by repetitive jaw muscle contractions (3 bursts or more at a frequency of 1 Hz). The consequences of SB may include tooth destruction, jaw pain, headaches, or the limitation of mandibular movement, as well as tooth-grinding sounds that disrupt the sleep of bed partners. SB is probably an extreme manifestation of a masticatory muscle activity occurring during the sleep of most normal subjects, since RMMA is observed in 60% of normal sleepers in the absence of grinding sounds. The pathophysiology of SB is becoming clearer, and there is an abundance of evidence outlining the neurophysiology and neurochemistry of rhythmic jaw movements (RJM) in relation to chewing, swallowing, and breathing. The sleep literature provides much evidence describing the mechanisms involved in the reduction of muscle tone, from sleep onset to the atonia that characterizes rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Several brainstem structures (e.g., reticular pontis oralis, pontis caudalis, parvocellularis) and neurochemicals (e.g., serotonin, dopamine, gamma aminobutyric acid [GABA], noradrenaline) are involved in both the genesis of RJM and the modulation of muscle tone during sleep. It remains unknown why a high percentage of normal subjects present RMMA during sleep and why this activity is three times more frequent and higher in amplitude in SB patients. It is also unclear why RMMA during sleep is characterized by co-activation of both jaw-opening and jaw-closing muscles instead of the alternating jaw-opening and jaw-closing muscle activity pattern typical of chewing. The final section of this review proposes that RMMA during sleep has a role in lubricating the upper alimentary tract and increasing airway patency. The review concludes with an outline of questions for future research.

The compound microscope: optical tube length or parfocalization?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simon, J M; Comastri, S A

2005-01-01

In various well-known textbooks for undergraduate students of physics, the compound microscope is described as having a standardized 'optical tube length'. On the other hand, in order to fulfil the parfocalization condition required by the human visual system to understand the relation between what is viewed with and without the microscope, the distance between the object and its image through the objective must remain constant as objectives are interchanged. In this paper, we show that these two requirements are not compatible in microscopes containing a revolver with various objectives and that the 'optical tube length' (which differs from the mechanical tube length) cannot be standardized. Moreover, we consider the Deutsche Industrie Norm (DIN) and the Japanese Industry Standards (JIS) norms employed in the microscope industry for standardization of the object-to-intermediate image distance, the parfocal distance and the mechanical tube length

Minimal Length Scale Scenarios for Quantum Gravity.

Science.gov (United States)

Hossenfelder, Sabine

2013-01-01

We review the question of whether the fundamental laws of nature limit our ability to probe arbitrarily short distances. First, we examine what insights can be gained from thought experiments for probes of shortest distances, and summarize what can be learned from different approaches to a theory of quantum gravity. Then we discuss some models that have been developed to implement a minimal length scale in quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. These models have entered the literature as the generalized uncertainty principle or the modified dispersion relation, and have allowed the study of the effects of a minimal length scale in quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics, thermodynamics, black-hole physics and cosmology. Finally, we touch upon the question of ways to circumvent the manifestation of a minimal length scale in short-distance physics.

Continuous depth-sensing nano-mechanical characterization of living, fixed and dehydrated cells attached on a glass substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Yun-Ta; Liao, Jiunn-Der; Chang, Chia-Wei [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Lin, Chou-Ching K [Department of Neurology, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Ju, Ming-Shaung, E-mail: jdliao@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China)

2010-07-16

Continuous depth-sensing nano-indentation on living, fixed and dehydrated fibroblast cells was performed using a dynamic contact module and vertically measured from a pre-contact state to the glass substrate. The nano-indentation tip-on-cell approaches took advantage of finding a contact surface, followed by obtaining a continuous nano-mechanical profile along the nano-indentation depths. In the experiment, serial indentations from the leading edge, i.e., the lamellipodium to nucleus regions of living, fixed and dehydrated fibroblast cells were examined. Nano-indentations on a living cell anchored upon glass substrate were competent in finding the tip-on-cell contact surfaces and cell heights. For the result on the fixed and the dehydrated cells, cellular nano-mechanical properties were clearly characterized by continuous harmonic contact stiffness (HCS) measurements. The relations of HCS versus measured displacement, varied from the initial tip-on-cell contact to the glass substrate, were presumably divided into three stages, respectively induced by cellular intrinsic behavior, the substrate-dominant property, and the substrate property. This manifestation is beneficial to elucidate how the underlying substrate influences the interpretation of the nano-mechanical property of thin soft matter on a hard substrate. These findings, based upon continuous depth-sensing nano-indentations, are presumably valuable as a reference to related work, e.g., accomplished by atomic force microscopy.

Continuous depth-sensing nano-mechanical characterization of living, fixed and dehydrated cells attached on a glass substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Yun-Ta; Liao, Jiunn-Der; Chang, Chia-Wei; Lin, Chou-Ching K; Ju, Ming-Shaung

2010-01-01

Continuous depth-sensing nano-indentation on living, fixed and dehydrated fibroblast cells was performed using a dynamic contact module and vertically measured from a pre-contact state to the glass substrate. The nano-indentation tip-on-cell approaches took advantage of finding a contact surface, followed by obtaining a continuous nano-mechanical profile along the nano-indentation depths. In the experiment, serial indentations from the leading edge, i.e., the lamellipodium to nucleus regions of living, fixed and dehydrated fibroblast cells were examined. Nano-indentations on a living cell anchored upon glass substrate were competent in finding the tip-on-cell contact surfaces and cell heights. For the result on the fixed and the dehydrated cells, cellular nano-mechanical properties were clearly characterized by continuous harmonic contact stiffness (HCS) measurements. The relations of HCS versus measured displacement, varied from the initial tip-on-cell contact to the glass substrate, were presumably divided into three stages, respectively induced by cellular intrinsic behavior, the substrate-dominant property, and the substrate property. This manifestation is beneficial to elucidate how the underlying substrate influences the interpretation of the nano-mechanical property of thin soft matter on a hard substrate. These findings, based upon continuous depth-sensing nano-indentations, are presumably valuable as a reference to related work, e.g., accomplished by atomic force microscopy.

Effects of fiber length on mechanical properties and fracture behavior of short carbon fiber reinforced geopolymer matrix composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Tiesong; Jia Dechang; He Peigang; Wang Meirong; Liang Defu

2008-01-01

A kind of sheet-like carbon fiber preform was developed using short fibers (2, 7 and 12 mm, respectively) as starting materials and used to strengthen a geopolymer. Mechanical properties, fracture behavior, microstructure and toughening mechanisms of the as-prepared composites were investigated by three-point bending test, optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the short carbon fibers disperse uniformly in geopolymer matrix. The C f /geopolymer composites exhibit apparently improved mechanical properties and an obvious noncatastrophic failure behavior. The composite reinforced by the carbon fibers of 7 mm in length shows a maximum flexural strength as well as the highest work of facture, which are nearly 5 times and more than 2 orders higher than that of the geopolymer matrix, respectively. The predominant strengthening and toughening mechanisms are attributed to the apparent fiber bridging and pulling-out effect based on the weak fiber/matrix interface as well as the sheet-like carbon fiber preform

Sensing and controls for power-recycling of TAMA300

CERN Document Server

Arai, K

2002-01-01

Power recycling will soon be implemented on TAMA300. This paper gives motivation for the TAMA recycling experiment, discusses the planned length sensing/control system and considerations for the lock acquisition process.

cGAS senses long and HMGB/TFAM-bound U-turn DNA by forming protein-DNA ladders.

Science.gov (United States)

Andreeva, Liudmila; Hiller, Björn; Kostrewa, Dirk; Lässig, Charlotte; de Oliveira Mann, Carina C; Jan Drexler, David; Maiser, Andreas; Gaidt, Moritz; Leonhardt, Heinrich; Hornung, Veit; Hopfner, Karl-Peter

2017-09-21

Cytosolic DNA arising from intracellular pathogens triggers a powerful innate immune response. It is sensed by cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), which elicits the production of type I interferons by generating the second messenger 2'3'-cyclic-GMP-AMP (cGAMP). Endogenous nuclear or mitochondrial DNA can also be sensed by cGAS under certain conditions, resulting in sterile inflammation. The cGAS dimer binds two DNA ligands shorter than 20 base pairs side-by-side, but 20-base-pair DNA fails to activate cGAS in vivo and is a poor activator in vitro. Here we show that cGAS is activated in a strongly DNA length-dependent manner both in vitro and in human cells. We also show that cGAS dimers form ladder-like networks with DNA, leading to cooperative sensing of DNA length: assembly of the pioneering cGAS dimer between two DNA molecules is ineffective; but, once formed, it prearranges the flanking DNA to promote binding of subsequent cGAS dimers. Remarkably, bacterial and mitochondrial nucleoid proteins HU and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), as well as high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1), can strongly stimulate long DNA sensing by cGAS. U-turns and bends in DNA induced by these proteins pre-structure DNA to nucleate cGAS dimers. Our results suggest a nucleation-cooperativity-based mechanism for sensitive detection of mitochondrial DNA and pathogen genomes, and identify HMGB/TFAM proteins as DNA-structuring host factors. They provide an explanation for the peculiar cGAS dimer structure and suggest that cGAS preferentially binds incomplete nucleoid-like structures or bent DNA.

Sensing mechanism for a fluorescent off–on chemosensor for cyanide anion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yang [State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Chen, Junsheng [State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023 (China); Chu, Tian-Shu, E-mail: tschu@dicp.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023 (China); Institute for Computational Sciences and Engineering, Laboratory of New Fiber, Materials and Modern Textile, the Growing Base for State Key Laboratory, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071 (China)

2016-11-15

In this article, the sensing mechanism of cyanide anion chemosensor 2-((2-phenyl-2H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methylene)malononitrile (M1) has been investigated through the density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) methods. The theoretical results demonstrate that the reaction barrier of 13.02 kcal/mol means a favorable response speed of the chemosensor M1 for cyanide anion. Cyanide anion attacks C=C double bond and hinders the ICT process from the malononitrile moiety to the fluorophore phenyl ring. The high viscosity of DMSO restrains the twisting of the group, inhibits the formation of the ICT state in the first excited state. Due to weak ICT character, the nucleophilic addition product shows the dramatic “off–on” fluorescence enhancement. Meanwhile, intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism accounts for how different solvents influence the fluorescence spectra. That is, more obvious ICT character of product in EtOH causes fluorescence quenching. The “reaction-based” recognition mode and large bond energy between M1 and cyanide anion minimize the interference by other anions, such as F{sup −}, AcO{sup −}. Thus, the chemosensor M1 has a high selectivity for cyanide.

Long period gratings in multimode optical fibers: application in chemical sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas Lee, S.; Dinesh Kumar, R.; Suresh Kumar, P.; Radhakrishnan, P.; Vallabhan, C. P. G.; Nampoori, V. P. N.

2003-09-01

We propose and demonstrate a new technique for evanescent wave chemical sensing by writing long period gratings in a bare multimode plastic clad silica fiber. The sensing length of the present sensor is only 10 mm, but is as sensitive as a conventional unclad evanescent wave sensor having about 100 mm sensing length. The minimum measurable concentration of the sensor reported here is 10 nmol/l and the operating range is more than 4 orders of magnitude. Moreover, the detection is carried out in two independent detection configurations viz., bright field detection scheme that detects the core-mode power and dark field detection scheme that detects the cladding mode power. The use of such a double detection scheme definitely enhances the reliability and accuracy of the results. Furthermore, the cladding of the present fiber need not be removed as done in conventional evanescent wave fiber sensors.

Minimal Length Scale Scenarios for Quantum Gravity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabine Hossenfelder

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We review the question of whether the fundamental laws of nature limit our ability to probe arbitrarily short distances. First, we examine what insights can be gained from thought experiments for probes of shortest distances, and summarize what can be learned from different approaches to a theory of quantum gravity. Then we discuss some models that have been developed to implement a minimal length scale in quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. These models have entered the literature as the generalized uncertainty principle or the modified dispersion relation, and have allowed the study of the effects of a minimal length scale in quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics, thermodynamics, black-hole physics and cosmology. Finally, we touch upon the question of ways to circumvent the manifestation of a minimal length scale in short-distance physics.

Rapid sensing of l-leucine by human and murine hypothalamic neurons: Neurochemical and mechanistic insights.

Science.gov (United States)

Heeley, Nicholas; Kirwan, Peter; Darwish, Tamana; Arnaud, Marion; Evans, Mark L; Merkle, Florian T; Reimann, Frank; Gribble, Fiona M; Blouet, Clemence

2018-04-01

Dietary proteins are sensed by hypothalamic neurons and strongly influence multiple aspects of metabolic health, including appetite, weight gain, and adiposity. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which hypothalamic neural circuits controlling behavior and metabolism sense protein availability. The aim of this study is to characterize how neurons from the mediobasal hypothalamus respond to a signal of protein availability: the amino acid l-leucine. We used primary cultures of post-weaning murine mediobasal hypothalamic neurons, hypothalamic neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells, and calcium imaging to characterize rapid neuronal responses to physiological changes in extracellular l-Leucine concentration. A neurochemically diverse subset of both mouse and human hypothalamic neurons responded rapidly to l-leucine. Consistent with l-leucine's anorexigenic role, we found that 25% of mouse MBH POMC neurons were activated by l-leucine. 10% of MBH NPY neurons were inhibited by l-leucine, and leucine rapidly reduced AGRP secretion, providing a mechanism for the rapid leucine-induced inhibition of foraging behavior in rodents. Surprisingly, none of the candidate mechanisms previously implicated in hypothalamic leucine sensing (K ATP channels, mTORC1 signaling, amino-acid decarboxylation) were involved in the acute activity changes produced by l-leucine. Instead, our data indicate that leucine-induced neuronal activation involves a plasma membrane Ca 2+ channel, whereas leucine-induced neuronal inhibition is mediated by inhibition of a store-operated Ca 2+ current. A subset of neurons in the mediobasal hypothalamus rapidly respond to physiological changes in extracellular leucine concentration. Leucine can produce both increases and decreases in neuronal Ca 2+ concentrations in a neurochemically-diverse group of neurons, including some POMC and NPY/AGRP neurons. Our data reveal that leucine can signal through novel mechanisms to rapidly

Horizontal Directional Drilling-Length Detection Technology While Drilling Based on Bi-Electro-Magnetic Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yudan Wang

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The drilling length is an important parameter in the process of horizontal directional drilling (HDD exploration and recovery, but there has been a lack of accurate, automatically obtained statistics regarding this parameter. Herein, a technique for real-time HDD length detection and a management system based on the electromagnetic detection method with a microprocessor and two magnetoresistive sensors employing the software LabVIEW are proposed. The basic principle is to detect the change in the magnetic-field strength near a current coil while the drill stem and drill-stem joint successively pass through the current coil forward or backward. The detection system consists of a hardware subsystem and a software subsystem. The hardware subsystem employs a single-chip microprocessor as the main controller. A current coil is installed in front of the clamping unit, and two magneto resistive sensors are installed on the sides of the coil symmetrically and perpendicular to the direction of movement of the drill pipe. Their responses are used to judge whether the drill-stem joint is passing through the clamping unit; then, the order of their responses is used to judge the movement direction. The software subsystem is composed of a visual software running on the host computer and a software running in the slave microprocessor. The host-computer software processes, displays, and saves the drilling-length data, whereas the slave microprocessor software operates the hardware system. A combined test demonstrated the feasibility of the entire drilling-length detection system.

Hydrological Storage Length Scales Represented by Remote Sensing Estimates of Soil Moisture and Precipitation

Science.gov (United States)

Akbar, Ruzbeh; Short Gianotti, Daniel; McColl, Kaighin A.; Haghighi, Erfan; Salvucci, Guido D.; Entekhabi, Dara

2018-03-01

The soil water content profile is often well correlated with the soil moisture state near the surface. They share mutual information such that analysis of surface-only soil moisture is, at times and in conjunction with precipitation information, reflective of deeper soil fluxes and dynamics. This study examines the characteristic length scale, or effective depth Δz, of a simple active hydrological control volume. The volume is described only by precipitation inputs and soil water dynamics evident in surface-only soil moisture observations. To proceed, first an observation-based technique is presented to estimate the soil moisture loss function based on analysis of soil moisture dry-downs and its successive negative increments. Then, the length scale Δz is obtained via an optimization process wherein the root-mean-squared (RMS) differences between surface soil moisture observations and its predictions based on water balance are minimized. The process is entirely observation-driven. The surface soil moisture estimates are obtained from the NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission and precipitation from the gauge-corrected Climate Prediction Center daily global precipitation product. The length scale Δz exhibits a clear east-west gradient across the contiguous United States (CONUS), such that large Δz depths (>200 mm) are estimated in wetter regions with larger mean precipitation. The median Δz across CONUS is 135 mm. The spatial variance of Δz is predominantly explained and influenced by precipitation characteristics. Soil properties, especially texture in the form of sand fraction, as well as the mean soil moisture state have a lesser influence on the length scale.

Diet, nutrition and telomere length.

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Ligi

2011-10-01

The ends of human chromosomes are protected by DNA-protein complexes termed telomeres, which prevent the chromosomes from fusing with each other and from being recognized as a double-strand break by DNA repair proteins. Due to the incomplete replication of linear chromosomes by DNA polymerase, telomeric DNA shortens with repeated cell divisions until the telomeres reach a critical length, at which point the cells enter senescence. Telomere length is an indicator of biological aging, and dysfunction of telomeres is linked to age-related pathologies like cardiovascular disease, Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease and cancer. Telomere length has been shown to be positively associated with nutritional status in human and animal studies. Various nutrients influence telomere length potentially through mechanisms that reflect their role in cellular functions including inflammation, oxidative stress, DNA integrity, DNA methylation and activity of telomerase, the enzyme that adds the telomeric repeats to the ends of the newly synthesized DNA. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Damage sensing and mechanical characteristics of CFRP strengthened steel plate

Science.gov (United States)

Mieda, Genki; Nakano, Daiki; Fuji, Yuya; Nakamura, Hitoshi; Mizuno, Yosuke; Nakamura, Kentaro; Matsui, Takahiro; Ochi, Yutaka; Matsumoto, Yukihiro

2017-10-01

In recent years, a large number of structures that were built during the period of high economic growth in Japan is beginning to show signs of aging. For example, the structural performance of steel structures has degraded due to corrosion. One measure that has been proposed and studied to address this issue is the adhesive bonding method, which can be used to repair and reinforce these structures. However, this method produces brittle fracture in the adhesive layer and is difficult to maintain after bonding. To solve the problem faced by this method, a clarification of the mechanical properties inside the adhesive is necessary. Then this background, a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor has been used in this study. This sensor can be embedded within the building material that needs repairing and reinforcing because an FBG sensor is extremely small. Eventually based on this, a three-point bending test of a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) strengthened steel plate that was embedded with an FBG sensor was conducted. This paper demonstrates that an FBG sensor is effectively applicable for sensing when damage occurs.

In-situ growth of ZnO nanowire arrays on the sensing electrode via a facile hydrothermal route for high-performance NO2 sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiangxiang; Shen, Yanbai; Zhang, Wei; Zhang, Jin; Wei, Dezhou; Lu, Rui; Zhu, Lijia; Li, Hansen; Shen, Yansong

2018-03-01

ZnO nanowire (ZNW) arrays were in-situ grown on the sensing electrode via a facile hydrothermal route for NO2 sensing application. ZNW arrays were prepared by a seed layer deposition on the surface of the sensing electrode using a dipping process in a Zn(CH3COO)2·2H2O ethanol solution followed by a seed growth using a hydrothermal route in the Zn(NO3)2·6H2O-HMTA (C6H12N4) system. The microstructural characterizations of the ZNW arrays by means of XRD, FESEM, TEM, FTIR and XPS showed that ZnO nanowires with the diameters of 80-90 nm and the lengths of 0.6-1 μm had a single crystal hexagonal wurtzite structure. Gas sensing properties demonstrated the response of the sensor based on the ZNW arrays was linearly proportional to the NO2 concentration in the range of 1-30 ppm with good reproducibility and selectivity. The maximum sensor response to NO2 was obtained at an operating temperature of 250 °C. The response and recovery times reduced rapidly with increasing the operating temperature. The growth mechanism and sensing mechanism of the ZNW arrays were discussed in accordance with the deposition of the seed layer and the modulation of the depletion layer, respectively.

The sense of water in the blowfly Protophormia terraenovae.

Science.gov (United States)

Solari, Paolo; Masala, Carla; Falchi, Angela Maria; Sollai, Giorgia; Liscia, Anna

2010-12-01

The gustatory system of the blowfly, Protophormia terraenovae, is a relatively simple biological model for studies on chemosensory input and behavioral output. It appears to have renewed interest as a model for studies on the role of water channels, namely aquaporins or aquaglyceroporins, in water detection. To this end, we investigated the presence of water channels, their role in "water" and "salt" cell responsiveness and the transduction mechanism involved. For the first time our electrophysiological results point to the presence of an aquaglyceroporin in the chemoreceptor membrane of the "water" cell in the blowfly taste chemosensilla whose transduction mechanism ultimately involves an intracellular calcium increase and consequently cell depolarization. This hypothesis is also supported by calcium imaging data following proper stimulation. This mechanism is triggered by "water" cell stimulation with hypotonic solutions and/or solutes such as glycerol which crosses the membrane by way of aquaglyceroporins. Behavioral output indicates that the "sense" of water in blowflies is definitely not dependent on the "water" cell only, but also on the "salt" cell sensitivity. These findings also hypothesize a new role for aquaglyceroporin in spiking cell excitability. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The mechanisms behind the formation of a strong Sense of Coherence (SOC): The role of migration and integration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Slootjes, J.; Keuzenkamp, Saskia; Saharso, S.

2017-01-01

Considering how much we know about the impact of the Sense of Coherence (SOC) on different health-related outcomes, we know surprisingly little about how a strong SOC actually develops. In this study we examine the mechanisms behind the formation of a strong SOC and study the role of migration,

Generation of a reliable full-length cDNA of infectiousTembusu virus using a PCR-based protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Te; Liu, Xiaoxiao; Cui, Shulin; Qu, Shenghua; Wang, Dan; Liu, Ning; Wang, Fumin; Ning, Kang; Zhang, Bing; Zhang, Dabing

2016-02-02

Full-length cDNA of Tembusu virus (TMUV) cloned in a plasmid has been found instable in bacterial hosts. Using a PCR-based protocol, we generated a stable full-length cDNA of TMUV. Different cDNA fragments of TMUV were amplified by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, and cloned into plasmids. Fragmented cDNAs were amplified and assembled by fusion PCR to produce a full-length cDNA using the recombinant plasmids as templates. Subsequently, a full-length RNA was transcribed from the full-length cDNA in vitro and transfected into BHK-21 cells; infectious viral particles were rescued successfully. Following several passages in BKH-21 cells, the rescued virus was compared with the parental virus by genetic marker checks, growth curve determinations and animal experiments. These assays clearly demonstrated the genetic and biological stabilities of the rescued virus. The present work will be useful for future investigations on the molecular mechanisms involved in replication and pathogenesis of TMUV. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mechanisms of mechanical strain memory in airway smooth muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hak Rim; Hai, Chi-Ming

2005-10-01

We evaluated the hypothesis that mechanical deformation of airway smooth muscle induces structural remodeling of airway smooth muscle cells, thereby modulating mechanical performance in subsequent contractions. This hypothesis implied that past experience of mechanical deformation was retained (or "memorized") as structural changes in airway smooth muscle cells, which modulated the cell's subsequent contractile responses. We termed this phenomenon mechanical strain memory. Preshortening has been found to induce attenuation of both force and isotonic shortening velocity in cholinergic receptor-activated airway smooth muscle. Rapid stretching of cholinergic receptor-activated airway smooth muscle from an initial length to a final length resulted in post-stretch force and myosin light chain phosphorylation that correlated significantly with initial length. Thus post-stretch muscle strips appeared to retain memory of the initial length prior to rapid stretch (mechanical strain memory). Cytoskeletal recruitment of actin- and integrin-binding proteins and Erk 1/2 MAPK appeared to be important mechanisms of mechanical strain memory. Sinusoidal length oscillation led to force attenuation during oscillation and in subsequent contractions in intact airway smooth muscle, and p38 MAPK appeared to be an important mechanism. In contrast, application of local mechanical strain to cultured airway smooth muscle cells induced local actin polymerization and cytoskeletal stiffening. It is conceivable that deep inspiration-induced bronchoprotection may be a manifestation of mechanical strain memory such that mechanical deformation from past breathing cycles modulated the mechanical performance of airway smooth muscle in subsequent cycles in a continuous and dynamic manner.

A novel mechanism of hippocampal LTD involving muscarinic receptor-triggered interactions between AMPARs, GRIP and liprin-α

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dickinson Bryony A

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Long-term depression (LTD in the hippocampus can be induced by activation of different types of G-protein coupled receptors, in particular metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs and muscarinic acethycholine receptors (mAChRs. Since mGluRs and mAChRs activate the same G-proteins and isoforms of phospholipase C (PLC, it would be expected that these two forms of LTD utilise the same molecular mechanisms. However, we find a distinct mechanism of LTD involving GRIP and liprin-α. Results Whilst both forms of LTD require activation of tyrosine phosphatases and involve internalisation of AMPARs, they use different molecular interactions. Specifically, mAChR-LTD, but not mGluR-LTD, is blocked by peptides that inhibit the binding of GRIP to the AMPA receptor subunit GluA2 and the binding of GRIP to liprin-α. Thus, different receptors that utilise the same G-proteins can regulate AMPAR trafficking and synaptic efficacy via distinct molecular mechanisms. Conclusion Our results suggest that mAChR-LTD selectively involves interactions between GRIP and liprin-α. These data indicate a novel mechanism of synaptic plasticity in which activation of M1 receptors results in AMPAR endocytosis, via a mechanism involving interactions between GluA2, GRIP and liprin-α.

Formation Mechanism and Gas-Sensing Performance of La/ZnO Nanoplates Synthesized by a Facile Hydrothermal Method

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yan; Chen, Li-Li; Lian, Xiao-Xue; Li, Jiao

2018-03-01

La/ZnO nanoplates were successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The structure and morphology of the products were characterized using x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The gas-sensing properties of the as-prepared La/ZnO were also tested with a series of target gases, and a possible gas sensing mechanism was discussed. The results show that the as-prepared La/ZnO nanoparticles are mainly composde of a wurtzite ZnO and a little La2O3 phase with face-centered structure, showing a uniform plate-like morphology with a thickness of about 50 nm. The La/ZnO nanoplate-based sensors display a significantly better sensing performance than pure ZnO for the detection of acetone and ethanol. The 3 mol.% La/ZnO sensor shows high sensitivity (127) to 200 ppm acetone at a low working temperature (330°C), and 120-200 ppm ethanol at 300°C. Moreover, its response and recovery time for acetone and ethanol were 3 s and 4 s, 18 s and 11 s, respectively. This work demonstrates that La/ZnO nanoplate-based sensors have potential applications as practical sensors for acetone and ethanol.

Piezoresistivity of mechanically drawn single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) thin films-: mechanism and optimizing principle

Science.gov (United States)

Obitayo, Waris

The individual carbon nanotube (CNT) based strain sensors have been found to have excellent piezoresistive properties with a reported gauge factor (GF) of up to 3000. This GF on the other hand, has been shown to be structurally dependent on the nanotubes. In contrast, to individual CNT based strain sensors, the ensemble CNT based strain sensors have very low GFs e.g. for a single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) thin film strain sensor, GF is ~1. As a result, studies which are mostly numerical/analytical have revealed the dependence of piezoresistivity on key parameters like concentration, orientation, length and diameter, aspect ratio, energy barrier height and Poisson ratio of polymer matrix. The fundamental understanding of the piezoresistive mechanism in an ensemble CNT based strain sensor still remains unclear, largely due to discrepancies in the outcomes of these numerical studies. Besides, there have been little or no experimental confirmation of these studies. The goal of my PhD is to study the mechanism and the optimizing principle of a SWCNT thin film strain sensor and provide experimental validation of the numerical/analytical investigations. The dependence of the piezoresistivity on key parameters like orientation, network density, bundle diameter (effective tunneling area), and length is studied, and how one can effectively optimize the piezoresistive behavior of a SWCNT thin film strain sensors. To reach this goal, my first research accomplishment involves the study of orientation of SWCNTs and its effect on the piezoresistivity of mechanically drawn SWCNT thin film based piezoresistive sensors. Using polarized Raman spectroscopy analysis and coupled electrical-mechanical test, a quantitative relationship between the strain sensitivity and SWCNT alignment order parameter was established. As compared to randomly oriented SWCNT thin films, the one with draw ratio of 3.2 exhibited ~6x increase on the GF. My second accomplishment involves studying the

An Enhanced Sensing Application Based on a Flexible Projected Capacitive-Sensing Mattress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-Ying Chang

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a cost-effective sensor system for mattresses that can classify the sleeping posture of an individual and prevent pressure ulcers. This system applies projected capacitive sensing to the field of health care. The charge time (CT method was used to sensitively and accurately measure the capacitance of the projected electrodes. The required characteristics of the projected capacitor were identified to develop large-area applications for sensory mattresses. The area of the electrodes, the use of shielding, and the increased length of the transmission line were calibrated to more accurately measure the capacitance of the electrodes in large-size applications. To offer the users comfort in the prone position, a flexible substrate was selected and covered with 16 × 20 electrodes. Compared with the static charge sensitive bed (SCSB, our proposed system-flexible projected capacitive-sensing mattress (FPCSM comes with more electrodes to increase the resolution of posture identification. As for the body pressure system (BPS, the FPCSM has advantages such as lower cost, higher aging-resistance capability, and the ability to sense the capacitance of the covered regions without physical contact. The proposed guard ring design effectively absorbs the noise and interrupts leakage paths. The projected capacitive electrode is suitable for proximity-sensing applications and succeeds at quickly recognizing the sleeping pattern of the user.

Hybrid Metric Propositional Neighborhood Logics with Interval Length Binders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Della Monica, Dario; Goranko, Valentin; Sciavicco, Guido

2011-01-01

We investigate the question of how much hybrid machinery can be added to the interval neighbourhood logic PNL and its metric extension MPNL without losing the decidability of their satisfiability problem in N. In particular, we consider the natural hybrid extension of MPNL obtained by adding...... over interval lengths. These results show that MPNL itself is, in this sense, a maximal decidable (weakly) hybrid extension of PNL. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved....

Sense of Humor, Stable Affect, and Psychological Well-Being

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arnie Cann

2014-08-01

Full Text Available A good sense of humor has been implicated as a quality that could contribute to psychological well-being. The mechanisms through which sense of humor might operate include helping to reappraise threats, serving as a character strength, or facilitating happiness. The current research attempts to integrate these possibilities by examining whether a good sense of humor might operate globally by helping to maintain a more stable positive affect. Stable positive affect has been shown to facilitate more effective problem solving and to build resilience. However, not all humor is adaptive humor, so we also examine the roles that different styles of humor use might play. Individual differences in humor styles were used to predict stable levels of affect. Then, in a longitudinal design, humor styles and stable affect were used to predict subsequent resilience and psychological health. The results indicated that stable affect was related to resilience and psychological well-being, and that a sense of humor that involves self-enhancing humor, humor based on maintaining a humorous perspective about one’s experiences, was positively related to stable positive affect, negatively related to stable negative affect, and was mediated through stable affect in influencing resilience, well-being and distress. Thus, while a good sense of humor can lead to greater resilience and better psychological health, the current results, focusing on stable affect, find only self-enhancing humor provides reliable benefits.

Drug-drug interactions involving lysosomes: mechanisms and potential clinical implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Logan, Randall; Funk, Ryan S; Axcell, Erick; Krise, Jeffrey P

2012-08-01

Many commercially available, weakly basic drugs have been shown to be lysosomotropic, meaning they are subject to extensive sequestration in lysosomes through an ion trapping-type mechanism. The extent of lysosomal trapping of a drug is an important therapeutic consideration because it can influence both activity and pharmacokinetic disposition. The administration of certain drugs can alter lysosomes such that their accumulation capacity for co-administered and/or secondarily administered drugs is altered. In this review the authors explore what is known regarding the mechanistic basis for drug-drug interactions involving lysosomes. Specifically, the authors address the influence of drugs on lysosomal pH, volume and lipid processing. Many drugs are known to extensively accumulate in lysosomes and significantly alter their structure and function; however, the therapeutic and toxicological implications of this remain controversial. The authors propose that drug-drug interactions involving lysosomes represent an important potential source of variability in drug activity and pharmacokinetics. Most evaluations of drug-drug interactions involving lysosomes have been performed in cultured cells and isolated tissues. More comprehensive in vivo evaluations are needed to fully explore the impact of this drug-drug interaction pathway on therapeutic outcomes.

Dopants incorporation in ZnO mechanical milled powders sensed by positrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Damonte, L. C.; Donderis, V.; Hernandez Fenollosa, M. A.

2007-01-01

M-doped ZnO (M: Cd, Mg) powders obtained by mechanical milling were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and positron lifetime annihilation spectroscopy (PALS). The mixing of the oxides is followed by means of XRD and SEM. As milling proceeds, a clear reduction of grain size and homogenization are observed. The evolution of annihilation parameters with milling time and cation content were analyzed and related with the kind of mechanical induced defect involved. Ternary oxides Zn 1-x M x O were efficiency obtained for certain compositions. The results showed that positrons constitute a well suited probe to characterize the cation substitution in the ZnO oxide lattice.

Dopants incorporation in ZnO mechanical milled powders sensed by positrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Damonte, L. C., E-mail: damonte@fisica.unlp.edu.ar; Donderis, V.; Hernandez Fenollosa, M. A. [Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Departamento de Fisica Aplicada (Spain)

2007-09-15

M-doped ZnO (M: Cd, Mg) powders obtained by mechanical milling were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and positron lifetime annihilation spectroscopy (PALS). The mixing of the oxides is followed by means of XRD and SEM. As milling proceeds, a clear reduction of grain size and homogenization are observed. The evolution of annihilation parameters with milling time and cation content were analyzed and related with the kind of mechanical induced defect involved. Ternary oxides Zn{sub 1-x}M{sub x}O were efficiency obtained for certain compositions. The results showed that positrons constitute a well suited probe to characterize the cation substitution in the ZnO oxide lattice.

The relationship between hamstring length and gluteal muscle strength in individuals with sacroiliac joint dysfunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Massoud Arab, Amir; Reza Nourbakhsh, Mohammad; Mohammadifar, Ali

2011-02-01

It has been suggested that tight hamstring muscle, due to its anatomical connections, could be a compensatory mechanism for providing sacroiliac (SI) joint stability in patients with gluteal muscle weakness and SIJ dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between hamstring muscle length and gluteal muscle strength in subjects with sacroiliac joint dysfunction. A total of 159 subjects with and without low back pain (LBP) between the ages of 20 and 65 years participate in the study. Subjects were categorized into three groups: LBP without SIJ involvement (n = 53); back pain with SIJ dysfunction (n = 53); and no low back pain (n = 53). Hamstring muscle length and gluteal muscle strength were measured in all subjects. The number of individuals with gluteal weakness was significantly (P = 0.02) higher in subjects with SI joint dysfunction (66%) compared to those with LBP without SI joint dysfunctions (34%). In pooled data, there was no significant difference (P = 0.31) in hamstring muscle length between subjects with SI joint dysfunction and those with back pain without SI involvement. In subjects with SI joint dysfunction, however, those with gluteal muscle weakness had significantly (P = 0.02) shorter hamstring muscle length (mean = 158±11°) compared to individuals without gluteal weakness (mean = 165±10°). There was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05) in hamstring muscle length between individuals with and without gluteal muscle weakness in other groups. In conclusion, hamstring tightness in subjects with SI joint dysfunction could be related to gluteal muscle weakness. The slight difference in hamstring muscle length found in this study, although statistically significant, was not sufficient for making any definite conclusions. Further studies are needed to establish the role of hamstring muscle in SI joint stability.

Performance of RC columns with partial length corrosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xiaohui; Liang Fayun

2008-01-01

Experimental and analytical studies on the load capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) columns with partial length corrosion are presented, where only a fraction of the column length was corroded. Twelve simply supported columns were eccentrically loaded. The primary variables were partial length corrosion in tensile or compressive zone and the corrosion level within this length. The failure of the corroded column occurs in the partial length, mainly developed from or located nearby or merged with the longitudinal corrosion cracks. For RC column with large eccentricity, load capacity of the column is mainly influenced by the partial length corrosion in tensile zone; while for RC column with small eccentricity, load capacity of the column greatly decreases due to the partial length corrosion in compressive zone. The destruction of the longitudinally mechanical integrality of the column in the partial length leads to this great reduction of the load capacity of the RC column

Accurate estimation of motion blur parameters in noisy remote sensing image

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Xueyan; Wang, Lin; Shao, Xiaopeng; Wang, Huilin; Tao, Zhong

2015-05-01

The relative motion between remote sensing satellite sensor and objects is one of the most common reasons for remote sensing image degradation. It seriously weakens image data interpretation and information extraction. In practice, point spread function (PSF) should be estimated firstly for image restoration. Identifying motion blur direction and length accurately is very crucial for PSF and restoring image with precision. In general, the regular light-and-dark stripes in the spectrum can be employed to obtain the parameters by using Radon transform. However, serious noise existing in actual remote sensing images often causes the stripes unobvious. The parameters would be difficult to calculate and the error of the result relatively big. In this paper, an improved motion blur parameter identification method to noisy remote sensing image is proposed to solve this problem. The spectrum characteristic of noisy remote sensing image is analyzed firstly. An interactive image segmentation method based on graph theory called GrabCut is adopted to effectively extract the edge of the light center in the spectrum. Motion blur direction is estimated by applying Radon transform on the segmentation result. In order to reduce random error, a method based on whole column statistics is used during calculating blur length. Finally, Lucy-Richardson algorithm is applied to restore the remote sensing images of the moon after estimating blur parameters. The experimental results verify the effectiveness and robustness of our algorithm.

Quantum-Mechanical Calculations on Molecular Substructures Involved in Nanosystems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beata Szefler

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In this review article, four ideas are discussed: (a aromaticity of fullerenes patched with flowers of 6-and 8-membered rings, optimized at the HF and DFT levels of theory, in terms of HOMA and NICS criteria; (b polybenzene networks, from construction to energetic and vibrational spectra computations; (c quantum-mechanical calculations on the repeat units of various P-type crystal networks and (d construction and stability evaluation, at DFTB level of theory, of some exotic allotropes of diamond D5, involved in hyper-graphenes. The overall conclusion was that several of the yet hypothetical molecular nanostructures herein described are serious candidates to the status of real molecules.

Eccentric Torque-Producing Capacity is Influenced by Muscle Length in Older Healthy Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Melo, Ruth C; Takahashi, Anielle C M; Quitério, Robison J; Salvini, Tânia F; Catai, Aparecida M

2016-01-01

Considering the importance of muscle strength to functional capacity in the elderly, the study investigated the effects of age on isokinetic performance and torque production as a function of muscle length. Eleven younger (24.2 ± 2.9 years) and 16 older men (62.7 ± 2.5 years) were subjected to concentric and eccentric isokinetic knee extension/flexion at 60 and 120° · s(-1) through a functional range of motion. The older group presented lower peak torque (in newton-meters) than the young group for both isokinetic contraction types (age effect, p torque deficits in the older group were near 30 and 29% for concentric and eccentric contraction, respectively. Concentric peak torque was lower at 120° · s(-1) than at 60° · s(-1) for both groups (angular velocity effect, p torque was the only exercise tested that showed an interaction effect between age and muscle length (p torque responses to the muscle length between groups. Compared with the young group, the eccentric knee extension torque was 22-56% lower in the older group, with the deficits being lower in the shortened muscle length (22-27%) and higher (33-56%) in the stretched muscle length. In older men, the production of eccentric knee strength seems to be dependent on the muscle length. At more stretched positions, older subjects lose the capacity to generate eccentric knee extension torque. More studies are needed to assess the mechanisms involved in eccentric strength preservation with aging and its relationship with muscle length.

Single Mode SU8 Polymer Based Mach-Zehnder Interferometer for Bio-Sensing Application

Science.gov (United States)

Boiragi, Indrajit; Kundu, Sushanta; Makkar, Roshan; Chalapathi, Krishnamurthy

2011-10-01

This paper explains the influence of different parameters to the sensitivity of an optical waveguide Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) for real time detection of biomolecules. The sensing principle is based on the interaction of evanescence field with the biomolecules that get immobilized on sensing arm. The sensitivity has been calculated by varying the sensing window length, wavelength and concentration of bio-analyte. The maximum attainable sensitivity for the preferred design is the order of 10-8 RIU at 840 nm wavelength with a sensing window length of 1cm. All the simulation work has been carried out with Opti-BPMCAD for the optimization of MZI device parameters. The SU8 polymers are used as a core and clad material to fabricate the waveguide. The refractive index of cladding layer is optimized by varying the curing temperature for a fixed time period and the achieved index difference between core and clad is Δn = 0.0151. The fabricated MZI device has been characterized with LASER beam profiler at 840 nm wavelength. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the different parameter to the sensitivity of a single mode optical waveguide Mach-Zehnder Interferometer for bio-sensing application.

Effective Debye length in closed nanoscopic systems: a competition between two length scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Tessier, Frédéric; Slater, Gary W

2006-02-01

The Poisson-Boltzmann equation (PBE) is widely employed in fields where the thermal motion of free ions is relevant, in particular in situations involving electrolytes in the vicinity of charged surfaces. The applications of this non-linear differential equation usually concern open systems (in osmotic equilibrium with an electrolyte reservoir, a semi-grand canonical ensemble), while solutions for closed systems (where the number of ions is fixed, a canonical ensemble) are either not appropriately distinguished from the former or are dismissed as a numerical calculation exercise. We consider herein the PBE for a confined, symmetric, univalent electrolyte and quantify how, in addition to the Debye length, its solution also depends on a second length scale, which embodies the contribution of ions by the surface (which may be significant in high surface-to-volume ratio micro- or nanofluidic capillaries). We thus establish that there are four distinct regimes for such systems, corresponding to the limits of the two parameters. We also show how the PBE in this case can be formulated in a familiar way by simply replacing the traditional Debye length by an effective Debye length, the value of which is obtained numerically from conservation conditions. But we also show that a simple expression for the value of the effective Debye length, obtained within a crude approximation, remains accurate even as the system size is reduced to nanoscopic dimensions, and well beyond the validity range typically associated with the solution of the PBE.

Mechanisms involved in the hydrothermal growth of ultra-thin and high aspect ratio ZnO nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Demes, Thomas; Ternon, Céline; Morisot, Fanny; Riassetto, David; Legallais, Maxime; Roussel, Hervé; Langlet, Michel

2017-07-01

Hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO nanowires (NWs) with tailored dimensions, notably high aspect ratios (AR) and small diameters, is a major concern for a wide range of applications and still represents a challenging and recurring issue. In this work, an additive-free and reproducible hydrothermal procedure has been developed to grow ultra-thin and high AR ZnO NWs on sol-gel deposited ZnO seed layers. Controlling the substrate temperature and using a low reagent concentration (1 mM) has been found to be essential for obtaining such NWs. We show that the NW diameter remains constant at about 20-25 nm with growth time contrary to the NW length that can be selectively increased leading to NWs with ARs up to 400. On the basis of investigated experimental conditions along with thermodynamic and kinetic considerations, a ZnO NW growth mechanism has been developed which involves the formation and growth of nuclei followed by NW growth when the nuclei reach a critical size of about 20-25 nm. The low reagent concentration inhibits NW lateral growth leading to ultra-thin and high AR NWs. These NWs have been assembled into electrically conductive ZnO nanowire networks, which opens attractive perspectives toward the development of highly sensitive low-cost gas- or bio-sensors.

Private sector involvement in civil space remote sensing. Volume 2: Appendices

Science.gov (United States)

1980-01-01

The U.S. Space Policy concerning the investment and direct participation in the establishment and operations of remote sensing systems is addressed. Private sector views and state and local government views are presented. Results of a market analysis are pregiven and the economic feasibility of such a program is considered.

Caffeine and length dependence of staircase potentiation in skeletal muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

Rassier, D E; Tubman, L A; MacIntosh, B R

1998-01-01

Skeletal muscle sensitivity to Ca2+ is greater at long lengths, and this results in an optimal length for twitch contractions that is longer than optimal length for tetanic contractions. Caffeine abolishes this length dependence of Ca2+ sensitivity. Muscle length (ML) also affects the degree of staircase potentiation. Since staircase potentiation is apparently caused by an increased Ca2+ sensitivity of the myofilaments, we tested the hypothesis that caffeine depresses the length dependence of staircase potentiation. In situ isometric twitch contractions of rat gastrocnemius muscle before and after 10 s of 10-Hz stimulation were analyzed at seven different lengths to evaluate the length dependence of staircase potentiation. In the absence of caffeine, length dependence of Ca2+ sensitivity was observed, and the degree of potentiation after 10-Hz stimulation showed a linear decrease with increased length (DT = 1.47 - 0.05 ML, r2 = 0.95, where DT is developed tension). Length dependence of Ca2+ sensitivity was decreased by caffeine when caffeine was administered in amounts estimated to result in 0.5 and 0.75 mM concentrations. Furthermore, the negative slope of the relationship between staircase potentiation and muscle length was diminished at the lower caffeine dose, and the slope was not different from zero after the higher dose (DT = 1.53 - 0.009 ML, r2 = 0.43). Our study shows that length dependence of Ca2+ sensitivity in intact skeletal muscle is diminished by caffeine. Caffeine also suppressed the length dependence of staircase potentiation, suggesting that the mechanism of this length dependence may be closely related to the mechanism for length dependence of Ca2+ sensitivity.

Global Mechanical Response and Its Relation to Deformation and Failure Modes at Various Length Scales Under Shock Impact in Alumina AD995 Armor Ceramic

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Dandekar, D. P; McCauley, J. W; Green, W. H; Bourne, N. K; Chen, M. W

2008-01-01

... maps relating the experimentally measured global mechanical response of a material through matured shock wave diagnostics to the nature of concurrent deformation and damage generated at varying length scales under shock wave loading.

Self-mixing interferometry: a novel yardstick for mechanical metrology

Science.gov (United States)

Donati, Silvano

2016-11-01

A novel configuration of interferometry, SMI (self-mixing interferometry), is described in this paper. SMI is attractive because it doesn't require any optical part external to the laser and can be employed in a variety of measurements - indeed it is sometimes indicated as the "interferometer for measuring without an interferometer". On processing the phase carried by the optical field upon propagation to the target under test, a number of applications have been developed, including traditional measurements related to metrology and mechanical engineering - like displacement, distance, small-amplitude vibrations, attitude angles, velocity, as well as new measurements, like mechanical stress-strain hysterisis and microstructure/MEMS electro-mechanical response. In another field, sensing of motility finds direct application in a variety of biophysical measurements, like blood pulsation, respiratory sounds, chest acoustical impedance, and blood velocity profile. And, we may also look at the amplitude of the returning signal in a SMI, and we can measure weak optical echoes - for return loss and isolation factor measurements, CD readout and scroll sensing, and THz-wave detection. Last, the fine details of the SMI waveform reveal physical parameters of the laser like the laser linewidth, coherence length, and alpha factor. Worth to be noted, SMI is also a coherent detection scheme, and measurement close to the quantum limit of received field with minimum detectable displacements of 100 pm/√Hz are currently achieved upon operation on diffusive targets, whereas in detection mode returning signal can be sensed down to attenuations of -80dB.

Effect of length scale on mechanical properties of Al-Cu eutectic alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Tiwary, C. S.; Roy Mahapatra, D.; Chattopadhyay, K.

2012-10-01

This paper attempts a quantitative understanding of the effect of length scale on two phase eutectic structure. We first develop a model that considers both the elastic and plastic properties of the interface. Using Al-Al2Cu lamellar eutectic as model system, the parameters of the model were experimentally determined using indentation technique. The model is further validated using the results of bulk compression testing of the eutectics having different length scales.

Electromagnetism Mechanism for Enhancing the Refueling Cycle Length of a WWER-1000

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Navid Poursalehi

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Increasing the operation cycle length can be an important goal in the fuel reload design of a nuclear reactor core. In this research paper, a new optimization approach, electromagnetism mechanism (EM, is applied to the fuel arrangement design of the Bushehr WWER-1000 core. For this purpose, a neutronic solver has been developed for calculating the required parameters during the reload cycle of the reactor. In this package, two modules have been linked, including PARCS v2.7 and WIMS-5B codes, integrated in a solver for using in the fuel arrangement optimization operation. The first results of the prepared package, along with the cycle for the original pattern of Bushehr WWER-1000, are compared and verified according to the Final Safety Analysis Report and then the results of exploited EM linked with Purdue Advanced Reactor Core Simulator (PARCS and Winfrith Improved Multigroup Scheme (WIMS codes are reported for the loading pattern optimization. Totally, the numerical results of our loading pattern optimization indicate the power of the EM for this problem and also show the effective improvement of desired parameters for the gained semi-optimized core pattern in comparison to the designer scheme.

Electromagnetism mechanism for enhancing the refueling cycle length of a WWER-1000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poursalehi, Navid; Nejati-Zadeh, Mostafa; Minuchehr, Abdolhamid [Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2017-02-15

Increasing the operation cycle length can be an important goal in the fuel reload design of a nuclear reactor core. In this research paper, a new optimization approach, electromagnetism mechanism (EM), is applied to the fuel arrangement design of the Bushehr WWER-1000 core. For this purpose, a neutronic solver has been developed for calculating the required parameters during the reload cycle of the reactor. In this package, two modules have been linked, including PARCS v2.7 and WIMS-5B codes, integrated in a solver for using in the fuel arrangement optimization operation. The first results of the prepared package, along with the cycle for the original pattern of Bushehr WWER-1000, are compared and verified according to the Final Safety Analysis Report and then the results of exploited EM linked with Purdue Advanced Reactor Core Simulator (PARCS) and Winfrith Improved Multigroup Scheme (WIMS) codes are reported for the loading pattern optimization. Totally, the numerical results of our loading pattern optimization indicate the power of the EM for this problem and also show the effective improvement of desired parameters for the gained semi-optimized core pattern in comparison to the designer scheme.

Concentric-Electrode Organic Electrochemical Transistors: Case Study for Selective Hydrazine Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sébastien Pecqueur

2017-03-01

Full Text Available We report on hydrazine-sensing organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs with a design consisting of concentric annular electrodes. The design engineering of these OECTs was motivated by the great potential of using OECT sensing arrays in fields such as bioelectronics. In this work, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene:poly(styrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS-based OECTs have been studied as aqueous sensors that are specifically sensitive to the lethal hydrazine molecule. These amperometric sensors have many relevant features for the development of hydrazine sensors, such as a sensitivity down to 10−5 M of hydrazine in water, an order of magnitude higher selectivity for hydrazine than for nine other water-soluble common analytes, the capability to entirely recover its base signal after water flushing, and a very low operation voltage. The specificity for hydrazine to be sensed by our OECTs is caused by its catalytic oxidation at the gate electrode, and enables an increase in the output current modulation of the devices. This has permitted the device-geometry study of the whole series of 80 micrometric OECT devices with sub-20-nm PEDOT:PSS layers, channel lengths down to 1 µm, and a specific device geometry of coplanar and concentric electrodes. The numerous geometries unravel new aspects of the OECT mechanisms governing the electrochemical sensing behaviours of the device—more particularly the effect of the contacts which are inherent at the micro-scale. By lowering the device cross-talk, micrometric gate-integrated radial OECTs shall contribute to the diminishing of the readout invasiveness and therefore further promote the development of OECT biosensors.

Field-Assisted Splitting of Pure Water Based on Deep-Sub-Debye-Length Nanogap Electrochemical Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yifei; Narayanan, S R; Wu, Wei

2017-08-22

Owing to the low conductivity of pure water, using an electrolyte is common for achieving efficient water electrolysis. In this paper, we have fundamentally broken through this common sense by using deep-sub-Debye-length nanogap electrochemical cells to achieve efficient electrolysis of pure water (without any added electrolyte) at room temperature. A field-assisted effect resulted from overlapped electrical double layers can greatly enhance water molecules ionization and mass transport, leading to electron-transfer limited reactions. We have named this process "virtual breakdown mechanism" (which is completely different from traditional mechanisms) that couples the two half-reactions together, greatly reducing the energy losses arising from ion transport. This fundamental discovery has been theoretically discussed in this paper and experimentally demonstrated in a group of electrochemical cells with nanogaps between two electrodes down to 37 nm. On the basis of our nanogap electrochemical cells, the electrolysis current density from pure water can be significantly larger than that from 1 mol/L sodium hydroxide solution, indicating the much better performance of pure water splitting as a potential for on-demand clean hydrogen production.

Displacement sensing based on modal interference in polymer optical fibers with partially applied strain

Science.gov (United States)

Mizuno, Yosuke; Hagiwara, Sonoko; Kawa, Tomohito; Lee, Heeyoung; Nakamura, Kentaro

2018-05-01

Strain sensing based on modal interference in multimode fibers (MMFs) has been extensively studied, but no experimental or theoretical reports have been given as to how the system works when strain is applied not to the whole MMF but only to part of the MMF. Here, using a perfluorinated graded-index polymer optical fiber as the MMF, we investigate the strain sensing characteristics of this type of sensor when strain is partially applied to fiber sections with different lengths. The strain sensitivity dependence on the length of the strained section reveals that this strain sensor actually behaves as a displacement sensor.

Radiation distribution sensing with normal optical fiber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawarabayashi, Jun; Mizuno, Ryoji; Naka, Ryotaro; Uritani, Akira; Watanabe, Ken-ichi; Iguchi, Tetsuo; Tsujimura, Norio

2002-01-01

The purpose of this study is to develop a radiation distribution monitor using a normal plastic optical fiber. The monitor has a long operating length (10m-100m) and can obtain continuous radiation distributions. A principle of the position sensing is based on a time-of-flight technique. The characteristics of this monitor to beta particles, gamma rays and fast neutrons were obtained. The spatial resolutions for beta particles ( 90 Sr -90 Y), gamma rays ( 137 Cs) and D-T neutrons were 30 cm, 37 cm and 13 cm, respectively. The detection efficiencies for the beta rays, the gamma rays and D-T neutrons were 0.11%, 1.6x10 -5 % and 5.4x10 -4 %, respectively. The effective attenuation length of the detection efficiency was 18m. New principle of the position sensing based on spectroscopic analysis was also proposed. A preliminary test showed that the spectrum observed at the end of the fiber depended on the position of the irradiated point. This fact shows that the radiation distributions were calculated from the spectrum by mathematical deconvolution technique. (author)

Enlightening mineral iron sensing in Pseudomonas fluorescens by surface active maghemite nanoparticles: Involvement of the OprF porin.

Science.gov (United States)

Magro, Massimiliano; Fasolato, Luca; Bonaiuto, Emanuela; Andreani, Nadia Andrea; Baratella, Davide; Corraducci, Vittorino; Miotto, Giovanni; Cardazzo, Barbara; Vianello, Fabio

2016-10-01

Mineral iron(III) recognition by bacteria is considered a matter of debate. The peculiar surface chemistry of novel naked magnetic nanoparticles, called SAMNs (surface active maghemite nanoparticles) characterized by solvent exposed Fe(3+) sites on their surface, was exploited for studying mineral iron sensing in Pseudomonas fluorescens. SAMNs were applied for mimicking Fe(3+) ions in solution, acting as magnetically drivable probes to evaluate putative Fe(3+) recognition sites on the microorganism surface. Culture broths and nano-bio-conjugates were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The whole heritage of a membrane porin (OprF) of P. fluorescens Ps_22 cells was recognized and firmly bound by SAMNs. The binding of nanoparticles to OprF porin was correlated to a drastic inhibition of a siderophore (pyoverdine) biosynthesis and to the stimulation of the production and rate of formation of a secondary siderophore. The analysis of metabolic pathways, based on P. fluorescens Ps_22 genomic information, evidenced that this putative secondary siderophore does not belong to a selection of the most common siderophores. In the scenario of an adhesion mechanism, it is plausible to consider OprF as the biological component deputed to the mineral iron sensing in P. fluorescens Ps_22, as well as one key of siderophore regulation. The present work sheds light on mineral iron sensing in microorganisms. Peculiar colloidal naked iron oxide nanoparticles offer a useful approach for probing the adhesion of bacterial surface on mineral iron for the identification of the specific recognition site for this iron uptake regulation in microorganisms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recent Advances in the Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Hypothalamic Neuronal Glucose Detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Fioramonti, Xavier; Chrétien, Chloé; Leloup, Corinne; Pénicaud, Luc

2017-01-01

The hypothalamus have been recognized for decades as one of the major brain centers for the control of energy homeostasis. This area contains specialized neurons able to detect changes in nutrients level. Among them, glucose-sensing neurons use glucose as a signaling molecule in addition to its fueling role. In this review we will describe the different sub-populations of glucose-sensing neurons present in the hypothalamus and highlight their nature in terms of neurotransmitter/neuropeptide expression. This review will particularly discuss whether pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons from the arcuate nucleus are directly glucose-sensing. In addition, recent observations in glucose-sensing suggest a subtle system with different mechanisms involved in the detection of changes in glucose level and their involvement in specific physiological functions. Several data point out the critical role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondria dynamics in the detection of increased glucose. This review will also highlight that ATP-dependent potassium (K ATP ) channels are not the only channels mediating glucose-sensing and discuss the new role of transient receptor potential canonical channels (TRPC). We will discuss the recent advances in the determination of glucose-sensing machinery and propose potential line of research needed to further understand the regulation of brain glucose detection.

Recent Advances in the Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Hypothalamic Neuronal Glucose Detection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xavier Fioramonti

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The hypothalamus have been recognized for decades as one of the major brain centers for the control of energy homeostasis. This area contains specialized neurons able to detect changes in nutrients level. Among them, glucose-sensing neurons use glucose as a signaling molecule in addition to its fueling role. In this review we will describe the different sub-populations of glucose-sensing neurons present in the hypothalamus and highlight their nature in terms of neurotransmitter/neuropeptide expression. This review will particularly discuss whether pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC neurons from the arcuate nucleus are directly glucose-sensing. In addition, recent observations in glucose-sensing suggest a subtle system with different mechanisms involved in the detection of changes in glucose level and their involvement in specific physiological functions. Several data point out the critical role of reactive oxygen species (ROS and mitochondria dynamics in the detection of increased glucose. This review will also highlight that ATP-dependent potassium (KATP channels are not the only channels mediating glucose-sensing and discuss the new role of transient receptor potential canonical channels (TRPC. We will discuss the recent advances in the determination of glucose-sensing machinery and propose potential line of research needed to further understand the regulation of brain glucose detection.

Chord length distribution for a compound capsule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitřík, Pavel

2017-01-01

Chord length distribution is a factor important in the calculation of ionisation chamber responses. This article describes Monte Carlo calculations of the chord length distribution for a non-convex compound capsule. A Monte Carlo code was set up for generation of random chords and calculation of their lengths based on the input number of generations and cavity dimensions. The code was written in JavaScript and can be executed in the majority of HTML viewers. The plot of occurrence of cords of different lengths has 3 peaks. It was found that the compound capsule cavity cannot be simply replaced with a spherical cavity of a triangular design. Furthermore, the compound capsule cavity is directionally dependent, which must be taken into account in calculations involving non-isotropic fields of primary particles in the beam, unless equilibrium of the secondary charged particles is attained. (orig.)

Evaluation of autophagy as a mechanism involved in air pollutant-induced pulmonary injury

Science.gov (United States)

Evaluation of autophagy as a mechanism involved in air pollutant-induced pulmonary injuryHenriquez, A.1, Snow, S.2, Miller, D1.,Schladweiler, M.2 and Kodavanti, U2.1 Curriculum in Toxicology, UNC, Chapel Hill, NC. 2 EPHD/NHEERL, US EPA, RTP, Durham, NC. ...

Overexpression of transcription factor AP-2 stimulates the PA promoter of the human uracil-DNA glycosylase (UNG) gene through a mechanism involving derepression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aas, Per Arne; Pena Diaz, Javier; Liabakk, Nina Beate

2009-01-01

within the region of DNA marked by PA. Footprinting analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assays of PA and putative AP-2 binding regions with HeLa cell nuclear extract and recombinant AP-2alpha protein indicate that AP-2 transcription factors are central in the regulated expression of UNG2 m......The PA promoter in the human uracil-DNA glycosylase gene (UNG) directs expression of the nuclear form (UNG2) of UNG proteins. Using a combination of promoter deletion and mutation analyses, and transient transfection of HeLa cells, we show that repressor and derepressor activities are contained......alpha, lacking the activation domain but retaining the DNA binding and dimerization domains, stimulated PA to a level approaching that of full-length AP-2, suggesting that AP-2 overexpression stimulates PA activity by a mechanism involving derepression rather than activation, possibly by neutralizing...

Sensing line effects on PWR-based differential pressure measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, R.P.; Neff, G.G.

1982-01-01

An incorrrect configuration of the fluid-filled pressure sensing lines connecting differential pressure transducers to the pressure taps in a pressurized water reactor system can cause errors in the measurement and, during rapid pressure transients, could cause the transducer to fail. Testing was performed in both static and dynamic modes to experimentally determine the effects of sensing lines of various lengths, diameters, and materials. Testing was performed at ambient temperature with absolute line pressures at about 17 MPa using water as the pressure transmission fluid

Studying Sensing-Based Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærgaard, Mikkel Baun

2013-01-01

Recent sensing-based systems involve a multitude of users, devices, and places. These types of systems challenge existing approaches for conducting valid system evaluations. Here, the author discusses such evaluation challenges and revisits existing system evaluation methodologies....

Cervical Joint Position Sense in Hypobaric Conditions: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagaianu, Diana; Van Tiggelen, Damien; Duvigneaud, N; Stevens, Veerle; Schroyen, Danny; Vissenaeken, Dirk; D'Hondt, Gino; Pitance, Laurent

2017-09-01

Well-adapted motor actions require intact and well-integrated information from all of the sensory systems, specifically the visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems, including proprioception. Proprioception is involved in the sensorimotor control by providing the central nervous system with an updated body schema of the biomechanical and spatial properties of the body parts. With regard to the cervical spine, proprioceptive information from joint and muscle mechanoreceptors is integrated with vestibular and visual feedback to control head position, head orientation, and whole body posture. Postural control is highly complex and proprioception from joints is an important contributor to the system. Altitude has been used as a paradigm to study the mechanisms of postural control. Determining the mechanisms of postural control that are affected by moderate altitude is important as unpressurized aircrafts routinely operate at altitudes where hypoxia may be a concern. Deficits in motor performance arise when the reliance on proprioceptive feedback is abolished either experimentally or because of a disorder. As pilots require good neck motor control to counteract the weight of their head gear and proprioceptive information plays an important role in this process, the aim of this study was to determine if hypoxia at moderate altitudes would impair proprioception measured by joint position sense of the cervical spine in healthy subjects. Thirty-six healthy subjects (Neck Disability Index environment, a hypobaric chamber was used to simulate artificial moderate altitude. Head repositioning error was measured by asking the subject to perform a head-to-neutral task after submaximal flexion-extension and right/left rotation movements, and a head-to-target task, in which the subjects had to return to a 30° right and left rotation position. Exposure to artificial acute moderate altitude of 7,000 feet had no significant effects on cervical joint position sense measured by

Mechanical Drawing of Gas Sensors on Paper

OpenAIRE

Esser, Birgit; Mirica, Katherine; Weis, Jonathan Garrett; Schnorr, Jan Markus; Swager, Timothy Manning

2012-01-01

This communication describes a simple solvent-free method for fabricating chemoresistive gas sensors on the surface of paper. The method involves mechanical abrasion of compressed powders of sensing materials on the fibers of cellulose. We illustrate this approach by depositing conductive layers of several forms of carbon (e.g., single-walled carbon nanotubes [SWCNTs], multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and graphite) on the surface of different papers (Figure 1, Figure S1). The resulting sensors ...

Stalk-length-dependence of the contractility of Vorticella convallaria

Science.gov (United States)

Gul Chung, Eun; Ryu, Sangjin

2017-12-01

Vorticella convallaria is a sessile protozoan of which the spasmoneme contracts on a millisecond timescale. Because this contraction is induced and powered by the binding of calcium ions (Ca2+), the spasmoneme showcases Ca2+-powered cellular motility. Because the isometric tension of V. convallaria increases linearly with its stalk length, it is hypothesized that the contractility of V. convallaria during unhindered contraction depends on the stalk length. In this study, the contractile force and energetics of V. convallaria cells of different stalk lengths were evaluated using a fluid dynamic drag model which accounts for the unsteadiness and finite Reynolds number of the water flow caused by contracting V. convallaria and the wall effect of the no-slip substrate. It was found that the contraction displacement, peak contraction speed, peak contractile force, total mechanical work, and peak power depended on the stalk length. The observed stalk-length-dependencies were simulated using a damped spring model, and the model estimated that the average spring constant of the contracting stalk was 1.34 nN µm-1. These observed length-dependencies of Vorticella’s key contractility parameters reflect the biophysical mechanism of the spasmonemal contraction, and thus they should be considered in developing a theoretical model of the Vorticella spasmoneme.

Telomere Length Dynamics and the Evolution of Cancer Genome Architecture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kez Cleal

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Telomeres are progressively eroded during repeated rounds of cell division due to the end replication problem but also undergo additional more substantial stochastic shortening events. In most cases, shortened telomeres induce a cell-cycle arrest or trigger apoptosis, although for those cells that bypass such signals during tumour progression, a critical length threshold is reached at which telomere dysfunction may ensue. Dysfunction of the telomere nucleoprotein complex can expose free chromosome ends to the DNA double-strand break (DSB repair machinery, leading to telomere fusion with both telomeric and non-telomeric loci. The consequences of telomere fusions in promoting genome instability have long been appreciated through the breakage–fusion–bridge (BFB cycle mechanism, although recent studies using high-throughput sequencing technologies have uncovered evidence of involvement in a wider spectrum of genomic rearrangements including chromothripsis. A critical step in cancer progression is the transition of a clone to immortality, through the stabilisation of the telomere repeat array. This can be achieved via the reactivation of telomerase, or the induction of the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT pathway. Whilst telomere dysfunction may promote genome instability and tumour progression, by limiting the replicative potential of a cell and enforcing senescence, telomere shortening can act as a tumour suppressor mechanism. However, the burden of senescent cells has also been implicated as a driver of ageing and age-related pathology, and in the promotion of cancer through inflammatory signalling. Considering the critical role of telomere length in governing cancer biology, we review questions related to the prognostic value of studying the dynamics of telomere shortening and fusion, and discuss mechanisms and consequences of telomere-induced genome rearrangements.

Involvement of proton-sensing receptor TDAG8 in the anti-inflammatory actions of dexamethasone in peritoneal macrophages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Xiao-dong; Tobo, Masayuki; Mogi, Chihiro; Nakakura, Takashi; Komachi, Mayumi; Murata, Naoya; Takano, Mutsumi; Tomura, Hideaki; Sato, Koichi; Okajima, Fumikazu

2011-01-01

Highlights: ► Glucocorticoid (GC) induced the expression of proton-sensing TDAG8 in macrophages. ► GC enhanced acidic pH-induced cAMP accumulation and inhibition of TNF-α production. ► The enhancement of the GC-induced actions was lost by TDAG8 deficiency. ► GC-induced anti-inflammatory actions are partly mediated by TDAG8 expression. -- Abstract: Dexamethasone (DEX), a potent glucocorticoid, increased the expression of T-cell death associated gene 8 (TDAG8), a proton-sensing G protein-coupled receptor, which is associated with the enhancement of acidic pH-induced cAMP accumulation, in peritoneal macrophages. We explored the role of increased TDAG8 expression in the anti-inflammatory actions of DEX. The treatment of macrophages with either DEX or acidic pH induced the cell death of macrophages; however, the cell death was not affected by TDAG8 deficiency. While DEX inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced production of tumor necrosis factor-α, an inflammatory cytokine, which was independent of TDAG8, at neutral pH, the glucocorticoid enhanced the acidic pH-induced inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-α production in a manner dependent on TDAG8. In conclusion, the DEX-induced increase in TDAG8 expression is in part involved in the glucocorticoid-induced anti-inflammatory actions through the inhibition of inflammatory cytokine production under the acidic pH environment. On the other hand, the role of TDAG8 in the DEX-induced cell death is questionable.

The role of quorum sensing in the pathogenicity of the cunning aggressor Pseudomonas aeruginosa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjarnsholt, Thomas; Givskov, Michael Christian

2007-01-01

that bacteria preferentially live in communities in the form of primitive organisms in which the behavior of individual cells is coordinated by cell-cell communication, known as quorum sensing (QS). Bacteria use QS for regulation of the processes involved in their interaction with each other, their environment...... in the protective mechanisms of P. aeruginosa and show how disruption of the QS can be used as an approach to control this cunning aggressor....

Integrated pressure sensing using capacitive Coriolis mass flow sensors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Alveringh, Dennis; Wiegerink, Remco J.; Lötters, Joost Conrad

2017-01-01

The cross-sectional shape of microchannels is, dependent on the fabrication method, never perfectly circular. Consequently, the channels deform with the pressure, which is a non-ideal effect in flow sensors, but may be used for pressure sensing. Multiple suspended channels with different lengths

Remote Sensing for Wind Energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

The Remote Sensing in Wind Energy Compendium provides a description of several topics and it is our hope that students and others interested will learn from it. The idea behind this compendium began in year 2008 at Risø DTU during the first PhD Summer School: Remote Sensing in Wind Energy. Thus...... in the Meteorology and Test and Measurements Programs from the Wind Energy Division at Risø DTU in the PhD Summer Schools. We hope to add more topics in future editions and to update as necessary, to provide a truly state-of-the-art compendium available for people involved in Remote Sensing in Wind Energy....

Remote Sensing for Wind Energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peña, Alfredo; Hasager, Charlotte Bay; Badger, Merete

The Remote Sensing in Wind Energy report provides a description of several topics and it is our hope that students and others interested will learn from it. The idea behind it began in year 2008 at DTU Wind Energy (formerly Risø) during the first PhD Summer School: Remote Sensing in Wind Energy...... colleagues in the Meteorology and Test and Measurements Sections from DTU Wind Energy in the PhD Summer Schools. We hope to continue adding more topics in future editions and to update and improve as necessary, to provide a truly state-of-the-art ‘guideline’ available for people involved in Remote Sensing...

Effects of fracture distribution and length scale on the equivalent continuum elastic compliance of fractured rock masses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marte Gutierrez

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Fracture systems have strong influence on the overall mechanical behavior of fractured rock masses due to their relatively lower stiffness and shear strength than those of the rock matrix. Understanding the effects of fracture geometrical distribution, such as length, spacing, persistence and orientation, is important for quantifying the mechanical behavior of fractured rock masses. The relation between fracture geometry and the mechanical characteristics of the fractured rock mass is complicated due to the fact that the fracture geometry and mechanical behaviors of fractured rock mass are strongly dependent on the length scale. In this paper, a comprehensive study was conducted to determine the effects of fracture distribution on the equivalent continuum elastic compliance of fractured rock masses over a wide range of fracture lengths. To account for the stochastic nature of fracture distributions, three different simulation techniques involving Oda's elastic compliance tensor, Monte Carlo simulation (MCS, and suitable probability density functions (PDFs were employed to represent the elastic compliance of fractured rock masses. To yield geologically realistic results, parameters for defining fracture distributions were obtained from different geological fields. The influence of the key fracture parameters and their relations to the overall elastic behavior of the fractured rock mass were studied and discussed. A detailed study was also carried out to investigate the validity of the use of a representative element volume (REV in the equivalent continuum representation of fractured rock masses. A criterion was also proposed to determine the appropriate REV given the fracture distribution of the rock mass.

Task instructions influence the cognitive strategies involved in line bisection judgements: evidence from modulated neural mechanisms revealed by fMRI

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fink, G.R.; Marshall, J.C.; Weiss, P.H.; Toni, I.; Zilles, K.

2002-01-01

Manual line bisection and a perceptual variant thereof (the Landmark test) are widely used to assess visuospatial neglect in neurological patients, but little is known about the cognitive strategies involved. In the Landmark test, one could explicitly compare the lengths of the left and right line

What Models and Satellites Tell Us (and Don't Tell Us) About Arctic Sea Ice Melt Season Length

Science.gov (United States)

Ahlert, A.; Jahn, A.

2017-12-01

Melt season length—the difference between the sea ice melt onset date and the sea ice freeze onset date—plays an important role in the radiation balance of the Arctic and the predictability of the sea ice cover. However, there are multiple possible definitions for sea ice melt and freeze onset in climate models, and none of them exactly correspond to the remote sensing definition. Using the CESM Large Ensemble model simulations, we show how this mismatch between model and remote sensing definitions of melt and freeze onset limits the utility of melt season remote sensing data for bias detection in models. It also opens up new questions about the precise physical meaning of the melt season remote sensing data. Despite these challenges, we find that the increase in melt season length in the CESM is not as large as that derived from remote sensing data, even when we account for internal variability and different definitions. At the same time, we find that the CESM ensemble members that have the largest trend in sea ice extent over the period 1979-2014 also have the largest melt season trend, driven primarily by the trend towards later freeze onsets. This might be an indication that an underestimation of the melt season length trend is one factor contributing to the generally underestimated sea ice loss within the CESM, and potentially climate models in general.

Pathophysiology of major depressive disorder: mechanisms involved in etiology are not associated with clinical progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Verduijn, J; Milaneschi, Y; Schoevers, R A; van Hemert, A M; Beekman, A T F; Penninx, B W J H

2015-09-29

Meta-analyses support the involvement of different pathophysiological mechanisms (inflammation, hypothalamic-pituitary (HPA)-axis, neurotrophic growth and vitamin D) in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, it remains unknown whether dysregulations in these mechanisms are more pronounced when MDD progresses toward multiple episodes and/or chronicity. We hypothesized that four central pathophysiological mechanisms of MDD are not only involved in etiology, but also associated with clinical disease progression. Therefore, we expected to find increasingly more dysregulation across consecutive stages of MDD progression. The sample from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (18-65 years) consisted of 230 controls and 2333 participants assigned to a clinical staging model categorizing MDD in eight stages (0, 1A, 1B, 2, 3A, 3B, 3C and 4), from familial risk at MDD (stage 0) to chronic MDD (stage 4). Analyses of covariance examined whether pathophysiological mechanism markers (interleukin (IL)-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), cortisol, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and vitamin D) showed a linear trend across controls, those at risk for MDD (stages 0, 1A and 1B), and those with full-threshold MDD (stages 2, 3A, 3B, 3C and 4). Subsequently, pathophysiological differences across separate stages within those at risk and with full-threshold MDD were examined. A linear increase of inflammatory markers (CRP P=0.026; IL-6 P=0.090), cortisol (P=0.025) and decrease of vitamin D (P<0.001) was found across the entire sample (for example, from controls to those at risk and those with full-threshold MDD). Significant trends of dysregulations across stages were present in analyses focusing on at-risk individuals (IL-6 P=0.050; cortisol P=0.008; vitamin D P<0.001); however, no linear trends were found in dysregulations for any of the mechanisms across more progressive stages of full-threshold MDD. Our results support that the examined pathophysiological mechanisms are

Vibration-based monitoring and diagnostics using compressive sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Ganesan, Vaahini; Das, Tuhin; Rahnavard, Nazanin; Kauffman, Jeffrey L.

2017-04-01

Vibration data from mechanical systems carry important information that is useful for characterization and diagnosis. Standard approaches rely on continually streaming data at a fixed sampling frequency. For applications involving continuous monitoring, such as Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), such approaches result in high volume data and rely on sensors being powered for prolonged durations. Furthermore, for spatial resolution, structures are instrumented with a large array of sensors. This paper shows that both volume of data and number of sensors can be reduced significantly by applying Compressive Sensing (CS) in vibration monitoring applications. The reduction is achieved by using random sampling and capitalizing on the sparsity of vibration signals in the frequency domain. Preliminary experimental results validating CS-based frequency recovery are also provided. By exploiting the sparsity of mode shapes, CS can also enable efficient spatial reconstruction using fewer spatially distributed sensors. CS can thereby reduce the cost and power requirement of sensing as well as streamline data storage and processing in monitoring applications. In well-instrumented structures, CS can enable continued monitoring in case of sensor or computational failures.

Room temperature NO2 gas sensing of Au-loaded tungsten oxide nanowires/porous silicon hybrid structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Deng-Feng; Liang Ji-Ran; Li Chang-Qing; Yan Wen-Jun; Hu Ming

2016-01-01

In this work, we report an enhanced nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) gas sensor based on tungsten oxide (WO 3 ) nanowires/porous silicon (PS) decorated with gold (Au) nanoparticles. Au-loaded WO 3 nanowires with diameters of 10 nm–25 nm and lengths of 300 nm–500 nm are fabricated by the sputtering method on a porous silicon substrate. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) micrographs show that Au nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on the surfaces of WO 3 nanowires. The effect of the Au nanoparticles on the NO 2 -sensing performance of WO 3 nanowires/porous silicon is investigated over a low concentration range of 0.2 ppm–5 ppm of NO 2 at room temperature (25 °C). It is found that the 10-Å Au-loaded WO 3 nanowires/porous silicon-based sensor possesses the highest gas response characteristic. The underlying mechanism of the enhanced sensing properties of the Au-loaded WO 3 nanowires/porous silicon is also discussed. (paper)

Correcting length-frequency distributions for imperfect detection

Science.gov (United States)

Breton, André R.; Hawkins, John A.; Winkelman, Dana L.

2013-01-01

Sampling gear selects for specific sizes of fish, which may bias length-frequency distributions that are commonly used to assess population size structure, recruitment patterns, growth, and survival. To properly correct for sampling biases caused by gear and other sources, length-frequency distributions need to be corrected for imperfect detection. We describe a method for adjusting length-frequency distributions when capture and recapture probabilities are a function of fish length, temporal variation, and capture history. The method is applied to a study involving the removal of Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu by boat electrofishing from a 38.6-km reach on the Yampa River, Colorado. Smallmouth Bass longer than 100 mm were marked and released alive from 2005 to 2010 on one or more electrofishing passes and removed on all other passes from the population. Using the Huggins mark–recapture model, we detected a significant effect of fish total length, previous capture history (behavior), year, pass, year×behavior, and year×pass on capture and recapture probabilities. We demonstrate how to partition the Huggins estimate of abundance into length frequencies to correct for these effects. Uncorrected length frequencies of fish removed from Little Yampa Canyon were negatively biased in every year by as much as 88% relative to mark–recapture estimates for the smallest length-class in our analysis (100–110 mm). Bias declined but remained high even for adult length-classes (≥200 mm). The pattern of bias across length-classes was variable across years. The percentage of unadjusted counts that were below the lower 95% confidence interval from our adjusted length-frequency estimates were 95, 89, 84, 78, 81, and 92% from 2005 to 2010, respectively. Length-frequency distributions are widely used in fisheries science and management. Our simple method for correcting length-frequency estimates for imperfect detection could be widely applied when mark–recapture data

Interspecies Quorum Sensing as a Stress-Anticipation Signal in E. coli

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Høyland-Kroghsbo, Nina Molin

in the bacterial cell-cell communication field is why E. coli harbors SdiA, an orphan quorum sensing receptor that is activated in response to AHL quorum sensing molecules produced by other Gram-negative species. The overall aim of this PhD thesis was to investigate to what degree AHL quorum sensing signals...... are exploited by E. coli to increase its chances of surviving potential environmental threats. This thesis uncovers the first quorum sensing-regulated bacteriophage defense mechanism, which serves to protect E. coli against infection by the bacteriophage viruses λ and χ. Investigating the regulatory mechanism...... underlying the quorum sensing regulated defense mechanism, led to the discovery that AHL activates expression of cnu, encoding an Hha-family protein that interacts with the global regulatory protein H-NS, and potentially modifies its functions. Inspired by the discovery that AHL protects E. coli from...

Obesity: An overview of possible role(s) of gut hormones, lipid sensing and gut microbiota.

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, Alok Kumar; Dubey, Vinay; Ghosh, Asit Ranjan

2016-01-01

Obesity is one of the major challenges for public health in 21st century, with 1.9 billion people being considered as overweight and 600 million as obese. There are certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and several forms of cancer which were found to be associated with obesity. Therefore, understanding the key molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of obesity could be beneficial for the development of a therapeutic approach. Hormones such as ghrelin, glucagon like peptide 1 (GLP-1) peptide YY (PYY), pancreatic polypeptide (PP), cholecystokinin (CCK) secreted by an endocrine organ gut, have an intense impact on energy balance and maintenance of homeostasis by inducing satiety and meal termination. Glucose and energy homeostasis are also affected by lipid sensing in which different organs respond in different ways. However, there is one common mechanism i.e. formation of esterified lipids (long chain fatty acyl CoAs) and the activation of protein kinase C δ (PKC δ) involved in all these organs. The possible role of gut microbiota and obesity has been addressed by several researchers in recent years, indicating the possible therapeutic approach toward the management of obesity by the introduction of an external living system such as a probiotic. The proposed mechanism behind this activity is attributed by metabolites produced by gut microbial organisms. Thus, this review summarizes the role of various physiological factors such as gut hormone and lipid sensing involved in various tissues and organ and most important by the role of gut microbiota in weight management. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Extraordinary improvement of gas-sensing performances in SnO2 nanofibers due to creation of local p-n heterojunctions by loading reduced graphene oxide nanosheets.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jae-Hyoung; Katoch, Akash; Choi, Sun-Woo; Kim, Jae-Hun; Kim, Hyoun Woo; Kim, Sang Sub

2015-02-11

We propose a novel approach to improve the gas-sensing properties of n-type nanofibers (NFs) that involves creation of local p-n heterojunctions with p-type reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets (NSs). This work investigates the sensing behaviors of n-SnO2 NFs loaded with p-RGO NSs as a model system. n-SnO2 NFs demonstrated greatly improved gas-sensing performances when loaded with an optimized amount of p-RGO NSs. Loading an optimized amount of RGOs resulted in a 20-fold higher sensor response than that of pristine SnO2 NFs. The sensing mechanism of monolithic SnO2 NFs is based on the joint effects of modulation of the potential barrier at nanograin boundaries and radial modulation of the electron-depletion layer. In addition to the sensing mechanisms described above, enhanced sensing was obtained for p-RGO NS-loaded SnO2 NFs due to creation of local p-n heterojunctions, which not only provided a potential barrier, but also functioned as a local electron absorption reservoir. These mechanisms markedly increased the resistance of SnO2 NFs, and were the origin of intensified resistance modulation during interaction of analyte gases with preadsorbed oxygen species or with the surfaces and grain boundaries of NFs. The approach used in this work can be used to fabricate sensitive gas sensors based on n-type NFs.

Electron Bunch Length Diagnostic With Coherent Smith-Purcell Radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, D.C.

1997-05-12

The authors have designed a new technique for measuring subpicosecond electron bunch lengths using coherent Smith-Purcell radiation. This new diagnostic technique involves passing the electron beam in close proximity of a grating with a period comparable to the electron bunch length. The emitted Smith-Purcell radiation will have a coherent component whose angular position and distribution are directly related to the electron bunch length and longitudinal profile, respectively. This new diagnostic technique is inherently simple, inexpensive and non-intercepting. The authors show that the new technique is also scaleable to femtosecond regime.

Electron Bunch Length Diagnostic With Coherent Smith-Purcell Radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, D.C.

1997-01-01

The authors have designed a new technique for measuring subpicosecond electron bunch lengths using coherent Smith-Purcell radiation. This new diagnostic technique involves passing the electron beam in close proximity of a grating with a period comparable to the electron bunch length. The emitted Smith-Purcell radiation will have a coherent component whose angular position and distribution are directly related to the electron bunch length and longitudinal profile, respectively. This new diagnostic technique is inherently simple, inexpensive and non-intercepting. The authors show that the new technique is also scaleable to femtosecond regime

Upconversion Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Mechanism, and Applications in Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Xiaojun Zhao

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Upconversion is an optical process that involves the conversion of lower-energy photons into higher-energy photons. It has been extensively studied since mid-1960s and widely applied in optical devices. Over the past decade, high-quality rare earth-doped upconversion nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized with the rapid development of nanotechnology and are becoming more prominent in biological sciences. The synthesis methods are usually phase-based processes, such as thermal decomposition, hydrothermal reaction, and ionic liquids-based synthesis. The main difference between upconversion nanoparticles and other nanomaterials is that they can emit visible light under near infrared irradiation. The near infrared irradiation leads to low autofluorescence, less scattering and absorption, and deep penetration in biological samples. In this review, the synthesis of upconversion nanoparticles and the mechanisms of upconversion process will be discussed, followed by their applications in different areas, especially in the biological field for biosensing.

3rd grade English language learners making sense of sound

Science.gov (United States)

Suarez, Enrique; Otero, Valerie

2013-01-01

Despite the extensive body of research that supports scientific inquiry and argumentation as cornerstones of physics learning, these strategies continue to be virtually absent in most classrooms, especially those that involve students who are learning English as a second language. This study presents results from an investigation of 3rd grade students' discourse about how length and tension affect the sound produced by a string. These students came from a variety of language backgrounds, and all were learning English as a second language. Our results demonstrate varying levels, and uses, of experiential, imaginative, and mechanistic reasoning strategies. Using specific examples from students' discourse, we will demonstrate some of the productive aspects of working within multiple language frameworks for making sense of physics. Conjectures will be made about how to utilize physics as a context for English Language Learners to further conceptual understanding, while developing their competence in the English language.

Mechanics of localized slippage in tactile sensing and application to soft sensing systems

CERN Document Server

Ho, Anh-Van

2014-01-01

Localized slippage occurs during any relative sliding of soft contacts, ranging from human fingertips to robotic fingertips. Although this phenomenon is dominant for a very short time prior to gross slippage, localized slippage is a crucial factor for any to-be-developed soft sensing system to respond to slippage before it occurs. The content of this book addresses all aspects of localized slippage, including modeling and simulating it, as well as applying it to the construction of novel sensors with slip tactile perception.

High order dark wavefront sensing simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Ragazzoni, Roberto; Arcidiacono, Carmelo; Farinato, Jacopo; Viotto, Valentina; Bergomi, Maria; Dima, Marco; Magrin, Demetrio; Marafatto, Luca; Greggio, Davide; Carolo, Elena; Vassallo, Daniele

2016-07-01

Dark wavefront sensing takes shape following quantum mechanics concepts in which one is able to "see" an object in one path of a two-arm interferometer using an as low as desired amount of light actually "hitting" the occulting object. A theoretical way to achieve such a goal, but in the realm of wavefront sensing, is represented by a combination of two unequal beams interferometer sharing the same incoming light, and whose difference in path length is continuously adjusted in order to show different signals for different signs of the incoming perturbation. Furthermore, in order to obtain this in white light, the path difference should be properly adjusted vs the wavelength used. While we incidentally describe how this could be achieved in a true optomechanical setup, we focus our attention to the simulation of a hypothetical "perfect" dark wavefront sensor of this kind in which white light compensation is accomplished in a perfect manner and the gain is selectable in a numerical fashion. Although this would represent a sort of idealized dark wavefront sensor that would probably be hard to match in the real glass and metal, it would also give a firm indication of the maximum achievable gain or, in other words, of the prize for achieving such device. Details of how the simulation code works and first numerical results are outlined along with the perspective for an in-depth analysis of the performances and its extension to more realistic situations, including various sources of additional noise.

Frequency-Shifted Interferometry — A Versatile Fiber-Optic Sensing Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fei Ye

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Fiber-optic sensing is a field that is developing at a fast pace. Novel fiber-optic sensor designs and sensing principles constantly open doors for new opportunities. In this paper, we review a fiber-optic sensing technique developed in our research group called frequency-shifted interferometry (FSI. This technique uses a continuous-wave light source, an optical frequency shifter, and a slow detector. We discuss the operation principles of several FSI implementations and show their applications in fiber length and dispersion measurement, locating weak reflections along a fiber link, fiber-optic sensor multiplexing, and high-sensitivity cavity ring-down measurement. Detailed analysis of FSI system parameters is also presented.

Bioinspired Infrared Sensing Materials and Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Qingchen; Luo, Zhen; Ma, Shuai; Tao, Peng; Song, Chengyi; Wu, Jianbo; Shang, Wen; Deng, Tao

2018-05-11

Bioinspired engineering offers a promising alternative approach in accelerating the development of many man-made systems. Next-generation infrared (IR) sensing systems can also benefit from such nature-inspired approach. The inherent compact and uncooled operation of biological IR sensing systems provides ample inspiration for the engineering of portable and high-performance artificial IR sensing systems. This review overviews the current understanding of the biological IR sensing systems, most of which are thermal-based IR sensors that rely on either bolometer-like or photomechanic sensing mechanism. The existing efforts inspired by the biological IR sensing systems and possible future bioinspired approaches in the development of new IR sensing systems are also discussed in the review. Besides these biological IR sensing systems, other biological systems that do not have IR sensing capabilities but can help advance the development of engineered IR sensing systems are also discussed, and the related engineering efforts are overviewed as well. Further efforts in understanding the biological IR sensing systems, the learning from the integration of multifunction in biological systems, and the reduction of barriers to maximize the multidiscipline collaborations are needed to move this research field forward. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Flexible, Stretchable Sensors for Wearable Health Monitoring: Sensing Mechanisms, Materials, Fabrication Strategies and Features

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yan; Wang, Hai; Zhao, Wei; Qin, Hongbo; Xie, Yongqiang

2018-01-01

Wearable health monitoring systems have gained considerable interest in recent years owing to their tremendous promise for personal portable health watching and remote medical practices. The sensors with excellent flexibility and stretchability are crucial components that can provide health monitoring systems with the capability of continuously tracking physiological signals of human body without conspicuous uncomfortableness and invasiveness. The signals acquired by these sensors, such as body motion, heart rate, breath, skin temperature and metabolism parameter, are closely associated with personal health conditions. This review attempts to summarize the recent progress in flexible and stretchable sensors, concerning the detected health indicators, sensing mechanisms, functional materials, fabrication strategies, basic and desired features. The potential challenges and future perspectives of wearable health monitoring system are also briefly discussed. PMID:29470408

Absorption of Carotenoids and Mechanisms Involved in Their Health-Related Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Cervantes-Paz, Braulio; Victoria-Campos, Claudia I; Ornelas-Paz, José de Jesús

Carotenoids participate in the normal metabolism and function of the human body. They are involved in the prevention of several diseases, especially those related to the inflammation syndrome. Their main mechanisms of action are associated to their potent antioxidant activity and capacity to regulate the expression of specific genes and proteins. Recent findings suggest that carotenoid metabolites may explain several processes where the participation of their parent carotenoids was unclear. The health benefits of carotenoids strongly depend on their absorption and transformation during gastrointestinal digestion. The estimation of the 'bioaccessibility' of carotenoids through in vitro models have made possible the evaluation of the effect of a large number of factors on key stages of carotenoid digestion and intestinal absorption. The bioaccessibility of these compounds allows us to have a clear idea of their potential bioavailability, a term that implicitly involves the biological activity of these compounds.

Mechanisms involved in metformin action in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Motta, A B

2009-01-01

The N, N' dimethyl-biguanide : Metformin is an antidiabetic drug that increases glucose utilization in insulin-sensitive tissues. As Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and diabetes share some altered parameters-such as abnormal glucose: insulin ratio, altered lipidic metabolism and insulin-resistance syndrome- the use of metformin has become increasingly accepted and widespread in the treatment of PCOS. Currently, metformin is used to induce ovulation and during early pregnancy in PCOS patients, however, a complete knowledge of the metformin action has not been achieved yet. This review describes beyond the classical reproductive action of metformin and explores other benefits of the drug. In addition, the present work discusses the molecular mechanisms involved further than the classical pathway that involves the AMP-activated protein kinase.

Radiation distribution sensing with normal optical fiber

CERN Document Server

Kawarabayashi, J; Naka, R; Uritani, A; Watanabe, K I; Iguchi, T; Tsujimura, N

2002-01-01

The purpose of this study is to develop a radiation distribution monitor using a normal plastic optical fiber. The monitor has a long operating length (10m-100m) and can obtain continuous radiation distributions. A principle of the position sensing is based on a time-of-flight technique. The characteristics of this monitor to beta particles, gamma rays and fast neutrons were obtained. The spatial resolutions for beta particles ( sup 9 sup 0 Sr sup - sup 9 sup 0 Y), gamma rays ( sup 1 sup 3 sup 7 Cs) and D-T neutrons were 30 cm, 37 cm and 13 cm, respectively. The detection efficiencies for the beta rays, the gamma rays and D-T neutrons were 0.11%, 1.6x10 sup - sup 5 % and 5.4x10 sup - sup 4 %, respectively. The effective attenuation length of the detection efficiency was 18m. New principle of the position sensing based on spectroscopic analysis was also proposed. A preliminary test showed that the spectrum observed at the end of the fiber depended on the position of the irradiated point. This fact shows that t...

Radiation distribution sensing with normal optical fiber

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawarabayashi, Jun; Mizuno, Ryoji; Naka, Ryotaro; Uritani, Akira; Watanabe, Ken-ichi; Iguchi, Tetsuo [Nagoya Univ., Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, Nagoya, Aichi (Japan); Tsujimura, Norio [Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Inst., Tokai Works, Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan)

2002-12-01

The purpose of this study is to develop a radiation distribution monitor using a normal plastic optical fiber. The monitor has a long operating length (10m-100m) and can obtain continuous radiation distributions. A principle of the position sensing is based on a time-of-flight technique. The characteristics of this monitor to beta particles, gamma rays and fast neutrons were obtained. The spatial resolutions for beta particles ({sup 90}Sr{sup -90}Y), gamma rays ({sup 137}Cs) and D-T neutrons were 30 cm, 37 cm and 13 cm, respectively. The detection efficiencies for the beta rays, the gamma rays and D-T neutrons were 0.11%, 1.6x10{sup -5}% and 5.4x10{sup -4}%, respectively. The effective attenuation length of the detection efficiency was 18m. New principle of the position sensing based on spectroscopic analysis was also proposed. A preliminary test showed that the spectrum observed at the end of the fiber depended on the position of the irradiated point. This fact shows that the radiation distributions were calculated from the spectrum by mathematical deconvolution technique. (author)

Structure-guided investigation of lipopolysaccharide O-antigen chain length regulators reveals regions critical for modal length control.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalynych, Sergei; Ruan, Xiang; Valvano, Miguel A; Cygler, Miroslaw

2011-08-01

The O-antigen component of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) represents a population of polysaccharide molecules with nonrandom (modal) chain length distribution. The number of the repeat O units in each individual O-antigen polymer depends on the Wzz chain length regulator, an inner membrane protein belonging to the polysaccharide copolymerase (PCP) family. Different Wzz proteins confer vastly different ranges of modal lengths (4 to >100 repeat units), despite having remarkably conserved structural folds. The molecular mechanism responsible for the selective preference for a certain number of O units is unknown. Guided by the three-dimensional structures of PCPs, we constructed a panel of chimeric molecules containing parts of two closely related Wzz proteins from Salmonella enterica and Shigella flexneri which confer different O-antigen chain length distributions. Analysis of the O-antigen length distribution imparted by each chimera revealed the region spanning amino acids 67 to 95 (region 67 to 95), region 200 to 255, and region 269 to 274 as primarily affecting the length distribution. We also showed that there is no synergy between these regions. In particular, region 269 to 274 also influenced chain length distribution mediated by two distantly related PCPs, WzzB and FepE. Furthermore, from the 3 regions uncovered in this study, region 269 to 274 appeared to be critical for the stability of the oligomeric form of Wzz, as determined by cross-linking experiments. Together, our data suggest that chain length determination depends on regions that likely contribute to stabilize a supramolecular complex.

Remote sensing for vineyard management

Science.gov (United States)

Philipson, W. R.; Erb, T. L.; Fernandez, D.; Mcleester, J. N.

1980-01-01

Cornell's Remote Sensing Program has been involved in a continuing investigation to assess the value of remote sensing for vineyard management. Program staff members have conducted a series of site and crop analysis studies. These include: (1) panchromatic aerial photography for planning artificial drainage in a new vineyard; (2) color infrared aerial photography for assessing crop vigor/health; and (3) color infrared aerial photography and aircraft multispectral scanner data for evaluating yield related factors. These studies and their findings are reviewed.

Involvement of proton-sensing receptor TDAG8 in the anti-inflammatory actions of dexamethasone in peritoneal macrophages

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Xiao-dong; Tobo, Masayuki; Mogi, Chihiro; Nakakura, Takashi; Komachi, Mayumi; Murata, Naoya; Takano, Mutsumi; Tomura, Hideaki; Sato, Koichi [Laboratory of Signal Transduction, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi 371-8512 (Japan); Okajima, Fumikazu, E-mail: fokajima@showa.gunma-u.ac.jp [Laboratory of Signal Transduction, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi 371-8512 (Japan)

2011-12-02

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Glucocorticoid (GC) induced the expression of proton-sensing TDAG8 in macrophages. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer GC enhanced acidic pH-induced cAMP accumulation and inhibition of TNF-{alpha} production. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The enhancement of the GC-induced actions was lost by TDAG8 deficiency. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer GC-induced anti-inflammatory actions are partly mediated by TDAG8 expression. -- Abstract: Dexamethasone (DEX), a potent glucocorticoid, increased the expression of T-cell death associated gene 8 (TDAG8), a proton-sensing G protein-coupled receptor, which is associated with the enhancement of acidic pH-induced cAMP accumulation, in peritoneal macrophages. We explored the role of increased TDAG8 expression in the anti-inflammatory actions of DEX. The treatment of macrophages with either DEX or acidic pH induced the cell death of macrophages; however, the cell death was not affected by TDAG8 deficiency. While DEX inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced production of tumor necrosis factor-{alpha}, an inflammatory cytokine, which was independent of TDAG8, at neutral pH, the glucocorticoid enhanced the acidic pH-induced inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} production in a manner dependent on TDAG8. In conclusion, the DEX-induced increase in TDAG8 expression is in part involved in the glucocorticoid-induced anti-inflammatory actions through the inhibition of inflammatory cytokine production under the acidic pH environment. On the other hand, the role of TDAG8 in the DEX-induced cell death is questionable.

Quorum Sensing of Periodontal Pathogens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Darije Plančak

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The term ‘quorum sensing’ describes intercellular bacterial communication which regulates bacterial gene expression according to population cell density. Bacteria produce and secrete small molecules, named autoinducers, into the intercellular space. The concentration of these molecules increases as a function of population cell density. Once the concentration of the stimulatory threshold is reached, alteration in gene expression occurs. Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria possess different types of quorum sensing systems. Canonical LuxI/R-type/acyl homoserine lactone mediated quorum sensing system is the best studied quorum sensing circuit and is described in Gram-negative bacteria which employ it for inter-species communication mostly. Grampositive bacteria possess a peptide-mediated quorum sensing system. Bacteria can communicate within their own species (intra-species but also between species (inter-species, for which they employ an autoinducer-2 quorum sensing system which is called the universal language of the bacteria. Periodontal pathogenic bacteria possess AI-2 quorum sensing systems. It is known that they use it for regulation of biofilm formation, iron uptake, stress response and virulence factor expression. A better understanding of bacterial communication mechanisms will allow the targeting of quorum sensing with quorum sensing inhibitors to prevent and control disease.

Fundamental length and relativistic length

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strel'tsov, V.N.

1988-01-01

It si noted that the introduction of fundamental length contradicts the conventional representations concerning the contraction of the longitudinal size of fast-moving objects. The use of the concept of relativistic length and the following ''elongation formula'' permits one to solve this problem

Multiple length peptide-pheromone variants produced by Streptococcus pyogenes directly bind Rgg proteins to confer transcriptional regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Aggarwal, Chaitanya; Jimenez, Juan Cristobal; Nanavati, Dhaval; Federle, Michael J

2014-08-08

Streptococcus pyogenes, a human-restricted pathogen, accounts for substantial mortality related to infections worldwide. Recent studies indicate that streptococci produce and respond to several secreted peptide signaling molecules (pheromones), including those known as short hydrophobic peptides (SHPs), to regulate gene expression by a quorum-sensing mechanism. Upon transport into the bacterial cell, pheromones bind to and modulate activity of receptor proteins belonging to the Rgg family of transcription factors. Previously, we reported biofilm regulation by the Rgg2/3 quorum-sensing circuit in S. pyogenes. The aim of this study was to identify the composition of mature pheromones from cell-free culture supernatants that facilitate biofilm formation. Bioluminescent reporters were employed to detect active pheromones in culture supernatants fractionated by reverse-phase chromatography, and mass spectrometry was used to characterize their properties. Surprisingly, multiple SHPs that varied by length were detected. Synthetic peptides of each variant were tested individually using bioluminescence reporters and biofilm growth assays, and although activities differed widely among the group, peptides comprising the C-terminal eight amino acids of the full-length native peptide were most active. Direct Rgg/SHP interactions were determined using a fluorescence polarization assay that utilized FITC-labeled peptide ligands. Peptide receptor affinities were seen to be as low as 500 nm and their binding affinities directly correlated with observed bioactivity. Revelation of naturally produced pheromones along with determination of their affinity for cognate receptors are important steps forward in designing compounds whose purpose is positioned for future therapeutics aimed at treating infections through the interference of bacterial communication. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Clustering mechanism of oxocarboxylic acids involving hydration reaction: Implications for the atmospheric models

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ling; Kupiainen-Määttä, Oona; Zhang, Haijie; Li, Hao; Zhong, Jie; Kurtén, Theo; Vehkamäki, Hanna; Zhang, Shaowen; Zhang, Yunhong; Ge, Maofa; Zhang, Xiuhui; Li, Zesheng

2018-06-01

The formation of atmospheric aerosol particles from condensable gases is a dominant source of particulate matter in the boundary layer, but the mechanism is still ambiguous. During the clustering process, precursors with different reactivities can induce various chemical reactions in addition to the formation of hydrogen bonds. However, the clustering mechanism involving chemical reactions is rarely considered in most of the nucleation process models. Oxocarboxylic acids are common compositions of secondary organic aerosol, but the role of oxocarboxylic acids in secondary organic aerosol formation is still not fully understood. In this paper, glyoxylic acid, the simplest and the most abundant atmospheric oxocarboxylic acid, has been selected as a representative example of oxocarboxylic acids in order to study the clustering mechanism involving hydration reactions using density functional theory combined with the Atmospheric Clusters Dynamic Code. The hydration reaction of glyoxylic acid can occur either in the gas phase or during the clustering process. Under atmospheric conditions, the total conversion ratio of glyoxylic acid to its hydration reaction product (2,2-dihydroxyacetic acid) in both gas phase and clusters can be up to 85%, and the product can further participate in the clustering process. The differences in cluster structures and properties induced by the hydration reaction lead to significant differences in cluster formation rates and pathways at relatively low temperatures.

pH Sensing and Regulation in Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehdi eDamaghi

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Cells maintain intracellular pH (pHi within a narrow range (7.1-7.2 by controlling membrane proton pumps and transporters whose activity is set by intra-cytoplasmic pH sensors. These sensors have the ability to recognize and induce cellular responses to maintain the intracellular pH, often at the expense of acidifying the extracellular pH. In turn, extracellular acidification impacts cells via specific acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs and proton-sensing G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs. In this review, we will discuss some of the major players in proton sensing at the plasma membrane and their downstream consequences in cancer cells and how these pH-mediated changes affect processes such as migration and metastasis. The complex mechanisms by which they transduce acid pH signals to the cytoplasm and nucleus are not well understood. However, there is evidence that expression of proton-sensing GPCRs such as GPR4, TDAG8, and OGR1 can regulate aspects of tumorigenesis and invasion, including colfilin and talin regulated actin (de-polymerization. Major mechanisms for maintenance of pHi homeostasis include monocarboxylate, bicarbonate and proton transporters. Notably, there is little evidence suggesting a link between their activities and those of the extracellular H+-sensors, suggesting a mechanistic disconnect between intra- and extra-cellular pH. Understanding the mechanisms of pH sensing and regulation may lead to novel and informed therapeutic strategies that can target acidosis, a common physical hallmark of solid tumors.

pH sensing and regulation in cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Damaghi, Mehdi; Wojtkowiak, Jonathan W; Gillies, Robert J

2013-12-17

Cells maintain intracellular pH (pHi) within a narrow range (7.1-7.2) by controlling membrane proton pumps and transporters whose activity is set by intra-cytoplasmic pH sensors. These sensors have the ability to recognize and induce cellular responses to maintain the pHi, often at the expense of acidifying the extracellular pH. In turn, extracellular acidification impacts cells via specific acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) and proton-sensing G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). In this review, we will discuss some of the major players in proton sensing at the plasma membrane and their downstream consequences in cancer cells and how these pH-mediated changes affect processes such as migration and metastasis. The complex mechanisms by which they transduce acid pH signals to the cytoplasm and nucleus are not well understood. However, there is evidence that expression of proton-sensing GPCRs such as GPR4, TDAG8, and OGR1 can regulate aspects of tumorigenesis and invasion, including cofilin and talin regulated actin (de-)polymerization. Major mechanisms for maintenance of pHi homeostasis include monocarboxylate, bicarbonate, and proton transporters. Notably, there is little evidence suggesting a link between their activities and those of the extracellular H(+)-sensors, suggesting a mechanistic disconnect between intra- and extracellular pH. Understanding the mechanisms of pH sensing and regulation may lead to novel and informed therapeutic strategies that can target acidosis, a common physical hallmark of solid tumors.

Possible mechanisms involved in the vasorelaxant effect produced by clobenzorex in aortic segments of rats

OpenAIRE

Lozano-Cuenca, J.; González-Hernández, A.; López-Canales, O.A.; Villagrana-Zesati, J.R.; Rodríguez-Choreão, J.D.; Morín-Zaragoza, R.; Castillo-Henkel, E.F.; López-Canales, J.S.

2017-01-01

Clobenzorex is a metabolic precursor of amphetamine indicated for the treatment of obesity. Amphetamines have been involved with cardiovascular side effects such as hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the direct application of 10?9?10?5 M clobenzorex on isolated phenylephrine-precontracted rat aortic rings produces vascular effects, and if so, what mechanisms may be involved. Clobenzorex produced an immediate concentration-...

Universal and idiosyncratic characteristic lengths in bacterial genomes

Science.gov (United States)

Junier, Ivan; Frémont, Paul; Rivoire, Olivier

2018-05-01

In condensed matter physics, simplified descriptions are obtained by coarse-graining the features of a system at a certain characteristic length, defined as the typical length beyond which some properties are no longer correlated. From a physics standpoint, in vitro DNA has thus a characteristic length of 300 base pairs (bp), the Kuhn length of the molecule beyond which correlations in its orientations are typically lost. From a biology standpoint, in vivo DNA has a characteristic length of 1000 bp, the typical length of genes. Since bacteria live in very different physico-chemical conditions and since their genomes lack translational invariance, whether larger, universal characteristic lengths exist is a non-trivial question. Here, we examine this problem by leveraging the large number of fully sequenced genomes available in public databases. By analyzing GC content correlations and the evolutionary conservation of gene contexts (synteny) in hundreds of bacterial chromosomes, we conclude that a fundamental characteristic length around 10–20 kb can be defined. This characteristic length reflects elementary structures involved in the coordination of gene expression, which are present all along the genome of nearly all bacteria. Technically, reaching this conclusion required us to implement methods that are insensitive to the presence of large idiosyncratic genomic features, which may co-exist along these fundamental universal structures.

Facile Synthesis of Polyaniline Nanotubes Using Self-Assembly Method Based on the Hydrogen Bonding: Mechanism and Application in Gas Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Changqing Yin

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Based on hydrogen bonding, the highly uniform polyaniline (PANI nanotubes were synthesized by self-assembly method using citric acid (CA as the dopant and the structure-directing agent by optimizing the molar ratio of CA to aniline monomer (Ani. Synthesis conditions like reaction temperature and mechanical stirring were considered to explore the effects of hydrogen bonding on the morphologies. The effects of CA on the final morphology of the products were also investigated. The as-synthesized CA doped polyaniline (PANI nanomaterials were further deposited on the plate electrodes for the test of gas sensing performance to ammonia (NH3. The sensitivity to various concentrations of NH3, the repeatability, and the stability of the sensors were also tested and analyzed. As a result, it was found that the PANI nanomaterial synthesized at the CA/Ani molar ratio of 0.5 has highly uniform tubular morphology and shows the best sensing performance to NH3. It makes the PANI nanotubes a promising material for high performance gas sensing to NH3.

Quorum sensing in gram-negative bacteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, H.; Song, Z.J.; Høiby, N.

2004-01-01

Bacteria can communicate with each other by means of signal molecules to coordinate the behavior of the entire community, and the mechanism is referred to as quorum sensing (QS). Signal systems enable bacteria to sense the size of their densities by monitoring the concentration of the signal...... molecules. Among Gram-negative bacteria N-acyl-L-homoserine lactone (acyl-HSL)-dependent quorum sensing systems are particularly widespread. These systems are used to coordinate expression of phenotypes that are fundamental to the interaction of bacteria with each other and with their environment...

Airport object extraction based on visual attention mechanism and parallel line detection

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Jing; Lv, Wen; Zhang, Libao

2017-10-01

Target extraction is one of the important aspects in remote sensing image analysis and processing, which has wide applications in images compression, target tracking, target recognition and change detection. Among different targets, airport has attracted more and more attention due to its significance in military and civilian. In this paper, we propose a novel and reliable airport object extraction model combining visual attention mechanism and parallel line detection algorithm. First, a novel saliency analysis model for remote sensing images with airport region is proposed to complete statistical saliency feature analysis. The proposed model can precisely extract the most salient region and preferably suppress the background interference. Then, the prior geometric knowledge is analyzed and airport runways contained two parallel lines with similar length are detected efficiently. Finally, we use the improved Otsu threshold segmentation method to segment and extract the airport regions from the salient map of remote sensing images. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms existing saliency analysis models and shows good performance in the detection of the airport.

Sensing voltage across lipid membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Swartz, Kenton J.

2009-01-01

The detection of electrical potentials across lipid bilayers by specialized membrane proteins is required for many fundamental cellular processes such as the generation and propagation of nerve impulses. These membrane proteins possess modular voltage-sensing domains, a notable example being the S1-S4 domains of voltage-activated ion channels. Ground-breaking structural studies on these domains explain how voltage sensors are designed and reveal important interactions with the surrounding lipid membrane. Although further structures are needed to fully understand the conformational changes that occur during voltage sensing, the available data help to frame several key concepts that are fundamental to the mechanism of voltage sensing. PMID:19092925

An overview of potential molecular mechanisms involved in VSMC phenotypic modulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ming-Jie; Zhou, Yi; Chen, Lei; Wang, Yan-Qin; Wang, Xu; Pi, Yan; Gao, Chang-Yue; Li, Jing-Cheng; Zhang, Li-Li

2016-02-01

The fully differentiated medial vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) of mature vessels keep quiescent and contractile. However, VSMC can exhibit the plasticity in phenotype switching from a differentiated and contractile phenotype to a dedifferentiated state in response to alterations in local environmental cues, which is called phenotypic modulation or switching. Distinguishing from its differentiated state expressing more smooth muscle (SM)-specific/selective proteins, the phenotypic modulation in VSMC is characterized by an increased rate of proliferation, migration, synthesis of extracellular matrix proteins and decreased expression of SM contractile proteins. Although it has been well demonstrated that phenotypic modulation of VSMC contributes to the occurrence and progression of many proliferative vascular diseases, little is known about the details of the molecular mechanisms of VSMC phenotypic modulation. Growing evidence suggests that variety of molecules including microRNAs, cytokines and biochemical factors, membrane receptors, ion channels, cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix play important roles in controlling VSMC phenotype. The focus of the present review is to provide an overview of potential molecular mechanisms involved in VSMC phenotypic modulation in recent years. To clarify VSMC differentiation and phenotypic modulation mechanisms will contribute to producing cell-based therapeutic interventions for aberrant VSMC differentiation-related diseases.

MCT expression and lactate influx/efflux in tanycytes involved in glia-neuron metabolic interaction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Cortés-Campos

Full Text Available Metabolic interaction via lactate between glial cells and neurons has been proposed as one of the mechanisms involved in hypothalamic glucosensing. We have postulated that hypothalamic glial cells, also known as tanycytes, produce lactate by glycolytic metabolism of glucose. Transfer of lactate to neighboring neurons stimulates ATP synthesis and thus contributes to their activation. Because destruction of third ventricle (III-V tanycytes is sufficient to alter blood glucose levels and food intake in rats, it is hypothesized that tanycytes are involved in the hypothalamic glucose sensing mechanism. Here, we demonstrate the presence and function of monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs in tanycytes. Specifically, MCT1 and MCT4 expression as well as their distribution were analyzed in Sprague Dawley rat brain, and we demonstrate that both transporters are expressed in tanycytes. Using primary tanycyte cultures, kinetic analyses and sensitivity to inhibitors were undertaken to confirm that MCT1 and MCT4 were functional for lactate influx. Additionally, physiological concentrations of glucose induced lactate efflux in cultured tanycytes, which was inhibited by classical MCT inhibitors. Because the expression of both MCT1 and MCT4 has been linked to lactate efflux, we propose that tanycytes participate in glucose sensing based on a metabolic interaction with neurons of the arcuate nucleus, which are stimulated by lactate released from MCT1 and MCT4-expressing tanycytes.

Biomimicry of quorum sensing using bacterial lifecycle model.

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Ben; Wang, Hong; Duan, Qiqi; Li, Li

2013-01-01

Recent microbiologic studies have shown that quorum sensing mechanisms, which serve as one of the fundamental requirements for bacterial survival, exist widely in bacterial intra- and inter-species cell-cell communication. Many simulation models, inspired by the social behavior of natural organisms, are presented to provide new approaches for solving realistic optimization problems. Most of these simulation models follow population-based modelling approaches, where all the individuals are updated according to the same rules. Therefore, it is difficult to maintain the diversity of the population. In this paper, we present a computational model termed LCM-QS, which simulates the bacterial quorum-sensing (QS) mechanism using an individual-based modelling approach under the framework of Agent-Environment-Rule (AER) scheme, i.e. bacterial lifecycle model (LCM). LCM-QS model can be classified into three main sub-models: chemotaxis with QS sub-model, reproduction and elimination sub-model and migration sub-model. The proposed model is used to not only imitate the bacterial evolution process at the single-cell level, but also concentrate on the study of bacterial macroscopic behaviour. Comparative experiments under four different scenarios have been conducted in an artificial 3-D environment with nutrients and noxious distribution. Detailed study on bacterial chemotatic processes with quorum sensing and without quorum sensing are compared. By using quorum sensing mechanisms, artificial bacteria working together can find the nutrient concentration (or global optimum) quickly in the artificial environment. Biomimicry of quorum sensing mechanisms using the lifecycle model allows the artificial bacteria endowed with the communication abilities, which are essential to obtain more valuable information to guide their search cooperatively towards the preferred nutrient concentrations. It can also provide an inspiration for designing new swarm intelligence optimization algorithms

Torsion sensing based on patterned piezoelectric beams

Science.gov (United States)

Cha, Youngsu; You, Hangil

2018-03-01

In this study, we investigated the sensing characteristics of piezoelectric beams under torsional loads. We used partially patterned piezoelectric beams to sense torsion. In particular, the piezoelectric patches are located symmetrically with respect to the line of the shear center of the beam. The patterned piezoelectric beam is modeled as a slender beam, and its electrical responses are obtained by piezoelectric electromechanical equations. To validate the modeling framework, experiments are performed using a setup that forces pure torsional deformation. Three different geometric configurations of the patterned piezoelectric layer are used for the experiments. The frequency and amplitude of the forced torsional load are systematically varied in order to study the behavior of the piezoelectric sensor. Experimental results demonstrate that two voltage outputs of the piezoelectric beam are approximately out of phase with identical amplitude. Moreover, the length of the piezoelectric layers has a significant influence on the sensing properties. Our theoretical predictions using the model support the experimental findings.

Asymmetric cryptography based on wavefront sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Xiang; Wei, Hengzheng; Zhang, Peng

2006-12-15

A system of asymmetric cryptography based on wavefront sensing (ACWS) is proposed for the first time to our knowledge. One of the most significant features of the asymmetric cryptography is that a trapdoor one-way function is required and constructed by analogy to wavefront sensing, in which the public key may be derived from optical parameters, such as the wavelength or the focal length, while the private key may be obtained from a kind of regular point array. The ciphertext is generated by the encoded wavefront and represented with an irregular array. In such an ACWS system, the encryption key is not identical to the decryption key, which is another important feature of an asymmetric cryptographic system. The processes of asymmetric encryption and decryption are formulized mathematically and demonstrated with a set of numerical experiments.

Phytoremediation potential of the novel atrazine tolerant Lolium multiflorum and studies on the mechanisms involved

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merini, Luciano J.; Bobillo, Cecilia; Cuadrado, Virginia; Corach, Daniel; Giulietti, Ana M.

2009-01-01

Atrazine impact on human health and the environment have been extensively studied. Phytoremediation emerged as a low cost, environmental friendly biotechnological solution for atrazine pollution in soil and water. In vitro atrazine tolerance assays were performed and Lolium multiflorum was found as a novel tolerant species, able to germinate and grow in the presence of 1 mg kg -1 of the herbicide. L. multiflorum presented 20% higher atrazine removal capacity than the natural attenuation, with high initial degradation rate in microcosms. The mechanisms involved in atrazine tolerance such as mutation in psbA gene, enzymatic detoxification via P 450 or chemical hydrolysis through benzoxazinones were evaluated. It was demonstrated that atrazine tolerance is conferred by enhanced enzymatic detoxification via P 450 . Due to its atrazine degradation capacity in soil and its agronomical properties, L. multiflorum is a candidate for designing phytoremediation strategies for atrazine contaminated agricultural soils, especially those involving run-off avoiding. - Finding of a novel atrazine-tolerant species, as a potential candidate for phytoremediating herbicide-contaminated agriculture soils and elucidation of the mechanisms involved in tolerance.

Phytoremediation potential of the novel atrazine tolerant Lolium multiflorum and studies on the mechanisms involved

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Merini, Luciano J. [Catedra de Microbiologia Industrial y Biotecnologia, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Bobillo, Cecilia [Servicio de Huellas Digitales Geneticas, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquimica, Microbiologia Industrial y Biotecnologia, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junin 956, BS As (Argentina); Cuadrado, Virginia [Catedra de Microbiologia Industrial y Biotecnologia, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Corach, Daniel [Servicio de Huellas Digitales Geneticas, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquimica, Microbiologia Industrial y Biotecnologia, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junin 956, BS As (Argentina); Giulietti, Ana M., E-mail: agiule@ffyb.uba.a [Catedra de Microbiologia Industrial y Biotecnologia, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2009-11-15

Atrazine impact on human health and the environment have been extensively studied. Phytoremediation emerged as a low cost, environmental friendly biotechnological solution for atrazine pollution in soil and water. In vitro atrazine tolerance assays were performed and Lolium multiflorum was found as a novel tolerant species, able to germinate and grow in the presence of 1 mg kg{sup -1} of the herbicide. L. multiflorum presented 20% higher atrazine removal capacity than the natural attenuation, with high initial degradation rate in microcosms. The mechanisms involved in atrazine tolerance such as mutation in psbA gene, enzymatic detoxification via P{sub 450} or chemical hydrolysis through benzoxazinones were evaluated. It was demonstrated that atrazine tolerance is conferred by enhanced enzymatic detoxification via P{sub 450}. Due to its atrazine degradation capacity in soil and its agronomical properties, L. multiflorum is a candidate for designing phytoremediation strategies for atrazine contaminated agricultural soils, especially those involving run-off avoiding. - Finding of a novel atrazine-tolerant species, as a potential candidate for phytoremediating herbicide-contaminated agriculture soils and elucidation of the mechanisms involved in tolerance.

Quorum sensing and bacterial pathogenicity: From molecules to disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antariksh Deep

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Quorum sensing in prokaryotic biology refers to the ability of a bacterium to sense information from other cells in the population when they reach a critical concentration (i.e. a Quorum and communicate with them. The "language" used for this intercellular communication is based on small, self-generated signal molecules called as autoinducers. Quorum sensing is thought to afford pathogenic bacteria a mechanism to minimize host immune responses by delaying the production of tissue-damaging virulence factors until sufficient bacteria have amassed and are prepared to overwhelm host defense mechanisms and establish infection. Quorum sensing systems are studied in a large number of gram-negative bacterial species belonging to α, β, and γ subclasses of proteobacteria. Among the pathogenic bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is perhaps the best understood in terms of the virulence factors regulated and the role the Quorum sensing plays in pathogenicity. Presently, Quorum sensing is considered as a potential novel target for antimicrobial therapy to control multi/all drug-resistant infections. This paper reviews Quorum sensing in gram positive and gram negative bacteria and its role in biofilm formation.

Small numbers are sensed directly, high numbers constructed from size and density.

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmermann, Eckart

2018-04-01

Two theories compete to explain how we estimate the numerosity of visual object sets. The first suggests that the apparent numerosity is derived from an analysis of more low-level features like size and density of the set. The second theory suggests that numbers are sensed directly. Consistent with the latter claim is the existence of neurons in parietal cortex which are specialized for processing the numerosity of elements in the visual scene. However, recent evidence suggests that only low numbers can be sensed directly whereas the perception of high numbers is supported by the analysis of low-level features. Processing of low and high numbers, being located at different levels of the neural hierarchy should involve different receptive field sizes. Here, I tested this idea with visual adaptation. I measured the spatial spread of number adaptation for low and high numerosities. A focused adaptation spread of high numerosities suggested the involvement of early neural levels where receptive fields are comparably small and the broad spread for low numerosities was consistent with processing of number neurons which have larger receptive fields. These results provide evidence for the claim that different mechanism exist generating the perception of visual numerosity. Whereas low numbers are sensed directly as a primary visual attribute, the estimation of high numbers however likely depends on the area size over which the objects are spread. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Silica inhalation altered telomere length and gene expression of telomere regulatory proteins in lung tissue of rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Shoeb, Mohammad; Joseph, Pius; Kodali, Vamsi; Mustafa, Gul; Farris, Breanne Y; Umbright, Christina; Roberts, Jenny R; Erdely, Aaron; Antonini, James M

2017-12-11

Exposure to silica can cause lung fibrosis and cancer. Identification of molecular targets is important for the intervention and/or prevention of silica-induced lung diseases. Telomeres consist of tandem repeats of DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes, preventing chromosomal fusion and degradation. Regulator of telomere length-1 (RTEL1) and telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), genes involved in telomere regulation and function, play important roles in maintaining telomere integrity and length. The goal of this study was to assess the effect of silica inhalation on telomere length and the regulation of RTEL1 and TERT. Lung tissues and blood samples were collected from rats at 4, 32, and 44 wk after exposure to 15 mg/m 3 of silica × 6 h/d × 5 d. Controls were exposed to air. At all-time points, RTEL1 expression was significantly decreased in lung tissue of the silica-exposed animals compared to controls. Also, significant increases in telomere length and TERT were observed in the silica group at 4 and 32 wk. Telomere length, RTEL1 and TERT expression may serve as potential biomarkers related to silica exposure and may offer insight into the molecular mechanism of silica-induced lung disease and tumorigeneses.

Gas sensing with gold-decorated vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Mudimela, Prasantha R; Scardamaglia, Mattia; González-León, Oriol; Reckinger, Nicolas; Snyders, Rony; Llobet, Eduard; Bittencourt, Carla; Colomer, Jean-François

2014-01-01

Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes of different lengths (150, 300, 500 µm) synthesized by thermal chemical vapor deposition and decorated with gold nanoparticles were investigated as gas sensitive materials for detecting nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at room temperature. Gold nanoparticles of about 6 nm in diameter were sputtered on the top surface of the carbon nanotube forests to enhance the sensitivity to the pollutant gas. We showed that the sensing response to nitrogen dioxide depends on the nanotube length. The optimum was found to be 300 µm for getting the higher response. When the background humidity level was changed from dry to 50% relative humidity, an increase in the response to NO2 was observed for all the sensors, regardless of the nanotube length.

Gas sensing with gold-decorated vertically aligned carbon nanotubes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prasantha R. Mudimela

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes of different lengths (150, 300, 500 µm synthesized by thermal chemical vapor deposition and decorated with gold nanoparticles were investigated as gas sensitive materials for detecting nitrogen dioxide (NO2 at room temperature. Gold nanoparticles of about 6 nm in diameter were sputtered on the top surface of the carbon nanotube forests to enhance the sensitivity to the pollutant gas. We showed that the sensing response to nitrogen dioxide depends on the nanotube length. The optimum was found to be 300 µm for getting the higher response. When the background humidity level was changed from dry to 50% relative humidity, an increase in the response to NO2 was observed for all the sensors, regardless of the nanotube length.

Repurposing metformin as a quorum sensing inhibitor in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Quorum sensing is a mechanism of intercellular communication that controls the production of virulence factors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Inhibition of quorum sensing can disarm the virulence factors without exerting stress on bacterial growth that leads to emergence of antibiotic resistance. Objectives: ...

Influence of exposure to pesticides on telomere length in tobacco farmers: A biology system approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Kahl, Vivian Francília Silva; da Silva, Juliana; da Silva, Fernanda Rabaioli

Various pesticides in the form of mixtures must be used to keep tobacco crops pest-free. Recent studies have shown a link between occupational exposure to pesticides in tobacco crops and increased damage to the DNA, mononuclei, nuclear buds and binucleated cells in buccal cells as well as micronuclei in lymphocytes. Furthermore, pesticides used specifically for tobacco crops shorten telomere length (TL) significantly. However, the molecular mechanism of pesticide action on telomere length is not fully understood. Our study evaluated the interaction between a complex mixture of chemical compounds (tobacco cultivation pesticides plus nicotine) and proteins associated with maintaining TL, as well as the biological processes involved in this exposure by System Biology tools to provide insight regarding the influence of pesticide exposure on TL maintenance in tobacco farmers. Our analysis showed that one cluster was associated with TL proteins that act in bioprocesses such as (i) telomere maintenance via telomere lengthening; (ii) senescence; (iii) age-dependent telomere shortening; (iv) DNA repair (v) cellular response to stress and (vi) regulation of proteasome ubiquitin-dependent protein catabolic process. We also describe how pesticides and nicotine regulate telomere length. In addition, pesticides inhibit the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) and consequently increase proteins of the shelterin complex, avoiding the access of telomerase in telomere and, nicotine activates UPS mechanisms and promotes the degradation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), decreasing telomerase activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Involvement of translation and transcription processes into neurophysiological mechanisms of long-term memory reconsolidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kozyrev, S A; Nikitin, V P

2013-03-01

We studied the involvement of translation and transcription processes into behavioral and neuronal mechanisms of reconsolidation of the long-term memory of the conditioned taste aversion in edible snails. Injection of cycloheximide (an inhibitor of protein synthesis) to the snails in 48 h after training combined with subsequent reminder and presentation of the conditional stimulus resulted in the development of persistent amnesia and depression of the responses of the defensive behavior command neurons LPl1 and RPl1 to the conditional stimulus. Injection of mRNA synthesis inhibitors actinomycin D or DRB (5,6-dichloro-1-β-D-ribofuranosylbenzimidasole) in 48 h after conditioning with subsequent reminding procedure produced no effects on memory retention and on the responses of the command neurons to the conditional stimulus. The study suggests that the proteins translated from previously synthesized and stored mRNA were involved in the mechanisms of reconsolidation of the memory responsible for conditioned taste aversion.

Crystal structure of heterodimeric hexaprenyl diphosphate synthase from Micrococcus luteus B-P 26 reveals that the small subunit is directly involved in the product chain length regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasaki, Daisuke; Fujihashi, Masahiro; Okuyama, Naomi; Kobayashi, Yukiko; Noike, Motoyoshi; Koyama, Tanetoshi; Miki, Kunio

2011-02-04

Hexaprenyl diphosphate synthase from Micrococcus luteus B-P 26 (Ml-HexPPs) is a heterooligomeric type trans-prenyltransferase catalyzing consecutive head-to-tail condensations of three molecules of isopentenyl diphosphates (C(5)) on a farnesyl diphosphate (FPP; C(15)) to form an (all-E) hexaprenyl diphosphate (HexPP; C(30)). Ml-HexPPs is known to function as a heterodimer of two different subunits, small and large subunits called HexA and HexB, respectively. Compared with homooligomeric trans-prenyltransferases, the molecular mechanism of heterooligomeric trans-prenyltransferases is not yet clearly understood, particularly with respect to the role of the small subunits lacking the catalytic motifs conserved in most known trans-prenyltransferases. We have determined the crystal structure of Ml-HexPPs both in the substrate-free form and in complex with 7,11-dimethyl-2,6,10-dodecatrien-1-yl diphosphate ammonium salt (3-DesMe-FPP), an analog of FPP. The structure of HexB is composed of mostly antiparallel α-helices joined by connecting loops. Two aspartate-rich motifs (designated the first and second aspartate-rich motifs) and the other characteristic motifs in HexB are located around the diphosphate part of 3-DesMe-FPP. Despite the very low amino acid sequence identity and the distinct polypeptide chain lengths between HexA and HexB, the structure of HexA is quite similar to that of HexB. The aliphatic tail of 3-DesMe-FPP is accommodated in a large hydrophobic cleft starting from HexB and penetrating to the inside of HexA. These structural features suggest that HexB catalyzes the condensation reactions and that HexA is directly involved in the product chain length control in cooperation with HexB.

Telomere Length – a New Biomarker in Medicine

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Agnieszka Kozłowska

2015-12-01

Full Text Available A number of xenobiotics in the environment and workplace influences on our health and life. Biomarkers are tools for measuring such exposures and their effects in the organism. Nowadays, telomere length, epigenetic changes, mutations and changes in gene expression pattern have become new molecular biomarkers. Telomeres play the role of molecular clock, which influences on expectancy of cell life and thus aging, the formation of damages, development diseases and carcinogenesis. The telomere length depends on mechanisms of replication and the activity of telomerase. Telomere length is currently used as a biomarker of susceptibility and/or exposure. This paper describes the role of telomere length as a biomarker of aging cells, oxidative stress, a marker of many diseases including cancer, and as a marker of environmental and occupational exposure.

Using Airborne Remote Sensing to Increase Situational Awareness in Civil Protection and Humanitarian Relief - the Importance of User Involvement

Science.gov (United States)

Römer, H.; Kiefl, R.; Henkel, F.; Wenxi, C.; Nippold, R.; Kurz, F.; Kippnich, U.

2016-06-01

Enhancing situational awareness in real-time (RT) civil protection and emergency response scenarios requires the development of comprehensive monitoring concepts combining classical remote sensing disciplines with geospatial information science. In the VABENE++ project of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) monitoring tools are being developed by which innovative data acquisition approaches are combined with information extraction as well as the generation and dissemination of information products to a specific user. DLR's 3K and 4k camera system which allow for a RT acquisition and pre-processing of high resolution aerial imagery are applied in two application examples conducted with end users: a civil protection exercise with humanitarian relief organisations and a large open-air music festival in cooperation with a festival organising company. This study discusses how airborne remote sensing can significantly contribute to both, situational assessment and awareness, focussing on the downstream processes required for extracting information from imagery and for visualising and disseminating imagery in combination with other geospatial information. Valuable user feedback and impetus for further developments has been obtained from both applications, referring to innovations in thematic image analysis (supporting festival site management) and product dissemination (editable web services). Thus, this study emphasises the important role of user involvement in application-related research, i.e. by aligning it closer to user's requirements.

The Sense of Agency in Autism Spectrum Disorders: a Dissociation between Prospective and Retrospective Mechanisms?

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Tiziana eZalla

2015-09-01

Full Text Available While a large number of studies have reported impairments in social and interpersonal abilities in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD, relatively few studies have focused on self-related knowledge in this population. One of the processes implicated in the physical dimension of the Self is the sense of agency (SoA, i.e., the experience of initiating and controlling one’s own actions and producing desired changes in the world via these actions. So far, the few studies investigating SoA in ASD have reported contrasting results, with some showing spared, others impaired SoA. Here, we review the existing literature and suggest that the distinction between prospective and retrospective mechanisms of the SoA might help reconcile the existing findings. In the light of a multi-componential model of SoA, we propose the view that a specific impairment at the level of prospective mechanisms acting on internal agency signals (i.e., the intention, action selection, or command produced to achieve the goal may be responsible for the reduced SoA in ASD, along with spared retrospective mechanisms. Future research should shed light on the impact of abnormal SoA on social and self-related dysfunctions in ASD.

Craniofacial Pain: Brainstem Mechanisms

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Barry J Sessle

1996-01-01

Full Text Available This article reviews recent research advances in animals that have identified critical neural elements in the brainstem receiving and transmitting craniofacial nociceptive inputs, as well as some of the mechanisms involved in the modulation and plasticity of nociceptive transmission. Nociceptive neurones in the trigeminal (V brainstem sensory nuclear complex can be classified as nociceptive-specific (NS or wide dynamic range (WDR. Some of these neurones respond exclusively to sensory inputs evoked by stimulation of facial skin or oral mucosa and have features suggesting that they are critical neural elements involved in the ability to localize an acute superficial pain and sense its intensity and duration. Many of the V brainstem nociceptive neurones, however, receive convergent inputs from afferents supplying deep craniofacial tissues (eg, dural vessel, muscle and skin or mucosa. These neurones are likely involved in deep pain, including headache, because few nociceptive neurones receive inputs exclusively from afferents supplying these tissues. These extensive convergent input patterns also appear to be important factors in pain spread and referral, and in central mechanisms underlying neuroplastic changes in V neuronal properties that may occur with injury and inflammation. For example, application of the small fibre excitant and inflammatory irritant mustard oil into the temporomandibular joint, masseter or tongue musculature induces a prolonged but reversible enhancement of responses to cutaneous and deep afferent inputs of most WDR and NS neurones. These effects may be accompanied by increased electromyographic activity reflexly induced in the masticatory muscles by mustard oil, and involve endogenous N-methyl-D-aspartate and opioid neurochemical mechanisms. Such peripherally induced modulation of brainstem nociceptive neuronal properties reflects the functional plasticity of the central V system, and may be involved in the development of

Length dependence of staircase potentiation: interactions with caffeine and dantrolene sodium.

Science.gov (United States)

Rassier, D E; MacIntosh, B R

2000-04-01

In skeletal muscle, there is a length dependence of staircase potentiation for which the mechanism is unclear. In this study we tested the hypothesis that abolition of this length dependence by caffeine is effected by a mechanism independent of enhanced Ca2+ release. To test this hypothesis we have used caffeine, which abolishes length dependence of potentiation, and dantrolene sodium, which inhibits Ca2+ release. In situ isometric twitch contractions of rat gastrocnemius muscle before and after 20 s of repetitive stimulation at 5 Hz were analyzed at optimal length (Lo), Lo - 10%, and Lo + 10%. Potentiation was observed to be length dependent, with an increase in developed tension (DT) of 78 +/- 12, 51 +/- 5, and 34 +/- 9% (mean +/- SEM), at Lo - 10%, Lo, and Lo + 10%, respectively. Caffeine diminished the length dependence of activation and suppressed the length dependence of staircase potentiation, giving increases in DT of 65+/-13, 53 +/- 11, and 45 +/- 12% for Lo - 10%, Lo, and Lo + 10%, respectively. Dantrolene administered after caffeine did not reverse this effect. Dantrolene alone depressed the potentiation response, but did not affect the length dependence of staircase potentiation, with increases in DT of 58 +/- 17, 26 +/- 8, and 18 +/- 7%, respectively. This study confirms that there is a length dependence of staircase potentiation in mammalian skeletal muscle which is suppressed by caffeine. Since dantrolene did not alter this suppression of the length dependence of potentiation by caffeine, it is apparently not directly modulated by Ca2+ availability in the myoplasm.

Sensing a Sensor: Identifying the Mechanosensory Function of Primary Cilia

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Rahul M.; Jin, Xingjian; Nauli, Surya M.

2014-01-01

Over the past decade, primary cilia have emerged as the premier means by which cells sense and transduce mechanical stimuli. Primary cilia are sensory organelles that have been shown to be vitally involved in the mechanosensation of urine in the renal nephron, bile in the hepatic biliary system, digestive fluid in the pancreatic duct, dentin in dental pulp, lacunocanalicular fluid in bone and cartilage, and blood in vasculature. The prevalence of primary cilia among mammalian cell types is matched by the tremendously varied disease states caused by both structural and functional defects in cilia. In the process of delineating the mechanisms behind these disease states, calcium fluorimetry has been widely utilized as a means of quantifying ciliary function to both fluid flow and pharmacological agents. In this review, we will discuss the approaches used in associating calcium levels to cilia function. PMID:24839551

Basic study on radiation distribution sensing with normal optical fiber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naka, R.; Kawarabayashi, J.; Uritani, A.; Iguchi, T.; Kaneko, J.; Takeuchi, H.; Kakuta, T.

2000-01-01

Recently, some methods of radiation distribution sensing with optical fibers have been proposed. These methods employ scintillating fibers or scintillators with wavelength-shifting fibers. The positions of radiation interactions are detected by applying a time-of-flight (TOF) technique to the scintillation photon propagation. In the former method, the attenuation length for the scintillation photons in the scintillating fiber is relatively short, so that the operating length of the sensor is limited to several meters. In the latter method, a radiation distribution cannot continuously be obtained but discretely. To improve these shortcomings, a normal optical fiber made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is used in this study. Although the scintillation efficiency of PMMA is very low, several photons are emitted through interaction with a radiation. The fiber is transparent for the emitted photons to have a relatively long operating length. A radiation distribution can continuously be obtained. This paper describes a principle of the position sensing method based on the time of flight technique and preliminary results obtained for 90 Sr- 90 Y beta rays, 137 Cs gamma rays, and 14 MeV neutrons. The spatial resolutions for the above three kinds of radiations are 0.30 m, 0.37 m, 0.13 m, and the detection efficiencies are 1.1 x 10 -3 , 1.6 x 10 -7 , 5.4 x 10 -6 , respectively, with 10 m operation length. The results of a spectroscopic study on the optical property of the fiber are also described. (author)

Glucose sensing by carotid body glomus cells: potential implications in disease

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Lin eGao

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The carotid body (CB is a key chemoreceptor organ in which glomus cells sense changes in blood O2, CO2, and pH levels. CB glomus cells have also been found to detect hypoglycemia in both non-primate mammals and humans. O2 and low-glucose responses share a common final pathway involving membrane depolarization, extracellular calcium influx, increase in cytosolic calcium concentration, and neurotransmitter secretion, which stimulates afferent sensory fibers to evoke sympathoadrenal activation. On the other hand, hypoxia and low glucose induce separate signal transduction pathways. Unlike O2 sensing, the response of the CB to low glucose is not altered by rotenone, with the low glucose-activated background cationic current unaffected by hypoxia. Responses of the CB to hypoglycemia and hypoxia can be potentiated by each other. The counter-regulatory response to hypoglycemia by the CB is essential for the brain, an organ that is particularly sensitive to low glucose. CB glucose sensing could be altered in diabetic patients, particularly those under insulin treatment, as well as in other medical conditions such as sleep apnea or obstructive pulmonary diseases, where chronic hypoxemia presents with plastic modifications in CB structure and function. The current review will focus on the following main aspects: 1 the CB as a low glucose sensor in both in vitro and in vivo models; 2 molecular and ionic mechanisms of low glucose sensing by glomus cells, 3 the interplay between low glucose and O2 sensing in CB, and 4 the role of CB low glucose sensing in the pathophysiology of cardiorespiratory and metabolic diseases, and how this may serve as a potential therapeutic target.

Hierarchy of mechanisms involved in generating Na/K-ATPase polarity in MDCK epithelial cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mays, R.W.; Siemers, K.A.; Fritz, B.A.; Lowe, A.W.; van Meer, G.; Nelson, W.J.

1995-01-01

We have studied mechanisms involved in generating a polarized distribution of Na/K-ATPase in the basal-lateral membrane of two clones of MDCK II cells. Both clones exhibit polarized distributions of marker proteins of the apical and basal-lateral membranes, including Na/K-ATPase, at steady state.

Molecular pharmacology of promiscuous seven transmembrane receptors sensing organic nutrients.

Science.gov (United States)

Wellendorph, Petrine; Johansen, Lars Dan; Bräuner-Osborne, Hans

2009-09-01

A number of highly promiscuous seven transmembrane (7TM) receptors have been cloned and characterized within the last few years. It is noteworthy that many of these receptors are activated broadly by amino acids, proteolytic degradation products, carbohydrates, or free fatty acids and are expressed in taste tissue, the gastrointestinal tract, endocrine glands, adipose tissue, and/or kidney. These receptors thus hold the potential to act as sensors of food intake, regulating, for example, release of incretin hormones from the gut, insulin/glucagon from the pancreas, and leptin from adipose tissue. The promiscuous tendency in ligand recognition of these receptors is in contrast to the typical specific interaction with one physiological agonist seen for most receptors, which challenges the classic "lock-and-key" concept. We here review the molecular mechanisms of nutrient sensing of the calcium-sensing receptor, the G protein-coupled receptor family C, group 6, subtype A (GPRC6A), and the taste1 receptor T1R1/T1R3, which are sensing L-alpha-amino acids, the carbohydrate-sensing T1R2/T1R3 receptor, the proteolytic degradation product sensor GPR93 (also termed GPR92), and the free fatty acid (FFA) sensing receptors FFA1, FFA2, FFA3, GPR84, and GPR120. The involvement of the individual receptors in sensing of food intake has been validated to different degrees because of limited availability of specific pharmacological tools and/or receptor knockout mice. However, as a group, the receptors represent potential drug targets, to treat, for example, type II diabetes by mimicking food intake by potent agonists or positive allosteric modulators. The ligand-receptor interactions of the promiscuous receptors of organic nutrients thus remain an interesting subject of emerging functional importance.

Immunological mechanisms involved in the protection against intestinal taeniosis elicited by oral immunization with Taenia solium calreticulin.

Science.gov (United States)

Leon-Cabrera, Sonia; Cruz-Rivera, Mayra; Mendlovic, Fela; Romero-Valdovinos, Mirza; Vaughan, Gilberto; Salazar, Ana María; Avila, Guillermina; Flisser, Ana

2012-11-01

Oral immunization with functional recombinant Taenia solium calreticulin (rTsCRT) induces 37% reduction in tapeworm burden in the experimental model of intestinal taeniosis in hamsters. Furthermore, tapeworms recovered from vaccinated animals exhibit diminished length, being frequently found in more posterior parts of the small intestine. The aim of this study was to analyze the immunological mechanisms involved in protection in response to rTsCRT oral immunization. Hamsters were orally immunized with rTsCRT using cholera toxin (CT) as adjuvant, weekly for 4 weeks. Fifteen days after the last boost animals were challenged with four T. solium cysticerci. Reduction in the adult worm recovery and increased transcription of mRNA for IL-4 and IFN-γ in the mucosa of rTsCRT+CT immunized animals were observed. Immunization also induced goblet cell hyperplasia in the mucosa surrounding the implantation site of the parasite. Specific IgG and IgA antibodies in serum and fecal supernatants were detected after the second immunization, being more pronounced after challenge. Our data suggest that oral vaccination with rTsCRT+CT regulates a local expression of IL-4 and IFN-γ, stimulating secretion of IgA that, together with the increase of goblet cells and mucin production, could result in an unfavorable environment for T. solium promoting an impaired tapeworm development. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cortical and subcortical mechanisms of brain-machine interfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Marchesotti, Silvia; Martuzzi, Roberto; Schurger, Aaron; Blefari, Maria Laura; Del Millán, José R; Bleuler, Hannes; Blanke, Olaf

2017-06-01

Technical advances in the field of Brain-Machine Interfaces (BMIs) enable users to control a variety of external devices such as robotic arms, wheelchairs, virtual entities and communication systems through the decoding of brain signals in real time. Most BMI systems sample activity from restricted brain regions, typically the motor and premotor cortex, with limited spatial resolution. Despite the growing number of applications, the cortical and subcortical systems involved in BMI control are currently unknown at the whole-brain level. Here, we provide a comprehensive and detailed report of the areas active during on-line BMI control. We recorded functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data while participants controlled an EEG-based BMI inside the scanner. We identified the regions activated during BMI control and how they overlap with those involved in motor imagery (without any BMI control). In addition, we investigated which regions reflect the subjective sense of controlling a BMI, the sense of agency for BMI-actions. Our data revealed an extended cortical-subcortical network involved in operating a motor-imagery BMI. This includes not only sensorimotor regions but also the posterior parietal cortex, the insula and the lateral occipital cortex. Interestingly, the basal ganglia and the anterior cingulate cortex were involved in the subjective sense of controlling the BMI. These results inform basic neuroscience by showing that the mechanisms of BMI control extend beyond sensorimotor cortices. This knowledge may be useful for the development of BMIs that offer a more natural and embodied feeling of control for the user. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2971-2989, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A multiple length scale description of the mechanism of elastomer stretching

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Neuefeind, J.; Skov, Anne Ladegaard; Daniels, J. E.

2016-01-01

Conventionally, the stretching of rubber is modeled exclusively by rotations of segments of the embedded polymer chains; i.e. changes in entropy. However models have not been tested on all relevant length scales due to a lack of appropriate probes. Here we present a universal X-ray based method f...

The accuracy of the radiographic method in root canal length measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jo, Eun Young; Park, Chang Seo

1998-01-01

For the successful endodontic treatment, root canal should be cleaned thoroughly by accurate mechanical and chemical canal preparation and sealed completely with canal filling material without damaging the periapical tissues. The accuracy of the root canal length measurement is a prerequisite for the success of the endodontic treatment, and the root canal length is often determined by the standard periapical radiographs and digital tactile sense. In this study, the accuracy and the clinical usefulness of Digora, an intraoral digital imaging processor and the conventional standard radiographs were compared by measuring the length from the top of the file to the root apex. 30 single rooted premolars were invested in a uniformly sized blocks and No.25 K-file was inserted into and fixed in each canal. Each block was placed in equal distance and position to satisfy the principle of the bisecting angle and paralleling techniques and Digora system's image and standard periapical radiographs were taken. Each radiograph was examined by 3 different observers by measuring the length from top of the file to the root apex and each data was compared and analyzed. The results were as follows; 1. In the bisecting angle technique, the average difference between the Digora system and standard periapical radiograph was 0.002 mm and the standard deviation was 0.341 mm which showed no statistically significant difference between the two systems (p>0.05). Also, in the paralleling technique, the average difference between these two system was 0.007 mm and the standard deviation was 0.323 mm which showed no statistically significant difference between the two systems (p>0.05). 2. In Digora system, the average difference between the bisecting angle and paralleling technique was -0.336 mm and the standard deviation was 0.472 mm which showed a statistically significant difference between the two techniques (p 0.05). In conclusion, the determination of the root canal length by using the

Statistical mechanics of sensing and communications: Insights and techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murayama, T; Davis, P

2008-01-01

In this article we review a basic model for analysis of large sensor networks from the point of view of collective estimation under bandwidth constraints. We compare different sensing aggregation levels as alternative 'strategies' for collective estimation: moderate aggregation from a moderate number of sensors for which communication bandwidth is enough that data encoding can be reversible, and large scale aggregation from very many sensors - in which case communication bandwidth constraints require the use of nonreversible encoding. We show the non-trivial trade-off between sensing quality, which can be increased by increasing the number of sensors, and communication quality under bandwidth constraints, which decreases if the number of sensors is too large. From a practical standpoint, we verify that such a trade-off exists in constructively defined communications schemes. We introduce a probabilistic encoding scheme and define rate distortion models that are suitable for analysis of the large network limit. Our description shows that the methods and ideas from statistical physics can play an important role in formulating effective models for such schemes

Polybenzimidazole block copolymers for fuel cell: synthesis and studies of block length effects on nanophase separation, mechanical properties, and proton conductivity of PEM.

Science.gov (United States)

Maity, Sudhangshu; Jana, Tushar

2014-05-14

A series of meta-polybenzimidazole-block-para-polybenzimidazole (m-PBI-b-p-PBI), segmented block copolymers of PBI, were synthesized with various structural motifs and block lengths by condensing the diamine terminated meta-PBI (m-PBI-Am) and acid terminated para-PBI (p-PBI-Ac) oligomers. NMR studies and existence of two distinct glass transition temperatures (Tg), obtained from dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA) results, unequivocally confirmed the formation of block copolymer structure through the current polymerization methodology. Appropriate and careful selection of oligomers chain length enabled us to tailor the block length of block copolymers and also to make varieties of structural motifs. Increasingly distinct Tg peaks with higher block length of segmented block structure attributed the decrease in phase mixing between the meta-PBI and para-PBI blocks, which in turn resulted into nanophase segregated domains. The proton conductivities of proton exchange membrane (PEM) developed from phosphoric acid (PA) doped block copolymer membranes were found to be increasing substantially with increasing block length of copolymers even though PA loading of these membranes did not alter appreciably with varying block length. For example when molecular weight (Mn) of blocks were increased from 1000 to 5500 then the proton conductivities at 160 °C of resulting copolymers increased from 0.05 to 0.11 S/cm. Higher block length induced nanophase separation between the blocks by creating less morphological barrier within the block which facilitated the movement of the proton in the block and hence resulting higher proton conductivity of the PEM. The structural varieties also influenced the phase separation and proton conductivity. In comparison to meta-para random copolymers reported earlier, the current meta-para segmented block copolymers were found to be more suitable for PBI-based PEM.

Sex Differences in the Hepatic Cholesterol Sensing Mechanisms in Mice

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Ingemar Björkhem

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Cholesterol is linked to many multifactorial disorders, including different forms of liver disease where development and severity depend on the sex. We performed a detailed analysis of cholesterol and bile acid synthesis pathways at the level of genes and metabolites combined with the expression studies of hepatic cholesterol uptake and transport in female and male mice fed with a high-fat diet with or without cholesterol. Lack of dietary cholesterol led to a stronger response of the sterol sensing mechanism in females, resulting in higher expression of cholesterogenic genes compared to males. With cholesterol in the diet, the genes were down-regulated in both sexes; however, males maintained a more efficient hepatic metabolic flux through the pathway. Females had higher content of hepatic cholesterol but this was likely not due to diminished excretion but rather due to increased synthesis and absorption. Dietary cholesterol and sex were not important for gallbladder bile acids composition. Neither sex up-regulated Cyp7a1 upon cholesterol loading and there was no compensatory up-regulation of Abcg5 or Abcg8 transporters. On the other hand, females had higher expression of the Ldlr and Cd36 genes. These findings explain sexual dimorphism of cholesterol metabolism in response to dietary cholesterol in a high-fat diet in mice, which contributes to understanding the sex-basis of cholesterol-associated liver diseases.

Monitoring Traffic Information with a Developed Acceleration Sensing Node

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Zhoujing Ye

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, an acceleration sensing node for pavement vibration was developed to monitor traffic information, including vehicle speed, vehicle types, and traffic flow, where a hardware design with low energy consumption and node encapsulation could be accomplished. The service performance of the sensing node was evaluated, by methods including waterproof test, compression test, sensing performance analysis, and comparison test. The results demonstrate that the sensing node is low in energy consumption, high in strength, IPX8 waterproof, and high in sensitivity and resolution. These characteristics can be applied to practical road environments. Two sensing nodes were spaced apart in the direction of travelling. In the experiment, three types of vehicles passed by the monitoring points at several different speeds and values of d (the distance between the sensor and the nearest tire center line. Based on cross-correlation with kernel pre-smoothing, a calculation method was applied to process the raw data. New algorithms for traffic flow, speed, and axle length were proposed. Finally, the effects of vehicle speed, vehicle weight, and d value on acceleration amplitude were statistically evaluated. It was found that the acceleration sensing node can be used for traffic flow, vehicle speed, and other types of monitoring.

Monitoring Traffic Information with a Developed Acceleration Sensing Node.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Zhoujing; Wang, Linbing; Xu, Wen; Gao, Zhifei; Yan, Guannan

2017-12-05

In this paper, an acceleration sensing node for pavement vibration was developed to monitor traffic information, including vehicle speed, vehicle types, and traffic flow, where a hardware design with low energy consumption and node encapsulation could be accomplished. The service performance of the sensing node was evaluated, by methods including waterproof test, compression test, sensing performance analysis, and comparison test. The results demonstrate that the sensing node is low in energy consumption, high in strength, IPX8 waterproof, and high in sensitivity and resolution. These characteristics can be applied to practical road environments. Two sensing nodes were spaced apart in the direction of travelling. In the experiment, three types of vehicles passed by the monitoring points at several different speeds and values of d (the distance between the sensor and the nearest tire center line). Based on cross-correlation with kernel pre-smoothing, a calculation method was applied to process the raw data. New algorithms for traffic flow, speed, and axle length were proposed. Finally, the effects of vehicle speed, vehicle weight, and d value on acceleration amplitude were statistically evaluated. It was found that the acceleration sensing node can be used for traffic flow, vehicle speed, and other types of monitoring.

Voltage and pH sensing by the voltage-gated proton channel, HV1.

Science.gov (United States)

DeCoursey, Thomas E

2018-04-01

Voltage-gated proton channels are unique ion channels, membrane proteins that allow protons but no other ions to cross cell membranes. They are found in diverse species, from unicellular marine life to humans. In all cells, their function requires that they open and conduct current only under certain conditions, typically when the electrochemical gradient for protons is outwards. Consequently, these proteins behave like rectifiers, conducting protons out of cells. Their activity has electrical consequences and also changes the pH on both sides of the membrane. Here we summarize what is known about the way these proteins sense the membrane potential and the pH inside and outside the cell. Currently, it is hypothesized that membrane potential is sensed by permanently charged arginines (with very high p K a ) within the protein, which results in parts of the protein moving to produce a conduction pathway. The mechanism of pH sensing appears to involve titratable side chains of particular amino acids. For this purpose their p K a needs to be within the operational pH range. We propose a 'counter-charge' model for pH sensing in which electrostatic interactions within the protein are selectively disrupted by protonation of internally or externally accessible groups. © 2018 The Author.

Voltage and pH sensing by the voltage-gated proton channel, HV1

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

Voltage-gated proton channels are unique ion channels, membrane proteins that allow protons but no other ions to cross cell membranes. They are found in diverse species, from unicellular marine life to humans. In all cells, their function requires that they open and conduct current only under certain conditions, typically when the electrochemical gradient for protons is outwards. Consequently, these proteins behave like rectifiers, conducting protons out of cells. Their activity has electrical consequences and also changes the pH on both sides of the membrane. Here we summarize what is known about the way these proteins sense the membrane potential and the pH inside and outside the cell. Currently, it is hypothesized that membrane potential is sensed by permanently charged arginines (with very high pKa) within the protein, which results in parts of the protein moving to produce a conduction pathway. The mechanism of pH sensing appears to involve titratable side chains of particular amino acids. For this purpose their pKa needs to be within the operational pH range. We propose a ‘counter-charge’ model for pH sensing in which electrostatic interactions within the protein are selectively disrupted by protonation of internally or externally accessible groups. PMID:29643227

Dependence of Some Mechanical Properties of Elastic Bands on the Length and Load Time

Science.gov (United States)

Triana, C. A.; Fajardo, F.

2012-01-01

We present a study of the maximum stress supported by elastics bands of nitrile as a function of the natural length and the load time. The maximum tension of rupture and the corresponding variation in length were found by measuring the elongation of an elastic band when a mass is suspended from its free end until it reaches the breaking point. The…

Nitrite sensing composite systems based on a core-shell emissive-superamagnetic structure: Construction, characterization and sensing behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yan; Liu, Liang; Zha, Jianhua; Yuan, Ningyi

2017-04-01

Two recyclable nitrite sensing composite samples were designed and constructed through a core-shell structure, with Fe3O4 nanoparticles as core, silica molecular sieve MCM-41 as shell and two rhodamine derivatives as chemosensors, respectively. These samples and their structure were identified with their electron microscopy images, N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, magnetic response, IR spectra and thermogravimetric analysis. Their nitrite sensing behavior was discussed based on emission intensity quenching, their limit of detection was found as low as 1.2 μM. Further analysis suggested a static sensing mechanism between nitrite and chemosensors through an additive reaction between NO+ and chemosensors. After finishing their nitrite sensing, these composite samples and their emission could be recycled and recovered by sulphamic acid.

Length dependence of rectification in organic co-oligomer spin rectifiers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Gui-Chao; Zhang Zhao; Li Ying; Ren Jun-Feng; Wang Chuan-Kui

2016-01-01

The rectification ratio of organic magnetic co-oligomer diodes is investigated theoretically by changing the molecular length. The results reveal two distinct length dependences of the rectification ratio: for a short molecular diode, the charge-current rectification changes little with the increase of molecular length, while the spin-current rectification is weakened sharply by the length; for a long molecular diode, both the charge-current and spin-current rectification ratios increase quickly with the length. The two kinds of dependence switch at a specific length accompanied with an inversion of the rectifying direction. The molecular ortibals and spin-resolved transmission analysis indicate that the dominant mechanism of rectification suffers a change at this specific length, that is, from asymmetric shift of molecular eigenlevels to asymmetric spatial localization of wave functions upon the reversal of bias. This work demonstrates a feasible way to control the rectification in organic co-oligomer spin diodes by adjusting the molecular length. (paper)

Size-dependent elastic/inelastic behavior of enamel over millimeter and nanometer length scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Ang, Siang Fung; Bortel, Emely L; Swain, Michael V; Klocke, Arndt; Schneider, Gerold A

2010-03-01

The microstructure of enamel like most biological tissues has a hierarchical structure which determines their mechanical behavior. However, current studies of the mechanical behavior of enamel lack a systematic investigation of these hierarchical length scales. In this study, we performed macroscopic uni-axial compression tests and the spherical indentation with different indenter radii to probe enamel's elastic/inelastic transition over four hierarchical length scales, namely: 'bulk enamel' (mm), 'multiple-rod' (10's microm), 'intra-rod' (100's nm with multiple crystallites) and finally 'single-crystallite' (10's nm with an area of approximately one hydroxyapatite crystallite). The enamel's elastic/inelastic transitions were observed at 0.4-17 GPa depending on the length scale and were compared with the values of synthetic hydroxyapatite crystallites. The elastic limit of a material is important as it provides insights into the deformability of the material before fracture. At the smallest investigated length scale (contact radius approximately 20 nm), elastic limit is followed by plastic deformation. At the largest investigated length scale (contact size approximately 2 mm), only elastic then micro-crack induced response was observed. A map of elastic/inelastic regions of enamel from millimeter to nanometer length scale is presented. Possible underlying mechanisms are also discussed. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From deep-sea volcanoes to human pathogens: a conserved quorum-sensing signal in Epsilonproteobacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Rodríguez, Ileana; Bolognini, Marie; Ricci, Jessica; Bini, Elisabetta; Vetriani, Costantino

2015-05-01

Chemosynthetic Epsilonproteobacteria from deep-sea hydrothermal vents colonize substrates exposed to steep thermal and redox gradients. In many bacteria, substrate attachment, biofilm formation, expression of virulence genes and host colonization are partly controlled via a cell density-dependent mechanism involving signal molecules, known as quorum sensing. Within the Epsilonproteobacteria, quorum sensing has been investigated only in human pathogens that use the luxS/autoinducer-2 (AI-2) mechanism to control the expression of some of these functions. In this study we showed that luxS is conserved in Epsilonproteobacteria and that pathogenic and mesophilic members of this class inherited this gene from a thermophilic ancestor. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the luxS gene is expressed--and a quorum-sensing signal is produced--during growth of Sulfurovum lithotrophicum and Caminibacter mediatlanticus, two Epsilonproteobacteria from deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Finally, we detected luxS transcripts in Epsilonproteobacteria-dominated biofilm communities collected from deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Taken together, our findings indicate that the epsiloproteobacterial lineage of the LuxS enzyme originated in high-temperature geothermal environments and that, in vent Epsilonproteobacteria, luxS expression is linked to the production of AI-2 signals, which are likely produced in situ at deep-sea vents. We conclude that the luxS gene is part of the ancestral epsilonproteobacterial genome and represents an evolutionary link that connects thermophiles to human pathogens.

Self-Assembled Nanorod Structures on Nanofibers for Textile Electrochemical Capacitor Electrodes with Intrinsic Tactile Sensing Capabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, HaoTian H; Khalili, Nazanin; Morrison, Taylor; Naguib, Hani E

2018-05-21

A novel polyaniline nanorod (PAniNR) three-dimensional structure was successfully grown on flexible polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber substrate as the electrode material for electrochemical capacitors (ECs), constructed via self-stabilized dispersion polymerization process. The electrode offered desired mechanical properties such as flexibility and bendability, whereas it maintained optimal electrochemical characteristics. The electrode and the assembled EC cell also achieved intrinsic piezoresistive sensing properties, leading to real-time monitoring of excess mechanical pressure and bending during cell operations. The PAniNR@PAN electrodes show an average diameter of 173.6 nm, with the PAniNR growth of 50.7 nm in length. Compared to the electrodes made from pristine PAni, the gravimetric capacitance increased by 39.8% to 629.6 F/g with aqueous acidic electrolyte. The electrode and the assembled EC cell with gel electrolyte were responsive to tensile, compressive, and bending stresses with a sensitivity of 0.95 MPa -1 .

Measurement of Telomere Length in Colorectal Cancers for Improved Molecular Diagnosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eric Le Balc’h

2017-08-01

Full Text Available All tumors have in common to reactivate a telomere maintenance mechanism to allow for unlimited proliferation. On the other hand, genetic instability found in some tumors can result from the loss of telomeres. Here, we measured telomere length in colorectal cancers (CRCs using TRF (Telomere Restriction Fragment analysis. Telomeric DNA content was also quantified as the ratio of total telomeric (TTAGGG sequences over that of the invariable Alu sequences. In most of the 125 CRCs analyzed, there was a significant diminution in telomere length compared with that in control healthy tissue. Only 34 tumors exhibited no telomere erosion and, in some cases, a slight telomere lengthening. Telomere length did not correlate with age, gender, tumor stage, tumor localization or stage of tumor differentiation. In addition, while telomere length did not correlate with the presence of a mutation in BRAF (V-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B, PIK3CA (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunit, or MSI status, it was significantly associated with the occurrence of a mutation in KRAS. Interestingly, we found that the shorter the telomeres in healthy tissue of a patient, the larger an increase in telomere length in the tumor. Our study points to the existence of two types of CRCs based on telomere length and reveals that telomere length in healthy tissue might influence telomere maintenance mechanisms in the tumor.

Electro-Optical Sensing Apparatus and Method for Characterizing Free-Space Electromagnetic Radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xi-Cheng; Libelo, Louis Francis; Wu, Qi

1999-09-14

Apparatus and methods for characterizing free-space electromagnetic energy, and in particular, apparatus/method suitable for real-time two-dimensional far-infrared imaging applications are presented. The sensing technique is based on a non-linear coupling between a low-frequency electric field and a laser beam in an electro-optic crystal. In addition to a practical counter-propagating sensing technique, a co-linear approach is described which provides longer radiated field--optical beam interaction length, thereby making imaging applications practical.

Molecular Mechanisms of Innate Immune Inhibition by Non-Segmented Negative-Sense RNA Viruses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chatterjee, Srirupa; Basler, Christopher F.; Amarasinghe, Gaya K.; Leung, Daisy W.

2016-08-01

The host innate immune system serves as the first line of defense against viral infections. Germline-encoded pattern recognition receptors detect molecular patterns associated with pathogens and activate innate immune responses. Of particular relevance to viral infections are those pattern recognition receptors that activate type I interferon responses, which establish an antiviral state. The order Mononegavirales is composed of viruses that possess single-stranded, non-segmented negative-sense (NNS) RNA genomes and are important human pathogens that consistently antagonize signaling related to type I interferon responses. NNS viruses have limited encoding capacity compared to many DNA viruses, and as a likely consequence, most open reading frames encode multifunctional viral proteins that interact with host factors in order to evade host cell defenses while promoting viral replication. In this review, we will discuss the molecular mechanisms of innate immune evasion by select NNS viruses. A greater understanding of these interactions will be critical in facilitating the development of effective therapeutics and viral countermeasures.

Are mechanically sensitive regulators involved in the function and (patho)physiology of cerebral palsy-related contractures?

Science.gov (United States)

Pingel, Jessica; Suhr, Frank

2017-08-01

Skeletal muscle tissue is mechanosensitive, as it is able to sense mechanical impacts and to translate these into biochemical signals making the tissue adapt. Among its mechanosensitive nature, skeletal muscle tissue is the largest metabolic organ of the human body. Disturbances in skeletal muscle mechanosensing and metabolism cause and contribute to many diseases, i.e. muscular dystrophies/myopathies, cardiovascular diseases, COPD or diabetes mellitus type 2. A less commonly focused muscle-related disorder is clinically known as muscle contractures that derive from cerebral palsy (CP) conditions in young and adults. Muscle contractures are characterized by gradually increasing passive muscle stiffness resulting in complete fixation of joints. Different mechanisms have been identified in CP-related contractures, i.e. altered calcium handling, altered metabolism or altered titin regulation. The muscle-related extracellular matrix (ECM), specifically collagens, plays a role in CP-related contractures. Herein, we focus on mechanically sensitive complexes, known as costameres (Cstms), and discuss their potential role in CP-related contractures. We extend our discussion to the ECM due to the limited knowledge of its role in CP-related contractures. The aims of this review are (1) to summarize CP-related contracture mechanisms, (2) to raise novel hypotheses on the genesis of contractures with a focus on Cstms, and (3) to stimulate novel approaches to study CP-related contractures.

Numerical and Experimental Study of Mechanisms Involved in Boiling Histotripsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Pahk, Ki Joo; Gélat, Pierre; Sinden, David; Dhar, Dipok Kumar; Saffari, Nader

2017-12-01

The aim of boiling histotripsy is to mechanically fractionate tissue as an alternative to thermal ablation for therapeutic applications. In general, the shape of a lesion produced by boiling histotripsy is tadpole like, consisting of a head and a tail. Although many studies have demonstrated the efficacy of boiling histotripsy for fractionating solid tumors, the exact mechanisms underpinning this phenomenon are not yet well understood, particularly the interaction of a boiling vapor bubble with incoming incident shockwaves. To investigate the mechanisms involved in boiling histotripsy, a high-speed camera with a passive cavitation detection system was used to observe the dynamics of bubbles produced in optically transparent tissue-mimicking gel phantoms exposed to the field of a 2.0-MHz high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) transducer. We observed that boiling bubbles were generated in a localized heated region and cavitation clouds were subsequently induced ahead of the expanding bubble. This process was repeated with HIFU pulses and eventually resulted in a tadpole-shaped lesion. A simplified numerical model describing the scattering of the incident ultrasound wave by a vapor bubble was developed to help interpret the experimental observations. Together with the numerical results, these observations suggest that the overall size of a lesion induced by boiling histotripsy is dependent on the sizes of (i) the heated region at the HIFU focus and (ii) the backscattered acoustic field by the original vapor bubble. Copyright © 2017 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Urban Aerodynamic Roughness Length Mapping Using Multitemporal SAR Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fengli Zhang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Aerodynamic roughness is very important to urban meteorological and climate studies. Radar remote sensing is considered to be an effective means for aerodynamic roughness retrieval because radar backscattering is sensitive to the surface roughness and geometric structure of a given target. In this paper, a methodology for aerodynamic roughness length estimation using SAR data in urban areas is introduced. The scale and orientation characteristics of backscattering of various targets in urban areas were firstly extracted and analyzed, which showed great potential of SAR data for urban roughness elements characterization. Then the ground truth aerodynamic roughness was calculated from wind gradient data acquired by the meteorological tower using fitting and iterative method. And then the optimal dimension of the upwind sector for the aerodynamic roughness calculation was determined through a correlation analysis between backscattering extracted from SAR data at various upwind sector areas and the aerodynamic roughness calculated from the meteorological tower data. Finally a quantitative relationship was set up to retrieve the aerodynamic roughness length from SAR data. Experiments based on ALOS PALSAR and COSMO-SkyMed data from 2006 to 2011 prove that the proposed methodology can provide accurate roughness length estimations for the spatial and temporal analysis of urban surface.

Stimulation of feeding by three different glucose-sensing mechanisms requires hindbrain catecholamine neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ai-Jun; Wang, Qing; Dinh, Thu T; Powers, Bethany R; Ritter, Sue

2014-02-15

Previous work has shown that hindbrain catecholamine neurons are required components of the brain's glucoregulatory circuitry. However, the mechanisms and circuitry underlying their glucoregulatory functions are poorly understood. Here we examined three drugs, glucosamine (GcA), phloridzin (Phl) and 5-thio-d-glucose (5TG), that stimulate food intake but interfere in different ways with cellular glucose utilization or transport. We examined feeding and blood glucose responses to each drug in male rats previously injected into the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus with anti-dopamine-β-hydroxylase conjugated to saporin (DSAP), a retrogradely transported immunotoxin that selectively lesions noradrenergic and adrenergic neurons, or with unconjugated saporin (SAP) control. Our major findings were 1) that GcA, Phl, and 5TG all stimulated feeding in SAP controls whether injected into the lateral or fourth ventricle (LV or 4V), 2) that each drug's potency was similar for both LV and 4V injections, 3) that neither LV or 4V injection of these drugs evoked feeding in DSAP-lesioned rats, and 4) that only 5TG, which blocks glycolysis, stimulated a blood glucose response. The antagonist of the MEK/ERK signaling cascade, U0126, attenuated GcA-induced feeding, but not Phl- or 5TG-induced feeding. Thus GcA, Phl, and 5TG, although differing in mechanism and possibly activating different neural populations, stimulate feeding in a catecholamine-dependent manner. Although results do not exclude the possibility that catecholamine neurons possess glucose-sensing mechanisms responsive to all of these agents, currently available evidence favors the possibility that the feeding effects result from convergent neural circuits in which catecholamine neurons are a required component.

Harnessing the Frontline Employee Sensing of Capabilities for Decision Support

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hallin, Carina Antonia; Andersen, Torben Juul; Tveterås, Sigbjørn

2017-01-01

The ability to sense developments in operational (steady-state) and dynamic (growth) capabilities provides early signals about how the firm adapts its operations to ongoing changes in the environment. Frontline employees engage in the daily transactions and sense the firm's operating conditions......, this article develops a sensing instrument an employee-sensed operational conduct (ESOC) index for updated information as an essential decision support mechanism. This sensing capacity is firm-specific and difficult to replicate once in place and thus can provide a basis for sustainable competitive advantage....

Components of genetic variability of ear length of silage maize

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sečanski Mile

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate following parameters of the ear length of silage maize: variability of inbred lines and their diallel hybrids, superior-parent heterosis and genetic components of variability and habitability on the basis of a diallel set. The analysis of genetic variance shows that the additive component (D was lower than the dominant (H1 and H2 genetic variances, while the frequency of dominant genes (u for this trait was greater than the frequency of recessive genes (v Furthermore, this is also confirmed by the dominant to recessive genes ratio in parental inbreeds for the ear length (Kd/Kr> 1, which is greater than unity during both investigation years. The calculated value of the average degree of dominance √H1/D is greater than unity, pointing out to superdominance in inheritance of this trait in both years of investigation, which is also confirmed by the results of Vr/Wr regression analysis of inheritance of the ear length. As a presence of the non-allelic interaction was established it is necessary to study effects of epitasis as it can have a greater significance in certain hybrids. A greater value of dominant than additive variance resulted in high broad-sense habitability for ear length in both investigation years.

Toward mechanical systems biology in bone.

Science.gov (United States)

Trüssel, Andreas; Müller, Ralph; Webster, Duncan

2012-11-01

Cyclic mechanical loading is perhaps the most important physiological factor regulating bone mass and shape in a way which balances optimal strength with minimal weight. This bone adaptation process spans multiple length and time scales. Forces resulting from physiological exercise at the organ scale are sensed at the cellular scale by osteocytes, which reside inside the bone matrix. Via biochemical pathways, osteocytes orchestrate the local remodeling action of osteoblasts (bone formation) and osteoclasts (bone resorption). Together these local adaptive remodeling activities sum up to strengthen bone globally at the organ scale. To resolve the underlying mechanisms it is required to identify and quantify both cause and effect across the different scales. Progress has been made at the different scales experimentally. Computational models of bone adaptation have been developed to piece together various experimental observations at the different scales into coherent and plausible mechanisms. However additional quantitative experimental validation is still required to build upon the insights which have already been achieved. In this review we discuss emerging as well as state of the art experimental and computational techniques and how they might be used in a mechanical systems biology approach to further our understanding of the mechanisms governing load induced bone adaptation, i.e., ways are outlined in which experimental and computational approaches could be coupled, in a quantitative manner to create more reliable multiscale models of bone.

Precision force sensing with optically-levitated nanospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Geraci, Andrew

2017-04-01

In high vacuum, optically-trapped dielectric nanospheres achieve excellent decoupling from their environment and experience minimal friction, making them ideal for precision force sensing. We have shown that 300 nm silica spheres can be used for calibrated zeptonewton force measurements in a standing-wave optical trap. In this optical potential, the known spacing of the standing wave anti-nodes can serve as an independent calibration tool for the displacement spectrum of the trapped particle. I will describe our progress towards using these sensors for tests of the Newtonian gravitational inverse square law at micron length scales. Optically levitated dielectric objects also show promise for a variety of other precision sensing applications, including searches for gravitational waves and other experiments in quantum optomechanics. National Science Foundation PHY-1205994, PHY-1506431, PHY-1509176.

Biosynthesis of Colabomycin E, a New Manumycin-Family Metabolite, Involves an Unusual Chain-Length Factor

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Petříčková, Kateřina; Pospíšil, Stanislav; Kuzma, Marek; Tylová, Tereza; Jágr, Michal; Tomek, P.; Chroňáková, Alica; Brabcová, E.; Anděra, Ladislav; Krištůfek, Václav; Petříček, Miroslav

2014-01-01

Roč. 15, č. 9 (2014), s. 1334-1345 ISSN 1439-4227 R&D Projects: GA MZd(CZ) NT13012 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 ; RVO:60077344 ; RVO:68378050 Keywords : biosynthesis * chain-length factors * manumycins Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 3.088, year: 2014

Sensing a Sensor: Identifying the Mechanosensory Function of Primary Cilia

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Rahul M. Prasad

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Over the past decade, primary cilia have emerged as the premier means by which cells sense and transduce mechanical stimuli. Primary cilia are sensory organelles that have been shown to be vitally involved in the mechanosensation of urine in the renal nephron, bile in the hepatic biliary system, digestive fluid in the pancreatic duct, dentin in dental pulp, lacunocanalicular fluid in bone and cartilage, and blood in vasculature. The prevalence of primary cilia among mammalian cell types is matched by the tremendously varied disease states caused by both structural and functional defects in cilia. In the process of delineating the mechanisms behind these disease states, calcium fluorimetry has been widely utilized as a means of quantifying ciliary function to both fluid flow and pharmacological agents. In this review, we will discuss the approaches used in associating calcium levels to cilia function.

Making sense of project management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærgaard, Annemette; Kautz, Karl; Nielsen, Peter Axel

2007-01-01

How can a software company make sense of project management when it becomes involved in software process improvement? In software development most research has an instrumental view of knowledge management thus neglecting what is probably the most important part of knowledge management namely making...... sense of practice by developers and project managers. Through an action case, we study the knowledge management processes in a Danish software company. We analyse the case through the lens of a theoretical framework. The theoretical framework focuses in particular on sensemaking, collective construed...... substantial insight which could not have been achieved through an instrumental perspective on knowledge management....

UV-assisted room temperature gas sensing of GaN-core/ZnO-shell nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Sunghoon; Ko, Hyunsung; Kim, Soohyun; Lee, Chongmu

2014-01-01

GaN is highly sensitive to low concentrations of H 2 in ambient air and is almost insensitive to most other common gases. However, enhancing the sensing performance and the detection limit of GaN is a challenge. This study examined the H 2 -gas-sensing properties of GaN nanowires encapsulated with ZnO. GaN-core/ZnO-shell nanowires were fabricated by using a two-step process comprising the thermal evaporation of GaN powders and the atomic layer deposition of ZnO. The core-shell nanowires ranged from 80 to 120 nm in diameter and from a few tens to a few hundreds of micrometers in length, with a mean shell layer thickness of ∼8 nm. Multiple-networked pristine GaN nanowire and ZnO-encapsulated GaN (or GaN-core/ZnO-shell) nanowire sensors showed responses of 120 - 147% and 179 - 389%, respectively, to 500 - 2,500 ppm of H 2 at room temperature under UV (254 nm) illumination. The underlying mechanism of the enhanced response of the GaN nanowire to H 2 gas when using ZnO encapsulation and UV irradiation is discussed.

Sensing Characteristics of A Precision Aligner Using Moire Gratings for Precision Alignment System

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

ZHOU Lizhong; Hideo Furuhashi; Yoshiyuki Uchida

2001-01-01

Sensing characteristics of a precision aligner using moire gratings for precision alignment sysem has been investigated. A differential moire alignment system and a modified alignment system were used. The influence of the setting accuracy of the gap length and inclination of gratings on the alignment accuracy has been studied experimentally and theoretically. Setting accuracy of the gap length less than 2.5μm is required in modified moire alignment. There is no influence of the gap length on the alignment accuracy in the differential alignment system. The inclination affects alignment accuracies in both differential and modified moire alignment systems.

Making Sense of Learning at Secondary School: Involving Students to Improve Teaching Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Kane, Ruth G.; Maw, Nicola

2005-01-01

Consulting students on their experiences of learning and teaching in schools, while signalled as a potentially valuable research practice fifteen years ago by Michael Fullan, is now gaining prominence in educational research within New Zealand. The "Making Sense of Learning at Secondary Schools" research began with the premise that to…

Superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide induce hepatocyte death by different mechanisms : Involvement of JNK and ERK MAP kinases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Conde de la Rosa, L; Schoemaker, MH; Vrenken, TE; Buist-Homan, M; Havinga, R; Jansen, PLM; Moshage, H

Background/Aims: In liver diseases, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in cell death and liver injury, but the mechanisms are not completely elucidated. To elucidate the mechanisms of hepatocyte cell death induced by the ROS superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide, primary cultures of

Superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide induce hepatocyte death by different mechanisms: involvement of JNK and ERK MAP kinases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Conde de la Rosa, Laura; Schoemaker, Marieke H.; Vrenken, Titia E.; Buist-Homan, Manon; Havinga, Rick; Jansen, Peter L. M.; Moshage, Han

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In liver diseases, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in cell death and liver injury, but the mechanisms are not completely elucidated. To elucidate the mechanisms of hepatocyte cell death induced by the ROS superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide, primary cultures of

Effects of curing type, silica fume fineness, and fiber length on the mechanical properties and impact resistance of UHPFRC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hasan Şahan Arel

Full Text Available The effects of silica fume fineness and fiber aspect ratio on the compressive strength and impact resistance of ultra high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC are investigated experimentally. To this end, UHPFRC mixtures are manufactured by combining silica fumes with different fineness (specific surface areas: 17,200, 20,000, and 27,600 m2/kg and hooked-end steel fibers with various aspect ratios (lengths: 8, 13, and 16 mm. The samples are subjected to standard curing, steam curing, and hot-water curing. Compressive strength tests are conducted after 7-, 28-, 56-, and 90-day curing periods, and an impact resistance experiment is performed after the 90th day. A steam-cured mixture of silica fumes with a specific surface area of 27,600 m2/kg and 16-mm-long fibers produce better results than the other mixtures in terms of mechanical properties. Moreover, impact resistance increases with the fiber aspect ratio. Keywords: Curing, Fineness, UHPFRC, Mechanical properties, Fiber

Coral bleaching under thermal stress: putative involvement of host/symbiont recognition mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Vidal-Dupiol, Jeremie; Adjeroud, Mehdi; Roger, Emmanuel; Foure, Laurent; Duval, David; Mone, Yves; Ferrier-Pages, Christine; Tambutte, Eric; Tambutte, Sylvie; Zoccola, Didier; Allemand, Denis; Mitta, Guillaume

2009-08-04

Coral bleaching can be defined as the loss of symbiotic zooxanthellae and/or their photosynthetic pigments from their cnidarian host. This major disturbance of reef ecosystems is principally induced by increases in water temperature. Since the beginning of the 1980s and the onset of global climate change, this phenomenon has been occurring at increasing rates and scales, and with increasing severity. Several studies have been undertaken in the last few years to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of coral bleaching but the jigsaw puzzle is far from being complete, especially concerning the early events leading to symbiosis breakdown. The aim of the present study was to find molecular actors involved early in the mechanism leading to symbiosis collapse. In our experimental procedure, one set of Pocillopora damicornis nubbins was subjected to a gradual increase of water temperature from 28 degrees C to 32 degrees C over 15 days. A second control set kept at constant temperature (28 degrees C). The differentially expressed mRNA between the stressed states (sampled just before the onset of bleaching) and the non stressed states (control) were isolated by Suppression Subtractive Hybridization. Transcription rates of the most interesting genes (considering their putative function) were quantified by Q-RT-PCR, which revealed a significant decrease in transcription of two candidates six days before bleaching. RACE-PCR experiments showed that one of them (PdC-Lectin) contained a C-Type-Lectin domain specific for mannose. Immunolocalisation demonstrated that this host gene mediates molecular interactions between the host and the symbionts suggesting a putative role in zooxanthellae acquisition and/or sequestration. The second gene corresponds to a gene putatively involved in calcification processes (Pdcyst-rich). Its down-regulation could reflect a trade-off mechanism leading to the arrest of the mineralization process under stress. Under thermal stress

USING AIRBORNE REMOTE SENSING TO INCREASE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IN CIVIL PROTECTION AND HUMANITARIAN RELIEF – THE IMPORTANCE OF USER INVOLVEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Römer

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Enhancing situational awareness in real-time (RT civil protection and emergency response scenarios requires the development of comprehensive monitoring concepts combining classical remote sensing disciplines with geospatial information science. In the VABENE++ project of the German Aerospace Center (DLR monitoring tools are being developed by which innovative data acquisition approaches are combined with information extraction as well as the generation and dissemination of information products to a specific user. DLR’s 3K and 4k camera system which allow for a RT acquisition and pre-processing of high resolution aerial imagery are applied in two application examples conducted with end users: a civil protection exercise with humanitarian relief organisations and a large open-air music festival in cooperation with a festival organising company. This study discusses how airborne remote sensing can significantly contribute to both, situational assessment and awareness, focussing on the downstream processes required for extracting information from imagery and for visualising and disseminating imagery in combination with other geospatial information. Valuable user feedback and impetus for further developments has been obtained from both applications, referring to innovations in thematic image analysis (supporting festival site management and product dissemination (editable web services. Thus, this study emphasises the important role of user involvement in application-related research, i.e. by aligning it closer to user’s requirements.

Detection and sensing mechanism of acetone with modeling using Pd/TiO{sub 2}/Si structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yadava, Lallan, E-mail: nisaly06@rediffmail.com; Verma, Ritesh; Singh, Ravi S.

2012-01-31

A grided Pd/TiO{sub 2}/Si (Pdtisin) gas sensor is fabricated to detect hydrocarbons such as acetone, ethanol and trichloroethylene. The sensitivity measurements are carried out in various ambient (O{sub 2}, N{sub 2} and Ar) at room temperature which revealed that fabricated structure attains maximal response for acetone in contrast to other vapors examined. The study of ambient-effect on the device shows that it out-performs in oxygen ambient. A catalytic oxidation mechanism for detection of acetone with a model based upon Langmuir law of adsorption and Frenkel-Poole theory of electronic emission for the description of sensing behavior and vindication of experimental results have been proposed.

Multi-scale mechanics of traumatic brain injury : predicting axonal strains from head loads

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cloots, R.J.H.; Dommelen, van J.A.W.; Kleiven, S.; Geers, M.G.D.

2013-01-01

The length scales involved in the development of diffuse axonal injury typically range from the head level (i.e., mechanical loading) to the cellular level. The parts of the brain that are vulnerable to this type of injury are mainly the brainstem and the corpus callosum, which are regions with

Involvement of spinal NR2B-containing NMDA receptors in oxaliplatin-induced mechanical allodynia in rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yano Takahisa

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Oxaliplatin is a platinum-based chemotherapy drug characterized by the development of acute and chronic peripheral neuropathies. The chronic neuropathy is a dose-limiting toxicity. We previously reported that repeated administration of oxaliplatin induced cold hyperalgesia in the early phase and mechanical allodynia in the late phase in rats. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of NR2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA receptors in oxaliplatin-induced mechanical allodynia in rats. Results Repeated administration of oxaliplatin (4 mg/kg, i.p., twice a week caused mechanical allodynia in the fourth week, which was reversed by intrathecal injection of MK-801 (10 nmol and memantine (1 μmol, NMDA receptor antagonists. Similarly, selective NR2B antagonists Ro25-6981 (300 nmol, i.t. and ifenprodil (50 mg/kg, p.o. significantly attenuated the oxaliplatin-induced pain behavior. In addition, the expression of NR2B protein and mRNA in the rat spinal cord was increased by oxaliplatin on Day 25 (late phase but not on Day 5 (early phase. Moreover, we examined the involvement of nitric oxide synthase (NOS as a downstream target of NMDA receptor. L-NAME, a non-selective NOS inhibitor, and 7-nitroindazole, a neuronal NOS (nNOS inhibitor, significantly suppressed the oxaliplatin-induced pain behavior. The intensity of NADPH diaphorase staining, a histochemical marker for NOS, in the superficial layer of spinal dorsal horn was obviously increased by oxaliplatin, and this increased intensity was reversed by intrathecal injection of Ro25-6981. Conclusion These results indicated that spinal NR2B-containing NMDA receptors are involved in the oxaliplatin-induced mechanical allodynia.

Remote RemoteRemoteRemote sensing potential for sensing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Remote RemoteRemoteRemote sensing potential for sensing potential for sensing potential for sensing potential for sensing potential for sensing potential for sensing potential for sensing potential for sensing potential for sensing potential for sensing p. A Ngie, F Ahmed, K Abutaleb ...

Complement Involvement in Periodontitis: Molecular Mechanisms and Rational Therapeutic Approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Hajishengallis, George; Maekawa, Tomoki; Abe, Toshiharu; Hajishengallis, Evlambia; Lambris, John D

2015-01-01

The complement system is a network of interacting fluid-phase and cell surface-associated molecules that trigger, amplify, and regulate immune and inflammatory signaling pathways. Dysregulation of this finely balanced network can destabilize host-microbe homeostasis and cause inflammatory tissue damage. Evidence from clinical and animal model-based studies suggests that complement is implicated in the pathogenesis of periodontitis, a polymicrobial community-induced chronic inflammatory disease that destroys the tooth-supporting tissues. This review discusses molecular mechanisms of complement involvement in the dysbiotic transformation of the periodontal microbiome and the resulting destructive inflammation, culminating in loss of periodontal bone support. These mechanistic studies have additionally identified potential therapeutic targets. In this regard, interventional studies in preclinical models have provided proof-of-concept for using complement inhibitors for the treatment of human periodontitis.

Social justice and the university community: does campus involvement make a difference?

Science.gov (United States)

McAuliff, Kathleen E; Williams, Shannon M; Ferrari, Joseph R

2013-01-01

We examined perceptions on school sense of community and social justice attitudes among undergraduates (N = 427; 308 women, 115 men; M age = 19.72, SD = 1.91), and how year in school and club membership affected these constructs. Results demonstrated that involvement with a greater number of clubs was associated with having a stronger school sense of community and more positive social justice attitudes. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that year in school did not significantly predict social justice attitudes. Results suggested that greater involvement and sense of school belonging might be linked to social justice attitudes.

Distributed acoustic sensing for pipeline monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hill, David; McEwen-King, Magnus [OptaSense, QinetiQ Ltd., London (United Kingdom)

2009-07-01

Optical fibre is deployed widely across the oil and gas industry. As well as being deployed regularly to provide high bandwidth telecommunications and infrastructure for SCADA it is increasingly being used to sense pressure, temperature and strain along buried pipelines, on subsea pipelines and downhole. In this paper we present results from the latest sensing capability using standard optical fibre to detect acoustic signals along the entire length of a pipeline. In Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) an optical fibre is used for both sensing and telemetry. In this paper we present results from the OptaSense{sup TM} system which has been used to detect third party intervention (TPI) along buried pipelines. In a typical deployment the system is connected to an existing standard single-mode fibre, up to 50km in length, and was used to independently listen to the acoustic / seismic activity at every 10 meter interval. We will show that through the use of advanced array processing of the independent, simultaneously sampled channels it is possible to detect and locate activity within the vicinity of the pipeline and through sophisticated acoustic signal processing to obtain the acoustic signature to classify the type of activity. By combining spare fibre capacity in existing buried fibre optic cables; processing and display techniques commonly found in sonar; and state-of-the-art in fibre-optic distributed acoustic sensing, we will describe the new monitoring capabilities that are available to the pipeline operator. Without the expense of retrofitting sensors to the pipeline, this technology can provide a high performance, rapidly deployable and cost effective method of providing gapless and persistent monitoring of a pipeline. We will show how this approach can be used to detect, classify and locate activity such as; third party interference (including activity indicative of illegal hot tapping); real time tracking of pigs; and leak detection. We will also show how an

TACTILE SENSING FOR OBJECT IDENTIFICATION

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Drimus, Alin; Marian, Nicolae; Bilberg, Arne

2009-01-01

The artificial sense of touch is a research area that can be considered still in demand, compared with the human dexterity of grasping a wide variety of shapes and sizes, perform complex tasks, and switch between grasps in response to changing task requirements. For handling unknown objects...... in unstructured environments, tactile sensing can provide more than valuable to complementary vision information about mechanical properties such as recognition and characterization, force, pressure, torque, compliance, friction, and mass as well as object shape, texture, position and pose. In this paper, we...

Simulated biologic intelligence used to predict length of stay and survival of burns.

Science.gov (United States)

Frye, K E; Izenberg, S D; Williams, M D; Luterman, A

1996-01-01

From July 13, 1988, to May 14, 1995, 1585 patients with burns and no other injuries besides inhalation were treated; 4.5% did not survive. Artificial neural networks were trained on patient presentation data with known outcomes on 90% of the randomized cases. The remaining cases were then used to predict survival and length of stay in cases not trained on. Survival was predicted with more than 98% accuracy and length of stay to within a week with 72% accuracy in these cases. For anatomic area involved by burn, burns involving the feet, scalp, or both had the largest negative effect on the survival prediction. In survivors burns involving the buttocks, transport to this burn center by the military or by helicopter, electrical burns, hot tar burns, and inhalation were associated with increasing the length of stay prediction. Neural networks can be used to accurately predict the clinical outcome of a burn. What factors affect that prediction can be investigated.

Promiscuous Seven Transmembrane Receptors Sensing L-α-amino Acids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smajilovic, Sanela; Wellendorph, Petrine; Bräuner-Osborne, Hans

2014-01-01

A number of nutrient sensing seven trans-membrane (7TM) receptors have been identified and characterized over the past few years. While the sensing mechanisms to carbohydrates and free fatty acids are well understood, the molecular basis of amino acid sensing has recently come to the limelight....... The present review describes the current status of promiscuous L-α-amino acid sensors, the calcium sensing receptor (CaSR), the GPRC6A receptor, the T1R1/T1R3 receptor and also their molecular pharmacology, expression pattern and physiological significance....

The processing of spatial information in short-term memory: insights from eye tracking the path length effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Guérard, Katherine; Tremblay, Sébastien; Saint-Aubin, Jean

2009-10-01

Serial memory for spatial locations increases as the distance between successive stimuli locations decreases. This effect, known as the path length effect [Parmentier, F. B. R., Elford, G., & Maybery, M. T. (2005). Transitional information in spatial serial memory: Path characteristics affect recall performance. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory & Cognition, 31, 412-427], was investigated in a systematic manner using eye tracking and interference procedures to explore the mechanisms responsible for the processing of spatial information. In Experiment 1, eye movements were monitored during a spatial serial recall task--in which the participants have to remember the location of spatially and temporally separated dots on the screen. In the experimental conditions, eye movements were suppressed by requiring participants to incessantly move their eyes between irrelevant locations. Ocular suppression abolished the path length effect whether eye movements were prevented during item presentation or during a 7s retention interval. In Experiment 2, articulatory suppression was combined with a spatial serial recall task. Although articulatory suppression impaired performance, it did not alter the path length effect. Our results suggest that rehearsal plays a key role in serial memory for spatial information, though the effect of path length seems to involve other processes located at encoding, such as the time spent fixating each location and perceptual organization.

Modeling and control of a self-sensing polymer metal composite actuator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nam, Doan Ngoc Chi; Ahn, Kyoung Kwan

2014-01-01

An ion polymer metal composite (IPMC) is an electro-active polymer (EAP) that bends in response to a small applied electrical field as a result of mobility of cations in the polymer network and vice versa. One drawback in the use of an IPMC is the sensing problem for such a small size actuator. The aim of this paper is to develop a physical model for a self-sensing IPMC actuator and to verify its applicability for practical position control. Firstly, ion dynamics inside a polymer membrane is investigated with an asymmetric solution in the presence of distributed surface resistance. Based on this analysis, a modified equivalent circuit and a simple configuration to realize the self-sensing IPMC actuator are proposed. Mathematical modelling and experimental evaluation indicate that the bending curvature can be obtained accurately using several feedback voltage signals along with the IPMC length. Finally, the controllability of the developed self-sensing IPMC actuator is investigated using a robust position control. Experimental results prove that the self-sensing characteristics can be applied in engineering control problems to provide a more convenient sensing method for IPMC actuating systems. (paper)

Protein-induced satiation and the calcium-sensing receptor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ojha U

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Utkarsh Ojha Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK Abstract: Obesity is a major global health issue. High-protein diets have been shown to be associated with weight loss and satiety. The precise mechanism by which protein-rich diets promote weight loss remains unclear. Evidence suggests amino acids, formed as a consequence of protein digestion, are sensed by specific receptors on L-cells in the gastrointestinal (GI tract. These L-cells respond by secreting gut hormones that subsequently induce satiety. In recent years, the calcium-sensing receptor has been identified in several cells of the GI tract, including L-cells, and suggested to sense specific amino acids. This review evaluates the evidence for protein-rich diets in inducing weight loss and how the calcium-sensing receptor may be implicated in this phenomenon. Commandeering the mechanisms by which elements of a protein-rich diet suppress appetite may provide another successful avenue for developing anti-obesity drugs. Keywords: amino acids, energy regulation, obesity therapy, glucagon-like-peptide-1, peptide YY

Cross-kingdom signalling: exploitation of bacterial quorum sensing molecules by the green seaweed Ulva.

Science.gov (United States)

Joint, Ian; Tait, Karen; Wheeler, Glen

2007-07-29

The green seaweed Ulva has been shown to detect signal molecules produced by bacteria. Biofilms that release N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) attract zoospores--the motile reproductive stages of Ulva. The evidence for AHL involvement is based on several independent lines of evidence, including the observation that zoospores are attracted to wild-type bacteria that produce AHLs but are not attracted to mutants that do not produce signal molecules. Synthetic AHL also attracts zoospores and the attraction is lost in the presence of autoinducer inactivation (AiiA) protein. The mechanism of attraction is not chemotactic but involves chemokinesis. When zoospores detect AHLs, the swimming rate is reduced and this results in accumulation of cells at the source of the AHL. It has been demonstrated that the detection of AHLs results in calcium influx into the zoospore. This is the first example of a calcium signalling event in a eukaryote in response to bacterial quorum sensing molecules. The role of AHLs in the ecology of Ulva is discussed. It is probable that AHLs act as cues for the settlement of zoospores, rather than being directly involved as a signalling mechanism.

Relationship Between the Relative Age Effect and Lengths of Professional Careers in Male Japanese Baseball Players: a Retrospective Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakata, Hiroki

2017-12-01

The mechanisms underlying the relative age effect in sport events have been investigated for more than two decades. The present study focused on the relationship between the relative age effect and lengths of professional careers among professional male Japanese baseball players. The birth dates of players and lengths of professional careers were collected from an official publication, and data were divided into four quarters (Q1: April-June; Q2: July-September; Q3: October-December; Q4: January-March of the following year) grouped by 3 years. Based on the data for Q4, the expected numbers for the lengths of professional careers were calculated for Q1, Q2, and Q3. The number of players with professional careers of more than 19 years was significantly smaller in Q4 than in Q1, Q2, and Q3. The relative age effect among professional male Japanese baseball players was associated with the lengths of professional careers. Relative age appears to be a very important factor for the development of expertise among male Japanese baseball players and involves long-term disadvantages after becoming professional players.

Evidence for the involvement of MC4 receptors in the central mechanisms of opioid antinociception

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Starowicz, Katarzyna

2005-01-01

The data described in this thesis extend general knowledge of the involvement of the MC4 receptor in mechanisms of analgesia. The following aspects outlined below constitute novel information. Firstly, the MC4R localization in the DRG is demonstrated. The MC4 receptor was assumed to exist

Fiber-optic-coupled dosemeter for remote optical sensing of radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Justus, B.L.; Huston, A.L.

1996-01-01

Remote sensing technologies for the detection and measurement of ionizing radiation exposure are of current interest for applications such as patient dose verification during radiotherapy and the monitoring of environmental contaminants. Fiberoptic-based sensing is attractive due to the advantages of small size, low cost, long life and freedom from electromagnetic interference. Several fiberoptic-based radiation sensing systems have been described that utilize radiation induced changes in the optical characteristics of the fiber such as reduced transmission as a result of darkening of the glass, optical phase shifts due to heating, or changes in the birefringence of a polarization-maintaining fiber. The measurement of radiation induced darkening is limited in both sensitivity and dynamic range and requires long fiber lengths. Phase shift measurements require the use of single-mode lasers, phase sensitive interferometric detection, long fiber lengths and complex signal processing techniques. Alternatively, thermoluminescent (TL) phosphor powders have been coated onto fiberoptic cables and remote dosimetry measurements performed using traditional laser heating techniques. The sensitivity is limited by the requirement for a very thin layer of phosphor material, due to problems associated with light scattering and efficient heating by thermal diffusion. In this paper we report the development of an all-optical, fiber-optic-coupled, thermoluminescence dosemeter for remote radiation sensing that offers significant advantages compared to previous technologies. We recently reported the development of an optically transparent, TL glass material having exceptionally good characteristics for traditional dosimetry applications. We also reported a modified TL glass incorporating a rare earth ion dopant in order to absorb light from a semiconductor laser and utilize the absorbed light energy to internally heat the glass and release the trapped electrons. (author)

Pentocin MQ1: A Novel, Broad-Spectrum, Pore-Forming Bacteriocin From Lactobacillus pentosus CS2 With Quorum Sensing Regulatory Mechanism and Biopreservative Potential

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samson B. Wayah

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Micrococcus luteus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bacillus cereus are major food-borne pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. Emergence of antibiotic resistance and consumer demand for foods containing less of chemical preservatives led to a search for natural antimicrobials. A study aimed at characterizing, investigating the mechanism of action and regulation of biosynthesis and evaluating the biopreservative potential of pentocin from Lactobacillus pentosus CS2 was conducted. Pentocin MQ1 is a novel bacteriocin isolated from L. pentosus CS2 of coconut shake origin. The purification strategy involved adsorption-desorption of bacteriocin followed by RP-HPLC. It has a molecular weight of 2110.672 Da as determined by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and a molar extinction value of 298.82 M−1 cm−1. Pentocin MQ1 is not plasmid-borne and its biosynthesis is regulated by a quorum sensing mechanism. It has a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, exhibited high chemical, thermal and pH stability but proved sensitive to proteolytic enzymes. It is potent against M. luteus, B. cereus, and L. monocytogenes at micromolar concentrations. It is quick-acting and exhibited a bactericidal mode of action against its targets. Target killing was mediated by pore formation. We report for the first time membrane permeabilization as a mechanism of action of the pentocin from the study against Gram-positive bacteria. Pentocin MQ1 is a cell wall-associated bacteriocin. Application of pentocin MQ1 improved the microbiological quality and extended the shelf life of fresh banana. This is the first report on the biopreservation of banana using bacteriocin. These findings place pentocin MQ1 as a potential biopreservative for further evaluation in food and medical applications.

Integrated Sensing of Alcohols by CNT Blended HAp Nano Ceramics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaikh R. ANJUM

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The research work reports the application of carbon nanotubes (CNT blended Hydroxyapatite (HAp composites as ideal thick film substrates for the detection of hazardous and flammable methanol vapours. The main objective of this work is to improve the temperature-dependent sensitivity of the sensor for the detection of lower methanol concentration. In this study, the sensing ability of native HAp and CNT blended HAp thick films is studied for the detection of methanol vapours present in ambient air individually and in the form of a mixture of methanol, ethanol, and propanol. The sensing parameters are studied using two probe electrical method. The sensor substrate is made by means of doping of different concentrations of CNT in HAp. The sensing of methanol vapours is studied at a fixed concentration of 100 ppm. Native HAp substrate shows good sensitivity for methanol at room temperature; however, its sensing performance is inferior to the CNT blended materials. The blended composites exhibit impressive sensing ability compared with native HAp in terms of sensitivity, response/ recovery time and maximum uptake limit. The sensing mechanism for methanol detection, the role of HAp as a parent material and CNT as an additive, is explained using a suitable sensing mechanism.

Dynamical response of multi-walled carbon nanotube resonators based on continuum mechanics modeling for mass sensing applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Myungseok; Olshevskiy, Alexander; Kim, Chang-Wan [Konkuk University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Eom, Kilho [Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Gwak, Kwanwoong [Sejong University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Dai, Mai Duc [Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education, Ho Chi Minh (Viet Nam)

2017-05-15

Carbon nanotube (CNT) has recently received much attention due to its excellent electromechanical properties, indicating that CNT can be employed for development of Nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) such as nanomechanical resonators. For effective design of CNT-based resonators, it is required to accurately predict the vibration behavior of CNT resonators as well as their frequency response to mass adsorption. In this work, we have studied the vibrational behavior of Multi-walled CNT (MWCNT) resonators by using a continuum mechanics modeling that was implemented in Finite element method (FEM). In particular, we consider a transversely isotropic hollow cylinder solid model with Finite element (FE) implementation for modeling the vibration behavior of Multi-walled CNT (MWCNT) resonators. It is shown that our continuum mechanics model provides the resonant frequencies of various MWCNTs being comparable to those obtained from experiments. Moreover, we have investigated the frequency response of MWCNT resonators to mass adsorption by using our continuum model with FE implementation. Our study sheds light on our continuum mechanics model that is useful in predicting not only the vibration behavior of MWCNT resonators but also their sensing performance for further effective design of MWCNT- based NEMS devices.

Sensing the wind profile

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pena, A.

2009-03-15

This thesis consists of two parts. The first is a synopsis of the theoretical progress of the study that is based on a number of journal papers. The papers, which constitute the second part of the report, aim to analyze, measure, and model the wind prole in and beyond the surface layer by combining observations from cup anemometers with lidars. The lidar is necessary to extend the measurements on masts at the Horns Rev offshore wind farm and over at land at Hoevsoere, Denmark. Both sensing techniques show a high degree of agreement for wind speed measurements performed at either sites. The wind speed measurements are averaged for several stability conditions and compare well with the surface-layer wind profile. At Hoevsoere, it is sufficient to scale the wind speed with the surface friction velocity, whereas at Horns Rev a new scaling is added, due to the variant roughness length. This new scaling is coupled to wind prole models derived for flow over the sea and tested against the wind proles up to 160 m at Horns Rev. The models, which account for the boundary-layer height in stable conditions, show better agreement with the measurements than compared to the traditional theory. Mixing-length parameterizations for the neutral wind prole compare well with length-scale measurements up to 300 m at Hoevsoere and 950 m at Leipzig. The mixing-length-derived wind proles strongly deviate from the logarithmic wind prole, but agree better with the wind speed measurements. The length-scale measurements are compared to the length scale derived from a spectral analysis performed up to 160 m at Hoevsoere showing high agreement. Mixing-length parameterizations are corrected to account for stability and used to derive wind prole models. These compared better to wind speed measurements up to 300 m at Hoevsoere than the surface-layer wind prole. The boundary-layer height is derived in nearneutral and stable conditions based on turbulent momentum uxes only and in unstable conditions

Remote sensing in operational range management programs in Western Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, M. D.

1977-01-01

A pilot program carried out in Western Canada to test remote sensing under semi-operational conditions and display its applicability to operational range management programs was described. Four agencies were involved in the program, two in Alberta and two in Manitoba. Each had different objectives and needs for remote sensing within its range management programs, and each was generally unfamiliar with remote sensing techniques and their applications. Personnel with experience and expertise in the remote sensing and range management fields worked with the agency personnel through every phase of the pilot program. Results indicate that these agencies have found remote sensing to be a cost effective tool and will begin to utilize remote sensing in their operational work during ensuing seasons.

The microtubule associated protein END BINDING 1 represses root responses to mechanical cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Gleeson, Laura; Squires, Shannon; Bisgrove, Sherryl R

2012-05-01

The ability of roots to navigate around rocks and other debris as they grow through the soil requires a mechanism for detecting and responding to input from both touch and gravity sensing systems. The microtubule associated protein END BINDING 1b (EB1b) is involved in this process as mutants have defects responding to combinations of touch and gravity cues. This study investigates the role of EB1b in root responses to mechanical cues. We find that eb1b-1 mutant roots exhibit an increase over wild type in their response to touch and that the expression of EB1b genes in transgenic mutants restores the response to wild type levels, indicating that EB1b is an inhibitor of the response. Mutant roots are also hypersensitive to increased levels of mechanical stimulation, revealing the presence of another process that activates the response. These findings are supported by analyses of double mutants between eb1b-1 and seedlings carrying mutations in PHOSPHOGLUCOMUTASE (PGM), ALTERED RESPONSE TO GRAVITY1 (ARG1), or TOUCH3 (TCH3), genes that encode proteins involved in gravity sensing, signaling, or touch responses, respectively. A model is proposed in which root responses to mechanical cues are modulated by at least two competing regulatory processes, one that promotes touch-mediated growth and another, regulated by EB1b, which dampens root responses to touch and enhances gravitropism. © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quorum Sensing Signaling and Quenching in the Multidrug-Resistant Pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pol Huedo

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an opportunistic Gram-negative pathogen with increasing incidence in clinical settings. The most critical aspect of S. maltophilia is its frequent resistance to a majority of the antibiotics of clinical use. Quorum Sensing (QS systems coordinate bacterial populations and act as major regulatory mechanisms of pathogenesis in both pure cultures and poly-microbial communities. Disruption of QS systems, a phenomenon known as Quorum Quenching (QQ, represents a new promising paradigm for the design of novel antimicrobial strategies. In this context, we review the main advances in the field of QS in S. maltophilia by paying special attention to Diffusible Signal Factor (DSF signaling, Acyl Homoserine Lactone (AHL responses and the controversial Ax21 system. Advances in the DSF system include regulatory aspects of DSF synthesis and perception by both rpf-1 and rpf-2 variant systems, as well as their reciprocal communication. Interaction via DSF of S. maltophilia with unrelated organisms including bacteria, yeast and plants is also considered. Finally, an overview of the different QQ mechanisms involving S. maltophilia as quencher and as object of quenching is presented, revealing the potential of this species for use in QQ applications. This review provides a comprehensive snapshot of the interconnected QS network that S. maltophilia uses to sense and respond to its surrounding biotic or abiotic environment. Understanding such cooperative and competitive communication mechanisms is essential for the design of effective anti QS strategies.

Optimized Reputable Sensing Participants Extraction for Participatory Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiwei Yuan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available By collecting data via sensors embedded personal smart devices, sensing participants play a key role in participatory sensor networks. Using information provided by reputable sensing participants ensures the reliability of participatory sensing data. Setting a threshold for the reputation, and those whose reputations are bigger than this value are regarded as reputable. The bigger the threshold value is, the more reliable the extracted reputable sensing participant is. However, if the threshold value is too big, only very limited participatory sensing data can be involved. This may cause unexpected bias in information collection. Existing works did not consider the relationship between the reliability of extracted reputable sensing participants and the ratio of usable participatory sensing data. In this work, we propose a criterion for optimized reputable sensing participant extraction in participatory sensor networks. This is achieved based on the mathematical analysis on the ratio of available participatory sensing data and the reliability of extracted reputable sensing participants. Our suggested threshold value for reputable sensing participant extraction is only related to the power of sensing participant’s reputation distribution. It is easy to be applied in real applications. Simulation results tested on real application data further verified the effectiveness of our proposed method.

Molecular Mechanisms That Contribute to Bone Marrow Pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jason J. Ivanusic

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Pain associated a bony pathology puts a significant burden on individuals, society, and the health-care systems worldwide. Pathology that involves the bone marrow activates sensory nerve terminal endings of peripheral bone marrow nociceptors, and is the likely trigger for pain. This review presents our current understanding of how bone marrow nociceptors are influenced by noxious stimuli presented in pathology associated with bone marrow. A number of ion channels and receptors are emerging as important modulators of the activity of peripheral bone marrow nociceptors. Nerve growth factor (NGF sequestration has been trialed for the management of inflammatory bone pain (osteoarthritis, and there is significant evidence for interaction of NGF with bone marrow nociceptors. Activation of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 sensitizes bone marrow nociceptors and could contribute to increased sensitivity of patients to noxious stimuli in various bony pathologies. Acid-sensing ion channels sense changes to tissue pH in the bone marrow microenvironment and could be targeted to treat pathology that involves acidosis of the bone marrow. Piezo2 is a mechanically gated ion channel that has recently been reported to be expressed by most myelinated bone marrow nociceptors and might be a target for treatments directed against mechanically induced bone pain. These ion channels and receptors could be useful targets for the development of peripherally acting drugs to treat pain of bony origin.

Muscle specific changes in length-force characteristics of the calf muscles in the spastic Han-Wistar rat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olesen, Annesofie Thorup; Jensen, Bente Rona; Uhlendorf, Toni L

2014-01-01

length, passive stiffness and passive force of spastic GA were decreased whereas those of spastic SO were increased. No mechanical interaction between the calf muscles and TA was found. As GA was lengthened, force from SO and PL declined despite a constant muscle-tendon unit length of SO and PL. However......, the extent of this interaction was not different in the spastic rats. In conclusion, the effects of spasticity on length-force characteristics were muscle specific. The changes seen for GA and PL muscles are consistent with the changes in limb mechanics reported for human patients. Our results indicate......The purpose of the present study was to investigate muscle mechanical properties and mechanical interaction between muscles in the lower hindlimb of the spastic mutant rat. Length-force characteristics of gastrocnemius (GA), soleus (SO) and plantaris (PL) were assessed in anesthetized spastic...

The involvement of cutaneous receptors in the biological effects of electromagnetic millimeter waves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anton Emil

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The involvement of peripheral nerve terminations in the mechanisms of action of electromagnetic millimeter waves (mmW was assessed. It is currently thought that mmW could be used in noninvasive complementary therapy because of their analgesic effect. However, the mechanisms of their antinociceptive effect and non-ionizing radiation are the subjects of controversy. The mechanisms of interaction of mmW and the cutaneous tissue have not been elucidated. We observed mast cell degranulation at the place of mmW action, a decrease of chronaxie and Turck reflex time, an increase in the number of afferent impulses after sciatic nerve at stimulation, as well as an increase electrocardiogram R-R interval of isolated frog heart after application of mmW. Based on these investigations, we propose that electromagnetic waves of millimeter length modify, through indirect mechanisms, the excitability and reactivity of peripheral nerve terminations.

Gas sensing in 2D materials

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shengxue; Jiang, Chengbao; Wei, Su-huai

2017-06-01

Two-dimensional (2D) layered inorganic nanomaterials have attracted huge attention due to their unique electronic structures, as well as extraordinary physical and chemical properties for use in electronics, optoelectronics, spintronics, catalysts, energy generation and storage, and chemical sensors. Graphene and related layered inorganic analogues have shown great potential for gas-sensing applications because of their large specific surface areas and strong surface activities. This review aims to discuss the latest advancements in the 2D layered inorganic materials for gas sensors. We first elaborate the gas-sensing mechanisms and introduce various types of gas-sensing devices. Then, we describe the basic parameters and influence factors of the gas sensors to further enhance their performance. Moreover, we systematically present the current gas-sensing applications based on graphene, graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), functionalized GO or rGO, transition metal dichalcogenides, layered III-VI semiconductors, layered metal oxides, phosphorene, hexagonal boron nitride, etc. Finally, we conclude the future prospects of these layered inorganic materials in gas-sensing applications.

A common pathway for charge transport through voltage-sensing domains.

Science.gov (United States)

Chanda, Baron; Bezanilla, Francisco

2008-02-07

Voltage-gated ion channels derive their voltage sensitivity from the movement of specific charged residues in response to a change in transmembrane potential. Several studies on mechanisms of voltage sensing in ion channels support the idea that these gating charges move through a well-defined permeation pathway. This gating pathway in a voltage-gated ion channel can also be mutated to transport free cations, including protons. The recent discovery of proton channels with sequence homology to the voltage-sensing domains suggests that evolution has perhaps exploited the same gating pathway to generate a bona fide voltage-dependent proton transporter. Here we will discuss implications of these findings on the mechanisms underlying charge (and ion) transport by voltage-sensing domains.

Spectrum Sensing and Primary User Localization in Cognitive Radio Networks via Sparsity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lanchao Liu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The theory of compressive sensing (CS has been employed to detect available spectrum resource in cognitive radio (CR networks recently. Capitalizing on the spectrum resource underutilization and spatial sparsity of primary user (PU locations, CS enables the identification of the unused spectrum bands and PU locations at a low sampling rate. Although CS has been studied in the cooperative spectrum sensing mechanism in which CR nodes work collaboratively to accomplish the spectrum sensing and PU localization task, many important issues remain unsettled. Does the designed compressive spectrum sensing mechanism satisfy the Restricted Isometry Property, which guarantees a successful recovery of the original sparse signal? Can the spectrum sensing results help the localization of PUs? What are the characteristics of localization errors? To answer those questions, we try to justify the applicability of the CS theory to the compressive spectrum sensing framework in this paper, and propose a design of PU localization utilizing the spectrum usage information. The localization error is analyzed by the Cramér-Rao lower bound, which can be exploited to improve the localization performance. Detail analysis and simulations are presented to support the claims and demonstrate the efficacy and efficiency of the proposed mechanism.

Do we know how plants sense a drying soil?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Streck Nereu Augusto

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The reduction of crop growth and yield in dry areas is largely due to stomatal closure in response to dry soil, which decreases photosynthesis. However, the mechanism that causes stomatal closure in a drying soil is a controversial issue. Experienced and respected plant physiologists around the world have different views about the primary sensor of soil water shortage in plants. The goal of this review is to present a chronological synthesis about the evidence of the possible candidates for the mechanism by which plants sense a drying soil. Hydraulic signals in the leaves as the mechanism that causes stomatal closure dominated the view on how plants sense a drying soil during the 70?s and the early 80?s. In the middle 80?s, studies suggested that stomatal conductance is better correlated with soil and root water status than with leaf water status. Thus, chemical signals produced in the roots dominated the view on how plants sense a drying soil during the late 80?s and early 90?s. During the second half of the 90?s, however, studies provided evidence that hydraulic signals in the leaves are still better candidates for the mechanism by which plants sense a drying soil. After more than 60 years of studies in plant-water relations, the question raised in the title still has no unanimous answer. This controversial issue is a good research rationale for the current generation of plant physiologists.

Upper Bounds for the Rate Distortion Function of Finite-Length Data Blocks of Gaussian WSS Sources

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Jesús Gutiérrez-Gutiérrez

2017-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we present upper bounds for the rate distortion function (RDF of finite-length data blocks of Gaussian wide sense stationary (WSS sources and we propose coding strategies to achieve such bounds. In order to obtain those bounds, we previously derive new results on the discrete Fourier transform (DFT of WSS processes.

Measurement of the dechanneling length for high-energy negative pions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scandale, W.; Losito, R.; Bagli, E.; Bandiera, L.; Dalpiaz, P.; Fiorini, M.; Guidi, V.; Mazzolari, A.; Vincenzi, D.; Della Mea, G.; Vallazza, E.; Afonin, A.G.; Chesnokov, Yu.A.; Maisheev, V.A.; Yazynin, I.A.; Kovalenko, A.D.; Taratin, A.M.; Denisov, A.S.; Gavrikov, Yu.A.; Ivanov, Yu.M.

2013-01-01

We studied the dechanneling length of 150 GeV/cπ − interacting with a short bent silicon crystal. Dechanneling length measures the rate and the strength of incoherent interactions of channeled particles in a crystal. The mechanism of dechanneling of negatively charged particles has been elucidated through simulation and experiment. It was found that the dechanneling length for negative particles is comparable to the nuclear dechanneling length for positive charges. Indeed, dechanneling of negative particles occurs as a result of incoherent interactions with the nuclei because the trajectories of such particles always intersect atomic planes, explaining the lower channeling efficiency for such particles. Obtained results can be useful for the design of crystals for manipulating high-energy negative particle beams through channeling

Intrinsic embedded sensors for polymeric mechatronics: flexure and force sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Jentoft, Leif P; Dollar, Aaron M; Wagner, Christopher R; Howe, Robert D

2014-02-25

While polymeric fabrication processes, including recent advances in additive manufacturing, have revolutionized manufacturing, little work has been done on effective sensing elements compatible with and embedded within polymeric structures. In this paper, we describe the development and evaluation of two important sensing modalities for embedding in polymeric mechatronic and robotic mechanisms: multi-axis flexure joint angle sensing utilizing IR phototransistors, and a small (12 mm), three-axis force sensing via embedded silicon strain gages with similar performance characteristics as an equally sized metal element based sensor.

AnonySense: Opportunistic and Privacy-Preserving Context Collection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Triandopoulos, Nikolaos; Kapadia, Apu; Cornelius, Cory

2008-01-01

on tessellation and clustering to protect users' privacy against the system while reporting context, and k-anonymous report aggregation to improve the users' privacy against applications receiving the context. We outline the architecture and security properties of AnonySense, and focus on evaluating our....... We propose AnonySense, a general-purpose architecture for leveraging users' mobile devices for measuring context, while maintaining the privacy of the users.AnonySense features multiple layers of privacy protection-a framework for nodes to receive tasks anonymously, a novel blurring mechanism based...

Fatigue Crack Length Sizing Using a Novel Flexible Eddy Current Sensor Array

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruifang Xie

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The eddy current probe, which is flexible, array typed, highly sensitive and capable of quantitative inspection is one practical requirement in nondestructive testing and also a research hotspot. A novel flexible planar eddy current sensor array for the inspection of microcrack presentation in critical parts of airplanes is developed in this paper. Both exciting and sensing coils are etched on polyimide films using a flexible printed circuit board technique, thus conforming the sensor to complex geometric structures. In order to serve the needs of condition-based maintenance (CBM, the proposed sensor array is comprised of 64 elements. Its spatial resolution is only 0.8 mm, and it is not only sensitive to shallow microcracks, but also capable of sizing the length of fatigue cracks. The details and advantages of our sensor design are introduced. The working principal and the crack responses are analyzed by finite element simulation, with which a crack length sizing algorithm is proposed. Experiments based on standard specimens are implemented to verify the validity of our simulation and the efficiency of the crack length sizing algorithm. Experimental results show that the sensor array is sensitive to microcracks, and is capable of crack length sizing with an accuracy within ±0.2 mm.

Pathogenic Mechanisms Involved in the Hematological Alterations of Arenavirus-induced Hemorrhagic Fevers

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Roberto G. Pozner

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs caused by arenaviruses are acute diseases characterized by fever, headache, general malaise, impaired cellular immunity, eventual neurologic involvement, and hemostatic alterations that may ultimately lead to shock and death. The causes of the bleeding are still poorly understood. However, it is generally accepted that these causes are associated to some degree with impaired hemostasis, endothelial cell dysfunction and low platelet counts or function. In this article, we present the current knowledge about the hematological alterations present in VHF induced by arenaviruses, including new aspects on the underlying pathogenic mechanisms.

Different cellular response mechanisms contribute to the length-dependent cytotoxicity of multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Dun; Wang, Lijun; Wang, Zhigang; Cuschieri, Alfred

2012-07-01

To date, there has not been an agreement on the best methods for the characterisation of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) toxicity. The length of MWCNTs has been identified as a factor in in vitro and in vivo studies, in addition to their purity and biocompatible coating. Another unresolved issue relates to the variable toxicity of MWCNTs on different cell types. The present study addressed the effects of MWCNTs' length on mammalian immune and epithelial cancer cells RAW264.7 and MCF-7, respectively. Our data confirm that MWCNTs induce cytotoxicity in a length- and cell type-dependent manner. Whereas, longer (3 to 14 μm) MWCNTs exert high toxicity, especially to RAW264.7 cells, shorter (1.5 μm) MWCNTs are significantly less cytotoxic. These findings confirm that the degree of biocompatibility of MWCNTs is closely related to their length and that immune cells appear to be more susceptible to damage by MWCNTs. Our study also indicates that MWCNT nanotoxicity should be analysed for various components of cellular response, and cytotoxicity data should be validated by the use of more than one assay system. Results from chromogenic-based assays should be confirmed by trypan blue exclusion.

Telomere length in normal and neoplastic canine tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Cadile, Casey D; Kitchell, Barbara E; Newman, Rebecca G; Biller, Barbara J; Hetler, Elizabeth R

2007-12-01

To determine the mean telomere restriction fragment (TRF) length in normal and neoplastic canine tissues. 57 solid-tissue tumor specimens collected from client-owned dogs, 40 samples of normal tissue collected from 12 clinically normal dogs, and blood samples collected from 4 healthy blood donor dogs. Tumor specimens were collected from client-owned dogs during diagnostic or therapeutic procedures at the University of Illinois Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, whereas 40 normal tissue samples were collected from 12 control dogs. Telomere restriction fragment length was determined by use of an assay kit. A histologic diagnosis was provided for each tumor by personnel at the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Illinois. Mean of the mean TRF length for 44 normal samples was 19.0 kilobases (kb; range, 15.4 to 21.4 kb), and the mean of the mean TRF length for 57 malignant tumors was 19.0 kb (range, 12.9 to 23.5 kb). Although the mean of the mean TRF length for tumors and normal tissues was identical, tumor samples had more variability in TRF length. Telomerase, which represents the main mechanism by which cancer cells achieve immortality, is an attractive therapeutic target. The ability to measure telomere length is crucial to monitoring the efficacy of telomerase inhibition. In contrast to many other mammalian species, the length of canine telomeres and the rate of telomeric DNA loss are similar to those reported in humans, making dogs a compelling choice for use in the study of human anti-telomerase strategies.

Adaptive Opportunistic Cooperative Control Mechanism Based on Combination Forecasting and Multilevel Sensing Technology of Sensors for Mobile Internet of Things

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Yong Jin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In mobile Internet of Things, there are many challenges, including sensing technology of sensors, how and when to join cooperative transmission, and how to select the cooperative sensors. To address these problems, we studied the combination forecasting based on the multilevel sensing technology of sensors, building upon which we proposed the adaptive opportunistic cooperative control mechanism based on the threshold values such as activity probability, distance, transmitting power, and number of relay sensors, in consideration of signal to noise ratio and outage probability. More importantly, the relay sensors would do self-test real time in order to judge whether to join the cooperative transmission, for maintaining the optimal cooperative transmission state with high performance. The mathematical analyses results show that the proposed adaptive opportunistic cooperative control approach could perform better in terms of throughput ratio, packet error rate and delay, and energy efficiency, compared with the direct transmission and opportunistic cooperative approaches.

Quorum sensing in CD4+ T cell homeostasis: a hypothesis and a model.

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Afonso R.M. Almeida

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Homeostasis of lymphocyte numbers is believed to be due to competition between cellular populations for a common niche of restricted size, defined by the combination of interactions and trophic factors required for cell survival. Here we propose a new mechanism: homeostasis of lymphocyte numbers could also be achieved by the ability of lymphocytes to perceive the density of their own populations. Such a mechanism would be reminiscent of the primordial quorum sensing systems used by bacteria, in which some bacteria sense the accumulation of bacterial metabolites secreted by other elements of the population, allowing them to count the number of cells present and adapt their growth accordingly. We propose that homeostasis of CD4+ T cell numbers may occur via a quorum-sensing-like mechanism, where IL-2 is produced by activated CD4+ T cells and sensed by a population of CD4+ Treg cells that expresses the high-affinity IL-2Rα-chain and can regulate the number of activated IL-2-producing CD4+ T cells and the total CD4+T cell population. In other words, CD4+ T cell populations can restrain their growth by monitoring the number of activated cells, thus preventing uncontrolled lymphocyte proliferation during immune responses. We hypothesize that malfunction of this quorum-sensing mechanism may lead to uncontrolled T cell activation and autoimmunity. Finally, we present a mathematical model that describes the role of IL-2 and quorum-sensing mechanisms in CD4+ T cell homeostasis during an immune response.

Coral bleaching under thermal stress: putative involvement of host/symbiont recognition mechanisms

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Tambutte Sylvie

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Coral bleaching can be defined as the loss of symbiotic zooxanthellae and/or their photosynthetic pigments from their cnidarian host. This major disturbance of reef ecosystems is principally induced by increases in water temperature. Since the beginning of the 1980s and the onset of global climate change, this phenomenon has been occurring at increasing rates and scales, and with increasing severity. Several studies have been undertaken in the last few years to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of coral bleaching but the jigsaw puzzle is far from being complete, especially concerning the early events leading to symbiosis breakdown. The aim of the present study was to find molecular actors involved early in the mechanism leading to symbiosis collapse. Results In our experimental procedure, one set of Pocillopora damicornis nubbins was subjected to a gradual increase of water temperature from 28°C to 32°C over 15 days. A second control set kept at constant temperature (28°C. The differentially expressed mRNA between the stressed states (sampled just before the onset of bleaching and the non stressed states (control were isolated by Suppression Subtractive Hybridization. Transcription rates of the most interesting genes (considering their putative function were quantified by Q-RT-PCR, which revealed a significant decrease in transcription of two candidates six days before bleaching. RACE-PCR experiments showed that one of them (PdC-Lectin contained a C-Type-Lectin domain specific for mannose. Immunolocalisation demonstrated that this host gene mediates molecular interactions between the host and the symbionts suggesting a putative role in zooxanthellae acquisition and/or sequestration. The second gene corresponds to a gene putatively involved in calcification processes (Pdcyst-rich. Its down-regulation could reflect a trade-off mechanism leading to the arrest of the mineralization process under stress

Private sector involvement in civil space remote sensing. Volume 1: Report

Science.gov (United States)

1979-01-01

A survey of private sector developers, users, and interpreters of Earth resources data was conducted in an effort to encourage private investment and participation in remote sensing systems. Results indicate positive interest in participation beyond the current hardware contracting level, however, there is a substantial gap between current market levels and system costs. Issues identified include the selection process for an operating entity, the public/private interface, data collection and access policies, price and profit regulation in a subsidized system, international participation, and the responsibility for research and development. It was agreed that the cost, complexity, and security implications of integrated systems need not be an absolute bar to their private operation.

Investigating radionuclide bearing suspended sediment transport mechanisms in the Ribble estuary using airborne remote sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atkin, P.A.

2000-10-01

BNFL Sellafield has been authorised to discharge radionuclides to the Irish Sea since 1952. In the aquatic environment the radionuclides are adsorbed by sediments and are thus redistributed by sediment transport mechanisms. This sediment is known to accumulate in the estuaries of the Irish Sea. BNFL Springfields is also licensed to discharge isotopically different radionuclides directly to the Ribble estuary. Thus there is a need to understand the sediment dynamics of the Ribble estuary in order to understand the fate of these radionuclides within the Ribble estuary. Estuaries are highly dynamic environments that are difficult to monitor using the conventional sampling techniques. However, remote sensing provides a potentially powerful tool for monitoring the hydrodynamics of the estuarine environment by providing data that are both spatially and temporally representative. This research develops a methodology for mapping suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the Ribble estuary using airborne remote sensing. The first hypothesis, that there is a relationship between SSC and 137 Cs concentration is proven in-situ (R 2 =0.94), thus remotely sensed SSC can act as a surrogate for 137 Cs concentration. Initial in-situ characterisation of the suspended sediments was investigated to identify spatial and temporal variability in grain size distributions and reflectance characteristics for the Ribble estuary. Laboratory experiments were then performed to clearly define the SSC reflectance relationship, identify the optimum CASI wavelengths for quantifying SSC and to demonstrate the effects on reflectance of the environmental variables of salinity and clay content. Images were corrected for variation in solar elevation and angle to give a ground truth calibration for SSC, with an R 2 =0.76. The remaining scatter in this relationship was attributed to the differences in spatial and temporal representation between sampling techniques and remote sensing. The second hypothesis

Remote Sensing of Landslides—A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chaoying Zhao

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Triggered by earthquakes, rainfall, or anthropogenic activities, landslides represent widespread and problematic geohazards worldwide. In recent years, multiple remote sensing techniques, including synthetic aperture radar, optical, and light detection and ranging measurements from spaceborne, airborne, and ground-based platforms, have been widely applied for the analysis of landslide processes. Current techniques include landslide detection, inventory mapping, surface deformation monitoring, trigger factor analysis and mechanism inversion. In addition, landslide susceptibility modelling, hazard assessment, and risk evaluation can be further analyzed using a synergic fusion of multiple remote sensing data and other factors affecting landslides. We summarize the 19 articles collected in this special issue of Remote Sensing of Landslide, in the terms of data, methods and applications used in the papers.

Remotely sensed vegetation phenology for describing and predicting the biomes of South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Wessels, Konrad J

2011-02-01

Full Text Available the distribution of the recently redefined biomes be predicted based on remotely sensed, phenology and productivity metrics? Ten-day, 1 km, NDVI AVHRR were analysed for the period 1985 to 2000. Phenological metrics such as start, end and length of the growing...

Mutational analysis of two structural genes of the remperate lactococcal bacteriophage TP901-1 involved in tail length determination and baseplate assembly

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Margit; Østergaard, Solvej; Bresciani, José

2000-01-01

Two putative structural genes, orf tmp (tape measure protein) and orf bpp (baseplate protein), of the temperate lactococcal phage TP901-1 were examined by introduction of specific mutations in the prophage strain Lactococcus lactic ssp. cremoris 901-1. The adsorption efficiencies of the mutated...... or duplication of 29% in orf tmp was shown to shorten or lengthen the phage tail by approximately 30%, respectively. The orf tmp is proposed to function as a tape measure protein, TMP, important for assembly of the TP901-1 phage tail and involved in tail length determination. Specific mutations in orf bpp...... produced phages which were unable to adsorb to the indicator strain and electron microscopy revealed particles lacking the baseplate structure. The orf bpp is proposed to encode a highly immunogenic structural baseplate protein, BPP, important for assembly of the baseplate. Finally, an assembly pathway...

Vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes for pressure, tactile and vibration sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Yilmazoglu, O; Popp, A; Pavlidis, D; Schneider, J J; Garth, D; Schüttler, F; Battenberg, G

2012-03-02

We report a simple method for the micro-nano integration of flexible, vertically aligned multiwalled CNT arrays sandwiched between a top and bottom carbon layer via a porous alumina (Al(2)O(3)) template approach. The electromechanical properties of the flexible CNT arrays have been investigated under mechanical stress conditions. First experiments show highly sensitive piezoresistive sensors with a resistance decrease of up to ∼35% and a spatial resolution of <1 mm. The results indicate that these CNT structures can be utilized for tactile sensing components. They also confirm the feasibility of accessing and utilizing nanoscopic CNT bundles via lithographic processing. The method involves room-temperature processing steps and standard microfabrication techniques.

Intrinsic Embedded Sensors for Polymeric Mechatronics: Flexure and Force Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leif P. Jentoft

2014-02-01

Full Text Available While polymeric fabrication processes, including recent advances in additive manufacturing, have revolutionized manufacturing, little work has been done on effective sensing elements compatible with and embedded within polymeric structures. In this paper, we describe the development and evaluation of two important sensing modalities for embedding in polymeric mechatronic and robotic mechanisms: multi-axis flexure joint angle sensing utilizing IR phototransistors, and a small (12 mm, three-axis force sensing via embedded silicon strain gages with similar performance characteristics as an equally sized metal element based sensor.

Au sensitized ZnO nanorods for enhanced liquefied petroleum gas sensing properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakate, U.T.; Bulakhe, R.N.; Lokhande, C.D.; Kale, S.N.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We studied ZnO nanorods film for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sensing. • The Au sensitization on ZnO nanorods gives improved LPG sensing response. • The Au–ZnO shows 48% LPG response for 1040 ppm with fast response time of 50 S. • We proposed schematic for sensing mechanism using band diagram. - Abstract: The zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods have grown on glass substrate by spray pyrolysis deposition (SPD) method using zinc acetate solution. The phase formation, surface morphology and elemental composition of ZnO films have been investigated using X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) techniques. The liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sensing response was remarkably improved by sensitization of gold (Au) surface noble metal on ZnO nanorods film. Maximum LPG response of 21% was observed for 1040 ppm of LPG, for pure ZnO nanorods sample. After Au sensitization on ZnO nanorods film sample, the LPG response greatly improved up to 48% at operating temperature 623 K. The improved LPG response is attributed Au sensitization with spill-over mechanism. Proposed model for LPG sensing mechanism discussed.

Au sensitized ZnO nanorods for enhanced liquefied petroleum gas sensing properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakate, U.T., E-mail: umesh.nakate@gmail.com [Department of Applied Physics, Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Deemed University, Pune 411025 (India); Bulakhe, R.N.; Lokhande, C.D. [Department of Physics, Thin films Physics Laboratory, Shivaji University Kolhapur 416004 (India); Kale, S.N. [Department of Applied Physics, Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Deemed University, Pune 411025 (India)

2016-05-15

Highlights: • We studied ZnO nanorods film for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sensing. • The Au sensitization on ZnO nanorods gives improved LPG sensing response. • The Au–ZnO shows 48% LPG response for 1040 ppm with fast response time of 50 S. • We proposed schematic for sensing mechanism using band diagram. - Abstract: The zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods have grown on glass substrate by spray pyrolysis deposition (SPD) method using zinc acetate solution. The phase formation, surface morphology and elemental composition of ZnO films have been investigated using X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) techniques. The liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sensing response was remarkably improved by sensitization of gold (Au) surface noble metal on ZnO nanorods film. Maximum LPG response of 21% was observed for 1040 ppm of LPG, for pure ZnO nanorods sample. After Au sensitization on ZnO nanorods film sample, the LPG response greatly improved up to 48% at operating temperature 623 K. The improved LPG response is attributed Au sensitization with spill-over mechanism. Proposed model for LPG sensing mechanism discussed.

Assessment of the accuracy of the conventional ray-tracing technique: Implications in remote sensing and radiative transfer involving ice clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bi, Lei; Yang, Ping; Liu, Chao; Yi, Bingqi; Baum, Bryan A.; Diedenhoven, Bastiaan van; Iwabuchi, Hironobu

2014-01-01

A fundamental problem in remote sensing and radiative transfer simulations involving ice clouds is the ability to compute accurate optical properties for individual ice particles. While relatively simple and intuitively appealing, the conventional geometric-optics method (CGOM) is used frequently for the solution of light scattering by ice crystals. Due to the approximations in the ray-tracing technique, the CGOM accuracy is not well quantified. The result is that the uncertainties are introduced that can impact many applications. Improvements in the Invariant Imbedding T-matrix method (II-TM) and the Improved Geometric-Optics Method (IGOM) provide a mechanism to assess the aforementioned uncertainties. The results computed by the II-TM+IGOM are considered as a benchmark because the II-TM solves Maxwell's equations from first principles and is applicable to particle size parameters ranging into the domain at which the IGOM has reasonable accuracy. To assess the uncertainties with the CGOM in remote sensing and radiative transfer simulations, two independent optical property datasets of hexagonal columns are developed for sensitivity studies by using the CGOM and the II-TM+IGOM, respectively. Ice cloud bulk optical properties obtained from the two datasets are compared and subsequently applied to retrieve the optical thickness and effective diameter from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) measurements. Additionally, the bulk optical properties are tested in broadband radiative transfer (RT) simulations using the general circulation model (GCM) version of the Rapid Radiative Transfer Model (RRTMG) that is adopted in the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Atmosphere Model (CAM, version 5.1). For MODIS retrievals, the mean bias of uncertainties of applying the CGOM in shortwave bands (0.86 and 2.13 μm) can be up to 5% in the optical thickness and as high as 20% in the effective diameter, depending on cloud optical

Efficient Sparse Signal Transmission over a Lossy Link Using Compressive Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liantao Wu

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Reliable data transmission over lossy communication link is expensive due to overheads for error protection. For signals that have inherent sparse structures, compressive sensing (CS is applied to facilitate efficient sparse signal transmissions over lossy communication links without data compression or error protection. The natural packet loss in the lossy link is modeled as a random sampling process of the transmitted data, and the original signal will be reconstructed from the lossy transmission results using the CS-based reconstruction method at the receiving end. The impacts of packet lengths on transmission efficiency under different channel conditions have been discussed, and interleaving is incorporated to mitigate the impact of burst data loss. Extensive simulations and experiments have been conducted and compared to the traditional automatic repeat request (ARQ interpolation technique, and very favorable results have been observed in terms of both accuracy of the reconstructed signals and the transmission energy consumption. Furthermore, the packet length effect provides useful insights for using compressed sensing for efficient sparse signal transmission via lossy links.

Investigations into the involvement of NMDA mechanisms in recognition memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Warburton, E Clea; Barker, Gareth R I; Brown, Malcom W

2013-11-01

This review will focus on evidence showing that NMDA receptor neurotransmission is critical for synaptic plasticity processes within brain regions known to be necessary for the formation of object recognition memories. The aim will be to provide evidence concerning NMDA mechanisms related to recognition memory processes and show that recognition memory for objects, places or associations between objects and places depends on NMDA neurotransmission within the perirhinal cortex, temporal association cortex medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Administration of the NMDA antagonist AP5, selectively into each of these brain regions has revealed that the extent of the involvement NMDA receptors appears dependent on the type of information required to solve the recognition memory task; thus NMDA receptors in the perirhinal cortex are crucial for the encoding of long-term recognition memory for objects, and object-in-place associations, but not for short-term recognition memory or for retrieval. In contrast the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex are required for both long-term and short-term recognition memory for places or associations between objects and places, or for recognition memory tasks that have a temporal component. Such studies have therefore confirmed that the multiple brain regions make distinct contributions to recognition memory but in addition that more than one synaptic plasticity process must be involved. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Glutamate Receptor-Dependent Synaptic Plasticity'. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Mechanisms and factors involved in hip injuries during frontal crashes.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoganandan, N; Pintar, F A; Gennarelli, T A; Maltese, M R; Eppinger, R H

2001-11-01

This study was conducted to collect data and gain insights relative to the mechanisms and factors involved in hip injuries during frontal crashes and to study the tolerance of hip injuries from this type of loading. Unembalmed human cadavers were seated on a standard automotive seat (reinforced) and subjected to knee impact test to each lower extremity. Varying combinations of flexion and adduction/abduction were used for initial alignment conditions and pre-positioning. Accelerometers were fixed to the iliac wings and twelfth thoracic vertebral spinous process. A 23.4-kg padded pendulum impacted the knee at velocities ranging from 4.3 to 7.6 m/s. The impacting direction was along the anteroposterior axis, i.e., the global X-axis, in the body-fixed coordinate system. A load cell on the front of the pendulum recorded the impact force. Peak impact forces ranged from 2,450 to 10,950 N. The rate of loading ranged from 123 to 7,664 N/msec. The impulse values ranged from 12.4 to 31.9 Nsec. Injuries were not apparent in three tests. Eight tests resulted in trauma. Fractures involving the pelvis including the acetabulum and proximal femur occurred in five out of the eight tests, and distal femoral bone fracture occurred in one test. These results underscore the importance of leg pre-positioning and the orientation of the impacting axis to produce specific types of trauma to the pelvic region of the lower extremity.

Advanced Power Management of a Telehandler using Electronic Load Sensing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Rico Hjerm

2009-01-01

New possibilities within electronic control of mobile hydraulic systems are becoming available as hydraulic components are implemented with more electrical sensors and actuators. This paper presents how the traditional hydro-mechanical load sensing (HLS) control of a specific mobile hydraulic...... application, a telehandler, can be replaced with electronic control, i.e. Electronic Load Sensing (ELS). The motivation for ELS is the potentials of better dynamic performance and system utilization, along with reduced mechanical complexity by transferring features as pump pressure control, flow...

Length scale of secondary stresses in fracture and fatigue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, P.

2008-01-01

In an attempt to provide a consistent framework for the analysis and treatment of secondary stresses associated with welding and thermal loading in the context of fracture mechanics, this paper starts with an effective stress characterization procedure by introducing a length-scale concept. With it, a traction-based stress separation procedure is then presented to provide a consistent characterization of stresses from various sources based on their length scale. Their relative contributions to fracture driving force are then quantified in terms of their characteristic length scales. Special attention is given to the implications of the length-scale argument on both analysis and treatment of welding residual stresses in fracture assessment. A series of examples is provided to demonstrate how the present developments can be applied for treating not only secondary stresses but also externally applied stresses, as well as their combined effects on the structural integrity of engineering components

Effects of Nanowire Length and Surface Roughness on the Electrochemical Sensor Properties of Nafion-Free, Vertically Aligned Pt Nanowire Array Electrodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhiyang Li

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper, vertically aligned Pt nanowire arrays (PtNWA with different lengths and surface roughnesses were fabricated and their electrochemical performance toward hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 detection was studied. The nanowire arrays were synthesized by electroplating Pt in nanopores of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO template. Different parameters, such as current density and deposition time, were precisely controlled to synthesize nanowires with different surface roughnesses and various lengths from 3 μm to 12 μm. The PtNWA electrodes showed better performance than the conventional electrodes modified by Pt nanowires randomly dispersed on the electrode surface. The results indicate that both the length and surface roughness can affect the sensing performance of vertically aligned Pt nanowire array electrodes. Generally, longer nanowires with rougher surfaces showed better electrochemical sensing performance. The 12 μm rough surface PtNWA presented the largest sensitivity (654 μA·mM−1·cm−2 among all the nanowires studied, and showed a limit of detection of 2.4 μM. The 12 μm rough surface PtNWA electrode also showed good anti-interference property from chemicals that are typically present in the biological samples such as ascorbic, uric acid, citric acid, and glucose. The sensing performance in real samples (river water was tested and good recovery was observed. These Nafion-free, vertically aligned Pt nanowires with surface roughness control show great promise as versatile electrochemical sensors and biosensors.

Anomalous length of electron bunches as an instability threshold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Messerschmid, E.; Month, M.

1976-01-01

A mechanism for the anomalous length of electron bunches, based on the existence of a ''fast'' longitudinal instability, is proposed. The equilibrium length is obtained by requiring that the growth rate be sufficiently larger than the rate of synchrotron oscillations. The theory is used to describe the bunch length data for SPEAR at 1.5 GeV. The low voltage and/or high current regime is dominated by a set of ''low'' frequency, low Q resonators [e.g., f = 320 MHz, Δf(fwhm) = 130 MHz]. To fit the observations in the high voltage and/or low current regime, a high frequency, low Q impedance is required (e.g., f = 3.8 GHz, Δf = 1.0 GHz). The mechanism is mediated by the resistive component of the impedance. Thus, there is qualitative agreement with the observed distortion of the bunch tail. This is in contrast to the predictions of the potential well models based on a reactive impedance source. These latter theories yield large distortions of the head of the bunch. The calculated power dissipated in the assumed sources by the given electron bunch is not inconsistent with estimates made for SPEAR

Evolution of resistive switching mechanism through H2O2 sensing by using TaOx-based material in W/Al2O3/TaOx/TiN structure

Science.gov (United States)

Chakrabarti, Somsubhra; Panja, Rajeswar; Roy, Sourav; Roy, Anisha; Samanta, Subhranu; Dutta, Mrinmoy; Ginnaram, Sreekanth; Maikap, Siddheswar; Cheng, Hsin-Ming; Tsai, Ling-Na; Chang, Ya-Ling; Mahapatra, Rajat; Jana, Debanjan; Qiu, Jian-Tai; Yang, Jer-Ren

2018-03-01

Understanding of resistive switching mechanism through H2O2 sensing and improvement of switching characteristics by using TaOx-based material in W/Al2O3/TaOx/TiN structure have been reported for the first time. Existence of amorphous Al2O3/TaOx layer in the RRAM devices has been confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. By analyzing the oxidation states of Ta2+/Ta5+ for TaOx switching material and W0/W6+ for WOx layer at the W/TaOx interface through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and H2O2 sensing, the reduction-oxidation mechanism under Set/Reset occurs only in the TaOx layer for the W/Al2O3/TaOx/TiN structures. This leads to higher Schottky barrier height at the W/Al2O3 interface (0.54 eV vs. 0.46 eV), higher resistance ratio, and long program/erase endurance of >108 cycles with 100 ns pulse width at a low operation current of 30 μA. Stable retention of more than 104 s at 85 °C is also obtained. Using conduction mechanism and reduction-oxidation reaction, current-voltage characteristic has been simulated. Both TaOx and WOx membranes have high pH sensitivity values of 47.65 mV/pH and 49.25 mV/pH, respectively. Those membranes can also sense H2O2 with a low concentration of 1 nM in an electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor structure because of catalytic activity, while the Al2O3 membrane does not show sensing. The TaOx material in W/Al2O3/TaOx/TiN structure does not show only a path towards high dense, small size memory application with understanding of switching mechanism but also can be used for H2O2 sensors.

The significance of stricture length and prior treatments

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Results: The median age was 49.5 years (range 21–90), median stricture length was 4 cm (range 1–18 cm) and the overall recurrence rate was 27.8%. Postinfectious strictures, pan urethral strictures or multiple strictures involving the penile and bulbar urethra were more common. Most patients had penile circular ...

Experimenting with Electrical Load Sensing on a Backhoe Loader

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Torben Ole; Hansen, Michael Rygaard; Pedersen, Henrik Clemmensen

2005-01-01

Where traditional load sensing is made using hydro-mechanical regulators and load pressure is fed back hydraulically, electrical load sensing employs the usage of electronic sensors and electrically actuated components. This brings forth new possibilities, but also imposes problems concerning...... dynamic performance and stability. In this paper the possibilities for implementing electrical load sensing (ELS) on a backhoe loader is investigated. Major components in the system are modelled and verified, and a linear model of the pump is presented, which is used for designing the pump controller....... By comparing results from linear analyses performed on both the conventional hydraulic load sensing system (HLS) and the modified electrical load sensing system, it is concluded that system performance closely matching the conventional system is obtainable....

Nutrient Sensing at the Plasma Membrane of Fungal Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Dijck, Patrick; Brown, Neil Andrew; Goldman, Gustavo H; Rutherford, Julian; Xue, Chaoyang; Van Zeebroeck, Griet

2017-03-01

To respond to the changing environment, cells must be able to sense external conditions. This is important for many processes including growth, mating, the expression of virulence factors, and several other regulatory effects. Nutrient sensing at the plasma membrane is mediated by different classes of membrane proteins that activate downstream signaling pathways: nontransporting receptors, transceptors, classical and nonclassical G-protein-coupled receptors, and the newly defined extracellular mucin receptors. Nontransporting receptors have the same structure as transport proteins, but have lost the capacity to transport while gaining a receptor function. Transceptors are transporters that also function as a receptor, because they can rapidly activate downstream signaling pathways. In this review, we focus on these four types of fungal membrane proteins. We mainly discuss the sensing mechanisms relating to sugars, ammonium, and amino acids. Mechanisms for other nutrients, such as phosphate and sulfate, are discussed briefly. Because the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been the most studied, especially regarding these nutrient-sensing systems, each subsection will commence with what is known in this species.

Characteristic length scale of input data in distributed models: implications for modeling grid size

Science.gov (United States)

Artan, G. A.; Neale, C. M. U.; Tarboton, D. G.

2000-01-01

The appropriate spatial scale for a distributed energy balance model was investigated by: (a) determining the scale of variability associated with the remotely sensed and GIS-generated model input data; and (b) examining the effects of input data spatial aggregation on model response. The semi-variogram and the characteristic length calculated from the spatial autocorrelation were used to determine the scale of variability of the remotely sensed and GIS-generated model input data. The data were collected from two hillsides at Upper Sheep Creek, a sub-basin of the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed, in southwest Idaho. The data were analyzed in terms of the semivariance and the integral of the autocorrelation. The minimum characteristic length associated with the variability of the data used in the analysis was 15 m. Simulated and observed radiometric surface temperature fields at different spatial resolutions were compared. The correlation between agreement simulated and observed fields sharply declined after a 10×10 m2 modeling grid size. A modeling grid size of about 10×10 m2 was deemed to be the best compromise to achieve: (a) reduction of computation time and the size of the support data; and (b) a reproduction of the observed radiometric surface temperature.

Characteristic length scale of input data in distributed models: implications for modeling grain size

Science.gov (United States)

Artan, Guleid A.; Neale, C. M. U.; Tarboton, D. G.

2000-01-01

The appropriate spatial scale for a distributed energy balance model was investigated by: (a) determining the scale of variability associated with the remotely sensed and GIS-generated model input data; and (b) examining the effects of input data spatial aggregation on model response. The semi-variogram and the characteristic length calculated from the spatial autocorrelation were used to determine the scale of variability of the remotely sensed and GIS-generated model input data. The data were collected from two hillsides at Upper Sheep Creek, a sub-basin of the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed, in southwest Idaho. The data were analyzed in terms of the semivariance and the integral of the autocorrelation. The minimum characteristic length associated with the variability of the data used in the analysis was 15 m. Simulated and observed radiometric surface temperature fields at different spatial resolutions were compared. The correlation between agreement simulated and observed fields sharply declined after a 10×10 m2 modeling grid size. A modeling grid size of about 10×10 m2 was deemed to be the best compromise to achieve: (a) reduction of computation time and the size of the support data; and (b) a reproduction of the observed radiometric surface temperature.

Quantum N-body problem with a minimal length

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buisseret, Fabien

2010-01-01

The quantum N-body problem is studied in the context of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics with a one-dimensional deformed Heisenberg algebra of the form [x,p]=i(1+βp 2 ), leading to the existence of a minimal observable length √(β). For a generic pairwise interaction potential, analytical formulas are obtained that allow estimation of the ground-state energy of the N-body system by finding the ground-state energy of a corresponding two-body problem. It is first shown that in the harmonic oscillator case, the β-dependent term grows faster with increasing N than the β-independent term. Then, it is argued that such a behavior should also be observed with generic potentials and for D-dimensional systems. Consequently, quantum N-body bound states might be interesting places to look at nontrivial manifestations of a minimal length, since the more particles that are present, the more the system deviates from standard quantum-mechanical predictions.

Frequency Characteristics of Double-Walled Carbon Nanotube Resonator with Different Length

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun-Ha LEE

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we have conducted classical molecular dynamics simulations for DWCNTs of various wall lengths to investigate their use as ultrahigh frequency nano-mechanical resonators. We sought to determine the variations in the frequency of these resonators according to changes in the DWCNT wall lengths. For a double-walled carbon nanotube resonator with a shorter inner nanotube, the shorter inner nanotube can be considered to be a flexible core, and thus, the length influences the fundamental frequency. In this paper, we analyze the variation in frequency of ultra-high frequency nano-mechnical resonators constructed from DWCNTs with different wall lengths.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.2.12951

Integrated microcantilevers for high-resolution sensing and probing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Xinxin; Lee, Dong-Weon

2012-01-01

This topical review is focused on microcantilever-based sensing and probing functions that are realized by integrating a mechanically compliant cantilever with self-sensing and self-actuating elements, specific sensing materials as well as functionalized nano-tips. Such integrated cantilever devices have shown great promise in ultra-sensitive applications such as on-the-spot portable bio/chemical detection and in situ micro/nanoscale surface analysis and manipulation. The technical details of this review will be given in a sequence of cantilever sensors and, then, cantilever-tip probes. For the integrated cantilever sensors, the frequency-output style dynamic cantilevers are described first, with the contents including optimized resonance modes, sensing-group-modified nanostructures for specific bio/chemical mass adsorption and nanoscale sensing effects, etc. Thereafter, the static cantilever sensors for surface-stress detection are described in the sequence of the sensing mechanism, surface modification of the sensitive molecule layer and the model of specific reaction-induced surface-energy variation. After technical description of the cantilever sensors, the emphasis of the review moves to functionalized nano-tip equipped cantilever-tip probing devices. The probing functions are not only integrated on the cantilever but also integrated at the sharp apex of the tip. After description of single integrated cantilever probes and their applications in surface scanning and imaging, arrayed cantilever-tip devices and their simultaneous parallel operation for high throughput imaging and nanomechanical data storage are also addressed. With cantilever-tip probes as key elements, micro-analysis instruments are introduced that can be widely used for macro/nanoscale characterizations. (topical review)

Plant-Derived Natural Products as Sources of Anti-Quorum Sensing Compounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kok-Gan Chan

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Quorum sensing is a system of stimuli and responses in relation to bacterial cell population density that regulates gene expression, including virulence determinants. Consequently, quorum sensing has been an attractive target for the development of novel anti-infective measures that do not rely on the use of antibiotics. Anti-quorum sensing has been a promising strategy to combat bacterial infections as it is unlikely to develop multidrug resistant pathogens since it does not impose any selection pressure. A number of anti-quorum sensing approaches have been documented and plant-based natural products have been extensively studied in this context. Plant matter is one of the major sources of chemicals in use today in various industries, ranging from the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food biotechnology to the textile industries. Just like animals and humans, plants are constantly exposed to bacterial infections, it is therefore logical to expect that plants have developed sophisticated of chemical mechanisms to combat pathogens. In this review, we have surveyed the various types of plant-based natural products that exhibit anti-quorum sensing properties and their anti-quorum sensing mechanisms.

Mechanisms involved in the chemical inhibition of the Eosin-sensitized photooxidation of trypsin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rizzuto, F.; Spikes, J.D.

1975-01-01

A large series of compounds was screened for ability to protect trypsin from eosin-sensitized photodynamic inactivation. Eosin-sensitized photooxidation reactions of this type typically proceed via the triplet state of the dye and often involve singlet state oxygen as the oxidizing entity. In order to determine the mechanisms by which trypsin is protected from photoinactivation, a number of good protective agents (inhibitors) and some non-protective agents were selected for more detailed flash photolysis studies. Good inhibitors such as p-phenylenediamine, n-propyl gallate, serotonin creatinine sulfate and p-toluenediamine competed efficiently with oxygen and with trypsin for reaction with the triplet state of eosin. The inhibitors were shown to quench triplet eosin to the ground state and/or reduce triplet eosin to form the semireduced eosin radical and an oxidized form of the inhibitor. In the latter case, oxidized inhibitor could react by a reverse electron transfer reaction with the semireduced eosin radical to regenerate ground state eosin and the inhibitor. The good inhibitors also competed effectively with trypsin for oxidation by semioxidized eosin, thus giving another possible protective mechanism. Non-inhibitors such as halogen ions and the paramagnetic ions Co/sup + +/, Cu/sup + +/ and Mn/sup + +/ reacted only slowly with triplet and with semioxidized eosin. The primary pathway for the eosin-sensitized photooxidation of trypsin at pH 8.0 involved singlet oxygen, although semioxidized eosin may also participate.

Is there pain in champagne? Semantic involvement of words within words during sense-making

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Alphen, P.M.; van Berkum, J.J.A.

2010-01-01

In an ERP experiment, we examined whether listeners, when making sense of spoken utterances, take into account the meaning of spurious words that are embedded in longer words, either at their onsets (e.g., pie in pirate) or at their offsets (e.g., pain in champagne). In the experiment, Dutch

Theory of the interaction of flat sensing organ with the head of the sugar beet root

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Volodymyr Bulgakov

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Sugar beet leaves now are very widely used for livestock feeding, as an organic fertiliser, and also as a raw material for the production of biogas. Therefore the harvest of the sugar beet tops (including leaves can be considered as current task for the sugar beet growing system. Modern technologies involve harvest of the tops of sugar beet in two stages: flat basic cut and collecting of the entire green mass at higher altitude and the subsequent cutting of the heads of root crops from the residues. Therefore, topical issues of the sensing of the heads of sugar beet roots arranged in rows, are related to the majority of the sugar beet toppers, cleaners of the sugar beet heads, leaves cutters and, digging up working bodies of some designs. The aim of this study is theoretical determination the optimum design and kinematic parameters of a new sensing mechanism of the sugar beet heads located in the soil on the basis of the theory of interaction of flat passive swath board sensing organ with the sugar beet heads during their topping when located in the soil. In the study there are used methods of creation of mathematical models of functioning of the agricultural machines and their working bodies with the using of main provisions of mathematics, theoretical mechanics, programming and numerical calculations on the PC. In this paper, there is presented a theoretical study of the interaction of passive sensing organ with the head of the sugar beet root when there are located residues of the leaves on a root head spherical surface in the form of short elastic rods. Thus, for such an interaction of the sensing organ and the head of sugar beet root head there is taken into account elastic-damping properties of the sugar beet leaves residues. In the study there was first of all developed a new design of the topper for sugar beet heads with the use of a flat swath board sensing organ, there was developed the equivalent scheme of the interaction of the

Tactile score a knowledge media for tactile sense

CERN Document Server

Suzuki, Yasuhiro

2014-01-01

This book deals with one of the most novel advances in natural computing, namely, in the field of tactile sense analysis. Massage, which provides relaxation and stimulation for human beings, is analyzed in this book for the first time by encoding the motions and tactile senses involved. The target audience is not limited to researchers who are interested in natural computing but also includes those working in ergonomic design, biomedical engineering, Kansei engineering, and cognitive science.

The mechanisms involved at the cell level; Les mecanismes mis en jeu au niveau cellulaire

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leblanc, G.; Pourcher, Th.; Perron, B. [Nice Univ., Dir. des Sciences du Vivant, Dept. de Biologie Joliot-Curie, 06 (France); Guillain, F. [CEA Grenoble, Dir. des Sciences du Vivant, 38 (France); Quemeneur, E. [CEA Marcoule, Dir. des Sciences du Vivant, 30 (France); Fritsch, P. [CEA Bruyeres le Chatel, Dir. des Sciences du Vivant, 91 (France)

2003-07-01

The mechanisms responsible at the cell level for inducing toxic reactions after contamination are as yet only imperfectly known. Work still needs to be done for both contaminants that have a biological role, such as iodine, and those that do not, such as cadmium, uranium and plutonium. In particular, these mechanisms bring into play, in biological membranes, carriers which are the physiological partners responsible for material exchange with the environment or inside the body. As they lack absolute selectivity, these carriers, which are involved in the assimilation and accumulation of vital mineral elements, also have the ability to transport toxic elements and isotopes. (authors)

Redox signaling in acute oxygen sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin Gao

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Acute oxygen (O2 sensing is essential for individuals to survive under hypoxic conditions. The carotid body (CB is the main peripheral chemoreceptor, which contains excitable and O2-sensitive glomus cells with O2-regulated ion channels. Upon exposure to acute hypoxia, inhibition of K+ channels is the signal that triggers cell depolarization, transmitter release and activation of sensory fibers that stimulate the brainstem respiratory center to produce hyperventilation. The molecular mechanisms underlying O2 sensing by glomus cells have, however, remained elusive. Here we discuss recent data demonstrating that ablation of mitochondrial Ndufs2 gene selectively abolishes sensitivity of glomus cells to hypoxia, maintaining responsiveness to hypercapnia or hypoglycemia. These data suggest that reactive oxygen species and NADH generated in mitochondrial complex I during hypoxia are signaling molecules that modulate membrane K+ channels. We propose that the structural substrates for acute O2 sensing in CB glomus cells are “O2-sensing microdomains” formed by mitochondria and neighboring K+ channels in the plasma membrane. Keywords: Hypoxia, Acute oxygen sensing, Peripheral chemoreceptors, Carotid body, Adrenal medulla, Mitochondrial complex I, Reactive oxygen species (ROS, Pyridine nucleotides

The Scales of Time, Length, Mass, Energy, and Other Fundamental Physical Quantities in the Atomic World and the Use of Atomic Units in Quantum Mechanical Calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Teo, Boon K.; Li, Wai-Kee

2011-01-01

This article is divided into two parts. In the first part, the atomic unit (au) system is introduced and the scales of time, space (length), and speed, as well as those of mass and energy, in the atomic world are discussed. In the second part, the utility of atomic units in quantum mechanical and spectroscopic calculations is illustrated with…

Quorum-dependent transfer of the opine-catabolic plasmid pAoF64/95 is regulated by a novel mechanism involving inhibition of the TraR antiactivator TraM.

Science.gov (United States)

Wetzel, Margaret E; Asenstorfer, Robert E; Tate, Max E; Farrand, Stephen K

2018-04-10

We previously described a plasmid of Agrobacterium spp., pAoF64/95, in which the quorum-sensing system that controls conjugative transfer is induced by the opine mannopine. We also showed that the quorum-sensing regulators TraR, TraM, and TraI function similarly to their counterparts in other repABC plasmids. However, traR, unlike its counterpart on Ti plasmids, is monocistronic and not located in an operon that is inducible by the conjugative opine. Here, we report that both traR and traM are expressed constitutively and not regulated by growth with mannopine. We report two additional regulatory genes, mrtR and tmsP, that are involved in a novel mechanism of control of TraR activity. Both genes are located in the distantly linked region of pAoF64/95 encoding mannopine utilization. MrtR, in the absence of mannopine, represses the four-gene mocC operon as well as tmsP, which is the distal gene of the eight-gene motA operon. As judged by a bacterial two-hybrid analysis, TmsP, which shows amino acid sequence relatedness with the TraM-binding domain of TraR, interacts with the antiactivator. We propose a model in which mannopine, acting through the repressor MrtR, induces expression of TmsP which then titrates the levels of TraM thereby freeing TraR to activate the tra regulon. © 2018 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

How Quorum Sensing Connects Sporulation to Necrotrophism in Bacillus thuringiensis.

Science.gov (United States)

Perchat, Stéphane; Talagas, Antoine; Poncet, Sandrine; Lazar, Noureddine; Li de la Sierra-Gallay, Inès; Gohar, Michel; Lereclus, Didier; Nessler, Sylvie

2016-08-01

Bacteria use quorum sensing to coordinate adaptation properties, cell fate or commitment to sporulation. The infectious cycle of Bacillus thuringiensis in the insect host is a powerful model to investigate the role of quorum sensing in natural conditions. It is tuned by communication systems regulators belonging to the RNPP family and directly regulated by re-internalized signaling peptides. One such RNPP regulator, NprR, acts in the presence of its cognate signaling peptide NprX as a transcription factor, regulating a set of genes involved in the survival of these bacteria in the insect cadaver. Here, we demonstrate that, in the absence of NprX and independently of its transcriptional activator function, NprR negatively controls sporulation. NprR inhibits expression of Spo0A-regulated genes by preventing the KinA-dependent phosphorylation of the phosphotransferase Spo0F, thus delaying initiation of the sporulation process. This NprR function displays striking similarities with the Rap proteins, which also belong to the RNPP family, but are devoid of DNA-binding domain and indirectly control gene expression via protein-protein interactions in Bacilli. Conservation of the Rap residues directly interacting with Spo0F further suggests a common inhibition of the sporulation phosphorelay. The crystal structure of apo NprR confirms that NprR displays a highly flexible Rap-like structure. We propose a molecular regulatory mechanism in which key residues of the bifunctional regulator NprR are directly and alternatively involved in its two functions. NprX binding switches NprR from a dimeric inhibitor of sporulation to a tetrameric transcriptional activator involved in the necrotrophic lifestyle of B. thuringiensis. NprR thus tightly coordinates sporulation and necrotrophism, ensuring survival and dissemination of the bacteria during host infection.

On chaos in quantum mechanics: The two meanings of sensitive dependence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ingraham, R.L.; Luna Acosta, G.A.

1993-08-01

Sensitive dependence on initial conditions, the most important signature of chaos, can mean failure of Lyapunov stability, the primary meaning adopted in dynamical systems theory, or the presence of positive Lyapunov exponents, the meaning favored in physics. These are not equivalent in general. We show that there is sensitive dependence in quantum mechanics in the sense of violation of Lyapunov stability for maps of the state vector like involving unbounded operators A. This is true even for bounded quantum systems, where the corresponding Lyapunov exponents are all zero. Experiments to reveal this sensitive dependence, a definite though unfamiliar prediction of quantum mechanics, should be devised. It may also invalidate the usual assumption of linear response theory in quantum statistical mechanics in some cases. (author) 13 refs

Distributed Long-Gauge Optical Fiber Sensors Based Self-Sensing FRP Bar for Concrete Structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Yongsheng; Wu, Zhishen

2016-02-25

Brillouin scattering-based distributed optical fiber (OF) sensing technique presents advantages for concrete structure monitoring. However, the existence of spatial resolution greatly decreases strain measurement accuracy especially around cracks. Meanwhile, the brittle feature of OF also hinders its further application. In this paper, the distributed OF sensor was firstly proposed as long-gauge sensor to improve strain measurement accuracy. Then, a new type of self-sensing fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bar was developed by embedding the packaged long-gauge OF sensors into FRP bar, followed by experimental studies on strain sensing, temperature sensing and basic mechanical properties. The results confirmed the superior strain sensing properties, namely satisfied accuracy, repeatability and linearity, as well as excellent mechanical performance. At the same time, the temperature sensing property was not influenced by the long-gauge package, making temperature compensation easy. Furthermore, the bonding performance between self-sensing FRP bar and concrete was investigated to study its influence on the sensing. Lastly, the sensing performance was further verified with static experiments of concrete beam reinforced with the proposed self-sensing FRP bar. Therefore, the self-sensing FRP bar has potential applications for long-term structural health monitoring (SHM) as embedded sensors as well as reinforcing materials for concrete structures.

Sense of fairness: not by itself a moral sense and not a foundation of a lot of morality.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramlakhan, Nalini; Brook, Andrew

2013-02-01

Baumard et al. make a good case that a sense of fairness evolved and that showing this requires reciprocity games with choice of partner. However, they oversimplify both morality and the evolution of morality. Where fairness is involved in morality, other things are, too, and fairness is often not involved. In the evolution of morality, other things played a role. Plus, the motive for being fair originally was self-interest, not anything moral.

Virulent poxviruses inhibit DNA sensing by preventing STING activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Georgana, Iliana; Sumner, Rebecca P; Towers, Greg J; Maluquer de Motes, Carlos

2018-02-28

Cytosolic recognition of DNA has emerged as a critical cellular mechanism of host immune activation upon pathogen invasion. The central cytosolic DNA sensor cGAS activates STING, which is phosphorylated, dimerises and translocates from the ER to a perinuclear region to mediate IRF-3 activation. Poxviruses are dsDNA viruses replicating in the cytosol and hence likely to trigger cytosolic DNA sensing. Here we investigated the activation of innate immune signalling by 4 different strains of the prototypic poxvirus vaccinia virus (VACV) in a cell line proficient in DNA sensing. Infection with the attenuated VACV strain MVA activated IRF-3 via cGAS and STING, and accordingly STING dimerised and was phosphorylated during MVA infection. Conversely, VACV strains Copenhagen and Western Reserve inhibited STING dimerisation and phosphorylation during infection and in response to transfected DNA and cGAMP, thus efficiently suppressing DNA sensing and IRF-3 activation. A VACV deletion mutant lacking protein C16, thought to be the only viral DNA sensing inhibitor acting upstream of STING, retained the ability to block STING activation. Similar inhibition of DNA-induced STING activation was also observed for cowpox and ectromelia viruses. Our data demonstrate that virulent poxviruses possess mechanisms for targeting DNA sensing at the level of the cGAS-STING axis and that these mechanisms do not operate in replication-defective strains such as MVA. These findings shed light on the role of cellular DNA sensing in poxvirus-host interactions and will open new avenues to determine its impact on VACV immunogenicity and virulence. IMPORTANCE Poxviruses are dsDNA viruses infecting a wide range of vertebrates and include the causative agent of smallpox (variola virus) and its vaccine vaccinia virus (VACV). Despite smallpox eradication VACV remains of interest as a therapeutic. Attenuated strains are popular vaccine candidates, whereas replication-competent strains are emerging as

Dielectric micro-resonator-based opto-mechanical systems for sensing applications

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Amir Roushdy

In recent years, whispering gallery mode (WGM), or morphology dependent optical resonances (MDR) of dielectric micro-resonators have attracted interest with proposed applications in a wide range of areas due to the high optical quality factors, Q, they can exhibit (reaching ~ 10. 9 for silica spheres). Micro-resonator WGMs have been used in applications that include those in spectroscopy, micro-cavity laser technology, optical communications (switching, filtering and multiplexing), sensors technologies and even chemical and biological sensing. The WGM of these dielectric micro-resonators are highly sensitive to morphological changes (such as the size, shape, or refractive index) of the resonance cavity and hence, can be tuned by causing a minute change in the physical condition of the surrounding. In this dissertation, we have been creating opto-mechanical systems, which at their most basic, are extraordinarily sensitive sensors. One of the ultimate goals of this dissertation is to develop sensors capable of detecting the extremely small electric field changes. To improve the performance of the sensors, we couple a polymer cantilever beam to a dielectric micro-resonator. The eventual use of such ultra sensitive electric filed sensors could include neural-machine interfaces for advanced prosthetics devices. The work presented here includes a basic analysis and experimental investigations of the electric field sensitivity and range of micro-resonators of several different materials and geometries followed by the electric field sensor design, testing, and characterization. Also, the effects of angular velocity on the WGM shifts of spherical micro-resonators are also investigated. The elastic deformation that is induced on a spinning resonator due to the centrifugal force may lead to a sufficient shift in the optical resonances and therefore interfering with its desirable operational sensor design. Furthermore, this principle could be used for the development of

A self-sensing carbon nanotube/cement composite for traffic monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Baoguo; Yu Xun; Kwon, Eil

2009-01-01

In this paper, a self-sensing carbon nanotube (CNT)/cement composite is investigated for traffic monitoring. The cement composite is filled with multi-walled carbon nanotubes whose piezoresistive properties enable the detection of mechanical stresses induced by traffic flow. The sensing capability of the self-sensing CNT/cement composite is explored in laboratory tests and road tests. Experimental results show that the fabricated self-sensing CNT/cement composite presents sensitive and stable responses to repeated compressive loadings and impulsive loadings, and has remarkable responses to vehicular loadings. These findings indicate that the self-sensing CNT/cement composite has great potential for traffic monitoring use, such as in traffic flow detection, weigh-in-motion measurement and vehicle speed detection.

Sensing mechanism of SnO2/ZnO nanofibers for CH3OH sensors: heterojunction effects

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Wei

2017-11-01

SnO2/ZnO composite nanofibers were synthesized by a simple electrospinning method. The prepared SnO2/ZnO gas sensors exhibited good linear and high response to methanol. The enhanced sensing behavior of SnO2/ZnO might be associated with the homotypic heterojunction effects formed in n-SnO2/n-ZnO nanograins boundaries. In addition, the possible sensing mechanisms of methanol on SnO2/ZnO surface were investigated by density functional theory in order to make the methanol adsorption and desorption process clear. Zn doped SnO2 model was adopted to approximate the SnO2/ZnO structure because of the calculation power limitations. Calculation results showed that when exposed to methanol, the methanol would react with bridge oxygen O2c , planar O3c and pre adsorbed oxygen vacancy on the lattice surface. The -CH3 and -OH of methanol molecule would both lose one H atom. The lost H atoms bonded with oxygen at the adsorption sites. The final products were HCHO and H2O. Electrons were transferred from methanol to the lattice surface to reduce the resistance of semiconductor gas sensitive materials, which is in agreement with the experimental phenomena. More adsorption models of other interfering gases, such as ethanol, formaldehyde and acetone will be built and calculated to explain the selectivity issue from the perspective of adsorption energy, transferred charge and density of states in the future work.

The length-weight and length-length relationships of bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix (Linnaeus, 1766 from Samsun, middle Black Sea region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melek Özpiçak

2017-10-01

Full Text Available In this study, length-weight relationship (LWR and length-length relationship (LLR of bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix were determined. A total of 125 specimens were sampled from Samsun, the middle Black Sea in 2014 fishing season. Bluefish specimens were monthly collected from commercial fishing boats from October to December 2014. All captured individuals (N=125 were measured to the nearest 0.1 cm for total, fork and standard lengths. The weight of each fish (W was recorded to the nearest 0.01 g. According to results of analyses, there were no statistically significant differences between sexes in term of length and weight (P˃0.05. The minimum and maximum total, fork and standard lengths of bluefish ranged between 13.5-23.6 cm, 12.50-21.80 cm and 10.60-20.10 cm, respectively. The equation of length-weight relationship were calculated as W=0.008TL3.12 (r2>0.962. Positive allometric growth was observed for bluefish (b>3. Length-length relationship was also highly significant (P<0.001 with coefficient of determination (r2 ranging from 0.916 to 0.988.

Automatic measurement of axial length of human eye using three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Masaki; Kiryu, Tohru

2011-01-01

The measurement of axial length and the evaluation of three dimensional (3D) form of an eye are essential to evaluate the mechanism of myopia progression. We propose a method of automatic measurement of axial length including adjustment of the pulse sequence of short-term scan which could suppress influence of eyeblink, using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which acquires 3D images noninvasively. Acquiring T 2 -weighted images with 3.0 tesla MRI device and eight-channel phased-array head coil, we extracted left and right eye ball images, and then reconstructed 3D volume. The surface coordinates were calculated from 3D volume, fitting the ellipsoid model coordinates with the surface coordinates, and measured the axial length automatically. Measuring twenty one subjects, we compared the automatically measured values of axial length with the manually measured ones, then confirmed significant elongation in the axial length of myopia compared with that of emmetropia. Furthermore, there were no significant differences (P<0.05) between the means of automatic measurements and the manual ones. Accordingly, the automatic measurement process of axial length could be a tool for the elucidation of the mechanism of myopia progression, which would be suitable for evaluating the axial length easily and noninvasively. (author)

Experimental investigation of span length for flexural test of fiber reinforced polymer composite laminates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akhil Mehndiratta

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Testing and evaluation of mechanical properties for FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer composite parts play a significant role to qualify it for the end use. Among the mechanical properties, the flexural strength is significant and vital as it may vary with specimen depth, temperature and the test span length. The flexural strength varies for different materials with varying the test span length hence the current work aims to find an optimum span length to test flexural strength for the specimens made of Glass (7781, EC9756 and Carbon (HTA7, G801 prepreg materials. Experiments are conducted as per the ASTM Standard D 790 for flexural test by varying the span lengths to understand the behavior of the flexural strength and flexural modulus. The experimental data were compared with those obtained from the finite element program software Altair Hyper works 14.0. The results indicate that flexural modulus increases with the span length to a point and then it decreases. Thereby, an optimum span length can be obtained for testing flexural strength, which will be useful to the designers and the composite manufacturers to accomplish better standard testing procedures.

Telomere length of anterior crucial ligament after rupture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ponsot, Elodie; Langberg, Henning; Krogsgaard, Michael R

2011-01-01

The regeneration of ligaments following injury is a slow process compared to the healing of many other tissues and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the proliferative potential of ligaments by assessing telomere length within three distinct parts...... of human anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) obtained during ACL reconstruction: the macroscopically injured proximal part and macroscopically noninjured mid- and distal portions in eight subjects (age 28 ± 8 years). The mean telomere length in ACL was within normal range of values usually reported for other...... tissues indicating that the endogenous machinery responsible for the proliferative potential of ligament is not implicated in its poor healing capacity. The three ACL parts showed similar mean TRF lengths (distal part: 11.5 ± 0.8 kbp, mid-portion: 11.8 ± 1.2 kbp, proximal part: 11.9 ± 1.6 kbp...

Telomere Length Reprogramming in Embryos and Stem Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keri Kalmbach

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Telomeres protect and cap linear chromosome ends, yet these genomic buffers erode over an organism’s lifespan. Short telomeres have been associated with many age-related conditions in humans, and genetic mutations resulting in short telomeres in humans manifest as syndromes of precocious aging. In women, telomere length limits a fertilized egg’s capacity to develop into a healthy embryo. Thus, telomere length must be reset with each subsequent generation. Although telomerase is purportedly responsible for restoring telomere DNA, recent studies have elucidated the role of alternative telomeres lengthening mechanisms in the reprogramming of early embryos and stem cells, which we review here.

In and out of control: brain mechanisms linking fluency of action selection to self-agency in patients with schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Voss, Martin; Chambon, Valérian; Wenke, Dorit; Kühn, Simone; Haggard, Patrick

2017-08-01

Sense of agency refers to the feeling of control over one's actions, and their consequences. It involves both predictive processes linked to action control, and retrospective 'sense-making' causal inferences. Schizophrenia has been associated with impaired predictive processing, but the underlying mechanisms that impair patients' sense of agency remain unclear. We introduce a new 'prospective' aspect of agency and show that subliminally priming an action not only influences response times, but also influences reported sense of agency over subsequent action outcomes. This effect of priming was associated with altered connectivity between frontal areas and the angular gyrus. The effects on response times and on frontal action selection mechanisms were similar in patients with schizophrenia and in healthy volunteers. However, patients showed no effects of priming on sense of agency, no priming-related activation of angular gyrus, and no priming-related changes in fronto-parietal connectivity. We suggest angular gyrus activation reflects the experiences of agency, or non-agency, in part by processing action selection signals generated in the frontal lobes. The altered action awareness that characterizes schizophrenia may be due to impaired communication between these areas. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

TiO2 Nanotubes: Recent Advances in Synthesis and Gas Sensing Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giorgio Sberveglieri

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Synthesis—particularly by electrochemical anodization-, growth mechanism and chemical sensing properties of pure, doped and mixed titania tubular arrays are reviewed. The first part deals on how anodization parameters affect the size, shape and morphology of titania nanotubes. In the second part fabrication of sensing devices based on titania nanotubes is presented, together with their most notable gas sensing performances. Doping largely improves conductivity and enhances gas sensing performances of TiO2 nanotubes

Inflation of the screening length induced by Bjerrum pairs.

Science.gov (United States)

Zwanikken, Jos; van Roij, René

2009-10-21

Within a modified Poisson-Boltzmann theory we study the effect of Bjerrum pairs on the typical length scale [Formula: see text] over which electric fields are screened in electrolyte solutions, taking into account a simple association-dissociation equilibrium between free ions and Bjerrum pairs. At low densities of Bjerrum pairs, this length scale is well approximated by the Debye length [Formula: see text], with ρ(s) the free-ion density. At high densities of Bjerrum pairs, however, we find [Formula: see text], which is significantly larger than 1/κ due to the enhanced effective permittivity of the electrolyte, caused by the polarization of Bjerrum pairs. We argue that this mechanism may explain the recently observed anomalously large colloid-free zones between an oil-dispersed colloidal crystal and a colloidal monolayer at the oil-water interface.

Different cellular response mechanisms contribute to the length-dependent cytotoxicity of multi-walled carbon nanotubes

OpenAIRE

Liu, Dun; Wang, Lijun; Wang, Zhigang; Cuschieri, Alfred

2012-01-01

To date, there has not been an agreement on the best methods for the characterisation of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) toxicity. The length of MWCNTs has been identified as a factor in in vitro and in vivo studies, in addition to their purity and biocompatible coating. Another unresolved issue relates to the variable toxicity of MWCNTs on different cell types. The present study addressed the effects of MWCNTs' length on mammalian immune and epithelial cancer cells RAW264.7 and MCF-7, r...

Compliant walking appears metabolically advantageous at extreme step lengths.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jaehoon; Bertram, John E A

2018-05-19

Humans alter gait in response to unusual gait circumstances to accomplish the task of walking. For instance, subjects spontaneously increase leg compliance at a step length threshold as step length increases. Here we test the hypothesis that this transition occurs based on the level of energy expenditure, where compliant walking becomes less energetically demanding at long step lengths. To map and compare the metabolic cost of normal and compliant walking as step length increases. 10 healthy individuals walked on a treadmill using progressively increasing step lengths (100%, 120%, 140% and 160% of preferred step length), in both normal and compliant leg walking as energy expenditure was recorded via indirect calorimetry. Leg compliance was controlled by lowering the center-of-mass trajectory during stance, forcing the leg to flex and extend as the body moved over the foot contact. For normal step lengths, compliant leg walking was more costly than normal walking gait, but compliant leg walking energetic cost did not increase as rapidly for longer step lengths. This led to an intersection between normal and compliant walking cost curves at 114% relative step length (regression analysis; r 2  = 0.92 for normal walking; r 2  = 0.65 for compliant walking). Compliant leg walking is less energetically demanding at longer step lengths where a spontaneous shift to compliant walking has been observed, suggesting the human motor control system is sensitive to energetic requirements and will employ alternate movement patterns if advantageous strategies are available. The transition could be attributed to the interplay between (i) leg work controlling body travel during single stance and (ii) leg work to control energy loss in the step-to-step transition. Compliant leg walking requires more stance leg work at normal step lengths, but involves less energy loss at the step-to-step transition for very long steps. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evidence that BDNF regulates heart rate by a mechanism involving increased brainstem parasympathetic neuron excitability

OpenAIRE

Wan, Ruiqian; Weigand, Letitia A.; Bateman, Ryan; Griffioen, Kathleen; Mendelowitz, David; Mattson, Mark P.

2014-01-01

Autonomic control of heart rate is mediated by cardioinhibitory parasympathetic cholinergic neurons located in the brainstem and stimulatory sympathetic noradrenergic neurons. During embryonic development the survival and cholinergic phenotype of brainstem autonomic neurons is promoted by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). We now provide evidence that BDNF regulates heart rate by a mechanism involving increased brainstem cardioinhibitory parasympathetic activity. Mice with a BDNF haplo...

Cavity-enhanced spectroscopy and sensing