Effects of diffusion and surface interactions on the line shape of electron paramagnetic resonances in the presence of a magnetic field gradient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaden, M.; Zhao, K. F.; Wu, Z.

2007-01-01

In an evanescent wave magnetometer the Zeeman polarization is probed at micrometer to submicrometer distances from the cell surface. The electron paramagnetic resonance lines of an evanescent wave magnetometer in the presence of a magnetic field gradient exhibit edge enhancement seen previously in nuclear magnetic resonance lines. We present a theoretical model that describes quantitatively the shape of the magnetic resonance lines of an evanescent wave magnetometer under a wide range of experimental conditions. It accounts for diffusion broadening in the presence of a magnetic field gradient as well as interactions of spin polarized Rb atoms with the coated Pyrex glass surfaces. Depending on the field gradient, cell thickness, and buffer gas pressure, the resonance line may have the form of a single asymmetric peak or two peaks localized near the front and back surfaces in frequency space. The double-peaked response depends on average characteristics of the surface interactions. Its shape is sensitive to the dwell time, relaxation probability, and average phase shift of adsorbed spin polarized Rb atoms

Wetting of flat gradient surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Bormashenko, Edward

2018-04-01

Gradient, chemically modified, flat surfaces enable directed transport of droplets. Calculation of apparent contact angles inherent for gradient surfaces is challenging even for atomically flat ones. Wetting of gradient, flat solid surfaces is treated within the variational approach, under which the contact line is free to move along the substrate. Transversality conditions of the variational problem give rise to the generalized Young equation valid for gradient solid surfaces. The apparent (equilibrium) contact angle of a droplet, placed on a gradient surface depends on the radius of the contact line and the values of derivatives of interfacial tensions. The linear approximation of the problem is considered. It is demonstrated that the contact angle hysteresis is inevitable on gradient surfaces. Electrowetting of gradient surfaces is discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Efficient Hybrid Conjugate Gradient Method with the Strong Wolfe-Powell Line Search

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Alhawarat

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Conjugate gradient (CG method is an interesting tool to solve optimization problems in many fields, such as design, economics, physics, and engineering. In this paper, we depict a new hybrid of CG method which relates to the famous Polak-Ribière-Polyak (PRP formula. It reveals a solution for the PRP case which is not globally convergent with the strong Wolfe-Powell (SWP line search. The new formula possesses the sufficient descent condition and the global convergent properties. In addition, we further explained about the cases where PRP method failed with SWP line search. Furthermore, we provide numerical computations for the new hybrid CG method which is almost better than other related PRP formulas in both the number of iterations and the CPU time under some standard test functions.

A new nonlinear conjugate gradient coefficient under strong Wolfe-Powell line search

Science.gov (United States)

Mohamed, Nur Syarafina; Mamat, Mustafa; Rivaie, Mohd

2017-08-01

A nonlinear conjugate gradient method (CG) plays an important role in solving a large-scale unconstrained optimization problem. This method is widely used due to its simplicity. The method is known to possess sufficient descend condition and global convergence properties. In this paper, a new nonlinear of CG coefficient βk is presented by employing the Strong Wolfe-Powell inexact line search. The new βk performance is tested based on number of iterations and central processing unit (CPU) time by using MATLAB software with Intel Core i7-3470 CPU processor. Numerical experimental results show that the new βk converge rapidly compared to other classical CG method.

21 CFR 872.1850 - Lead-lined position indicator.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES DENTAL DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 872.1850 Lead-lined position indicator. (a... dental x-ray tube and intended to aid in positioning the tube, to prevent the misfocusing of the x-rays by absorbing divergent radiation, and to prevent leakage of radiation. (b) Classification. Class I...

Dielectric-Lined High-Gradient Accelerator Structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jay L. Hirshfield

2012-04-24

Rectangular particle accelerator structures with internal planar dielectric elements have been studied, with a view towards devising structures with lower surface fields for a given accelerating field, as compared with structures without dielectrics. Success with this concept is expected to allow operation at higher accelerating gradients than otherwise on account of reduced breakdown probabilities. The project involves studies of RF breakdown on amorphous dielectrics in test cavities that could enable high-gradient structures to be built for a future multi-TeV collider. The aim is to determine what the limits are for RF fields at the surfaces of selected dielectrics, and the resulting acceleration gradient that could be achieved in a working structure. The dielectric of principal interest in this study is artificial CVD diamond, on account of its advertised high breakdown field ({approx}2 GV/m for dc), low loss tangent, and high thermal conductivity. Experimental studies at mm-wavelengths on materials and structures for achieving high acceleration gradient were based on the availability of the 34.3 GHz third-harmonic magnicon amplifier developed by Omega-P, and installed at the Yale University Beam Physics Laboratory. Peak power from the magnicon was measured to be about 20 MW in 0.5 {micro}s pulses, with a gain of 54 dB. Experiments for studying RF high-field effects on CVD diamond samples failed to show any evidence after more than 10{sup 5} RF pulses of RF breakdown up to a tangential surface field strength of 153 MV/m; studies at higher fields were not possible due to a degradation in magnicon performance. A rebuild of the tube is underway at this writing. Computed performance for a dielectric-loaded rectangular accelerator structure (DLA) shows highly competitive properties, as compared with an existing all-metal structure. For example, comparisons were made of a DLA structure having two planar CVD diamond elements with a all-metal CERN structure HDS

Dielectric-Lined High-Gradient Accelerator Structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirshfield, Jay L.

2012-01-01

Rectangular particle accelerator structures with internal planar dielectric elements have been studied, with a view towards devising structures with lower surface fields for a given accelerating field, as compared with structures without dielectrics. Success with this concept is expected to allow operation at higher accelerating gradients than otherwise on account of reduced breakdown probabilities. The project involves studies of RF breakdown on amorphous dielectrics in test cavities that could enable high-gradient structures to be built for a future multi-TeV collider. The aim is to determine what the limits are for RF fields at the surfaces of selected dielectrics, and the resulting acceleration gradient that could be achieved in a working structure. The dielectric of principal interest in this study is artificial CVD diamond, on account of its advertised high breakdown field (∼2 GV/m for dc), low loss tangent, and high thermal conductivity. Experimental studies at mm-wavelengths on materials and structures for achieving high acceleration gradient were based on the availability of the 34.3 GHz third-harmonic magnicon amplifier developed by Omega-P, and installed at the Yale University Beam Physics Laboratory. Peak power from the magnicon was measured to be about 20 MW in 0.5 (micro)s pulses, with a gain of 54 dB. Experiments for studying RF high-field effects on CVD diamond samples failed to show any evidence after more than 10 5 RF pulses of RF breakdown up to a tangential surface field strength of 153 MV/m; studies at higher fields were not possible due to a degradation in magnicon performance. A rebuild of the tube is underway at this writing. Computed performance for a dielectric-loaded rectangular accelerator structure (DLA) shows highly competitive properties, as compared with an existing all-metal structure. For example, comparisons were made of a DLA structure having two planar CVD diamond elements with a all-metal CERN structure HDS operating at 30

Real-time positioning technology in horizontal directional drilling based on magnetic gradient tensor measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Guoqing; Yao, Aiguo

2017-04-01

Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology has been widely used in Civil Engineering. The dynamic position of the drill bit during construction is one of significant facts determining the accuracy of the trajectory of HDD. A new method now has been proposed to detecting the position of drill bit by measuring the magnetic gradient tensor of the ground solenoid magnetic beacon. Compared with traditional HDD positioning technologies, this new model is much easier to apply with lower request for construction sites and higher positioning efficiency. A direct current (DC) solenoid as a magnetic dipole is placed on ground near the drill bit, and related sensors array which contains four Micro-electromechanical Systems (MEMS ) tri-axial magnetometers, one MEMS tri-axial accelerometer and one MEMS tri-axial gyroscope is set up for measuring the magnetic gradient tensor of the magnetic dipole. The related HDD positioning model has been established and simulation experiments have been carried out to verify the feasibility and reliability of the proposed method. The experiments show that this method has good positioning accuracy in horizontal and vertical direction, and totally avoid the impact of the environmental magnetic field. It can be found that the posture of the magnetic beacon will impact the remote positioning precision within valid positioning range, and the positioning accuracy is higher with longer baseline for limited space in drilling tools. The results prove that the relative error can be limited in 2% by adjusting position of the magnetic beacon, the layers of the enameled coil, the sensitive of magnetometers and the baseline distance. Conclusion can be made that this new method can be applied in HDD positioning with better effect and wider application range than traditional method.

A conjugate gradient method with descent properties under strong Wolfe line search

Science.gov (United States)

Zull, N.; ‘Aini, N.; Shoid, S.; Ghani, N. H. A.; Mohamed, N. S.; Rivaie, M.; Mamat, M.

2017-09-01

The conjugate gradient (CG) method is one of the optimization methods that are often used in practical applications. The continuous and numerous studies conducted on the CG method have led to vast improvements in its convergence properties and efficiency. In this paper, a new CG method possessing the sufficient descent and global convergence properties is proposed. The efficiency of the new CG algorithm relative to the existing CG methods is evaluated by testing them all on a set of test functions using MATLAB. The tests are measured in terms of iteration numbers and CPU time under strong Wolfe line search. Overall, this new method performs efficiently and comparable to the other famous methods.

Directional rolling of positively charged nanoparticles along a flexibility gradient on long DNA molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Suehyun; Joo, Heesun; Kim, Jun Soo

2018-01-31

Directing the motion of molecules/colloids in any specific direction is of great interest in many applications of chemistry, physics, and biological sciences, where regulated positioning or transportation of materials is highly desired. Using Brownian dynamics simulations of coarse-grained models of a long, double-stranded DNA molecule and positively charged nanoparticles, we observed that the motion of a single nanoparticle bound to and wrapped by the DNA molecule can be directed along a gradient of DNA local flexibility. The flexibility gradient is constructed along a 0.8 kilobase-pair DNA molecule such that local persistence length decreases gradually from 50 nm to 40 nm, mimicking a gradual change in sequence-dependent flexibility. Nanoparticles roll over a long DNA molecule from less flexible regions towards more flexible ones as a result of the decreasing energetic cost of DNA bending and wrapping. In addition, the rolling becomes slightly accelerated as the positive charge of nanoparticles decreases due to a lower free energy barrier of DNA detachment from charged nanoparticle for processive rolling. This study suggests that the variation in DNA local flexibility can be utilized in constructing and manipulating supramolecular assemblies of DNA molecules and nanoparticles in structural DNA nanotechnology.

Three-dimensional magnetic nanoparticle imaging using small field gradient and multiple pickup coils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sasayama, Teruyoshi, E-mail: sasayama@sc.kyushu-u.ac.jp; Tsujita, Yuya; Morishita, Manabu; Muta, Masahiro; Yoshida, Takashi; Enpuku, Keiji

2017-04-01

We propose a magnetic particle imaging (MPI) method based on third harmonic signal detection using a small field gradient and multiple pickup coils. First, we developed a system using two pickup coils and performed three-dimensional detection of two magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) samples, which were spaced 15 mm apart. In the experiments, an excitation field strength of 1.6 mT was used at an operating frequency of 3 kHz. A DC gradient field with a typical value of 0.2 T/m was also used to produce the so-called field-free line. A third harmonic signal generated by the MNP samples was detected using the two pickup coils, and the samples were then mechanically scanned to obtain field maps. The field maps were subsequently analyzed using the nonnegative least squares method to obtain three-dimensional position information for the MNP samples. The results show that the positions of the two MNP samples were estimated with good accuracy, despite the small field gradient used. Further improvement in MPI performance will be achieved by increasing the number of pickup coils used. - Highlights: • 3D magnetic particle imaging system combining field-free line and two pickup coils. • Imaging method based on third harmonic signal detection and small field gradient. • Nonnegative least squares method for 3D magnetic nanoparticle image reconstruction. • High spatial resolution despite use of small field gradient.

Beam position monitoring in the AGS Linac to Booster transfer line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shea, T.J.; Brodowski, J.; Witkover, R.

1991-01-01

A beam position monitor system has been developed and used in the commissioning of Brookhaven's Linac to Booster transfer line. This line transports a chopped, RF modulated H- beam from the 200 MeV Linac to the AGS Booster. Over a 15dB dynamic range in beam current, the position monitor system provides a real-time, normalized position signal with an analog bandwidth of about 20 MHz. Seven directional coupler style pickups are installed in the line with each pickup sensing both horizontal and vertical position. Analog processing electronics are located in the tunnel and incorporate the amplitude modulation to phase modulation normalization technique. To avoid interference from the 200 MHz linac RF system, processing is performed at 400 MHz. This paper provides a system overview and report results from the commissioning experience

A new family of Polak-Ribiere-Polyak conjugate gradient method with the strong-Wolfe line search

Science.gov (United States)

Ghani, Nur Hamizah Abdul; Mamat, Mustafa; Rivaie, Mohd

2017-08-01

Conjugate gradient (CG) method is an important technique in unconstrained optimization, due to its effectiveness and low memory requirements. The focus of this paper is to introduce a new CG method for solving large scale unconstrained optimization. Theoretical proofs show that the new method fulfills sufficient descent condition if strong Wolfe-Powell inexact line search is used. Besides, computational results show that our proposed method outperforms to other existing CG methods.

Estimation of Initial Position Using Line Segment Matching in Maps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chongyang Wei

2016-06-01

Full Text Available While navigating in a typical traffic scene, with a drastic drift or sudden jump in its Global Positioning System (GPS position, the localization based on such an initial position is unable to extract precise overlapping data from the prior map in order to match the current data, thus rendering the localization as unfeasible. In this paper, we first propose a new method to estimate an initial position by matching the infrared reflectivity maps. The maps consist of a highly precise prior map, built with the offline simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM technique, and a smooth current map, built with the integral over velocities. Considering the attributes of the maps, we first propose to exploit the stable, rich line segments to match the lidar maps. To evaluate the consistency of the candidate line pairs in both maps, we propose to adopt the local appearance, pairwise geometric attribute and structural likelihood to construct an affinity graph, as well as employ a spectral algorithm to solve the graph efficiently. The initial position is obtained according to the relationship between the vehicle's current position and matched lines. Experiments on the campus with a GPS error of dozens of metres show that our algorithm can provide an accurate initial value with average longitudinal and lateral errors being 1.68m and 1.04m, respectively.

The role of off-line and online strategies for successful product positioning

OpenAIRE

Yaneva D. E.; Zlateva D. A.

2015-01-01

The study of the article is done on off-line and online strategies that companies use for their successful positioning. The goal is to establish the role and the significance of the strategies for successful product positioning in off-line and online environment.

A conjugate gradient method for solving the non-LTE line radiation transfer problem

Science.gov (United States)

Paletou, F.; Anterrieu, E.

2009-12-01

This study concerns the fast and accurate solution of the line radiation transfer problem, under non-LTE conditions. We propose and evaluate an alternative iterative scheme to the classical ALI-Jacobi method, and to the more recently proposed Gauss-Seidel and successive over-relaxation (GS/SOR) schemes. Our study is indeed based on applying a preconditioned bi-conjugate gradient method (BiCG-P). Standard tests, in 1D plane parallel geometry and in the frame of the two-level atom model with monochromatic scattering are discussed. Rates of convergence between the previously mentioned iterative schemes are compared, as are their respective timing properties. The smoothing capability of the BiCG-P method is also demonstrated.

Delay-Line Three-Dimensional Position Sensitive Radiation Detection

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Manhee

High-resistivity silicon(Si) in large volumes and with good charge carrier transport properties has been produced and achieved success as a radiation detector material over the past few years due to its relatively low cost as well as the availability of well-established processing technologies. One application of that technology is in the fabrication of various position-sensing topologies from which the incident radiation's direction can be determined. We have succeeded in developing the modeling tools for investigating different position-sensing schemes and used those tools to examine both amplitude-based and time-based methods, an assessment that indicates that fine position-sensing can be achieved with simpler readout designs than are conventionally deployed. This realization can make ubiquitous and inexpensive deployment of special nuclear materials (SNM) detecting technology becomes more feasible because if one can deploy position-sensitive semiconductor detectors with only one or two contacts per side. For this purpose, we have described the delay-line radiation detector and its optimized fabrication. The semiconductor physics were simulated, the results from which guided the fabrication of the guard ring structure and the detector electrode, both of which included metal-field-plates. The measured improvement in the leakage current was confirmed with the fabricated devices, and the structures successfully suppressed soft-breakdown. We also demonstrated that fabricating an asymmetric strip-line structure successfully minimizing the pulse shaping and increases the distance through which one can propagate the information of the deposited charge distribution. With fabricated delay-line detectors we can acquire alpha spectra (Am-241) and gamma spectra (Ba-133, Co-57 and Cd-109). The delay-line detectors can therefore be used to extract the charge information from both ion and gamma-ray interactions. Furthermore, standard charge-sensitive circuits yield high SNR

Gradient descent learning in and out of equilibrium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caticha, Nestor; Araujo de Oliveira, Evaldo

2001-01-01

Relations between the off thermal equilibrium dynamical process of on-line learning and the thermally equilibrated off-line learning are studied for potential gradient descent learning. The approach of Opper to study on-line Bayesian algorithms is used for potential based or maximum likelihood learning. We look at the on-line learning algorithm that best approximates the off-line algorithm in the sense of least Kullback-Leibler information loss. The closest on-line algorithm works by updating the weights along the gradient of an effective potential, which is different from the parent off-line potential. A few examples are analyzed and the origin of the potential annealing is discussed

MODIFIED ARMIJO RULE ON GRADIENT DESCENT AND CONJUGATE GRADIENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZURAIDAH FITRIAH

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Armijo rule is an inexact line search method to determine step size in some descent method to solve unconstrained local optimization. Modified Armijo was introduced to increase the numerical performance of several descent algorithms that applying this method. The basic difference of Armijo and its modified are in existence of a parameter and estimating the parameter that is updated in every iteration. This article is comparing numerical solution and time of computation of gradient descent and conjugate gradient hybrid Gilbert-Nocedal (CGHGN that applying modified Armijo rule. From program implementation in Matlab 6, it's known that gradient descent was applying modified Armijo more effectively than CGHGN from one side: iteration needed to reach some norm of the gradient  (input by the user. The amount of iteration was representing how long the step size of each algorithm in each iteration. In another side, time of computation has the same conclusion.

Nonlinear conjugate gradient methods in micromagnetics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Fischbacher

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Conjugate gradient methods for energy minimization in micromagnetics are compared. The comparison of analytic results with numerical simulation shows that standard conjugate gradient method may fail to produce correct results. A method that restricts the step length in the line search is introduced, in order to avoid this problem. When the step length in the line search is controlled, conjugate gradient techniques are a fast and reliable way to compute the hysteresis properties of permanent magnets. The method is applied to investigate demagnetizing effects in NdFe12 based permanent magnets. The reduction of the coercive field by demagnetizing effects is μ0ΔH = 1.4 T at 450 K.

An efficient method for the creation of tunable optical line traps via control of gradient and scattering forces.

Science.gov (United States)

Tietjen, Gregory T; Kong, Yupeng; Parthasarathy, Raghuveer

2008-07-07

Interparticle interaction energies and other useful physical characteristics can be extracted from the statistical properties of the motion of particles confined by an optical line trap. In practice, however, the potential energy landscape, U(x), imposed by the line provides an extra, and in general unknown, influence on particle dynamics. We describe a new class of line traps in which both the optical gradient and scattering forces acting on a trapped particle are designed to be linear functions of the line coordinate and in which their magnitude can be counterbalanced to yield a flat U(x). These traps are formed using approximate solutions to general relations concerning non-conservative optical forces that have been the subject of recent investigations [Y. Roichman, B. Sun, Y. Roichman, J. Amato-Grill, and D. G. Grier, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 013602-4 (2008).]. We implement the lines using holographic optical trapping and measure the forces acting on silica microspheres, demonstrating the tunability of the confining potential energy landscape. Furthermore, we show that our approach efficiently directs available laser power to the trap, in contrast to other methods.

Characterization of a Merkel Cell Polyomavirus-Positive Merkel Cell Carcinoma Cell Line CVG-1.

Science.gov (United States)

Velásquez, Celestino; Amako, Yutaka; Harold, Alexis; Toptan, Tuna; Chang, Yuan; Shuda, Masahiro

2018-01-01

Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) plays a causal role in ∼80% of Merkel cell carcinomas (MCC). MCV is clonally integrated into the MCC tumor genome, which results in persistent expression of large T (LT) and small T (sT) antigen oncoproteins encoded by the early locus. In MCV-positive MCC tumors, LT is truncated by premature stop codons or deletions that lead to loss of the C-terminal origin binding (OBD) and helicase domains important for replication. The N-terminal Rb binding domain remains intact. MCV-positive cell lines derived from MCC explants have been valuable tools to study the molecular mechanism of MCV-induced Merkel cell carcinogenesis. Although all cell lines have integrated MCV and express truncated LT antigens, the molecular sizes of the LT proteins differ between cell lines. The copy number of integrated viral genome also varies across cell lines, leading to significantly different levels of viral protein expression. Nevertheless, these cell lines share phenotypic similarities in cell morphology, growth characteristics, and neuroendocrine marker expression. Several low-passage MCV-positive MCC cell lines have been established since the identification of MCV. We describe a new MCV-positive MCV cell line, CVG-1, with features distinct from previously reported cell lines. CVG-1 tumor cells grow in more discohesive clusters in loose round cell suspension, and individual cells show dramatic size heterogeneity. It is the first cell line to encode an MCV sT polymorphism resulting in a unique leucine (L) to proline (P) substitution mutation at amino acid 144. CVG-1 possesses a LT truncation pattern near identical to that of MKL-1 cells differing by the last two C-terminal amino acids and also shows an LT protein expression level similar to MKL-1. Viral T antigen knockdown reveals that, like other MCV-positive MCC cell lines, CVG-1 requires T antigen expression for cell proliferation.

Effect of temperature gradient on liquid-liquid phase separation in a polyolefin blend.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Hua; Dou, Nannan; Fan, Guoqiang; Yang, Zhaohui; Zhang, Xiaohua

2013-09-28

We have investigated experimentally the structure formation processes during phase separation via spinodal decomposition above and below the spinodal line in a binary polymer blend system exposed to in-plane stationary thermal gradients using phase contrast optical microscopy and temperature gradient hot stage. Below the spinodal line there is a coupling of concentration fluctuations and thermal gradient imposed by the temperature gradient hot stage. Also under the thermal gradient annealing phase-separated domains grow faster compared with the system under homogeneous temperature annealing on a zero-gradient or a conventional hot stage. We suggest that the in-plane thermal gradient accelerates phase separation through the enhancement in concentration fluctuations in the early and intermediate stages of spinodal decomposition. In a thermal gradient field, the strength of concentration fluctuation close to the critical point (above the spinodal line) is strong enough to induce phase separation even in one-phase regime of the phase diagram. In the presence of a temperature gradient the equilibrium phase diagrams are no longer valid, and the systems with an upper critical solution temperature can be quenched into phase separation by applying the stationary temperature gradient. The in-plane temperature gradient drives enhanced concentration fluctuations in a binary polymer blend system above and below the spinodal line.

A beam position feedback system for beam lines at the photon factory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katsura, T.; Kamiya, Y.; Haga, K.; Mitsuhashi, T.

1987-01-01

The beam position of the synchrotron radiation produced from the Storage Ring was stabilized by a twofold position feedback system. A digital feedback system was developed to suppress the diurnal beam movement (one cycle of sin-like drifting motion per day) which became a serious problem in low-emittance operation. The feedback was applied to the closed-orbit-distortion (COD) correction system in order to cancel the position variation at all the beam lines proportionately to the variation monitored at one beam line. An analog feedback system is also used to suppress frequency components faster than the slow diurnal movement

Vertical gradients of sunspot magnetic fields

Science.gov (United States)

Hagyard, M. J.; Teuber, D.; West, E. A.; Tandberg-Hanssen, E.; Henze, W., Jr.; Beckers, J. M.; Bruner, M.; Hyder, C. L.; Woodgate, B. E.

1983-01-01

The results of a Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) guest investigation to determine the vertical gradients of sunspot magnetic fields for the first time from coordinated observations of photospheric and transition-region fields are described. Descriptions are given of both the photospheric vector field of a sunspot, derived from observations using the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center vector magnetograph, and of the line-of-sight component in the transition region, obtained from the SMM Ultraviolet Spectrometer and Polarimeter instrument. On the basis of these data, vertical gradients of the line-of-sight magnetic field component are calculated using three methods. It is found that the vertical gradient of Bz is lower than values from previous studies and that the transition-region field occurs at a height of approximately 4000-6000 km above the photosphere.

Effects of sharp vorticity gradients in two-dimensional hydrodynamic turbulence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuznetsov, E.A.; Naulin, Volker; Nielsen, Anders Henry

2007-01-01

The appearance of sharp vorticity gradients in two-dimensional hydrodynamic turbulence and their influence on the turbulent spectra are considered. We have developed the analog of the vortex line representation as a transformation to the curvilinear system of coordinates moving together with the ......The appearance of sharp vorticity gradients in two-dimensional hydrodynamic turbulence and their influence on the turbulent spectra are considered. We have developed the analog of the vortex line representation as a transformation to the curvilinear system of coordinates moving together...... with the divorticity lines. Compressibility of this mapping can be considered as the main reason for the formation of the sharp vorticity gradients at high Reynolds numbers. For two-dimensional turbulence in the case of strong anisotropy the sharp vorticity gradients can generate spectra which fall off as k−3 at large...

Evaluation of depth of field in SEM images in terms of the information-passing capacity (IPC) and contrast gradient in SEM image

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Mitsugu; Ishitani, Tohru; Watanabe, Shunya; Nakagawa, Mine

2004-01-01

The depth of field (DoF) in scanning electron microscope (SEM) images has been determined by estimating the change of image sharpness or resolution near the exact focus position. The image sharpness or resolution along the optical axis is determined by calculating the information-passing capacity (IPC) of an optical system taking into account the effect of pixel size of the image. The change of image sharpness near the exact focus position is determined by measuring the slope gradient of the line profile in SEM images obtained at various focal positions of beam. The change of image sharpness along the optical axis determined by the IPC agrees well with those determined by the slope gradient of line profiles in SEM images when a Gaussian distribution having radius 0.86L p (L p : pixel size in image) at which the intensity has fallen to 1/e of the maximum is applied to the IPC calculation for each pixel intensity. The change of image sharpness near the exact focus position has also been compared with those determined by the CG (Contrast-to-Gradient) method. The CG method slightly underestimates the change of image sharpness compared with those determined by the IPC method

Strength gradient enhances fatigue resistance of steels

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Zhiwei; Liu, Jiabin; Wang, Gang; Wang, Hongtao; Wei, Yujie; Gao, Huajian

2016-02-01

Steels are heavily used in infrastructure and the transportation industry, and enhancing their fatigue resistance is a major challenge in materials engineering. In this study, by introducing a gradient microstructure into 304 austenitic steel, which is one of the most widely used types of stainless steel, we show that a strength gradient substantially enhances the fatigue life of the material. Pre-notched samples with negative strength gradients in front of the notch’s tip endure many more fatigue cycles than do samples with positive strength gradients during the crack initiation stage, and samples with either type of gradient perform better than do gradient-free samples with the same average yield strength. However, as a crack grows, samples with positive strength gradients exhibit better resistance to fatigue crack propagation than do samples with negative gradients or no gradient. This study demonstrates a simple and promising strategy for using gradient structures to enhance the fatigue resistance of materials and complements related studies of strength and ductility.

The effect of positive interactions on temporal turnover of community composition along an environmental gradient.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youshi Wang

Full Text Available It has been demonstrated that the interplay between negative and positive interactions simultaneously shapes community structure and composition. However, few studies have attempted to examine the effect of facilitation on compositional changes in communities through time. Additionally, due to the difficulties in collecting the long-term data, it would be useful to indicate the rate of temporal turnover using a readily obtainable metric. Using an individual-based model incorporating plant strategies, we examined the role of facilitation on the temporal turnover of communities located at different positions along an environmental gradient for three model scenarios: CM without facilitation; CFM-U, a unimodal relationship between facilitation and environmental severity; and CFM-L, a positively linear relationship between facilitation and environmental severity. Our results demonstrated that facilitation could increase, decrease or have no remarkable effect on temporal turnover. The specific outcome depended on the location of the focal community across the environmental gradient and the model employed. Compared with CM, the inclusion of positive interactions (i.e. CFM-U and CFM-L, at intermediate environmental stress levels (such as S = 0.7 and 0.8 resulted in lower Bray-Curtis similarity values; at other severity levels, facilitation slowed down (such as S = 0.3 and 0.4 at low to medium stress levels, and S = 0.9 at high stress levels or had only a subtle effect (such as at S = 0.1 on temporal turnover. We also found that the coefficient of variation (CV in species abundances and the rate of temporal variability showed a significant quadratic relationship. Our theoretical analysis contributes to the understanding of factors driving temporal turnover in biotic communities, and presents a potential metric (i.e. CV in species abundances assessing the consequences of ongoing environmental change on community structure.

The effect of positive interactions on temporal turnover of community composition along an environmental gradient.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Youshi; Yang, Zhiyong; Zhou, Shurong; Soininen, Janne; Ai, Dexiecuo; Li, Yali; Chu, Chengjin

2013-01-01

It has been demonstrated that the interplay between negative and positive interactions simultaneously shapes community structure and composition. However, few studies have attempted to examine the effect of facilitation on compositional changes in communities through time. Additionally, due to the difficulties in collecting the long-term data, it would be useful to indicate the rate of temporal turnover using a readily obtainable metric. Using an individual-based model incorporating plant strategies, we examined the role of facilitation on the temporal turnover of communities located at different positions along an environmental gradient for three model scenarios: CM without facilitation; CFM-U, a unimodal relationship between facilitation and environmental severity; and CFM-L, a positively linear relationship between facilitation and environmental severity. Our results demonstrated that facilitation could increase, decrease or have no remarkable effect on temporal turnover. The specific outcome depended on the location of the focal community across the environmental gradient and the model employed. Compared with CM, the inclusion of positive interactions (i.e. CFM-U and CFM-L), at intermediate environmental stress levels (such as S = 0.7 and 0.8) resulted in lower Bray-Curtis similarity values; at other severity levels, facilitation slowed down (such as S = 0.3 and 0.4 at low to medium stress levels, and S = 0.9 at high stress levels) or had only a subtle effect (such as at S = 0.1) on temporal turnover. We also found that the coefficient of variation (CV) in species abundances and the rate of temporal variability showed a significant quadratic relationship. Our theoretical analysis contributes to the understanding of factors driving temporal turnover in biotic communities, and presents a potential metric (i.e. CV in species abundances) assessing the consequences of ongoing environmental change on community structure.

Monitoring beam position in the TRISTAN AR-to-MR transport lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ieiri, Takao; Arinaga, Mitsuhiro

1994-01-01

A beam-position monitor (BPM) has been installed in the transport lines between the Accumulation Ring (AR) and the Main Ring (MR) of TRISTAN. This monitor can detect the beam position and its charge every passage of the beam. Variations of the beam position have been observed during the routine operation. An investigation into the AR extraction components has been carried out in order to clarify a source of the variations. (author)

Measuring service line competitive position. A systematic methodology for hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Studnicki, J

1991-01-01

To mount a broad effort aimed at improving their competitive position for some service or group of services, hospitals have begun to pursue product line management techniques. A few hospitals have even reorganized completely under the product line framework. The benefits include focusing accountability for operations and results, facilitating coordination between departments and functions, stimulating market segmentation, and promoting rigorous examination of new and existing programs. As part of its strategic planning process, a suburban Baltimore hospital developed a product line management methodology with six basic steps: (1) define the service lines (which they did by grouping all existing diagnosis-related groups into 35 service lines), (2) determine the contribution of each service line to total inpatient volume, (3) determine trends in service line volumes (by comparing data over time), (4) derive a useful comparison group (competing hospitals or groups of hospitals with comparable size, scope of services, payer mix, and financial status), (5) review multiple time frames, and (6) summarize the long- and short-term performance of the hospital's service lines to focus further analysis. This type of systematic and disciplined analysis can become part of a permanent strategic intelligence program. When hospitals have such a program in place, their market research, planning, budgeting, and operations will be tied together in a true management decision support system.

Improved alternating gradient transport and focusing of neutral molecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalnins, Juris; Lambertson, Glen; Gould, Harvey

2001-01-01

Polar molecules, in strong-field seeking states, can be transported and focused by an alternating sequence of electric field gradients that focus in one transverse direction while defocusing in the other. We show by calculation and numerical simulation, how one may greatly improve the alternating gradient transport and focusing of molecules. We use a new optimized multipole lens design, a FODO lattice beam transport line, and lenses to match the beam transport line to the beam source and the final focus. We derive analytic expressions for the potentials, fields, and gradients that may be used to design these lenses. We describe a simple lens optimization procedure and derive the equations of motion for tracking molecules through a beam transport line. As an example, we model a straight beamline that transports a 560 m/s jet-source beam of methyl fluoride molecules 15 m from its source and focuses it to 2 mm diameter. We calculate the beam transport line acceptance and transmission, for a beam with velocity spread, and estimate the transmitted intensity for specified source conditions. Possible applications are discussed

Diffusible gradients are out - an interview with Lewis Wolpert. Interviewed by Richardson, Michael K.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolpert, Lewis

2009-01-01

In 1969, Lewis Wolpert published a paper outlining his new concepts of "pattern formation" and "positional information". He had already published research on the mechanics of cell membranes in amoebae, and a series of classic studies of sea urchin gastrulation with Trygve Gustavson. Wolpert had presented his 1969 paper a year earlier at a Woods Hole conference, where it received a very hostile reception: "I wasnt asked back to America for many years!". But with Francis Crick lining up in support of diffusible morphogen gradients, positional information eventually became established as a guiding principle for research into biological pattern formation. It is now clear that pattern formation is much more complex than could possibly have been imagined in 1969. But Wolpert still believes in positional information, and regards intercalation during regeneration as its best supporting evidence. However, he and others doubt that diffusible morphogen gradients are a plausible mechanism: "Diffusible gradients are too messy", he says. Since his retirement, Lewis Wolpert has remained active as a theoretical biologist and continues to publish in leading journals. He has also campaigned for a greater public understanding of the stigma of depression. He was interviewed at home in London on July 26th, 2007 by Michael Richardson.

Combining Step Gradients and Linear Gradients in Density.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Ashok A; Walz, Jenna A; Gonidec, Mathieu; Mace, Charles R; Whitesides, George M

2015-06-16

Combining aqueous multiphase systems (AMPS) and magnetic levitation (MagLev) provides a method to produce hybrid gradients in apparent density. AMPS—solutions of different polymers, salts, or surfactants that spontaneously separate into immiscible but predominantly aqueous phases—offer thermodynamically stable steps in density that can be tuned by the concentration of solutes. MagLev—the levitation of diamagnetic objects in a paramagnetic fluid within a magnetic field gradient—can be arranged to provide a near-linear gradient in effective density where the height of a levitating object above the surface of the magnet corresponds to its density; the strength of the gradient in effective density can be tuned by the choice of paramagnetic salt and its concentrations and by the strength and gradient in the magnetic field. Including paramagnetic salts (e.g., MnSO4 or MnCl2) in AMPS, and placing them in a magnetic field gradient, enables their use as media for MagLev. The potential to create large steps in density with AMPS allows separations of objects across a range of densities. The gradients produced by MagLev provide resolution over a continuous range of densities. By combining these approaches, mixtures of objects with large differences in density can be separated and analyzed simultaneously. Using MagLev to add an effective gradient in density also enables tuning the range of densities captured at an interface of an AMPS by simply changing the position of the container in the magnetic field. Further, by creating AMPS in which phases have different concentrations of paramagnetic ions, the phases can provide different resolutions in density. These results suggest that combining steps in density with gradients in density can enable new classes of separations based on density.

Does Hunger Contribute to Socioeconomic Gradients in Behavior?

Science.gov (United States)

Nettle, Daniel

2017-01-01

Recent research has uncovered many examples of socioeconomic gradients in behavior and psychological states. As yet there is no theoretical consensus on the nature of the causal processes that produce these gradients. Here, I present the hunger hypothesis, namely the claim that part of the reason that people of lower socioeconomic position behave and feel as they do is that they are relatively often hungry. The hunger hypothesis applies in particular to impulsivity-hyperactivity, irritability-aggression, anxiety, and persistent narcotic use, all of which have been found to show socioeconomic gradients. I review multiple lines of evidence showing that hunger produces strong increases in these outcomes. I also review the literatures on food insufficiency and food insecurity to show that, within affluent societies, the poor experience a substantial burden of hunger, despite obtaining sufficient or excess calories on average. This leads to the distinctive prediction that hunger is an important mediator of the relationships between socioeconomic variables and the behavioral/psychological outcomes. This approach has a number of far-reaching implications, not least that some behavioral and psychological differences between social groups, though persistent under current economic arrangements, are potentially highly reversible with changes to the distribution of financial resources and food. PMID:28344567

New Conjugacy Conditions and Related Nonlinear Conjugate Gradient Methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai, Y.-H.; Liao, L.-Z.

2001-01-01

Conjugate gradient methods are a class of important methods for unconstrained optimization, especially when the dimension is large. This paper proposes a new conjugacy condition, which considers an inexact line search scheme but reduces to the old one if the line search is exact. Based on the new conjugacy condition, two nonlinear conjugate gradient methods are constructed. Convergence analysis for the two methods is provided. Our numerical results show that one of the methods is very efficient for the given test problems

Sharp vorticity gradients in two-dimensional turbulence and the energy spectrum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuznetsov, E.A.; Naulin, Volker; Nielsen, Anders Henry

2010-01-01

Formation of sharp vorticity gradients in two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic turbulence and their influence on the turbulent spectra are considered. The analog of the vortex line representation as a transformation to the curvilinear system of coordinates moving together with the di-vorticity lines...... is developed and compressibility of this mapping appears as the main reason for the formation of the sharp vorticity gradients at high Reynolds numbers. In the case of strong anisotropy the sharp vorticity gradients can generate spectra which fall off as k −3 at large k, which appear to take the same form...

On the formulation of higher gradient single and polycrystal plasticity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menzel, A.; Steinmann, P.

1998-01-01

This contribution aims in a geometrically linear formulation of higher gradient plasticity of single and polycrystalline material based on the continuum theory of dislocations and incompatibilities. Thereby, general continuum dislocation densities and incompatibilities are introduced from the viewpoint of continuum mechanics by considering the spatial closure failure of arbitrary line integrals of the displacement differential. Then these findings are translated to the plastic parts of the displacement gradient, the so called plastic distortion, and the plastic strain, respectively, within an elasto-plastic solid thus defining tensor fields of plastic dislocation densities and plastic incompatibilities. Next, in the case of single crystalline material the plastic dislocation density and in the case of polycrystalline material the plastic incompatibility are considered within the exploitation of the thermodynamical principle of positive dissipation. As a result, a phenomenological but physically motivated description of hardening is obtained, which incorporates for single crystals second spatial derivatives of the plastic deformation gradient and for polycrystals fourth spatial derivatives of the plastic strains into the yield condition. Moreover, these modifications mimic the characteristic structure of kinematic hardening, whereby the backstress obeys a nonlocal evolution law. (orig.)

Unimodal and crossmodal gradients of spatial attention

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Föcker, J.; Hötting, K.; Gondan, Matthias

2010-01-01

Behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) studies have shown that spatial attention is gradually distributed around the center of the attentional focus. The present study compared uni- and crossmodal gradients of spatial attention to investigate whether the orienting of auditory and visual...... spatial attention is based on modality specific or supramodal representations of space. Auditory and visual stimuli were presented from five speaker locations positioned in the right hemifield. Participants had to attend to the innermost or outmost right position in order to detect either visual...... or auditory deviant stimuli. Detection rates and event-related potentials (ERPs) indicated that spatial attention is distributed as a gradient. Unimodal spatial ERP gradients correlated with the spatial resolution of the modality. Crossmodal spatial gradients were always broader than the corresponding...

Electrical Field Guided Electrospray Deposition for Production of Gradient Particle Patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Wei-Cheng; Xie, Jingwei; Wang, Chi-Hwa

2018-06-06

Our previous work demonstrated the uniform particle pattern formation on the substrates using electrical field guided electrospray deposition. In this work, we reported for the first time the fabrication of gradient particle patterns on glass slides using an additional point, line, or bar electrode based on our previous electrospray deposition configuration. We also demonstrated that the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coating could result in the formation of uniform particle patterns instead of gradient particle patterns on glass slides using the same experimental setup. Meanwhile, we investigated the effect of experimental configurations on the gradient particle pattern formation by computational simulation. The simulation results are in line with experimental observations. The formation of gradient particle patterns was ascribed to the gradient of electric field and the corresponding focusing effect. Cell patterns can be formed on the particle patterns deposited on PDMS-coated glass slides. The formed particle patterns hold great promise for high-throughput screening of biomaterial-cell interactions and sensing.

Spatial pattern formation of coastal vegetation in response to external gradients and positive feedbacks affecting soil porewater salinity: A model study

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, J.; DeAngelis, D.L.; Smith, T. J.; Teh, S.Y.; Koh, H. L.

2012-01-01

Coastal vegetation of South Florida typically comprises salinity-tolerant mangroves bordering salinity-intolerant hardwood hammocks and fresh water marshes. Two primary ecological factors appear to influence the maintenance of mangrove/hammock ecotones against changes that might occur due to disturbances. One of these is a gradient in one or more environmental factors. The other is the action of positive feedback mechanisms, in which each vegetation community influences its local environment to favor itself, reinforcing the boundary between communities. The relative contributions of these two factors, however, can be hard to discern. A spatially explicit individual-based model of vegetation, coupled with a model of soil hydrology and salinity dynamics is presented here to simulate mangrove/hammock ecotones in the coastal margin habitats of South Florida. The model simulation results indicate that an environmental gradient of salinity, caused by tidal flux, is the key factor separating vegetation communities, while positive feedback involving the different interaction of each vegetation type with the vadose zone salinity increases the sharpness of boundaries, and maintains the ecological resilience of mangrove/hammock ecotones against small disturbances. Investigation of effects of precipitation on positive feedback indicates that the dry season, with its low precipitation, is the period of strongest positive feedback. ?? 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V. (outside the USA).

Translocation of Soil Particles during Secondary Soil Tillage along Contour Lines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Novák Petr

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A high percentage of arable land and erosion risk on agricultural land are typical of current agriculture. While tillage erosion is a less frequently studied issue, it impacts vast areas of agricultural land. Not all relationships between cultivation equipment, the gradient of the plot and other factors have been known until now. Intensive soil tillage can be a crucial erosive factor mainly when the cultivation equipment moves in a fall line direction. Nevertheless, even when the equipment moves along contour lines, soil particles can be translocated perpendicular to the direction of the equipment movement (in a fall line direction. This phenomenon has not yet been adequately studied. For measurements, a field trial with secondary tillage of soil was laid out (a seedbed preparation implement was used. The objective of the trial was to evaluate the effect of the working tools of the cultivation equipment on the crosswise and lengthwise translocation of soil particles during soil tillage. Aluminium cubes, with a side length of 16 mm, were used as tracers. Before the operation, the tracers were inserted in a row perpendicular (at a right angle to a direction of the equipment passes. After the equipment passes, position of tracers was evaluated within a two-axis grid. The trial was performed at three gradients of the plot (2°, 6° and 11°. For each gradient, the 1-pass, 2-pass and 3-pass treatments were tested. The equipment always moved along the plot contour line. After the equipment passes in all treatments, all tracers were localized on an orthogonal grid. The results of the trial demonstrate the effect of the slope gradient on the crosswise translocation of particles during secondary tillage of soil in the slope direction. The tillage equipment translocated particles in the fall line direction even if it passed along the contour line. With the increasing intensity of passes, the effect of the equipment on crosswise translocation increases

Capacitive beam position monitors and automatic beam centering in the transfer lines of Ganil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gudewicz, P.; Petit, E.

1991-01-01

A non-interceptive beam position monitor, made of four capacitive electrodes, has been designed at GANIL in order to allow a permanent measurement of the ion beam position over a large intensity range (50 enA to 10 eμA). Signal processing is based on a 10 kHz heterodyne and on an amplitude to phase conversion in order to measure the beam position. An immediate application of these monitors is the automatic beam centering. For this, two algorithms have been developed using the information on the center of gravity given by the beam position monitors which is then fed back to the steerers, an iterative method and a variational method. Both methods have been used on a section of beam line and have given similar and encouraging results. The next step is to center the beam on the completely equipped line. (author) 4 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

Morphogengineering roots: comparing mechanisms of morphogen gradient formation

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background In developmental biology, there has been a recent focus on the robustness of morphogen gradients as possible providers of positional information. It was shown that functional morphogen gradients present strong biophysical constraints and lack of robustness to noise. Here we explore how the details of the mechanism which underlies the generation of a morphogen gradient can influence those properties. Results We contrast three gradient-generating mechanisms, (i) a source-decay mechanism; and (ii) a unidirectional transport mechanism; and (iii) a so-called reflux-loop mechanism. Focusing on the dynamics of the phytohormone auxin in the root, we show that only the reflux-loop mechanism can generate a gradient that would be adequate to supply functional positional information for the Arabidopsis root, for biophysically reasonable kinetic parameters. Conclusions We argue that traits that differ in spatial and temporal time-scales can impose complex selective pressures on the mechanism of morphogen gradient formation used for the development of the particular organism. PMID:22583698

Line positions, intensities and self-broadening coefficients for the ν5 band of methyl chloride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbouchi Ramchani, A.; Jacquemart, D.; Dhib, M.; Aroui, H.

2013-01-01

High resolution Fourier transform spectra have been recorded around 6.9 μm at room temperature using a rapid scan Bruker IFS 120 HR interferometer (unapodized Bruker resolution=0.005 cm −1 ). Transitions of both 12 CH 3 35 Cl and 12 CH 3 37 Cl isotopologues belonging to the ν 5 perpendicular band have been studied. Line positions, intensities, and self-broadening coefficients have been retrieved using a multispectrum fitting procedure that allowed to fit simultaneously the whole set of experimental spectra recorded at various pressures of CH 3 Cl. The wavenumber calibration has been performed using the frequencies of CO 2 transitions. The transition dipole moments squared have been determined for each measured line and the whole set of measurements has been compared with previous measurements and with values from HITRAN and GEISA databases. The rotational J and K dependencies of the self-broadening coefficients have been clearly observed and modeled using empirical polynomial expansions. The average accuracy of the line parameters obtained in this work has been estimated to be between 0.1×10 −3 and 1×10 −3 cm −1 for line positions, between 2% and 5% for line intensities and between 5% and 10% for self-broadening coefficients depending on the transitions. -- Highlights: ► Fourier-transform spectra of the ν 5 band of CH 3 Cl at room temperature. ► Measurements of line positions, intensities and self-broadening coefficients. ► Analysis of the J- and K-rotational dependences of self-widths. ► Comparisons with literature

Bending magnets for the CBA beam-transport line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thern, R.E.

1983-01-01

The beam-transport line from the AGS to CBA requires 68 large bending magnets, consisting of pure dipoles and two types of combined function gradient magnets. All three types were designed with magnetic-field calculation program POISSON, using the same exterior dimensions and coil package. The design goal of +-1% momentum acceptance for the transport line required a wide horizontal aperture, with a much-smaller vertical aperture for economy. Two prototypes of one gradient magnet were built, and a facility constructed to measure them and the later production magnets. Measurements were done using both a long coil and a point coil (Rawson-Lush gaussmeter). Preliminary results show δB/B - 3 , δG/G - 2 , and δB 2 /B - 4 cm - 2 over the beam aperture. Due to end effects, the actual gradient differs from the design gradient by 1%, which has been compensated for in the beam-line design

Analysis of line integrated electron density using plasma position data on Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nam, Y. U.; Chung, J.

2010-01-01

A 280 GHz single-channel horizontal millimeter-wave interferometer system has been installed for plasma electron density measurements on the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device. This system has a triangular beam path that does not pass through the plasma axis due to geometrical constraints in the superconducting tokamak. The term line density on KSTAR has a different meaning from the line density of other tokamaks. To estimate the peak density and the mean density from the measured line density, information on the position of the plasma is needed. The information has been calculated from tangentially viewed visible images using the toroidal symmetry of the plasma. Interface definition language routines have been developed for this purpose. The calculated plasma position data correspond well to calculation results from magnetic analysis. With the position data and an estimated plasma profile, the peak density and the mean density have been obtained from the line density. From these results, changes of plasma density themselves can be separated from effects of the plasma movements, so they can give valuable information on the plasma status.

Modification of the U-line of the RHIC injection line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Jianming.

1991-09-01

The parameters of the U-line of the RHIC injection line with low β waist are described. In that lattice, the location of SA is not dispersion free and 14 quadrupoles are needed. This line has been modified to move SA to a dispersion free region (after the 8-degree bend), the length and maximum gradient of quadrupoles have been adjusted to fit the existing quadrupole parameters and the number of quadrupoles is reduced to 12. 2 refs., 3 tabs

Characterizations of p-Wavelets on Positive Half Line Using the Walsh-Fourier Transform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdullah Abdullah

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we study the characterization of wavelets on positive half line by means of two basic equations in the Fourier domain. We also give another characterization of wavelets.

Gradient estimates on the weighted p-Laplace heat equation

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lin Feng

2018-01-01

In this paper, by a regularization process we derive new gradient estimates for positive solutions to the weighted p-Laplace heat equation when the m-Bakry-Émery curvature is bounded from below by -K for some constant K ≥ 0. When the potential function is constant, which reduce to the gradient estimate established by Ni and Kotschwar for positive solutions to the p-Laplace heat equation on closed manifolds with nonnegative Ricci curvature if K ↘ 0, and reduce to the Davies, Hamilton and Li-Xu's gradient estimates for positive solutions to the heat equation on closed manifolds with Ricci curvature bounded from below if p = 2.

Gradients in Depressive Symptoms by Socioeconomic Position Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in the EXPLORE Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pakula, Basia; Marshall, Brandon D L; Shoveller, Jean A; Chesney, Margaret A; Coates, Thomas J; Koblin, Beryl; Mayer, Kenneth; Mimiaga, Matthew; Operario, Don

2016-08-01

This study examines gradients in depressive symptoms by socioeconomic position (SEP; i.e., income, education, employment) in a sample of men who have sex with men (MSM). Data were used from EXPLORE, a randomized, controlled behavioral HIV prevention trial for HIV-uninfected MSM in six U.S. cities (n = 4,277). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (short form). Multiple linear regressions were fitted with interaction terms to assess additive and multiplicative relationships between SEP and depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were more prevalent among MSM with lower income, lower educational attainment, and those in the unemployed/other employment category. Income, education, and employment made significant contributions in additive models after adjustment. The employment-income interaction was statistically significant, indicating a multiplicative effect. This study revealed gradients in depressive symptoms across SEP of MSM, pointing to income and employment status and, to a lesser extent, education as key factors for understanding heterogeneity of depressive symptoms.

Several Guaranteed Descent Conjugate Gradient Methods for Unconstrained Optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

San-Yang Liu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates a general form of guaranteed descent conjugate gradient methods which satisfies the descent condition gkTdk≤-1-1/4θkgk2  θk>1/4 and which is strongly convergent whenever the weak Wolfe line search is fulfilled. Moreover, we present several specific guaranteed descent conjugate gradient methods and give their numerical results for large-scale unconstrained optimization.

Robotic tool positioning process using a multi-line off-axis laser triangulation sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Pinto, T. C.; Matos, G.

2018-03-01

Proper positioning of a friction stir welding head for pin insertion, driven by a closed chain robot, is important to ensure quality repair of cracks. A multi-line off-axis laser triangulation sensor was designed to be integrated to the robot, allowing relative measurements of the surface to be repaired. This work describes the sensor characteristics, its evaluation and the measurement process for tool positioning to a surface point of interest. The developed process uses a point of interest image and a measured point cloud to define the translation and rotation for tool positioning. Sensor evaluation and tests are described. Keywords: laser triangulation, 3D measurement, tool positioning, robotics.

The influence of body position on cerebrospinal fluid pressure gradient and movement in cats with normal and impaired craniospinal communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Klarica, Marijan; Radoš, Milan; Erceg, Gorislav; Petošić, Antonio; Jurjević, Ivana; Orešković, Darko

2014-01-01

Intracranial hypertension is a severe therapeutic problem, as there is insufficient knowledge about the physiology of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure. In this paper a new CSF pressure regulation hypothesis is proposed. According to this hypothesis, the CSF pressure depends on the laws of fluid mechanics and on the anatomical characteristics inside the cranial and spinal space, and not, as is today generally believed, on CSF secretion, circulation and absorption. The volume and pressure changes in the newly developed CSF model, which by its anatomical dimensions and basic biophysical features imitates the craniospinal system in cats, are compared to those obtained on cats with and without the blockade of craniospinal communication in different body positions. During verticalization, a long-lasting occurrence of negative CSF pressure inside the cranium in animals with normal cranio-spinal communication was observed. CSF pressure gradients change depending on the body position, but those gradients do not enable unidirectional CSF circulation from the hypothetical site of secretion to the site of absorption in any of them. Thus, our results indicate the existence of new physiological/pathophysiological correlations between intracranial fluids, which opens up the possibility of new therapeutic approaches to intracranial hypertension.

The influence of body position on cerebrospinal fluid pressure gradient and movement in cats with normal and impaired craniospinal communication.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marijan Klarica

Full Text Available Intracranial hypertension is a severe therapeutic problem, as there is insufficient knowledge about the physiology of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF pressure. In this paper a new CSF pressure regulation hypothesis is proposed. According to this hypothesis, the CSF pressure depends on the laws of fluid mechanics and on the anatomical characteristics inside the cranial and spinal space, and not, as is today generally believed, on CSF secretion, circulation and absorption. The volume and pressure changes in the newly developed CSF model, which by its anatomical dimensions and basic biophysical features imitates the craniospinal system in cats, are compared to those obtained on cats with and without the blockade of craniospinal communication in different body positions. During verticalization, a long-lasting occurrence of negative CSF pressure inside the cranium in animals with normal cranio-spinal communication was observed. CSF pressure gradients change depending on the body position, but those gradients do not enable unidirectional CSF circulation from the hypothetical site of secretion to the site of absorption in any of them. Thus, our results indicate the existence of new physiological/pathophysiological correlations between intracranial fluids, which opens up the possibility of new therapeutic approaches to intracranial hypertension.

A Breast Cell Atlas: Organelle analysis of the MDA-MB-231 cell line by density-gradient fractionation using isotopic marking and label-free analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marianne Sandin

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Protein translocation between organelles in the cell is an important process that regulates many cellular functions. However, organelles can rarely be isolated to purity so several methods have been developed to analyse the fractions obtained by density gradient centrifugation. We present an analysis of the distribution of proteins amongst organelles in the human breast cell line, MDA-MB-231 using two approaches: an isotopic labelling and a label-free approach.

Three gradients and the perception of flat and curved surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Cutting, J E; Millard, R T

1984-06-01

Researchers of visual perception have long been interested in the perceived slant of a surface and in the gradients that purportedly specify it. Slant is the angle between the line of sight and the tangent to the planar surface at any point, also called the surface normal. Gradients are the sources of information that grade, or change, with visual angle as one looks from one's feet upward to the horizon. The present article explores three gradients--perspective, compression, and density--and the phenomenal impression of flat and curved surfaces. The perspective gradient is measured at right angles to the axis of tilt at any point in the optic array; that is, when looking down a hallway at the tiles of a floor receding in the distance, perspective is measured by the x-axis width of each tile projected on the image plane orthogonal to the line of sight. The compression gradient is the ratio of y/x axis measures on the projected plane. The density gradient is measured by the number of tiles per unit solid visual angle. For flat surfaces and many others, perspective and compression gradients decrease with distance, and the density gradient increases. We discuss the manner in which these gradients change for various types of surfaces. Each gradient is founded on a different assumption about textures on the surfaces around us. In Experiment 1, viewers assessed the three-dimensional character of projections of flat and curved surfaces receding in the distance. They made pairwise judgments of preference and of dissimilarity among eight stimuli in each of four sets. The presence of each gradient was manipulated orthogonally such that each stimulus had zero, one, two, or three gradients appropriate for either a flat surface or a curved surface. Judgments were made were made for surfaces with both regularly shaped and irregularly shaped textures scattered on them. All viewer assessment were then scaled in one dimension. Multiple correlation and regression on the scale values

Recent improvements to RC-line encoded position-sensitive proportional counters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borkowski, C.J.; Kopp, M.K.

1977-01-01

Continuing research on the principles of position encoding with RC lines has advanced the design of position-sensitive proportional counters (PSPCs) to meet the requirements for high count rates (>10 5 counts/sec) and good spatial resolution (>10 4 spatial elements) in small-angle scattering experiments with x rays and neutrons. Low-noise preamplifiers were developed with pole-zero cancellation in the feedback circuit and modular linear amplifiers with passive RCL shaping which, compared to previous designs, reduce output saturation at high count rates approx.20 times and shorten the position signal processing time to 2 ) for low-energy ( 800 x 800 mm 2 ) for the measurement of small-angle scattering with neutrons. The method of electronic thickness discrimination was applied to change the effective thickness of an area PSPC from 12 to 2 cm whenever the molybdenum target of an x-ray generator was changed to a copper target. This thickness adjustment increased the signal-to-background ratio by a factor of approx.6 for the 8-keV photons from the copper target, while maintaining a >90% detection efficiency

Bending magnets for the CBA beam-transport line

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thern, R.E.

1983-01-01

The beam-transport line from the AGS to CBA requires 68 large bending magnets, consisting of pure dipoles and two types of combined function gradient magnets. All three types were designed with magnetic-field calculation program POISSON, using the same exterior dimensions and coil package. The design goal of +-1% momentum acceptance for the transport line required a wide horizontal aperture, with a much-smaller vertical aperture for economy. Two prototypes of one gradient magnet were built, and a facility constructed to measure them and the later production magnets. Measurements were done using both a long coil and a point coil (Rawson-Lush gaussmeter). Preliminary results show ..delta..B/B < 0.2 x 10/sup -3/, ..delta..G/G < 0.3 x 10/sup -2/, and ..delta..B/sub 2//B < 0.3 x 10/sup -4/ cm/sup -2/ over the beam aperture. Due to end effects, the actual gradient differs from the design gradient by 1%, which has been compensated for in the beam-line design.

DRAWING FOR TRAFFIC MARKING USING BIDIRECTIONAL GRADIENT-BASED DETECTION WITH MMS LIDAR INTENSITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Takahashi

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Recently, the development of autonomous cars is accelerating on the integration of highly advanced artificial intelligence, which increases demand for a digital map with high accuracy. In particular, traffic markings are required to be precisely digitized since automatic driving utilizes them for position detection. To draw traffic markings, we benefit from Mobile Mapping Systems (MMS equipped with high-density Laser imaging Detection and Ranging (LiDAR scanners, which produces large amount of data efficiently with XYZ coordination along with reflectance intensity. Digitizing this data, on the other hand, conventionally has been dependent on human operation, which thus suffers from human errors, subjectivity errors, and low reproductivity. We have tackled this problem by means of automatic extraction of traffic marking, which partially accomplished to draw several traffic markings (G. Takahashi et al., 2014. The key idea of the method was extracting lines using the Hough transform strategically focused on changes in local reflection intensity along scan lines. However, it failed to extract traffic markings properly in a densely marked area, especially when local changing points are close each other. In this paper, we propose a bidirectional gradient-based detection method where local changing points are labelled with plus or minus group. Given that each label corresponds to the boundary between traffic markings and background, we can identify traffic markings explicitly, meaning traffic lines are differentiated correctly by the proposed method. As such, our automated method, a highly accurate and non-human-operator-dependent method using bidirectional gradient-based algorithm, can successfully extract traffic lines composed of complex shapes such as a cross walk, resulting in minimizing cost and obtaining highly accurate results.

Drawing for Traffic Marking Using Bidirectional Gradient-Based Detection with MMS LIDAR Intensity

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, G.; Takeda, H.; Nakamura, K.

2016-06-01

Recently, the development of autonomous cars is accelerating on the integration of highly advanced artificial intelligence, which increases demand for a digital map with high accuracy. In particular, traffic markings are required to be precisely digitized since automatic driving utilizes them for position detection. To draw traffic markings, we benefit from Mobile Mapping Systems (MMS) equipped with high-density Laser imaging Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) scanners, which produces large amount of data efficiently with XYZ coordination along with reflectance intensity. Digitizing this data, on the other hand, conventionally has been dependent on human operation, which thus suffers from human errors, subjectivity errors, and low reproductivity. We have tackled this problem by means of automatic extraction of traffic marking, which partially accomplished to draw several traffic markings (G. Takahashi et al., 2014). The key idea of the method was extracting lines using the Hough transform strategically focused on changes in local reflection intensity along scan lines. However, it failed to extract traffic markings properly in a densely marked area, especially when local changing points are close each other. In this paper, we propose a bidirectional gradient-based detection method where local changing points are labelled with plus or minus group. Given that each label corresponds to the boundary between traffic markings and background, we can identify traffic markings explicitly, meaning traffic lines are differentiated correctly by the proposed method. As such, our automated method, a highly accurate and non-human-operator-dependent method using bidirectional gradient-based algorithm, can successfully extract traffic lines composed of complex shapes such as a cross walk, resulting in minimizing cost and obtaining highly accurate results.

Malaria rapid diagnostic tests: Plasmodium falciparum infections with high parasite densities may generate false positive Plasmodium vivax pLDH lines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

van Esbroeck Marjan

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Most malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs detect Plasmodium falciparum and an antigen common to the four species. Plasmodium vivax-specific RDTs target P. vivax-specific parasite lactate dehydrogenase (Pv-pLDH. Previous observations of false positive Pv-pLDH test lines in P. falciparum samples incited to the present study, which assessed P. vivax-specific RDTs for the occurrence of false positive Pv-pLDH lines in P. falciparum samples. Methods Nine P. vivax-specific RDTs were tested with 85 P. falciparum samples of high (≥2% parasite density. Mixed P. falciparum/P. vivax infections were ruled out by real-time PCR. The RDTs included two-band (detecting Pv-pLDH, three-band (detecting P. falciparum-antigen and Pv-pLDH and four-band RDTs (detecting P. falciparum, Pv-pLDH and pan-pLDH. Results False positive Pv-pLDH lines were observed in 6/9 RDTs (including two- three- and four-band RDTs. They occurred in the individual RDT brands at frequencies ranging from 8.2% to 29.1%. For 19/85 samples, at least two RDT brands generated a false positive Pv-pLDH line. Sixteen of 85 (18.8% false positive lines were of medium or strong line intensity. There was no significant relation between false positive results and parasite density or geographic origin of the samples. Conclusion False positive Pv-pLDH lines in P. falciparum samples with high parasite density occurred in 6/9 P. vivax-specific RDTs. This is of concern as P. falciparum and P. vivax are co-circulating in many regions. The diagnosis of life-threatening P. falciparum malaria may be missed (two-band Pv-pLDH RDT, or the patient may be treated incorrectly with primaquine (three- or four-band RDTs.

A Class of Weighted Low Rank Approximation of the Positive Semidefinite Hankel Matrix

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianchao Bai

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We consider the weighted low rank approximation of the positive semidefinite Hankel matrix problem arising in signal processing. By using the Vandermonde representation, we firstly transform the problem into an unconstrained optimization problem and then use the nonlinear conjugate gradient algorithm with the Armijo line search to solve the equivalent unconstrained optimization problem. Numerical examples illustrate that the new method is feasible and effective.

Is there a progression-free survival benefit of first-line crizotinib versus standard chemotherapy and second-line crizotinib in ALK-positive advanced lung adenocarcinoma? A retrospective study of Chinese patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Shaohua; Zhao, Yizhuo; Dong, Lili; Gu, Aiqin; Xiong, Liwen; Qian, Jialin; Zhang, Wei; Niu, Yanjie; Pan, Feng; Jiang, Liyan

2016-06-01

Although crizotinib has demonstrated promising efficacy and acceptable toxicity in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the available evidence in Chinese populations is currently limited. This study compared the progression-free survival (PFS) of Chinese patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive, advanced lung adenocarcinoma who received first-line crizotinib therapy with that of patients who received first-line standard chemotherapy, and also the PFS benefit of first-line versus second-line crizotinib treatment. Data on 80 patients with ALK-positive, advanced lung adenocarcinoma who received crizotinib or standard chemotherapy as first-line treatments between June 2013 and December 2014 were retrospectively collected; 26 of the patients received crizotinib as second-line therapy after progressive disease (PD) occurred on first-line chemotherapy. Tumor responses were assessed using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), version 1.1. The median PFS was 13.3 months (95% CI: 6.5-20.0 months) in patients who received first-line crizotinib as compared with 5.4 months (95% CI: 4.4-6.5 months) in patients who received first-line standard chemotherapy (adjusted hazard ratio for progression or death with crizotinib, 0.20; 95% CI: 0.11-0.36; P benefit of first-line crizotinib versus first-line standard chemotherapy in Chinese patients with ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma. Additionally, crizotinib showed promising efficacy in patients who received it as second-line therapy after PD had occurred on first-line chemotherapy. © 2016 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

SU-E-T-453: Optimization of Dose Gradient for Gamma Knife Radiosurgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheth, N; Chen, Y; Yang, J

2012-06-01

The goals of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) are the ablation of target tissue and sparing of critical normal tissue. We develop tools to aid in the selection of collimation and prescription (Rx) isodose line to optimize the dose gradient for single isocenter intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) with GammaKnife 4C utilizing the updated physics data in GammaPlan v10.1. Single isocenter intracranial SRS plans were created to treat the center of a solid water anthropomorphism head phantom for each GammaKnife collimator (4 mm, 8 mm, 14 mm, and 18 mm). The dose gradient, defined as the difference of effective radii of spheres equal to half and full Rx volumes, and Rx treatment volume was analyzed for isodoses from 99% to 20% of Rx. The dosimetric data on Rx volume and dose gradient vs. Rx isodose for each collimator was compiled into an easy to read nomogram as well as plotted graphically. The 4, 8, 14, and 18 mm collimators have the sharpest dose gradient at the 64%, 70%, 76%, and 77% Rx isodose lines, respectively. This corresponds to treating 4.77 mm, 8.86 mm, 14.78 mm, and 18.77 mm diameter targets with dose gradients radii of 1.06 mm, 1.63 mm, 2.54 mm, and 3.17 mm, respectively. We analyzed the dosimetric data for the most recent version of GammaPlan treatment planning software to develop tools that when applied clinically will aid in the selection of a collimator and Rx isodose line for optimal dose gradient and target coverage for single isocenter intracranial SRS with GammaKnife 4C. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Galactic abundance gradients from Cepheids : α and heavy elements in the outer disk

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lemasle, B.; Francois, P.; Genovali, K.; Kovtyukh, V. V.; Bono, G.; Inno, L.; Laney, C. D.; Kaper, L.; Bergemann, M.; Fabrizio, M.; Matsunaga, N.; Pedicelli, S.; Primas, F.; Romaniello, M.

2013-01-01

Context. Galactic abundance gradients set strong constraints to chemo-dynamical evolutionary models of the Milky Way. Given the period-luminosity relations that provide accurate distances and the large number of spectral lines, Cepheids are excellent tracers of the present-day abundance gradients.

Contact wire positions and contact forces. Measurements at high-speed lines in China; Fahrdrahtlage und Kontaktkraefte. Messungen an Hochgeschwindigkeitsstrecken in China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heland, Joerg; Rick, Frank; Sarnes, Bernhard [DB Systemtechnik GmbH, Muenchen (Germany); Puschmann, Rainer [Siemens AG, Erlangen (Germany). Infrastructure and Cities

2012-07-15

The reliable energy transmission from overhead contact line to pantograph of traction units without interruption decides on the successful operation of high-speed railway lines. Measurements of contact wire position and contact forces are suited to assess interaction of overhead contact line and pantograph. Chinese Railways actually implement the biggest electrification program for high-speed lines worldwide. For these projects contact wire position and contact forces are monitored by procedures developed in Germany. The experience confirms that keeping the contact wire position within the specified limits lead to a superior energy transmission up to 350 km/h. (orig.)

Molecular Dynamics Study of Thermally Augmented Nanodroplet Motion on Chemical Energy Induced Wettability Gradient Surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborty, Monojit; Chowdhury, Anamika; Bhusan, Richa; DasGupta, Sunando

2015-10-20

Droplet motion on a surface with chemical energy induced wettability gradient has been simulated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to highlight the underlying physics of molecular movement near the solid-liquid interface including the contact line friction. The simulations mimic experiments in a comprehensive manner wherein microsized droplets are propelled by the surface wettability gradient against forces opposed to motion. The liquid-wall Lennard-Jones interaction parameter and the substrate temperature are varied to explore their effects on the three-phase contact line friction coefficient. The contact line friction is observed to be a strong function of temperature at atomistic scales, confirming their experimentally observed inverse functionality. Additionally, the MD simulation results are successfully compared with those from an analytical model for self-propelled droplet motion on gradient surfaces.

The detailed characteristics of positive corona current pulses in the line-to-plane electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Xuebao, LI; Dayong, LI; Qian, ZHANG; Yinfei, LI; Xiang, CUI; Tiebing, LU

2018-05-01

The corona current pulses generated by corona discharge are the sources of the radio interference from transmission lines and the detailed characteristics of the corona current pulses from conductor should be investigated in order to reveal their generation mechanism. In this paper, the line-to-plane electrodes are designed to measure and analyze the characteristics of corona current pulses from positive corona discharges. The influences of inter-electrode gap and line diameters on the detail characteristics of corona current pulses, such as pulse amplitude, rise time, duration time and repetition frequency, are carefully analyzed. The obtained results show that the pulse amplitude and the repetition frequency increase with the diameter of line electrode when the electric fields on the surface of line electrodes are same. With the increase of inter-electrode gap, the pulse amplitude and the repetition frequency first decrease and then turn to be stable, while the rise time first increases and finally turns to be stable. The distributions of electric field and space charges under the line electrodes are calculated, and the influences of inter-electrode gap and line electrode diameter on the experimental results are qualitatively explained.

Hamilton's gradient estimate for the heat kernel on complete manifolds

OpenAIRE

Kotschwar, Brett

2007-01-01

In this paper we extend a gradient estimate of R. Hamilton for positive solutions to the heat equation on closed manifolds to bounded positive solutions on complete, non-compact manifolds with $Rc \\geq -Kg$. We accomplish this extension via a maximum principle of L. Karp and P. Li and a Bernstein-type estimate on the gradient of the solution. An application of our result, together with the bounds of P. Li and S.T. Yau, yields an estimate on the gradient of the heat kernel for complete manifol...

Anisotropic gradients in the upper mantle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garmany, J.

1981-01-01

Pn amplitudes in some widely spaced sets of orthogonal marine refraction lines on young oceanic crust are greater in the fast direction than in the slow direction. This is inconsistent with the predicted amplitude behavior for simple head waves, but can be explained by an increase in anisotropy with depth. It appears that these gradients are due to increasing olivine crystal orientation, although changes in the relative abundance of two anisotropic minerals without variable tectonization could also account for the observations. Depth variation of tectonization most probably indicates very high temperature gradients at the Moho. This would imply a substantial amount of convective heat transport in the whole oceanic crust near mid-ocean rises

Characteristic analysis of coupled transmission lines in stripline-type beam position monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suwada, T.

2013-01-01

Signal transmission characteristics in stripline electrodes of a stripline-type beam position monitor (BPM) are discussed on the basis of a coupled-mode analysis in electromagnetically coupled transmission lines. The physical prospect in the calibration procedure of stripline electrodes is improved in terms of signal transmission characteristics in the frequency domain. It is demonstrated that in the signal transmission with electromagnetic coupling between the stripline electrodes, the magnetic- and electric-coupling parameters play an important role depending upon the spatial configuration and mechanical structure of the stripline electrodes. In this report, a theoretical analysis, and experimental investigation into signal transmission characteristics and performance in a standard stripline-type BPM are described in detail on the basis of a coupled-mode analysis in uniform transmission lines

Computational Strain Gradient Crystal Plasticity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Niordson, Christian Frithiof; Kysar, Jeffrey W.

2011-01-01

A model for strain gradient crystal visco-plasticity is formulated along the lines proposed by Fleck andWillis (2009) for isotropic plasticity. Size-effects are included in the model due to the addition of gradient terms in both the free energy as well as through a dissipation potential. A finite...... element solution method is presented, which delivers the slip-rate field and the velocity-field based on two minimum principles. Some plane deformation problems relevant for certain specific orientations of a face centered cubic crystal under plane loading conditions are studied, and effective in......-plane parameters are developed based on the crystallographic properties of the material. The problem of cyclic shear of a single crystal between rigid platens is studied as well as void growth of a cylindrical void....

Thermal singularity and droplet motion in one-component fluids on solid substrates with thermal gradients

KAUST Repository

Xu, Xinpeng

2012-06-26

Using a continuum model capable of describing the one-component liquid-gas hydrodynamics down to the contact line scale, we carry out numerical simulation and physical analysis for the droplet motion driven by thermal singularity. For liquid droplets in one-component fluids on heated or cooled substrates, the liquid-gas interface is nearly isothermal. Consequently, a thermal singularity occurs at the contact line and the Marangoni effect due to temperature gradient is suppressed. Through evaporation or condensation in the vicinity of the contact line, the thermal singularity makes the contact angle increase with the increasing substrate temperature. This effect on the contact angle can be used to move the droplets on substrates with thermal gradients. Our numerical results for this kind of droplet motion are explained by a simple fluid dynamical model at the droplet length scale. Since the mechanism for droplet motion is based on the change of contact angle, a separation of length scales is exhibited through a comparison between the droplet motion induced by a wettability gradient and that by a thermal gradient. It is shown that the flow field at the droplet length scale is independent of the statics or dynamics at the contact line scale.

Thermal singularity and droplet motion in one-component fluids on solid substrates with thermal gradients

KAUST Repository

Xu, Xinpeng; Qian, Tiezheng

2012-01-01

Using a continuum model capable of describing the one-component liquid-gas hydrodynamics down to the contact line scale, we carry out numerical simulation and physical analysis for the droplet motion driven by thermal singularity. For liquid droplets in one-component fluids on heated or cooled substrates, the liquid-gas interface is nearly isothermal. Consequently, a thermal singularity occurs at the contact line and the Marangoni effect due to temperature gradient is suppressed. Through evaporation or condensation in the vicinity of the contact line, the thermal singularity makes the contact angle increase with the increasing substrate temperature. This effect on the contact angle can be used to move the droplets on substrates with thermal gradients. Our numerical results for this kind of droplet motion are explained by a simple fluid dynamical model at the droplet length scale. Since the mechanism for droplet motion is based on the change of contact angle, a separation of length scales is exhibited through a comparison between the droplet motion induced by a wettability gradient and that by a thermal gradient. It is shown that the flow field at the droplet length scale is independent of the statics or dynamics at the contact line scale.

Considerations of ion temperature gradient driven turbulence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cowley, S.C.; Kulsrud, R.M.

1991-02-01

The ion temperature gradient driven instability is considered in this paper. Physical pictures are presented to clarify the nature of the instability. The saturation of a single eddy is modeled by a simple nonlinear equation. We show that eddies which are elongated in the direction of the temperature gradient are the most unstable and have the highest saturation amplitudes. In a sheared magnetic field, such elongated eddies twist with the field lines. This structure is shown to be alternative to the usual Fourier mode picture in which the mode is localized around the surface where k parallel = 0. We show how these elongated twisting eddies, which are an integral part of the ''ballooning mode'' structure, could survive in a torus. The elongated eddies are shown to be unstable to secondary instabilities that are driven by the large gradients in the long eddy. We argue that this mechanism isotropizes ion temperature gradient turbulence. We further argue that the ''mixing length'' is set by this nonlinear process, not by a linear eigenmode width. 17 refs., 6 figs

The photospheric vector magnetic field of a sunspot and its vertical gradient

Science.gov (United States)

Hagyard, M. J.; West, E. A.; Tandberg-Hanssen, E.; Smith, J. E.; Henze, W., Jr.; Beckers, J. M.; Bruner, E. C.; Hyder, C. L.; Gurman, J. B.; Shine, R. A.

1981-01-01

The results of direct comparisons of photospheric and transition region line-of-sight field observations of sunspots using the SMM UV spectrometer and polarimeter are reported. The analysis accompanying the data is concentrated on demonstrating that the sunspot concentrated magnetic field extends into the transition region. An observation of a sunspot on Oct. 23, 1980 at the S 18 E 03 location is used as an example. Maximum field strengths ranged from 2030-2240 gauss for large and small umbrae viewed and inclination of the field to the line-of-sight was determined for the photosphere and transition region. The distribution of the magnetic field over the sunspot and variation of the line-of-sight gradient are discussed, as are the magnitudes and gradients of the photospheric field across the penumbral-photospheric boundaries.

Development of an accurate transmission line fault locator using the global positioning system satellites

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Harry

1994-01-01

A highly accurate transmission line fault locator based on the traveling-wave principle was developed and successfully operated within B.C. Hydro. A transmission line fault produces a fast-risetime traveling wave at the fault point which propagates along the transmission line. This fault locator system consists of traveling wave detectors located at key substations which detect and time tag the leading edge of the fault-generated traveling wave as if passes through. A master station gathers the time-tagged information from the remote detectors and determines the location of the fault. Precise time is a key element to the success of this system. This fault locator system derives its timing from the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. System tests confirmed the accuracy of locating faults to within the design objective of +/-300 meters.

Motion of Drops on Surfaces with Wettability Gradients

Science.gov (United States)

Subramanian, R. Shankar; McLaughlin, John B.; Moumen, Nadjoua; Qian, Dongying

2002-11-01

A liquid drop present on a solid surface can move because of a gradient in wettability along the surface, as manifested by a gradient in the contact angle. The contact angle at a given point on the contact line between a solid and a liquid in a gaseous medium is the angle between the tangent planes to the liquid and the solid surfaces at that point and is measured within the liquid side, by convention. The motion of the drop occurs in the direction of increasing wettability. The cause of the motion is the net force exerted on the drop by the solid surface because of the variation of the contact angle around the periphery. This force causes acceleration of an initially stationary drop, and leads to its motion in the direction of decreasing contact angle. The nature of the motion is determined by the balance between the motivating force and the resisting hydrodynamic force from the solid surface and the surrounding gaseous medium. A wettability gradient can be chemically induced as shown by Chaudhury and Whitesides who provided unambiguous experimental evidence that drops can move in such gradients. The phenomenon can be important in heat transfer applications in low gravity, such as when condensation occurs on a surface. Daniel et al have demonstrated that the velocity of a drop on a surface due to a wettability gradient in the presence of condensation can be more than two orders of magnitude larger than that observed in the absence of condensation. In the present research program, we have begun to study the motion of a drop in a wettability gradient systematically using a model system. Our initial efforts will be restricted to a system in which no condensation occurs. The experiments are performed as follows. First, a rectangular strip of approximate dimensions 10 x 20 mm is cut out of a silicon wafer. The strip is cleaned thoroughly and its surface is exposed to the vapor from an alkylchlorosilane for a period lasting between one and two minutes inside a

A new characterization method of the microstructure by utilizing the macroscopic composition gradient in alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyazaki, T.; Koyama, T.; Kobayashi, S.

1996-01-01

A new experimental method to determine the phase boundary and phase equilibrium is accomplished by - means of analytical transmission electron microscopy for alloys with a macroscopic composition gradient. The various phase boundaries, i.e. the coherent binodal and spinodal lines, incoherent binodal line and order/disorder transformation line are distinctly determined for the Cu-Ti alloy and the other alloy systems. Furthermore, the equilibrium compositions at the interface of precipitate/matrix can experimentally be obtained for various particle sizes, and thus the Gibbs-Thomson's relation is verified. It is expected that the composition gradient method proposed in the present will become an important experimental method of the microstructural characterization

COMPARISON OF GKS CALCULATED CRITICAL ION TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS AND ITG GROWTH RATES TO DIII-D MEASURED GRADIENTS AND DIFFUSIVITIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

BAKER, DR; STAEBLER, GM; PETTY, CC; GREENFIELD, CM; LUCE, TC

2003-01-01

OAK-B135 The gyrokinetic equations predict that various drift type waves or modes can be unstable in a tokamak. For some of these modes, such as the ion temperature gradient (ITG) mode and the electron temperature gradient mode, there exists a critical gradient, above which the mode is unstable. Since the existence of unstable modes can cause increased transport, plasmas which are centrally heated tend to increase in temperature gradient until the modes become unstable. Under some conditions the increased transport can fix the gradient at the critical value. here they present a comparison between the measured ion temperature gradients and the critical gradient as calculated by a gyrokinetic linear stability (GKS) code. They also present the maximum linear growth rate as calculated by this code for comparison to experimentally derived transport coefficients. The results show that for low confinement mode (L-mode) discharges, the measured ion temperature gradient is significantly greater than the GKS calculated critical gradient over a large region of the plasma. This is the same region of the plasma where the ion thermal diffusivity is large. For high confinement mode (H-mode) discharges the ion temperature gradient is closer to the critical gradient, but often still greater than the critical gradient over some region. For the best H-mode discharges, the ion temperature is less than or equal to the critical gradient over the whole plasma. In general they find that the position in the plasma where the ion thermal diffusivity starts to increase rapidly is where the maximum linear growth rate is greater than the E x B shearing rate

Constrained optimization for position calibration of an NMR field camera.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Paul; Nassirpour, Sahar; Eschelbach, Martin; Scheffler, Klaus; Henning, Anke

2018-07-01

Knowledge of the positions of field probes in an NMR field camera is necessary for monitoring the B 0 field. The typical method of estimating these positions is by switching the gradients with known strengths and calculating the positions using the phases of the FIDs. We investigated improving the accuracy of estimating the probe positions and analyzed the effect of inaccurate estimations on field monitoring. The field probe positions were estimated by 1) assuming ideal gradient fields, 2) using measured gradient fields (including nonlinearities), and 3) using measured gradient fields with relative position constraints. The fields measured with the NMR field camera were compared to fields acquired using a dual-echo gradient recalled echo B 0 mapping sequence. Comparisons were done for shim fields from second- to fourth-order shim terms. The position estimation was the most accurate when relative position constraints were used in conjunction with measured (nonlinear) gradient fields. The effect of more accurate position estimates was seen when compared to fields measured using a B 0 mapping sequence (up to 10%-15% more accurate for some shim fields). The models acquired from the field camera are sensitive to noise due to the low number of spatial sample points. Position estimation of field probes in an NMR camera can be improved using relative position constraints and nonlinear gradient fields. Magn Reson Med 80:380-390, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Influence of a variation in the position of the arms on the sagittal connection of the gravity line with the spinal structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Legaye, Jean; Duval-Beaupere, Ginette

2017-11-01

To evaluate the influence of the position of the arms on the location of the body's gravity line. The sagittal balance of the pelvi-spinal unit is organized so that the gravity line is localized in a way that limits the mechanical loads and the muscle efforts. This position of the gravity line was analyzed in vivo, in standing position, the arms dangling, by the barycentremeter, a gamma rays scanner. Then, several teams had the same purpose but using a force platform combined with radiographies. Their results differed significantly among themselves and with the data of the barycentremetry. However, in these studies, the positions of the arms varied noticeably, either slightly bent forwards on a support, or the fingers on the clavicles or on the cheeks. We estimated, for each varied posture of the arms, the sagittal coordinates of the masses of the upper limbs and their influence on the anatomical position of the gravity line of the whole body. Using a simple equation and the data of the barycentremeter, we observed that the variations in the location of the gravity line were proportionally connected to the changes of the sagittal position of the mass of the upper limbs induced by the various positions of the arms. We conclude in a validation of the data of the barycentremeter, as well as of the data obtained by the force platforms as long as the artifact of the position of the arms is taken into account.

An extended discrete gradient formula for oscillatory Hamiltonian systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Kai; Shi Wei; Wu Xinyuan

2013-01-01

In this paper, incorporating the idea of the discrete gradient method into the extended Runge–Kutta–Nyström integrator, we derive and analyze an extended discrete gradient formula for the oscillatory Hamiltonian system with the Hamiltonian H(p,q)= 1/2 p T p+ 1/2 q T Mq+U(q), where q:R→R d represents generalized positions, p:R→R d represents generalized momenta and M is an element of R dxd is a symmetric and positive semi-definite matrix. The solution of this system is a nonlinear oscillator. Basically, many nonlinear oscillatory mechanical systems with a partitioned Hamiltonian function lend themselves to this approach. The extended discrete gradient formula presented in this paper exactly preserves the energy H(p, q). We derive some properties of the new formula. The convergence is analyzed for the implicit schemes based on the discrete gradient formula, and it turns out that the convergence of the implicit schemes based on the extended discrete gradient formula is independent of ‖M‖, which is a significant property for the oscillatory Hamiltonian system. Thus, it transpires that a larger step size can be chosen for the new energy-preserving schemes than that for the traditional discrete gradient methods when applied to the oscillatory Hamiltonian system. Illustrative examples show the competence and efficiency of the new schemes in comparison with the traditional discrete gradient methods in the scientific literature. (paper)

A positioning system with no line-of-sight restrictions for cluttered environments

Science.gov (United States)

Prigge, Eric A.

Accurate sensing of vehicle location and attitude is a fundamental requirement in many mobile-robot applications, but is a very challenging problem in the cluttered and unstructured environment of the real world. Many existing indoor positioning systems are limited in workspace and robustness because they require clear lines of sight or do not provide absolute, drift-free measurements. Examples include overhead vision systems, where an unobstructed view must be maintained between robot and camera, and inertial systems, where the measurements drift over time. The research presented in this dissertation provides a new location- and attitude-sensing system designed specifically to meet the challenges of operation in a realistic, cluttered indoor environment, such as that of an office building or warehouse. The system is not limited by line-of-sight restrictions and produces drift-free measurements throughout a three-dimensional operating volume that can span a large building. Accuracy of several centimeters and a few degrees is delivered at 10 Hz, and any number of the small sensor units can be in operation, all providing estimates in a common reference frame. This positioning system is based on extremely-low-frequency magnetic fields, which have excellent characteristics for penetrating line-of-sight obstructions. Beacons located throughout the workspace create the low-level fields. A sensor unit on the mobile robot samples the local magnetic field and processes the measurements to determine its location and attitude. This research overcomes limitations in existing magnetic-based systems. The design of the signal structure, based on pseudorandom codes, enables the use of multiple, distributed L-beacons and greatly expands coverage volume. The development of real-time identification and correction methods mitigates the impact of distortions caused by materials in the environment. A novel solution algorithm combats both challenges, providing increased coverage volume

Radio and television interference caused by corona discharges from high-voltage transmission lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarmadi, M.

1996-01-01

Increase in power utility loads in industrialized countries, as well as developing countries, demands a higher level of transmission line voltage. Radio interference (RI) problems have been determined to be a limiting factor in selecting the size of transmission line conductors. Transmission line noise is primarily caused by corona discharges in the immediate vicinity of the conductor. It has been observed that discharges occur during both half-cycles of the applied voltage, but positive corona is usually predominant at AM radio frequencies range with practical high-voltage and extra high-voltage transmission lines. The corona radio noise effect is highly dependent upon the presence of particles on the surface of the conductor and the increase of the electrical gradient beyond the breakdown value of the air. Therefore, corona radio noise varies significantly with the weather and atmospheric conditions and generally increases by 10 to 30 dB in foul weather

Social gradients in periodontal diseases among adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

López, Rodrigo; Fernández, Olaya; Baelum, Vibeke

2006-06-01

To investigate the association between socioeconomic position and periodontal diseases among adolescents. Data were obtained from 9203 Chilean high school students. Clinical examinations included direct recordings of clinical attachment level and the necrotizing ulcerative gingival lesions. Students answered a questionnaire on various dimensions of socioeconomic position. Seven periodontal outcomes were analyzed. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify socioeconomic variables associated with the periodontal outcomes. The occurrence of all periodontal outcomes investigated followed social gradients, and paternal income and parental education were the most influential variables. The study demonstrates the existence of significant social gradients in periodontal diseases already among adolescents. This is worrying, and indicates a new potential for further insight into the mechanisms of periodontal disease causation.

Global correlation imaging of magnetic total field gradients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Lianghui; Meng, Xiaohong; Shi, Lei

2012-01-01

Firstly we introduce the correlation imaging approach for the x-, y- and z-gradients of a magnetic total field anomaly for deriving the distribution of equivalent magnetic sources of the subsurface. In this approach, the subsurface space is divided into a regular grid, and then a correlation coefficient function is computed at each grid node, based on the cross-correlation between the x-gradient (or y-gradient or z-gradient) of the observed magnetic total field anomaly and the x-gradient (or y-gradient or z-gradient) of the theoretical magnetic total field anomaly due to a magnetic dipole. The resultant correlation coefficient is used to describe the probability of a magnetic dipole occurring at the node. We then define a global correlation coefficient function for comprehensively delineating the probability of an occurrence of a magnetic dipole, which takes, at each node, the maximum positive value of the corresponding correlation coefficient function of the three gradients. We finally test the approach both on synthetic data and real data from a metallic deposit area in the middle-lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China. (paper)

Nonlocal electron kinetics and spectral line emission in the positive column of an argon glow discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golubovskii, Yu; Kalanov, D; Gorchakov, S; Uhrlandt, D

2015-01-01

Modern non-local electron kinetics theory predicts several interesting effects connected with spectral line emission from the positive column in the range of low and medium pressures and currents. Some theoretical works describe non-monotonic behavior of the radial profiles of line emission at intermediate pressures and currents between the validity ranges of the non-local and local approximation of the electron kinetics. Despite a great number of publications, there have been no systematic measurements attempting to confirm these theoretical predictions through experiments. In this work the radial profiles of the line emission from the positive column of an argon glow discharge have been measured with high spatial resolution and new effects caused by the narrowing and broadening of the spatial emission profiles with dependence on discharge conditions have been discovered. The effect of intensity maximum shift predicted by theory using a self-consistent model was not found in the experiment. The properties of the spectral line radiation are influenced by the peculiarities of the formation of the high-energy tail of the electron energy distribution function. An interpretation of the observed effects based on the non-local character of the electron kinetics in radially inhomogeneous fields is given. The obtained experimental data are compared with the results of calculations. (paper)

Composition gradients across spiral galaxies II. The stellar mass limit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shields, G.A.; Tinsley, B.M.

1976-01-01

The equivalent width of the Hβ emission from H ii regions in spiral galaxies increases with distance from the nucleus. This W (Hβ) gradient is interpreted in terms of a radial gradient in the temperature of the hottest exciting stars. (T/subu/). From Searle's observations of M101, an increase Δ log T/subu/=0.02--0.13 from the intermediate to outermost spiral arms of M101 is inferred. There is also a radial decrease in the metal abundance (Z) across M101, and the T/subu/ gradient is consistent with the prediction of Kahn's recent theory that the upper mass limit for star formation should be smaller in regions of high Z. It is noted also that, even in the absence of changes in the upper mass limit, a T/subu/ gradient is expected because metal-rich stars of given mass have smaller effective temperatures. Several observational and theoretical improvements are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn, but it is clear that the presence of a T/subu/ gradient may lead to several important systematic changes in the interpretation of gradients in the properties of H ii regions across galaxies. A T/subu/ gradient reduces the Z gradient that is inferred from emission-line ratios, and it may help to explain why O ii is strong in the innermost regions where O iii is weak. A T/subu/ gradient may also partly camouflage a helium abundance gradient

Beam position measurement in transport line-1 of Indus accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ojha, Avanish; Yadav, Surendra; Holikatti, Anil C.; Puntambekar, T.A.; Pithawa, C.K.

2011-01-01

In Indus Accelerator Complex at RRCAT Indore, 20 MeV electron beam is transported from injector Microtron to Booster Synchrotron through Transport Line-1 (TL-1). This beam has nominal pulse width of 500 ns with repetition rate of 1 Hz. A split electrode type beam position Indicator (BPI) is planned to be used to detect position of beam in TL-1, for which a four-channel processing electronics has been designed and developed. The circuit consists of microcontroller based four-channel peak detector circuit followed by multiplexer and ADC. The microcontroller is triggered from the timing system of microtron, which enables microcontroller to control and synchronize various parts of electronics. Microcontroller also sends the digitized data to a PC on serial link. During development, a problem of overcharging of capacitor was faced, which was resulting in false peak detection. Circuit was simulated and necessary modifications were incorporated in the circuit to solve this problem. A test setup with provision to simulate the beam signal using an antenna was used for testing the circuit in lab and a suitable Graphical User Interface (GUI) program was developed in LabVIEW. This GUI can also be used to calibrate the BPI. The prototype BPI was tested under simulated beam condition, which gave positional accuracy of ± 200 microns. (author)

THEORETICAL EVOLUTION OF OPTICAL STRONG LINES ACROSS COSMIC TIME

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kewley, Lisa J.; Dopita, Michael A.; Sutherland, Ralph [Research School for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Mount Stromlo Observatory, Cotter Road, Weston, ACT 2611 (Australia); Leitherer, Claus [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Dave, Romeel [Department of Astronomy/Steward Observatory, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065 (United States); Yuan, Tiantian [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Allen, Mark [Observatoire de Strasbourg, UMR 7550, Strasbourg 67000 (France); Groves, Brent, E-mail: kewley@mso.anu.edu.au [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie, Koenigstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany)

2013-09-10

We use the chemical evolution predictions of cosmological hydrodynamic simulations with our latest theoretical stellar population synthesis, photoionization, and shock models to predict the strong line evolution of ensembles of galaxies from z = 3 to the present day. In this paper, we focus on the brightest optical emission-line ratios, [N II]/H{alpha} and [O III]/H{beta}. We use the optical diagnostic Baldwin-Phillips-Terlevich (BPT) diagram as a tool for investigating the spectral properties of ensembles of active galaxies. We use four redshift windows chosen to exploit new near-infrared multi-object spectrographs. We predict how the BPT diagram will appear in these four redshift windows given different sets of assumptions. We show that the position of star-forming galaxies on the BPT diagram traces the interstellar medium conditions and radiation field in galaxies at a given redshift. Galaxies containing active galactic nucleus (AGN) form a mixing sequence with purely star-forming galaxies. This mixing sequence may change dramatically with cosmic time, due to the metallicity sensitivity of the optical emission-lines. Furthermore, the position of the mixing sequence may probe metallicity gradients in galaxies as a function of redshift, depending on the size of the AGN narrow-line region. We apply our latest slow shock models for gas shocked by galactic-scale winds. We show that at high redshift, galactic wind shocks are clearly separated from AGN in line ratio space. Instead, shocks from galactic winds mimic high metallicity starburst galaxies. We discuss our models in the context of future large near-infrared spectroscopic surveys.

Side-Scan Sonar Image Mosaic Using Couple Feature Points with Constraint of Track Line Positions

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Jianhu Zhao

2018-06-01

Full Text Available To obtain large-scale seabed surface image, this paper proposes a side-scan sonar (SSS image mosaic method using couple feature points (CFPs with constraint of track line positions. The SSS geocoded images are firstly used to form a coarsely mosaicked one and the overlapping areas between adjacent strip images can be determined based on geographic information. Inside the overlapping areas, the feature point (FP detection and registration operation are adopted for both strips. According to the detected CFPs and track line positions, an adjustment model is established to accommodate complex local distortions as well as ensure the global stability. This proposed method effectively solves the problem of target ghosting or dislocation and no accumulated errors arise in the mosaicking process. Experimental results show that the finally mosaicked image correctly reflects the object distribution, which is meaningful for understanding and interpreting seabed topography.

General-purpose stepping motor-encoder positioning subsystem with standard asynchronous serial-line interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stubblefield, F.W.; Alberi, J.L.

1982-01-01

A general-purpose mechanical positioning subsystem for open-loop control of experiment devices which have their positions established and read out by stepping motor-encoder combinations has been developed. The subsystem is to be used mainly for experiments to be conducted at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The subsystem unit has been designed to be compatible with a wide variety of stepping motor and encoder types. The unit may be operated by any device capable of driving a standard RS-232-C asynchronous serial communication line. An informal survey has shown that several experiments at the Light Source will use one particular type of computer, operating system, and programming language. Accordingly, a library of subroutines compatible with this combination of computer system elements has been written to facilitate driving the positioning subsystem unit

The effect of on-line position correction on the dose distribution in focal radiotherapy for bladder cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rooijen, Dominique C van; Kamer, Jeroen B van de; Pool, René; Hulshof, Maarten CCM; Koning, Caro CE; Bel, Arjan [Department of Radiation Oncology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2009-09-24

The purpose of this study was to determine the dosimetric effect of on-line position correction for bladder tumor irradiation and to find methods to predict and handle this effect. For 25 patients with unifocal bladder cancer intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with 5 beams was planned. The requirement for each plan was that 99% of the target volume received 95% of the prescribed dose. Tumor displacements from -2.0 cm to 2.0 cm in each dimension were simulated, using 0.5 cm increments, resulting in 729 simulations per patient. We assumed that on-line correction for the tumor was applied perfectly. We determined the correlation between the change in D{sub 99%} and the change in path length, which is defined here as the distance from the skin to the isocenter for each beam. In addition the margin needed to avoid underdosage was determined and the probability that an underdosage occurs in a real treatment was calculated. Adjustments for tumor displacement with perfect on-line position correction resulted in an altered dose distribution. The altered fraction dose to the target varied from 91.9% to 100.4% of the prescribed dose. The mean D{sub 99%} (± SD) was 95.8% ± 1.0%. There was a modest linear correlation between the difference in D{sub 99%} and the change in path length of the beams after correction (R{sup 2} = 0.590). The median probability that a systematic underdosage occurs in a real treatment was 0.23% (range: 0 - 24.5%). A margin of 2 mm reduced that probability to < 0.001% in all patients. On-line position correction does result in an altered target coverage, due to changes in average path length after position correction. An extra margin can be added to prevent underdosage.

The effect of on-line position correction on the dose distribution in focal radiotherapy for bladder cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koning Caro CE

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to determine the dosimetric effect of on-line position correction for bladder tumor irradiation and to find methods to predict and handle this effect. Methods For 25 patients with unifocal bladder cancer intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT with 5 beams was planned. The requirement for each plan was that 99% of the target volume received 95% of the prescribed dose. Tumor displacements from -2.0 cm to 2.0 cm in each dimension were simulated, using 0.5 cm increments, resulting in 729 simulations per patient. We assumed that on-line correction for the tumor was applied perfectly. We determined the correlation between the change in D99% and the change in path length, which is defined here as the distance from the skin to the isocenter for each beam. In addition the margin needed to avoid underdosage was determined and the probability that an underdosage occurs in a real treatment was calculated. Results Adjustments for tumor displacement with perfect on-line position correction resulted in an altered dose distribution. The altered fraction dose to the target varied from 91.9% to 100.4% of the prescribed dose. The mean D99% (± SD was 95.8% ± 1.0%. There was a modest linear correlation between the difference in D99% and the change in path length of the beams after correction (R2 = 0.590. The median probability that a systematic underdosage occurs in a real treatment was 0.23% (range: 0 - 24.5%. A margin of 2 mm reduced that probability to Conclusion On-line position correction does result in an altered target coverage, due to changes in average path length after position correction. An extra margin can be added to prevent underdosage.

The effect of on-line position correction on the dose distribution in focal radiotherapy for bladder cancer

Science.gov (United States)

van Rooijen, Dominique C; van de Kamer, Jeroen B; Pool, René; Hulshof, Maarten CCM; Koning, Caro CE; Bel, Arjan

2009-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to determine the dosimetric effect of on-line position correction for bladder tumor irradiation and to find methods to predict and handle this effect. Methods For 25 patients with unifocal bladder cancer intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with 5 beams was planned. The requirement for each plan was that 99% of the target volume received 95% of the prescribed dose. Tumor displacements from -2.0 cm to 2.0 cm in each dimension were simulated, using 0.5 cm increments, resulting in 729 simulations per patient. We assumed that on-line correction for the tumor was applied perfectly. We determined the correlation between the change in D99% and the change in path length, which is defined here as the distance from the skin to the isocenter for each beam. In addition the margin needed to avoid underdosage was determined and the probability that an underdosage occurs in a real treatment was calculated. Results Adjustments for tumor displacement with perfect on-line position correction resulted in an altered dose distribution. The altered fraction dose to the target varied from 91.9% to 100.4% of the prescribed dose. The mean D99% (± SD) was 95.8% ± 1.0%. There was a modest linear correlation between the difference in D99% and the change in path length of the beams after correction (R2 = 0.590). The median probability that a systematic underdosage occurs in a real treatment was 0.23% (range: 0 - 24.5%). A margin of 2 mm reduced that probability to < 0.001% in all patients. Conclusion On-line position correction does result in an altered target coverage, due to changes in average path length after position correction. An extra margin can be added to prevent underdosage. PMID:19775479

The effect of on-line position correction on the dose distribution in focal radiotherapy for bladder cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rooijen, Dominique C van; Kamer, Jeroen B van de; Pool, René; Hulshof, Maarten CCM; Koning, Caro CE; Bel, Arjan

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the dosimetric effect of on-line position correction for bladder tumor irradiation and to find methods to predict and handle this effect. For 25 patients with unifocal bladder cancer intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with 5 beams was planned. The requirement for each plan was that 99% of the target volume received 95% of the prescribed dose. Tumor displacements from -2.0 cm to 2.0 cm in each dimension were simulated, using 0.5 cm increments, resulting in 729 simulations per patient. We assumed that on-line correction for the tumor was applied perfectly. We determined the correlation between the change in D 99% and the change in path length, which is defined here as the distance from the skin to the isocenter for each beam. In addition the margin needed to avoid underdosage was determined and the probability that an underdosage occurs in a real treatment was calculated. Adjustments for tumor displacement with perfect on-line position correction resulted in an altered dose distribution. The altered fraction dose to the target varied from 91.9% to 100.4% of the prescribed dose. The mean D 99% (± SD) was 95.8% ± 1.0%. There was a modest linear correlation between the difference in D 99% and the change in path length of the beams after correction (R 2 = 0.590). The median probability that a systematic underdosage occurs in a real treatment was 0.23% (range: 0 - 24.5%). A margin of 2 mm reduced that probability to < 0.001% in all patients. On-line position correction does result in an altered target coverage, due to changes in average path length after position correction. An extra margin can be added to prevent underdosage

An education gradient in health, a health gradient in education, or a confounded gradient in both?

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, Jamie L; von Hippel, Paul T

2016-04-01

There is a positive gradient associating educational attainment with health, yet the explanation for this gradient is not clear. Does higher education improve health (causation)? Do the healthy become highly educated (selection)? Or do good health and high educational attainment both result from advantages established early in the life course (confounding)? This study evaluates these competing explanations by tracking changes in educational attainment and Self-rated Health (SRH) from age 15 to age 31 in the National Longitudinal Study of Youth, 1997 cohort. Ordinal logistic regression confirms that high-SRH adolescents are more likely to become highly educated. This is partly because adolescent SRH is associated with early advantages including adolescents' academic performance, college plans, and family background (confounding); however, net of these confounders adolescent SRH still predicts adult educational attainment (selection). Fixed-effects longitudinal regression shows that educational attainment has little causal effect on SRH at age 31. Completion of a high school diploma or associate's degree has no effect on SRH, while completion of a bachelor's or graduate degree have effects that, though significant, are quite small (less than 0.1 points on a 5-point scale). While it is possible that educational attainment would have greater effect on health at older ages, at age 31 what we see is a health gradient in education, shaped primarily by selection and confounding rather than by a causal effect of education on health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Modified Conjugacy Condition and Related Nonlinear Conjugate Gradient Method

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Shengwei Yao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The conjugate gradient (CG method has played a special role in solving large-scale nonlinear optimization problems due to the simplicity of their very low memory requirements. In this paper, we propose a new conjugacy condition which is similar to Dai-Liao (2001. Based on this condition, the related nonlinear conjugate gradient method is given. With some mild conditions, the given method is globally convergent under the strong Wolfe-Powell line search for general functions. The numerical experiments show that the proposed method is very robust and efficient.

Two New PRP Conjugate Gradient Algorithms for Minimization Optimization Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Gonglin; Duan, Xiabin; Liu, Wenjie; Wang, Xiaoliang; Cui, Zengru; Sheng, Zhou

2015-01-01

Two new PRP conjugate Algorithms are proposed in this paper based on two modified PRP conjugate gradient methods: the first algorithm is proposed for solving unconstrained optimization problems, and the second algorithm is proposed for solving nonlinear equations. The first method contains two aspects of information: function value and gradient value. The two methods both possess some good properties, as follows: 1) βk ≥ 0 2) the search direction has the trust region property without the use of any line search method 3) the search direction has sufficient descent property without the use of any line search method. Under some suitable conditions, we establish the global convergence of the two algorithms. We conduct numerical experiments to evaluate our algorithms. The numerical results indicate that the first algorithm is effective and competitive for solving unconstrained optimization problems and that the second algorithm is effective for solving large-scale nonlinear equations.

On-line evaluation of position-sensitive detector (PSD) diffraction data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stansfield, R.F.D.; McIntyre, G.J.

1985-01-01

The amount of raw data accumulated in a single-crystal diffraction experiment using a two-dimensional Position Sensitive Detector is usually so large that it is impracticable to store it. It is therefore necessary to reduce each local three-dimensional array of counts to a Bragg intensity, in a time not longer than the average time that one reflection is active. The statistically optimum procedure comprises an estimation of the background from a large number of counts, and an integration of peak intensity within a suitable three-dimensional envelope. A typical on-line method is described, using as an example the D19 diffractometer at the Institut Max von Laue - Paul Langevin (ILL) high-flux reactor. Current methods of PSD data reduction are reviewed. These fall into three groups according to the basis of the method used to find the integration envelope: (a) statistical criteria, (b) three-dimensional sigma(I)/I analysis, and (c) pre-calculation of the resolution function. On-line data reduction imposes special requirements on diagnostics to check the precision of the reduced data, especially at the start of an experiment, when any peculiarities must be identified and allowed for in the data-reduction procedure. The diagnostic possibilities resulting from the comparison of local with global characteristics of the background and the integration envelope are discussed. (author)

Modification of the Armijo line search to satisfy the convergence properties of HS method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed Belloufi

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The Hestenes-Stiefel (HS conjugate gradient algorithm is a useful tool of unconstrainednumerical optimization, which has good numerical performance but no global convergence result under traditional line searches. This paper proposes a line search technique that guarantee the globalconvergence of the Hestenes-Stiefel (HS conjugate gradient method. Numerical tests are presented tovalidate the different approaches.

Gradients of electric fields and effective charges in alkali metal permanganates on NMR data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarasov, V.P.; Kirakosyan, G.A.; Meladze, M.A.; German, K.Eh.

1993-01-01

Pulse method of 55 Mn, 39 K, 87 Rb, 133 Cs NMR in 7.04 T field was used to study polycrystal permanganates of alkali metals KMnO 4 , RbMnO 4 , CsMnO 4 in 100-440 K range. Qaudrupole bond constants, parameters of tensor asymmetry of electric field gradient (EFG) and isotropic values of chemical shifts were determined in result of analysis of resonance line shape. Cation positions in RbMnO 4 and CsMnO 4 are characterized by two nonequivalent states with 1:1 occupation. Effective charges on oxygen and manganese atoms were calculated in the framework of point charge model, using structural data and experimental EFG values on cation nuclei

The direct determination of double bond positions in lipid mixtures by liquid chromatography/in-line ozonolysis/mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Chenxing; Zhao, Yuan-Yuan; Curtis, Jonathan M.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► An ozonolysis reactor was coupled in-line with mass spectrometry (O 3 -MS). ► Double bond positions in FAME were determined unambiguously without standards. ► LC directly connected to O 3 -MS allowed double bond localization in lipid mixtures. ► LC/O 3 -MS applied to bovine fat demonstrated practical use in lipid analysis. -- Abstract: The direct determination of double bond positions in unsaturated lipids using in-line ozonolysis-mass spectrometry (O 3 -MS) is described. In this experiment, ozone penetrates through the semi-permeable Teflon AF-2400 tubing containing a flow of a solution of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). Unsaturated FAME are thus oxidized by the ozone and cleaved at the double bond positions. The ozonolysis products then flow directly into the atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) source of a mass spectrometer for analysis. Aldehyde products retaining the methyl ester group are indicative of the double bond positions in unsaturated FAME. For the first time, O 3 -MS is able to couple directly to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), making the double bond localization in lipid mixtures possible. The application of LC/O 3 -MS has been demonstrated for a fat sample from bovine adipose tissue. A total of 9 unsaturated FAME including 6 positional isomers were identified unambiguously, without comparison to standards. The in-line ozonolysis reaction apparatus is applicable to most mass spectrometers without instrumental modification; it is also directly compatible with various LC columns. The LC/O 3 -MS method described here is thus a practical, versatile and easy to use new approach to the direct determination of double bond positions in lipids, even in complex mixtures

Sudden motility reversal indicates sensing of magnetic field gradients in Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 strain.

Science.gov (United States)

González, Lina M; Ruder, Warren C; Mitchell, Aaron P; Messner, William C; LeDuc, Philip R

2015-06-01

Many motile unicellular organisms have evolved specialized behaviors for detecting and responding to environmental cues such as chemical gradients (chemotaxis) and oxygen gradients (aerotaxis). Magnetotaxis is found in magnetotactic bacteria and it is defined as the passive alignment of these cells to the geomagnetic field along with active swimming. Herein we show that Magnetospirillum magneticum (AMB-1) show a unique set of responses that indicates they sense and respond not only to the direction of magnetic fields by aligning and swimming, but also to changes in the magnetic field or magnetic field gradients. We present data showing that AMB-1 cells exhibit sudden motility reversals when we impose them to local magnetic field gradients. Our system employs permalloy (Ni(80)Fe(20)) islands to curve and diverge the magnetic field lines emanating from our custom-designed Helmholtz coils in the vicinity of the islands (creating a drop in the field across the islands). The three distinct movements we have observed as they approach the permalloy islands are: unidirectional, single reverse and double reverse. Our findings indicate that these reverse movements occur in response to magnetic field gradients. In addition, using a permanent magnet we found further evidence that supports this claim. Motile AMB-1 cells swim away from the north and south poles of a permanent magnet when the magnet is positioned less than ∼30 mm from the droplet of cells. All together, these results indicate previously unknown response capabilities arising from the magnetic sensing systems of AMB-1 cells. These responses could enable them to cope with magnetic disturbances that could in turn potentially inhibit their efficient search for nutrients.

Experimental Study of Instantaneous Evolution of A Scalar Gradient With Small-scale Anisotropic Injection In A 2d, Periodic Flow

Science.gov (United States)

Godard, G.; Paranthoen, P.; Gonzalez, M.

Anisotropic small-scale injection of a scalar (e.g. heat) in a turbulent medium can be performed by means of a small-diameter line source as already done in a turbulent plane jet and a turbulent boundary layer (Rosset et al., Phys. Fluids 13, 3729, 2001). In such conditions, however, experiment is revealed delicate especially, as regard to temperature gradient measurements in the near-field of the source. In the present study, we get rid of previous difficulties by setting up the heated line source in a simpler flow namely, a Bénard-von Kármán street. Under this situation, owing to a phase reference, the history of the instantaneous temperature gradient can be scrutinized from the vicinity of the source. Gradient statistics (second-order mo- ments, skewness, kurtosis ...) is derived which allows us to follow the evolution of anisotropy downstream of the line source. Alignment of temperature gradient with respect to strain principal axes is also analyzed. This experiment provides a precise knowledge of the way in which a scalar gradient evolves under the combined actions of strain, vorticity and molecular diffusion.

Noise propagation in iterative reconstruction algorithms with line searches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qi, Jinyi

2003-01-01

In this paper we analyze the propagation of noise in iterative image reconstruction algorithms. We derive theoretical expressions for the general form of preconditioned gradient algorithms with line searches. The results are applicable to a wide range of iterative reconstruction problems, such as emission tomography, transmission tomography, and image restoration. A unique contribution of this paper comparing to our previous work [1] is that the line search is explicitly modeled and we do not use the approximation that the gradient of the objective function is zero. As a result, the error in the estimate of noise at early iterations is significantly reduced

Optimal Positioning of the Nipple-Areola Complex in Men Using the Mohrenheim-Estimated-Tangential-Tracking-Line (METT-Line): An Intuitive Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Mett, Tobias R; Krezdorn, Nicco; Luketina, Rosalia; Boyce, Maria K; Henseler, Helga; Ipaktchi, Ramin; Vogt, Peter M

2017-12-01

without a statistically significant impact. The intuitive determination of the NACs is a challenge for the plastic surgeon. In this study, a statistically significant deviation was seen in almost all dimensions, although the clinical relevance cannot be conclusively assessed. We found a positional relationship of the NAC to the infraclavicular groove ("Mohrenheim pit") in the vertical and 4-4.5 cm above the submammary fold. The position of the NAC can be satisfactorily determined by a combination of plastic surgical intuition, patient wishes and practical metric methods using the Mohrenheim-Estimated-Tangential-Tracking-Line (METT-Line). This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Hepatic venous pressure gradients measured by duplex ultrasound

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tasu, J.-P.; Rocher, L.; Peletier, G.; Kuoch, V.; Kulh, E.; Miquel, A.; Buffet, C.; Biery, M.

2002-01-01

AIMS: The hepatic venous pressure gradient is a major prognostic factor in portal hypertension but its measurement is complex and requires invasive angiography. This study investigated the relationship between the hepatic venous pressure gradient and a number of Doppler measurements, including the arterial acceleration index. METHOD: We measured the hepatic venous pressure gradient in 50 fasting patients at hepatic venography. Immediately afterwards, a duplex sonographic examination of the liver was performed at which multiple measurements and indices of the venous and arterial hepatic vasculature were made. RESULTS: Hepatic arterial acceleration was correlated directly with the hepatic venous pressure gradient (r = 0.83, P -2 provided a positive predictive value of 95%, a sensitivity of 65% and a specificity of 95% for detecting patients with severe portal hypertension (hepatic venous pressure gradient > 12 mmHg). A correlation between the hepatic venous pressure gradient and the congestion index of the portal vein velocity (r = 0.45,P = 0.01) and portal vein velocity (r = 0.40,P = 0.044), was also noted. CONCLUSION: Measuring the hepatic arterial acceleration index may help in the non-invasive evaluation of portal hypertension. Tasu, J.-P. et al. (2002)

Pose control of the chain composed of magnetic particles using external uniform and gradient magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, J. F.; Shao, C. L.; Gu, B. Q.

2016-01-01

Magnetic particles (MPs) are known to respond to a magnetic field and can be moved by magnetic force, which make them good carriers in bioengineering and pharmaceutical engineering. In this paper, a pose control method for the straight chain composed of MPs is proposed, and the chain with one pose can be moved to another position with another pose using alternately employed uniform and gradient magnetic fields. Based on computer simulations, it is revealed that in the uniform magnetic field, the MPs form a straight chain with the same separation space along the field lines, and once the uniform magnetic field rotates, the chain also rotates with the field. In the gradient magnetic field, the MPs move toward the higher field so that the translation of the chain can be realized. The simulation results indicate that while the uniform magnetic field is rotating, there exists certain hysteresis between the chain and the field, and the chain is not straight anymore. So the uniform magnetic field should rest at the target angle for a period to make the chain fully relax to be straight. For nanoMP, its magnetic moment directly determines the gradient magnetic force which is much smaller than the dipole–dipole force among MPs. Therefore, the translation of the chain is much more time-consuming than rotation. To enlarge the translational velocity, it is suggested to increase the size of MPs or the magnetic field gradient

Diameter and axial position measurement of micrometric particles by in-line digital holography using wavelet transform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres, Y M; Amezquita, R; Monroy, F

2011-01-01

In this paper, the size and axial position of micrometric particles is obtained for an in-line Fraunhofer holography setup. The hologram reconstruction was realized using the wavelet transform. By digital image processing tools, the size distribution histogram for the particles in the sample was obtained. The contrast measurement in the amplitude reconstruction presents a peak when the axial coordinate and the register distance are equal. This fact lets the axial position in the sample be determined.

Two New PRP Conjugate Gradient Algorithms for Minimization Optimization Models.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gonglin Yuan

Full Text Available Two new PRP conjugate Algorithms are proposed in this paper based on two modified PRP conjugate gradient methods: the first algorithm is proposed for solving unconstrained optimization problems, and the second algorithm is proposed for solving nonlinear equations. The first method contains two aspects of information: function value and gradient value. The two methods both possess some good properties, as follows: 1 βk ≥ 0 2 the search direction has the trust region property without the use of any line search method 3 the search direction has sufficient descent property without the use of any line search method. Under some suitable conditions, we establish the global convergence of the two algorithms. We conduct numerical experiments to evaluate our algorithms. The numerical results indicate that the first algorithm is effective and competitive for solving unconstrained optimization problems and that the second algorithm is effective for solving large-scale nonlinear equations.

Mapping the Salinity Gradient in a Microfluidic Device with Schlieren Imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen-li Sun

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This work presents the use of the schlieren imaging to quantify the salinity gradients in a microfluidic device. By partially blocking the back focal plane of the objective lens, the schlieren microscope produces an image with patterns that correspond to spatial derivative of refractive index in the specimen. Since salinity variation leads to change in refractive index, the fluid mixing of an aqueous salt solution of a known concentration and water in a T-microchannel is used to establish the relation between salinity gradients and grayscale readouts. This relation is then employed to map the salinity gradients in the target microfluidic device from the grayscale readouts of the corresponding micro-schlieren image. For saline solution with salinity close to that of the seawater, the grayscale readouts vary linearly with the salinity gradient, and the regression line is independent of the flow condition and the salinity of the injected solution. It is shown that the schlieren technique is well suited to quantify the salinity gradients in microfluidic devices, for it provides a spatially resolved, non-invasive, full-field measurement.

Metallicity gradient of the thick disc progenitor at high redshift

Science.gov (United States)

Kawata, Daisuke; Allende Prieto, Carlos; Brook, Chris B.; Casagrande, Luca; Ciucă, Ioana; Gibson, Brad K.; Grand, Robert J. J.; Hayden, Michael R.; Hunt, Jason A. S.

2018-01-01

We have developed a novel Markov Chain Monte Carlo chemical 'painting' technique to explore possible radial and vertical metallicity gradients for the thick disc progenitor. In our analysis, we match an N-body simulation to the data from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment survey. We assume that the thick disc has a constant scaleheight and has completed its formation at an early epoch, after which time radial mixing of its stars has taken place. Under these assumptions, we find that the initial radial metallicity gradient of the thick disc progenitor should not be negative, but either flat or even positive, to explain the current negative vertical metallicity gradient of the thick disc. Our study suggests that the thick disc was built-up in an inside-out and upside-down fashion, and older, smaller and thicker populations are more metal poor. In this case, star-forming discs at different epochs of the thick disc formation are allowed to have different radial metallicity gradients, including a negative one, which helps to explain a variety of slopes observed in high-redshift disc galaxies. This scenario helps to explain the positive slope of the metallicity-rotation velocity relation observed for the Galactic thick disc. On the other hand, radial mixing flattens the slope of an existing gradient.

A feasible DY conjugate gradient method for linear equality constraints

Science.gov (United States)

LI, Can

2017-09-01

In this paper, we propose a feasible conjugate gradient method for solving linear equality constrained optimization problem. The method is an extension of the Dai-Yuan conjugate gradient method proposed by Dai and Yuan to linear equality constrained optimization problem. It can be applied to solve large linear equality constrained problem due to lower storage requirement. An attractive property of the method is that the generated direction is always feasible and descent direction. Under mild conditions, the global convergence of the proposed method with exact line search is established. Numerical experiments are also given which show the efficiency of the method.

The direct determination of double bond positions in lipid mixtures by liquid chromatography/in-line ozonolysis/mass spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Chenxing; Zhao, Yuan-Yuan [Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2P5 (Canada); Curtis, Jonathan M., E-mail: jcurtis1@ualberta.ca [Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2P5 (Canada)

2013-01-31

Highlights: ► An ozonolysis reactor was coupled in-line with mass spectrometry (O{sub 3}-MS). ► Double bond positions in FAME were determined unambiguously without standards. ► LC directly connected to O{sub 3}-MS allowed double bond localization in lipid mixtures. ► LC/O{sub 3}-MS applied to bovine fat demonstrated practical use in lipid analysis. -- Abstract: The direct determination of double bond positions in unsaturated lipids using in-line ozonolysis-mass spectrometry (O{sub 3}-MS) is described. In this experiment, ozone penetrates through the semi-permeable Teflon AF-2400 tubing containing a flow of a solution of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). Unsaturated FAME are thus oxidized by the ozone and cleaved at the double bond positions. The ozonolysis products then flow directly into the atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) source of a mass spectrometer for analysis. Aldehyde products retaining the methyl ester group are indicative of the double bond positions in unsaturated FAME. For the first time, O{sub 3}-MS is able to couple directly to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), making the double bond localization in lipid mixtures possible. The application of LC/O{sub 3}-MS has been demonstrated for a fat sample from bovine adipose tissue. A total of 9 unsaturated FAME including 6 positional isomers were identified unambiguously, without comparison to standards. The in-line ozonolysis reaction apparatus is applicable to most mass spectrometers without instrumental modification; it is also directly compatible with various LC columns. The LC/O{sub 3}-MS method described here is thus a practical, versatile and easy to use new approach to the direct determination of double bond positions in lipids, even in complex mixtures.

Subspace Barzilai-Borwein Gradient Method for Large-Scale Bound Constrained Optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao Yunhai; Hu Qingjie

2008-01-01

An active set subspace Barzilai-Borwein gradient algorithm for large-scale bound constrained optimization is proposed. The active sets are estimated by an identification technique. The search direction consists of two parts: some of the components are simply defined; the other components are determined by the Barzilai-Borwein gradient method. In this work, a nonmonotone line search strategy that guarantees global convergence is used. Preliminary numerical results show that the proposed method is promising, and competitive with the well-known method SPG on a subset of bound constrained problems from CUTEr collection

EVAPORATIVE DROPLETS IN ONE-COMPONENT FLUIDS DRIVEN BY THERMAL GRADIENTS ON SOLID SUBSTRATES

KAUST Repository

Xu, Xinpeng; Qian, Tiezheng

2013-01-01

A continuum hydrodynamic model is presented for one-component liquid-gas flows on nonisothermal solid substrates. Numerical simulations are carried out for evaporative droplets moving on substrates with thermal gradients. For droplets in one-component fluids on heated/cooled substrates, the free liquid-gas interfaces are nearly isothermal. Consequently, a thermal singularity occurs at the contact line while the Marangoni effect due to interfacial temperature variation is suppressed. Through evaporation/condensation near the contact line, the thermal singularity makes the contact angle increase with the increasing substrate temperature. Due to this effect, droplets will move toward the cold end on substrates with thermal gradients. The droplet migration velocity is found to be proportional to the change of substrate temperature across the droplet. It follows that for two droplets of different sizes on a substrate with temperature gradient, the larger droplet moves faster and will catch up with the smaller droplet ahead. As soon as they touch, they coalesce rapidly into an even larger droplet that will move even faster. © 2013 World Scientific Publishing Company.

EVAPORATIVE DROPLETS IN ONE-COMPONENT FLUIDS DRIVEN BY THERMAL GRADIENTS ON SOLID SUBSTRATES

KAUST Repository

Xu, Xinpeng

2013-03-20

A continuum hydrodynamic model is presented for one-component liquid-gas flows on nonisothermal solid substrates. Numerical simulations are carried out for evaporative droplets moving on substrates with thermal gradients. For droplets in one-component fluids on heated/cooled substrates, the free liquid-gas interfaces are nearly isothermal. Consequently, a thermal singularity occurs at the contact line while the Marangoni effect due to interfacial temperature variation is suppressed. Through evaporation/condensation near the contact line, the thermal singularity makes the contact angle increase with the increasing substrate temperature. Due to this effect, droplets will move toward the cold end on substrates with thermal gradients. The droplet migration velocity is found to be proportional to the change of substrate temperature across the droplet. It follows that for two droplets of different sizes on a substrate with temperature gradient, the larger droplet moves faster and will catch up with the smaller droplet ahead. As soon as they touch, they coalesce rapidly into an even larger droplet that will move even faster. © 2013 World Scientific Publishing Company.

High gradient lens for charged particle beam

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yu-Jiuan

2014-04-29

Methods and devices enable shaping of a charged particle beam. A dynamically adjustable electric lens includes a series of alternating a series of alternating layers of insulators and conductors with a hollow center. The series of alternating layers when stacked together form a high gradient insulator (HGI) tube to allow propagation of the charged particle beam through the hollow center of the HGI tube. A plurality of transmission lines are connected to a plurality of sections of the HGI tube, and one or more voltage sources are provided to supply an adjustable voltage value to each transmission line of the plurality of transmission lines. By changing the voltage values supplied to each section of the HGI tube, any desired electric field can be established across the HGI tube. This way various functionalities including focusing, defocusing, acceleration, deceleration, intensity modulation and others can be effectuated on a time varying basis.

Extremum seeking x-ray position feedback using power line harmonic leakage as the perturbation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Zohar

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Small x-ray beam sizes necessary for probing nanoscale phenomena require exquisite stability to prevent data corruption by noise. One source of instability at synchrotron radiation x-ray beamlines is the slow detuning of x-ray optics to marginal alignment where the onset of clipping increases the beam’s susceptibility to higher frequency position oscillations. In this article, we show that a 1  μm amplitude horizontal x-ray beam oscillation driven by power line harmonic leakage into the electron storage ring can be used as perturbation for horizontal position extremum seeking feedback. Feedback performance is characterized by convergence to 1.5% away from maximum intensity at optimal alignment.

Toward precise potential energy curves for diatomic molecules, derived from experimental line positions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helm, H.

1984-01-01

An inverted, first-order perturbation approach is used to derive potential energy curves for diatomic molecules from experimental line positions of molecular bands. The concept adopted here is based on the inverted perturbation analysis (IPA) proposed by Kozman and Hinze, but uses radial eigenfunctions of the trial potential energy curves as basis sets for the perturbation correction. Using molecular linepositions rather than molecular energy levels we circumvent the necessity of defining molecular constants for the molecule prior to the derivation of the potential energy curves. (Author)

Predicting for activity of second-line trastuzumab-based therapy in her2-positive advanced breast cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rottenfusser Andrea

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In Her2-positive advanced breast cancer, the upfront use of trastuzumab is well established. Upon progression on first-line therapy, patients may be switched to lapatinib. Others however remain candidates for continued antibody treatment (treatment beyond progression. Here, we aimed to identify factors predicting for activity of second-line trastuzumab-based therapy. Methods Ninety-seven patients treated with > 1 line of trastuzumab-containing therapy were available for this analysis. Her2-status was determined by immunohistochemistry and re-analyzed by FISH if a score of 2+ was gained. Time to progression (TTP on second-line therapy was defined as primary study endpoint. TTP and overall survival (OS were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier product limit method. Multivariate analyses (Cox proportional hazards model, multinomial logistic regression were applied in order to identify factors associated with TTP, response, OS, and incidence of brain metastases. p values Results Median TTP on second-line trastuzumab-based therapy was 7 months (95% CI 5.74-8.26, and 8 months (95% CI 6.25-9.74 on first-line, respectively (n.s.. In the multivariate models, none of the clinical or histopthological features could reliably predict for activity of second-line trastuzumab-based treatment. OS was 43 months suggesting improved survival in patients treated with trastuzumab in multiple-lines. A significant deterioration of cardiac function was observed in three patients; 40.2% developed brain metastases while on second-line trastuzumab or thereafter. Conclusion Trastuzumab beyond progression showed considerable activity. None of the variables investigated correlated with activity of second-line therapy. In order to predict for activity of second-line trastuzumab, it appears necessary to evaluate factors known to confer trastuzumab-resistance.

The influence of ALN-Al gradient material gradient index on ballistic performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Youcong; Liu Qiwen; Li Yao; Shen Qiang

2013-01-01

Ballistic performance of the gradient material is superior to laminated material, and gradient materials have different gradient types. Using ls-dyna to simulate the ballistic performance of ALN-AL gradient target plates which contain three gradient index (b = 1, b = 0.5, b = 2). Through Hopkinson bar numerical simulation to the target plate materials, we obtained the reflection stress wave and transmission stress wave state of gradient material to get the best gradient index. The internal stress state of gradient material is simulated by amplification processing of the target plate model. When the gradient index b is equal to 1, the gradient target plate is best of all.

Opacity of expanding media: The effect of spectral lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karp, A.H.; Lasher, G.; Chan, K.L.; Salpeter, E.E.

1977-01-01

Spectral lines are more effective in slowing the transport of radiation in expanding (or contracting) objects than in static ones. The velocity gradient associated with the expansion causes the frequency of the photons to be continuously redshifted relative to the rest frame of the gas through which they travel. Those photons which are redshifted to the frequency of a sufficiently strong line will be absorbed by the corresponding bound-bound transition, and the net effect will be to increase the effective opacity of the gas. In certain cases the effect can be taken into account by using an effective opacity, the expansion opacity, which is a function not only of the temperature and density but also of the velocity gradient.Practical formulae for computing the expansion opacity and its Rosseland mean in terms of sums over spectral lines are derived. It is shown that the cumulative effect of many weak lines can be important, implying that a large list of spectral lines is required to obtain results of even modest accuracy. Numerical computations using the 260,000-entry line list of Kurucz and Peytremann have been completed and some samples of the result are given. The general effect may be important in many astronomical objects, but only in some of these will be detailed approach of this paper be appropriate. In optically thick supernova shells, the effect is important both in maintaining the radiation in thermal equilibrium as it diffuses out of the shell and in increasing the value of the total opacity. The enhancement of the opacity ranges from less than 1% to more than an order of magnitude, depending on the temperature, density, and velocity gradient

Increased radiosensitivity of HPV-positive head and neck cancer cell lines due to cell cycle dysregulation and induction of apoptosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arenz, Andrea; Ziemann, Frank; Wittig, Andrea; Preising, Stefanie; Engenhart-Cabillic, Rita; Mayer, Christina; Wagner, Steffen; Klussmann, Jens-Peter; Wittekindt, Claus; Dreffke, Kirstin

2014-01-01

Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) respond favourably to radiotherapy as compared to HPV-unrelated HNSCC. We investigated DNA damage response in HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC cell lines aiming to identify mechanisms, which illustrate reasons for the increased sensitivity of HPV-positive cancers of the oropharynx. Radiation response including clonogenic survival, apoptosis, DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair, and cell cycle redistribution in four HPV-positive (UM-SCC-47, UM-SCC-104, 93-VU-147T, UPCI:SCC152) and four HPV-negative (UD-SCC-1, UM-SCC-6, UM-SCC-11b, UT-SCC-33) cell lines was evaluated. HPV-positive cells were more radiosensitive (mean SF2: 0.198 range: 0.22-0.18) than HPV-negative cells (mean SF2: 0.34, range: 0.45-0.27; p = 0.010). Irradiated HPV-positive cell lines progressed faster through S-phase showing a more distinct accumulation in G2/M. The abnormal cell cycle checkpoint activation was accompanied by a more pronounced increase of cell death after x-irradiation and a higher number of residual and unreleased DSBs. The enhanced responsiveness of HPV-related HNSCC to radiotherapy might be caused by a higher cellular radiosensitivity due to cell cycle dysregulation and impaired DNA DSB repair. (orig.) [de

Investigation of Ionospheric Spatial Gradients for Gagan Error Correction

Science.gov (United States)

Chandra, K. Ravi

In India, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has established with an objective to develop space technology and its application to various national tasks. The national tasks include, establishment of major space systems such as Indian National Satellites (INSAT) for communication, television broadcasting and meteorological services, Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS), etc. Apart from these, to cater to the needs of civil aviation applications, GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system is being jointly implemented along with Airports Authority of India (AAI) over the Indian region. The most predominant parameter affecting the navigation accuracy of GAGAN is ionospheric delay which is a function of total number of electrons present in one square meter cylindrical cross-sectional area in the line of site direction between the satellite and the user on the earth, i.e. Total Electron Content (TEC). In the equatorial and low latitude regions such as India, TEC is often quite high with large spatial gradients. Carrier phase data from the GAGAN network of Indian TEC Stations is used for estimating and identifying ionospheric spatial gradients inmultiple viewing directions. In this paper amongst the satellite signals arriving in multipledirections,Vertical ionospheric gradients (σVIG) are calculated, inturn spatial ionospheric gradients are identified. In addition, estimated temporal gradients, i.e. rate of TEC Index is also compared. These aspects which contribute to errors can be treated for improved GAGAN system performance.

Line radiative transfer and statistical equilibrium*

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamp Inga

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Atomic and molecular line emission from protoplanetary disks contains key information of their detailed physical and chemical structures. To unravel those structures, we need to understand line radiative transfer in dusty media and the statistical equilibrium, especially of molecules. I describe here the basic principles of statistical equilibrium and illustrate them through the two-level atom. In a second part, the fundamentals of line radiative transfer are introduced along with the various broadening mechanisms. I explain general solution methods with their drawbacks and also specific difficulties encountered in solving the line radiative transfer equation in disks (e.g. velocity gradients. I am closing with a few special cases of line emission from disks: Radiative pumping, masers and resonance scattering.

Gradient waveform synthesis for magnetic propulsion using MRI gradient coils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, B H; Lee, S Y; Park, S

2008-01-01

Navigating an untethered micro device in a living subject is of great interest for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Magnetic propulsion of an untethered device carrying a magnetic core in it is one of the promising methods to navigate the device. MRI gradients coils are thought to be suitable for navigating the device since they are capable of magnetic propulsion in any direction while providing magnetic resonance images. For precise navigation of the device, especially in the peripheral region of the gradient coils, the concomitant gradient fields, as well as the linear gradient fields in the main magnetic field direction, should be considered in driving the gradient coils. For simple gradient coil configurations, the Maxwell coil in the z-direction and the Golay coil in the x- and y-directions, we have calculated the magnetic force fields, which are not necessarily the same as the conventional linear gradient fields of MRI. Using the calculated magnetic force fields, we have synthesized gradient waveforms to navigate the device along a desired path

Precision bounds for gradient magnetometry with atomic ensembles

Science.gov (United States)

Apellaniz, Iagoba; Urizar-Lanz, Iñigo; Zimborás, Zoltán; Hyllus, Philipp; Tóth, Géza

2018-05-01

We study gradient magnetometry with an ensemble of atoms with arbitrary spin. We calculate precision bounds for estimating the gradient of the magnetic field based on the quantum Fisher information. For quantum states that are invariant under homogeneous magnetic fields, we need to measure a single observable to estimate the gradient. On the other hand, for states that are sensitive to homogeneous fields, a simultaneous measurement is needed, as the homogeneous field must also be estimated. We prove that for the cases studied in this paper, such a measurement is feasible. We present a method to calculate precision bounds for gradient estimation with a chain of atoms or with two spatially separated atomic ensembles. We also consider a single atomic ensemble with an arbitrary density profile, where the atoms cannot be addressed individually, and which is a very relevant case for experiments. Our model can take into account even correlations between particle positions. While in most of the discussion we consider an ensemble of localized particles that are classical with respect to their spatial degree of freedom, we also discuss the case of gradient metrology with a single Bose-Einstein condensate.

¹⁴N Quadrupole Resonance line broadening due to the earth magnetic field, occuring only in the case of an axially symmetric electric field gradient tensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Aissani, Sarra; Guendouz, Laouès; Marande, Pierre-Louis; Canet, Daniel

2015-01-01

As demonstrated before, the application of a weak static B0 magnetic field (less than 10 G) may produce definite effects on the ¹⁴N Quadrupole Resonance line when the electric field gradient tensor at the nitrogen nucleus level is of axial symmetry. Here, we address more precisely the problem of the relative orientation of the two magnetic fields (the static field and the radio-frequency field of the pure NQR experiment). For a field of 6G, the evolution of the signal intensity, as a function of this relative orientation, is in very good agreement with the theoretical predictions. There is in particular an intensity loss by a factor of three when going from the parallel configuration to the perpendicular configuration. By contrast, when dealing with a very weak magnetic field (as the earth field, around 0.5 G), this effect drops to ca. 1.5 in the case Hexamethylenetetramine (HMT).This is explained by the fact that the Zeeman shift (due to the very weak magnetic field) becomes comparable to the natural line-width. The latter can therefore be determined by accounting for this competition. Still in the case of HMT, the estimated natural line-width is half the observed line-width. The extra broadening is thus attributed to earth magnetic field. The latter constitutes therefore the main cause of the difference between the natural transverse relaxation time (T₂) and the transverse relaxation time derived from the observed line-width (T₂(⁎)). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Irradiance gradients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ward, G.J.; Heckbert, P.S.; Technische Hogeschool Delft

1992-04-01

A new method for improving the accuracy of a diffuse interreflection calculation is introduced in a ray tracing context. The information from a hemispherical sampling of the luminous environment is interpreted in a new way to predict the change in irradiance as a function of position and surface orientation. The additional computation involved is modest and the benefit is substantial. An improved interpolation of irradiance resulting from the gradient calculation produces smoother, more accurate renderings. This result is achieved through better utilization of ray samples rather than additional samples or alternate sampling strategies. Thus, the technique is applicable to a variety of global illumination algorithms that use hemicubes or Monte Carlo sampling techniques

The inhibition of PARP but not EGFR results in the radiosensitization of HPV/p16-positive HNSCC cell lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Güster, Julian David; Weissleder, Stephanie Valerie; Busch, Chia-Jung; Kriegs, Malte; Petersen, Cordula; Knecht, Rainald; Dikomey, Ekkehard; Rieckmann, Thorsten

2014-01-01

Background and purpose: HPV-negative and HPV-positive HNSCC comprise distinct tumor entities with different biological characteristics. Specific regimens for the comparably well curable HPV-positive entity that reduce side effects without compromising outcome have yet to be established. Therefore, we tested here whether the inhibition of EGFR or PARP may be used to specifically enhance the radiosensitivity of HPV-positive HNSCC cells. Materials and methods: Experiments were performed with five HPV/p16-positive HNSCC cell lines. Inhibitors used were cetuximab, olaparib and PF-00477736. The respective inhibition of EGFR, PARP and Chk1 was evaluated by Western blot, immunofluorescence analysis and assessment of cell cycle distribution. Cell survival was assessed by colony formation assay. Results: Inhibition of EGFR by cetuximab failed to radiosensitize any of the HPV-positive HNSCC cell lines tested. In contrast, PARP-inhibition resulted in a substantial radiosensitization of all strains, with the sensitization being further enhanced by the additional inhibition of Chk1. Conclusions: PARP-inhibition effectively radiosensitizes HPV-positive HNSCC cells and may therefore represent a viable alternative to chemotherapy possibly even allowing for a reduction in radiation dose. For the latter, PARP-inhibition may be combined with the inhibition of Chk1. In contrast, the inhibition of EGFR cannot be expected to radiosensitize HPV-positive HNSCC through the modulation of cellular radiosensitivity

A New Approach for Identifying Ionospheric Gradients in the Context of the Gagan System

Science.gov (United States)

Kudala, Ravi Chandra

The Indian Space Research Organization and the Airports Authority of India are jointly implementing the Global Positioning System (GPS) aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system in order to meet the following required navigation performance (RNP) parameters: integrity, continuity, accuracy, and availability (for aircraft operations). Such a system provides the user with orbit, clock, and ionospheric corrections in addition to ranging signals via the geostationary earth orbit satellite (GEOSAT). The equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA), due to rapid non-uniform electron-ion recombination that persists on the Indian subcontinent, causes ionospheric gradients. Ionospheric gradients represent the most severe threat to high-integrity differential GNSS systems such as GAGAN. In order to ensure integrity under conditions of an ionospheric storm, the following three objectives must be met: careful monitoring, error bounding, and sophisticated storm-front modeling. The first objective is met by continuously tracking data due to storms, and, on quiet days, determining precise estimates of the threat parameters from reference monitoring stations. The second objective is met by quantifying the above estimates of threat parameters due to storms through maximum and minimum typical thresholds. In the context GAGAN, this work proposes a new method for identifying ionospheric gradients, in addition to determining an appropriate upper bound, in order to sufficiently understand error during storm days. Initially, carrier phase data of the GAGAN network from Indian TEC stations for both storm and quiet days was used for estimating ionospheric spatial and temporal gradients (the vertical ionospheric gradient (σVIG) and the rate of the TEC index (ROTI), respectively) in multiple viewing directions. Along similar lines, using the carrier to noise ratio (C/N0) for the same data, the carrier to noise ratio index (σCNRI) was derived. Subsequently, the one-toone relationship between �

Spectral radiance of strong lines in positive column mercury discharges with argon carrier gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sansonetti, Craig J; Reader, Joseph

2006-01-01

The spectral radiance of the 185 and 254 nm lines in two positive column mercury discharge lamps was measured over a wide range of operating conditions. The lamps had internal diameters of 5 and 23 mm. Argon was used as a carrier gas. The lamps were operated with cold spot temperatures of 20, 40 and 60 0 C. At each of these temperatures, results were obtained for five currents ranging from 20 to 100 mA for the 5 mm lamp and from 200 to 1000 mA for the 23 mm lamp. For each current studied, results were determined for argon pressures ranging from 66.6 to 666 Pa (0.5 to 5.0 Torr) in the 5 mm lamp and 26.6 to 666 Pa (0.2 to 5.0 Torr) in the 23 mm lamp. An argon miniarc was used as the radiometric standard. By calibrating the spectral response of the optical system with a well-characterized mercury pencil lamp, results were obtained for 12 additional Hg lines from 289 to 579 nm. For the 23 mm lamp the electric field in the positive column was measured. For this lamp the radiated power as a percentage of input power was also determined. The results provide an experimental basis for validating computer models of Hg fluorescent lamp discharges

Hydrogen line formation in the quescent prominences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsovookhuu, Ch.

1980-01-01

Equations of transfer and statistical equilibrium for hydronen atom with eight bound levels and continuum are solved simultaneously. A plane-parallel layer located perpendicular to the Sun surface is taken as a geometrical model. Input parameters of the physical model are optical thickness in the center of Hsub(α) line, electron temperature and concentration in the layer center are well as temperature and density gradients. Functions of sources, line profiles, total energies and the Balmer decrements, which are compared with observations and theoretical calculations made by other authors, have been calculated. The comparison shows that the results are quite acceptable and can be used when analyzing the spectrum and determining physical parameters of solar prominences. Dependence of different performances of the line (equivalent width, central intensity, halfwidth, depth of central depression etc.) on values of initial model parameters is investigated. Line halfwidth is more sensitive to the temperatuu value in the layer center, while central intensity - to the value of temperature gradient and a depth of central depression - to electron concentration. Calculated were shares of primary sources responsible for different excitation mechanism depending on total optical thickness as well as mean probabilities of quantum yield out of a medium which can be used during parametric accountancy of radiation diffusion in solar prominences [ru

Hepatic venous pressure gradients measured by duplex ultrasound

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tasu, J.-P.; Rocher, L.; Peletier, G.; Kuoch, V.; Kulh, E.; Miquel, A.; Buffet, C.; Biery, M

2002-08-01

AIMS: The hepatic venous pressure gradient is a major prognostic factor in portal hypertension but its measurement is complex and requires invasive angiography. This study investigated the relationship between the hepatic venous pressure gradient and a number of Doppler measurements, including the arterial acceleration index. METHOD: We measured the hepatic venous pressure gradient in 50 fasting patients at hepatic venography. Immediately afterwards, a duplex sonographic examination of the liver was performed at which multiple measurements and indices of the venous and arterial hepatic vasculature were made. RESULTS: Hepatic arterial acceleration was correlated directly with the hepatic venous pressure gradient (r = 0.83, P < 0.0001) and with the Child-Pugh score (r = 0.63, P < 0.0001). An acceleration index cut-off value of 1 m.s{sup -2} provided a positive predictive value of 95%, a sensitivity of 65% and a specificity of 95% for detecting patients with severe portal hypertension (hepatic venous pressure gradient > 12 mmHg). A correlation between the hepatic venous pressure gradient and the congestion index of the portal vein velocity (r = 0.45,P = 0.01) and portal vein velocity (r = 0.40,P = 0.044), was also noted. CONCLUSION: Measuring the hepatic arterial acceleration index may help in the non-invasive evaluation of portal hypertension. Tasu, J.-P. et al. (2002)

Diffusiophoresis in one-dimensional solute gradients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ault, Jesse T.; Warren, Patrick B.; Shin, Sangwoo; Stone, Howard A.

2017-01-01

Here, the diffusiophoretic motion of suspended colloidal particles under one-dimensional solute gradients is solved using numerical and analytical techniques. Similarity solutions are developed for the injection and withdrawal dynamics of particles into semi-infinite pores. Furthermore, a method of characteristics formulation of the diffusion-free particle transport model is presented and integrated to realize particle trajectories. Analytical solutions are presented for the limit of small particle diffusiophoretic mobility Γ p relative to the solute diffusivity D s for particle motions in both semi-infinite and finite domains. Results confirm the build up of local maxima and minima in the propagating particle front dynamics. The method of characteristics is shown to successfully predict particle motions and the position of the particle front, although it fails to accurately predict suspended particle concentrations in the vicinity of sharp gradients, such as at the particle front peak seen in some injection cases, where particle diffusion inevitably plays an important role. Results inform the design of applications in which the use of applied solute gradients can greatly enhance particle injection into and withdrawal from pores.

Near-surface temperature gradient in a coastal upwelling regime

Science.gov (United States)

Maske, H.; Ochoa, J.; Almeda-Jauregui, C. O.; Ruiz-de la Torre, M. C.; Cruz-López, R.; Villegas-Mendoza, J. R.

2014-08-01

In oceanography, a near homogeneous mixed layer extending from the surface to a seasonal thermocline is a common conceptual basis in physics, chemistry, and biology. In a coastal upwelling region 3 km off the coast in the Mexican Pacific, we measured vertical density gradients with a free-rising CTD and temperature gradients with thermographs at 1, 3, and 5 m depths logging every 5 min during more than a year. No significant salinity gradient was observed down to 10 m depth, and the CTD temperature and density gradients showed no pronounced discontinuity that would suggest a near-surface mixed layer. Thermographs generally logged decreasing temperature with depth with gradients higher than 0.2 K m-1 more than half of the time in the summer between 1 and 3 m, 3 and 5 m and in the winter between 1 and 3 m. Some negative temperature gradients were present and gradients were generally highly variable in time with high peaks lasting fractions of hours to hours. These temporal changes were too rapid to be explained by local heating or cooling. The pattern of positive and negative peaks might be explained by vertical stacks of water layers of different temperatures and different horizontal drift vectors. The observed near-surface gradient has implications for turbulent wind energy transfer, vertical exchange of dissolved and particulate water constituents, the interpretation of remotely sensed SST, and horizontal wind-induced transport.

Regulative feedback in pattern formation: towards a general relativistic theory of positional information.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaeger, Johannes; Irons, David; Monk, Nick

2008-10-01

Positional specification by morphogen gradients is traditionally viewed as a two-step process. A gradient is formed and then interpreted, providing a spatial metric independent of the target tissue, similar to the concept of space in classical mechanics. However, the formation and interpretation of gradients are coupled, dynamic processes. We introduce a conceptual framework for positional specification in which cellular activity feeds back on positional information encoded by gradients, analogous to the feedback between mass-energy distribution and the geometry of space-time in Einstein's general theory of relativity. We discuss how such general relativistic positional information (GRPI) can guide systems-level approaches to pattern formation.

Momentum-weighted conjugate gradient descent algorithm for gradient coil optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Hanbing; Jesmanowicz, Andrzej; Li, Shi-Jiang; Hyde, James S

2004-01-01

MRI gradient coil design is a type of nonlinear constrained optimization. A practical problem in transverse gradient coil design using the conjugate gradient descent (CGD) method is that wire elements move at different rates along orthogonal directions (r, phi, z), and tend to cross, breaking the constraints. A momentum-weighted conjugate gradient descent (MW-CGD) method is presented to overcome this problem. This method takes advantage of the efficiency of the CGD method combined with momentum weighting, which is also an intrinsic property of the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, to adjust step sizes along the three orthogonal directions. A water-cooled, 12.8 cm inner diameter, three axis torque-balanced gradient coil for rat imaging was developed based on this method, with an efficiency of 2.13, 2.08, and 4.12 mT.m(-1).A(-1) along X, Y, and Z, respectively. Experimental data demonstrate that this method can improve efficiency by 40% and field uniformity by 27%. This method has also been applied to the design of a gradient coil for the human brain, employing remote current return paths. The benefits of this design include improved gradient field uniformity and efficiency, with a shorter length than gradient coil designs using coaxial return paths. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A measurement of the local ion temperature gradient in the PLT tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lovberg, J.A.; Strachan, J.D.; Princeton Univ., NJ

1989-12-01

Local ion temperature gradients were measured at two radial positions in the PLT tokamak by counting escaping d(d,p)t protons on orbits at closely spaced intervals. A single surface barrier detector was used to make each gradient measurement, eliminating relative calibration uncertainties. The ion thermal diffusivities inferred through ion energy balance with the measured temperature gradients are within a factor of two of Chang-Hinton neoclassical values for the 3 He-minority ICRH plasmas. 12 refs., 8 figs

Characterization of Line Nanopatterns on Positive Photoresist Produced by Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscope

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Sadegh Mehdi Aghaei

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Line nanopatterns are produced on the positive photoresist by scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM. A laser diode with a wavelength of 450 nm and a power of 250 mW as the light source and an aluminum coated nanoprobe with a 70 nm aperture at the tip apex have been employed. A neutral density filter has been used to control the exposure power of the photoresist. It is found that the changes induced by light in the photoresist can be detected by in situ shear force microscopy (ShFM, before the development of the photoresist. Scanning electron microscope (SEM images of the developed photoresist have been used to optimize the scanning speed and the power required for exposure, in order to minimize the final line width. It is shown that nanometric lines with a minimum width of 33 nm can be achieved with a scanning speed of 75 µm/s and a laser power of 113 mW. It is also revealed that the overexposure of the photoresist by continuous wave laser generated heat can be prevented by means of proper photoresist selection. In addition, the effects of multiple exposures of nanopatterns on their width and depth are investigated.

THE ORIGIN OF COLOR GRADIENTS IN EARLY-TYPE SYSTEMS AND THEIR COMPACTNESS AT HIGH-z

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

La Barbera, F.; De Carvalho, R. R.

2009-01-01

In this Letter, we present mean optical+NIR color gradient estimates for 5080 early-type galaxies (ETGs) in the grizY JHK wavebands of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey plus the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey. The color gradient is estimated as the logarithmic slope of the radial color profile in ETGs. With such a large sample size, we study the variation of the mean color gradient as a function of waveband with unprecedented accuracy. We find that (1) color gradients are mainly due, on average, to a metallicity variation of about -0.4 dex per decade in galaxy radius; and (2) a small, but significant, positive age gradient is present, on average, in ETGs, with the inner stellar population being slightly younger, by ∼0.1 dex per radial decade, than the outer one. Also, we show that the presence of a positive mean age gradient in ETGs, as found in the present study, implies their effective radius to be smaller at high-z, consistent with observations.

The Metallicity Gradient of the Old Galactic Bulge Population

Science.gov (United States)

Sans Fuentes, Sara Alejandra; De Ridder, Joris

Understanding the structure, formation and evolution of the Galactic Bulge requires the proper determination of spatial metallicity gradients in both the radial and vertical directions. RR Lyrae pulsators, known to be excellent distance indicators, may hold the key to determining these gradients. Jurcsik and Kovacs (A&A 312:111, 1996) has shown that RR Lyrae light curves and the phase difference of their Fourier decomposition, ϕ 31, can be used to estimate photometric metallicities. The existence of galactic bulge metallicity gradients is a currently debated topic that would help pinpoint the Galaxy's formation and evolution. A recent study of the OGLE-III Galactic Bulge RR Lyrae Population by Pietrukowicz et al. (ApJ 750:169, 2012) suggests that the spatial distribution is uniform. We investigate how small a gradient would be detectable within the current S/N levels of the present data set, given the random and systematic errors associated with the derivation of a photometric metallicity versus spatial position relationship.

The stellar metallicity gradients in galaxy discs in a cosmological scenario

Science.gov (United States)

Tissera, Patricia B.; Machado, Rubens E. G.; Sanchez-Blazquez, Patricia; Pedrosa, Susana E.; Sánchez, Sebastián F.; Snaith, Owain; Vilchez, Jose

2016-08-01

Context. The stellar metallicity gradients of disc galaxies provide information on disc assembly, star formation processes, and chemical evolution. They also might store information on dynamical processes that could affect the distribution of chemical elements in the gas phase and the stellar components. Understanding their joint effects within a hierarchical clustering scenario is of paramount importance. Aims: We studied the stellar metallicity gradients of simulated discs in a cosmological simulation. We explored the dependence of the stellar metallicity gradients on stellar age and on the size and mass of the stellar discs. Methods: We used a catalogue of galaxies with disc components selected from a cosmological hydrodynamical simulation performed including a physically motivated supernova feedback and chemical evolution. Disc components were defined based on angular momentum and binding energy criteria. The metallicity profiles were estimated for stars with different ages. We confront our numerical findings with results from the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area (CALIFA) Survey. Results: The simulated stellar discs are found to have metallicity profiles with slopes in global agreement with observations. Low stellar mass galaxies tend to have a larger variety of metallicity slopes. When normalized by the half-mass radius, the stellar metallicity gradients do not show any dependence and the dispersion increases significantly, regardless of the galaxy mass. Galaxies with stellar masses o f around 1010M⊙ show steeper negative metallicity gradients. The stellar metallicity gradients correlate with the half-mass radius. However, the correlation signal is not present when they are normalized by the half-mass radius. Stellar discs with positive age gradients are detected to have negative and positive metallicity gradients, depending on the relative importance of recent star formation activity in the central regions. Conclusions: Our results suggest that inside

A beam position monitor for the diagnostic line in MEBT2 of J-PARC linac

Science.gov (United States)

Miura, A.; Tamura, J.; Kawane, Y.

2017-07-01

In the linac of the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC), the neutral hydrogen (H0) beam from the negative hydrogen ion (H-) beam is one of key issues in mitigating beam losses. To diagnose H0 particles, we installed a set of beam-bump magnets to generate a chicane orbit of the H- beam. The beam position monitors (BPMs) in the beam line are used for orbit correction to maintain the beam displacement within 2.0 mm from the duct center. To measure the beam displacement under different drive currents of the beam-bump magnets, a new wide-range BPM was designed and manufactured to evaluate the horizontal beam position by using a correction function to compensate for non-linearity. We also employed the beam profile monitor (WSM: wire scanner monitor) to measure the H- beam profile, which helped us to compare the beam position measurements. In this paper, the design and the performance of the wide-range BPM are described. In addition, we present a comparison of the beam position measured by the BPM and the WSM.

Specialization processes in on-line unsupervised learning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Biehl, M.; Freking, A.; Reents, G.; Schlösser, E.

1998-01-01

From the recent analysis of supervised learning by on-line gradient descent in multilayered neural networks it is known that the necessary process of student specialization can be delayed significantly. We demonstrate that this phenomenon also occurs in various models of unsupervised learning. A

Social gradients in child and adolescent antisocial behavior: a systematic review protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piotrowska Patrycja J

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The relationship between social position and physical health is well-established across a range of studies. The evidence base regarding social position and mental health is less well developed, particularly regarding the development of antisocial behavior. Some evidence demonstrates a social gradient in behavioral problems, with children from low-socioeconomic backgrounds experiencing more behavioral difficulties than children from high-socioeconomic families. Antisocial behavior is a heterogeneous concept that encompasses behaviors as diverse as physical fighting, vandalism, stealing, status violation and disobedience to adults. Whether all forms of antisocial behavior show identical social gradients is unclear from previous published research. The mechanisms underlying social gradients in antisocial behavior, such as neighborhood characteristics and family processes, have not been fully elucidated. This review will synthesize findings on the social gradient in antisocial behavior, considering variation across the range of antisocial behaviors and evidence regarding the mechanisms that might underlie the identified gradients. Methods In this review, an extensive manual and electronic literature search will be conducted for papers published from 1960 to 2011. The review will include empirical and quantitative studies of children and adolescents ( Discussion This systematic review has been proposed in order to synthesize cross-disciplinary evidence of the social gradient in antisocial behavior and mechanisms underlying this effect. The results of the review will inform social policies aiming to reduce social inequalities and levels of antisocial behavior, and identify gaps in the present literature to guide further research.

The helium line formation in late-type stars: Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batalha, C.C.; De La Reza, R.

1989-01-01

The formation of helium lines and continua in an atmospheric model representing the medium quiet sun has been investigated considering principally the influence of: (i) changes in the temperature gradient at Transition Region (TR); (ii) the coronal radiation and (iii) the overlapping of He II Lyα at 304 A and the continuum radiation of He I at λ≤504 A. By diminishing the thermal gradient in the Transition Region a large part of the helium observations are reproduced. This is the case for the He II resonance λ304 line which is collisionally controlled and is formed at 1.0 x 10 5 K, and the He I resonance line at 584 A which is also collisionally controlled but is formed at deeper layers with a mean temperature of 2.5 x 10 4 K. The He II continuum at 228 A as well as the Lβ line at 256 A can be adjusted to observations if a characteristic solar coronal flux is incident on the optimized Transition Region. (author)

A new smoothing modified three-term conjugate gradient method for [Formula: see text]-norm minimization problem.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Shouqiang; Chen, Miao

2018-01-01

We consider a kind of nonsmooth optimization problems with [Formula: see text]-norm minimization, which has many applications in compressed sensing, signal reconstruction, and the related engineering problems. Using smoothing approximate techniques, this kind of nonsmooth optimization problem can be transformed into a general unconstrained optimization problem, which can be solved by the proposed smoothing modified three-term conjugate gradient method. The smoothing modified three-term conjugate gradient method is based on Polak-Ribière-Polyak conjugate gradient method. For the Polak-Ribière-Polyak conjugate gradient method has good numerical properties, the proposed method possesses the sufficient descent property without any line searches, and it is also proved to be globally convergent. Finally, the numerical experiments show the efficiency of the proposed method.

Modification of First-line Antiretroviral Therapy in Treatment-naive, HIV Positive Patients

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Smita Shenoy

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Modification of initial Antiretroviral Therapy (ART program is an important issue in HIV infected patients as the number of ART regimens available is limited. Hence, there is a need to understand the factors that affect modification and therefore, the durability of the initial antiretroviral regimen. Aim: To study the type of modification of first line ART in treatment-naive HIV positive patients and factors influencing it. Materials and Methods: A retrospective observational study was carried out in the HIV clinic of a tertiary care hospital, using data obtained from the case records of the subjects who were initiated on ART between January 2012 to December 2014. Data on patient baseline characteristics, proportion of patients who required modification, type and time of modification was collected. The determinants of time to modification were analysed using Chi-square test. Binomial logistic regression was utilized to assess independent risk factors for change in regimen. Results: Out of 200 case records analysed, 54 patients had to undergo a modification in their initial regimen. The mean age of patients was 44.68 ± 11.31 years. Majority of the patients were males. The most common reason for modification was Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs (79.63% followed by treatment failure (9.25%. In 85.18% cases, modification involved substitution. Occurrence of ADRs and non-tenofovir based first-line regimens were associated with higher likelihood of substitution in regimen (p<0.05. The median time (IQR to modification was 173 (152.25, 293.50 days. Conclusion: ADRs and the use of non-tenofovir based regimens resulted in significantly higher rates of modification of antiretroviral therapy. There should be monitoring of patients on ART to detect ADRs at the earliest and to obtain increased use of single tablet containing tenofovir based regimen to improve durability of first line regimens.

Separation of five compounds from leaves of Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees by off-line two-dimensional high-speed counter-current chromatography combined with gradient and recycling elution.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Li; Liu, Qi; Yu, Jingang; Zeng, Hualiang; Jiang, Shujing; Chen, Xiaoqing

2015-05-01

An off-line two-dimensional high-speed counter-current chromatography method combined with gradient and recycling elution mode was established to isolate terpenoids and flavones from the leaves of Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees. By using the solvent systems composed of n-hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water with different volume ratios, five compounds including roseooside, 5,4'-dihydroxyflavonoid-7-O-β-d-pyranglucuronatebutylester, 7,8-dimethoxy-2'-hydroxy-5-O-β-d-glucopyranosyloxyflavon, 14-deoxyandrographiside, and andrographolide were successfully isolated. Purities of these isolated compounds were all over 95% as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Their structures were identified by UV, mass spectrometry, and (1) H NMR spectroscopy. It has been demonstrated that the combination of off-line two-dimensional high-speed counter-current chromatography with different elution modes is an efficient technique to isolate compounds from complex natural product extracts. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A NON-ISOTHERMAL THEORY FOR INTERPRETING SODIUM LINES IN TRANSMISSION SPECTRA OF EXOPLANETS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heng, Kevin; Lavie, Baptiste [University of Bern, Physics Institute, Center for Space and Habitability, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern (Switzerland); Wyttenbach, Aurélien; Ehrenreich, David; Lovis, Christophe [Observatoire de l’Université de Genève, 51 chemin des Maillettes, CH-1290 Sauverny (Switzerland); Sing, David K., E-mail: kevin.heng@csh.unibe.ch [Astrophysics Group, School of Physics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL (United Kingdom)

2015-04-10

We present a theory for interpreting the sodium lines detected in transmission spectra of exoplanetary atmospheres. Previous analyses employed the isothermal approximation and dealt only with the transit radius. By recognizing the absorption depth and the transit radius as being independent observables, we develop a theory for jointly interpreting both quantities, which allows us to infer the temperatures and number densities associated with the sodium lines. We are able to treat a non-isothermal situation with a constant temperature gradient. Our novel diagnostics take the form of simple-to-use algebraic formulae and require measurements of the transit radii (and their corresponding absorption depths) at line center and in the line wing for both sodium lines. We apply our diagnostics to the HARPS data of HD 189733b, confirm the upper atmospheric heating reported by Huitson et al., derive a temperature gradient of 0.4376 ± 0.0154 K km{sup −1}, and find densities ∼1–10{sup 4} cm{sup −3}.

Full magnetic gradient tensor from triaxial aeromagnetic gradient measurements: Calculation and application

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Yao; Wu, Mei-Ping; Wang, Ping; Duan, Shu-Ling; Liu, Hao-Jun; Wang, Jin-Long; An, Zhan-Feng

2015-09-01

The full magnetic gradient tensor (MGT) refers to the spatial change rate of the three field components of the geomagnetic field vector along three mutually orthogonal axes. The tensor is of use to geological mapping, resources exploration, magnetic navigation, and others. However, it is very difficult to measure the full magnetic tensor gradient using existing engineering technology. We present a method to use triaxial aeromagnetic gradient measurements for deriving the full MGT. The method uses the triaxial gradient data and makes full use of the variation of the magnetic anomaly modulus in three dimensions to obtain a self-consistent magnetic tensor gradient. Numerical simulations show that the full MGT data obtained with the proposed method are of high precision and satisfy the requirements of data processing. We selected triaxial aeromagnetic gradient data from the Hebei Province for calculating the full MGT. Data processing shows that using triaxial tensor gradient data allows to take advantage of the spatial rate of change of the total field in three dimensions and suppresses part of the independent noise in the aeromagnetic gradient. The calculated tensor components have improved resolution, and the transformed full tensor gradient satisfies the requirement of geological mapping and interpretation.

M-step preconditioned conjugate gradient methods

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, L.

1983-01-01

Preconditioned conjugate gradient methods for solving sparse symmetric and positive finite systems of linear equations are described. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for when these preconditioners can be used and an analysis of their effectiveness is given. Efficient computer implementations of these methods are discussed and results on the CYBER 203 and the Finite Element Machine under construction at NASA Langley Research Center are included.

Phytoplankton Diversity Effects on Community Biomass and Stability along Nutrient Gradients in a Eutrophic Lake

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Tian

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is a central issue in ecology, but how this relationship is affected by nutrient stress is still unknown. In this study, we analyzed the phytoplankton diversity effects on community biomass and stability along nutrient gradients in an artificial eutrophic lake. Four nutrient gradients, varying from slightly eutrophic to highly eutrophic states, were designed by adjusting the amount of polluted water that flowed into the lake. Mean phytoplankton biomass, species richness, and Shannon diversity index all showed significant differences among the four nutrient gradients. Phytoplankton community biomass was correlated with diversity (both species richness and Shannon diversity index, varying from positive to negative along the nutrient gradients. The influence of phytoplankton species richness on resource use efficiency (RUE also changed from positive to negative along the nutrient gradients. However, the influence of phytoplankton Shannon diversity on RUE was not significant. Both phytoplankton species richness and Shannon diversity had a negative influence on community turnover (measured as community dissimilarity, i.e., a positive diversity–stability relationship. Furthermore, phytoplankton spatial stability decreased along the nutrient gradients in the lake. With increasing nutrient concentrations, the variability (standard deviation of phytoplankton community biomass increased more rapidly than the average total biomass. Results in this study will be helpful in understanding the phytoplankton diversity effects on ecosystem functioning and how these effects are influenced by nutrient conditions in aquatic ecosystems.

Interpretation of the FGF8 morphogen gradient is regulated by endocytic trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Nowak, Matthias; Machate, Anja; Yu, Shuizi Rachel; Gupta, Mansi; Brand, Michael

2011-02-01

Forty years ago, it was proposed that during embryonic development and organogenesis, morphogen gradients provide positional information to the individual cells within a tissue leading to specific fate decisions. Recently, much insight has been gained into how such morphogen gradients are formed and maintained; however, which cellular mechanisms govern their interpretation within target tissues remains debated. Here we used in vivo fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and automated image analysis to assess the role of endocytic sorting dynamics on fibroblast growth factor 8 (Fgf8) morphogen gradient interpretation. By interfering with the function of the ubiquitin ligase Cbl, we found an expanded range of Fgf target gene expression and a delay of Fgf8 lysosomal transport. However, the extracellular Fgf8 morphogen gradient remained unchanged, indicating that the observed signalling changes are due to altered gradient interpretation. We propose that regulation of morphogen signalling activity through endocytic sorting allows fast feedback-induced changes in gradient interpretation during the establishment of complex patterns.

Computational modeling applied to stress gradient analysis for metallic alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iglesias, Susana M.; Assis, Joaquim T. de; Monine, Vladimir I.

2009-01-01

Nowadays composite materials including materials reinforced by particles are the center of the researcher's attention. There are problems with the stress measurements in these materials, connected with the superficial stress gradient caused by the difference of the stress state of particles on the surface and in the matrix of the composite material. Computer simulation of diffraction profile formed by superficial layers of material allows simulate the diffraction experiment and gives the possibility to resolve the problem of stress measurements when the stress state is characterized by strong gradient. The aim of this paper is the application of computer simulation technique, initially developed for homogeneous materials, for diffraction line simulation of composite materials and alloys. Specifically we applied this technique for siluminum fabricated by powder metallurgy. (author)

Diffusiophoresis in one-dimensional solute gradients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ault, Jesse T. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Warren, Patrick B. [Unilever R& D Port Sunlight, Bebington (United Kingdom); Shin, Sangwoo [Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI (United States); Stone, Howard A. [Princeton Univ., Princeton, NJ (United States)

2017-11-06

Here, the diffusiophoretic motion of suspended colloidal particles under one-dimensional solute gradients is solved using numerical and analytical techniques. Similarity solutions are developed for the injection and withdrawal dynamics of particles into semi-infinite pores. Furthermore, a method of characteristics formulation of the diffusion-free particle transport model is presented and integrated to realize particle trajectories. Analytical solutions are presented for the limit of small particle diffusiophoretic mobility Γ_p relative to the solute diffusivity D_s for particle motions in both semi-infinite and finite domains. Results confirm the build up of local maxima and minima in the propagating particle front dynamics. The method of characteristics is shown to successfully predict particle motions and the position of the particle front, although it fails to accurately predict suspended particle concentrations in the vicinity of sharp gradients, such as at the particle front peak seen in some injection cases, where particle diffusion inevitably plays an important role. Results inform the design of applications in which the use of applied solute gradients can greatly enhance particle injection into and withdrawal from pores.

A Conjugate Gradient Algorithm with Function Value Information and N-Step Quadratic Convergence for Unconstrained Optimization.

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Xiangrong Li

Full Text Available It is generally acknowledged that the conjugate gradient (CG method achieves global convergence--with at most a linear convergence rate--because CG formulas are generated by linear approximations of the objective functions. The quadratically convergent results are very limited. We introduce a new PRP method in which the restart strategy is also used. Moreover, the method we developed includes not only n-step quadratic convergence but also both the function value information and gradient value information. In this paper, we will show that the new PRP method (with either the Armijo line search or the Wolfe line search is both linearly and quadratically convergent. The numerical experiments demonstrate that the new PRP algorithm is competitive with the normal CG method.

A Conjugate Gradient Algorithm with Function Value Information and N-Step Quadratic Convergence for Unconstrained Optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiangrong; Zhao, Xupei; Duan, Xiabin; Wang, Xiaoliang

2015-01-01

It is generally acknowledged that the conjugate gradient (CG) method achieves global convergence--with at most a linear convergence rate--because CG formulas are generated by linear approximations of the objective functions. The quadratically convergent results are very limited. We introduce a new PRP method in which the restart strategy is also used. Moreover, the method we developed includes not only n-step quadratic convergence but also both the function value information and gradient value information. In this paper, we will show that the new PRP method (with either the Armijo line search or the Wolfe line search) is both linearly and quadratically convergent. The numerical experiments demonstrate that the new PRP algorithm is competitive with the normal CG method.

The Pulse Line Ion Accelerator Concept

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Briggs, Richard J.

2006-02-15

The Pulse Line Ion Accelerator concept was motivated by the desire for an inexpensive way to accelerate intense short pulse heavy ion beams to regimes of interest for studies of High Energy Density Physics and Warm Dense Matter. A pulse power driver applied at one end of a helical pulse line creates a traveling wave pulse that accelerates and axially confines the heavy ion beam pulse. Acceleration scenarios with constant parameter helical lines are described which result in output energies of a single stage much larger than the several hundred kilovolt peak voltages on the line, with a goal of 3-5 MeV/meter acceleration gradients. The concept might be described crudely as an ''air core'' induction linac where the PFN is integrated into the beam line so the accelerating voltage pulse can move along with the ions to get voltage multiplication.

Spectrophotometry of four H II regions in the Perseus arm and a reassessment of galactic abundance gradients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Talent, D.L.; Dufour, R.J.

1979-01-01

The results from deep spectrophotometry of four Perseus arm H II regions (NGC 1624, NGC 2359, NGC 7538, and NGC 7635) obtained with the KPNO IIDS are presented. The observed line strengths are used to derive electron temperatures, densities, and the relative concentrations of H, He, N, O, S, Cl, and Ar in the nebulae. These abundances are combined with similarly derived abundances for seven other well-observed galactic H II regions, and are used to estimate the magnitude of galactic abundance gradients over the 8--14 kpc region of the solar neighborhood.Significant radial gradients for oxygen and nitrogen are found: d log (O/H)/dR=-0.059 +- 0.017 kpc -1 and d log (N/H)/dR= -0.083 +- 0.018 kpc -1 , while only marginal evidence for a helium gradient is found: d log (He/H)/dR=-0.008 +- 0.008 kpc -1 . Little evidence for gradient in S/H is found. From the red [N II] and [S II] lines we found d log (N + /S + )/dR=-0.068 +- 0.024 kpc -1 , which suggests that a radial gradient in S/O exists in the Galaxy. The O/H gradient found in this study is similar to that found from planetary nebulae, while the N/H gradient is significantly smaller. These results suggest that most of the nitrogen in the interstellar medium of the Galaxy was produced by primary nucleosynthesis processes.We also find evidence that the radial O/H and N/H gradients for H II regions in a given spiral arm are 2 to 3 times steeper than the global gradients over the 8--14 kpc interval in galactocentric distance. For four H II regions in the Sagittarius arm we found d log (O/H)/dR=-0.24 kpc -1 and d log (N/H)/dR=-0.16 kpc -1 . For five H II regions in the Perseus arm we found d log (O/H)/dR=-0.18 kpc -1 and d log (N/H)/dR=-0.15 kpc -1 . The larger magnitudes of these gradients are greater than those of the global gradients by amounts which exceed reasonable errors in abundances and/or relative distances

Electron velocity distribution function in a plasma with temperature gradient and in the presence of suprathermal electrons: application to incoherent-scatter plasma lines

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P. Guio

Full Text Available The plasma dispersion function and the reduced velocity distribution function are calculated numerically for any arbitrary velocity distribution function with cylindrical symmetry along the magnetic field. The electron velocity distribution is separated into two distributions representing the distribution of the ambient electrons and the suprathermal electrons. The velocity distribution function of the ambient electrons is modelled by a near-Maxwellian distribution function in presence of a temperature gradient and a potential electric field. The velocity distribution function of the suprathermal electrons is derived from a numerical model of the angular energy flux spectrum obtained by solving the transport equation of electrons. The numerical method used to calculate the plasma dispersion function and the reduced velocity distribution is described. The numerical code is used with simulated data to evaluate the Doppler frequency asymmetry between the up- and downshifted plasma lines of the incoherent-scatter plasma lines at different wave vectors. It is shown that the observed Doppler asymmetry is more dependent on deviation from the Maxwellian through the thermal part for high-frequency radars, while for low-frequency radars the Doppler asymmetry depends more on the presence of a suprathermal population. It is also seen that the full evaluation of the plasma dispersion function gives larger Doppler asymmetry than the heat flow approximation for Langmuir waves with phase velocity about three to six times the mean thermal velocity. For such waves the moment expansion of the dispersion function is not fully valid and the full calculation of the dispersion function is needed.

Key words. Non-Maxwellian electron velocity distribution · Incoherent scatter plasma lines · EISCAT · Dielectric response function

Electron velocity distribution function in a plasma with temperature gradient and in the presence of suprathermal electrons: application to incoherent-scatter plasma lines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Guio

1998-10-01

Full Text Available The plasma dispersion function and the reduced velocity distribution function are calculated numerically for any arbitrary velocity distribution function with cylindrical symmetry along the magnetic field. The electron velocity distribution is separated into two distributions representing the distribution of the ambient electrons and the suprathermal electrons. The velocity distribution function of the ambient electrons is modelled by a near-Maxwellian distribution function in presence of a temperature gradient and a potential electric field. The velocity distribution function of the suprathermal electrons is derived from a numerical model of the angular energy flux spectrum obtained by solving the transport equation of electrons. The numerical method used to calculate the plasma dispersion function and the reduced velocity distribution is described. The numerical code is used with simulated data to evaluate the Doppler frequency asymmetry between the up- and downshifted plasma lines of the incoherent-scatter plasma lines at different wave vectors. It is shown that the observed Doppler asymmetry is more dependent on deviation from the Maxwellian through the thermal part for high-frequency radars, while for low-frequency radars the Doppler asymmetry depends more on the presence of a suprathermal population. It is also seen that the full evaluation of the plasma dispersion function gives larger Doppler asymmetry than the heat flow approximation for Langmuir waves with phase velocity about three to six times the mean thermal velocity. For such waves the moment expansion of the dispersion function is not fully valid and the full calculation of the dispersion function is needed.Key words. Non-Maxwellian electron velocity distribution · Incoherent scatter plasma lines · EISCAT · Dielectric response function

Lateral shearing optical gradient force in coupled nanobeam photonic crystal cavities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Du, Han; Zhang, Xingwang; Chau, Fook Siong; Zhou, Guangya, E-mail: mpezgy@nus.edu.sg [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117575 (Singapore); Deng, Jie [Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis, #08-03, Singapore 138634 (Singapore); Zhao, Yunshan [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore 117583 (Singapore)

2016-04-25

We report the experimental observation of lateral shearing optical gradient forces in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) controlled dual-coupled photonic crystal (PhC) nanobeam cavities. With an on-chip integrated NEMS actuator, the coupled cavities can be mechanically reconfigured in the lateral direction while maintaining a constant coupling gap. Shearing optical gradient forces are generated when the two cavity centers are laterally displaced. In our experiments, positive and negative lateral shearing optical forces of 0.42 nN and 0.29 nN are observed with different pumping modes. This study may broaden the potential applications of the optical gradient force in nanophotonic devices and benefit the future nanooptoelectromechanical systems.

Global Convergence of a Spectral Conjugate Gradient Method for Unconstrained Optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinkui Liu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A new nonlinear spectral conjugate descent method for solving unconstrained optimization problems is proposed on the basis of the CD method and the spectral conjugate gradient method. For any line search, the new method satisfies the sufficient descent condition gkTdk<−∥gk∥2. Moreover, we prove that the new method is globally convergent under the strong Wolfe line search. The numerical results show that the new method is more effective for the given test problems from the CUTE test problem library (Bongartz et al., 1995 in contrast to the famous CD method, FR method, and PRP method.

Rank gradient and p-gradient of amalgamated free products and HNN extensions

OpenAIRE

Pappas, Nathaniel

2013-01-01

We calculate the rank gradient and p-gradient of free products, free products with amalgamation over an amenable subgroup, and HNN extensions with an amenable associated subgroup. The notion of cost is used to compute the rank gradient of amalgamated free products and HNN extensions. For the p-gradient the Kurosh subgroup theorems for amalgamated free products and HNN extensions will be used.

Extended Kalman Filter Channel Estimation for Line-of-Sight Detection in WCDMA Mobile Positioning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdelmonaem Lakhzouri

2003-12-01

Full Text Available In mobile positioning, it is very important to estimate correctly the delay between the transmitter and the receiver. When the receiver is in line-of-sight (LOS condition with the transmitter, the computation of the mobile position in two dimensions becomes straightforward. In this paper, the problem of LOS detection in WCDMA for mobile positioning is considered, together with joint estimation of the delays and channel coefficients. These are very challenging topics in multipath fading channels because LOS component is not always present, and when it is present, it might be severely affected by interfering paths spaced at less than one chip distance (closely spaced paths. The extended Kalman filter (EKF is used to estimate jointly the delays and complex channel coefficients. The decision whether the LOS component is present or not is based on statistical tests to determine the distribution of the channel coefficient corresponding to the first path. The statistical test-based techniques are practical, simple, and of low computation complexity, which is suitable for WCDMA receivers. These techniques can provide an accurate decision whether LOS component is present or not.

On-line system for control of plasma filament position in the Tokamak-10

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Britousov, N.N.; Valuev, S.F.; Sychev, G.I.; Shchedrov, V.M.

1982-01-01

The plasma filament position on-line control system (OCS) in the T-10 tokamak is described. Results of adjustment and operation of the system are given. The OCS is a structure of a direct negative feedback (DNF) versus deflection and a local DNF circuit. The OCS experimental studying is carried out under the following conditions: 200 kA plasma current, 32 cm diaphragm radius, 2.2-2.5 stability margin, 440 V anode voltage. The response time for 2 cm deflection jumps is 15-20 ns. The OCS demonstrated a particular efficiency while operating in parallel with the plasma current stabilizer providing a high discharge repetition and considerably reducing the number of substandard pulses

SDSS-IV MaNGA: the impact of diffuse ionized gas on emission-line ratios, interpretation of diagnostic diagrams and gas metallicity measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Kai; Yan, Renbin; Bundy, Kevin; Bershady, Matthew; Haffner, L. Matthew; Walterbos, René; Maiolino, Roberto; Tremonti, Christy; Thomas, Daniel; Drory, Niv; Jones, Amy; Belfiore, Francesco; Sánchez, Sebastian F.; Diamond-Stanic, Aleksandar M.; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Nitschelm, Christian; Andrews, Brett; Brinkmann, Jon; Brownstein, Joel R.; Cheung, Edmond; Li, Cheng; Law, David R.; Roman Lopes, Alexandre; Oravetz, Daniel; Pan, Kaike; Storchi Bergmann, Thaisa; Simmons, Audrey

2017-04-01

Diffuse ionized gas (DIG) is prevalent in star-forming galaxies. Using a sample of 365 nearly face-on star-forming galaxies observed by Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO, we demonstrate how DIG in star-forming galaxies impacts the measurements of emission-line ratios, hence the interpretation of diagnostic diagrams and gas-phase metallicity measurements. At fixed metallicity, DIG-dominated low ΣHα regions display enhanced [S II]/Hα, [N II]/Hα, [O II]/Hβ and [O I]/Hα. The gradients in these line ratios are determined by metallicity gradients and ΣHα. In line ratio diagnostic diagrams, contamination by DIG moves H II regions towards composite or low-ionization nuclear emission-line region (LI(N)ER)-like regions. A harder ionizing spectrum is needed to explain DIG line ratios. Leaky H II region models can only shift line ratios slightly relative to H II region models, and thus fail to explain the composite/LI(N)ER line ratios displayed by DIG. Our result favours ionization by evolved stars as a major ionization source for DIG with LI(N)ER-like emission. DIG can significantly bias the measurement of gas metallicity and metallicity gradients derived using strong-line methods. Metallicities derived using N2O2 are optimal because they exhibit the smallest bias and error. Using O3N2, R23, N2 = [N II]/Hα and N2S2Hα to derive metallicities introduces bias in the derived metallicity gradients as large as the gradient itself. The strong-line method of Blanc et al. (IZI hereafter) cannot be applied to DIG to get an accurate metallicity because it currently contains only H II region models that fail to describe the DIG.

GOSAT-2014 methane spectral line list

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikitin, A.V.; Lyulin, O.M.; Mikhailenko, S.N.; Perevalov, V.I.; Filippov, N.N.; Grigoriev, I.M.; Morino, I.; Yoshida, Y.; Matsunaga, T.

2015-01-01

The updated methane spectral line list GOSAT-2014 for the 5550–6240 cm −1 region with the intensity cutoff of 5×10 –25 cm/molecule at 296 K is presented. The line list is based on the extensive measurements of the methane spectral line parameters performed at different temperatures and pressures of methane without and with buffer gases N 2 , O 2 and air. It contains the following spectral line parameters of about 12150 transitions: line position, line intensity, energy of lower state, air-induced and self-pressure-induced broadening and shift coefficients and temperature exponent of air-broadening coefficient. The accuracy of the line positions and intensities are considerably improved in comparison with the previous version GOSAT-2009. The improvement of the line list is done mainly due to the involving to the line position and intensity retrieval of six new spectra recorded with short path way (8.75 cm). The air-broadening and air-shift coefficients for the J-manifolds of the 2ν 3 (F 2 ) band are refitted using the new more precise values of the line positions and intensities. The line assignment is considerably extended. The lower state J-value was assigned to 6397 lines representing 94.4% of integrated intensity of the considering wavenumber region. The complete assignment was done for 2750 lines. - Highlights: • The upgrade of the GOSAT methane line list in the 5550–6240 cm −1 region is done. • 12,146 experimental methane line positions and intensities are retrieved. • 6376 lower energy levels for methane lines are determined

Temperature-gradient instability induced by conducting end walls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berk, H.L.; Ryutov, D.D.; Tsidulko, Yu.A.

1990-04-01

A new rapidly growing electron temperature gradient instability is found for a plasma in contact with a conducting wall. The linear instability analysis is presented and speculations are given for its nonlinear consequences. This instability illustrates that conducting walls can produce effects that are detrimental to plasma confinement. This mode should be of importance in open-ended systems including astrophysical plasmas, mirror machines and at the edge of tokamaks where field lines are open and are connected to limiters or divertors. 16 refs., 2 figs

Tree ring variability and climate response of Abies spectabilis along an elevation gradient in Mustang, Nepal

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kharal, D.K.; Meilby, Henrik; Rayamajhi, S.

2014-01-01

In mountainous areas including the Himalayas, tree lines are expected to advance to higher altitudes due to global climate change affecting the distribution and growth of plant species. This study aimed at identifying the tree ring variability of Abies spectabilis (D. Don) and its response...... to the climate along an elevation gradient in the high Himalayas of central Nepal. Tree core samples were collected from four sites in Mustang district. All sites were located in the same valley and exposed to similar weather conditions. Out of 232 samples collected from the sites, Titi lower (2700 m), Titi......-elevation sites the correlation between pre-monsoon precipitation and tree growth was positive, and for the month of May this was statistically significant (ptree growth at all sites, and at the upper elevation...

Influence of a source line position on results of EM observations applied to the diagnostics of underground heating system pipelines in urban area

Science.gov (United States)

Vetrov, A.

2009-05-01

The condition of underground constructions, communication and supply systems in the cities has to be periodically monitored and controlled in order to prevent their breakage, which can result in serious accident, especially in urban area. The most risk of damage have the underground construction made of steal such as pipelines widely used for water, gas and heat supply. To ensure the pipeline survivability it is necessary to carry out the operative and inexpensive control of pipelines condition. Induced electromagnetic methods of geophysics can be applied to provide such diagnostics. The highly developed surface in urbane area is one of cause hampering the realization of electromagnetic methods of diagnostics. The main problem is in finding of an appropriate place for the source line and electrodes on a limited surface area and their optimal position relative to the observation path to minimize their influence on observed data. Author made a number of experiments of an underground heating system pipeline diagnostics using different position of the source line and electrodes. The experiments were made on a 200 meters section over 2 meters deep pipeline. The admissible length of the source line and angle between the source line and the observation path were determined. The minimal length of the source line for the experiment conditions and accuracy made 30 meters, the maximum admissible angle departure from the perpendicular position made 30 degrees. The work was undertaken in cooperation with diagnostics company DIsSO, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.

Color-gradient lattice Boltzmann model for simulating droplet motion with contact-angle hysteresis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ba, Yan; Liu, Haihu; Sun, Jinju; Zheng, Rongye

2013-10-01

Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is an effective tool for simulating the contact-line motion due to the nature of its microscopic dynamics. In contact-line motion, contact-angle hysteresis is an inherent phenomenon, but it is neglected in most existing color-gradient based LBMs. In this paper, a color-gradient based multiphase LBM is developed to simulate the contact-line motion, particularly with the hysteresis of contact angle involved. In this model, the perturbation operator based on the continuum surface force concept is introduced to model the interfacial tension, and the recoloring operator proposed by Latva-Kokko and Rothman is used to produce phase segregation and resolve the lattice pinning problem. At the solid surface, the color-conserving wetting boundary condition [Hollis et al., IMA J. Appl. Math. 76, 726 (2011)] is applied to improve the accuracy of simulations and suppress spurious currents at the contact line. In particular, we present a numerical algorithm to allow for the effect of the contact-angle hysteresis, in which an iterative procedure is used to determine the dynamic contact angle. Numerical simulations are conducted to verify the developed model, including the droplet partial wetting process and droplet dynamical behavior in a simple shear flow. The obtained results are compared with theoretical solutions and experimental data, indicating that the model is able to predict the equilibrium droplet shape as well as the dynamic process of partial wetting and thus permits accurate prediction of contact-line motion with the consideration of contact-angle hysteresis.

On background radiation gradients – the use of airborne surveys when searching for orphan sources using mobile gamma-ray spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kock, Peder; Rääf, Christopher; Samuelsson, Christer

2014-01-01

Systematic background radiation variations can lead to both false positives and failures to detect an orphan source when searching using car-borne mobile gamma-ray spectrometry. The stochastic variation at each point is well described by Poisson statistics, but when moving in a background radiation gradient the mean count rate will continually change, leading to inaccurate background estimations. Airborne gamma spectrometry (AGS) surveys conducted on the national level, usually in connection to mineral exploration, exist in many countries. These data hold information about the background radiation gradients which could be used at the ground level. This article describes a method that aims to incorporate the systematic as well as stochastic variations of the background radiation. We introduce a weighted moving average where the weights are calculated from existing AGS data, supplied by the Geological Survey of Sweden. To test the method we chose an area with strong background gradients, especially in the thorium component. Within the area we identified two roads which pass through the high-variability locations. The proposed method is compared with an unweighted moving average. The results show that the weighting reduces the excess false positives in the positive background gradients without introducing an excess of failures to detect a source during passage in negative gradients. -- Highlights: • We present a simple method to account for gradients in the natural background radiation. • Gradients in the natural radiation background can be modelled at the ground level using AGS data. • The number of false positives due to background gradients can be reduced by using airborne data

Distribution of grasses along an altitudinal gradient in a Venezuelan paramo Distribución de gramíneas a lo largo de un gradiente altitudinal en un páramo de Venezuela

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

EDJULY J. MÁRQUEZ

2004-12-01

Full Text Available In Venezuelan paramos grasses, after Asteraceae, are the second family in numerical importance. We studied their distribution in an altitudinal gradient located in Venezuela, Sierra de La Culata, between 2,500 and 4,200 m of altitude. Twenty one 32 m parallel line transects every 50 m were placed along the gradient, perpendicular to the main slope. Each line was divided into contiguous 50 x 50 cm sampling units. Grass species occurrence inside each sample unit was considered to determine their frequency in each line or altitude. The peak and altitudinal amplitude was determined through the weighted averaging method. A total of 47 grass species were found along the gradient. Agrostis was the best-represented genus in the gradient. Considering the distribution ranges, we assume that there are different biotic and abiotic processes determining the distribution patterns. The species occurring at the highest altitudes were temperate elements, while those in the lowest areas were tropical and subtropical elements. Seven species in the gradient are endemic to the Venezuelan paramos. Grass distribution patterns in the paramo may be related to phytogeographical origin. In order to better understand the plant altitudinal distribution pattern is necessary to consider the plant responses to low temperatures, high incoming radiation, water stress and slope aspectEn los páramos de Venezuela las gramíneas son la segunda familia numéricamente más importante, después de las Asteraceae. Nosotros estudiamos su distribución en un gradiente altitudinal ubicado en Venezuela, Sierra de La Culata, entre 2.500 y 4.200 m de altitud. Para esto colocamos 21 transectas de 32 m de longitud a lo largo del gradiente, ubicados de manera perpendicular a la pendiente, cada 50 m en altitud. Cada transecta estaba dividida en unidades de muestreo contiguas de 50 x 50 cm. Para estimar la frecuencia de las especies en cada transecta o altitud, consideramos la ocurrencia de las

Two Modified Three-Term Type Conjugate Gradient Methods and Their Global Convergence for Unconstrained Optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhongbo Sun

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Two modified three-term type conjugate gradient algorithms which satisfy both the descent condition and the Dai-Liao type conjugacy condition are presented for unconstrained optimization. The first algorithm is a modification of the Hager and Zhang type algorithm in such a way that the search direction is descent and satisfies Dai-Liao’s type conjugacy condition. The second simple three-term type conjugate gradient method can generate sufficient decent directions at every iteration; moreover, this property is independent of the steplength line search. Also, the algorithms could be considered as a modification of the MBFGS method, but with different zk. Under some mild conditions, the given methods are global convergence, which is independent of the Wolfe line search for general functions. The numerical experiments show that the proposed methods are very robust and efficient.

Vortex breakdown control by adding near-axis swirl and temperature gradients.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrada, Miguel Angel; Shtern, Vladimir

2003-10-01

Vortex breakdown (VB) is an intriguing effect of practical and fundamental interest, occurring, e.g., in tornadoes, above delta-wing aircraft, and in vortex devices. Depending on application, VB is either beneficiary or harmful and therefore requires a proper control. This study shows that VB can be efficiently controlled by a combination of additional near-axis swirl and heat. To explore the underlying mechanism, we address a flow in a cylindrical container driven by a rotating bottom disk. This model flow has been extensively studied being well suited for understanding both the VB mechanism and its control. Our numerical analysis explains experimentally observed effects of control corotation and counter-rotation (with no temperature gradient) and reveals some flaws of dye visualization. An important feature found is that a moderate negative (positive) axial gradient of temperature can significantly enforce (diminish) the VB enhancement by the counter-rotation. A strong positive temperature gradient stimulates the centrifugal instability and time oscillations in the flow with counter-rotation. An efficient time-evolution code for axisymmetric compressible flows has facilitated the numerical study.

The chirped-pulse inverse free-electron laser: A high-gradient vacuum laser accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartemann, F.V.; Landahl, E.C.; Troha, A.L.; Van Meter, J.R.; Baldis, H.A.; Freeman, R.R.; Luhmann, N.C. Jr.; Song, L.; Kerman, A.K.; Yu, D.U.

1999-01-01

The inverse free-electron laser (IFEL) interaction is studied theoretically and computationally in the case where the drive laser intensity approaches the relativistic regime, and the pulse duration is only a few optical cycles long. The IFEL concept has been demonstrated as a viable vacuum laser acceleration process; it is shown here that by using an ultrashort, ultrahigh-intensity drive laser pulse, the IFEL interaction bandwidth and accelerating gradient are increased considerably, thus yielding large energy gains. Using a chirped pulse and negative dispersion focusing optics allows one to take further advantage of the laser optical bandwidth and produce a chromatic line focus maximizing the gradient. The combination of these novel ideas results in a compact vacuum laser accelerator capable of accelerating picosecond electron bunches with a high gradient (GeV/m) and very low energy spread. copyright 1999 American Institute of Physics

New analysis of the ν5 and 2 ν9 bands of HNO 3 by infrared and millimeter wave techniques: line positions and intensities

Science.gov (United States)

Perrin, A.; Orphal, J.; Flaud, J.-M.; Klee, S.; Mellau, G.; Mäder, H.; Walbrodt, D.; Winnewisser, M.

2004-12-01

Nitric acid (HNO 3) plays an important role in the Earth's atmosphere as a reservoir molecule of NO x species. It has a strong infrared signature at 11 μm which is one of the most commonly used for the infrared retrieval of this species in the atmosphere since this spectral region coincides with an atmospheric window. It is therefore essential to have high quality spectral parameters in this spectral region. The main goal of this work is then to generate as reliable as possible line positions and intensities for the ν5 and 2 ν9 cold bands centered at 879.1075 and 896.4467 cm -1, respectively. In particular the existing line parameters need improvement in the wings of the 11 μm window in order to retrieve more accurately the CFC-11 (CCl 3F) and CFC-12 (CCl 2F 2) atmospheric species at ˜850 and ˜920 cm -1, respectively. This work is also motivated by theoretical considerations. Very strong resonances couple indeed the 5 1 and 9 2 rotational levels. In addition the ν9 mode (OH torsion) is a "large amplitude" motion, and torsional splittings affect both the v9=2 and the v5=1 rotational transitions. In the present study, these effects are accounted for simultaneously both for the line position and line intensity calculations. To calculate the line positions the Hamiltonian matrix accounts for the very strong Fermi and the weaker Coriolis interactions linking the 5 1⇔9 2 rotational levels, and the torsional effects are accounted for within the frame of the IAM (Internal Axis Method) approach. In addition, the v-diagonal blocks involve non-orthorhombic operators together with Watson's type rotational operators. This means that the z-quantization axis deviates from the a inertial axis for both the 5 1 and 9 2 vibrational states. The line intensity calculations were performed accounting also for the axis switching effects. As far as the experimental line positions are concerned we have used the millimeter wave data available in the literature [J. Mol. Spectrosc

Positive dielectrophoresis used for selective trapping of nanoparticles from flue gas in a gradient field electrodes device

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lungu, Mihail, E-mail: lmihai@physics.uvt.ro; Neculae, Adrian; Lungu, Antoanetta [West University of Timisoara, Faculty of Physics (Romania)

2015-12-15

This paper investigates the possibility to use positive dielectrophoresis (pDEP) for selective trapping of nanoparticle dispersed in flue gas in a vertical pDEP-based microfluidic system. The experimental gradient field electrodes device contains as main part a vertical deposition plate with parallel planar electrodes in single connection on an insulating substrate, parallel to the reference electrode—a dielectric plate with a metalized side. The performances of the device were described and analyzed by numerical simulations and experimental tests in terms of two new specific parameters, called Retention rate and Filtration, related to the trapping of nanoparticles in suspension inside the device and the consequent purification of flue gas. It is outlined, both numerically and experimentally, that the concentration of particles trapped inside the device decreases as they are moving away from the inlet zone. The experimental results also highlight the nanoparticle size distribution of the particles collected from the deposition plate, using a nanoparticle tracking analysis method, and their selective capture on the deposition plate, depending on the amplitude and shape of the applied voltage, in a good agreement with the numerical simulations results.

NARROW Na AND K ABSORPTION LINES TOWARD T TAURI STARS: TRACING THE ATOMIC ENVELOPE OF MOLECULAR CLOUDS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pascucci, I.; Simon, M. N. [Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Edwards, S. [Five College Astronomy Department, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063 (United States); Heyer, M. [Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-9305 (United States); Rigliaco, E. [Institute for Astronomy, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 27, CH-8093 Zurich (Switzerland); Hillenbrand, L. [Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Gorti, U.; Hollenbach, D., E-mail: pascucci@lpl.arizona.edu [SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA 94043 (United States)

2015-11-20

We present a detailed analysis of narrow Na i and K i absorption resonance lines toward nearly 40 T Tauri stars in Taurus with the goal of clarifying their origin. The Na i λ5889.95 line is detected toward all but one source, while the weaker K i λ7698.96 line is detected in about two-thirds of the sample. The similarity in their peak centroids and the significant positive correlation between their equivalent widths demonstrate that these transitions trace the same atomic gas. The absorption lines are present toward both disk and diskless young stellar objects, which excludes cold gas within the circumstellar disk as the absorbing material. A comparison of Na i and CO detections and peak centroids demonstrates that the atomic gas and molecular gas are not co-located, the atomic gas being more extended than the molecular gas. The width of the atomic lines corroborates this finding and points to atomic gas about an order of magnitude warmer than the molecular gas. The distribution of Na i radial velocities shows a clear spatial gradient along the length of the Taurus molecular cloud filaments. This suggests that absorption is associated with the Taurus molecular cloud. Assuming that the gradient is due to cloud rotation, the rotation of the atomic gas is consistent with differential galactic rotation, whereas the rotation of the molecular gas, although with the same rotation axis, is retrograde. Our analysis shows that narrow Na i and K i absorption resonance lines are useful tracers of the atomic envelope of molecular clouds. In line with recent findings from giant molecular clouds, our results demonstrate that the velocity fields of the atomic and molecular gas are misaligned. The angular momentum of a molecular cloud is not simply inherited from the rotating Galactic disk from which it formed but may be redistributed by cloud–cloud interactions.

NARROW Na AND K ABSORPTION LINES TOWARD T TAURI STARS: TRACING THE ATOMIC ENVELOPE OF MOLECULAR CLOUDS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pascucci, I.; Simon, M. N.; Edwards, S.; Heyer, M.; Rigliaco, E.; Hillenbrand, L.; Gorti, U.; Hollenbach, D.

2015-01-01

We present a detailed analysis of narrow Na i and K i absorption resonance lines toward nearly 40 T Tauri stars in Taurus with the goal of clarifying their origin. The Na i λ5889.95 line is detected toward all but one source, while the weaker K i λ7698.96 line is detected in about two-thirds of the sample. The similarity in their peak centroids and the significant positive correlation between their equivalent widths demonstrate that these transitions trace the same atomic gas. The absorption lines are present toward both disk and diskless young stellar objects, which excludes cold gas within the circumstellar disk as the absorbing material. A comparison of Na i and CO detections and peak centroids demonstrates that the atomic gas and molecular gas are not co-located, the atomic gas being more extended than the molecular gas. The width of the atomic lines corroborates this finding and points to atomic gas about an order of magnitude warmer than the molecular gas. The distribution of Na i radial velocities shows a clear spatial gradient along the length of the Taurus molecular cloud filaments. This suggests that absorption is associated with the Taurus molecular cloud. Assuming that the gradient is due to cloud rotation, the rotation of the atomic gas is consistent with differential galactic rotation, whereas the rotation of the molecular gas, although with the same rotation axis, is retrograde. Our analysis shows that narrow Na i and K i absorption resonance lines are useful tracers of the atomic envelope of molecular clouds. In line with recent findings from giant molecular clouds, our results demonstrate that the velocity fields of the atomic and molecular gas are misaligned. The angular momentum of a molecular cloud is not simply inherited from the rotating Galactic disk from which it formed but may be redistributed by cloud–cloud interactions

Parallel conjugate gradient algorithms for manipulator dynamic simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Fijany, Amir; Scheld, Robert E.

1989-01-01

Parallel conjugate gradient algorithms for the computation of multibody dynamics are developed for the specialized case of a robot manipulator. For an n-dimensional positive-definite linear system, the Classical Conjugate Gradient (CCG) algorithms are guaranteed to converge in n iterations, each with a computation cost of O(n); this leads to a total computational cost of O(n sq) on a serial processor. A conjugate gradient algorithms is presented that provide greater efficiency using a preconditioner, which reduces the number of iterations required, and by exploiting parallelism, which reduces the cost of each iteration. Two Preconditioned Conjugate Gradient (PCG) algorithms are proposed which respectively use a diagonal and a tridiagonal matrix, composed of the diagonal and tridiagonal elements of the mass matrix, as preconditioners. Parallel algorithms are developed to compute the preconditioners and their inversions in O(log sub 2 n) steps using n processors. A parallel algorithm is also presented which, on the same architecture, achieves the computational time of O(log sub 2 n) for each iteration. Simulation results for a seven degree-of-freedom manipulator are presented. Variants of the proposed algorithms are also developed which can be efficiently implemented on the Robot Mathematics Processor (RMP).

Extension of Modified Polak-Ribière-Polyak Conjugate Gradient Method to Linear Equality Constraints Minimization Problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhifeng Dai

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Combining the Rosen gradient projection method with the two-term Polak-Ribière-Polyak (PRP conjugate gradient method, we propose a two-term Polak-Ribière-Polyak (PRP conjugate gradient projection method for solving linear equality constraints optimization problems. The proposed method possesses some attractive properties: (1 search direction generated by the proposed method is a feasible descent direction; consequently the generated iterates are feasible points; (2 the sequences of function are decreasing. Under some mild conditions, we show that it is globally convergent with Armijio-type line search. Preliminary numerical results show that the proposed method is promising.

Dose gradient curve: A new tool for evaluating dose gradient.

Science.gov (United States)

Sung, KiHoon; Choi, Young Eun

2018-01-01

Stereotactic radiotherapy, which delivers an ablative high radiation dose to a target volume for maximum local tumor control, requires a rapid dose fall-off outside the target volume to prevent extensive damage to nearby normal tissue. Currently, there is no tool to comprehensively evaluate the dose gradient near the target volume. We propose the dose gradient curve (DGC) as a new tool to evaluate the quality of a treatment plan with respect to the dose fall-off characteristics. The average distance between two isodose surfaces was represented by the dose gradient index (DGI) estimated by a simple equation using the volume and surface area of isodose levels. The surface area was calculated by mesh generation and surface triangulation. The DGC was defined as a plot of the DGI of each dose interval as a function of the dose. Two types of DGCs, differential and cumulative, were generated. The performance of the DGC was evaluated using stereotactic radiosurgery plans for virtual targets. Over the range of dose distributions, the dose gradient of each dose interval was well-characterized by the DGC in an easily understandable graph format. Significant changes in the DGC were observed reflecting the differences in planning situations and various prescription doses. The DGC is a rational method for visualizing the dose gradient as the average distance between two isodose surfaces; the shorter the distance, the steeper the dose gradient. By combining the DGC with the dose-volume histogram (DVH) in a single plot, the DGC can be utilized to evaluate not only the dose gradient but also the target coverage in routine clinical practice.

Upregulation of the Chemokine Receptor CCR2B in Epstein‒Barr Virus-Positive Burkitt Lymphoma Cell Lines with the Latency III Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svetlana Kozireva

2018-05-01

Full Text Available CCR2 is the cognate receptor to the chemokine CCL2. CCR2–CCL2 signaling mediates cancer progression and metastasis dissemination. However, the role of CCR2–CCL2 signaling in pathogenesis of B-cell malignancies is not clear. Previously, we showed that CCR2B was upregulated in ex vivo peripheral blood B cells upon Epstein‒Barr virus (EBV infection and in established lymphoblastoid cell lines with the EBV latency III program. EBV latency III is associated with B-cell lymphomas in immunosuppressed patients. The majority of EBV-positive Burkitt lymphoma (BL tumors are characterized by latency I, but the BL cell lines drift towards latency III during in vitro culture. In this study, the CCR2A and CCR2B expression was assessed in the isogenic EBV-positive BL cell lines with latency I and III using RT-PCR, immunoblotting, and immunostaining analyses. We found that CCR2B is upregulated in the EBV-positive BL cells with latency III. Consequently, we detected the migration of latency III cells toward CCL2. Notably, the G190A mutation, corresponding to SNP CCR2-V64I, was found in one latency III cell line with a reduced migratory response to CCL2. The upregulation of CCR2B may contribute to the enhanced migration of malignant B cells into CCL2-rich compartments.

Solving Optimal Control Problem of Monodomain Model Using Hybrid Conjugate Gradient Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kin Wei Ng

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We present the numerical solutions for the PDE-constrained optimization problem arising in cardiac electrophysiology, that is, the optimal control problem of monodomain model. The optimal control problem of monodomain model is a nonlinear optimization problem that is constrained by the monodomain model. The monodomain model consists of a parabolic partial differential equation coupled to a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations, which has been widely used for simulating cardiac electrical activity. Our control objective is to dampen the excitation wavefront using optimal applied extracellular current. Two hybrid conjugate gradient methods are employed for computing the optimal applied extracellular current, namely, the Hestenes-Stiefel-Dai-Yuan (HS-DY method and the Liu-Storey-Conjugate-Descent (LS-CD method. Our experiment results show that the excitation wavefronts are successfully dampened out when these methods are used. Our experiment results also show that the hybrid conjugate gradient methods are superior to the classical conjugate gradient methods when Armijo line search is used.

A reconstruction of Colombian biomes derived from modern pollen data along an altitude gradient

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marchant, R.; Berrío, J.C.; Cleef, A.M.; Duivenvoorden, J.; Helmens, K.; Hooghiemstra, H.; Kuhry, P.; Melief, B.; Schreve-Brinkman, E.; Geel, van B.; Reenen, van G.; Hammen, van der T.

2001-01-01

Biomes are reconstructed in Colombia from modern (core-top) pollen data derived from 22 sites along an altitudinal gradient (2000–4100 m) that encompasses the tree line. The `biomization' methodology is described in a stepwise manner that details the reconstruction of vegetation along an altitudinal

A reconstruction of Colombian biomes derived from modern pollen data along an altitude gradient.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marchant, R.A.; Behling, H.; Berrio Mogollon, J.C.; Cleef, A.M.; Duivenvoorden, J.F.; van Geel, B.; van der Hammen, T.; Hooghiemstra, H.; Kuhry, P.; Melief, B.M.; van Reenen, G.B.A.; Wille, M.

2001-01-01

Biomes are reconstructed in Colombia from modern (core-top) pollen data derived from twenty-two sites along an altitudinal gradient (2000 to 4100 m) that encompasses the tree line. The 'biomization' methodology is described in a stepwise manner that details the reconstruction of vegetation along an

GEANT4 simulation diagram showing the architecture of the ATLAS test line: the detectors are positioned to receive the beam from the SPS. A muon particle which enters the magnet and crosses all detectors is shown (blue line).

CERN Multimedia

2004-01-01

GEANT4 simulation diagram showing the architecture of the ATLAS test line: the detectors are positioned to receive the beam from the SPS. A muon particle which enters the magnet and crosses all detectors is shown (blue line).

Economic gradients in early child neurodevelopment: A multi-country study

Science.gov (United States)

Wehby, George L.; McCarthy, Ann Marie

2013-01-01

Little is known about the importance of household wealth for child neurodevelopment very early in life including during infancy. Previous studies have focused on specific developmental domains instead of more holistic multi-domain measures of neurodevelopment and on economic effects for the “average” child instead of evaluating the heterogeneity in economic gradients by different levels of developmental ability. Furthermore, not much is known about whether economic gradients in early child neurodevelopment are country-specific or generalizable between populations. We evaluate wealth gradients in child neurodevelopment, an important predictor of future health and human capital, between ages 3 and 24 months in four South American countries. We also assess the heterogeneity in these gradients at different locations of the neurodevelopment distribution using quantile regression. Employing a unique dataset of 2032 children with neurodevelopment measures obtained by physicians in 2005–2006, we find a large positive wealth gradient in neurodevelopment in Brazil. The wealth gradient is larger for children at higher neurodevelopment rankings, suggesting that wealth is associated with child development inequalities in the form of a wider gap between low and high achievers on neurodevelopment in Brazil. This result highlights the need to target poverty in Brazil as a key factor in health and human capital disparities earlier in life rather than later as early developmental deficits will be carried forward and possibly multiplied later in life. More importantly, small or insignificant wealth gradients are generally found in the other countries. These results suggest that wealth gradients in child neurodevelopment are country-specific and vary with population demographic, health, and socioeconomic characteristics. Therefore, findings from previous studies based on specific populations may not be generalizable to other countries. Furthermore, wealth gradients in child

Pressurized capillary electrochromatographic analysis of water-soluble vitamins by combining with on-line concentration technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Li; Liu, Yaling; Du, Yanyan; Xing, Da

2007-06-22

A pressurized capillary electrochromatography (pCEC) system was developed for the separation of water-soluble vitamins, in which UV absorbance was used as the detection method and a monolithic silica-ODS column as the separation column. The parameters (type and content of organic solvent in the mobile phase, type and concentration of electrolyte, pH of the electrolyte buffer, applied voltage and flow rate) affecting the separation resolution were evaluated. The combination of two on-line concentration techniques, namely, solvent gradient zone sharpening effect and field-enhanced sample stacking, was utilized to improve detection sensitivity, which proved to be beneficial to enhance the detection sensitivity by enabling the injection of large volumes of samples. Coupling electrokinetic injection with the on-line concentration techniques was much more beneficial for the concentration of positively charged vitamins. Comparing with the conventional injection mode, the enhancement in the detection sensitivities of water-soluble vitamins using the on-line concentration technique is in the range of 3 to 35-fold. The developed pCEC method was applied to evaluate water-soluble vitamins in corns.

Ternary gradient metal-organic frameworks.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chong; Rosi, Nathaniel L

2017-09-08

Gradient MOFs contain directional gradients of either structure or functionality. We have successfully prepared two ternary gradient MOFs based on bMOF-100 analogues, namely bMOF-100/102/106 and bMOF-110/100/102, via cascade ligand exchange reactions. The cubic unit cell parameter discrepancy within an individual ternary gradient MOF crystal is as large as ∼1 nm, demonstrating the impressive compatibility and flexibility of the component MOF materials. Because of the presence of a continuum of unit cells, the pore diameters within individual crystals also change in a gradient fashion from ∼2.5 nm to ∼3.0 nm for bMOF-100/102/106, and from ∼2.2 nm to ∼2.7 nm for bMOF-110/100/102, indicating significant porosity gradients. Like previously reported binary gradient MOFs, the composition of the ternary gradient MOFs can be easily controlled by adjusting the reaction conditions. Finally, X-ray diffraction and microspectrophotometry were used to analyse fractured gradient MOF crystals by comparing unit cell parameters and absorbance spectra at different locations, thus revealing the profile of heterogeneity (i.e. gradient distribution of properties) and further confirming the formation of ternary gradient MOFs.

Droplet motion in one-component fluids on solid substrates with wettability gradients

KAUST Repository

Xu, Xinpeng

2012-05-11

Droplet motion on solid substrates has been widely studied not only because of its importance in fundamental research but also because of its promising potentials in droplet-based devices developed for various applications in chemistry, biology, and industry. In this paper, we investigate the motion of an evaporating droplet in one-component fluids on a solid substrate with a wettability gradient. As is well known, there are two major difficulties in the continuum description of fluid flows and heat fluxes near the contact line of droplets on solid substrates, namely, the hydrodynamic (stress) singularity and thermal singularity. To model the droplet motion, we use the dynamic van der Waals theory [Phys. Rev. E 75, 036304 (2007)] for the hydrodynamic equations in the bulk region, supplemented with the boundary conditions at the fluid-solid interface. In this continuum hydrodynamic model, various physical processes involved in the droplet motion can be taken into account simultaneously, e.g., phase transitions (evaporation or condensation), capillary flows, fluid velocity slip, and substrate cooling or heating. Due to the use of the phase field method (diffuse interface method), the hydrodynamic and thermal singularities are resolved automatically. Furthermore, in the dynamic van der Waals theory, the evaporation or condensation rate at the liquid-gas interface is an outcome of the calculation rather than a prerequisite as in most of the other models proposed for evaporating droplets. Numerical results show that the droplet migrates in the direction of increasing wettability on the solid substrates. The migration velocity of the droplet is found to be proportional to the wettability gradients as predicted by Brochard [Langmuir 5, 432 (1989)]. The proportionality coefficient is found to be linearly dependent on the ratio of slip length to initial droplet radius. These results indicate that the steady migration of the droplets results from the balance between the

Droplet motion in one-component fluids on solid substrates with wettability gradients

KAUST Repository

Xu, Xinpeng; Qian, Tiezheng

2012-01-01

Droplet motion on solid substrates has been widely studied not only because of its importance in fundamental research but also because of its promising potentials in droplet-based devices developed for various applications in chemistry, biology, and industry. In this paper, we investigate the motion of an evaporating droplet in one-component fluids on a solid substrate with a wettability gradient. As is well known, there are two major difficulties in the continuum description of fluid flows and heat fluxes near the contact line of droplets on solid substrates, namely, the hydrodynamic (stress) singularity and thermal singularity. To model the droplet motion, we use the dynamic van der Waals theory [Phys. Rev. E 75, 036304 (2007)] for the hydrodynamic equations in the bulk region, supplemented with the boundary conditions at the fluid-solid interface. In this continuum hydrodynamic model, various physical processes involved in the droplet motion can be taken into account simultaneously, e.g., phase transitions (evaporation or condensation), capillary flows, fluid velocity slip, and substrate cooling or heating. Due to the use of the phase field method (diffuse interface method), the hydrodynamic and thermal singularities are resolved automatically. Furthermore, in the dynamic van der Waals theory, the evaporation or condensation rate at the liquid-gas interface is an outcome of the calculation rather than a prerequisite as in most of the other models proposed for evaporating droplets. Numerical results show that the droplet migrates in the direction of increasing wettability on the solid substrates. The migration velocity of the droplet is found to be proportional to the wettability gradients as predicted by Brochard [Langmuir 5, 432 (1989)]. The proportionality coefficient is found to be linearly dependent on the ratio of slip length to initial droplet radius. These results indicate that the steady migration of the droplets results from the balance between the

$L_{0}$ Gradient Projection.

Science.gov (United States)

Ono, Shunsuke

2017-04-01

Minimizing L 0 gradient, the number of the non-zero gradients of an image, together with a quadratic data-fidelity to an input image has been recognized as a powerful edge-preserving filtering method. However, the L 0 gradient minimization has an inherent difficulty: a user-given parameter controlling the degree of flatness does not have a physical meaning since the parameter just balances the relative importance of the L 0 gradient term to the quadratic data-fidelity term. As a result, the setting of the parameter is a troublesome work in the L 0 gradient minimization. To circumvent the difficulty, we propose a new edge-preserving filtering method with a novel use of the L 0 gradient. Our method is formulated as the minimization of the quadratic data-fidelity subject to the hard constraint that the L 0 gradient is less than a user-given parameter α . This strategy is much more intuitive than the L 0 gradient minimization because the parameter α has a clear meaning: the L 0 gradient value of the output image itself, so that one can directly impose a desired degree of flatness by α . We also provide an efficient algorithm based on the so-called alternating direction method of multipliers for computing an approximate solution of the nonconvex problem, where we decompose it into two subproblems and derive closed-form solutions to them. The advantages of our method are demonstrated through extensive experiments.

A modified three-term PRP conjugate gradient algorithm for optimization models.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yanlin

2017-01-01

The nonlinear conjugate gradient (CG) algorithm is a very effective method for optimization, especially for large-scale problems, because of its low memory requirement and simplicity. Zhang et al. (IMA J. Numer. Anal. 26:629-649, 2006) firstly propose a three-term CG algorithm based on the well known Polak-Ribière-Polyak (PRP) formula for unconstrained optimization, where their method has the sufficient descent property without any line search technique. They proved the global convergence of the Armijo line search but this fails for the Wolfe line search technique. Inspired by their method, we will make a further study and give a modified three-term PRP CG algorithm. The presented method possesses the following features: (1) The sufficient descent property also holds without any line search technique; (2) the trust region property of the search direction is automatically satisfied; (3) the steplengh is bounded from below; (4) the global convergence will be established under the Wolfe line search. Numerical results show that the new algorithm is more effective than that of the normal method.

Gradient pre-emphasis to counteract first-order concomitant fields on asymmetric MRI gradient systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Shengzhen; Weavers, Paul T; Trzasko, Joshua D; Shu, Yunhong; Huston, John; Lee, Seung-Kyun; Frigo, Louis M; Bernstein, Matt A

2017-06-01

To develop a gradient pre-emphasis scheme that prospectively counteracts the effects of the first-order concomitant fields for any arbitrary gradient waveform played on asymmetric gradient systems, and to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach using a real-time implementation on a compact gradient system. After reviewing the first-order concomitant fields that are present on asymmetric gradients, we developed a generalized gradient pre-emphasis model assuming arbitrary gradient waveforms to counteract their effects. A numerically straightforward, easily implemented approximate solution to this pre-emphasis problem was derived that was compatible with the current hardware infrastructure of conventional MRI scanners for eddy current compensation. The proposed method was implemented on the gradient driver subsystem, and its real-time use was tested using a series of phantom and in vivo data acquired from two-dimensional Cartesian phase-difference, echo-planar imaging, and spiral acquisitions. The phantom and in vivo results demonstrated that unless accounted for, first-order concomitant fields introduce considerable phase estimation error into the measured data and result in images with spatially dependent blurring/distortion. The resulting artifacts were effectively prevented using the proposed gradient pre-emphasis. We have developed an efficient and effective gradient pre-emphasis framework to counteract the effects of first-order concomitant fields of asymmetric gradient systems. Magn Reson Med 77:2250-2262, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

A rapid and robust gradient measurement technique using dynamic single-point imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Hyungseok; McMillan, Alan B

2017-09-01

We propose a new gradient measurement technique based on dynamic single-point imaging (SPI), which allows simple, rapid, and robust measurement of k-space trajectory. To enable gradient measurement, we utilize the variable field-of-view (FOV) property of dynamic SPI, which is dependent on gradient shape. First, one-dimensional (1D) dynamic SPI data are acquired from a targeted gradient axis, and then relative FOV scaling factors between 1D images or k-spaces at varying encoding times are found. These relative scaling factors are the relative k-space position that can be used for image reconstruction. The gradient measurement technique also can be used to estimate the gradient impulse response function for reproducible gradient estimation as a linear time invariant system. The proposed measurement technique was used to improve reconstructed image quality in 3D ultrashort echo, 2D spiral, and multi-echo bipolar gradient-echo imaging. In multi-echo bipolar gradient-echo imaging, measurement of the k-space trajectory allowed the use of a ramp-sampled trajectory for improved acquisition speed (approximately 30%) and more accurate quantitative fat and water separation in a phantom. The proposed dynamic SPI-based method allows fast k-space trajectory measurement with a simple implementation and no additional hardware for improved image quality. Magn Reson Med 78:950-962, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Phase Grouping Line Extraction Algorithm Using Overlapped Partition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

WANG Jingxue

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Aiming at solving the problem of fracture at the discontinuities area and the challenges of line fitting in each partition, an innovative line extraction algorithm is proposed based on phase grouping using overlapped partition. The proposed algorithm adopted dual partition steps, which will generate overlapped eight partitions. Between the two steps, the middle axis in the first step coincides with the border lines in the other step. Firstly, the connected edge points that share the same phase gradients are merged into the line candidates, and fitted into line segments. Then to remedy the break lines at the border areas, the break segments in the second partition steps are refitted. The proposed algorithm is robust and does not need any parameter tuning. Experiments with various datasets have confirmed that the method is not only capable of handling the linear features, but also powerful enough in handling the curve features.

Vegetation gradients around cattleposts in the eastern mountains of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The relative positions of species' centroids along the grazing gradient were used to quantify their grazing sensitivity on a scale from 10 (most sensitive) to 0 (most resistant), which confirmed and contradicted previous classifications of their grazing responses. Basic ecological research on this important mountain grazing and ...

Gradient waveform pre-emphasis based on the gradient system transfer function.

Science.gov (United States)

Stich, Manuel; Wech, Tobias; Slawig, Anne; Ringler, Ralf; Dewdney, Andrew; Greiser, Andreas; Ruyters, Gudrun; Bley, Thorsten A; Köstler, Herbert

2018-02-25

The gradient system transfer function (GSTF) has been used to describe the distorted k-space trajectory for image reconstruction. The purpose of this work was to use the GSTF to determine the pre-emphasis for an undistorted gradient output and intended k-space trajectory. The GSTF of the MR system was determined using only standard MR hardware without special equipment such as field probes or a field camera. The GSTF was used for trajectory prediction in image reconstruction and for a gradient waveform pre-emphasis. As test sequences, a gradient-echo sequence with phase-encoding gradient modulation and a gradient-echo sequence with a spiral read-out trajectory were implemented and subsequently applied on a structural phantom and in vivo head measurements. Image artifacts were successfully suppressed by applying the GSTF-based pre-emphasis. Equivalent results are achieved with images acquired using GSTF-based post-correction of the trajectory as a part of image reconstruction. In contrast, the pre-emphasis approach allows reconstruction using the initially intended trajectory. The artifact suppression shown for two sequences demonstrates that the GSTF can serve for a novel pre-emphasis. A pre-emphasis based on the GSTF information can be applied to any arbitrary sequence type. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Parallel inhomogeneity and the Alfven resonance. 1: Open field lines

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, P. J.; Harrold, B. G.

1994-01-01

In light of a recent demonstration of the general nonexistence of a singularity at the Alfven resonance in cold, ideal, linearized magnetohydrodynamics, we examine the effect of a small density gradient parallel to uniform, open ambient magnetic field lines. To lowest order, energy deposition is quantitatively unaffected but occurs continuously over a thickened layer. This effect is illustrated in a numerical analysis of a plasma sheet boundary layer model with perfectly absorbing boundary conditions. Consequences of the results are discussed, both for the open field line approximation and for the ensuing closed field line analysis.

The geothermal gradient map of Central Tunisia: Comparison with structural, gravimetric and petroleum data

Science.gov (United States)

Dhia, Hamed Ben

1987-10-01

Five hundred and fifty temperature values, initially measured as either bottom-hole temperatures (BHT) or drill-stem tests (DST), from 98 selected petroleum exploration wells form the basis of a geothermal gradient map of central Tunisia. A "global-statistical" method was employed to correct the BHT measurements, using the DST as references. The geothermal gradient ranges from 23° to 49°C/km. Comparison of the geothermal gradient with structural, gravimetric and petroleum data indicates that: (1) the general trend of the geothermal gradient curves reflects the main structural directions of the region, (2) zones of low and high geothermal gradient are correlated with zones of negative and positive Bouguer anomalies and (3) the five most important oil fields of central Tunisia are located near the geothermal gradient curve of 40° C/km. Such associations could have practical importance in petroleum exploration, but their significance must first be established through further investigation and additional data.

Radar observations of density gradients, electric fields, and plasma irregularities near polar cap patches in the context of the gradient-drift instability

Science.gov (United States)

Lamarche, Leslie J.; Makarevich, Roman A.

2017-03-01

We present observations of plasma density gradients, electric fields, and small-scale plasma irregularities near a polar cap patch made by the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network radar at Rankin Inlet (RKN) and the northern face of Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radar (RISR-N). RKN echo power and occurrence are analyzed in the context of gradient-drift instability (GDI) theory, with a particular focus on the previously uninvestigated 2-D dependencies on wave propagation, electric field, and gradient vectors, with the latter two quantities evaluated directly from RISR-N measurements. It is shown that higher gradient and electric field components along the wave vector generally lead to the higher observed echo occurrence, which is consistent with the expected higher GDI growth rate, but the relationship with echo power is far less straightforward. The RKN echo power increases monotonically as the predicted linear growth rate approaches zero from negative values but does not continue this trend into positive growth rate values, in contrast with GDI predictions. The observed greater consistency of echo occurrence with GDI predictions suggests that GDI operating in the linear regime can control basic plasma structuring, but measured echo strength may be affected by other processes and factors, such as multistep or nonlinear processes or a shear-driven instability.

The phenotypic variance gradient - a novel concept.

Science.gov (United States)

Pertoldi, Cino; Bundgaard, Jørgen; Loeschcke, Volker; Barker, James Stuart Flinton

2014-11-01

Evolutionary ecologists commonly use reaction norms, which show the range of phenotypes produced by a set of genotypes exposed to different environments, to quantify the degree of phenotypic variance and the magnitude of plasticity of morphometric and life-history traits. Significant differences among the values of the slopes of the reaction norms are interpreted as significant differences in phenotypic plasticity, whereas significant differences among phenotypic variances (variance or coefficient of variation) are interpreted as differences in the degree of developmental instability or canalization. We highlight some potential problems with this approach to quantifying phenotypic variance and suggest a novel and more informative way to plot reaction norms: namely "a plot of log (variance) on the y-axis versus log (mean) on the x-axis, with a reference line added". This approach gives an immediate impression of how the degree of phenotypic variance varies across an environmental gradient, taking into account the consequences of the scaling effect of the variance with the mean. The evolutionary implications of the variation in the degree of phenotypic variance, which we call a "phenotypic variance gradient", are discussed together with its potential interactions with variation in the degree of phenotypic plasticity and canalization.

Magnetoelectric Transverse Gradient Sensor with High Detection Sensitivity and Low Gradient Noise.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Mingji; Or, Siu Wing

2017-10-25

We report, theoretically and experimentally, the realization of a high detection performance in a novel magnetoelectric (ME) transverse gradient sensor based on the large ME effect and the magnetic field gradient (MFG) technique in a pair of magnetically-biased, electrically-shielded, and mechanically-enclosed ME composites having a transverse orientation and an axial separation. The output voltage of the gradient sensor is directly obtained from the transverse MFG-induced difference in ME voltage between the two ME composites and is calibrated against transverse MFGs to give a high detection sensitivity of 0.4-30.6 V/(T/m), a strong common-mode magnetic field noise rejection rate of gradient noise of 0.16-620 nT/m/ Hz in a broad frequency range of 1 Hz-170 kHz under a small baseline of 35 mm. An analysis of experimental gradient noise spectra obtained in a magnetically-unshielded laboratory environment reveals the domination of the pink (1/ f ) noise, dielectric loss noise, and power-frequency noise below 3 kHz, in addition to the circuit noise above 3 kHz, in the gradient sensor. The high detection performance, together with the added merit of passive and direct ME conversion by the large ME effect in the ME composites, makes the gradient sensor suitable for the passive, direct, and broadband detection of transverse MFGs.

Human pathogenic Mycoplasma species induced cytokine gene expression in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive lymphoblastoid cell lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Schäffner, E; Opitz, O; Pietsch, K; Bauer, G; Ehlers, S; Jacobs, E

1998-04-01

We addressed the question whether the in vitro interaction of two Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-genome-positive B cell lines (EB-3 and HilB-gamma) with either Mycoplasma pneumoniae or M. hominis, with the mycoplasma species (M. fermentans, M. fermentans subsp. incognitus, M. penetrans, M. genitalium) or with mycoplasma species known to be mere commensals of the respiratory tract (M. orale and M. salivarium) would result in expression of mRNAs for IL-2, IL-2R, IL-4 and IL-6 as determined by reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR after 4 and 24 h of cocultivation. The pattern of cytokine gene expression observed depended on (i) the origin of the transformed cell line, (ii) the pathogenicity of the Mycoplasma species, and (iii) the length of cocultivation. The EBV-immortalized lymphoblastoid cell line HilB-gamma showed mRNA expression for IL-2, IL-2-receptor, IL-4 and IL-6 peaking 24 h after stimulation with M. pneumoniae and all AIDS-related mycoplasma species tested. The Burkitt lymphoma cell line EB-3 showed a distinct and isolated strong II-2/IL-2 R-mRNA expression within 4 h after contact with the pathogenic and all of the AIDS related mycoplasma species. In neither EBV-containing cell line cytokine was gene expression detectable after stimulation with the commensal mycoplasma species, M. orale and M. salivarium, indicating species differences in the ability of mycoplasmas to interact with and stimulate B-cell lines. Our data suggest that some mcyoplasma species may act as immunomodulatory cofactors by eliciting inappropriate cytokine gene expression in B cells latently infected with EBV. Therefore, this cultivation model may prove useful in evaluating the pathogenetic potential of novel isolated mycoplasma species. Copyright 1998 Academic Press Limited.

Defect Detection of Steel Surfaces with Global Adaptive Percentile Thresholding of Gradient Image

Science.gov (United States)

Neogi, Nirbhar; Mohanta, Dusmanta K.; Dutta, Pranab K.

2017-12-01

Steel strips are used extensively for white goods, auto bodies and other purposes where surface defects are not acceptable. On-line surface inspection systems can effectively detect and classify defects and help in taking corrective actions. For detection of defects use of gradients is very popular in highlighting and subsequently segmenting areas of interest in a surface inspection system. Most of the time, segmentation by a fixed value threshold leads to unsatisfactory results. As defects can be both very small and large in size, segmentation of a gradient image based on percentile thresholding can lead to inadequate or excessive segmentation of defective regions. A global adaptive percentile thresholding of gradient image has been formulated for blister defect and water-deposit (a pseudo defect) in steel strips. The developed method adaptively changes the percentile value used for thresholding depending on the number of pixels above some specific values of gray level of the gradient image. The method is able to segment defective regions selectively preserving the characteristics of defects irrespective of the size of the defects. The developed method performs better than Otsu method of thresholding and an adaptive thresholding method based on local properties.

Spin imaging in solids using synchronously rotating field gradients and samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wind, R.A.; Yannoni, C.S.

1983-01-01

A method for spin-imaging in solids using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is described. With this method, the spin density distribution of a two- or three-dimensional object such as a solid can be constructed resulting in an image of the sample. This method lends itself to computer control to map out an image of the object. This spin-imaging method involves the steps of placing a solid sample in the rf coil field and the external magnetic field of an NMR spectrometer. A magnetic field gradient is superimposed across the sample to provide a field gradient which results in a varying DC field that has different values over different parts of the sample. As a result, nuclei in different parts of the sample have different resonant NMR frequencies. The sample is rotated about an axis which makes a particular angle of 54.7 degrees with the static external magnetic field. The magnetic field gradient which has a spatial distribution related to the sample spinning axis is then rotated synchronously with the sample. Data is then collected while performing a solid state NMR line narrowing procedure. The next step is to change the phase relation between the sample rotation and the field gradient rotation. The data is again collected as before while the sample and field gradient are synchronously rotated. The phase relation is changed a number of times and data collected each time. The spin image of the solid sample is then reconstructed from the collected data

Beam manipulation and acceleration with Dielectric-Lined Waveguides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lemery, Francois [Northern Illinois Univ., DeKalb, IL (United States)

2015-06-01

The development of next-generation TeV+ electron accelerators will require either immense footprints based on conventional acceleraton techniques or the development of new higher{gradient acceleration methods. One possible alternative is beam-driven acceleration in a high-impedance medium such as a dielectric-lined-waveguide (DLW), where a highcharge bunch passes through a DLW and can excite gradients on the order of GV/m. An important characteristic of this acceleration class is the transformer ratio which characterizes the energy transfer of the scheme. This dissertation discusses alternative methods to improve the transformer ratio for beam-driven acceleration and also considers the use of DLWs for beam manipulation at low energy.

Gradient heat flux measurement as monitoring method for the diesel engine

Science.gov (United States)

Sapozhnikov, S. Z.; Mityakov, V. Yu; Mityakov, A. V.; Vintsarevich, A. V.; Pavlov, A. V.; Nalyotov, I. D.

2017-11-01

The usage of gradient heat flux measurement for monitoring of heat flux on combustion chamber surface and optimization of diesel work process is proposed. Heterogeneous gradient heat flux sensors can be used at various regimes for an appreciable length of time. Fuel injection timing is set by the position of the maximum point on the angular heat flux diagram however, the value itself of the heat flux may not be considered. The development of such an approach can be productive for remote monitoring of work process in the cylinders of high-power marine engines.

Conservation status affects elevational gradient in bird diversity in the Himalaya: A new perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prakash Kumar Paudel

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Understanding diversity patterns along altitudinal gradients, and their underlying causes are important for conserving biodiversity. Previous studies have focused on climatic, energetic, and geographic variables (e.g., mid-domain effects, with less attention paid to human-induced habitat modifications. We used published data of bird distributions along an elevational gradient (0–4900 m in the Nepalese Himalaya and interpolated species presence between elevational limits. The relationship between species richness and environmental variables was analyzed using generalized linear models. A low plateau relationship between bird richness and elevation was observed, with a main peak at intermediate elevations (2800 m. Across the total gradient, interpolated bird species richness had a unimodal relationship to maximum monthly precipitation and a linear response to seasonal variation in temperature, proportion of forest cover, and proportion of protected area. In lower elevations (0–2800 m, interpolated species richness had a positive and linear response to the proportion of Ramsar sites and a unimodal response to habitat heterogeneity. At higher elevations (2900–4900 m, interpolated bird richness had a positive linear response to monthly variation in temperature and a negative linear response to proportion forest cover. We conclude that factors related to human management are important drivers of elevational gradients in bird species richness. Keywords: Elevational gradient, Biogeography, Bird species richness, Conservation, Himalaya, Nepal

NEW RADIAL ABUNDANCE GRADIENTS FOR NGC 628 AND NGC 2403

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berg, Danielle A.; Skillman, Evan D. [Department of Astronomy, University of Minnesota, 116 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); Croxall, Kevin V. [Ohio State University, 140 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Marble, Andrew R. [National Solar Observatory, 950 N Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); Smith, J. D. [Ritter Astrophysical Observatory, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606 (United States); Gordon, Karl [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Kennicutt, Robert C. Jr. [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom); Garnett, Donald R., E-mail: berg@astro.umn.edu, E-mail: skillman@astro.umn.edu, E-mail: croxall.5@osu.edu, E-mail: amarble@nso.edu, E-mail: jd.smith@utoledo.edu, E-mail: kgordon@stsci.edu, E-mail: robk@ast.cam.ac.uk

2013-10-01

Motivated by recent interstellar medium studies, we present high quality MMT and Gemini spectroscopic observations of H II regions in the nearby spiral galaxies NGC 628 and NGC 2403 in order to measure their chemical abundance gradients. Using long-slit and multi-object mask optical spectroscopy, we obtained measurements of the temperature sensitive auroral lines [O III] λ4363 and/or [N II] λ5755 at a strength of 4σ or greater in 11 H II regions in NGC 628 and 7 regions in NGC 2403. These observations allow us, for the first time, to derive an oxygen abundance gradient in NGC 628 based solely on 'direct' oxygen abundances of H II regions: 12 + log(O/H) = (8.43 ± 0.03) + (–0.017 ± 0.002) × R{sub g} (dex kpc{sup –1}), with a dispersion in log(O/H) of σ = 0.10 dex, from 14 regions with a radial coverage of ∼2-19 kpc. This is a significantly shallower slope than found by previous 'strong-line' abundance studies. In NGC 2403, we derive an oxygen abundance gradient of 12 + log(O/H) = (8.48 ± 0.04) + (–0.032 ± 0.007)× R{sub g} (dex kpc{sup –1}), with a dispersion in log(O/H) of σ = 0.07 dex, from seven H II with a radial coverage of ∼1-10 kpc. Additionally, we measure the N, S, Ne, and Ar abundances. We find the N/O ratio decreases with increasing radius for the inner disk, but reaches a plateau past R{sub 25} in NGC 628. NGC 2403 also has a negative N/O gradient with radius, but we do not sample the outer disk of the galaxy past R{sub 25} and so do not see evidence for a plateau. This bi-modal pattern measured for NGC 628 indicates dominant contributions from secondary nitrogen inside of the R{sub 25} transition and dominantly primary nitrogen farther out. As expected for α-process elements, S/O, Ne/O, and Ar/O are consistent with constant values over a range in oxygen abundance.

High Resolution Studies Of Lensed z ∼ 2 Galaxies: Kinematics And Metal Gradients

Science.gov (United States)

Leethochawalit, Nicha

2016-09-01

We use the OSIRIS integral field unit (IFU) spectograph to secure spatially-resolved strong emission lines of 15 gravitationally-lensed star-forming galaxies at redshift z ∼ 2. With the aid of gravitational lensing and Keck laser-assisted adaptive optics, the spatial resolution of these sub-luminous galaxies is at a few hundred parsecs. First, we demonstrate that high spatial resolution is crucial in diagnosing the kinematic properties and dynamical maturity of z ∼ 2 galaxies. We observe a significantly lower fraction of rotationally-supported systems than what has been claimed in lower spatial resolution surveys. Second, we find a much larger fraction of z ∼ 2 galaxies with weak metallicity gradients, contrary to the simple picture suggested by earlier studies that well-ordered rotation develops concurrently with established steep metal gradients in all but merging systems. Comparing our observations with the predictions of hydronamical simulations, strong feedback is likely to play a key role in flattening metal gradients in early star-forming galaxies.

On the Strong Convergence of a Sufficient Descent Polak-Ribière-Polyak Conjugate Gradient Method

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Min Sun

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, Zhang et al. proposed a sufficient descent Polak-Ribière-Polyak (SDPRP conjugate gradient method for large-scale unconstrained optimization problems and proved its global convergence in the sense that lim infk→∞∥∇f(xk∥=0 when an Armijo-type line search is used. In this paper, motivated by the line searches proposed by Shi et al. and Zhang et al., we propose two new Armijo-type line searches and show that the SDPRP method has strong convergence in the sense that limk→∞∥∇f(xk∥=0 under the two new line searches. Numerical results are reported to show the efficiency of the SDPRP with the new Armijo-type line searches in practical computation.

New generalized conjugate gradient methods for the non-quadratic model in unconstrained optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Bayati, A.

2001-01-01

This paper present two new conjugate gradient algorithms which use the non-quadratic model in unconstrained optimization. The first is a new generalized self-scaling variable metric algorithm based on the sloboda generalized conjugate gradient method which is invariant to a nonlinear scaling of a stricity convex quadratic function; the second is an interleaving between the generalized sloboda method and the first algorithm; all these algorithm use exact line searches. Numerical comparisons over twenty test functions show that the interleaving algorithm is best overall and requires only about half the function evaluations of the Sloboda method: interleaving algorithms are likely to be preferred when the dimensionality of the problem is increased. (author). 29 refs., 1 tab

Line positions and intensities for the ν3 band of 5 isotopologues of germane for planetary applications

Science.gov (United States)

Boudon, V.; Grigoryan, T.; Philipot, F.; Richard, C.; Tchana, F. Kwabia; Manceron, L.; Rizopoulos, A.; Auwera, J. Vander; Encrenaz, Th.

2018-01-01

The germane molecule, GeH4, is present in the atmospheres of giant planets Jupiter and Saturn. The ongoing NASA mission Juno has renewed interest in its spectroscopy, whose accurate modeling is essential for the retrieval of other tropospheric species. We present here the first complete analysis and modeling of line positions and intensities in the strongly absorbing ν1/ν3 stretching dyad region near 2100 cm-1 , for all five germane isotopologues in natural abundance. New infrared spectra were recorded, absolute intensities were extracted through a careful procedure and modeled thanks to the formalism and programs developed in the Dijon group. A database of calculated germane lines, GeCaSDa, has been build and is available online through the Virtual Atomic and Molecular Data Centre (VAMDC) portal and at http://vamdc.icb.cnrs.fr/PHP/gecasda.php.

Operational space weather service for GNSS precise positioning

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N. Jakowski

2005-11-01

Full Text Available The ionospheric plasma can significantly influence the propagation of radio waves and the ionospheric disturbances are capable of causing range errors, rapid phase and amplitude fluctuations (radio scintillations of satellite signals that may lead to degradation of the system performance, its accuracy and reliability. The cause of such disturbances should be sought in the processes originating in the Sun. Numerous studies on these phenomena have been already carried out at a broad international level, in order to measure/estimate these space weather induced effects, to forecast them, and to understand and mitigate their impact on present-day technological systems.

line-height: 20px;"> SWIPPA (Space Weather Impact on Precise Positioning Applications is a pilot project jointly supported by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR and the European Space Agency (ESA. The project aims at establishing, operating, and evaluating a specific space-weather monitoring service that can possibly lead to improving current positioning applications based on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS. This space weather service provides GNSS users with essential expert information delivered in the form of several products - maps of TEC values, TEC spatial and temporal gradients, alerts for ongoing/oncoming ionosphere disturbances, etc.

A fast, preconditioned conjugate gradient Toeplitz solver

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Victor; Schrieber, Robert

1989-01-01

A simple factorization is given of an arbitrary hermitian, positive definite matrix in which the factors are well-conditioned, hermitian, and positive definite. In fact, given knowledge of the extreme eigenvalues of the original matrix A, an optimal improvement can be achieved, making the condition numbers of each of the two factors equal to the square root of the condition number of A. This technique is to applied to the solution of hermitian, positive definite Toeplitz systems. Large linear systems with hermitian, positive definite Toeplitz matrices arise in some signal processing applications. A stable fast algorithm is given for solving these systems that is based on the preconditioned conjugate gradient method. The algorithm exploits Toeplitz structure to reduce the cost of an iteration to O(n log n) by applying the fast Fourier Transform to compute matrix-vector products. Matrix factorization is used as a preconditioner.

On wake modeling, wind-farm gradients, and AEP predictions at the Anholt wind farm

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A. Peña

2018-04-01

Full Text Available We investigate wake effects at the Anholt offshore wind farm in Denmark, which is a farm experiencing strong horizontal wind-speed gradients because of its size and proximity to land. Mesoscale model simulations are used to study the horizontal wind-speed gradients over the wind farm. From analysis of the mesoscale simulations and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA, we show that for westerly flow in particular, there is a clear horizontal wind-speed gradient over the wind farm. We also use the mesoscale simulations to derive the undisturbed inflow conditions that are coupled with three commonly used wake models: two engineering approaches (the Park and G. C. Larsen models and a linearized Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes approach (Fuga. The effect of the horizontal wind-speed gradient on annual energy production estimates is not found to be critical compared to estimates from both the average undisturbed wind climate of all turbines' positions and the undisturbed wind climate of a position in the middle of the wind farm. However, annual energy production estimates can largely differ when using wind climates at positions that are strongly influenced by the horizontal wind-speed gradient. When looking at westerly flow wake cases, where the impact of the horizontal wind-speed gradient on the power of the undisturbed turbines is largest, the wake models agree with the SCADA fairly well; when looking at a southerly flow case, where the wake losses are highest, the wake models tend to underestimate the wake loss. With the mesoscale-wake model setup, we are also able to estimate the capacity factor of the wind farm rather well when compared to that derived from the SCADA. Finally, we estimate the uncertainty of the wake models by bootstrapping the SCADA. The models tend to underestimate the wake losses (the median relative model error is 8.75 % and the engineering wake models are as uncertain as Fuga. These results are specific for

Sobolev gradients and differential equations

CERN Document Server

Neuberger, J W

2010-01-01

A Sobolev gradient of a real-valued functional on a Hilbert space is a gradient of that functional taken relative to an underlying Sobolev norm. This book shows how descent methods using such gradients allow a unified treatment of a wide variety of problems in differential equations. For discrete versions of partial differential equations, corresponding Sobolev gradients are seen to be vastly more efficient than ordinary gradients. In fact, descent methods with these gradients generally scale linearly with the number of grid points, in sharp contrast with the use of ordinary gradients. Aside from the first edition of this work, this is the only known account of Sobolev gradients in book form. Most of the applications in this book have emerged since the first edition was published some twelve years ago. What remains of the first edition has been extensively revised. There are a number of plots of results from calculations and a sample MatLab code is included for a simple problem. Those working through a fair p...

SDSS-IV MaNGA: stellar population gradients as a function of galaxy environment

Science.gov (United States)

Goddard, D.; Thomas, D.; Maraston, C.; Westfall, K.; Etherington, J.; Riffel, R.; Mallmann, N. D.; Zheng, Z.; Argudo-Fernández, M.; Bershady, M.; Bundy, K.; Drory, N.; Law, D.; Yan, R.; Wake, D.; Weijmans, A.; Bizyaev, D.; Brownstein, J.; Lane, R. R.; Maiolino, R.; Masters, K.; Merrifield, M.; Nitschelm, C.; Pan, K.; Roman-Lopes, A.; Storchi-Bergmann, T.

2017-02-01

We study the internal radial gradients of stellar population properties within 1.5 Re and analyse the impact of galaxy environment. We use a representative sample of 721 galaxies with masses ranging between 109 M⊙ and 1011.5 M⊙ from the SDSS-IV survey MaNGA. We split this sample by morphology into early-type and late-type galaxies. Using the full spectral fitting code FIREFLY, we derive the light and mass-weighted stellar population properties, age and metallicity, and calculate the gradients of these properties. We use three independent methods to quantify galaxy environment, namely the Nth nearest neighbour, the tidal strength parameter Q and distinguish between central and satellite galaxies. In our analysis, we find that early-type galaxies generally exhibit shallow light-weighted age gradients in agreement with the literature and mass-weighted median age gradients tend to be slightly positive. Late-type galaxies, instead, have negative light-weighted age gradients. We detect negative metallicity gradients in both early- and late-type galaxies that correlate with galaxy mass, with the gradients being steeper and the correlation with mass being stronger in late-types. We find, however, that stellar population gradients, for both morphological classifications, have no significant correlation with galaxy environment for all three characterizations of environment. Our results suggest that galaxy mass is the main driver of stellar population gradients in both early and late-type galaxies, and any environmental dependence, if present at all, must be very subtle.

The differential role of HTRA1 in HPV-positive and HPV-negative cervical cell line proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stuqui, Bruna; Conceição, André Luis Giacometti; Termini, Lara; Sichero, Laura; Villa, Luisa Lina; Rahal, Paula; Calmon, Marília de Freitas

2016-01-01

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are strongly associated with the development of some malignancies. The E6 and E7 viral oncoproteins are the primary proteins responsible for cell homeostasis alteration and immortalization. Furthermore, the E6 protein from high-risk HPVs can interact with the PDZ (PSD-90/Dlg/ZO-1) domains of cellular proteins, triggering cell transformation. One protein that is associated with pathological conditions and has a PDZ domain is the protease HTRA1 (high temperature requirement 1). This protein is poorly expressed in some cancers, suggesting a tumor suppressor role. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of HTRA1 overexpression in HPV16-positive (CasKi) and HPV-negative (C33) cervical cell lines. The cells were transfected with a vector containing the HTRA1 ORF or an empty vector. HTRA1 overexpression was confirmed by qRT-PCR. The cells were subjected to cell proliferation, colony formation, apoptosis and cell cycle assays. C33 cells expressing HTRA1 grew significantly fewer colonies and showed less proliferation than cells without HTRA1 expression. In contrast, in the CasKi cells overexpressing HTRA1, there was an increase in the cell growth rate and in the colonies density compared to cells expressing low levels of HTRA1. An apoptosis assay showed that HTRA1 does not interfere with the apoptosis rate in these cells. A cell cycle immunofluorescence assay revealed more CasKi cells overexpressing HTRA1 in the S phase and more C33 HTRA1-transfected cells in the G0/G1 phase, suggesting that HTRA1 plays different roles in the cell cycle progression of these cells. HTRA1 overexpression prevents cell proliferation in the HPV-negative cell line and increases cell proliferation in the HPV-positive cell line. Although the E6/HTRA1 interaction has already been described in the literature, more studies are required to confirm whether the present functional findings are a result of this interaction

Large Airborne Full Tensor Gradient Data Inversion Based on a Non-Monotone Gradient Method

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yong; Meng, Zhaohai; Li, Fengting

2018-03-01

Following the development of gravity gradiometer instrument technology, the full tensor gravity (FTG) data can be acquired on airborne and marine platforms. Large-scale geophysical data can be obtained using these methods, making such data sets a number of the "big data" category. Therefore, a fast and effective inversion method is developed to solve the large-scale FTG data inversion problem. Many algorithms are available to accelerate the FTG data inversion, such as conjugate gradient method. However, the conventional conjugate gradient method takes a long time to complete data processing. Thus, a fast and effective iterative algorithm is necessary to improve the utilization of FTG data. Generally, inversion processing is formulated by incorporating regularizing constraints, followed by the introduction of a non-monotone gradient-descent method to accelerate the convergence rate of FTG data inversion. Compared with the conventional gradient method, the steepest descent gradient algorithm, and the conjugate gradient algorithm, there are clear advantages of the non-monotone iterative gradient-descent algorithm. Simulated and field FTG data were applied to show the application value of this new fast inversion method.

Method and apparatus for determining the spontaneous earth potential log from downhole gradient measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maciejewski, W. J.

1985-01-01

A method and apparatus for measuring the differential or gradient of an earth variable within a well bore (e.g., the spontaneous earth potential) and producing improved logs of this gradient or differential and its integral variable essentially free of any accumulated instrument and base line drift or error. The differential spontaneous potential of an earth formation traversed by a well bore is measured at repeated multiple depths by moving a pair of closely spaced electrodes through the well bore wherein each electrode is electrically insulated externally from the other and from a third downhole local ground (such as the well tool cable) to which each is internally resistively referenced. The measured electrical potential across the closely spaced electrodes is amplified and digitized before being transmitted to the earth's surface, whereupon an averaged value of such differential measurements within a traveling data window of predetermined length and adjacent to each successive measurement is used to adjust for base line drift, noise and instrument induced error. The resulting compensated differential logs are integrated, resulting in spontaneous potential logs of improved character

Analysing the Unequal Effects of Positive and Negative Information on the Behaviour of Users of a Taiwanese On-Line Bulletin Board.

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Shu-Li Cheng

Full Text Available The impact of social influence causes people to adopt the behaviour of others when interacting with other individuals. The effects of social influence can be direct or indirect. Direct social influence is the result of an individual directly influencing the opinion of another, while indirect social influence is a process taking place when an individual's opinion and behaviour is affected by the availability of information about others' actions. Such indirect effect may exhibit a more significant impact in the on-line community because the internet records not only positive but also negative information, for example on-line written text comments. This study focuses on indirect social influence and examines the effect of preceding information on subsequent users' opinions by fitting statistical models to data collected from an on-line bulletin board. Specifically, the different impacts of information on approval and disapproval comments on subsequent opinions were investigated. Although in an anonymous situation where social influence is assumed to be at minimum, our results demonstrate the tendency of on-line users to adopt both positive and negative information to conform to the neighbouring trend when expressing opinions. Moreover, our results suggest unequal effects of the local approval and disapproval comments in affecting the likelihood of expressing opinions. The impact of neighbouring disapproval densities was stronger than that of neighbouring approval densities on inducing subsequent disapproval relative to approval comments. However, our results suggest no effects of global social influence on subsequent opinion expression.

Accelerated gradient methods for total-variation-based CT image reconstruction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joergensen, Jakob H.; Hansen, Per Christian [Technical Univ. of Denmark, Lyngby (Denmark). Dept. of Informatics and Mathematical Modeling; Jensen, Tobias L.; Jensen, Soeren H. [Aalborg Univ. (Denmark). Dept. of Electronic Systems; Sidky, Emil Y.; Pan, Xiaochuan [Chicago Univ., Chicago, IL (United States). Dept. of Radiology

2011-07-01

Total-variation (TV)-based CT image reconstruction has shown experimentally to be capable of producing accurate reconstructions from sparse-view data. In particular TV-based reconstruction is well suited for images with piecewise nearly constant regions. Computationally, however, TV-based reconstruction is demanding, especially for 3D imaging, and the reconstruction from clinical data sets is far from being close to real-time. This is undesirable from a clinical perspective, and thus there is an incentive to accelerate the solution of the underlying optimization problem. The TV reconstruction can in principle be found by any optimization method, but in practice the large scale of the systems arising in CT image reconstruction preclude the use of memory-intensive methods such as Newton's method. The simple gradient method has much lower memory requirements, but exhibits prohibitively slow convergence. In the present work we address the question of how to reduce the number of gradient method iterations needed to achieve a high-accuracy TV reconstruction. We consider the use of two accelerated gradient-based methods, GPBB and UPN, to solve the 3D-TV minimization problem in CT image reconstruction. The former incorporates several heuristics from the optimization literature such as Barzilai-Borwein (BB) step size selection and nonmonotone line search. The latter uses a cleverly chosen sequence of auxiliary points to achieve a better convergence rate. The methods are memory efficient and equipped with a stopping criterion to ensure that the TV reconstruction has indeed been found. An implementation of the methods (in C with interface to Matlab) is available for download from http://www2.imm.dtu.dk/~pch/TVReg/. We compare the proposed methods with the standard gradient method, applied to a 3D test problem with synthetic few-view data. We find experimentally that for realistic parameters the proposed methods significantly outperform the standard gradient method. (orig.)

End design of the SSC 58 mm High Gradient Quadrupole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caspi, S.

1992-01-01

The ''end'' design of the High Gradient Quad. was done with consideration to the integrated field harmonics, the iron contribution, and the maximum field at the conductor. Magnetic analysis was done on the return end only, however the physical dimension of the lead end were determined as well. Using the cross-section of the windings and Cook's program BEND, we generated the physical end windings around the return end. Placing a single wire at the center of each turn the integrated gradient was computed and iterating on the end block spacers the integrated harmonics minimized. The final geometry was then used for more, extensive calculations, such as the field at the conductor and the 3D field harmonics. For this detailed calculation we have placed a single line current at the center of each strand and included the iron contribution (μ = ∞), see Appendix C. With the termination of the iron serving as a reference, the maximum length of the inner and outer layers are 182 mm and 215 mm respectively. The magnetic length of the end was computed from the gradient function A 2 and was found to be 142 mm. In reality we expect the physical length of the end to be somewhat larger, however this should have little or no effect on the magnetic length. The gradient in the straight section is 212.44 T/m at 7000 A and the integrated value of the gradient is -3.01665 E5 (G) in the end region marked by the magnetic length of the end. The respective integrated harmonics for the end 12 pole and 20 pole are -10.6658 (G/CM 4 ) and 0.7279 (G/cm 8 ) corresponding to b 6 = 0.351 , b 10 = -0.024 units. The above was computed from the values of A 2 , A 6 , and A 10

Magnetoelectric Transverse Gradient Sensor with High Detection Sensitivity and Low Gradient Noise

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Mingji; Or, Siu Wing

2017-01-01

We report, theoretically and experimentally, the realization of a high detection performance in a novel magnetoelectric (ME) transverse gradient sensor based on the large ME effect and the magnetic field gradient (MFG) technique in a pair of magnetically-biased, electrically-shielded, and mechanically-enclosed ME composites having a transverse orientation and an axial separation. The output voltage of the gradient sensor is directly obtained from the transverse MFG-induced difference in ME vo...

Distributed flow estimation and closed-loop control of an underwater vehicle with a multi-modal artificial lateral line.

Science.gov (United States)

DeVries, Levi; Lagor, Francis D; Lei, Hong; Tan, Xiaobo; Paley, Derek A

2015-03-25

Bio-inspired sensing modalities enhance the ability of autonomous vehicles to characterize and respond to their environment. This paper concerns the lateral line of cartilaginous and bony fish, which is sensitive to fluid motion and allows fish to sense oncoming flow and the presence of walls or obstacles. The lateral line consists of two types of sensing modalities: canal neuromasts measure approximate pressure gradients, whereas superficial neuromasts measure local flow velocities. By employing an artificial lateral line, the performance of underwater sensing and navigation strategies is improved in dark, cluttered, or murky environments where traditional sensing modalities may be hindered. This paper presents estimation and control strategies enabling an airfoil-shaped unmanned underwater vehicle to assimilate measurements from a bio-inspired, multi-modal artificial lateral line and estimate flow properties for feedback control. We utilize potential flow theory to model the fluid flow past a foil in a uniform flow and in the presence of an upstream obstacle. We derive theoretically justified nonlinear estimation strategies to estimate the free stream flowspeed, angle of attack, and the relative position of an upstream obstacle. The feedback control strategy uses the estimated flow properties to execute bio-inspired behaviors including rheotaxis (the tendency of fish to orient upstream) and station-holding (the tendency of fish to position behind an upstream obstacle). A robotic prototype outfitted with a multi-modal artificial lateral line composed of ionic polymer metal composite and embedded pressure sensors experimentally demonstrates the distributed flow sensing and closed-loop control strategies.

Nonnegative least-squares image deblurring: improved gradient projection approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Benvenuto, F.; Zanella, R.; Zanni, L.; Bertero, M.

2010-02-01

The least-squares approach to image deblurring leads to an ill-posed problem. The addition of the nonnegativity constraint, when appropriate, does not provide regularization, even if, as far as we know, a thorough investigation of the ill-posedness of the resulting constrained least-squares problem has still to be done. Iterative methods, converging to nonnegative least-squares solutions, have been proposed. Some of them have the 'semi-convergence' property, i.e. early stopping of the iteration provides 'regularized' solutions. In this paper we consider two of these methods: the projected Landweber (PL) method and the iterative image space reconstruction algorithm (ISRA). Even if they work well in many instances, they are not frequently used in practice because, in general, they require a large number of iterations before providing a sensible solution. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to refresh these methods by increasing their efficiency. Starting from the remark that PL and ISRA require only the computation of the gradient of the functional, we propose the application to these algorithms of special acceleration techniques that have been recently developed in the area of the gradient methods. In particular, we propose the application of efficient step-length selection rules and line-search strategies. Moreover, remarking that ISRA is a scaled gradient algorithm, we evaluate its behaviour in comparison with a recent scaled gradient projection (SGP) method for image deblurring. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the accelerated methods still exhibit the semi-convergence property, with a considerable gain both in the number of iterations and in the computational time; in particular, SGP appears definitely the most efficient one.

Research of Mechanical Property Gradient Distribution of Al-Cu Alloy in Centrifugal Casting

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Zhi; Sui, Yanwei; Liu, Aihui; Li, Bangsheng; Guo, Jingjie

Al-Cu alloy castings are obtained using centrifugal casting. The regularity of mechanical property gradient distribution of Al-Cu alloy castings with the same centrifugal radius at different positions is investigated. The result shows that the tensile strength, yield strength, elongation and microscope hardness exhibit the following gradient distribution characteristic — high on both sides and low on the center. The trend of mechanical property gradient distribution of Al-Cu alloy increases with the increase in the rotation speed. Moreover, the mechanical properties of casting centerline two sides have asymmetry. The reason is that the grain size of casting centerline two sides and Al2Cu phase and Cu content change correspondingly.

Density Gradient Stabilization of Electron Temperature Gradient Driven Turbulence in a Spherical Tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren, Y.; Kaye, S.M.; Mazzucato, E.; Guttenfelder, W.; Bell, R.E.; Domier, C.W.; LeBlanc, B.P.; Lee, K.C.; Luhmann, N.C. Jr.; Smith, D.R.; Yuh, H.

2011-01-01

In this letter we report the first clear experimental observation of density gradient stabilization of electron temperature gradient driven turbulence in a fusion plasma. It is observed that longer wavelength modes, k (perpendicular) ρ s ∼< 10, are most stabilized by density gradient, and the stabilization is accompanied by about a factor of two decrease in the plasma effective thermal diffusivity.

An ecological paradox: high species diversity and low position of the upper forest line in the Andean Depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, Thorsten; Braeuning, Achim; Muenchow, Jannes; Richter, Michael

2014-06-01

Systematic investigations of the upper forest line (UFL) primarily concentrate on mid and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, whereas studies of Neotropical UFLs are still fragmentary. This article outlines the extraordinary high tree diversity at the UFL within the Andean Depression and unravels the links between the comparatively low position of the local UFL, high tree-species diversity, and climate. On the basis of Gentry's rapid inventory methodology for the tropics, vegetation sampling was conducted at 12 UFL sites, and local climate (temperature, wind, precipitation, and soil moisture) was investigated at six sites. Monotypic forests dominated by Polylepis were only found at the higher located margins of the Andean Depression while the lower situated core areas were characterized by a species-rich forest, which lacked the elsewhere dominant tree-species Polylepis. In total, a remarkably high tree-species number of 255 tree species of 40 different plant families was found. Beta-diversity was also high with more than two complete species turnovers. A non-linear relationship between the floristic similarity of the investigated study sites and elevation was detected. Temperatures at the investigated study sites clearly exceeded 5.5°C, the postulated threshold value for the upper tree growth limit in the tropics. Instead, quasi-permanent trade winds, high precipitation amounts, and high soil water contents affect the local position of the UFL in a negative way. Interestingly, most of the above-mentioned factors are also contributing to the high species richness. The result is a combination of a clearly marked upper forest line depression combined with an extraordinary forest line complexity, which was an almost unknown paradox.

A color gradient in the soft X-ray diffuse background

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snowden, S.L.; Schmitt, J.H.M.M.; Edwards, B.C.

1990-01-01

It is shown that the deviations of the soft X-ray diffuse background B band to C band intensity ratio from a constant value can be described as a simple dipole-like variation across the sky. In terms of the observed Wisconsin B/C band intensity ratio, the mean value is 0.355, the dipole magnitude is 0.106, and the positive dipole axis points toward l = 168.7 deg, b = 11.2 deg, almost in the galactic anticenter direction. This gradient in the spectral hardness can be due to several causes; the simplest is a temperature gradient in the X-ray emitting plasma of the local cavity from about 10 exp 6.2 K toward the galactic center to about 10 exp 5.9 K in the anticenter direction. While the physical origin of such a temperature gradient is uncertain, the alignment of the dipole with the higher temperature (and absorbed) Loop I region may be significant. 25 refs

A color gradient in the soft X-ray diffuse background

Science.gov (United States)

Snowden, S. L.; Schmitt, J. H. M. M.; Edwards, B. C.

1990-01-01

It is shown that the deviations of the soft X-ray diffuse background B band to C band intensity ratio from a constant value can be described as a simple dipole-like variation across the sky. In terms of the observed Wisconsin B/C band intensity ratio, the mean value is 0.355, the dipole magnitude is 0.106, and the positive dipole axis points toward l = 168.7 deg, b = 11.2 deg, almost in the galactic anticenter direction. This gradient in the spectral hardness can be due to several causes; the simplest is a temperature gradient in the X-ray emitting plasma of the local cavity from about 10 exp 6.2 K toward the galactic center to about 10 exp 5.9 K in the anticenter direction. While the physical origin of such a temperature gradient is uncertain, the alignment of the dipole with the higher temperature (and absorbed) Loop I region may be significant.

Spheroidal Integral Equations for Geodetic Inversion of Geopotential Gradients

Science.gov (United States)

Novák, Pavel; Šprlák, Michal

2018-03-01

The static Earth's gravitational field has traditionally been described in geodesy and geophysics by the gravitational potential (geopotential for short), a scalar function of 3-D position. Although not directly observable, geopotential functionals such as its first- and second-order gradients are routinely measured by ground, airborne and/or satellite sensors. In geodesy, these observables are often used for recovery of the static geopotential at some simple reference surface approximating the actual Earth's surface. A generalized mathematical model is represented by a surface integral equation which originates in solving Dirichlet's boundary-value problem of the potential theory defined for the harmonic geopotential, spheroidal boundary and globally distributed gradient data. The mathematical model can be used for combining various geopotential gradients without necessity of their re-sampling or prior continuation in space. The model extends the apparatus of integral equations which results from solving boundary-value problems of the potential theory to all geopotential gradients observed by current ground, airborne and satellite sensors. Differences between spherical and spheroidal formulations of integral kernel functions of Green's kind are investigated. Estimated differences reach relative values at the level of 3% which demonstrates the significance of spheroidal approximation for flattened bodies such as the Earth. The observation model can be used for combined inversion of currently available geopotential gradients while exploring their spectral and stochastic characteristics. The model would be even more relevant to gravitational field modelling of other bodies in space with more pronounced spheroidal geometry than that of the Earth.

The Origins of UV-optical Color Gradients in Star-forming Galaxies at z ˜ 2: Predominant Dust Gradients but Negligible sSFR Gradients

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, F. S.; Jiang, Dongfei; Faber, S. M.; Koo, David C.; Yesuf, Hassen M.; Tacchella, Sandro; Mao, Shude; Wang, Weichen; Guo, Yicheng; Fang, Jerome J.; Barro, Guillermo; Zheng, Xianzhong; Jia, Meng; Tong, Wei; Liu, Lu; Meng, Xianmin

2017-07-01

The rest-frame UV-optical (I.e., NUV - B) color is sensitive to both low-level recent star formation (specific star formation rate—sSFR) and dust. In this Letter, we extend our previous work on the origins of NUV - B color gradients in star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at z˜ 1 to those at z˜ 2. We use a sample of 1335 large (semimajor axis radius {R}{SMA}> 0\\buildrel{\\prime\\prime}\\over{.} 18) SFGs with extended UV emission out to 2{R}{SMA} in the mass range {M}* ={10}9{--}{10}11 {M}⊙ at 1.5negative NUV - B color gradients (redder centers), and their color gradients strongly increase with galaxy mass. We also show that the global rest-frame FUV - NUV color is approximately linear with {A}{{V}}, which is derived by modeling the observed integrated FUV to NIR spectral energy distributions of the galaxies. Applying this integrated calibration to our spatially resolved data, we find a negative dust gradient (more dust extinguished in the centers), which steadily becomes steeper with galaxy mass. We further find that the NUV - B color gradients become nearly zero after correcting for dust gradients regardless of galaxy mass. This indicates that the sSFR gradients are negligible and dust reddening is likely the principal cause of negative UV-optical color gradients in these SFGs. Our findings support that the buildup of the stellar mass in SFGs at Cosmic Noon is self-similar inside 2{R}{SMA}.

Ecological and evolutionary drivers of the elevational gradient of diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Laiolo, Paola; Pato, Joaquina; Obeso, José Ramón

2018-05-02

Ecological, evolutionary, spatial and neutral theories make distinct predictions and provide distinct explanations for the mechanisms that control the relationship between diversity and the environment. Here, we test predictions of the elevational diversity gradient focusing on Iberian bumblebees, grasshoppers and birds. Processes mediated by local abundance and regional diversity concur in explaining local diversity patterns along elevation. Effects expressed through variation in abundance were similar among taxa and point to the overriding role of a physical factor, temperature. This determines how energy is distributed among individuals and ultimately how the resulting pattern of abundance affects species incidence. Effects expressed through variation in regional species pools depended instead on taxon-specific evolutionary history, and lead to diverging responses under similar environmental pressures. Local filters and regional variation also explain functional diversity gradients, in line with results from species richness that indicate an (local) ecological and (regional) historical unfolding of diversity-elevation relationships. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

SPIDER. IV. OPTICAL AND NEAR-INFRARED COLOR GRADIENTS IN EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES: NEW INSIGHT INTO CORRELATIONS WITH GALAXY PROPERTIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

La Barbera, F.; De Carvalho, R. R.; De La Rosa, I. G.; Gal, R. R.; Swindle, R.; Lopes, P. A. A.

2010-01-01

We present an analysis of stellar population gradients in 4546 early-type galaxies (ETGs) with photometry in grizYHJK along with optical spectroscopy. ETGs were selected as bulge-dominated systems, displaying passive spectra within the SDSS fibers. A new approach is described which utilizes color information to constrain age and metallicity gradients. Defining an effective color gradient, ∇ * , which incorporates all of the available color indices, we investigate how ∇ * varies with galaxy mass proxies, i.e., velocity dispersion, stellar (M * ) and dynamical (M dyn ) masses, as well as age, metallicity, and [α/Fe]. ETGs with M dyn larger than 8.5 x 10 10 M sun have increasing age gradients and decreasing metallicity gradients with respect to mass, metallicity, and enhancement. We find that velocity dispersion and [α/Fe] are the main drivers of these correlations. ETGs with 2.5 x 10 10 M sun ≤ M dyn ≤ 8.5 x 10 10 M sun show no correlation of age, metallicity, and color gradients with respect to mass, although color gradients still correlate with stellar population parameters, and these correlations are independent of each other. In both mass regimes, the striking anti-correlation between color gradient and α-enhancement is significant at ∼5σ and results from the fact that metallicity gradient decreases with [α/Fe]. This anti-correlation may reflect the fact that star formation and metallicity enrichment are regulated by the interplay between the energy input from supernovae, and the temperature and pressure of the hot X-ray gas in ETGs. For all mass ranges, positive age gradients are associated with old galaxies (>5-7 Gyr). For galaxies younger than ∼5 Gyr, mostly at low mass, the age gradient tends to be anti-correlated with the Age parameter, with more positive gradients at younger ages.

Flux-line-cutting losses in type-II superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clem, J.R.

1982-01-01

Energy dissipation associated with flux-line cutting (intersection and cross-joining of adjacent nonparallel vortices) is considered theoretically. The flux-line-cutting contribution to the dissipation per unit volume, arising from mutual annihilation of transverse magnetic flux, is identified as J/sub parallel/xE/sub parallel/, where J/sub parallel/ and E/sub parallel/ are the components of the current density and the electric field parallel to the magnetic induction. The dynamical behavior of the magnetic structure at the flux-line-cutting threshold is shown to be governed by a special critical-state model similar to that proposed by previous authors. The resulting flux-line-cutting critical-state model, characterized in planar geometry by a parallel critical current density J/sub c/parallel or a critical angle gradient k/sub c/, is used to calculate predicted hysteretic ac flux-line-cutting losses in type-II superconductors in which the flux pinning is weak. The relation of the theory to previous experiments is discussed

Climatic effects on decomposing litter and substrate chemistry along climatological gradients.

Science.gov (United States)

Berg, B.

2009-04-01

Climatic effects on decomposing litter and substrate chemistry along climatological gradients. B. Berg, Dipartimento Biologia Strutturale e Funzionale, Complesso Universitario, Monte San Angelo, via Cintia, I-80126 Napoli, Italy and Department of Forest Ecology, P.O. Box 27, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland. Studies of several processes, using climatic gradients do provide new information as compared with studies at e.g. a single site. Decomposition of plant litter in such gradients give response in decomposition rates to natural climate conditions. Thus Scots pine needle litter incubated in a climate gradient with annual average temperature (AVGT) ranging from -0.5 to 6.8oC had a highly significant increase in initial mass-loss rate with R2 = 0.591 (p<0.001) and a 5o increase in temperature doubled the mass-loss rate. As a contrast - needle litter of Norway spruce incubated in the same transect had no significant response to climate and for initial litter a 5o increase increased mass-loss rate c. 6%. For more decomposed Scots pine litter we could see that the effect of temperature on mass-loss rate gradually decreased until it disappeared. Long-term decomposition studies revealed differences in litter decomposition patterns along a gradient, even for the same type of litter. This could be followed by using an asymptotic function that gave, (i) a measure a maximum level of decomposition, (ii) the initial decomposition rate. Over a gradient the calculated maximum level of decomposition decreased with increasing AVGT. Other gradient studies revealed an effect of AVGT on litter chemical composition. Pine needle litter from stands under different climate conditions had nutrient concentrations related to AVGT. Thus N, P, K, and S were positively related to AVGT and Mn negatively, all of them significantly. This information may be used to explain the changing pattern in decomposition over the gradient.

Termination for a superconducting power transmission line including a horizontal cryogenic bushing

Science.gov (United States)

Minati, Kurt F.; Morgan, Gerry H.; McNerney, Andrew J.; Schauer, Felix

1984-01-01

A termination for a superconducting power transmission line is disclosed which is comprised of a standard air entrance insulated vertical bushing with an elbow, a horizontal cryogenic bushing linking the pressurized cryogenic cable environment to the ambient temperature bushing and a stress cone which terminates the cable outer shield and transforms the large radial voltage gradient in the cable dielectric into a much lower radial voltage gradient in the high density helium coolant at the cold end of the cryogenic bushing.

Rapid Gradient-Echo Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Hargreaves, Brian

2012-01-01

Gradient echo sequences are widely used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for numerous applications ranging from angiography to perfusion to functional MRI. Compared with spin-echo techniques, the very short repetition times of gradient-echo methods enable very rapid 2D and 3D imaging, but also lead to complicated “steady states.” Signal and contrast behavior can be described graphically and mathematically, and depends strongly on the type of spoiling: fully balanced (no spoiling), gradient spoiling, or RF-spoiling. These spoiling options trade off between high signal and pure T1 contrast while the flip angle also affects image contrast in all cases, both of which can be demonstrated theoretically and in image examples. As with spin-echo sequences, magnetization preparation can be added to gradient-echo sequences to alter image contrast. Gradient echo sequences are widely used for numerous applications such as 3D perfusion imaging, functional MRI, cardiac imaging and MR angiography. PMID:23097185

Low-gradient aortic stenosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Clavel, Marie-Annick; Magne, Julien; Pibarot, Philippe

2016-09-07

An important proportion of patients with aortic stenosis (AS) have a 'low-gradient' AS, i.e. a small aortic valve area (AVA gradient (gradient discrepancy raises uncertainty about the actual stenosis severity and thus about the indication for aortic valve replacement (AVR) if the patient has symptoms and/or left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. The most frequent cause of low-gradient (LG) AS is the presence of a low LV outflow state, which may occur with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), i.e. classical low-flow, low-gradient (LF-LG), or preserved LVEF, i.e. paradoxical LF-LG. Furthermore, a substantial proportion of patients with AS may have a normal-flow, low-gradient (NF-LG) AS: i.e. a small AVA-low-gradient combination but with a normal flow. One of the most important clinical challenges in these three categories of patients with LG AS (classical LF-LG, paradoxical LF-LG, and NF-LG) is to differentiate a true-severe AS that generally benefits from AVR vs. a pseudo-severe AS that should be managed conservatively. A low-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography may be used for this purpose in patients with classical LF-LG AS, whereas aortic valve calcium scoring by multi-detector computed tomography is the preferred modality in those with paradoxical LF-LG or NF-LG AS. Although patients with LF-LG severe AS have worse outcomes than those with high-gradient AS following AVR, they nonetheless display an important survival benefit with this intervention. Some studies suggest that transcatheter AVR may be superior to surgical AVR in patients with LF-LG AS. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2016. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Gravity Gradient Tensor of Arbitrary 3D Polyhedral Bodies with up to Third-Order Polynomial Horizontal and Vertical Mass Contrasts

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Zhengyong; Zhong, Yiyuan; Chen, Chaojian; Tang, Jingtian; Kalscheuer, Thomas; Maurer, Hansruedi; Li, Yang

2018-03-01

During the last 20 years, geophysicists have developed great interest in using gravity gradient tensor signals to study bodies of anomalous density in the Earth. Deriving exact solutions of the gravity gradient tensor signals has become a dominating task in exploration geophysics or geodetic fields. In this study, we developed a compact and simple framework to derive exact solutions of gravity gradient tensor measurements for polyhedral bodies, in which the density contrast is represented by a general polynomial function. The polynomial mass contrast can continuously vary in both horizontal and vertical directions. In our framework, the original three-dimensional volume integral of gravity gradient tensor signals is transformed into a set of one-dimensional line integrals along edges of the polyhedral body by sequentially invoking the volume and surface gradient (divergence) theorems. In terms of an orthogonal local coordinate system defined on these edges, exact solutions are derived for these line integrals. We successfully derived a set of unified exact solutions of gravity gradient tensors for constant, linear, quadratic and cubic polynomial orders. The exact solutions for constant and linear cases cover all previously published vertex-type exact solutions of the gravity gradient tensor for a polygonal body, though the associated algorithms may differ in numerical stability. In addition, to our best knowledge, it is the first time that exact solutions of gravity gradient tensor signals are derived for a polyhedral body with a polynomial mass contrast of order higher than one (that is quadratic and cubic orders). Three synthetic models (a prismatic body with depth-dependent density contrasts, an irregular polyhedron with linear density contrast and a tetrahedral body with horizontally and vertically varying density contrasts) are used to verify the correctness and the efficiency of our newly developed closed-form solutions. Excellent agreements are obtained

Off-Line Evaluation of Mobile-Centric Indoor Positioning Systems: The Experiences from the 2017 IPIN Competition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joaquín Torres-Sospedra

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The development of indoor positioning solutions using smartphones is a growing activity with an enormous potential for everyday life and professional applications. The research activities on this topic concentrate on the development of new positioning solutions that are tested in specific environments under their own evaluation metrics. To explore the real positioning quality of smartphone-based solutions and their capabilities for seamlessly adapting to different scenarios, it is needed to find fair evaluation frameworks. The design of competitions using extensive pre-recorded datasets is a valid way to generate open data for comparing the different solutions created by research teams. In this paper, we discuss the details of the 2017 IPIN indoor localization competition, the different datasets created, the teams participating in the event, and the results they obtained. We compare these results with other competition-based approaches (Microsoft and Perf-loc and on-line evaluation web sites. The lessons learned by organising these competitions and the benefits for the community are addressed along the paper. Our analysis paves the way for future developments on the standardization of evaluations and for creating a widely-adopted benchmark strategy for researchers and companies in the field.

Off-Line Evaluation of Mobile-Centric Indoor Positioning Systems: The Experiences from the 2017 IPIN Competition

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira, Adriano; Lungenstrass, Tomás; Lu, Wei-Chung; Seco, Fernando; Nicolau, Maria João; Farina, Joaquín; Morales, Juan Pablo; Lu, Wen-Chen; Cheng, Ho-Ti; Yang, Shi-Shen

2018-01-01

The development of indoor positioning solutions using smartphones is a growing activity with an enormous potential for everyday life and professional applications. The research activities on this topic concentrate on the development of new positioning solutions that are tested in specific environments under their own evaluation metrics. To explore the real positioning quality of smartphone-based solutions and their capabilities for seamlessly adapting to different scenarios, it is needed to find fair evaluation frameworks. The design of competitions using extensive pre-recorded datasets is a valid way to generate open data for comparing the different solutions created by research teams. In this paper, we discuss the details of the 2017 IPIN indoor localization competition, the different datasets created, the teams participating in the event, and the results they obtained. We compare these results with other competition-based approaches (Microsoft and Perf-loc) and on-line evaluation web sites. The lessons learned by organising these competitions and the benefits for the community are addressed along the paper. Our analysis paves the way for future developments on the standardization of evaluations and for creating a widely-adopted benchmark strategy for researchers and companies in the field. PMID:29415508

Overview of The Pulse Line Ion Accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Briggs, R.J.; Bieniosek, F.M.; Coleman, J.E.; Eylon, S.; Henestroza, E.; Leitner, M.; Logan, B.G.; Reginato, L.L.; Roy, P.K.; Seidl, P.A.; Waldron, W.L.; Yu, S.S.; Barnard, J.J.; Caporaso, G.J.; Friedman, A.; Grote, D.P.; Nelson, S.D.

2006-01-01

An overview of the Pulse Line Ion Accelerator (PLIA) concept and its development is presented. In the PLIA concept a pulse power driver applied to one end of a helical pulse line creates a traveling wave pulse that accelerates and axially confines a heavy ion beam pulse The motivation for its development at the IFE-VNL is the acceleration of intense, short pulse, heavy ion beams to regimes of interest for studies of High Energy Density Physics and Warm Dense Matter. Acceleration scenarios with constant parameter helical lines are described which result in output energies of a single stage much larger than the several hundred kilovolt peak voltages on the line, with a goal of 3-5 MeV/meter acceleration gradients. The main attraction of the concept is the very low cost it promises. It might be described crudely as an ''air core'' induction linac where the pulse-forming network is integrated into the beam line so the accelerating voltage pulse can move along with the ions to get voltage multiplication

Modeling and interpretation of line observations*

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamp Inga

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Models for the interpretation of line observations from protoplanetary disks are summarized. The spectrum ranges from 1D LTE slab models to 2D thermo-chemical radiative transfer models and their use depends largely on the type/nature of observational data that is analyzed. I discuss the various types of observational data and their interpretation in the context of disk physical and chemical properties. The most simple spatially and spectral unresolved data are line fluxes, which can be interpreted using so-called Boltzmann diagrams. The interpretation is often tricky due to optical depth and non-LTE effects and requires care. Line profiles contain kinematic information and thus indirectly the spatial origin of the emission. Using series of line profiles, we can for example deduce radial temperature gradients in disks (CO pure rotational ladder. Spectro-astrometry of e.g. CO ro-vibrational line profiles probes the disk structure in the 1–30 AU region, where planet formation through core accretion should be most efficient. Spatially and spectrally resolved line images from (submm interferometers are the richest datasets we have to date and they enable us to unravel exciting details of the radial and vertical disk structure such as winds and asymmetries.

Plasma position control device for thermonuclear device

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onozuka, Masanori [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Fujita, Jun-ya; Ioki, Kimihiro

1995-10-03

The present invention concerns plasma position control coils having a feeder line structure not requiring high strength for the support portion. Namely, the coils are formed by twisting feeder lines extended from plasma position control coils in a vacuum vessel. The twisted feeder lines are supported using an appropriate structural member. Electromagnetic load is generated to the feeder lines being extended from the position control coils and traversing toroidal fields at a current introduction lines and at current delivery lines respectively. However, since the feeder lines have substantially spiral shape consisting of two twisted lines, the electromagnetic load and the moment caused by the generated load which are inversed to each other are off set. Accordingly, only extremely small force is exerted on the fittings which support the feeder lines. Therefore, small strength may suffice for the fittings and the gaps of mounting the fittings may be made longer. (I.S.).

Plasma position control device for thermonuclear device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onozuka, Masanori; Fujita, Jun-ya; Ioki, Kimihiro.

1995-01-01

The present invention concerns plasma position control coils having a feeder line structure not requiring high strength for the support portion. Namely, the coils are formed by twisting feeder lines extended from plasma position control coils in a vacuum vessel. The twisted feeder lines are supported using an appropriate structural member. Electromagnetic load is generated to the feeder lines being extended from the position control coils and traversing toroidal fields at a current introduction lines and at current delivery lines respectively. However, since the feeder lines have substantially spiral shape consisting of two twisted lines, the electromagnetic load and the moment caused by the generated load which are inversed to each other are off set. Accordingly, only extremely small force is exerted on the fittings which support the feeder lines. Therefore, small strength may suffice for the fittings and the gaps of mounting the fittings may be made longer. (I.S.)

Chemical Degradation of Cathode Linings in Hall-Héroult Cells—An Autopsy Study of Three Spent Pot Linings

Science.gov (United States)

Tschöpe, Kati; Schøning, Cristian; Rutlin, Jørn; Grande, Tor

2012-04-01

Cathode autopsies are used frequently in the aluminum industry to investigate pot failure and the degradation of the cathode lining. The materials observed in spent pot lining (SPL) has so far been assumed to reflect the sequence of layers from the cathode to the nonreacted refractory lining as present during the operation of the cell. Here, we demonstrate that the thermal gradient in the lining is reversed during cooling and that the physical appearance of the SPL is caused both by processes taking place during operation and cooling of the shutdown cell. X-ray diffraction and microscopy of the SPL from three shutdown cells revealed that sodium metal is the main component responsible for the chemical degradation of the refractory lining. Two distinct reaction fronts were identified in the three SPL showing that sodium is penetrating deeper down into the lining than the molten fluorides from the electrolyte. The mechanisms for the transport of sodium and bath components in the refractory lining are proposed based on the experimental observations. The sodium penetration is inhibited by the formation of a viscous barrier as suggested previously, but the current findings suggest that the barrier retards diffusion of O2- and F- anions rather than Na+ as proposed previously.

Graded/Gradient Porous Biomaterials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xigeng Miao

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Biomaterials include bioceramics, biometals, biopolymers and biocomposites and they play important roles in the replacement and regeneration of human tissues. However, dense bioceramics and dense biometals pose the problem of stress shielding due to their high Young’s moduli compared to those of bones. On the other hand, porous biomaterials exhibit the potential of bone ingrowth, which will depend on porous parameters such as pore size, pore interconnectivity, and porosity. Unfortunately, a highly porous biomaterial results in poor mechanical properties. To optimise the mechanical and the biological properties, porous biomaterials with graded/gradient porosity, pores size, and/or composition have been developed. Graded/gradient porous biomaterials have many advantages over graded/gradient dense biomaterials and uniform or homogenous porous biomaterials. The internal pore surfaces of graded/gradient porous biomaterials can be modified with organic, inorganic, or biological coatings and the internal pores themselves can also be filled with biocompatible and biodegradable materials or living cells. However, graded/gradient porous biomaterials are generally more difficult to fabricate than uniform or homogenous porous biomaterials. With the development of cost-effective processing techniques, graded/gradient porous biomaterials can find wide applications in bone defect filling, implant fixation, bone replacement, drug delivery, and tissue engineering.

Gradient for the acoustic VTI full waveform inversion based on the instantaneous traveltime sensitivity kernels

KAUST Repository

Djebbi, Ramzi

2015-08-19

The instantaneous traveltime is able to reduce the non-linearity of full waveform inversion (FWI) that originates from the wrapping of the phase. However, the adjoint state method in this case requires a total of 5 modeling calculations to compute the gradient. Also, considering the larger modeling cost for anisotropic wavefield extrapolation and the necessity to use a line-search algorithm to estimate a step length that depends on the parameters scale, we propose to calculate the gradient based on the instantaneous traveltime sensitivity kernels. We, specifically, use the sensitivity kernels computed using dynamic ray-tracing to build the gradient. The resulting update is computed using a matrix decomposition and accordingly the computational cost is reduced. We consider a simple example where an anomaly is embedded into a constant background medium and we compute the update for the VTI wave equation parameterized using vh, η and ε.

Gradient for the acoustic VTI full waveform inversion based on the instantaneous traveltime sensitivity kernels

KAUST Repository

Djebbi, Ramzi; Alkhalifah, Tariq Ali

2015-01-01

The instantaneous traveltime is able to reduce the non-linearity of full waveform inversion (FWI) that originates from the wrapping of the phase. However, the adjoint state method in this case requires a total of 5 modeling calculations to compute the gradient. Also, considering the larger modeling cost for anisotropic wavefield extrapolation and the necessity to use a line-search algorithm to estimate a step length that depends on the parameters scale, we propose to calculate the gradient based on the instantaneous traveltime sensitivity kernels. We, specifically, use the sensitivity kernels computed using dynamic ray-tracing to build the gradient. The resulting update is computed using a matrix decomposition and accordingly the computational cost is reduced. We consider a simple example where an anomaly is embedded into a constant background medium and we compute the update for the VTI wave equation parameterized using vh, η and ε.

Sistem Verifikasi Tanda Tangan Off-Line Berdasar Ciri Histogram Of Oriented Gradient (HOG Dan Histogram Of Curvature (HoC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agus Wahyu Widodo

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Abstrak Tanda tangan dengan sifat uniknya merupakan salah satu dari sekian banyak atribut personal yang diterima secara luas untuk verifikasi indentitas seseorang, alat pembuktian kepemilikan berbagai transaksi atau dokumen di dalam masyarakat. Keberhasilan penggunaan ciri gradien dan curvature dalam bidang-bidang penelitian pengenalan pola dan bahwa tanda tangan dapat dikatakan merupakan hasil tulisan tangan yang tersusun atas beragam garis dan lengkungan (curve yang memiliki arah atau orientasi merupakan alasan bahwa kedua ciri tersebut digunakan sebagai metoda verifikasi tanda tangan offline di penelitian ini. Berbagai implementasi dari pre-processing, ekstraksi dan representasi ciri, dan pembelajaran SVM serta usaha perbaikan yang telah dilakukan dalam penelitian ini menunjukkan hasil bahwa ciri HOG dan HoC mampu dimanfaatkan dalam proses verifikasi tanda tangan secara offline.  Pada basis data GPDS960Signature, HOG dan HoC yang dihitung pada ukuran sel 30 x 30 piksel memberikan dengan nilai %FRR terbaik 26,90 dan %FAR 37,56.  Sedangkan pada basis data FUM-PHSDB, HOG dn HoC yang dihitung pada ukuran 60 x 60 piksel memberikan nilai %FRR terbaik 4 dan %FAR 57. Kata kunci: verifikasi tanda tangan, curvature, orientation, gradient, histogram of curvature (HoC, histogram of oriented gradient (HOG Abstract Signature with unique properties is one of the many personal attributes that are widely accepted to verify a person's identity, proof of ownership transactions instrument or document in the community. The successful use of gradient and curvature feature in the research fields of pattern recognition is the reason that both of these features are used as an offline signature verification method in this study. Various implementations of preprocessing, feature extraction and representation, and SVM learning has been done in the study showed results that HOG and HoC feature can be utilized in the process of offline signature verification.  HOG and

Comparison of preconditioned generalized conjugate gradient methods to two-dimensional neutron and photon transport equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, G.S.; Yang, D.Y.

1998-01-01

We apply and compare the preconditioned generalized conjugate gradient methods to solve the linear system equation that arises in the two-dimensional neutron and photon transport equation in this paper. Several subroutines are developed on the basis of preconditioned generalized conjugate gradient methods for time-independent, two-dimensional neutron and photon transport equation in the transport theory. These generalized conjugate gradient methods are used: TFQMR (transpose free quasi-minimal residual algorithm) CGS (conjugate gradient square algorithm), Bi-CGSTAB (bi-conjugate gradient stabilized algorithm) and QMRCGSTAB (quasi-minimal residual variant of bi-conjugate gradient stabilized algorithm). These subroutines are connected to computer program DORT. Several problems are tested on a personal computer with Intel Pentium CPU. The reasons to choose the generalized conjugate gradient methods are that the methods have better residual (equivalent to error) control procedures in the computation and have better convergent rate. The pointwise incomplete LU factorization ILU, modified pointwise incomplete LU factorization MILU, block incomplete factorization BILU and modified blockwise incomplete LU factorization MBILU are the preconditioning techniques used in the several testing problems. In Bi-CGSTAB, CGS, TFQMR and QMRCGSTAB method, we find that either CGS or Bi-CGSTAB method combined with preconditioner MBILU is the most efficient algorithm in these methods in the several testing problems. The numerical solution of flux by preconditioned CGS and Bi-CGSTAB methods has the same result as those from Cray computer, obtained by either the point successive relaxation method or the line successive relaxation method combined with Gaussian elimination

Using contemporary liquid chromatography theory and technology to improve capillary gradient ion-exchange separations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wouters, Bert; Broeckhoven, Ken; Wouters, Sam; Bruggink, Cees; Agroskin, Yury; Pohl, Christopher A; Eeltink, Sebastiaan

2014-11-28

The gradient-performance limits of capillary ion chromatography have been assessed at maximum system pressure (34.5 MPa) using capillary columns packed with 4.1 μm macroporous anion-exchange particles coated with 65 nm positively-charged nanobeads. In analogy to the van-Deemter curve, the gradient performance was assessed applying different flow rates, while decreasing the gradient time inversely proportional to the increase in flow rate in order to maintain the same retention properties. The gradient kinetic-performance limits were determined at maximum system pressure, applying tG/t0=5, 10, and 20. In addition, the effect of retention on peak width was assessed in gradient mode for mono-, di-, and trivalent inorganic anions. The peak width of late-eluting ions can be significantly reduced by using concave gradient, resulting in better detection sensitivity. A signal enhancement factor of 8 was measured for a late-eluting ion when applying a concave instead of a linear gradient. For the analysis of a complex anion mixture, a coupled column with a total length of 1.05 m was operated at the kinetic-performance limit applying a linear 250 min gradient (tG/t0=10). The peak capacity varied between 200 and 380 depending on analyte retention, and hence on charge and size of the ion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DC cancellation as a method of generating a t2-response and of solving the radial position error in a concentric free-falling two-sphere equivalence-principle experiment in a drag-free satellite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lange, Benjamin

2010-01-01

This paper presents a new method for doing a free-fall equivalence-principle (EP) experiment in a satellite at ambient temperature which solves two problems that have previously blocked this approach. By using large masses to change the gravity gradient at the proof masses, the orbit dynamics of a drag-free satellite may be changed in such a way that the experiment can mimic a free-fall experiment in a constant gravitational field on the earth. An experiment using a sphere surrounded by a spherical shell both completely unsupported and free falling has previously been impractical because (1) it is not possible to distinguish between a small EP violation and a slight difference in the semi-major axes of the orbits of the two proof masses and (2) the position difference in the orbit due to an EP violation only grows as t whereas the largest disturbance grows as t 3/2 . Furthermore, it has not been known how to independently measure the positions of a shell and a solid sphere with sufficient accuracy. The measurement problem can be solved by using a two-color transcollimator (see the main text), and since the radial-position-error and t-response problems arise from the earth's gravity gradient and not from its gravity field, one solution is to modify the earth's gravity gradient with local masses fixed in the satellite. Since the gravity gradient at the surface of a sphere, for example, depends only on its density, the gravity gradients of laboratory masses and of the earth unlike their fields are of the same order of magnitude. In a drag-free satellite spinning perpendicular to the orbit plane, two fixed spherical masses whose connecting line parallels the satellite spin axis can generate a dc gravity gradient at test masses located between them which cancels the combined gravity gradient of the earth and differential centrifugal force. With perfect cancellation, the position-error problem vanishes and the response grows as t 2 along a line which always points toward

Gradient forces on double-negative particles in optical tweezers using Bessel beams in the ray optics regime.

Science.gov (United States)

Ambrosio, Leonardo A; Hernández-Figueroa, Hugo E

2010-11-08

Gradient forces on double negative (DNG) spherical dielectric particles are theoretically evaluated for v-th Bessel beams supposing geometrical optics approximations based on momentum transfer. For the first time in the literature, comparisons between these forces for double positive (DPS) and DNG particles are reported. We conclude that, contrary to the conventional case of positive refractive index, the gradient forces acting on a DNG particle may not reverse sign when the relative refractive index n goes from |n|>1 to |n|<1, thus revealing new and interesting trapping properties.

Efficient Sensor Placement Optimization Using Gradient Descent and Probabilistic Coverage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vahab Akbarzadeh

2014-08-01

Full Text Available We are proposing an adaptation of the gradient descent method to optimize the position and orientation of sensors for the sensor placement problem. The novelty of the proposed method lies in the combination of gradient descent optimization with a realistic model, which considers both the topography of the environment and a set of sensors with directional probabilistic sensing. The performance of this approach is compared with two other black box optimization methods over area coverage and processing time. Results show that our proposed method produces competitive results on smaller maps and superior results on larger maps, while requiring much less computation than the other optimization methods to which it has been compared.

Testing the limits of gradient sensing.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinal Lakhani

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The ability to detect a chemical gradient is fundamental to many cellular processes. In multicellular organisms gradient sensing plays an important role in many physiological processes such as wound healing and development. Unicellular organisms use gradient sensing to move (chemotaxis or grow (chemotropism towards a favorable environment. Some cells are capable of detecting extremely shallow gradients, even in the presence of significant molecular-level noise. For example, yeast have been reported to detect pheromone gradients as shallow as 0.1 nM/μm. Noise reduction mechanisms, such as time-averaging and the internalization of pheromone molecules, have been proposed to explain how yeast cells filter fluctuations and detect shallow gradients. Here, we use a Particle-Based Reaction-Diffusion model of ligand-receptor dynamics to test the effectiveness of these mechanisms and to determine the limits of gradient sensing. In particular, we develop novel simulation methods for establishing chemical gradients that not only allow us to study gradient sensing under steady-state conditions, but also take into account transient effects as the gradient forms. Based on reported measurements of reaction rates, our results indicate neither time-averaging nor receptor endocytosis significantly improves the cell's accuracy in detecting gradients over time scales associated with the initiation of polarized growth. Additionally, our results demonstrate the physical barrier of the cell membrane sharpens chemical gradients across the cell. While our studies are motivated by the mating response of yeast, we believe our results and simulation methods will find applications in many different contexts.

A Preliminary Comparison of Three Dimensional Particle Tracking and Sizing using Plenoptic Imaging and Digital In-line Holography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guildenbecher, Daniel Robert; Munz, Elise Dahnke; Farias, Paul Abraham; Thurow, Brian S [Auburn U

2015-12-01

Digital in-line holography and plenoptic photography are two techniques for single-shot, volumetric measurement of 3D particle fields. Here we present a preliminary comparison of the two methods by applying plenoptic imaging to experimental configurations that have been previously investigated with digital in-line holography. These experiments include the tracking of secondary droplets from the impact of a water drop on a thin film of water and tracking of pellets from a shotgun. Both plenoptic imaging and digital in-line holography successfully quantify the 3D nature of these particle fields. This includes measurement of the 3D particle position, individual particle sizes, and three-component velocity vectors. For the initial processing methods presented here, both techniques give out-of-plane positional accuracy of approximately 1-2 particle diameters. For a fixed image sensor, digital holography achieves higher effective in-plane spatial resolutions. However, collimated and coherent illumination makes holography susceptible to image distortion through index of refraction gradients, as demonstrated in the shotgun experiments. On the other hand, plenotpic imaging allows for a simpler experimental configuration. Furthermore, due to the use of diffuse, white-light illumination, plenoptic imaging is less susceptible to image distortion in the shotgun experiments. Additional work is needed to better quantify sources of uncertainty, particularly in the plenoptic experiments, as well as develop data processing methodologies optimized for the plenoptic measurement.

Ka-Band Rf Transmission Line Components for a High-Gradient Linear Accelerator. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirshfield, Jay L.

2005-01-01

High-power, high-vacuum prototypes of a variety of components for use at 34 GHz were developed. These include waveguide tapers, right-angle miter bends, windows, mode converters, power combiners, mode launchers, phase shifters, dual directional couplers, and loads. High-power, high-vacuum prototypes of all the components were built and tested up to 45 MW, using the Omega-P 34-GHz magnicon. Peak power limits for the components were determined using a quasi-optical rf pulse compressor, developed under a companion project. The components and the magnicon were configured into a user's facility for research and development by others on high-gradient accelerator structures for a future high-energy electron-positron collider.

Accelerated gradient methods for total-variation-based CT image reconstruction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Jakob Heide; Jensen, Tobias Lindstrøm; Hansen, Per Christian

2011-01-01

incorporates several heuristics from the optimization literature such as Barzilai-Borwein (BB) step size selection and nonmonotone line search. The latter uses a cleverly chosen sequence of auxiliary points to achieve a better convergence rate. The methods are memory efficient and equipped with a stopping...... reconstruction can in principle be found by any optimization method, but in practice the large scale of the systems arising in CT image reconstruction preclude the use of memory-demanding methods such as Newton’s method. The simple gradient method has much lower memory requirements, but exhibits slow convergence...

Gradient-index phononic crystal lens-based enhancement of elastic wave energy harvesting

Science.gov (United States)

Tol, S.; Degertekin, F. L.; Erturk, A.

2016-08-01

We explore the enhancement of structure-borne elastic wave energy harvesting, both numerically and experimentally, by exploiting a Gradient-Index Phononic Crystal Lens (GRIN-PCL) structure. The proposed GRIN-PCL is formed by an array of blind holes with different diameters on an aluminum plate, where the blind hole distribution is tailored to obtain a hyperbolic secant gradient profile of refractive index guided by finite-element simulations of the lowest asymmetric mode Lamb wave band diagrams. Under plane wave excitation from a line source, experimentally measured wave field validates the numerical simulation of wave focusing within the GRIN-PCL domain. A piezoelectric energy harvester disk located at the first focus of the GRIN-PCL yields an order of magnitude larger power output as compared to the baseline case of energy harvesting without the GRIN-PCL on the uniform plate counterpart.

A single-gradient junction technique to replace multiple-junction shifts for craniospinal irradiation treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadley, Austin; Ding, George X.

2014-01-01

Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) requires abutting fields at the cervical spine. Junction shifts are conventionally used to prevent setup error–induced overdosage/underdosage from occurring at the same location. This study compared the dosimetric differences at the cranial-spinal junction between a single-gradient junction technique and conventional multiple-junction shifts and evaluated the effect of setup errors on the dose distributions between both techniques for a treatment course and single fraction. Conventionally, 2 lateral brain fields and a posterior spine field(s) are used for CSI with weekly 1-cm junction shifts. We retrospectively replanned 4 CSI patients using a single-gradient junction between the lateral brain fields and the posterior spine field. The fields were extended to allow a minimum 3-cm field overlap. The dose gradient at the junction was achieved using dose painting and intensity-modulated radiation therapy planning. The effect of positioning setup errors on the dose distributions for both techniques was simulated by applying shifts of ± 3 and 5 mm. The resulting cervical spine doses across the field junction for both techniques were calculated and compared. Dose profiles were obtained for both a single fraction and entire treatment course to include the effects of the conventional weekly junction shifts. Compared with the conventional technique, the gradient-dose technique resulted in higher dose uniformity and conformity to the target volumes, lower organ at risk (OAR) mean and maximum doses, and diminished hot spots from systematic positioning errors over the course of treatment. Single-fraction hot and cold spots were improved for the gradient-dose technique. The single-gradient junction technique provides improved conformity, dose uniformity, diminished hot spots, lower OAR mean and maximum dose, and one plan for the entire treatment course, which reduces the potential human error associated with conventional 4-shifted plans

Strain gradient effects on cyclic plasticity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Niordson, Christian Frithiof; Legarth, Brian Nyvang

2010-01-01

Size effects on the cyclic shear response are studied numerically using a recent higher order strain gradient visco-plasticity theory accounting for both dissipative and energetic gradient hardening. Numerical investigations of the response under cyclic pure shear and shear of a finite slab between...... rigid platens have been carried out, using the finite element method. It is shown for elastic–perfectly plastic solids how dissipative gradient effects lead to increased yield strength, whereas energetic gradient contributions lead to increased hardening as well as a Bauschinger effect. For linearly...... hardening materials it is quantified how dissipative and energetic gradient effects promote hardening above that of conventional predictions. Usually, increased hardening is attributed to energetic gradient effects, but here it is found that also dissipative gradient effects lead to additional hardening...

Karoo-fynbos biomass along an elevational gradient in the western Cape.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. C. Rutherford

1978-12-01

Full Text Available A short characterization of the vegetational gradient from two basic physiognomic forms of fynbos, through Renosterbosveld to arid Karoo vegetation of the south-western Cape, is given with reference to possible vegetational analogues within similar gradients in winter-rainfall areas elsewhere. Description is limited to some aspects affecting biomass and its measurement, as well as to consideration of community stability needed for valid comparison of community biomass. Live individuals, including single dominant species, all other shrubs, graminoids and other herbaceous species as well as dead individuals were harvested separately in each major community type within an elevational gradient corresponding to the vegetational gradient described. Greatest biomass (14311 kg ha-1 was found in a summit restionaceous community, while lowest biomass (7564 kg ha-1 was found in a low-lying succulent Karoo community. There was an inverse relationship between elevation and percentage dead material mass and a strongly positive relationship between elevation and percentage biomass of the graminoid group. Total biomass values appear to be in keeping with available data for analogue communities in different Mediterranean climate areas, although distinct differences sometimes occur in the relative biomass contributions of component groups.

The educational gradient in marriage: a comparison of 25 European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalmijn, Matthijs

2013-08-01

Previous research has suggested that a new marriage gradient has emerged in the United States, with marriage becoming increasingly the privilege of the better-educated. This article examines whether this is true for Europe and explores differences in the marriage gradient among 25 European countries, using multilevel models. The focus is on the chances of living in a marital (or cohabiting) union during midlife (ages 40-49). Multilevel analyses show that the direction and strength of the gradient depend on the societal context. In countries where gender roles are traditional, better-educated women are less likely to be married than less-educated women; in gender-egalitarian countries, better-educated women are more likely to be married. For men, the educational effect on marriage is absent in traditional countries but becomes positive as gender roles become more equal. Inequality in a society also modifies the gradient: if the degree of economic inequality between educational groups in a society is strong, better-educated men are more likely to be married than less-educated men. In general, the results suggest that there may be an accumulation of social and economic disadvantages for the less well educated in more-developed countries.

A simplified theory of ELF propagation in the Earth-ionosphere transmission line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Booker, H.G.

1980-01-01

An approximate theory of ELF propagation in the Earth-ionosphere transmission line is developed by combining the reflection theory of Booker and Lefeuvre with Greifinger and Greifinger's treatment of the effect of ionization below the level of reflection. The theory allows for the influence of the Earth's magnetic field, for reflection from the gradient on the under side of the D-region (or, at night, of a ledge below the E-region), for reflection from the gradient on the underside of the E-region and for reflection from the gradient on the topside of the E-region. The procedure is to compare local vertical gradient with local wavelength, thereby classifying altitude into intervals where the gradient is high and ones where it is low. Where the gradient is low, the phase-integral treatment is adequate. An interval where the gradient is high may, to a first approximation, be replaced by a discontinuity. The amount of the discontinuity is the difference between the refractive indices at the top and bottom of the interval of high gradient, judged in relation to local wavelength. It is then a matter of combining reflections from the several discontinuities. This requires calculation of the complex phase-changes between the discontinuities. But there are the intervals where the phase-integral treatment is available. To a better approximation, there is a non-zero phase change associated with an interval of high gradient. The method for incorporating this is described. (author)

DISSECTING THE POWER SOURCES OF LOW-LUMINOSITY EMISSION-LINE GALAXY NUCLEI VIA COMPARISON OF HST-STIS AND GROUND-BASED SPECTRA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Constantin, Anca; Castillo, Christopher A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 (United States); Shields, Joseph C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701 (United States); Ho, Luis C. [Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Barth, Aaron J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-4575 (United States); Filippenko, Alexei V. [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States)

2015-12-01

Using a sample of ∼100 nearby line-emitting galaxy nuclei, we have built the currently definitive atlas of spectroscopic measurements of Hα and neighboring emission lines at subarcsecond scales. We employ these data in a quantitative comparison of the nebular emission in Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and ground-based apertures, which offer an order-of-magnitude difference in contrast, and provide new statistical constraints on the degree to which transition objects and low-ionization nuclear emission-line regions (LINERs) are powered by an accreting black hole at ≲10 pc. We show that while the small-aperture observations clearly resolve the nebular emission, the aperture dependence in the line ratios is generally weak, and this can be explained by gradients in the density of the line-emitting gas: the higher densities in the more nuclear regions potentially flatten the excitation gradients, suppressing the forbidden emission. The transition objects show a threefold increase in the incidence of broad Hα emission in the high-resolution data, as well as the strongest density gradients, supporting the composite model for these systems as accreting sources surrounded by star-forming activity. The narrow-line LINERs appear to be the weaker counterparts of the Type 1 LINERs, where the low accretion rates cause the disappearance of the broad-line component. The enhanced sensitivity of the HST observations reveals a 30% increase in the incidence of accretion-powered systems at z ≈ 0. A comparison of the strength of the broad-line emission detected at different epochs implies potential broad-line variability on a decade-long timescale, with at least a factor of three in amplitude.

Travelling gradient thermocouple calibration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broomfield, G.H.

1975-01-01

A short discussion of the origins of the thermocouple EMF is used to re-introduce the idea that the Peltier and Thompson effects are indistinguishable from one another. Thermocouples may be viewed as devices which generate an EMF at junctions or as integrators of EMF's developed in thermal gradients. The thermal gradient view is considered the more appropriate, because of its better accord with theory and behaviour, the correct approach to calibration, and investigation of service effects is immediately obvious. Inhomogeneities arise in thermocouples during manufacture and in service. The results of travelling gradient measurements are used to show that such effects are revealed with a resolution which depends on the length of the gradient although they may be masked during simple immersion calibration. Proposed tests on thermocouples irradiated in a nuclear reactor are discussed

A study of TiB2/TiB gradient coating by laser cladding on titanium alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yinghua; Lei, Yongping; Li, Xueqiao; Zhi, Xiaohui; Fu, Hanguang

2016-07-01

TiB2/TiB gradient coating has been fabricated by a laser cladding technique on the surface of a Ti-6Al-4V substrate using TiB2 powder as the cladding material. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the gradient coating were analyzed by SEM, EPMA, XRD, TEM and an instrument to measure hardness. With the increasing distance from the coating surface, the content of TiB2 particles gradually decreased, but the content of TiB short fibers gradually increased. Meanwhile, the micro-hardness and the elastic modulus of the TiB2/TiB coating showed a gradient decreasing trend, but the fracture toughness showed a gradient increasing trend. The fracture toughness of the TiB2/TiB coating between the center and the bottom was improved, primarily due to the debonding of TiB2 particles and the high fracture of TiB short fibers, and the fracture position of TiB short fiber can be moved to an adjacent position. However, the debonding of TiB2 particles was difficult to achieve at the surface of the TiB2/TiB coating.

Position sensitive x-ray detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macchione, E.L.A.

1990-01-01

A multi ware position sensitive gas counter for X-ray detection was developed in our laboratory, making use of commercial delay-lines for position sensing. Six delay-line chips (50 ns delay each, 40 Mhz cut-off frequency) cover a total sensitive length of 150 mm leading to a delay-risetime ratio that allows for a high-resolution position detection. Tests using the 5,9 keV X-ray line from a 55 Fe source and integral linearity better than 0,1% and a maximal differential linearity of ±4,0% were obtained operating the detector with an Ar-C H 4 (90%-10%) gas mixture at 700 torr. Similar tests were performed, using the 8,04 keV line from a Cu x-ray tube. A total resolution of 330 μm, and the same integral and differential linearities were obtained. (author)

Self-organization of intracellular gradients during mitosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fuller Brian G

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Gradients are used in a number of biological systems to transmit spatial information over a range of distances. The best studied are morphogen gradients where information is transmitted over many cell lengths. Smaller mitotic gradients reflect the need to organize several distinct events along the length of the mitotic spindle. The intracellular gradients that characterize mitosis are emerging as important regulatory paradigms. Intracellular gradients utilize intrinsic auto-regulatory feedback loops and diffusion to establish stable regions of activity within the mitotic cytosol. We review three recently described intracellular mitotic gradients. The Ran GTP gradient with its elaborate cascade of nuclear transport receptors and cargoes is the best characterized, yet the dynamics underlying the robust gradient of Ran-GTP have received little attention. Gradients of phosphorylation have been observed on Aurora B kinase substrates both before and after anaphase onset. In both instances the phosphorylation gradient appears to result from a soluble gradient of Aurora B kinase activity. Regulatory properties that support gradient formation are highlighted. Intracellular activity gradients that regulate localized mitotic events bare several hallmarks of self-organizing biologic systems that designate spatial information during pattern formation. Intracellular pattern formation represents a new paradigm in mitotic regulation.

Application of preconditioned conjugate gradient-like methods to reactor kinetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, D.Y.; Chen, G.S.; Chou, H.P.

1993-01-01

Several conjugate gradient-like (CG-like) methods are applied to solve the nonsymmetric linear systems of equations derived from the time-dependent two-dimensional two-energy-group neutron diffusion equations by a finite difference approximation. The methods are: the generalized conjugate residual method; the generalized conjugate gradient least-square method; the generalized minimal residual method (GMRES); the conjugate gradient square method; and a variant of bi-conjugate gradient method (Bi-CGSTAB). In order to accelerate these methods, six preconditioning techniques are investigated. Two are based on pointwise incomplete factorization: the incomplete LU (ILU) and the modified incomplete LU (MILU) decompositions; two, based on the block tridiagonal structure of the coefficient matrix, are blockwise and modified blockwise incomplete factorizations, BILU and MBILU; two are the alternating-direction implicit and symmetric successive overrelaxation (SSOR) preconditioners, derived from the basic iterative schemes. Comparisons are made by using CG-like methods combined with different preconditioners to solve a sequence of time-step reactor transient problems. Numerical tests indicate that preconditioned BI-CGSTAB with the preconditioner MBILU requires less CPU time and fewer iterations than other methods. The preconditioned CG-like methods are less sensitive to the time-step size used than the Chebyshev semi-iteration method and line SOR method. The indication is that the CGS, Bi-CGSTAB and GMRES methods are, on average, better than the other methods in reactor kinetics computation and that a good preconditioner is more important than the choice of CG-like methods. The MILU decomposition based on the conventional row-sum criterion has difficulty yielding a convergent solution and an improved version is introduced. (author)

Increased radiosensitivity of HPV-positive head and neck cancer cell lines due to cell cycle dysregulation and induction of apoptosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arenz, Andrea; Ziemann, Frank; Wittig, Andrea; Preising, Stefanie; Engenhart-Cabillic, Rita [Philipps-University, Department of Radiotherapy and Radiooncology, BMFZ - Biomedical Research Center, Marburg (Germany); Mayer, Christina; Wagner, Steffen; Klussmann, Jens-Peter; Wittekindt, Claus [Justus Liebig University, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Giessen (Germany); Dreffke, Kirstin [Philipps-University, Institute for Radiobiology and Molecular Radiooncology, Marburg (Germany)

2014-09-15

Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) respond favourably to radiotherapy as compared to HPV-unrelated HNSCC. We investigated DNA damage response in HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC cell lines aiming to identify mechanisms, which illustrate reasons for the increased sensitivity of HPV-positive cancers of the oropharynx. Radiation response including clonogenic survival, apoptosis, DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair, and cell cycle redistribution in four HPV-positive (UM-SCC-47, UM-SCC-104, 93-VU-147T, UPCI:SCC152) and four HPV-negative (UD-SCC-1, UM-SCC-6, UM-SCC-11b, UT-SCC-33) cell lines was evaluated. HPV-positive cells were more radiosensitive (mean SF2: 0.198 range: 0.22-0.18) than HPV-negative cells (mean SF2: 0.34, range: 0.45-0.27; p = 0.010). Irradiated HPV-positive cell lines progressed faster through S-phase showing a more distinct accumulation in G2/M. The abnormal cell cycle checkpoint activation was accompanied by a more pronounced increase of cell death after x-irradiation and a higher number of residual and unreleased DSBs. The enhanced responsiveness of HPV-related HNSCC to radiotherapy might be caused by a higher cellular radiosensitivity due to cell cycle dysregulation and impaired DNA DSB repair. (orig.) [German] Fuer Patienten mit HPV-assoziierten Kopf-Hals-Tumoren (HNSCC) ist im Vergleich zu Patienten mit nicht-HPV-assoziierten Tumoren ein besseres Ueberleben nach Radiotherapie gesichert. Ziel der Untersuchung war die Identifizierung von Unterschieden in der zellulaeren DNA-Schadensantwort von HPV-positiven und HPV-negativen Zelllinien, wodurch die bereits in Erprobung stehende Deeskalation einer Radiotherapie bei Patienten mit HPV-assoziierten HNSCC durch experimentelle Daten abgesichert werden koennte. Klonogenes Ueberleben, Induktion von Apoptose, DNA-Doppelstrang-Reparatur und Zellzyklusverhalten wurden in vier HPV-positiven (UM-SCC-47, UM-SCC-104, 93-VU-147T, UPCI:SCC152) und vier HPV

Two-level preconditioned conjugate gradient methods with applications to bubbly flow problems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tang, J.M.

2008-01-01

The Preconditioned Conjugate Gradient (PCG) method is one of the most popular iterative methods for solving large linear systems with a symmetric and positive semi-definite coefficient matrix. However, if the preconditioned coefficient matrix is ill-conditioned, the convergence of the PCG method

The influence of age on positions of the conus medullaris, Tuffier's line, dural sac, and sacrococcygeal membrane in infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Ji-Yun; Kim, Eun-Hee; Song, In-Kyung; Lee, Ji-Hyun; Kim, Hee-Soo; Kim, Jin-Tae

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the distances between the conus medullaris and the Tuffier's line, and between the dural sac and the sacrococcygeal membrane (SCM) in the same pediatric population. Spinal magnetic resonance images and simple X-ray images of 350 patients aged from 1 month to 20 years were reviewed. Positions of the conus medullaris, Tuffier's line, the dural sac, and the SCM were identified. Each position was recorded in relation to the corresponding vertebral body segments. The distances between the conus medullaris and Tuffier's line, and between the dural sac and the SCM, were measured and then assessed according to age using an analysis of variance and a linear regression analysis. The median levels of the conus medullaris and Tuffier's line were in the lower third of L1 [the first lumbar vertebral body] and the middle third of L5, respectively. The levels of the conus medullaris and Tuffier's line were lower in younger populations. The distance between the conus medullaris and Tuffier's line ranged from 1.5 to 4.75 vertebral body height. However, a narrow range of 1.5-2.5 vertebral height was observed only in children younger than 2 years. The level of the dural sac did not differ greatly by age, but the upper limit of the SCM was lower in older populations. The distance between the dural sac and the upper limit of the SCM increased with age. In children, there is a distance of 1.5-4.75 vertebral body height between the conus medullaris and the Tuffier's line. However, these distances were narrower among younger populations. The distance between the dural sac and the upper limit of the SCM increased with age. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An M-step preconditioned conjugate gradient method for parallel computation

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, L.

1983-01-01

This paper describes a preconditioned conjugate gradient method that can be effectively implemented on both vector machines and parallel arrays to solve sparse symmetric and positive definite systems of linear equations. The implementation on the CYBER 203/205 and on the Finite Element Machine is discussed and results obtained using the method on these machines are given.

Microfabricated physical spatial gradients for investigating cell migration and invasion dynamics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Mak

Full Text Available We devise a novel assay that introduces micro-architectures into highly confining microchannels to probe the decision making processes of migrating cells. The conditions are meant to mimic the tight spaces in the physiological environment that cancer cells encounter during metastasis within the matrix dense stroma and during intravasation and extravasation through the vascular wall. In this study we use the assay to investigate the relative probabilities of a cell 1 permeating and 2 repolarizing (turning around when it migrates into a spatially confining region. We observe the existence of both states even within a single cell line, indicating phenotypic heterogeneity in cell migration invasiveness and persistence. We also show that varying the spatial gradient of the taper can induce behavioral changes in cells, and different cell types respond differently to spatial changes. Particularly, for bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs, higher spatial gradients induce more cells to permeate (60% than lower gradients (12%. Furthermore, highly metastatic breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 demonstrate a more invasive and permeative nature (87% than non-metastatic breast epithelial cells (MCF-10A (25%. We examine the migration dynamics of cells in the tapered region and derive characteristic constants that quantify this transition process. Our data indicate that cell response to physical spatial gradients is both cell-type specific and heterogeneous within a cell population, analogous to the behaviors reported to occur during tumor progression. Incorporation of micro-architectures in confined channels enables the probing of migration behaviors specific to defined geometries that mimic in vivo microenvironments.

Central line-associated bloodstream infections in adult hematology patients with febrile neutropenia: an evaluation of surveillance definitions using differential time to blood culture positivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, Joshua T; Elinder-Camburn, Anna; McClymont, Catherine; Anderson, Deverick J; Bilkey, Mary; Williamson, Deborah A; Berkahn, Leanne; Roberts, Sally A

2013-01-01

We used differential time to positivity between central and peripheral blood cultures to evaluate the positive predictive value (PPV) of the National Healthcare Safety Network central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) surveillance definition among hematology patients with febrile neutropenia. The PPV was 27.7%, which suggests that, when the definition is applied to this population, CLABSI rates will be substantially overestimated.

Ionospheric forecasting model using fuzzy logic-based gradient descent method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Venkata Ratnam

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Space weather phenomena cause satellite to ground or satellite to aircraft transmission outages over the VHF to L-band frequency range, particularly in the low latitude region. Global Positioning System (GPS is primarily susceptible to this form of space weather. Faulty GPS signals are attributed to ionospheric error, which is a function of Total Electron Content (TEC. Importantly, precise forecasts of space weather conditions and appropriate hazard observant cautions required for ionospheric space weather observations are limited. In this paper, a fuzzy logic-based gradient descent method has been proposed to forecast the ionospheric TEC values. In this technique, membership functions have been tuned based on the gradient descent estimated values. The proposed algorithm has been tested with the TEC data of two geomagnetic storms in the low latitude station of KL University, Guntur, India (16.44°N, 80.62°E. It has been found that the gradient descent method performs well and the predicted TEC values are close to the original TEC measurements.

Latitudinal gradients in ecosystem engineering by oysters vary across habitats.

Science.gov (United States)

McAfee, Dominic; Cole, Victoria J; Bishop, Melanie J

2016-04-01

Ecological theory predicts that positive interactions among organisms will increase across gradients of increasing abiotic stress or consumer pressure. This theory has been supported by empirical studies examining the magnitude of ecosystem engineering across environmental gradients and between habitat settings at local scale. Predictions that habitat setting, by modifying both biotic and abiotic factors, will determine large-scale gradients in ecosystem engineering have not been tested, however. A combination of manipulative experiments and field surveys assessed whether along the east Australian coastline: (1) facilitation of invertebrates by the oyster Saccostrea glomerata increased across a latitudinal gradient in temperature; and (2) the magnitude of this effect varied between intertidal rocky shores and mangrove forests. It was expected that on rocky shores, where oysters are the primary ecosystem engineer, they would play a greater role in ameliorating latitudinal gradients in temperature than in mangroves, where they are a secondary ecosystem engineer living under the mangrove canopy. On rocky shores, the enhancement of invertebrate abundance in oysters as compared to bare microhabitat decreased with latitude, as the maximum temperatures experienced by intertidal organisms diminished. By contrast, in mangrove forests, where the mangrove canopy resulted in maximum temperatures that were cooler and of greater humidity than on rocky shores, we found no evidence of latitudinal gradients of oyster effects on invertebrate abundance. Contrary to predictions, the magnitude by which oysters enhanced biodiversity was in many instances similar between mangroves and rocky shores. Whether habitat-context modifies patterns of spatial variation in the effects of ecosystem engineers on community structure will depend, in part, on the extent to which the environmental amelioration provided by an ecosystem engineer replicates that of other co-occurring ecosystem engineers.

Biological amine transport in chromaffin ghosts. Coupling to the transmembrane proton and potential gradients.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, R G; Pfister, D; Carty, S E; Scarpa, A

1979-11-10

The effect of the transmembrane proton gradient (delta pH) and potential gradient (delta psi) upon the rate and extent of amine accumulation was investigated in chromaffin ghosts. The chromaffin ghosts were formed by hypo-osmotic lysis of isolated bovine chromaffin granules and extensive dialysis in order to remove intragranular binding components and dissipate the endogenous electrochemical gradients. Upon ATP addition to suspensions of chromaffin ghosts, a transmembrane proton gradient alone, a transmembrane gradient alone, or both, could be established, depending upon the compositions of the media in which the ghosts were formed and resuspended. When chloride was present in the medium, addition of ATP resulted in the generation of a transmembrane proton gradient, acidic inside of 1 pH unit (measured by [14C]methylamine distribution), and no transmembrane potential (measured by [14C]-thiocyanate distribution). When ATP was added to chromaffin ghosts suspended in a medium in which chloride was substituted by isethionate, a transmembrane potential, inside positive, of 45 mV and no transmembrane proton gradient, was measured. In each medium, the addition of agents known to affect proton or potential gradients, respectively, exerted a predictable mechanism of action. Accumulation of [14C]epinephrine or [14C]5-hydroxytryptamine was over 1 order of magnitude greater in the presence of the transmembrane proton gradient or the transmembrane potential than in the absence of any gradient and, moreover, was related to the magnitude of the proton or potential gradient in a dose-dependent manner. When ghosts were added to a medium containing chloride and isethionate, both a delta pH and delta psi could be generated upon addition of ATP. In this preparation, the maximal rate of amine accumulation was observed. The results indicate that amine accumulation into chromaffin ghosts can occur in the presence of either a transmembrane proton gradient, or a transmembrane potential

Gradient Boosting Machines, A Tutorial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexey eNatekin

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Gradient boosting machines are a family of powerful machine-learning techniques that have shown considerable success in a wide range of practical applications. They are highly customizable to the particular needs of the application, like being learned with respect to different loss functions. This article gives a tutorial introduction into the methodology of gradient boosting methods. A theoretical information is complemented with many descriptive examples and illustrations which cover all the stages of the gradient boosting model design. Considerations on handling the model complexity are discussed. A set of practical examples of gradient boosting applications are presented and comprehensively analyzed.

Computational and Statistical Aspects of Determining Ship’s Position

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Drapella Antoni

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In its mathematical essence, the task of determining ship’s position coordinates, is to minimize appropriately defined goal function. This paper proposes to use the method of conjugate gradient for this purpose. The reason is that calculations may be performed in some seconds time because Microsoft and Apache implemented the conjugate gradient method as a tool called the Solver and embedded this tool in their widely offered and popular spreadsheets, namely Excel and the Open Office Calc, respectively. Further in this paper it is shown how to precisely assess errors of ship’s position coordinates with the Monte Carlo method that employs the Solver.

The SSRL injector beam position monitoring systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavender, W.; Baird, S.; Brennan, S.; Borland, M.; Hettel, R.; Nuhn, H.D.; Ortiz, R.; Safranek, J.; Sebek, J.; Wermelskirchen, C.; Yang, J.

1991-01-01

The beam position monitoring system of the SSRL injector forms a vital component of its operation. Several different types of instrumentation are used to measure the position or intensity of the electron beam in the injector. These include current toroids, fluorescent screens, Faraday cups, the 'Q' meter, a synchrotron light monitor, and electron beam position monitors. This paper focuses on the use of the electron beam position monitors to measure electron trajectories in the injector transport lines and the booster ring. The design of the beam position monitors is described in another paper to be presented at this conference. There are three different beam position monitor systems in the injector. One system consists of a set of five BPMs located on the injection transport line from the linac to the booster (known as the LTB line). There is a second system of six BPMs located on the ejection transport line (known as the BTS line). Finally, there is an array of 40 BPMs installed on the main booster ring itself. This article describes the software and processing electronics of the systems used to measure electron beam trajectories for the new SSRL injector for SPEAR

The geomagnetic field gradient tensor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kotsiaros, Stavros; Olsen, Nils

2012-01-01

We develop the general mathematical basis for space magnetic gradiometry in spherical coordinates. The magnetic gradient tensor is a second rank tensor consisting of 3 × 3 = 9 spatial derivatives. Since the geomagnetic field vector B is always solenoidal (∇ · B = 0) there are only eight independent...... tensor elements. Furthermore, in current free regions the magnetic gradient tensor becomes symmetric, further reducing the number of independent elements to five. In that case B is a Laplacian potential field and the gradient tensor can be expressed in series of spherical harmonics. We present properties...... of the magnetic gradient tensor and provide explicit expressions of its elements in terms of spherical harmonics. Finally we discuss the benefit of using gradient measurements for exploring the Earth’s magnetic field from space, in particular the advantage of the various tensor elements for a better determination...

The possibility of access to the kidneys from posterior axillary line in supine position for percutaneous nephrolithotomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Tabibi

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Please cite this article as: Tabibi A, Kashi AH, Mirjalili SAM, Mahmoudnejad N, Kashani P, Salavatipour B, Soltani MH. The possibility of access to the kidneys from posterior axillary line in supine position for percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Novel Biomed 2013;1(2:43-47.Objectives: To evaluate the possibility of access to the kidneys from posterior axillary line (PAL in supine position for percutaneous nephrolithotomy.Materials and Methods: 102 consecutive patients who were candidated for abdominal CT scan, enrolled in this study. In cases of impossible access, the point on the posterior surface of body which permitted safe access was determined and the percent of movement toward body midline (relative to PAL was calculated (M.PER.Results: Percutaneous access was simulated from upper and middle calyces of the kidney in 13% and 75% of cases, respectively. Access to the lower region was possible in 90% of right and 79% of left lower calyces, respectively (p=0.03. In cases with impossible access from PAL, the M.PER for a safe access was 46-47% for upper region and 34- 38% for middle and lower calyces of the kidney (P = 0.0001.Conclusions: Access to upper calyces from PAL was limited in some cases regarding to the presence of solid organs. Presence of colon made access impossible in the lower right and left calyces in about 10% and 20% of cases, respectively. In upper region, more deviation toward midline was necessary to establish a safe access compared with middle and lower calyces.

Magnetic domain propagation in Pt/Co/Pt micro wires with engineered coercivity gradients along and across the wire

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jarosz, A., E-mail: arctgh@ifmpan.poznan.pl [Institute of Molecular Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. M. Smoluchowskiego 17, 60-179 Poznań (Poland); Gaul, A. [Department of Physics and Center for Interdisciplinary Nanostructure Science and Technology (CINSaT), University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, D-34132 Kassel (Germany); Urbaniak, M. [Institute of Molecular Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. M. Smoluchowskiego 17, 60-179 Poznań (Poland); Ehresmann, A. [Department of Physics and Center for Interdisciplinary Nanostructure Science and Technology (CINSaT), University of Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, D-34132 Kassel (Germany); Stobiecki, F. [Institute of Molecular Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. M. Smoluchowskiego 17, 60-179 Poznań (Poland)

2017-08-01

Highlights: • Electron lithography and ion bombardment were used to modify the Co/Pt micro-wires. • Two-dimensional perpendicular magnetic anisotropy gradient was engineered. • Engineered anisotropy gradient allowed to control domain wall positions in the wires. • Simulations confirm the influence of defects on a remanent state of the wires. - Abstract: Pt(15 nm)/[Co(0.6 nm)/Pt(1.5 nm)]{sub 4} multilayers with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy were patterned into several-micrometer wide wires by electron-beam lithography. Bombarding the wires with He{sup +} ions with a fluence gradient along the wire results in a spatial gradient of switching fields that allows a controllable positioning of domain walls. The influence of the reduced anisotropy near the wire edges causes a remanent state in which the reversal close to the long edges precedes that in the middle of the wires. Experiments using Kerr microscopy prove this effect and micromagnetic simulations corroborate that a decrease of the anisotropy at the edges is responsible for the effect.

Phase III randomized study comparing docetaxel plus trastuzumab with vinorelbine plus trastuzumab as first-line therapy of metastatic or locally advanced human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer: the HERNATA study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersson, Michael; Lidbrink, Elisabeth; Bjerre, Karsten

2011-01-01

To evaluate docetaxel or vinorelbine, both with trastuzumab, as first-line therapy of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive advanced breast cancer.......To evaluate docetaxel or vinorelbine, both with trastuzumab, as first-line therapy of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive advanced breast cancer....

Effects of Velocity Parameters of the Wind on the Line Formation for 32 CYG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyung-Mee Kim

1999-12-01

Full Text Available We calculate the theoretical line profiles in order to investigate the influence of various velocity parameters. Line profiles are calculated by using the exponential velocoty law with two acceleration regions for orbital phases 0.70 and 0.06. From this compttation we find that the influence of the wind velocity gradient on a giant star is more important in the region near the star than in the region away from the star. The observed lines show stronger emission than the calculated line profiles and we interpret the difference is caused by the inhomogeniety in the atmosphere of 32 Cyg.

Impacts of Policies on Poverty. Relative Poverty Lines

OpenAIRE

Bellù, Lorenzo Giovanni; Liberati, Paolo

2005-01-01

This module illustrates how to define “relative” poverty lines, i.e. poverty lines based on approaches that consider the welfare position of each individual or household in relation to the welfare position of other individuals or households belonging to the same community. In particular, the module, after emphasizing the importance of the relative poverty concept in policy work, discusses two methods to define relative poverty lines: a) the “income levels” method; and b) the “income positions...

Range-wide latitudinal and elevational temperature gradients for the world's terrestrial birds: implications under global climate change.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frank A La Sorte

Full Text Available Species' geographical distributions are tracking latitudinal and elevational surface temperature gradients under global climate change. To evaluate the opportunities to track these gradients across space, we provide a first baseline assessment of the steepness of these gradients for the world's terrestrial birds. Within the breeding ranges of 9,014 bird species, we characterized the spatial gradients in temperature along latitude and elevation for all and a subset of bird species, respectively. We summarized these temperature gradients globally for threatened and non-threatened species and determined how their steepness varied based on species' geography (range size, shape, and orientation and projected changes in temperature under climate change. Elevational temperature gradients were steepest for species in Africa, western North and South America, and central Asia and shallowest in Australasia, insular IndoMalaya, and the Neotropical lowlands. Latitudinal temperature gradients were steepest for extratropical species, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. Threatened species had shallower elevational gradients whereas latitudinal gradients differed little between threatened and non-threatened species. The strength of elevational gradients was positively correlated with projected changes in temperature. For latitudinal gradients, this relationship only held for extratropical species. The strength of latitudinal gradients was better predicted by species' geography, but primarily for extratropical species. Our findings suggest threatened species are associated with shallower elevational temperature gradients, whereas steep latitudinal gradients are most prevalent outside the tropics where fewer bird species occur year-round. Future modeling and mitigation efforts would benefit from the development of finer grain distributional data to ascertain how these gradients are structured within species' ranges, how and why these gradients vary among

Rapid analysis of charge variants of monoclonal antibodies using non-linear salt gradient in cation-exchange high performance liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Joshi, Varsha; Kumar, Vijesh; Rathore, Anurag S

2015-08-07

A method is proposed for rapid development of a short, analytical cation exchange high performance liquid chromatography method for analysis of charge heterogeneity in monoclonal antibody products. The parameters investigated and optimized include pH, shape of elution gradient and length of the column. It is found that the most important parameter for development of a shorter method is the choice of the shape of elution gradient. In this paper, we propose a step by step approach to develop a non-linear sigmoidal shape gradient for analysis of charge heterogeneity for two different monoclonal antibody products. The use of this gradient not only decreases the run time of the method to 4min against the conventional method that takes more than 40min but also the resolution is retained. Superiority of the phosphate gradient over sodium chloride gradient for elution of mAbs is also observed. The method has been successfully evaluated for specificity, sensitivity, linearity, limit of detection, and limit of quantification. Application of this method as a potential at-line process analytical technology tool has been suggested. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relationship between velocity gradients and magnetic turbulence in the solar wind

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garrett, H.B.

1974-01-01

The correlations among the time derivative of the solar-wind velocity, the magnitude of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), and the IMF turbulence level are examined to test the idea that interaction between two colliding solar-wind streams can generate turbulence in the solar wind and the IMF. Data obtained by Explorer 33 on the solar wind and IMF are described, and the analysis techniques are outlined. The results indicate that the IMF turbulence level, as measured by the variance, is correlated with the existence of positive velocity gradients in the solar wind. It is noted that while the variance is an increasing function of the field magnitude, it is also independently correlated with the solar-wind velocity gradient

Discontinuous gradient differential equations and trajectories in the calculus of variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bogaevskii, I A

2006-01-01

The concept of gradient of smooth functions is generalized for their sums with concave functions. An existence, uniqueness, and continuous dependence theorem for increasing time is formulated and proved for solutions of an ordinary differential equation the right-hand side of which is the gradient of the sum of a concave and a smooth function. With the use of this result a physically natural motion of particles, well defined even at discontinuities of the velocity field, is constructed in the variational problem of the minimal mechanical action in a space of arbitrary dimension. For such a motion of particles in the plane all typical cases of the birth and the interaction of point clusters of positive mass are described.

Discontinuous gradient differential equations and trajectories in the calculus of variations

Science.gov (United States)

Bogaevskii, I. A.

2006-12-01

The concept of gradient of smooth functions is generalized for their sums with concave functions. An existence, uniqueness, and continuous dependence theorem for increasing time is formulated and proved for solutions of an ordinary differential equation the right-hand side of which is the gradient of the sum of a concave and a smooth function. With the use of this result a physically natural motion of particles, well defined even at discontinuities of the velocity field, is constructed in the variational problem of the minimal mechanical action in a space of arbitrary dimension. For such a motion of particles in the plane all typical cases of the birth and the interaction of point clusters of positive mass are described.

Block-conjugate-gradient method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCarthy, J.F.

1989-01-01

It is shown that by using the block-conjugate-gradient method several, say s, columns of the inverse Kogut-Susskind fermion matrix can be found simultaneously, in less time than it would take to run the standard conjugate-gradient algorithm s times. The method improves in efficiency relative to the standard conjugate-gradient algorithm as the fermion mass is decreased and as the value of the coupling is pushed to its limit before the finite-size effects become important. Thus it is potentially useful for measuring propagators in large lattice-gauge-theory calculations of the particle spectrum

Observation of refraction and convergence of ion acoustic waves in a plasma with a temperature gradient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishida, Y.; Hirose, A.

1977-01-01

The refraction and convergence of ion acoustic waves are experimentally investigated in a magnetized plasma with an electron temperature gradient. When ion acoustic waves are launched parallel to the field lines the waves converge toward the interior of the plasma column where the electron temperature is lower, in good agreement with theoretical prediction. Wave interference is also observed. (author)

Position des lignes temporales sur le cranium de «Mrs » Ples (A.africanus) : une attribution sexuelle est-elle possible ?Possible position of the temporal lines on the cranium of 'Mrs' Ples (A. africanus): is sexual determination possible?

Science.gov (United States)

Prat, Sandrine; Thackeray, John Francis

2001-03-01

The cranium and associated matrix of Sts 5, a cranium of Australopithecus africanus is re-examined in the context of an unfused sagittal suture and the position of the temporal lines. These lines are not developed as a sagittal crest although they are close to the mid-sagittal line. A comparative study of the presence of sagittal crests in male, female, juvenile and adult specimens of extant great apes ( Gorilla, Pan, Pongo) suggests that the existence of a sagittal crest is influenced to a greater extent by anatomical age rather than by the sex of the individuals.

Social capital, income inequality and the social gradient in self-rated health in Latin America: A fixed effects analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Vincens, Natalia; Emmelin, Maria; Stafström, Martin

2018-01-01

Latin America is the most unequal region in the world. The current sustainable development agenda increased attention to health inequity and its determinants in the region. Our aim is to investigate the social gradient in health in Latin America and assess the effects of social capital and income inequality on it. We used cross-sectional data from the World Values Survey and the World Bank. Our sample included 10,426 respondents in eight Latin American countries. Self-rated health was used as the outcome. Education level was the socioeconomic position indicator. We measured social capital by associational membership, civic participation, generalized trust, and neighborhood trust indicators at both individual and country levels. Income inequality was operationalized using the Gini index at country-level. We employed fixed effects logistic regressions and cross-level interactions to assess the impact of social capital and income inequality on the heath gradient, controlling for country heterogeneity. Education level was independently associated with self-rated health, representing a clear social gradient in health, favoring individuals in higher socioeconomic positions. Generalized and neighborhood trust at country-level moderated the effect on the association between socioeconomic position and health, yet favoring individuals in lower socioeconomic positions, especially in lower inequality countries, despite their lower individual social capital. Our findings suggest that collective rather than individual social capital can impact the social gradient in health in Latin America, explaining health inequalities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introduction to transfer lines and circular machines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryant, P.J.

1984-01-01

This course was given in the 1983-84 Academic Training Programme. It is designed as an elementary introduction to both the theory and the hardware for transfer lines and circular machines. The course is limited to linear problems and treates the topics of single particle motion in the transverse and longitudinal planes, emittance ellipses, parameterisation, optical properties of some specific modules, stabilities in the transverse and longitudinal planes, field and gradient errors, and scattering in thin windows. (orig.)

Ribociclib as First-Line Therapy for HR-Positive, Advanced Breast Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Hortobagyi, Gabriel N; Stemmer, Salomon M; Burris, Howard A; Yap, Yoon-Sim; Sonke, Gabe S; Paluch-Shimon, Shani; Campone, Mario; Blackwell, Kimberly L; André, Fabrice; Winer, Eric P; Janni, Wolfgang; Verma, Sunil; Conte, Pierfranco; Arteaga, Carlos L; Cameron, David A; Petrakova, Katarina; Hart, Lowell L; Villanueva, Cristian; Chan, Arlene; Jakobsen, Erik; Nusch, Arnd; Burdaeva, Olga; Grischke, Eva-Maria; Alba, Emilio; Wist, Erik; Marschner, Norbert; Favret, Anne M; Yardley, Denise; Bachelot, Thomas; Tseng, Ling-Ming; Blau, Sibel; Xuan, Fengjuan; Souami, Farida; Miller, Michelle; Germa, Caroline; Hirawat, Samit; O'Shaughnessy, Joyce

2016-11-03

The inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) could potentially overcome or delay resistance to endocrine therapy in advanced breast cancer that is positive for hormone receptor (HR) and negative for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). In this randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of the selective CDK4/6 inhibitor ribociclib combined with letrozole for first-line treatment in 668 postmenopausal women with HR-positive, HER2-negative recurrent or metastatic breast cancer who had not received previous systemic therapy for advanced disease. We randomly assigned the patients to receive either ribociclib (600 mg per day on a 3-weeks-on, 1-week-off schedule) plus letrozole (2.5 mg per day) or placebo plus letrozole. The primary end point was investigator-assessed progression-free survival. Secondary end points included overall survival, overall response rate, and safety. A preplanned interim analysis was performed on January 29, 2016, after 243 patients had disease progression or died. Prespecified criteria for superiority required a hazard ratio of 0.56 or less with P<1.29×10 -5 . The duration of progression-free survival was significantly longer in the ribociclib group than in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.72; P=3.29×10 -6 for superiority). The median duration of follow-up was 15.3 months. After 18 months, the progression-free survival rate was 63.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 54.6 to 70.3) in the ribociclib group and 42.2% (95% CI, 34.8 to 49.5) in the placebo group. In patients with measurable disease at baseline, the overall response rate was 52.7% and 37.1%, respectively (P<0.001). Common grade 3 or 4 adverse events that were reported in more than 10% of the patients in either group were neutropenia (59.3% in the ribociclib group vs. 0.9% in the placebo group) and leukopenia (21.0% vs. 0.6%); the rates of discontinuation because of adverse events were 7.5% and 2

In-situ measurement of magnetic field gradient in a magnetic shield by a spin-exchange relaxation-free magnetometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang Jian-Cheng; Wang Tao; Li Yang; Cai Hong-Wei; Zhang Hong

2015-01-01

A method of measuring in-situ magnetic field gradient is proposed in this paper. The magnetic shield is widely used in the atomic magnetometer. However, there is magnetic field gradient in the magnetic shield, which would lead to additional gradient broadening. It is impossible to use an ex-situ magnetometer to measure magnetic field gradient in the region of a cell, whose length of side is several centimeters. The method demonstrated in this paper can realize the in-situ measurement of the magnetic field gradient inside the cell, which is significant for the spin relaxation study. The magnetic field gradients along the longitudinal axis of the magnetic shield are measured by a spin-exchange relaxation-free (SERF) magnetometer by adding a magnetic field modulation in the probe beam’s direction. The transmissivity of the cell for the probe beam is always inhomogeneous along the pump beam direction, and the method proposed in this paper is independent of the intensity of the probe beam, which means that the method is independent of the cell’s transmissivity. This feature makes the method more practical experimentally. Moreover, the AC-Stark shift can seriously degrade and affect the precision of the magnetic field gradient measurement. The AC-Stark shift is suppressed by locking the pump beam to the resonance of potassium’s D1 line. Furthermore, the residual magnetic fields are measured with σ + - and σ – -polarized pump beams, which can further suppress the effect of the AC-Stark shift. The method of measuring in-situ magnetic field gradient has achieved a magnetic field gradient precision of better than 30 pT/mm. (paper)

Surface profile gradient in amorphous Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} semi conductive layers regulates nanoscale electric current stability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cefalas, A.C., E-mail: ccefalas@eie.gr [National Hellenic Research Foundation, Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635 (Greece); Kollia, Z.; Spyropoulos-Antonakakis, N.; Gavriil, V. [National Hellenic Research Foundation, Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635 (Greece); Christofilos, D.; Kourouklis, G. [Physics Division, School of Technology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54124 (Greece); Semashko, V.V.; Pavlov, V. [Kazan Federal University, Institute of Physics, 18 Kremljovskaja str., Kazan 420008 (Russian Federation); Sarantopoulou, E. [National Hellenic Research Foundation, Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, Athens 11635 (Greece); Kazan Federal University, Institute of Physics, 18 Kremljovskaja str., Kazan 420008 (Russian Federation)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • The work links the surface morphology of amorphous semiconductors with both their electric-thermal properties and current stability at the nanoscale (<1 μm). • Measured high correlation value between surface morphological spatial gradient and conductive electron energy spatial gradient or thermal gradient. • Unidirectional current stability is associated with asymmetric nanodomains along nanosize conductive paths. • Bidirectional current stability is inherent with either long conductive paths or nanosize conductive paths along symmetric nanodomains. • Conclusion: Surface design improves current stability across nanoelectonic junctions. - Abstract: A link between the morphological characteristics and the electric properties of amorphous layers is established by means of atomic, conductive, electrostatic force and thermal scanning microscopy. Using amorphous Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} (a-Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}) semiconductive layer, it is found that surface profile gradients (morphological gradient), are highly correlated to both the electron energy gradient of trapped electrons in interactive Coulombic sites and the thermal gradient along conductive paths and thus thermal and electric properties are correlated with surface morphology at the nanoscale. Furthermore, morphological and electron energy gradients along opposite conductive paths of electrons intrinsically impose a current stability anisotropy. For either long conductive paths (L > 1 μm) or along symmetric nanodomains, current stability for both positive and negative currents i is demonstrated. On the contrary, for short conductive paths along non-symmetric nanodomains, the set of independent variables (L, i) is spanned by two current stability/intability loci. One locus specifies a stable state for negative currents, while the other locus also describes a stable state for positive currents.

Lateral transport of solutes in microfluidic channels using electrochemically generated gradients in redox-active surfactants.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiaoyang; Abbott, Nicholas L

2011-04-15

We report principles for a continuous flow process that can separate solutes based on a driving force for selective transport that is generated by a lateral concentration gradient of a redox-active surfactant across a microfluidic channel. Microfluidic channels fabricated with gold electrodes lining each vertical wall were used to electrochemically generate concentration gradients of the redox-active surfactant 11-ferrocenylundecyl-trimethylammonium bromide (FTMA) in a direction perpendicular to the flow. The interactions of three solutes (a hydrophobic dye, 1-phenylazo-2-naphthylamine (yellow AB), an amphiphilic molecule, 2-(4,4-difluoro-5,7-dimethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene-3-pentanoyl)-1-hexadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (BODIPY C(5)-HPC), and an organic salt, 1-methylpyridinium-3-sulfonate (MPS)) with the lateral gradients in surfactant/micelle concentration were shown to drive the formation of solute-specific concentration gradients. Two distinct physical mechanisms were identified to lead to the solute concentration gradients: solubilization of solutes by micelles and differential adsorption of the solutes onto the walls of the microchannels in the presence of the surfactant concentration gradient. These two mechanisms were used to demonstrate delipidation of a mixture of BODIPY C(5)-HPC (lipid) and MPS and purification of BODIPY C(5)-HPC from a mixture of BODIPY C(5)-HPC and yellow AB. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that lateral concentration gradients of redox-active surfactants formed within microfluidic channels can be used to transport solutes across the microfluidic channels in a solute-dependent manner. The approach employs electrical potentials (solutions having high ionic strength (>0.1M), and offers the basis of continuous processes for the purification or separation of solutes in microscale systems. © 2011 American Chemical Society

The income body weight gradients in the developing economy of China.

Science.gov (United States)

Tafreschi, Darjusch

2015-01-01

Existing theories predict the income gradient of individual body weight to change sign from positive to negative in process of economic development. However, there are only few empirical studies which test this hypothesis. This paper adds to the literature on that topic by investigating the case of China. Using individual and community data from 1991 to 2009 waves of the China Health and Nutrition Survey regression analyses suggest that after controlling for important confounding factors (1) higher income is positively related to future growth of individuals' BMI in less developed areas (i.e. BMI growth is 0.7-1.5 percentage points higher when comparing the richest with the poorest individuals), but negatively related to BMI growth in more developed areas (i.e. BMI growth is 0.8-1.6 percentage points lower for the richest individuals), and (2) that concentrations of overweight are "trickling down" to lower income ranks as regions become more developed. Moreover, the reversal of the income gradient appears to happen at earlier stages of development for females. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison between Random Forests, Artificial Neural Networks and Gradient Boosted Machines Methods of On-Line Vis-NIR Spectroscopy Measurements of Soil Total Nitrogen and Total Carbon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Said Nawar

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Accurate and detailed spatial soil information about within-field variability is essential for variable-rate applications of farm resources. Soil total nitrogen (TN and total carbon (TC are important fertility parameters that can be measured with on-line (mobile visible and near infrared (vis-NIR spectroscopy. This study compares the performance of local farm scale calibrations with those based on the spiking of selected local samples from both fields into an European dataset for TN and TC estimation using three modelling techniques, namely gradient boosted machines (GBM, artificial neural networks (ANNs and random forests (RF. The on-line measurements were carried out using a mobile, fiber type, vis-NIR spectrophotometer (305–2200 nm (AgroSpec from tec5, Germany, during which soil spectra were recorded in diffuse reflectance mode from two fields in the UK. After spectra pre-processing, the entire datasets were then divided into calibration (75% and prediction (25% sets, and calibration models for TN and TC were developed using GBM, ANN and RF with leave-one-out cross-validation. Results of cross-validation showed that the effect of spiking of local samples collected from a field into an European dataset when combined with RF has resulted in the highest coefficients of determination (R2 values of 0.97 and 0.98, the lowest root mean square error (RMSE of 0.01% and 0.10%, and the highest residual prediction deviations (RPD of 5.58 and 7.54, for TN and TC, respectively. Results for laboratory and on-line predictions generally followed the same trend as for cross-validation in one field, where the spiked European dataset-based RF calibration models outperformed the corresponding GBM and ANN models. In the second field ANN has replaced RF in being the best performing. However, the local field calibrations provided lower R2 and RPD in most cases. Therefore, from a cost-effective point of view, it is recommended to adopt the spiked European dataset

Immunocapture of CD133-positive cells from human cancer cell lines by using monodisperse magnetic poly(glycidyl methacrylate) microspheres containing amino groups

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuan, Wei-Chih [Department of Chemical Engineering, Systems Biology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, National Chung Cheng University, Minhisung 621, Taiwan (China); Horák, Daniel, E-mail: horak@imc.cas.cz [Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Plichta, Zdeněk [Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Lee, Wen-Chien [Department of Chemical Engineering, Systems Biology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, National Chung Cheng University, Minhisung 621, Taiwan (China)

2014-01-01

Magnetic poly(glycidyl methacrylate)-based macroporous microspheres with an average particle size of 4.2 μm were prepared using a modified multi-step swelling polymerization method and by introducing amino functionality on their surfaces. Antibody molecules were oxidized on their carbohydrate moieties and bound to the amino-containing magnetic microspheres via a site-directed procedure. CD133-positive cells could be effectively captured from human cancer cell lines (HepG2, HCT116, MCF7, and IMR-32) by using magnetic microspheres conjugated to an anti-human CD133 antibody. After further culture, the immunocaptured CD133-expressing cells from IMR-32 proliferated and gradually detached from the magnetic microspheres. Flow-cytometric analysis confirmed the enrichment of CD133-expressing cells by using the antibody-bound magnetic microspheres. Such microspheres suitable for immunocapture are very promising for cancer diagnosis because the CD133-expressing cells in cancer cell lines have been suggested to be cancer stem cells. - Highlights: • Multi-step swelling polymerization produced poly(glycidyl methacrylate) microspheres. • Anti-human CD133 antibodies were bound to the amino-containing magnetic microspheres. • CD133-positive cells were effectively captured from human cancer cell lines. • Immunocaptured CD133-expressing cells proliferated and were detached from microspheres. • Enrichment of CD133-expressing cells was confirmed by flow-cytometric analysis.

Gradient Alloy for Optical Packaging

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Advances in additive manufacturing, such as Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS), enables the fabrication of compositionally gradient microstructures, i.e. gradient...

Long-term use of first-line highly active antiretroviral therapy is not associated with carotid artery stiffness in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haohui Zhu

2014-09-01

Conclusion: The first-line highly active antiretroviral therapy currently used in China is not associated with carotid artery stiffness in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients with good highly active antiretroviral therapy compliance. Human immunodeficiency virus may play a role in the development of atherosclerosis.

The vertical metallicity gradient of the Milky Way disk: transitions in [α/Fe] populations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlesinger, Katharine J.; Johnson, Jennifer A.; Rockosi, Constance M.; Lee, Young Sun; Beers, Timothy C.; Harding, Paul; Allende Prieto, Carlos; Bird, Jonathan C.; Schönrich, Ralph; Yanny, Brian; Schneider, Donald P.; Weaver, Benjamin A.; Brinkmann, Jon

2014-01-01

Using G dwarfs from the Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration (SEGUE) survey, we have determined the vertical metallicity gradient in the Milky Way's disk and examined how this gradient varies for different [α/Fe] subsamples. Our sample contains over 40,000 stars with low-resolution spectroscopy over 144 lines of sight. It also covers a significant disk volume, between ∼0.3 and 1.6 kpc from the Galactic plane, and allows us to examine the disk in situ, whereas previous analyses were more limited in scope. Furthermore, this work does not presuppose a disk structure, whether composed of a single complex population or distinct thin and thick disk components. We employ the SEGUE Stellar Parameter Pipeline to obtain estimates of stellar parameters, [Fe/H], and [α/Fe] and extract multiple volume-complete subsamples of approximately 1000 stars each. Based on SEGUE's target-selection algorithm, we adjust each subsample to determine an unbiased picture of disk chemistry; consequently, each individual star represents the properties of many. The metallicity gradient is –0.243 −0.053 +0.039 dex kpc –1 for the entire sample, which we compare to various literature results. This gradient stems from the different [α/Fe] populations inhabiting different ranges of height above the Galactic plane. Each [α/Fe] subsample shows little change in median [Fe/H] with height. If we associate [α/Fe] with age, the negligible gradients of our [α/Fe] subsamples suggest that stars formed in different epochs exhibit comparable vertical structure, implying similar star formation processes and evolution.

The effect of an endorectal balloon and off-line correction on the interfraction systematic and random prostate position variations: A comparative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Emile van; Vight, Lisette van der; Witjes, J. Alfred; Huisman, HenkJan J.; Leer, Jan Willem; Visser, Andries G.

2005-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the effect of an endorectal balloon (ERB) and an off-line correction protocol on the day-to-day, interfraction prostate gland motion, in patients receiving external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Methods and materials: In 22 patients, irradiated with an ERB in situ (ERB group) and in 30 patients without an ERB (No-ERB group), prostate displacements were measured daily in three orthogonal directions with portal images. Implanted gold markers and an off-line electronic portal imaging correction protocol were used for prostate position verification and correction. Movie loops were analyzed to evaluate prostate motion and rectal filling variations. Results: The off-line correction protocol reduced the systematic prostate displacements, equally for the ERB and No-ERB group, to 1.3-1.8 mm (1 SD). The mean 3D displacement was reduced to 2.8 mm and 2.4 mm for the ERB and No-ERB group, respectively. The random interfraction displacements, relative to the treatment isocenter, were not reduced by the ERB and remained nearly unchanged in all three directions: 3.1 mm (1 SD) left-right, 2.6 mm (1 SD) superior-inferior, and 4.7 mm (1 SD) for the anterior-posterior direction. These day-to-day prostate position variations can be explained by the presence of gas and stool beside the ERB. Conclusions: The off-line corrections on the fiducial markers are effective in reducing the systematic prostate displacements. The investigated ERB does not reduce the interfraction prostate motion. Although the overall mean displacement is low, the day-to-day interfraction motion, especially in anterior-posterior direction, remains high compared with the systematic displacements

High sensitivity cavity ring down spectroscopy of N_2O near 1.22 µm: (II) "1"4N_2"1"6O line intensity modeling and global fit of "1"4N_2"1"8O line positions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tashkun, S.A.; Perevalov, V.I.; Karlovets, E.V.; Kassi, S.; Campargue, A.

2016-01-01

In a recent work (Karlovets et al., 2016 [1]), we reported the measurement and rovibrational assignments of more than 3300 transitions belonging to 64 bands of five nitrous oxide isotopologues ("1"4N_2"1"6O, "1"4N"1"5N"1"6O, "1"5N"1"4N"1"6O, "1"4N_2"1"8O and "1"4N_2"1"7O) in the high sensitivity CRDS spectrum recorded in the 7915–8334 cm"−"1 spectral range. The assignments were performed by comparison with predictions of the effective Hamiltonian models developed for each isotopologue. In the present paper, the large amount of measurements from our previous work mentioned above and literature are gathered to refine the modeling of the nitrous oxide spectrum in two ways: (i) improvement of the intensity modeling for the principal isotopologue, "1"4N_2"1"6O, near 8000 cm"−"1 from a new fit of the relevant effective dipole moment parameters, (ii) global modeling of "1"4N_2"1"8O line positions from a new fit of the parameters of the global effective Hamiltonian using an exhaustive input dataset collected in the literature in the 12–8231 cm"−"1 region. The fitted set of 81 parameters allowed reproducing near 5800 measured line positions with an RMS deviation of 0.0016 cm"−"1. The dimensionless weighted standard deviation of the fit is 1.22. As an illustration of the improvement of the predictive capabilities of the obtained effective Hamiltonian, two new "1"4N_2"1"8O bands could be assigned in the CRDS spectrum in the 7915–8334 cm"−"1 spectral range. A line list at 296 K has been generated in the 0–10,700 cm"−"1 range for "1"4N_2"1"8O in natural abundance with a 10"−"3"0 cm/molecule intensity cutoff. - Highlights: • Line parameters of two new "1"4N_2"1"8O bands centered at 7966 cm"−"1 and at 8214 cm"−"1. • Refined sets of the "1"4N_2"1"6O effective dipole moment parameters for ΔP=13,14 series. • Global modeling of "1"4N_2"1"8O line positions and intensities in the 12–8231 cm"−"1 range. • 5800 observed of "1"4N_2"1"8O line positions

Strain gradient effects in surface roughening

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borg, Ulrik; Fleck, N.A.

2007-01-01

evidence for strain gradient effects. Numerical analyses of a bicrystal undergoing in-plane tensile deformation are also studied using a strain gradient crystal plasticity theory and also by using a strain gradient plasticity theory for an isotropic solid. Both theories include an internal material length...

Design of the LINAC4 Transfer Line Quadrupole Electromagnets

CERN Document Server

Vanherpe, L

2013-01-01

Beam focusing in the various segments of the Linac4 Transfer Line is provided by quadrupole electromagnets. In total seventeen pulsed, air-cooled quadrupole electromagnets are required. They are made of laminated electrical steel yokes and coils wound from solid copper wire. All magnets have an aperture radius of 50 mm and are required to provide an integrated field gradient of 1.8 T over a magnetic length of 300 mm. This design report summarizes the main magnetic, electrical and mechanical design parameters of the Linac4 Transfer Line Quadrupole Magnets. The effect of the vacuum chamber on the magnetic field quality and the field delay is studied.

Effects of Wind Velocity Driven by Alfven Waves on the Line Profiles for 32 CYG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyung-Mee Kim

1996-06-01

Full Text Available We calculate the theoretical line profiles for 32 Cyg in order to investigate the influence of various velocity fields. Line profiles are calculated with wind accelerations driven by Alfven waves and described by velocity parameters. The results for Alfvenic wave model show weakened line profiles. For the orbital phases ¥÷=0.78 and ¥÷=0.06 the Alfvenic models show strong absorption part due to very low densities at the surface of the supergiant. Hence, we conclude the velocity gradient of the wind near the supergiant could influence on the theoretical line formation.

Evolution of phenotypic clusters through competition and local adaptation along an environmental gradient.

Science.gov (United States)

Leimar, Olof; Doebeli, Michael; Dieckmann, Ulf

2008-04-01

We have analyzed the evolution of a quantitative trait in populations that are spatially extended along an environmental gradient, with gene flow between nearby locations. In the absence of competition, there is stabilizing selection toward a locally best-adapted trait that changes gradually along the gradient. According to traditional ideas, gradual spatial variation in environmental conditions is expected to lead to gradual variation in the evolved trait. A contrasting possibility is that the trait distribution instead breaks up into discrete clusters. Doebeli and Dieckmann (2003) argued that competition acting locally in trait space and geographical space can promote such clustering. We have investigated this possibility using deterministic population dynamics for asexual populations, analyzing our model numerically and through an analytical approximation. We examined how the evolution of clusters is affected by the shape of competition kernels, by the presence of Allee effects, and by the strength of gene flow along the gradient. For certain parameter ranges clustering was a robust outcome, and for other ranges there was no clustering. Our analysis shows that the shape of competition kernels is important for clustering: the sign structure of the Fourier transform of a competition kernel determines whether the kernel promotes clustering. Also, we found that Allee effects promote clustering, whereas gene flow can have a counteracting influence. In line with earlier findings, we could demonstrate that phenotypic clustering was favored by gradients of intermediate slope.

Patterns of macromycete community assemblage along an elevation gradient: options for fungal gradient and metacommunity analyse

Science.gov (United States)

Marko Gómez-Hernández; Guadalupe Williams-Linera; Roger Guevara; D. Jean Lodge

2012-01-01

Gradient analysis is rarely used in studies of fungal communities. Data on macromycetes from eight sites along an elevation gradient in central Veracruz, Mexico, were used to demonstrate methods for gradient analysis that can be applied to studies of communities of fungi. Selected sites from 100 to 3,500 m altitude represent tropical dry forest, tropical montane cloud...

Temperature gradient method for lipid phase diagram construction using time-resolved x-ray diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caffrey, M.; Hing, F.S.

1987-01-01

A method that enables temperature-composition phase diagram construction at unprecedented rates is described and evaluated. The method involves establishing a known temperature gradient along the length of a metal rod. Samples of different compositions contained in long, thin-walled capillaries are positioned lengthwise on the rod and equilibrated such that the temperature gradient is communicated into the sample. The sample is then moved through a focused, monochromatic synchrotron-derived x-ray beam and the image-intensified diffraction pattern from the sample is recorded on videotape continuously in live-time as a function of position and, thus, temperature. The temperature at which the diffraction pattern changes corresponds to a phase boundary, and the phase(s) existing (coexisting) on either side of the boundary can be identified on the basis of the diffraction pattern. Repeating the measurement on samples covering the entire composition range completes the phase diagram. These additional samples can be conveniently placed at different locations around the perimeter of the cylindrical rod and rotated into position for diffraction measurement. Temperature-composition phase diagrams for the fully hydrated binary mixtures, dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC)/dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE)/DPPC, have been constructed using the new temperature gradient method. They agree well with and extend the results obtained by other techniques. In the DPPE/DPPC system structural parameters as a function of temperature in the various phases including the subgel phase are reported. The potential limitations of this steady-state method are discussed

Maternal Education Gradients in Infant Health in Four South American Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Wehby, George L; López-Camelo, Jorge S

2017-11-01

Objective We investigate gradients (i.e. differences) in infant health outcomes by maternal education in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Venezuela and explore channels related to father's education, household labor outcomes, and maternal health, fertility, and use of prenatal services and technology. Methods We employ secondary interview and birth record data similarly collected across a network of birth hospitals from the early 1980s through 2011 within the Latin American Collaborative Study of Congenital Anomalies (ECLAMC). Focusing on children without birth defects, we estimate gradients in several infant health outcomes including birth weight, gestational age, and hospital discharge status by maternal education using ordinary least squares regression models adjusting for several demographic factors. To explore channels, we add as covariates father's education, parental occupational activity, maternal health and fertility history, and use of prenatal services and technology and evaluate changes in the coefficient of maternal education. We use the same models for each country sample. Results We find important differences in gradients across countries. We find evidence for educational gradients in preterm birth in three countries but weaker evidence for gradients in fetal growth. The extent to which observed household and maternal factors explain these gradients based on changes in the regression coefficient of maternal education when controlling for these factors as covariates also varies between countries. In contrast, we generally find evidence across all countries that higher maternal education is associated with increased use of prenatal care services and technology. Conclusions Our findings suggest that differences in infant health by maternal education and their underlying mechanisms vary and are not necessarily generalizable across countries. However, the positive association between maternal education and use of prenatal services and technology is more

On-line learning in radial basis functions networks

OpenAIRE

Freeman, Jason; Saad, David

1997-01-01

An analytic investigation of the average case learning and generalization properties of Radial Basis Function Networks (RBFs) is presented, utilising on-line gradient descent as the learning rule. The analytic method employed allows both the calculation of generalization error and the examination of the internal dynamics of the network. The generalization error and internal dynamics are then used to examine the role of the learning rate and the specialization of the hidden units, which gives ...

Inclusion of biotic stress (consumer pressure) alters predictions from the stress gradient hypothesis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smit, Christian; Rietkerk, Max; Wassen, Martin J.

2009-01-01

The stress gradient hypothesis (SGH) predicts a shift from net negative interactions in benign environments towards net positive in harsh environments in ecological communities. While several studies found support for the SGH, others found evidence against it, leading to a debate on how nature and

Advanced-fueled fusion reactors suitable for direct energy conversion. Project note: temperature-gradient enhancement of electrical fields in insulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blum, A.S.; Mancebo, L.

1976-01-01

Direct energy converters for use on controlled fusion reactors utilize electrodes operated at elevated voltages and temperatures. The insulating elements that position these electrodes must support large voltages and under some circumstances large thermal gradients. It is shown that even modest thermal gradients can cause major alterations of the electric-field distribution within the insulating element

[The smile line, a literature search].

Science.gov (United States)

van der Geld, P A; van Waas, M A

2003-09-01

Beautiful teeth, visible when smiling, are in line with the present ideal of beauty. The display of teeth when smiling is determined by the smile line: the projection of the lower border of the upper lip on the maxillary teeth when smiling. On the basis of a literature search the determining methods of the smile line are discussed, demographic data of the position of the smile line are given, and factors of influence are examined. There is no unequivocal method for determining the position of the smile line. A rough distinction can be made between qualitative and (semi)-quantitative methods. The (semi)-quantitative methods have clear advantages for research purposes, but their reliability is unknown. It was demonstrated that among minimally 40% of subjects the maxillary gingiva was not visible when smiling. The mandibular gingiva was not visible when smiling among more than 90% of subjects. Furthermore, it appeared that among women the smile line was on average higher situated than among men and that it has not yet been proven that the smile line will be situated lower when growing older.

Design and Construction of a Beam Position Monitor Prototype for the Test Beam Line of the CTF3

CERN Document Server

Garcia Garrigos, Juan Jose

2008-01-01

A prototype of Beam Position Monitor (BPM) for the Test Beam Line (TBL) of the 3rd CLIC Test Facility (CTF3) at CERN has been designed and constructed at IFIC in collaboration with the CERN CTF3 team. The design is a scaled version of the BPMs of the CTF3 linac. The design goals are a resolution of 5 μm, an overall precision of 50 μm, in a circular vacuum chamber of 24 mm, in a frequency bandwidth between 10 kHz and 100MHz.The BPMis an inductive type BPM. Beam positions are derived from the image current created by a high frequency electron bunch beam into four electrodes surrounding the vacuum chamber. In this work we describe the mechanical design and construction, the description of the associated electronics together with the first calibration measurements performed in a wire test bench at CERN.

Predictive FEM simulation of thermal shock damage in the refractory lining of steelmaking installations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Damhof, F.; Brekelmans, W.A.M.; Geers, M.G.D.

2011-01-01

Thermal shock damage in the refractory lining of steelmaking installations is modelled using an experimentally validated constitutive damage framework which is coupled incrementally with a thermo-elastic FE package. Both non-local elasticity-based damage induced by temperature gradients and thermal

Uniform gradient expansions

CERN Document Server

Giovannini, Massimo

2015-01-01

Cosmological singularities are often discussed by means of a gradient expansion that can also describe, during a quasi-de Sitter phase, the progressive suppression of curvature inhomogeneities. While the inflationary event horizon is being formed the two mentioned regimes coexist and a uniform expansion can be conceived and applied to the evolution of spatial gradients across the protoinflationary boundary. It is argued that conventional arguments addressing the preinflationary initial conditions are necessary but generally not sufficient to guarantee a homogeneous onset of the conventional inflationary stage.

Gradient Flow Convolutive Blind Source Separation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Michael Syskind; Nielsen, Chinton Møller

2004-01-01

Experiments have shown that the performance of instantaneous gradient flow beamforming by Cauwenberghs et al. is reduced significantly in reverberant conditions. By expanding the gradient flow principle to convolutive mixtures, separation in a reverberant environment is possible. By use...... of a circular four microphone array with a radius of 5 mm, and applying convolutive gradient flow instead of just applying instantaneous gradient flow, experimental results show an improvement of up to around 14 dB can be achieved for simulated impulse responses and up to around 10 dB for a hearing aid...

An implicit tensorial gradient plasticity model - formulation and comparison with a scalar gradient model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Poh, L.H.; Peerlings, R.H.J.; Geers, M.G.D.; Swaddiwudhipong, S.

2011-01-01

Many rate-independent models for metals utilize the gradient of effective plastic strain to capture size-dependent behavior. This enhancement, sometimes termed as "explicit" gradient formulation, requires higher-order tractions to be imposed on the evolving elasto-plastic boundary and the resulting

High Gradient Accelerator Research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Temkin, Richard

2016-01-01

The goal of the MIT program of research on high gradient acceleration is the development of advanced acceleration concepts that lead to a practical and affordable next generation linear collider at the TeV energy level. Other applications, which are more near-term, include accelerators for materials processing; medicine; defense; mining; security; and inspection. The specific goals of the MIT program are: • Pioneering theoretical research on advanced structures for high gradient acceleration, including photonic structures and metamaterial structures; evaluation of the wakefields in these advanced structures • Experimental research to demonstrate the properties of advanced structures both in low-power microwave cold test and high-power, high-gradient test at megawatt power levels • Experimental research on microwave breakdown at high gradient including studies of breakdown phenomena induced by RF electric fields and RF magnetic fields; development of new diagnostics of the breakdown process • Theoretical research on the physics and engineering features of RF vacuum breakdown • Maintaining and improving the Haimson / MIT 17 GHz accelerator, the highest frequency operational accelerator in the world, a unique facility for accelerator research • Providing the Haimson / MIT 17 GHz accelerator facility as a facility for outside users • Active participation in the US DOE program of High Gradient Collaboration, including joint work with SLAC and with Los Alamos National Laboratory; participation of MIT students in research at the national laboratories • Training the next generation of Ph. D. students in the field of accelerator physics.

Effects of Gradient Coil Noise and Gradient Coil Replacement on the Reproducibility of Resting State Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagarinao, Epifanio; Tsuzuki, Erina; Yoshida, Yukina; Ozawa, Yohei; Kuzuya, Maki; Otani, Takashi; Koyama, Shuji; Isoda, Haruo; Watanabe, Hirohisa; Maesawa, Satoshi; Naganawa, Shinji; Sobue, Gen

2018-01-01

The stability of the MRI scanner throughout a given study is critical in minimizing hardware-induced variability in the acquired imaging data set. However, MRI scanners do malfunction at times, which could generate image artifacts and would require the replacement of a major component such as its gradient coil. In this article, we examined the effect of low intensity, randomly occurring hardware-related noise due to a faulty gradient coil on brain morphometric measures derived from T1-weighted images and resting state networks (RSNs) constructed from resting state functional MRI. We also introduced a method to detect and minimize the effect of the noise associated with a faulty gradient coil. Finally, we assessed the reproducibility of these morphometric measures and RSNs before and after gradient coil replacement. Our results showed that gradient coil noise, even at relatively low intensities, could introduce a large number of voxels exhibiting spurious significant connectivity changes in several RSNs. However, censoring the affected volumes during the analysis could minimize, if not completely eliminate, these spurious connectivity changes and could lead to reproducible RSNs even after gradient coil replacement.

Beta-gradient isochron dating of thin tooth enamel layers using ESR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsh, R.E.Rebeccah E.; Rink, W.J.W. Jack

2000-01-01

The theoretical and experimental basis for the development of a new dating technique using beta-gradient isochrons and ESR is presented. For uranium-free portions of enamel adjacent to sediment, we can determine a beta-dose gradient due to sources in the nearest 2 mm layer of the sediment. If the equivalent dose to successive layers of enamel is plotted against the beta dose rate to each layer, an estimate of the age (equal to the slope of the line) that depends only on the environmental beta dose rate can be determined. Experimental methods and results for four teeth are discussed. The significance of this approach lies in its ability to isolate an age estimate that is independent of the uranium uptake model, since only portions of the enamel which are far away enough from internal sources of uranium, such as dentine, are used. In addition, this technique provides a time-averaged estimate of the actual gamma plus cosmic dose rate provided that a reasonable estimate of the average moisture content is used to calculate the environmental beta dose rate

IMPACT OF GEOTHERMAL GRADIENT ON GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP SYSTEM MODELING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomislav Kurevija

2014-07-01

Full Text Available ndisturbed ground temperature is one of the most crucial thermogeological parameters needed for shallow geothermal resources assessment. Energy considered to be geothermal is energy stored in the ground at depths where solar radiation has no effect. At depth where undisturbed ground temperature occurs there is no influence of seasonal variations in air temperature from surface. Exact temperature value, and depth where it occurs, is functionally dependent on surface climate parameters and thermogeologic properties of ground. After abovementioned depth, increase of ground temperature is solely dependent on geothermal gradient. Accurately determined value of undisturbed ground temperature is beneficial for proper sizing of borehole heat exchangers. On practical example of building which is being heated and cooled with shallow geothermal resource, influences of undisturbed ground temperature and geothermal gradient, on size of borehole heat exchanger are going to be presented. Sizing of borehole heat exchanger was calculated with commercial software Ground Loop Designer (GLD, which uses modified line source and cylinder source solutions of heat conduction in solids.

Diffusion effects on the line intensities of He I and He II in the solar transition region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shine, R.; Gerola, H.; Linsky, J.L.

1975-01-01

A heuristic treatment of diffusion in the solar chromosphere-corona transition region is developed. Diffusion becomes increasingly important with steeper temperature gradients, in active and quiet regions relative to coronal holes, and with increasing excitation potential. Numerical calculations are made for the resonance lines of He i and He ii and show that diffusion can enhance these lines. Thus the helium lines may appear relatively weak in coronal holes due to a weakening of the enhancement mechanism. Most transition region lines will be less affected by diffusion than He i or He ii

Electromagnetic design, implementation and test of a superconducting undulator with a transverse gradient field amplitude

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Afonso Rodriguez, Veronica

2015-11-25

This thesis describes the development of a novel superconducting transversal gradient undulator (TGU) designed to form a compact, highly brilliant laser-wakefield accelerator (LWFA) driven radiation source. A TGU in combination with a dispersive beam transport line can be employed to produce undulator radiation with natural bandwidth despite the large energy spread of the LWFA. This thesis documents the construction, first tests and characterization of the full-scale TGU.

Tearing modes with pressure gradient effect in pair plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Huishan; Li Ding; Zheng Jian

2009-01-01

The general dispersion relation of tearing mode with pressure gradient effect in pair plasmas is derived analytically. If the pressure gradients of positron and electron are not identical in pair plasmas, the pressure gradient has significant influence at tearing mode in both collisionless and collisional regimes. In collisionless regime, the effects of pressure gradient depend on its magnitude. For small pressure gradient, the growth rate of tearing mode is enhanced by pressure gradient. For large pressure gradient, the growth rate is reduced by pressure gradient. The tearing mode can even be stabilized if pressure gradient is large enough. In collisional regime, the growth rate of tearing mode is reduced by the pressure gradient. While the positron and electron have equal pressure gradient, tearing mode is not affected by pressure gradient in pair plasmas.

Particle capture efficiency in a multi-wire model for high gradient magnetic separation

KAUST Repository

Eisenträger, Almut

2014-07-21

High gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) is an efficient way to remove magnetic and paramagnetic particles, such as heavy metals, from waste water. As the suspension flows through a magnetized filter mesh, high magnetic gradients around the wires attract and capture the particles removing them from the fluid. We model such a system by considering the motion of a paramagnetic tracer particle through a periodic array of magnetized cylinders. We show that there is a critical Mason number (ratio of viscous to magnetic forces) below which the particle is captured irrespective of its initial position in the array. Above this threshold, particle capture is only partially successful and depends on the particle\\'s entry position. We determine the relationship between the critical Mason number and the system geometry using numerical and asymptotic calculations. If a capture efficiency below 100% is sufficient, our results demonstrate how operating the HGMS system above the critical Mason number but with multiple separation cycles may increase efficiency. © 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

Explaining the social gradient in sickness absence: a study of a general working population in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Löve, Jesper; Hensing, Gunnel; Holmgren, Kristina; Torén, Kjell

2013-06-05

Some previous studies have proposed potential explanatory factors for the social gradient in sickness absence. Yet, this research area is still in its infancy and in order to comprise the full range of socioeconomic positions there is a need for studies conducted on random population samples. The main aim of the present study was to investigate if somatic and mental symptoms, mental wellbeing, job strain, and physical work environment could explain the association between low socioeconomic position and belonging to a sample of new cases of sick-listed employees. This study was conducted on one random working population sample (n = 2763) and one sample of newly sick-listed cases of employees (n = 3044), drawn from the same random general population in western Sweden. Explanatory factors were self-rated 'Somatic and mental symptoms', 'Mental well-being', 'job strain', and 'physical work conditions' (i.e. heavy lifting and awkward work postures). Multiple logistic regression analyses were used. Somatic and mental symptoms, mental well-being, and job strain, could not explain the association between socioeconomic position and sickness absence in both women and men. However, physical work conditions explained the total association in women and much of this association in men. In men the gradient between Non-skilled manual OR 1.76 (1.24;2.48) and Skilled manual OR 1.59 (1.10;2.20), both in relation to Higher non-manual, remained unexplained. The present study strengthens the scientific evidence that social differences in physical work conditions seem to comprise a key element of the social gradient in sickness absence, particularly in women. Future studies should try to identify further predictors for this gradient in men.

Scale-specific correlations between habitat heterogeneity and soil fauna diversity along a landscape structure gradient.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanbergen, Adam J; Watt, Allan D; Mitchell, Ruth; Truscott, Anne-Marie; Palmer, Stephen C F; Ivits, Eva; Eggleton, Paul; Jones, T Hefin; Sousa, José Paulo

2007-09-01

Habitat heterogeneity contributes to the maintenance of diversity, but the extent that landscape-scale rather than local-scale heterogeneity influences the diversity of soil invertebrates-species with small range sizes-is less clear. Using a Scottish habitat heterogeneity gradient we correlated Collembola and lumbricid worm species richness and abundance with different elements (forest cover, habitat richness and patchiness) and qualities (plant species richness, soil variables) of habitat heterogeneity, at landscape (1 km(2)) and local (up to 200 m(2)) scales. Soil fauna assemblages showed considerable turnover in species composition along this habitat heterogeneity gradient. Soil fauna species richness and turnover was greatest in landscapes that were a mosaic of habitats. Soil fauna diversity was hump-shaped along a gradient of forest cover, peaking where there was a mixture of forest and open habitats in the landscape. Landscape-scale habitat richness was positively correlated with lumbricid diversity, while Collembola and lumbricid abundances were negatively and positively related to landscape spatial patchiness. Furthermore, soil fauna diversity was positively correlated with plant diversity, which in turn peaked in the sites that were a mosaic of forest and open habitat patches. There was less evidence that local-scale habitat variables (habitat richness, tree cover, plant species richness, litter cover, soil pH, depth of organic horizon) affected soil fauna diversity: Collembola diversity was independent of all these measures, while lumbricid diversity positively and negatively correlated with vascular plant species richness and tree canopy density. Landscape-scale habitat heterogeneity affects soil diversity regardless of taxon, while the influence of habitat heterogeneity at local scales is dependent on taxon identity, and hence ecological traits, e.g. body size. Landscape-scale habitat heterogeneity by providing different niches and refuges, together

Conjugate-gradient preconditioning methods for shift-variant PET image reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Fessler, J A; Booth, S D

1999-01-01

Gradient-based iterative methods often converge slowly for tomographic image reconstruction and image restoration problems, but can be accelerated by suitable preconditioners. Diagonal preconditioners offer some improvement in convergence rate, but do not incorporate the structure of the Hessian matrices in imaging problems. Circulant preconditioners can provide remarkable acceleration for inverse problems that are approximately shift-invariant, i.e., for those with approximately block-Toeplitz or block-circulant Hessians. However, in applications with nonuniform noise variance, such as arises from Poisson statistics in emission tomography and in quantum-limited optical imaging, the Hessian of the weighted least-squares objective function is quite shift-variant, and circulant preconditioners perform poorly. Additional shift-variance is caused by edge-preserving regularization methods based on nonquadratic penalty functions. This paper describes new preconditioners that approximate more accurately the Hessian matrices of shift-variant imaging problems. Compared to diagonal or circulant preconditioning, the new preconditioners lead to significantly faster convergence rates for the unconstrained conjugate-gradient (CG) iteration. We also propose a new efficient method for the line-search step required by CG methods. Applications to positron emission tomography (PET) illustrate the method.

Evidence of counter-gradient growth in western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) across thermal gradients

Science.gov (United States)

Snover, Melissa; Adams, Michael J.; Ashton, Donald T.; Bettaso, Jamie B.; Welsh, Hartwell H.

2015-01-01

Counter-gradient growth, where growth per unit temperature increases as temperature decreases, can reduce the variation in ectothermic growth rates across environmental gradients. Understanding how ectothermic species respond to changing temperatures is essential to their conservation and management due to human-altered habitats and changing climates.

STOCHASTIC GRADIENT METHODS FOR UNCONSTRAINED OPTIMIZATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nataša Krejić

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This papers presents an overview of gradient based methods for minimization of noisy functions. It is assumed that the objective functions is either given with error terms of stochastic nature or given as the mathematical expectation. Such problems arise in the context of simulation based optimization. The focus of this presentation is on the gradient based Stochastic Approximation and Sample Average Approximation methods. The concept of stochastic gradient approximation of the true gradient can be successfully extended to deterministic problems. Methods of this kind are presented for the data fitting and machine learning problems.

Thermal Rectification in Graded Nonlinear Transmission Lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Wen; Chen Wei-Zhong; Tao Feng

2011-01-01

We consider heat conduction in a nonlinear inductance-capacitance (LC) transmission line with an inductance gradient by adding white-noise signals. It is found that the heat flux in the direction of inductance decrease is larger than that in the direction of inductance increase. When the low-inductance end is at higher temperature, the phonon density decreases due to conversion to high-frequency phonons, which can not move to the high-inductance end due to its lower cutoff frequency. However, when the high-inductance end is at higher temperature, the loss of phonon density can be compensated for because some high-frequency phonons can move to the low-inductance end dur to its higher cutoff frequency. This leads to the asymmetry of energy transfer. Discussion shows that this asymmetry exists in a particular range of temperatures, and increases with the increase of the difference between heat baths and the inductance gradient. (fundamental areas of phenomenology(including applications))

Spatial gradient tuning in metamaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Driscoll, Tom; Goldflam, Michael; Jokerst, Nan; Basov, Dimitri; Smith, David

2011-03-01

Gradient Index (GRIN) metamaterials have been used to create devices inspired by, but often surpassing the potential of, conventional GRIN optics. The unit-cell nature of metamaterials presents the opportunity to exert much greater control over spatial gradients than is possible in natural materials. This is true not only during the design phase but also offers the potential for real-time reconfiguration of the metamaterial gradient. This ability fits nicely into the picture of transformation-optics, in which spatial gradients can enable an impressive suite of innovative devices. We discuss methods to exert control over metamaterial response, focusing on our recent demonstrations using Vanadium Dioxide. We give special attention to role of memristance and mem-capacitance observed in Vanadium Dioxide, which simplify the demands of stimuli and addressing, as well as intersecting metamaterials with the field of memory-materials.

Approximate error conjugation gradient minimization methods

Science.gov (United States)

Kallman, Jeffrey S

2013-05-21

In one embodiment, a method includes selecting a subset of rays from a set of all rays to use in an error calculation for a constrained conjugate gradient minimization problem, calculating an approximate error using the subset of rays, and calculating a minimum in a conjugate gradient direction based on the approximate error. In another embodiment, a system includes a processor for executing logic, logic for selecting a subset of rays from a set of all rays to use in an error calculation for a constrained conjugate gradient minimization problem, logic for calculating an approximate error using the subset of rays, and logic for calculating a minimum in a conjugate gradient direction based on the approximate error. In other embodiments, computer program products, methods, and systems are described capable of using approximate error in constrained conjugate gradient minimization problems.

Gravity gradient preprocessing at the GOCE HPF

Science.gov (United States)

Bouman, J.; Rispens, S.; Gruber, T.; Schrama, E.; Visser, P.; Tscherning, C. C.; Veicherts, M.

2009-04-01

One of the products derived from the GOCE observations are the gravity gradients. These gravity gradients are provided in the Gradiometer Reference Frame (GRF) and are calibrated in-flight using satellite shaking and star sensor data. In order to use these gravity gradients for application in Earth sciences and gravity field analysis, additional pre-processing needs to be done, including corrections for temporal gravity field signals to isolate the static gravity field part, screening for outliers, calibration by comparison with existing external gravity field information and error assessment. The temporal gravity gradient corrections consist of tidal and non-tidal corrections. These are all generally below the gravity gradient error level, which is predicted to show a 1/f behaviour for low frequencies. In the outlier detection the 1/f error is compensated for by subtracting a local median from the data, while the data error is assessed using the median absolute deviation. The local median acts as a high-pass filter and it is robust as is the median absolute deviation. Three different methods have been implemented for the calibration of the gravity gradients. All three methods use a high-pass filter to compensate for the 1/f gravity gradient error. The baseline method uses state-of-the-art global gravity field models and the most accurate results are obtained if star sensor misalignments are estimated along with the calibration parameters. A second calibration method uses GOCE GPS data to estimate a low degree gravity field model as well as gravity gradient scale factors. Both methods allow to estimate gravity gradient scale factors down to the 10-3 level. The third calibration method uses high accurate terrestrial gravity data in selected regions to validate the gravity gradient scale factors, focussing on the measurement band. Gravity gradient scale factors may be estimated down to the 10-2 level with this method.

The disparate impact of the ion temperature gradient and the density gradient on edge transport and the low-high transition in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kleva, Robert G.; Guzdar, Parvez N.

2009-01-01

Steepening of the ion temperature gradient in nonlinear fluid simulations of the edge region of a tokamak plasma causes a rapid degradation in confinement. As the density gradient steepens, there is a continuous improvement in confinement analogous to the low (L) to high (H) transition observed in tokamaks. In contrast, as the ion temperature gradient steepens, there is a rapid increase in the particle and energy fluxes and no L-H transition. For a given pressure gradient, confinement always improves when more of the pressure gradient arises from the density gradient, and less of the pressure gradient arises from the ion temperature gradient.

Influence of the sagittal anatomy of the pelvis on the intercrestal line position.

Science.gov (United States)

Horduna, M; Legaye, J

2008-03-01

The line joining the two iliac crests is classically regarded as the anatomical landmark determining the inter-vertebral space L4-L5 for the spinal punctures. Its variability has been reported but never related to predictive clinical anatomic factors identifying patients groups in which there is increased risk of miscalculation of the spinal level. Two sagittal pelvic anatomical angles, called 'pelvic incidence' and 'pelvic lordosis' were measured on lateral X-rays of the pelvis of 132 normal individuals and 49 spondylolysis patients. The values were compared with the sagittal projection of the intercrestal line on the disco-vertebral lumbar structures. A strict relation was observed between this projection of the intercrestal line and the sagittal pelvic anatomical angles. The greater the pelvic incidence, the higher the intercrestal line was projected, all the more in patients with spondylolysis with a listhesis or a disc narrowing. The relation between the pelvic sagittal angles and the intercrestal line projection explains the variability described for this anatomical landmark. It implies precautions minimizing neurological risk in the case of a puncture carried out more cranially than expected, particularly for high values of pelvic incidence occurring in spinal pathologies such as spondylolysis, in the elderly or in the obese patients. In these cases, we recommend the use of spinal imaging during the procedure to assist selection of the desired insertion level.

Potential uses of high gradient magnetic filtration for high-temperature water purification in boiling water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elliott, H.H.; Holloway, J.H.; Abbott, D.G.

1979-01-01

Studies of various high-temperature filter devices indicate a potentially positive impact for high gradient magnetic filtration on boiling water reactor radiation level reduction. Test results on in-plant water composition and impurity crystallography are presented for several typical boiling water reactors (BWRs) on plant streams where high-temperature filtration may be particularly beneficial. An experimental model on the removal of red iron oxide (hematite) from simulated reactor water with a high gradient magnetic filter is presented, as well as the scale-up parameters used to predict the filtration efficiency on various high temperature, in-plant streams. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the crud removal potential of high gradient magnetic filters installed at alternative stream locations under typical, steady-state, plant operating conditions

Intracellular chemical gradients: morphing principle in bacteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Endres Robert G

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Advances in computational biology allow systematic investigations to ascertain whether internal chemical gradients can be maintained in bacteria – an open question at the resolution limit of fluorescence microscopy. While it was previously believed that the small bacterial cell size and fast diffusion in the cytoplasm effectively remove any such gradient, a new computational study published in BMC Biophysics supports the emerging view that gradients can exist. The study arose from the recent observation that phosphorylated CtrA forms a gradient prior to cell division in Caulobacter crescentus, a bacterium known for its complicated cell cycle. Tropini et al. (2012 postulate that such gradients can provide an internal chemical compass, directing protein localization, cell division and cell development. More specifically, they describe biochemical and physical constraints on the formation of such gradients and explore a number of existing bacterial cell morphologies. These chemical gradients may limit in vitro analyses, and may ensure timing control and robustness to fluctuations during critical stages in cell development.

Evaluation of HIV testing algorithms in Ethiopia: the role of the tie-breaker algorithm and weakly reacting test lines in contributing to a high rate of false positive HIV diagnoses.

Science.gov (United States)

Shanks, Leslie; Siddiqui, M Ruby; Kliescikova, Jarmila; Pearce, Neil; Ariti, Cono; Muluneh, Libsework; Pirou, Erwan; Ritmeijer, Koert; Masiga, Johnson; Abebe, Almaz

2015-02-03

In Ethiopia a tiebreaker algorithm using 3 rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in series is used to diagnose HIV. Discordant results between the first 2 RDTs are resolved by a third 'tiebreaker' RDT. Médecins Sans Frontières uses an alternate serial algorithm of 2 RDTs followed by a confirmation test for all double positive RDT results. The primary objective was to compare the performance of the tiebreaker algorithm with a serial algorithm, and to evaluate the addition of a confirmation test to both algorithms. A secondary objective looked at the positive predictive value (PPV) of weakly reactive test lines. The study was conducted in two HIV testing sites in Ethiopia. Study participants were recruited sequentially until 200 positive samples were reached. Each sample was re-tested in the laboratory on the 3 RDTs and on a simple to use confirmation test, the Orgenics Immunocomb Combfirm® (OIC). The gold standard test was the Western Blot, with indeterminate results resolved by PCR testing. 2620 subjects were included with a HIV prevalence of 7.7%. Each of the 3 RDTs had an individual specificity of at least 99%. The serial algorithm with 2 RDTs had a single false positive result (1 out of 204) to give a PPV of 99.5% (95% CI 97.3%-100%). The tiebreaker algorithm resulted in 16 false positive results (PPV 92.7%, 95% CI: 88.4%-95.8%). Adding the OIC confirmation test to either algorithm eliminated the false positives. All the false positives had at least one weakly reactive test line in the algorithm. The PPV of weakly reacting RDTs was significantly lower than those with strongly positive test lines. The risk of false positive HIV diagnosis in a tiebreaker algorithm is significant. We recommend abandoning the tie-breaker algorithm in favour of WHO recommended serial or parallel algorithms, interpreting weakly reactive test lines as indeterminate results requiring further testing except in the setting of blood transfusion, and most importantly, adding a confirmation test

Noncommunicable Diseases in Ghana: Does the Theory of Social Gradient in Health Hold?

Science.gov (United States)

Tenkorang, Eric Y.; Kuuire, Vincent Z.

2016-01-01

The theory of social gradient in health posits that individuals with lower socioeconomic status (SES) have poorer health outcomes, compared with those in higher socioeconomic brackets. Applied to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), this theory has largely been corroborated by studies from the West. However, evidence from sub-Saharan Africa are mixed,…

Protein gradient films of fibroin and gelatine.

Science.gov (United States)

Claussen, Kai U; Lintz, Eileen S; Giesa, Reiner; Schmidt, Hans-Werner; Scheibel, Thomas

2013-10-01

Gradients are a natural design principle in biological systems that are used to diminish stress concentration where materials of differing mechanical properties connect. An interesting example of a natural gradient material is byssus, which anchors mussels to rocks and other hard substrata. Building upon previous work with synthetic polymers and inspired by byssal threads, protein gradient films are cast using glycerine-plasticized gelatine and fibroin exhibiting a highly reproducible and smooth mechanical gradient, which encompasses a large range of modulus from 160 to 550 MPa. The reproducible production of biocompatible gradient films represents a first step towards medical applications. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Characterization of gradient control systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cortés, Jorge; van der Schaft, Arjan; Crouch, Peter E.

2005-01-01

Given a general nonlinear affine control system with outputs and a torsion-free affine connection defined on its state space, we investigate the gradient realization problem: we give necessary and sufficient conditions under which the control system can be written as a gradient control system

Characterization of Gradient Control Systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cortés, Jorge; Schaft, Arjan van der; Crouch, Peter E.

2005-01-01

Given a general nonlinear affine control system with outputs and a torsion-free affine connection defined on its state space, we investigate the gradient realization problem: we give necessary and sufficient conditions under which the control system can be written as a gradient control system

Quaternion Gradient and Hessian

OpenAIRE

Xu, Dongpo; Mandic, Danilo P.

2014-01-01

The optimization of real scalar functions of quaternion variables, such as the mean square error or array output power, underpins many practical applications. Solutions typically require the calculation of the gradient and Hessian. However, real functions of quaternion variables are essentially nonanalytic, which are prohibitive to the development of quaternion-valued learning systems. To address this issue, we propose new definitions of quaternion gradient and Hessian, based on the novel gen...

Iris Location Algorithm Based on the CANNY Operator and Gradient Hough Transform

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, L. H.; Meng, K.; Wang, Y.; Dai, Z. Q.; Li, S.

2017-12-01

In the iris recognition system, the accuracy of the localization of the inner and outer edges of the iris directly affects the performance of the recognition system, so iris localization has important research meaning. Our iris data contain eyelid, eyelashes, light spot and other noise, even the gray transformation of the images is not obvious, so the general methods of iris location are unable to realize the iris location. The method of the iris location based on Canny operator and gradient Hough transform is proposed. Firstly, the images are pre-processed; then, calculating the gradient information of images, the inner and outer edges of iris are coarse positioned using Canny operator; finally, according to the gradient Hough transform to realize precise localization of the inner and outer edge of iris. The experimental results show that our algorithm can achieve the localization of the inner and outer edges of the iris well, and the algorithm has strong anti-interference ability, can greatly reduce the location time and has higher accuracy and stability.

Cell orientation gradients on an inverse opal substrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Jie; Zou, Xin; Zhao, Ze; Mu, Zhongde; Zhao, Yuanjin; Gu, Zhongze

2015-05-20

The generation of cell gradients is critical for understanding many biological systems and realizing the unique functionality of many implanted biomaterials. However, most previous work can only control the gradient of cell density and this has no effect on the gradient of cell orientation, which has an important role in regulating the functions of many connecting tissues. Here, we report on a simple stretched inverse opal substrate for establishing desired cell orientation gradients. It was demonstrated that tendon fibroblasts on the stretched inverse opal gradient showed a corresponding alignment along with the elongation gradient of the substrate. This "random-to-aligned" cell gradient reproduces the insertion part of many connecting tissues, and thus, will have important applications in tissue engineering.

Height perception influenced by texture gradient.

Science.gov (United States)

Tozawa, Junko

2012-01-01

Three experiments were carried out to examine whether a texture gradient influences perception of relative object height. Previous research implicated texture cues in judgments of object width, but similar influences have not been demonstrated for relative height. In this study, I evaluate a hypothesis that the projective ratio of the number of texture elements covered by the objects combined with the ratio of the retinal object heights determines percepts of relative object height. Density of texture background was varied: four density conditions ranged from no-texture to very dense texture. In experiments 1 and 2, participants judged the height of comparison bar compared to the standard bar positioned on no-texture or textured backgrounds. Results showed relative height judgments differed with texture manipulations, consistent with predictions from a hypothesised combination of the number of texture elements with retinal height (experiment 1), or partially consistent with this hypothesis (experiment 2). In experiment 2, variations in the position of a comparison object showed that comparisons located far from the horizon were judged more poorly than in other positions. In experiment 3 I examined distance perception; relative distance judgments were found to be also affected by textured backgrounds. Results are discussed in terms of Gibson's relational theory and distance calibration theory.

Fifty shades of gradients: does the pressure gradient in venous sinus stenting for idiopathic intracranial hypertension matter? A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

McDougall, Cameron M; Ban, Vin Shen; Beecher, Jeffrey; Pride, Lee; Welch, Babu G

2018-03-02

OBJECTIVE The role of venous sinus stenting (VSS) for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is not well understood. The aim of this systematic review is to attempt to identify subsets of patients with IIH who will benefit from VSS based on the pressure gradients of their venous sinus stenosis. METHODS MEDLINE/PubMed was searched for studies reporting venous pressure gradients across the stenotic segment of the venous sinus, pre- and post-stent pressure gradients, and clinical outcomes after VSS. Findings are reported according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. RESULTS From 32 eligible studies, a total of 186 patients were included in the analysis. Patients who had favorable outcomes had higher mean pressure gradients (22.8 ± 11.5 mm Hg vs 17.4 ± 8.0 mm Hg, p = 0.033) and higher changes in pressure gradients after stent placement (19.4 ± 10.0 mm Hg vs 12.0 ± 6.0 mm Hg, p = 0.006) compared with those with unfavorable outcomes. The post-stent pressure gradients between the 2 groups were not significantly different (2.8 ± 4.0 mm Hg vs 2.7 ± 2.0 mm Hg, p = 0.934). In a multivariate stepwise logistic regression controlling for age, sex, body mass index, CSF opening pressure, pre-stent pressure gradient, and post-stent pressure gradient, the change in pressure gradient with stent placement was found to be an independent predictor of favorable outcome (p = 0.028). Using a pressure gradient of 21 as a cutoff, 81/86 (94.2%) of patients with a gradient > 21 achieved favorable outcomes, compared with 82/100 (82.0%) of patients with a gradient ≤ 21 (p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS There appears to be a relationship between the pressure gradient of venous sinus stenosis and the success of VSS in IIH. A randomized controlled trial would help elucidate this relationship and potentially guide patient selection.

Bent paths of a positive streamer and a cathode-directed spark leader in diffuse discharges preionized by runaway electrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Cheng; Shao, Tao, E-mail: st@mail.iee.ac.cn; Wang, Ruixue; Yan, Ping [Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Key Laboratory of Power Electronics and Electric Drive, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Tarasenko, Viktor F.; Beloplotov, Dmitry V.; Lomaev, Mikhail I.; Sorokin, Dmitry A. [Institute of High Current Electronics, Russian Academy of Science, Tomsk 634055 (Russian Federation); National Research Tomsk State University, 36 Lenin Ave., Tomsk 634050 (Russian Federation)

2015-03-15

Diffuse discharges preionized by runaway electrons can produce large-area homogeneous discharges at elevated pressures, which is an intriguing phenomenon in the physics of pulsed discharges. In this paper, runaway-electron-preionized diffuse discharge (REP DD) was obtained in a wide pressure range (0.05–0.25 MPa), and under certain conditions a positive streamer and a cathode-directed spark leader could be observed to propagate at some angles to the applied (background) electric field lines. For a 16-mm gap at an air pressure of 0.08–0.1 MPa, the percentage of pulses in which such propagation is observed is about 5%–50% of their total number, and in the other pulses such bent paths could not be observed because there is even no streamer or cathode-directed spark leader in diffuse discharges. In our opinion, such propagation of the positive streamer and the cathode-directed spark leader at some angle to the background electric field lines owes to different increase rates of the electron density in different regions of the discharge volume under REP DD conditions. Therefore, during the formation of a REP DD, the increase of the electron density is inhomogeneous and nonsimultaneous, resulting in an electron density gradient at the ionization wave front.

Bent paths of a positive streamer and a cathode-directed spark leader in diffuse discharges preionized by runaway electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Cheng; Shao, Tao; Wang, Ruixue; Yan, Ping; Tarasenko, Viktor F.; Beloplotov, Dmitry V.; Lomaev, Mikhail I.; Sorokin, Dmitry A.

2015-01-01

Diffuse discharges preionized by runaway electrons can produce large-area homogeneous discharges at elevated pressures, which is an intriguing phenomenon in the physics of pulsed discharges. In this paper, runaway-electron-preionized diffuse discharge (REP DD) was obtained in a wide pressure range (0.05–0.25 MPa), and under certain conditions a positive streamer and a cathode-directed spark leader could be observed to propagate at some angles to the applied (background) electric field lines. For a 16-mm gap at an air pressure of 0.08–0.1 MPa, the percentage of pulses in which such propagation is observed is about 5%–50% of their total number, and in the other pulses such bent paths could not be observed because there is even no streamer or cathode-directed spark leader in diffuse discharges. In our opinion, such propagation of the positive streamer and the cathode-directed spark leader at some angle to the background electric field lines owes to different increase rates of the electron density in different regions of the discharge volume under REP DD conditions. Therefore, during the formation of a REP DD, the increase of the electron density is inhomogeneous and nonsimultaneous, resulting in an electron density gradient at the ionization wave front

Jupiter's evolution with primordial composition gradients

Science.gov (United States)

Vazan, Allona; Helled, Ravit; Guillot, Tristan

2018-02-01

Recent formation and structure models of Jupiter suggest that the planet can have composition gradients and not be fully convective (adiabatic). This possibility directly affects our understanding of Jupiter's bulk composition and origin. In this Letter we present Jupiter's evolution with a primordial structure consisting of a relatively steep heavy-element gradient of 40 M⊕. We show that for a primordial structure with composition gradients, most of the mixing occurs in the outer part of the gradient during the early evolution (several 107 yr), leading to an adiabatic outer envelope (60% of Jupiter's mass). We find that the composition gradient in the deep interior persists, suggesting that 40% of Jupiter's mass can be non-adiabatic with a higher temperature than the one derived from Jupiter's atmospheric properties. The region that can potentially develop layered convection in Jupiter today is estimated to be limited to 10% of the mass. Movies associated to Figs. 1-3 are available at http://https://www.aanda.org

Gradient Self-Doped CuBi2O4 with Highly Improved Charge Separation Efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Fuxian; Septina, Wilman; Chemseddine, Abdelkrim; Abdi, Fatwa F; Friedrich, Dennis; Bogdanoff, Peter; van de Krol, Roel; Tilley, S David; Berglund, Sean P

2017-10-25

A new strategy of using forward gradient self-doping to improve the charge separation efficiency in metal oxide photoelectrodes is proposed. Gradient self-doped CuBi 2 O 4 photocathodes are prepared with forward and reverse gradients in copper vacancies using a two-step, diffusion-assisted spray pyrolysis process. Decreasing the Cu/Bi ratio of the CuBi 2 O 4 photocathodes introduces Cu vacancies that increase the carrier (hole) concentration and lowers the Fermi level, as evidenced by a shift in the flat band toward more positive potentials. Thus, a gradient in Cu vacancies leads to an internal electric field within CuBi 2 O 4 , which can facilitate charge separation. Compared to homogeneous CuBi 2 O 4 photocathodes, CuBi 2 O 4 photocathodes with a forward gradient show highly improved charge separation efficiency and enhanced photoelectrochemical performance for reduction reactions, while CuBi 2 O 4 photocathodes with a reverse gradient show significantly reduced charge separation efficiency and photoelectrochemical performance. The CuBi 2 O 4 photocathodes with a forward gradient produce record AM 1.5 photocurrent densities for CuBi 2 O 4 up to -2.5 mA/cm 2 at 0.6 V vs RHE with H 2 O 2 as an electron scavenger, and they show a charge separation efficiency of 34% for 550 nm light. The gradient self-doping accomplishes this without the introduction of external dopants, and therefore the tetragonal crystal structure and carrier mobility of CuBi 2 O 4 are maintained. Lastly, forward gradient self-doped CuBi 2 O 4 photocathodes are protected with a CdS/TiO 2 heterojunction and coated with Pt as an electrocatalyst. These photocathodes demonstrate photocurrent densities on the order of -1.0 mA/cm 2 at 0.0 V vs RHE and evolve hydrogen with a faradaic efficiency of ∼91%.

Position-sensitive radiation detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathieson, E.; Smith, G.C.; Gilvin, P.J.

1981-01-01

Apparatus for sensing the position of radiation received has a plurality of receptors spaced in at least one line on which the position is to be determined, their outputs being associated to form at least two groups, the density of the receptors in each group varying along the line. The receptors may comprise cathode arrays of a multiwire proportional counter, with an anode array between, measuring along lines in directions x and y respectively. The density of the wires in the two groups, decreases in opposite directions. A circuit determines the ratio of the output of one group to the sum of the group outputs. In another embodiment a scintillator is viewed by a plurality of light guides, the ends of which adjacent to the scintillator form the receptors, the four groups of which each terminate on a photomultiplier. (author)

Sub-Angstrom oscillation amplitude non-contact atomic force microscopy for lateral force gradient measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atabak, Mehrdad; Unverdi, Ozhan; Ozer, H. Ozguer; Oral, Ahmet

2009-01-01

We report the first results from novel sub-Angstrom oscillation amplitude non-contact atomic force microscopy developed for lateral force gradient measurements. Quantitative lateral force gradients between a tungsten tip and Si(1 1 1)-(7 x 7) surface can be measured using this microscope. Simultaneous lateral force gradient and scanning tunnelling microscope images of single and multi atomic steps are obtained. In our measurement, tunnel current is used as feedback. The lateral stiffness contrast has been observed to be 2.5 N/m at single atomic step, in contrast to 13 N/m at multi atomic step on Si(1 1 1) surface. We also carried out a series of lateral stiffness-distance spectroscopy. We observed lateral stiffness-distance curves exhibit sharp increase in the stiffness as the sample is approached towards the surface. We usually observed positive stiffness and sometimes going into slightly negative region.

An empirical analysis of the importance of controlling for unobserved heterogeneity when estimating the income-mortality gradient

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriaan Kalwij

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Statistical theory predicts that failing to control for unobserved heterogeneity in a Gompertz mortality risk model attenuates the estimated income-mortality gradient toward zero. Objective: I assess the empirical importance of controlling for unobserved heterogeneity in a Gompertz mortality risk model when estimating the income-mortality gradient. The analysis is carried out using individual-level administrative data from the Netherlands over the period 1996-2012. Methods: I estimate a Gompertz mortality risk model in which unobserved heterogeneity has a gamma distribution and left-truncation of life durations is explicitly taken into account. Results: I find that, despite a strong and significant presence of unobserved heterogeneity in both the male and female samples, failure to control for unobserved heterogeneity yields only a small and insignificant attenuation bias in the negative income-mortality gradient. Conclusions: The main finding, a small and insignificant attenuation bias in the negative income-mortality gradient when failing to control for unobserved heterogeneity, is positive news for the many empirical studies, whose estimations of the income-mortality gradient ignore unobserved heterogeneity.

SDSS-IV MaNGA: environmental dependence of stellar age and metallicity gradients in nearby galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Zheng; Wang, Huiyuan; Ge, Junqiang; Mao, Shude; Li, Cheng; Li, Ran; Mo, Houjun; Goddard, Daniel; Bundy, Kevin; Li, Hongyu; Nair, Preethi; Lin, Lihwai; Long, R. J.; Riffel, Rogério; Thomas, Daniel; Masters, Karen; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Brownstein, Joel R.; Zhang, Kai; Law, David R.; Drory, Niv; Roman Lopes, Alexandre; Malanushenko, Olena

2017-03-01

We present a study on the stellar age and metallicity distributions for 1105 galaxies using the STARLIGHT software on MaNGA (Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO) integral field spectra. We derive age and metallicity gradients by fitting straight lines to the radial profiles, and explore their correlations with total stellar mass M*, NUV - r colour and environments, as identified by both the large-scale structure (LSS) type and the local density. We find that the mean age and metallicity gradients are close to zero but slightly negative, which is consistent with the inside-out formation scenario. Within our sample, we find that both the age and metallicity gradients show weak or no correlation with either the LSS type or local density environment. In addition, we also study the environmental dependence of age and metallicity values at the effective radii. The age and metallicity values are highly correlated with M* and NUV - r and are also dependent on LSS type as well as local density. Low-mass galaxies tend to be younger and have lower metallicity in low-density environments while high-mass galaxies are less affected by environment.

Frequency Analysis of Gradient Estimators in Volume Rendering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bentum, Marinus Jan; Lichtenbelt, Barthold B.A.; Malzbender, Tom

1996-01-01

Gradient information is used in volume rendering to classify and color samples along a ray. In this paper, we present an analysis of the theoretically ideal gradient estimator and compare it to some commonly used gradient estimators. A new method is presented to calculate the gradient at arbitrary

Fixed field alternating gradient accelerator with small orbit shift and tune excursion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suzanne L. Sheehy

2010-04-01

Full Text Available A new design principle of a nonscaling fixed field alternating gradient accelerator is proposed. It is based on optics that produce approximate scaling properties. A large field index k is chosen to squeeze the orbit shift as much as possible by setting the betatron oscillation frequency in the second stability region of Hill’s equation. Then, the lattice magnets and their alignment are simplified. To simplify the magnets, we expand the field profile of r^{k} into multipoles and keep only a few lower order terms. A rectangular-shaped magnet is assumed with lines of constant field parallel to the magnet axis. The lattice employs a triplet of rectangular magnets for focusing, which are parallel to one another to simplify alignment. These simplifications along with fringe fields introduce finite chromaticity and the fixed field alternating gradient accelerator is no longer a scaling one. However, the tune excursion of the whole ring can be within half an integer and we avoid the crossing of strong resonances.

Compensation of spatial system response in SPECT with conjugate gradient reconstruction technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Formiconi, A.R.; Pupi, A.; Passeri, A.

1989-01-01

A procedure for determination of the system matrix in single photon emission tomography (SPECT) is described which use a conjugate gradient reconstruction technique to take into account the variable system resolution of a camera equipped with parallel-hole collimators. The procedure involves acquisition of system line spread functions (LSF) in the region occupied by the object studied. Those data are used to generate a set of weighting factors based on the assumption that the LSFs of the collimated camera are of Gaussian shape with full width at half maximum (FWHM) linearly dependent on source depth in the span of image space. Factors are stored on a disc file for subsequent use in reconstruction. Afterwards reconstruction is performed using the conjugate gradient method with the system matrix modified by incorporation of these precalculated factors to take into account variable geometrical system response. The set of weighting factors is regenerated whenever acquisition conditions are changed (collimator, radius of rotation) with an ultra high resolution (UHR) collimator 2000 weighting factors need to be calculated. (author)

Responses of Euglossine Bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossina) to an Edge-Forest Gradient in a Large Tabuleiro Forest Remnant in Eastern Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Coswosk, J A; Ferreira, R A; Soares, E D G; Faria, L R R

2018-08-01

Euglossine fauna of a large remnant of Brazilian Atlantic forest in eastern Brazil (Reserva Natural Vale) was assessed along an edge-forest gradient towards the interior of the fragment. To test the hypotheses that the structure of assemblages of orchid bees varies along this gradient, the following predictions were evaluated: (i) species richness is positively related to distance from the forest edge, (ii) species diversity is positively related to distance from the edge, (iii) the relative abundance of species associated with forest edge and/or open areas is inversely related to the distance from edge, and (iv) relative abundance of forest-related species is positively related to distance from the edge. A total of 2264 bees of 25 species was assessed at five distances from the edge: 0 m (the edge itself), 100 m, 500 m, 1000 m and 1500 m. Data suggested the existence of an edge-interior gradient for euglossine bees regarding species diversity and composition (considering the relative abundance of edge and forest-related species as a proxy for species composition) but not species richness.

Correlation between the line width and the line flux of the double-peaked broad Hα of 3C390.3

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xue-Guang

2013-03-01

In this paper, we carefully check the correlation between the line width (second moment) and the line flux of the double-peaked broad Hα of the well-known mapped active galactic nucleus (AGN) 3C390.3 in order to show some further distinctions between double-peaked emitters and normal broad-line AGN. Based on the virialization assumption MBH ∝ RBLR × V2(BLR) and the empirical relation RBLR ∝ L˜0.5, one strong negative correlation between the line width and the line flux of the double-peaked broad lines should be expected for 3C390.3, such as the negative correlation confirmed for the mapped broad-line object NGC 5548, RBLR × V2(BLR) ∝ L˜0.5 × σ2 = constant. Moreover, based on the public spectra around 1995 from the AGN WATCH project for 3C390.3, one reliable positive correlation is found between the line width and the line flux of the double-peaked broad Hα. In the context of the proposed theoretical accretion disc model for double-peaked emitters, the unexpected positive correlation can be naturally explained, due to different time delays for the inner and outer parts of the disc-like broad-line region (BLR) of 3C390.3. Moreover, the virialization assumption is checked and found to be still available for 3C390.3. However, the time-varying size of the BLR of 3C390.3 cannot be expected by the empirical relation RBLR ∝ L˜0.5. In other words, the mean size of the BLR of 3C390.3 can be estimated by the continuum luminosity (line luminosity), while the continuum emission strengthening leads to the size of BLR decreasing (not increasing) in different moments for 3C390.3. Then, we compared our results of 3C390.3 with the previous results reported in the literature for the other double-peaked emitters, and found that before to clearly correct the effects from disc physical parameters varying (such as the effects of disc precession) for long-term observed line spectra, it is not so meaningful to discuss the correlation of the line parameters of double

Instabilities in power law gradient hardening materials

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Niordson, Christian Frithiof; Tvergaard, Viggo

2005-01-01

Tension and compression instabilities are investigated for specimens with dimensions in the micron range. A finite strain generalization of a higher order strain gradient plasticity theory is implemented in a finite element scheme capable of modeling power law hardening materials. Effects...... of gradient hardening are found to delay the onset of localization under plane strain tension, and significantly reduce strain gradients in the localized zone. For plane strain compression gradient hardening is found to increase the load-carrying capacity significantly....

Plasma gradient effects on double-probe measurements in the magnetosphere

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Laakso

1995-02-01

Full Text Available The effects on double-probe electric field measurements induced by electron density and temperature gradients are investigated. We show that on some occasions such gradients may lead to marked spurious electric fields if the probes are assumed to lie at the same probe potential with respect to the plasma. The use of a proper bias current will decrease the magnitude of such an error. When the probes are near the plasma potential, the magnitude of these error signals, ∆E, can vary as ∆E ~ Te(∆ne/ne+0.5∆Te, where Te is the electron temperature, ∆ne/ne the relative electron density variation between the two sensors, and ∆Te the electron temperature difference between the two sensors. This not only implies that the error signals will increase linearly with the density variations but also that such signatures grow with Te, i.e., such effects are 10 times larger in a 10-eV plasma than in a 1-eV plasma. This type of error is independent of the probe separation distance provided the gradient scale length is much larger than this distance. The largest errors occur when the probes are near to the plasma potential. At larger positive probe potentials with respect to the plasma potential, the error becomes smaller if the probes are biased, as is usually the case with spherical double-probe experiments in the tenuous magnetospheric plasmas. The crossing of a plasma boundary (like the plasmapause or magnetopause yields an error signal of a single peak. During the crossing of a small structure (e.g., a double layer the error signal appears as a bipolar signature. Our analysis shows that errors in double-probe measurements caused by plasma gradients are not significant at large scale (»1 km plasma boundaries, and may only be important in cases where small-scale (<1 km, internal gradient structures exist. Bias currents tailored for each plasma parameter regime (i.e., variable bias current would o1q1improve the double-probe response to gradient

Improvement of local position accuracy of robots for off-line programming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borm, Jin Hwan; Choi, Jong Cheon

1992-01-01

For the implementation of industrial robots in a CIM environment, it is necessary to be able to position their end-effectors to an abstractly defined cartesian position with desired accuracy. In other words, it is necessary to find accurate actuator command values corresponding to given goal positions which are expressed with respect to a certain coordinate frame. If the teaching -by-doing method is used, very accurate actuator command values are obtained from transducer readings. For the case when the goal positions are mathematically expressed, however, the actuator command values for the goal positions must be calculated using robot kinematics. It is, however, well known that the position errors in the order of 10 mm is not unusual while many industrial robots have the repeatability in the order of 0.1mm. In here, the position error is referred to as the difference between the specified goal position and the position where a robot is actually controlled. To reduce the position errors, many researchers proposed calibration methods which are based on robot kinematic identification. However, those methods are quite complex and require an accurate position measuring device. In this paper, a new method which dose not require the accurate kinematic identification, is introduced. In this method, the accurate actuator command values are calculated using the nominal kinematic model which is appropriatly altered based on the available encoder readings of the several reference frames. To demonstrate the simplicity and the effectiveness of the method, computer simulations as well as experimental studies are performed and their results are discussed. (Author)

Method and means for a spatial and temporal probe for laser-generated plumes based on density gradients

Science.gov (United States)

Yeung, E.S.; Chen, G.

1990-05-01

A method and means are disclosed for a spatial and temporal probe for laser generated plumes based on density gradients includes generation of a plume of vaporized material from a surface by an energy source. The probe laser beam is positioned so that the plume passes through the probe laser beam. Movement of the probe laser beam caused by refraction from the density gradient of the plume is monitored. Spatial and temporal information, correlated to one another, is then derived. 15 figs.

Self-induced temperature gradients in Brownian dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Devine, Jack; Jack, M. W.

2017-12-01

Brownian systems often surmount energy barriers by absorbing and emitting heat to and from their local environment. Usually, the temperature gradients created by this heat exchange are assumed to dissipate instantaneously. Here we relax this assumption to consider the case where Brownian dynamics on a time-independent potential can lead to self-induced temperature gradients. In the same way that externally imposed temperature gradients can cause directed motion, these self-induced gradients affect the dynamics of the Brownian system. The result is a coupling between the local environment and the Brownian subsystem. We explore the resulting dynamics and thermodynamics of these coupled systems and develop a robust method for numerical simulation. In particular, by focusing on one-dimensional situations, we show that self-induced temperature gradients reduce barrier-crossing rates. We also consider a heat engine and a heat pump based on temperature gradients induced by a Brownian system in a nonequilibrium potential.

Position Mooring Control Based on a Structural Reliability Criterion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fang, Shaoji; Leira, Bernt J.; Blanke, Mogens

2013-01-01

is achieved using structural reliability indices in a cost function, where both the mean mooring-line tension and dynamic effects are considered. An optimal set-point is automatically produced without need for manual interaction. The parameters of the extreme value distribution are calculated on-line thereby...... mooring lines simultaneously from exceeding a stress threshold, this paper suggests a new algorithm to determine the reference position and an associated control system. The safety of each line is assessed through a structural reliability index. A reference position where all mooring lines are safe...

High-gradient compact linear accelerator

Science.gov (United States)

Carder, Bruce M.

1998-01-01

A high-gradient linear accelerator comprises a solid-state stack in a vacuum of five sets of disc-shaped Blumlein modules each having a center hole through which particles are sequentially accelerated. Each Blumlein module is a sandwich of two outer conductive plates that bracket an inner conductive plate positioned between two dielectric plates with different thicknesses and dielectric constants. A third dielectric core in the shape of a hollow cylinder forms a casing down the series of center holes, and it has a dielectric constant different that the two dielectric plates that sandwich the inner conductive plate. In operation, all the inner conductive plates are charged to the same DC potential relative to the outer conductive plates. Next, all the inner conductive plates are simultaneously shorted to the outer conductive plates at the outer diameters. The signal short will propagate to the inner diameters at two different rates in each Blumlein module. A faster wave propagates quicker to the third dielectric core across the dielectric plates with the closer spacing and lower dielectric constant. When the faster wave reaches the inner extents of the outer and inner conductive plates, it reflects back outward and reverses the field in that segment of the dielectric core. All the field segments in the dielectric core are then in unipolar agreement until the slower wave finally propagates to the third dielectric core across the dielectric plates with the wider spacing and higher dielectric constant. During such unipolar agreement, particles in the core are accelerated with gradients that exceed twenty megavolts per meter.

Molecular dynamics simulations for the motion of evaporative droplets driven by thermal gradients along nanochannels

KAUST Repository

Wu, Congmin

2013-04-04

For a one-component fluid on a solid substrate, a thermal singularity may occur at the contact line where the liquid-vapor interface intersects the solid surface. Physically, the liquid-vapor interface is almost isothermal at the liquid-vapor coexistence temperature in one-component fluids while the solid surface is almost isothermal for solids of high thermal conductivity. Therefore, a temperature discontinuity is formed if the two isothermal interfaces are of different temperatures and intersect at the contact line. This leads to the so-called thermal singularity. The localized hydrodynamics involving evaporation/condensation near the contact line leads to a contact angle depending on the underlying substrate temperature. This dependence has been shown to lead to the motion of liquid droplets on solid substrates with thermal gradients (Xu and Qian 2012 Phys. Rev. E 85 061603). In the present work, we carry out molecular dynamics (MD) simulations as numerical experiments to further confirm the predictions made from our previous continuum hydrodynamic modeling and simulations, which are actually semi-quantitatively accurate down to the small length scales in the problem. Using MD simulations, we investigate the motion of evaporative droplets in one-component Lennard-Jones fluids confined in nanochannels with thermal gradients. The droplet is found to migrate in the direction of decreasing temperature of solid walls, with a migration velocity linearly proportional to the temperature gradient. This agrees with the prediction of our continuum model. We then measure the effect of droplet size on the droplet motion. It is found that the droplet mobility is inversely proportional to a dimensionless coefficient associated with the total rate of dissipation due to droplet movement. Our results show that this coefficient is of order unity and increases with the droplet size for the small droplets (∼10 nm) simulated in the present work. These findings are in semi

Comparative study of active plasma lenses in high-quality electron accelerator transport lines

Science.gov (United States)

van Tilborg, J.; Barber, S. K.; Benedetti, C.; Schroeder, C. B.; Isono, F.; Tsai, H.-E.; Geddes, C. G. R.; Leemans, W. P.

2018-05-01

Electrically discharged active plasma lenses (APLs) are actively pursued in compact high-brightness plasma-based accelerators due to their high-gradient, tunable, and radially symmetric focusing properties. In this manuscript, the APL is experimentally compared with a conventional quadrupole triplet, highlighting the favorable reduction in the energy dependence (chromaticity) in the transport line. Through transport simulations, it is explored how the non-uniform radial discharge current distribution leads to beam-integrated emittance degradation and a charge density reduction at focus. However, positioning an aperture at the APL entrance will significantly reduce emittance degradation without additional loss of charge in the high-quality core of the beam. An analytical model is presented that estimates the emittance degradation from a short beam driving a longitudinally varying wakefield in the APL. Optimizing laser plasma accelerator operation is discussed where emittance degradation from the non-uniform discharge current (favoring small beams inside the APL) and wakefield effects (favoring larger beam sizes) is minimized.

Basic Strain Gradient Plasticity Theories with Application to Constrained Film Deformation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Niordson, Christian Frithiof; Hutchinson, John W.

2011-01-01

films: the compression or extension of a finite layer joining rigid platens. Full elastic-plastic solutions are obtained for the same problem based on a finite element method devised for the new class of flow theories. Potential difficulties and open issues associated with the new class of flow theories......A family of basic rate-independent strain gradient plasticity theories is considered that generalize conventional J(2) deformation and flow theories of plasticity to include a dependence on strain gradients in a simple way. The theory builds on three recent developments: the work of Gudmundson (J....... Mech. Phys. Solids 52 (2004), 1379-1406) and Gurtin and Anand (J. Mech. Phys. Solids 57 (2009), 405-421), proposing constitutive relations for flow theories consistent with requirements of positive plastic dissipation; the work of Fleck and Willis (J. Mech. Phys. Solids 57 (2009), 161-177 and 1045...

Up-gradient transport in a probabilistic transport model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gavnholt, J.; Juul Rasmussen, J.; Garcia, O.E.

2005-01-01

The transport of particles or heat against the driving gradient is studied by employing a probabilistic transport model with a characteristic particle step length that depends on the local concentration or heat gradient. When this gradient is larger than a prescribed critical value, the standard....... These results supplement recent works by van Milligen [Phys. Plasmas 11, 3787 (2004)], which applied Levy distributed step sizes in the case of supercritical gradients to obtain the up-gradient transport. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics....

Elemental gradients in macrophytes from a reactor effluent gradient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grace, J.B.; Tilly, L.J.

1978-01-01

The tissues of submersed macrophtes from along the thermal gradient were analyzed for phosphorus to determine whether any pattern correspondent to standing crop distributions could be detected. Although water concentrations of phosphorus showed no detectable relationship to the thermal effluent, tissue concentrations of this element in submersed macrophytes declined with distance from the effluent entry point. The occurrence of this concentration pattern suggests that phosphorus availability is greater near the discharge. Because phosphorus is the element most often determined to limit aquatic productivity, its greater availability may partially account for the apparent enhancement of macrophte growth near the thermal discharge. A patter of macrophyte abundance which indicated enchancement related to the discharge gradient in the reactor-cooling reservoir, Par Pond is reported. Correlative data tended to implicate light and temperature as important in influencing the differential abundance pattern

Measurement of electric field and gradient in the plasma sheath using clusters of floating microspheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheridan, T. E.; Katschke, M. R.; Wells, K. D.

2007-01-01

A method for measuring the time-averaged vertical electric field and its gradient in the plasma sheath using clusters with n=2 or 3 floating microspheres of known mass is described. The particle charge q is found by determining the ratio of the breathing frequency to the center-of-mass frequency for horizontal (in-plane) oscillations. The electric field at the position of the particles is then calculated using the measured charge-to-mass ratio, and the electric-field gradient is determined from the vertical resonance frequency. The Debye length is also found. Experimental results are in agreement with a simple sheath model

Coping with flow: behavior, neurophysiology and modeling of the fish lateral line system.

Science.gov (United States)

Mogdans, Joachim; Bleckmann, Horst

2012-12-01

With the mechanosensory lateral line fish perceive water motions relative to their body surface and local pressure gradients. The lateral line plays an important role in many fish behaviors including the detection and localization of dipole sources and the tracking of prey fish. The sensory units of the lateral line are the neuromasts which are distributed across the surface of the animal. Water motions are received and transduced into neuronal signals by the neuromasts. These signals are conveyed by afferent nerve fibers to the fish brain and processed by lateral line neurons in parts of the brainstem, cerebellum, midbrain, and forebrain. In the cerebellum, midbrain, and forebrain, lateral line information is integrated with sensory information from other modalities. The present review introduces the peripheral morphology of the lateral line, and describes our understanding of lateral line physiology and behavior. It focuses on recent studies that have investigated: how fish behave in unsteady flow; what kind of sensory information is provided by flow; and how fish use and process this information. Finally, it reports new theoretical and biomimetic approaches to understand lateral line function.

Noise spectroscopy of CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions in the presence of thermal gradients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liebing, N. [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Bundesallee 100, d-38116 Braunschweig (Germany); Serrano-Guisan, S., E-mail: santiago.serrano-guisan@inl.int [International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Avenida Mestre Jose Veiga, 4715-330 Braga (Portugal); Rott, K.; Reiss, G. [University of Bielefeld, Department of Physics, Univesitätesstr. 25, d-33615 Bielefeld (Germany); Schumacher, H.W., E-mail: hans.w.schumacher@ptb.de [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Bundesallee 100, d-38116 Braunschweig (Germany)

2016-02-15

We present experimental data of the precessional dynamics of the free layer of CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ) in the presence of thermal gradients across the MTJ. The free layer precession is investigated by noise spectroscopy. Thermal gradients of the order of tens of mK/nm across the MTJ are generated by electrical heating. Without applied thermal gradients we find spin transfer torque modified magnetization precession. With increasing thermal gradients we generally observe a decrease of the precession frequency which could be related to an increasing overall free layer temperature. However an asymmetry of the line width behavior for parallel and antiparallel orientation points towards additional effects beyond thermal activation. This could be a hint for the modification of the precessional dynamics in magnetic tunnel junctions by thermal spin torques. - Highlights: • Thermal gradients induced magnetization dynamics on MTJ structures are explored. • Magnetic noise spectroscopy is carried out to study the efficiency of such effects. • A decrease of resonance frequency is observed at both MTJ states for large ∇T. • An asymmetric linewidth behavior is observed for both MTJ states under ∇T. • Additional thermal effects beyond thermal activation must be considered.

Electric field gradients in metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schatz, G.

1979-01-01

A review of the recent works on electric field gradient in metals is given. The main emphasis is put on the temperature dependence of the electric field gradient in nonmagnetic metals. Some methods of investigation of this effect using nuclear probes are described. One of them is nuclear accoustic resonance method. (S.B.)

Localisation of a neutron source using measurements and calculation of the neutron flux and its gradient

CERN Document Server

Linden, P; Dahl, B; Pázsit, I; Por, G

1999-01-01

We have performed laboratory measurements of the neutron flux and its gradient in a static model experiment, similar to a model problem proposed in Pazsit (Ann. Nucl. Energy 24 (1997) 1257). The experimental system consists of a radioactive neutron source located in a water tank. The measurements are performed using a recently developed very small optical fibre detector. The measured values of the flux and its gradient are then used to test the possibility of localising the source. The results show that it is possible to measure the flux on the circumference of a circle and from this calculate the flux gradient vector. Then, by comparison of the measured quantities with corresponding MCNP calculations, both the direction and the distance to the source are found and thus the position of the source can be determined.

Positivity for Convective Semi-discretizations

KAUST Repository

Fekete, Imre; Ketcheson, David I.; Loczi, Lajos

2017-01-01

We propose a technique for investigating stability properties like positivity and forward invariance of an interval for method-of-lines discretizations, and apply the technique to study positivity preservation for a class of TVD semi-discretizations

Transport in Halobacterium Halobium: Light-Induced Cation-Gradients, Amino Acid Transport Kinetics, and Properties of Transport Carriers

Science.gov (United States)

Lanyi, Janos K.

1977-01-01

Cell envelope vesicles prepared from H. halobium contain bacteriorhodopsin and upon illumination protons are ejected. Coupled to the proton motive force is the efflux of Na(+). Measurements of Na-22 flux, exterior pH change, and membrane potential, Delta(psi) (with the dye 3,3'-dipentyloxadicarbocyanine) indicate that the means of Na(+) transport is sodium/proton exchange. The kinetics of the pH changes and other evidence suggests that the antiport is electrogenic (H(+)/Na(++ greater than 1). The resulting large chemical gradient for Na(+) (outside much greater than inside), as well as the membrane potential, will drive the transport of 18 amino acids. The I9th, glutamate, is unique in that its accumulation is indifferent to Delta(psi): this amino acid is transported only when a chemical gradient for Na(+) is present. Thus, when more and more NaCl is included in the vesicles glutamate transport proceeds with longer and longer lags. After illumination the gradient of H+() collapses within 1 min, while the large Na(+) gradient and glutamate transporting activity persists for 10- 15 min, indicating that proton motive force is not necessary for transport. A chemical gradient of Na(+), arranged by suspending vesicles loaded with KCl in NaCl, drives glutamate transport in the dark without other sources of energy, with V(sub max) and K(sub m) comparable to light-induced transport. These and other lines of evidence suggest that the transport of glutamate is facilitated by symport with Na(+), in an electrically neutral fashion, so that only the chemical component of the Na(+) gradient is a driving force.

Substrate-Bound Protein Gradients to Study Haptotaxis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastien G. Ricoult

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Cells navigate in response to inhomogeneous distributions of extracellular guidance cues. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying migration in response to gradients of chemical cues have been investigated for over a century. Following the introduction of micropipettes and more recently microfluidics for gradient generation, much attention and effort was devoted to study cellular chemotaxis, which is defined as guidance by gradients of chemical cues in solution. Haptotaxis, directional migration in response to gradients of substrate-bound cues, has received comparatively less attention; however it is increasingly clear that in vivo many physiologically relevant guidance proteins – including many secreted cues – are bound to cellular surfaces or incorporated into extracellular matrix and likely function via a haptotactic mechanism. Here, we review the history of haptotaxis. We examine the importance of the reference surface, the surface in contact with the cell that is not covered by the cue, which forms a gradient opposing the gradient of the protein cue and must be considered in experimental designs and interpretation of results. We review and compare microfluidics, contact-printing, light patterning and 3D fabrication to pattern substrate-bound protein gradients in vitro, and focus on their application to study axon guidance. The range of methods to create substrate-bound gradients discussed herein make possible systematic analyses of haptotactic mechanisms. Furthermore, understanding the fundamental mechanisms underlying cell motility will inform bioengineering approaches to program cell navigation and recover lost function.

Comparison of positions of the trochlear groove line and the vertical midline of the pericondylar rectangle on axial computed tomography: a retrospective pilot study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nizic, Dinko

2012-01-01

To compare the positions of the trochlear groove (TG) line and the vertical midline of the pericondylar rectangle on axial computed tomography (CT). A retrospective pilot study was conducted in February and March 2011 comprising 14 knees in 9 consecutive patients with patellofemoral pain, a normal trochlear angle (124 -145 ), and no medical record of prior knee surgery. After the axial CT image displaying the center of the trochlear groove (''reference cut'') with a normal trochlear angle was identified, the pericondylar rectangle was drawn and located in the first quadrant of the Cartesian rectangular coordinate system. The x-coordinates of the vertical lines passing through the most posterior point of the trochlear groove (TG line) and the midpoints of the horizontal sides of the pericondylar rectangle (vertical midline) were obtained at 2-week intervals and statistically analyzed as matched pairs for differences (Wilcoxon signed rank test), agreements (Bland-Altman plot, intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]) and relative variations (coefficient of variation [CV]). There were no statistically significant differences between matched pairs (2-tailed p from 0.583 to 0.641) whereas the agreements were substantial (bias = -0.37 and -0.45 respectively, ICC = 0.688 and 0.670 respectively) to almost perfect for duplicate measurements (bias = 0.11 and 0.04 respectively, ICC = 0.975 and 0.998 respectively), with much less relative variation with regard to the vertical midline (CV = 1.22% to CV = 0.34% respectively). The positions of the TG line and the vertical midline of the pericondylar rectangle on axial CT were identical. The latter was identified regardless of trochlear morphology. (orig.)

Comparison of positions of the trochlear groove line and the vertical midline of the pericondylar rectangle on axial computed tomography: a retrospective pilot study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nizic, Dinko [Zagreb University Hospital Center, Clinical Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Zagreb (Croatia)

2012-09-15

To compare the positions of the trochlear groove (TG) line and the vertical midline of the pericondylar rectangle on axial computed tomography (CT). A retrospective pilot study was conducted in February and March 2011 comprising 14 knees in 9 consecutive patients with patellofemoral pain, a normal trochlear angle (124 -145 ), and no medical record of prior knee surgery. After the axial CT image displaying the center of the trochlear groove (''reference cut'') with a normal trochlear angle was identified, the pericondylar rectangle was drawn and located in the first quadrant of the Cartesian rectangular coordinate system. The x-coordinates of the vertical lines passing through the most posterior point of the trochlear groove (TG line) and the midpoints of the horizontal sides of the pericondylar rectangle (vertical midline) were obtained at 2-week intervals and statistically analyzed as matched pairs for differences (Wilcoxon signed rank test), agreements (Bland-Altman plot, intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]) and relative variations (coefficient of variation [CV]). There were no statistically significant differences between matched pairs (2-tailed p from 0.583 to 0.641) whereas the agreements were substantial (bias = -0.37 and -0.45 respectively, ICC = 0.688 and 0.670 respectively) to almost perfect for duplicate measurements (bias = 0.11 and 0.04 respectively, ICC = 0.975 and 0.998 respectively), with much less relative variation with regard to the vertical midline (CV = 1.22% to CV = 0.34% respectively). The positions of the TG line and the vertical midline of the pericondylar rectangle on axial CT were identical. The latter was identified regardless of trochlear morphology. (orig.)

SDSS IV MaNGA - metallicity and nitrogen abundance gradients in local galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Belfiore, Francesco; Maiolino, Roberto; Tremonti, Christy; Sánchez, Sebastian F.; Bundy, Kevin; Bershady, Matthew; Westfall, Kyle; Lin, Lihwai; Drory, Niv; Boquien, Médéric; Thomas, Daniel; Brinkmann, Jonathan

2017-07-01

We study the gas phase metallicity (O/H) and nitrogen abundance gradients traced by star-forming regions in a representative sample of 550 nearby galaxies in the stellar mass range 109-1011.5 M⊙ with resolved spectroscopic data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory survey. Using strong-line ratio diagnostics (R23 and O3N2 for metallicity and N2O2 for N/O) and referencing to the effective (half-light) radius (Re), we find that the metallicity gradient steepens with stellar mass, lying roughly flat among galaxies with log (M⋆/M⊙) = 9.0 but exhibiting slopes as steep as -0.14 dex R_e^{-1} at log (M⋆/M⊙) = 10.5 (using R23, but equivalent results are obtained using O3N2). At higher masses, these slopes remain typical in the outer regions of our sample (R > 1.5Re), but a flattening is observed in the central regions (R 2.0Re), we detect a mild flattening of the metallicity gradient in stacked profiles, although with low significance. The N/O ratio gradient provides complementary constraints on the average chemical enrichment history. Unlike the oxygen abundance, the average N/O profiles do not flatten out in the central regions of massive galaxies. The metallicity and N/O profiles both depart significantly from an exponential form, suggesting a disconnect between chemical enrichment and stellar mass surface density on local scales. In the context of inside-out growth of discs, our findings suggest that central regions of massive galaxies today have evolved to an equilibrium metallicity, while the nitrogen abundance continues to increase as a consequence of delayed secondary nucleosynthetic production.

Role of spatial averaging in multicellular gradient sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Tyler; Fancher, Sean; Levchenko, Andre; Nemenman, Ilya; Mugler, Andrew

2016-05-20

Gradient sensing underlies important biological processes including morphogenesis, polarization, and cell migration. The precision of gradient sensing increases with the length of a detector (a cell or group of cells) in the gradient direction, since a longer detector spans a larger range of concentration values. Intuition from studies of concentration sensing suggests that precision should also increase with detector length in the direction transverse to the gradient, since then spatial averaging should reduce the noise. However, here we show that, unlike for concentration sensing, the precision of gradient sensing decreases with transverse length for the simplest gradient sensing model, local excitation-global inhibition. The reason is that gradient sensing ultimately relies on a subtraction of measured concentration values. While spatial averaging indeed reduces the noise in these measurements, which increases precision, it also reduces the covariance between the measurements, which results in the net decrease in precision. We demonstrate how a recently introduced gradient sensing mechanism, regional excitation-global inhibition (REGI), overcomes this effect and recovers the benefit of transverse averaging. Using a REGI-based model, we compute the optimal two- and three-dimensional detector shapes, and argue that they are consistent with the shapes of naturally occurring gradient-sensing cell populations.

Community and ecosystem responses to elevational gradients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sundqvist, Maja K.; Sanders, Nate; Wardle, David A.

2013-01-01

Community structure and ecosystem processes often vary along elevational gradients. Their responses to elevation are commonly driven by changes in temperature, and many community- and ecosystem-level variables therefore frequently respond similarly to elevation across contrasting gradients...... elevational gradients for understanding community and ecosystem responses to global climate change at much larger spatial and temporal scales than is possible through conventional ecological experiments. However, future studies that integrate elevational gradient approaches with experimental manipulations...... will provide powerful information that can improve predictions of climate change impacts within and across ecosystems....

Socioeconomic hierarchy and health gradient in Europe: the role of income inequality and of social origins.

Science.gov (United States)

Chauvel, Louis; Leist, Anja K

2015-11-14

Health inequalities reflect multidimensional inequality (income, education, and other indicators of socioeconomic position) and vary across countries and welfare regimes. To which extent there is intergenerational transmission of health via parental socioeconomic status has rarely been investigated in comparative perspective. The study sought to explore if different measures of stratification produce the same health gradient and to which extent health gradients of income and of social origins vary with level of living and income inequality. A total of 299,770 observations were available from 18 countries assessed in EU-SILC 2005 and 2011 data, which contain information on social origins. Income inequality (Gini) and level of living were calculated from EU-SILC. Logit rank transformation provided normalized inequalities and distributions of income and social origins up to the extremes of the distribution and was used to investigate net comparable health gradients in detail. Multilevel random-slope models were run to post-estimate best linear unbiased predictors (BLUPs) and related standard deviations of residual intercepts (median health) and slopes (income-health gradients) per country and survey year. Health gradients varied across different measures of stratification, with origins and income producing significant slopes after controls. Income inequality was associated with worse average health, but income inequality and steepness of the health gradient were only marginally associated. Linear health gradients suggest gains in health per rank of income and of origins even at the very extremes of the distribution. Intergenerational transmission of status gains in importance in countries with higher income inequality. Countries differ in the association of income inequality and income-related health gradient, and low income inequality may mask health problems of vulnerable individuals with low status. Not only income inequality, but other country characteristics such

Silver linings.

Science.gov (United States)

Bultas, Margaret W; Pohlman, Shawn

2014-01-01

The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to gain a better understanding of the experiences of 11 mothers of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mothers were interviewed three times over a 6 week period. Interviews were analyzed using interpretive methods. This manuscript highlights one particular theme-a positive perspective mothers described as the "silver lining." This "silver lining" represents optimism despite the adversities associated with parenting a child with ASD. A deeper understanding of this side of mothering children with ASD may help health care providers improve rapport, communication, and result in more authentic family centered care. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Probing the possibility of a C-12/C-13 galactic abundance gradient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hawkins, I.

1990-01-01

High S/N (equal to or greater than 500) observations of interstellar CH+ with the 3.0 m telescope were performed at Lick Observatory and with the 4.0 m telescope at CTIO, of the reddened, early-type stars HD 183143, HD 24432, and HD 157038 in an effort to probe the existence of a C-12/C-13 abundance gradient in our Galaxy. Previous very high quality optical observations of interstellar CH+ toward five stars within 1 kpc of the Sun have yielded a precise weighted mean C-12/C-13 isotope ratio of 43 plus or minus 4 (1 sigma) (Hawkins, Jura, and Meyer 1985; Hawkins and Jura 1987). The isotope ratios derived toward four lines of sight in the local ISM are uniform within 12 percent. The similarity among these carbon isotope ratios determined in diffuse clouds possessing different physical conditions precludes the possibility that the CH+ molecule is suffering from isotope selective effects in these regions. The precise C-12/C-13 derivable from high quality observations of (12)CH+ and (13)CH+ provide the unique opportunity to probe the homogeneity of the ISM in a large scale and the history of nucleosynthesis in our Galaxy. Since CH+ seems to be the most sensitive probe of C-12/C-13 in the diffuse ISM, observations toward more distant stars located up to 2.5 kpc from the Sun are the best way to study the possibility of a Galactic (C-12/C-13) abundance gradient. The researcher obtained 4232 angstrom data toward all three of the stars mentioned above, 3957 angstrom data toward HD 183143 and HD 157038, and 3745 angstrom data toward HD 157038. Because of the poorer quality of the HD 24432 spectrum, and its weaker CH+ absorption lines, the satellite (13)CH+ line was not detected, and thus only a lower limit on the C-12/C-13 ratio toward this star was obtained. The results obtained from careful reduction and analysis of the data toward these stars in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are presented

Multistage linear electron acceleration using pulsed transmission lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, R.B.; Prestwich, K.R.; Poukey, J.W.; Epstein, B.G.; Freeman, J.R.; Sharpe, A.W.; Tucker, W.K.; Shope, S.L.

1981-01-01

A four-stage linear electron accelerator is described which uses pulsed radial transmission lines as the basic accelerating units. An annular electron beam produced by a foilless diode is guided through the accelerator by a strong axial magnetic field. Synchronous firing of the injector and the acccelerating modules is accomplished with self-breaking oil switches. The device has accelerated beam currents of 25 kA to kinetic energies of 9 MV, with 90% current transport efficiency. The average accelerating gradient is 3 MV/m

Gradient remediability in linear distributed parabolic systems ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this paper is the introduction of a new concept that concerned the analysis of a large class of distributed parabolic systems. It is the general concept of gradient remediability. More precisely, we study with respect to the gradient observation, the existence of an input operator (gradient efficient actuators) ensuring ...

Review of first line supervisory positions in nuclear power plants - Phase II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mackenzie, C W; Huntley, M [Hickling Corp., Ottawa, ON (Canada)

1995-10-01

This report provides an overview of first line supervisory activities at Ontario Hydro nuclear generating stations (Pickering `A` and Bruce `B`) and the Point Lepreau nuclear generating station in New Brunswick. Activity profiles describing the range of first line supervisory roles and responsibilities for nuclear operators have been developed from survey data and flowcharting methods. These activity profiles have then been compared with formal job responsibilities as identified in job descriptions, supervisory training provided and assessment criteria used to evaluate supervisors. Finally, this report relates the findings of supervisory practices in the group under study with the findings in the current literature relating to supervisory functioning. (author). 32 tabs., 2 figs.

Review of first line supervisory positions in nuclear power plants - Phase II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mackenzie, C.W.; Huntley, M.

1995-10-01

This report provides an overview of first line supervisory activities at Ontario Hydro nuclear generating stations (Pickering 'A' and Bruce 'B') and the Point Lepreau nuclear generating station in New Brunswick. Activity profiles describing the range of first line supervisory roles and responsibilities for nuclear operators have been developed from survey data and flowcharting methods. These activity profiles have then been compared with formal job responsibilities as identified in job descriptions, supervisory training provided and assessment criteria used to evaluate supervisors. Finally, this report relates the findings of supervisory practices in the group under study with the findings in the current literature relating to supervisory functioning. (author). 32 tabs., 2 figs

Use of gradient dilution to flag and overcome matrix interferences in axial-viewing inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheung, Yan; Schwartz, Andrew J.; Hieftje, Gary M.

2014-01-01

Despite the undisputed power of inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), its users still face serious challenges in obtaining accurate analytical results. Matrix interference is perhaps the most important challenge. Dilution of a matrix-containing sample is a common practice to reduce matrix interference. However, determining the optimal dilution factor requires tedious and time-consuming offline sample preparation, since emission lines and the effect of matrix interferences are affected differently by the dilution. The current study exploits this difference by employing a high-performance liquid chromatography gradient pump prior to the nebulizer to perform on-line mixing of a sample solution and diluent. Linear gradient dilution is performed on both the calibration standard and the matrix-containing sample. By ratioing the signals from two emission lines (from the same or different elements) as a function of dilution factor, the analyst can not only identify the presence of a matrix interference, but also determine the optimal dilution factor needed to overcome the interference. A ratio that does not change with dilution signals the absence of a matrix interference, whereas a changing ratio indicates the presence of an interference. The point on the dilution profile where the ratio stabilizes indicates the optimal dilution factor to correct the interference. The current study was performed on axial-viewing ICP-AES with o-xylene as the solvent

Comparison of multi-pole shaping and delay line clipping pre-amplifiers for position sensitive NaI(Tl) detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freifelder, R.; Karp, J.S.; Wear, J.A.; Lockyer, N.S.; Newcomer, F.M.; Surti, S.; Berg, R. van

1998-01-01

NaI(Tl) position sensitive detectors have been used in medical imaging for many years. For PET applications without collimators, the high counting rates place severe demands on such large area detectors. The NaI(Tl) detectors in the PENN-PET scanners are read-out via photomultiplier tubes and preamplifiers. Those preamplifiers use a delay-line clipping technique to shorten the characteristic 240 ns fall time of the NaI(Tl) signal. As an alternative, the authors have investigated a pole-zero network to shorten the signal followed by a multi-pole shaper to produce a symmetric signal suitable for high counting rates. This has been compared to the current design by measuring the energy and spatial resolution of a single detector as a function of different preamplifier designs. Data were taken over a range of ADC integration times and countrates. The new design shows improved energy resolution with short integration times. Effects on spatial resolution and deadtime are reported for large position sensitive detectors at different countrates