A rapid excitation-emission matrix fluorometer utilizing supercontinuum white light and acousto-optic tunable filters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Wenbo [Imaging Unit, Integrative Oncology Department, BC Cancer Agency Research Center, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 1L3 (Canada); Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, University of British Columbia, 835 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4E8 (Canada); Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, KAIS 5500, 2332 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4 (Canada); Wu, Zhenguo; Zhao, Jianhua; Lui, Harvey; Zeng, Haishan, E-mail: hzeng@bccrc.ca [Imaging Unit, Integrative Oncology Department, BC Cancer Agency Research Center, 675 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 1L3 (Canada); Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, University of British Columbia, 835 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4E8 (Canada)

2016-06-15

Scanning speed and coupling efficiency of excitation light to optic fibres are two major technical challenges that limit the potential of fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectrometer for on-line applications and in vivo studies. In this paper, a novel EEM system, utilizing a supercontinuum white light source and acousto-optic tunable filters (AOTFs), was introduced and evaluated. The supercontinuum white light, generated by pumping a nonlinear photonic crystal fiber with an 800 nm femtosecond laser, was efficiently coupled into a bifurcated optic fiber bundle. High speed EEM spectral scanning was achieved using AOTFs both for selecting excitation wavelength and scanning emission spectra. Using calibration lamps (neon and mercury argon), wavelength deviations were determined to vary from 0.18 nm to −0.70 nm within the spectral range of 500–850 nm. Spectral bandwidth for filtered excitation light broadened by twofold compared to that measured with monochromatic light between 650 nm and 750 nm. The EEM spectra for methanol solutions of laser dyes were successfully acquired with this rapid fluorometer using an integration time of 5 s.

A rapid excitation-emission matrix fluorometer utilizing supercontinuum white light and acousto-optic tunable filters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Wenbo; Wu, Zhenguo; Zhao, Jianhua; Lui, Harvey; Zeng, Haishan

2016-01-01

Scanning speed and coupling efficiency of excitation light to optic fibres are two major technical challenges that limit the potential of fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectrometer for on-line applications and in vivo studies. In this paper, a novel EEM system, utilizing a supercontinuum white light source and acousto-optic tunable filters (AOTFs), was introduced and evaluated. The supercontinuum white light, generated by pumping a nonlinear photonic crystal fiber with an 800 nm femtosecond laser, was efficiently coupled into a bifurcated optic fiber bundle. High speed EEM spectral scanning was achieved using AOTFs both for selecting excitation wavelength and scanning emission spectra. Using calibration lamps (neon and mercury argon), wavelength deviations were determined to vary from 0.18 nm to −0.70 nm within the spectral range of 500–850 nm. Spectral bandwidth for filtered excitation light broadened by twofold compared to that measured with monochromatic light between 650 nm and 750 nm. The EEM spectra for methanol solutions of laser dyes were successfully acquired with this rapid fluorometer using an integration time of 5 s.

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) variability in Barataria Basin using excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC).

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Shatrughan; D'Sa, Eurico J; Swenson, Erick M

2010-07-15

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) variability in Barataria Basin, Louisiana, USA,was examined by excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). CDOM optical properties of absorption and fluorescence at 355nm along an axial transect (36 stations) during March, April, and May 2008 showed an increasing trend from the marine end member to the upper basin with mean CDOM absorption of 11.06 + or - 5.01, 10.05 + or - 4.23, 11.67 + or - 6.03 (m(-)(1)) and fluorescence 0.80 + or - 0.37, 0.78 + or - 0.39, 0.75 + or - 0.51 (RU), respectively. PARAFAC analysis identified two terrestrial humic-like (component 1 and 2), one non-humic like (component 3), and one soil derived humic acid like (component 4) components. The spatial variation of the components showed an increasing trend from station 1 (near the mouth of basin) to station 36 (end member of bay; upper basin). Deviations from this increasing trend were observed at a bayou channel with very high chlorophyll-a concentrations especially for component 3 in May 2008 that suggested autochthonous production of CDOM. The variability of components with salinity indicated conservative mixing along the middle part of the transect. Component 1 and 4 were found to be relatively constant, while components 2 and 3 revealed an inverse relationship for the sampling period. Total organic carbon showed increasing trend for each of the components. An increase in humification and a decrease in fluorescence indices along the transect indicated an increase in terrestrial derived organic matter and reduced microbial activity from lower to upper basin. The use of these indices along with PARAFAC results improved dissolved organic matter characterization in the Barataria Basin. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optical monitoring of Disinfection By-product Precursors with Fluorescence Excitation-Emission Mapping (F-EEM): Practical Application Issues for Drinking, Waste and Reuse Water Industry

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Gilmore, A. M.

2012-12-01

Drinking water, wastewater and reuse plants must deal with regulations associated with bacterial contamination and halogen disinfection procedures that can generate harmful disinfection by-products (DBPs) including trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HOAAs) and other compounds. The natural fluorescent chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is regulated as the major DBP precursor. This study outlines the advantages and current limitations associated with optical monitoring of water treatment processes using tcontemporary Fluorescence Excitation-Emission Mapping (F-EEM). The F-EEM method coupled with practical peak indexing and multi-variate analyses is potentially superior in terms of cost, speed and sensitivity over conventional total organic carbon (TOC) meters and specific UV-absorbance (SUVA) measurements. Hence there is strong interest in developing revised environmental regulations around the F-EEM technique instruments which can incidentally simultaneously measure the SUVA and DOC parameters. Importantly, the F-EEM technique, compared to the single-point TOC and SUVA signals can resolve CDOM classes distinguishing those that strongly cause DBPs. The F-EEM DBP prediction method can be applied to surface water sources to evaluate DBP potential as a function of the point sources and reservoir depth profiles. It can also be applied in-line to rapidly adjust DOC removal processes including sedimentation-flocculation, microfiltration, reverse-osmosis, and ozonation. Limitations and interferences for F-EEMs are discussed including those common to SUVA and TOC in contrast to the advantages including that F-EEMs are less prone to interferences from inorganic carbon and metal contaminations and require little if any chemical preparation. In conclusion, the F-EEM method is discussed in terms of not only the DBP problem but also as a means of predicting (concurrent to DBP monitoring) organic membrane fouling in water-reuse and desalination plants.

D-brane probes in the matrix model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrari, Frank

2014-01-01

Recently, a new approach to large N gauge theories, based on a generalization of the concept of D-brane probes to any gauge field theory, was proposed. In the present note, we compute the probe action in the one matrix model with a quartic potential. This allows to illustrate several non-trivial aspects of the construction in an exactly solvable set-up. One of our main goal is to test the bare bubble approximation. The approximate free energy found in this approximation, which can be derived from a back-of-an-envelope calculation, matches the exact result for all values of the 't Hooft coupling with a surprising accuracy. Another goal is to illustrate the remarkable properties of the equivariant partial gauge-fixing procedure, which is at the heart of the formalism. For this we use a general ξ-gauge to compute the brane action. The action depends on ξ in a very non-trivial way, yet we show explicitly that its critical value does not and coincides with twice the free energy, as required by general consistency. This is made possible by a phenomenon of ghost condensation and the spontaneous breaking of the equivariant BRST symmetry

Comparison between HPSEC-OCD and F-EEMs for assessing DBPs formation in water.

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Hidayah, Euis Nurul; Chou, Yung-Chen; Yeh, Hsuan-Hsien

2017-03-21

In this study, natural organic matter (NOM) in source water, as well as the treated water after coagulation with or without potassium permanganate (KMnO 4 ) preoxidation, was characterized by using high performance size exclusion chromatography with organic carbon detector (HPSEC-OCD) and fluorescence excitation emission matrices (F-EEMs) with parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis. Bulk parameters, such as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and ultraviolet light absorbance at 254 nm (UV 254 ), were also analyzed. The results show that KMnO 4 preoxidation caused the breakdown of high molecular weight (MW) organics into low MW organics. All organics, whether those that existed in the source water or those generated by KMnO 4 preoxidation, could be partly removed by coagulation. Combining the derived organic fractions obtained from HPSEC-OCD with peak-fitting and from F-EEMs with PARAFAC on the same sample, humic substances have been specified as the main organic composition. Further, the predictive models for trihalomethanes formation potential (THMFP) and haloacetic acids formation potential (HAAFP) based on organic fractions from HPSEC-OCD have higher accuracy than those based on the components from PARAFAC modeling. These models provide useful tools to specify the organic fractions from HPSEC-OCD and F-EEMs that constitute active precursors towards trihalomethanes (THMs) or haloacetic acids (HAAs) formation in water. Further, by knowing the major organic precursors, it would facilitate choosing the appropriate water treatment process for disinfection by-products (DBPs) control.

Impact of organic fractions identified by SEC and fluorescence EEM on the hydraulic reversibility of ultrafiltration membrane fouling by secondary effluents

KAUST Repository

Haberkampa, Jens

2011-05-01

Loss of membrane filtration performance due to organic fouling is still a significant drawback for the application of low-pressure membranes in tertiary wastewater treatment. The present study investigates the relevance of different organic fractions present in secondary effluents in terms of hydraulically reversible and irreversible fouling of hollow-fibre ultrafiltration membranes. A good correlation between the hydraulically reversible filtration resistance and the total organic biopolymer concentration according to size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was observed. Qualitatively biopolymers consist mainly of polysaccharides as well as proteins with high molecular weight. Polysaccharides are retained by the membrane pores, but can be removed by simple UF backwashing. On the other hand, fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) analysis indicates that the extent of the hydraulically irreversible fouling correlates with the presence of protein-like substances. Removal of protein-like substances by biological slow sand filtration or chemical coagulation results in the significant reduction of the hydraulically irreversible fouling, which is presumably due to proteins in the molecular range of biopolymers. In contrast to the comparatively low sensitivity of colorimetric methods for the analysis of proteins and polysaccharides, the combined application of size exclusion chromatography and fluorescence EEM analysis is a promising tool for the determination of the organic fouling propensity of secondary effluents. ©2011 Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

Impact of organic fractions identified by SEC and fluorescence EEM on the hydraulic reversibility of ultrafiltration membrane fouling by secondary effluents

KAUST Repository

Haberkampa, Jens; Ernst, Mathias; Paar, Hendrik; Pallischeck, Daniela; Amy, Gary L.; Jekel, Martin R.

2011-01-01

Loss of membrane filtration performance due to organic fouling is still a significant drawback for the application of low-pressure membranes in tertiary wastewater treatment. The present study investigates the relevance of different organic fractions present in secondary effluents in terms of hydraulically reversible and irreversible fouling of hollow-fibre ultrafiltration membranes. A good correlation between the hydraulically reversible filtration resistance and the total organic biopolymer concentration according to size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was observed. Qualitatively biopolymers consist mainly of polysaccharides as well as proteins with high molecular weight. Polysaccharides are retained by the membrane pores, but can be removed by simple UF backwashing. On the other hand, fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) analysis indicates that the extent of the hydraulically irreversible fouling correlates with the presence of protein-like substances. Removal of protein-like substances by biological slow sand filtration or chemical coagulation results in the significant reduction of the hydraulically irreversible fouling, which is presumably due to proteins in the molecular range of biopolymers. In contrast to the comparatively low sensitivity of colorimetric methods for the analysis of proteins and polysaccharides, the combined application of size exclusion chromatography and fluorescence EEM analysis is a promising tool for the determination of the organic fouling propensity of secondary effluents. ©2011 Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

A Pyrene- and Phosphonate-Containing Fluorescent Probe as Guest Molecule in a Host Polymer Matrix

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacqueline Marchand-Brynaert

2013-02-01

Full Text Available New host-guest materials have been prepared by incorporation of a home-made organic probe displaying a pyrene motif and a phosphonate function into a regular amphiphilic copolymer. Using powder X-Ray diffraction, photoluminescence and FT-IR spectroscopy, we have been able to study the non-covalent interactions between the host matrix and the guest molecule in the solid state. Interestingly, we have shown that the matrix directs the guest spatial localization and alters its properties. Thanks to the comparison of pyrene vs. N-pyrenylmaleimide derivatives, the influence of the chemical nature of the guest molecules on the non-covalent interactions with the host have been studied. In addition, using polyethylene glycol as a reference host, we have been able to evidence a true matrix effect within our new insertion materials. The phosphonated guest molecule appears to be a novel probe targeting the hydrophilic domain of the host copolymer.

A Comparative Study of the Application of Fluorescence Excitation-Emission Matrices Combined with Parallel Factor Analysis and Nonnegative Matrix Factorization in the Analysis of Zn Complexation by Humic Acids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrycja Boguta

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The main aim of this study was the application of excitation-emission fluorescence matrices (EEMs combined with two decomposition methods: parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC and nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF to study the interaction mechanisms between humic acids (HAs and Zn(II over a wide concentration range (0–50 mg·dm−3. The influence of HA properties on Zn(II complexation was also investigated. Stability constants, quenching degree and complexation capacity were estimated for binding sites found in raw EEM, EEM-PARAFAC and EEM-NMF data using mathematical models. A combination of EEM fluorescence analysis with one of the proposed decomposition methods enabled separation of overlapping binding sites and yielded more accurate calculations of the binding parameters. PARAFAC and NMF processing allowed finding binding sites invisible in a few raw EEM datasets as well as finding totally new maxima attributed to structures of the lowest humification. Decomposed data showed an increase in Zn complexation with an increase in humification, aromaticity and molecular weight of HAs. EEM-PARAFAC analysis also revealed that the most stable compounds were formed by structures containing the highest amounts of nitrogen. The content of oxygen-functional groups did not influence the binding parameters, mainly due to fact of higher competition of metal cation with protons. EEM spectra coupled with NMF and especially PARAFAC processing gave more adequate assessments of interactions as compared to raw EEM data and should be especially recommended for modeling of complexation processes where the fluorescence intensities (FI changes are weak or where the processes are interfered with by the presence of other fluorophores.

Hierarchical probing for estimating the trace of the matrix inverse on toroidal lattices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stathopoulos, Andreas [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA; Laeuchli, Jesse [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA; Orginos, Kostas [College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA; Jefferson Lab

2013-10-01

The standard approach for computing the trace of the inverse of a very large, sparse matrix $A$ is to view the trace as the mean value of matrix quadratures, and use the Monte Carlo algorithm to estimate it. This approach is heavily used in our motivating application of Lattice QCD. Often, the elements of $A^{-1}$ display certain decay properties away from the non zero structure of $A$, but random vectors cannot exploit this induced structure of $A^{-1}$. Probing is a technique that, given a sparsity pattern of $A$, discovers elements of $A$ through matrix-vector multiplications with specially designed vectors. In the case of $A^{-1}$, the pattern is obtained by distance-$k$ coloring of the graph of $A$. For sufficiently large $k$, the method produces accurate trace estimates but the cost of producing the colorings becomes prohibitively expensive. More importantly, it is difficult to search for an optimal $k$ value, since none of the work for prior choices of $k$ can be reused.

Characterizing the release of different composition of dissolved organic matter in soil under acid rain leaching using three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Li; Song, Cunyi; Yan, Zengguang; Li, Fasheng

2009-09-01

Although excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMS) has been widely used to characterize dissolved organic matter (DOM), there has no report that EEMS has been used to study the effects of acid rain on DOM and its composition in soil. In this work, we employed three-dimensional EEMS to characterize the compositions of DOM leached by simulated acid rain from red soil. The red soil was subjected to leaching of simulated acid rain of different acidity, and the leached DOM presented five main peaks in its EEMS: peak-A, related to humic acid-like (HA-like) material, at Ex/Em of 310-330/395-420nm; peak-B, related to UV fulvic acid-like (FA-like) material, at Ex/Em of 230-280/400-435nm; peak-C and peak-D, both related to microbial byproduct-like material, at Ex/Em of 250-280/335-355nm and 260-280/290-320nm, respectively; and peak-E, related to simple aromatic proteins, at Ex/Em of 210-240/290-340nm. EEMS analysis results indicated that most DOM could be lost from red soil in the early phase of acid rain leaching. In addition to the effects of the pH of acid rain, the loss of DOM also depended on the properties of its compositions and the solubility of their complexes with aluminum. HA-like and microbial byproduct-like materials could be more easily released from red soil by acid rain at both higher pH (4.5 and 5.6) and lower pH (2.5 and 3) than that at middle pH (3.5). On the contrary, FA-like material lost in a similar manner under the action of different acid rains with pH ranging from 2.5 to 5.6.

Removal of NOM-constituents as characterized by LC-OCD and F-EEM during drinking water treatment

KAUST Repository

Baghoth, S. A.

2011-11-01

Natural organic matter (NOM) is of concern in drinking water because it causes adverse aesthetic qualities such as taste, odour, and colour; impedes the performance of treatment processes; and decreases the effectiveness of oxidants and disinfectants while contributing to undesirable disinfection by-products. The effective removal of NOM during drinking water treatment requires a good understanding of its character. Because of its heterogeneity, NOM characterization necessitates the use of multiple analytical techniques. In this study, NOM in water samples from two drinking water treatment trains was characterized using liquid chromatography with organic carbon detection (LC-OCD), and fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (F-EEMs) with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). These characterization methods indicate that the raw and treated waters are dominated by humic substances. The results show that whereas the coagulation process for both plants may be optimized for the removal of bulk DOC, it is not likewise optimized for the removal of specific NOM fractions. A five component PARAFAC model was developed for the F-EEMs, three of which are humic-like, while two are protein-like. These PARAFAC components and the LC-OCD fractions represented effective tools for the performance evaluation of the two water treatment plants in terms of the removal of NOM fractions. © IWA Publishing 2011.

In vivo imaging of membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase with a novel activatable near-infrared fluorescence probe.

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Shimizu, Yoichi; Temma, Takashi; Hara, Isao; Makino, Akira; Kondo, Naoya; Ozeki, Ei-Ichi; Ono, Masahiro; Saji, Hideo

2014-08-01

Membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is a protease activating MMP-2 that mediates cleavage of extracellular matrix components and plays pivotal roles in tumor migration, invasion and metastasis. Because in vivo noninvasive imaging of MT1-MMP would be useful for tumor diagnosis, we developed a novel near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence probe that can be activated following interaction with MT1-MMP in vivo. MT1-hIC7L is an activatable fluorescence probe comprised of anti-MT1-MMP monoclonal antibodies conjugated to self-assembling polymer micelles that encapsulate NIR dyes (IC7-1, λem : 858 nm) at concentrations sufficient to cause fluorescence self-quenching. In aqueous buffer, MT1-hIC7L fluorescence was suppressed to background levels and increased approximately 35.5-fold in the presence of detergent. Cellular uptake experiments revealed that in MT1-MMP positive C6 glioma cells, MT1-hIC7L showed significantly higher fluorescence that increased with time as compared to hIC7L, a negative control probe lacking the anti-MT1-MMP monoclonal antibody. In MT1-MMP negative MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma cells, both MT1-hIC7L and hIC7L showed no obvious fluorescence. In addition, the fluorescence intensity of C6 cells treated with MT1-hIC7L was suppressed by pre-treatment with an MT1-MMP endocytosis inhibitor (P imaging using probes intravenously administered to tumor-bearing mice showed that MT1-hIC7L specifically visualized C6 tumors (tumor-to-background ratios: 3.8 ± 0.3 [MT1-hIC7L] vs 3.1 ± 0.2 [hIC7L] 48 h after administration, P fluorescence in MCF-7 tumors. Together, these results show that MT1-hIC7L would be a potential activatable NIR probe for specifically detecting MT1-MMP-expressing tumors. © 2014 The Authors. Cancer Science published by Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

In situ analysis of plant tissue underivatized carbohydrates and on-probe enzymatic degraded starch by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry by using carbon nanotubes as matrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Gholipour, Yousef; Nonami, Hiroshi; Erra-Balsells, Rosa

2008-12-15

Underivatized carbohydrates of tulip bulb and leaf tissues were characterized in situ by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) by using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as matrix. Two sample preparation methods--(i) depositing CNTs on the fresh tissue slices placed on the probe and (ii) locating semitransparent tissues on a dried layer of CNTs on the probe--were examined. Furthermore, practicability of in situ starch analysis by MALDI-TOF MS was examined by detection of glucose originated from on-probe amyloglucosidase-catalyzed degradation of starch on the tissue surface. Besides, CNTs could efficiently desorb/ionize natural mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides extracted from tulip bulb tissues as well as glucose resulting from starch enzymatic degradation in vitro. These results were compared with those obtained by in situ MALDI-TOF MS analysis of similar tissues. Positive ion mode showed superior signal reproducibility. CNTs deposited under semitransparent tissue could also desorb/ionize neutral carbohydrates, leading to nearly complete elimination of matrix cluster signals but with an increase in tissue-originated signals. Furthermore, several experiments were carried out to compare the efficiency of 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, nor-harmane, alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid, and CNTs as matrices for MALDI of neutral carbohydrates from the intact plant tissue surface and for enzymatic tissue starch degradation; these results are discussed in brief. Among matrices studied, the lowest laser power was needed to acquire carbohydrate signals with high signal-to-noise ratio and resolution when CNTs were used.

Developpement of a photoaffinity probe for the sensitive detection of matrix metallo-protease active forms from complex biological systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nury, Catherine

2012-01-01

A new activity-based probe able to covalently modify the active site of proteases belonging to the matrix metallo-protease family (MMPs) has been developed in this thesis project. The probe was shown to behave as potent inhibitor of several MMPs, with nanomolar Ki values. This probe was also able to modify specifically only the free active site of MMPs, with particular high yields of cross-linking varying from 50 % to 11 %, depending of the MMPs tested. Using radioactivity as means of detection, this probe was able to detect active form of MMPs with a threshold of 1 femto-mole. Applied to the study of bronchoalveolar fluids (BAL) from mice exposed to nanoparticles by a lung aspiration protocol, this probe revealed the presence of the catalytic domain of MMP-12 under its active form, but not in control animals. When used to detect active form of MMPs from extracts obtained from human arteries of patient suffering from atherosclerosis, the probe was not able to detect such MMP active forms. Despite this negative result, the detection of active form of MMP in pathological fluid like BAL has never been reported before this work. Having validated this novel MMP activity-based probe, it will be possible to use it now for detecting MMPs from other pathological fluids or tissues extracts in which MMPs can be good markers of the pathology. (author) [fr

Application of EEM fluorescence spectroscopy in understanding of the "LIGA" phenomenon in the Bay of Biscay (France)

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Parot, Jérémie; Susperregui, Nicolas; Rouaud, Vanessa; Dubois, Laurent; Anglade, Nathalie; Parlanti, Edith

2014-05-01

Marine mucilage is present in all oceans over the world, and in particular in the Mediterranean Sea and in the Pacific Ocean. Surface water warming and hydrodynamic processes can favor the coalescence of marine mucilage, large marine aggregates representing an ephemeral and extreme habitat for biota. DOM is a heterogeneous, complex mixture of compounds, including extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), with wide ranging chemical properties and it is well known to interact with pollutants and to affect their transport and their fate in aquatic environment. The LIGA French research program focuses on tracing colloidal dissolved organic matter (DOM) sources and cycling in the Bay of Biscay (South Western French coast). This ephemeral phenomenon (called "LIGA" in the South West of France) has been observed more than 750 times since 2010. It presents a great ecological impact on marine ecosystems and has been shown to be concomitant with the development of pathogen organisms. A one-year intensive survey of fluorescent DOM was undertaken. From April 2013 until May 2014, water samples were monthly collected from the Adour River (main fresh water inputs) and from 2 sites in the Bay of Biscay at 3 depths of the water column (surface water, at the maximum of chlorophyll-a, and deep water). Moreover, intensified samplings took place from the appearance of the phenomenon twice a week during 4 weeks. UV/visible absorbance and excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy combined with PARAFAC and PCA analyses have been used to characterize colloidal DOM in the Bay of Biscay in order to estimate DOM sources as well as spatial and temporal variability of DOM properties. The preliminary results, obtained for about 70 samples of this survey, have already highlighted spatial and temporal variations of DOM optical properties and a peculiar fluorescent component (exc300nm/em338nm) was detected while the LIGA phenomenon arises. The appearance of this specific

Characterizing fluorescent dissolved organic matter in a membrane bioreactor via excitation-emission matrix combined with parallel factor analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Maqbool, Tahir; Quang, Viet Ly; Cho, Jinwoo; Hur, Jin

2016-06-01

In this study, we successfully tracked the dynamic changes in different constitutes of bound extracellular polymeric substances (bEPS), soluble microbial products (SMP), and permeate during the operation of bench scale membrane bioreactors (MBRs) via fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). Three fluorescent groups were identified, including two protein-like (tryptophan-like C1 and tyrosine-like C2) and one microbial humic-like components (C3). In bEPS, protein-like components were consistently more dominant than C3 during the MBR operation, while their relative abundance in SMP depended on aeration intensities. C1 of bEPS exhibited a linear correlation (R(2)=0.738; pbEPS amounts in sludge, and C2 was closely related to the stability of sludge. The protein-like components were more greatly responsible for membrane fouling. Our study suggests that EEM-PARAFAC can be a promising monitoring tool to provide further insight into process evaluation and membrane fouling during MBR operation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Retarded Local Dynamics of Single Fluorescent Probes in Polymeric Glass due to Interaction Strengthening

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hao; Yang, Jingfa; Zhao, Jiang

The effect of strengthening of interaction between single fluorescent probes and polymer matrix to the probes dynamics is investigated using single molecule fluorescence defocus microscopy. By introducing multiple hydroxyl groups to the fluorescent probes, which builds up hydrogen bonds between the probe and polymer matrix, the dynamics is discovered to be retarded. This is evidenced by the lowering of the frequency of the vibrational modes in the power spectra of the rotation trajectories of individual fluorescent probes, and also by the lowering of population of rotating probes. The results show that by strengthening the probe-matrix interaction, the local dynamics detected by the probes is equivalent to that detected by a bigger probe, due to the enhanced friction between the probe and the polymer matrix. the National Basic Research Program of China (2012CB821500).

Manufacture of mirrors by NC machining of EEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hongo, Toshio; Azuma, Yasuo; Kato, Haruo; Hoshino, Hideo

1981-01-01

In the X-ray optical system for the photon factory facility being constructed now in the National Laboratory for High Energy Physics, total reflection mirrors occupy important position. The shapes of mirrors are both plane and curved surface, and the sizes are various. Especially concerning hard X-ray, the required accuracy of the shapes and surface roughness is high. Thereupon mirrors were machined by elastic emission machining (EEM) developed by Mori et al. of Osaka University, and the flatness and surface roughness were examined. The materials machined were Pyrex and copper, the mirror finish of which is difficult. The results are reported. In this machining method, the liquid in which very fine powder is uniformly dispersed and suspended in water was used. By approaching a rotating urethane ball to a work surface, the gap of about 1 μm was formed between them utilizing fluid bearing-like flow arising there. The machining was carried out by colliding the fine particles in suspension to a minute region of the work surface. In order to obtain an arbitrary curved surface, the numerical control according to the variable controling the amount of machining was made. In the case of glasses, the amount of machining was able to be controlled to about 0.01 μm. As for polycrystalline copper, the machining was difficult, and the suitable conditions must be sought hereafter. (Kako, I.)

Unveiling the transformation and bioavailability of dissolved organic matter in contrasting hydrothermal vents using fluorescence EEM-PARAFAC.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Liyang; Zhuang, Wan-E; Chen, Chen-Tung Arthur; Wang, Bing-Jye; Kuo, Fu-Wen

2017-03-15

The submarine hydrothermal systems are extreme environments where active cycling of dissolved organic matter (DOM) may occur. However, little is known about the optical properties and bioavailability of hydrothermal DOM, which could provide valuable insights into its transformation processes and biogeochemical reactivity. The quantity, quality, and bioavailability of DOM were investigated for four very different hydrothermal vents east of Taiwan, using dissolved organic carbon (DOC), absorption spectroscopy, and fluorescence excitation-emission matrices-parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC). The DOC and absorption coefficient a 280 were both lower in the two hydrothermal vents off the Orchid Island and on the Green Island than in the surrounding seawater and the two vents off the Kueishantao Island, indicating effective removals of DOM in the former two hydrothermal systems owing to possible adsorption/co-precipitation and thermal degradation respectively. The four hydrothermal DOM showed notable differences in the absorption spectral slope S 275-295 , humification index HIX, biological index BIX, EEM spectra, and the relative distributions of seven PARAFAC components. The results demonstrated a high diversity of chemical composition and transformation history of DOM under contrasting hydrothermal conditions. The little change in the hydrothermal DOC after 28-day microbial incubations indicated a low bioavailability of the bulk DOM, and different PARAFAC components showed contrasting bioavailability. The results have profound implications for understanding the biogeochemical cycling and environmental effects of hydrothermal DOM in the marine environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anthropogenic signature of sediment organic matter probed by UV-Visible and fluorescence spectroscopy and the association with heavy metal enrichment.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Wei; Lee, Jong-Hyun; Hur, Jin

2016-05-01

Sediment organic matter (SOM) was extracted in an alkaline solution from 43 stream sediments in order to explore the anthropogenic signatures. The SOM spectroscopic characteristics including excitation-emission matrix (EEM)-parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) were compared for five sampling site groups classified by the anthropogenic variables of land use, population density, the loadings of organics and nutrients, and metal enrichment. The conventional spectroscopic characteristics including specific UV absorbance, absorbance ratio, and humification index did not properly discriminate among the different cluster groups except in the case of metal enrichment. Of the four decomposed PARAFAC components, humic-like and tryptophan-like fluorescence responded negatively and positively, respectively, to increasing degrees of the anthropogenic variables except for land use. The anthropogenic enrichment of heavy metals was positively associated with the abundance of tryptophan-like component. In contrast, humic-like component, known to be mostly responsible for metal binding, exhibited a decreasing trend corresponding with metal enrichment. These conflicting trends can be attributed to the overwhelmed effects of the coupled discharges of heavy metals and organic pollutants into sediments. Our study suggests that the PARAFAC components can be used as functional signatures to probe the anthropogenic influences on sediments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Primitive chain network simulations of probe rheology.

Science.gov (United States)

Masubuchi, Yuichi; Amamoto, Yoshifumi; Pandey, Ankita; Liu, Cheng-Yang

2017-09-27

Probe rheology experiments, in which the dynamics of a small amount of probe chains dissolved in immobile matrix chains is discussed, have been performed for the development of molecular theories for entangled polymer dynamics. Although probe chain dynamics in probe rheology is considered hypothetically as single chain dynamics in fixed tube-shaped confinement, it has not been fully elucidated. For instance, the end-to-end relaxation of probe chains is slower than that for monodisperse melts, unlike the conventional molecular theories. In this study, the viscoelastic and dielectric relaxations of probe chains were calculated by primitive chain network simulations. The simulations semi-quantitatively reproduced the dielectric relaxation, which reflects the effect of constraint release on the end-to-end relaxation. Fair agreement was also obtained for the viscoelastic relaxation time. However, the viscoelastic relaxation intensity was underestimated, possibly due to some flaws in the model for the inter-chain cross-correlations between probe and matrix chains.

Drivers of fluorescent dissolved organic matter in the global epipelagic ocean

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Catalá, T.S.; Álvarez-Salgado, X. A.; Otero, J.

2016-01-01

Fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) in open surface waters (< 200 m) of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans was analysed by excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). A four-component PARAFAC model was fit to the EEMs, which included two hum...

Tracking fluorescent dissolved organic matter in multistage rivers using EEM-PARAFAC analysis: implications of the secondary tributary remediation for watershed management.

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Zeyu; Wu, Xiaodong; Huang, Haomin; Fang, Xiaomin; Xu, Chen; Wu, Jianyu; Liang, Xinqiang; Shi, Jiyan

2016-05-01

Profound understanding of behaviors of organic matter from sources to multistage rivers assists watershed management for improving water quality of river networks in rural areas. Ninety-one water samples were collected from the three orders of receiving rivers in a typical combined polluted subcatchment (diffuse agricultural pollutants and domestic sewage) located in China. Then, the fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) information for these samples was determined by the excitation-emission matrix coupled with parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC). Consequently, two typical humic-like (C1 and C2) and other two protein-like (C3 and C4) components were separated. Their fluorescence peaks were located at λ ex/em = 255(360)/455, 60 %). Principal component analysis (PCA) further demonstrated that, except for the autochthonous produced C4, the allochthonous components (C1 and C2) had the same terrestrial origins, but C3 might possess the separate anthropogenic and biological sources. Moreover, the spatial heterogeneity of contamination levels was noticeable in multistage rivers, and the allochthonous FDOM was gradually homogenized along the migration directions. Interestingly, the average content of the first three PARAFAC components in secondary tributaries and source pollutants had significantly higher levels than that in subsequent receiving rivers, thus suggesting that the supervision and remediation for secondary tributaries would play a prominent role in watershed management works.

On the validity of cosmological Fisher matrix forecasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wolz, Laura; Kilbinger, Martin; Weller, Jochen; Giannantonio, Tommaso

2012-01-01

We present a comparison of Fisher matrix forecasts for cosmological probes with Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) posterior likelihood estimation methods. We analyse the performance of future Dark Energy Task Force (DETF) stage-III and stage-IV dark-energy surveys using supernovae, baryon acoustic oscillations and weak lensing as probes. We concentrate in particular on the dark-energy equation of state parameters w 0 and w a . For purely geometrical probes, and especially when marginalising over w a , we find considerable disagreement between the two methods, since in this case the Fisher matrix can not reproduce the highly non-elliptical shape of the likelihood function. More quantitatively, the Fisher method underestimates the marginalized errors for purely geometrical probes between 30%-70%. For cases including structure formation such as weak lensing, we find that the posterior probability contours from the Fisher matrix estimation are in good agreement with the MCMC contours and the forecasted errors only changing on the 5% level. We then explore non-linear transformations resulting in physically-motivated parameters and investigate whether these parameterisations exhibit a Gaussian behaviour. We conclude that for the purely geometrical probes and, more generally, in cases where it is not known whether the likelihood is close to Gaussian, the Fisher matrix is not the appropriate tool to produce reliable forecasts

Tracking the formation of eumelanin from L-Dopa using coupled measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Yip, Philip; Sutter, Jens U.

2018-04-01

Melanin plays a crucial role as a pigment all through the animal kingdom. Being a macromolecule just on the divide between an ordered crystalline or a purely amorphous form melanin has proven a challenge to structure-function analysis. Melanin assembles from small molecules much like a jigsaw and much like in a jigsaw the fine detail quickly vanishes in the overall picture. With melanin being first and foremost a photo-active molecule we focus on spectral properties for the characterisation of its structure. We use absorption measurements to illustrate the complex nature of the formation process. To gain a better hold on the formation pathway we use coupled measurements of excitation and emission to identify ‘areas of interest’ in the excitation-emission matrix (EEM). We then probe one area for characteristic fluorescence lifetimes to track one melanin building block through the formation process. Comparison of the EEMs of L-Dopa derived melanin with natural Sepia melanin shows characteristic differences. We show how the presence of copper ions creates a melanin closer to its natural form.

Matrix metalloproteinases and left ventricular function and structure in spinal cord injured subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Schreiber, Roberto; Paim, Layde R; de Rossi, Guilherme; Matos-Souza, José R; Costa E Silva, Anselmo de A; Souza, Cristiane M; Borges, Mariane; Azevedo, Eliza R; Alonso, Karina C; Gorla, José I; Cliquet, Alberto; Nadruz, Wilson

2014-11-01

Subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI) exhibit impaired left ventricular (LV) diastolic function, which has been reported to be attenuated by regular physical activity. This study investigated the relationship between circulating matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) and echocardiographic parameters in SCI subjects and the role of physical activity in this regard. Forty-two men with SCI [19 sedentary (S-SCI) and 23 physically-active (PA-SCI)] were evaluated by clinical, anthropometric, laboratory, and echocardiographic analysis. Plasmatic pro-MMP-2, MMP-2, MMP-8, pro-MMP-9, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and zymography. PA-SCI subjects presented lower pro-MMP-2 and pro-MMP-2/TIMP-2 levels and improved markers of LV diastolic function (lower E/Em and higher Em and E/A values) than S-SCI ones. Bivariate analysis showed that pro-MMP-2 correlated inversely with Em and directly with E/Em, while MMP-9 correlated directly with LV mass index and LV end-diastolic diameter in the whole sample. Following multiple regression analysis, pro-MMP-2, but not physical activity, remained associated with Em, while MMP-9 was associated with LV mass index in the whole sample. These findings suggest differing roles for MMPs in LV structure and function regulation and an interaction among pro-MMP-2, diastolic function and physical activity in SCI subjects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Application of excitation-emission matrix spectrum combined with parallel factor analysis in dissolved organic matter in East China Sea].

Science.gov (United States)

Lü, Li-Sha; Zhao, Wei-Hong; Miao, Hui

2013-03-01

Using excitation-emission matrix spectrum(EEMs) combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) examine the fluorescent components feature of dissolved organic matter (DOM) sampled from East China Sea in the summer and autumn was examined. The type, distribution and origin of the fluorescence dissolved organic matter were also discussed. Three fluorescent components were identified by PARAFAC, including protein-like component C1 (235, 280/330), terrestrial or marine humic-like component C2 (255, 330/400) and terrestrial humic-like component C3 (275, 360/480). The good linearity of the two humic-like components showed the same source or some relationship between the chemical constitutions. As a whole, the level of the fluorescence intensity in coastal ocean was higher than that of the open ocean in different water layers in two seasons. The relationship of three components with chlorophyll-a and salinity showed the DOM in the study area is almost not influenced by the living algal matter, but the fresh water outflow of the Yangtze River might be the source of them in the Yangtze River estuary in Summer. From what has been discussed above, we can draw the conclusion that the application of EEM-PARAFAC modeling will exert a profound influence upon the research of the dissolved organic matter.

Occurrence and behaviors of fluorescence EEM-PARAFAC components in drinking water and wastewater treatment systems and their applications: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Liyang; Hur, Jin; Zhuang, Wane

2015-05-01

Fluorescence excitation emission matrices-parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) is a powerful tool for characterizing dissolved organic matter (DOM), and it is applied in a rapidly growing number of studies on drinking water and wastewater treatments. This paper presents an overview of recent findings about the occurrence and behavior of PARAFAC components in drinking water and wastewater treatments, as well as their feasibility for assessing the treatment performance and water quality including disinfection by-product formation potentials (DBPs FPs). A variety of humic-like, protein-like, and unique (e.g., pyrene-like) fluorescent components have been identified, providing valuable insights into the chemical composition of DOM and the effects of various treatment processes in engineered systems. Coagulation/flocculation-clarification preferentially removes humic-like components, and additional treatments such as biological activated carbon filtration, anion exchange, and UV irradiation can further remove DOM from drinking water. In contrast, biological treatments are more effective for protein-like components in wastewater treatments. PARAFAC components have been proven to be valuable as surrogates for conventional water quality parameter, to track the changes of organic matter quantity and quality in drinking water and wastewater treatments. They are also feasible for assessing formations of trihalomethanes and other DBPs and evaluating treatment system performance. Further studies of EEM-PARAFAC for assessing the effects of the raw water quality and variable treatment conditions on the removal of DOM, and the formation potentials of various emerging DBPs, are essential for optimizing the treatment processes to ensure treated water quality.

Optimization of the BLASTN substitution matrix for prediction of non-specific DNA microarray hybridization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eklund, Aron Charles; Friis, Pia; Wernersson, Rasmus

2010-01-01

BLASTN accuracy by modifying the substitution matrix and gap penalties. We generated gene expression microarray data for samples in which 1 or 10% of the target mass was an exogenous spike of known sequence. We found that the 10% spike induced 2-fold intensity changes in 3% of the probes, two......-third of which were decreases in intensity likely caused by bulk-hybridization. These changes were correlated with similarity between the spike and probe sequences. Interestingly, even very weak similarities tended to induce a change in probe intensity with the 10% spike. Using this data, we optimized the BLASTN...... substitution matrix to more accurately identify probes susceptible to non-specific hybridization with the spike. Relative to the default substitution matrix, the optimized matrix features a decreased score for A–T base pairs relative to G–C base pairs, resulting in a 5–15% increase in area under the ROC curve...

Characterization of CDOM from urban waters in Northern-Northeastern China using excitation-emission matrix fluorescence and parallel factor analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Ying; Song, Kaishan; Li, Sijia; Ma, Jianhang; Wen, Zhidan

2016-08-01

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) plays an important role in aquatic systems, but high concentrations of organic materials are considered pollutants. The fluorescent component characteristics of CDOM in urban waters sampled from Northern and Northeastern China were examined by excitation-emission matrix fluorescence and parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) to investigate the source and compositional changes of CDOM on both space and pollution levels. One humic-like (C1), one tryptophan-like component (C2), and one tyrosine-like component (C3) were identified by PARAFAC. Mean fluorescence intensities of the three CDOM components varied spatially and by pollution level in cities of Northern and Northeastern China during July-August, 2013 and 2014. Principal components analysis (PCA) was conducted to identify the relative distribution of all water samples. Cluster analysis (CA) was also used to categorize the samples into groups of similar pollution levels within a study area. Strong positive linear relationships were revealed between the CDOM absorption coefficients a(254) (R (2) = 0.89, p CDOM components can be applied to monitor water quality in real time compared to that of traditional approaches. These results demonstrate that EEM-PARAFAC is useful to evaluate the dynamics of CDOM fluorescent components in urban waters from Northern and Northeastern China and this method has potential applications for monitoring urban water quality in different regions with various hydrological conditions and pollution levels.

Probing matrix and tumor mechanics with in situ calibrated optical trap based active microrheology

Science.gov (United States)

Staunton, Jack Rory; Vieira, Wilfred; Tanner, Kandice; Tissue Morphodynamics Unit Team

Aberrant extracellular matrix deposition and vascularization, concomitant with proliferation and phenotypic changes undergone by cancer cells, alter mechanical properties in the tumor microenvironment during cancer progression. Tumor mechanics conversely influence progression, and the identification of physical biomarkers promise improved diagnostic and prognostic power. Optical trap based active microrheology enables measurement of forces up to 0.5 mm within a sample, allowing interrogation of in vitro biomaterials, ex vivo tissue sections, and small organisms in vivo. We fabricated collagen I hydrogels exhibiting distinct structural properties by tuning polymerization temperature Tp, and measured their shear storage and loss moduli at frequencies 1-15k Hz at multiple amplitudes. Lower Tp gels, with larger pore size but thicker, longer fibers, were stiffer than higher Tp gels; decreasing strain increased loss moduli and decreased storage moduli at low frequencies. We subcutanously injected probes with metastatic murine melanoma cells into mice. The excised tumors displayed storage and loss moduli 40 Pa and 10 Pa at 1 Hz, increasing to 500 Pa and 1 kPa at 15 kHz, respectively.

Seasonal characterization of CDOM for lakes in semi-arid regions of Northeast China using excitation-emission matrices fluorescence and parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC)

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Y.; Song, K.; Wen, Z.; Li, L.; Zang, S.; Shao, T.; Li, S.; Du, J.

2015-04-01

The seasonal characteristics of fluorescence components in CDOM for lakes in the semi-arid region of Northeast China were examined by excitation-emission matrices fluorescence and parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC). Two humic-like peaks C1 (Ex/Em = 230, 300/425 nm) and C2 (Ex/Em = 255, 350/460 nm) and two protein-like B (Ex/Em = 220, 275/320 nm) and T (Ex/Em = 225, 290/360 nm) peaks were identified using PARAFAC. The average fluorescence intensity of the four components differed with seasonal variation from June and August 2013 to February and April 2014. The total fluorescence intensity significantly varied from 2.54 ± 0.68 nm-1 in June to the mean value 1.93 ± 0.70 nm-1 in August 2013, and then increased to 2.34 ± 0.92 nm-1 in February and reduced to the lowest 1.57 ± 0.55 nm-1 in April 2014. In general, the fluorescence intensity was dominated by peak C1, indicating that most part of CDOM for inland waters being investigated in this study was originated from phytoplankton degradation. The lowest C2 represents only a small portion of CDOM from terrestrial imported organic matter to water bodies through rainwash and soil leaching. The two protein-like intensities (B and T) formed in situ through microbial activity have almost the same intensity. Especially, in August 2013 and February 2014, the two protein-like peaks showed obviously difference from other seasons and the highest C1 (1.02 nm-1) was present in February 2014. Components 1 and 2 exhibited strong linear correlation (R2 = 0.633). There were significantly positive linear relationships between CDOM absorption coefficients a(254) (R2 = 0.72, 0.46, p DOC. However, almost no obvious correlation was found between salinity and EEM-PARAFAC extracted components except for C3 (R2 = 0.469). Results from this investigation demonstrate that the EEM-PARAFAC technique can be used to evaluate the seasonal dynamics of CDOM fluorescence components for inland waters in semi-arid regions of Northeast China.

Self-organising maps and correlation analysis as a tool to explore patterns in excitation-emission matrix data sets and to discriminate dissolved organic matter fluorescence components.

Science.gov (United States)

Ejarque-Gonzalez, Elisabet; Butturini, Andrea

2014-01-01

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a complex mixture of organic compounds, ubiquitous in marine and freshwater systems. Fluorescence spectroscopy, by means of Excitation-Emission Matrices (EEM), has become an indispensable tool to study DOM sources, transport and fate in aquatic ecosystems. However the statistical treatment of large and heterogeneous EEM data sets still represents an important challenge for biogeochemists. Recently, Self-Organising Maps (SOM) has been proposed as a tool to explore patterns in large EEM data sets. SOM is a pattern recognition method which clusterizes and reduces the dimensionality of input EEMs without relying on any assumption about the data structure. In this paper, we show how SOM, coupled with a correlation analysis of the component planes, can be used both to explore patterns among samples, as well as to identify individual fluorescence components. We analysed a large and heterogeneous EEM data set, including samples from a river catchment collected under a range of hydrological conditions, along a 60-km downstream gradient, and under the influence of different degrees of anthropogenic impact. According to our results, chemical industry effluents appeared to have unique and distinctive spectral characteristics. On the other hand, river samples collected under flash flood conditions showed homogeneous EEM shapes. The correlation analysis of the component planes suggested the presence of four fluorescence components, consistent with DOM components previously described in the literature. A remarkable strength of this methodology was that outlier samples appeared naturally integrated in the analysis. We conclude that SOM coupled with a correlation analysis procedure is a promising tool for studying large and heterogeneous EEM data sets.

Efficient design of multituned transmission line NMR probes: the electrical engineering approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Frydel, J A; Krzystyniak, M; Pienkowski, D; Pietrzak, M; de Sousa Amadeu, N; Ratajczyk, T; Idzik, K; Gutmann, T; Tietze, D; Voigt, S; Fenn, A; Limbach, H H; Buntkowsky, G

2011-01-01

Transmission line-based multi-channel solid state NMR probes have many advantages regarding the cost of construction, number of RF-channels, and achievable RF-power levels. Nevertheless, these probes are only rarely employed in solid state-NMR-labs, mainly owing to the difficult experimental determination of the necessary RF-parameters. Here, the efficient design of multi-channel solid state MAS-NMR probes employing transmission line theory and modern techniques of electrical engineering is presented. As technical realization a five-channel ((1)H, (31)P, (13)C, (2)H and (15)N) probe for operation at 7 Tesla is described. This very cost efficient design goal is a multi port single coil transmission line probe based on the design developed by Schaefer and McKay. The electrical performance of the probe is determined by measuring of Scattering matrix parameters (S-parameters) in particular input/output ports. These parameters are compared to the calculated parameters of the design employing the S-matrix formalism. It is shown that the S-matrix formalism provides an excellent tool for examination of transmission line probes and thus the tool for a rational design of these probes. On the other hand, the resulting design provides excellent electrical performance. From a point of view of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), calibration spectra of particular ports (channels) are of great importance. The estimation of the π/2 pulses length for all five NMR channels is presented. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study of ionization process of matrix molecules in matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murakami, Kazumasa; Sato, Asami; Hashimoto, Kenro; Fujino, Tatsuya, E-mail: fujino@tmu.ac.jp

2013-06-20

Highlights: ► Proton transfer and adduction reaction of matrix in MALDI were studied. ► Hydroxyl group forming intramolecular hydrogen bond was related to the ionization. ► Intramolecular proton transfer in the electronic excited state was the initial step. ► Non-volatile analytes stabilized protonated matrix in the ground state. ► A possible mechanism, “analyte support mechanism”, has been proposed. - Abstract: Proton transfer and adduction reaction of matrix molecules in matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization were studied. By using 2,4,6-trihydroxyacetophenone (THAP), 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA), and their related compounds in which the position of a hydroxyl group is different, it was clarified that a hydroxyl group forming an intramolecular hydrogen bond is related to the ionization of matrix molecules. Intramolecular proton transfer in the electronic excited state of the matrix and subsequent proton adduction from a surrounding solvent to the charge-separated matrix are the initial steps for the ionization of matrix molecules. Nanosecond pump–probe NIR–UV mass spectrometry confirmed that the existence of analyte molecules having large dipole moment in their structures is necessary for the stabilization of [matrix + H]{sup +} in the electronic ground state.

Simulation of sparse matrix array designs

Science.gov (United States)

Boehm, Rainer; Heckel, Thomas

2018-04-01

Matrix phased array probes are becoming more prominently used in industrial applications. The main drawbacks, using probes incorporating a very large number of transducer elements, are needed for an appropriate cabling and an ultrasonic device offering many parallel channels. Matrix arrays designed for extended functionality feature at least 64 or more elements. Typical arrangements are square matrices, e.g., 8 by 8 or 11 by 11 or rectangular matrixes, e.g., 8 by 16 or 10 by 12 to fit a 128-channel phased array system. In some phased array systems, the number of simultaneous active elements is limited to a certain number, e.g., 32 or 64. Those setups do not allow running the probe with all elements active, which may cause a significant change in the directivity pattern of the resulting sound beam. When only a subset of elements can be used during a single acquisition, different strategies may be applied to collect enough data for rebuilding the missing information from the echo signal. Omission of certain elements may be one approach, overlay of subsequent shots with different active areas may be another one. This paper presents the influence of a decreased number of active elements on the sound field and their distribution on the array. Solutions using subsets with different element activity patterns on matrix arrays and their advantages and disadvantages concerning the sound field are evaluated using semi-analytical simulation tools. Sound field criteria are discussed, which are significant for non-destructive testing results and for the system setup.

Bases conceptuales para la aplicación de una evaluación de estrategias de manejo (EEM en sardina común (Strangomera bentincki y anchoveta (Engraulis ringens en la zona centro-sur de Chile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos Arteaga

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Se identifican los factores claves a considerar en el desarrollo de una evaluación de estrategias de manejo (EEM para los recursos pequeños pelágicos en la zona de centro-sur de Chile, sardina común (Strangomera bentincki y anchoveta (Engraulis ringens. En Chile, la EEM no ha sido aplicada al manejo de estas pesquerías y la asesoría científica se ha desarrollado sobre la evaluación de estrategias de explotación utilizando modelos de evaluación mono-específicos. Para ambas especies se analizan los siguientes tópicos: i alternancia en la abundancia poblacional asociada a los pulsos de reclutamientos y capturas, ii variabilidad temporal en la fuerza del reclutamiento, iii estacionalidad del crecimiento cohorte y especie-específico, y iv relación ambiente-recurso. Los resultados evidencian que los tópicos analizados debieran ser considerados en la construcción de un modelo operativo y/o en la regla de cosecha, dado el carácter mixto de ambas pesquerías, su marcada alternancia y la influencia de las condiciones ambientales. Por lo tanto, se propone que el diseño e implementación de una EEM para sardina común y anchoveta, incluya los elementos señalados en un marco de evaluación multi-especifico y de manejo de carácter mixto.

Simultaneous determination of umbelliferone and scopoletin in Tibetan medicine Saussurea laniceps and traditional Chinese medicine Radix angelicae pubescentis using excitation-emission matrix fluorescence coupled with second-order calibration method

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Li; Wu, Hai-Long; Yin, Xiao-Li; Hu, Yong; Gu, Hui-Wen; Yu, Ru-Qin

2017-01-01

A chemometrics-assisted excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence method is presented for simultaneous determination of umbelliferone and scopoletin in Tibetan medicine Saussurea laniceps (SL) and traditional Chinese medicine Radix angelicae pubescentis (RAP). Using the strategy of combining EEM fluorescence data with second-order calibration method based on the alternating trilinear decomposition (ATLD) algorithm, the simultaneous quantification of umbelliferone and scopoletin in the two different complex systems was achieved successfully, even in the presence of potential interferents. The pretreatment is simple due to the "second-order advantage" and the use of "mathematical separation" instead of awkward "physical or chemical separation". Satisfactory results have been achieved with the limits of detection (LODs) of umbelliferone and scopoletin being 0.06 ng mL- 1 and 0.16 ng mL- 1, respectively. The average spike recoveries of umbelliferone and scopoletin are 98.8 ± 4.3% and 102.5 ± 3.3%, respectively. Besides, HPLC-DAD method was used to further validate the presented strategy, and t-test indicates that prediction results of the two methods have no significant differences. Satisfactory experimental results imply that our method is fast, low-cost and sensitive when compared with HPLC-DAD method.

Linking groundwater dissolved organic matter to sedimentary organic matter from a fluvio-lacustrine aquifer at Jianghan Plain, China by EEM-PARAFAC and hydrochemical analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Shuang-bing; Wang, Yan-xin; Ma, Teng; Tong, Lei; Wang, Yan-yan; Liu, Chang-rong; Zhao, Long

2015-10-01

The sources of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in groundwater are important to groundwater chemistry and quality. This study examined similarities in the nature of DOM and investigated the link between groundwater DOM (GDOM) and sedimentary organic matter (SOM) from a lacustrine-alluvial aquifer at Jianghan Plain. Sediment, groundwater and surface water samples were employed for SOM extraction, optical and/or chemical characterization, and subsequent fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) and parallel factor analyses (PARAFAC). Spectroscopic properties of bulk DOM pools showed that indices indicative of GDOM (e.g., biological source properties, humification level, aromaticity and molecule mobility) varied within the ranges of those of two extracted end-members of SOM: humic-like materials and microbe-associated materials. The coexistence of PARAFAC compositions and the sustaining internal relationship between GDOM and extracted SOM indicate a similar source. The results from principal component analyses with selected spectroscopic indices showed that GDOM exhibited a transition trend regarding its nature: from refractory high-humification DOM to intermediate humification DOM and then to microbe-associated DOM, with decreasing molecular weight. Correlations of spectroscopic indices with physicochemical parameters of the groundwater suggested that GDOM was released from SOM and was modified by microbial diagenetic processes. The current study demonstrated the associations of GDOM with SOM from a spectroscopic viewpoint and provided new evidence supporting SOM as the source of GDOM. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cone penetrometer moisture probe acceptance test report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnes, G.A.

1996-01-01

This Acceptance Test Report (ATR) documents the results of WHC-SD-WM-ATP-146 (Prototype Cone Penetrometer Moisture Probe Acceptance Test Procedure) and WHC-SD-WM-ATP-145 (Cone Penetrometer Moisture Probe Acceptance Test Procedure). The master copy of WHC-SD-WM-ATP-145 can be found in Appendix A and the master copy of WHC-SD-WM-ATP-146 can be found in Appendix B. Also included with this report is a matrix showing design criteria of the cone penetrometer moisture probe and the verification method used (Appendix C)

[Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy of CDOM from Yundang Lagoon and its indication for organic pollution].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuo, Jian-Fu; Guo, Wei-Dong; Deng, Xun; Zhang, Zhi-Ying; Xu, Jing; Huang, Ling-Feng

2010-06-01

Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMs) combined with absorption spectroscopy were applied to study the optical properties of CDOM samples from highly-polluted Yundang Lagoon in Xiamen in order to demonstrate the feasibility of using these spectral properties as a tracer of the degree of organic pollution in similar polluted coastal waters. Surface water samples were collected from 13 stations 4 times during April and May, 2008. Parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) model was used to resolve the EEMs of CDOM. Five separate fluorescent components were identified, including two humic-like components (C1: 240, 325/422 nm; C5: 260, 380/474 nm), two protein-like components (C2: 225, 275/350 nm; C4: 240, 300/354 nm) and one xenobiotic-like component (C3: 225/342 nm), which could be used as a good tracer for the input of the anthropogenic organic, pollutants. The concentrations of component C3 and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) are much higher near the inlet of sewage discharge, demonstrating that the discharge of surrounding sewage is a major source of organic pollutants in Yundang Lagoon. CDOM absorption coefficient alpha (280) and the score of humic-like component C1 showed significant linear relationships with COD(Mn), and a strong positive correlation was also found between the score of protein-like component C2 and BOD5. This suggested that the optical properties of CDOM may provide a fast in-situ way to monitor the variation of the water quality in Yundang Lagoon and that of similar polluted coastal waters.

Structured decomposition design of partial Mueller matrix polarimeters.

Science.gov (United States)

Alenin, Andrey S; Scott Tyo, J

2015-07-01

Partial Mueller matrix polarimeters (pMMPs) are active sensing instruments that probe a scattering process with a set of polarization states and analyze the scattered light with a second set of polarization states. Unlike conventional Mueller matrix polarimeters, pMMPs do not attempt to reconstruct the entire Mueller matrix. With proper choice of generator and analyzer states, a subset of the Mueller matrix space can be reconstructed with fewer measurements than that of the full Mueller matrix polarimeter. In this paper we consider the structure of the Mueller matrix and our ability to probe it using a reduced number of measurements. We develop analysis tools that allow us to relate the particular choice of generator and analyzer polarization states to the portion of Mueller matrix space that the instrument measures, as well as develop an optimization method that is based on balancing the signal-to-noise ratio of the resulting instrument with the ability of that instrument to accurately measure a particular set of desired polarization components with as few measurements as possible. In the process, we identify 10 classes of pMMP systems, for which the space coverage is immediately known. We demonstrate the theory with a numerical example that designs partial polarimeters for the task of monitoring the damage state of a material as presented earlier by Hoover and Tyo [Appl. Opt.46, 8364 (2007)10.1364/AO.46.008364APOPAI1559-128X]. We show that we can reduce the polarimeter to making eight measurements while still covering the Mueller matrix subspace spanned by the objects.

Calibration of a four-hole pyramid probe and area traverse measurements in a short-duration transonic turbine cascade tunnel

Science.gov (United States)

Main, A. J.; Day, C. R. B.; Lock, G. D.; Oldfield, M. L. G.

1996-08-01

A four-hole pyramid probe has been calibrated for use in a short-duration transonic turbine cascade tunnel. The probe is used to create area traverse maps of total and static pressure, and pitch and yaw angles of the flow downstream of a transonic annular cascade. This data is unusual in that it was acquired in a short-duration (5 s of run time) annular cascade blowdown tunnel. A four-hole pyramid probe was used which has a 2.5 mm section head, and has the side faces inclined at 60° to the flow to improve transonic performance. The probe was calibrated in an ejector driven, perforated wall transonic tunnel over the Mach number range 0.5 1.2, with pitch angles from -20° to + 20° and yaw angles from-23° to +23°. A computer driven automatic traversing mechanism and data collection system was used to acquire a large probe calibration matrix (˜ 10,000 readings) of non dimensional pitch, yaw, Mach number, and total pressure calibration coefficients. A novel method was used to transform the probe calibration matrix of the raw coefficients into a probe application matrix of the physical flow variables (pitch, yaw, Mach number etc.). The probe application matrix is then used as a fast look-up table to process probe results. With negligible loss of accuracy, this method is faster by two orders of magnitude than the alternative of global interpolation on the raw probe calibration matrix. The blowdown tunnel (mean nozzle guide vane blade ring diameter 1.1 m) creates engine representative Reynolds numbers, transonic Mach numbers and high levels (≈ 13%) of inlet turbulence intensity. Contours of experimental measurements at three different engine relevant conditions and two axial positions have been obtained. An analysis of the data is presented which includes a necessary correction for the finite velocity of the probe. Such a correction is non trivial for the case of fast moving probes in compressible flow.

Translational and rotational diffusion of flexible PEG and rigid dendrimer probes in sodium caseinate dispersions and acid gels.

Science.gov (United States)

Salami, Souad; Rondeau-Mouro, Corinne; Barhoum, Myriam; van Duynhoven, John; Mariette, François

2014-09-01

The dynamics of rigid dendrimer and flexible PEG probes in sodium caseinate dispersions and acid gels, including both translational diffusion and rotational diffusion, were studied by NMR. Above the onset of the close-packing limit (C ∼ 10 g/100 g H2 O), translational diffusion of the probe depended on its flexibility and on the fluctuations of the matrix chains. The PEG probe diffused more rapidly than the spherical dendrimer probe of corresponding hydrodynamic radius. The greater conformational flexibility of PEG facilitated its motion through the crowded casein matrix. Rotational diffusion was, however, substantially less hindered than the translational diffusion and depended on the local protein-probe friction which became high when the casein concentration increased. The coagulation of the matrix led to the formation of large voids, which resulted in an increase in the translational diffusion of the probes, whereas the rotational diffusion of the probes was retarded in the gel, which could be attributed to the immobilized environment surrounding the probe. Quantitative information from PFG-NMR and SEM micrographs have been combined for characterizing microstructural details in SC acid gels. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development of EEM based silicon–water and silica–water wall potentials for non-reactive molecular dynamics simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Junghan; Iype, Eldhose; Frijns, Arjan J.H.; Nedea, Silvia V.; Steenhoven, Anton A. van

2014-07-01

Molecular dynamics simulations of heat transfer in gases are computationally expensive when the wall molecules are explicitly modeled. To save computational time, an implicit boundary function is often used. Steele's potential has been used in studies of fluid–solid interface for a long time. In this work, the conceptual idea of Steele's potential was extended in order to simulate water–silicon and water–silica interfaces. A new wall potential model is developed by using the electronegativity-equalization method (EEM), a ReaxFF empirical force field and a non-reactive molecular dynamics package PumMa. Contact angle simulations were performed in order to validate the wall potential model. Contact angle simulations with the resulting tabulated wall potentials gave a silicon–water contact angle of 129°, a quartz–water contact angle of 0°, and a cristobalite–water contact angle of 40°, which are in reasonable agreement with experimental values.

Measurement of H2O2 within Living Drosophila during Aging Using a Ratiometric Mass Spectrometry Probe Targeted to the Mitochondrial Matrix

Science.gov (United States)

Cochemé, Helena M.; Quin, Caroline; McQuaker, Stephen J.; Cabreiro, Filipe; Logan, Angela; Prime, Tracy A.; Abakumova, Irina; Patel, Jigna V.; Fearnley, Ian M.; James, Andrew M.; Porteous, Carolyn M.; Smith, Robin A.J.; Saeed, Saima; Carré, Jane E.; Singer, Mervyn; Gems, David; Hartley, Richard C.; Partridge, Linda; Murphy, Michael P.

2011-01-01

Summary Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is central to mitochondrial oxidative damage and redox signaling, but its roles are poorly understood due to the difficulty of measuring mitochondrial H2O2 in vivo. Here we report a ratiometric mass spectrometry probe approach to assess mitochondrial matrix H2O2 levels in vivo. The probe, MitoB, comprises a triphenylphosphonium (TPP) cation driving its accumulation within mitochondria, conjugated to an arylboronic acid that reacts with H2O2 to form a phenol, MitoP. Quantifying the MitoP/MitoB ratio by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry enabled measurement of a weighted average of mitochondrial H2O2 that predominantly reports on thoracic muscle mitochondria within living flies. There was an increase in mitochondrial H2O2 with age in flies, which was not coordinately altered by interventions that modulated life span. Our findings provide approaches to investigate mitochondrial ROS in vivo and suggest that while an increase in overall mitochondrial H2O2 correlates with aging, it may not be causative. PMID:21356523

Addressable Inverter Matrix Tests Integrated-Circuit Wafer

Science.gov (United States)

Buehler, Martin G.

1988-01-01

Addressing elements indirectly through shift register reduces number of test probes. With aid of new technique, complex test structure on silicon wafer tested with relatively small number of test probes. Conserves silicon area by reduction of area devoted to pads. Allows thorough evaluation of test structure characteristics and of manufacturing process parameters. Test structure consists of shift register and matrix of inverter/transmission-gate cells connected to two-by-ten array of probe pads. Entire pattern contained in square area having only 1.6-millimeter sides. Shift register is conventional static CMOS device using inverters and transmission gates in master/slave D flip-flop configuration.

Gamma-Ray Imaging Probes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wild, Walter James

1988-12-01

External nuclear medicine diagnostic imaging of early primary and metastatic lung cancer tumors is difficult due to the poor sensitivity and resolution of existing gamma cameras. Nonimaging counting detectors used for internal tumor detection give ambiguous results because distant background variations are difficult to discriminate from neighboring tumor sites. This suggests that an internal imaging nuclear medicine probe, particularly an esophageal probe, may be advantageously used to detect small tumors because of the ability to discriminate against background variations and the capability to get close to sites neighboring the esophagus. The design, theory of operation, preliminary bench tests, characterization of noise behavior and optimization of such an imaging probe is the central theme of this work. The central concept lies in the representation of the aperture shell by a sequence of binary digits. This, coupled with the mode of operation which is data encoding within an axial slice of space, leads to the fundamental imaging equation in which the coding operation is conveniently described by a circulant matrix operator. The coding/decoding process is a classic coded-aperture problem, and various estimators to achieve decoding are discussed. Some estimators require a priori information about the object (or object class) being imaged; the only unbiased estimator that does not impose this requirement is the simple inverse-matrix operator. The effects of noise on the estimate (or reconstruction) is discussed for general noise models and various codes/decoding operators. The choice of an optimal aperture for detector count times of clinical relevance is examined using a statistical class-separability formalism.

Spatiotemporal matrix image formation for programmable ultrasound scanners

Science.gov (United States)

Berthon, Beatrice; Morichau-Beauchant, Pierre; Porée, Jonathan; Garofalakis, Anikitos; Tavitian, Bertrand; Tanter, Mickael; Provost, Jean

2018-02-01

As programmable ultrasound scanners become more common in research laboratories, it is increasingly important to develop robust software-based image formation algorithms that can be obtained in a straightforward fashion for different types of probes and sequences with a small risk of error during implementation. In this work, we argue that as the computational power keeps increasing, it is becoming practical to directly implement an approximation to the matrix operator linking reflector point targets to the corresponding radiofrequency signals via thoroughly validated and widely available simulations software. Once such a spatiotemporal forward-problem matrix is constructed, standard and thus highly optimized inversion procedures can be leveraged to achieve very high quality images in real time. Specifically, we show that spatiotemporal matrix image formation produces images of similar or enhanced quality when compared against standard delay-and-sum approaches in phantoms and in vivo, and show that this approach can be used to form images even when using non-conventional probe designs for which adapted image formation algorithms are not readily available.

Comparison of the quantitative analysis performance between pulsed voltage atom probe and pulsed laser atom probe.

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, J; Kawakami, K; Raabe, D

2017-04-01

The difference in quantitative analysis performance between the voltage-mode and laser-mode of a local electrode atom probe (LEAP3000X HR) was investigated using a Fe-Cu binary model alloy. Solute copper atoms in ferritic iron preferentially field evaporate because of their significantly lower evaporation field than the matrix iron, and thus, the apparent concentration of solute copper tends to be lower than the actual concentration. However, in voltage-mode, the apparent concentration was higher than the actual concentration at 40K or less due to a detection loss of matrix iron, and the concentration decreased with increasing specimen temperature due to the preferential evaporation of solute copper. On the other hand, in laser-mode, the apparent concentration never exceeded the actual concentration, even at lower temperatures (20K), and this mode showed better quantitative performance over a wide range of specimen temperatures. These results indicate that the pulsed laser atom probe prevents both detection loss and preferential evaporation under a wide range of measurement conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding aquatic microbial processes using EEM's and in-situ fluorescence sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Bethany; Attridge, John; Rushworth, Cathy; Cox, Tim; Anesio, Alexandre; Reynolds, Darren

2015-04-01

The diverse origin of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in aquatic systems is well documented within the literature. Previous literature indicates that coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is, in part, transformed by aquatic microbial processes, and that dissolved organic material derived from a microbial origin exhibits tryptophan-like fluorescence. However, this phenomenon is not fully understood and very little data is available within the current literature. The overall aim of our work is to reveal the microbial-CDOM interactions that give rise to the observed tryptophan-like fluorescence. The work reported here investigates the microbial processes that occur within freshwater aquatic samples, as defined by the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) test, as a function of the T1 peak (λex/em 280/330-370 nm). A series of standard water samples were prepared using glucose, glutamic acid, BOD dilution water and a bacterial seed (Cole-Parmer BOD microbe capsules). Samples were spiked with CDOM (derived from an environmental water body) and subjected to time resolved BOD analysis and as excitation-emission fluorescence spectroscopy. All EEM spectral data was interrogated using parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) in an attempt to determine the presence and dominance (relative intensities) of the CDOM-related and T1-related fluorophores within the samples. In-situ fluorescence sensors (Chelsea Technologies Group Ltd.) were also used to monitor the T1 fluorescence peak (UviLux Tryptophan) and the CDOM fluorescence peak (UviLux CDOM) during experiments. Tryptophan-like fluorescence was observed (albeit transient) in both spiked and un-spiked standard water samples. By furthering our understanding of aquatic organic matter fluorescence, its origin, transformation, fate and interaction with aquatic microbiological processes, we aim to inform the design of a new generation in-situ fluorescence sensor for the monitoring of aquatic ecosystem health.

Thermal motion of a holographically trapped SPM-like probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simpson, Stephen H; Hanna, Simon

2009-01-01

By holding a complex object in multiple optical traps, it may be harmonically bound with respect to both its position and its orientation. In this way a small probe, or nanotool, can be manipulated in three dimensions and used to measure and apply directed forces, in the manner of a scanning probe microscope. In this paper we evaluate the thermal motion of such a probe held in holographic optical tweezers, by solving the Langevin equation for the general case of a set of spherical vertices linked by cylindrical rods. The concept of a corner frequency, familiar from the case of an optically trapped sphere, is appropriately extended to represent a set of characteristic frequencies given by the eigenvalues of the product of the stiffness matrix and the inverse hydrodynamic resistance matrix of the tool. These eigenvalues may alternatively be interpreted as inverses of a set of characteristic relaxation times for the system. The approach is illustrated by reference to a hypothetical tool consisting of a triangular arrangement of spheres with a lateral probe. The characteristic frequencies and theoretical resolution of the device are derived; variations of these quantities with tool size and orientation and with the optical power distribution, are also considered.

Biodegradation behavior of natural organic matter (NOM) in a biological aerated filter (BAF) as a pretreatment for ultrafiltration (UF) of river water

KAUST Repository

Huang, Guocheng; Meng, Fangang; Zheng, Xing; Wang, Yuan; Wang, Zhigang; Liu, Huijun; Jekel, Martin R.

2011-01-01

In this study, biodegradation of natural organic matter (NOM) in a biological aerated filter (BAF) as pretreatment of UF treating river water was investigated. Photometric measurement, three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence

The multi-resolution capability of Tchebichef moments and its applications to the analysis of fluorescence excitation-emission spectra

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bao Qiong; Wang, Xue; Li Xu, Min; Zhai, Hong Lin; Chen, Jing; Liu, Jin Jin

2018-01-01

Fluorescence spectroscopy with an excitation-emission matrix (EEM) is a fast and inexpensive technique and has been applied to the detection of a very wide range of analytes. However, serious scattering and overlapping signals hinder the applications of EEM spectra. In this contribution, the multi-resolution capability of Tchebichef moments was investigated in depth and applied to the analysis of two EEM data sets (data set 1 consisted of valine-tyrosine-valine, tryptophan-glycine and phenylalanine, and data set 2 included vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and vitamin B6) for the first time. By means of the Tchebichef moments with different orders, the different information in the EEM spectra can be represented. It is owing to this multi-resolution capability that the overlapping problem was solved, and the information of chemicals and scatterings were separated. The obtained results demonstrated that the Tchebichef moment method is very effective, which provides a promising tool for the analysis of EEM spectra. It is expected that the applications of Tchebichef moment method could be developed and extended in complex systems such as biological fluids, food, environment and others to deal with the practical problems (overlapped peaks, unknown interferences, baseline drifts, and so on) with other spectra.

Encapsulation method for atom probe tomography analysis of nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larson, D.J.; Giddings, A.D.; Wu, Y.; Verheijen, M.A.; Prosa, T.J.; Roozeboom, F.; Rice, K.P.; Kessels, W.M.M.; Geiser, B.P.; Kelly, T.F.

2015-01-01

Open-space nanomaterials are a widespread class of technologically important materials that are generally incompatible with analysis by atom probe tomography (APT) due to issues with specimen preparation, field evaporation and data reconstruction. The feasibility of encapsulating such non-compact matter in a matrix to enable APT measurements is investigated using nanoparticles as an example. Simulations of field evaporation of a void, and the resulting artifacts in ion trajectory, underpin the requirement that no voids remain after encapsulation. The approach is demonstrated by encapsulating Pt nanoparticles in an ZnO:Al matrix created by atomic layer deposition, a growth technique which offers very high surface coverage and conformality. APT measurements of the Pt nanoparticles are correlated with transmission electron microscopy images and numerical simulations in order to evaluate the accuracy of the APT reconstruction. - Highlights: • Pt nanoparticles were analyzed using atom probe tomography and TEM. • The particles were prepared by encapsulation using atomic layer deposition. • Simulation of field evaporation near a void results in aberrations in ion trajectories. • Apparent differences between TEM and APT analyses are reconciled through simulation of field evaporation from a low-field matrix containing high-field NPs; ion trajectory aberrations are shown to lead to an apparent mixing of the matrix into the NPs.

Comparison of the quantitative analysis performance between pulsed voltage atom probe and pulsed laser atom probe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takahashi, J., E-mail: takahashi.3ct.jun@jp.nssmc.com [Advanced Technology Research Laboratories, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation, 20-1 Shintomi, Futtsu-city, Chiba 293-8511 (Japan); Kawakami, K. [Advanced Technology Research Laboratories, Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation, 20-1 Shintomi, Futtsu-city, Chiba 293-8511 (Japan); Raabe, D. [Max-Planck Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Department for Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 40237 Düsseldorf (Germany)

2017-04-15

Highlights: • Quantitative analysis in Fe-Cu alloy was investigated in voltage and laser atom probe. • In voltage-mode, apparent Cu concentration exceeded actual concentration at 20–40 K. • In laser-mode, the concentration never exceeded the actual concentration even at 20 K. • Detection loss was prevented due to the rise in tip surface temperature in laser-mode. • Preferential evaporation of solute Cu was reduced in laser-mode. - Abstract: The difference in quantitative analysis performance between the voltage-mode and laser-mode of a local electrode atom probe (LEAP3000X HR) was investigated using a Fe-Cu binary model alloy. Solute copper atoms in ferritic iron preferentially field evaporate because of their significantly lower evaporation field than the matrix iron, and thus, the apparent concentration of solute copper tends to be lower than the actual concentration. However, in voltage-mode, the apparent concentration was higher than the actual concentration at 40 K or less due to a detection loss of matrix iron, and the concentration decreased with increasing specimen temperature due to the preferential evaporation of solute copper. On the other hand, in laser-mode, the apparent concentration never exceeded the actual concentration, even at lower temperatures (20 K), and this mode showed better quantitative performance over a wide range of specimen temperatures. These results indicate that the pulsed laser atom probe prevents both detection loss and preferential evaporation under a wide range of measurement conditions.

Drivers of fluorescent dissolved organic matter in the global epipelagic ocean

KAUST Repository

Catalá , T. S.; Á lvarez-Salgado, X. A.; Otero, J.; Iuculano, F.; Companys, B.; Horstkotte, B.; Romera-Castillo, C.; Nieto-Cid, M.; Latasa, M.; Moran, Xose Anxelu G.; Gasol, J. M.; Marrasé , C.; Stedmon, C. A.; Reche, I.

2016-01-01

Fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) in open surface waters (< 200 m) of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans was analysed by excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). A four-component PARAFAC

Evidence for Enhanced Matrix Diffusion in Geological Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Kiminori; Fujimoto, Koichiro; Nakata, Masataka; Shikazono, Naotatsu

2013-01-01

Molecular diffusion in rock matrix, called as matrix diffusion, has been appreciated as a static process for elemental migration in geological environment that has been acknowledged in the context of geological disposal of radioactive waste. However, incomprehensible enhancement of matrix diffusion has been reported at a number of field test sites. Here, the matrix diffusion of saline water at Horonobe, Hokkaido, Japan is highlighted directly probing angstrom-scale pores on a field scale up to 1 km by positron--positronium annihilation spectroscopy. The first application of positron--positronium annihilation spectroscopy to field-scale geophysical research reveals the slight variation of angstrom-scale pores influenced by saline water diffusion with complete accuracy. We found widely interconnected 3 Å pores, which offer the pathway of saline water diffusion with the highly enhanced effective matrix diffusion coefficient of 4× 10-6 cm2 s-1. The present findings provide unambiguous evidence that the angstrom-scale pores enhance effective matrix diffusion on a field scale in geological environment.

Versatile robotic probe calibration for position tracking in ultrasound imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bø, Lars Eirik; Hofstad, Erlend Fagertun; Lindseth, Frank; Hernes, Toril A N

2015-01-01

Within the field of ultrasound-guided procedures, there are a number of methods for ultrasound probe calibration. While these methods are usually developed for a specific probe, they are in principle easily adapted to other probes. In practice, however, the adaptation often proves tedious and this is impractical in a research setting, where new probes are tested regularly. Therefore, we developed a method which can be applied to a large variety of probes without adaptation. The method used a robot arm to move a plastic sphere submerged in water through the ultrasound image plane, providing a slow and precise movement. The sphere was then segmented from the recorded ultrasound images using a MATLAB programme and the calibration matrix was computed based on this segmentation in combination with tracking information. The method was tested on three very different probes demonstrating both great versatility and high accuracy. (paper)

Versatile robotic probe calibration for position tracking in ultrasound imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Eirik Bø, Lars; Fagertun Hofstad, Erlend; Lindseth, Frank; Hernes, Toril A. N.

2015-05-01

Within the field of ultrasound-guided procedures, there are a number of methods for ultrasound probe calibration. While these methods are usually developed for a specific probe, they are in principle easily adapted to other probes. In practice, however, the adaptation often proves tedious and this is impractical in a research setting, where new probes are tested regularly. Therefore, we developed a method which can be applied to a large variety of probes without adaptation. The method used a robot arm to move a plastic sphere submerged in water through the ultrasound image plane, providing a slow and precise movement. The sphere was then segmented from the recorded ultrasound images using a MATLAB programme and the calibration matrix was computed based on this segmentation in combination with tracking information. The method was tested on three very different probes demonstrating both great versatility and high accuracy.

Deposition of molecular probes in heavy ion tracks

CERN Document Server

Esser, M

1999-01-01

By using polarized fluorescence techniques the physical properties of heavy ion tracks such as the dielectric number, molecular alignment and track radius can be traced by molecular fluorescence probes. Foils of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) were used as a matrix for the ion tracks wherein fluorescence probes such as aminostyryl-derivatives can be incorporated using a suitable solvent, e.g. N,N'-dimethylformamide (DMF) as transport medium. The high sensitivity of fluorescence methods allowed the comparison of the probe properties in ion tracks with the virgin material. From the fluorescence Stokes shift the dielectric constants could be calculated, describing the dielectric surroundings of the molecular probes. The lower dielectric constant in the tracks gives clear evidence that there is no higher accommodation of the highly polar solvent DMF in the tracks compared with the virgin material. Otherwise the dielectric constant in the tracks should be higher than in the virgin material. The orientation of t...

Gradient-based stochastic estimation of the density matrix

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhentao; Chern, Gia-Wei; Batista, Cristian D.; Barros, Kipton

2018-03-01

Fast estimation of the single-particle density matrix is key to many applications in quantum chemistry and condensed matter physics. The best numerical methods leverage the fact that the density matrix elements f(H)ij decay rapidly with distance rij between orbitals. This decay is usually exponential. However, for the special case of metals at zero temperature, algebraic decay of the density matrix appears and poses a significant numerical challenge. We introduce a gradient-based probing method to estimate all local density matrix elements at a computational cost that scales linearly with system size. For zero-temperature metals, the stochastic error scales like S-(d+2)/2d, where d is the dimension and S is a prefactor to the computational cost. The convergence becomes exponential if the system is at finite temperature or is insulating.

Rapid tryptic mapping using enzymatically active mass spectrometer probe tips

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dogruel, D.; Williams, P.; Nelson, R.W. [Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States)

1995-12-01

A method has been developed for rapid, sensitive, and accurate tryptic mapping of polypeptides using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass analysis. The technique utilizes mass spectrometer probe tips which have been activated through the covalent immobilization of trypsin. The enzymatically active probe tips were used for the tryptic mapping of chicken egg lysozyme and the results compared with those obtained using either free trypsin or agarose-immobilized trypsin. A significant increase in the overall sensitivity of the process was observed using the active probe tips, as well as the production of more characteristic proteolytic fragments and the elimination of background signals due to the autolysis of the trypsin. Further, probe tip digestions were found to be rapid and convenient. 19 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.

Application of Piezocomposite Twin, Side by Side, Phased Array UT Probes for the Inspection of Stainless Steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delaide, M.; Dumas, Ph

2005-01-01

UT probes to be used for the examination of coarse-grain structure must allow to detect and size cracks, with a high reliability level. The combination of TRL probes, with phased array and piezocomposite technologies allows to improve probes performances and inspection speed. Single element crystals are replaced by matrix arrays, allowing to deflect and skew the beams, to change the inspection depth. This paper describes the designing, the manufacturing and the characterisation of several probes

NEW METHODS FOR IMPLANT MATRIX FORMATION BASED ON ELECTROSPINNING AND BIOPRINTING TECHNOLOGIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. N. Vasilets

2009-01-01

Full Text Available New implant materials for regenerative and replacement surgery based on biodegradable polymers like collagens and polyoxybutirates are developed. Porous structures with controllable morphology were formed from biodegradable polymers using electrospinning and bioprinting technologies. The matrixes were studied by visible and electron scanning microscopy as well as INTEGRA Tomo scanning probe platform making possible the restoration of inner 3D structure of polymer matrix. 

Development of Neutron Probes for Characterization of Hazardous Materials in the Sub-surface Medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keegan, R.P.; McGrath, C.A.; Lopez, J.C.

2002-01-01

Neutron probes are being developed at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) for the detection, identification and quantification of hazardous materials in the ground. Such materials include plutonium, uranium, americium, chlorine and fluorine. Both a Neutron Gamma (NG) probe and a Prompt Fission Neutron (PFN) probe are being developed. The NG probe is used primarily for nuclide identification and quantification measurements. The PFN is used mostly for the detection and measurement of fissile material, but also for the determination of thermal neutron macroscopic absorption cross sections of the various elements comprising the ground matrix. Calibration of these probes will be carried out at the INEEL using an indoor facility that has been designed for this activity

FY16 Status of Immersion Phased Array Ultrasonic Probe Development and Performance Demonstration Results for Under Sodium Viewing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz, Aaron A.; Chamberlin, Clyde E.; Edwards, Matthew K.; Hagge, Tobias J.; Hughes, Michael S.; Larche, Michael R.; Mathews, Royce A.; Neill, Kevin J.; Prowant, Matthew S.

2016-01-01

This section of the Joint summary technical letter report (TLR) describes work conducted at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) during FY 2016 (FY16) on the under-sodium viewing (USV) PNNL project 58745, work package AT-16PN230102. This section of the TLR satisfies PNNL's M3AT-16PN2301025 milestone and is focused on summarizing the design, development, and evaluation of two different phased-array ultrasonic testing (PA-UT) probe designs - a two-dimensional (2D) matrix phased-array probe, and two one-dimensional (1D) linear array probes, referred to as serial number 4 (SN4) engineering test units (ETUs). The 2D probe is a pulse-echo (PE), 32x2, 64-element matrix phased-array ETU. The 1D probes are 32x1 element linear array ETUs. This TLR also provides the results from a performance demonstration (PD) of in-sodium target detection trials at 260°C using both probe designs. This effort continues the iterative evolution supporting the longer term goal of producing and demonstrating a pre-manufacturing prototype ultrasonic probe that possesses the fundamental performance characteristics necessary to enable the development of a high-temperature sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) inspection system for in-sodium detection and imaging.

FY16 Status of Immersion Phased Array Ultrasonic Probe Development and Performance Demonstration Results for Under Sodium Viewing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diaz, Aaron A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Chamberlin, Clyde E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Edwards, Matthew K. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hagge, Tobias J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hughes, Michael S. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Larche, Michael R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Mathews, Royce A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Neill, Kevin J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Prowant, Matthew S. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2016-08-31

This section of the Joint summary technical letter report (TLR) describes work conducted at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) during FY 2016 (FY16) on the under-sodium viewing (USV) PNNL project 58745, work package AT-16PN230102. This section of the TLR satisfies PNNL’s M3AT-16PN2301025 milestone and is focused on summarizing the design, development, and evaluation of two different phased-array ultrasonic testing (PA-UT) probe designs—a two-dimensional (2D) matrix phased-array probe, and two one-dimensional (1D) linear array probes, referred to as serial number 4 (SN4) engineering test units (ETUs). The 2D probe is a pulse-echo (PE), 32×2, 64-element matrix phased-array ETU. The 1D probes are 32×1 element linear array ETUs. This TLR also provides the results from a performance demonstration (PD) of in-sodium target detection trials at 260°C using both probe designs. This effort continues the iterative evolution supporting the longer term goal of producing and demonstrating a pre-manufacturing prototype ultrasonic probe that possesses the fundamental performance characteristics necessary to enable the development of a high-temperature sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) inspection system for in-sodium detection and imaging.

ANALYSIS OF THE ELECTROPHYSICAL AND PHOTOELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF NANOCOMPOSITE POLYMERS BY THE MODIFIED KELVIN PROBE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. U. Pantsialeyeu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available At present for analysis of the homogeneity of materials properties are becoming widely used various modifications of a scanning Kelvin probe. These methods allow mapping the spatial distribution of the electrostatic potential. Analysis of the electropotential profile is not sufficient to describe any specific physical parameters of the polymer nanocomposites. Therefore, we use an external energy impact, such as light. Purpose of paper is the modification of the Kelvin scanning probe and the conduct of experimental studies of the spatial distribution and response of the electrostatic potential of the actual polymer nanocomposites to the optical probing.Carried out the investigations on experimental Low density polyethylene composites. Carbon nanomaterials and nanoparticles of silicon dioxide or aluminum as fillers are used. As a result, maps of the spatial distribution of the electrostatic potential relative values and the surface photovoltage. Statistical analysis of the electrophysical and photoelectric properties homogeneity, depending on the component composition of the composites carried out. In addition, with reference to matrix polymers, the Kelvin scanning probe, in combination with the optical probing, made it possible to detect a piezoelectric effect. The latter, can used as a basis for the development of new methods for studying the mechanical properties of matrix polymers.

Detection of Pathogenic Biofilms with Bacterial Amyloid Targeting Fluorescent Probe, CDy11

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kim, Jun Young; Sahu, Srikanta; Yau, Yin Hoe

2016-01-01

Bacterial biofilms are responsible for a wide range of persistent infections. In the clinic, diagnosis of biofilm-associated infections relies heavily on culturing methods, which fail to detect nonculturable bacteria. Identification of novel fluorescent probes for biofilm imaging will greatly...... facilitate diagnosis of pathogenic bacterial infection. Herein, we report a novel fluorescent probe, CDy11 (compound of designation yellow 11), which targets amyloid in the Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm matrix through a diversity oriented fluorescent library approach (DOFLA). CDy11 was further demonstrated...

Matrix remodeling between cells and cellular interactions with collagen bundle

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jihan; Sun, Bo

When cells are surrounded by complex environment, they continuously probe and interact with it by applying cellular traction forces. As cells apply traction forces, they can sense rigidity of their local environment and remodel the matrix microstructure simultaneously. Previous study shows that single human carcinoma cell (MDA-MB-231) remodeled its surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) and the matrix remodeling was reversible. In this study we examined the matrix microstructure between cells and cellular interaction between them using quantitative confocal microscopy. The result shows that the matrix microstructure is the most significantly remodeled between cells consisting of aligned, and densified collagen fibers (collagen bundle)., the result shows that collagen bundle is irreversible and significantly change micromechanics of ECM around the bundle. We further examined cellular interaction with collagen bundle by analyzing dynamics of actin and talin formation along with the direction of bundle. Lastly, we analyzed dynamics of cellular protrusion and migrating direction of cells along the bundle.

NewIn-situ synthesis method of magnesium matrix composites reinforced with TiC particulates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Xiuqing

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Magnesium matrix composites reinforced with TiC particulates was prepared using a new in-situ synthesis method of remelting and dilution technique. And measurements were performed on the composites. The results of x ray diffraction (XRD analysis confirmed that TiC particulates were synthesized during the sintering process, and they retained in magnesium matrix composites after the remelting and dilution processing. From the microstructure characterization and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA, we could see that fine TiC particulates distributed uniformly in the matrix material.

Three-way flexible cantilever probes for static contact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Fei; Petersen, Dirch H; Hansen, Christian; Mortensen, Dennis; Friis, Lars; Hansen, Ole; Jensen, Helle V

2011-01-01

In micro four-point probe measurements, three-way flexible L-shaped cantilever probes show significant advantages over conventional straight cantilever probes. The L-shaped cantilever allows static contact to the sample surface which reduces the frictional wear of the cantilever tips. We analyze the geometrical design space that must be fulfilled for the cantilevers to obtain static contact with the test sample. The design space relates the spring constant tensor of the cantilevers to the minimal value of the static tip-to-sample friction coefficient. Using an approximate model, we provide the analytical calculation of the compliance matrix of the L-shaped cantilever. Compared to results derived from finite element model simulations, the theoretical model provides a good qualitative analysis while deviations for the absolute values are seen. From a statistical analysis, the deviation is small for cantilevers with low effective spring constants, while the deviation is significant for large spring constants where the quasi one-dimensional approximation is no longer valid

Induced convection cylindrical probe conductivity measurements on permeable media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fodemesi, S.P.; Beck, A.E.

1983-01-01

This chapter presents results from a program of investigation using the transient needle probe thermal conductivity technique on fluid saturated permeable media with a glass bead matrix. Uses eight additional radially located sensors in order to correlate the convection effects on the temperature sensor in the heater probe with convection behavior in the medium; all were scanned frequently with a data acquisition system, from the start of the experiment through a few hours of experimental time. Points out that with typical conditions encountered in oceanic heat flow work, induced convection may commence as early as 60 s from the start of the experiment. Finds that the convection effects are worse when the needle probe is oriented horizontally than when it is oriented vertically (gradients orthogonal to the gravitational field), and a correlation is made between permeability and the time of onset and the extent of convective effects. Indicates errors in conductivity as large as 40%. Suggests empirical techniques for detecting and correcting for thermal convection using probe sensor data alone

Imaging Matrix Metalloproteases in Spontaneous Colon Tumors: Validation by Correlation with Histopathology.

Science.gov (United States)

Hensley, Harvey; Cooper, Harry S; Chang, Wen-Chi L; Clapper, Margie L

2017-01-01

The use of fluorescent probes in conjunction with white-light colonoscopy is a promising strategy for improving the detection of precancerous colorectal lesions, in particular flat (sessile) lesions that do not protrude into the lumen of the colon. We describe a method for determining the sensitivity and specificity of an enzymatically activated near-infrared probe (MMPSense680) for the detection of colon lesions in a mouse model (APC +/Min-FCCC ) of spontaneous colorectal cancer. Fluorescence intensity correlates directly with the activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Overexpression of MMPs is an early event in the development of colorectal lesions. Although the probe employed serves as a reporter of the activity of MMPs, our method can be applied to any fluorescent probe that targets an early molecular event in the development of colorectal tumors.

Low-Power Receive-Electronics for a Miniature 3D Ultrasound Probe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yu, Z.

2012-01-01

This thesis describes the design of a front-end application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which will be put into the tip of a miniature ultrasound probe for 3D Trans-Esophageal Echocardiography (TEE). To enable 3D TEE, a matrix piezoelectric ultrasound transducer with more than 2000 elements

Magnetic nanostructures: radioactive probes and recent developments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prandolini, M J

2006-01-01

The miniaturization of magnetic sensors and storage devices down to the nano-scale leads to drastic changes in magnetic phenomena compared with the same devices with a larger size. Excited-nuclear-probe (radioactive probe) techniques are ideal for investigating these new magnetic nanostructures. By observing the magnetic hyperfine fields (and in some cases the electric-field-gradients (EFGs)) at the nuclei of radioactive probes, microscopic information about the magnetic environment of the probes is acquired. The magnetic hyperfine field is particularly sensitive to the s-spin polarization of the conduction electrons and to the orbital magnetic moment of the probe atom. Three methods of inserting radioactive probes into magnetic nanostructures are presented; neutron activation, recoil implantation and 'soft-landing', followed by descriptions of their application to selected examples. In some cases, these methods offer the simultaneous creation and observation of new magnetic materials at the atomic scale. This review focuses firstly on the induced magnetism in noble-metal spacer layers between either ferromagnetic (FM) or FM/antiferromagnetic (AFM) layers in a trilayer structure. Using the method of low-temperature nuclear orientation, the s-spin polarization of noble-metal probes was measured and was found to be very sensitive to the magnetic properties at both the FM and AFM interfaces. Secondly, the recoil implantation of radioactive Fe probes into rare-earth hosts and d-band alloys and subsequent measurement using time-differential perturbed angular distribution offer the possibility of controlling the chemical composition and number of nearest-neighbours. This method was used to prepare local 3d-magnetic clusters in a non-magnetic matrix and to observe their magnetic behaviour. Finally, non-magnetic radioactive probes were 'soft-landed' onto Ni surfaces and extremely lattice-expanded ultrathin Ni films. By measuring the magnetic hyperfine fields and EFGs at

Probing stem cell differentiation using atomic force microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, Xiaobin; Shi, Xuetao; Ostrovidov, Serge; Wu, Hongkai; Nakajima, Ken

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was developed to probe stem cell differentiation. • The mechanical properties of stem cells and their ECMs can be used to clearly distinguish specific stem cell-differentiated lineages. • AFM is a facile and useful tool for monitoring stem cell differentiation in a non-invasive manner. - Abstract: A real-time method using atomic force microscopy (AFM) was developed to probe stem cell differentiation by measuring the mechanical properties of cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). The mechanical properties of stem cells and their ECMs can be used to clearly distinguish specific stem cell-differentiated lineages. It is clear that AFM is a facile and useful tool for monitoring the differentiation of stem cells in a non-invasive manner.

Probing stem cell differentiation using atomic force microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liang, Xiaobin [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama 2-12-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550 (Japan); Shi, Xuetao, E-mail: mrshixuetao@gmail.com [School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641 (China); Ostrovidov, Serge [WPI-Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan); Wu, Hongkai, E-mail: chhkwu@ust.hk [Department of Chemistry & Division of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong (China); Nakajima, Ken [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama 2-12-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550 (Japan)

2016-03-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was developed to probe stem cell differentiation. • The mechanical properties of stem cells and their ECMs can be used to clearly distinguish specific stem cell-differentiated lineages. • AFM is a facile and useful tool for monitoring stem cell differentiation in a non-invasive manner. - Abstract: A real-time method using atomic force microscopy (AFM) was developed to probe stem cell differentiation by measuring the mechanical properties of cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). The mechanical properties of stem cells and their ECMs can be used to clearly distinguish specific stem cell-differentiated lineages. It is clear that AFM is a facile and useful tool for monitoring the differentiation of stem cells in a non-invasive manner.

Comparison of the FFT/matrix inversion and system matrix techniques for higher-order probe correction in spherical near-field antenna measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pivnenko, Sergey; Nielsen, Jeppe Majlund; Breinbjerg, Olav

2011-01-01

correction of general high-order probes, including non-symmetric dual-polarized antennas with independent ports. The investigation was carried out by processing with each technique the same measurement data for a challenging case with an antenna under test significantly offset from the center of rotation...

Innovative Magnetic-Field Array Probe for TRUST Integrated Circuits

Science.gov (United States)

2017-03-01

Despite all actions and concerns, this problem continues to escalate due to offshore fabrication of the integrated circuits ICs [1]. In order to...diagnosis and fault isolation in ICs, as well as the characterization of the functionality of ICs including malicious circuitry. Integrated circuits ...Innovative Magnetic-Field Array Probe for TRUST Integrated Circuits   contains the RF-switch matrix and broad-band (BB) low noise amplifiers (LNAs

Mass spectrometry imaging of illicit drugs in latent fingerprints by matrix-free and matrix-assisted desorption/ionization techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Skriba, Anton; Havlicek, Vladimir

2018-02-01

Compared with classical matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI), the matrix free-based strategies generate a cleaner background, without significant noise or interference coming from an applied matrix, which is beneficial for the analysis of small molecules, such as drugs of abuse. In this work, we probed the detection efficiency of methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine in nanostructure-assisted laser desorption-ionization (NALDI) and desorption electrospray ionization and compared the sensitivity of these two matrix-free tools with a standard MALDI mass spectrometry experiment. In a typical mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) setup, papillary line latent fingerprints were recorded as a mixture a common skin fatty acid or interfering cosmetics with a drug. In a separate experiment, all drugs (1 µL of 1 μM standard solution) were detected by all three ionization techniques on a target. In the case of cocaine and heroin, NALDI mass spectrometry was the most sensitive and revealed signals even from 0.1 μM solution. The drug/drug contaminant (fatty acid or cosmetics) MSI approach could be used by law enforcement personnel to confirm drug abusers of having come into contact with the suspected drug by use of fingerprint scans at time of apprehension which can aid in reducing the work of lab officials.

The application of micro-coil NMR probe technology to metabolomics of urine and serum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grimes, John H.; O’Connell, Thomas M.

2011-01-01

Increasing the sensitivity and throughput of NMR-based metabolomics is critical for the continued growth of this field. In this paper the application of micro-coil NMR probe technology was evaluated for this purpose. The most commonly used biofluids in metabolomics are urine and serum. In this study we examine different sample limited conditions and compare the detection sensitivity of the micro-coil with a standard 5 mm NMR probe. Sample concentration is evaluated as a means to leverage the greatly improved mass sensitivity of the micro-coil probes. With very small sample volumes, the sensitivity of the micro-coil probe does indeed provide a significant advantage over the standard probe. Concentrating the samples does improve the signal detection, but the benefits do not follow the expected linear increase and are both matrix and metabolite specific. Absolute quantitation will be affected by concentration, but an analysis of relative concentrations is still possible. The choice of the micro-coil probe over a standard tube based probe will depend upon a number of factors including number of samples and initial volume but this study demonstrates the feasibility of high-throughput metabolomics with the micro-probe platform.

Beyond the Protein Matrix : Probing Cofactor Variants in a Baeyer-Villiger Oxygenation Reaction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Martinoli, Christian; Dudek, Hanna M.; Orru, Roberto; Edmondson, Dale E.; Fraaije, Marco W.; Mattevi, Andrea

2013-01-01

A general question in biochemistry is the interplay between the chemical properties of cofactors and the surrounding protein matrix. Here, the functions of NADP(+) and FAD are explored by investigation of a representative monooxygenase reconstituted with chemically modified cofactor analogues. Like

Probing near extremal black holes with D-branes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maldacena, J.

1998-01-01

We calculate the one loop effective action for D-brane probes moving in the presence of near Bogomol close-quote nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield D-branes. The v 2 term agrees with supergravity in all cases and the static force agrees for a five-dimensional black hole with two large charges. It also agrees qualitatively in all the other cases. We make some comments on the M(atrix) theory interpretation of these results. copyright 1998 The American Physical Society

Wavelength dependent SHG imaging and scattering probes of extracellular matrix (ECM) alterations in ovarian cancer (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Campagnola, Paul J.; Tilbury, Karissa B.; Campbell, Kirby R.; Eliceiri, Kevin W.; Patankar, Manish

2017-02-01

Ovarian cancer remains the most deadly gynecological cancer with a poor aggregate survival rate. To improve upon this situation, we utilized collagen-specific Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) imaging microscopy and optical scattering measurements to probe structural differences in the extracellular matrix of normal stroma, benign tumors, endometrioid tumors, and low and high-grade serous (LGS and HGS) tumors. The SHG signatures of the emission directionality and conversion efficiency as well as the optical scattering are related to the organization of collagen on the sub-micron size. The wavelength dependence of these readouts adds additional characterization of the size and distribution of collagen fibrils/fibers relative to the interrogating wavelengths. We found strong wavelength dependent dependencies of these metrics that were different between the different tumors that are related to respective structural attributes in the collagen organization. These sub-resolution determinations are consistent with the dualistic classification of type I and II serous tumors. However, type I endometrioid tumors have strongly differing ECM architecture than the serous malignancies. Moreover, our analyses are further consistent with LGS and benign tumors having similar etiology. We identified optimal wavelengths for the SHG metrics as well as optical scattering measurements. The SHG metrics and optical scattering measurements were then used to form a linear discriminant model to classify the tissues, and we obtained high accuracy ( 90%) between the tissue types. This delineation is superior to current clinical performance and has potential applicability in supplementing histological analysis, understanding the etiology, as well as development of an in vivo screening tool.

Thermometric determination of cartilage matrix temperatures during thermal chondroplasty: comparison of bipolar and monopolar radiofrequency devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Ryland B; Lu, Yan; Rodriguez, Edwin; Markel, Mark D

2002-04-01

To compare cartilage matrix temperatures between monopolar radiofrequency energy (mRFE) and bipolar RFE (bRFE) at 3 depths under the articular surface during thermal chondroplasty. We hypothesized that cartilage temperatures would be higher at all cartilage depths for the bRFE device than for the mRFE device. Randomized trial using bovine cartilage. Sixty osteochondral sections from the femoropatellar joint of 15 adult cattle were used for this study. Using a custom jig, fluoroptic thermometry probes were placed at one of the following depths under the articular surface: 200 microm, 500 microm, or 2,000 microm. RF treatment was performed either with fluid flow (F) (120 mL/min) or without fluid flow (NF) (n = 5/depth/RFE device/flow; total specimens, 60). Irrigation fluid temperature was room temperature (22 degrees C). Thermometry data were acquired at 4 Hz for 5 seconds with the RF probe off, for 20 seconds with the RF probe on, and then for 15 seconds with the RF probe off. During RF treatment, a 0.79-cm2 area (1.0-cm diameter) of the articular surface centered over the thermometry probe was treated in a paintbrush manner in noncontact (bRFE) or light contact (mRFE). Thermal chondroplasty with bRFE resulted in higher cartilage matrix temperatures compared with mRFE for all depths and regardless of fluid flow. Bipolar RFE resulted in temperatures of 95 degrees C to 100 degrees C at 200 microm and 500 microm under the surface, with temperatures of 75 degrees C to 78 degrees C at 2,000 microm. Fluid flow during bRFE application had no effect at 200 microm. Monopolar RFE resulted in temperatures of 61 degrees C to 68 degrees C at 200 microm, 54 degrees C to 70 degrees C at 500 microm under the surface, and 28 degrees C to 30 degrees C at 2,000 microm below the surface. A significant effect of fluid flow during mRFE application occurred at 200 microm (NF, 61 degrees C; F, 63 degrees C) and 500 microm (NF, 53 degrees C; F, 68 degrees C). In this study, we found

Nanoprecipitates in single-crystal molybdenum-alloy nanopillars detected by TEM and atom probe tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oveisi, Emad; Bártová, Barbora; Gerstl, Stephan; Zimmermann, Julien; Marichal, Cécile; Van Swygenhoven, Helena; Hébert, Cécile

2013-01-01

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) supported by various chemical analyses techniques as well as atom probe tomography is applied to characterize newly identified nanosized precipitates in Mo-alloy nanopillars that were prepared by directional solidification. It is shown that the α-Mo matrix contains Al-enriched face-centred cubic precipitates which have a 4.12 Å lattice parameter, and exhibit a Kurdjumov–Sachs crystallographic orientation relationship with the matrix. Such precipitates could be responsible for the unusual behaviour of the pillars during compression tests

A portable cadmium telluride multidetector probe for cardiac function monitoring

CERN Document Server

Arntz, Y; Dumitresco, B; Eclancher, B; Prat, V

1999-01-01

A new nuclear stethoscope based on a matrix of small CdTe semiconductor detectors has been developed for studying the cardiac performance by gamma ventriculography at the equilibrium, in rest and stress conditions, in the early and recovery phases of the coronary disease and to follow the long-term therapy. The light-weight probe consists of an array of 64 detectors 5x5x2 mm grouped in 16 independent units in a lead shielded aluminum box including 16 preamplifiers. The probe is connected to an electronic box containing DC power supply, 16 channel amplifiers, discriminators and counters, two analog-triggering ECG channels, and interface to a PC. The left ventricle activity is, preferentially, detected by using a low-resolution matching convergent collimator. A physical evaluation of the probe has been performed, both with static tests and dynamically with a hydraulic home-built model of beating heart ventricle paced by a rhythm simulator. The sum of the 16 detectors activity provided a radiocardiogram (RCG) wh...

Visualizing phase transition behavior of dilute stimuli responsive polymer solutions via Mueller matrix polarimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Narayanan, Amal; Chandel, Shubham; Ghosh, Nirmalya; De, Priyadarsi

2015-09-15

Probing volume phase transition behavior of superdiluted polymer solutions both micro- and macroscopically still persists as an outstanding challenge. In this regard, we have explored 4 × 4 spectral Mueller matrix measurement and its inverse analysis for excavating the microarchitectural facts about stimuli responsiveness of "smart" polymers. Phase separation behavior of thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and pH responsive poly(N,N-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) and their copolymers were analyzed in terms of Mueller matrix derived polarization parameters, namely, depolarization (Δ), diattenuation (d), and linear retardance (δ). The Δ, d, and δ parameters provided useful information on both macro- and microstructural alterations during the phase separation. Additionally, the two step action ((i) breakage of polymer-water hydrogen bonding and (ii) polymer-polymer aggregation) at the molecular microenvironment during the cloud point generation was successfully probed via these parameters. It is demonstrated that, in comparison to the present techniques available for assessing the hydrophobic-hydrophilic switch over of simple stimuli-responsive polymers, Mueller matrix polarimetry offers an important advantage requiring a few hundred times dilute polymer solution (0.01 mg/mL, 1.1-1.4 μM) at a low-volume format.

Effect of organic compounds for the advection of actinide elements in the environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muraoka, Susumu; Nagao, Seiya; Tanaka, Tadao [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment; Hiraki, Keizo; Nakaguchi, Yuzuru; Suzuki, Yasuhiro

1998-01-01

The aim of this studies is understood the effects of humic substances for the advection of actinide elements in the environments. These substances are a major role of dissolved organic matter in natural waters. In order to obtain the informations on the structure of metal-humic substances complexes, these substances were studied by fluorescence spectroscopy. Observation the spectrum forms, peak positions of maximum intensity are related to these informations on the chemical structures and functional groups in organic compounds. Using three-dimensional excitation emission matrix (3-D EEM) spectroscopy, the characteristics of metal-humic substances complexes were studied. Observation the wavelengths and fluorescence intensity of the peaks were varied between humic substances before the complex to the metal and these substances after ones. Understanding the fluorescence properties of metal-humic substances complexes, working program of the 3-D EEM spectroscopy was studied to obtaining detailed data collection. New program was applied to copper-humic acid complex, the peak positions which different with before the complex and after ones were recorded. This program is supported by the interpreation of fluorescence properties in the metal-humic substances by the 3-D EEM spectroscopy. (author)

Fluorescence characteristics of chromophoric dissolved organic matter in shallow water along the Zhejiang coasts, southeast China.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Lei; Fan, Daidu; Li, Daoji; Cai, Jingong

2010-04-01

Twenty-eight surface water samples from rivers, muddy intertidal flats, sand shores, and bedrock coasts were collected along the Zhejiang coastline in southeast China. In addition, three samples from the Changjiang (Yangtze River) were collected for comparison. CDOM (chromophoric dissolved organic matter) absorption and fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy, as well as nutrients and DOC were measured in these samples. According to salinity, nutrient, and DOC constituents, the 28 Zhejiang samples were categorized into four groups, i.e. highly-polluted, river derived, muddy-flat derived, and saltwater dominated ones. Among the six parameters (two humic-like and two protein-like peak intensities in fluorescence EEM contours, absorption at 300 nm, and DOC concentration) for the Zhejiang samples, any two of them were positively correlated. The submarine groundwater discharge, rather than local rivers, might have provided most of the freshwater that interacted with the saltwater during the mixing process. The high protein-like EEM peaks in samples from muddy salt marshes and rivers were probably caused by terrestrial inputs, land-based pollution, and local biological activities in combination. Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Photo- and bio-reactivity patterns of dissolved organic matter from biomass and soil leachates and surface waters in a subtropical wetland.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Meilian; Jaffé, Rudolf

2014-09-15

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) measurements and optical properties were applied to assess the photo- and bio-reactivity of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from different sources, including biomass leaching, soil leaching and surface waters in a subtropical wetland ecosystem. Samples were exposed to light and/or dark incubated through controlled laboratory experiments. Changes in DOC, ultraviolet (UV-Vis) visible absorbance, and excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) were performed to assess sample degradation. Degradation experiments showed that while significant amounts of DOC were consumed during bio-incubation for biomass leachates, a higher degree of bio-recalcitrance for soil leachate and particularly surface waters was displayed. Photo- and bio-humification transformations were suggested for sawgrass, mangrove, and seagrass leachates, as compared to substantial photo-degradation and very little to almost no change after bio-incubation for the other samples. During photo-degradation in most cases the EEM-PARAFAC components displayed photo-decay as compared to a few cases which featured photo-production. In contrast during bio-incubation most EEM-PARAFAC components proved to be mostly bio-refractory although some increases and decreases in abundance were also observed. Furthermore, the sequential photo- followed by bio-degradation showed, with some exceptions, a "priming effect" of light exposure on the bio-degradation of DOM, and the combination of these two processes resulted in a DOM composition more similar to that of the natural surface water for the different sub-environments. In addition, for leachate samples there was a general enrichment of one of the EEM-PARAFAC humic-like component (Ex/Em: bio-degradation process. This study exemplifies the effectiveness of optical property and EEM-PARAFAC in the assessment of DOM reactivity and highlights the importance of the coupling of photo- and bio

Understanding the fouling of UF/MF hollow fibres of biologically treated wastewaters using advanced EfOM characterization and statistical tools

KAUST Repository

Filloux, Emmanuelle

2012-08-01

Five secondary effluents and a river water source were characterized using size exclusion chromatography (LC-OCD-UVD-OND) and emission-excitation matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy in order to identify the major effluent organic matter (EfOM) fractions responsible for membrane fouling. This study showed the feasibility of coupling fluorescence EEM and LC-OCD-UVD-OND to investigate the fouling potential as well as a means to differentiate natural organic matter (NOM) from EfOM. The secondary effluents and river water showed a significant difference in organic matter characteristics and fouling potential, highlighting the importance of biological processes and the feed water source on EfOM characteristics and fouling potential. On the basis of statistical analysis, protein-like substances were found to be highly correlated to the fouling potential of secondary effluents. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Understanding the fouling of UF/MF hollow fibres of biologically treated wastewaters using advanced EfOM characterization and statistical tools

KAUST Repository

Filloux, Emmanuelle; Labanowski, Jé rô me; Croue, Jean-Philippe

2012-01-01

Five secondary effluents and a river water source were characterized using size exclusion chromatography (LC-OCD-UVD-OND) and emission-excitation matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy in order to identify the major effluent organic matter (EfOM) fractions responsible for membrane fouling. This study showed the feasibility of coupling fluorescence EEM and LC-OCD-UVD-OND to investigate the fouling potential as well as a means to differentiate natural organic matter (NOM) from EfOM. The secondary effluents and river water showed a significant difference in organic matter characteristics and fouling potential, highlighting the importance of biological processes and the feed water source on EfOM characteristics and fouling potential. On the basis of statistical analysis, protein-like substances were found to be highly correlated to the fouling potential of secondary effluents. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Competitive adsorption of heavy metal by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) extracted from sulfate reducing bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jin; Li, Qing; Li, Ming-Ming; Chen, Tian-Hu; Zhou, Yue-Fei; Yue, Zheng-Bo

2014-07-01

Competitive adsorption of heavy metals by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) extracted from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans was investigated. Chemical analysis showed that different EPS compositions had different capacities for the adsorption of heavy metals which was investigated using Cu(2+) and Zn(2+). Batch adsorption tests indicated that EPS had a higher combined ability with Zn(2+) than Cu(2+). This was confirmed and explained by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy analysis. FTIR analysis showed that both polysaccharides and protein combined with Zn(2+) while only protein combined with Cu(2+). EEM spectra further revealed that tryptophan-like substances were the main compositions reacted with the heavy metals. Moreover, Zn(2+) had a higher fluorescence quenching ability than Cu(2+). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Magnetization measurements reveal the local shear stiffness of hydrogels probed by ferromagnetic nanorods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bender, P., E-mail: nano@p-bender.de; Tschöpe, A., E-mail: antsch@mx.uni-saarland.de; Birringer, R., E-mail: r.birringer@nano.uni-saarland.de

2014-12-15

The local mechanical coupling of ferromagnetic nanorods in hydrogels was characterized by magnetization measurements. Nickel nanorods were synthesized by the AAO-template method and embedded in gelatine hydrogels with mechanically soft or hard matrix properties determined by the gelatine weight fraction. By applying a homogeneous magnetic field during gelation the nanorods were aligned along the field resulting in uniaxially textured ferrogels. The magnetization curves of the soft ferrogel exhibited not only important similarities but also characteristic differences as compared to the hard ferrogel. The hystereses measured in a field parallel to the texture axis were almost identical for both samples indicating effective coupling of the nanorods with the polymer network. By contrast, measurements in a magnetic field perpendicular to the texture axis revealed a much higher initial susceptibility of the soft as compared to the hard ferrogel. This difference was attributed to the additional rotation of the nanorods allowed by the reduced shear modulus in the soft ferrogel matrix. Two methods for data analysis were presented which enabled us to determine the shear modulus of the gelatine matrix which was interpreted as a local rather than macroscopic quantity in consideration of the nanoscale of the probe particles. - Highlights: • Nanorods are embedded as magnetic probes in gelatine gels. • Elastic rotation of the rods can be induced by applying a homogeneous magnetic field. • Rod rotation has significant influence on the magnetization curves. • Two methods are presented to estimate the shear modulus of the matrix from the magnetization curves.

Comparison of linear and non-linear monotonicity-based shape reconstruction using exact matrix characterizations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Garde, Henrik

2018-01-01

. For a fair comparison, exact matrix characterizations are used when probing the monotonicity relations to avoid errors from numerical solution to PDEs and numerical integration. Using a special factorization of the Neumann-to-Dirichlet map also makes the non-linear method as fast as the linear method...

Efficiency criterion for teleportation via channel matrix, measurement matrix and collapsed matrix

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin-Wei Zha

Full Text Available In this paper, three kinds of coefficient matrixes (channel matrix, measurement matrix, collapsed matrix associated with the pure state for teleportation are presented, the general relation among channel matrix, measurement matrix and collapsed matrix is obtained. In addition, a criterion for judging whether a state can be teleported successfully is given, depending on the relation between the number of parameter of an unknown state and the rank of the collapsed matrix. Keywords: Channel matrix, Measurement matrix, Collapsed matrix, Teleportation

Silver nanoparticles as matrix for laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry of peptides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hua Lin; Chen Jianrong; Ge Liya; Tan, Swee Ngin

2007-01-01

Silver nanoparticle synthesized from chemical reduction has been successfully utilized as a matrix in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) of peptides. Acting as a substrate to adsorb analytes, as well as a transmission medium for UV laser, silver nanoparticle was found to assist in the desorption/ionization of peptides with little or no induced fragmentation. The size of the nanoparticle was typically in the range of 160 ± 20 nm. One of the key advantages of silver nanoparticle for peptides analysis is its simple step for on-probe sample preparation. In addition, it also minimizes the interferences of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant background signal, resulting in cleaner mass spectra and more sensitive signal, when compared to α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CCA) matrix

Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy of vitiligo skin in vivo (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jianhua; Richer, Vincent; Al Jasser, Mohammed; Zandi, Soodabeh; Kollias, Nikiforos; Kalia, Sunil; Zeng, Haishan; Lui, Harvey

2016-02-01

Fluorescence signals depend on the intensity of the exciting light, the absorption properties of the constituent molecules, and the efficiency with which the absorbed photons are converted to fluorescence emission. The optical features and appearance of vitiligo have been explained primarily on the basis of reduced epidermal pigmentation, which results in abnormal white patches on the skin. The objective of this study is to explore the fluorescence properties of vitiligo and its adjacent normal skin using fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy. Thirty five (35) volunteers with vitiligo were acquired using a double-grating spectrofluorometer with excitation and emission wavelengths of 260-450 nm and 300-700 nm respectively. As expected, the most pronounced difference between the spectra obtained from vitiligo lesions compared to normally pigmented skin was that the overall fluorescence was much higher in vitiligo; these differences increased at shorter wavelengths, thus matching the characteristic spectral absorption of epidermal melanin. When comparing the fluorescence spectra from vitiligo to normal skin we detected three distinct spectral bands centered at 280nm, 310nm, and 335nm. The 280nm band may possibly be related to inflammation, whereas the 335 nm band may arise from collagen or keratin cross links. The source of the 310 nm band is uncertain; it is interesting to note its proximity to the 311 nm UV lamps used for vitiligo phototherapy. These differences are accounted for not only by changes in epidermal pigment content, but also by other optically active cutaneous biomolecules.

Validation of a simple and fast method to quantify in vitro mineralization with fluorescent probes used in molecular imaging of bone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moester, Martiene J.C.; Schoeman, Monique A.E.; Oudshoorn, Ineke B.; Beusekom, Mara M. van; Mol, Isabel M.; Kaijzel, Eric L.; Löwik, Clemens W.G.M.; Rooij, Karien E. de

2014-01-01

Highlights: •We validate a simple and fast method of quantification of in vitro mineralization. •Fluorescently labeled agents can detect calcium deposits in the mineralized matrix of cell cultures. •Fluorescent signals of the probes correlated with Alizarin Red S staining. -- Abstract: Alizarin Red S staining is the standard method to indicate and quantify matrix mineralization during differentiation of osteoblast cultures. KS483 cells are multipotent mouse mesenchymal progenitor cells that can differentiate into chondrocytes, adipocytes and osteoblasts and are a well-characterized model for the study of bone formation. Matrix mineralization is the last step of differentiation of bone cells and is therefore a very important outcome measure in bone research. Fluorescently labelled calcium chelating agents, e.g. BoneTag and OsteoSense, are currently used for in vivo imaging of bone. The aim of the present study was to validate these probes for fast and simple detection and quantification of in vitro matrix mineralization by KS483 cells and thus enabling high-throughput screening experiments. KS483 cells were cultured under osteogenic conditions in the presence of compounds that either stimulate or inhibit osteoblast differentiation and thereby matrix mineralization. After 21 days of differentiation, fluorescence of stained cultures was quantified with a near-infrared imager and compared to Alizarin Red S quantification. Fluorescence of both probes closely correlated to Alizarin Red S staining in both inhibiting and stimulating conditions. In addition, both compounds displayed specificity for mineralized nodules. We therefore conclude that this method of quantification of bone mineralization using fluorescent compounds is a good alternative for the Alizarin Red S staining

Validation of a simple and fast method to quantify in vitro mineralization with fluorescent probes used in molecular imaging of bone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moester, Martiene J.C. [Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands); Schoeman, Monique A.E. [Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands); Oudshoorn, Ineke B. [Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands); Percuros BV, Leiden (Netherlands); Beusekom, Mara M. van [Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands); Mol, Isabel M. [Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands); Percuros BV, Leiden (Netherlands); Kaijzel, Eric L.; Löwik, Clemens W.G.M. [Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands); Rooij, Karien E. de, E-mail: k.e.de_rooij@lumc.nl [Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands); Percuros BV, Leiden (Netherlands)

2014-01-03

Highlights: •We validate a simple and fast method of quantification of in vitro mineralization. •Fluorescently labeled agents can detect calcium deposits in the mineralized matrix of cell cultures. •Fluorescent signals of the probes correlated with Alizarin Red S staining. -- Abstract: Alizarin Red S staining is the standard method to indicate and quantify matrix mineralization during differentiation of osteoblast cultures. KS483 cells are multipotent mouse mesenchymal progenitor cells that can differentiate into chondrocytes, adipocytes and osteoblasts and are a well-characterized model for the study of bone formation. Matrix mineralization is the last step of differentiation of bone cells and is therefore a very important outcome measure in bone research. Fluorescently labelled calcium chelating agents, e.g. BoneTag and OsteoSense, are currently used for in vivo imaging of bone. The aim of the present study was to validate these probes for fast and simple detection and quantification of in vitro matrix mineralization by KS483 cells and thus enabling high-throughput screening experiments. KS483 cells were cultured under osteogenic conditions in the presence of compounds that either stimulate or inhibit osteoblast differentiation and thereby matrix mineralization. After 21 days of differentiation, fluorescence of stained cultures was quantified with a near-infrared imager and compared to Alizarin Red S quantification. Fluorescence of both probes closely correlated to Alizarin Red S staining in both inhibiting and stimulating conditions. In addition, both compounds displayed specificity for mineralized nodules. We therefore conclude that this method of quantification of bone mineralization using fluorescent compounds is a good alternative for the Alizarin Red S staining.

Mobile Probing and Probes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Duvaa, Uffe; Ørngreen, Rikke; Weinkouff Mathiasen, Anne-Gitte

2013-01-01

Mobile probing is a method, developed for learning about digital work situations, as an approach to discover new grounds. The method can be used when there is a need to know more about users and their work with certain tasks, but where users at the same time are distributed (in time and space......). Mobile probing was inspired by the cultural probe method, and was influenced by qualitative interview and inquiry approaches. The method has been used in two subsequent projects, involving school children (young adults at 15-17 years old) and employees (adults) in a consultancy company. Findings point...... to mobile probing being a flexible method for uncovering the unknowns, as a way of getting rich data to the analysis and design phases. On the other hand it is difficult to engage users to give in depth explanations, which seem easier in synchronous dialogs (whether online or face2face). The development...

Mobile Probing and Probes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Duvaa, Uffe; Ørngreen, Rikke; Weinkouff, Anne-Gitte

2012-01-01

Mobile probing is a method, which has been developed for learning about digital work situations, as an approach to discover new grounds. The method can be used when there is a need to know more about users and their work with certain tasks, but where users at the same time are distributed (in time...... and space). Mobile probing was inspired by the cultural probe method, and was influenced by qualitative interview and inquiry approaches. The method has been used in two subsequent projects, involving school children (young adults at 15-17 years old) and employees (adults) in a consultancy company. Findings...... point to mobile probing being a flexible method for uncovering the unknowns, as a way of getting rich data to the analysis and design phases. On the other hand it is difficult to engage users to give in depth explanations, which seem easier in synchronous dialogs (whether online or face2face...

Metallic microwires obtained as replicas of etched ion tracks in polymer matrixes: Microscopy and emission properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zagorski, D.L.; Bedin, S.A.; Oleinikov, V.A.; Polyakov, N.B.; Rybalko, O.G.; Mchedlishvili, B.V.

2009-01-01

Specially prepared porous matrixes (with through and dead-end pores of cylindrical or conical forms) were used as the templates for making ensembles of microwires. The process of electrodeposition of metal (Cu) into these pores was investigated. AFM technique was used for studying the 'composite material' (metal microwires embedded into the polymer matrix). It was shown that the combination of different modes of AFM (tapping with phase-contrast mode, contact with lateral force mode) makes it possible to detect metal in the polymer matrix. Additional spread resistance mode in the contact regime allowed to measure the electrical conductivity of a single wire. The ensembles of free-standing microwires (metallic replicas of the pores obtained after removing of the polymer matrix) were used as the substrates (for deposition of the probe) for ion emission in the mass-spectrometer. It was shown that the intensity of formed ion beam increases with increasing of power of the laser pulse and with increasing of the mass of the probe. The intensity of mass-spectra signal on the power of laser pulse has a threshold character with saturation accompanied with the appearance of dimer ions. At the same time this intensity decreases with the increasing of the surface density of wires. The effect of degradation of wires during the laser pulse irradiation was found.

Fluorographene as a Mass Spectrometry Probe for High-Throughput Identification and Screening of Emerging Chemical Contaminants in Complex Samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xiu; Liu, Qian; Huang, Xiaoyu; Nie, Zhou; Ruan, Ting; Du, Yuguo; Jiang, Guibin

2017-01-17

Mass spectrometry techniques for high-throughput analysis of complex samples are of profound importance in many areas such as food safety, omics studies, and environmental health science. Here we report the use of fluorographene (FG) as a new mass spectrometry probe for high-throughput identification and screening of emerging chemical contaminants in complex samples. FG was facilely synthesized by one-step exfoliation of fluorographite. With FG as a matrix or probe in matrix-assisted or surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI- or SELDI-TOF MS), higher sensitivity (detection limits at ppt or subppt levels), and better reproducibility were achieved than with other graphene-based materials due to the unique chemical structure and self-assembly properties of FG. The method was validated with different types of real complex samples. By using FG as a SELDI probe, we could easily detect trace amount of bisphenol S in paper products and high-fat canned food samples. Furthermore, we have successfully identified and screened as many as 28 quaternary ammonium halides in sewage sludge samples collected from municipal wastewater treatment plants. These results demonstrate that FG probe is a powerful tool for high-throughput analysis of complex samples by MS.

Radioactive and enzymatic cloned cDNA probes for bovine enteric coronavirus detection by molecular hybridization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collomb, J.; Finance, C.; Alabouch, S.; Laporte, J.

1992-01-01

Genomic RNA of F15 strain bovine enteric coronavirus (BECV) was cloned in E. coli. Three clones (174, 160, PG 78), selected in the cDNA library, including a large portion of the nucleocapsid (N), matrix (M) and peplomeric (S) protein genes , were used as probes for a slot blot hybridization assay. Two probe labelling techniques were compared, radiolabelling with 32 P and enzymatic labelling through covalent linkage to peroxidase and chemiluminescence detection. The radioactive probe 174 detected as little as 1 to 3 pg of viral RNA, while the less sensitive enzymatic probe could not reveal more than 100 pg of RNA. No significant detection amplification was achieved when a mixture of the three probes was used. Probe 174 allowed specific identification for BECV. No hybridization was noticed either with rotaviruses or even with other antigenically unrelated members of the family Coronaviridae such as transmissible gastroenteritis virus. The test proved valid for detection of BECV in the supernatant of infected HRT-18 cells: genomic RNA could be detected after direct spotting of samples, but prior nucleic acid extraction after proteinase K treatment improved virus detection. BECV diagnosis in faecal samples using enzymatic probe was compared with conventional diagnostic methods. (authors)

Radioactive and enzymatic cloned cDNA probes for bovine enteric coronavirus detection by molecular hybridization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Collomb, J; Finance, C; Alabouch, S [Lab. de Microbiologie Moleculaire, Faculte des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques, Univ. de Nancy I, Nancy (France); Laporte, J [Station de Virologie et d' Immunologie Moleculaires, INRA, Jouy-en-Josas (France)

1992-01-01

Genomic RNA of F15 strain bovine enteric coronavirus (BECV) was cloned in E. coli. Three clones (174, 160, PG 78), selected in the cDNA library, including a large portion of the nucleocapsid (N), matrix (M) and peplomeric (S) protein genes , were used as probes for a slot blot hybridization assay. Two probe labelling techniques were compared, radiolabeled with [sup 32]P and enzymatic labeled through covalent linkage to peroxidase for chemiluminescence detection. The radioactive probe 174 detected as little as 1-3 pg of viral RNA, while the less sensitive enzymatic probe could not reveal more than 100 pg of RNA. No significant detection amplification was achieved when a mixture of the three probes was used. Probe 174 allowed specific identification for BECV. No hybridization was noticed either with rotaviruses or even with other antigenically unrelated members of the family Coronaviridae such as transmissible gastroenteritis virus. The test proved valid for detection of BECV in the supernatant of infected HRT-18 cells: genomic RNA could be detected after direct spotting of samples, but prior nucleic acid extraction after proteinase K treatment improved virus detection. BECV diagnosis in fecal samples using enzymatic probe was compared with conventional diagnostic methods. (authors).

A self-centering active probing technique for kinematic parameter identification and verification of articulated arm coordinate measuring machines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santolaria, J; Brau, A; Velázquez, J; Aguilar, J J

2010-01-01

A crucial task in the procedure of identifying the parameters of a kinematic model of an articulated arm coordinate measuring machine (AACMM) or robot arm is the process of capturing data. In this paper a capturing data method is analyzed using a self-centering active probe, which drastically reduces the capture time and the required number of positions of the gauge as compared to the usual standard and manufacturer methods. The mathematical models of the self-centering active probe and AACMM are explained, as well as the mathematical model that links the AACMM global reference system to the probe reference system. We present a self-calibration method that will allow us to determine a homogeneous transformation matrix that relates the probe's reference system to the AACMM last reference system from the probing of a single sphere. In addition, a comparison between a self-centering passive probe and self-centering active probe is carried out to show the advantages of the latter in the procedures of kinematic parameter identification and verification of the AACMM

Spin probes of chemistry in zeolites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Werst, D.W.; Trifunac, A.D.

1997-09-01

Electron spin resonance (EPR) studies in zeolites are reviewed in which radiolysis was used to ionize the zeolite lattice, create reactive intermediates, spin label reaction products and to provide a window onto chemistry and transport of adsorbates and matrix control of chemistry. The review examines reactions of radical cations and the influence of the geometry constraints inside the zeolite, explores how zeolite model systems can be used to learn about energy and charge transfer in solids and illustrates the use of radiolysis and EPR for in situ spectroscopic studies of solid-acid catalysis. The various spin probes created inside the zeolite pores report on properties of the zeolites as well as shed light on radiolytic processes

Inner filter correction of dissolved organic matter fluorescence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kothawala, D.N.,; Murphy, K.R.; Stedmon, Colin

2013-01-01

The fluorescence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) is suppressed by a phenomenon of self-quenching known as the inner filter effect (IFE). Despite widespread use of fluorescence to characterize DOM in surface waters, the advantages and constraints of IFE correction are poorly defined. We assessed...... the effectiveness of a commonly used absorbance-based approach (ABA), and a recently proposed controlled dilution approach (CDA) to correct for IFE. Linearity between corrected fluorescence and total absorbance (ATotal; the sum of absorbance at excitation and emission wavelengths) across the full excitation......-emission matrix (EEM) in dilution series of four samples indicated both ABA and CDA were effective to an absorbance of at least 1.5 in a 1 cm cell, regardless of wavelength positioning. In regions of the EEMs where signal to background noise (S/N) was low, CDA correction resulted in more variability than ABA...

Matrix viscoplasticity and its shielding by active mechanics in microtissue models: experiments and mathematical modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Alan S.; Wang, Hailong; Copeland, Craig R.; Chen, Christopher S.; Shenoy, Vivek B.; Reich, Daniel H.

2016-01-01

The biomechanical behavior of tissues under mechanical stimulation is critically important to physiological function. We report a combined experimental and modeling study of bioengineered 3D smooth muscle microtissues that reveals a previously unappreciated interaction between active cell mechanics and the viscoplastic properties of the extracellular matrix. The microtissues’ response to stretch/unstretch actuations, as probed by microcantilever force sensors, was dominated by cellular actomyosin dynamics. However, cell lysis revealed a viscoplastic response of the underlying model collagen/fibrin matrix. A model coupling Hill-type actomyosin dynamics with a plastic perfectly viscoplastic description of the matrix quantitatively accounts for the microtissue dynamics, including notably the cells’ shielding of the matrix plasticity. Stretch measurements of single cells confirmed the active cell dynamics, and were well described by a single-cell version of our model. These results reveal the need for new focus on matrix plasticity and its interactions with active cell mechanics in describing tissue dynamics. PMID:27671239

Strategy BMT Al-Ittihad Using Matrix IE, Matrix SWOT 8K, Matrix SPACE and Matrix TWOS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nofrizal Nofrizal

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This research aims to formulate and select BMT Al-Ittihad Rumbai strategy to face the changing of business environment both from internal environment such as organization resources, finance, member and external business such as competitor, economy, politics and others. This research method used Analysis of EFAS, IFAS, IE Matrix, SWOT-8K Matrix, SPACE Matrix and TWOS Matrix. our hope from this research it can assist BMT Al-Ittihad in formulating and selecting strategies for the sustainability of BMT Al-Ittihad in the future. The sample in this research is using purposive sampling technique that is the manager and leader of BMT Al-IttihadRumbaiPekanbaru. The result of this research shows that the position of BMT Al-Ittihad using IE Matrix, SWOT-8K Matrix and SPACE Matrix is in growth position, stabilization and aggressive. The choice of strategy after using TWOS Matrix is market penetration, market development, vertical integration, horizontal integration, and stabilization (careful.

Precision Measurement of the Neutron Twist-3 Matrix Element dn2: Probing Color Forces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Posik, Matthew; Flay, David; Parno, Diana; Allada, Kalyan; Armstrong, Whitney; Averett, Todd; Benmokhtar, Fatiha; Bertozzi, William; Camsonne, Alexandre; Canan, Mustafa; Cates, Gordon; Chen, Chunhua; Chen, Jian-Ping; Choi, Seonho; Chudakov, Eugene; Cusanno, Francesco; Dalton, Mark; Deconinck, Wouter; De Jager, Cornelis; Deng, Xiaoyan; Deur, Alexandre; Dutta, Chiranjib; El Fassi, Lamiaa; Franklin, Gregg; Friend, Megan; Gao, Haiyan; Garibaldi, Franco; Gilad, Shalev; Gilman, Ronald; Glamazdin, Oleksandr; Golge, Serkan; Gomez, Javier; Guo, Lei; Hansen, Jens-Ole; Higinbotham, Douglas; Holmstrom, Timothy; Huang, J; Hyde, Charles; Ibrahim Abdalla, Hassan; Jiang, Xiaodong; Jin, Ge; Katich, Joseph; Kelleher, Aidan; Kolarkar, Ameya; Korsch, Wolfgang; Kumbartzki, Gerfried; LeRose, John; Lindgren, Richard; Liyanage, Nilanga; Long, Elena; Lukhanin, Oleksandr; Mamyan, Vahe; McNulty, Dustin; Meziani, Zein-Eddine; Michaels, Robert; Mihovilovic, Miha; Moffit, Bryan; Muangma, Navaphon; Nanda, Sirish; Narayan, Amrendra; Nelyubin, Vladimir; Norum, Blaine; Nuruzzaman, nfn; Oh, Yongseok; Peng, Jen-chieh; Qian, Xin; Qiang, Yi; Rakhman, Abdurahim; Riordan, Seamus; Saha, Arunava; Sawatzky, Bradley; Hashemi Shabestari, Mitra; Shahinyan, Albert; Sirca, Simon; Solvignon-Slifer, Patricia; Subedi, Ramesh; Sulkosky, Vincent; Tobias, William; Troth, Wolfgang; Wang, Diancheng; Wang, Y; Wojtsekhowski, Bogdan; Yan, X; Yao, Huan; Ye, Yunxiu; Ye, Zhihong; Yuan, Lulin; Zhan, X; Zhang, Y; Zhang, Y -W; Zhao, Bo; Zheng, Xiaochao

2014-07-01

Double-spin asymmetries and absolute cross sections were measured at large Bjorken x (0.25 lte x lte 0.90), in both the deep-inelastic and resonance regions, by scattering longitudinally polarized electrons at beam energies of 4.7 and 5.9 GeV from a transversely and longitudinally polarized 3He target. In this dedicated experiment, the spin structure function g2 on 3He was determined with precision at large x, and the neutron twist-three matrix element dn2 was measured at ?Q2? of 3.21 and 4.32 GeV2/c2, with an absolute precision of about 10?5. Our results are found to be in agreement with lattice QCD calculations and resolve the disagreement found with previous data at ?Q2?= 5 GeV2/c2. Combining dn2 and a newly extracted twist-four matrix element, fn2, the average neutron color electric and magnetic forces were extracted and found to be of opposite sign and about 60 MeV/fm in magnitude.

Peptide-Based Selective Inhibitors of Matrix Metalloproteinase-Mediated Activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margaret W. Ndinguri

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs exhibit a broad array of activities, some catalytic and some non-catalytic in nature. An overall lack of selectivity has rendered small molecule, active site targeted MMP inhibitors problematic in execution. Inhibitors that favor few or individual members of the MMP family often take advantage of interactions outside the enzyme active site. We presently focus on peptide-based MMP inhibitors and probes that do not incorporate conventional Zn2+ binding groups. In some cases, these inhibitors and probes function by binding only secondary binding sites (exosites, while others bind both exosites and the active site. A myriad of MMP mediated-activities beyond selective catalysis can be inhibited by peptides, particularly cell adhesion, proliferation, motility, and invasion. Selective MMP binding peptides comprise highly customizable, unique imaging agents. Areas of needed improvement for MMP targeting peptides include binding affinity and stability.

Concomitant use of the matrix strategy and the mand-model procedure in teaching graphic symbol combinations.

Science.gov (United States)

Nigam, Ravi; Schlosser, Ralf W; Lloyd, Lyle L

2006-09-01

Matrix strategies employing parts of speech arranged in systematic language matrices and milieu language teaching strategies have been successfully used to teach word combining skills to children who have cognitive disabilities and some functional speech. The present study investigated the acquisition and generalized production of two-term semantic relationships in a new population using new types of symbols. Three children with cognitive disabilities and little or no functional speech were taught to combine graphic symbols. The matrix strategy and the mand-model procedure were used concomitantly as intervention procedures. A multiple probe design across sets of action-object combinations with generalization probes of untrained combinations was used to teach the production of graphic symbol combinations. Results indicated that two of the three children learned the early syntactic-semantic rule of combining action-object symbols and demonstrated generalization to untrained action-object combinations and generalization across trainers. The results and future directions for research are discussed.

[Resolving excitation emission matrix spectroscopy of estuarine CDOM with parallel factor analysis and its application in organic pollution monitoring].

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Wei-Dong; Huang, Jian-Ping; Hong, Hua-Sheng; Xu, Jing; Deng, Xun

2010-06-01

The distribution and estuarine behavior of fluorescent components of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) from Jiulong Estuary were determined by fluorescence excitation emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMs) combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). The feasibility of these components as tracers for organic pollution in estuarine environments was also evaluated. Four separate fluorescent components were identified by PARAFAC, including three humic-like components (C1: 240, 310/382 nm; C2: 230, 250, 340/422 nm; C4: 260, 390/482 nm) and one protein-like components (C3: 225, 275/342 nm). These results indicated that UV humic-like peak A area designated by traditional "peak-picking method" was not a single peak but actually a combination of several fluorescent components, and it also had inherent links to so-called marine humic-like peak M or terrestrial humic-like peak C. Component C2 which include peak M decreased with increase of salinity in Jiulong Estuary, demonstrating that peak M can not be thought as the specific indicator of the "marine" humic-like component. Two humic-like components C1 and C2 showed additional behavior in the turbidity maximum region (salinity CDOM may provide a fast in-situ way to monitor the variation of the degree of organic pollution in estuarine environments.

Autofluorescence lifetime metrology for label-free detection of cartilage matrix degradation

Science.gov (United States)

Nickdel, Mohammad B.; Lagarto, João. L.; Kelly, Douglas J.; Manning, Hugh B.; Yamamoto, Kazuhiro; Talbot, Clifford B.; Dunsby, Christopher; French, Paul; Itoh, Yoshifumi

2014-03-01

Degradation of articular cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) by proteolytic enzyme is the hallmark of arthritis that leads to joint destruction. Detection of early biochemical changes in cartilage before irreversible structural damages become apparent is highly desirable. Here we report that the autofluorescence decay profile of cartilage is significantly affected by proteolytic degradation of cartilage ECM and can be characterised by measurements of the autofluorescence lifetime (AFL). A multidimensional fluorometer utilizing ultraviolet excitation at 355 nm or 375 nm coupled to a fibreoptic probe was developed for single point time-resolved AFL measurements of porcine articular cartilage explants treated with different proteinases. Degradation of cartilage matrix components by treating with bacterial collagenase, matrix metalloproteinase 1, or trypsin resulted in significant reduction of AFL of the cartilage in both a dose and time dependent manner. Differences in cartilage AFL were also confirmed by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). Our data suggest that AFL of cartilage tissue is a potential non-invasive readout to monitor cartilage matrix integrity that may be utilized for diagnosis of arthritis as well as monitoring the efficacy of anti-arthritic therapeutic agents.

IN SITU REKA PROBE MEASUREMENTS AT FRAN RIDGE AND IN THE ESF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

GEORGE DANKO; HARRY CREECH; JOHN PHILLIPS; SAI TIPPABHATLA

1997-01-01

A thermal probe method, called REKA (Rapid Evaluation of K and Alpha) has been used for determining thermal conductivity (K) and diffusivity (Alpha) at both the Large Heated Block Tests and in the ESF. The REKA method involves a single borehole probe with a heater and temperature measurement section. An elliptical temperature field is generated by the heater, and the temperature distribution along the length of the probe is recorded at several locations and at given time intervals for a period of 6 to 24 hours. A trial-and-error evaluation procedure is used to determine the unknown thermophysical properties by minimizing the RMS error between the measured and calculated temperature fields. If a conduction-only thermal model is used in the evaluation, the thermophysical properties will include the rockmass and the moisture effects, and the values will represent effective properties. If a hydrothermal model is also used, the difference between the effective and the rock matrix thermophysical properties can be related to hydrothermal characteristics. A reusable REKA probe can be applied to measure in situ rock properties in a short, open hole, e.g., in a rockbolt borehole, at low cost. A permanent REKA probe has to be grouted in the insertion hole, if an open hole is not acceptable due to the disturbance it may cause to other site characterization activities

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2010-01-01

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

Influence of probe motion on laser probe temperature in circulating blood.

Science.gov (United States)

Hehrlein, C; Splinter, R; Littmann, L; Tuntelder, J R; Tatsis, G P; Svenson, R H

1991-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of probe motion on laser probe temperature in various blood flow conditions. Laser probe temperatures were measured in an in vitro blood circulation model consisting of 3.2 nm-diameter plastic tubes. A 2.0 mm-diameter metal probe attached to a 300 microns optical quartz fiber was coupled to an argon laser. Continuous wave 4 watts and 8 watts of laser power were delivered to the fiber tip corresponding to a 6.7 +/- 0.5 and 13.2 +/- 0.7 watts power setting at the laser generator. The laser probe was either moved with constant velocity or kept stationary. A thermocouple inserted in the lateral portion of the probe was used to record probe temperatures. Probe temperature changes were found with the variation of laser power, probe velocity, blood flow, and duration of laser exposure. Probe motion significantly reduced probe temperatures. After 10 seconds of 4 watts laser power the probe temperature in stagnant blood decreased from 303 +/- 18 degrees C to 113 +/- 17 degrees C (63%) by moving the probe with a velocity of 5 cm/sec. Blood flow rates of 170 ml/min further decreased the probe temperature from 113 +/- 17 degrees C to 50 +/- 8 degrees C (56%). At 8 watts of laser power a probe temperature reduction from 591 +/- 25 degrees C to 534 +/- 36 degrees C (10%) due to 5 cm/sec probe velocity was noted. Probe temperatures were reduced to 130 +/- 30 degrees C (78%) under the combined influence of 5 cm/sec probe velocity and 170 ml/min blood flow.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Net expansion of dried demineralized dentin matrix produced by monomer/alcohol saturation and solvent evaporation.

Science.gov (United States)

Agee, Kelli A; Becker, Thomas D; Joyce, Anthony P; Rueggeberg, Frederick A; Borke, James L; Waller, Jennifer L; Tay, Franklin R; Pashley, David H

2006-11-01

The purpose of this work was to determine if nonaqueous methacrylate monomer/alcohol mixtures could expand dried collapsed demineralized dentin matrix. Thin disks (ca. 200 microm) of human dentin were demineralized and placed in wells beneath contact probes of linear variable differential transformers. The probes were placed on water-saturated expanded matrices to record the shrinkage associated with drying. Monomer mixtures containing hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 2,2-bis[4-(2-hydroxy-3 methacryloyloxy)propoxyphenyl] propane, or triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate were mixed with methanol or ethanol at alcohol/monomer mass fraction % of 90/10, 70/30, 50/50, or 30/70. They were randomly applied to the dried matrices to determine the rate and magnitude of expansion; then shrinkage was recorded during evaporation of the alcohols. The results indicated that matrix expansion was positively correlated with the Hoy's solubility parameters for hydrogen bonding forces (delta(h)) of the monomer/solvent mixtures (p methanol-containing than with ethanol-containing monomer mixtures. For the test solutions, triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate-containing mixtures produced the slowest rate of matrix expansion and hydroxyethyl methacrylate-containing mixtures the most rapid expansion. When the solvents were evaporated, the matrix shrank in proportion to the solvent content and the delta(h) of the monomer-solvent mixtures. The results indicate that expansion of dried, collapsed dentin matrices requires that the delta(h) of the mixtures be larger than 17 (J/cm(3))(1/2). The greater the delta(h) of the monomer solutions, the greater the rate and extent of expansion.

The (n,p) reaction as a probe of nuclear structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, K.P.; Celler, A.

1988-08-01

An account is given of some results of studies of the (n,p) reaction on nuclear targets at TRIUMF. The (n,p) reaction, inducing spin flip transitions in isospin space, appears to exhibit a unique sensitivity to certain aspects of nuclear structure. The TRIUMF facility is the first to exploit the (n,p) reaction as a detailed probe of nuclear structure at energies above 65 MeV. In the (n,p) reaction Fermi transitions are absent, but there is a dramatic impact on Gamow-Teller and other collective transactions. Some nuclear transition matrix elements can be estimated on the basis of (n,p) measurements. Experiments have been carried out at TRIUMF on Li 6 , Fe 5 4, and Zr 9 0 targets. The calibration of the (n,p) reaction as a probe of the Gamow-Teller strength B + GT has been achieved for three targets. (L.L.) (45 refs., 10 figs.)

One-point functions in AdS/dCFT from matrix product states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buhl-Mortensen, Isak; Leeuw, Marius de; Kristjansen, Charlotte; Zarembo, Konstantin

2016-01-01

One-point functions of certain non-protected scalar operators in the defect CFT dual to the D3-D5 probe brane system with k units of world volume flux can be expressed as overlaps between Bethe eigenstates of the Heisenberg spin chain and a matrix product state. We present a closed expression of determinant form for these one-point functions, valid for any value of k. The determinant formula factorizes into the k=2 result times a k-dependent pre-factor. Making use of the transfer matrix of the Heisenberg spin chain we recursively relate the matrix product state for higher even and odd k to the matrix product state for k=2 and k=3 respectively. We furthermore find evidence that the matrix product states for k=2 and k=3 are related via a ratio of Baxter’s Q-operators. The general k formula has an interesting thermodynamical limit involving a non-trivial scaling of k, which indicates that the match between string and field theory one-point functions found for chiral primaries might be tested for non-protected operators as well. We revisit the string computation for chiral primaries and discuss how it can be extended to non-protected operators.

EVALUATION OF EFFECTIVE PROPERTIES OF BASALT TEXTILE REINFORCED CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soňa Valentová

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The present paper is concerned with the analysis of a ceramic matrix composite, more specifically the plain weave textile fabric composite made of basalt fibers embedded into the pyrolyzed polysiloxane matrix. Attention is paid to the determination of effective elastic properties of the yarn via homogenization based on the Mori-Tanaka averaging scheme and the 1st order numerical homogenization method adopting a suitable representative computational model. The latter approach is then employed to simulate the response of the yarn when loaded beyond the elastic limits. The required mechanical properties of individual material phases are directly measured using nanoindentation with in-build scanning probe microscopy. Applicability of the proposed computational methodology is supported by the analysis of a unidirectional fibrous composite, representing the yarn, subjected to a macroscopically uniform strain.

Metal-insulator transition in disordered systems from the one-body density matrix

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Thomas; Resta, Raffaele; Souza, Ivo

2017-01-01

The insulating state of matter can be probed by means of a ground state geometrical marker, which is closely related to the modern theory of polarization (based on a Berry phase). In the present work we show that this marker can be applied to determine the metal-insulator transition in disordered...... the one-body density matrix. The approach has a general ab initio formulation and could in principle be applied to realistic disordered materials by standard electronic structure methods....... systems. In particular, for noninteracting systems the geometrical marker can be obtained from the configurational average of the norm-squared one-body density matrix, which can be calculated within open as well as periodic boundary conditions. This is in sharp contrast to a classification based...

Probing Quark-Gluon Interactions with Transverse Polarized Scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rondon, Oscar A.

2011-01-01

Transverse polarized inelastic scattering extends the power of the electromagnetic interaction as a probe of nucleon dynamics beyond the leading order regime explored with longitudinally polarized DIS. In transverse polarized scattering, the twist-3 g 2 spin structure function contributes at the same order as the longitudinal, twist-2, g 1 , so interactions between quarks and gluons can be studied, opening a window on the mechanisms of confinement. This talk reports the results of Jefferson Lab's Resonances Spin Structure experiment measurement of g 2 and the d 2 twist-3 quark matrix element at a four-momentum transfer of 1.3 GeV 2 .

Fluorescent probe encapsulated hydrogel microsphere for selective and reversible detection of Hg{sup 2+}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Zhenhu; Wang, Fang; Qiang, Jian; Zhang, Zhijie; Chen, Yahui; Wang, Yong; Zhang, Wei; Chen, Xiaoqiang

2017-03-15

We developed a simple and sensitive hydrogel sensor in the form of microspheres by using fluorescence probe encapsulated within a hydrogel matrix for the detection of Hg{sup 2+}. The traditional fluorescence probes suspended in solution are not transportable and recoverable. To overcome these disadvantages, we devised poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate-based hydrogel microspheres in which fluorescence probe (R19S) was embedded at high density. The functionalized hydrogel microspheres were prepared by combining a microfluidic device with UV light. The hydrogel microspheres-based sensor exhibited good selectivity to Hg{sup 2+} among various metal ions and high sensitivity with a detection limit of 90 nM. Furthermore, after binding with Hg{sup 2+}, the R19S encapsulated hydrogel microspheres can be separated from testing samples easily and treated with the solution containing KI to remove Hg{sup 2+} and realize reusable detection. The current work may offer a new method for Hg{sup 2+} recognition with a more efficient manner.

Irradiation-induced precipitation in a SUS316 stainless steel using three-dimensional atom probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatakeyama, M.; Yamagata, I.

2013-01-01

Precipitation and segregation were investigated in a compositionally modified 316 austenitic stainless steel, neutron-irradiated at 862 K using a three-dimensional atom probe. In the solution-annealed specimen, Mo, Ti, Nb, C and P enrichment were observed in a silicide, with nominal composition Fe 3 Cr 2 Ni 2 Mo 2 Si 2 . In a Ti-rich carbide, nominaling Fe 5 Cr 8 Ni 10 Mo 2 Ti 11 Si 2 C 6 , enrichment of Mo, Si, O, and Nb was observed. Radiation-induced segregation (RIS) at the precipitate–matrix interface was also investigated at an atomic scale. RIS of Ni and P atoms, which are undersized in Fe, was also analyzed around the interface of the Ti-rich carbide and matrix. Results suggest that the carbide–matrix interface is a sink with an interstitial bias. In the cold-worked specimen, complex-precipitates consisting of silicide and carbide were formed

Four-probe measurements with a three-probe scanning tunneling microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salomons, Mark; Martins, Bruno V. C.; Zikovsky, Janik; Wolkow, Robert A.

2014-01-01

We present an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) three-probe scanning tunneling microscope in which each probe is capable of atomic resolution. A UHV JEOL scanning electron microscope aids in the placement of the probes on the sample. The machine also has a field ion microscope to clean, atomically image, and shape the probe tips. The machine uses bare conductive samples and tips with a homebuilt set of pliers for heating and loading. Automated feedback controlled tip-surface contacts allow for electrical stability and reproducibility while also greatly reducing tip and surface damage due to contact formation. The ability to register inter-tip position by imaging of a single surface feature by multiple tips is demonstrated. Four-probe material characterization is achieved by deploying two tips as fixed current probes and the third tip as a movable voltage probe

Four-probe measurements with a three-probe scanning tunneling microscope

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salomons, Mark [National Institute for Nanotechnology, National Research Council of Canada, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2M9 (Canada); Martins, Bruno V. C.; Zikovsky, Janik; Wolkow, Robert A., E-mail: rwolkow@ualberta.ca [National Institute for Nanotechnology, National Research Council of Canada, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2M9 (Canada); Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E1 (Canada)

2014-04-15

We present an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) three-probe scanning tunneling microscope in which each probe is capable of atomic resolution. A UHV JEOL scanning electron microscope aids in the placement of the probes on the sample. The machine also has a field ion microscope to clean, atomically image, and shape the probe tips. The machine uses bare conductive samples and tips with a homebuilt set of pliers for heating and loading. Automated feedback controlled tip-surface contacts allow for electrical stability and reproducibility while also greatly reducing tip and surface damage due to contact formation. The ability to register inter-tip position by imaging of a single surface feature by multiple tips is demonstrated. Four-probe material characterization is achieved by deploying two tips as fixed current probes and the third tip as a movable voltage probe.

Four-probe measurements with a three-probe scanning tunneling microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Salomons, Mark; Martins, Bruno V C; Zikovsky, Janik; Wolkow, Robert A

2014-04-01

We present an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) three-probe scanning tunneling microscope in which each probe is capable of atomic resolution. A UHV JEOL scanning electron microscope aids in the placement of the probes on the sample. The machine also has a field ion microscope to clean, atomically image, and shape the probe tips. The machine uses bare conductive samples and tips with a homebuilt set of pliers for heating and loading. Automated feedback controlled tip-surface contacts allow for electrical stability and reproducibility while also greatly reducing tip and surface damage due to contact formation. The ability to register inter-tip position by imaging of a single surface feature by multiple tips is demonstrated. Four-probe material characterization is achieved by deploying two tips as fixed current probes and the third tip as a movable voltage probe.

Matrix completion by deep matrix factorization.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Jicong; Cheng, Jieyu

2018-02-01

Conventional methods of matrix completion are linear methods that are not effective in handling data of nonlinear structures. Recently a few researchers attempted to incorporate nonlinear techniques into matrix completion but there still exists considerable limitations. In this paper, a novel method called deep matrix factorization (DMF) is proposed for nonlinear matrix completion. Different from conventional matrix completion methods that are based on linear latent variable models, DMF is on the basis of a nonlinear latent variable model. DMF is formulated as a deep-structure neural network, in which the inputs are the low-dimensional unknown latent variables and the outputs are the partially observed variables. In DMF, the inputs and the parameters of the multilayer neural network are simultaneously optimized to minimize the reconstruction errors for the observed entries. Then the missing entries can be readily recovered by propagating the latent variables to the output layer. DMF is compared with state-of-the-art methods of linear and nonlinear matrix completion in the tasks of toy matrix completion, image inpainting and collaborative filtering. The experimental results verify that DMF is able to provide higher matrix completion accuracy than existing methods do and DMF is applicable to large matrices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Friction Stir Processing of Copper-Coated SiC Particulate-Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Wei Huang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In the present work, we proposed a novel friction stir processing (FSP to produce a locally reinforced aluminum matrix composite (AMC by stirring copper-coated SiC particulate reinforcement into Al6061 alloy matrix. Electroless-plating process was applied to deposit the copper surface coating on the SiC particulate reinforcement for the purpose of improving the interfacial adhesion between SiC particles and Al matrix. The core-shell SiC structure provides a layer for the atomic diffusion between aluminum and copper to enhance the cohesion between reinforcing particles and matrix on one hand, the dispersion of fine copper in the Al matrix during FSP provides further dispersive strengthening and solid solution strengthening, on the other hand. Hardness distribution and tensile results across the stir zone validated the novel concept in improving the mechanical properties of AMC that was realized via FSP. Optical microscope (OM and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM investigations were conducted to investigate the microstructure. Energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS, electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA, and X-ray diffraction (XRD were explored to analyze the atomic inter-diffusion and the formation of intermetallic at interface. The possible strengthening mechanisms of the AMC containing Cu-coated SiC particulate reinforcement were interpreted. The concept of strengthening developed in this work may open a new way of fabricating of particulate reinforced metal matrix composites.

Mechanical forces regulate the interactions of fibronectin and collagen I in extracellular matrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubow, Kristopher E; Vukmirovic, Radmila; Zhe, Lin; Klotzsch, Enrico; Smith, Michael L; Gourdon, Delphine; Luna, Sheila; Vogel, Viola

2015-08-14

Despite the crucial role of extracellular matrix (ECM) in directing cell fate in healthy and diseased tissues--particularly in development, wound healing, tissue regeneration and cancer--the mechanisms that direct the assembly and regulate hierarchical architectures of ECM are poorly understood. Collagen I matrix assembly in vivo requires active fibronectin (Fn) fibrillogenesis by cells. Here we exploit Fn-FRET probes as mechanical strain sensors and demonstrate that collagen I fibres preferentially co-localize with more-relaxed Fn fibrils in the ECM of fibroblasts in cell culture. Fibre stretch-assay studies reveal that collagen I's Fn-binding domain is responsible for the mechano-regulated interaction. Furthermore, we show that Fn-collagen interactions are reciprocal: relaxed Fn fibrils act as multivalent templates for collagen assembly, but once assembled, collagen fibres shield Fn fibres from being stretched by cellular traction forces. Thus, in addition to the well-recognized, force-regulated, cell-matrix interactions, forces also tune the interactions between different structural ECM components.

A Novel Route for Development of Bulk Al/SiC Metal Matrix Nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Payodhar Padhi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Addition of nano particles, even in quantities as small as 2 weight percent can enhance the hardness or yield strength by a factor as high as 2. There are several methods for the production of metal matrix nanocomposites including mechanical alloying, vertex process, and spray deposition and so forth. However, the above processes are expensive. Solidification processing is a relatively cheaper route. During solidification processing, nano particulates tend to agglomerate as a result of van der Waals forces and thus proper dispersion of the nano particulate in metal matrix is a challenge. In the present study a noncontact method, where the ultrasonic probe is not in direct contact with the liquid metal, was attempted to disperse nanosized SiC particulates in aluminum matrix. In this method, the mold was subjected to ultrasonic vibration. Hardness measurements and microstructural studies using HRTEM were carried out on samples taken from different locations of the nanocomposite ingot cast by this method.

Mobile Game Probes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borup Lynggaard, Aviaja

2006-01-01

This paper will examine how probes can be useful for game designers in the preliminary phases of a design process. The work is based upon a case study concerning pervasive mobile phone games where Mobile Game Probes have emerged from the project. The new probes are aimed towards a specific target...... group and the goal is to specify the probes so they will cover the most relevant areas for our project. The Mobile Game Probes generated many interesting results and new issues occurred, since the probes came to be dynamic and favorable for the process in new ways....

National status report: Home energy rating systems and energy-efficient mortgages

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plympton, P.

2000-04-27

The Energy Policy Act of 1992 included several provisions promoting the use of HERS and EEMs, which strengthened efforts to develop a national infrastructure for HERS and to promote the use of EEMs. This report documents HERS and EEMs activities since 1992 by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, mortgage lenders, and other organizations. Though the process of establishing HERS has faced some barriers, this report shows that, as of November 1999, home energy ratings were available in 47 states and the District of Columbia, which represents a significant increase from 1993 when home energy ratings were available in 17 states. Both national and state organizations have developed HERS and related residential energy-efficiency programs. The availability and use of EEMs has also increased significantly. The number of EEMs supported by the Federal Housing Administration has increased more than eight times in the last three years. More than $2.5 billion in federally supported EEMs have been issued to date. Several national lenders offer EEMs, and six states have state-specific EEM or loan programs. EEMs have been used to finance energy-efficient homes in every state.

Traversing probe system

Science.gov (United States)

Mashburn, Douglas N.; Stevens, Richard H.; Woodall, Harold C.

1977-01-01

This invention comprises a rotatable annular probe-positioner which carries at least one radially disposed sensing probe, such as a Pitot tube having a right-angled tip. The positioner can be coaxially and rotatably mounted within a compressor casing or the like and then actuated to orient the sensing probe as required to make measurements at selected stations in the annulus between the positioner and compressor casing. The positioner can be actuated to (a) selectively move the probe along its own axis, (b) adjust the yaw angle of the right-angled probe tip, and (c) revolve the probe about the axis common to the positioner and casing. A cam plate engages a cam-follower portion of the probe and normally rotates with the positioner. The positioner includes a first-motor-driven ring gear which effects slidable movement of the probe by rotating the positioner at a time when an external pneumatic cylinder is actuated to engage the cam plate and hold it stationary. When the pneumatic cylinder is not actuated, this ring gear can be driven to revolve the positioner and thus the probe to a desired circumferential location about the above-mentioned common axis. A second motor-driven ring gear included in the positioner can be driven to rotate the probe about its axis, thus adjusting the yaw angle of the probe tip. The positioner can be used in highly corrosive atmosphere, such as gaseous uranium hexafluoride.

Traversing probe system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mashburn, D.N.; Stevens, R.H.; Woodall, H.C.

1977-01-01

This invention comprises a rotatable annular probe-positioner which carries at least one radially disposed sensing probe, such as a Pitot tube having a right-angled tip. The positioner can be coaxially and rotatably mounted within a compressor casing or the like and then actuated to orient the sensing probe as required to make measurements at selected stations in the annulus between the positioner and compressor casing. The positioner can be actuated to (a) selectively move the probe along its own axis, (b) adjust the yaw angle of the right-angled probe tip, and (c) revolve the probe about the axis common to the positioner and casing. A cam plate engages a cam-follower portion of the probe and normally rotates with the positioner. The positioner includes a first-motor-driven ring gear which effects slidable movement of the probe by rotating the positioner at a time when an external pneumatic cylinder is actuated to engage the cam plate and hold it stationary. When the pneumatic cylinder is not actuated, this ring gear can be driven to revolve the positioner and thus the probe to a desired circumferential location about the above-mentioned common axis. A second motor-driven ring gear included in the positioner can be driven to rotate the probe about its axis, thus adjusting the yaw angle of the probe tip. The positioner can be used in highly corrosive atmosphere, such as gaseous uranium hexafluoride. 10 claims, 6 figures

Influence of probe geometry on the response of an electrostatic probe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansson, Torben; Crichton, George C; McAllister, Iain Wilson

1999-01-01

The response of an electrostatic probe is examined with reference to the probe geometry. The study involves the evaluation of the probe lambda function, from which response-related characteristic parameters can be derived. These parameters enable the probe detection sensitivity Se and spatial...

Classical-limit S-matrix for heavy ion scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donangelo, R.J.

1977-01-01

An integral representation for the classical limit of the quantum mechanical S-matrix is developed and applied to heavy-ion Coulomb excitation and Coulomb-nuclear interference. The method combines the quantum principle of superposition with exact classical dynamics to describe the projectile-target system. A detailed consideration of the classical trajectories and of the dimensionless parameters that characterize the system is carried out. The results are compared, where possible, to exact quantum mechanical calculations and to conventional semiclassical calculations. It is found that in the case of backscattering the classical limit S-matrix method is able to almost exactly reproduce the quantum-mechanical S-matrix elements, and therefore the transition probabilities, even for projectiles as light as protons. The results also suggest that this approach should be a better approximation for heavy-ion multiple Coulomb excitation than earlier semiclassical methods, due to a more accurate description of the classical orbits in the electromagnetic field of the target nucleus. Calculations using this method indicate that the rotational excitation probabilities in the Coulomb-nuclear interference region should be very sensitive to the details of the potential at the surface of the nucleus, suggesting that heavy-ion rotational excitation could constitute a sensitive probe of the nuclear potential in this region. The application to other problems as well as the present limits of applicability of the formalism are also discussed

The endo-rectal probe prototype for the TOPEM project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Musico, Paolo, E-mail: Paolo.Musico@ge.infn.it

2016-07-11

The TOPEM project was funded by INFN with the aim of studying the design of a TOF-PET system dedicated to prostate imaging. During last year a big effort was put into building the prototype of the endo-rectal probe from all point of view: mechanical, thermal, electrical. A dedicated integrated circuit was adopted to have the minimum dimensions: the TOFPET ASIC. The system is composed by a LYSO pixellated crystal which is seen by a 128 SiPM matrix on both surfaces: this permits Depth Of Interaction (DOI) measurement. The 4 needed ASICs are handled by a FPGA board which transmits the acquired data over an UDP connection. The external container was made using 3-D printing technology: internal channels on the external surface permit the flowing of controlled temperature (≈35 °C) water. Electronic components power is dissipated using an internal air flow kept at lower temperature (≈20 °C). The probe is MR compatible: a dedicated small antenna can be accommodated in the container. This will permit simultaneous imaging in MRI and PET systems.

The Oxford Probe: an open access five-hole probe for aerodynamic measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, B. F.; Povey, T.

2017-03-01

The Oxford Probe is an open access five-hole probe designed for experimental aerodynamic measurements. The open access probe can be manufactured by the end user via additive manufacturing (metal or plastic). The probe geometry, drawings, calibration maps, and software are available under a creative commons license. The purpose is to widen access to aerodynamic measurement techniques in education and research environments. There are many situations in which the open access probe will allow results of comparable accuracy to a well-calibrated commercial probe. We discuss the applications and limitations of the probe, and compare the calibration maps for 16 probes manufactured in different materials and at different scales, but with the same geometrical design.

The Oxford Probe: an open access five-hole probe for aerodynamic measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, B F; Povey, T

2017-01-01

The Oxford Probe is an open access five-hole probe designed for experimental aerodynamic measurements. The open access probe can be manufactured by the end user via additive manufacturing (metal or plastic). The probe geometry, drawings, calibration maps, and software are available under a creative commons license. The purpose is to widen access to aerodynamic measurement techniques in education and research environments. There are many situations in which the open access probe will allow results of comparable accuracy to a well-calibrated commercial probe. We discuss the applications and limitations of the probe, and compare the calibration maps for 16 probes manufactured in different materials and at different scales, but with the same geometrical design. (paper)

Probe Techniques. Introductory Remarks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Emeleus, K. G. [School of Physics and Applied Mathematics, Queen' s University, Belfast (United Kingdom)

1968-04-15

In this brief introduction to the session on probes, the history of theii development is first touched on briefly. Reference is then made to the significance of the work to be described by Medicus, for conductivity and recombination calculations, and by Lam and Su, for a wide range of medium and higher pressure plasmas. Finally, a number of other probe topics are mentioned, including multiple probes; probes in electronegative plasmas; resonance probes; probes in noisy discharges; probes as oscillation detectors; use of probes where space-charge is not negligible. (author)

Probe-diverse ptychography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peterson, I., E-mail: isaac.russellpeterson@rmit.edu.au [ARC Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-ray Science, the University of Melbourne, School of Physics, Victoria 3010 (Australia); Harder, R. [Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); Robinson, I.K. [Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE (United Kingdom); London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, London WC1H 0AH (United Kingdom)

2016-12-15

We propose an extension of ptychography where the target sample is scanned separately through several probes with distinct amplitude and phase profiles and a diffraction image is recorded for each probe and each sample translation. The resulting probe-diverse dataset is used to iteratively retrieve high-resolution images of the sample and all probes simultaneously. The method is shown to yield significant improvement in the reconstructed sample image compared to the image obtained using the standard single-probe ptychographic phase-retrieval scheme.

Irradiation-induced precipitation in a SUS316 stainless steel using three-dimensional atom probe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hatakeyama, M., E-mail: hatake@imr.tohoku.ac.jp [International Research Center for Nuclear Materials Science, IMR/Tohoku University, Narita, Oarai, Ibaraki 311-1313 (Japan); Yamagata, I. [Japan Atom Energy Agency, Narita, Oarai, Ibaraki 311-1393 (Japan)

2013-11-15

Precipitation and segregation were investigated in a compositionally modified 316 austenitic stainless steel, neutron-irradiated at 862 K using a three-dimensional atom probe. In the solution-annealed specimen, Mo, Ti, Nb, C and P enrichment were observed in a silicide, with nominal composition Fe{sub 3}Cr{sub 2}Ni{sub 2}Mo{sub 2}Si{sub 2}. In a Ti-rich carbide, nominaling Fe{sub 5}Cr{sub 8}Ni{sub 10}Mo{sub 2}Ti{sub 11}Si{sub 2}C{sub 6}, enrichment of Mo, Si, O, and Nb was observed. Radiation-induced segregation (RIS) at the precipitate–matrix interface was also investigated at an atomic scale. RIS of Ni and P atoms, which are undersized in Fe, was also analyzed around the interface of the Ti-rich carbide and matrix. Results suggest that the carbide–matrix interface is a sink with an interstitial bias. In the cold-worked specimen, complex-precipitates consisting of silicide and carbide were formed.

Parallel factor analysis PARAFAC of process affected water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ewanchuk, A.M.; Ulrich, A.C.; Sego, D. [Alberta Univ., Edmonton, AB (Canada). Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Alostaz, M. [Thurber Engineering Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada)

2010-07-01

A parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) of oil sands process-affected water was presented. Naphthenic acids (NA) are traditionally described as monobasic carboxylic acids. Research has indicated that oil sands NA do not fit classical definitions of NA. Oil sands organic acids have toxic and corrosive properties. When analyzed by fluorescence technology, oil sands process-affected water displays a characteristic peak at 290 nm excitation and approximately 346 nm emission. In this study, a parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) was used to decompose process-affected water multi-way data into components representing analytes, chemical compounds, and groups of compounds. Water samples from various oil sands operations were analyzed in order to obtain EEMs. The EEMs were then arranged into a large matrix in decreasing process-affected water content for PARAFAC. Data were divided into 5 components. A comparison with commercially prepared NA samples suggested that oil sands NA is fundamentally different. Further research is needed to determine what each of the 5 components represent. tabs., figs.

Polarized light scattering as a probe for changes in chromosome structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shapiro, Daniel Benjamin [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1993-10-01

Measurements and calculations of polarized light scattering are applied to chromosomes. Calculations of the Mueller matrix, which completely describes how the polarization state of light is altered upon scattering, are developed for helical structures related to that of chromosomes. Measurements of the Mueller matrix are presented for octopus sperm heads, and dinoflagellates. Comparisons of theory and experiment are made. A working theory of polarized light scattering from helices is developed. The use of the first Born approximation vs the coupled dipole approximation are investigated. A comparison of continuous, calculated in this work, and discrete models is also discussed. By comparing light scattering measurements with theoretical predictions the average orientation of DNA in an octopus sperm head is determined. Calculations are made for the Mueller matrix of DNA plectonemic helices at UV, visible and X-ray wavelengths. Finally evidence is presented that the chromosomes of dinoflagellates are responsible for observed differential scattering of circularly-polarized light. This differential scattering is found to vary in a manner that is possibly correlated to the cell cycle of the dinoflagellates. It is concluded that by properly choosing the wavelength probe polarized light scattering can provide a useful tool to study chromosome structure.

Design of a Matrix Transducer for Three-Dimensional Second Harmonic Transesophageal Echocardiography

Science.gov (United States)

Blaak, Sandra; van Neer, Paul L. M. J.; Prins, Christian; Bosch, Johan G.; Lancée, Charles T.; van der Steen, Antonius F. W.; de Jong, Nico

Three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography visualizes the 3D anatomy and function of the heart. For 3D imaging an ultrasound matrix of several thousands of elements is required. To connect the matrix to an external imaging system, smart signal processing with integrated circuitry in the tip of the TEE probe is required for channel reduction. To separate the low voltage integrated receive circuitry from the high voltages required for transmission, our design features a separate transmit and receive subarray. In this study we focus on the transmit subarray. A 3D model of an individual element was developed using the finite element method (FEM). The model was validated by laser interferometer and acoustic measurements. Measurement and simulations matched well. The maximum transmit transfer was 3 nm/V at 2.4 MHz for both the FEM simulation of an element in air and the laser interferometer measurement. The FEM simulation of an element in water resulted in a maximum transfer of 43 kPa/V at 2.3 MHz and the acoustic measurement in 55 kPa/V at 2.5 MHz. The maximum pressure is ~1 MPa/120Vpp, which is sufficient pressure for second harmonic imaging. The proposed design of the transmit subarray is suitable for its role in a 3D 2H TEE probe.

Electrical resistivity probes

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ki Ha; Becker, Alex; Faybishenko, Boris A.; Solbau, Ray D.

2003-10-21

A miniaturized electrical resistivity (ER) probe based on a known current-voltage (I-V) electrode structure, the Wenner array, is designed for local (point) measurement. A pair of voltage measuring electrodes are positioned between a pair of current carrying electrodes. The electrodes are typically about 1 cm long, separated by 1 cm, so the probe is only about 1 inch long. The electrodes are mounted to a rigid tube with electrical wires in the tube and a sand bag may be placed around the electrodes to protect the electrodes. The probes can be positioned in a borehole or on the surface. The electrodes make contact with the surrounding medium. In a dual mode system, individual probes of a plurality of spaced probes can be used to measure local resistance, i.e. point measurements, but the system can select different probes to make interval measurements between probes and between boreholes.

Quantitative generalized ratiometric fluorescence spectroscopy for turbid media based on probe encapsulated by biologically localized embedding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Xiu-Fang; Chen, Zeng-Ping; Cui, Yin-Yin; Hu, Yuan-Liang; Yu, Ru-Qin

2016-01-01

PEBBLE (probe encapsulated by biologically localized embedding) nanosensor encapsulating an intensity-based fluorescence indicator and an inert reference fluorescence dye inside the pores of stable matrix can be used as a generalized wavelength-ratiometric probe. However, the lack of an efficient quantitative model render the choices of inert reference dyes and intensity-based fluorescence indicators used in PEBBLEs based generalized wavelength-ratiometric probes rather limited. In this contribution, an extended quantitative fluorescence model was derived specifically for generalized wavelength-ratiometric probes based on PEBBLE technique (QFM GRP ) with a view to simplify the design of PEBBLEs and hence further extend their application potentials. The effectiveness of QFM GRP has been tested on the quantitative determination of free Ca 2+ in both simulated and real turbid media using a Ca 2+ sensitive PEBBLE nanosensor encapsulating Rhod-2 and eosin B inside the micropores of stable polyacrylamide matrix. Experimental results demonstrated that QFM GRP could realize precise and accurate quantification of free Ca 2+ in turbid samples, even though there is serious overlapping between the fluorescence excitation peaks of eosin B and Ca 2+ bound Rhod-2. The average relative predictive error value of QFM GRP for the test simulated turbid samples was 5.9%, about 2–4 times lower than the corresponding values of partial least squares calibration model and the empirical ratiometric model based on the ratio of fluorescence intensities at the excitation peaks of Ca 2+ bound Rhod-2 and eosin B. The recovery rates of QFM GRP for the real and spiked turbid samples varied from 93.1% to 101%, comparable to the corresponding results of atomic absorption spectrometry. - Highlights: • An advanced model was derived for generalized wavelength-ratiometric PEBBLEs. • The model can simplify the design of generalized wavelength-ratiometric PEBBLEs. • The model realized accurate

Semiconductor Nanomaterials-Based Fluorescence Spectroscopic and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI Mass Spectrometric Approaches to Proteome Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suresh Kumar Kailasa

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs or nanoparticles (NPs exhibit very unusual physico-chemcial and optical properties. This review article introduces the applications of semiconductor nanomaterials (NMs in fluorescence spectroscopy and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS for biomolecule analysis. Due to their unique physico-chemical and optical properties, semiconductors NMs have created many new platforms for investigating biomolecular structures and information in modern biology. These semiconductor NMs served as effective fluorescent probes for sensing proteins and cells and acted as affinity or concentrating probes for enriching peptides, proteins and bacteria proteins prior to MALDI-MS analysis.

Quantitative electron probe microanalysis of boron in binary borides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bastin, G.F.; Heijligers, H.J.M.

1986-01-01

Quantitative electron probe microanalysis has been performed in 27 binary borides in the range of 4-30 keV, both for the metals as well as for Boron. The procedures along which accurate intensity measurements for B-K α must be carried out are discussed in detail. A total of 196 k-ratios with respect to elemental standards for the metal X-ray lines and 180 k-ratios for B-K α relative to elemental Boron have been obtained. These data have been used to arrive at an improved parameterization for the φ(ρz) approach in matrix correction. The resulting new program (BAS861) was compared to 5 other current correction programs. At the same occasion the available set of mass absorption coefficients for Boron was tested on its consistency and better values suggested where necessary. Finally it is shown that the modified version of the Gaussian φ(ρz) approach (BAS861 program) is highly successful in the matrix correction for B-K α : a relative root-mean-square value of 6.30% was obtained. (Auth.)

Interactions between stepwise-eluted sub-fractions of fulvic acids and protons revealed by fluorescence titration combined with EEM-PARAFAC.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Fanhao; Wu, Fengchang; Guo, Fei; Wang, Hao; Feng, Weiying; Zhou, Min; Deng, Yanghui; Bai, Yingchen; Xing, Baoshan; Giesy, John P

2017-12-15

In aquatic environments, pH can control environmental behaviors of fulvic acid (FA) via regulating hydrolysis of functional groups. Sub-fractions of FA, eluted using pyrophosphate buffers with initial pHs of 3.0 (FA 3 ), 5.0 (FA 5 ), 7.0 (FA 7 ), 9.0 (FA 9 ) and 13.0 (FA 13 ), were used to explore interactions between the various, operationally defined, FA fractions and protons, by use of EEM-PARAFAC analysis. Splitting of peaks (FA 3 and FA 13 ), merging of peaks (FA 7 ), disappearance of peaks (FA 9 and FA 13 ), and red/blue-shifting of peaks were observed during fluorescence titration. Fulvic-like components were identified from FA 3 -FA 13 , and protein-like components were observed in fractions FA 9 and FA 13 . There primary compounds (carboxylic-like, phenolic-like, and protein-like chromophores) in PARAFAC components were distinguished based on acid-base properties. Dissociation constants (pK a ) for fulvic-like components with proton ranged from 2.43 to 4.13 in an acidic pH and from 9.95 to 11.27 at basic pH. These results might be due to protonation of di-carboxylate and phenolic functional groups. At basic pH, pK a values of protein-like components (9.77-10.13) were similar to those of amino acids. However, at acidic pH, pK a values of protein-like components, which ranged from 3.33 to 4.22, were 1-2units greater than those of amino acids. Results presented here, will benefit understanding of environmental behaviors of FA, as well as interactions of FA with environmental contaminants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Atomic structure of embedded Fe nanoclusters as a function of host matrix material: a synchrotron radiation study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, S H; Roy, M; Gurman, S J; Louch, S; Bleloch, A; Binns, C

2004-01-01

The atomic structure of Fe nanoclusters embedded in a range of matrix materials has been studied using synchrotron radiation. In particular, the effect of embedding the clusters in Ag, amorphous carbon (a-C) and a porous C 60 matrix is investigated. The embedded cluster samples were prepared by co-deposition using a gas aggregation cluster source. Samples with both dilute and high-volume-filling fraction of clusters, at 4 and 40% respectively, were prepared. Fe K edge EXAFS measurements were used to probe the structure within the clusters. In a Ag matrix, the Fe clusters retain the b.c.c. structure of bulk Fe while in a-C there is evidence for both b.c.c. and f.c.c. structures in the clusters. These results are independent of cluster volume-filling fraction over the range investigated. When embedded in a porous C 60 matrix, the Fe clusters oxidize to Fe 2 O 3

A new method for mapping the three-dimensional atomic distribution within nanoparticles by atom probe tomography (APT).

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Se-Ho; Kang, Phil Woong; Park, O Ok; Seol, Jae-Bok; Ahn, Jae-Pyoung; Lee, Ji Yeong; Choi, Pyuck-Pa

2018-07-01

We present a new method of preparing needle-shaped specimens for atom probe tomography from freestanding Pd and C-supported Pt nanoparticles. The method consists of two steps, namely electrophoresis of nanoparticles on a flat Cu substrate followed by electrodeposition of a Ni film acting as an embedding matrix for the nanoparticles. Atom probe specimen preparation can be subsequently carried out by means of focused-ion-beam milling. Using this approach, we have been able to perform correlative atom probe tomography and transmission electron microscopy analyses on both nanoparticle systems. Reliable mass spectra and three-dimensional atom maps could be obtained for Pd nanoparticle specimens. In contrast, atom probe samples prepared from C-supported Pt nanoparticles showed uneven field evaporation and hence artifacts in the reconstructed atom maps. Our developed method is a viable means of mapping the three-dimensional atomic distribution within nanoparticles and is expected to contribute to an improved understanding of the structure-composition-property relationships of various nanoparticle systems. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High spatial resolution Kelvin probe force microscopy with coaxial probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Keith A; Westervelt, Robert M; Satzinger, Kevin J

2012-01-01

Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) is a widely used technique to measure the local contact potential difference (CPD) between an AFM probe and the sample surface via the electrostatic force. The spatial resolution of KPFM is intrinsically limited by the long range of the electrostatic interaction, which includes contributions from the macroscopic cantilever and the conical tip. Here, we present coaxial AFM probes in which the cantilever and cone are shielded by a conducting shell, confining the tip–sample electrostatic interaction to a small region near the end of the tip. We have developed a technique to measure the true CPD despite the presence of the shell electrode. We find that the behavior of these probes agrees with an electrostatic model of the force, and we observe a factor of five improvement in spatial resolution relative to unshielded probes. Our discussion centers on KPFM, but the field confinement offered by these probes may improve any variant of electrostatic force microscopy. (paper)

MALDI MS peptide mapping performance by in-gel digestion on a probe with prestructured sample supports

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klenø, Tina Guldberg; Andreasen, Christian Maaløv; Kjeldal, Helle Ørsted

2004-01-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (tandem) mass spectrometry (MALDI MS) is widely used in protein chemistry and proteomics research for the identification and characterization of proteins isolated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In an effort to minimize sample handling and increa......-probe digestion protocol combined with MALDI tandem mass spectrometry provides a robust platform for proteomics research, including protein identification and determination of posttranslational modifications....

New approaches to nanoparticle sample fabrication for atom probe tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Felfer, P.; Li, T.; Eder, K.; Galinski, H.; Magyar, A.P.; Bell, D.C.; Smith, G.D.W.; Kruse, N.; Ringer, S.P.; Cairney, J.M.

2015-01-01

Due to their unique properties, nano-sized materials such as nanoparticles and nanowires are receiving considerable attention. However, little data is available about their chemical makeup at the atomic scale, especially in three dimensions (3D). Atom probe tomography is able to answer many important questions about these materials if the challenge of producing a suitable sample can be overcome. In order to achieve this, the nanomaterial needs to be positioned within the end of a tip and fixed there so the sample possesses sufficient structural integrity for analysis. Here we provide a detailed description of various techniques that have been used to position nanoparticles on substrates for atom probe analysis. In some of the approaches, this is combined with deposition techniques to incorporate the particles into a solid matrix, and focused ion beam processing is then used to fabricate atom probe samples from this composite. Using these approaches, data has been achieved from 10–20 nm core–shell nanoparticles that were extracted directly from suspension (i.e. with no chemical modification) with a resolution of better than ±1 nm. - Highlights: • Samples for APT of nanoparticles were fabricated from particle powders and dispersions. • Electrophoresis was suitable for producing samples from dispersions. • Powder lift-out was successfully producing samples from particle agglomerates. • Dispersion application/coating delivered the highest quality results.

A portable cadmium telluride multidetector probe for cardiac function monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arntz, Y.; Chambron, J.; Dumitresco, B.; Eclancher, B. E-mail: eclan@alsace.u-strasbg.fr; Prat, V

1999-06-01

A new nuclear stethoscope based on a matrix of small CdTe semiconductor detectors has been developed for studying the cardiac performance by gamma ventriculography at the equilibrium, in rest and stress conditions, in the early and recovery phases of the coronary disease and to follow the long-term therapy. The light-weight probe consists of an array of 64 detectors 5x5x2 mm grouped in 16 independent units in a lead shielded aluminum box including 16 preamplifiers. The probe is connected to an electronic box containing DC power supply, 16 channel amplifiers, discriminators and counters, two analog-triggering ECG channels, and interface to a PC. The left ventricle activity is, preferentially, detected by using a low-resolution matching convergent collimator. A physical evaluation of the probe has been performed, both with static tests and dynamically with a hydraulic home-built model of beating heart ventricle paced by a rhythm simulator. The sum of the 16 detectors activity provided a radiocardiogram (RCG) which well depicted the filling and ejection of the cardiac beats, allowing to compare the clinically relevant parameters of the cardiac performance, proportional variables of the stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF) and ventricular flow-rate with the known absolute values programmed on the model. The portable system is now in operation for clinical assessment of cardiac patients.

A portable cadmium telluride multidetector probe for cardiac function monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arntz, Y.; Chambron, J.; Dumitresco, B.; Eclancher, B.; Prat, V.

1999-01-01

A new nuclear stethoscope based on a matrix of small CdTe semiconductor detectors has been developed for studying the cardiac performance by gamma ventriculography at the equilibrium, in rest and stress conditions, in the early and recovery phases of the coronary disease and to follow the long-term therapy. The light-weight probe consists of an array of 64 detectors 5x5x2 mm grouped in 16 independent units in a lead shielded aluminum box including 16 preamplifiers. The probe is connected to an electronic box containing DC power supply, 16 channel amplifiers, discriminators and counters, two analog-triggering ECG channels, and interface to a PC. The left ventricle activity is, preferentially, detected by using a low-resolution matching convergent collimator. A physical evaluation of the probe has been performed, both with static tests and dynamically with a hydraulic home-built model of beating heart ventricle paced by a rhythm simulator. The sum of the 16 detectors activity provided a radiocardiogram (RCG) which well depicted the filling and ejection of the cardiac beats, allowing to compare the clinically relevant parameters of the cardiac performance, proportional variables of the stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF) and ventricular flow-rate with the known absolute values programmed on the model. The portable system is now in operation for clinical assessment of cardiac patients

New approaches to nanoparticle sample fabrication for atom probe tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Felfer, P., E-mail: peter.felfer@sydney.edu.au [School for Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering/Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Li, T. [School for Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering/Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Materials Department, The University of Oxford, Oxford (United Kingdom); Eder, K. [School for Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering/Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Galinski, H. [School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Magyar, A.P.; Bell, D.C. [School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Center for Nanoscale Systems, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Smith, G.D.W. [Materials Department, The University of Oxford, Oxford (United Kingdom); Kruse, N. [Chemical Physics of Materials (Catalysis-Tribology), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Campus Plaine, CP 243, 1050 Brussels (Belgium); Ringer, S.P.; Cairney, J.M. [School for Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering/Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia)

2015-12-15

Due to their unique properties, nano-sized materials such as nanoparticles and nanowires are receiving considerable attention. However, little data is available about their chemical makeup at the atomic scale, especially in three dimensions (3D). Atom probe tomography is able to answer many important questions about these materials if the challenge of producing a suitable sample can be overcome. In order to achieve this, the nanomaterial needs to be positioned within the end of a tip and fixed there so the sample possesses sufficient structural integrity for analysis. Here we provide a detailed description of various techniques that have been used to position nanoparticles on substrates for atom probe analysis. In some of the approaches, this is combined with deposition techniques to incorporate the particles into a solid matrix, and focused ion beam processing is then used to fabricate atom probe samples from this composite. Using these approaches, data has been achieved from 10–20 nm core–shell nanoparticles that were extracted directly from suspension (i.e. with no chemical modification) with a resolution of better than ±1 nm. - Highlights: • Samples for APT of nanoparticles were fabricated from particle powders and dispersions. • Electrophoresis was suitable for producing samples from dispersions. • Powder lift-out was successfully producing samples from particle agglomerates. • Dispersion application/coating delivered the highest quality results.

Effect of secondary structure on single nucleotide polymorphism detection with a porous microarray matrix; implications for probe selection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Anthony, R. M.; Schuitema, A. R. J.; Chan, A. B.; Boender, P. J.; Klatser, P. R.; Oskam, L.

2003-01-01

Oligonucleotide arrays capable of detecting single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from amplified nucleic acid have many applications. The expected SNP is usually placed approximately in the center of the probe to ensure the maximum shift in Tm between complementary and SNP sequences. Unfortunately,

Inductive matrix completion for predicting gene-disease associations.

Science.gov (United States)

Natarajan, Nagarajan; Dhillon, Inderjit S

2014-06-15

Most existing methods for predicting causal disease genes rely on specific type of evidence, and are therefore limited in terms of applicability. More often than not, the type of evidence available for diseases varies-for example, we may know linked genes, keywords associated with the disease obtained by mining text, or co-occurrence of disease symptoms in patients. Similarly, the type of evidence available for genes varies-for example, specific microarray probes convey information only for certain sets of genes. In this article, we apply a novel matrix-completion method called Inductive Matrix Completion to the problem of predicting gene-disease associations; it combines multiple types of evidence (features) for diseases and genes to learn latent factors that explain the observed gene-disease associations. We construct features from different biological sources such as microarray expression data and disease-related textual data. A crucial advantage of the method is that it is inductive; it can be applied to diseases not seen at training time, unlike traditional matrix-completion approaches and network-based inference methods that are transductive. Comparison with state-of-the-art methods on diseases from the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database shows that the proposed approach is substantially better-it has close to one-in-four chance of recovering a true association in the top 100 predictions, compared to the recently proposed Catapult method (second best) that has bigdata.ices.utexas.edu/project/gene-disease. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

Functional proteomic of Matrix Metallo-proteinases (MMP) dedicated to the detection of active forms of MMP in complex proteome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

David, A.

2007-07-01

The Matrix Metallo-proteinases (M.M.P.) represent a family of Zinc dependent extracellular proteinases able to cleave collectively all the proteins constituting the extracellular matrix. Currently, 23 human M.M.P. have been identified and are characterized by their sequence in amino-acids and their highly conserved 3 D structure. These enzymes are expressed constitutively during the tissue remodeling process. Their over-expression in various diseases tightly related to inflammatory processes (arthritis, emphysema, cancer) described M.M.P. as choice therapeutic targets. However, as the tissue remodeling implicates modification of cellular contacts, M.M.P. appear currently as proteins involved in signalling pathways. Recent works demonstrating that M.M.P. are able to cleave substrates, which are different than proteins constituting the extracellular matrix, reinforce this vision. In order to identify the individual role and the protein expression level of M.M.P. in pathological context, we developed a new technique of functional proteomics dedicated to the detection of active forms of M.M.P. in tumour samples. This technique relied on the development of a new photoaffinity probe, based on the structure of a potent phosphinic inhibitor of M.M.P., allowing targeting and isolating active forms of M.M.P. by photoaffinity labelling. Furthermore, as the new developed probe incorporated a radioactive element, photoaffinity labelling permitted to radiolabel the targeted proteins. This probe demonstrated in vitro its remarkable ability to covalently modify the h M.M.P.-12, with a singular cross-linking yield, determined at 42 %, displaying an extremely sensitive detection (2.5 fmoles of h M.M.P.-12). When added to complex proteome, the photoaffinity probe presents the same sensibility of detection for the h M.M.P.-12 (5 fmoles); importantly, in this case, h M.M.P.-12 represents only 0.001 % of the totality of the proteins present in the sample. Moreover, this technique allows

DNA probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castelino, J.

1992-01-01

The creation of DNA probes for detection of specific nucleotide segments differs from ligand detection in that it is a chemical rather than an immunological reaction. Complementary DNA or RNA is used in place of the antibody and is labelled with 32 P. So far, DNA probes have been successfully employed in the diagnosis of inherited disorders, infectious diseases, and for identification of human oncogenes. The latest approach to the diagnosis of communicable and parasitic infections is based on the use of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) probes. The genetic information of all cells is encoded by DNA and DNA probe approach to identification of pathogens is unique because the focus of the method is the nucleic acid content of the organism rather than the products that the nucleic acid encodes. Since every properly classified species has some unique nucleotide sequences that distinguish it from every other species, each organism's genetic composition is in essence a finger print that can be used for its identification. In addition to this specificity, DNA probes offer other advantages in that pathogens may be identified directly in clinical specimens

Counting probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Haruya; Kaya, Nobuyuki; Yuasa, Kazuhiro; Hayashi, Tomoaki

1976-01-01

Electron counting method has been devised and experimented for the purpose of measuring electron temperature and density, the most fundamental quantities to represent plasma conditions. Electron counting is a method to count the electrons in plasma directly by equipping a probe with the secondary electron multiplier. It has three advantages of adjustable sensitivity, high sensitivity of the secondary electron multiplier, and directional property. Sensitivity adjustment is performed by changing the size of collecting hole (pin hole) on the incident front of the multiplier. The probe is usable as a direct reading thermometer of electron temperature because it requires to collect very small amount of electrons, thus it doesn't disturb the surrounding plasma, and the narrow sweep width of the probe voltage is enough. Therefore it can measure anisotropy more sensitively than a Langmuir probe, and it can be used for very low density plasma. Though many problems remain on anisotropy, computer simulation has been carried out. Also it is planned to provide a Helmholtz coil in the vacuum chamber to eliminate the effect of earth magnetic field. In practical experiments, the measurement with a Langmuir probe and an emission probe mounted to the movable structure, the comparison with the results obtained in reverse magnetic field by using a Helmholtz coil, and the measurement of ionic sound wave are scheduled. (Wakatsuki, Y.)

Evaluation of the Hologic gen-probe PANTHER, APTIMA Combo 2 assay in a tertiary care teaching hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Annie; Kirby, James E

2014-03-01

To evaluate the performance of the Hologic Gen-Probe (San Diego, CA) PANTHER system. The performance of PANTHER was compared with the Hologic Gen-Probe TIGRIS and/or Roche (Indianapolis, IN) COBAS AMPLICOR systems through testing of patient specimens and the spiked-urine matrix. After discrepant resolution, PANTHER demonstrated a 99.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 96.0%-99.9%) positive and 100% (98.5%-100.0%) negative agreement for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and 100% (96.6%-100.0%) positive and 100% (98.6%-100.0%) negative agreement for Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) for all male, female, unsexed, and NG-spiked female urine specimens combined. For other specimen types collectively, the PANTHER demonstrated 100% (95% CI, 90.6%-100.0%) positive and 100% (88.3%-100.0%) negative agreement for CT and 90.9% (62.8%-98.4%) positive and 100% (93.5%-100.0%) negative agreement for NG. Analytical sensitivity of the PANTHER in urine matrix was similar to the TIGRIS system. The PANTHER system provides an excellent new addition to options for detecting CT and NG, is appropriate for testing urine samples, and will facilitate high-throughput testing in the clinical laboratory.

Mobile probes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ørngreen, Rikke; Jørgensen, Anna Neustrup; Noesgaard, Signe Schack

2016-01-01

A project investigating the effectiveness of a collection of online resources for teachers' professional development used mobile probes as a data collection method. Teachers received questions and tasks on their mobile in a dialogic manner while in their everyday context as opposed...... to in an interview. This method provided valuable insight into the contextual use, i.e. how did the online resource transfer to the work practice. However, the research team also found that mobile probes may provide the scaffolding necessary for individual and peer learning at a very local (intra-school) community...... level. This paper is an initial investigation of how the mobile probes process proved to engage teachers in their efforts to improve teaching. It also highlights some of the barriers emerging when applying mobile probes as a scaffold for learning....

Quantitatively characterizing the microstructural features of breast ductal carcinoma tissues in different progression stages by Mueller matrix microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Yang; Qi, Ji; He, Honghui; He, Chao; Liu, Shaoxiong; Wu, Jian; Elson, Daniel S; Ma, Hui

2017-08-01

Polarization imaging has been recognized as a potentially powerful technique for probing the microstructural information and optical properties of complex biological specimens. Recently, we have reported a Mueller matrix microscope by adding the polarization state generator and analyzer (PSG and PSA) to a commercial transmission-light microscope, and applied it to differentiate human liver and cervical cancerous tissues with fibrosis. In this paper, we apply the Mueller matrix microscope for quantitative detection of human breast ductal carcinoma samples at different stages. The Mueller matrix polar decomposition and transformation parameters of the breast ductal tissues in different regions and at different stages are calculated and analyzed. For more quantitative comparisons, several widely-used image texture feature parameters are also calculated to characterize the difference in the polarimetric images. The experimental results indicate that the Mueller matrix microscope and the polarization parameters can facilitate the quantitative detection of breast ductal carcinoma tissues at different stages.

The effect orientation of features in reconstructed atom probe data on the resolution and measured composition of T1 plates in an A2198 aluminium alloy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mullin, Maria A; Araullo-Peters, Vicente J; Gault, Baptiste; Cairney, Julie M

2015-12-01

Artefacts in atom probe tomography can impact the compositional analysis of microstructure in atom probe studies. To determine the integrity of information obtained, it is essential to understand how the positioning of features influences compositional analysis. By investigating the influence of feature orientation within atom probe data on measured composition in microstructural features within an AA2198 Al alloy, this study shows differences in the composition of T1 (Al2CuLi) plates that indicates imperfections in atom probe reconstructions. The data fits a model of an exponentially-modified Gaussian that scales with the difference in evaporation field between solutes and matrix. This information provides a guide for obtaining the most accurate information possible. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Accuracy of probing attachment levels using a new computerized cemento-enamel junction probe.

Science.gov (United States)

Deepa, R; Prakash, Shobha

2012-01-01

The assessment of clinical attachment level (CAL) represents the gold standard for diagnosing and monitoring periodontal disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of the newly introduced cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) probe in detecting CAL, using CEJ as a fixed reference point, and to compare the CEJ probe with the Florida stent probe (FSP) as well as with a standard manual probe, University of North Carolina-15 (UNC-15). Three examiners recorded the probing attachment level in 384 sites in case group (chronic periodontitis), and in 176 sites, in control group (healthy periodontal status), using the three probes. Subjects included both the sexes and ranged from 35 to 45 years. The experimental design was structured to balance the intra- and inter-examiner consistency at the same site during the two visits. CEJ probe showed higher intra-and inter-examiner consistency over both FSP and UNC-15 in both the case and control groups. Frequency distribution of differences of various magnitudes of repeated measurements ≤1 mm was in the higher range of 86.8% to 87.5% for CEJ probe. The FSP was more reproducible than UNC-15 in detecting relative attachment level (RAL). CEJ automated probe was found to have greatest potential for accuracy and consistency in detecting CAL than FSP and UNC-15. The automated probes appeared to be more reproducible than manual probes.

Excitation-emission spectra and fluorescence quantum yields for fresh and aged biogenic secondary organic aerosols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Hyun Ji; Laskin, Alexander; Laskin, Julia; Nizkorodov, Sergey A.

2013-05-10

Certain biogenic secondary organic aerosols (SOA) become absorbent and fluorescent when exposed to reduced nitrogen compounds such as ammonia, amines and their salts. Fluorescent SOA may potentially be mistaken for biological particles by detection methods relying on fluorescence. This work quantifies the spectral distribution and effective quantum yields of fluorescence of SOA generated from two monoterpenes, limonene and a-pinene, and two different oxidants, ozone (O3) and hydroxyl radical (OH). The SOA was generated in a smog chamber, collected on substrates, and aged by exposure to ~100 ppb ammonia vapor in air saturated with water vapor. Absorption and excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectra of aqueous extracts of aged and control SOA samples were measured, and the effective absorption coefficients and fluorescence quantum yields (~0.005 for 349 nm excitation) were determined from the data. The strongest fluorescence for the limonene-derived SOA was observed for excitation = 420+- 50 nm and emission = 475 +- 38 nm. The window of the strongest fluorescence shifted to excitation = 320 +- 25 nm and emission = 425 +- 38 nm for the a-pinene-derived SOA. Both regions overlap with the excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectra of some of the fluorophores found in primary biological aerosols. Our study suggests that, despite the low quantum yield, the aged SOA particles should have sufficient fluorescence intensities to interfere with the fluorescence detection of common bioaerosols.

DNA probes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castelino, J

1993-12-31

The creation of DNA probes for detection of specific nucleotide segments differs from ligand detection in that it is a chemical rather than an immunological reaction. Complementary DNA or RNA is used in place of the antibody and is labelled with {sup 32}P. So far, DNA probes have been successfully employed in the diagnosis of inherited disorders, infectious diseases, and for identification of human oncogenes. The latest approach to the diagnosis of communicable and parasitic infections is based on the use of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) probes. The genetic information of all cells is encoded by DNA and DNA probe approach to identification of pathogens is unique because the focus of the method is the nucleic acid content of the organism rather than the products that the nucleic acid encodes. Since every properly classified species has some unique nucleotide sequences that distinguish it from every other species, each organism`s genetic composition is in essence a finger print that can be used for its identification. In addition to this specificity, DNA probes offer other advantages in that pathogens may be identified directly in clinical specimens 10 figs, 2 tabs

Detection of Bacteriocins by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

OpenAIRE

Rose, Natisha L.; Sporns, Peter; McMullen, Lynn M.

1999-01-01

The use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the detection of bacteriocins was investigated. A 30-s water wash of the sample on the MALDI-TOF MS probe was effective in removing contaminants of the analyte. This method was used for rapid detection of nisin, pediocin, brochocin A and B, and enterocin A and B from culture supernatants and for detection of enterocin B throughout its purification.

Matrix product operators, matrix product states, and ab initio density matrix renormalization group algorithms

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Garnet Kin-Lic; Keselman, Anna; Nakatani, Naoki; Li, Zhendong; White, Steven R.

2016-07-01

Current descriptions of the ab initio density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) algorithm use two superficially different languages: an older language of the renormalization group and renormalized operators, and a more recent language of matrix product states and matrix product operators. The same algorithm can appear dramatically different when written in the two different vocabularies. In this work, we carefully describe the translation between the two languages in several contexts. First, we describe how to efficiently implement the ab initio DMRG sweep using a matrix product operator based code, and the equivalence to the original renormalized operator implementation. Next we describe how to implement the general matrix product operator/matrix product state algebra within a pure renormalized operator-based DMRG code. Finally, we discuss two improvements of the ab initio DMRG sweep algorithm motivated by matrix product operator language: Hamiltonian compression, and a sum over operators representation that allows for perfect computational parallelism. The connections and correspondences described here serve to link the future developments with the past and are important in the efficient implementation of continuing advances in ab initio DMRG and related algorithms.

The characteristics of energy-efficiency measures – a neglected dimension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fleiter, Tobias; Hirzel, Simon; Worrell, Ernst

2012-01-01

The diffusion of cost-effective energy-efficiency measures (EEMs) in firms is often surprisingly slow. This phenomenon is usually attributed to a variety of barriers which have been the focus of numerous studies over the last two decades. However, many studies treat EEMs homogenously and assume they have few inherent differences apart from their profitability. We argue that complementing such analyses by considering the characteristics of EEMs in a structured manner can enhance the understanding of EEM adoption. For this purpose, we suggest a classification scheme for EEMs in industry which aims to provide a better understanding of their adoption by industrial firms and to assist in selecting and designing energy-efficiency policies. The suggested classification scheme is derived from the literature on the adoption of EEMs and the related fields including the diffusion of innovations, eco-innovations and advanced manufacturing technology. Our proposed scheme includes 12 characteristics based on the relative advantage, the technical and the information context of the EEM. Applying this classification scheme to six example EEMs demonstrates that it can help to systematically explain why certain EEMs diffuse faster than others. Furthermore, it provides a basis for identifying policies able to increase the rate of adoption. - Highlights: ► The characteristics of energy-efficiency measures critically affect their adoption. ► We propose a classification for energy-efficiency measures in industry. ► It allows to draw conclusions on the adoption likelihood and intensity of barriers. ► As such it provides a basis for policy design and technology analysis.

Feasibility of the simultaneous determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons based on two-dimensional fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Renjie; Dong, Guimei; Sun, Xueshan; Yang, Yanrong; Yu, Yaping; Liu, Haixue; Zhang, Weiyu

2018-02-01

A new approach for quantitative determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in environment was proposed based on two-dimensional (2D) fluorescence correlation spectroscopy in conjunction with multivariate method. 40 mixture solutions of anthracene and pyrene were prepared in the laboratory. Excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectra of all samples were collected. And 2D fluorescence correlation spectra were calculated under the excitation perturbation. The N-way partial least squares (N-PLS) models were developed based on 2D fluorescence correlation spectra, showing a root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) of 3.50 μg L- 1 and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 4.42 μg L- 1 for anthracene and of 3.61 μg L- 1 and 4.29 μg L- 1 for pyrene, respectively. Also, the N-PLS models were developed for quantitative analysis of anthracene and pyrene using EEM fluorescence spectra. The RMSEC and RMSEP were 3.97 μg L- 1 and 4.63 μg L- 1 for anthracene, 4.46 μg L- 1 and 4.52 μg L- 1 for pyrene, respectively. It was found that the N-PLS model using 2D fluorescence correlation spectra could provide better results comparing with EEM fluorescence spectra because of its low RMSEC and RMSEP. The methodology proposed has the potential to be an alternative method for detection of PAHs in environment.

The relationship of chromophoric dissolved organic matter parallel factor analysis fluorescence and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in natural surface waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Sijia; Chen, Ya'nan; Zhang, Jiquan; Song, Kaishan; Mu, Guangyi; Sun, Caiyun; Ju, Hanyu; Ji, Meichen

2018-01-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a large group of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), have caused wide environmental pollution and ecological effects. Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), which consists of complex compounds, was seen as a proxy of water quality. An attempt was made to understand the relationships of CDOM absorption parameters and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) components with PAHs under seasonal variation in the riverine, reservoir, and urban waters of the Yinma River watershed in 2016. These different types of water bodies provided wide CDOM and PAHs concentration ranges with CDOM absorption coefficients at a wavelength of 350 nm (a CDOM (350)) of 1.17-20.74 m -1 and total PAHs of 0-1829 ng/L. CDOM excitation-emission matrix (EEM) presented two fluorescent components, e.g., terrestrial humic-like (C1) and tryptophan-like (C2) were identified using PARAFAC. Tryptophan-like associated protein-like fluorescence often dominates the EEM signatures of sewage samples. Our finding is that seasonal CDOM EEM-PARAFAC and PAHs concentration showed consistent tendency indicated that PAHs were un-ignorable pollutants. However, the disparities in seasonal CDOM-PAH relationships relate to the similar sources of CDOM and PAHs, and the proportion of PAHs in CDOM. Overlooked and poorly appreciated, quantifying the relationship between CDOM and PAHs has important implications, because these results simplify ecological and health-based risk assessment of pollutants compared to the traditional chemical measurements.

A novel mitochondria-targeted two-photon fluorescent probe for dynamic and reversible detection of the redox cycles between peroxynitrite and glutathione.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Chunlong; Du, Wen; Wang, Peng; Wu, Yang; Wang, Baoqin; Wang, Jun; Xie, Wenjun

2017-12-16

Redox homeostasis is important for maintenance of normal physiological functions within cells. Redox state of cells is primarily a consequence of precise balance between levels of reducing equivalents and reactive oxygen species. Redox homeostasis between peroxynitrite (ONOO - ) and glutathione (GSH) is closely associated with physiological and pathological processes, such as prolonged relaxation in vascular tissues and smooth muscle preparations, attenuation of hepatic necrosis, and activation of matrix metalloproteinase-2. We report a two-photon fluorescent probe (TP-Se) based on water-soluble carbazole-based compound, which integrates with organic selenium, to monitor changes in ONOO - /GSH levels in cells. This probe can reversibly respond to ONOO - and GSH and exhibits high selectivity, sensitivity, and mitochondrial targeting. The probe was successfully applied to visualize changes in redox cycles during ONOO - outbreak and antioxidant GSH repair in cells. The probe will lead to significant development on redox events involved in cellular redox regulation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Probe Storage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gemelli, Marcellino; Abelmann, Leon; Engelen, Johannes Bernardus Charles; Khatib, M.G.; Koelmans, W.W.; Zaboronski, Olog; Campardo, Giovanni; Tiziani, Federico; Laculo, Massimo

2011-01-01

This chapter gives an overview of probe-based data storage research over the last three decades, encompassing all aspects of a probe recording system. Following the division found in all mechanically addressed storage systems, the different subsystems (media, read/write heads, positioning, data

Optimisation of mass ranging for atom probe microanalysis and application to the corrosion processes in Zr alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hudson, D.; Smith, G.D.W.; Gault, B.

2011-01-01

Atom probe tomography uses time-of-flight mass spectrometry to identify the chemical nature of atoms from their mass-to-charge-state ratios. Within a mass spectrum, ranges are defined so as to attribute a chemical identity to each peak. The accuracy of atom probe microanalysis relies on the definition of these ranges. Here we propose and compare several automated ranging techniques, tested against simulated mass spectra. The performance of these metrics compare favourably with a trial of users asked to manually range a simplified simulated dataset. The optimised automated ranging procedure was then used to precisely evaluate the very low iron concentration (0.003-0.018 at%) in a zirconium alloy to reveal its behaviour in the matrix during corrosion; oxygen is injected into solution and has the effect of increasing the local iron concentration near the oxide-metal interface, which in turn affects the corrosion properties of the metal substrate. -- Research Highlights: → Realistic simulated mass spectra were generated so as to reproduce experimental data with a perfectly determined composition. → Several metrics were tested against these simulated mass spectra to determine an optimal methodology for ranging mass peaks in atom probe tomography. Systematic automated ranging provides a significant reduction in the deviation between true and measured concentrations compared to manual ranging by multiple users on the same data. → Experimental datasets were subsequently investigated, and Fe has been shown to be distributed as a random solid solution within the matrix of 'as-received' recrystallised ZIRLO, a zirconium alloy.

Program and abstracts of the offshore oil and gas environmental effects monitoring workshop : approaches and technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

The offshore petroleum industry in eastern Canada has expanded rapidly, with exploration and production activities taking place over a wide range of oceanographic conditions. This workshop, hosted by Canada's largest marine research institute, was held to advance the understanding of environmental impacts from offshore oil and gas activity. In particular, it examined how information derived from environmental effects monitoring (EEM) programs contribute to improved drilling and production operations, mitigation measures, and the revision of regulations for waste treatment. The workshop examined if EEM programs are providing valuable information, and how they can be improved. The themes of the 3 sessions which focused on ways to carry out EEM were: (1) EEM and environmental management, (2) EEM methodologies and lessons learned, and (3) EEM methodologies and technologies. Participants form around the world identified priority research needs and coordinated collaborative research efforts. Approximately 70 papers and posters were presented at the workshop, of which 19 have been indexed separately for inclusion in this database (Author)

Probing cellular mechanoadaptation using cell-substrate de-adhesion dynamics: experiments and model.

Science.gov (United States)

S S, Soumya; Sthanam, Lakshmi Kavitha; Padinhateeri, Ranjith; Inamdar, Mandar M; Sen, Shamik

2014-01-01

Physical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) are known to regulate cellular processes ranging from spreading to differentiation, with alterations in cell phenotype closely associated with changes in physical properties of cells themselves. When plated on substrates of varying stiffness, fibroblasts have been shown to exhibit stiffness matching property, wherein cell cortical stiffness increases in proportion to substrate stiffness up to 5 kPa, and subsequently saturates. Similar mechanoadaptation responses have also been observed in other cell types. Trypsin de-adhesion represents a simple experimental framework for probing the contractile mechanics of adherent cells, with de-adhesion timescales shown to scale inversely with cortical stiffness values. In this study, we combine experiments and computation in deciphering the influence of substrate properties in regulating de-adhesion dynamics of adherent cells. We first show that NIH 3T3 fibroblasts cultured on collagen-coated polyacrylamide hydrogels de-adhere faster on stiffer substrates. Using a simple computational model, we qualitatively show how substrate stiffness and cell-substrate bond breakage rate collectively influence de-adhesion timescales, and also obtain analytical expressions of de-adhesion timescales in certain regimes of the parameter space. Finally, by comparing stiffness-dependent experimental and computational de-adhesion responses, we show that faster de-adhesion on stiffer substrates arises due to force-dependent breakage of cell-matrix adhesions. In addition to illustrating the utility of employing trypsin de-adhesion as a biophysical tool for probing mechanoadaptation, our computational results highlight the collective interplay of substrate properties and bond breakage rate in setting de-adhesion timescales.

Modular Rake of Pitot Probes

Science.gov (United States)

Dunlap, Timothy A.; Henry, Michael W.; Homyk, Raymond P.

2004-01-01

The figure presents selected views of a modular rake of 17 pitot probes for measuring both transient and steady-state pressures in a supersonic wind tunnel. In addition to pitot tubes visible in the figure, the probe modules contain (1) high-frequency dynamic-pressure transducers connected through wires to remote monitoring circuitry and (2) flow passages that lead to tubes that, in turn, lead to remote steady-state pressure transducers. Prior pitot-probe rakes were fabricated as unitary structures, into which the individual pitot probes were brazed. Repair or replacement of individual probes was difficult, costly, and time-consuming because (1) it was necessary to remove entire rakes in order to unbraze individual malfunctioning probes and (2) the heat of unbrazing a failed probe and of brazing a new probe in place could damage adjacent probes. In contrast, the modules in the present probe are designed to be relatively quickly and easily replaceable with no heating and, in many cases, without need for removal of the entire rake from the wind tunnel. To remove a malfunctioning probe, one first removes a screw-mounted V-cross-section cover that holds the probe and adjacent probes in place. Then one removes a screw-mounted cover plate to gain access to the steady-state pressure tubes and dynamicpressure wires. Next, one disconnects the tube and wires of the affected probe. Finally, one installs a new probe in the reverse of the aforementioned sequence. The wire connections can be made by soldering, but to facilitate removal and installation, they can be made via miniature plugs and sockets. The connections between the probe flow passages and the tubes leading to the remote pressure sensors can be made by use of any of a variety of readily available flexible tubes that can be easily pulled off and slid back on for removal and installation, respectively.

Experimental approaches for probing interfaces and grain boundaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrera, E.V.; Marcus, H.L.

1990-01-01

This paper focuses its attention on several research efforts performed by the authors and colleagues whose primary aim is probing interfacial and grain boundary properties. The first investigations described pertain to impurity segregation induced embrittlement which were modeled using thermodynamic considerations and were characterized by fracture testing using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Localized interface chemical characterization is essential in this research. The second investigation focuses on interface/impurity interaction determination. Extended X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS), a structure characterization tool, was used to determine the local environment of impurities in metal-impurity-metal laminate composites, where the impurities were in monolayer to submonolayer interface concentrations. The third study pertains to the interface fracture in metal-matrix (metal/metal oxide/graphite) composites where a correlation was made between electronic states and fracture path

Multivariate statistical analysis of atom probe tomography data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parish, Chad M.; Miller, Michael K.

2010-01-01

The application of spectrum imaging multivariate statistical analysis methods, specifically principal component analysis (PCA), to atom probe tomography (APT) data has been investigated. The mathematical method of analysis is described and the results for two example datasets are analyzed and presented. The first dataset is from the analysis of a PM 2000 Fe-Cr-Al-Ti steel containing two different ultrafine precipitate populations. PCA properly describes the matrix and precipitate phases in a simple and intuitive manner. A second APT example is from the analysis of an irradiated reactor pressure vessel steel. Fine, nm-scale Cu-enriched precipitates having a core-shell structure were identified and qualitatively described by PCA. Advantages, disadvantages, and future prospects for implementing these data analysis methodologies for APT datasets, particularly with regard to quantitative analysis, are also discussed.

STM-SQUID probe microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayashi, Tadayuki; Tachiki, Minoru; Itozaki, Hideo

2007-01-01

We have developed a STM-SQUID probe microscope. A high T C SQUID probe microscope was combined with a scanning tunneling microscope for investigation of samples at room temperature in air. A high permeability probe needle was used as a magnetic flux guide to improve the spatial resolution. The probe with tip radius of less than 100 nm was prepared by microelectropolishing. The probe was also used as a scanning tunneling microscope tip. Topography of the sample surface could be measured by the scanning tunneling microscope with high spatial resolution prior to observation by SQUID microscopy. The SQUID probe microscope image could be observed while keeping the distance from the sample surface to the probe tip constant. We observed a topographic image and a magnetic image of Ni fine pattern and also a magnetically recorded hard disk. Furthermore we have investigated a sample vibration method of the static magnetic field emanating from a sample with the aim of achieving a higher signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio

Characterization of coating probe with Ti-DLC for electrical scanning probe microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shia Xiaolei; Guo Liqiu; Bai Yang; Qiao Lijie

2011-01-01

In electrical scanning probe microscope (ESPM) applications, the wear and conductivity of the probe are undoubtedly serious concerns since they affect the integrity of the measurements. This study investigates the characterization of Ti doped diamond-like-carbon (DLC) as coating material on a silicon cantilever for ESPM. We deposited a layer of Ti-DLC thin film on the surface of Si cantilever by magnetron sputtering. The morphology and composition of the Ti-DLC films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. We also compared the wear resistance, electric conductivity and scanning image quality of the Ti-DLC-coated probes with those of commercially available conductive probes. The results showed that the electric conductivity and the scanning image quality of the Ti-DLC-coated probes were the same as the commercial conductive probes, while the wear resistance and service life was significantly better.

rCUR: an R package for CUR matrix decomposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bodor András

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many methods for dimensionality reduction of large data sets such as those generated in microarray studies boil down to the Singular Value Decomposition (SVD. Although singular vectors associated with the largest singular values have strong optimality properties and can often be quite useful as a tool to summarize the data, they are linear combinations of up to all of the data points, and thus it is typically quite hard to interpret those vectors in terms of the application domain from which the data are drawn. Recently, an alternative dimensionality reduction paradigm, CUR matrix decompositions, has been proposed to address this problem and has been applied to genetic and internet data. CUR decompositions are low-rank matrix decompositions that are explicitly expressed in terms of a small number of actual columns and/or actual rows of the data matrix. Since they are constructed from actual data elements, CUR decompositions are interpretable by practitioners of the field from which the data are drawn. Results We present an implementation to perform CUR matrix decompositions, in the form of a freely available, open source R-package called rCUR. This package will help users to perform CUR-based analysis on large-scale data, such as those obtained from different high-throughput technologies, in an interactive and exploratory manner. We show two examples that illustrate how CUR-based techniques make it possible to reduce significantly the number of probes, while at the same time maintaining major trends in data and keeping the same classification accuracy. Conclusions The package rCUR provides functions for the users to perform CUR-based matrix decompositions in the R environment. In gene expression studies, it gives an additional way of analysis of differential expression and discriminant gene selection based on the use of statistical leverage scores. These scores, which have been used historically in diagnostic regression

Proximal Probes Facility

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Proximal Probes Facility consists of laboratories for microscopy, spectroscopy, and probing of nanostructured materials and their functional properties. At the...

Biodegradation behavior of natural organic matter (NOM) in a biological aerated filter (BAF) as a pretreatment for ultrafiltration (UF) of river water

KAUST Repository

Huang, Guocheng

2011-04-15

In this study, biodegradation of natural organic matter (NOM) in a biological aerated filter (BAF) as pretreatment of UF treating river water was investigated. Photometric measurement, three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy and liquid chromatography with online organic carbon detector (LC-OCD) were used to investigate the fate of NOM fractions in the BAF+UF process. Results showed that the BAF process could effectively remove particles and parts of dissolved organic matter, which led to a lower NOM loading in the UF system, but different NOM fractions showed different biodegradation potentials. Further biodegradation batch experiments confirmed this observation and identified that polysaccharides and proteins (quantified using photometric methods) contained a large proportion of readily biodegradable matter while humic substances were mainly composed of inert organic substances. According to EEM measurements, it is evident that protein-like substances were more readily eliminated by microorganisms than humic-like substances. LC-OCD data also supported the phenomena that the polysaccharides and large-size proteins were more degradable than humic substances. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.

Fluorescence lifetime selectivity in excitation-emission matrices for qualitative analysis of a two-component system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Millican, D.W.; McGown, L.B.

1989-01-01

Steady-state fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs), and phase-resolved EEMs (PREEMs) collected at modulation frequencies of 6, 18, and 30 MHz, were used for qualitative analysis of mixtures of benzo[k]fluoranthene (τ = 8 ns) and benzo[b]fluoranthene (τ = 29 ns) in ethanol. The EEMs of the individual components were extracted from mixture EEMs by means of wavelength component vector-gram (WCV) analysis. Phase resolution was found to be superior to steady-state measurements for extraction of the component spectra, for mixtures in which the intensity contributions from the two components are unequal

X-RAY ACTIVE MATRIX PIXEL SENSORS BASEDON J-FET TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED FOR THE LINAC COHERENT LIGHT SOURCE.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

CARINI,G.A.; CHEN, W.; LI, Z.; REHAK, P.; SIDDONS, D.P.

2007-10-29

An X-ray Active Matrix Pixel Sensor (XAMPS) is being developed for recording data for the X-ray Pump Probe experiment at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). Special attention has to be paid to some technological challenges that this design presents. New processes were developed and refined to address problems encountered during previous productions of XAMPS. The development of these critical steps and corresponding tests results are reported here.

Ceramic matrix composite article and process of fabricating a ceramic matrix composite article

Science.gov (United States)

Cairo, Ronald Robert; DiMascio, Paul Stephen; Parolini, Jason Robert

2016-01-12

A ceramic matrix composite article and a process of fabricating a ceramic matrix composite are disclosed. The ceramic matrix composite article includes a matrix distribution pattern formed by a manifold and ceramic matrix composite plies laid up on the matrix distribution pattern, includes the manifold, or a combination thereof. The manifold includes one or more matrix distribution channels operably connected to a delivery interface, the delivery interface configured for providing matrix material to one or more of the ceramic matrix composite plies. The process includes providing the manifold, forming the matrix distribution pattern by transporting the matrix material through the manifold, and contacting the ceramic matrix composite plies with the matrix material.

Development of conductivity probe and temperature probe for in-situ measurements in hydrological studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandra, U.; Galindo, B.J.; Castagnet, A.C.G.

1981-05-01

A conductivity probe and a temperature probe have been developed for in-situ measurements in various hydrological field studies. The conductivity probe has platinum electrodes and is powered with two 12 volt batteries. The sensing element of the temperature probe consists of a resistor of high coefficient of temperature. Response of the conductivity probe is measured in a milliampere mater while the resistance of the thermistor is read by a digital meter. The values of conductivity and temperature are derived from respective calibration. The probes are prototype and their range of measurement can be improved depending upon the requirement of the field problem. (Author) [pt

Laser-heated emissive plasma probe.

Science.gov (United States)

Schrittwieser, Roman; Ionita, Codrina; Balan, Petru; Gstrein, Ramona; Grulke, Olaf; Windisch, Thomas; Brandt, Christian; Klinger, Thomas; Madani, Ramin; Amarandei, George; Sarma, Arun K

2008-08-01

Emissive probes are standard tools in laboratory plasmas for the direct determination of the plasma potential. Usually they consist of a loop of refractory wire heated by an electric current until sufficient electron emission. Recently emissive probes were used also for measuring the radial fluctuation-induced particle flux and other essential parameters of edge turbulence in magnetized toroidal hot plasmas [R. Schrittwieser et al., Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 50, 055004 (2008)]. We have developed and investigated various types of emissive probes, which were heated by a focused infrared laser beam. Such a probe has several advantages: higher probe temperature without evaporation or melting and thus higher emissivity and longer lifetime, no deformation of the probe in a magnetic field, no potential drop along the probe wire, and faster time response. The probes are heated by an infrared diode laser with 808 nm wavelength and an output power up to 50 W. One probe was mounted together with the lens system on a radially movable probe shaft, and radial profiles of the plasma potential and of its oscillations were measured in a linear helicon discharge.

Laser-heated emissive plasma probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schrittwieser, Roman; Ionita, Codrina; Balan, Petru; Gstrein, Ramona; Grulke, Olaf; Windisch, Thomas; Brandt, Christian; Klinger, Thomas; Madani, Ramin; Amarandei, George; Sarma, Arun K.

2008-01-01

Emissive probes are standard tools in laboratory plasmas for the direct determination of the plasma potential. Usually they consist of a loop of refractory wire heated by an electric current until sufficient electron emission. Recently emissive probes were used also for measuring the radial fluctuation-induced particle flux and other essential parameters of edge turbulence in magnetized toroidal hot plasmas [R. Schrittwieser et al., Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 50, 055004 (2008)]. We have developed and investigated various types of emissive probes, which were heated by a focused infrared laser beam. Such a probe has several advantages: higher probe temperature without evaporation or melting and thus higher emissivity and longer lifetime, no deformation of the probe in a magnetic field, no potential drop along the probe wire, and faster time response. The probes are heated by an infrared diode laser with 808 nm wavelength and an output power up to 50 W. One probe was mounted together with the lens system on a radially movable probe shaft, and radial profiles of the plasma potential and of its oscillations were measured in a linear helicon discharge

Laser-heated emissive plasma probe

Science.gov (United States)

Schrittwieser, Roman; Ionita, Codrina; Balan, Petru; Gstrein, Ramona; Grulke, Olaf; Windisch, Thomas; Brandt, Christian; Klinger, Thomas; Madani, Ramin; Amarandei, George; Sarma, Arun K.

2008-08-01

Emissive probes are standard tools in laboratory plasmas for the direct determination of the plasma potential. Usually they consist of a loop of refractory wire heated by an electric current until sufficient electron emission. Recently emissive probes were used also for measuring the radial fluctuation-induced particle flux and other essential parameters of edge turbulence in magnetized toroidal hot plasmas [R. Schrittwieser et al., Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 50, 055004 (2008)]. We have developed and investigated various types of emissive probes, which were heated by a focused infrared laser beam. Such a probe has several advantages: higher probe temperature without evaporation or melting and thus higher emissivity and longer lifetime, no deformation of the probe in a magnetic field, no potential drop along the probe wire, and faster time response. The probes are heated by an infrared diode laser with 808nm wavelength and an output power up to 50W. One probe was mounted together with the lens system on a radially movable probe shaft, and radial profiles of the plasma potential and of its oscillations were measured in a linear helicon discharge.

Characterisation of landfill leachate by EEM-PARAFAC-SOM during physical-chemical treatment by coagulation-flocculation, activated carbon adsorption and ion exchange.

Science.gov (United States)

Oloibiri, Violet; De Coninck, Sam; Chys, Michael; Demeestere, Kristof; Van Hulle, Stijn W H

2017-11-01

The combination of fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEM), parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and self-organizing maps (SOM) is shown to be a powerful tool in the follow up of dissolved organic matter (DOM) removal from landfill leachate by physical-chemical treatment consisting of coagulation, granular activated carbon (GAC) and ion exchange. Using PARAFAC, three DOM components were identified: C1 representing humic/fulvic-like compounds; C2 representing tryptophan-like compounds; and C3 representing humic-like compounds. Coagulation with ferric chloride (FeCl 3 ) at a dose of 7 g/L reduced the maximum fluorescence of C1, C2 and C3 by 52%, 17% and 15% respectively, while polyaluminium chloride (PACl) reduced C1 only by 7% at the same dose. DOM removal during GAC and ion exchange treatment of raw and coagulated leachate exhibited different profiles. At less than 2 bed volumes (BV) of treatment, the humic components C1 and C3 were rapidly removed, whereas at BV ≥ 2 the tryptophan-like component C2 was preferentially removed. Overall, leachate treated with coagulation +10.6 BV GAC +10.6 BV ion exchange showed the highest removal of C1 (39% - FeCl 3 , 8% - PACl), C2 (74% - FeCl 3 , 68% - PACl) and no C3 removal; whereas only 52% C2 and no C1 and C3 removal was observed in raw leachate treated with 10.6 BV GAC + 10.6 BV ion exchange only. Analysis of PARAFAC-derived components with SOM revealed that coagulation, GAC and ion exchange can treat leachate at least 50% longer than only GAC and ion exchange before the fluorescence composition of leachate remains unchanged. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential in vivo zymography: a method for observing matrix metalloproteinase activity in the zebrafish embryo.

Science.gov (United States)

Keow, Jonathan Y; Herrmann, Kurt M; Crawford, Bryan D

2011-04-01

Investigations into the molecular mechanisms of, and cellular signaling pathways modulating ECM remodeling are especially challenging due to the complex post-translational regulation of the primary effectors of ECM catabolism - the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Recently a variety of approaches to the detection of MMP activity have been developed, and the prospect of visualizing ECM remodeling activity in living tissues is now opening exciting avenues of research for matrix biologists. In particular the use of FRET-quenched MMP substrates, which generate a fluorescent signal upon hydrolysis, is becoming increasingly popular, especially because linkers with defined and/or restricted proteolytic sensitivity can be used to bind fluorophore-quencher pairs, making these probes useful in characterizing the activity of specific proteases. We have taken advantage of the transparency and amenability to reverse genetics of the zebrafish embryo, in combination with these fluorogenic MMP substrates, to develop a multiplex in vivo assay for MMP activity that we dub "differential in vivo zymography." Copyright © 2011 International Society of Matrix Biology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Innovative SPM Probes for Energy-Storage Science: MWCNT-Nanopipettes to Nanobattery Probes

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Jonathan; Talin, Alec; Pearse, Alexander; Kozen, Alexander; Reutt-Robey, Janice

As energy-storage materials and designs continue to advance, new tools are needed to direct and explore ion insertion/de-insertion at well-defined battery materials interfaces. Scanned probe tips, assembled from actual energy-storage materials, permit SPM measures of local cathode-anode (tip-sample) interactions, including ion transfer. We present examples of ``cathode'' MWCNT-terminated STM probe tips interacting with Li(s)/Si(111) anode substrates. The MWCNT tip functions as both SPM probe and Li-nanopipette,[1] for controlled transport and manipulation of Li. Local field conditions for lithium ionization and transfer are determined and compared to electrostatic models. Additional lithium metallic and oxide tips have been prepared by thin film deposition on conventional W tips, the latter of which effectively functions as a nanobattery. We demonstrate use of these novel probe materials in the local lithiation of low-index Si anode interfaces, probing local barriers for lithium insertion. Prospects and limitations of these novel SPM probes will be discussed. U.S. Department of Energy Award Number DESC0001160.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Graphene-Reinforced Titanium Matrix/Nano-Hydroxyapatite Nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Feng; Jiang, Xiaosong; Shao, Zhenyi; Zhu, Degui; Zhu, Minhao

2018-04-16

Biomaterial composites made of titanium and hydroxyapatite (HA) powder are among the most important biomedicalmaterials due to their good mechanical properties and biocompatibility. In this work, graphene-reinforced titanium matrix/nano-hydroxyapatite nanocomposites were prepared by vacuum hot-pressing sintering. The microstructure and mechanical properties of graphene-reinforced titanium matrix/nano-hydroxyapatite nanocomposites with different graphene content were systematically investigated. Microstructures of the nanocomposites were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), back scattered electron imaging (BSE), scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The mechanical properties were determined from microhardness, shear strength, and compressive strength. Results showed that during the high-temperature sintering process, complex chemical reactions occurred, resulting in new phases of nucleation such as Ca₃(PO₄)₂, Ti x P y , and Ti₃O.The new phases, which easily dropped off under the action of external force, could hinder the densification of sintering and increase the brittleness of the nanocomposites. Results demonstrated that graphene had an impact on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites. Based on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the nanocomposites, the strengthening and fracture mechanisms of the graphene-reinforced titanium matrix/nano-hydroxyapatite nanocomposites with different graphene content were analyzed.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Graphene-Reinforced Titanium Matrix/Nano-Hydroxyapatite Nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng Li

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Biomaterial composites made of titanium and hydroxyapatite (HA powder are among the most important biomedicalmaterials due to their good mechanical properties and biocompatibility. In this work, graphene-reinforced titanium matrix/nano-hydroxyapatite nanocomposites were prepared by vacuum hot-pressing sintering. The microstructure and mechanical properties of graphene-reinforced titanium matrix/nano-hydroxyapatite nanocomposites with different graphene content were systematically investigated. Microstructures of the nanocomposites were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD, back scattered electron imaging (BSE, scanning electron microscope (SEM equipped with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS, electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA, and transmission electron microscope (TEM. The mechanical properties were determined from microhardness, shear strength, and compressive strength. Results showed that during the high-temperature sintering process, complex chemical reactions occurred, resulting in new phases of nucleation such as Ca3(PO42, TixPy, and Ti3O.The new phases, which easily dropped off under the action of external force, could hinder the densification of sintering and increase the brittleness of the nanocomposites. Results demonstrated that graphene had an impact on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites. Based on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the nanocomposites, the strengthening and fracture mechanisms of the graphene-reinforced titanium matrix/nano-hydroxyapatite nanocomposites with different graphene content were analyzed.

Probing optimal measurement configuration for optical scatterometry by the multi-objective genetic algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiuguo; Gu, Honggang; Jiang, Hao; Zhang, Chuanwei; Liu, Shiyuan

2018-04-01

Measurement configuration optimization (MCO) is a ubiquitous and important issue in optical scatterometry, whose aim is to probe the optimal combination of measurement conditions, such as wavelength, incidence angle, azimuthal angle, and/or polarization directions, to achieve a higher measurement precision for a given measuring instrument. In this paper, the MCO problem is investigated and formulated as a multi-objective optimization problem, which is then solved by the multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA). The case study on the Mueller matrix scatterometry for the measurement of a Si grating verifies the feasibility of the MOGA in handling the MCO problem in optical scatterometry by making a comparison with the Monte Carlo simulations. Experiments performed at the achieved optimal measurement configuration also show good agreement between the measured and calculated best-fit Mueller matrix spectra. The proposed MCO method based on MOGA is expected to provide a more general and practical means to solve the MCO problem in the state-of-the-art optical scatterometry.

Theory of NMR probe design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schnall, M.D.

1988-01-01

The NMR probe is the intrinsic part of the NMR system which allows transmission of a stimulus to a sample and the reception of a resulting signal from a sample. NMR probes are used in both imaging and spectroscopy. Optimal probe design is important to the production of adequate signal/moise. It is important for anyone using NMR techniques to understand how NMR probes work and how to optimize probe design

Structural characterization of phospholipids by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Marto, J A; White, F M; Seldomridge, S; Marshall, A G

1995-11-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry provides for structural analysis of the principal biological phospholipids: glycerophosphatidylcholine, -ethanolamine, -serine, and -inositol. Both positive and negative molecular or quasimolecular ions are generated in high abundance. Isolated molecular ions may be collisionally activated in the source side of a dual trap mass analyzer, yielding fragments serving to identify the polar head group (positive ion mode) and fatty acid side chains (negative ion mode). Azimuthal quadrupolar excitation following collisionally activated dissociation refocuses productions close to the solenoid axis; subsequent transfer of product ions to the analyzer ion trap allows for high-resolution mass analysis. Cyro-cooling of the sample probe with liquid nitrogen greatly reduces matrix adduction encountered in the negative ion mode.

Simultaneous Determination of Ibuprofen and Caffeine in Urine Samples by Combining MCR-ALS and Excitation-emission Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masoumeh Mohammadnejad

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Second order advantage of excitation-emission fluorescence matrix was applied for the simultaneous determination of ibuprofen and caffeine. The proposed method is based on the measurement of the native fluorescence and recording emission spectra of ibuprofen and caffeine in different excitation wavelengths. The mixture of these compounds was resolved by multivariate curve resolution coupled with alternative least squares (MCR-ALS on constructed matrix. The EEM spectra were recorded at excitation wavelengths from 250-275 nm; the emission wavelengths ranged from 275-400 nm. For each particular quantitative determination, an augmented matrix was defined. The resolution of each augmented-data matrix gave an estimation of the excitation and emission spectra of the species included in the model. Ibuprofen and caffeine were determined in concentration range from 0.10-8.00 and 0.50-15.00 mg ml-1, respectively. The minimal sample pretreatment and relatively low running cost, make this method a good alternative to existing methods for determination of the analytes in urine samples.

Cultural probes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Jacob Østergaard

The aim of this study was thus to explore cultural probes (Gaver, Boucher et al. 2004), as a possible methodical approach, supporting knowledge production on situated and contextual aspects of occupation.......The aim of this study was thus to explore cultural probes (Gaver, Boucher et al. 2004), as a possible methodical approach, supporting knowledge production on situated and contextual aspects of occupation....

Two-dimensional 1H and 31P NMR spectra and restrained molecular dynamics structure of an oligodeoxyribonucleotide duplex refined via a hybrid relaxation matrix procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Powers, R.; Jones, C.R.; Gorenstein, D.G.

1990-01-01

Assignment of the 1H and 31P resonances of a decamer DNA duplex, d(CGCTTAAGCG)2 was determined by two-dimensional COSY, NOESY and 1H-31P Pure Absorption phase Constant time (PAC) heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy. The solution structure of the decamer was calculated by an iterative hybrid relaxation matrix method combined with NOESY-distance restrained molecular dynamics. The distances from the 2D NOESY spectra were calculated from the relaxation rate matrix which were evaluated from a hybrid NOESY volume matrix comprising elements from the experiment and those calculated from an initial structure. The hybrid matrix-derived distances were then used in a restrained molecular dynamics procedure to obtain a new structure that better approximates the NOESY spectra. The resulting partially refined structure was then used to calculate an improved theoretical NOESY volume matrix which is once again merged with the experimental matrix until refinement is complete. JH3'-P coupling constants for each of the phosphates of the decamer were obtained from 1H-31P J-resolved selective proton flip 2D spectra. By using a modified Karplus relationship the C4'-C3'-O3'-P torsional angles were obtained. Comparison of the 31P chemical shifts and JH3'-P coupling constants of this sequence has allowed a greater insight into the various factors responsible for 31P chemical shift variations in oligonucleotides. It also provides an important probe of the sequence-dependent structural variation of the deoxyribose phosphate backbone of DNA in solution. These correlations are consistent with the hypothesis that changes in local helical structure perturb the deoxyribose phosphate backbone. The variation of the 31P chemical shift, and the degree of this variation from one base step to the next is proposed as a potential probe of local helical conformation within the DNA double helix

Ceramic matrix and resin matrix composites - A comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Hurwitz, Frances I.

1987-01-01

The underlying theory of continuous fiber reinforcement of ceramic matrix and resin matrix composites, their fabrication, microstructure, physical and mechanical properties are contrasted. The growing use of organometallic polymers as precursors to ceramic matrices is discussed as a means of providing low temperature processing capability without the fiber degradation encountered with more conventional ceramic processing techniques. Examples of ceramic matrix composites derived from particulate-filled, high char yield polymers and silsesquioxane precursors are provided.

Ceramic matrix and resin matrix composites: A comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Hurwitz, Frances I.

1987-01-01

The underlying theory of continuous fiber reinforcement of ceramic matrix and resin matrix composites, their fabrication, microstructure, physical and mechanical properties are contrasted. The growing use of organometallic polymers as precursors to ceramic matrices is discussed as a means of providing low temperature processing capability without the fiber degradation encountered with more conventional ceramic processing techniques. Examples of ceramic matrix composites derived from particulate-filled, high char yield polymers and silsesquioxane precursors are provided.

Dual-probe decoherence microscopy: probing pockets of coherence in a decohering environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeske, Jan; Cole, Jared H; Müller, Clemens; Marthaler, Michael; Schön, Gerd

2012-01-01

We study the use of a pair of qubits as a decoherence probe of a nontrivial environment. This dual-probe configuration is modelled by three two-level systems (TLSs), which are coupled in a chain in which the middle system represents an environmental TLS. This TLS resides within the environment of the qubits and therefore its coupling to perturbing fluctuations (i.e. its decoherence) is assumed much stronger than the decoherence acting on the probe qubits. We study the evolution of such a tripartite system including the appearance of a decoherence-free state (dark state) and non-Markovian behaviour. We find that all parameters of this TLS can be obtained from measurements of one of the probe qubits. Furthermore, we show the advantages of two qubits in probing environments and the new dynamics imposed by a TLS that couples to two qubits at once. (paper)

Charge-exchange giant resonances as probes of nuclear structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blomgren, J.

2001-09-01

Giant resonances populated in charge-exchange reactions can reveal detailed information about nuclear structure properties, in spite of their apparent featurelessness. The (p,n) and (n,p) reactions - as well as their analog reactions - proceed via the same nuclear matrix element as beta decay. Thereby, they are useful for probing electroweak properties in nuclei, especially for those not accessible to beta decay. The nuclear physics aspects of double beta decay might be investigated in double charge-exchange reactions. detailed nuclear structure information, such as the presence of ground-state correlations, can be revealed via identification of 'first-forbidden' transitions. In addition, astrophysics aspects and halo properties of nuclei have been investigated in charge exchange. Finally, these experiments have questioned our knowledge of the absolute strength of the strong interaction

Model for resonant plasma probe.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Warne, Larry Kevin; Johnson, William Arthur; Hebner, Gregory Albert; Jorgenson, Roy E.; Coats, Rebecca Sue

2007-04-01

This report constructs simple circuit models for a hairpin shaped resonant plasma probe. Effects of the plasma sheath region surrounding the wires making up the probe are determined. Electromagnetic simulations of the probe are compared to the circuit model results. The perturbing effects of the disc cavity in which the probe operates are also found.

Connecting Majorana phases to the geometric parameters of the Majorana unitarity triangle in a neutrino mass matrix model

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, Surender; Bhardwaj, Shankita

2018-05-01

We have investigated a possible connection between the Majorana phases and geometric parameters of Majorana unitarity triangle (MT) in two-texture zero neutrino mass matrix. Such analytical relations can, also, be obtained for other theoretical models viz. hybrid textures, neutrino mass matrix with vanishing minors and have profound implications for geometric description of C P violation. As an example, we have considered the two-texture zero neutrino mass model to obtain a relation between Majorana phases and MT parameters that may be probed in various lepton number violating processes. In particular, we find that Majorana phases depend on only one of the three interior angles of the MT in each class of two-texture zero neutrino mass matrix. We have also constructed the MT for class A , B , and C neutrino mass matrices. Nonvanishing areas and nontrivial orientations of these Majorana unitarity triangles indicate nonzero C P violation as a generic feature of this class of mass models.

Electron probe micro-analysis of irradiated Triso-coated UO2 particles, (1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogawa, Toru; Minato, Kazuo; Fukuda, Kosaku; Ikawa, Katsuichi

1983-11-01

The Triso-coated low-enriched UO 2 particles were subjected to the post-irradiation electron probe micro-analysis. Observations and analyses on the amoeba effect, inclusions and solutes in the UO 2 matrix were made. In the cooler side of the particle which suffered extensive kernel migration, two significant features were observed: (1) the wake of minute particles, presumably UO 2 , left by the moving kernel in the carbon phase and (2) carbon precipitation in the pores and along the grain boundaries of the UO 2 kernel. Both features could be hardly explained by the gas-phase mechanism of carbon transport and rather suggest the solid state mechanism. Two-types of 4d-transition metal inclusions were observed: the one which was predominantly Mo with a fraction of Tc and another which was enriched with Ru and containing significant amount of Si. The Mo and Si were also found in the UO 2 matrix; the observation led to the discussion of the oxygen potential in the irradiated Triso-coated UO 2 particle. (author)

Extended biorthogonal matrix polynomials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayman Shehata

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The pair of biorthogonal matrix polynomials for commutative matrices were first introduced by Varma and Tasdelen in [22]. The main aim of this paper is to extend the properties of the pair of biorthogonal matrix polynomials of Varma and Tasdelen and certain generating matrix functions, finite series, some matrix recurrence relations, several important properties of matrix differential recurrence relations, biorthogonality relations and matrix differential equation for the pair of biorthogonal matrix polynomials J(A,B n (x, k and K(A,B n (x, k are discussed. For the matrix polynomials J(A,B n (x, k, various families of bilinear and bilateral generating matrix functions are constructed in the sequel.

Conformational study of sarcosine as probed by matrix-isolation FT-IR spectroscopy and molecular orbital calculations

OpenAIRE

Gómez-Zavaglia, Andrea; Fausto, R.

2003-01-01

Sarcosine (N-methylglycine) has been studied by matrix-isolation FT-IR spectroscopy and molecular orbital calculations undertaken at the DFT/B3LYP and MP2 levels of theory with the 6-311++G(d, p) and 6-31++G(d, p) basis set, respectively. Eleven different conformers were located in the potential energy surface (PES) of sarcosine, with the ASC conformer being the ground conformational state. This form is analogous to the glycine most stable conformer and is characterized by a NH...O= intramole...

Characterization of near-field optical probes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vohnsen, Brian; Bozhevolnyi, Sergey I.

1999-01-01

Radiation and collection characteristics of four different near-field optical-fiber probes, namely, three uncoated probes and an aluminium-coated small-aperture probe, are investigated and compared. Their radiation properties are characterized by observation of light-induced topography changes...... in a photo-sensitive film illuminated with the probes, and it is confirmed that the radiated optical field is unambigiously confined only for the coated probe. Near-field optical imaging of a standing evanescent-wave pattern is used to compare the detection characteristics of the probes, and it is concluded...... that, for the imaging of optical-field intensity distributions containing predominantly evanescent-wave components, a sharp uncoated tip is the probe of choice. Complementary results obtained with optical phase-conjugation experiments with he uncoated probes are discussed in relation to the probe...

Exploring Interacting Quantum Many-Body Systems by Experimentally Creating Continuous Matrix Product States in Superconducting Circuits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Eichler

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Improving the understanding of strongly correlated quantum many-body systems such as gases of interacting atoms or electrons is one of the most important challenges in modern condensed matter physics, materials research, and chemistry. Enormous progress has been made in the past decades in developing both classical and quantum approaches to calculate, simulate, and experimentally probe the properties of such systems. In this work, we use a combination of classical and quantum methods to experimentally explore the properties of an interacting quantum gas by creating experimental realizations of continuous matrix product states—a class of states that has proven extremely powerful as a variational ansatz for numerical simulations. By systematically preparing and probing these states using a circuit quantum electrodynamics system, we experimentally determine a good approximation to the ground-state wave function of the Lieb-Liniger Hamiltonian, which describes an interacting Bose gas in one dimension. Since the simulated Hamiltonian is encoded in the measurement observable rather than the controlled quantum system, this approach has the potential to apply to a variety of models including those involving multicomponent interacting fields. Our findings also hint at the possibility of experimentally exploring general properties of matrix product states and entanglement theory. The scheme presented here is applicable to a broad range of systems exploiting strong and tunable light-matter interactions.

Evaluation of the Gen-Probe DNA probe for the detection of legionellae in culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edelstein, P.H.

1986-01-01

A commercial DNA probe kit designed to detect rRNA from legionellae was evaluated for its ability to correctly discriminate between legionellae and non-legionellae taken from culture plates. The probe kit, made by the Gen-Probe Corp. (San Diego, Calif.), was radiolabeled with 125 I, and probe bacterial RNA hybridization, detected in a simple one-tube system hybridization assay, was quantitated with a gamma counter. A total of 156 Legionella sp. strains were tested, of which 125 were Legionella pneumophila and the remainder were strains from 21 other Legionella spp. A total of 106 gram-negative non-legionellae, isolated from human respiratory tract (81%) and other body site (19%) specimens, were also tested; 14 genera and 28 species were represented. The probe easily distinguished all of the legionellae from the non-legionellae. The average legionellae/non-legionellae hybridization ratio was 42:1, and the lowest ratio was 2:1; a minor modification in the procedure increased the lowest ratio to 5:1. In addition to correctly identifying all Legionella species, the probe was able to separate some of the various species of Legionella. L. pneumophila strains hybridized more completely to the probe than did the other Legionella spp.; L. wadsworthii and L. oakridgensis hybridized only about 25% of the probe relative to L. pneumophila. Some strains of phenotypically identified L. pneumophila had much lower hybridization to the probe than other members of the species and may represent a new Legionella species. The simplicity of the technique and specificity of the probe make it a good candidate for confirming the identity of legionellae in culture

Where do pulse oximeter probes break?

Science.gov (United States)

Crede, S; Van der Merwe, G; Hutchinson, J; Woods, D; Karlen, W; Lawn, J

2014-06-01

Pulse oximetry, a non-invasive method for accurate assessment of blood oxygen saturation (SPO2), is an important monitoring tool in health care facilities. However, it is often not available in many low-resource settings, due to expense, overly sophisticated design, a lack of organised procurement systems and inadequate medical device management and maintenance structures. Furthermore medical devices are often fragile and not designed to withstand the conditions of low-resource settings. In order to design a probe, better suited to the needs of health care facilities in low-resource settings this study aimed to document the site and nature of pulse oximeter probe breakages in a range of different probe designs in a low to middle income country. A retrospective review of job cards relating to the assessment and repair of damaged or faulty pulse oximeter probes was conducted at a medical device repair company based in Cape Town, South Africa, specializing in pulse oximeter probe repairs. 1,840 job cards relating to the assessment and repair of pulse oximeter probes were reviewed. 60.2 % of probes sent for assessment were finger-clip probes. For all probes, excluding the neonatal wrap probes, the most common point of failure was the probe wiring (>50 %). The neonatal wrap most commonly failed at the strap (51.5 %). The total cost for quoting on the broken pulse oximeter probes and for the subsequent repair of devices, excluding replacement components, amounted to an estimated ZAR 738,810 (USD $98,508). Improving the probe wiring would increase the life span of pulse oximeter probes. Increasing the life span of probes will make pulse oximetry more affordable and accessible. This is of high priority in low-resource settings where frequent repair or replacement of probes is unaffordable or impossible.

Neutrino mass from laboratory: contribution of double beta decay to the neutrino mass matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klapdor-Kleingrothaus, H.V.

2001-01-01

Double beta decay is indispensable to solve the question of the neutrino mass matrix together with ν oscillation experiments. The most sensitive experiment - since eight years the HEIDELBERG-MOSCOW experiment in Gran-Sasso - already now, with the experimental limit of ν > < 0.26 eV practically excludes degenerate ν mass scenarios allowing neutrinos as hot dark matter in the universe for the smallangle MSW solution of the solar neutrino problem. It probes cosmological models including hot dark matter already now on the level of future satellite experiments MAP and PLANCK. It further probes many topics of beyond SM physics at the TeV scale. Future experiments should give access to the multi-TeV range and complement on many ways the search for new physics at future colliders like LHC and NLC. For neutrino physics some of them (GENIUS) will allow to test almost all neutrino mass scenarios allowed by the present neutrino oscillation experiments

Preliminary test of an imaging probe for nuclear medicine using hybrid pixel detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertolucci, E.; Maiorino, M.; Mettivier, G.; Montesi, M.C.; Russo, P.

2002-01-01

We are investigating the feasibility of an intraoperative imaging probe for lymphoscintigraphy with Tc-99m tracer, for sentinel node radioguided surgery, using the Medipix series of hybrid detectors coupled to a collimator. These detectors are pixelated semiconductor detectors bump-bonded to the Medipix1 photon counting read-out chip (64x64 pixel, 170 μm pitch) or to the Medipix2 chip (256x256 pixel, 55 μm pitch), developed by the European Medipix collaboration. The pixel detector we plan to use in the final version of the probe is a semi-insulating GaAs detector or a 1-2 mm thick CdZnTe detector. For the preliminary tests presented here, we used 300-μm thick silicon detectors, hybridized via bump-bonding to the Medipix1 chip. We used a tungsten parallel-hole collimator (7 mm thick, matrix array of 64x64 100 μm circular holes with 170 μm pitch), and a 22, 60 and 122 keV point-like (1 mm diameter) radioactive sources, placed at various distances from the detector. These tests were conducted in order to investigate the general feasibility of this imaging probe and its resolving power. Measurements show the high resolution but low efficiency performance of the detector-collimator set, which is able to image the 122 keV source with <1 mm FWHM resolution

Gold-coated iron nanoparticles in transparent Si3N4 matrix thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Marcos, J.; Céspedes, E.; Jiménez-Villacorta, F.; Muñoz-Martín, A.; Prieto, C.

2013-06-01

A new method to prepare thin films containing gold-coated iron nanoparticles is presented. The ternary Fe-Au-Si3N4 system prepared by sequential sputtering has revealed a progressive variation of microstructures from Au/Fe/Au/Si3N4 multilayers to iron nanoparticles. Microstructural characterization by transmission electron microscopy, analysis of the magnetic properties and probing of the iron short-range order by X-ray absorption spectroscopy confirm the existence of a gold-coated iron nanoparticles of 1-2 nm typical size for a specific range of iron and gold contents per layer in the transparent silicon nitride ceramic matrix.

M(atrix) theory: matrix quantum mechanics as a fundamental theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, Washington

2001-01-01

This article reviews the matrix model of M theory. M theory is an 11-dimensional quantum theory of gravity that is believed to underlie all superstring theories. M theory is currently the most plausible candidate for a theory of fundamental physics which reconciles gravity and quantum field theory in a realistic fashion. Evidence for M theory is still only circumstantial -- no complete background-independent formulation of the theory exists as yet. Matrix theory was first developed as a regularized theory of a supersymmetric quantum membrane. More recently, it has appeared in a different guise as the discrete light-cone quantization of M theory in flat space. These two approaches to matrix theory are described in detail and compared. It is shown that matrix theory is a well-defined quantum theory that reduces to a supersymmetric theory of gravity at low energies. Although its fundamental degrees of freedom are essentially pointlike, higher-dimensional fluctuating objects (branes) arise through the non-Abelian structure of the matrix degrees of freedom. The problem of formulating matrix theory in a general space-time background is discussed, and the connections between matrix theory and other related models are reviewed

Time-dependent B-spline R-matrix approach to double ionization of atoms by XUV laser pulses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guan Xiaoxu; Zatsarinny, Oleg; Bartschat, Klaus [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa 50311 (United States); Noble, Clifford J [Computational Science and Engineering Department, Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Schneider, Barry I, E-mail: xiaoxu.guan@drake.ed, E-mail: klaus.bartschat@drake.ed, E-mail: bschneid@nsf.go [Physics Division, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virgina 22230 (United States)

2009-11-01

We present an ab initio and non-perturbative time-dependent approach to the problem of double ionization of a general atom driven by intense XUV laser pulses. After using a highly flexible B-spline R-matrix method to generate field-free Hamiltonian and electric dipole matrices, the initial state is propagated in time using an efficient Arnoldi-Lanczos scheme. Example results for momentum and energy distributions of the two outgoing electrons in two-color pump-probe processes of He are presented.

Reduction of multipartite qubit density matrixes to bipartite qubit density matrixes and criteria of partial separability of multipartite qubit density matrixes

OpenAIRE

Zhong, Zai-Zhe

2004-01-01

The partial separability of multipartite qubit density matrixes is strictly defined. We give a reduction way from N-partite qubit density matrixes to bipartite qubit density matrixes, and prove a necessary condition that a N-partite qubit density matrix to be partially separable is its reduced density matrix to satisfy PPT condition.

NeuroMEMS: Neural Probe Microtechnologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sam Musallam

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Neural probe technologies have already had a significant positive effect on our understanding of the brain by revealing the functioning of networks of biological neurons. Probes are implanted in different areas of the brain to record and/or stimulate specific sites in the brain. Neural probes are currently used in many clinical settings for diagnosis of brain diseases such as seizers, epilepsy, migraine, Alzheimer’s, and dementia. We find these devices assisting paralyzed patients by allowing them to operate computers or robots using their neural activity. In recent years, probe technologies were assisted by rapid advancements in microfabrication and microelectronic technologies and thus are enabling highly functional and robust neural probes which are opening new and exciting avenues in neural sciences and brain machine interfaces. With a wide variety of probes that have been designed, fabricated, and tested to date, this review aims to provide an overview of the advances and recent progress in the microfabrication techniques of neural probes. In addition, we aim to highlight the challenges faced in developing and implementing ultralong multi-site recording probes that are needed to monitor neural activity from deeper regions in the brain. Finally, we review techniques that can improve the biocompatibility of the neural probes to minimize the immune response and encourage neural growth around the electrodes for long term implantation studies.

Immediate memory consequences of the effect of emotion on attention to pictures.

Science.gov (United States)

Talmi, Deborah; Anderson, Adam K; Riggs, Lily; Caplan, Jeremy B; Moscovitch, Morris

2008-03-01

Emotionally arousing stimuli are at once both highly attention grabbing and memorable. We examined whether emotional enhancement of memory (EEM) reflects an indirect effect of emotion on memory, mediated by enhanced attention to emotional items during encoding. We tested a critical prediction of the mediation hypothesis-that regions conjointly activated by emotion and attention would correlate with subsequent EEM. Participants were scanned with fMRI while they watched emotional or neutral pictures under instructions to attend to them a lot or a little, and were then given an immediate recognition test. A region in the left fusiform gyrus was activated by emotion, voluntary attention, and subsequent EEM. A functional network, different for each attention condition, connected this region and the amygdala, which was associated with emotion and EEM, but not with voluntary attention. These findings support an indirect cortical mediation account of immediate EEM that may complement a direct modulation model.

Phase separation and formation of omega phase in the beta matrix of a Ti-V-Cu alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ng, H.P. [ARC Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals, Department of Materials Engineering, Monash University, Victoria 3800 (Australia); Devaraj, A.; Nag, S. [Center for Advanced Research and Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX (United States); Bettles, C.J. [ARC Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals, Department of Materials Engineering, Monash University, Victoria 3800 (Australia); Gibson, M. [CSIRO Process Science and Engineering, Locked Bag 10, Clayton South, Victoria 3169 (Australia); Fraser, H.L. [Center for the Accelerated Maturation of Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (United States); Muddle, B.C. [ARC Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals, Department of Materials Engineering, Monash University, Victoria 3800 (Australia); Banerjee, R., E-mail: rajarshi.banerjee@unt.edu [Center for Advanced Research and Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX (United States)

2011-05-15

The formation of the {omega} phase in the presence of simultaneous development of compositional modulations (or phase separation) within the body-centered cubic {beta} matrix phase of a Ti-10V-6Cu (wt.%) alloy during continuous cooling has been investigated using a combination of transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. While a water quench from the high-temperature {beta} phase field allows apparently athermal formation of {omega} domains without any significant partitioning of solute or modulation in matrix composition, subsequent annealing at 500 {sup o}C for just 60 s leads to unusually rapid growth of the {omega} domains concurrent with, but apparently independent of, a slower development of finer-scale modulations in solute composition occurring apparently uniformly across both {omega} and {beta} phases. In contrast, on slower air cooling from the solution treatment temperature, there are pronounced compositional fluctuations within the {beta} phase, presumably as a product of spinodal decomposition, that are detectable prior to the formation of {omega} phase. The {omega} phase subsequently forms preferentially in solute-depleted regions of the matrix {beta}, with a composition reflecting the local matrix composition and a solute content significantly lower than the average matrix composition. As a result, it has a cuboidal morphology, distinguishably different from the elliposoidal form that is observed in samples water-quenched and annealed at 500 deg. C.

EPR-spin probe studies of model polymers: separation of covalent cross-linking effects from hydrogen bonding effects in swelled Argonne Premium Coal samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spears, D.R.; Sady, W.; Tucker, D.; Kispert, L.D. (University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (United States). Chemistry Dept.)

The swelling behaviour of 2-12% cross-linked polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PSDVB) copolymers was examined by an EPR-spin probe technique. It was observed that the mechanism of spin probe inclusion was the intercalation into the matrix rather than diffusion into the pores. The disruption of van der Waals forces between adjacent aromatic rings appeared to be the primary mechanism for pyridine swelling of PSDVB. By comparing the data to results from coal swelling studies it was also inferred that the extent of hydrogen bonding in coal will have a much greater impact on its swelling properties than its covalently cross-linked character. 24 refs., 6 figs.

Driving Pressure Influence in Voltage Maps Measurement Process Using Advanced Pneumatic Mapping Probe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marek Kukucka

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Our paper deals with the method of the voltage-impedance map measurement process as a method useful for the electric mapping of human skin. The area of research extends from the basic research to its practical application in acupuncture skin mapping and acupuncture point localization and visualization. The problem of sufficient skin coverage and electrical contact with measuring electrodes is solved by the conventional mechanical telescopic electrodes and by the pneumatic matrix electrode probe. A 2D or 3D voltage-impedance map of skin is an output of the measuring, interpretation and evaluation process. New pneumatic construction of measuring probe was implemented to achieve a better coverage of specified skin area and get a reduced force range of the touching electrodes allowing the steady contact of the skin-electrode. A skin contact is related to the driving pressure of touching electrodes. Our paper offers experimentally measured results, voltage maps of skin on specific areas, selected measured and described acupuncture points and their applications in electro-acupuncture.

Characterization of Radiation-Induced Clustering using Atom Probe Tomography in Nuclear Structural Materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Gyeong Geun; Lim, Sang Yeob; Chang, Kun Ok; Ha, Jin Hyung; Kwon, Jun Hyun [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

The degradations include the change in mechanical properties, which are related to the microstructure evolution caused by irradiation. The most widely used tool for the imaging irradiated microstructure is transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The composition of irradiation defects can be analyzed using X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) equipped in the TEM. However, composition characterization of the nano-sized irradiation defects in the matrix is limited due to the beam broadening of TEM and the overlapping of the probed volume during EDS analysis. Recently, Atom probe tomography (APT) has been introduced to the characterization of irradiation defects. APT provides sub-nano scale position of atoms and the chemical composition of a selected volume. SS316 irradiated with Fe ions at above 300 .deg. C caused significant clustering and segregation of Si and Ni at defect sinks. The neutron irradiated low alloy steel showed similar clustering of Ni and Si. The approach of using APT was demonstrated to be well suited for discovering the structure of irradiation defects and performing quantitative analysis in nuclear materials irradiated at high temperature.

Physical exercise can influence local levels of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors in tendon-related connective tissue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koskinen, S O A; Heinemeier, K M; Olesen, J L

2004-01-01

Microdialysis studies indicate that mechanical loading of human tendon tissue during exercise or training can affect local synthesis and degradation of type I collagen. Degradation of collagen and other extracellular matrix proteins is controlled by an interplay between matrix metalloproteinases...... (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs). However, it is unknown whether local levels of MMPs and TIMPs are affected by tendon loading in humans in vivo. In the present experiment, six healthy young men performed 1 h of uphill (3%) treadmill running. Dialysate was collected from microdialysis probes...... (placed in the peritendinous tissue immediately anterior to the Achilles tendon) before, immediately after, 1 day after, and 3 days after an exercise bout. MMP-2 and MMP-9 were measured in dialysate by gelatin zymography, and amounts were quantified by densitometry in relation to total protein...

Critical current density analysis of ex situ MgB2 wire by in-field and temperature Hall probe imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartolome, E; Granados, X; Cambel, V; Fedor, J; Kovac, P; Husek, I

2005-01-01

The irreversible magnetic behaviour at different temperatures of an ex situ Fe-alloy/MgB 2 wire, exhibiting a granular compositional distribution, was studied using an in-field, high resolution Hall probe imaging system. Quantitative information about the local current density was obtained by solving the Biot-Savart inversion problem. The flux penetration and current distribution maps obtained can be attributed to a inhomogeneous compositional 'plum-cake-like' system, consisting of large, isolated MgB 2 agglomerations embedded in a matrix of finely distributed MgB 2 +MgO. The critical current densities within the grains and their evolution with the applied magnetic field and temperature have been obtained, and compared to the mean J c (H,T) in the matrix

Preventing probe induced topography correlated artifacts in Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Polak, L.; Wijngaarden, Rinke J.

2016-01-01

Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) on samples with rough surface topography can be hindered by topography correlated artifacts. We show that, with the proper experimental configuration and using homogeneously metal coated probes, we are able to obtain amplitude modulation (AM) KPFM results on a

Accuracy of micro four-point probe measurements on inhomogeneous samples: A probe spacing dependence study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Fei; Petersen, Dirch Hjorth; Østerberg, Frederik Westergaard

2009-01-01

In this paper, we discuss a probe spacing dependence study in order to estimate the accuracy of micro four-point probe measurements on inhomogeneous samples. Based on sensitivity calculations, both sheet resistance and Hall effect measurements are studied for samples (e.g. laser annealed samples...... the probe spacing is smaller than 1/40 of the variation wavelength, micro four-point probes can provide an accurate record of local properties with less than 1% measurement error. All the calculations agree well with previous experimental results.......) with periodic variations of sheet resistance, sheet carrier density, and carrier mobility. With a variation wavelength of ¿, probe spacings from 0.0012 to 1002 have been applied to characterize the local variations. The calculations show that the measurement error is highly dependent on the probe spacing. When...

Eddy-current probe design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kincaid, T.G.; McCary, R.O.

1983-01-01

This paper describes theoretical and experimental work directed toward finding the optimum probe dimensions and operating frequency for eddy current detection of half-penny surface cracks in nonmagnetic conducting materials. The study applies to probes which excite an approximately uniform spatial field over the length of the crack at the surface of the material. In practical terms, this means that the probe is not smaller than the crack length in any of its critical dimensions. The optimization of a simple coil probe is first analyzed in detail. It is shown that signal-to-noise ratio and lift-off discrimination are maximized by a pancake coil with mean radius not greater than the crack length, operated at a frequency which gives a skin depth equal to the crack depth. The results obtained for the simple coil are then used as a basis for discussion of the design of coils with ferrite cores and shields, and for the design of recording head type probes

Wearable probes for service design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mullane, Aaron; Laaksolahti, Jarmo Matti; Svanæs, Dag

2014-01-01

Probes are used as a design method in user-centred design to allow end-users to inform design by collecting data from their lives. Probes are potentially useful in service innovation, but current probing methods require users to interrupt their activity and are consequently not ideal for use...... by service employees in reflecting on the delivery of a service. In this paper, we present the ‘wearable probe’, a probe concept that captures sensor data without distracting service employees. Data captured by the probe can be used by the service employees to reflect and co-reflect on the service journey......, helping to identify opportunities for service evolution and innovation....

Aspheric surface measurement using capacitive probes

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Xin; Yuan, Daocheng; Li, Shaobo

2017-02-01

With the application of aspheres in optical fields, high precision and high efficiency aspheric surface metrology becomes a hot research topic. We describe a novel method of non-contact measurement of aspheric surface with capacitive probe. Taking an eccentric spherical surface as the object of study, the averaging effect of capacitive probe measurement and the influence of tilting the capacitive probe on the measurement results are investigated. By comparing measurement results from simultaneous measurement of the capacitive probe and contact probe of roundness instrument, this paper indicates the feasibility of using capacitive probes to test aspheric surface and proposes the compensation method of measurement error caused by averaging effect and the tilting of the capacitive probe.

Matrix theory

CERN Document Server

Franklin, Joel N

2003-01-01

Mathematically rigorous introduction covers vector and matrix norms, the condition-number of a matrix, positive and irreducible matrices, much more. Only elementary algebra and calculus required. Includes problem-solving exercises. 1968 edition.

Fuzzy vulnerability matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baron, Jorge H.; Rivera, S.S.

2000-01-01

The so-called vulnerability matrix is used in the evaluation part of the probabilistic safety assessment for a nuclear power plant, during the containment event trees calculations. This matrix is established from what is knows as Numerical Categories for Engineering Judgement. This matrix is usually established with numerical values obtained with traditional arithmetic using the set theory. The representation of this matrix with fuzzy numbers is much more adequate, due to the fact that the Numerical Categories for Engineering Judgement are better represented with linguistic variables, such as 'highly probable', 'probable', 'impossible', etc. In the present paper a methodology to obtain a Fuzzy Vulnerability Matrix is presented, starting from the recommendations on the Numerical Categories for Engineering Judgement. (author)

Green's matrix for a second-order self-adjoint matrix differential operator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sisman, Tahsin Cagri; Tekin, Bayram

2010-01-01

A systematic construction of the Green's matrix for a second-order self-adjoint matrix differential operator from the linearly independent solutions of the corresponding homogeneous differential equation set is carried out. We follow the general approach of extracting the Green's matrix from the Green's matrix of the corresponding first-order system. This construction is required in the cases where the differential equation set cannot be turned to an algebraic equation set via transform techniques.

Binding of matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors to extracellular matrix: 3D-QSAR analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yufen; Lukacova, Viera; Bartus, Vladimir; Nie, Xiaoping; Sun, Guorong; Manivannan, Ethirajan; Ghorpade, Sandeep R; Jin, Xiaomin; Manyem, Shankar; Sibi, Mukund P; Cook, Gregory R; Balaz, Stefan

2008-10-01

Binding to the extracellular matrix, one of the most abundant human protein complexes, significantly affects drug disposition. Specifically, the interactions with extracellular matrix determine the free concentrations of small molecules acting in tissues, including signaling peptides, inhibitors of tissue remodeling enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases, and other drug candidates. The nature of extracellular matrix binding was elucidated for 63 matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors, for which the association constants to an extracellular matrix mimic were reported here. The data did not correlate with lipophilicity as a common determinant of structure-nonspecific, orientation-averaged binding. A hypothetical structure of the binding site of the solidified extracellular matrix surrogate was analyzed using the Comparative Molecular Field Analysis, which needed to be applied in our multi-mode variant. This fact indicates that the compounds bind to extracellular matrix in multiple modes, which cannot be considered as completely orientation-averaged and exhibit structural dependence. The novel comparative molecular field analysis models, exhibiting satisfactory descriptive and predictive abilities, are suitable for prediction of the extracellular matrix binding for the untested chemicals, which are within applicability domains. The results contribute to a better prediction of the pharmacokinetic parameters such as the distribution volume and the tissue-blood partition coefficients, in addition to a more imminent benefit for the development of more effective matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors.

Insight into the heterogeneous adsorption of humic acid fluorescent components on multi-walled carbon nanotubes by excitation-emission matrix and parallel factor analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chenghu; Liu, Yangzhi; Cen, Qiulin; Zhu, Yaxian; Zhang, Yong

2018-02-01

The heterogeneous adsorption behavior of commercial humic acid (HA) on pristine and functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was investigated by fluorescence excitation-emission matrix and parallel factor (EEM- PARAFAC) analysis. The kinetics, isotherms, thermodynamics and mechanisms of adsorption of HA fluorescent components onto MWCNTs were the focus of the present study. Three humic-like fluorescent components were distinguished, including one carboxylic-like fluorophore C1 (λ ex /λ em = (250, 310) nm/428nm), and two phenolic-like fluorophores, C2 (λ ex /λ em = (300, 460) nm/552nm) and C3 (λ ex /λ em = (270, 375) nm/520nm). The Lagergren pseudo-second-order model can be used to describe the adsorption kinetics of the HA fluorescent components. In addition, both the Freundlich and Langmuir models can be suitably employed to describe the adsorption of the HA fluorescent components onto MWCNTs with significantly high correlation coefficients (R 2 > 0.94, Padsorption affinity (K d ) and nonlinear adsorption degree from the HA fluorescent components to MWCNTs was clearly observed. The adsorption mechanism suggested that the π-π electron donor-acceptor (EDA) interaction played an important role in the interaction between HA fluorescent components and the three MWCNTs. Furthermore, the values of the thermodynamic parameters, including the Gibbs free energy change (ΔG°), enthalpy change (ΔH°) and entropy change (ΔS°), showed that the adsorption of the HA fluorescent components on MWCNTs was spontaneous and exothermic. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cantilevered probe detector with piezoelectric element

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Jesse D; Sulchek, Todd A; Feigin, Stuart C

2013-04-30

A disclosed chemical detection system for detecting a target material, such as an explosive material, can include a cantilevered probe, a probe heater coupled to the cantilevered probe, and a piezoelectric element disposed on the cantilevered probe. The piezoelectric element can be configured as a detector and/or an actuator. Detection can include, for example, detecting a movement of the cantilevered probe or a property of the cantilevered probe. The movement or a change in the property of the cantilevered probe can occur, for example, by adsorption of the target material, desorption of the target material, reaction of the target material and/or phase change of the target material. Examples of detectable movements and properties include temperature shifts, impedance shifts, and resonant frequency shifts of the cantilevered probe. The overall chemical detection system can be incorporated, for example, into a handheld explosive material detection system.

The time domain triple probe method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meier, M.A.; Hallock, G.A.; Tsui, H.Y.W.; Bengtson, R.D.

1994-01-01

A new Langmuir probe technique based on the triple probe method is being developed to provide simultaneous measurement of plasma temperature, potential, and density with the temporal and spatial resolution required to accurately characterize plasma turbulence. When the conventional triple probe method is used in an inhomogeneous plasma, local differences in the plasma measured at each probe introduce significant error in the estimation of turbulence parameters. The Time Domain Triple Probe method (TDTP) uses high speed switching of Langmuir probe potential, rather than spatially separated probes, to gather the triple probe information thus avoiding these errors. Analysis indicates that plasma response times and recent electronics technology meet the requirements to implement the TDTP method. Data reduction techniques of TDTP data are to include linear and higher order correlation analysis to estimate fluctuation induced particle and thermal transport, as well as energy relationships between temperature, density, and potential fluctuations

Efficiency of the Needle Probe Test for Evaluation of Thermal Conductivity of Composite Materials: Two-Scale Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Łydżba Dariusz

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The needle probe test, as a thermal conductivity measurement method, has become very popular in recent years. In the present study, the efficiency of this methodology, for the case of composite materials, is investigated based on the numerical simulations. The material under study is a two-phase composite with periodic microstructure of “matrix-inclusion” type. Two-scale analysis, incorporating micromechanics approach, is performed. First, the effective thermal conductivity of the composite considered is found by the solution of the appropriate boundary value problem stated for the single unit cell. Next, numerical simulations of the needle probe test are carried out. In this case, two different locations of the measuring sensor are considered. It is shown that the “equivalent” conductivity, derived from the probe test, is strongly affected by the location of the sensor. Moreover, comparing the results obtained for different scales, one can notice that the “equivalent” conductivity cannot be interpreted as the effective one for the composites considered. Hence, a crude approximation of the effective property is proposed based on the volume fractions of constituents and the equivalent conductivities derived from different sensor locations.

Transmit-receive eddy current probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Obrutsky, L.S.; Sullivan, S.P.; Cecco, V.S.

1997-01-01

In the last two decades, due to increased inspection demands, eddy current instrumentation has advanced from single-frequency, single-output instruments to multifrequency, computer-aided systems. This has significantly increased the scope of eddy current testing, but, unfortunately, it has also increased the cost and complexity of inspections. In addition, this approach has not always improved defect detectability or signal-to-noise. Most eddy current testing applications are still performed with impedance probes, which have well known limitations. However, recent research at AECL has led to improved eddy current inspections through the design and development of transmit-receive (T/R) probes. T/R eddy current probes, with laterally displaced transmit and receive coils, present a number of advantages over impedance probes. They have improved signal-to-noise ratio in the presence of variable lift-off compared to impedance probes. They have strong directional properties, permitting probe optimization for circumferential or axial crack detection, and possess good phase discrimination to surface defects. They can significantly increase the scope of eddy current testing permitting reliable detection and sizing of cracks in heat exchanger tubing as well as in welded areas of both ferritic and non-ferromagnetic components. This presentation will describe the operating principles of T/R probes with the help of computer-derived normalized voltage diagrams. We will discuss their directional properties and analyze the advantages of using single and multiple T/R probes over impedance probes for specific inspection cases. Current applications to surface and tube testing and some typical inspection results will be described. (author)

Barriers, drivers and decision-making process for industrial energy efficiency: A broad study among manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trianni, Andrea; Cagno, Enrico; Farné, Stefano

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Barriers and drivers vary along the decision-making process of EEM adoption. • Economic barriers, awareness and behavioural are most critical. • Beside economic drivers, major relevance of regulatory and vocational training. • Importance of stakeholders providing technical support. • Barriers and drivers are different according to several firm characteristics. - Abstract: Energy efficiency has been recognized as a primary means to increase the competitiveness of the industrial sector, and in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in which energy efficiency measures (EEMs) are scarcely implemented. For this reason, future policies should carefully address such issue. Hence, it is really crucial to have a precise and punctual knowledge of the barriers to be tackled in the decision-making process of adopting an EEM and the drivers to be promoted. This study discussed the findings from a broad investigation within 222 manufacturing SMEs located in a Northern Italy region. Beside economic issues particularly affecting SMEs, awareness and behavioural issues emerge as critical, affecting the very first steps of the decision-making process, related to the punctual identification and evaluation of plausible EEMs. The support from manufacturers, technology suppliers, installers and ESCOs supporting SMEs through vocational training drivers (e.g. technical support) is really important to tackle such issues. More generally, beside financial institutions, the supply chain of technologies is recognized as particularly useful for supporting enterprises in the adoption of EEMs. Additionally, having previously conducted energy audit and implemented EEMs are critical factors able to highlight non-economic barriers and drivers. Therefore, the promotion of EEMs will necessarily imply a further effort in pointing out the so-called non-energy benefits (NEBs) from the implementation of EEMs. Finally, our study reveals that smaller and non

Water cooled static pressure probe

Science.gov (United States)

Lagen, Nicholas T. (Inventor); Eves, John W. (Inventor); Reece, Garland D. (Inventor); Geissinger, Steve L. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

An improved static pressure probe containing a water cooling mechanism is disclosed. This probe has a hollow interior containing a central coolant tube and multiple individual pressure measurement tubes connected to holes placed on the exterior. Coolant from the central tube symmetrically immerses the interior of the probe, allowing it to sustain high temperature (in the region of 2500 F) supersonic jet flow indefinitely, while still recording accurate pressure data. The coolant exits the probe body by way of a reservoir attached to the aft of the probe. The pressure measurement tubes are joined to a single, larger manifold in the reservoir. This manifold is attached to a pressure transducer that records the average static pressure.

[Study on optical characteristics of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in rainwater by fluorescence excitation-emission matrix and absorbance spectroscopy].

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Yuan-yue; Guo, Wei-dong; Long, Ai-min; Chen, Shao-yong

2010-09-01

The optical characteristics of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were determined in rain samples collected in Xiamen Island, during a rainy season in 2007, using fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy associated with UV-Vis absorbance spectra. Results showed that the absorbance spectra of CDOM in rain samples decreased exponentially with wavelength. The absorbance coefficient at 300 nm [a(300)] ranged from 0.27 to 3.45 m(-1), which would be used as an index of CDOM abundance, and the mean value was 1.08 m(-1). The content of earlier stage of precipitation events was higher than that of later stage of precipitation events, which implied that anthropogenic sources or atmospheric pollution or air mass types were important contributors to CDOM levels in precipitation. EEMs spectra showed 4 types of fluorescence signals (2 humic-like fluorescence peaks and 2 protein-like fluorescence peaks) in rainwater samples, and there were significant positive correlations of peak A with C and peak B with S, showing their same sources or some relationship of the two humic-like substance and the two protein-like substance. The strong positive correlations of the two humic-like fluorescence peaks with a(300), suggested that the chromophores responsible for absorbance might be the same as fluorophores responsible for fluorescence. Results showed that the presence of highly absorbing and fluorescing CDOM in rainwater is of significant importance in atmospheric chemistry and might play a previously unrecognized role in the wavelength dependent spectral attenuation of solar radiation by atmospheric waters.

Matrix calculus

CERN Document Server

Bodewig, E

1959-01-01

Matrix Calculus, Second Revised and Enlarged Edition focuses on systematic calculation with the building blocks of a matrix and rows and columns, shunning the use of individual elements. The publication first offers information on vectors, matrices, further applications, measures of the magnitude of a matrix, and forms. The text then examines eigenvalues and exact solutions, including the characteristic equation, eigenrows, extremum properties of the eigenvalues, bounds for the eigenvalues, elementary divisors, and bounds for the determinant. The text ponders on approximate solutions, as well

Neutrino mass matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strobel, E.L.

1985-01-01

Given the many conflicting experimental results, examination is made of the neutrino mass matrix in order to determine possible masses and mixings. It is assumed that the Dirac mass matrix for the electron, muon, and tau neutrinos is similar in form to those of the quarks and charged leptons, and that the smallness of the observed neutrino masses results from the Gell-Mann-Ramond-Slansky mechanism. Analysis of masses and mixings for the neutrinos is performed using general structures for the Majorana mass matrix. It is shown that if certain tentative experimental results concerning the neutrino masses and mixing angles are confirmed, significant limitations may be placed on the Majorana mass matrix. The most satisfactory simple assumption concerning the Majorana mass matrix is that it is approximately proportional to the Dirac mass matrix. A very recent experimental neutrino mass result and its implications are discussed. Some general properties of matrices with structure similar to the Dirac mass matrices are discussed

Near-Field Imaging of Free Carriers in ZnO Nanowires with a Scanning Probe Tip Made of Heavily Doped Germanium

Science.gov (United States)

Sakat, Emilie; Giliberti, Valeria; Bollani, Monica; Notargiacomo, Andrea; Pea, Marialilia; Finazzi, Marco; Pellegrini, Giovanni; Hugonin, Jean-Paul; Weber-Bargioni, Alexander; Melli, Mauro; Sassolini, Simone; Cabrini, Stefano; Biagioni, Paolo; Ortolani, Michele; Baldassarre, Leonetta

2017-11-01

A novel scanning probe tip made of heavily doped semiconductor is fabricated and used instead of standard gold-coated tips in infrared scattering-type near-field microscopy. Midinfrared near-field microscopy experiments are conducted on ZnO nanowires with a lateral resolution better than 100 nm, using tips made of heavily electron-doped germanium with a plasma frequency in the midinfrared (plasma wavelength of 9.5 μ m ). Nanowires embedded in a dielectric matrix are imaged at two wavelengths, 11.3 and 8.0 μ m , above and below the plasma wavelength of the tips. An opposite sign of the imaging contrasts between the nanowire and the dielectric matrix is observed at the two infrared wavelengths, indicating a clear role of the free-electron plasma in the heavily doped germanium tip in building the imaging contrast. Electromagnetic simulations with a multispherical dipole model accounting for the finite size of the tip are well consistent with the experiments. By comparison of the simulated and measured imaging contrasts, an estimate for the local free-carrier density in the investigated ZnO nanowires in the low 1019 cm-3 range is retrieved. The results are benchmarked against the scattering intensity and phase maps obtained on the same sample with a gold-coated probe tip in pseudoheterodyne detection mode.

The AMEMIYA probe. Theoretical background

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belitz, Hans Joahim; Althausen, Bernhard; Uehara, Kazuya; Amemiya, Hiroshi

2010-01-01

The present probe was developed in order to measure the temperature T i of positive ions in the scrape-off layer (SOL) of tokamak where T i is usually larger than the electron temperature Ti so that the presheath in front of the probe need not be considered and the ions reach the probe with the thermal velocity. The axis of the cylindrical probe is placed parallel to the magnetic field. The important parameter are L/a, the ratio of the length to the radius of the cylindrical probe and κ, the ratio of the probe radius to (π/4) 1/2 , where is the mean ion Larmor radius. The ion current densities to the side and the end surfaces are expressed by the double integral, which can give an analytical formula with respect to the value of κ. If two electrodes with different lengths are placed parallel to the magnetic field, the difference of current densities can be reduced to κ and hence to Ti. Some examples of the application of the probe to tokamaks, JFT-2M and Textor, are demonstrated. (author)

Computer modelling of eddy current probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, S.P.

1992-01-01

Computer programs have been developed for modelling impedance and transmit-receive eddy current probes in two-dimensional axis-symmetric configurations. These programs, which are based on analytic equations, simulate bobbin probes in infinitely long tubes and surface probes on plates. They calculate probe signal due to uniform variations in conductor thickness, resistivity and permeability. These signals depend on probe design and frequency. A finite element numerical program has been procured to calculate magnetic permeability in non-linear ferromagnetic materials. Permeability values from these calculations can be incorporated into the above analytic programs to predict signals from eddy current probes with permanent magnets in ferromagnetic tubes. These programs were used to test various probe designs for new testing applications. Measurements of magnetic permeability in magnetically biased ferromagnetic materials have been performed by superimposing experimental signals, from special laboratory ET probes, on impedance plane diagrams calculated using these programs. (author). 3 refs., 2 figs

Contamination-free sounding rocket Langmuir probe

Science.gov (United States)

Amatucci, W. E.; Schuck, P. W.; Walker, D. N.; Kintner, P. M.; Powell, S.; Holback, B.; Leonhardt, D.

2001-04-01

A technique for removing surface contaminants from a sounding rocket spherical Langmuir probe is presented. Contamination layers present on probe surfaces can skew the collected data, resulting in the incorrect determination of plasma parameters. Despite following the usual probe cleaning techniques that are used prior to a launch, the probe surface can become coated with layers of adsorbed neutral gas in less than a second when exposed to atmosphere. The laboratory tests reported here show that by heating the probe from the interior using a small halogen lamp, adsorbed neutral particles can be removed from the probe surface, allowing accurate plasma parameter measurements to be made.

Changes in the components and biotoxicity of dissolved organic matter in a municipal wastewater reclamation reverse osmosis system.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Ying-Xue; Hu, Hong-Ying; Shi, Chun-Zhen; Yang, Zhe; Tang, Fang

2016-09-01

The characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and the biotoxicity of these components were investigated in a municipal wastewater reclamation reverse osmosis (mWRRO) system with a microfiltration (MF) pretreatment unit. The MF pretreatment step had little effect on the levels of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the secondary effluent, but the addition of chlorine before MF promoted the formation of organics with anti-estrogenic activity. The distribution of excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence constituents exhibited obvious discrepancies between the secondary effluent and the reverse osmosis (RO) concentrate. Using size exclusion chromatography, DOM with low molecular weights of approximately 1.2 and 0.98 kDa was newly formed during the mWRRO. The normalized genotoxicity and anti-estrogenic activity of the RO concentrate were 32.1 ± 10.2 μg4-NQO/mgDOC and 0.36 ± 0.08 mgTAM/mgDOC, respectively, and these values were clearly higher than those of the secondary effluent and MF permeate. The florescence volume of Regions I and II in the EEM spectrum could be suggested as a surrogate for assessing the genotoxicity and anti-estrogenic activity of the RO concentrate.

Atom probe microscopy investigation of Mg site occupancy within δ′ precipitates in an Al–Mg–Li alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gault, Baptiste; Cui, Xiang Yuan; Moody, Michael P.; De Geuser, Frederic; Sigli, Christophe; Ringer, Simon P.; Deschamps, Alexis

2012-01-01

The composition and site occupancy of Mg within ordered δ′ precipitates in a model Al–Mg–Li alloy have been characterized by atom probe microscopy and first-principles simulations. The concentration in the precipitates is found to be almost the same as that of the matrix; however, we show evidence that Mg partitions to the sites normally occupied by Li in the L1 2 structure. Density functional calculations demonstrate that this partitioning is energetically favorable, in agreement with experimental results.

Dynamic pressure probe response tests for robust measurements in periodic flows close to probe resonating frequency

Science.gov (United States)

Ceyhun Şahin, Fatma; Schiffmann, Jürg

2018-02-01

A single-hole probe was designed to measure steady and periodic flows with high fluctuation amplitudes and with minimal flow intrusion. Because of its high aspect ratio, estimations showed that the probe resonates at a frequency two orders of magnitude lower than the fast response sensor cut-off frequencies. The high fluctuation amplitudes cause a non-linear behavior of the probe and available models are neither adequate for a quantitative estimation of the resonating frequencies nor for predicting the system damping. Instead, a non-linear data correction procedure based on individual transfer functions defined for each harmonic contribution is introduced for pneumatic probes that allows to extend their operating range beyond the resonating frequencies and linear dynamics. This data correction procedure was assessed on a miniature single-hole probe of 0.35 mm inner diameter which was designed to measure flow speed and direction. For the reliable use of such a probe in periodic flows, its frequency response was reproduced with a siren disk, which allows exciting the probe up to 10 kHz with peak-to-peak amplitudes ranging between 20%-170% of the absolute mean pressure. The effect of the probe interior design on the phase lag and amplitude distortion in periodic flow measurements was investigated on probes with similar inner diameters and different lengths or similar aspect ratios (L/D) and different total interior volumes. The results suggest that while the tube length consistently sets the resonance frequency, the internal total volume affects the non-linear dynamic response in terms of varying gain functions. A detailed analysis of the introduced calibration methodology shows that the goodness of the reconstructed data compared to the reference data is above 75% for fundamental frequencies up to twice the probe resonance frequency. The results clearly suggest that the introduced procedure is adequate to capture non-linear pneumatic probe dynamics and to

Fuzzy risk matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markowski, Adam S.; Mannan, M. Sam

2008-01-01

A risk matrix is a mechanism to characterize and rank process risks that are typically identified through one or more multifunctional reviews (e.g., process hazard analysis, audits, or incident investigation). This paper describes a procedure for developing a fuzzy risk matrix that may be used for emerging fuzzy logic applications in different safety analyses (e.g., LOPA). The fuzzification of frequency and severity of the consequences of the incident scenario are described which are basic inputs for fuzzy risk matrix. Subsequently using different design of risk matrix, fuzzy rules are established enabling the development of fuzzy risk matrices. Three types of fuzzy risk matrix have been developed (low-cost, standard, and high-cost), and using a distillation column case study, the effect of the design on final defuzzified risk index is demonstrated

Molecular dynamics simulations of matrix assisted laser desorption ionization: Matrix-analyte interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nangia, Shivangi; Garrison, Barbara J.

2011-01-01

There is synergy between matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. To understand analyte ejection from the matrix, MD simulations have been employed. Prior calculations show that the ejected analyte molecules remain solvated by the matrix molecules in the ablated plume. In contrast, the experimental data show free analyte ions. The main idea of this work is that analyte molecule ejection may depend on the microscopic details of analyte interaction with the matrix. Intermolecular matrix-analyte interactions have been studied by focusing on 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB; matrix) and amino acids (AA; analyte) using Chemistry at HARvard Molecular Mechanics (CHARMM) force field. A series of AA molecules have been studied to analyze the DHB-AA interaction. A relative scale of AA molecule affinity towards DHB has been developed.

A coupled geochemical and biogeochemical approach to characterize the bioreactivity of dissolved organic matter from a headwater stream

Science.gov (United States)

Sleighter, Rachel L.; Cory, Rose M.; Kaplan, Louis A.; Abdulla, Hussain A. N.; Hatcher, Patrick G.

2014-08-01

The bioreactivity or susceptibility of dissolved organic matter (DOM) to microbial degradation in streams and rivers is of critical importance to global change studies, but a comprehensive understanding of DOM bioreactivity has been elusive due, in part, to the stunningly diverse assemblages of organic molecules within DOM. We approach this problem by employing a range of techniques to characterize DOM as it flows through biofilm reactors: dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, excitation emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMs), and ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry. The EEMs and mass spectral data were analyzed using a combination of multivariate statistical approaches. We found that 45% of stream water DOC was biodegraded by microorganisms, including 31-45% of the humic DOC. This bioreactive DOM separated into two different groups: (1) H/C centered at 1.5 with O/C 0.1-0.5 or (2) low H/C of 0.5-1.0 spanning O/C 0.2-0.7 that were positively correlated (Spearman ranking) with chromophoric and fluorescent DOM (CDOM and FDOM, respectively). DOM that was more recalcitrant and resistant to microbial degradation aligned tightly in the center of the van Krevelen space (H/C 1.0-1.5, O/C 0.25-0.6) and negatively correlated (Spearman ranking) with CDOM and FDOM. These findings were supported further by principal component analysis and 2-D correlation analysis of the relative magnitudes of the mass spectral peaks assigned to molecular formulas. This study demonstrates that our approach of processing stream water through bioreactors followed by EEMs and FTICR-MS analyses, in combination with multivariate statistical analysis, allows for precise, robust characterization of compound bioreactivity and associated molecular level composition.

Thermal and mechanical behavior of metal matrix and ceramic matrix composites

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, John M. (Editor); Moeller, Helen H. (Editor); Johnson, W. S. (Editor)

1990-01-01

The present conference discusses local stresses in metal-matrix composites (MMCs) subjected to thermal and mechanical loads, the computational simulation of high-temperature MMCs' cyclic behavior, an analysis of a ceramic-matrix composite (CMC) flexure specimen, and a plasticity analysis of fibrous composite laminates under thermomechanical loads. Also discussed are a comparison of methods for determining the fiber-matrix interface frictional stresses of CMCs, the monotonic and cyclic behavior of an SiC/calcium aluminosilicate CMC, the mechanical and thermal properties of an SiC particle-reinforced Al alloy MMC, the temperature-dependent tensile and shear response of a graphite-reinforced 6061 Al-alloy MMC, the fiber/matrix interface bonding strength of MMCs, and fatigue crack growth in an Al2O3 short fiber-reinforced Al-2Mg matrix MMC.

Multi-point probe for testing electrical properties and a method of producing a multi-point probe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2011-01-01

A multi-point probe for testing electrical properties of a number of specific locations of a test sample comprises a supporting body defining a first surface, a first multitude of conductive probe arms (101-101'''), each of the probe arms defining a proximal end and a distal end. The probe arms...... of contact with the supporting body, and a maximum thickness perpendicular to its perpendicular bisector and its line of contact with the supporting body. Each of the probe arms has a specific area or point of contact (111-111''') at its distal end for contacting a specific location among the number...... of specific locations of the test sample. At least one of the probe arms has an extension defining a pointing distal end providing its specific area or point of contact located offset relative to its perpendicular bisector....

Development of flexible eddy current probes: applications to the characterization of the electromagnetic properties of materials and the detection of flaws by static imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delabre, Benjamin

2016-01-01

The work of this thesis focuses on the development and the optimization of probes for non-destructive testing (NDT) by Eddy Currents (EC). The manuscript presents several achievements of flexible EC probes engraved on Kapton film. The first part describes the evaluation of the electromagnetic parameters (electrical conductivity σ and magnetic permeability μ) of materials typically encountered in NDT by EC. Conventional methods to estimate σ and μ have been investigated and implemented: it is the four-point probe and the permeameter. However, these methods present practical difficulties relating to the surface condition (paint, corrosion,...) and the sample geometry. Two probes have therefore been designed: the first is composed of a transmitting and a receiving coil in order to evaluate the conductivity of purely conductive materials, and the second is composed of a transmitter coil and a GMR for evaluate the magnetic permeability. Design patterns and experimental results are presented in the manuscript. The second part describes the development of a flexible static EC imager. The imager is a multielement probe composed of 576 receivers arranged in a matrix allowing to inspect the surface of a structure under test without moving the probe relative to the sample surface. The inspection by the static imager provides a pixelated image of the surface under the probe. The imager has been optimized to detect a surface defect of at least 1 mm long of given orientation regardless of its location relative to the receiver coils. The design of the probe and its experimental evaluation are given in the manuscript. (author) [fr

A symmetrical subtraction combined with interpolated values for eliminating scattering from fluorescence EEM data

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jing; Liu, Xiaofei; Wang, Yutian

2016-08-01

Parallel factor analysis is a widely used method to extract qualitative and quantitative information of the analyte of interest from fluorescence emission-excitation matrix containing unknown components. Big amplitude of scattering will influence the results of parallel factor analysis. Many methods of eliminating scattering have been proposed. Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages. The combination of symmetrical subtraction and interpolated values has been discussed. The combination refers to both the combination of results and the combination of methods. Nine methods were used for comparison. The results show the combination of results can make a better concentration prediction for all the components.

Initial study on Z-phase strengthened 9-12% Cr steels by atom probe tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Fang; Andren, Hans-Olof [Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden). Dept. of Applied Physics

2010-07-01

The microstructure of two different types of Z-phase strengthened experimental steels, CrNbN-based or CrTaN-based, was investigated. Both steels underwent aging at 650 C for relatively short period of time, 24 hours or 1005 hours. Atom probe tomography was used to study the chemical composition of the matrix and precipitates, and the size and number density of the small precipitates. Both steels contain Laves phase at prior austenite grain boundaries and martensitic lath boundaries. The CrTaN-based steel was found more promising due to its finer and more densely distributed precipitates after 1005 hour aging. (orig.)

Human MLPA Probe Design (H-MAPD: a probe design tool for both electrophoresis-based and bead-coupled human multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hatchwell Eli

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA is an efficient and reliable technique for gene dosage analysis. Currently MLPA can be conducted on two platforms: traditional electrophoresis-based, and FlexMAP bead-coupled. Since its introduction in 2002, MLPA has been rapidly adopted in both clinical and research situations. However, MLPA probe design is a time consuming process requiring many steps that address multiple criteria. There exist only one or two commercial software packages for traditional electrophoresis-based MLPA probe design. To our knowledge, no software is yet available that performs bead-coupled MLPA probe design. Results We have developed H-MAPD, a web-based tool that automates the generation and selection of probes for human genomic MLPA. The software performs physical-chemical property tests using UNAFold software, and uniqueness tests using the UCSC genome browser. H-MAPD supports both traditional electrophoresis-based assays, as well as FlexMAP bead-coupled MLPA. Conclusion H-MAPD greatly reduces the efforts for human genomic MLPA probe design. The software is written in Perl-CGI, hosted on a Linux server, and is freely available to non-commercial users.

Mobile Probes in Mobile Learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ørngreen, Rikke; Blomhøj, Ulla; Duvaa, Uffe

In this paper experiences from using mobile probes in educational design of a mobile learning application is presented. The probing process stems from the cultural probe method, and was influenced by qualitative interview and inquiry approaches. In the project, the mobile phone was not only acting...... as an agent for acquiring empirical data (as the situation in hitherto mobile probe settings) but was also the technological medium for which data should say something about (mobile learning). Consequently, not only the content of the data but also the ways in which data was delivered and handled, provided...... a valuable dimension for investigating mobile use. The data was collected at the same time as design activities took place and the collective data was analysed based on user experience goals and cognitive processes from interaction design and mobile learning. The mobile probe increased the knowledge base...

Neutron-based portable drug probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Womble, P. C.; Vourvopoulos, G.; Ball Howard, J.; Paschal, J.

1999-01-01

Based on previous measurements, a probe prototype for contraband detection utilizing the neutron technique of Pulsed Fast-Thermal Neutron Analysis (PFTNA) is being constructed. The prototype weighs less than 45 kg and is composed of a probe (5 cm diameter), a power pack and a data acquisition and display system. The probe is designed to be inserted in confined spaces such as the boiler of a ship or a tanker truck filled with liquid. The probe provides information on a) the elemental content, and b) the density variations of the interrogated object. By measuring elemental content, the probe can differentiate between innocuous materials and drugs. Density variations can be found through fast neutron transmission. In all cases, hidden drugs are identified through the measurement of the elemental content of the object, and the comparison of expected and measured elemental ratios

Adjustable Pitot Probe

Science.gov (United States)

Ashby, George C., Jr.; Robbins, W. Eugene; Horsley, Lewis A.

1991-01-01

Probe readily positionable in core of uniform flow in hypersonic wind tunnel. Formed of pair of mating cylindrical housings: transducer housing and pitot-tube housing. Pitot tube supported by adjustable wedge fairing attached to top of pitot-tube housing with semicircular foot. Probe adjusted both radially and circumferentially. In addition, pressure-sensing transducer cooled internally by water or other cooling fluid passing through annulus of cooling system.

Quantitative assessment of submicron scale anisotropy in tissue multifractality by scattering Mueller matrix in the framework of Born approximation

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Nandan Kumar; Dey, Rajib; Chakraborty, Semanti; Panigrahi, Prasanta K.; Meglinski, Igor; Ghosh, Nirmalya

2018-04-01

A number of tissue-like disordered media exhibit local anisotropy of scattering in the scaling behavior. Scaling behavior contains wealth of fractal or multifractal properties. We demonstrate that the spatial dielectric fluctuations in a sample of biological tissue exhibit multifractal anisotropy. Multifractal anisotropy encoded in the wavelength variation of the light scattering Mueller matrix and manifesting as an intriguing spectral diattenuation effect. We developed an inverse method for the quantitative assessment of the multifractal anisotropy. The method is based on the processing of relevant Mueller matrix elements in Fourier domain by using Born approximation, followed by the multifractal analysis. The approach promises for probing subtle micro-structural changes in biological tissues associated with the cancer and precancer, as well as for non-destructive characterization of a wide range of scattering materials.

Simplified sample preparation method for protein identification by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry: in-gel digestion on the probe surface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stensballe, A; Jensen, Ole Nørregaard

2001-01-01

/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) is used as the first protein screening method in many laboratories because of its inherent simplicity, mass accuracy, sensitivity and relatively high sample throughput. We present a simplified sample preparation method for MALDI-MS that enables in-gel digestion...... for protein identification similar to that obtained by the traditional protocols for in-gel digestion and MALDI peptide mass mapping of human proteins, i.e. approximately 60%. The overall performance of the novel on-probe digestion method is comparable with that of the standard in-gel sample preparation...... protocol while being less labour intensive and more cost-effective due to minimal consumption of reagents, enzymes and consumables. Preliminary data obtained on a MALDI quadrupole-TOF tandem mass spectrometer demonstrated the utility of the on-probe digestion protocol for peptide mass mapping and peptide...

The Antartic Ice Borehole Probe

Science.gov (United States)

Behar, A.; Carsey, F.; Lane, A.; Engelhardt, H.

2000-01-01

The Antartic Ice Borehole Probe mission is a glaciological investigation, scheduled for November 2000-2001, that will place a probe in a hot-water drilled hole in the West Antartic ice sheet. The objectives of the probe are to observe ice-bed interactions with a downward looking camera, and ice inclusions and structure, including hypothesized ice accretion, with a side-looking camera.

Multi-threaded Sparse Matrix-Matrix Multiplication for Many-Core and GPU Architectures.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deveci, Mehmet [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Rajamanickam, Sivasankaran [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Trott, Christian Robert [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-12-01

Sparse Matrix-Matrix multiplication is a key kernel that has applications in several domains such as scienti c computing and graph analysis. Several algorithms have been studied in the past for this foundational kernel. In this paper, we develop parallel algorithms for sparse matrix-matrix multiplication with a focus on performance portability across different high performance computing architectures. The performance of these algorithms depend on the data structures used in them. We compare different types of accumulators in these algorithms and demonstrate the performance difference between these data structures. Furthermore, we develop a meta-algorithm, kkSpGEMM, to choose the right algorithm and data structure based on the characteristics of the problem. We show performance comparisons on three architectures and demonstrate the need for the community to develop two phase sparse matrix-matrix multiplication implementations for efficient reuse of the data structures involved.

Chemical and microstructural changes at high temperature in tungsten wire reinforced metal-matrix composite materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eaton, H.C.; Norden, H.

1985-01-01

Tungsten wire reinforced metal-matrix composites have been developed as a gas turbine blade material. Initially it was thought desirable to employ nickel or iron based superalloys as the matrix material due to their demonstrated reliability in applications where a high degree of dimensional stability, and thermal and mechanical fatigue resistance are required. It has been found, however, that deleterious fiber/matrix interactions occur in these systems under in-service conditions. These interactions seriously degrade the mechanical properties, and there is an effective lowering of the recrystallization temperature of the tungsten to the degree that grain structure changes can take place at unusually low temperatures. The present communication reports a study of the early stages of these interactions. Several microscopic and analytical techniques are used: TEM, SIMS, FIM, and the field ion atom probe. The nickel/tungsten interaction is thought to involve solute atom transport along grain boundaries. The grain boundary chemistry after short exposures to nickel at 1100 0 C is determined. In this manner the precursor interaction mechanisms are observed. These observations suggest that the strong nickel/tungsten grain boundary interactions do not involve the formation of distinct alloy phases, but instead involve rapid diffusion of essentially unalloyed nickel along the grain boundaries

The nuclear reaction matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krenciglowa, E.M.; Kung, C.L.; Kuo, T.T.S.; Osnes, E.; and Department of Physics, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794)

1976-01-01

Different definitions of the reaction matrix G appropriate to the calculation of nuclear structure are reviewed and discussed. Qualitative physical arguments are presented in support of a two-step calculation of the G-matrix for finite nuclei. In the first step the high-energy excitations are included using orthogonalized plane-wave intermediate states, and in the second step the low-energy excitations are added in, using harmonic oscillator intermediate states. Accurate calculations of G-matrix elements for nuclear structure calculations in the Aapprox. =18 region are performed following this procedure and treating the Pauli exclusion operator Q 2 /sub p/ by the method of Tsai and Kuo. The treatment of Q 2 /sub p/, the effect of the intermediate-state spectrum and the energy dependence of the reaction matrix are investigated in detail. The present matrix elements are compared with various matrix elements given in the literature. In particular, close agreement is obtained with the matrix elements calculated by Kuo and Brown using approximate methods

Neutrons as a probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iizumi, Masashi

1993-01-01

As an introduction to the symposium a brief overview will be given about the features of neutrons as a probe. First it will be pointed out that the utilization of neutrons as a probe for investigating the structural and dynamical properties of condensed matters is a benign gift eventuated from the release of atomic energy initiated by Enrico Fermi exactly half century ago. Features of neutrons as a probe are discussed in accordance with the four basic physical properties of neutrons as an elementary particle; (1) no electric charge (the interaction with matter is nuclear), (2) the mass of neutron is 1 amu, (3) spin is 1/2 and (4) neutrons have magnetic dipole moment. Overview will be given on the uniqueness of neutrons as a probe and on the variety in the way they are used in the wide research area from the pure science to the industrial applications. (author)

Direct comparison of Fe-Cr unmixing characterization by atom probe tomography and small angle scattering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Couturier, Laurent, E-mail: laurent.couturier55@hotmail.fr [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CNRS, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Department of Materials Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 (Canada); De Geuser, Frédéric; Deschamps, Alexis [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CNRS, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble (France)

2016-11-15

The fine microstructure obtained by unmixing of a solid solution either by classical precipitation or spinodal decomposition is often characterized either by small angle scattering or atom probe tomography. This article shows that a common data analysis framework can be used to analyze data obtained from these two techniques. An example of the application of this common analysis is given for characterization of the unmixing of the Fe-Cr matrix of a 15-5 PH stainless steel during long-term ageing at 350 °C and 400 °C. A direct comparison of the Cr composition fluctuations amplitudes and characteristic lengths obtained with both techniques is made showing a quantitative agreement for the fluctuation amplitudes. The origin of the discrepancy remaining for the characteristic lengths is discussed. - Highlights: •Common analysis framework for atom probe tomography and small angle scattering •Comparison of same microstructural characteristics obtained using both techniques •Good correlation of Cr composition fluctuations amplitudes from both techniques •Good correlation of Cr composition fluctuations amplitudes with classic V parameter.

Global unitary fixing and matrix-valued correlations in matrix models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adler, Stephen L.; Horwitz, Lawrence P.

2003-01-01

We consider the partition function for a matrix model with a global unitary invariant energy function. We show that the averages over the partition function of global unitary invariant trace polynomials of the matrix variables are the same when calculated with any choice of a global unitary fixing, while averages of such polynomials without a trace define matrix-valued correlation functions, that depend on the choice of unitary fixing. The unitary fixing is formulated within the standard Faddeev-Popov framework, in which the squared Vandermonde determinant emerges as a factor of the complete Faddeev-Popov determinant. We give the ghost representation for the FP determinant, and the corresponding BRST invariance of the unitary-fixed partition function. The formalism is relevant for deriving Ward identities obeyed by matrix-valued correlation functions

Probe tests microweld strength

Science.gov (United States)

1965-01-01

Probe is developed to test strength of soldered, brazed or microwelded joints. It consists of a spring which may be adjusted to the desired test pressure by means of a threaded probe head, and an indicator lamp. Device may be used for electronic equipment testing.

Non-inductive current probe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bak, Christen Kjeldahl

1977-01-01

The current probe described is a low-cost, shunt resistor for monitoring current pulses in e.g., pulsed lasers. Rise time is......The current probe described is a low-cost, shunt resistor for monitoring current pulses in e.g., pulsed lasers. Rise time is...

Matrix Information Geometry

CERN Document Server

Bhatia, Rajendra

2013-01-01

This book is an outcome of the Indo-French Workshop on Matrix Information Geometries (MIG): Applications in Sensor and Cognitive Systems Engineering, which was held in Ecole Polytechnique and Thales Research and Technology Center, Palaiseau, France, in February 23-25, 2011. The workshop was generously funded by the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (IFCPAR).  During the event, 22 renowned invited french or indian speakers gave lectures on their areas of expertise within the field of matrix analysis or processing. From these talks, a total of 17 original contribution or state-of-the-art chapters have been assembled in this volume. All articles were thoroughly peer-reviewed and improved, according to the suggestions of the international referees. The 17 contributions presented  are organized in three parts: (1) State-of-the-art surveys & original matrix theory work, (2) Advanced matrix theory for radar processing, and (3) Matrix-based signal processing applications.  

TIMP-2 gene transfer by positively charged PEG-lated monosized polycationic carrier to smooth muscle cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lacin, Nelisa, E-mail: melisalacin@yahoo.com [Mersin University, Advanced Technology Education, Research and Application Center (Turkey); Utkan, Gueldem [TUBITAK MAM, Enzyme and Fermentation Technology Laboratory, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Institute (Turkey); Kutsal, Tuelin [Hacettepe University, Chemical Engineering Department and Bioengineering Division (Turkey); Dedeoglu, Bala Guer; Yulug, Is Latin-Small-Letter-Dotless-I k G. [Bilkent University, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science (Turkey); Piskin, Erhan [Hacettepe University, Chemical Engineering Department and Bioengineering Division and Center for Bioengineering-Biyomedtek (Turkey)

2012-02-15

Remodeling of the extracellular matrix resulting from increased secretion of metalloproteinase enzymes is implicated in restenosis following balloon angioplasty. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases play an essential role in both normal and pathological extracellular matrix degradation. Tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2 is the most extensively studied tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases in myocardial tissue in animal models and clinical examples of cardiac disease; therefore it is selected for this study. Gene transfer of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2 may have a therapeutic potential by inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase activity. We have used PEG-lated nanoparticles poly(St/PEG-EEM/DMAPM) which were synthesized previously in our laboratory. The nanoparticles, with an average size of 77.6 {+-} 2.05 nm with a zeta potential of +64. 4 {+-} 1.14 mV and 201.9 {+-} 1.83 nm with +54.2 {+-} 0.77 mV were used in the transfection studies. Zeta Potential values and size of polyplex were appropriate for an effective transfection. TIMP-2 expression was detected by western blotting. Increased protein level in smooth muscle cells according to non-transfected smooth muscle cells confirms the successful delivery and expression of the tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2 gene with the non-viral vector transfection approach.

TIMP-2 gene transfer by positively charged PEG-lated monosized polycationic carrier to smooth muscle cells

Science.gov (United States)

Laçin, Nelisa; Utkan, Güldem; Kutsal, Tülin; Dedeoğlu, Bala Gür; Yuluğ, Işık G.; Pişkin, Erhan

2012-02-01

Remodeling of the extracellular matrix resulting from increased secretion of metalloproteinase enzymes is implicated in restenosis following balloon angioplasty. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases play an essential role in both normal and pathological extracellular matrix degradation. Tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2 is the most extensively studied tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases in myocardial tissue in animal models and clinical examples of cardiac disease; therefore it is selected for this study. Gene transfer of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2 may have a therapeutic potential by inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase activity. We have used PEG-lated nanoparticles poly(St/PEG-EEM/DMAPM) which were synthesized previously in our laboratory. The nanoparticles, with an average size of 77.6 ± 2.05 nm with a zeta potential of +64. 4 ± 1.14 mV and 201.9 ± 1.83 nm with +54.2 ± 0.77 mV were used in the transfection studies. Zeta Potential values and size of polyplex were appropriate for an effective transfection. TIMP-2 expression was detected by western blotting. Increased protein level in smooth muscle cells according to non-transfected smooth muscle cells confirms the successful delivery and expression of the tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2 gene with the non-viral vector transfection approach.

NASA SMART Probe: Breast Cancer Application

Science.gov (United States)

Mah, Robert W.; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

There is evidence in breast cancer and other malignancies that the physiologic environment within a tumor correlates with clinical outcome. We are developing a unique percutaneous Smart Probe to be used at the time of needle biopsy of the breast. The Smart Probe will simultaneously measure multiple physiologic parameters within a breast tumor. Direct and indirect measurements of tissue oxygen levels, blood flow, pH, and tissue fluid pressure will be analyzed in real-time. These parameters will be interpreted individually and collectively by innovative neural network techniques using advanced intelligent software. The goals are 1) develop a pecutaneous Smart Probe with multiple sensor modalities and applying advanced Information Technologies to provide real time diagnostic information of the tissue at tip of the probe, 2) test the percutaneous Smart Probe in women with benign and malignant breast masses who will be undergoing surgical biopsy, 3) correlate probe sensor data with benign and malignant status of breast masses, 4) determine whether the probe can detect physiologic differences within a breast tumor, and its margins, and in adjacent normal breast tissue, 5) correlate probe sensor data with known prognostic factors for breast caner, including tumor size, tumor grade, axillary lymph node metastases, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor status.

Probing the recreational home –The cultural probe as a communicative tool for researcher and user

OpenAIRE

Kristav, Per

2005-01-01

How can qualitative, ethnographic and emotional aspects from probe users be mapped at the same time as they get something meaningful in return? The emphasis is here on intellectual rewards during probe work rather than future good designs that in a long term perspective can be beneficial for the probe user. This case study has elaborated the traditional use of cultural probes [1] with a selection of ten families with small children in the Öresund region. The idea was to evoke thoughts abou...

Engineering a collagen matrix that replicates the biological properties of native extracellular matrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, Kwangwoo; Sakai, Yuuki; Funamoto, Seiichi; Kimura, Tsuyoshi; Kishida, Akio

2011-01-01

In this study, we aimed to replicate the function of native tissues that can be used in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The key to such replication is the preparation of an artificial collagen matrix that possesses a structure resembling that of the extracellular matrix. We, therefore, prepared a collagen matrix by fibrillogenesis in a NaCl/Na(2)HPO(4) aqueous solution using a dialysis cassette and investigated its biological behavior in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro cell adhesion and proliferation did not show any significant differences. The degradation rate in the living body could be controlled according to the preparation condition, where the collagen matrix with high water content (F-collagen matrix, >98%) showed fast degradation and collagen matrix with lower water content (T-collagen matrix, >80%) showed no degradation for 8 weeks. The degradation did not affect the inflammatory response at all and relatively faster wound healing response was observed. Comparing this result with that of collagen gel and decellularized cornea, it can be concluded that the structural factor is very important and no cell abnormal behavior would be observed for quaternary structured collagen matrix.

Carbonate fuel cell matrix

Science.gov (United States)

Farooque, Mohammad; Yuh, Chao-Yi

1996-01-01

A carbonate fuel cell matrix comprising support particles and crack attenuator particles which are made platelet in shape to increase the resistance of the matrix to through cracking. Also disclosed is a matrix having porous crack attenuator particles and a matrix whose crack attenuator particles have a thermal coefficient of expansion which is significantly different from that of the support particles, and a method of making platelet-shaped crack attenuator particles.

Method of forming a ceramic matrix composite and a ceramic matrix component

Science.gov (United States)

de Diego, Peter; Zhang, James

2017-05-30

A method of forming a ceramic matrix composite component includes providing a formed ceramic member having a cavity, filling at least a portion of the cavity with a ceramic foam. The ceramic foam is deposited on a barrier layer covering at least one internal passage of the cavity. The method includes processing the formed ceramic member and ceramic foam to obtain a ceramic matrix composite component. Also provided is a method of forming a ceramic matrix composite blade and a ceramic matrix composite component.

Hamiltonian formalism, quantization and S matrix for supergravity. [S matrix, canonical constraints

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fradkin, E S; Vasiliev, M A [AN SSSR, Moscow. Fizicheskij Inst.

1977-12-05

The canonical formalism for supergravity is constructed. The algebra of canonical constraints is found. The correct expression for the S matrix is obtained. Usual 'covariant methods' lead to an incorrect S matrix in supergravity since a new four-particle interaction of ghostfields survives in the Lagrangian expression of the S matrix.

Front-end receiver electronics for a matrix transducer for 3-D transesophageal echocardiography.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Zili; Blaak, Sandra; Chang, Zu-yao; Yao, Jiajian; Bosch, Johan G; Prins, Christian; Lancée, Charles T; de Jong, Nico; Pertijs, Michiel A P; Meijer, Gerard C M

2012-07-01

There is a clear clinical need for creating 3-D images of the heart. One promising technique is the use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). To enable 3-D TEE, we are developing a miniature ultrasound probe containing a matrix piezoelectric transducer with more than 2000 elements. Because a gastroscopic tube cannot accommodate the cables needed to connect all transducer elements directly to an imaging system, a major challenge is to locally reduce the number of channels, while maintaining a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio. This can be achieved by using front-end receiver electronics bonded to the transducers to provide appropriate signal conditioning in the tip of the probe. This paper presents the design of such electronics, realizing time-gain compensation (TGC) and micro-beamforming using simple, low-power circuits. Prototypes of TGC amplifiers and micro-beamforming cells have been fabricated in 0.35-μm CMOS technology. These prototype chips have been combined on a printed circuit board (PCB) to form an ultrasound-receiver system capable of reading and combining the signals of three transducer elements. Experimental results show that this design is a suitable candidate for 3-D TEE.

Errors of first-order probe correction for higher-order probes in spherical near-field antenna measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laitinen, Tommi; Nielsen, Jeppe Majlund; Pivnenko, Sergiy

2004-01-01

An investigation is performed to study the error of the far-field pattern determined from a spherical near-field antenna measurement in the case where a first-order (mu=+-1) probe correction scheme is applied to the near-field signal measured by a higher-order probe.......An investigation is performed to study the error of the far-field pattern determined from a spherical near-field antenna measurement in the case where a first-order (mu=+-1) probe correction scheme is applied to the near-field signal measured by a higher-order probe....

Detection of Copper (II) and Cadmium (II) binding to dissolved organic matter from macrophyte decomposition by fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectra combined with parallel factor analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, Dong-hai; Guo, Xu-jing; Wen, Li; He, Lian-sheng; Wang, Jing-gang; Li, Jun-qi

2015-01-01

Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectra coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) was used to characterize dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from macrophyte decomposition, and to study its complexation with Cu (II) and Cd (II). Both the protein-like and the humic-like components showed a marked quenching effect by Cu (II). Negligible quenching effects were found for Cd (II) by components 1, 5 and 6. The stability constants and the fraction of the binding fluorophores for humic-like components and Cu (II) can be influenced by macrophyte decomposition of various weight gradients in aquatic plants. Macrophyte decomposition within the scope of the appropriate aquatic phytomass can maximize the stability constant of DOM-metal complexes. A large amount of organic matter was introduced into the aquatic environment by macrophyte decomposition, suggesting that the potential risk of DOM as a carrier of heavy metal contamination in macrophytic lakes should not be ignored. - Highlights: • Macrophyte decomposition increases fluorescent DOM components in the upper sediment. • Protein-like components are quenched or enhanced by adding Cu (II) and Cd (II). • Macrophyte decomposition DOM can impact the affinity of Cu (II) and Cd (II). • The log K M and f values showed a marked change due to macrophyte decomposition. • Macrophyte decomposition can maximize the stability constant of DOM-Cu (II) complexes. - Macrophyte decomposition DOM can influence on the binding affinity of metal ions in macrophytic lakes

Conductivity Probe

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

The Thermal and Electrical Conductivity Probe (TECP) for NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander took measurements in Martian soil and in the air. The needles on the end of the instrument were inserted into the Martian soil, allowing TECP to measure the propagation of both thermal and electrical energy. TECP also measured the humidity in the surrounding air. The needles on the probe are 15 millimeters (0.6 inch) long. The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Plasma density measurement with ring-type cutoff probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, D.W.; You, S.J.; Na, B.K.; Kim, J.H.; Shin, Y.H.; Chang, H.Y.; Oh, W.Y.

2013-01-01

We proposed a cutoff probe with a ring-type detection tip enclosing a bar-type radiation tip. A comparative study between a proposed ring-type cutoff (RTC) probe and a conventional bar-type cutoff (BTC) probe showed that the RTC probe solved the problem of the BTC probe, the large measurement uncertainty of the electron density in a capacitively coupled plasma source. This improved characteristics of the RTC probe might have originated from the geometrical structure of the RTC probe concerning the monopole antennae radiation. This proposed cutoff probe can be expected to expand the applicable diagnostic range and to enhance the sensitivity of the cutoff probe. - Highlights: ► A cutoff probe with a ring type detection tip is proposed. ► Comparative experiment and simulation were conducted. ► The proposed probe showed a small uncertainty of measured plasma density. ► Improved characteristics might be originated from the geometrical structure

Determination of the shear modulus of gelatine hydrogels by magnetization measurements using dispersed nickel nanorods as mechanical probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bender, P.; Tschöpe, A.; Birringer, R.

2013-01-01

Ni nanorods are dispersed into gelatine gels and used as nanoprobes to estimate the shear modulus of the surrounding gel matrix by magnetization measurements. The nanorods are synthesized via pulsed electrodeposition of Ni into porous alumina, released from the templates by dissolution of the oxide layer and after several processing steps dispersed into gelatine gels with an isotropic orientation-distribution. Magnetization measurements of the resulting gels show a significant influence of the gelatine concentration on their magnetic behavior. In particular, with decreasing gelatine concentration the measured coercivity is reduced indicating a mechanical rotation of the nanorods in the field direction. A theoretical model which relates the measured coercivity to the shear modulus of the surrounding gel matrix is introduced and applied to investigate the ageing process of gelatine gels with different gelatine concentrations at room temperature. - Highlights: • AAO-template synthesis of uniaxial ferromagnetic single domain Ni nanorods. • Embedding nanorods as magnetic probes in soft elastic gelatine hydrogels. • Coercivity of isotropic samples increases with gelation time and gelatine concentration. • Quantitative relationship between coercivity and matrix shear modulus is obtained from an extended Stoner–Wohlfarth-model. • Semi-quantitative method for magnetic rheometry of soft elastic materials

Determination of the shear modulus of gelatine hydrogels by magnetization measurements using dispersed nickel nanorods as mechanical probes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bender, P., E-mail: nano@p-bender.de; Tschöpe, A., E-mail: antsch@mx.uni-saarland.de; Birringer, R., E-mail: r.birringer@nano.uni-saarland.de

2013-11-15

Ni nanorods are dispersed into gelatine gels and used as nanoprobes to estimate the shear modulus of the surrounding gel matrix by magnetization measurements. The nanorods are synthesized via pulsed electrodeposition of Ni into porous alumina, released from the templates by dissolution of the oxide layer and after several processing steps dispersed into gelatine gels with an isotropic orientation-distribution. Magnetization measurements of the resulting gels show a significant influence of the gelatine concentration on their magnetic behavior. In particular, with decreasing gelatine concentration the measured coercivity is reduced indicating a mechanical rotation of the nanorods in the field direction. A theoretical model which relates the measured coercivity to the shear modulus of the surrounding gel matrix is introduced and applied to investigate the ageing process of gelatine gels with different gelatine concentrations at room temperature. - Highlights: • AAO-template synthesis of uniaxial ferromagnetic single domain Ni nanorods. • Embedding nanorods as magnetic probes in soft elastic gelatine hydrogels. • Coercivity of isotropic samples increases with gelation time and gelatine concentration. • Quantitative relationship between coercivity and matrix shear modulus is obtained from an extended Stoner–Wohlfarth-model. • Semi-quantitative method for magnetic rheometry of soft elastic materials.

Nuclear borehole probes - theory and experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joergensen, J.L.; Korsbech, U.; Gynther Nielsen, K.; Oelgaard, P.L.

1985-06-01

The report gives a summary of the theoretical and expeimental work on borehole probes that has been performed since 1971 at The Department of Electrophysics, The Technical University of Denmark. The first part of the report concerns the use of a spectral natural gamma-ray probe (SNG-probe), which is used for measurements of the spectral distribution of the gamma-rays of the geological strata around a borehole. In general the spectrum is divided into three parts - the gamma-rays from potassium-40, from thorium-232 and daughters, and from uranium-238 and daughters. A set of curves showing the intensities of the gamm-radiation from K, Th, and U versus depth is called a SNG-log. If proper calibrated, the SNG-log gives the concentration of Th, U, and K in the formation surrounding the borehole. Initially the basis for an interpretation of SNG-logs is discussed. Then follows a description og some SNG-problems designed and built by The Department of Electrophysics, and a discussion of the calibration of SNG-probes. Some examples of SNG-logs are presented, and some general comments on the use of SNG-logs are given. The second part of the report concerns mainly the development of theoretical models for neutron-neutron probes, gamma-gamma probes, and pulsed-neutron probes. The purpose of this work has been to examine how well the models correlate with measured results and - where reasonable agreement is found - to use the models in studies of the factors that affect the probe responses in interpretation of experimental results and in probe design. (author)

The Matrix Cookbook

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Kaare Brandt; Pedersen, Michael Syskind

Matrix identities, relations and approximations. A desktop reference for quick overview of mathematics of matrices.......Matrix identities, relations and approximations. A desktop reference for quick overview of mathematics of matrices....

TORE SUPRA fast reciprocating radio frequency probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, C.E. Jr.; Harris, J.H.; Haste, G.R.; Kwon, M.; Goulding, R.H.; Hoffman, D.J.; Saoutic, B.; Becoulet, A.; Fraboulet, D.; Beaumont, B.; Kuus, H.; Ladurelle, L.; Pascal, J.Y.

1995-01-01

A fast reciprocating ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) probe was installed and operated on TORE SUPRA during 1992/1993. The body of the probe was originally used on the ATF experiment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The probe was adapted for use on TORE SUPRA, and mounted on one of the two fast reciprocating probe mounts. The probe consists of two orthogonal single-turn wire loops, mounted so that one loop senses toroidal rf magnetic fields and the other senses poloidal rf magnetic fields. The probe began operation in June, 1993. The probe active area is approximately 5 cm long by 2 cm, and the reciprocating mount has a slow stroke (5 cm/s) of 30 cm and a fast stroke (1.5 m/s) of about 10 cm. The probe was operated at distances from the plasma edge ranging from 30 to -5 cm (i.e., inside the last closed flux surface). The probe design, electronics, calibration, data acquisition, and data processing are discussed. First data from the probe are presented as a function of ICRF power, distance from the plasma, loop orientation, and other plasma parameters. Initial data show parametric instabilities do not play an important role for ICRF in the TORE SUPRA edge and scrape-off-layer (SOL) plasmas. Additionally it is observed that the probe signal has little or no dependence on position in the SOL/plasma edge

Hyperpolarized NMR Probes for Biological Assays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian Meier

2014-01-01

Full Text Available During the last decade, the development of nuclear spin polarization enhanced (hyperpolarized molecular probes has opened up new opportunities for studying the inner workings of living cells in real time. The hyperpolarized probes are produced ex situ, introduced into biological systems and detected with high sensitivity and contrast against background signals using high resolution NMR spectroscopy. A variety of natural, derivatized and designed hyperpolarized probes has emerged for diverse biological studies including assays of intracellular reaction progression, pathway kinetics, probe uptake and export, pH, redox state, reactive oxygen species, ion concentrations, drug efficacy or oncogenic signaling. These probes are readily used directly under natural conditions in biofluids and are often directly developed and optimized for cellular assays, thus leaving little doubt about their specificity and utility under biologically relevant conditions. Hyperpolarized molecular probes for biological NMR spectroscopy enable the unbiased detection of complex processes by virtue of the high spectral resolution, structural specificity and quantifiability of NMR signals. Here, we provide a survey of strategies used for the selection, design and use of hyperpolarized NMR probes in biological assays, and describe current limitations and developments.

Multi-threaded Sparse Matrix Sparse Matrix Multiplication for Many-Core and GPU Architectures.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deveci, Mehmet [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Trott, Christian Robert [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Rajamanickam, Sivasankaran [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2018-01-01

Sparse Matrix-Matrix multiplication is a key kernel that has applications in several domains such as scientific computing and graph analysis. Several algorithms have been studied in the past for this foundational kernel. In this paper, we develop parallel algorithms for sparse matrix- matrix multiplication with a focus on performance portability across different high performance computing architectures. The performance of these algorithms depend on the data structures used in them. We compare different types of accumulators in these algorithms and demonstrate the performance difference between these data structures. Furthermore, we develop a meta-algorithm, kkSpGEMM, to choose the right algorithm and data structure based on the characteristics of the problem. We show performance comparisons on three architectures and demonstrate the need for the community to develop two phase sparse matrix-matrix multiplication implementations for efficient reuse of the data structures involved.

Parallelism in matrix computations

CERN Document Server

Gallopoulos, Efstratios; Sameh, Ahmed H

2016-01-01

This book is primarily intended as a research monograph that could also be used in graduate courses for the design of parallel algorithms in matrix computations. It assumes general but not extensive knowledge of numerical linear algebra, parallel architectures, and parallel programming paradigms. The book consists of four parts: (I) Basics; (II) Dense and Special Matrix Computations; (III) Sparse Matrix Computations; and (IV) Matrix functions and characteristics. Part I deals with parallel programming paradigms and fundamental kernels, including reordering schemes for sparse matrices. Part II is devoted to dense matrix computations such as parallel algorithms for solving linear systems, linear least squares, the symmetric algebraic eigenvalue problem, and the singular-value decomposition. It also deals with the development of parallel algorithms for special linear systems such as banded ,Vandermonde ,Toeplitz ,and block Toeplitz systems. Part III addresses sparse matrix computations: (a) the development of pa...

Long-term thermal stability of nanoclusters in ODS-Eurofer steel: An atom probe tomography study

Science.gov (United States)

Zilnyk, K. D.; Pradeep, K. G.; Choi, P.; Sandim, H. R. Z.; Raabe, D.

2017-08-01

Oxide-dispersion strengthened materials are important candidates for several high-temperature structural applications in advanced nuclear power plants. Most of the desirable mechanical properties presented by these materials are due to the dispersion of stable nanoparticles in the matrix. Samples of ODS-Eurofer steel were annealed for 4320 h (6 months) at 800 °C. The material was characterized using atom probe tomography in both conditions (prior and after heat treatment). The particles number density, size distribution, and chemical compositions were determined. No significant changes were observed between the two conditions indicating a high thermal stability of the Y-rich nanoparticles at 800 °C.

Dynamic current susceptibility as a probe of Majorana bound states in nanowire-based Josephson junctions

Science.gov (United States)

Trif, Mircea; Dmytruk, Olesia; Bouchiat, Hélène; Aguado, Ramón; Simon, Pascal

2018-02-01

We theoretically study a Josephson junction based on a semiconducting nanowire subject to a time-dependent flux bias. We establish a general density-matrix approach for the dynamical response of the Majorana junction and calculate the resulting flux-dependent susceptibility using both microscopic and effective low-energy descriptions for the nanowire. We find that the diagonal component of the susceptibility, associated with the dynamics of the Majorana state populations, dominates over the standard Kubo contribution for a wide range of experimentally relevant parameters. The diagonal term, explored, in this Rapid Communication, in the context of Majorana physics, allows probing accurately the presence of Majorana bound states in the junction.

Convective heat flow probe

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, James C.; Hardee, Harry C.; Striker, Richard P.

1985-01-01

A convective heat flow probe device is provided which measures heat flow and fluid flow magnitude in the formation surrounding a borehole. The probe comprises an elongate housing adapted to be lowered down into the borehole; a plurality of heaters extending along the probe for heating the formation surrounding the borehole; a plurality of temperature sensors arranged around the periphery of the probe for measuring the temperature of the surrounding formation after heating thereof by the heater elements. The temperature sensors and heater elements are mounted in a plurality of separate heater pads which are supported by the housing and which are adapted to be radially expanded into firm engagement with the walls of the borehole. The heat supplied by the heater elements and the temperatures measured by the temperature sensors are monitored and used in providing the desired measurements. The outer peripheral surfaces of the heater pads are configured as segments of a cylinder and form a full cylinder when taken together. A plurality of temperature sensors are located on each pad so as to extend along the length and across the width thereof, with a heating element being located in each pad beneath the temperature sensors. An expansion mechanism driven by a clamping motor provides expansion and retraction of the heater pads and expandable packer-type seals are provided along the probe above and below the heater pads.

The Exopolysaccharide Matrix

Science.gov (United States)

Koo, H.; Falsetta, M.L.; Klein, M.I.

2013-01-01

Many infectious diseases in humans are caused or exacerbated by biofilms. Dental caries is a prime example of a biofilm-dependent disease, resulting from interactions of microorganisms, host factors, and diet (sugars), which modulate the dynamic formation of biofilms on tooth surfaces. All biofilms have a microbial-derived extracellular matrix as an essential constituent. The exopolysaccharides formed through interactions between sucrose- (and starch-) and Streptococcus mutans-derived exoenzymes present in the pellicle and on microbial surfaces (including non-mutans) provide binding sites for cariogenic and other organisms. The polymers formed in situ enmesh the microorganisms while forming a matrix facilitating the assembly of three-dimensional (3D) multicellular structures that encompass a series of microenvironments and are firmly attached to teeth. The metabolic activity of microbes embedded in this exopolysaccharide-rich and diffusion-limiting matrix leads to acidification of the milieu and, eventually, acid-dissolution of enamel. Here, we discuss recent advances concerning spatio-temporal development of the exopolysaccharide matrix and its essential role in the pathogenesis of dental caries. We focus on how the matrix serves as a 3D scaffold for biofilm assembly while creating spatial heterogeneities and low-pH microenvironments/niches. Further understanding on how the matrix modulates microbial activity and virulence expression could lead to new approaches to control cariogenic biofilms. PMID:24045647

Comparative analysis of nodal and edge finite element method for numerical analysis of 3-D magnetostatic systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mintchev, Pavel; Dimitrov, Marin; Balinov, Stoimen

2002-01-01

The possibilities for applying the Finite Element Method (FEM) with gauged magnetic vector potential and the Edge Element Method (EEM) for three-dimensional numerical analysis of magnetostatic systems are analyzed. It is established that the EEM ensures sufficient accuracy for engineering calculations but in some cases its use results in bad convergence. The use of the FEM with gauged magnetic vector potential instead of the EEM is recommended for preliminary calculations of devices with complex geometry and large air gaps between the ferromagnetic parts. (Author)

Probing Zeolite Crystal Architecture and Structural Imperfections using Differently Sized Fluorescent Organic Probe Molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendriks, Frank C; Schmidt, Joel E; Rombouts, Jeroen A; Lammertsma, Koop; Bruijnincx, Pieter C A; Weckhuysen, Bert M

2017-05-05

A micro-spectroscopic method has been developed to probe the accessibility of zeolite crystals using a series of fluorescent 4-(4-diethylaminostyryl)-1-methylpyridinium iodide (DAMPI) probes of increasing molecular size. Staining large zeolite crystals with MFI (ZSM-5) topology and subsequent mapping of the resulting fluorescence using confocal fluorescence microscopy reveal differences in structural integrity: the 90° intergrowth sections of MFI crystals are prone to develop structural imperfections, which act as entrance routes for the probes into the zeolite crystal. Polarization-dependent measurements provide evidence for the probe molecule's alignment within the MFI zeolite pore system. The developed method was extended to BEA (Beta) crystals, showing that the previously observed hourglass pattern is a general feature of BEA crystals with this morphology. Furthermore, the probes can accurately identify at which crystal faces of BEA straight or sinusoidal pores open to the surface. The results show this method can spatially resolve the architecture-dependent internal pore structure of microporous materials, which is difficult to assess using other characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Conformational and structural analysis of 2-allyl-1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2 H)-one 1,1-dioxide as probed by matrix-isolation spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez-Zavaglia, Andrea; Kaczor, Agnieszka; Coelho, Daniela; Cristiano, M. Lurdes S.; Fausto, Rui

2009-02-01

2-Allyl-1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2 H)-one 1,1-dioxide (ABIOD) has been studied by matrix-isolation infrared spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. A conformational search on the B3LYP/6 -311++G(3df,3pd) potential energy surface of the molecule demonstrated the existence of three conformers, Sk, Sk' and C, with similar energies, differing in the orientation of the allyl group. The calculations predicted the Sk form as the most stable in the gaseous phase, whereas the Sk' and C conformers have calculated relative energies of ca. 0.6 and 0.8-3.0 kJ mol -1, respectively (depending on the level of theory). In agreement with the relatively large (>6 kJ mol -1) calculated barriers for conformational interconversion, the three conformers could be efficiently trapped in an argon matrix at 10 K, the experimental infrared spectrum of the as-deposited matrix fitting well the simulated spectrum built from the calculated spectra for individual conformers scaled by their predicted populations at the temperature of the vapour of the compound prior to matrix deposition. Upon annealing the matrix at 24 K, however, both Sk and Sk' conformers were found to convert to the more polar C conformer, indicating that this latter form becomes the most stable ABIOD conformer in the argon matrix.

Novel Acoustic Feedback Cancellation Approaches In Hearing Aid Applications Using Probe Noise and Probe Noise Enhancement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guo, Meng; Jensen, Søren Holdt; Jensen, Jesper

2012-01-01

. In many cases, this bias problem causes the cancellation system to fail. The traditional probe noise approach, where a noise signal is added to the loudspeaker signal can, in theory, prevent the bias. However, in practice, the probe noise level must often be so high that the noise is clearly audible...... and annoying; this makes the traditional probe noise approach less useful in practical applications. In this work, we explain theoretically the decreased convergence rate when using low-level probe noise in the traditional approach, before we propose and study analytically two new probe noise approaches...... the proposed approaches much more attractive in practical applications. We demonstrate this through a simulation experiment with audio signals in a hearing aid acoustic feedback cancellation system, where the convergence rate is improved by as much as a factor of 10....

The TORE SUPRA fast reciprocating RF probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, C.E. Jr.; Harris, J.H.; Haste, G.R.

1994-01-01

A fast reciprocating ICRF (Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequencies) probe was installed and operated on TORE SUPRA during 1992/1993. The body of the probe was originally used on the ATF experiment at ORNL. The probe was adapted for use on TORE SUPRA, and mounted on one of the two fast reciprocating probe mounts. The probe consists of two orthogonal single-turn wire loops, mounted so that one loop senses toroidal RF magnetic fields and the other senses poloidal RF magnetic fields. The probe began operation in June, 1993. The probe active area is approximately 5 cm long by 2 cm, and the reciprocating mount has a slow stroke (5 cm/sec) of 30 cm by 2 cm, and the reciprocating mount has a slow stroke (5 cm/sec) of 30 cm and a fast stroke (1.5 m/sec) of about 10 cm. The probe was operated at distances from the plasma edge ranging from 30 cm to -5 cm (i.e., inside the last closed flux surface). The probe design, electronics, calibration, data acquisition and data processing are discussed. First data from the probe are presented as a function of ICRF power, distance from the plasma, loop orientation, and other plasma parameters. Initial data shows parametric instabilities do not play an important role for ICRF in the TORE SUPRA edge and scrape-off-layer (SOL) plasmas. Additionally it is observed that the probe signal has little or no dependence on position in the SOL/plasma edge

Atom Probe Tomography Characterization of the Solute Distributions in a Neutron-Irradiated and Annealed Pressure Vessel Steel Weld

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, M.K.

2001-01-30

A combined atom probe tomography and atom probe field ion microscopy study has been performed on a submerged arc weld irradiated to high fluence in the Heavy-Section Steel irradiation (HSSI) fifth irradiation series (Weld 73W). The composition of this weld is Fe - 0.27 at. % Cu, 1.58% Mn, 0.57% Ni, 0.34% MO, 0.27% Cr, 0.58% Si, 0.003% V, 0.45% C, 0.009% P, and 0.009% S. The material was examined after five conditions: after a typical stress relief treatment of 40 h at 607 C, after neutron irradiation to a fluence of 2 x 10{sup 23} n m{sup {minus}2} (E > 1 MeV), and after irradiation and isothermal anneals of 0.5, 1, and 168 h at 454 C. This report describes the matrix composition and the size, composition, and number density of the ultrafine copper-enriched precipitates that formed under neutron irradiation and the change in these parameters with post-irradiation annealing treatments.

Chromosome-specific DNA Repeat Probes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baumgartner, Adolf; Weier, Jingly Fung; Weier, Heinz-Ulrich G.

2006-03-16

In research as well as in clinical applications, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has gained increasing popularity as a highly sensitive technique to study cytogenetic changes. Today, hundreds of commercially available DNA probes serve the basic needs of the biomedical research community. Widespread applications, however, are often limited by the lack of appropriately labeled, specific nucleic acid probes. We describe two approaches for an expeditious preparation of chromosome-specific DNAs and the subsequent probe labeling with reporter molecules of choice. The described techniques allow the preparation of highly specific DNA repeat probes suitable for enumeration of chromosomes in interphase cell nuclei or tissue sections. In addition, there is no need for chromosome enrichment by flow cytometry and sorting or molecular cloning. Our PCR-based method uses either bacterial artificial chromosomes or human genomic DNA as templates with {alpha}-satellite-specific primers. Here we demonstrate the production of fluorochrome-labeled DNA repeat probes specific for human chromosomes 17 and 18 in just a few days without the need for highly specialized equipment and without the limitation to only a few fluorochrome labels.

Inspecting Friction Stir Welding using Electromagnetic Probes

Science.gov (United States)

Kinchen, David G.

2004-01-01

A report describes the use of advanced electromagnetic probes to measure the dimensions, the spatial distribution of electrical conductivity, and related other properties of friction stir welds (FSWs) between parts made of the same or different aluminum alloy(s). The probes are of the type described in in another Tech Brief. To recapitulate: A probe of this type is essentially an eddy-current probe that includes a primary (driver) winding that meanders and multiple secondary (sensing) windings that meander along the primary winding. Electrical conductivity is commonly used as a measure of heat treatment and tempering of aluminum alloys, but prior to the development of these probes, the inadequate sensitivity and limited accuracy of electrical-conductivity probes precluded such use on FSWs between different aluminum alloys, and the resolution of those probes was inadequate for measurement of FSW dimensions with positions and metallurgical properties. In contrast, the present probes afford adequate accuracy and spatial resolution for the purposes of measuring the dimensions of FSW welds and correlating spatially varying electrical conductivities with metallurgical properties, including surface defects.

Use of luciferase probes to measure ATP in living cells and animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Morciano, Giampaolo; Sarti, Alba Clara; Marchi, Saverio; Missiroli, Sonia; Falzoni, Simonetta; Raffaghello, Lizzia; Pistoia, Vito; Giorgi, Carlotta; Di Virgilio, Francesco; Pinton, Paolo

2017-08-01

ATP, the energy exchange factor that connects anabolism and catabolism, is required for major reactions and processes that occur in living cells, such as muscle contraction, phosphorylation and active transport. ATP is also the key molecule in extracellular purinergic signaling mechanisms, with an established crucial role in inflammation and several additional disease conditions. Here, we describe detailed protocols to measure the ATP concentration in isolated living cells and animals using luminescence techniques based on targeted luciferase probes. In the presence of magnesium, oxygen and ATP, the protein luciferase catalyzes oxidation of the substrate luciferin, which is associated with light emission. Recombinantly expressed wild-type luciferase is exclusively cytosolic; however, adding specific targeting sequences can modify its cellular localization. Using this strategy, we have constructed luciferase chimeras targeted to the mitochondrial matrix and the outer surface of the plasma membrane. Here, we describe optimized protocols for monitoring ATP concentrations in the cytosol, mitochondrial matrix and pericellular space in living cells via an overall procedure that requires an average of 3 d. In addition, we present a detailed protocol for the in vivo detection of extracellular ATP in mice using luciferase-transfected reporter cells. This latter procedure may require up to 25 d to complete.

Multivariate Matrix-Exponential Distributions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bladt, Mogens; Nielsen, Bo Friis

2010-01-01

be written as linear combinations of the elements in the exponential of a matrix. For this reason we shall refer to multivariate distributions with rational Laplace transform as multivariate matrix-exponential distributions (MVME). The marginal distributions of an MVME are univariate matrix......-exponential distributions. We prove a characterization that states that a distribution is an MVME distribution if and only if all non-negative, non-null linear combinations of the coordinates have a univariate matrix-exponential distribution. This theorem is analog to a well-known characterization theorem...

Reconstructing 1/2 BPS space-time metrics from matrix models and spin chains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vazquez, Samuel E.

2007-01-01

Using the anti-de Sitter/conformal field theories (AdS/CFT) correspondence, we address the question of how to measure complicated space-time metrics using gauge theory probes. In particular, we consider the case of the 1/2 Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield geometries of type IIB supergravity. These geometries are classified by certain droplets in a two-dimensional spacelike hypersurface. We show how to reconstruct the full metric inside these droplets using the one-loop N=4 super Yang-Mills theory dilatation operator. This is done by considering long operators in the SU(2) sector, which are dual to fast rotating strings on the droplets. We develop new powerful techniques for large N complex matrix models that allow us to construct the Hamiltonian for these strings. We find that the Hamiltonian can be mapped to a dynamical spin chain. That is, the length of the chain is not fixed. Moreover, all of these spin chains can be explicitly constructed using an interesting algebra which is derived from the matrix model. Our techniques work for general droplet configurations. As an example, we study a single elliptical droplet and the hypotrochoid

Scanning microscopic four-point conductivity probes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Christian Leth; Hansen, Torben Mikael; Bøggild, Peter

2002-01-01

A method for fabricating microscopic four-point probes is presented. The method uses silicon-based microfabrication technology involving only two patterning steps. The last step in the fabrication process is an unmasked deposition of the conducting probe material, and it is thus possible to select...... the conducting material either for a silicon wafer or a single probe unit. Using shadow masking photolithography an electrode spacing (pitch) down to 1.1 mum was obtained, with cantilever separation down to 200 run. Characterisation measurements have shown the microscopic probes to be mechanically very flexible...

Gamma-ray imaging probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wild, W.J.

1988-01-01

External nuclear medicine diagnostic imaging of early primary and metastatic lung cancer tumors is difficult due to the poor sensitivity and resolution of existing gamma cameras. Nonimaging counting detectors used for internal tumor detection give ambiguous results because distant background variations are difficult to discriminate from neighboring tumor sites. This suggests that an internal imaging nuclear medicine probe, particularly an esophageal probe, may be advantageously used to detect small tumors because of the ability to discriminate against background variations and the capability to get close to sites neighboring the esophagus. The design, theory of operation, preliminary bench tests, characterization of noise behavior and optimization of such an imaging probe is the central theme of this work

Photon-assisted Beam Probes for Low Temperature Plasmas and Installation of Neutral Beam Probe in Helimak

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia de Gorordo, Alvaro; Hallock, Gary A.; Kandadai, Nirmala

2008-11-01

The Heavy Ion Beam Probe (HIBP) diagnostic has successfully measured the electric potential in a number of major plasma devices in the fusion community. In contrast to a Langmuir probe, the HIBP measures the exact electric potential rather than the floating potential. It is also has the advantage of being a very nonperturbing diagnostic. We propose a new photon-assisted beam probe technique that would extend the HIBP type of diagnostics into the low temperature plasma regime. We expect this method to probe plasmas colder than 10 eV. The novelty of the proposed diagnostic is a VUV laser that ionizes the probing particle. Excimer lasers produce the pulsed VUV radiation needed. The lasers on the market don't have a short enough wavelength too ionize any ion directly and so we calculate the population density of excited states in a NLTE plasma. These new photo-ionization techniques can take an instantaneous one-dimensional potential measurement of a plasma and are ideal for nonmagnitized plasmas where continuous time resolution is not required. Also the status of the Neutral Beam Probe installation on the Helimak experiment will be presented.

Pneumatic probe with laser interferometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkens, P.H.

1978-01-01

Improvements to upgrade the accuracy of Rotacon probes by a complete redesign of probe to include a Michelson interferometer to replace the existing long-range capacity transducer are described. This has resulted in a compact and interchangeable probe cartridge with a 3 μin. resolution and accuracy; the cartridge can be installed and replaced in the Rotacon gauge with the minimum of realignment, which should reduce our dependence on operator skill. In addition, the stylus contact force can be reduced to 750 mg for the contacting types, but an alternative feature, which we are still developing, will use a gas jet cushion in place of the stylus to provide a noncontacting version of the same basic probe cartridge. This device is very sensitive to external vibration effects because it is virtually frictionless

Homogeneous versus heterogeneous probes for microbial ecological microarrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Jin-Woo; Park, Yong-Ha

2006-07-01

Microbial ecological microarrays have been developed for investigating the composition and functions of microorganism communities in environmental niches. These arrays include microbial identification microarrays, which use oligonucleotides, gene fragments or microbial genomes as probes. In this article, the advantages and disadvantages of each type of probe are reviewed. Oligonucleotide probes are currently useful for probing uncultivated bacteria that are not amenable to gene fragment probing, whereas the functional gene fragments amplified randomly from microbial genomes require phylogenetic and hierarchical categorization before use as microbial identification probes, despite their high resolution for both specificity and sensitivity. Until more bacteria are sequenced and gene fragment probes are thoroughly validated, heterogeneous bacterial genome probes will provide a simple, sensitive and quantitative tool for exploring the ecosystem structure.

Zero voltage mass spectrometry probes and systems

Science.gov (United States)

Cooks, Robert Graham; Wleklinski, Michael Stanley; Bag, Soumabha; Li, Yafeng

2017-10-10

The invention generally relates to zero volt mass spectrometry probes and systems. In certain embodiments, the invention provides a system including a mass spectrometry probe including a porous material, and a mass spectrometer (bench-top or miniature mass spectrometer). The system operates without an application of voltage to the probe. In certain embodiments, the probe is oriented such that a distal end faces an inlet of the mass spectrometer. In other embodiments, the distal end of the probe is 5 mm or less from an inlet of the mass spectrometer.

Gold-coated iron nanoparticles in transparent Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} matrix thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchez-Marcos, J. [Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (Spain); Cespedes, E. [Keele University, Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Guy Hilton Research Centre (United Kingdom); Jimenez-Villacorta, F. [Northeastern University, Department of Chemical Engineering (United States); Munoz-Martin, A. [Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Centro de Microanalisis de Materiales (Spain); Prieto, C., E-mail: cprieto@icmm.csic.es [Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (Spain)

2013-06-15

A new method to prepare thin films containing gold-coated iron nanoparticles is presented. The ternary Fe-Au-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} system prepared by sequential sputtering has revealed a progressive variation of microstructures from Au/Fe/Au/Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} multilayers to iron nanoparticles. Microstructural characterization by transmission electron microscopy, analysis of the magnetic properties and probing of the iron short-range order by X-ray absorption spectroscopy confirm the existence of a gold-coated iron nanoparticles of 1-2 nm typical size for a specific range of iron and gold contents per layer in the transparent silicon nitride ceramic matrix.

Interaction of a ballistic probe with gaseous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kucerovsky, Zden; Greason, William D

2008-01-01

Free-flying metal probes are used to determine charge densities in gaseous media containing free charge or low density plasma. The trajectory of the probe is ensured either by gravity or by propelling the probe to a certain velocity at the launch site. While travelling, the probe charge changes from its launch-site magnitude to that related to the space charge density existing along the trajectory. The degree to which the probe's arrival-site charge magnitude matches the space charge density in the area of interest depends on the probe shape and on the charge exchange processes between the probe body and the medium. The paper studies a probe acting as a free-flying charge carrier in air, and discusses the problems that may lead to an imbalance between the charge collected by the probe in the area of interest and the charge measured at the arrival site. The analysis and the described experiments are of the ballistic type: a small, triboelectrically pre-charged metal probe was propelled on a horizontal path, and the charge carried by the probe was measured at several points along the trajectory by means of contact-free induction rings; the initial and final charges were determined by static Faraday cups. A charge disparity was found under certain conditions, and its degree explained by the effects of the charge carrier potential. The studied probe charges ranged from 10 to 50 nF, and the fly-times needed to cross a one-meter path ranged from 20 to 40 ms. The probe to gas charge exchange experiments and their analysis yielded conditions under which the probe lost approximately 10 % of its charge. The results of our study may be of interest to those who intend to use the free-flying probe technique for the determination of space charge density.

Matrix with Prescribed Eigenvectors

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Faiz

2011-01-01

It is a routine matter for undergraduates to find eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a given matrix. But the converse problem of finding a matrix with prescribed eigenvalues and eigenvectors is rarely discussed in elementary texts on linear algebra. This problem is related to the "spectral" decomposition of a matrix and has important technical…

Elementary matrix theory

CERN Document Server

Eves, Howard

1980-01-01

The usefulness of matrix theory as a tool in disciplines ranging from quantum mechanics to psychometrics is widely recognized, and courses in matrix theory are increasingly a standard part of the undergraduate curriculum.This outstanding text offers an unusual introduction to matrix theory at the undergraduate level. Unlike most texts dealing with the topic, which tend to remain on an abstract level, Dr. Eves' book employs a concrete elementary approach, avoiding abstraction until the final chapter. This practical method renders the text especially accessible to students of physics, engineeri

Designs of Langmuir probes for W7-X

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laube, Ralph; Laux, Michael; Ye, Min You; Greuner, Henri; Lindig, Stefan

2011-01-01

Several designs of Langmuir probes for the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) are described. Different types of probes are proposed for the different divertors to be used during different operational phases of W7-X. Comb-like arrays of stiff probes, arrays of flexible probes, and fixed inlay probes are reviewed. For the initial phase of W7-X it was decided to install arrays of fixed inlay probes. Two mockups were manufactured and one of them was tested with success in the high heat flux test facility GLADIS. For long-pulse operation of W7-X different conceptual designs are proposed and are still developed further. This paper summarizes the different design constrains for the Langmuir probes in the different divertor surroundings, describes the design of the array of inlay probes for the initial phase and the result of the GLADIS test, and gives a preview of the conceptual designs of probes for the long-pulse operational phase of W7-X.

Effect of Fiber Poisson Contraction on Matrix Multicracking Evolution of Fiber-Reinforced Ceramic-Matrix Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Longbiao, Li

2015-12-01

An analytical methodology has been developed to investigate the effect of fiber Poisson contraction on matrix multicracking evolution of fiber-reinforced ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs). The modified shear-lag model incorporated with the Coulomb friction law is adopted to solve the stress distribution in the interface slip region and intact region of the damaged composite. The critical matrix strain energy criterion which presupposes the existence of an ultimate or critical strain energy limit beyond which the matrix fails has been adopted to describe matrix multicracking of CMCs. As more energy is placed into the composite, matrix fractures and the interface debonding occurs to dissipate the extra energy. The interface debonded length under the process of matrix multicracking is obtained by treating the interface debonding as a particular crack propagation problem along the fiber/matrix interface. The effects of the interfacial frictional coefficient, fiber Poisson ratio, fiber volume fraction, interface debonded energy and cycle number on the interface debonding and matrix multicracking evolution have been analyzed. The theoretical results are compared with experimental data of unidirectional SiC/CAS, SiC/CAS-II and SiC/Borosilicate composites.

IVVS probe mechanical concept design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rossi, Paolo, E-mail: paolo.rossi@enea.it; Neri, Carlo; De Collibus, Mario Ferri; Mugnaini, Giampiero; Pollastrone, Fabio; Crescenzi, Fabio

2015-10-15

Highlights: • ENEA designed, developed and tested a laser based In Vessel Viewing System (IVVS). • IVVS mechanical design has been revised from 2011 to 2013 to meet ITER requirements. • Main improvements are piezoceramic actuators and a step focus system. • Successful qualification activities validated the concept design for ITER environment. - Abstract: ENEA has been deeply involved in the design, development and testing of a laser based In Vessel Viewing System (IVVS) required for the inspection of ITER plasma-facing components. The IVVS probe shall be deployed into the vacuum vessel, providing high resolution images and metrology measurements to detect damages and possible erosion. ENEA already designed and manufactured an IVVS probe prototype based on a rad-hard concept and driven by commercial micro-step motors, which demonstrated satisfying viewing and metrology performances at room conditions. The probe sends a laser beam through a reflective rotating prism. By rotating the axes of the prism, the probe can scan all the environment points except those present in a shadow cone and the backscattered light signal is then processed to measure the intensity level (viewing) and the distance from the probe (metrology). During the last years, in order to meet all the ITER environmental conditions, such as high vacuum, gamma radiation lifetime dose up to 5 MGy, cumulative neutron fluence of about 2.3 × 10{sup 17} n/cm{sup 2}, temperature of 120 °C and magnetic field of 8 T, the probe mechanical design was significantly revised introducing a new actuating system based on piezo-ceramic actuators and improved with a new step focus system. The optical and mechanical schemes have been then modified and refined to meet also the geometrical constraints. The paper describes the mechanical concept design solutions adopted in order to fulfill IVVS probe functional performance requirements considering ITER working environment and geometrical constraints.

EISPACK, Subroutines for Eigenvalues, Eigenvectors, Matrix Operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garbow, Burton S.; Cline, A.K.; Meyering, J.

1993-01-01

1 - Description of problem or function: EISPACK3 is a collection of 75 FORTRAN subroutines, both single- and double-precision, that compute the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of nine classes of matrices. The package can determine the Eigen-system of complex general, complex Hermitian, real general, real symmetric, real symmetric band, real symmetric tridiagonal, special real tridiagonal, generalized real, and generalized real symmetric matrices. In addition, there are two routines which use the singular value decomposition to solve certain least squares problem. The individual subroutines are - Identification/Description: BAKVEC: Back transform vectors of matrix formed by FIGI; BALANC: Balance a real general matrix; BALBAK: Back transform vectors of matrix formed by BALANC; BANDR: Reduce sym. band matrix to sym. tridiag. matrix; BANDV: Find some vectors of sym. band matrix; BISECT: Find some values of sym. tridiag. matrix; BQR: Find some values of sym. band matrix; CBABK2: Back transform vectors of matrix formed by CBAL; CBAL: Balance a complex general matrix; CDIV: Perform division of two complex quantities; CG: Driver subroutine for a complex general matrix; CH: Driver subroutine for a complex Hermitian matrix; CINVIT: Find some vectors of complex Hess. matrix; COMBAK: Back transform vectors of matrix formed by COMHES; COMHES: Reduce complex matrix to complex Hess. (elementary); COMLR: Find all values of complex Hess. matrix (LR); COMLR2: Find all values/vectors of cmplx Hess. matrix (LR); CCMQR: Find all values of complex Hessenberg matrix (QR); COMQR2: Find all values/vectors of cmplx Hess. matrix (QR); CORTB: Back transform vectors of matrix formed by CORTH; CORTH: Reduce complex matrix to complex Hess. (unitary); CSROOT: Find square root of complex quantity; ELMBAK: Back transform vectors of matrix formed by ELMHES; ELMHES: Reduce real matrix to real Hess. (elementary); ELTRAN: Accumulate transformations from ELMHES (for HQR2); EPSLON: Estimate unit roundoff

Extending environmental management beyond the firm boundaries: An empirical study of Dutch food and beverage firms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grekova, E.; Bremmers, H.J.; Trienekens, J.H.; Kemp, R.G.M.; Omta, S.W.F.

2014-01-01

Consumer demand for environmental sustainability and for affordable prices calls for cooperation and information exchange in food chains to reduce joint environmental impact, known as externally-oriented environmental management (E-EM). E-EM is increasingly regarded as a management tool to

Microstructure and hardness of WC-Co particle reinforced iron matrix surface composite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Peng

2013-11-01

Full Text Available In this study, a high Cr cast iron surface composite material reinforced with WC-Co particles 2-6 mm in size was prepared using a pressureless sand mold infiltration casting technique. The composition, microstructure and hardness were determined by means of energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA, scanning electron microscope (SEM and Rockwell hardness measurements. It is determined that the obtained composite layer is about 15 mm thick with a WC-Co particle volumetric fraction of ~38%. During solidification, interface reaction takes place between WC-Co particles and high chromium cast iron. Melting and dissolving of prefabricated particles are also found, suggesting that local Co melting and diffusion play an important role in promoting interface metallurgical bonding. The composite layer is composed of ferrite and a series of carbides, such as (Cr, W, Fe23C6, WC, W2C, M6C and M12C. The inhomogeneous hardness in the obtained composite material shows a gradient decrease from the particle reinforced metal matrix composite layer to the matrix layer. The maximum hardness of 86.3 HRA (69.5 HRC is obtained on the particle reinforced surface, strongly indicating that the composite can be used as wear resistant material.

Microstructural study and densification analysis of hot work tool steel matrix composites reinforced with TiB{sub 2} particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fedrizzi, A., E-mail: anna.fedrizzi@ing.unitn.it [Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano 77, 38123 Trento (Italy); Pellizzari, M. [Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano 77, 38123 Trento (Italy); Zadra, M. [K4Sint, Start-up of the University of Trento, Viale Dante 300, 38057 Pergine Valsugana (Italy); Marin, E. [Department of Chemistry, Physics and Environment, University of Udine, Via Cotonificio 108, 33100 Udine (Italy)

2013-12-15

Hot work tool steels are characterized by good toughness and high hot hardness but are less wear resistant than other tooling materials, such as high speed steel. Metal matrix composites show improved tribological behavior, but not much work has been done in the field of hot work tool steels. In this paper TiB{sub 2}-reinforced hot work tool steel matrix composites were produced by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Mechanical alloying (MA) was proposed as a suited process to improve the composite microstructure. Density measurements and microstructure confirmed that MA promotes sintering and produces a fine and homogeneous dispersion of reinforcing particles. X-ray diffraction patterns of the sintered composites highlighted the formation of equilibrium Fe{sub 2}B and TiC, as predicted by thermodynamic calculations using Thermo-Calc® software. Scanning electron microscopy as well as scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy highlighted the reaction of the steel matrix with TiB{sub 2} particles, showing the formation of a reaction layer at the TiB{sub 2}-steel interface. Phase investigations pointed out that TiB{sub 2} is not chemically stable in steel matrix because of the presence of carbon even during short time SPS. - Highlights: • TiB{sub 2} reinforced steel matrix composites were produced by spark plasma sintering. • TiB{sub 2} was successfully dispersed in the steel matrix by mechanical alloying. • Steel and TiB{sub 2} react during sintering forming equilibrium Fe{sub 2}B and TiC. • The new phases were investigated by means of AFM, Volta potential and XRD analyses.

On the truncation of the azimuthal mode spectrum of high-order probes in probe-corrected spherical near-field antenna measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pivnenko, Sergey; Laitinen, Tommi

2011-01-01

Azimuthal mode (m mode) truncation of a high-order probe pattern in probe-corrected spherical near-field antenna measurements is studied in this paper. The results of this paper provide rules for appropriate and sufficient m-mode truncation for non-ideal first-order probes and odd-order probes wi...

Endoplasmic reticulum stress in amelogenesis imperfecta and phenotypic rescue using 4-phenylbutyrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Brookes, Steven J; Barron, Martin J; Boot-Handford, Ray; Kirkham, Jennifer; Dixon, Michael J

2014-05-01

Inherited diseases caused by genetic mutations can arise due to loss of protein function. Alternatively, mutated proteins may mis-fold, impairing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) trafficking, causing ER stress and triggering the unfolded protein response (UPR). The UPR attempts to restore proteostasis but if unsuccessful drives affected cells towards apoptosis. Previously, we reported that in mice, the p.Tyr64His mutation in the enamel extracellular matrix (EEM) protein amelogenin disrupts the secretory pathway in the enamel-forming ameloblasts, resulting in eruption of malformed tooth enamel that phenocopies human amelogenesis imperfecta (AI). Defective amelogenin post-secretory self-assembly and processing within the developing EEM has been suggested to underlie the pathogenesis of X chromosome-linked AI. Here, we challenge this concept by showing that AI pathogenesis associated with the p.Tyr64His amelogenin mutation involves ameloblast apoptosis induced by ER stress. Furthermore, we show that 4-phenylbutyrate can rescue the enamel phenotype in affected female mice by promoting cell survival over apoptosis such that they are able to complete enamel formation despite the presence of the mutation, offering a potential therapeutic option for patients with this form of AI and emphasizing the importance of ER stress in the pathogenesis of this inherited conformational disease.

Objective, Quantitative, Data-Driven Assessment of Chemical Probes.

Science.gov (United States)

Antolin, Albert A; Tym, Joseph E; Komianou, Angeliki; Collins, Ian; Workman, Paul; Al-Lazikani, Bissan

2018-02-15

Chemical probes are essential tools for understanding biological systems and for target validation, yet selecting probes for biomedical research is rarely based on objective assessment of all potential compounds. Here, we describe the Probe Miner: Chemical Probes Objective Assessment resource, capitalizing on the plethora of public medicinal chemistry data to empower quantitative, objective, data-driven evaluation of chemical probes. We assess >1.8 million compounds for their suitability as chemical tools against 2,220 human targets and dissect the biases and limitations encountered. Probe Miner represents a valuable resource to aid the identification of potential chemical probes, particularly when used alongside expert curation. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Matrix algebra for linear models

CERN Document Server

Gruber, Marvin H J

2013-01-01

Matrix methods have evolved from a tool for expressing statistical problems to an indispensable part of the development, understanding, and use of various types of complex statistical analyses. This evolution has made matrix methods a vital part of statistical education. Traditionally, matrix methods are taught in courses on everything from regression analysis to stochastic processes, thus creating a fractured view of the topic. Matrix Algebra for Linear Models offers readers a unique, unified view of matrix analysis theory (where and when necessary), methods, and their applications. Written f

β-Isocyanoalanine as an IR probe: comparison of vibrational dynamics between isonitrile and nitrile-derivatized IR probes.

Science.gov (United States)

Maj, Michał; Ahn, Changwoo; Kossowska, Dorota; Park, Kwanghee; Kwak, Kyungwon; Han, Hogyu; Cho, Minhaeng

2015-05-07

An infrared (IR) probe based on isonitrile (NC)-derivatized alanine 1 was synthesized and the vibrational properties of its NC stretching mode were investigated using FTIR and femtosecond IR pump-probe spectroscopy. It is found that the NC stretching mode is very sensitive to the hydrogen-bonding ability of solvent molecules. Moreover, its transition dipole strength is larger than that of nitrile (CN) in nitrile-derivatized IR probe 2. The vibrational lifetime of the NC stretching mode is found to be 5.5 ± 0.2 ps in both D2O and DMF solvents, which is several times longer than that of the azido (N3) stretching mode in azido-derivatized IR probe 3. Altogether these properties suggest that the NC group can be a very promising sensing moiety of IR probes for studying the solvation structure and dynamics of biomolecules.

Triangularization of a Matrix

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Much of linear algebra is devoted to reducing a matrix (via similarity or unitary similarity) to another that has lots of zeros. The simplest such theorem is the Schur triangularization theorem. This says that every matrix is unitarily similar to an upper triangular matrix. Our aim here is to show that though it is very easy to prove it ...

High-Throughput Screening of Vascular Endothelium-Destructive or Protective Microenvironments: Cooperative Actions of Extracellular Matrix Composition, Stiffness, and Structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Yonghui; Floren, Michael; Tan, Wei

2017-06-01

Pathological modification of the subendothelial extracellular matrix (ECM) has closely been associated with endothelial activation and subsequent cardiovascular disease progression. To understand regulatory mechanisms of these matrix modifications, the majority of previous efforts have focused on the modulation of either chemical composition or matrix stiffness on 2D smooth surfaces without simultaneously probing their cooperative effects on endothelium function on in vivo like 3D fibrous matrices. To this end, a high-throughput, combinatorial microarray platform on 2D and 3D hydrogel settings to resemble the compositions, stiffness, and structure of healthy and diseased subendothelial ECM has been established, and further their respective and combined effects on endothelial attachment, proliferation, inflammation, and junctional integrity have been investigated. For the first time, the results demonstrate that 3D fibrous structure resembling native ECM is a critical endothelium-protective microenvironmental factor by maintaining the stable, quiescent endothelium with strong resistance to proinflammatory stimuli. It is also revealed that matrix stiffening, in concert with chemical compositions resembling diseased ECM, particularly collagen III, could aggravate activation of nuclear factor kappa B, disruption of endothelium integrity, and susceptibility to proinflammatory stimuli. This study elucidates cooperative effects of various microenvironmental factors on endothelial activation and sheds light on new in vitro model for cardiovascular diseases. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Theory of Langmuir probes in anisotropic plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudit, I.D.; Woods, R.C.

1994-01-01

A theory has been developed for electron retardation by Langmuir probes of several geometries in a general anisotropic plasma with arbitrary probe orientation and valid for any sheath thickness. Electron densities and electron velocity distribution functions (EVDFs) are obtained from the second derivative of probe I-V curves, as in Druyvesteyn's original method, which was developed for isotropic plasmas. Fedorov had extended the latter method in the context of a thin sheath approximation, to axisymmetric plasmas, in which the EVDF is expanded in a series of Legendary polynomials. In the present work an expansion in a series of spherical harmonics is employed, and the coordinate transformations are handled using the irreducible representation of the three dimensional rotation group. It is shown that the Volterra integral equations that must be solved to obtain the expansion coefficients of the EVDF from the second derivative data are no more complicated in the general case that hose for the axisymmetric plasma. Furthermore in the latter case the results can be shown to be equivalent to Fedrov's thin sheath expression. For the case of planar probes a formulation based on first derivatives of the I-V curves has been obtained. If data is obtained at enough different probe orientation of a one sided planar disc probe, any number of spherical harmonic coefficient functions may be obtained by inverting a set of linear equations and the complete EVDF deduced. For a cylindrical probe or a two-sided planar disc probe the integration of the second derivative of the probe current gives the exact electron density with any arbitrary probe orientation and any degree of plasma anisotropy

Molecular Imaging Probe Development using Microfluidics

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Kan; Wang, Ming-Wei; Lin, Wei-Yu; Phung, Duy Linh; Girgis, Mark D.; Wu, Anna M.; Tomlinson, James S.; Shen, Clifton K.-F.

2012-01-01

In this manuscript, we review the latest advancement of microfluidics in molecular imaging probe development. Due to increasing needs for medical imaging, high demand for many types of molecular imaging probes will have to be met by exploiting novel chemistry/radiochemistry and engineering technologies to improve the production and development of suitable probes. The microfluidic-based probe synthesis is currently attracting a great deal of interest because of their potential to deliver many advantages over conventional systems. Numerous chemical reactions have been successfully performed in micro-reactors and the results convincingly demonstrate with great benefits to aid synthetic procedures, such as purer products, higher yields, shorter reaction times compared to the corresponding batch/macroscale reactions, and more benign reaction conditions. Several ‘proof-of-principle’ examples of molecular imaging probe syntheses using microfluidics, along with basics of device architecture and operation, and their potential limitations are discussed here. PMID:22977436

Contamination effects on fixed-bias Langmuir probes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steigies, C. T. [Institut fuer Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet zu Kiel, 24098 Kiel (Germany); Barjatya, A. [Department of Physical Sciences, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida 32114 (United States)

2012-11-15

Langmuir probes are standard instruments for plasma density measurements on many sounding rockets. These probes can be operated in swept-bias as well as in fixed-bias modes. In swept-bias Langmuir probes, contamination effects are frequently visible as a hysteresis between consecutive up and down voltage ramps. This hysteresis, if not corrected, leads to poorly determined plasma densities and temperatures. With a properly chosen sweep function, the contamination parameters can be determined from the measurements and correct plasma parameters can then be determined. In this paper, we study the contamination effects on fixed-bias Langmuir probes, where no hysteresis type effect is seen in the data. Even though the contamination is not evident from the measurements, it does affect the plasma density fluctuation spectrum as measured by the fixed-bias Langmuir probe. We model the contamination as a simple resistor-capacitor circuit between the probe surface and the plasma. We find that measurements of small scale plasma fluctuations (meter to sub-meter scale) along a rocket trajectory are not affected, but the measured amplitude of large scale plasma density variation (tens of meters or larger) is attenuated. From the model calculations, we determine amplitude and cross-over frequency of the contamination effect on fixed-bias probes for different contamination parameters. The model results also show that a fixed bias probe operating in the ion-saturation region is affected less by contamination as compared to a fixed bias probe operating in the electron saturation region.

Exact perturbation theory of multiphoton processes at high intensities. [Schroedinger equation, perturbation theory, matrix

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faisal, F H.M. [Bielefeld Univ. (Germany, F.R.). Fakultaet fuer Physik

1976-06-11

In this work the perturbation theory for multiphoton processes at high intensities is investigated and it is described an analytical method of summing the perturbation series to extract the contribution from all terms that give rise to the absorption of N photons by an atomic system. The method is first applied to the solution of a simple model problem and the result is confirmed by direct integration of the model Schroedinger equation. The usual lowest (nonvanishing)-order perturbation-theoretical calculation is also carried out for this model to demonstrate explicitly that the full result correctly reproduces that of the lowest-order theory in the limit of low intensity. The method is then extended to the case of an atomic system with well-developed spectrum (e.g. H atom) and the N-photon T-matrix is derived in terms of a ''photon matrix'' asub(N), for which a three-term recurrence relation is established. Next, from the vantage point of the general result obtained here, A probe is made into the nature of several approximate nonperturbative solutions that have appeared in the literature in the past. It is shown here that their applicability is severely restricted by the requirement of the essential spectral degeneracy of the atomic system. Finally, appendix A outlines a prescription of computing the photon matrix asub(N), which (as in the usual lowest-order perturbation-theoretical calculation)requires a knowledge of the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the atomic Hamiltonian only.

Experimental study on mechanical behavior of fiber/matrix interface in metal matrix composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Q.; Chiang, F.P.

1994-01-01

The technique SIEM(Speckle Interferometry with Electron Microscopy) was employed to quantitatively measure the deformation on the fiber/matrix interface in SCS-6/Ti-6-4 composite at a microscale level. The displacement field within the fiber/matrix interphase zone was determined by in-situ observation with sensitivity of 0.003(microm). The macro-mechanical properties were compared with micro-mechanical behavior. It is shown that the strength in the interphase zone is weaker than the matrix tensile strength. The deformation process can be characterized by the uniform deformation, interface strain concentration and debond, and matrix plastic deformation

Intrauterine photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging probe

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda, Christopher; Barkley, Joel; Smith, Barbara S.

2018-04-01

Intrauterine photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging are probe-based imaging modalities with translational potential for use in detecting endometrial diseases. This deep-tissue imaging probe design allows for the retrofitting of commercially available endometrial sampling curettes. The imaging probe presented here has a 2.92-mm diameter and approximate length of 26 cm, which allows for entry into the human endometrial cavity, making it possible to use photoacoustic imaging and high-resolution ultrasound to characterize the uterus. We demonstrate the imaging probes' ability to provide structural information of an excised pig uterus using ultrasound imaging and detect photoacoustic signals at a radial depth of 1 cm.

Probing convex polygons with X-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edelsbrunner, H.; Skiena, S.S.

1988-01-01

An X-ray probe through a polygon measures the length of intersection between a line and the polygon. This paper considers the properties of various classes of X-ray probes, and shows how they interact to give finite strategies for completely describing convex n-gons. It is shown that (3n/2)+6 probes are sufficient to verify a specified n-gon, while for determining convex polygons (3n-1)/2 X-ray probes are necessary and 5n+O(1) sufficient, with 3n+O(1) sufficient given that a lower bound on the size of the smallest edge of P is known

Free radical scavenging properties of some wine probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stasko, A.; Liptakova, M.; Malik, F.

1999-01-01

There are preliminary results of investigation of scavenging properties of 8 probes of Slovak wines (consisting of one reference, 3 probes of white wine and 4 probes of red wine). According to the literature so far, wine probes contain paramagnetic species (Mn 2+ , characterised with sextet spectrum, and a singlet line around g=2,00). In our probes we observed Mn 2+ signals, but no significant evidence for a single line of free radical was found. We can conclude that Mn 2+ content in the red wines is generally higher than in the white ones. Further, we investigated the scavenging activities of the probes adding solution of dinitropicryl hydrazyl (DPPH-stable radical) to them. Their ability to terminate free radicals resulted in the decrease of the final DPPH concentrations in the probes. The red wines have significantly higher capability to scavenge free radicals than the probes of white wines. (authors)

The Interstellar Ethics of Self-Replicating Probes

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, K.

Robotic spacecraft have been our primary means of exploring the Universe for over 50 years. Should interstellar travel become reality it seems unlikely that humankind will stop using robotic probes. These probes will be able to replicate themselves ad infinitum by extracting raw materials from the space resources around them and reconfiguring them into replicas of themselves, using technology such as 3D printing. This will create a colonising wave of probes across the Galaxy. However, such probes could have negative as well as positive consequences and it is incumbent upon us to factor self-replicating probes into our interstellar philosophies and to take responsibility for their actions.

An Efficient GPU General Sparse Matrix-Matrix Multiplication for Irregular Data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Weifeng; Vinter, Brian

2014-01-01

General sparse matrix-matrix multiplication (SpGEMM) is a fundamental building block for numerous applications such as algebraic multigrid method, breadth first search and shortest path problem. Compared to other sparse BLAS routines, an efficient parallel SpGEMM algorithm has to handle extra...... irregularity from three aspects: (1) the number of the nonzero entries in the result sparse matrix is unknown in advance, (2) very expensive parallel insert operations at random positions in the result sparse matrix dominate the execution time, and (3) load balancing must account for sparse data in both input....... Load balancing builds on the number of the necessary arithmetic operations on the nonzero entries and is guaranteed in all stages. Compared with the state-of-the-art GPU SpGEMM methods in the CUSPARSE library and the CUSP library and the latest CPU SpGEMM method in the Intel Math Kernel Library, our...

Application of the iterative probe correction technique for a high-order probe in spherical near-field antenna measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laitinen, Tommi; Pivnenko, Sergey; Breinbjerg, Olav

2006-01-01

An iterative probe-correction technique for spherical near-field antenna measurements is examined. This technique has previously been shown to be well-suited for non-ideal first-order probes. In this paper, its performance in the case of a high-order probe (a dual-ridged horn) is examined....

Probing of flowing electron plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Himura, H.; Nakashima, C.; Saito, H.; Yoshida, Z.

2001-01-01

Probing of streaming electron plasmas with finite temperature is studied. For the first time, a current-voltage characteristic of an electric probe is measured in electron plasmas. Due to the fast flow of the electron plasmas, the characteristic curve spreads out significantly and exhibits a long tail. This feature can be explained calculating the currents collected to the probe. In flowing electron plasmas, the distribution function observed in the laboratory frame is non-Maxwellian even if the plasmas come to a state of thermal equilibrium. Another significant feature of the characteristic is that it determines a floating potential where the current equals zero, despite there being very few ions in the electron plasma. A high impedance probe, which is popularly used to determine the space potential of electron plasmas, outputs the potential. The method is available only for plasmas with density much smaller than the Brillouin limit

Combinatorial matrix theory

CERN Document Server

Mitjana, Margarida

2018-01-01

This book contains the notes of the lectures delivered at an Advanced Course on Combinatorial Matrix Theory held at Centre de Recerca Matemàtica (CRM) in Barcelona. These notes correspond to five series of lectures. The first series is dedicated to the study of several matrix classes defined combinatorially, and was delivered by Richard A. Brualdi. The second one, given by Pauline van den Driessche, is concerned with the study of spectral properties of matrices with a given sign pattern. Dragan Stevanović delivered the third one, devoted to describing the spectral radius of a graph as a tool to provide bounds of parameters related with properties of a graph. The fourth lecture was delivered by Stephen Kirkland and is dedicated to the applications of the Group Inverse of the Laplacian matrix. The last one, given by Ángeles Carmona, focuses on boundary value problems on finite networks with special in-depth on the M-matrix inverse problem.

A survey of matrix theory and matrix inequalities

CERN Document Server

Marcus, Marvin

2010-01-01

Written for advanced undergraduate students, this highly regarded book presents an enormous amount of information in a concise and accessible format. Beginning with the assumption that the reader has never seen a matrix before, the authors go on to provide a survey of a substantial part of the field, including many areas of modern research interest.Part One of the book covers not only the standard ideas of matrix theory, but ones, as the authors state, ""that reflect our own prejudices,"" among them Kronecker products, compound and induced matrices, quadratic relations, permanents, incidence

Atom-probe field-ion microscopy investigation of CMSX-4 Ni-base superalloy laser beam welds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babu, S.S.; David, S.A.; Vitek, J.M.; Miller, M.K.

1996-01-01

CMSX-4 superalloy laser beam welds were investigated by transmission electron microscopy and atom probe field-ion microscopy (APFIM). The weld microstructure consisted of fine (10- to 50-nm) irregularly shaped γ' precipitates (0.65 to 0.75 volume fraction) within the γ matrix. APFIM compositions of the γ and γ' phases were found to be different from those in the base metal. Concentration profiles across the γ and γ' phases showed extensive variations of Cr, Co and Al concentrations as a function of distance within the γ phase. Calculated lattice misfits near the γ/γ' interface in the welds are positive values compared to the negative values for base metal. (orig.)

Modeling the Insertion Mechanics of Flexible Neural Probes Coated with Sacrificial Polymers for Optimizing Probe Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sagar Singh

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Single-unit recording neural probes have significant advantages towards improving signal-to-noise ratio and specificity for signal acquisition in brain-to-computer interface devices. Long-term effectiveness is unfortunately limited by the chronic injury response, which has been linked to the mechanical mismatch between rigid probes and compliant brain tissue. Small, flexible microelectrodes may overcome this limitation, but insertion of these probes without buckling requires supporting elements such as a stiff coating with a biodegradable polymer. For these coated probes, there is a design trade-off between the potential for successful insertion into brain tissue and the degree of trauma generated by the insertion. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a finite element model (FEM to simulate insertion of coated neural probes of varying dimensions and material properties into brain tissue. Simulations were performed to predict the buckling and insertion forces during insertion of coated probes into a tissue phantom with material properties of brain. The simulations were validated with parallel experimental studies where probes were inserted into agarose tissue phantom, ex vivo chick embryonic brain tissue, and ex vivo rat brain tissue. Experiments were performed with uncoated copper wire and both uncoated and coated SU-8 photoresist and Parylene C probes. Model predictions were found to strongly agree with experimental results (<10% error. The ratio of the predicted buckling force-to-predicted insertion force, where a value greater than one would ideally be expected to result in successful insertion, was plotted against the actual success rate from experiments. A sigmoidal relationship was observed, with a ratio of 1.35 corresponding to equal probability of insertion and failure, and a ratio of 3.5 corresponding to a 100% success rate. This ratio was dubbed the “safety factor”, as it indicated the degree to which the coating

Efficient sparse matrix-matrix multiplication for computing periodic responses by shooting method on Intel Xeon Phi

Science.gov (United States)

Stoykov, S.; Atanassov, E.; Margenov, S.

2016-10-01

Many of the scientific applications involve sparse or dense matrix operations, such as solving linear systems, matrix-matrix products, eigensolvers, etc. In what concerns structural nonlinear dynamics, the computations of periodic responses and the determination of stability of the solution are of primary interest. Shooting method iswidely used for obtaining periodic responses of nonlinear systems. The method involves simultaneously operations with sparse and dense matrices. One of the computationally expensive operations in the method is multiplication of sparse by dense matrices. In the current work, a new algorithm for sparse matrix by dense matrix products is presented. The algorithm takes into account the structure of the sparse matrix, which is obtained by space discretization of the nonlinear Mindlin's plate equation of motion by the finite element method. The algorithm is developed to use the vector engine of Intel Xeon Phi coprocessors. It is compared with the standard sparse matrix by dense matrix algorithm and the one developed by Intel MKL and it is shown that by considering the properties of the sparse matrix better algorithms can be developed.

Sandwich hybridization probes for the detection of Pseudo-nitzschia (Bacillariophyceae) species: An update to existing probes and a description of new probes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowers, Holly A; Marin, Roman; Birch, James M; Scholin, Christopher A

2017-12-01

New sandwich hybridization assay (SHA) probes for detecting Pseudo-nitzschia species (P. arenysensis, P. fraudulenta, P. hasleana, P. pungens) are presented, along with updated cross-reactivity information on historical probes (SHA and FISH; fluorescence in situ hybridization) targeting P. australis and P. multiseries. Pseudo-nitzschia species are a cosmopolitan group of diatoms that produce varying levels of domoic acid (DA), a neurotoxin that can accumulate in finfish and shellfish and transfer throughout the food web. Consumption of infected food sources can lead to illness in humans (amnesic shellfish poisoning; ASP) and marine wildlife (domoic acid poisoning; DAP). The threat of human illness, along with economic loss from fishery closures has resulted in the implementation of monitoring protocols and intensive ecological studies. SHA probes have been instrumental in some of these efforts, as the technique performs well in complex heterogeneous sample matrices and has been adapted to benchtop and deployable (Environmental Sample Processor) platforms. The expanded probe set will enhance future efforts towards understanding spatial, temporal and successional patterns in species during bloom and non-bloom periods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Short recovery time NMR probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramia, M.E.; Martin, C.A.; Jeandrevin, S.

2011-01-01

A NMR probe for low frequency and short recovery time is presented in this work. The probe contains the tuning circuit, diode expanders and quarter wavelength networks to protect the receiver from both the amplifier noise and the coil ringing following the transmitter power pulse. It also possesses a coil damper which is activated by of non active components. The probe performance shows a recovery time of about of 15μs a sensitive Q factor reduction and an increase of the signal to noise ratio of about 68% during the reception at a work frequency of 2 MHz. (author)

Study of probe-sample distance for biomedical spectra measurement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Lei

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Fiber-based optical spectroscopy has been widely used for biomedical applications. However, the effect of probe-sample distance on the collection efficiency has not been well investigated. Method In this paper, we presented a theoretical model to maximize the illumination and collection efficiency in designing fiber optic probes for biomedical spectra measurement. This model was in general applicable to probes with single or multiple fibers at an arbitrary incident angle. In order to demonstrate the theory, a fluorescence spectrometer was used to measure the fluorescence of human finger skin at various probe-sample distances. The fluorescence spectrum and the total fluorescence intensity were recorded. Results The theoretical results show that for single fiber probes, contact measurement always provides the best results. While for multi-fiber probes, there is an optimal probe distance. When a 400- μm excitation fiber is used to deliver the light to the skin and another six 400- μm fibers surrounding the excitation fiber are used to collect the fluorescence signal, the experimental results show that human finger skin has very strong fluorescence between 475 nm and 700 nm under 450 nm excitation. The fluorescence intensity is heavily dependent on the probe-sample distance and there is an optimal probe distance. Conclusions We investigated a number of probe-sample configurations and found that contact measurement could be the primary choice for single-fiber probes, but was very inefficient for multi-fiber probes. There was an optimal probe-sample distance for multi-fiber probes. By carefully choosing the probe-sample distance, the collection efficiency could be enhanced by 5-10 times. Our experiments demonstrated that the experimental results of the probe-sample distance dependence of collection efficiency in multi-fiber probes were in general agreement with our theory.

Parallel R-matrix computation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heggarty, J.W.

1999-06-01

For almost thirty years, sequential R-matrix computation has been used by atomic physics research groups, from around the world, to model collision phenomena involving the scattering of electrons or positrons with atomic or molecular targets. As considerable progress has been made in the understanding of fundamental scattering processes, new data, obtained from more complex calculations, is of current interest to experimentalists. Performing such calculations, however, places considerable demands on the computational resources to be provided by the target machine, in terms of both processor speed and memory requirement. Indeed, in some instances the computational requirements are so great that the proposed R-matrix calculations are intractable, even when utilising contemporary classic supercomputers. Historically, increases in the computational requirements of R-matrix computation were accommodated by porting the problem codes to a more powerful classic supercomputer. Although this approach has been successful in the past, it is no longer considered to be a satisfactory solution due to the limitations of current (and future) Von Neumann machines. As a consequence, there has been considerable interest in the high performance multicomputers, that have emerged over the last decade which appear to offer the computational resources required by contemporary R-matrix research. Unfortunately, developing codes for these machines is not as simple a task as it was to develop codes for successive classic supercomputers. The difficulty arises from the considerable differences in the computing models that exist between the two types of machine and results in the programming of multicomputers to be widely acknowledged as a difficult, time consuming and error-prone task. Nevertheless, unless parallel R-matrix computation is realised, important theoretical and experimental atomic physics research will continue to be hindered. This thesis describes work that was undertaken in

Why nano-oxidation with carbon nanotube probes is so stable: II. Bending behaviour of CNT probes during nano-oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuramochi, H; Tokizaki, T; Ando, K; Yokoyama, H; Dagata, J A

2007-01-01

Part I demonstrated that nano-oxidation in the dynamic-force mode was enhanced by the use of conductive carbon nanotube (CNT) probes. Fabrication of oxide nanostructures using CNT probes benefited not only from the smaller tip apex compared to conventional probes but from improved operational stability over a wide range of exposure conditions primarily due to the hydrophobic nature of the CNT. Here we investigate the bending response of CNT probes to electrostatic and meniscus forces during nano-oxidation. We conclude that bending of the CNT introduces an additional cushion in the combined cantilever-probe deflection system, thus improving overall stability of the tip-sample junction during nano-oxidation

Neuroanatomical circuitry associated with exploratory eye movement in schizophrenia: a voxel-based morphometric study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linlin Qiu

Full Text Available Schizophrenic patients present abnormalities in a variety of eye movement tasks. Exploratory eye movement (EEM dysfunction appears to be particularly specific to schizophrenia. However, the underlying mechanisms of EEM dysfunction in schizophrenia are not clearly understood. To assess the potential neuroanatomical substrates of EEM, we recorded EEM performance and conducted a voxel-based morphometric analysis of gray matter in 33 schizophrenic patients and 29 well matched healthy controls. In schizophrenic patients, decreased responsive search score (RSS and widespread gray matter density (GMD reductions were observed. Moreover, the RSS was positively correlated with GMD in distributed brain regions in schizophrenic patients. Furthermore, in schizophrenic patients, some brain regions with neuroanatomical deficits overlapped with some ones associated with RSS. These brain regions constituted an occipito-tempro-frontal circuitry involved in visual information processing and eye movement control, including the left calcarine cortex [Brodmann area (BA 17], the left cuneus (BA 18, the left superior occipital cortex (BA 18/19, the left superior frontal gyrus (BA 6, the left cerebellum, the right lingual cortex (BA 17/18, the right middle occipital cortex (BA19, the right inferior temporal cortex (BA 37, the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (BA 46 and bilateral precentral gyri (BA 6 extending to the frontal eye fields (FEF, BA 8. To our knowledge, we firstly reported empirical evidence that gray matter loss in the occipito-tempro-frontal neuroanatomical circuitry of visual processing system was associated with EEM performance in schizophrenia, which may be helpful for the future effort to reveal the underlying neural mechanisms for EEM disturbances in schizophrenia.

Blinded Comparison between an In-Air Reverberation Method and an Electronic Probe Tester in the Detection of Ultrasound Probe Faults.

Science.gov (United States)

Dudley, Nicholas J; Woolley, Darren J

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to perform a blinded trial, comparing the results of a visual inspection of the in-air reverberation pattern with the results of an electronic probe tester in detecting ultrasound probe faults. Sixty-two probes were tested. A total of 28 faults were found, 3 only by in-air reverberation assessment and 2 only by the electronic probe tester. The electronic probe tester provided additional information regarding the location of the fault in 74% of the cases in which both methods detected a fault. It is possible to detect the majority of probe faults by visual inspection and in-air reverberation assessment. The latter provides an excellent first-line test, easily performed on a daily basis by equipment users. An electronic probe tester is required if detailed evaluation of faults is necessary. Copyright © 2017 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology. All rights reserved.

TORE SUPRA fast reciprocating radio frequency probe (abstract)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, C.E. Jr.; Harris, J.H.; Haste, G.R.; Kwon, M.; Goulding, R.H.; Hoffman, D.J.; Saoutic, B.; Becoulet, A.; Fraboulet, D.; Beaumont, B.; Kuus, H.; Ladurelle, L.; Pascal, J.Y.

1995-01-01

A fast reciprocating ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) probe was installed and operated on TORE SUPRA during 1992/1993. The body of the probe was originally used on the ATF experiment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The probe was adapted for use on TORE SUPRA, and mounted on one of the two fast reciprocating probe mounts. The probe consists of two orthogonal single-turn wire loops, mounted so that one loop senses toroidal rf magnetic fields and the other senses poloidal rf magnetic fields. The probe began operation in June, 1993. The probe active area is approximately 5 cm long by 2 cm, and the reciprocating mount has a slow stroke (5 cm/s) of 30 cm and a fast stroke (1.5 m/s) of about 10 cm. The probe was operated at distances from the plasma edge ranging from 30 to -5 cm (i.e., inside the last closed flux surface). The probe design, electronics, calibration, data acquisition, and data processing are discussed. First data from the probe are presented as a function of ICRF power, distance from the plasma, loop orientation, and other plasma parameters. Initial data show parametric instabilities do not play an important role for ICRF in the TORE SUPRA edge and scrape-off-layer (SOL) plasmas. Additionally it is observed that the probe signal has little or no dependence on position in the SOL/plasma edge

Modeling the formation of cell-matrix adhesions on a single 3D matrix fiber.

Science.gov (United States)

Escribano, J; Sánchez, M T; García-Aznar, J M

2015-11-07

Cell-matrix adhesions are crucial in different biological processes like tissue morphogenesis, cell motility, and extracellular matrix remodeling. These interactions that link cell cytoskeleton and matrix fibers are built through protein clutches, generally known as adhesion complexes. The adhesion formation process has been deeply studied in two-dimensional (2D) cases; however, the knowledge is limited for three-dimensional (3D) cases. In this work, we simulate different local extracellular matrix properties in order to unravel the fundamental mechanisms that regulate the formation of cell-matrix adhesions in 3D. We aim to study the mechanical interaction of these biological structures through a three dimensional discrete approach, reproducing the transmission pattern force between the cytoskeleton and a single extracellular matrix fiber. This numerical model provides a discrete analysis of the proteins involved including spatial distribution, interaction between them, and study of the different phenomena, such as protein clutches unbinding or protein unfolding. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Donated chemical probes for open science.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Susanne; Ackloo, Suzanne; Arrowsmith, Cheryl H; Bauser, Marcus; Baryza, Jeremy L; Blagg, Julian; Böttcher, Jark; Bountra, Chas; Brown, Peter J; Bunnage, Mark E; Carter, Adrian J; Damerell, David; Dötsch, Volker; Drewry, David H; Edwards, Aled M; Edwards, James; Elkins, Jon M; Fischer, Christian; Frye, Stephen V; Gollner, Andreas; Grimshaw, Charles E; IJzerman, Adriaan; Hanke, Thomas; Hartung, Ingo V; Hitchcock, Steve; Howe, Trevor; Hughes, Terry V; Laufer, Stefan; Li, Volkhart Mj; Liras, Spiros; Marsden, Brian D; Matsui, Hisanori; Mathias, John; O'Hagan, Ronan C; Owen, Dafydd R; Pande, Vineet; Rauh, Daniel; Rosenberg, Saul H; Roth, Bryan L; Schneider, Natalie S; Scholten, Cora; Singh Saikatendu, Kumar; Simeonov, Anton; Takizawa, Masayuki; Tse, Chris; Thompson, Paul R; Treiber, Daniel K; Viana, Amélia Yi; Wells, Carrow I; Willson, Timothy M; Zuercher, William J; Knapp, Stefan; Mueller-Fahrnow, Anke

2018-04-20

Potent, selective and broadly characterized small molecule modulators of protein function (chemical probes) are powerful research reagents. The pharmaceutical industry has generated many high-quality chemical probes and several of these have been made available to academia. However, probe-associated data and control compounds, such as inactive structurally related molecules and their associated data, are generally not accessible. The lack of data and guidance makes it difficult for researchers to decide which chemical tools to choose. Several pharmaceutical companies (AbbVie, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Janssen, MSD, Pfizer, and Takeda) have therefore entered into a pre-competitive collaboration to make available a large number of innovative high-quality probes, including all probe-associated data, control compounds and recommendations on use (https://openscienceprobes.sgc-frankfurt.de">https://openscienceprobes.sgc-frankfurt.dehttps://openscienceprobes.sgc-frankfurt.de/">/). Here we describe the chemical tools and target-related knowledge that have been made available, and encourage others to join the project. © 2018, Müller et al.

The Chameleonic Nature of Platinum(II) Imidazopyridine Complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinter, Piermaria; Pittkowski, Rebecca; Soellner, Johannes; Strassner, Thomas

2017-10-12

The synthesis and characterization of cyclometalated C^C* platinum(II) complexes with unique photophysical properties, aggregation induced enhancement of the quantum yields with a simultaneous decrease of phosphorescence lifetimes, is reported. Additionally, a change of emission color is induced by variation of the excitation wavelength. The aggregation behavior of these complexes is controlled by the steric demand of the substituents. The photophysical properties of these complexes are investigated through emission-excitation matrix analysis (EEM). The monomeric complexes are excellent room temperature phosphorescent blue emitters with emission maxima below 470 nm and quantum yields of up to 93 %. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fluorescence imaging of sample zone narrowing and dispersion in a glass microchip: the effects of organic solvent (acetonitrile)-salt mixtures in the sample matrix and surfactant micelles in the running buffer.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Zhijian; Lee, Yi-kuen; Fang, Qun; Huie, Carmen W

2006-03-01

A mismatch in the EOF velocities between the sample zone and running buffer region is known to generate pressure-driven, parabolic flow profile of the sample plug in electrokinetic separation systems. In the present study, video fluorescence microscopy was employed to capture real-time dynamics of the sample plug (containing fluorescein as the probe molecule) in a discontinuous conductivity system within a glass microchip, in which the sample matrix consisted of a mixture of ACN and salt (NaCl), and the running buffer contained sodium cholate (SC) micelles as the pseudo-stationary phase (i.e., performing "ACN stacking" in the mode of MEKC). Upon application of the separation voltage, the video images revealed that zone narrowing and broadening of the probe molecules occurred as the sample plug headed toward the cathode during the initial time period, probably resulting in part from the stacking/sweeping, and destacking of the SC micelles at the boundaries between the sample zone and running buffer. Interestingly, a second sample zone narrowing event can be observed as the sample plug moved further toward the cathode, which could be attributed to the sweeping of the slower moving probe molecules by the faster moving SC micelles that originated from the anode. This phenomenon was studied as a function of pH, sample plug length, as well as the concentration of organic solvent and salt in the sample matrix. The data suggested that the presence of large amounts of an organic solvent (such as ACN or methanol) and salts in the sample matrix not only induces sample dispersion due to the formation of a pressure-driven (hydrodynamic) flow, but may also lead to the formation of a double sample zone narrowing phenomenon by altering the local EOF dynamics within the separation system.

Atomic quantum superposition state generation via optical probing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Anne E. B.; Poulsen, Uffe Vestergaard; Negretti, Antonio

2009-01-01

investigate cavity enhanced probing with continuous beams of both coherent and squeezed light. The stochastic master equations used in the analysis are expressed in terms of the Hamiltonian of the probed system and the interaction between the probed system and the probe field and are thus quite generally...

Imaging optical probe for pressurized steam-water environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donaldson, M.R.; Pulfrey, R.E.

1979-01-01

An air-cooled imaging optical probe, with an outside diameter of 25.4 mm, has been developed to provide high resolution viewing of flow regimes in a steam-water environment at 343 0 C and 15.2 MPa. The design study considered a 3-m length probe. A 0.3-m length probe prototype was fabricated and tested. The optical probe consists of a 3.5-mm diameter optics train surrounded by two coaxial coolant flow channels and two coaxial insulating dead air spaces. With air flowing through the probe at 5.7 g/s, thermal analysis shows that no part of the optics train will exceed 93 0 C when a 3-m length probe is immersed in a 343 0 C environment. Computer stress analysis plus actual tests show that the probe can operate successfully with conservative safety factors. The imaging optical probe was tested five times in the design environment at the semiscale facility at the INEL. Two-phase flow regimes in the high temperature, high pressure, steam-water blowdown and reflood experiments were recorded on video tape for the first time with the imaging optical probe

Intrauterine photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging probe.

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda, Christopher; Barkley, Joel; Smith, Barbara

2018-04-01

Intrauterine photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging are probe-based imaging modalities with translational potential for use in detecting endometrial diseases. This deep-tissue imaging probe design allows for the retrofitting of commercially available endometrial sampling curettes. The imaging probe presented here has a 2.92-mm diameter and approximate length of 26 cm, which allows for entry into the human endometrial cavity, making it possible to use photoacoustic imaging and high-resolution ultrasound to characterize the uterus. We demonstrate the imaging probes' ability to provide structural information of an excised pig uterus using ultrasound imaging and detect photoacoustic signals at a radial depth of 1 cm. (2018) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

Dielectric matrix, dynamical matrix and phonon dispersion in hcp transition metal scandium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Joginder; Singh, Natthi; Prakash, S.

1976-01-01

Complete dielectric matrix is evaluated for hcp transition metal scandium using the non-interacting s- and d-band model. The local field corrections which are consequence of the non-diagonal part of the dielectric matrix are calculated explicitly. The free electron approximation is used for the s-electrons and the simple tight-binding approximation is used for the d-electrons. The theory developed by Singh and others is used to invert the dielectric matrix and the explicit expressions for the dynamical matrix are obtained. The phonon dispersion relations are investigated by using the renormalized Animalu transition metal model potential (TMMP) for bare ion potential. The contribution due to non-central forces which arise due to local fields is found to be 20%. The results are found in resonably good agreement with the experimental values. (author)

Monitoring probe for groundwater flow

Science.gov (United States)

Looney, B.B.; Ballard, S.

1994-08-23

A monitoring probe for detecting groundwater migration is disclosed. The monitor features a cylinder made of a permeable membrane carrying an array of electrical conductivity sensors on its outer surface. The cylinder is filled with a fluid that has a conductivity different than the groundwater. The probe is placed in the ground at an area of interest to be monitored. The fluid, typically saltwater, diffuses through the permeable membrane into the groundwater. The flow of groundwater passing around the permeable membrane walls of the cylinder carries the conductive fluid in the same general direction and distorts the conductivity field measured by the sensors. The degree of distortion from top to bottom and around the probe is precisely related to the vertical and horizontal flow rates, respectively. The electrical conductivities measured by the sensors about the outer surface of the probe are analyzed to determine the rate and direction of the groundwater flow. 4 figs.

The role of attention and relatedness in emotionally enhanced memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Talmi, Deborah; Schimmack, Ulrich; Paterson, Theone; Moscovitch, Morris

2007-02-01

Examining the positive and negative pictures separately revealed that emotionally enhanced memory (EEM) for positive pictures was mediated by attention, with no significant influence of emotional arousal, whereas the reverse was true of negative pictures. Consistent with this finding, in Experiment 2 EEM for negative pictures was found even when task emphasis was manipulated so that equivalent attention was allocated to negative and neutral pictures. The results show that attention and semantic relatedness contribute to EEM, with the extent varying with emotional valence. Negative emotion can influence memory independently of these 2 factors. (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved.

Heterophase fluctuation of omega phase and X-ray diffuse scattering from dual phase structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farjami, Susan; Kubo, Hiroshi

2003-01-01

Heterophase fluctuation of athermal omega embryos has been analyzed by assuming a dual phase structure of omega embryos composed of omega and bcc matrix phase. The two-dimensional modulation of dual phase was suggested from the quantitative estimation of coherent free energy of omega embryos using microscopic theory of elasticity and the Landau anharmonic theory for phase transformation. The X-ray diffraction theory was developed in connection to the formation of omega embryos having the dual phase structure. The offset of the diffuse peak position from the ideal omega point in the X-ray diffraction pattern is attributed to the dual phase (incommensurate phase) of omega embryos. It was also shown that the ellipsoidal shape of the diffuse intensity tailing toward the fundamental spot of the matrix phase is originated from the equilibrium shape of the omega embryo. The quantitative estimation of elastic energy modulus (EEM) in the disordered bcc matrix and in the ordered bcc matrix indicates a difference in the deviation amount of the minimum point k(q m ) from the ideal omega point k(q ω ) and a difference in the elliptical shape of embryos

21 CFR 882.4725 - Radiofrequency lesion probe.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Radiofrequency lesion probe. 882.4725 Section 882...) MEDICAL DEVICES NEUROLOGICAL DEVICES Neurological Surgical Devices § 882.4725 Radiofrequency lesion probe. (a) Identification. A radiofrequency lesion probe is a device connected to a radiofrequency (RF...

In-vitro accuracy and reproducibility evaluation of probing depth measurements of selected periodontal probes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K.N. Al Shayeb

2014-01-01

Conclusion: Depth measurements with the Chapple UB-CF-15 probe were more accurate and reproducible compared to measurements with the Vivacare TPS and Williams 14 W probes. This in vitro model may be useful for intra-examiner calibration or clinician training prior to the clinical evaluation of patients or in longitudinal studies involving periodontal evaluation.

Polychoric/Tetrachoric Matrix or Pearson Matrix? A methodological study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dominguez Lara, Sergio Alexis

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The use of product-moment correlation of Pearson is common in most studies in factor analysis in psychology, but it is known that this statistic is only applicable when the variables related are in interval scale and normally distributed, and when are used in ordinal data may to produce a distorted correlation matrix . Thus is a suitable option using polychoric/tetrachoric matrices in item-level factor analysis when the items are in level measurement nominal or ordinal. The aim of this study was to show the differences in the KMO, Bartlett`s Test and Determinant of the Matrix, percentage of variance explained and factor loadings in depression trait scale of Depression Inventory Trait - State and the Neuroticism dimension of the short form of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire -Revised, regarding the use of matrices polychoric/tetrachoric matrices and Pearson. These instruments was analyzed with different extraction methods (Maximum Likelihood, Minimum Rank Factor Analysis, Unweighted Least Squares and Principal Components, keeping constant the rotation method Promin were analyzed. Were observed differences regarding sample adequacy measures, as well as with respect to the explained variance and the factor loadings, for solutions having as polychoric/tetrachoric matrix. So it can be concluded that the polychoric / tetrachoric matrix give better results than Pearson matrices when it comes to item-level factor analysis using different methods.

MatrixPlot: visualizing sequence constraints

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gorodkin, Jan; Stærfeldt, Hans Henrik; Lund, Ole

1999-01-01

MatrixPlot: visualizing sequence constraints. Sub-title Abstract Summary : MatrixPlot is a program for making high-quality matrix plots, such as mutual information plots of sequence alignments and distance matrices of sequences with known three-dimensional coordinates. The user can add information...

POLLA-NESC, Resonance Parameter R-Matrix to S-Matrix Conversion by Reich-Moore Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saussure, G. de; Perez, R.B.

1975-01-01

1 - Description of problem or function: The program transforms a set of r-matrix nuclear resonance parameters into a set of equivalent s-matrix (or Kapur-Peierls) resonance parameters. 2 - Method of solution: The program utilizes the multilevel formalism of Reich and Moore and avoids diagonalization of the level matrix. The parameters are obtained by a direct partial fraction expansion of the Reich-Moore expression of the collision matrix. This approach appears simpler and faster when the number of fission channels is known and small. The method is particularly useful when a large number of levels must be considered because it does not require diagonalization of a large level matrix. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: By DIMENSION statements, the program is limited to maxima of 100 levels and 5 channels

Scanning vector Hall probe microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cambel, V.; Gregusova, D.; Fedor, J.; Kudela, R.; Bending, S.J.

2004-01-01

We have developed a scanning vector Hall probe microscope for mapping magnetic field vector over magnetic samples. The microscope is based on a micromachined Hall sensor and the cryostat with scanning system. The vector Hall sensor active area is ∼5x5 μm 2 . It is realized by patterning three Hall probes on the tilted faces of GaAs pyramids. Data from these 'tilted' Hall probes are used to reconstruct the full magnetic field vector. The scanning area of the microscope is 5x5 mm 2 , space resolution 2.5 μm, field resolution ∼1 μT Hz -1/2 at temperatures 10-300 K

SNAP: Small Next-generation Atmospheric Probe Concept

Science.gov (United States)

Sayanagi, K. M.; Dillman, R. A.; Atkinson, D. H.; Li, J.; Saikia, S.; Simon, A. A.; Spilker, T. R.; Wong, M. H.; Hope, D.

2017-12-01

We present a concept for a small, atmospheric probe that could be flexibly added to future missions that orbit or fly-by a giant planet as a secondary payload, which we call the Small Next-generation Atmospheric Probe (SNAP). SNAP's main scientific objectives are to determine the vertical distribution of clouds and cloud-forming chemical species, thermal stratification, and wind speed as a function of depth. As a case study, we present the advantages, cost and risk of adding SNAP to the future Uranus Orbiter and Probe flagship mission; in combination with the mission's main probe, SNAP would perform atmospheric in-situ measurements at a second location, and thus enable and enhance the scientific objectives recommended by the 2013 Planetary Science Decadal Survey and the 2014 NASA Science Plan to determine atmospheric spatial variabilities. We envision that the science objectives can be achieved with a 30-kg entry probe 0.5m in diameter (less than half the size of the Galileo probe) that reaches 5-bar pressure-altitude and returns data to Earth via the carrier spacecraft. As the baseline instruments, the probe will carry an Atmospheric Structure Instrument (ASI) that measures the temperature, pressure and acceleration, a carbon nanotube-based NanoChem atmospheric composition sensor, and an Ultra-Stable Oscillator (USO) to conduct a Doppler Wind Experiment (DWE). We also catalog promising technologies currently under development that will strengthen small atmospheric entry probe missions in the future. While SNAP is applicable to multiple planets, we examine the feasibility, benefits and impacts of adding SNAP to the Uranus Orbiter and Probe flagship mission. Our project is supported by NASA PSDS3 grant NNX17AK31G.

Study, design and manufacture eddy current probes for industry applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen Phuc; Nguyen Van Thuy; Vuong Binh Duong; Do Minh Duc; Trinh Dinh Truong; Tran Trong Duc; Do Tung Khanh; Dang Quang Trung

2016-01-01

This study is based on the studying, designing and manufacturing of eddy current probes for industry applications. The main tasks of this study include: i) Describes the overview and classification of eddy current probes (which can be classified into three categories based on the mode of operation: absolute eddy current probe, differential eddy current probe and reflect eddy current probe); ii) Describes the three methods of probe designing and manufacturing (including experimental, analytical and numerical designs); iii) Describes the designing and manufacturing of eddy current probes for industry applications, which based on experimental and analytical methods. Based on this study, we have successfully manufactured some current probes (including absolute eddy current probe, differential eddy current probe and reflect eddy current probe) for surface and tube inspections. (author)

Fourier transform infrared imaging and infrared fiber optic probe spectroscopy identify collagen type in connective tissues.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arash Hanifi

Full Text Available Hyaline cartilage and mechanically inferior fibrocartilage consisting of mixed collagen types are frequently found together in repairing articular cartilage. The present study seeks to develop methodology to identify collagen type and other tissue components using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR spectral evaluation of matrix composition in combination with multivariate analyses. FTIR spectra of the primary molecular components of repair cartilage, types I and II collagen, and aggrecan, were used to develop multivariate spectral models for discrimination of the matrix components of the tissues of interest. Infrared imaging data were collected from bovine bone, tendon, normal cartilage, meniscus and human repair cartilage tissues, and composition predicted using partial least squares analyses. Histology and immunohistochemistry results were used as standards for validation. Infrared fiber optic probe spectral data were also obtained from meniscus (a tissue with mixed collagen types to evaluate the potential of this method for identification of collagen type in a minimally-invasive clinical application. Concentration profiles of the tissue components obtained from multivariate analysis were in excellent agreement with histology and immunohistochemistry results. Bone and tendon showed a uniform distribution of predominantly type I collagen through the tissue. Normal cartilage showed a distribution of type II collagen and proteoglycan similar to the known composition, while in repair cartilage, the spectral distribution of both types I and II collagen were similar to that observed via immunohistochemistry. Using the probe, the outer and inner regions of the meniscus were shown to be primarily composed of type I and II collagen, respectively, in accordance with immunohistochemistry data. In summary, multivariate analysis of infrared spectra can indeed be used to differentiate collagen type I and type II, even in the presence of proteoglycan, in

Plasma probe characteristics in low density hydrogen pulsed plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Astakhov, D I; Lee, C J; Bijkerk, F; Goedheer, W J; Ivanov, V V; Krivtsun, V M; Zotovich, A I; Zyryanov, S M; Lopaev, D V

2015-01-01

Probe theories are only applicable in the regime where the probe’s perturbation of the plasma can be neglected. However, it is not always possible to know, a priori, that a particular probe theory can be successfully applied, especially in low density plasmas. This is especially difficult in the case of transient, low density plasmas. Here, we applied probe diagnostics in combination with a 2D particle-in-cell model, to an experiment with a pulsed low density hydrogen plasma. The calculations took into account the full chamber geometry, including the plasma probe as an electrode in the chamber. It was found that the simulations reproduce the time evolution of the probe IV characteristics with good accuracy. The disagreement between the simulated and probe measured plasma density is attributed to the limited applicability of probe theory to measurements of low density pulsed plasmas on a similarly short time scale as investigated here. Indeed, in the case studied here, probe measurements would lead to, either a large overestimate, or underestimate of the plasma density, depending on the chosen probe theory. In contrast, the simulations of the plasma evolution and the probe characteristics do not suffer from such strict applicability limits. These studies show that probe theory cannot be justified through probe measurements. However, limiting cases of probe theories can be used to estimate upper and lower bounds on plasma densities. These theories include and neglect orbital motion, respectively, with different collisional terms leading to intermediate estimates. (paper)

Nanomaterials and MRI molecular probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inubushi, Toshiro

2008-01-01

This paper presents the current state and future prospect of enhancing probes in MRI which enable to image specific cells and molecules mainly from the aspect of cell trafficking. Although MRI requires such probes for specific imaging, it has an advantage that anatomical images are simultaneously available even during surgical operation without radiation exposure, differing from X-CT, -transillumination and positron emission tomography (PET). In the development of novel MRI molecular probes, the recent topic concerns the cell trafficking biology where cells related with transplantation and immunological therapy can be traced. Although superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) has been used as a commercially available enhancer, this nanoparticle has problems like a difficulty to penetrate cell, cytotoxicity and others. For these, authors have developed the nanoparticle SPIO covered with silica shell, which can be chemically modified, e.g., by binding fluorescent pigments to possibly allow MR bimodal molecular imaging. For penetration of particles in cells, envelop of Sendai virus is used. PET-CT has been more popular these days; however, MRI is superior to CT for imaging soft tissues, and development of PET-MRI is actively under progress aiming the multi-modal imaging. At present, molecular probes for MRI are certainly not so many as those for PET and cooperative efforts to develop the probes are required in medical, technological and pharmaceutical fields. (R.T.)

Interpretation of plasma impurity deposition probes. Analytic approximation

Science.gov (United States)

Stangeby, P. C.

1987-10-01

Insertion of a probe into the plasma induces a high speed flow of the hydrogenic plasma to the probe which, by friction, accelerates the impurity ions to velocities approaching the hydrogenic ion acoustic speed, i.e., higher than the impurity ion thermal speed. A simple analytic theory based on this effect provides a relation between impurity fluxes to the probe Γimp and the undisturbed impurity ion density nimp, with the hydrogenic temperature and density as input parameters. Probe size also influences the collection process and large probes are found to attract a higher flux density than small probes in the same plasma. The quantity actually measured, cimp, the impurity atom surface density (m-2) net-deposited on the probe, is related to Γimp and thus to nimp by taking into account the partial removal of deposited material caused by sputtering and the redeposition process.

Full information acquisition in scanning probe microscopy and spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jesse, Stephen; Belianinov, Alex; Kalinin, Sergei V.; Somnath, Suhas

2017-04-04

Apparatus and methods are described for scanning probe microscopy and spectroscopy based on acquisition of full probe response. The full probe response contains valuable information about the probe-sample interaction that is lost in traditional scanning probe microscopy and spectroscopy methods. The full probe response is analyzed post data acquisition using fast Fourier transform and adaptive filtering, as well as multivariate analysis. The full response data is further compressed to retain only statistically significant components before being permanently stored.

A split-beam probe-pump-probe scheme for femtosecond time resolved protein X-ray crystallography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jasper J. van Thor

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In order to exploit the femtosecond pulse duration of X-ray Free-Electron Lasers (XFEL operating in the hard X-ray regime for ultrafast time-resolved protein crystallography experiments, critical parameters that determine the crystallographic signal-to-noise (I/σI must be addressed. For single-crystal studies under low absorbed dose conditions, it has been shown that the intrinsic pulse intensity stability as well as mode structure and jitter of this structure, significantly affect the crystallographic signal-to-noise. Here, geometrical parameters are theoretically explored for a three-beam scheme: X-ray probe, optical pump, X-ray probe (or “probe-pump-probe” which will allow experimental determination of the photo-induced structure factor amplitude differences, ΔF, in a ratiometric manner, thereby internally referencing the intensity noise of the XFEL source. In addition to a non-collinear split-beam geometry which separates un-pumped and pumped diffraction patterns on an area detector, applying an additional convergence angle to both beams by focusing leads to integration over mosaic blocks in the case of well-ordered stationary protein crystals. Ray-tracing X-ray diffraction simulations are performed for an example using photoactive yellow protein crystals in order to explore the geometrical design parameters which would be needed. The specifications for an X-ray split and delay instrument that implements both an offset angle and focused beams are discussed, for implementation of a probe-pump-probe scheme at the European XFEL. We discuss possible extension of single crystal studies to serial femtosecond crystallography, particularly in view of the expected X-ray damage and ablation due to the first probe pulse.

Automated design of genomic Southern blot probes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Komiyama Noboru H

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Sothern blotting is a DNA analysis technique that has found widespread application in molecular biology. It has been used for gene discovery and mapping and has diagnostic and forensic applications, including mutation detection in patient samples and DNA fingerprinting in criminal investigations. Southern blotting has been employed as the definitive method for detecting transgene integration, and successful homologous recombination in gene targeting experiments. The technique employs a labeled DNA probe to detect a specific DNA sequence in a complex DNA sample that has been separated by restriction-digest and gel electrophoresis. Critically for the technique to succeed the probe must be unique to the target locus so as not to cross-hybridize to other endogenous DNA within the sample. Investigators routinely employ a manual approach to probe design. A genome browser is used to extract DNA sequence from the locus of interest, which is searched against the target genome using a BLAST-like tool. Ideally a single perfect match is obtained to the target, with little cross-reactivity caused by homologous DNA sequence present in the genome and/or repetitive and low-complexity elements in the candidate probe. This is a labor intensive process often requiring several attempts to find a suitable probe for laboratory testing. Results We have written an informatic pipeline to automatically design genomic Sothern blot probes that specifically attempts to optimize the resultant probe, employing a brute-force strategy of generating many candidate probes of acceptable length in the user-specified design window, searching all against the target genome, then scoring and ranking the candidates by uniqueness and repetitive DNA element content. Using these in silico measures we can automatically design probes that we predict to perform as well, or better, than our previous manual designs, while considerably reducing design time. We went on to

Test design requirements: Thermal conductivity probe testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heath, R.E.

1985-01-01

This document establishes the test design requirements for development of a thermal conductivity probe test. The thermal conductivity probe determines in situ thermal conductivity using a line source transient heat conduction analysis. This document presents the rationale for thermal conductivity measurement using a thermal conductivity probe. A general test description is included. Support requirements along with design constraints are detailed to allow simple design of the thermal conductivity probe and test. The schedule and delivery requirements of the responsible test designer are also included. 7 refs., 1 fig

q-Virasoro constraints in matrix models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nedelin, Anton [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Milano-Bicocca and INFN, sezione di Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 3, I-20126 Milano (Italy); Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala university,Box 516, SE-75120 Uppsala (Sweden); Zabzine, Maxim [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala university,Box 516, SE-75120 Uppsala (Sweden)

2017-03-20

The Virasoro constraints play the important role in the study of matrix models and in understanding of the relation between matrix models and CFTs. Recently the localization calculations in supersymmetric gauge theories produced new families of matrix models and we have very limited knowledge about these matrix models. We concentrate on elliptic generalization of hermitian matrix model which corresponds to calculation of partition function on S{sup 3}×S{sup 1} for vector multiplet. We derive the q-Virasoro constraints for this matrix model. We also observe some interesting algebraic properties of the q-Virasoro algebra.

Gene probes: principles and protocols

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Aquino de Muro, Marilena; Rapley, Ralph

2002-01-01

... of labeled DNA has allowed genes to be mapped to single chromosomes and in many cases to a single chromosome band, promoting significant advance in human genome mapping. Gene Probes: Principles and Protocols presents the principles for gene probe design, labeling, detection, target format, and hybridization conditions together with detailed protocols, accom...

Optical probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denis, J.; Decaudin, J.M.

1984-01-01

The probe includes optical means of refractive index n, refracting an incident light beam from a medium with a refractive index n1>n and reflecting an incident light beam from a medium with a refractive index n2 [fr

Matrix thermalization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craps, Ben; Evnin, Oleg; Nguyen, Kévin

2017-01-01

Matrix quantum mechanics offers an attractive environment for discussing gravitational holography, in which both sides of the holographic duality are well-defined. Similarly to higher-dimensional implementations of holography, collapsing shell solutions in the gravitational bulk correspond in this setting to thermalization processes in the dual quantum mechanical theory. We construct an explicit, fully nonlinear supergravity solution describing a generic collapsing dilaton shell, specify the holographic renormalization prescriptions necessary for computing the relevant boundary observables, and apply them to evaluating thermalizing two-point correlation functions in the dual matrix theory.

Matrix thermalization

Science.gov (United States)

Craps, Ben; Evnin, Oleg; Nguyen, Kévin

2017-02-01

Matrix quantum mechanics offers an attractive environment for discussing gravitational holography, in which both sides of the holographic duality are well-defined. Similarly to higher-dimensional implementations of holography, collapsing shell solutions in the gravitational bulk correspond in this setting to thermalization processes in the dual quantum mechanical theory. We construct an explicit, fully nonlinear supergravity solution describing a generic collapsing dilaton shell, specify the holographic renormalization prescriptions necessary for computing the relevant boundary observables, and apply them to evaluating thermalizing two-point correlation functions in the dual matrix theory.

Matrix thermalization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Craps, Ben [Theoretische Natuurkunde, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), and International Solvay Institutes, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels (Belgium); Evnin, Oleg [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Thanon Phayathai, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Theoretische Natuurkunde, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), and International Solvay Institutes, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels (Belgium); Nguyen, Kévin [Theoretische Natuurkunde, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), and International Solvay Institutes, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels (Belgium)

2017-02-08

Matrix quantum mechanics offers an attractive environment for discussing gravitational holography, in which both sides of the holographic duality are well-defined. Similarly to higher-dimensional implementations of holography, collapsing shell solutions in the gravitational bulk correspond in this setting to thermalization processes in the dual quantum mechanical theory. We construct an explicit, fully nonlinear supergravity solution describing a generic collapsing dilaton shell, specify the holographic renormalization prescriptions necessary for computing the relevant boundary observables, and apply them to evaluating thermalizing two-point correlation functions in the dual matrix theory.

Integrins and extracellular matrix in mechanotransduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramage L

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Lindsay RamageQueen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UKAbstract: Integrins are a family of cell surface receptors which mediate cell–matrix and cell–cell adhesions. Among other functions they provide an important mechanical link between the cells external and intracellular environments while the adhesions that they form also have critical roles in cellular signal-transduction. Cell–matrix contacts occur at zones in the cell surface where adhesion receptors cluster and when activated the receptors bind to ligands in the extracellular matrix. The extracellular matrix surrounds the cells of tissues and forms the structural support of tissue which is particularly important in connective tissues. Cells attach to the extracellular matrix through specific cell-surface receptors and molecules including integrins and transmembrane proteoglycans. Integrins work alongside other proteins such as cadherins, immunoglobulin superfamily cell adhesion molecules, selectins, and syndecans to mediate cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions and communication. Activation of adhesion receptors triggers the formation of matrix contacts in which bound matrix components, adhesion receptors, and associated intracellular cytoskeletal and signaling molecules form large functional, localized multiprotein complexes. Cell–matrix contacts are important in a variety of different cell and tissue properties including embryonic development, inflammatory responses, wound healing, and adult tissue homeostasis. This review summarizes the roles and functions of integrins and extracellular matrix proteins in mechanotransduction.Keywords: ligand binding, α subunit, ß subunit, focal adhesion, cell differentiation, mechanical loading, cell–matrix interaction

Use of ultrafast dispersed pump-dump-probe and pump-repump-probe spectroscopies to explore the light-induced dynamics of peridinin in solution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Papagiannakis, E.; Vengris, M.; Larsen, D.S.; van Stokkum, I.H.M.; Hiller, R.G.; van Grondelle, R.

2006-01-01

Optical pump-induced dynamics of the highly asymmetric carotenoid peridinin in methanol was studied by dispersed pump-probe, pump-dump-probe, and pump-repump-probe transient absorption spectroscopy in the visible region. Dispersed pump-probe measurements show that the decay of the initially excited

Nanofabrication of magnetic scanned-probe microscope sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chong, B.K.

2001-10-01

This thesis presents the development of novel magnetic sensor combined with Atomic Force Microscope probe (AFM) using conventional semiconductor processing techniques and Electron Beam Lithography (EBL). The fabrication of these magnetic sensors was performed on a common micromachined silicon substrate using a generic batch fabrication technique. Sub-micron Hall bar for Scanning Hall probe Microscopy (SHPM) and electromagnetic force coil magnet for Scanning Electromagnetic Force Microscopy (eMFM) were designed and constructed at the apex of Silicon attractive mode cantilever probes. The process demonstrates good control over sensor parameters. Results indicated controllability of Hall bar junction sizes (spatial resolution) to below 100nm and Coil diameter sizes to below 500nm with minimum sizes down to 50nm and 270nm respectively. The process has shown its flexibility to accommodate different material systems. The same technology was used to fabricate multiple devices such as double Hall bars on a tip as well as a small electro-magnet coil probe co-defined with the Hall probe to form a magnetic imaging / modification probe. A conventional Non-Contact mode AFM employing heterodyne interferometry and in-house built electronics was modified for SHPM and eMFM. These probes had been scanned over a commercial computer hard disk. These microscopes showed the capability of resolving magnetic bits and topographic information independently and simultaneously. All scanning experiments were carried out under ambient conditions. The experiments required no extra preparation to be done to the specimen before imaging and measurements were carried out under ambient conditions. These probes offer the prospect of direct magnetic field measurement, non- invasiveness, very close proximity, possible local manipulation, better control over the tip- specimen interaction distance and topographic imaging. It is hoped that these magnetic microscope probes will be of great interest and

Dentin matrix degradation by host Matrix Metalloproteinases: inhibition and clinical perspectives towards regeneration.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine eChaussain

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Bacterial enzymes have long been considered solely accountable for the degradation of the dentin matrix during the carious process. However, the emerging literature suggests that host-derived enzymes, and in particular the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs contained in dentin and saliva can play a major role in this process by their ability to degrade the dentin matrix from within. These findings are important since they open new therapeutic options for caries prevention and treatment. The possibility of using MMP inhibitors to interfere with dentin caries progression is discussed. Furthermore, the potential release of bioactive peptides by the enzymatic cleavage of dentin matrix proteins by MMPs during the carious process is discussed. These peptides, once identified, may constitute promising therapeutical tools for tooth and bone regeneration.

Multiple-scanning-probe tunneling microscope with nanoscale positional recognition function.

Science.gov (United States)

Higuchi, Seiji; Kuramochi, Hiromi; Laurent, Olivier; Komatsubara, Takashi; Machida, Shinichi; Aono, Masakazu; Obori, Kenichi; Nakayama, Tomonobu

2010-07-01

Over the past decade, multiple-scanning-probe microscope systems with independently controlled probes have been developed for nanoscale electrical measurements. We developed a quadruple-scanning-probe tunneling microscope (QSPTM) that can determine and control the probe position through scanning-probe imaging. The difficulty of operating multiple probes with submicrometer precision drastically increases with the number of probes. To solve problems such as determining the relative positions of the probes and avoiding of contact between the probes, we adopted sample-scanning methods to obtain four images simultaneously and developed an original control system for QSPTM operation with a function of automatic positional recognition. These improvements make the QSPTM a more practical and useful instrument since four images can now be reliably produced, and consequently the positioning of the four probes becomes easier owing to the reduced chance of accidental contact between the probes.

Hartree--Fock density matrix equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, L.; Frishberg, C.

1976-01-01

An equation for the Hartree--Fock density matrix is discussed and the possibility of solving this equation directly for the density matrix instead of solving the Hartree--Fock equation for orbitals is considered. Toward that end the density matrix is expanded in a finite basis to obtain the matrix representative equation. The closed shell case is considered. Two numerical schemes are developed and applied to a number of examples. One example is given where the standard orbital method does not converge while the method presented here does

First results on a laser-heated emissive probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madani, R.; Klinger, T.; Ionita, C.; Schrittwieser, R.

2004-01-01

The floating potential V(fl,em) of a probe, emitting a sufficiently high electron current, yields a fairly accurate approximation of Φ(pl). This is an advantage in comparison to the conventional Langmuir probe where, after determination of the electron temperature T e , the plasma potential can only be derived indirectly from the formula Φ(pl) = V(fl) + α*T e , where α is a function of the ratio of the electron to the ion saturation currents (α is around 2.4 in a magnetized hydrogen plasma). In addition, an emissive probe also works if there are electron drifts or beams in the plasma. Emissive probes are usually realised by small directly heated loops of W-wire. Drawbacks of this design are the limited lifetime, the low electron emissivity of W and the voltage drop across the wire. We have developed a new type of emissive probe, which is heated by an infrared high-power diode laser with a maximum output power of 50 W. The probe consists of a small cylinder of LaB 6 . The probe was inserted into the edge region of the VINETA helicon discharge plasma. Basic features of emissive probes were checked. (authors)

ECR plasma diagnostics with Langmuir probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kenez, L.; Biri, S.; Valek, A.

2000-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. An Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) Ion Source is a tool to generate highly charged ions. The ion beam is extracted from the plasma chamber of the ECRIS. Higher charge states and beam intensities are the main objectives of ECR research. The heart of an ion source is the confined plasma which should be well known to reach those objectives. Information about the plasma can be obtained by plasma diagnostics methods. Langmuir probes were successfully used in case of other plasmas, e.g. TOKAMAK. Until last year plasma diagnostics at the ATOMKI ECRIS was performed by X-ray and visible light measurements. While X-ray measurements give global information, the Langmuir probe method can give information on the local plasma parameters. This is an advantage because the local parameters are not known in detail. By Langmuir probe measurements it is possible to get information on plasma density, plasma potential and partly on the electron temperature. From the experimental point of view a Langmuir probe is very simple. However, the precise positioning of the probe in the plasma chamber (HV platform, strong magnetic field, RF waves) is a difficult task. Also the theory of probes is complicated: the ECR plasma is a special one because the confining magnetic field is inhomogeneous, beside hot electrons it contains cold ions with different charge states and it is heated with high frequency EM waves. What can be measured with a probe is a voltage-current (U-I) characteristics. Figure 1 shows a typical U-I curve measured in our lab. As it can be seen in the figure the diagram has three main parts. An ion saturation current region (I.), an electron saturation current region (III.) and a transition region (II.) between them. These measurements were performed using two different power supplies to bias the probe to positive and negative voltage. To perform more precise U-I measurements we need a special power supply which is presently being built in

Data Communication PC/NaI-borehole probe (Hardware & Software)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Peter Buch

Development of new hard- & software to a NaI borehole probe on a PC. Save data from the probe each 10'th sec, handle the data from the probe and make calculations every 10'th sec and show the results on the monitor.......Development of new hard- & software to a NaI borehole probe on a PC. Save data from the probe each 10'th sec, handle the data from the probe and make calculations every 10'th sec and show the results on the monitor....

A time-dependent B-spline R-matrix approach to double ionization of atoms by XUV laser pulses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guan Xiaoxu; Zatsarinny, O; Noble, C J; Bartschat, K [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Drake University, Des Moines, IA 50311 (United States); Schneider, B I [Physics Division, National Science Foundation, Arlington, Virgina 22230 (United States)], E-mail: xiaoxu.guan@drake.edu, E-mail: oleg.zatsarinny@drake.edu, E-mail: cjn@maxnet.co.nz, E-mail: klaus.bartschat@drake.edu, E-mail: bschneid@nsf.gov

2009-07-14

We present an ab initio and non-perturbative time-dependent approach to the problem of double ionization of a general atom driven by intense XUV laser pulses. After using a highly flexible B-spline R-matrix method to generate field-free Hamiltonian and electric dipole matrices, the initial state is propagated in time using an efficient Arnoldi-Lanczos scheme. Test calculations for double ionization of He by a single laser pulse yield good agreement with benchmark results obtained with other methods. The method is then applied to two-colour pump-probe processes, for which momentum and energy distributions of the two outgoing electrons are presented.

Hacking the Matrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Czerwinski, Michael; Spence, Jason R

2017-01-05

Recently in Nature, Gjorevski et al. (2016) describe a fully defined synthetic hydrogel that mimics the extracellular matrix to support in vitro growth of intestinal stem cells and organoids. The hydrogel allows exquisite control over the chemical and physical in vitro niche and enables identification of regulatory properties of the matrix. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing the inter- and intra-animal variability of in vivo OsteoProbe skeletal measures in untreated dogs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erin M.B. McNerny

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The OsteoProbe is a second-generation reference point indentation (RPI device without a reference probe that is designed to simplify RPI testing for clinical use. Successful clinical implementation of the OsteoProbe would benefit from a better understanding of how its output, bone material strength index (BMSi, relates to the material properties of bone and under what conditions it reliably correlates with fracture risk. Large animal models have the potential to help fill this knowledge gap, as cadaveric studies are retrospective and limited by incomplete patient histories (including the potential use of bone matrix altering drugs such as bisphosphonates. The goal of this study was to assess the intra and inter-animal variability of OsteoProbe measures in untreated beagle dogs (n = 12, and to evaluate this variability in comparison to traditional mechanical testing. OsteoProbe measurements were performed in vivo on the left tibia of each dog and repeated 6 months later on the day of sacrifice. Within-animal variation of BMSi (CV of 5–10 indents averaged 8.9 and 9.0% at the first and second timepoints, respectively. In contrast, inter-animal variation of BMSi increased from 5.3% to 9.1%. The group variation of BMSi was on par with that of traditional 3-point mechanical testing; inter-animal variation was 10% for ultimate force, 13% for stiffness, and 12% for total work as measured on the femur. There was no significant change in mean BMSi after 6 months, but the individual change with time across the 12 dogs was highly variable, ranging from −12.4% to +21.7% (mean 1.6%, SD 10.6%. No significant correlations were found between in vivo tibia BMSi and femur mechanical properties measured by ex vivo 3-pt bending, but this may be a limitation of sample size or the tests being performed on different bones. No relationship was found between BMSi and tissue mineral density, but a strong positive correlation was found between BMSi and tibia

Matrix interdiction problem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pan, Feng [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Kasiviswanathan, Shiva [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2010-01-01

In the matrix interdiction problem, a real-valued matrix and an integer k is given. The objective is to remove k columns such that the sum over all rows of the maximum entry in each row is minimized. This combinatorial problem is closely related to bipartite network interdiction problem which can be applied to prioritize the border checkpoints in order to minimize the probability that an adversary can successfully cross the border. After introducing the matrix interdiction problem, we will prove the problem is NP-hard, and even NP-hard to approximate with an additive n{gamma} factor for a fixed constant {gamma}. We also present an algorithm for this problem that achieves a factor of (n-k) mUltiplicative approximation ratio.

Hand and shoe monitor using air ionization probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fergus, R.W.

1981-01-01

A hand and shoe radiation monitor is provided which includes a probe support body defining a plurality of cells, within each cell there being an ionization probe. The support body provides structural strength for protecting the ionization probes from force applied to the support body during a radiation monitoring event. There is also provided a fast response time amplifier circuit for the output from the ionization probes

Environmental effects monitoring for exploration drilling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buchanan, R.A.; Cook, J.A.; Mathieu, A.

2003-01-01

Strategies for monitoring the environmental effects of single exploratory offshore wells on the east coast of Canada were evaluated. The report was compiled from consultations with scientists, regulators and stakeholders as well as a review of regulatory regimes and toxicity results. The aim of the report was to develop a decision tree for determining when to conduct environmental effects monitoring (EEM). Respondents evinced lower levels of concern for single exploratory wells than for production developments. A number of scientists argued for full statistical treatment of all data, and many people argued that more assurance was needed that the marine environment was not being unduly harmed. Respondents also considered that biological effects should be a primary focus, rather than the occurrence of trace chemical signals, and that seabirds and mammals should be monitored. Concern was expressed over the value of data collected from monitoring the effects of exploratory drilling activities. It was suggested that local and site-specific issues should be considered in the design of EEM programs. Respondents expressed strong concern about potential cumulative effects with other industrial activities, and suggested that test cases should be established and monitored to develop a scientific rationale for the inclusion or exclusion of specific variables in future EEM programs. A decision tree was developed based on 3 scenarios: (1) compliance monitoring only in well known areas with no sensitive issues; opportunistic EEM surveys of sediments, benthos, seabirds and marine mammals in shallow or deep areas with no known sensitive issues; and (3) custom EEM surveys for sensitive areas. Currently, there are EEM requirements for drilling exploratory wells offshore Canada's east coast. 58 refs., 2 tabs., 7 figs

Probe design for expression arrays using OligoWiz

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wernersson, Rasmus

2014-01-01

Since all measurements from a DNA microarray is dependant on the probes used, a good choice of probes is of vital importa nce when designing custom micro-arrays. This chapter describes how to de sign expression arrays using the “ OligoWiz ” software suite. The general desired features of good...... probes and the issues which probe design must address are introduced and a conceptual (rather than mathematical) description of how OligoWiz scores the quality of th e potential probes is presented. This is followed by a detailed step-by-step guide to designing expression arrays with OligoWiz....

Nanobits: customizable scanning probe tips

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kumar, Rajendra; Shaik, Hassan Uddin; Sardan Sukas, Özlem

2009-01-01

We present here a proof-of-principle study of scanning probe tips defined by planar nanolithography and integrated with AFM probes using nanomanipulation. The so-called 'nanobits' are 2-4 mu m long and 120-150 nm thin flakes of Si3N4 or SiO2, fabricated by electron beam lithography and standard s...

Theoretical study of the effect of probe shape on adhesion force between probe and substrate in atomic force microscope experiment

OpenAIRE

Yang, Li; Hu, Junhui; Kong, Lingjiang

2017-01-01

The quantitative description of adhesion force dependence on the probe shapes are of importance in many scientific and industrial fields. In order to elucidate how the adhesion force varied with the probe shape in atomic force microscope manipulation experiment, we performed a theoretical study of the influences of the probe shape (the sphere and parabolic probe) on the adhesion force at different humidity. We found that the combined action of the triple point and the Kelvin radius guiding th...

Matrix transformations and sequence spaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nanda, S.

1983-06-01

In most cases the most general linear operator from one sequence space into another is actually given by an infinite matrix and therefore the theory of matrix transformations has always been of great interest in the study of sequence spaces. The study of general theory of matrix transformations was motivated by the special results in summability theory. This paper is a review article which gives almost all known results on matrix transformations. This also suggests a number of open problems for further study and will be very useful for research workers. (author)

Outer planet probe cost estimates: First impressions

Science.gov (United States)

Niehoff, J.

1974-01-01

An examination was made of early estimates of outer planetary atmospheric probe cost by comparing the estimates with past planetary projects. Of particular interest is identification of project elements which are likely cost drivers for future probe missions. Data are divided into two parts: first, the description of a cost model developed by SAI for the Planetary Programs Office of NASA, and second, use of this model and its data base to evaluate estimates of probe costs. Several observations are offered in conclusion regarding the credibility of current estimates and specific areas of the outer planet probe concept most vulnerable to cost escalation.

A CCD camera probe for a superconducting cyclotron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marti, F.; Blue, R.; Kuchar, J.; Nolen, J.A.; Sherrill, B.; Yurkon, J.

1991-01-01

The traditional internal beam probes in cyclotrons have consisted of a differential element, a wire or thin strip, and a main probe with several fingers to determine the vertical distribution of the beam. The resolution of these probes is limited, especially in the vertical direction. The authors have developed a probe for their K1200 superconducting cyclotron based on a CCD TV camera that works in a 6 T magnetic field. The camera looks at the beam spot on a scintillating screen. The TV image is processed by a frame grabber that digitizes and displays the image in pseudocolor in real time. This probe has much better resolution than traditional probes. They can see beams with total currents as low as 0.1 pA, with position resolution of about 0.05 mm

A dual inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases and a disintegrin and metalloproteinases, [¹⁸F]FB-ML5, as a molecular probe for non-invasive MMP/ADAM-targeted imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Matusiak, Nathalie; Castelli, Riccardo; Tuin, Adriaan W; Overkleeft, Herman S; Wisastra, Rosalina; Dekker, Frank J; Prély, Laurette M; Bischoff, Rainer; Bischoff, Rainer P M; van Waarde, Aren; Dierckx, Rudi A J O; Elsinga, Philip H

2015-01-01

Numerous clinical studies have shown a correlation between increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)/a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) activity and poor outcome of cancer. Various MMP inhibitors (MMPIs) have been developed for therapeutic purposes in oncology. In addition, molecular imaging of MMP/ADAM levels in vivo would allow the diagnosis of tumors. We selected the dual inhibitor of MMPs and ADAMs, ML5, which is a hydroxamate-based inhibitor with affinities for many MMPs and ADAMs. ML5 was radiolabelled with (18)F and the newly obtained radiolabelled inhibitor was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. ML5 was radiolabelled by direct acylation with N-succinimidyl-4-[(18)F]fluorobenzoate ([(18)F]SFB) for PET (positron emission tomography). The resulting radiotracer [(18)F]FB-ML5 was evaluated in vitro in human bronchial epithelium 16HBE cells and breast cancer MCF-7 cells. The non-radioactive probe FB-ML5 and native ML5 were tested in a fluorogenic inhibition assay against MMP-2, -9, -12 and ADAM-17. The in vivo kinetics of [(18)F]FB-ML5 were examined in a HT1080 tumor-bearing mouse model. Specificity of probe binding was examined by co-injection of 0 or 2.5mg/kg ML5. ML5 and FB-ML5 showed high affinity for MMP-2, -9, -12 and ADAM-17; indeed IC50 values were respectively 7.4 ± 2.0, 19.5 ± 2.8, 2.0 ± 0.2 and 5.7 ± 2.2 nM and 12.5 ± 3.1, 31.5 ± 13.7, 138.0 ± 10.9 and 24.7 ± 2.8 nM. Radiochemical yield of HPLC-purified [(18)F]FB-ML5 was 13-16% (corrected for decay). Cellular binding of [(18)F]FB-ML5 was reduced by 36.6% and 27.5% in MCF-7 and 16 HBE cells, respectively, after co-incubation with 10 μM of ML5. In microPET scans, HT1080 tumors exhibited a low and homogeneous uptake of the tracer. Tumors of mice injected with [(18)F]FB-ML5 showed a SUVmean of 0.145 ± 0.064 (n=6) which decreased to 0.041 ± 0.027 (n=6) after target blocking (pFB-ML5 demonstrated rather low binding in ADAM-17 overexpressing cell lines. [(18)F]FB-ML5 uptake showed significant

Matrix Metalloproteinase Enzyme Family

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ozlem Goruroglu Ozturk

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Matrix metalloproteinases play an important role in many biological processes such as embriogenesis, tissue remodeling, wound healing, and angiogenesis, and in some pathological conditions such as atherosclerosis, arthritis and cancer. Currently, 24 genes have been identified in humans that encode different groups of matrix metalloproteinase enzymes. This review discuss the members of the matrix metalloproteinase family and their substrate specificity, structure, function and the regulation of their enzyme activity by tissue inhibitors. [Archives Medical Review Journal 2013; 22(2.000: 209-220

Quantum mechanics in matrix form

CERN Document Server

Ludyk, Günter

2018-01-01

This book gives an introduction to quantum mechanics with the matrix method. Heisenberg's matrix mechanics is described in detail. The fundamental equations are derived by algebraic methods using matrix calculus. Only a brief description of Schrödinger's wave mechanics is given (in most books exclusively treated), to show their equivalence to Heisenberg's matrix  method. In the first part the historical development of Quantum theory by Planck, Bohr and Sommerfeld is sketched, followed by the ideas and methods of Heisenberg, Born and Jordan. Then Pauli's spin and exclusion principles are treated. Pauli's exclusion principle leads to the structure of atoms. Finally, Dirac´s relativistic quantum mechanics is shortly presented. Matrices and matrix equations are today easy to handle when implementing numerical algorithms using standard software as MAPLE and Mathematica.

Cloning and Characterization of a Flavonol Synthase Gene From Litchi chinensis and Its Variation Among Litchi Cultivars With Different Fruit Maturation Periods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Liu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Litchi (Litchi chinensis is an important subtropical fruit tree with high commercial value. However, the short and centralized fruit maturation period of litchi cultivars represents a bottleneck for litchi production. Therefore, the development of novel cultivars with extremely early fruit maturation period is critical. Previously, we showed that the genotypes of extremely early-maturing (EEM, early-maturing (EM, and middle-to-late-maturing (MLM cultivars at a specific locus SNP51 (substitution type C/T were consistent with their respective genetic background at the whole-genome level; a homozygous C/C genotype at SNP51 systematically differentiated EEM cultivars from others. The litchi gene on which SNP51 was located was annotated as flavonol synthase (FLS, which catalyzes the formation of flavonols. Here, we further elucidate the variation of the FLS gene from L. chinensis (LcFLS among EEM, EM, and MLM cultivars. EEM cultivars with a homozygous C/C genotype at SNP51 all contained the same 2,199-bp sequence of the LcFLS gene. For MLM cultivars with a homozygous T/T genotype at SNP51, the sequence lengths of the LcFLS gene were 2,202–2,222 bp. EM cultivars with heterozygous C/T genotypes at SNP51 contained two different alleles of the LcFLS gene: a 2,199-bp sequence identical to that in EEM cultivars and a 2,205-bp sequence identical to that in MLM cultivar ‘Heiye.’ Moreover, the coding regions of LcFLS genes of other MLM cultivars were almost identical to that of ‘Heiye.’ Therefore, the LcFLS gene coding region may be used as a source of diagnostic SNP markers to discriminate or identify genotypes with the EEM trait. The expression pattern of the LcFLS gene and accumulation pattern of flavonol from EEM, EM, and MLM cultivars were analyzed and compared using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC for mature leaves, flower buds, and fruits, 15, 30, 45, and 60 days after anthesis. Flavonol

Can natural variability trigger effects on fish and fish habitat as defined in environment Canada's metal mining environmental effects monitoring program?

Science.gov (United States)

Mackey, Robin; Rees, Cassandra; Wells, Kelly; Pham, Samantha; England, Kent

2013-01-01

The Metal Mining Effluent Regulations (MMER) took effect in 2002 and require most metal mining operations in Canada to complete environmental effects monitoring (EEM) programs. An "effect" under the MMER EEM program is considered any positive or negative statistically significant difference in fish population, fish usability, or benthic invertebrate community EEM-defined endpoints. Two consecutive studies with the same statistically significant differences trigger more intensive monitoring, including the characterization of extent and magnitude and investigation of cause. Standard EEM study designs do not require multiple reference areas or preexposure sampling, thus results and conclusions about mine effects are highly contingent on the selection of a near perfect reference area and are at risk of falsely labeling natural variation as mine related "effects." A case study was completed to characterize the natural variability in EEM-defined endpoints during preexposure or baseline conditions. This involved completing a typical EEM study in future reference and exposure lakes surrounding a proposed uranium (U) mine in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. Moon Lake was sampled as the future exposure area as it is currently proposed to receive effluent from the U mine. Two reference areas were used: Slush Lake for both the fish population and benthic invertebrate community surveys and Lake C as a second reference area for the benthic invertebrate community survey. Moon Lake, Slush Lake, and Lake C are located in the same drainage basin in close proximity to one another. All 3 lakes contained similar water quality, fish communities, aquatic habitat, and a sediment composition largely comprised of fine-textured particles. The fish population survey consisted of a nonlethal northern pike (Esox lucius) and a lethal yellow perch (Perca flavescens) survey. A comparison of the 5 benthic invertebrate community effect endpoints, 4 nonlethal northern pike population effect endpoints

The Sheath-less Planar Langmuir Probe

Science.gov (United States)

Cooke, D. L.

2017-12-01

The Langmuir probe is one of the oldest plasma diagnostics, provided the plasma density and species temperature from analysis of a current-voltage curve as the voltage is swept over a practically chosen range. The analysis depends on a knowledge or theory of the many factors that influence the current-voltage curve including, probe shape, size, nearby perturbations, and the voltage reference. For applications in Low Earth Orbit, the Planar Langmuir Probe, PLP, is an attractive geometry because the ram ion current is very constant over many Volts of a sweep, allowing the ion density and electron temperature to be determined independently with the same instrument, at different points on the sweep. However, when the physical voltage reference is itself small and electrically floating as with a small spacecraft, the spacecraft and probe system become a double probe where the current collection theory depends on the interaction of the spacecraft with the plasma which is generally not as simple as the probe itself. The Sheath-less PLP, SPLP, interlaces on a single ram facing surface, two variably biased probe elements, broken into many small and intertwined segments on a scale smaller than the plasma Debye length. The SPLP is electrically isolated from the rest of the spacecraft. For relative bias potentials of a few volts, the ion current to all segments of each element will be constant, while the electron currents will vary as a function of the element potential and the electron temperature. Because the segments are small, intertwined, and floating, the assembly will always present the same floating potential to the plasma, with minimal growth as a function of voltage, thus sheath-less and still planar. This concept has been modelled with Nascap, and tested with a physical model inserted into a Low Earth Orbit-like chamber plasma. Results will be presented.

Ellipsoids and matrix-valued valuations

OpenAIRE

Ludwig, Monika

2003-01-01

We obtain a classification of Borel measurable, GL(n) covariant, symmetric-matrix-valued valuations on the space of n-dimensional convex polytopes. The only ones turn out to be the moment matrix corresponding to the classical Legendre ellipsoid and the matrix corresponding to the ellipsoid recently discovered by E. Lutwak, D. Yang, and G. Zhang.

Probe specificity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laget, J.M.

1986-11-01

Specificity and complementarity of hadron and electron probes must be systematically developed to answer three questions currently asked in intermediate energy nuclear physics: what is nucleus structure at short distances, what is nature of short range correlations, what is three body force nature [fr

Minimal solution for inconsistent singular fuzzy matrix equations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Nikuie

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The fuzzy matrix equations $Ailde{X}=ilde{Y}$ is called a singular fuzzy matrix equations while the coefficients matrix of its equivalent crisp matrix equations be a singular matrix. The singular fuzzy matrix equations are divided into two parts: consistent singular matrix equations and inconsistent fuzzy matrix equations. In this paper, the inconsistent singular fuzzy matrix equations is studied and the effect of generalized inverses in finding minimal solution of an inconsistent singular fuzzy matrix equations are investigated.

Development of probes for bioanalytic applications of the surface-enhanced Raman scattering; Entwicklung neuer Sonden fuer bioanalytische Anwendungen der oberflaechenverstaerkten Raman-Streuung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matschulat, Andrea Isabel

2011-07-01

identification could be a promising method for SERS-multiplexing in analytical applications. Multivariate methods such as Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) were as well applied for discrimination and imaging of the reporter signatures. With the help of multivariate imaging methods based on cluster analysis, it could be for the first time demonstrated that such methods provided a fast identification of various SERS hybrid probes inside the biological matrix, this was demonstrated using living 3T3 cells. Further, in a duplex imaging approach, the probes fulfill the requirements for the sensitive detection of both the specific reporter signatures and intrinsic information coming from eukaryotic cells. The results of cluster methods and principal components approaches for discrimination indicate that fast, multivariate evaluation of whole sets of multiple probes is feasible, beyond the visual inspection of individual spectra that has been practiced so far. This suggests multiplexing applications with SERS hybrid nanoprobes and SERS tags in very high density sensing and biological imaging applications, where fast read-out is required. The pH-sensitivity of SERS-Tags that consisted of different reporter molecules attached to aggregated Au and Ag nanoparticles in the range between pH{approx}3-10 was studied. It could be demonstrated that the reporter molecules provided pH-dependent SERS signatures and could therefore be suitable for the sensitive pH-detection, e.g., inside cellular compartments. The construction of targeted SERS probes was based on the integration of a goat-anti-mouse antibody as targeting element Antibodies were coupled to Au and Ag nanoprobes surrounded by a Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) coating which served as a carrier for the covalent linkage of a Raman reporter molecule and the targeting units at the same time In experiments with BSA and a conjugated reporter the spectra of the BSA-coupled re- porters provided an indication

Versatile Gaussian probes for squeezing estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Rigovacca, Luca; Farace, Alessandro; Souza, Leonardo A. M.; De Pasquale, Antonella; Giovannetti, Vittorio; Adesso, Gerardo

2017-05-01

We consider an instance of "black-box" quantum metrology in the Gaussian framework, where we aim to estimate the amount of squeezing applied on an input probe, without previous knowledge on the phase of the applied squeezing. By taking the quantum Fisher information (QFI) as the figure of merit, we evaluate its average and variance with respect to this phase in order to identify probe states that yield good precision for many different squeezing directions. We first consider the case of single-mode Gaussian probes with the same energy, and find that pure squeezed states maximize the average quantum Fisher information (AvQFI) at the cost of a performance that oscillates strongly as the squeezing direction is changed. Although the variance can be brought to zero by correlating the probing system with a reference mode, the maximum AvQFI cannot be increased in the same way. A different scenario opens if one takes into account the effects of photon losses: coherent states represent the optimal single-mode choice when losses exceed a certain threshold and, moreover, correlated probes can now yield larger AvQFI values than all single-mode states, on top of having zero variance.

Multipartite entanglement detection with nonsymmetric probing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dellantonio, Luca; Das, Sumanta; Appel, Jürgen

2017-01-01

We show that spin-squeezing criteria commonly used for entanglement detection can be erroneous if the probe is not symmetric. We then derive a lower bound on squeezing for separable states in spin systems probed asymmetrically. Using this we further develop a procedure that allows us to verify th...... the degree of entanglement of a quantum state in the spin system. Finally, we apply our method for entanglement verification to existing experimental data, and use it to prove the existence of tripartite entanglement in a spin-squeezed atomic ensemble.......We show that spin-squeezing criteria commonly used for entanglement detection can be erroneous if the probe is not symmetric. We then derive a lower bound on squeezing for separable states in spin systems probed asymmetrically. Using this we further develop a procedure that allows us to verify...

Surface sampling concentration and reaction probe

Science.gov (United States)

Van Berkel, Gary J; Elnaggar, Mariam S

2013-07-16

A method of analyzing a chemical composition of a specimen is described. The method can include providing a probe comprising an outer capillary tube and an inner capillary tube disposed co-axially within the outer capillary tube, where the inner and outer capillary tubes define a solvent capillary and a sampling capillary in fluid communication with one another at a distal end of the probe; contacting a target site on a surface of a specimen with a solvent in fluid communication with the probe; maintaining a plug volume proximate a solvent-specimen interface, wherein the plug volume is in fluid communication with the probe; draining plug sampling fluid from the plug volume through the sampling capillary; and analyzing a chemical composition of the plug sampling fluid with an analytical instrument. A system for performing the method is also described.

Drawing a different picture with pencil lead as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization matrix for fullerene derivatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Nye, Leanne C; Hungerbühler, Hartmut; Drewello, Thomas

2018-02-01

Inspired by reports on the use of pencil lead as a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization matrix, paving the way towards matrix-free matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization, the present investigation evaluates its usage with organic fullerene derivatives. Currently, this class of compounds is best analysed using the electron transfer matrix trans-2-[3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-2-methyl-2-propenylidene] malononitrile (DCTB), which was employed as the standard here. The suitability of pencil lead was additionally compared to direct (i.e. no matrix) laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry. The use of (DCTB) was identified as the by far gentler method, producing spectra with abundant molecular ion signals and much reduced fragmentation. Analytically, pencil lead was found to be ineffective as a matrix, however, appears to be an extremely easy and inexpensive method for producing sodium and potassium adducts.

In-flight calibration of mesospheric rocket plasma probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Havnes, Ove; Hartquist, Thomas W.; Kassa, Meseret; Morfill, Gregor E.

2011-01-01

Many effects and factors can influence the efficiency of a rocket plasma probe. These include payload charging, solar illumination, rocket payload orientation and rotation, and dust impact induced secondary charge production. As a consequence, considerable uncertainties can arise in the determination of the effective cross sections of plasma probes and measured electron and ion densities. We present a new method for calibrating mesospheric rocket plasma probes and obtaining reliable measurements of plasma densities. This method can be used if a payload also carries a probe for measuring the dust charge density. It is based on that a dust probe's effective cross section for measuring the charged component of dust normally is nearly equal to its geometric cross section, and it involves the comparison of variations in the dust charge density measured with the dust detector to the corresponding current variations measured with the electron and/or ion probes. In cases in which the dust charge density is significantly smaller than the electron density, the relation between plasma and dust charge density variations can be simplified and used to infer the effective cross sections of the plasma probes. We illustrate the utility of the method by analysing the data from a specific rocket flight of a payload containing both dust and electron probes.

In-flight calibration of mesospheric rocket plasma probes