Gamow-Teller strength and lepton captures rates on 66-71Ni in stellar matter

Science.gov (United States)

Nabi, Jameel-Un; Majid, Muhammad

Charge-changing transitions play a significant role in stellar weak-decay processes. The fate of the massive stars is decided by these weak-decay rates including lepton (positron and electron) captures rates, which play a consequential role in the dynamics of core collapse. As per previous simulation results, weak interaction rates on nickel (Ni) isotopes have significant influence on the stellar core vis-à-vis controlling the lepton content of stellar matter throughout the silicon shell burning phases of high mass stars up to the presupernova stages. In this paper, we perform a microscopic calculation of Gamow-Teller (GT) charge-changing transitions, in the β-decay and electron capture (EC) directions, for neutron-rich Ni isotopes (66-71Ni). We further compute the associated weak-decay rates for these selected Ni isotopes in stellar environment. The computations are accomplished by employing the deformed proton-neutron quasiparticle random phase approximation (pn-QRPA) model. A recent study showed that the deformed pn-QRPA theory is well suited for the estimation of GT transitions. The astral weak-decay rates are determined over densities in the range of 10-1011g/cm3 and temperatures in the range of 0.01 × 109-30 × 109K. The calculated lepton capture rates are compared with the previous calculation of Pruet and Fuller (PF). The overall comparison demonstrates that, at low stellar densities and high temperatures, our EC rates are bigger by as much as two orders of magnitude. Our results show that, at higher temperatures, the lepton capture rates are the dominant mode for the stellar weak rates and the corresponding lepton emission rates may be neglected.

Ligand extraction of rare earth elements from aquifer sediments: Implications for rare earth element complexation with organic matter in natural waters

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Jianwu; Johannesson, Karen H.

2010-12-01

The ability of organic matter as well as carbonate ions to extract rare earth elements (REEs) from sandy sediments of a Coastal Plain aquifer was investigated for unpurified organic matter from different sources (i.e., Mississippi River natural organic matter, Aldrich humic acid, Nordic aquatic fulvic acid, Suwannee River fulvic acid, and Suwannee River natural organic matter) and for extraction solutions containing weak (i.e., CH 3COO -) or strong (i.e., CO32-) ligands. The experimental results indicate that, in the absence of strong REE complexing ligands in solution, the amount of REEs released from the sand is small and the fractionation pattern of the released REEs appears to be controlled by the surface stability constants for REE sorption with Fe(III) oxides/oxyhydroxides. In the presence of strong solution complexing ligands, however, the amount and the fractionation pattern of the released REEs reflect the strength and variation of the stability constants of the dominant aqueous REE species across the REE series. The varying amount of REEs extracted by the different organic matter employed in the experiments indicates that organic matter from different sources has different complexing capacity for REEs. However, the fractionation pattern of REEs extracted by the various organic matter used in our experiments is remarkable consistent, being independent of the source and the concentration of organic matter used, as well as solution pH. Because natural aquifer sand and unpurified organic matter were used in our experiments, our experimental conditions are more broadly similar to natural systems than many previous laboratory experiments of REE-humic complexation that employed purified humic substances. Our results suggest that the REE loading effect on REE-humic complexation is negligible in natural waters as more abundant metal cations (e.g., Fe, Al) out-compete REEs for strong binding sites on organic matter. More specifically, our results indicate that REE

Size matters: large objects capture attention in visual search.

Science.gov (United States)

Proulx, Michael J

2010-12-23

Can objects or events ever capture one's attention in a purely stimulus-driven manner? A recent review of the literature set out the criteria required to find stimulus-driven attentional capture independent of goal-directed influences, and concluded that no published study has satisfied that criteria. Here visual search experiments assessed whether an irrelevantly large object can capture attention. Capture of attention by this static visual feature was found. The results suggest that a large object can indeed capture attention in a stimulus-driven manner and independent of displaywide features of the task that might encourage a goal-directed bias for large items. It is concluded that these results are either consistent with the stimulus-driven criteria published previously or alternatively consistent with a flexible, goal-directed mechanism of saliency detection.

Tidal capture of a primordial black hole by a neutron star: implications for constraints on dark matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pani, Paolo [CENTRA, Departamento de Física, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Rovisco Pais 1, Lisboa, 1049 Portugal (Portugal); Loeb, Abraham, E-mail: paolo.pani@tecnico.ulisboa.pt, E-mail: aloeb@cfa.harvard.edu [Institute for Theory and Computation, Harvard-Smithsonian CfA, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138 (United States)

2014-06-01

In a close encounter with a neutron star, a primordial black hole can get gravitationally captured by depositing a considerable amount of energy into nonradial stellar modes of very high angular number l. If the neutron-star equation of state is sufficiently stiff, we show that the total energy loss in the point-particle approximation is formally divergent. Various mechanisms — including viscosity, finite-size effects and the elasticity of the crust — can damp high-l modes and regularize the total energy loss. Within a short time, the black hole is trapped inside the star and disrupts it by rapid accretion. Estimating these effects, we predict that the existence of old neutron stars in regions where the dark-matter density ρ{sub DM}∼>10{sup 2}(σ/km s{sup −1}) GeV cm{sup −3} (where σ is the dark-matter velocity dispersion) limits the abundance of primordial black holes in the mass range 10{sup 17} g∼matter constituent.

Rare earth elements and neodymium isotopes in sedimentary organic matter

Science.gov (United States)

Freslon, Nicolas; Bayon, Germain; Toucanne, Samuel; Bermell, Sylvain; Bollinger, Claire; Chéron, Sandrine; Etoubleau, Joel; Germain, Yoan; Khripounoff, Alexis; Ponzevera, Emmanuel; Rouget, Marie-Laure

2014-09-01

We report rare earth element (REE) and neodymium (Nd) isotope data for the organic fraction of sediments collected from various depositional environments, i.e. rivers (n = 25), estuaries (n = 18), open-ocean settings (n = 15), and cold seeps (n = 12). Sedimentary organic matter (SOM) was extracted using a mixed hydrogen peroxide/nitric acid solution (20%-H2O2-0.02 M-HNO3), after removal of carbonate and oxy-hydroxide phases with dilute hydrochloric acid (0.25 M-HCl). A series of experimental tests indicate that extraction of sedimentary organic compounds using H2O2 may be complicated occasionally by partial dissolution of sulphide minerals and residual carbonates. However, this contamination is expected to be minor for REE because measured concentrations in H2O2 leachates are about two-orders of magnitude higher than in the above mentioned phases. The mean REE concentrations determined in the H2O2 leachates for samples from rivers, estuaries, coastal seas and open-ocean settings yield relatively similar levels, with ΣREE = 109 ± 86 ppm (mean ± s; n = 58). The organic fractions leached from cold seep sediments display even higher concentration levels (285 ± 150 ppm; mean ± s; n = 12). The H2O2 leachates for most sediments exhibit remarkably similar shale-normalized REE patterns, all characterized by a mid-REE enrichment compared to the other REE. This suggests that the distribution of REE in leached sedimentary organic phases is controlled primarily by biogeochemical processes, rather than by the composition of the source from which they derive (e.g. pore, river or sea-water). The Nd isotopic compositions for organic phases leached from river sediments are very similar to those for the corresponding detrital fractions. In contrast, the SOM extracted from marine sediments display εNd values that typically range between the εNd signatures for terrestrial organic matter (inferred from the analysis of the sedimentary detrital fractions) and marine organic matter

Capture by colour: evidence for dimension-specific singleton capture.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Anthony M; Becker, Stefanie I; Remington, Roger W

2015-10-01

Previous work on attentional capture has shown the attentional system to be quite flexible in the stimulus properties it can be set to respond to. Several different attentional "modes" have been identified. Feature search mode allows attention to be set for specific features of a target (e.g., red). Singleton detection mode sets attention to respond to any discrepant item ("singleton") in the display. Relational search sets attention for the relative properties of the target in relation to the distractors (e.g., redder, larger). Recently, a new attentional mode was proposed that sets attention to respond to any singleton within a particular feature dimension (e.g., colour; Folk & Anderson, 2010). We tested this proposal against the predictions of previously established attentional modes. In a spatial cueing paradigm, participants searched for a colour target that was randomly either red or green. The nature of the attentional control setting was probed by presenting an irrelevant singleton cue prior to the target display and assessing whether it attracted attention. In all experiments, the cues were red, green, blue, or a white stimulus rapidly rotated (motion cue). The results of three experiments support the existence of a "colour singleton set," finding that all colour cues captured attention strongly, while motion cues captured attention only weakly or not at all. Notably, we also found that capture by motion cues in search for colour targets was moderated by their frequency; rare motion cues captured attention (weakly), while frequent motion cues did not.

Dark matter search with XENON1T

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aalbers, J.

2018-01-01

Most matter in the universe consists of 'dark matter' unknown to particle physics. Deep underground detectors such as XENON1T attempt to detect rare collisions of dark matter with ordinary atoms. This thesis describes the first dark matter search of XENON1T, how dark matter signals would appear in

When rare is just a matter of sampling: unexpected dominance of clubtail dragonflies (Odonata, Gomphidae through different collecting methods at Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcus Vinícius Oliveira de Almeida

2013-12-01

Full Text Available When rare is just a matter of sampling: Unexpected dominance of clubtail dragonflies (Odonata, Gomphidae through different collecting methods at Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Capture of dragonfly adults during two short expeditions to Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais State, using three distinct collecting methodsaerial nets, Malaise and light sheet trapsis reported. The results are outstanding due the high number of species of Gomphidae (7 out of 26 Odonata species, including a new species of Cyanogomphus Selys, 1873, obtained by two non-traditional collecting methods. Because active collecting with aerial nets is the standard approach for dragonfly inventories, we discuss some aspects of the use of traps, comparing our results with those in the literature, suggesting they should be used as complementary methods in faunistic studies. Furthermore, Zonophora campanulata annulata Belle, 1983 is recorded for the first time from Minas Gerais State and taxonomic notes about Phyllogomphoides regularis (Selys, 1873 and Progomphus complicatus Selys, 1854 are also given.

Multifunctional biocompatible graphene oxide quantum dots decorated magnetic nanoplatform for efficient capture and two-photon imaging of rare tumor cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Yongliang; Pramanik, Avijit; Tchounwou, Christine; Pedraza, Francisco; Crouch, Rebecca A; Chavva, Suhash Reddy; Vangara, Aruna; Sinha, Sudarson Sekhar; Jones, Stacy; Sardar, Dhiraj; Hawker, Craig; Ray, Paresh Chandra

2015-05-27

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are extremely rare cells in blood containing billions of other cells. The selective capture and identification of rare cells with sufficient sensitivity is a real challenge. Driven by this need, this manuscript reports the development of a multifunctional biocompatible graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) coated, high-luminescence magnetic nanoplatform for the selective separation and diagnosis of Glypican-3 (GPC3)-expressed Hep G2 liver cancer tumor CTCs from infected blood. Experimental data show that an anti-GPC3-antibody-attached multifunctional nanoplatform can be used for selective Hep G2 hepatocellular carcinoma tumor cell separation from infected blood containing 10 tumor cells/mL of blood in a 15 mL sample. Reported data indicate that, because of an extremely high two-photon absorption cross section (40530 GM), an anti-GPC3-antibody-attached GOQDs-coated magnetic nanoplatform can be used as a two-photon luminescence platform for selective and very bright imaging of a Hep G2 tumor cell in a biological transparency window using 960 nm light. Experimental results with nontargeted GPC3(-) and SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells show that multifunctional-nanoplatform-based cell separation, followed by two-photon imaging, is highly selective for Hep G2 hepatocellular carcinoma tumor cells.

Radiative electron capture by channeled ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitarke, J.M.; Ritchie, R.H.; Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN

1989-01-01

Considerable experimental data have been accumulated relative to the emission of photons accompanying electron capture by swift, highly stripped atoms penetrating crystalline matter under channeling conditions. Recent data suggest that the photon energies may be less than that expected from simple considerations of transitions from the valence band of the solid to hydrogenic states on the moving ion. We have studied theoretically the impact parameter dependence of the radiative electron capture (REC) process, the effect of the ion's wake and the effect of capture from inner shells of the solid on the photon emission probability, using a statistical approach. Numerical comparisons of our results with experiment are made. 13 refs., 6 figs

Identification of radiopure titanium for the LZ dark matter experiment and future rare event searches

Science.gov (United States)

Akerib, D. S.; Akerlof, C. W.; Akimov, D. Yu.; Alsum, S. K.; Araújo, H. M.; Arnquist, I. J.; Arthurs, M.; Bai, X.; Bailey, A. J.; Balajthy, J.; Balashov, S.; Barry, M. J.; Belle, J.; Beltrame, P.; Benson, T.; Bernard, E. P.; Bernstein, A.; Biesiadzinski, T. P.; Boast, K. E.; Bolozdynya, A.; Boxer, B.; Bramante, R.; Brás, P.; Buckley, J. H.; Bugaev, V. V.; Bunker, R.; Burdin, S.; Busenitz, J. K.; Carels, C.; Carlsmith, D. L.; Carlson, B.; Carmona-Benitez, M. C.; Chan, C.; Cherwinka, J. J.; Chiller, A. A.; Chiller, C.; Cottle, A.; Coughlen, R.; Craddock, W. W.; Currie, A.; Dahl, C. E.; Davison, T. J. R.; Dobi, A.; Dobson, J. E. Y.; Druszkiewicz, E.; Edberg, T. K.; Edwards, W. R.; Emmet, W. T.; Faham, C. H.; Fiorucci, S.; Fruth, T.; Gaitskell, R. J.; Gantos, N. J.; Gehman, V. M.; Gerhard, R. M.; Ghag, C.; Gilchriese, M. G. D.; Gomber, B.; Hall, C. R.; Hans, S.; Hanzel, K.; Haselschwardt, S. J.; Hertel, S. A.; Hillbrand, S.; Hjemfelt, C.; Hoff, M. D.; Holbrook, B.; Holtom, E.; Hoppe, E. W.; Hor, J. Y.-K.; Horn, M.; Huang, D. Q.; Hurteau, T. W.; Ignarra, C. M.; Jacobsen, R. G.; Ji, W.; Kaboth, A.; Kamdin, K.; Kazkaz, K.; Khaitan, D.; Khazov, A.; Khromov, A. V.; Konovalov, A. M.; Korolkova, E. V.; Koyuncu, M.; Kraus, H.; Krebs, H. J.; Kudryavtsev, V. A.; Kumpan, A. V.; Kyre, S.; Lee, C.; Lee, H. S.; Lee, J.; Leonard, D. S.; Leonard, R.; Lesko, K. T.; Levy, C.; Liao, F.-T.; Lin, J.; Lindote, A.; Linehan, R. E.; Lippincott, W. H.; Liu, X.; Lopes, M. I.; Lopez Paredes, B.; Lorenzon, W.; Luitz, S.; Majewski, P.; Manalaysay, A.; Manenti, L.; Mannino, R. L.; Markley, D. J.; Martin, T. J.; Marzioni, M. F.; McConnell, C. T.; McKinsey, D. N.; Mei, D.-M.; Meng, Y.; Miller, E. H.; Mizrachi, E.; Mock, J.; Monzani, M. E.; Morad, J. A.; Mount, B. J.; Murphy, A. St. J.; Nehrkorn, C.; Nelson, H. N.; Neves, F.; Nikkel, J. A.; O'Dell, J.; O'Sullivan, K.; Olcina, I.; Olevitch, M. A.; Oliver-Mallory, K. C.; Palladino, K. J.; Pease, E. K.; Piepke, A.; Powell, S.; Preece, R. M.; Pushkin, K.; Ratcliff, B. N.; Reichenbacher, J.; Reichhart, L.; Rhyne, C. A.; Richards, A.; Rodrigues, J. P.; Rose, H. J.; Rosero, R.; Rossiter, P.; Saba, J. S.; Sarychev, M.; Schnee, R. W.; Schubnell, M.; Scovell, P. R.; Shaw, S.; Shutt, T. A.; Silva, C.; Skarpaas, K.; Skulski, W.; Solmaz, M.; Solovov, V. N.; Sorensen, P.; Sosnovtsev, V. V.; Stancu, I.; Stark, M. R.; Stephenson, S.; Stiegler, T. M.; Stifter, K.; Sumner, T. J.; Szydagis, M.; Taylor, D. J.; Taylor, W. C.; Temples, D.; Terman, P. A.; Thomas, K. J.; Thomson, J. A.; Tiedt, D. R.; Timalsina, M.; To, W. H.; Tomás, A.; Tope, T. E.; Tripathi, M.; Tvrznikova, L.; Va'Vra, J.; Vacheret, A.; van der Grinten, M. G. D.; Verbus, J. R.; Vuosalo, C. O.; Waldron, W. L.; Wang, R.; Watson, R.; Webb, R. C.; Wei, W.-Z.; While, M.; White, D. T.; Whitis, T. J.; Wisniewski, W. J.; Witherell, M. S.; Wolfs, F. L. H.; Woodward, D.; Worm, S.; Xu, J.; Yeh, M.; Yin, J.; Zhang, C.; Lux-Zeplin (LZ) Collaboration

2017-11-01

The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment will search for dark matter particle interactions with a detector containing a total of 10 tonnes of liquid xenon within a double-vessel cryostat. The large mass and proximity of the cryostat to the active detector volume demand the use of material with extremely low intrinsic radioactivity. We report on the radioassay campaign conducted to identify suitable metals, the determination of factors limiting radiopure production, and the selection of titanium for construction of the LZ cryostat and other detector components. This titanium has been measured with activities of 238Ue < 1.6 mBq/kg, 238Ul < 0.09 mBq/kg, 232The = 0.28 ± 0.03 mBq/kg, 232Thl = 0.25 ± 0.02 mBq/kg, 40K < 0.54 mBq/kg, and 60Co < 0.02 mBq/kg (68% CL). Such low intrinsic activities, which are some of the lowest ever reported for titanium, enable its use for future dark matter and other rare event searches. Monte Carlo simulations have been performed to assess the expected background contribution from the LZ cryostat with this radioactivity. In 1,000 days of WIMP search exposure of a 5.6-tonne fiducial mass, the cryostat will contribute only a mean background of 0.160 ± 0.001(stat) ± 0.030(sys) counts.

Radiative muon capture on hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schott, W.; Ahmad, S.; Chen, C.Q.; Gumplinger, P.; Hasinoff, M.D.; Larabee, A.J.; Sample, D.G.; Zhang, N.S.; Armstrong, D.S.; Blecher, M.; Serna-Angel, A.; Azuelos, G.; von Egidy, T.; Macdonald, J.A.; Poutissou, J.M.; Poutissou, R.; Wright, D.H.; Henderson, R.S.; McDonald, S.C.; Taylor, G.N.; Doyle, B.; Depommier, P.; Jonkmans, G.; Bertl, W.; Gorringe, T.P.; Robertson, B.C.

1991-03-01

The induced pseudoscalar coupling constant, g P , of the weak hadronic current can be determined from the measurement of the branching ratio of radiative muon capture (RMC) on hydrogen. This rare process is being investigated in the TRIUMF RMC experiment which is now taking data. This paper describes the experiment and indicates the status of the data analysis. (Author) 8 refs., 7 figs

Supernovae and nuclear structure: Electron capture and the nuclear incompressibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooperstein, J.

1985-01-01

The author considers the effects of electron capture and the high density equation of state on supernovae. Electron captures on nuclei with 60 s it is helpful for supernovae to have a soft equation of state. Present knowledge of the nuclear matter parameters is considered and implications for supernovae are drawn. (orig.)

Maximum entropy theory of recoil charge distributions in electron-capture collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aberg, T.; Blomberg, A.; Tulkki, J.; Goscinski, O.

1984-01-01

A generalized Fermi-Dirac distribution is derived and applied to charge-state distributions in single collisions between multiply charged ions and rare-gas atoms. It relates multiple electron loss in single-electron capture to multiple ionization in multiphoton absorption and discloses inner-shell vacancy formation in double- and triple-electron capture

A basic study on capture and solidification of rare earth nuclide (Nd) in LiCl-KCl eutectic salt using an inorganic composite with Li{sub 2}OAl{sub 2}O{sub 3}- SiO{sub 2}-B{sub 2}O{sub 3} systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Na Young; Eum, Hee Chul; Park, Hwan Seo; Ahn, Do Hee [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-03-15

The pyroprocessing of spent nuclear fuel generates LiCl-KCl eutectic waste salt containing radioactive rare earth nuclides. It is necessary to develop a simple process for the treatment of LiCl-KCl eutectic waste in a hot-cell facility. In this study, capture and solidification of a rare earth nuclide (Nd) in LiCl-KCl eutectic salt using an inorganic composite with a Li{sub 2}OAl{sub 2}O{sub 3}- SiO{sub 2}-B{sub 2}O{sub 3} system was conducted to simplify the existing separation and solidification process of rare earth nuclides in LiCl-KCl eutectic waste salt from the pyroprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. More than 98wt% of Nd in LiCl-KCl eutectic salt was captured when the mass ratio of the composite was 0.67 over NdCl3 in the eutectic salt. The content of Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3} in the Nd captured-composite reached about 50wt%, and this composite was directly fabricated into a homogeneous and chemical resistant glass waste in a monolithic form. These results will be utilized in designing a process to simplify the existing separation and solidification process.

Asymmetric dark matter and the Sun

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frandsen, Mads Toudal; Sarkar, Subir

2010-01-01

Cold dark matter particles with an intrinsic matter-antimatter asymmetry do not annihilate after gravitational capture by the Sun and can affect its interior structure. The rate of capture is exponentially enhanced when such particles have self-interactions of the right order to explain structure...... formation on galactic scales. A `dark baryon' of mass 5 GeV is a natural candidate and has the required relic abundance if its asymmetry is similar to that of ordinary baryons. We show that such particles can solve the `solar composition problem'. The predicted small decrease in the low energy neutrino...

Ultrasonic attenuation in rare-earth monoarsenides

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2015-11-27

Home; Journals; Pramana – Journal of Physics; Volume 86; Issue 6. Ultrasonic attenuation in rare-earth monoarsenides .... Proceedings of the International Workshop/Conference on Computational Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science (IWCCMP-2015). Posted on November 27, 2015. Guest Editors: Anurag ...

On Z-dependence of probability of atomic capture of mesons in matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasil'ev, V.A.; Petrukhin, V.I.; Suvorov, V.M.; Khorvat, D.

1976-01-01

All experimental data available on the atomic capture of negative muons and pions are systematically studied to find more appropriate empirical expression for the capture probability as a function of the atomic number. It is shown that Z-dependence, as a rule, does not hold. Zsup(1/3)-dependence gives more satisfactory results. A modified Zsup(1/3-dependence is proposed which is more appropriate for hydrogen - containing compounds

Mass spectrometrical study of rare gas compositions and neutron capture effects in Yamato-74191 (L 3) Chondrite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takaoka, N.; Nagao, K.

1980-01-01

The unequilibrated hypersthene chondrite Yamato-74191 was studied mass spectrometrically for rare gases released at various temperatures. Cosmogenic gases dominate in He and Ne. The meteorite contains large amounts of trapped Ar, Kr and Xe, and radiogenic 40 Ar and 129 Xe. Cosmic-ray irradiation and K-Ar ages were determined. In addition to spallogenic components of Kr and Xe, isotopic excesses of 8 sup(O)Kr, 82 Kr, 128 Xe and 126 Xe relative to AVCC-Kr and -Xe were found. The ratio of 80 Kr-excess to 82 Kr-excess is 2.66 after correction for spallogenic Kr. A correlation between 128 Xe/ 132 Xe and 129 Xe/ 132 Xe was found. The 129 Xe/ 132 Xe ratio for trapped Xe in Yamato-74191 was determined as 1.12 +- 0.29 with the correlation plot. The excesses found in Yamato-74191 are best explained by epithermal neutron capture on Br and I, and by the 127 I(n,2nβ) 126 Xe reaction. Using neutron-produced 80 Kr, the neutron slowing-down density was estimated to be 0.14 +- 0.03 cm -3 sec -1 . A minimum mass and a preatmospheric radius was estimated to be 470 kg and 32 cm, respectively. (orig.)

Excitons in the rare gas solids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

Excitons play a prominent role in the chemistry and physics of condensed matter. Excitons in the rare gas solids, the prototypical van der Waals insulators, will be the focus of the remainder of this report. The goal here is to investigate the controversies surrounding the description of excitons in insulators and, therefore the simplest class of these solids, namely the rare gas solids, is chosen as the exemplary system. Specific problems associated with molecular crystals are, therefore, avoided and only the salient features of excitons are thus considered. 47 refs., 9 figs., 4 tabs

A rare presentation of methanol toxicity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikhil Gupta

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Methanol is a highly toxic alcohol resembling ethanol in smell and taste. Methanol poisoning is a lethal form of poisoning that can cause severe metabolic acidosis, visual disturbances, and neurological deficit. Brain lesions typically described in methanol toxicity are in the form of hemorrhagic and non-hemorrhagic necrosis of the basal ganglia and sub-cortical white matter. To our knowledge, lesions in the parietal, temporal, or frontal areas of cerebrum and cerebellar hemispheres have been rarely reported so far. We herewith report this rare presentation.

Heterotopic grey matter: Ct vs. MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosten, N.; Schoerner, W.

1989-01-01

Heterotopic grey matter is a rare cause of seizures. While lesions appear suspicious on CT because of equidensity to cortex, MR imaging can establish the diagnosis by demonstrating same signal intensity of heterotopia and grey matter on T 1 - and T 2 -weighted as well as inversion-recovery sequences. (orig.) [de

Neutron stars at the dark matter direct detection frontier

Science.gov (United States)

Raj, Nirmal; Tanedo, Philip; Yu, Hai-Bo

2018-02-01

Neutron stars capture dark matter efficiently. The kinetic energy transferred during capture heats old neutron stars in the local galactic halo to temperatures detectable by upcoming infrared telescopes. We derive the sensitivity of this probe in the framework of effective operators. For dark matter heavier than a GeV, we find that neutron star heating can set limits on the effective operator cutoff that are orders of magnitude stronger than possible from terrestrial direct detection experiments in the case of spin-dependent and velocity-suppressed scattering.

Determining the dark matter mass with DeepCore

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Das, Chitta R. [Centro de Física Teórica de Partículas, Instituto Superior Técnico (CFTP), Universidade Tćnica de Lisboa, Avenida Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Mena, Olga [Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC-Universitat de València, Apartado de Correos 22085, E-46071 Valencia (Spain); Palomares-Ruiz, Sergio, E-mail: sergio.palomares.ruiz@ist.utl.pt [Centro de Física Teórica de Partículas, Instituto Superior Técnico (CFTP), Universidade Tćnica de Lisboa, Avenida Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal); Instituto de Física Corpuscular (IFIC), CSIC-Universitat de València, Apartado de Correos 22085, E-46071 Valencia (Spain); Pascoli, Silvia [IPPP, Department of Physics, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom)

2013-10-01

Cosmological and astrophysical observations provide increasing evidence of the existence of dark matter in our Universe. Dark matter particles with a mass above a few GeV can be captured by the Sun, accumulate in the core, annihilate, and produce high energy neutrinos either directly or by subsequent decays of Standard Model particles. We investigate the prospects for indirect dark matter detection in the IceCube/DeepCore neutrino telescope and its capabilities to determine the dark matter mass.

Direct Dark Matter Searches: Status and Perspectives

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2016-01-01

There is overwhelming indirect evidence that dark matter exists, however, the dark matter particle has not yet been directly detected in laboratory experiments. In order to be able to identify the rare dark matter interactions with the target nuclei, such instruments have to feature a very low threshold and an extremely low radioactive background. They are therefore installed in underground laboratories to reduce cosmic ray backgrounds. I will review the status of direct dark matter searches and will discuss the perspectives for the future.

Magnetic monopoles and strange matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanudo, J.; Segui, A.

1985-07-01

We show that, if the density of grand unified monopoles at T approx. = 200 MeV is of the order of or greater than 4.4 * 10 21 cm -3 , they annihilate all of the strange matter produced in the quagmahadron phase transition which the Universe undergoes at this temperature. We also study gravitational capture of monopoles by lumps of strange matter. This yields upper limits on the density of monopoles for different sizes of strange ball. (author)

Integral-capture measurements and cross-section adjustments for Nd, Sm, and Eu

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderl, R.A.; Schmittroth, F.; Harker, Y.D.

1981-07-01

Integral-capture reaction rates are reported for 143 Nd, 144 Nd, 145 Nd, 147 Sm, 151 Eu, 152 Eu, 153 Eu, and 154 Eu irradiated in different neutron spectra in EBR-II. These reaction rates are based primarily on mass-spectrometric measurements of the isotopic atom ratios of the capture product to the target nuclide. The neutron spectra are characterized using passive neutron dosimetry and spectrum-unfolding with the FERRET least-squares data analysis code. Reaction rates for the neutron spectrum monitors were determined by the radiometric technique using Ge(Li) spectrometers. These rates are also reported here. The integral data for the rare-earth samples and for the spectrum monitors were used in multigroup flux/cross-section adtustment analyses with FERRET to generate adjustments to 47 group representations of the ENDF/B-IV capture cross sections for the rare-earth isotopes. These adjusted cross sections are in good agreement with recent differential data and with adjusted cross sections based on STEK integral data. Examples are given of the use of the adjusted cross sections and covariance matrices for cross-section evaluation

The impact of trade costs on rare earth exports : a stochastic frontier estimation approach.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanyal, Prabuddha; Brady, Patrick Vane; Vugrin, Eric D.

2013-09-01

The study develops a novel stochastic frontier modeling approach to the gravity equation for rare earth element (REE) trade between China and its trading partners between 2001 and 2009. The novelty lies in differentiating betweenbehind the border' trade costs by China and theimplicit beyond the border costs' of China's trading partners. Results indicate that the significance level of the independent variables change dramatically over the time period. While geographical distance matters for trade flows in both periods, the effect of income on trade flows is significantly attenuated, possibly capturing the negative effects of financial crises in the developed world. Second, the total export losses due tobehind the border' trade costs almost tripled over the time period. Finally, looking atimplicit beyond the border' trade costs, results show China gaining in some markets, although it is likely that some countries are substituting away from Chinese REE exports.

Capture and Solidification of Rare Earth Nuclide (Nd) in LiCl-KCl Eutectic Salt Using a Synthetic Inorganic Composite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Na-Young; Eun, Hee-Chul; Park, Hwan-Seo; Ahn, Do-Hee [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-06-15

In this study, neodymium (Nd) nuclides in LiCl-KCl eutectic salts were captured and solidified using a synthetic inorganic composite (Li{sub 2}O-SiO{sub 2}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-B{sub 2}O{sub 3}), a process that allows the selective capture of Nd and fabrication of a composite with Nd captured from waste, without additional additives or mixing. The Nd nuclides in the LiCl-KCl eutectic salt were mainly captured in the form of LiNdSiO{sub 4}, and it was confirmed that NdSiO{sub 3} can be formed in the composite with captured Nd when the content of Nd in the composite is increased. The capture efficiency was higher than about 98 wt%. It was thought that the salt recovered from the Nd capture test was a renewable form could be reused in the pyroprocessing of used nuclear fuel, because the composite has high chemical durability in a LiCl-KCl eutectic salt at 900 ℃. The composite captured Nd was fabricated into a homogeneous glass form and a stable ceramic form.

Rare earth industries: Downstream business

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

The value chain of the rare earths business involves mining, extraction, processing, refining and the manufacture of an extensive range of downstream products which find wide applications in such industries including aerospace, consumer electronics, medical, military, automotive, renewable wind and solar energy and telecommunications. In fact the entire gamut of the high-tech industries depends on a sustainable supply of rare earths elements. The explosive demand in mobile phones is an excellent illustration of the massive potential that the rare earths business offers. In a matter of less than 20 years, the number of cell phones worldwide has reached a staggering 5 billion. Soon, going by the report of their growth in sales, the world demand for cell phones may even exceed the global population. Admittedly, the rare earths business does pose certain risks. Top among the risks are the health and safety risks. The mining, extraction and refining of rare earths produce residues and wastes which carry health and safety risks. The residues from the extraction and refining are radioactive, while their effluent waste streams do pose pollution risks to the receiving rivers and waterways. But, as clearly elaborated in a recent report by IAEA experts, there are technologies and systems available to efficiently mitigate such risks. The risks are Rare Earth manageable. However, it is crucial that the risk and waste management procedures are strictly followed and adhered to. This is where effective monitoring and surveillance throughout the life of all such rare earths facilities is crucial. Fortunately, Malaysia's regulatory standards on rare earths follow international standards. In some areas, Malaysia's regulatory regime is even more stringent than the international guidelines. (author)

An Overview of Rare Earth Science and Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Gschneidner, Karl, Jr.

2012-02-01

Currently rare earth science and technology is robust: this includes all the major branches of science -- biochemistry, chemistry, materials and physics. There are, however, currently some anomalies and distortions especially in the technology and applications sector of the rare earth field, which is caused by the dominance of China on the sales of rare earths and rare earth containing products. For the past 5 to 10 years ˜95% of rare earths utilized in commerce came from China. Although Chinese actions have lead to sudden and large price spikes and export embargoes, the rare earths are still available but at a higher cost. The start up of production in 2011 at mines in the USA and Australia will alleviate this situation in about two years. Basic and applied research on the condensed matter physics/materials science has hardly been impacted by these events, but new research opportunities are opening up especially with regard to the USA's military and energy security. Magnets seems to be the hottest topic, but research on battery materials, phosphors and catalysts are also (or should be) strongly considered.

Ultra-high throughput real-time instruments for capturing fast signals and rare events

Science.gov (United States)

Buckley, Brandon Walter

processing. The act of time-stretching effectively boosts the performance of the back-end electronics and digital signal processors. The slowed down signals reach the back-end electronics with reduced bandwidth, and are therefore less affected by high-frequency roll-off and distortion. Time-stretching also increases the effective sampling rate of analog-to-digital converters and reduces aperture jitter, thereby improving resolution. Finally, the instantaneous throughputs of digital signal processors are enhanced by the stretch factor to otherwise unattainable speeds. Leveraging these unique capabilities, TiSER becomes the ideal tool for capturing high-speed signals and characterizing rare phenomena. For this thesis, I have developed techniques to improve the spectral efficiency, bandwidth, and resolution of TiSER using polarization multiplexing, all-optical modulation, and coherent dispersive Fourier transformation. To reduce the latency and improve the data handling capacity, I have also designed and implemented a real-time digital signal processing electronic backend, achieving 1.5 tera-bit per second instantaneous processing throughput. Finally, I will present results from experiments highlighting TiSER's impact in real-world applications. Confocal fluorescence microscopy is the most widely used method for unveiling the molecular composition of biological specimens. However, the weak optical emission of fluorescent probes and the tradeoff between imaging speed and sensitivity is problematic for acquiring blur-free images of fast phenomena and cells flowing at high speed. Here I introduce a new fluorescence imaging modality, which leverages techniques from wireless communication to reach record pixel and frame rates. Termed Fluorescence Imaging using Radio-frequency tagged Emission (FIRE), this new imaging modality is capable of resolving never before seen dynamics in living cells - such as action potentials in neurons and metabolic waves in astrocytes - as well as

Rare earth elements behavior in Peruibe black mud

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torrecilha, Jefferson K.; Carvalho, Leandro P.; Gouvea, Paulo F.M.; Silva, Paulo S.C. da

2015-01-01

Rare earth elements in sediments have been used as powerful tools for environmental studies because of their behavior during geochemical processes and are also widely accepted as reliable provenance tracers because they are largely water-immobile and thus behave conservatively during sedimentary processes. The Peruibe Black Mud (PBM) is a sedimentary deposit originated from the interactions of marine sediments and organic matter in an estuarine environment that originates a peloid currently used for medicinal purposes. The objective of this study was to examine rare earth elements pattern distribution in the Peruibe black mud sedimentary deposit as a proxy for its geochemical development. Elemental ratios such as LaN/YbN, Th/U and La/Th were determined and a normalization of the mean rare earth elements concentrations in the samples related to NASC indicates that the light (La to Eu) rare earth elements present values close to the unity while the heavy (Tb to Lu) rare earth elements are depleted related to NASC. It can be observed that the light rare earth elements present enrichment values slightly enriched over the unity while the heavy rare earth elements present values generally below the unity reflecting the enrichment of the light rare earth elements over the heavy rare earth. Rare earth elements concentrations determined in Peruibe black mud samples showed a distribution similar to that found in the NASC for the light rare earth elements and depleted for the heavy rare earth elements. (author)

Rare earth elements behavior in Peruibe black mud

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torrecilha, Jefferson K.; Carvalho, Leandro P.; Gouvea, Paulo F.M.; Silva, Paulo S.C. da, E-mail: jeffkoy@usp.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2015-07-01

Rare earth elements in sediments have been used as powerful tools for environmental studies because of their behavior during geochemical processes and are also widely accepted as reliable provenance tracers because they are largely water-immobile and thus behave conservatively during sedimentary processes. The Peruibe Black Mud (PBM) is a sedimentary deposit originated from the interactions of marine sediments and organic matter in an estuarine environment that originates a peloid currently used for medicinal purposes. The objective of this study was to examine rare earth elements pattern distribution in the Peruibe black mud sedimentary deposit as a proxy for its geochemical development. Elemental ratios such as LaN/YbN, Th/U and La/Th were determined and a normalization of the mean rare earth elements concentrations in the samples related to NASC indicates that the light (La to Eu) rare earth elements present values close to the unity while the heavy (Tb to Lu) rare earth elements are depleted related to NASC. It can be observed that the light rare earth elements present enrichment values slightly enriched over the unity while the heavy rare earth elements present values generally below the unity reflecting the enrichment of the light rare earth elements over the heavy rare earth. Rare earth elements concentrations determined in Peruibe black mud samples showed a distribution similar to that found in the NASC for the light rare earth elements and depleted for the heavy rare earth elements. (author)

Gas capture and rare gas retention by accreting planets in the solar nebula

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizuno, H.; Nakazawa, K.; Hayashi, C.

1982-01-01

In this paper, the physico-chemical effects of the nebula gas on the planets are reviewed from a standpoint of planetary formation in the solar nebula. The proto-Earth growing in the nebula was surrounded by a primordial atmosphere with a solar chemical composition and solar isotopic composition. When the mass of the proto-Earth was greater than 0.3 times the present Earth mass, the surface was molten because of the blanketing effect of the atmosphere. Therefore, the primordial rare gases contained in the primordial atmosphere dissolved into the molten Earth material without fractionation and in particular the dissolved neon is expected to be conserved in the present Earth material. Hence, if dissolved neon with a solar isotopic ratio is discovered in the Earth material, it will indicate that the Earth was formed in the nebula and that the dissolved rare gases were one of the sources which degassed to form the present atmosphere. (author)

THE LINK BETWEEN RARE-EARTH PEAK FORMATION AND THE ASTROPHYSICAL SITE OF THE R PROCESS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mumpower, Matthew R. [Theory Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87544 (United States); McLaughlin, Gail C. [Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States); Surman, Rebecca [Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); Steiner, Andrew W., E-mail: matthew@mumpower.net [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 (United States)

2016-12-20

The primary astrophysical source of the rare-earth elements is the rapid neutron capture process ( r process). The rare-earth peak that is seen in the solar r -process residuals has been proposed to originate as a pile-up of nuclei during the end of the r process. We introduce a new method utilizing Monte Carlo studies of nuclear masses in the rare-earth region, that includes self-consistently adjusting β -decay rates and neutron capture rates, to find the mass surfaces necessary for the formation of the rare-earth peak. We demonstrate our method with two types of astrophysical scenario, one corresponding to conditions typical of hot winds from core-collapse supernovae and stellar-mass accretion disks, and one corresponding to conditions typical of the ejection of the material from the tidal tails of neutron star mergers. In each type of astrophysical condition, this method successfully locates a region of enhanced stability in the mass surface that is responsible for the rare-earth peak. For each scenario, we find that the change in the mass surface has qualitatively different features, thus future measurements can shed light on the type of environment in which the r process occurred.

THE LINK BETWEEN RARE-EARTH PEAK FORMATION AND THE ASTROPHYSICAL SITE OF THE R PROCESS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mumpower, Matthew R.; McLaughlin, Gail C.; Surman, Rebecca; Steiner, Andrew W.

2016-01-01

The primary astrophysical source of the rare-earth elements is the rapid neutron capture process ( r process). The rare-earth peak that is seen in the solar r -process residuals has been proposed to originate as a pile-up of nuclei during the end of the r process. We introduce a new method utilizing Monte Carlo studies of nuclear masses in the rare-earth region, that includes self-consistently adjusting β -decay rates and neutron capture rates, to find the mass surfaces necessary for the formation of the rare-earth peak. We demonstrate our method with two types of astrophysical scenario, one corresponding to conditions typical of hot winds from core-collapse supernovae and stellar-mass accretion disks, and one corresponding to conditions typical of the ejection of the material from the tidal tails of neutron star mergers. In each type of astrophysical condition, this method successfully locates a region of enhanced stability in the mass surface that is responsible for the rare-earth peak. For each scenario, we find that the change in the mass surface has qualitatively different features, thus future measurements can shed light on the type of environment in which the r process occurred.

Atomic masses of rare-earth isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt-Ott, W.D.; Kantus, R.; Runte, E.

1981-01-01

A survey is given of decay energies of rare-earth isotopes measured in electron-capture decay by relative Psub(K) ratios, ECsub(K)/β + , and EC/β + ratios. Atomic masses of A = 147 isotopes and of 146 Gd and 148 Dy were derived. The masses of these isotopes and of α-decaying precessors are compared with predictions of current mass formulae. The subshell closure at Z = 64 is shown for N = 82, and 84 isotones. (orig.)

Interaction of ionising radiations with matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caudrelier, Olivier

2010-01-01

In a first part, this academic course addresses the interaction of non-charged particles with matter. The author more particularly addresses the interaction of a photon plasma with matter (attenuation of electromagnetic radiations, law of exponential attenuation, attenuation half value layer), the elementary phenomena of the interaction of a photon with matter (photoelectric effect, Compton effect, Thomson-Rayleigh scattering, materialisation, photo-nuclear reaction, prevalence domains, application in medical imagery), and the interaction of fast and slow neutrons with matter (elastic and inelastic scattering, radiative and non-radiative capture). The second part addresses the interaction of charged particles with matter. The author more particularly addresses the interaction with electrons present in the medium (ionization, excitation, stop efficiency, linear energy transfer, ionization linear density), the interaction with the nucleus (Bremsstrahlung), and the case of light particles (electrons) and of heavy particles (protons, alpha, fission products)

Capture of free-floating planets by planetary systems

Science.gov (United States)

Goulinski, Nadav; Ribak, Erez N.

2018-01-01

Evidence of exoplanets with orbits that are misaligned with the spin of the host star may suggest that not all bound planets were born in the protoplanetary disc of their current planetary system. Observations have shown that free-floating Jupiter-mass objects can exceed the number of stars in our Galaxy, implying that capture scenarios may not be so rare. To address this issue, we construct a three-dimensional simulation of a three-body scattering between a free-floating planet and a star accompanied by a Jupiter-mass bound planet. We distinguish between three different possible scattering outcomes, where the free-floating planet may get weakly captured after the brief interaction with the binary, remain unbound or 'kick out' the bound planet and replace it. The simulation was performed for different masses of the free-floating planets and stars, as well as different impact parameters, inclination angles and approach velocities. The outcome statistics are used to construct an analytical approximation of the cross-section for capturing a free-floating planet by fitting their dependence on the tested variables. The analytically approximated cross-section is used to predict the capture rate for these kinds of objects, and to estimate that about 1 per cent of all stars are expected to experience a temporary capture of a free-floating planet during their lifetime. Finally, we propose additional physical processes that may increase the capture statistics and whose contribution should be considered in future simulations in order to determine the fate of the temporarily captured planets.

An effective attentional set for a specific colour does not prevent capture by infrequently presented motion distractors.

Science.gov (United States)

Retell, James D; Becker, Stefanie I; Remington, Roger W

2016-01-01

An organism's survival depends on the ability to rapidly orient attention to unanticipated events in the world. Yet, the conditions needed to elicit such involuntary capture remain in doubt. Especially puzzling are spatial cueing experiments, which have consistently shown that involuntary shifts of attention to highly salient distractors are not determined by stimulus properties, but instead are contingent on attentional control settings induced by task demands. Do we always need to be set for an event to be captured by it, or is there a class of events that draw attention involuntarily even when unconnected to task goals? Recent results suggest that a task-irrelevant event will capture attention on first presentation, suggesting that salient stimuli that violate contextual expectations might automatically capture attention. Here, we investigated the role of contextual expectation by examining whether an irrelevant motion cue that was presented only rarely (∼3-6% of trials) would capture attention when observers had an active set for a specific target colour. The motion cue had no effect when presented frequently, but when rare produced a pattern of interference consistent with attentional capture. The critical dependence on the frequency with which the irrelevant motion singleton was presented is consistent with early theories of involuntary orienting to novel stimuli. We suggest that attention will be captured by salient stimuli that violate expectations, whereas top-down goals appear to modulate capture by stimuli that broadly conform to contextual expectations.

MRI of laminar heterotopic grey matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vahldiek, G.; Terwey, B.; Hanefeld, F.; Sperner, J.

1990-01-01

In one baby and 2 infants who presented with psychomotor retardation and epilepsy laminar heterotopic grey matter was demonstrated via magnetic resonance imaging. Laminar heterotopia is a rare migrational disorder with bilateral symmetric ribbons of grey matter within the centrum semiovale, separated from ventricular walls and from obviously normal-sized cortex by broad layers of white matter. The heterotopic grey matter has a signal intensity which is isointense compared with that of normal cortex irrespective of image weighting. On account of this signal behaviour differentiation against other white matter diseases is easy. The knowledge of these pathognomonic findings facilitates correct diagnosis, especially during the first and the second year of life, when signal intensities of white and grey matter differ from normal findings because of the occasionally delayed myelination process. Therefore, further diagnostic procedures can be avoided and early counseling of parents is possible. (orig.) [de

Rare earths: Market disruption, innovation, and global supply chains

Science.gov (United States)

Eggert, Roderick; Wadia, Cyrus; Anderson, Corby; Bauer, Diana; Fields, Fletcher; Meinert, Lawrence D.; Taylor, Patrick

2016-01-01

Rare earths, sometimes called the vitamins of modern materials, captured public attention when their prices increased more than ten-fold in 2010 and 2011. As prices fell between 2011 and 2016, rare earths receded from public view—but less visibly they became a major focus of innovative activity in companies, government laboratories and universities. Geoscientists worked to better understand the resource base and improve our knowledge about mineral deposits that will be mines in the future. Process engineers carried out research that is making primary production and recycling more efficient. Materials scientists and engineers searched for substitutes that will require fewer or no rare earths while providing properties comparable or superior to those of existing materials. As a result, even though global supply chains are not significantly different now than they were before the market disruption, the innovative activity motivated by the disruption likely will have far-reaching, if unpredictable, consequences for supply chains of rare earths in the future.

Enrichment allows identification of diverse, rare elements in metagenomic resistome-virulome sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Noyes, Noelle R; Weinroth, Maggie E; Parker, Jennifer K; Dean, Chris J; Lakin, Steven M; Raymond, Robert A; Rovira, Pablo; Doster, Enrique; Abdo, Zaid; Martin, Jennifer N; Jones, Kenneth L; Ruiz, Jaime; Boucher, Christina A; Belk, Keith E; Morley, Paul S

2017-10-17

Shotgun metagenomic sequencing is increasingly utilized as a tool to evaluate ecological-level dynamics of antimicrobial resistance and virulence, in conjunction with microbiome analysis. Interest in use of this method for environmental surveillance of antimicrobial resistance and pathogenic microorganisms is also increasing. In published metagenomic datasets, the total of all resistance- and virulence-related sequences accounts for enrichment system that incorporates unique molecular indices to count DNA molecules and correct for enrichment bias. The use of the bait-capture and enrichment system significantly increased on-target sequencing of the resistome-virulome, enabling detection of an additional 1441 gene accessions and revealing a low-abundance portion of the resistome-virulome that was more diverse and compositionally different than that detected by more traditional metagenomic assays. The low-abundance portion of the resistome-virulome also contained resistance genes with public health importance, such as extended-spectrum betalactamases, that were not detected using traditional shotgun metagenomic sequencing. In addition, the use of the bait-capture and enrichment system enabled identification of rare resistance gene haplotypes that were used to discriminate between sample origins. These results demonstrate that the rare resistome-virulome contains valuable and unique information that can be utilized for both surveillance and population genetic investigations of resistance. Access to the rare resistome-virulome using the bait-capture and enrichment system validated in this study can greatly advance our understanding of microbiome-resistome dynamics.

The Dark Matter of Biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Jennifer L

2016-09-06

The inside of the cell is full of important, yet invisible species of molecules and proteins that interact weakly but couple together to have huge and important effects in many biological processes. Such "dark matter" inside cells remains mostly hidden, because our tools were developed to investigate strongly interacting species and folded proteins. Example dark-matter species include intrinsically disordered proteins, posttranslational states, ion species, and rare, transient, and weak interactions undetectable by biochemical assays. The dark matter of biology is likely to have multiple, vital roles to regulate signaling, rates of reactions, water structure and viscosity, crowding, and other cellular activities. We need to create new tools to image, detect, and understand these dark-matter species if we are to truly understand fundamental physical principles of biology. Copyright © 2016 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neutron capture cross section measurements: case of lutetium isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roig, O.; Meot, V.; Belier, G.

2011-01-01

The neutron radiative capture is a nuclear reaction that occurs in the presence of neutrons on all isotopes and on a wide energy range. The neutron capture range on Lutetium isotopes, presented here, illustrates the variety of measurements leading to the determination of cross sections. These measurements provide valuable fundamental data needed for the stockpile stewardship program, as well as for nuclear astrophysics and nuclear structure. Measurements, made in France or in United-States, involving complex detectors associated with very rare targets have significantly improved the international databases and validated models of nuclear reactions. We present results concerning the measurement of neutron radiative capture on Lu 173 , Lu 175 , Lu 176 and Lu 177m , the measurement of the probability of gamma emission in the substitution reaction Yb 174 (He 3 ,pγ)Lu 176 . The measurement of neutron cross sections on Lu 177m have permitted to highlight the process of super-elastic scattering

RareVar: A Framework for Detecting Low-Frequency Single-Nucleotide Variants.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Yangyang; Xuei, Xiaoling; Li, Lang; Nakshatri, Harikrishna; Edenberg, Howard J; Liu, Yunlong

2017-07-01

Accurate identification of low-frequency somatic point mutations in tumor samples has important clinical utilities. Although high-throughput sequencing technology enables capturing such variants while sequencing primary tumor samples, our ability for accurate detection is compromised when the variant frequency is close to the sequencer error rate. Most current experimental and bioinformatic strategies target mutations with ≥5% allele frequency, which limits our ability to understand the cancer etiology and tumor evolution. We present an experimental and computational modeling framework, RareVar, to reliably identify low-frequency single-nucleotide variants from high-throughput sequencing data under standard experimental protocols. RareVar protocol includes a benchmark design by pooling DNAs from already sequenced individuals at various concentrations to target variants at desired frequencies, 0.5%-3% in our case. By applying a generalized, linear model-based, position-specific error model, followed by machine-learning-based variant calibration, our approach outperforms existing methods. Our method can be applied on most capture and sequencing platforms without modifying the experimental protocol.

Weak interactions in hot nucleon matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cowell, S.; Pandharipande, V.R.

2006-01-01

The reaction rates for electron capture, neutrino absorption, and neutrino scattering in hot asymmetric nuclear matter are calculated with two-body effective interactions and one-body effective weak operators obtained from realistic models of nuclear forces by use of correlated basis theory. The infinite system is modeled in a box with periodic boundary conditions, and the one-quasiparticle quasi-hole response functions are calculated with a large microcanonical sample and the Tamm-Dancoff approximation. Results for matter at a temperature of 10 MeV, proton fraction 0.4, and densities ρ=(1/2),1,(3/2)ρ 0 , where ρ 0 is the equilibrium density of symmetric nuclear matter, are presented to illustrate the method. In general, the strength of the response is shifted to higher-energy transfers when compared with that of a noninteracting Fermi gas. The shift in the response and the weakness of effective operators as compared with the bare operators significantly reduce the cross sections for electron capture and neutrino scattering by factors of ∼2.5-3.5. In contrast, the symmetry energy enhances the neutrino absorption reaction rate relative to the Fermi gas. However, this reaction rate is still quite small because of Pauli blocking

Study of rare earth local moment magnetism and strongly correlated phenomena in various crystal structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kong, Tai [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2016-12-17

Benefiting from unique properties of 4f electrons, rare earth based compounds are known for offering a versatile playground for condensed matter physics research as well as industrial applications. This thesis focuses on three specific examples that further explore the rare earth local moment magnetism and strongly correlated phenomena in various crystal structures.

Production of biodiesel from microalgae through biological carbon capture: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Mondal, Madhumanti; Goswami, Shrayanti; Ghosh, Ashmita; Oinam, Gunapati; Tiwari, O N; Das, Papita; Gayen, K; Mandal, M K; Halder, G N

2017-06-01

Gradual increase in concentration of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in the atmosphere due to the various anthropogenic interventions leading to significant alteration in the global carbon cycle has been a subject of worldwide attention and matter of potential research over the last few decades. In these alarming scenario microalgae seems to be an attractive medium for capturing the excess CO 2 present in the atmosphere generated from different sources such as power plants, automobiles, volcanic eruption, decomposition of organic matters and forest fires. This captured CO 2 through microalgae could be used as potential carbon source to produce lipids for the generation of biofuel for replacing petroleum-derived transport fuel without affecting the supply of food and crops. This comprehensive review strives to provide a systematic account of recent developments in the field of biological carbon capture through microalgae for its utilization towards the generation of biodiesel highlighting the significance of certain key parameters such as selection of efficient strain, microalgal metabolism, cultivation systems (open and closed) and biomass production along with the national and international biodiesel specifications and properties. The potential use of photobioreactors for biodiesel production under the influence of various factors viz., light intensity, pH, time, temperature, CO 2 concentration and flow rate has been discussed. The review also provides an economic overview and future outlook on biodiesel production from microalgae.

Auto transfer to Rydberg states and indirect stabilization following double capture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roncin, P.; Gaboriaud, M.N.; Barat, M. (Paris-11 Univ., 91 - Orsay (France)); Bordenave-Montesquieu, A.; Moretto-Capelle, P.; Benhenni, M. (Toulouse-3 Univ., 31 (France)); Bachau, H.; Harel, C. (Bordeaux-1 Univ., 33 (France))

1993-11-28

Two-electron capture by slow multiply charged ions colliding on rare-gas target at keV energies is known to populate doubly excited states of the projectile with large cross sections. Though these states are dominantly autoionizing, important radiative decay following double capture have been reported, among which the direct observation of the fluorescence from Rydberg states. A mechanism based on post-collisional effects was proposed, in which Rydberg states are fed from the quasi-symmetrical doubly excited states initially populated. In this paper, a quantitative analysis of this effect is developed leading to a simple model which is applied to N[sup 7+] on He and Ar collisions. (author).

Auto transfer to Rydberg states and indirect stabilization following double capture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roncin, P.; Gaboriaud, M.N.; Barat, M.; Bordenave-Montesquieu, A.; Moretto-Capelle, P.; Benhenni, M.; Bachau, H.; Harel, C.

1993-01-01

Two-electron capture by slow multiply charged ions colliding on rare-gas target at keV energies is known to populate doubly excited states of the projectile with large cross sections. Though these states are dominantly autoionizing, important radiative decay following double capture have been reported, among which the direct observation of the fluorescence from Rydberg states. A mechanism based on post-collisional effects was proposed, in which Rydberg states are fed from the quasi-symmetrical doubly excited states initially populated. In this paper, a quantitative analysis of this effect is developed leading to a simple model which is applied to N 7+ on He and Ar collisions. (author)

Microsites Matter: Improving the Success of Rare Species Reintroductions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter W Dunwiddie

Full Text Available Our study was undertaken to better understand how to increase the success rates of recovery plantings of a rare hemiparasite, golden paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta-Orobanchaceae. This species is endemic to western Washington and Oregon, USA, and southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Over 5000 golden paintbrush plants were outplanted as plugs in 2007 at six different native prairie sites that were considered to be suitable habitat, based on general evaluations of vegetation and soil conditions. Outplantings were installed at regular intervals along transects up to 1 km long to include a range of conditions occurring at each site. All plantings were re-examined five years later. The patchy distribution of surviving plugs and new recruits within each reintroduction site suggested success is strongly influenced by microsite characteristics. Indicator species analysis of taxa growing in microsites around outplanted golden paintbrush identified species that were positively or negatively associated with paintbrush survival. Species such as Festuca roemeri, Eriophyllum lanatum, and Viola adunca were strong indicators at some sites; non-natives such as Hypochaeris radicata and Teesdalia nudicaulis tended to be frequent negative indicators. Overall, higher richness of native perennial forbs was strongly correlated with both survival and flowering of golden paintbrush, a pattern that may reflect interactions of this hemiparasite with the immediately surrounding plant community. Topographic position also influenced outcomes, with greater survival occurring on mounds and in swales, where soils generally were deeper. Our findings suggest that assessments of site suitability based on vegetation alone, and coarser, site-level assessments that do not characterize heterogeneity at the microsite scale, may not be strong predictors of restoration success over the longer term and in sites with variability in vegetation and soils. By identifying suitable

Crystal field and magnetism with Wannier functions: Orthorhombic rare-earth manganites

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Novák, Pavel; Nekvasil, Vladimír; Knížek, Karel

358-359, MAY (2014), s. 228-232 ISSN 0304-8853 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-25251S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : crystal field * rare- earth magnetism Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.970, year: 2014

Rare decays of B-mesons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, A.

1992-01-01

This article is dedicated to the memory of Andrei D. Sakharov, a great scientist and human rights activist. Sakharov was blessed with the rare gift of prophetic prediction in matters concerning both science and society. His paper in 1967 on the baryon asymmetry of the universe relating it to the baryon instability, CP-violation, and thermodynamic non-equilibrium, was a very long shot. In view of subsequent theoretical developments in grand unified theories of elementary particle physics and cosmology, where the Sakharov conditions can be accommodated, this paper represents indeed a very fine example of scientific genius and prophecy. His political judgement, exemplified by his visionary essay Progress, Coexistence, and Intellectual Freedom, written in 1968, was equally stunning. Among other topics Sakharov was also very much interested in physics of the heavy quarks. In this paper we review theoretical predictions about an interesting aspect of heavy quark physics, namely rare phenomena in the decays of B-meson involving flavor changing neutral current (FCNC) processes

Relationship between Leaf Surface Characteristics and Particle Capturing Capacities of Different Tree Species in Beijing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weikang Zhang

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Leaf surface is a multifunctional interface between a plant and its environment, which affects both ecological and biological processes. Leaf surface topography directly affects microhabitat availability and ability for deposition. In this study, atomic force microscopy (AFM and the resuspended particulate matter method were applied to evaluate the adsorptive capacity of the leaf surface. Patterns of particulate‐capturing capacities in different tree species and the effect of leaf surface features on these capacities were explored. Results indicated the following: (1 more total suspended particles (TSP per unit leaf area were captured by coniferous tree species than by broad‐leaved tree species in a particular order—i.e., Pinus tabuliformis > Pinus bungeana > Salix matsudana > Acer truncatum > Ginkgo biloba > Populus tomentosa; (2 Significant seasonal variation in particulate‐capturing capacities were determined. During the observation period, the broad‐leaved tree species capturing TSP and coarse particulate matter (PM10 clearly exhibited a ∩‐shape pattern— that is, increasing initially and later on decreasing; meanwhile, the ∩‐shape pattern was not clearly shown in P. tabuliformis and P. bungeana. However, no obvious patterns in the absorption of fine particulate matter (PM2.5 were found in the tested tree species; (3 The leaf surface topography, as observed by AFM and scanning electron microscopy, revealed that the broad‐leaved tree exhibits a good correlation between micro‐roughness of leaf surfaces and density of particles settling on leaf surfaces over time. However, the main factors affecting the adsorptive capacities of the leaves in coniferous trees are the number of stomata as well as the amount of epicuticular wax and the properties of the cuticle in different seasons.

Neutron capture cross section measurements: case of lutetium isotopes; Mesures de donnees de sections efficaces de capture radiative de neutrons: application au cas du lutecium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roig, O.; Meot, V.; Belier, G. [CEA Bruyeres-le-Chatel, 91 (France)

2011-07-15

The neutron radiative capture is a nuclear reaction that occurs in the presence of neutrons on all isotopes and on a wide energy range. The neutron capture range on Lutetium isotopes, presented here, illustrates the variety of measurements leading to the determination of cross sections. These measurements provide valuable fundamental data needed for the stockpile stewardship program, as well as for nuclear astrophysics and nuclear structure. Measurements, made in France or in United-States, involving complex detectors associated with very rare targets have significantly improved the international databases and validated models of nuclear reactions. We present results concerning the measurement of neutron radiative capture on Lu{sup 173}, Lu{sup 175}, Lu{sup 176} and Lu{sup 177m}, the measurement of the probability of gamma emission in the substitution reaction Yb{sup 174}(He{sup 3},p{gamma})Lu{sup 176}. The measurement of neutron cross sections on Lu{sup 177m} have permitted to highlight the process of super-elastic scattering

Radio-luminescence efficiency and rare-earth dispersion in Tb-doped silica glasses

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Fasoli, M.; Moretti, F.; Lauria, A.; Chiodini, N.; Vedda, A.; Nikl, Martin

2007-01-01

Roč. 42, - (2007), s. 784-787 ISSN 1350-4487 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : sol-gel * scintillators * silica * rare earths * terbium Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.054, year: 2007

Attentional capture by social stimuli in young infants

OpenAIRE

Gluckman, Maxie; Johnson, Scott P.

2013-01-01

We investigated the possibility that a range of social stimuli capture the attention of 6-month-old infants when in competition with other non-face objects. Infants viewed a series of six-item arrays in which one target item was a face, body part, or animal as their eye movements were recorded. Stimulus arrays were also processed for relative salience of each item in terms of color, luminance, and amount of contour. Targets were rarely the most visually salient items in the arrays, yet inf...

Simplified models for dark matter face their consistent completions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonçalves, Dorival; Machado, Pedro A. N.; No, Jose Miguel

2017-03-01

Simplified dark matter models have been recently advocated as a powerful tool to exploit the complementarity between dark matter direct detection, indirect detection and LHC experimental probes. Focusing on pseudoscalar mediators between the dark and visible sectors, we show that the simplified dark matter model phenomenology departs significantly from that of consistent ${SU(2)_{\\mathrm{L}} \\times U(1)_{\\mathrm{Y}}}$ gauge invariant completions. We discuss the key physics simplified models fail to capture, and its impact on LHC searches. Notably, we show that resonant mono-Z searches provide competitive sensitivities to standard mono-jet analyses at $13$ TeV LHC.

Magnetic-field induced phase transitions in intermetallic rare-earth ferrimagnets with a compensation point

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sabdenov, Ch.K.; Davydova, M.D.; Zvezdin, K.A.; Gorbunov, Denis; Tereshina, I. S.; Andreev, Alexander V.; Zvezdin, A. K.

2017-01-01

Roč. 43, č. 5 (2017), s. 551-558 ISSN 1063-777X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA16-03593S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : rare-earth intermetallics * phase diagram * field-induced transition * magnetic anisotropy * high magnetic fields Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism OBOR OECD: Condensed matter physics (including formerly solid state physics, supercond.) Impact factor: 0.804, year: 2016

Effect of rare earth elements on the distribution of photosynthate in sugar beet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai Baozhang; Yang Yuchang; Meng Xianju; Wang Yuefeng; Bai Song

1995-01-01

The effect of rare earth elements on the distribution of photosynthate in sugar beet was studied. The results indicated that rare earth elements stimulated CO 2 assimilation, increased the ratio of root and tops (R/T), improved the distribution of photosynthate and stimulated the transport of organic matter from leaf to root of sugar beet plant. The treatment with 0.05% was shown to have the most significant effect among all the treatments

Crystal field and magnetism with Wannier functions: rare-earth dopedaluminum garnets

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mihóková, Eva; Novák, Pavel; Laguta, Valentyn

2015-01-01

Roč. 33, č. 12 (2015), 1316-1323 ISSN 1002-0721 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-09876S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : crystal field * ab initio calculations * garnets * rare earths Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.188, year: 2015

Direct and indirect detection of dissipative dark matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, JiJi; Katz, Andrey; Shelton, Jessie, E-mail: jijifan1982@gmail.com, E-mail: katz.andrey@gmail.com, E-mail: jshelton137@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2014-06-01

We study the constraints from direct detection and solar capture on dark matter scenarios with a subdominant dissipative component. This dissipative dark matter component in general has both a symmetric and asymmetric relic abundance. Dissipative dynamics allow this subdominant dark matter component to cool, resulting in its partial or total collapse into a smaller volume inside the halo (e.g., a dark disk) as well as a reduced thermal velocity dispersion compared to that of normal cold dark matter. We first show that these features considerably relax the limits from direct detection experiments on the couplings between standard model (SM) particles and dissipative dark matter. On the other hand, indirect detection of the annihilation of the symmetric dissipative dark matter component inside the Sun sets stringent and robust constraints on the properties of the dissipative dark matter. In particular, IceCube observations force dissipative dark matter particles with mass above 50 GeV to either have a small coupling to the SM or a low local density in the solar system, or to have a nearly asymmetric relic abundance. Possible helioseismology signals associated with purely asymmetric dissipative dark matter are discussed, with no present constraints.

Direct and indirect detection of dissipative dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, JiJi; Katz, Andrey; Shelton, Jessie

2014-01-01

We study the constraints from direct detection and solar capture on dark matter scenarios with a subdominant dissipative component. This dissipative dark matter component in general has both a symmetric and asymmetric relic abundance. Dissipative dynamics allow this subdominant dark matter component to cool, resulting in its partial or total collapse into a smaller volume inside the halo (e.g., a dark disk) as well as a reduced thermal velocity dispersion compared to that of normal cold dark matter. We first show that these features considerably relax the limits from direct detection experiments on the couplings between standard model (SM) particles and dissipative dark matter. On the other hand, indirect detection of the annihilation of the symmetric dissipative dark matter component inside the Sun sets stringent and robust constraints on the properties of the dissipative dark matter. In particular, IceCube observations force dissipative dark matter particles with mass above 50 GeV to either have a small coupling to the SM or a low local density in the solar system, or to have a nearly asymmetric relic abundance. Possible helioseismology signals associated with purely asymmetric dissipative dark matter are discussed, with no present constraints

Diurnal modulation signal from dissipative hidden sector dark matter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Foot

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We consider a simple generic dissipative dark matter model: a hidden sector featuring two dark matter particles charged under an unbroken U(1′ interaction. Previous work has shown that such a model has the potential to explain dark matter phenomena on both large and small scales. In this framework, the dark matter halo in spiral galaxies features nontrivial dynamics, with the halo energy loss due to dissipative interactions balanced by a heat source. Ordinary supernovae can potentially supply this heat provided kinetic mixing interaction exists with strength ϵ∼10−9. This type of kinetically mixed dark matter can be probed in direct detection experiments. Importantly, this self-interacting dark matter can be captured within the Earth and shield a dark matter detector from the halo wind, giving rise to a diurnal modulation effect. We estimate the size of this effect for detectors located in the Southern hemisphere, and find that the modulation is large (≳10% for a wide range of parameters.

Probing velocity dependent self-interacting dark matter with neutrino telescopes

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Denis S.; Albuquerque, Ivone F. M.

2018-02-01

Self-interacting dark matter models constitute an attractive solution to problems in structure formation on small scales. A simple realization of these models considers the dark force mediated by a light particle which can couple to the Standard Model through mixings with the photon or the Z boson. Within this scenario we investigate the sensitivity of the IceCube-DeepCore and PINGU neutrino telescopes to the associated muon neutrino flux produced by dark matter annihilations in the Sun. Despite the model's simplicity, several effects naturally appear: momentum suppressed capture by nuclei, velocity dependent dark matter self-capture, Sommerfeld enhanced annihilation, as well as the enhancement on the neutrino flux due to mediator late decays. Taking all these effects into account, we find that most of the model relevant parameter space can be tested by the three years of data already collected by the IceCube-DeepCore. We show that indirect detection through neutrinos can compete with the strong existing limits from direct detection experiments, specially in the case of isospin violation.

Colliding clusters and dark matter self-interactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kahlhoefer, Felix; Schmidt-Hoberg, Kai; Frandsen, Mads Toudal

2014-01-01

When a dark matter halo moves through a background of dark matter particles, self-interactions can lead to both deceleration and evaporation of the halo and thus shift its centroid relative to the collisionless stars and galaxies. We study the magnitude and time evolution of this shift for two...... classes of dark matter self-interactions, viz. frequent self-interactions with low momentum transfer (e.g. due to long-range interactions) and rare self-interactions with high momentum transfer (e.g. contact interactions), and find important differences between the two cases. We find that neither effect...... can be strong enough to completely separate the dark matter halo from the galaxies, if we impose conservative bounds on the self-interaction cross-section. The majority of both populations remain bound to the same gravitational potential and the peaks of their distributions are therefore always...

Advances in neutron capture therapy 2006. Proceedings of 12th international congress on neutron capture therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakagawa, Yoshinobu; Kobayashi, Tooru; Fukuda, Hiroshi

2006-01-01

The Twelfth International Congress on Neutron Capture Therapy (ICNCT-12) is being held from October 9th to 13th, 2006 at the Kagawa International Congress Hall in Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan. The main theme of the congress is From the past to the Future'. Five symposiums were organized to accommodate all the contributions from the international scientific committees of the International Society for Neutron Capture Therapy (ISNCT), and two symposiums were added to balance the number of fields of specialties. The seven symposiums for ICNCT-12 are as follows: 1) Clinical Results of BNCT for Brain Tumors, 2) Dosimetry, 3) Treatment Planning system, 4) Drug Delivery System, 5) Biomedical and General Matters, 6) BNCT Systems using Accelerators, 7) New Applications and Protocols for BNCT. There are a total of 195 presentations in this congress: 3 special lectures, 34 symposium presentations, 10 presentations in two special sessions from the recipients of the Ralph G. Fairchild Award, 70 presentations in the oral parallel sessions and 78 presentations in the poster sessions. A compilation of 169 papers are published in this proceedings. The 165 of the presented papers are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

Dark Matter remains obscure

CERN Multimedia

Fabio Capello

2011-01-01

It is one of the hidden secrets that literally surround the Universe. Experiments have shown no result so far because trying to capture particles that do not seem to interact with ordinary matter is no trivial exercise. The OSQAR experiment at CERN is dedicated to the search for axions, one of the candidates for Dark Matter. For its difficult challenge, OSQAR counts on one of the world’s most powerful magnets borrowed from the LHC. In a recent publication, the OSQAR collaboration was able to confirm that no axion signal appears out of the background. In other words: the quest is still on.   The OSQAR experiment installed in the SM18 hall. (Photo by F. Capello) The OSQAR “Light Shining Through a Wall” experiment was officially launched in 2007 with the aim of detecting axions, that is, particles that might be the main components of Dark Matter. OSQAR uses the powerful LHC dipole magnet to intensify the predicted photon-axion conversions in the presence of strong m...

Muon Flux Limits for Majorana Dark Matter Particles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Belotsky, Konstantin; Khlopov, Maxim; Kouvaris, Christoforos

2009-01-01

We analyze the effects of capture of dark matter (DM) particles, with successive annihilations, predicted in the minimal walking technicolor model (MWT) by the Sun and the Earth. We show that the Super-Kamiokande (SK) upper limit on excessive muon flux disfavors the mass interval between 100-200 Ge...

Hydrodynamic capture of microswimmers into sphere-bound orbits.

Science.gov (United States)

Takagi, Daisuke; Palacci, Jérémie; Braunschweig, Adam B; Shelley, Michael J; Zhang, Jun

2014-03-21

Self-propelled particles can exhibit surprising non-equilibrium behaviors, and how they interact with obstacles or boundaries remains an important open problem. Here we show that chemically propelled micro-rods can be captured, with little change in their speed, into close orbits around solid spheres resting on or near a horizontal plane. We show that this interaction between sphere and particle is short-range, occurring even for spheres smaller than the particle length, and for a variety of sphere materials. We consider a simple model, based on lubrication theory, of a force- and torque-free swimmer driven by a surface slip (the phoretic propulsion mechanism) and moving near a solid surface. The model demonstrates capture, or movement towards the surface, and yields speeds independent of distance. This study reveals the crucial aspects of activity–driven interactions of self-propelled particles with passive objects, and brings into question the use of colloidal tracers as probes of active matter.

Accretion of dark matter by stars.

Science.gov (United States)

Brito, Richard; Cardoso, Vitor; Okawa, Hirotada

2015-09-11

Searches for dark matter imprints are one of the most active areas of current research. We focus here on light fields with mass m_{B}, such as axions and axionlike candidates. Using perturbative techniques and full-blown nonlinear numerical relativity methods, we show the following. (i) Dark matter can pile up in the center of stars, leading to configurations and geometries oscillating with a frequency that is a multiple of f=2.5×10^{14}(m_{B}c^{2}/eV)  Hz. These configurations are stable throughout most of the parameter space, and arise out of credible mechanisms for dark-matter capture. Stars with bosonic cores may also develop in other theories with effective mass couplings, such as (massless) scalar-tensor theories. We also show that (ii) collapse of the host star to a black hole is avoided by efficient gravitational cooling mechanisms.

Search for two-neutrino double electron capture on 124Xe with the XMASS-I detector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Abe

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Double electron capture is a rare nuclear decay process in which two orbital electrons are captured simultaneously in the same nucleus. Measurement of its two-neutrino mode would provide a new reference for the calculation of nuclear matrix elements whereas observation of its neutrinoless mode would demonstrate lepton number violation. A search for two-neutrino double electron capture on 124Xe is performed using 165.9 days of data collected with the XMASS-I liquid xenon detector. No significant excess above background was observed and we set a lower limit on the half-life as 4.7×1021 years at 90% confidence level. The obtained limit has ruled out parts of some theoretical expectations. We obtain a lower limit on the 126Xe two-neutrino double electron capture half-life of 4.3×1021 years at 90% confidence level as well.

A magnetic filter with permanent magnets on the basis of rare earths

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Žežulka, Václav; Straka, Pavel; Mucha, Pavel

2004-01-01

Roč. 268, - (2004), s. 219-226 ISSN 0304-8853 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IBS3046004 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z3046908 Keywords : magnetic filtration * rare earth magnets * high gradient magnetic Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.031, year: 2004

Rare earth elements and oxides in liquid phase epitaxy

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Procházková, Olga; Grym, Jan; Zavadil, Jiří; Kopecká, M.

2006-01-01

Roč. 100, č. 8 (2006), s. 640-- ISSN 0009-2770. [Sjezd chemických společností /58./. Ústí nad Labem, 04.09.2006-08.09.2006] R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA102/06/0153 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20670512 Keywords : semiconductor technology * rare earth metals Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 0.431, year: 2006

African Dust Transport Captured by Rare Earth Elemental Concentrations in Coral Microatolls

Science.gov (United States)

Ouellette, G., Jr.; DeLong, K.; Herrmann, A.; Huang, C. Y.; Shen, C. C.

2017-12-01

Winds are integral components of the climate system; unfortunately, windsare also among the climate variables that are most difficult to study prior to the instrumentalrecord. Paleoclimatologists use sedimentary dust records (e.g., lake and ocean cores) tounderstand past wind circulation conditions; however, these types of records typically are notamenable to sub-annual interpretation due to their limited temporal resolution. Here wedeveloped a coral-based dust-wind proxy to overcome these temporal limitations by usingtrace (nmol/mol) rare earth elemental concentrations recorded in the skeletons of coralmicroatolls. The rare earth elements (REE; the lanthanides as well as scandium and yttrium)behave similarly in geologic and geochemical systems, and have served as useful proxies ofgeological processes in both deep and shallow time. Corals incorporate REE as they deposittheir exoskeletons that extend incrementally with time forming annual density band couplets.Coral microatolls grow at or near the sea surface, where coral REE concentrations are mostsensitive to dust deposition. Our study site off the west coast of Haiti is down stream of light-REE depleted bedrock whereas REE in African dust, transported by the easterly trade winds,reflect average crustal abundances. This unique "upstream" source signature allows forterrestrial contamination of the dust-wind signal to be ruled out. Light REE concentrations (esp.Nd and Pr) demonstrate an order of magnitude increase within coral aragonite coincident withmajor African dust plume events throughout the past decade, with Nd/Ca and Pr/Ca increasingfrom an average of 27 nmol/mol to an average 144 nmol/mol and an average of 5 nmol/mol toan average of 37 nmol/mol, respectively, during major African dust plume events. Monthly-resolved REE analysis shows these REE peaks coincide with the summer dust season rather thanHaiti's two wet seasons in spring and autumn. Regression of our coral REE dust proxy tosatellite records of

David and Goliath: potent venom of an ant-eating spider (Araneae) enables capture of a giant prey

Science.gov (United States)

Pekár, Stano; Šedo, Onřej; Líznarová, Eva; Korenko, Stanislav; Zdráhal, Zdeněk

2014-07-01

It is rare to find a true predator that repeatedly and routinely kills prey larger than itself. A solitary specialised ant-eating spider of the genus Zodarion can capture a relatively giant prey. We studied the trophic niche of this spider species and investigated its adaptations (behavioural and venomic) that are used to capture ants. We found that the spider captures mainly polymorphic Messor arenarius ants. Adult female spiders captured large morphs while tiny juveniles captured smaller morphs, yet in both cases ants were giant in comparison with spider size. All specimens used an effective prey capture strategy that protected them from ant retaliation. Juvenile and adult spiders were able to paralyse their prey using a single bite. The venom glands of adults were more than 50 times larger than those of juvenile spiders, but the paralysis latency of juveniles was 1.5 times longer. This suggests that this spider species possesses very potent venom already at the juvenile stage. Comparison of the venom composition between juvenile and adult spiders did not reveal significant differences. We discovered here that specialised capture combined with very effective venom enables the capture of giant prey.

Searching for dark matter with neutrino telescopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hooper, Dan; Silk, Joseph

2004-01-01

One of the most interesting mysteries of astrophysics is the puzzle of dark matter. Although numerous techniques have been explored and developed to detect this elusive substance, its nature remains unknown. One such method uses large high-energy neutrino telescopes to look for the annihilation products of dark matter annihilations. In this paper, we briefly review this technique. We describe the calculations used to find the rate of capture of WIMPs in the Sun or Earth and the spectrum of neutrinos produced in the resulting dark matter annihilations. We will discuss these calculations within the context of supersymmetry and models with universal extra dimensions, the lightest supersymmetric particle and lightest Kaluza-Klein particle providing the WIMP candidate in these cases, respectively. We will also discuss the status of some of the experiments relevant to these searches: AMANDA, IceCube and ANTARES

A rare case of short stature: Say Meyer syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Karthik, T S; Prasad, N Rajendra; Rani, P Radha; Maheshwari, Rushikesh; Reddy, P Amaresh; Chakradhar, B V S; Menon, Bindu

2013-10-01

Say Meyer syndrome is rare X linked condition characterized by developmental delay, short stature and metopic suture synostosis. We are reporting a case of Say Meyer syndrome presented to our hospital for short stature and developmental delay at age 3½ years. A 3½-year-old boy presented to our hospital for decreased growth velocity from the age of 1 year. History revealed the boy had a birth weight of 2.3 kg, had an episode of seizures in the neonatal period. He was born to non-consanguineous marriage. He had global developmental delay and there was a lack of bowel and bladder control. History did not reveal any hearing or visual impairment. No history of any chronic systemic illnesses. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain revealed mild diffuse frontotemporal atrophy with multiple irregular gliotic areas in bilateral frontal lobes. Diffuse white matter volume loss in bilateral cerebral hemispheres. Diffuse thinning of corpus callosum. Diffuse periventricular hyper intensity on T2W and fluid attenuated inversion recovery sequences. Say Meyer syndrome is rare X linked condition characterized by developmental delay, short stature and metopic suture synostosis. Characteristic MRI brain findings include diffuse frontotemporal atrophy with multiple gliotic areas in frontal lobes. Diffuse white matter volume loss in bilateral cerebral hemispheres.

Colliding clusters and dark matter self-interactions

CERN Document Server

Kahlhoefer, Felix; Frandsen, Mads T; Sarkar, Subir

2014-01-01

When a dark matter halo moves through a background of dark matter particles, self-interactions can lead to both deceleration and evaporation of the halo and thus shift its centroid relative to the collisionless stars and galaxies. We study the magnitude and time evolution of this shift for two classes of dark matter self-interactions, viz. frequent self-interactions with small momentum transfer (e.g. due to long-range interactions) and rare self-interactions with large momentum transfer (e.g. contact interactions), and find important differences between the two cases. We find that neither effect can be strong enough to completely separate the dark matter halo from the galaxies, if we impose conservative bounds on the self-interaction cross-section. The majority of both populations remain bound to the same gravitational potential and the peaks of their distributions are therefore always coincident. Consequently any apparent separation is mainly due to particles which are leaving the gravitational potential, so...

Study of rare earth elements as material for control rods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-03-01

The properties of rare earth elements as the material for control rods were studied. The rare earth elements, especially europium oxide, has the nuclear property corresponding to boron carbide, and its neutron absorption process does not emit alpha particles. The elements produced as a result of neutron capture also have large capture cross sections. This paper presents survey report on the properties and nuclear properties of rare earth elements, and comparison with other materials. Preliminary experiment was performed to make the pellets of europium oxide, and is described in this paper. Because of large density, the crystal form to be made was monoclinic system. Europium hydroxide was decomposed at 1000 0 C and 10 -5 torr. The obtained powder was dipped into benzene, and dryed in the air at 450 0 C. This powder was pressed and sintered in the air for one hour at 1500 0 C. The density of the obtained pellets was 97.0% of the theoretical density. The cross section of europium for fast neutron absorption is not yet accurately obtained, and is in the range between 4.65 and 8.5 barn for 151 Eu(n,γ) reaction. Since chain absorption reaction is caused in Eu, the overall capability of neutron absorption is not much changed by the loss of original material due to absorption. The pellets of europium oxide may be handled in air, but must be kept in dry atmosphere. The reactions of europium oxide with various metals were also investigated. The characteristic behavior in case of irradiation depends on the amount of silicon contained, and it was very good if the amount was less than 0.03%. (Kato, T.)

Rare symbionts may contribute to the resilience of coral–algal assemblages

KAUST Repository

Ziegler, Maren

2017-12-01

The association between corals and photosynthetic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp.) is the key to the success of reef ecosystems in highly oligotrophic environments, but it is also their Achilles‘ heel due to its vulnerability to local stressors and the effects of climate change. Research during the last two decades has shaped a view that coral host–Symbiodinium pairings are diverse, but largely exclusive. Deep sequencing has now revealed the existence of a rare diversity of cryptic Symbiodinium assemblages within the coral holobiont, in addition to one or a few abundant algal members. While the contribution of the most abundant resident Symbiodinium species to coral physiology is widely recognized, the significance of the rare and low abundant background Symbiodinium remains a matter of debate. In this study, we assessed how coral–Symbiodinium communities assemble and how rare and abundant components together constitute the Symbiodinium community by analyzing 892 coral samples comprising >110 000 unique Symbiodinium ITS2 marker gene sequences. Using network modeling, we show that host–Symbiodinium communities assemble in non-random ‘clusters‘ of abundant and rare symbionts. Symbiodinium community structure follows the same principles as bacterial communities, for which the functional significance of rare members (the ‘rare bacterial biosphere’) has long been recognized. Importantly, the inclusion of rare Symbiodinium taxa in robustness analyses revealed a significant contribution to the stability of the host–symbiont community overall. As such, it highlights the potential functions rare symbionts may provide to environmental resilience of the coral holobiont.

Determination of trace amounts of rare earth elements in various environmental samples by spark source mass spectrography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugimae, Akiyoshi

1978-01-01

A chemical concentration-mass spectrographic procedure was described for the determination of trace amounts of rare earth elements in various environmental samples: airborne particulate matter, dustfall, soil and so forth. A 0.5 to 1 gram of sample material was decomposed by fusion with sodium carbonate. The silica dehydrated in the usual way was filtered off and the filtrate from the silica was then treated with ammonium hydroxide to precipitate the rare earth elements. After ignition of the precipitate, two ml of internal standard solution containing 20 μg/ml of silver were added and the mixture was then evaporated to dryness. The residue was mixed with an equal amount of graphite powder and then pressed into electrodes. Relative sensitivity coefficients (Ag=1.0) were determined by using Spex Mix and U. S. Geological Survey rock standard G-2. U. S. Geological Survey rock standard GSP-1 and N.B.S. coal fly ash SRM 1633 were analysed to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed method. Comparison of the mass spectral values with literature ones indicated a good agreement. The coefficient of variation obtained by replicate analysis of SRM 1633 was better than 25%. The proposed method was applied to the determination of rare earth elements in airborne particulate matter and dustfall collected on polystyrene filter and in dustjars, respectively. Results for the rare earth elements in the blank of glass fiber filter which was widely used for the collection of airborne particulate matter were also presented. (auth.)

Constraints on self interacting dark matter from IceCube results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albuquerque, Ivone F.M.; Robertson, Denis S.; Heros, Carlos Pérez de los

2014-01-01

If dark matter particles self-interact, their capture by astrophysical objects should be enhanced. As a consequence, the rate by which they annihilate at the center of the object will increase. If their self scattering is strong, it can be observed indirectly through an enhancement of the flux of their annihilation products. Here we investigate the effect of self-interaction on the neutrino flux produced by annihilating dark matter in the center of the Sun. We consider annihilation into two channels: W + W − (or τ + τ − for a dark matter mass below the W mass) and b b-bar . We estimate the event rate in the IceCube detector, using its 79-string configuration, and compare our prediction to their experimental results, hence probing dark matter self interacting models

Rare B Meson Decays With Omega Mesons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Lei; /Colorado U.

2006-04-24

Rare charmless hadronic B decays are particularly interesting because of their importance in understanding the CP violation, which is essential to explain the matter-antimatter asymmetry in our universe, and of their roles in testing the ''effective'' theory of B physics. The study has been done with the BABAR experiment, which is mainly designed for the study of CP violation in the decays of neutral B mesons, and secondarily for rare processes that become accessible with the high luminosity of the PEP-II B Factory. In a sample of 89 million produced B{bar B} pairs on the BABAR experiment, we observed the decays B{sup 0} {yields} {omega}K{sup 0} and B{sup +} {yields} {omega}{rho}{sup +} for the first time, made more precise measurements for B{sup +} {yields} {omega}h{sup +} and reported tighter upper limits for B {yields} {omega}K* and B{sup 0} {yields} {omega}{rho}{sup 0}.

Shedding light on baryonic dark matter

Science.gov (United States)

Silk, Joseph

1991-01-01

Halo dark matter, if it is baryonic, may plausibly consist of compact stellar remnants. Jeans mass clouds containing 10 to the 6th to 10 to the 8th solar masses could have efficiently formed stars in the early universe and could plausibly have generated, for a suitably top-heavy stellar initial mass function, a high abundance of neutron stars as well as a small admixture of long-lived low mass stars. Within the resulting clusters of dark remnants, which eventually are tidally disrupted when halos eventually form, captures of neutron stars by nondegenerate stars resulted in formation of close binaries. These evolve to produce, by the present epoch, an observable X-ray signal associated with dark matter aggregations in galaxy cluster cores.

Low-Mass Dark Matter Search Results and Radiogenic Backgrounds for the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pepin, Mark David [Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)

2016-12-01

An ever-increasing amount of evidence suggests that approximately one quarter of the energy in the universe is composed of some non-luminous, and hitherto unknown, “dark matter”. Physicists from numerous sub-fields have been working on and trying to solve the dark matter problem for decades. The common solution is the existence of some new type of elementary particle with particular focus on weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). One avenue of dark matter research is to create an extremely sensitive particle detector with the goal of directly observing the interaction of WIMPs with standard matter. The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) project operated at the Soudan Underground Laboratory from 2003–2015, under the CDMS II and SuperCDMS Soudan experiments, with this goal of directly detecting dark matter. The next installation, SuperCDMS SNOLAB, is planned for near-future operation. The reason the dark-matter particle has not yet been observed in traditional particle physics experiments is that it must have very small cross sections, thus making such interactions extremely rare. In order to identify these rare events in the presence of a background of known particles and interactions, direct detection experiments employ various types and amounts of shielding to prevent known backgrounds from reaching the instrumented detector(s). CDMS utilized various gamma and neutron shielding to such an effect that the shielding, and other experimental components, themselves were sources of background. These radiogenic backgrounds must be understood to have confidence in any WIMP-search result. For this dissertation, radiogenic background studies and estimates were performed for various analyses covering CDMS II, SuperCDMS Soudan, and SuperCDMS SNOLAB. Lower-mass dark matter t c2 inent in the past few years. The CDMS detectors can be operated in an alternative, higher-biased, mode v to decrease their energy thresholds and correspondingly increase their sensitivity

Towards a Holistic Cortical Thickness Descriptor: Heat Kernel-Based Grey Matter Morphology Signatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Gang; Wang, Yalin

2017-02-15

In this paper, we propose a heat kernel based regional shape descriptor that may be capable of better exploiting volumetric morphological information than other available methods, thereby improving statistical power on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis. The mechanism of our analysis is driven by the graph spectrum and the heat kernel theory, to capture the volumetric geometry information in the constructed tetrahedral meshes. In order to capture profound brain grey matter shape changes, we first use the volumetric Laplace-Beltrami operator to determine the point pair correspondence between white-grey matter and CSF-grey matter boundary surfaces by computing the streamlines in a tetrahedral mesh. Secondly, we propose multi-scale grey matter morphology signatures to describe the transition probability by random walk between the point pairs, which reflects the inherent geometric characteristics. Thirdly, a point distribution model is applied to reduce the dimensionality of the grey matter morphology signatures and generate the internal structure features. With the sparse linear discriminant analysis, we select a concise morphology feature set with improved classification accuracies. In our experiments, the proposed work outperformed the cortical thickness features computed by FreeSurfer software in the classification of Alzheimer's disease and its prodromal stage, i.e., mild cognitive impairment, on publicly available data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. The multi-scale and physics based volumetric structure feature may bring stronger statistical power than some traditional methods for MRI-based grey matter morphology analysis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Crystal field parameters with Wannier functions: application to rare-earth aluminates

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Novák, Pavel; Knížek, Karel; Kuneš, Jan

2013-01-01

Roč. 87, č. 20 (2013), "205139-1"-"205139-7" ISSN 1098-0121 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP204/11/0713 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : crystal-field * rare earths * Wannier functions Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 3.664, year: 2013 http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevB.87.205139

A patient with a rare leukodystrophy related to lamin B1 duplication.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Molloy, A

2012-06-01

The hereditary leukodystrophies are rare disorders caused by molecular abnormalities leading to destruction of or failure of development of central white matter. For almost 30 years there has been increasing recognition of later onset Autosomal Dominant Leukodystrophy (ADLD). We report the first genetically confirmed case of lamin B1 duplication causing ADLD from Ireland.

Secondary scintillation yield of xenon with sub-percent levels of CO2 additive for rare-event detection

Science.gov (United States)

Henriques, C. A. O.; Freitas, E. D. C.; Azevedo, C. D. R.; González-Díaz, D.; Mano, R. D. P.; Jorge, M. R.; Fernandes, L. M. P.; Monteiro, C. M. B.; Gómez-Cadenas, J. J.; Álvarez, V.; Benlloch-Rodríguez, J. M.; Borges, F. I. G. M.; Botas, A.; Cárcel, S.; Carríon, J. V.; Cebrían, S.; Conde, C. A. N.; Díaz, J.; Diesburg, M.; Esteve, R.; Felkai, R.; Ferrario, P.; Ferreira, A. L.; Goldschmidt, A.; Gutiérrez, R. M.; Hauptman, J.; Hernandez, A. I.; Hernando Morata, J. A.; Herrero, V.; Jones, B. J. P.; Labarga, L.; Laing, A.; Lebrun, P.; Liubarsky, I.; López-March, N.; Losada, M.; Martín-Albo, J.; Martínez-Lema, G.; Martínez, A.; McDonald, A. D.; Monrabal, F.; Mora, F. J.; Moutinho, L. M.; Muñoz Vidal, J.; Musti, M.; Nebot-Guinot, M.; Novella, P.; Nygren, D. R.; Palmeiro, B.; Para, A.; Pérez, J.; Querol, M.; Renner, J.; Ripoll, L.; Rodríguez, J.; Rogers, L.; Santos, F. P.; dos Santos, J. M. F.; Simón, A.; Sofka, C.; Sorel, M.; Stiegler, T.; Toledo, J. F.; Torrent, J.; Tsamalaidze, Z.; Veloso, J. F. C. A.; Webb, R.; White, J. T.; Yahlali, N.; NEXT Collaboration

2017-10-01

Xe-CO2 mixtures are important alternatives to pure xenon in Time Projection Chambers (TPC) based on secondary scintillation (electroluminescence) signal amplification with applications in the important field of rare event detection such as directional dark matter, double electron capture and double beta decay detection. The addition of CO2 to pure xenon at the level of 0.05-0.1% can reduce significantly the scale of electron diffusion from 10 mm /√{m} to 2.5 mm /√{m}, with high impact on the discrimination efficiency of the events through pattern recognition of the topology of primary ionization trails. We have measured the electroluminescence (EL) yield of Xe-CO2 mixtures, with sub-percent CO2 concentrations. We demonstrate that the EL production is still high in these mixtures, 70% and 35% relative to that produced in pure xenon, for CO2 concentrations around 0.05% and 0.1%, respectively. The contribution of the statistical fluctuations in EL production to the energy resolution increases with increasing CO2 concentration, being smaller than the contribution of the Fano factor for concentrations below 0.1% CO2.

CO2 leakage from carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) systems affects organic matter cycling in surface marine sediments.

Science.gov (United States)

Rastelli, Eugenio; Corinaldesi, Cinzia; Dell'Anno, Antonio; Amaro, Teresa; Greco, Silvestro; Lo Martire, Marco; Carugati, Laura; Queirós, Ana M; Widdicombe, Stephen; Danovaro, Roberto

2016-12-01

Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS), involving the injection of CO 2 into the sub-seabed, is being promoted worldwide as a feasible option for reducing the anthropogenic CO 2 emissions into the atmosphere. However, the effects on the marine ecosystems of potential CO 2 leakages originating from these storage sites have only recently received scientific attention, and little information is available on the possible impacts of the resulting CO 2 -enriched seawater plumes on the surrounding benthic ecosystem. In the present study, we conducted a 20-weeks mesocosm experiment exposing coastal sediments to CO 2 -enriched seawater (at 5000 or 20,000 ppm), to test the effects on the microbial enzymatic activities responsible for the decomposition and turnover of the sedimentary organic matter in surface sediments down to 15 cm depth. Our results indicate that the exposure to high-CO 2 concentrations reduced significantly the enzymatic activities in the top 5 cm of sediments, but had no effects on subsurface sediment horizons (from 5 to 15 cm depth). In the surface sediments, both 5000 and 20,000 ppm CO 2 treatments determined a progressive decrease over time in the protein degradation (up to 80%). Conversely, the degradation rates of carbohydrates and organic phosphorous remained unaltered in the first 2 weeks, but decreased significantly (up to 50%) in the longer term when exposed at 20,000 ppm of CO 2 . Such effects were associated with a significant change in the composition of the biopolymeric carbon (due to the accumulation of proteins over time in sediments exposed to high-pCO 2 treatments), and a significant decrease (∼20-50% at 5000 and 20,000 ppm respectively) in nitrogen regeneration. We conclude that in areas immediately surrounding an active and long-lasting leak of CO 2 from CCS reservoirs, organic matter cycling would be significantly impacted in the surface sediment layers. The evidence of negligible impacts on the deeper sediments should be

Ceftriaxone-associated pancreatitis captured on serial computed tomography scans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nozomu Nakagawa, MD

2018-02-01

Full Text Available A 74-year-old man was treated with ceftriaxone for 5 days and subsequently experienced epigastric pain. Computed tomography (CT was performed 7 and 3 days before epigastralgia. Although the first CT image revealed no radiographic signs in his biliary system, the second CT image revealed dense radiopaque material in the gallbladder lumen. The third CT image, taken at symptom onset, showed high density in the common bile duct and enlargement of the pancreatic head. This is a very rare case of pseudolithiasis involving the common bile duct, as captured on a series of CT images.

Ceftriaxone-associated pancreatitis captured on serial computed tomography scans.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakagawa, Nozomu; Ochi, Nobuaki; Yamane, Hiromichi; Honda, Yoshihiro; Nagasaki, Yasunari; Urata, Noriyo; Nakanishi, Hidekazu; Kawamoto, Hirofumi; Takigawa, Nagio

2018-02-01

A 74-year-old man was treated with ceftriaxone for 5 days and subsequently experienced epigastric pain. Computed tomography (CT) was performed 7 and 3 days before epigastralgia. Although the first CT image revealed no radiographic signs in his biliary system, the second CT image revealed dense radiopaque material in the gallbladder lumen. The third CT image, taken at symptom onset, showed high density in the common bile duct and enlargement of the pancreatic head. This is a very rare case of pseudolithiasis involving the common bile duct, as captured on a series of CT images.

Rare cancers are not so rare: The rare cancer burden in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gatta, Gemma; van der Zwan, Jan Maarten; Casali, Paolo G.; Siesling, Sabine; Dei Tos, Angelo Paolo; Kunkler, Ian; Otter, Renee; Licitra, Lisa

2011-01-01

Purpose: Epidemiologic information on rare cancers is scarce. The project Surveillance of Rare Cancers in Europe (RARECARE) provides estimates of the incidence, prevalence and survival of rare cancers in Europe based on a new and comprehensive list of these diseases. Materials and methods: RARECARE

Essential thrombocythemia: a rare disease in childhood

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Maimone Beatrice

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Essential thrombocythemia is an acquired myeloproliferative disorder characterized by the proliferation of megakaryocytes in bone marrow, leading to a persistent increase in the number of circulating platelets and thus increasing the risk for thrombotic and hemorrhagic events. The disease features leukocytosis, splenomegaly, vascular occlusive events, hemorrhages and vasomotor disorders. The intricate mechanisms underlying the molecular pathogenesis of this disorder are not completely understood and are still a matter of discussion. Essential thrombocythemia is an extremely rare disorder during childhood. We report on a case of essential thrombocythemia in a child and discuss the diagnostic approach and treatment strategy.

Three-Dimensional Inverse Opal Photonic Crystal Substrates toward Efficient Capture of Circulating Tumor Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Hongwei; Dong, Biao; Xiao, Qiaoqin; Sun, Xueke; Zhang, Xinran; Lyu, Jiekai; Yang, Yudan; Xu, Lin; Bai, Xue; Zhang, Shuang; Song, Hongwei

2017-09-13

Artificial fractal structures have attracted considerable scientific interest in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) detection and capture, which plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer. Herein, we designed a bionic TiO 2 inverse opal photonic crystal (IOPC) structure for highly efficient immunocapture of CTCs by combination of a magnetic Fe 3 O 4 @C6@silane nanoparticles with anti-EpCAM (antiepithelial cell adhesion molecule) and microchannel structure. Porous structure and dimension of IOPC TiO 2 can be precisely controlled for mimicking cellular components, and anti-EpCAM antibody was further modified on IOPC interface by conjugating with polydopamine (PDA). The improvement of CTCs capture efficiency reaches a surprising factor of 20 for the IOPC interface compared to that on flat glass, suggesting that the IOPCs are responsible for the dramatic enhancement of the capture efficiency of MCF-7 cells. IOPC substrate with pore size of 415 nm leads to the optimal CTCs capture efficiency of 92% with 1 mL/h. Besides the cell affinity, IOPCs also have the advantage of light scattering property which can enhance the excitation and emission light of fluorescence labels, facilitating the real-time monitoring of CTCs capture. The IOPC-based platform demonstrates excellent performance in CTCs capture, which will take an important step toward specific recognition of disease-related rare cells.

A new “culprit” for matter-antimatter asymmetry

CERN Multimedia

Antonella Del Rosso

2013-01-01

In our matter-dominated Universe, the observation of new processes showing matter-antimatter asymmetry allows scientists to test their theories and, possibly, to explore new territories. The LHCb collaboration has recently observed matter-antimatter asymmetries in the decays of the B0s meson, which thus becomes the fourth particle known to present such behaviour.   The VELO detector: a crucial element for particle identifiation in LHCb. Almost all physics processes known to scientists show perfect symmetry if a particle is interchanged with its antiparticle (C symmetry), and then if left and right are swapped (P symmetry). So it becomes very hard to explain why the Universe itself does not conform to this symmetry and, instead, shows a huge preference for matter. Processes that violate this symmetry are rare and of great interest to scientists. Violation of the CP symmetry in neutral kaons was first observed by Nobel Prize Laureates James Cronin and Val Fitch in the 1960s. About 40 years la...

Diurnal modulation due to self-interacting mirror and hidden sector dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foot, R.

2012-01-01

Mirror and more generic hidden sector dark matter models can simultaneously explain the DAMA, CoGeNT and CRESST-II dark matter signals consistently with the null results of the other experiments. This type of dark matter can be captured by the Earth and shield detectors because it is self-interacting. This effect will lead to a diurnal modulation in dark matter detectors. We estimate the size of this effect for dark matter detectors in various locations. For a detector located in the northern hemisphere, this effect is expected to peak in April and can be detected for optimistic parameter choices. The diurnal variation is expected to be much larger for detectors located in the southern hemisphere. In particular, if the CoGeNT detector were moved to e.g. Sierra Grande, Argentina then a 5σ dark matter discovery would be possible in around 30 days of operation

A rare case of short stature: Say Meyer syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T S Karthik

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Say Meyer syndrome is rare X linked condition characterized by developmental delay, short stature and metopic suture synostosis. We are reporting a case of Say Meyer syndrome presented to our hospital for short stature and developmental delay at age 3½ years. Case Report: A 3½-year-old boy presented to our hospital for decreased growth velocity from the age of 1 year. History revealed the boy had a birth weight of 2.3 kg, had an episode of seizures in the neonatal period. He was born to non-consanguineous marriage. He had global developmental delay and there was a lack of bowel and bladder control. History did not reveal any hearing or visual impairment. No history of any chronic systemic illnesses. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI brain revealed mild diffuse frontotemporal atrophy with multiple irregular gliotic areas in bilateral frontal lobes. Diffuse white matter volume loss in bilateral cerebral hemispheres. Diffuse thinning of corpus callosum. Diffuse periventricular hyper intensity on T2W and fluid attenuated inversion recovery sequences. Conclusion: Say Meyer syndrome is rare X linked condition characterized by developmental delay, short stature and metopic suture synostosis. Characteristic MRI brain findings include diffuse frontotemporal atrophy with multiple gliotic areas in frontal lobes. Diffuse white matter volume loss in bilateral cerebral hemispheres.

Soil sorption of two nitramines derived from amine-based CO2 capture.

Science.gov (United States)

Gundersen, Cathrine Brecke; Breedveld, Gijs D; Foseid, Lena; Vogt, Rolf D

2017-06-21

Nitramines are potentially carcinogens that form from the amines used in post-combustion CO 2 capture (PCCC). The soil sorption characteristics of monoethanol (MEA)- and dimethyl (DMA)-nitramines have been assessed using a batch experimental setup, and defined indirectly by measuring loss of nitramine (LC-MS/MS) from the aqueous phase (0.01 M CaCl 2 and 0.1% NaN 3 ) after equilibrium had been established with the soil (24 h). Nitramine soil sorption was found to be strongly dependent on the content of organic matter in the soil (r 2 = 0.72 and 0.95, p Soil sorption of MEA-nitramine was further influenced by the quality of the organic matter (Abs 254 nm , r 2 = 0.93, p soil organic matter. Estimated organic carbon normalized soil-water distribution coefficients (K OC ) are relatively low, and within the same range as for simple amines. Nevertheless, considering the high content of organic matter commonly found in the top layer of a forest soil, this is where most of the nitramines will be retained. Presented data can be used to estimate final concentrations of nitramines in the environment following emissions from amine-based PCCC plants.

Sampling rare fluctuations of discrete-time Markov chains

Science.gov (United States)

Whitelam, Stephen

2018-03-01

We describe a simple method that can be used to sample the rare fluctuations of discrete-time Markov chains. We focus on the case of Markov chains with well-defined steady-state measures, and derive expressions for the large-deviation rate functions (and upper bounds on such functions) for dynamical quantities extensive in the length of the Markov chain. We illustrate the method using a series of simple examples, and use it to study the fluctuations of a lattice-based model of active matter that can undergo motility-induced phase separation.

Boosted dark matter signals uplifted with self-interaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kong, Kyoungchul, E-mail: kckong@ku.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045 (United States); Mohlabeng, Gopolang, E-mail: mohlabeng319@gmail.com [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045 (United States); Park, Jong-Chul, E-mail: log1079@gmail.com [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045 (United States); Department of Physics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-04-09

We explore detection prospects of a non-standard dark sector in the context of boosted dark matter. We focus on a scenario with two dark matter particles of a large mass difference, where the heavier candidate is secluded and interacts with the standard model particles only at loops, escaping existing direct and indirect detection bounds. Yet its pair annihilation in the galactic center or in the Sun may produce boosted stable particles, which could be detected as visible Cherenkov light in large volume neutrino detectors. In such models with multiple candidates, self-interaction of dark matter particles is naturally utilized in the assisted freeze-out mechanism and is corroborated by various cosmological studies such as N-body simulations of structure formation, observations of dwarf galaxies, and the small scale problem. We show that self-interaction of the secluded (heavier) dark matter greatly enhances the capture rate in the Sun and results in promising signals at current and future experiments. We perform a detailed analysis of the boosted dark matter events for Super-Kamiokande, Hyper-Kamiokande and PINGU, including notable effects such as evaporation due to self-interaction and energy loss in the Sun.

Study of the experimental conditions of measurement of the μ capture ratio in liquid hydrogen by mean of the lifetime method. Application to a total capture in lithium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martino, Jacques.

1977-01-01

The method comparing μ+ and μ - lifetimes is shown to be a possible interesting method for measuring the capture rate of μ - in liquid hydrogen. The first part of the report is dealing with a study of the initial state of the μp system and a calculation of the capture rate, then with the μp system interaction with impurities, and the interest lying in a comparative study of neutron capture. The second part is dealing with the experimental unit: target, electron counters and neutron detectors. The total capture rates in two lithium isotopes were obtained by the method. The values obtained are 4678 +- 104 s -1 with 6 Li and 2260 +- 104s -1 for 7 Li. The interest of the method envisaged lies in the fact that it involves only time measurements on the nuon decay electrons and positrons. No precise knowledge of the neutron detector efficiency is required (an essential limitation to previous measurements). The 3% accuracy obtained for the capture rate is an important improvement. The initial condition investigation allowed the permissible impurity contaminations in liquid hydrogen to be determined, in the event of a measurement beginning 1.5 μs after the end of the beam pulse. Nitrogen and rare gases must not, overcome 8.10 -9 concentration (Pd filter). The deuterium concentration must be lower than 3.10 -6 (use of very pure hydrogen 'protium'). The system measured is the pμp molecule the event of an ortho-para transition of this molecule being badly known, a measurement of the time distribution of the capture neutrons makes the phenomenon clearer, without the neutron detector efficiency being accurately known [fr

Comparative study on antibody immobilization strategies for efficient circulating tumor cell capture.

Science.gov (United States)

Ates, Hatice Ceren; Ozgur, Ebru; Kulah, Haluk

2018-03-23

Methods for isolation and quantification of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are attracting more attention every day, as the data for their unprecedented clinical utility continue to grow. However, the challenge is that CTCs are extremely rare (as low as 1 in a billion of blood cells) and a highly sensitive and specific technology is required to isolate CTCs from blood cells. Methods utilizing microfluidic systems for immunoaffinity-based CTC capture are preferred, especially when purity is the prime requirement. However, antibody immobilization strategy significantly affects the efficiency of such systems. In this study, two covalent and two bioaffinity antibody immobilization methods were assessed with respect to their CTC capture efficiency and selectivity, using an anti-epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) as the capture antibody. Surface functionalization was realized on plain SiO 2 surfaces, as well as in microfluidic channels. Surfaces functionalized with different antibody immobilization methods are physically and chemically characterized at each step of functionalization. MCF-7 breast cancer and CCRF-CEM acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines were used as EpCAM positive and negative cell models, respectively, to assess CTC capture efficiency and selectivity. Comparisons reveal that bioaffinity based antibody immobilization involving streptavidin attachment with glutaraldehyde linker gave the highest cell capture efficiency. On the other hand, a covalent antibody immobilization method involving direct antibody binding by N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC)-N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) reaction was found to be more time and cost efficient with a similar cell capture efficiency. All methods provided very high selectivity for CTCs with EpCAM expression. It was also demonstrated that antibody immobilization via EDC-NHS reaction in a microfluidic channel leads to high capture efficiency and selectivity.

Strongly interacting light dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruggisser, Sebastian; Riva, Francesco; Urbano, Alfredo

2016-07-01

In the presence of approximate global symmetries that forbid relevant interactions, strongly coupled light Dark Matter (DM) can appear weakly coupled at small-energy and generate a sizable relic abundance. Fundamental principles like unitarity restrict these symmetries to a small class, where the leading interactions are captured by effective operators up to dimension-8. Chiral symmetry, spontaneously broken global symmetries and non-linearly realized supersymmetry are examples of this. Their DM candidates (composite fermions, pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone Bosons and Goldstini) are interesting targets for LHC missing-energy searches.

Schizencephaly and Psychosis: A Rare Association

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matias Carvalho Aguiar Melo

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Schizencephaly is a rare malformation of the central nervous system defined as a gray matter-lined cleft filled with cerebrospinal fluid that extends from the pial surface to the ventricle. Few cases of association with psychosis were reported in the scientific literature. We present a case of a 46-year-old woman, admitted into a psychiatric hospital with crises of psychomotor agitation, disorganized and erotized behavior, persecutory and self-reference delusions, and auditory and visual hallucinations. She also reported seizures since her childhood. A head CT scan revealed a large subarachnoid space communication with the adjacent lateral ventricle in the topography of occipital, temporal, and parietal lobes to the right, suggestive of schizencephaly.

Dark Matter Ignition of Type Ia Supernovae.

Science.gov (United States)

Bramante, Joseph

2015-10-02

Recent studies of low redshift type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) indicate that half explode from less than Chandrasekhar mass white dwarfs, implying ignition must proceed from something besides the canonical criticality of Chandrasekhar mass SN Ia progenitors. We show that 1-100 PeV mass asymmetric dark matter, with imminently detectable nucleon scattering interactions, can accumulate to the point of self-gravitation in a white dwarf and collapse, shedding gravitational potential energy by scattering off nuclei, thereby heating the white dwarf and igniting the flame front that precedes SN Ia. We combine data on SN Ia masses with data on the ages of SN Ia-adjacent stars. This combination reveals a 2.8σ inverse correlation between SN Ia masses and ignition ages, which could result from increased capture of dark matter in 1.4 vs 1.1 solar mass white dwarfs. Future studies of SN Ia in galactic centers will provide additional tests of dark-matter-induced type Ia ignition. Remarkably, both bosonic and fermionic SN Ia-igniting dark matter also resolve the missing pulsar problem by forming black holes in ≳10  Myr old pulsars at the center of the Milky Way.

μSR-studies of magnetic properties of metallic rare earth compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asch, L.; Kalvius, G.M.; Chappert, J.; Yaouanc, A.; Hartmann, O.; Karlsson, E.; Wappling, R.

1984-01-01

Positive muons can probe the magnitude and the time dependence of the magnetic field at interstitial sites in condensed matter. Thus the relatively new techniques of muons spin rotation and muon spin relaxation have become unique tools for studying magnetism. After a brief introduction into the experimental method we then discuss measurements on the elemental rare earth metals and on intermetallic compounds, in particular on the cubic Laves phases REAl 2

Neutrino-Flavoured Sneutrino Dark Matter

CERN Document Server

March-Russell, John; McCullough, Matthew

2010-01-01

A simple theory of supersymmetric dark matter (DM) naturally linked to neutrino flavour physics is studied. The DM sector comprises a spectrum of mixed lhd-rhd sneutrino states where both the sneutrino flavour structure and mass splittings are determined by the associated neutrino masses and mixings. Prospects for indirect detection from solar capture are good due to a large sneutrino-nucleon cross-section afforded by the inelastic splitting (solar capture limits exclude an explanation of DAMA/LIBRA). We find parameter regions where all heavier states will have decayed, leaving only one flavour mixture of sneutrino as the candidate DM. Such regions have a unique `smoking gun' signature--sneutrino annihilation in the Sun produces a pair of neutrino mass eigenstates free from vacuum oscillations, with the potential for detection at neutrino telescopes through the observation of a hard spectrum of nu_mu and nu_tau (for a normal neutrino hierarchy). Next generation direct detection experiments can explore much of...

Development of novel rare earth doped fluoride and oxide scintillators for two-dimensional imaging

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Yoshikawa, A.; Yanagida, T.; Yokota, Y.; Kamada, K.; Kawaguchi, N.; Fukuda, K.; Yamazaki, A.; Watanabe, K.; Uritani, A.; Iguchi, T.; Boulon, G.; Nikl, Martin

2011-01-01

Roč. 29, č. 12 (2011), s. 1178-1182 ISSN 1002-0721 Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) M100100910 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521 Keywords : scintillator * gamma-ray detection * neutron detection * fluoride * Ce * Eu * rare earth Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 0.901, year: 2011

Rare earth metals, rare earth hydrides, and rare earth oxides as thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gasgnier, M.

1980-01-01

The review deals with pure rare earth materials such as rare earth metals, rare earth hydrides, and rare earth oxides as thin films. Several preparation techniques, control methods, and nature of possible contaminations of thin films are described. These films can now be produced in an extremely well-known state concerning chemical composition, structure and texture. Structural, electric, magnetic, and optical properties of thin films are studied and discussed in comparison with the bulk state. The greatest contamination of metallic rare earth thin films is caused by reaction with hydrogen or with water vapour. The compound with an f.c.c. structure is the dihydride LnH 2 (Ln = lanthanides). The oxygen contamination takes place after annealing at higher temperatures. Then there appears a compound with a b.c.c. structure which is the C-type sesquioxide C-Ln 2 O 3 . At room atmosphere dihydride light rare earth thin films are converted to hydroxide Ln(OH) 3 . For heavy rare earth thin films the oxinitride LnNsub(x)Osub(y) is observed. The LnO-type compound was never seen. The present review tries to set the stage anew for the investigations to be undertaken in the future especially through the new generations of electron microscopes

Optional carbon capture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alderson, T.; Scott, S.; Griffiths, J. [Jacobs Engineering, London (United Kingdom)

2007-07-01

In the case of IGCC power plants, carbon capture can be carried out before combustion. The carbon monoxide in the syngas is catalytically shifted to carbon dioxide and then captured in a standard gas absorption system. However, the insertion of a shift converter into an existing IGCC plant with no shift would mean a near total rebuild of the gasification waste heat recovery, gas treatment system and HRSG, with only the gasifier and gas turbine retaining most of their original features. To reduce the extent, cost and time taken for the revamping, the original plant could incorporate the shift, and the plant would then be operated without capture to advantage, and converted to capture mode of operation when commercially appropriate. This paper examines this concept of placing a shift converter into an IGCC plant before capture is required, and operating the same plant first without and then later with CO{sub 2} capture in a European context. The advantages and disadvantages of this 'capture ready' option are discussed. 6 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs.

Gravitational capture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bondi, H.

1979-01-01

In spite of the strength of gravitational focres between celestial bodies, gravitational capture is not a simple concept. The principles of conservation of linear momentum and of conservation of angular momentum, always impose severe constraints, while conservation of energy and the vital distinction between dissipative and non-dissipative systems allows one to rule out capture in a wide variety of cases. In complex systems especially those without dissipation, long dwell time is a more significant concept than permanent capture. (author)

Multifunctional phenomena in rare-earth intermetallic compounds with a laves phase structure: giant magnetostriction and magnetocaloric effect

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Tereshina, I.; Cwik, J.; Tereshina, Evgeniya; Politova, G.; Burkhanov, G.; Chzhan, V.; Ilyushin, A.; Miller, M.; Zaleski, A.; Nenkov, K.; Schultz, L.

2014-01-01

Roč. 50, č. 11 (2014), s. 2504604 ISSN 0018-9464 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : giant magnetostriction * Laves phase structure * magnetic anisotropy * magnetocaloric effect * rare-earth intermetallic Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 1.386, year: 2014

The RUDY study platform – a novel approach to patient driven research in rare musculoskeletal diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. K. Javaid

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Research into rare diseases is becoming more common, with recognition of the significant diagnostic and therapeutic care gaps. Registries are considered a key research methodology to address rare diseases. This report describes the structure of the Rare UK Diseases Study (RUDY platform that aims to improve research processes and address many of the challenges of carrying out rare musculoskeletal disease research. RUDY is an internet-based platform with online registration, initial verbal consent, online capture of patient reported outcome measures and events within a dynamic consent framework. The database structure, security and governance framework are described. Results There have been 380 participants recruited into RUDY with completed questionnaire rates in excess of 50 %. There has been one withdrawal and two participants have amended their consent options. Conclusions The strengths of RUDY include low burden for the clinical team, low research administration costs with high participant recruitment and ease of data collection and access. This platform has the potential to be used as the model for other rare diseases globally.

Capture ready study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minchener, A.

2007-07-15

There are a large number of ways in which the capture of carbon as carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) can be integrated into fossil fuel power stations, most being applicable for both gas and coal feedstocks. To add to the choice of technology is the question of whether an existing plant should be retrofitted for capture, or whether it is more attractive to build totally new. This miscellany of choices adds considerably to the commercial risk of investing in a large power station. An intermediate stage between the non-capture and full capture state would be advantageous in helping to determine the best way forward and hence reduce those risks. In recent years the term 'carbon capture ready' or 'capture ready' has been coined to describe such an intermediate stage plant and is now widely used. However a detailed and all-encompassing definition of this term has never been published. All fossil fuel consuming plant produce a carbon dioxide gas byproduct. There is a possibility of scrubbing it with an appropriate CO{sub 2} solvent. Hence it could be said that all fossil fuel plant is in a condition for removal of its CO{sub 2} effluent and therefore already in a 'capture ready' state. Evidently, the practical reality of solvent scrubbing could cost more than the rewards offered by such as the ETS (European Trading Scheme). In which case, it can be said that although the possibility exists of capturing CO{sub 2}, it is not a commercially viable option and therefore the plant could not be described as ready for CO{sub 2} capture. The boundary between a capture ready and a non-capture ready condition using this definition cannot be determined in an objective and therefore universally acceptable way and criteria must be found which are less onerous and less potentially contentious to assess. 16 refs., 2 annexes.

Tuning strain of granular matter by basal assisted Couette shear

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhao Yiqiu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We present a novel Couette shear apparatus capable of generating programmable azimuthal strain inside 2D granular matter under Couette shear. The apparatus consists of 21 independently movable concentric rings and two boundary wheels with frictional racks. This makes it possible to quasistatically shear the granular matter not only from the boundaries but also from the bottom. We show that, by specifying the collective motion of wheels and rings, the apparatus successfully generates the desired strain profile inside the sample granular system, which is composed of about 2000 photoelastic disks. The motion and stress of each particle is captured by an imaging system utilizing reflective photoelasticimetry. This apparatus provides a novel method to investigate shear jamming properties of granular matter with different interior strain profiles and unlimited strain amplitudes.

Use of spatial capture-recapture modeling and DNA data to estimate densities of elusive animals

Science.gov (United States)

Kery, Marc; Gardner, Beth; Stoeckle, Tabea; Weber, Darius; Royle, J. Andrew

2011-01-01

Assessment of abundance, survival, recruitment rates, and density (i.e., population assessment) is especially challenging for elusive species most in need of protection (e.g., rare carnivores). Individual identification methods, such as DNA sampling, provide ways of studying such species efficiently and noninvasively. Additionally, statistical methods that correct for undetected animals and account for locations where animals are captured are available to efficiently estimate density and other demographic parameters. We collected hair samples of European wildcat (Felis silvestris) from cheek-rub lure sticks, extracted DNA from the samples, and identified each animals' genotype. To estimate the density of wildcats, we used Bayesian inference in a spatial capture-recapture model. We used WinBUGS to fit a model that accounted for differences in detection probability among individuals and seasons and between two lure arrays. We detected 21 individual wildcats (including possible hybrids) 47 times. Wildcat density was estimated at 0.29/km2 (SE 0.06), and 95% of the activity of wildcats was estimated to occur within 1.83 km from their home-range center. Lures located systematically were associated with a greater number of detections than lures placed in a cell on the basis of expert opinion. Detection probability of individual cats was greatest in late March. Our model is a generalized linear mixed model; hence, it can be easily extended, for instance, to incorporate trap- and individual-level covariates. We believe that the combined use of noninvasive sampling techniques and spatial capture-recapture models will improve population assessments, especially for rare and elusive animals.

PPPC 4 DMν: a Poor Particle Physicist Cookbook for Neutrinos from Dark Matter annihilations in the Sun

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baratella, Pietro [Scuola Normale Superiore and INFN, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, Pisa, 56126 (Italy); Cirelli, Marco [Institut de Physique Théorique, CNRS URA 2306 and CEA-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191 (France); Hektor, Andi; Pata, Joosep; Piibeleht, Morten; Strumia, Alessandro, E-mail: pietro.baratella@sissa.it, E-mail: marco.cirelli@cea.fr, E-mail: andi.hektor@cern.ch, E-mail: joosep.pata@cern.ch, E-mail: morten.piibeleht@cern.ch, E-mail: alessandro.strumia@cern.ch [National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Ravala 10, Tallinn (Estonia)

2014-03-01

We provide ingredients and recipes for computing neutrino signals of TeV-scale Dark Matter (DM) annihilations in the Sun. For each annihilation channel and DM mass we present the energy spectra of neutrinos at production, including: state-of-the-art energy losses of primary particles in solar matter, secondary neutrinos, electroweak radiation. We then present the spectra after propagation to the Earth, including (vacuum and matter) flavor oscillations and interactions in solar matter. We also provide a numerical computation of the capture rate of DM particles in the Sun. These results are available in numerical form.

A minimal unified model of disease trajectories captures hallmarks of multiple sclerosis

KAUST Repository

Kannan, Venkateshan

2017-03-29

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease targeting the central nervous system (CNS) causing demyelination and neurodegeneration leading to accumulation of neurological disability. Here we present a minimal, computational model involving the immune system and CNS that generates the principal subtypes of the disease observed in patients. The model captures several key features of MS, especially those that distinguish the chronic progressive phase from that of the relapse-remitting. In addition, a rare subtype of the disease, progressive relapsing MS naturally emerges from the model. The model posits the existence of two key thresholds, one in the immune system and the other in the CNS, that separate dynamically distinct behavior of the model. Exploring the two-dimensional space of these thresholds, we obtain multiple phases of disease evolution and these shows greater variation than the clinical classification of MS, thus capturing the heterogeneity that is manifested in patients.

Cosmology tests in rare kaon decays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duk Viacheslav

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The Standard Model (SM of particle physics is an extremely successful theory that effectively describes strong and electroweak interactions up to the energies presently accessible. Still, the SM does not explain the observed parameters of neutrino oscillations, baryon asymmetry of the Universe and Dark Matter (DM, and contains a fine-tuning of 16 orders of magnitude (the gauge hierarchy problem. Various New Physics (NP models beyond the SM have been developed in order to address the above limitations. This paper concentrates on several models related to cosmology and their tests in rare kaon decays. In particular, recent NA48/2 results on the search for heavy neutrinos, light in-flatons and dark photons are presented. Prospects for the ongoing NA62 experiment are discussed.

[Transparent evolution of the energy/matter interactions on earth: from gas whirlwind to technogenic civilization].

Science.gov (United States)

Pechurkin, N S; Shuvaev, A N

2015-01-01

The paper presents the idea of transparent evolution through the long-term reaction of the planet Earth on the external flow of radiant energy from the Sun. Due to limitations of matter on Earth, as well as on any other planet, the continuous pumping flow of radiant energy was shown to lead to cyclization and transport of substance on emerging gradients. The evolution of energy-matter interaction follows the path of capturing and transferring more energy by the fewer matter, i.e., the path of growth of the amount of energy used by each unit mass. For this indicator, the least effective mass transfer is a simple mass transfer as vortices of gases, in the gradients of temperature and pressure, which occurred on the primary surface of the planet. A long-term natural selection related to the accumulation of water on the planet has played a special role in developing the interaction of energy and matter. Phase transformations (ice, water, vapor) and mechanical transfers are the most common energy-matter processes. Based on water cycles, cyclic transports and transformations, chemical transformation of substances became possible developing over time into a biological transformation. This kind of the interaction of energy and matter is most efficient. In particular, during photosynthesis the energy of our star "is captured and utilized" in the most active part of the spectrum of its radiation. In the process of biological evolution of heterotrophs, a rise (by a factor of hundreds) in the coefficient that characterizes the intensity of energy exchange from protozoa to mammals is most illustratory. The development and the current dominance of humans as the most energy-using active species in capturing the energy and meaningful organization of its new flows especially on the basis of organic debris of former biospheres is admirable, but quite natural from the energy positions. In the course of technological evolution of humankind, the measure of the intensity of energy for

Theory of nuclear excitation by electron capture for heavy ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gagyi-Palffy, A.

2006-07-01

The resonant process of nuclear excitation by electron capture (NEEC) in collisions involving highly-charged ions has been investigated theoretically. NEEC is a rare recombination process in which a free electron is captured into a bound shell of an ion with the simultaneous excitation of the nucleus. Total cross sections for NEEC followed by the radiative decay of the excited nucleus are presented for various collision systems. The possibility to observe the NEEC in scattering experiments with trapped or stored ions was discussed focusing on the cases with the largest calculated resonance strength. As the photons emitted in different channels of the electron recombination process are indistinguishable in the total cross section, the interference between NEEC followed by the radiative decay of the nucleus and radiative recombination was investigated. The angular distribution of the emitted photons in the recombination process provides means to discern the two processes. Angular differential cross sections for the emitted photons in the case of E2 nuclear transitions were presented for several heavy elements. (orig.)

Radiative electron capture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biggerstaff, J.A.; Appleton, B.R.; Datz, S.; Moak, C.D.; Neelavathi, V.N.; Noggle, T.S.; Ritchie, R.H.; VerBeek, H.

1975-01-01

Some data are presented for radiative electron capture by fast moving ions. The radiative electron capture spectrum is shown for O 8+ in Ag, along with the energy dependence of the capture cross-section. A discrepancy between earlier data, theoretical prediction, and the present data is pointed out. (3 figs) (U.S.)

A taste of dark matter. Flavour constraints on pseudoscalar mediators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dolan, Matthew J.; McCabe, Christopher

2014-12-01

Dark matter interacting via the exchange of a light pseudoscalar can induce observable signals in indirect detection experiments and experience large self-interactions while evading the strong bounds from direct dark matter searches. The pseudoscalar mediator will however induce flavour-changing interactions in the Standard Model, providing a promising alternative way to test these models. We investigate in detail the constraints arising from rare meson decays and fixed target experiments for different coupling structures between the pseudoscalar and Standard Model fermions. The resulting bounds are highly complementary to the information inferred from the dark matter relic density and the constraints from primordial nucleosynthesis. We discuss the implications of our findings for the dark matter self-interaction cross section and the prospects of probing dark matter coupled to a light pseudoscalar with direct or indirect detection experiments. In particular, we find that a pseudoscalar mediator can only explain the Galactic Centre excess if its mass is above that of the B mesons, and that it is impossible to obtain a sufficiently large direct detection cross section to account for the DAMA modulation.

Simulation of the effects of rare earth elements presence in the growth of III-V compound layers

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šrobár, Fedor; Procházková, Olga

2007-01-01

Roč. 1, č. 10 (2007), s. 528-530 ISSN 1842-6573 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA102/06/0153 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20670512 Keywords : semiconductor technology * rare earth compounds * getters Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism

Towards the Biological Understanding of CTC: Capture Technologies, Definitions and Potential to Create Metastasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana M.C. Barradas

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Circulating Tumor Cells (CTC are rare cells originated from tumors that travel into the blood stream, extravasate to different organs of which only a small fraction will develop into metastasis. The presence of CTC enumerated with the CellSearch system is associated with a relative short survival and their continued presence after the first cycles of therapy indicates a futile therapy in patients with metastatic carcinomas. Detailed characterization of CTC holds the promise to enable the choice of the optimal therapy for the individual patients during the course of the disease. The phenotype, physical and biological properties are however not well understood making it difficult to assess the merit of recent technological advancements to improve upon the capture of CTC or to evaluate their metastatic potential. Here we will discuss the recent advances in the classification of CTC captured by the CellSearch system, the implications of their features and numbers. Latest capture platforms are reviewed and placed in the light of technology improvements needed to detect CTC. Physical properties, phenotype, viability and proliferative potential and means to assess their proliferation and metastatic capacity will be summarized and placed in the context of the latest CTC capture platforms.

[Takotsubo cardiomiopathy. A rare cause of cardiogenic shock simulating acute myocardial infarction].

Science.gov (United States)

Vasconcelos, Jayro Thadeu Paiva de; Martins, Sebastião; Sousa, João Francisco de; Portela, Antenor

2005-08-01

Takotsubo Cardiomiopathy is a rare cause of acute left ventricular aneurysm, in the absence of coronariopathy, only recently described in world literature. Symptoms may be similar to those from acute myocardial infarction with typical thoracic pain. The image of dumbbell or Takotsubo (a device used in Japan to capture octopus) suggestive ventricular ballooning is characteristic of that new syndrome and there is usually the disappearing of dyskinetic movement up to the 18th day from the beginning of the symptoms, in average.

Past and present of nuclear matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritter, H.G.

1994-05-01

The subject of nuclear matter is interesting for many fields of physics ranging from condensed matter to lattice QCD. Knowing its properties is important for our understanding of neutron stars, supernovae and cosmology. Experimentally, we have the most precise information on ground state nuclear matter from the mass formula and from the systematics of monopole vibrations. This gives us the ground state density, binding energy and the compression modulus k at ground state density. However, those methods can not be extended towards the regime we are most interested in, the regime of high density and high temperature. Additional information can be obtained from the observation of neutron stars and of supernova explosions. In both cases information is limited by the rare events that nature provides for us. High energy heavy ion collisions, on the other hand, allow us to perform controlled experiments in the laboratory. For a very short period in time we can create a system that lets us study nuclear matter properties. Density and temperature of the system depend on the mass of the colliding nuclei, on their energy and on the impact parameter. The system created in nuclear collisions has at best about 200 constituents not even close to infinite nuclear matter, and it lasts only for collision times of ∼ 10 -22 sec, not an ideal condition for establishing any kind of equilibrium. Extended size and thermal and chemical equilibrium, however, axe a priori conditions of nuclear matter. As a consequence we need realistic models that describe the collision dynamics and non-equilibrium effects in order to relate experimental observables to properties of nuclear matter. The study of high energy nuclear collisions started at the Bevalac. I will try to summarize the results from the Bevalac studies, the highlights of the continuing program, and extension to higher energies without claiming to be complete

Sterile neutrinos and indirect dark matter searches in IceCube

Science.gov (United States)

Argüelles, Carlos A.; Kopp, Joachim

2012-07-01

If light sterile neutrinos exist and mix with the active neutrino flavors, this mixing will affect the propagation of high-energy neutrinos from dark matter annihilation in the Sun. In particular, new Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein resonances can occur, leading to almost complete conversion of some active neutrino flavors into sterile states. We demonstrate how this can weaken IceCube limits on neutrino capture and annihilation in the Sun and how potential future conflicts between IceCube constraints and direct detection or collider data might be resolved by invoking sterile neutrinos. We also point out that, if the dark matter-nucleon scattering cross section and the allowed annihilation channels are precisely measured in direct detection and collider experiments in the future, IceCube can be used to constrain sterile neutrino models using neutrinos from the dark matter annihilation.

The Compressed Baryonic Matter experiment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seddiki Sélim

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM experiment is a next-generation fixed-target detector which will operate at the future Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR in Darmstadt. The goal of this experiment is to explore the QCD phase diagram in the region of high net baryon densities using high-energy nucleus-nucleus collisions. Its research program includes the study of the equation-of-state of nuclear matter at high baryon densities, the search for the deconfinement and chiral phase transitions and the search for the QCD critical point. The CBM detector is designed to measure both bulk observables with a large acceptance and rare diagnostic probes such as charm particles, multi-strange hyperons, and low mass vector mesons in their di-leptonic decay. The physics program of CBM will be summarized, followed by an overview of the detector concept, a selection of the expected physics performance, and the status of preparation of the experiment.

PPPC 4 DMν: a Poor Particle Physicist Cookbook for Neutrinos from Dark Matter annihilations in the Sun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baratella, Pietro; Cirelli, Marco; Hektor, Andi; Pata, Joosep; Piibeleht, Morten; Strumia, Alessandro

2014-01-01

We provide ingredients and recipes for computing neutrino signals of TeV-scale Dark Matter (DM) annihilations in the Sun. For each annihilation channel and DM mass we present the energy spectra of neutrinos at production, including: state-of-the-art energy losses of primary particles in solar matter, secondary neutrinos, electroweak radiation. We then present the spectra after propagation to the Earth, including (vacuum and matter) flavor oscillations and interactions in solar matter. We also provide a numerical computation of the capture rate of DM particles in the Sun. These results are available in numerical form http://www.marcocirelli.net/PPPC4DMID.html

PPPC 4 DMν: a Poor Particle Physicist Cookbook for Neutrinos from Dark Matter annihilations in the Sun

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baratella, Pietro [Scuola Normale Superiore and INFN, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, Pisa, 56126 (Italy); Cirelli, Marco [Institut de Physique Théorique, CNRS URA 2306 & CEA-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, 91191 (France); Hektor, Andi [National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Ravala 10, Tallinn (Estonia); Helsinki Institute of Physics, P.O. Box 64, Helsinki, FI-00014 (Finland); Pata, Joosep; Piibeleht, Morten [National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Ravala 10, Tallinn (Estonia); Strumia, Alessandro [National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Ravala 10, Tallinn (Estonia); Dipartimento di Fisica dell’Università di Pisa and INFN, Largo Buonarroti 2, Pisa (Italy)

2014-03-27

We provide ingredients and recipes for computing neutrino signals of TeV-scale Dark Matter (DM) annihilations in the Sun. For each annihilation channel and DM mass we present the energy spectra of neutrinos at production, including: state-of-the-art energy losses of primary particles in solar matter, secondary neutrinos, electroweak radiation. We then present the spectra after propagation to the Earth, including (vacuum and matter) flavor oscillations and interactions in solar matter. We also provide a numerical computation of the capture rate of DM particles in the Sun. These results are available in numerical form http://www.marcocirelli.net/PPPC4DMID.html.

Rare earths

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cranstone, D A

1979-01-01

Rare earth elements are commonly extracted from the minerals monazite, bastnaesite, and xenotine. New uses for these elements are constantly developing; they have found applications in glass polishing, television tube phosphors, high-strength low-alloy steels, magnets, catalysts, refractory ceramics, and hydrogen sponge alloys. In Canada, rare earths have been produced as byproducts of the uranium mining industry, but there was no production of rare earths in 1978 or 1979. The world sources of and markets for the rare earth elements are discussed.

Capturing Thoughts, Capturing Minds?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Janni

2004-01-01

Think Aloud is cost effective, promises access to the user's mind and is the applied usability technique. But 'keep talking' is difficult, besides, the multimodal interface is visual not verbal. Eye-tracking seems to get around the verbalisation problem. It captures the visual focus of attention...

Study on speciation of rare earth elements in soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yuqi; Sun Jingxin; Chen Hongmin; Guo Fanqing; Wang Lijun; Zhang Shen

1996-01-01

The contents of rare earth elements (REE) in red soil, yellow brown soil and leached chernozem are studied. After extracted sequentially, REE in these soils are fractionated into seven forms, i.e., (I) water soluble, (II) exchangeable, (III) loosely bound to organic mater, (IV) bound to carbonate and specifically absorbed, (V) bound to Fe-Mn oxides, (VI) tightly bound to organic matter and (VII) residual forms. The contents of REE in every form are determined by NAA (neutron activation analysis). The results show that REE in soils mainly exist in residual form and REE in soluble forms are very limited (<7%)

Evidence of dark matter from biological observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zioutas, K.

1990-01-01

In accordance with the generally accepted properties of dark matter (DM) candidates, the probability of their interaction with living matter must be equal to that for inorganic matter, and the expected effects might be unique and provide the etiology related to the appearance of several biological phenomena having sometimes fatal late effects. Although collisions with DM are rare, the charged secondaries (recoiling atoms) are expected to be high linear energy transfer particles favouring the highest relative biological effectiveness values for this, as yet invisible, part of the natural background radiation. A few cases are given, where a correlation between DM interaction and phenomena in living matter might already exist, or can show up in existing data: biorhythms with periodicities identical to known cosmic frequencies are explainable with gravitationally clustered DM around the sun, the moon, the earth, etc. The observed arrhythmia, when biological probes are moved (in airplanes, satellites, etc.) support this idea strongly. It is also proposed to implement some of the biological properties and processes (such as element composition and chemical reactions) in future DM detectors in order to improve their sensitivity. The interdisciplinary feedback is bidirectional: huge DM detectors could be used in attempt to understand enigmatic biological behaviour. (orig.)

Indirect detection of heavy supersymmetric dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamionkowski, M.

1991-02-01

If neutralinos reside in the galactic halo they will be captured in the Sun and annihilate therein producing high-energy neutrinos. Present limits on the flux of such neutrinos from underground detectors such as IMB and Kamiokande 2 may be used to rule out certain supersymmetric dark-matter candidates, while in many other supersymmetric models the rates are large enough that if neutralinos do reside in the galactic halo, observation of a neutrino signal may be possible in the near future. 10 refs., 2 figs

Anterior Gray Matter Pituicytic Heterotopia with Monomorphic Anterior Pituitary Cells: A Variant of Nonsecretory Pituitary Adenoma Neuronal Choristoma? Report of a Rare Case and Review of the Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Yowtak, June; Sharma, Suash; Forseen, Scott E; Alleyne, Cargill H

2017-01-01

Mixed tumors of adenomatous and neuronal cells in the sellar region are an uncommon finding. The origins of these heterogeneous tumors are unknown, and management remains unsettled. We report a very rare case of anterior gray matter pituicytic heterotopia with monomorphic anterior pituitary cells that likely represents a variant of nonsecreting pituitary adenoma neuronal choristoma (PANCH) with no ganglion cells. We also review the current literature for the various clinical presentations of PANCH. A 49-year-old female complaining of headache, blurred vision, and hair loss was found to have a nonsecretory sellar mass with compression of the optic chiasm on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The mass was excised via a transsphenoidal procedure. Histological analysis of tissue sections revealed heterotopic gray matter with reactive gliosis without ganglion cells or Herring bodies. Only 1 smear exhibited characteristics of a pituitary adenoma. The overall findings were most consistent with a variant of PANCH. At a postoperative follow-up of 4.5 years, there was resolution of visual symptoms, and the residual sellar mass was stable on MRI. Neuronal choristoma is hypothesized to originate from embryonal pituitary or hypothalamus, or by differentiation from pituitary adenoma cells. Surgery is the cornerstone of management, and the clinical course appears to be similar to that of nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma in reported cases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A model of gettering effects of rare-earth elements in III-V compounds

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šrobár, Fedor; Procházková, Olga

2006-01-01

Roč. 100, č. 8 (2006), s. 643-- ISSN 0009-2770. [Sjezd chemických společností /58./. Ústí nad Labem, 04.09.2006-08.09.2006] R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA102/06/0153 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20670512 Keywords : semiconductor technology * rare earth metals * getters Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 0.431, year: 2006

Rare variants in the neurotrophin signaling pathway implicated in schizophrenia risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Kranz, Thorsten M; Goetz, Ray R; Walsh-Messinger, Julie; Goetz, Deborah; Antonius, Daniel; Dolgalev, Igor; Heguy, Adriana; Seandel, Marco; Malaspina, Dolores; Chao, Moses V

2015-10-01

Multiple lines of evidence corroborate impaired signaling pathways as relevant to the underpinnings of schizophrenia. There has been an interest in neurotrophins, since they are crucial mediators of neurodevelopment and in synaptic connectivity in the adult brain. Neurotrophins and their receptors demonstrate aberrant expression patterns in cortical areas for schizophrenia cases in comparison to control subjects. There is little known about the contribution of neurotrophin genes in psychiatric disorders. To begin to address this issue, we conducted high-coverage targeted exome capture in a subset of neurotrophin genes in 48 comprehensively characterized cases with schizophrenia-related psychosis. We herein report rare missense polymorphisms and novel missense mutations in neurotrophin receptor signaling pathway genes. Furthermore, we observed that several genes have a higher propensity to harbor missense coding variants than others. Based on this initial analysis we suggest that rare variants and missense mutations in neurotrophin genes might represent genetic contributions involved across psychiatric disorders. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neutrino spectroscopy can probe the dark matter content in the Sun.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopes, Ilídio; Silk, Joseph

2010-10-22

After being gravitationally captured, low-mass cold dark-matter particles (mass range from 5 to ~50 × 10(9) electron volts) are thought to drift to the center of the Sun and affect its internal structure. Solar neutrinos provide a way to probe the physical processes occurring in the Sun's core. Solar neutrino spectroscopy, in particular, is expected to measure the neutrino fluxes produced in nuclear reactions in the Sun. Here, we show how the presence of dark-matter particles inside the Sun will produce unique neutrino flux distributions in (7)Be-ν and (8)B-ν, as well as (13)N-ν, (15)O-ν, and (17)F-ν.

Harmonising phenomics information for a better interoperability in the rare disease field.

Science.gov (United States)

Maiella, Sylvie; Olry, Annie; Hanauer, Marc; Lanneau, Valérie; Lourghi, Halima; Donadille, Bruno; Rodwell, Charlotte; Köhler, Sebastian; Seelow, Dominik; Jupp, Simon; Parkinson, Helen; Groza, Tudor; Brudno, Michael; Robinson, Peter N; Rath, Ana

2018-02-07

HIPBI-RD (Harmonising phenomics information for a better interoperability in the rare disease field) is a three-year project which started in 2016 funded via the E-Rare 3 ERA-NET program. This project builds on three resources largely adopted by the rare disease (RD) community: Orphanet, its ontology ORDO (the Orphanet Rare Disease Ontology), HPO (the Human Phenotype Ontology) as well as PhenoTips software for the capture and sharing of structured phenotypic data for RD patients. Our project is further supported by resources developed by the European Bioinformatics Institute and the Garvan Institute. HIPBI-RD aims to provide the community with an integrated, RD-specific bioinformatics ecosystem that will harmonise the way phenomics information is stored in databases and patient files worldwide, and thereby contribute to interoperability. This ecosystem will consist of a suite of tools and ontologies, optimized to work together, and made available through commonly used software repositories. The project workplan follows three main objectives: The HIPBI-RD ecosystem will contribute to the interpretation of variants identified through exome and full genome sequencing by harmonising the way phenotypic information is collected, thus improving diagnostics and delineation of RD. The ultimate goal of HIPBI-RD is to provide a resource that will contribute to bridging genome-scale biology and a disease-centered view on human pathobiology. Achievements in Year 1. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Spectrophotometric method for the analysis of rare earths by first and second order derivatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deshpande, S.M.; Singh, H.

1997-01-01

Spectrophotometric methods are widely used for the analysis of rare earth elements as they are simple, fast, precise and accurate. Many of the rare earth ions in acidic solutions absorb in ultraviolet and visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because of the restricted transition of the 4f electrons the absorption peaks are very sharp and these peaks are used for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of rare elements. When analysis of one or two minor constituents in the mixture of rare earths is involved, it is a straightforward and simple matter, but the analysis of multiple elements from a complex mixture is very difficult because of the mutual interference of the absorption bands. Simultaneous equations of the type: (OD) 1 = C A X Φ A1 + C B X Φ B1 and (OD) 2 = C A X Φ A2 + C B X Φ B2 are also employed to overcome the mutual interference. In this paper first order and second order derivative spectra are used for the analysis of rare earths. It is a simple and effective technique for accurate analysis of rare earths from a complex mixture. Absorption data in the first derivative mode is also presented. Analysis of Nd-Pr-Sm from their synthetic mixtures is reported. (author). 4 refs., 1 tab., 1 ill

Rare-Earth-Rich Alloys; Alliages a Teneur Elevee en Terres Rares; Splavy, obogashchennye redkozemel'nymi ehlementami; Aleaciones Ricas en Tierras Raras

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Copeland, M.; Kato, H. [Albany Metallurgy Research Center, Bureau of Mines, United States Department of the Interior, Albany, OR (United States)

1964-06-15

The rare earth metals with high thermal-neutron capture cross-sections are of interest for control of power-producing reactors; however, they are susceptible to corrosion. On the premise that non-rare earth metals may be alloyed with dysprosium, erbium, gadolinium and samarium, thus improving their properties, the effects of selected alloying additions on the rare earths were studied. The solubilities of the non-rare earth metals, zirconium, vanadium, chromium, iron, nickel, copper, aluminium and silicon, in dysprosium, erbium, gadolinium and samarium and their effects on the melting points, solid state transformations and corrosion properties were studied. -Phase diagrams were prepared up to the first rare earth-rich compound or eutectic, whichever occurred first. On completion of that portion of the work, alloys were made, heat-treated to yield maximum solid solubility of the non-rare earth alloying addition, and oxidation- and corrosion-tested. No improvement of the rare earth metals to oxidation resistance in the atmosphere was observed on alloying; in fact, most additions proved to be deleterious. Aluminium greatly improved the hot-Water corrosion resistance of the rare earths tested; other non-rare earth metal additions improved the resistance to a lesser degree. (author) [French] Les terres rares possedent une section efficace de capture des neutrons thermiques elevee; ces metaux presentent un grand interet pour le controle des reacteurs de puissance; toutefois, ils sont attaques par corrosion. En.partant de l'idee qu'il est possible d'allier des metaux autres que les terres rares avec le dysprosium, l 'erbium, le gadolinium et le samarium, et d'ameliorer ainsi leurs proprietes, les auteurs .ont observe les effets de l 'addition de certains metaux sur les terres rares. Ils ont etudie les solubilites du zirconium, du vanadium, du chrome; du fer, du nickel, du cuivre, de l'aluminium et du silicium dans le dysprosium, l'erbium, le gadolinium et le samarium

Electric Dipole Moment Measurements with Rare Isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chupp, Timothy

2016-01-01

The origin of matter is one of the deepest questions addressed by science and remains a mystery because our understanding of the Big Bang suggests that equal amounts of matter as antimatter would be created and annihilate leaving nothing from which stars, galaxies, planets and ultimately life as we know it was created. We know this is not the case in the universe, and so the explanation that the laws of physics can distinguish the difference of moving forward and backward in time and provide mechanisms that produce more matter that antimatter so that a little bit was left over. These same laws of physics affect our world today and would very slightly change the shape of an atom, stretching is along the direction of the spin of its nucleus. This subtle shape change has been searched in many systems - the neutron, atoms and molecules, but has not yet been detected, even as the motivation is strengthened by our understanding of their structure. We therefore look to new systems that have special features that make these effects stand out. Rare isotopes provide one possibility and specific radon atoms are our choice. We have developed techniques to make these measurements with short-lived radioactive atoms, studied the nuclei to provide deeper understanding of how these affect arise in such atoms (including radium) and developed new laser-based techniques to measure and control the magnetic fields necessary to perform these exquisitely sensitive measurements. In this work we have shown that radioactive radon atoms can be produced and transported to an apparatus that lines up the spins of the atoms. We have also shown that the nuclei of nearby radium are pear shaped and that the radon nuclei likely oscillate from one pear shape to its mirror reflection. We have also used the techniques which control nuclear spin to study the magnetic environment in a magnetically shielded room, which has the smallest magnetic field in a large volume in the universe. Measuring magnetic

Electric Dipole Moment Measurements with Rare Isotopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chupp, Timothy [Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

2016-11-11

The origin of matter is one of the deepest questions addressed by science and remains a mystery because our understanding of the Big Bang suggests that equal amounts of matter as antimatter would be created and annihilate leaving nothing from which stars, galaxies, planets and ultimately life as we know it was created. We know this is not the case in the universe, and so the explanation that the laws of physics can distinguish the difference of moving forward and backward in time and provide mechanisms that produce more matter that antimatter so that a little bit was left over. These same laws of physics affect our world today and would very slightly change the shape of an atom, stretching is along the direction of the spin of its nucleus. This subtle shape change has been searched in many systems - the neutron, atoms and molecules, but has not yet been detected, even as the motivation is strengthened by our understanding of their structure. We therefore look to new systems that have special features that make these effects stand out. Rare isotopes provide one possibility and specific radon atoms are our choice. We have developed techniques to make these measurements with short-lived radioactive atoms, studied the nuclei to provide deeper understanding of how these affect arise in such atoms (including radium) and developed new laser-based techniques to measure and control the magnetic fields necessary to perform these exquisitely sensitive measurements. In this work we have shown that radioactive radon atoms can be produced and transported to an apparatus that lines up the spins of the atoms. We have also shown that the nuclei of nearby radium are pear shaped and that the radon nuclei likely oscillate from one pear shape to its mirror reflection. We have also used the techniques which control nuclear spin to study the magnetic environment in a magnetically shielded room, which has the smallest magnetic field in a large volume in the universe. Measuring magnetic

Rare earth germanates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bondar', I.A.; Vinogradova, N.V.; Dem'yanets, L.N.

1983-01-01

Rare earth germanates attract close attention both as an independent class of compounds and analogues of a widely spread class of natural and synthetic minerals. The methods of rare earth germanate synthesis (solid-phase, hydrothermal) are considered. Systems on the basis of germanium and rare earth oxides, phase diagrams, phase transformations are studied. Using different chemical analysese the processes of rare earth germanate formation are investigated. IR spectra of alkali and rare earth metal germanates are presented, their comparative analysis being carried out. Crystal structures of the compounds, lattice parameters are studied. Fields of possible application of rare earth germanates are shown

Challenges in QCD matter physics. The scientific programme of the Compressed Baryonic Matter experiment at FAIR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ablyazimov, T.; Adak, R.P.

2017-01-01

Substantial experimental and theoretical efforts worldwide are devoted to explore the phase diagram of strongly interacting matter. At LHC and top RHIC energies, QCD matter is studied at very high temperatures and nearly vanishing net-baryon densities. There is evidence that a Quark-Gluon-Plasma (QGP) was created at experiments at RHIC and LHC. The transition from the QGP back to the hadron gas is found to be a smooth cross over. For larger net-baryon densities and lower temperatures, it is expected that the QCD phase diagram exhibits a rich structure, such as a first-order phase transition between hadronic and partonic matter which terminates in a critical point, or exotic phases like quarkyonic matter. The discovery of these landmarks would be a breakthrough in our understanding of the strong interaction and is therefore in the focus of various high-energy heavy-ion research programs. The Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment at FAIR will play a unique role in the exploration of the QCD phase diagram in the region of high net-baryon densities, because it is designed to run at unprecedented interaction rates. High-rate operation is the key prerequisite for high-precision measurements of multi-differential observables and of rare diagnostic probes which are sensitive to the dense phase of the nuclear fireball. The goal of the CBM experiment at SIS100 (√(s_N_N) = 2.7-4.9 GeV) is to discover fundamental properties of QCD matter: the phase structure at large baryon-chemical potentials (μ_B > 500 MeV), effects of chiral symmetry, and the equation of state at high density as it is expected to occur in the core of neutron stars. In this article, we review the motivation for and the physics programme of CBM, including activities before the start of data taking in 2024, in the context of the worldwide efforts to explore high-density QCD matter. (orig.)

Challenges in QCD matter physics. The scientific programme of the Compressed Baryonic Matter experiment at FAIR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ablyazimov, T. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR-LIT), Dubna (Russian Federation). Lab. of Information Technologies; Abuhoza, A. [GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH (GSI), Darmstadt (Germany); Adak, R.P. [Bose Institute, Kolkata (India). Dept. of Physics; and others

2017-03-15

Substantial experimental and theoretical efforts worldwide are devoted to explore the phase diagram of strongly interacting matter. At LHC and top RHIC energies, QCD matter is studied at very high temperatures and nearly vanishing net-baryon densities. There is evidence that a Quark-Gluon-Plasma (QGP) was created at experiments at RHIC and LHC. The transition from the QGP back to the hadron gas is found to be a smooth cross over. For larger net-baryon densities and lower temperatures, it is expected that the QCD phase diagram exhibits a rich structure, such as a first-order phase transition between hadronic and partonic matter which terminates in a critical point, or exotic phases like quarkyonic matter. The discovery of these landmarks would be a breakthrough in our understanding of the strong interaction and is therefore in the focus of various high-energy heavy-ion research programs. The Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment at FAIR will play a unique role in the exploration of the QCD phase diagram in the region of high net-baryon densities, because it is designed to run at unprecedented interaction rates. High-rate operation is the key prerequisite for high-precision measurements of multi-differential observables and of rare diagnostic probes which are sensitive to the dense phase of the nuclear fireball. The goal of the CBM experiment at SIS100 (√(s{sub NN}) = 2.7-4.9 GeV) is to discover fundamental properties of QCD matter: the phase structure at large baryon-chemical potentials (μ{sub B} > 500 MeV), effects of chiral symmetry, and the equation of state at high density as it is expected to occur in the core of neutron stars. In this article, we review the motivation for and the physics programme of CBM, including activities before the start of data taking in 2024, in the context of the worldwide efforts to explore high-density QCD matter. (orig.)

Challenges in QCD matter physics -The scientific programme of the Compressed Baryonic Matter experiment at FAIR

Science.gov (United States)

Ablyazimov, T.; Abuhoza, A.; Adak, R. P.; Adamczyk, M.; Agarwal, K.; Aggarwal, M. M.; Ahammed, Z.; Ahmad, F.; Ahmad, N.; Ahmad, S.; Akindinov, A.; Akishin, P.; Akishina, E.; Akishina, T.; Akishina, V.; Akram, A.; Al-Turany, M.; Alekseev, I.; Alexandrov, E.; Alexandrov, I.; Amar-Youcef, S.; Anđelić, M.; Andreeva, O.; Andrei, C.; Andronic, A.; Anisimov, Yu.; Appelshäuser, H.; Argintaru, D.; Atkin, E.; Avdeev, S.; Averbeck, R.; Azmi, M. D.; Baban, V.; Bach, M.; Badura, E.; Bähr, S.; Balog, T.; Balzer, M.; Bao, E.; Baranova, N.; Barczyk, T.; Bartoş, D.; Bashir, S.; Baszczyk, M.; Batenkov, O.; Baublis, V.; Baznat, M.; Becker, J.; Becker, K.-H.; Belogurov, S.; Belyakov, D.; Bendarouach, J.; Berceanu, I.; Bercuci, A.; Berdnikov, A.; Berdnikov, Y.; Berendes, R.; Berezin, G.; Bergmann, C.; Bertini, D.; Bertini, O.; Beşliu, C.; Bezshyyko, O.; Bhaduri, P. P.; Bhasin, A.; Bhati, A. K.; Bhattacharjee, B.; Bhattacharyya, A.; Bhattacharyya, T. K.; Biswas, S.; Blank, T.; Blau, D.; Blinov, V.; Blume, C.; Bocharov, Yu.; Book, J.; Breitner, T.; Brüning, U.; Brzychczyk, J.; Bubak, A.; Büsching, H.; Bus, T.; Butuzov, V.; Bychkov, A.; Byszuk, A.; Cai, Xu; Cãlin, M.; Cao, Ping; Caragheorgheopol, G.; Carević, I.; Cătănescu, V.; Chakrabarti, A.; Chattopadhyay, S.; Chaus, A.; Chen, Hongfang; Chen, LuYao; Cheng, Jianping; Chepurnov, V.; Cherif, H.; Chernogorov, A.; Ciobanu, M. I.; Claus, G.; Constantin, F.; Csanád, M.; D'Ascenzo, N.; Das, Supriya; Das, Susovan; de Cuveland, J.; Debnath, B.; Dementiev, D.; Deng, Wendi; Deng, Zhi; Deppe, H.; Deppner, I.; Derenovskaya, O.; Deveaux, C. A.; Deveaux, M.; Dey, K.; Dey, M.; Dillenseger, P.; Dobyrn, V.; Doering, D.; Dong, Sheng; Dorokhov, A.; Dreschmann, M.; Drozd, A.; Dubey, A. K.; Dubnichka, S.; Dubnichkova, Z.; Dürr, M.; Dutka, L.; Dželalija, M.; Elsha, V. V.; Emschermann, D.; Engel, H.; Eremin, V.; Eşanu, T.; Eschke, J.; Eschweiler, D.; Fan, Huanhuan; Fan, Xingming; Farooq, M.; Fateev, O.; Feng, Shengqin; Figuli, S. P. D.; Filozova, I.; Finogeev, D.; Fischer, P.; Flemming, H.; Förtsch, J.; Frankenfeld, U.; Friese, V.; Friske, E.; Fröhlich, I.; Frühauf, J.; Gajda, J.; Galatyuk, T.; Gangopadhyay, G.; García Chávez, C.; Gebelein, J.; Ghosh, P.; Ghosh, S. K.; Gläßel, S.; Goffe, M.; Golinka-Bezshyyko, L.; Golovatyuk, V.; Golovnya, S.; Golovtsov, V.; Golubeva, M.; Golubkov, D.; Gómez Ramírez, A.; Gorbunov, S.; Gorokhov, S.; Gottschalk, D.; Gryboś, P.; Grzeszczuk, A.; Guber, F.; Gudima, K.; Gumiński, M.; Gupta, A.; Gusakov, Yu.; Han, Dong; Hartmann, H.; He, Shue; Hehner, J.; Heine, N.; Herghelegiu, A.; Herrmann, N.; Heß, B.; Heuser, J. M.; Himmi, A.; Höhne, C.; Holzmann, R.; Hu, Dongdong; Huang, Guangming; Huang, Xinjie; Hutter, D.; Ierusalimov, A.; Ilgenfritz, E.-M.; Irfan, M.; Ivanischev, D.; Ivanov, M.; Ivanov, P.; Ivanov, Valery; Ivanov, Victor; Ivanov, Vladimir; Ivashkin, A.; Jaaskelainen, K.; Jahan, H.; Jain, V.; Jakovlev, V.; Janson, T.; Jiang, Di; Jipa, A.; Kadenko, I.; Kähler, P.; Kämpfer, B.; Kalinin, V.; Kallunkathariyil, J.; Kampert, K.-H.; Kaptur, E.; Karabowicz, R.; Karavichev, O.; Karavicheva, T.; Karmanov, D.; Karnaukhov, V.; Karpechev, E.; Kasiński, K.; Kasprowicz, G.; Kaur, M.; Kazantsev, A.; Kebschull, U.; Kekelidze, G.; Khan, M. M.; Khan, S. A.; Khanzadeev, A.; Khasanov, F.; Khvorostukhin, A.; Kirakosyan, V.; Kirejczyk, M.; Kiryakov, A.; Kiš, M.; Kisel, I.; Kisel, P.; Kiselev, S.; Kiss, T.; Klaus, P.; Kłeczek, R.; Klein-Bösing, Ch.; Kleipa, V.; Klochkov, V.; Kmon, P.; Koch, K.; Kochenda, L.; Koczoń, P.; Koenig, W.; Kohn, M.; Kolb, B. W.; Kolosova, A.; Komkov, B.; Korolev, M.; Korolko, I.; Kotte, R.; Kovalchuk, A.; Kowalski, S.; Koziel, M.; Kozlov, G.; Kozlov, V.; Kramarenko, V.; Kravtsov, P.; Krebs, E.; Kreidl, C.; Kres, I.; Kresan, D.; Kretschmar, G.; Krieger, M.; Kryanev, A. V.; Kryshen, E.; Kuc, M.; Kucewicz, W.; Kucher, V.; Kudin, L.; Kugler, A.; Kumar, Ajit; Kumar, Ashwini; Kumar, L.; Kunkel, J.; Kurepin, A.; Kurepin, N.; Kurilkin, A.; Kurilkin, P.; Kushpil, V.; Kuznetsov, S.; Kyva, V.; Ladygin, V.; Lara, C.; Larionov, P.; Laso García, A.; Lavrik, E.; Lazanu, I.; Lebedev, A.; Lebedev, S.; Lebedeva, E.; Lehnert, J.; Lehrbach, J.; Leifels, Y.; Lemke, F.; Li, Cheng; Li, Qiyan; Li, Xin; Li, Yuanjing; Lindenstruth, V.; Linnik, B.; Liu, Feng; Lobanov, I.; Lobanova, E.; Löchner, S.; Loizeau, P.-A.; Lone, S. A.; Lucio Martínez, J. A.; Luo, Xiaofeng; Lymanets, A.; Lyu, Pengfei; Maevskaya, A.; Mahajan, S.; Mahapatra, D. P.; Mahmoud, T.; Maj, P.; Majka, Z.; Malakhov, A.; Malankin, E.; Malkevich, D.; Malyatina, O.; Malygina, H.; Mandal, M. M.; Mandal, S.; Manko, V.; Manz, S.; Marin Garcia, A. M.; Markert, J.; Masciocchi, S.; Matulewicz, T.; Meder, L.; Merkin, M.; Mialkovski, V.; Michel, J.; Miftakhov, N.; Mik, L.; Mikhailov, K.; Mikhaylov, V.; Milanović, B.; Militsija, V.; Miskowiec, D.; Momot, I.; Morhardt, T.; Morozov, S.; Müller, W. F. J.; Müntz, C.; Mukherjee, S.; Muñoz Castillo, C. E.; Murin, Yu.; Najman, R.; Nandi, C.; Nandy, E.; Naumann, L.; Nayak, T.; Nedosekin, A.; Negi, V. S.; Niebur, W.; Nikulin, V.; Normanov, D.; Oancea, A.; Oh, Kunsu; Onishchuk, Yu.; Ososkov, G.; Otfinowski, P.; Ovcharenko, E.; Pal, S.; Panasenko, I.; Panda, N. R.; Parzhitskiy, S.; Patel, V.; Pauly, C.; Penschuck, M.; Peshekhonov, D.; Peshekhonov, V.; Petráček, V.; Petri, M.; Petriş, M.; Petrovici, A.; Petrovici, M.; Petrovskiy, A.; Petukhov, O.; Pfeifer, D.; Piasecki, K.; Pieper, J.; Pietraszko, J.; Płaneta, R.; Plotnikov, V.; Plujko, V.; Pluta, J.; Pop, A.; Pospisil, V.; Poźniak, K.; Prakash, A.; Prasad, S. K.; Prokudin, M.; Pshenichnov, I.; Pugach, M.; Pugatch, V.; Querchfeld, S.; Rabtsun, S.; Radulescu, L.; Raha, S.; Rami, F.; Raniwala, R.; Raniwala, S.; Raportirenko, A.; Rautenberg, J.; Rauza, J.; Ray, R.; Razin, S.; Reichelt, P.; Reinecke, S.; Reinefeld, A.; Reshetin, A.; Ristea, C.; Ristea, O.; Rodriguez Rodriguez, A.; Roether, F.; Romaniuk, R.; Rost, A.; Rostchin, E.; Rostovtseva, I.; Roy, Amitava; Roy, Ankhi; Rożynek, J.; Ryabov, Yu.; Sadovsky, A.; Sahoo, R.; Sahu, P. K.; Sahu, S. K.; Saini, J.; Samanta, S.; Sambyal, S. S.; Samsonov, V.; Sánchez Rosado, J.; Sander, O.; Sarangi, S.; Satława, T.; Sau, S.; Saveliev, V.; Schatral, S.; Schiaua, C.; Schintke, F.; Schmidt, C. J.; Schmidt, H. R.; Schmidt, K.; Scholten, J.; Schweda, K.; Seck, F.; Seddiki, S.; Selyuzhenkov, I.; Semennikov, A.; Senger, A.; Senger, P.; Shabanov, A.; Shabunov, A.; Shao, Ming; Sheremetiev, A. D.; Shi, Shusu; Shumeiko, N.; Shumikhin, V.; Sibiryak, I.; Sikora, B.; Simakov, A.; Simon, C.; Simons, C.; Singaraju, R. N.; Singh, A. K.; Singh, B. K.; Singh, C. P.; Singhal, V.; Singla, M.; Sitzmann, P.; Siwek-Wilczyńska, K.; Škoda, L.; Skwira-Chalot, I.; Som, I.; Song, Guofeng; Song, Jihye; Sosin, Z.; Soyk, D.; Staszel, P.; Strikhanov, M.; Strohauer, S.; Stroth, J.; Sturm, C.; Sultanov, R.; Sun, Yongjie; Svirida, D.; Svoboda, O.; Szabó, A.; Szczygieł, R.; Talukdar, R.; Tang, Zebo; Tanha, M.; Tarasiuk, J.; Tarassenkova, O.; Târzilă, M.-G.; Teklishyn, M.; Tischler, T.; Tlustý, P.; Tölyhi, T.; Toia, A.; Topil'skaya, N.; Träger, M.; Tripathy, S.; Tsakov, I.; Tsyupa, Yu.; Turowiecki, A.; Tuturas, N. G.; Uhlig, F.; Usenko, E.; Valin, I.; Varga, D.; Vassiliev, I.; Vasylyev, O.; Verbitskaya, E.; Verhoeven, W.; Veshikov, A.; Visinka, R.; Viyogi, Y. P.; Volkov, S.; Volochniuk, A.; Vorobiev, A.; Voronin, Aleksey; Voronin, Alexander; Vovchenko, V.; Vznuzdaev, M.; Wang, Dong; Wang, Xi-Wei; Wang, Yaping; Wang, Yi; Weber, M.; Wendisch, C.; Wessels, J. P.; Wiebusch, M.; Wiechula, J.; Wielanek, D.; Wieloch, A.; Wilms, A.; Winckler, N.; Winter, M.; Wiśniewski, K.; Wolf, Gy.; Won, Sanguk; Wu, Ke-Jun; Wüstenfeld, J.; Xiang, Changzhou; Xu, Nu; Yang, Junfeng; Yang, Rongxing; Yin, Zhongbao; Yoo, In-Kwon; Yuldashev, B.; Yushmanov, I.; Zabołotny, W.; Zaitsev, Yu.; Zamiatin, N. I.; Zanevsky, Yu.; Zhalov, M.; Zhang, Yifei; Zhang, Yu; Zhao, Lei; Zheng, Jiajun; Zheng, Sheng; Zhou, Daicui; Zhou, Jing; Zhu, Xianglei; Zinchenko, A.; Zipper, W.; Żoładź, M.; Zrelov, P.; Zryuev, V.; Zumbruch, P.; Zyzak, M.

2017-03-01

Substantial experimental and theoretical efforts worldwide are devoted to explore the phase diagram of strongly interacting matter. At LHC and top RHIC energies, QCD matter is studied at very high temperatures and nearly vanishing net-baryon densities. There is evidence that a Quark-Gluon-Plasma (QGP) was created at experiments at RHIC and LHC. The transition from the QGP back to the hadron gas is found to be a smooth cross over. For larger net-baryon densities and lower temperatures, it is expected that the QCD phase diagram exhibits a rich structure, such as a first-order phase transition between hadronic and partonic matter which terminates in a critical point, or exotic phases like quarkyonic matter. The discovery of these landmarks would be a breakthrough in our understanding of the strong interaction and is therefore in the focus of various high-energy heavy-ion research programs. The Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment at FAIR will play a unique role in the exploration of the QCD phase diagram in the region of high net-baryon densities, because it is designed to run at unprecedented interaction rates. High-rate operation is the key prerequisite for high-precision measurements of multi-differential observables and of rare diagnostic probes which are sensitive to the dense phase of the nuclear fireball. The goal of the CBM experiment at SIS100 (√{s_{NN}}= 2.7-4.9 GeV) is to discover fundamental properties of QCD matter: the phase structure at large baryon-chemical potentials ( μ_B > 500 MeV), effects of chiral symmetry, and the equation of state at high density as it is expected to occur in the core of neutron stars. In this article, we review the motivation for and the physics programme of CBM, including activities before the start of data taking in 2024, in the context of the worldwide efforts to explore high-density QCD matter.

Radiative bound-state formation in unbroken perturbative non-Abelian theories and implications for dark matter

OpenAIRE

Harz, Julia; Petraki, Kalliopi

2018-01-01

We compute the cross-sections for the radiative capture of non-relativistic particles into bound states, in unbroken perturbative non-Abelian theories. We find that the formation of bound states via emission of a gauge boson can be significant for a variety of dark matter models that feature non-Abelian long-range interactions, including multi-TeV scale WIMPs and dark matter co-annihilating with coloured partners. Our results disagree with previous computations, on the relative sign of the Ab...

Radiative bound-state-formation cross-sections for dark matter interacting via a Yukawa potential

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petraki, Kalliopi [LPTHE, CNRS, UMR 7589,4 Place Jussieu, F-75252, Paris (France); Nikhef,Science Park 105, 1098 XG Amsterdam (Netherlands); Postma, Marieke; Vries, Jordy de [Nikhef,Science Park 105, 1098 XG Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2017-04-13

We calculate the cross-sections for the radiative formation of bound states by dark matter whose interactions are described in the non-relativistic regime by a Yukawa potential. These cross-sections are important for cosmological and phenomenological studies of dark matter with long-range interactions, residing in a hidden sector, as well as for TeV-scale WIMP dark matter. We provide the leading-order contributions to the cross-sections for the dominant capture processes occurring via emission of a vector or a scalar boson. We offer a detailed inspection of their features, including their velocity dependence within and outside the Coulomb regime, and their resonance structure. For pairs of annihilating particles, we compare bound-state formation with annihilation.

Carbon captured from the air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keith, D.

2008-01-01

This article presented an innovative way to achieve the efficient capture of atmospheric carbon. A team of scientists from the University of Calgary's Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy have shown that it is possible to reduce carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) using a simple machine that can capture the trace amount of CO 2 present in ambient air at any place on the planet. The thermodynamics of capturing the small concentrations of CO 2 from the air is only slightly more difficult than capturing much larger concentrations of CO 2 from power plants. The research is significant because it offers a way to capture CO 2 emissions from transportation sources such as vehicles and airplanes, which represent more than half of the greenhouse gases emitted on Earth. The energy efficient and cost effective air capture technology could complement other approaches for reducing emissions from the transportation sector, such as biofuels and electric vehicles. Air capture differs from carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology used at coal-fired power plants where CO 2 is captured and pipelined for permanent storage underground. Air capture can capture the CO 2 that is present in ambient air and store it wherever it is cheapest. The team at the University of Calgary showed that CO 2 could be captured directly from the air with less than 100 kWhrs of electricity per tonne of CO 2 . A custom-built tower was able to capture the equivalent of 20 tonnes per year of CO 2 on a single square meter of scrubbing material. The team devised a way to use a chemical process from the pulp and paper industry to cut the energy cost of air capture in half. Although the technology is only in its early stage, it appears that CO 2 could be captured from the air with an energy demand comparable to that needed for CO 2 capture from conventional power plants, but costs will be higher. The simple, reliable and scalable technology offers an opportunity to build a commercial-scale plant. 1 fig

Thermalization time scales for WIMP capture by the Sun in effective theories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Widmark, A., E-mail: axel.widmark@fysik.su.se [The Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmoparticle Physics, AlbaNova, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden)

2017-05-01

I study the process of dark matter capture by the Sun, under the assumption of a Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP), in the framework of non-relativistic effective field theory. Hypothetically, WIMPs from the galactic halo can scatter against atomic nuclei in the solar interior, settle to thermal equilibrium with the solar core and annihilate to produce an observable flux of neutrinos. In particular, I examine the thermalization process using Monte-Carlo integration of WIMP trajectories. I consider WIMPs in a mass range of 10–1000 GeV and WIMP-nucleon interaction operators with different dependence on spin and transferred momentum. I find that the density profiles of captured WIMPs are in accordance with a thermal profile described by the Sun's gravitational potential and core temperature. Depending on the operator that governs the interaction, the majority of the thermalization time is spent in either the solar interior or exterior. If normalizing the WIMP-nuclei interaction strength to a specific capture rate, I find that the thermalization time differs at most by 3 orders of magnitude between operators. In most cases of interest, the thermalization time is many orders of magnitude shorter than the age of the solar system.

Capturing value from IP in a global environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alcacer, Juan; Beukel, Karin; Cassiman, Bruno

Executive Summary The authors argue that challenges to capturing value from know-how and reputation through the use of different IP tools will be an increasingly important matter of strategy for global enterprises. This has important implications for management practice. Global enterprises...... will need to combine different institutional, market and non-market mechanisms. The precise combination of tools will depend on the local and regional institutional and market conditions. Abstract: This paper documents the strong growth in tools used by firms to protect their intellectual property (IP......), develop their know-how, and build and maintain their reputation globally during the last decades. We focus on three tools: patents, trademarks, and industrial designs. We find that, although most IP applications come from a few countries (the United States, European Union, Japan, China, and South Korea...

Materials For Gas Capture, Methods Of Making Materials For Gas Capture, And Methods Of Capturing Gas

KAUST Repository

Polshettiwar, Vivek

2013-06-20

In accordance with the purpose(s) of the present disclosure, as embodied and broadly described herein, embodiments of the present disclosure, in one aspect, relate to materials that can be used for gas (e.g., CO.sub.2) capture, methods of making materials, methods of capturing gas (e.g., CO.sub.2), and the like, and the like.

Interatomic Coulombic electron capture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gokhberg, K.; Cederbaum, L. S.

2010-01-01

In a previous publication [K. Gokhberg and L. S. Cederbaum, J. Phys. B 42, 231001 (2009)] we presented the interatomic Coulombic electron capture process--an efficient electron capture mechanism by atoms and ions in the presence of an environment. In the present work we derive and discuss the mechanism in detail. We demonstrate thereby that this mechanism belongs to a family of interatomic electron capture processes driven by electron correlation. In these processes the excess energy released in the capture event is transferred to the environment and used to ionize (or to excite) it. This family includes the processes where the capture is into the lowest or into an excited unoccupied orbital of an atom or ion and proceeds in step with the ionization (or excitation) of the environment, as well as the process where an intermediate autoionizing excited resonance state is formed in the capturing center which subsequently deexcites to a stable state transferring its excess energy to the environment. Detailed derivation of the asymptotic cross sections of these processes is presented. The derived expressions make clear that the environment assisted capture processes can be important for many systems. Illustrative examples are presented for a number of model systems for which the data needed to construct the various capture cross sections are available in the literature.

Long-range Self-interacting Dark Matter in the Sun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Jing; Liang, Zheng-Liang; Wu, Yue-Liang; Zhou, Yu-Feng

2015-01-01

We investigate the implications of the long-rang self-interaction on both the self-capture and the annihilation of the self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) trapped in the Sun. Our discussion is based on a specific SIDM model in which DM particles self-interact via a light scalar mediator, or Yukawa potential, in the context of quantum mechanics. Within this framework, we calculate the self-capture rate across a broad region of parameter space. While the self-capture rate can be obtained separately in the Born regime with perturbative method, and in the classical limits with the Rutherford formula, our calculation covers the gap between in a non-perturbative fashion. Besides, the phenomenology of both the Sommerfeld-enhanced s- and p-wave annihilation of the solar SIDM is also involved in our discussion. Moreover, by combining the analysis of the Super-Kamiokande (SK) data and the observed DM relic density, we constrain the nuclear capture rate of the DM particles in the presence of the dark Yukawa potential. The consequence of the long-range dark force on probing the solar SIDM turns out to be significant if the force-carrier is much lighter than the DM particle, and a quantitative analysis is provided

Rare earth elements in suspended and bottom sediments of the Mandovi estuary,central west coast of India: Influence of mining

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Shynu, R.; Rao, V.P.; Kessarkar, P.M.; Rao, T.G.

Rare earth elements (REEs) in the suspended particulate matter (SPM) of the Mandovi estuary indicated that the mean total-REEs and light REE to heavy REE ratios are lower than that of the average suspended sediment in World Rivers and Post...

Scintillating bolometers: A promising tool for rare decays search

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pattavina, L., E-mail: luca.pattavina@mib.infn.it

2013-12-21

The idea of using a scintillating bolometer was first suggested for solar neutrino experiments in 1989. After many years of developments, now we are able to exploit this experimental technique, based on the calorimetric approach with cryogenic particle detectors, to investigate rare events such as Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay and interaction of Dark Matter candidates. The possibility to have high resolution detectors in which a very large part of the natural background can be discriminated with respect to the weak expected signal is very appealing. The goal to distinguish the different types of interactions in the detector can be achieved by means of scintillating bolometer. The simultaneous read-out of the heat and scintillation signals made with two independent bolometers enable this precious feature leading to possible background free experiment. In the frame of the LUCIFER project we report on how exploiting this technique to investigate Double Beta Decay for different isotope candidates. Moreover we demonstrate how scintillating bolometers are suited for investigating other rare events such as α decays of long living isotopes of lead and bismuth.

In vivo collection of rare proteins using kinesin-based "nano-harvesters".

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bachand, Marlene; Bachand, George David; Greene, Adrienne Celeste; Carroll-Portillo, Amanda

2008-11-01

In this project, we have developed a novel platform for capturing, transport, and separating target analytes using the work harnessed from biomolecular transport systems. Nanoharvesters were constructed by co-organizing kinesin motor proteins and antibodies on a nanocrystal quantum dot (nQD) scaffold. Attachment of kinesin and antibodies to the nQD was achieved through biotin-streptavidin non-covalent bonds. Assembly of the nanoharvesters was characterized using a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that confirmed attachment of both proteins. Nanoharvesters selective against tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} (TNF-{alpha}) and nuclear transcription factor-{kappa}B (NF-{kappa}B) were capable of detecting target antigens at <100 ng/mL in ELISAs. A motility-based assay was subsequently developed using an antibody-sandwich approach in which the target antigen (TNF-{alpha}) formed a sandwich with the red-emitting nanoharvester and green-emitting detection nQD. In this format, successful sandwich formation resulted in a yellow emission associated with surface-bound microtubules. Step-wise analysis of sandwich formation suggested that the motility function of the kinesin motors was not adversely affected by either antigen capture or the subsequent binding of the detection nQDs. TNF-{alpha} was detected as low as {approx}1.5 ng/mL TNF-{alpha}, with 5.2% of the nanoharvesters successfully capturing the target analyte and detection nQDs. Overall, these results demonstrate the ability to capture target protein analytes in vitro using the kinesin-based nanoharvesters in nanofluidic environments. This system has direct relevance for lab-on-a-chip applications where pressure-driven or electrokinetic movement of fluids is impractical, and offers potential application for in vivo capture of rare proteins within the cytoplasmic domain of live cells.

Carbon captured from the air

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keith, D. [Calgary Univ., AB (Canada)

2008-10-15

This article presented an innovative way to achieve the efficient capture of atmospheric carbon. A team of scientists from the University of Calgary's Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy have shown that it is possible to reduce carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) using a simple machine that can capture the trace amount of CO{sub 2} present in ambient air at any place on the planet. The thermodynamics of capturing the small concentrations of CO{sub 2} from the air is only slightly more difficult than capturing much larger concentrations of CO{sub 2} from power plants. The research is significant because it offers a way to capture CO{sub 2} emissions from transportation sources such as vehicles and airplanes, which represent more than half of the greenhouse gases emitted on Earth. The energy efficient and cost effective air capture technology could complement other approaches for reducing emissions from the transportation sector, such as biofuels and electric vehicles. Air capture differs from carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology used at coal-fired power plants where CO{sub 2} is captured and pipelined for permanent storage underground. Air capture can capture the CO{sub 2} that is present in ambient air and store it wherever it is cheapest. The team at the University of Calgary showed that CO{sub 2} could be captured directly from the air with less than 100 kWhrs of electricity per tonne of CO{sub 2}. A custom-built tower was able to capture the equivalent of 20 tonnes per year of CO{sub 2} on a single square meter of scrubbing material. The team devised a way to use a chemical process from the pulp and paper industry to cut the energy cost of air capture in half. Although the technology is only in its early stage, it appears that CO{sub 2} could be captured from the air with an energy demand comparable to that needed for CO{sub 2} capture from conventional power plants, but costs will be higher. The simple, reliable and scalable technology

The Architecture of American Slavery: Teaching the Black Lives Matter Movement to Architects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine Zipf

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The spatial dynamics surrounding the murder of Trayvon Martin are rarely discussed in architecture schools. Yet, the racial biases in our landscape are key to the agenda of the Black Lives Matter movement. This article tells the story of how these issues found their way into a course on the architecture of American slavery.  As the semester progressed, students discovered how the remnants of slave spaces, along with the racial biases they embodied, have contributed to the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Benefit of the use of rare earths for the control of light water power reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathelot, P.

1959-01-01

After having given an overview of the various technical or economic drawbacks of different materials used to control the operation of light water nuclear reactors, the author indicates the benefit of using rare earths for this purpose: high capture cross sections, high and large resonances, and longer lifetime. After a table indicating nuclear characteristics of control materials and of recommended materials, the authors describe how the values for the recommended materials issues are theoretically obtained

Rare gases adsorption and separation on silver doped adsorbent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deliere, Ludovic

2015-01-01

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) implements means for detecting nuclear tests in an International Monitoring System (IMS). The Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA) has developed in the mid-90's, the SPALAX system (Systeme de Prelevement d'Air en Ligne avec l'Analyse des radioXenons). Xenon analysis, including radioactive isotopes from the fission reaction during the explosion, requires the development of highly efficient process for xenon concentration. In this work, the adsorption and diffusion phenomena of noble gases are studied in silver exchanged ZSM-5 zeolite. The 'experience/Monte Carlo simulation' coupling is used to determine the essential thermodynamic data on the adsorption of noble gases and to characterize the adsorption sites. The presence of a strong adsorption site, identified as silver nanoparticles and intervening at low concentration of noble gases (including xenon and radon) in some silver exchanged zeolites, achieves adsorption and selectivity performance to date unrivaled. These results allow considering their use in many critical applications in the field of capture and separation of rare gases: rare gas industrial production, reprocessing of spent fuel from gas, radon in air pollution control. (author) [fr

NEW RARE EARTH ELEMENT ABUNDANCE DISTRIBUTIONS FOR THE SUN AND FIVE r-PROCESS-RICH VERY METAL-POOR STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sneden, Christopher; Lawler, James E.; Den Hartog, Elizabeth A.; Cowan, John J.; Ivans, Inese I.

2009-01-01

We have derived new abundances of the rare earth elements Pr, Dy, Tm, Yb, and Lu for the solar photosphere and for five very metal-poor, neutron-capture r-process-rich giant stars. The photospheric values for all five elements are in good agreement with meteoritic abundances. For the low-metallicity sample, these abundances have been combined with new Ce abundances from a companion paper, and reconsideration of a few other elements in individual stars, to produce internally consistent Ba, rare earth, and Hf (56 ≤ Z ≤ 72) element distributions. These have been used in a critical comparison between stellar and solar r-process abundance mixes.

Rare copy number deletions predict individual variation in intelligence.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ronald A Yeo

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Phenotypic variation in human intellectual functioning shows substantial heritability, as demonstrated by a long history of behavior genetic studies. Many recent molecular genetic studies have attempted to uncover specific genetic variations responsible for this heritability, but identified effects capture little variance and have proven difficult to replicate. The present study, motivated an interest in "mutation load" emerging from evolutionary perspectives, examined the importance of the number of rare (or infrequent copy number variations (CNVs, and the total number of base pairs included in such deletions, for psychometric intelligence. Genetic data was collected using the Illumina 1MDuoBeadChip Array from a sample of 202 adult individuals with alcohol dependence, and a subset of these (N = 77 had been administered the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI. After removing CNV outliers, the impact of rare genetic deletions on psychometric intelligence was investigated in 74 individuals. The total length of the rare deletions significantly and negatively predicted intelligence (r = -.30, p = .01. As prior studies have indicated greater heritability in individuals with relatively higher parental socioeconomic status (SES, we also examined the impact of ethnicity (Anglo/White vs. Other, as a proxy measure of SES; these groups did not differ on any genetic variable. This categorical variable significantly moderated the effect of length of deletions on intelligence, with larger effects being noted in the Anglo/White group. Overall, these results suggest that rare deletions (between 5% and 1% population frequency or less adversely affect intellectual functioning, and that pleotropic effects might partly account for the association of intelligence with health and mental health status. Significant limitations of this research, including issues of generalizability and CNV measurement, are discussed.

Rare Copy Number Deletions Predict Individual Variation in Intelligence

Science.gov (United States)

Yeo, Ronald A.; Gangestad, Steven W.; Liu, Jingyu; Calhoun, Vince D.; Hutchison, Kent E.

2011-01-01

Phenotypic variation in human intellectual functioning shows substantial heritability, as demonstrated by a long history of behavior genetic studies. Many recent molecular genetic studies have attempted to uncover specific genetic variations responsible for this heritability, but identified effects capture little variance and have proven difficult to replicate. The present study, motivated an interest in “mutation load” emerging from evolutionary perspectives, examined the importance of the number of rare (or infrequent) copy number variations (CNVs), and the total number of base pairs included in such deletions, for psychometric intelligence. Genetic data was collected using the Illumina 1MDuoBeadChip Array from a sample of 202 adult individuals with alcohol dependence, and a subset of these (N = 77) had been administered the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI). After removing CNV outliers, the impact of rare genetic deletions on psychometric intelligence was investigated in 74 individuals. The total length of the rare deletions significantly and negatively predicted intelligence (r = −.30, p = .01). As prior studies have indicated greater heritability in individuals with relatively higher parental socioeconomic status (SES), we also examined the impact of ethnicity (Anglo/White vs. Other), as a proxy measure of SES; these groups did not differ on any genetic variable. This categorical variable significantly moderated the effect of length of deletions on intelligence, with larger effects being noted in the Anglo/White group. Overall, these results suggest that rare deletions (between 5% and 1% population frequency or less) adversely affect intellectual functioning, and that pleotropic effects might partly account for the association of intelligence with health and mental health status. Significant limitations of this research, including issues of generalizability and CNV measurement, are discussed. PMID:21298096

Rare Particle Searches with the high altitude SLIM experiment

CERN Document Server

Balestra, S; Fabbri, F; Giacomelli, G; Giacomelli, R; Giorgini, M; Kumar, A; Manzoor, S; McDonald, J; Margiotta, A; Medinaceli, E; Nogales, J; Patrizii, L; Popa, V; Quereshi, I; Saavedra, O; Sher, G; Shahzad, M; Spurio, M; Ticona, R; Togo, V; Velarde, A; Zanini, A

2005-01-01

The search for rare particles in the cosmic radiation remains one of the main aims of non-accelerator particle astrophysics. Experiments at high altitude allow lower mass thresholds with respect to detectors at sea level or underground. The SLIM experiment is a large array of nuclear track detectors located at the Chacaltaya High Altitude Laboratory (5290 m a.s.l.). The preliminary results from the analysis of a part of the first 236 sq.m exposed for more than 3.6 y are here reported. The detector is sensitive to Intermediate Mass Magnetic Monopoles and to SQM nuggets and Q-balls, which are possible Dark Matter candidates.

Cellulose-Supported Ionic Liquids for Low-Cost Pressure Swing CO{sub 2} Capture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reed, Daniel G.; Dowson, George R. M.; Styring, Peter, E-mail: p.styring@sheffield.ac.uk [UK Centre for Carbon Dioxide Utilisation, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield (United Kingdom)

2017-07-07

Reducing the cost of capturing CO{sub 2} from point source emitters is a major challenge facing carbon capture, utilization, and storage. While solid ionic liquids (SoILs) have been shown to allow selective and rapid CO{sub 2} capture by pressure swing separation of flue gases, expectations of their high cost hinders their potential application. Cellulose is found to be a reliable, cheap, and sustainable support for a range of SoILs, reducing the total sorbent cost by improving the efficiency of the ionic liquid (IL) through increased ionic surface area that results from coating. It was also found that cellulose support imparts surface characteristics, which increased total sorbent uptake. Combined, these effects allowed a fourfold to eightfold improvement in uptake per gram of IL for SoILs that have previously shown high uptake and a 9- to 39-fold improvement for those with previously poor uptake. This offers the potential to drastically reduce the amount of IL required to separate a given gas volume. Furthermore, the fast kinetics are retained, with adsorb–desorb cycles taking place over a matter of seconds. This means that rapid cycling can be achieved, which results in high cumulative separation capacity relative to a conventional temperature swing process. The supported materials show an optimum at 75% cellulose:25% IL as a result of even coating of the cellulose surface. The projected reduction in plant size and operational costs represents a potentially ground-breaking step forward in carbon dioxide capture technologies.

Enhanced Laser Cooling of Rare-Earth-Ion-Doped Glass Containing Nanometer-Sized Metallic Particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia Youhua; Zhong Biao; Yin Jianping

2009-01-01

The enhanced laser cooling performance of rare-earth-ions-doped glasses containing small particles is predicted. This is achieved by the enhancement of local field around rare earth ions, owing to the surface plasmon resonance of small metallic particles. The role of energy transfer between ions and the particle is theoretical discussed. Depending on the particle size and the ion emission quantum efficiency, the enhancement of the absorption and the fluorescence is predicted. Moreover, taking Yb 3+ -doped ZBLAN as example, the cooling power and heat-light converting efficiency are calculated. It is finally concluded that the absorption and the fluorescence are greatly enhanced in these composite materials, the cooling power is increased compared to the bulk material. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Enhanced selectivity in mixed matrix membranes for CO2 capture through efficient dispersion of amine-functionalized MOF nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Ghalei, Behnam; Sakurai, Kento; Kinoshita, Yosuke; Wakimoto, Kazuki; Isfahani, Ali Pournaghshband; Song, Qilei; Doitomi, Kazuki; Furukawa, Shuhei; Hirao, Hajime; Kusuda, Hiromu; Kitagawa, Susumu; Sivaniah, Easan

2017-07-01

Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) for gas separation applications have enhanced selectivity when compared with the pure polymer matrix, but are commonly reported with low intrinsic permeability, which has major cost implications for implementation of membrane technologies in large-scale carbon capture projects. High-permeability polymers rarely generate sufficient selectivity for energy-efficient CO2 capture. Here we report substantial selectivity enhancements within high-permeability polymers as a result of the efficient dispersion of amine-functionalized, nanosized metal-organic framework (MOF) additives. The enhancement effects under optimal mixing conditions occur with minimal loss in overall permeability. Nanosizing of the MOF enhances its dispersion within the polymer matrix to minimize non-selective microvoid formation around the particles. Amination of such MOFs increases their interaction with thepolymer matrix, resulting in a measured rigidification and enhanced selectivity of the overall composite. The optimal MOF MMM performance was verified in three different polymer systems, and also over pressure and temperature ranges suitable for carbon capture.

Rare earth sulfates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komissarova, L.N.; Shatskij, V.M.; Pokrovskij, A.N.; Chizhov, S.M.; Bal'kina, T.I.; Suponitskij, Yu.L.

1986-01-01

Results of experimental works on the study of synthesis conditions, structure and physico-chemical properties of rare earth, scandium and yttrium sulfates, have been generalized. Phase diagrams of solubility and fusibility, thermodynamic and crystallochemical characteristics, thermal stability of hydrates and anhydrous sulfates of rare earths, including normal, double (with cations of alkali and alkaline-earth metals), ternary and anion-mixed sulfates of rare earths, as well as their adducts, are considered. The state of ions of rare earths, scandium and yttrium in aqueous sulfuric acid solutions is discussed. Data on the use of rare earth sulfates are given

Grey matter alterations in patients with Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration (PKAN).

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez-Raecke, Rea; Roa-Sanchez, Pedro; Speckter, Herwin; Fermin-Delgado, Rafael; Perez-Then, Eddy; Oviedo, Jairo; Stoeter, Peter

2014-09-01

Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration (PKAN) is a rare heritable disease marked by dystonia and loss of movement control. In contrast to the well-known "Eye-of-the-Tiger" sign affecting the globus pallidus, little is known about other deviations of brain morphology, especially about grey matter changes. We investigated 29 patients with PKAN and 29 age-matched healthy controls using Magnet Resonance Imaging and Voxel-Based Morphometry. As compared to controls, children with PKAN showed increased grey matter density in the putamen and nucleus caudatus and adults with PKAN showed increased grey matter density in the ventral part of the anterior cingulate cortex. A multiple regression analysis with dystonia score as predictor showed grey matter reduction in the cerebellum, posterior cingulate cortex, superior parietal lobule, pars triangularis and small frontal and temporal areas and an analysis with age as predictor showed grey matter decreases in the putamen, nucleus caudatus, supplementary motor area and anterior cingulate cortex. The grey matter increases may be regarded as a secondary phenomenon compensating the increased activity of the motor system due to a reduced inhibitory output of the globus pallidus. With increasing age, the grey matter reduction of cortical midline structures however might contribute to the progression of dystonic symptoms due to loss of this compensatory control. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rare lung cancers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berzinec, P.

2013-01-01

The RARECARE Project (Rare Cancers in the Europe) supported by the European Union defined the rare cancers by the incidence rate of less than 6/100 000. There are several variants of lung cancer which are rare according to this definition. From the clinical point of view the most interesting are the rare adenocarcinomas and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. There are important differences in the diagnostic probability of EGFR and ALK mutations in the mutinous and non-mucin ous adenocarcinomas, in the signet ring cell adenocarcinomas, and large cell carcinomas. The optimal chemotherapy for neuroendocrine large cell carcinomas remains undefined. There is only very limited number of clinical trials aimed on the rare lung cancers and actually none phase III trial. Rare lung cancers continue to be a challenge both for the laboratory and the clinical research. (author)

[Search for strange quark matter and antimatter produced in high energy heavy ion collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

This document describes the development and progress of our group's research program in high energy heavy ion physics. We are a subset of the Yale experimental high energy physics effort (YAUG group) who became interested in the physics of high energy heavy ions in 1988. Our interest began with the possibility of performing significant searches for strange quark matter. As we learned more about the subject and as we gained experimental experience through our participation in AGS experiment 814, our interests have broadened. Our program has focused on the study of new particles, including (but not exclusively) strange quark matter, and the high sensitivity measurement of other composite nuclear systems such as antinuclei and various light nuclei. The importance of measurements of the known, but rare, nuclear systems lies in the study of production mechanisms. A good understanding of the physics and phenomenology of rare composite particle production in essential for the interpretation of limits to strange quark matter searches. We believe that such studies will also be useful in probing the mechanisms involved in the collision process itself. We have been involved in the running and data analysis for AGS E814. We have also worked on the R ampersand D for AGS E864, which is an approved experiment designed to reach sensitivities where there will be a good chance of discovering strangelets or of setting significant limits on the parameters of strange quark matter

Detection and capture of single circulating melanoma cells using photoacoustic flowmetry

Science.gov (United States)

O'Brien, Christine; Mosley, Jeffrey; Goldschmidt, Benjamin S.; Viator, John A.

2010-02-01

Photoacoustic flowmetry has been used to detect single circulating melanoma cells in vitro. Circulating melanoma cells are those cells that travel in the blood and lymph systems to create secondary tumors and are the hallmark of metastasis. This technique involves taking blood samples from patients, separating the white blood and melanoma cells from whole blood and irradiating them with a pulsed laser in a flowmetry set up. Rapid, visible wavelength laser pulses on the order of 5 ns can induce photoacoustic waves in melanoma cells due to their melanin content, while surrounding white blood cells remain acoustically passive. We have developed a system that identifies rare melanoma cells and captures them in 50 microliter volumes using suction applied near the photoacoustic detection chamber. The 50 microliter sample is then diluted and the experiment is repeated using the new sample until only a melanoma cell remains. We have tested this system on dyed microspheres ranging in size from 300 to 500 microns. Capture of circulating melanoma cells may provide the opportunity to study metastatic cells for basic understanding of the spread of cancer and to optimize patient specific therapies.

First-principles study of rare-earth (RE) cobaltites (RE=Nd,Sm,Gd,Dy,Er,Lu)

Science.gov (United States)

Topsakal, M.; Wentzcovitch, R. M.

2014-12-01

The lanthanide series of the periodic table comprises 15 members ranging from Lanthanum (La) to Lutetium (Lu). Although they are more abundant than silver, and some of them are more abundant than lead, they are known as rare-earth (RE) elements. The "rare" in their name refers to the difficulty of obtaining the pure elements, not to their abundances in nature. They are never found as free metals in the Earth's crust and do not exist as pure minerals. Using first-principles plane-wave calculations, we investigate the structural and electronic properties of rare-earth cobaltites (RECoO3). Structurally consistent Hubbard U treatment was shown to essential for proper description of strongly correlated cobalt-d electrons. We successfully capture the experimentally observed structural trends and give first-principles insights on interesting phenomena related with the cobalt spin state change. It was demonstrated that increase of crystal-field splitting energy between eg-t2g orbitals and shrinking of unoccupied σ*-bonding eg bands are responsible for the increase of onset spin-state transition temperature along the series.

Colloid remediation in groundwater by polyelectrolyte capture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nuttall, H.E.; Rao, S.; Jain, R.

1992-01-01

This paper describes an ongoing study to characterize groundwater colloids, to understand the geochemical factors affecting colloid transport in groundwater, and to develop an in-situ colloid remediation process. The colloids and suspended particulate matter used in this study were collected from a perched aquifer site that has radiation levels several hundred times the natural background and where previous researchers have measured and reported the presence of radiocolloids containing plutonium and americium. At this site, radionuclides have spread over several kilometers. Inorganic colloids collected from water samples are characterized with respect to concentration, mineralogy, size distribution, electrophoretic mobility (zeta potential), and radioactivity levels. Presented are the methods used to investigate the physiochemical factors affecting colloid transport and the preliminary analytical results. Included below are a description of a colloid transport model and the corresponding computational code, water analyses, characterization of the inorganic colloids, and a conceptual description of a process for in-situ colloid remediation using the phenomenon of polyelectrolyte capture

White matter involvement in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Caverzasi, Eduardo; Mandelli, Maria Luisa; DeArmond, Stephen J; Hess, Christopher P; Vitali, Paolo; Papinutto, Nico; Oehler, Abby; Miller, Bruce L; Lobach, Irina V; Bastianello, Stefano; Geschwind, Michael D; Henry, Roland G

2014-12-01

diffusivity, however, was apparent visibly on the quantitative attenuation coefficient maps compared to healthy control subjects. Neuropathological analysis showed diffuse astrocytic gliosis and activated microglia in the white matter, rare prion deposition and subtle subcortical microvacuolization, and patchy foci of demyelination with no evident white matter axonal degeneration. Decreased mean diffusivity on attenuation coefficient maps might be associated with astrocytic gliosis. We show for the first time significant global reduced mean diffusivity within the white matter in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, suggesting possible primary involvement of the white matter, rather than changes secondary to neuronal degeneration/loss. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain.

Rare metal and rare earth pegmatites of Western India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maithani, P.B.; Nagar, R.K.

1999-01-01

Rajasthan Mica Belt in western India is one of the three major mica-producing Proterozoic pegmatite belts of India, the others being in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. The pegmatites of these mica belts, in general, are associated with the rare metal (RM) and rare earth element (REE)-bearing minerals like columbite-tantalite, beryl, lepidolite and other multiple oxides. RM-REE pegmatites of Gujarat are devoid of commercially workable mica. These pegmatites are geologically characterised in this paper, based on their association with granite plutons geochemistry, and RM and REE potential. In addition to RM and RE-bearing pegmatites, granites of the Umedpur area, Gujarat also show anomalous concentration (0.97 wt%) of rare metals (6431 ppm Nb, 1266 ppm Ta, 454 ppm Sn, 173 ppm W), (1098 ppm Ce 1.36% Y 2 O 3 ) rare earths, and uranium (0.40% eU 3 O 8 ). Eluvial concentrations in the soil and panned concentrate (0.04-0.28 wt%) analysed up to 7.4%Nb 2 O 5 , 836 ppm Ta, and 1.31% Y. Discrete columbite-tantalite and betafite have been identified in these concentrates in addition to other minerals like zircon, rutile, sphene and xenotime. This area with discrete RM R EE mineral phases could be significant as a non-pegmatite source for rare metal and rare earths. (author)

Hydrate-based technology for CO2 capture from fossil fuel power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Mingjun; Song, Yongchen; Jiang, Lanlan; Zhao, Yuechao; Ruan, Xuke; Zhang, Yi; Wang, Shanrong

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: Application of hydrate based technology on carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS). - Highlights: • Hydrate-based CO 2 –N 2 separation data was obtained for flow in porous media. • Tetrahydrofuran and sodium dodecyl sulphate are used as additives simultaneously. • Solution movement rarely occurs when residual solution saturations are low. • Bothe of pressure and temperature have remarkable impacts on gas compositions. • A suitable operation parameter choice is proposed for hydrate-based CO 2 capture. - Abstract: Hydrate-based CO 2 capture is a promising technology. To obtain fundamental data for a flowing system, we measured the distribution of pore solution to analyse hydrate formation/dissociation and gas separation properties. An orthogonal experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of glass beads, flow rates, pressures and temperatures on it. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images were obtained using a spin echo multi-slice pulse sequence. Hydrate saturations were calculated quantitatively using an MRI mean intensity. The results show that hydrate blockages were frequently present. During the hydrate formation and dissociation process, the movement of the solution occurred in cycles. However, the solution movement rarely occurred for residual solution saturations obtained with a high backpressure. The solution concentrate phenomenon occurred mostly in BZ-04. The highest hydrate saturation was 30.2%, and the lowest was 0.70%. Unlike that in BZ-01, there was no stability present in BZ-02 and BZ-04. The different CO 2 concentrations for the three processes of each cycle verified hydrate formation during the gas flow process. The highest CO 2 concentration was 38.8%, and the lowest one was 11.4%. To obtain high hydrate saturation and good separation effects, the values of 5.00 MPa, 1.0 ml min −1 and 280.00 K were chosen. For the gas flow process, only the pressure had a significant impact on gas composition, and all

Restoration of rare earth mine areas: organic amendments and phytoremediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Lingyan; Li, Zhaolong; Liu, Wen; Liu, Shenghong; Zhang, Limin; Zhong, Liyan; Luo, Ximei; Liang, Hong

2015-11-01

Overexploitation of rare earth mine has caused serious desertification and various environmental issues, and ecological restoration of a mining area is an important concern in China. In this study, experiments involving dry grass landfilling, chicken manure broadcasting, and plant cultivation were carried out to reclaim a rare earth mine area located in Heping County, Guangdong Province, China. The prime focus was to improve soil quality in terms of nutrients, microbial community, enzyme activity, and physicochemical properties so as to reclaim the land. After 2 years of restoration, an increase of organic matter (OM), available potassium (K), available phosphorus (P) levels, and acid phosphatase (ACP) activity and a reduction of the available nitrogen (N) level and urease (URE) activity in soil were achieved compared to the original mined land. The nutrients and enzyme activities in soil with 5 years of restoration were close to or surpass those in the unexploited land as control. The bulk density, total porosity, water holding capacity, pH, and electrical conductivity (EC) of soil were improved, and the number of cultivable microorganisms and the bacterial diversity in soil were greatly increased with time during ecological restoration, especially for surface soil. Furthermore, the artificial vegetation stably grew at the restored mining sites. The results indicated that organic amendments and phytoremediation could ecologically restore the rare earth mining sites and the mined land could finally be planted as farmland.

Evaluation of trap capture in a geographically closed population of brown treesnakes on Guam

Science.gov (United States)

Tyrrell, C.L.; Christy, M.T.; Rodda, G.H.; Yackel Adams, A.A.; Ellingson, A.R.; Savidge, J.A.; Dean-Bradley, K.; Bischof, R.

2009-01-01

1. Open population mark-recapture analysis of unbounded populations accommodates some types of closure violations (e.g. emigration, immigration). In contrast, closed population analysis of such populations readily allows estimation of capture heterogeneity and behavioural response, but requires crucial assumptions about closure (e.g. no permanent emigration) that are suspect and rarely tested empirically. 2. In 2003, we erected a double-sided barrier to prevent movement of snakes in or out of a 5-ha semi-forested study site in northern Guam. This geographically closed population of >100 snakes was monitored using a series of transects for visual searches and a 13 ?? 13 trapping array, with the aim of marking all snakes within the site. Forty-five marked snakes were also supplemented into the resident population to quantify the efficacy of our sampling methods. We used the program mark to analyse trap captures (101 occasions), referenced to census data from visual surveys, and quantified heterogeneity, behavioural response, and size bias in trappability. Analytical inclusion of untrapped individuals greatly improved precision in the estimation of some covariate effects. 3. A novel discovery was that trap captures for individual snakes consisted of asynchronous bouts of high capture probability lasting about 7 days (ephemeral behavioural effect). There was modest behavioural response (trap happiness) and significant latent (unexplained) heterogeneity, with small influences on capture success of date, gender, residency status (translocated or not), and body condition. 4. Trapping was shown to be an effective tool for eradicating large brown treesnakes Boiga irregularis (>900 mm snout-vent length, SVL). 5. Synthesis and applications. Mark-recapture modelling is commonly used by ecological managers to estimate populations. However, existing models involve making assumptions about either closure violations or response to capture. Physical closure of our population on a

Methods for removing contaminant matter from a porous material

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Robert V [Idaho Falls, ID; Avci, Recep [Bozeman, MT; Groenewold, Gary S [Idaho Falls, ID

2010-11-16

Methods of removing contaminant matter from porous materials include applying a polymer material to a contaminated surface, irradiating the contaminated surface to cause redistribution of contaminant matter, and removing at least a portion of the polymer material from the surface. Systems for decontaminating a contaminated structure comprising porous material include a radiation device configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward a surface of a structure, and at least one spray device configured to apply a capture material onto the surface of the structure. Polymer materials that can be used in such methods and systems include polyphosphazine-based polymer materials having polyphosphazine backbone segments and side chain groups that include selected functional groups. The selected functional groups may include iminos, oximes, carboxylates, sulfonates, .beta.-diketones, phosphine sulfides, phosphates, phosphites, phosphonates, phosphinates, phosphine oxides, monothio phosphinic acids, and dithio phosphinic acids.

The hidden-Markov brain: comparison and inference of white matter hyperintensities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Science.gov (United States)

Pham, Tuan D.; Salvetti, Federica; Wang, Bing; Diani, Marco; Heindel, Walter; Knecht, Stefan; Wersching, Heike; Baune, Bernhard T.; Berger, Klaus

2011-02-01

Rating and quantification of cerebral white matter hyperintensities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are important tasks in various clinical and scientific settings. As manual evaluation is time consuming and imprecise, much effort has been made to automate the quantification of white matter hyperintensities. There is rarely any report that attempts to study the similarity/dissimilarity of white matter hyperintensity patterns that have different sizes, shapes and spatial localizations on the MRI. This paper proposes an original computational neuroscience framework for such a conceptual study with a standpoint that the prior knowledge about white matter hyperintensities can be accumulated and utilized to enable a reliable inference of the rating of a new white matter hyperintensity observation. This computational approach for rating inference of white matter hyperintensities, which appears to be the first study, can be utilized as a computerized rating-assisting tool and can be very economical for diagnostic evaluation of brain tissue lesions.

Rare earths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

The conference was held from September 12 to 13, 1984 in Jetrichovice, Czechoslovakia. The participants heard 16 papers of which 4 were inputted in INIS. These papers dealt with industrial separation processes of rare earths, the use of chemical methods of separation from the concentrate of apatite and bastnesite, the effect of the relative permittivity of solvents in the elution of rare earth elements from a cation exchanger, and the determination of the content of different rare earth elements using X-ray fluorescence analysis and atomic absorption spectroscopy. (E.S.)

The search for Dark Matter in our galaxy; Suche nach Dunkler Materie in unserer Galaxie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eitel, K. [Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH Technik und Umwelt (Germany). Inst. fuer Kernphysik; Boer, W. de [Karlsruhe Univ. (T.H.) (Germany). Inst. fuer Experimentelle Kernphysik

2007-07-01

The matter content in galaxies like the Milky Way as well as in the entire Universe is dominated by Dark Matter (DM). The nature of this DM is one of the great enigmas of modern astroparticle physics. A promising candidate for this DM is a weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP). DM can then be detected directly via rare elastic collisions of WIMPs with atomic nuclei in a well shielded underground detector or via the decay products from the annihilation of two WIMPs. Energetic gamma rays in cosmic radiation might therefore indicate an indirect signal of DM particles in our galaxy. We present two experimental approaches to search for WIMP Dark Matter. (orig.)

Small Particles Intact Capture Experiment (SPICE)

Science.gov (United States)

Nishioka, Ken-Ji; Carle, G. C.; Bunch, T. E.; Mendez, David J.; Ryder, J. T.

1994-01-01

The Small Particles Intact Capture Experiment (SPICE) will develop technologies and engineering techniques necessary to capture nearly intact, uncontaminated cosmic and interplanetary dust particles (IDP's). Successful capture of such particles will benefit the exobiology and planetary science communities by providing particulate samples that may have survived unaltered since the formation of the solar system. Characterization of these particles may contribute fundamental data to our knowledge of how these particles could have formed into our planet Earth and, perhaps, contributed to the beginnings of life. The term 'uncontaminated' means that captured cosmic and IDP particles are free of organic contamination from the capture process and the term 'nearly intact capture' means that their chemical and elemental components are not materially altered during capture. The key to capturing cosmic and IDP particles that are organic-contamination free and nearly intact is the capture medium. Initial screening of capture media included organic foams, multiple thin foil layers, and aerogel (a silica gel); but, with the exception of aerogel, the requirements of no contamination or nearly intact capture were not met. To ensure no contamination of particles in the capture process, high-purity aerogel was chosen. High-purity aerogel results in high clarity (visual clearness), a useful quality in detection and recovery of embedded captured particles from the aerogel. P. Tsou at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) originally described the use of aerogel for this purpose and reported laboratory test results. He has flown aerogel as a 'GAS-can Lid' payload on STS-47 and is evaluating the results. The Timeband Capture Cell Experiment (TICCE), a Eureca 1 experiment, is also flying aerogel and is scheduled for recovery in late April.

Constraints on light mediators: confronting dark matter searches with B physics

CERN Document Server

Schmidt-Hoberg, Kai; Winkler, Martin Wolfgang

2013-01-01

Light scalars appear in many well-motivated extensions of the Standard Model including supersymmetric models with additional gauge singlets. Such scalars could mediate the interactions between dark matter and nuclei, giving rise to the tentative signals observed by several dark matter direct detection experiments including CDMS-Si. In this letter, we derive strong new limits on light scalar mediators by using the LHCb, Belle and BaBar searches for rare $\\Upsilon$ and B decays. These limits rule out significant parts of the parameter space favored by CDMS-Si. Nevertheless, as current searches are not optimized for investigating weakly coupled light scalars, a further increase in experimental sensitivity could be achieved by relaxing requirements in the event selection.

Constraints on light mediators. Confronting dark matter searches with B physics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmidt-Hoberg, Kai [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Staub, Florian [Bonn Univ. (Germany). Bethe Center for Theoretical Physics; Bonn Univ. (Germany). Physikalisches Inst.; Winkler, Martin Wolfgang [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)

2013-11-15

Light scalars appear in many well-motivated extensions of the Standard Model including supersymmetric models with additional gauge singlets. Such scalars could mediate the interactions between dark matter and nuclei, giving rise to the tentative signals observed by several dark matter direct detection experiments including CDMS-Si. In this letter, we derive strong new limits on light scalar mediators by using the LHCb, Belle and BaBar searches for rare {Upsilon} and B decays. These limits rule out significant parts of the parameter space favored by CDMS-Si. Nevertheless, as current searches are not optimized for investigating weakly coupled light scalars, a further increase in experimental sensitivity could be achieved by relaxing requirements in the event selection.

Search of 2K(2ν) capture in 78 Kr and 124 Xe by means of wall-less proportional counters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volchenko, G.V.; Gavrilyuk, Yu.M.; Kuz'minov, V.V.; Osetrova, N.Ya.; Ratkevich, S.S.

1998-01-01

The technique of the experiment on the double two-neutrino K-capture search in isotopes of rare gases 78 Kr and 124 Xe is described. Multiwire wall-less proportional counters of a large volume are used in this experiment. Methods of decreasing the counter background noise in the energy range 10-100 keV are considered. These methods are based on the discrimination of events on the coordinate along the anode filament and the pulse rise time. The sensitivity of the experimental installation is estimated according to the half-life 78 Kr (1.2 x 10 21 years) and 124 Xe (2.6 x 10 20 years) with respect to the 2K(2ν) capture (68% certain level)

Laser capture microdissection: Arcturus(XT) infrared capture and UV cutting methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallagher, Rosa I; Blakely, Steven R; Liotta, Lance A; Espina, Virginia

2012-01-01

Laser capture microdissection (LCM) is a technique that allows the precise procurement of enriched cell populations from a heterogeneous tissue under direct microscopic visualization. LCM can be used to harvest the cells of interest directly or can be used to isolate specific cells by ablating the unwanted cells, resulting in histologically enriched cell populations. The fundamental components of laser microdissection technology are (a) visualization of the cells of interest via microscopy, (b) transfer of laser energy to a thermolabile polymer with either the formation of a polymer-cell composite (capture method) or transfer of laser energy via an ultraviolet laser to photovolatize a region of tissue (cutting method), and (c) removal of cells of interest from the heterogeneous tissue section. Laser energy supplied by LCM instruments can be infrared (810 nm) or ultraviolet (355 nm). Infrared lasers melt thermolabile polymers for cell capture, whereas ultraviolet lasers ablate cells for either removal of unwanted cells or excision of a defined area of cells. LCM technology is applicable to an array of applications including mass spectrometry, DNA genotyping and loss-of-heterozygosity analysis, RNA transcript profiling, cDNA library generation, proteomics discovery, and signal kinase pathway profiling. This chapter describes the unique features of the Arcturus(XT) laser capture microdissection instrument, which incorporates both infrared capture and ultraviolet cutting technology in one instrument, using a proteomic downstream assay as a model.

The problem of latent attentional capture: Easy visual search conceals capture by task-irrelevant abrupt onsets.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaspelin, Nicholas; Ruthruff, Eric; Lien, Mei-Ching

2016-08-01

Researchers are sharply divided regarding whether irrelevant abrupt onsets capture spatial attention. Numerous studies report that they do and a roughly equal number report that they do not. This puzzle has inspired numerous attempts at reconciliation, none gaining general acceptance. The authors propose that abrupt onsets routinely capture attention, but the size of observed capture effects depends critically on how long attention dwells on distractor items which, in turn, depends critically on search difficulty. In a series of spatial cuing experiments, the authors show that irrelevant abrupt onsets produce robust capture effects when visual search is difficult, but not when search is easy. Critically, this effect occurs even when search difficulty varies randomly across trials, preventing any strategic adjustments of the attentional set that could modulate probability of capture by the onset cue. The authors argue that easy visual search provides an insensitive test for stimulus-driven capture by abrupt onsets: even though onsets truly capture attention, the effects of capture can be latent. This observation helps to explain previous failures to find capture by onsets, nearly all of which used an easy visual search. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

CO_2 capture with solid sorbent: CFD model of an innovative reactor concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barelli, L.; Bidini, G.; Gallorini, F.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A new reactor solution based on rotating fixed beds was presented. • The preliminary design of the reactor was approached. • A CFD model of the reactor, including CO_2 capture kinetic, was developed. • The CFD model is validated with experimental results. • Sorbent exploitation increasing is possible thanks to the new reactor. - Abstract: In future decarbonization scenarios, CCS with particular reference to post-combustion technologies will be an important option also for energy intensive industries. Nevertheless, today CCS systems are rarely installed due to high energy and cost penalties of current technology based on chemical scrubbing with amine solvent. Therefore, innovative solutions based on new/optimized solvents, sorbents, membranes and new process designs, are R&D priorities. Regarding the CO_2 capture through solid sorbents, a new reactor solution based on rotating fixed beds is presented in this paper. In order to design the innovative system, a suitable CFD model was developed considering also the kinetic capture process. The model was validated with experimental results obtained by the authors in previous research activities, showing a potential reduction of energy penalties respect to current technologies. In the future, the model will be used to identify the control logic of the innovative reactor in order to verify improvements in terms of sorbent exploitation and reduction of system energy consumption.

Study on keV-neutron capture cross sections and capture γ-ray spectra of 117,119Sn

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishiyama, J.; Igashira, M.; Ohsaki, T.; Kim, G.N.; Chung, W.C.; Ro, T.I.

2006-01-01

The capture cross sections and capture γ-ray spectra of 117,119 Sn were measured in an incident neutron energy region from 10 to 100 keV and at 570 keV, using a 1.5-ns pulsed neutron source by the 7 Li(p,n) 7 Be reaction and a large anti-Compton NaI(Tl) γ-ray spectrometer. A pulse-height weighting technique was applied to observed capture γ-ray pulse-height spectra to derive capture yields. The capture cross sections of 117,119 Sn were obtained with the error of about 5% by using the standard capture cross sections of 197 Au. The present cross sections were compared with previous experimental data and the evaluated values in JENDL-3.3 and ENDF/B-VI. The capture γ-ray spectra of 117,119 Sn were derived by unfolding the observed capture γ-ray pulse-height spectra. The calculations of capture cross sections and capture γ-ray spectra of 117,119 Sn were performed with the EMPIRE-II code. The calculated results were compared with the present experimental ones. (author)

Greater palatine nerve neuropraxia after laryngeal mask insertion: A rare occurrence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jyoti Garg

2017-01-01

Full Text Available With the more frequent use of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA over endotracheal tubes for general anaesthesia, various cranial nerve injuries have been reported recently. We report a rare occurrence of greater palatine nerve (GPN palsy subsequent to the use of LMA Supreme™ in a young female scheduled for hand surgery. Although the exact mechanism of a nerve injury is still a matter of further research, we postulate pressure neuropraxia of GPN as a causative factor in the development of numbness over the hard palate after the removal of LMA in the post operative period.

A dark-matter search using the final CDMS II dataset and a novel detector of surface radiocontamination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmed, Zeeshan [California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)

2012-01-01

Substantial evidence from galaxies, galaxy clusters, and cosmological scales suggests that ~85% of the matter of our universe is invisible. The missing matter, or "dark matter" is likely composed of non-relativistic, non-baryonic particles, which have very rare interactions with baryonic matter and with one another. Among dark matter candidates, Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) are particularly well motivated. In the early universe, thermally produced particles with weak-scale mass and interactions would `freeze out’ at the correct density to be dark matter today. Extensions to the Standard Model of particle physics, such as Supersymmetry, which solve gauge hierarchy and coupling unification problems, naturally provide such particles. Interactions of WIMPs with baryons are expected to be rare, but might be detectable in low-noise detectors. The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) experiment uses ionization- and phonon- sensitive germanium particle detectors to search for such interactions. CDMS detectors are operated at the Soudan Underground Laboratory in Minnesota, within a shielded environment to lower cosmogenic and radioactive background. The combination of phonon and ionization signatures from the detectors provides excellent residual-background rejection. This dissertation presents improved techniques for phonon calibration of CDMS II detectors and the analysis of the final CDMS II dataset with 612 kg-days of exposure. We set a limit of 3.8x10$^{-}$44 cm$^{2}$ on WIMP-nucleon spin-independent scattering cross section for a WIMP mass of 70 GeV/c$^{2}$. At the time this analysis was published, these data presented the most stringent limits on WIMP scattering for WIMP masses over 42 GeV/c$^{2}$, ruling out previously unexplored parameter space. Next-generation rare-event searches such as SuperCDMS, COUPP, and CLEAN will be limited in sensitivity, unless they achieve stringent control of the surface radioactive contamination on their detectors. Low

Characteristics of neutron irradiation facility and dose estimation method for neutron capture therapy at Kyoto University research reactor institute

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, T.; Sakurai, Y.; Kanda, K.

2001-01-01

The neutron irradiation characteristics of the Heavy Water Neutron Irradiation Facility (HWNIF) at the Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute (KIJRRI) for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), is described. The present method of dose measurement and its evaluation at the KURRI, is explained. Especially, the special feature and noticeable matters were expounded for the BNCT with craniotomy, which has been applied at present only in Japan. (author)

Thermal dark matter through the Dirac neutrino portal

Science.gov (United States)

Batell, Brian; Han, Tao; McKeen, David; Haghi, Barmak Shams Es

2018-04-01

We study a simple model of thermal dark matter annihilating to standard model neutrinos via the neutrino portal. A (pseudo-)Dirac sterile neutrino serves as a mediator between the visible and the dark sectors, while an approximate lepton number symmetry allows for a large neutrino Yukawa coupling and, in turn, efficient dark matter annihilation. The dark sector consists of two particles, a Dirac fermion and complex scalar, charged under a symmetry that ensures the stability of the dark matter. A generic prediction of the model is a sterile neutrino with a large active-sterile mixing angle that decays primarily invisibly. We derive existing constraints and future projections from direct detection experiments, colliders, rare meson and tau decays, electroweak precision tests, and small scale structure observations. Along with these phenomenological tests, we investigate the consequences of perturbativity and scalar mass fine tuning on the model parameter space. A simple, conservative scheme to confront the various tests with the thermal relic target is outlined, and we demonstrate that much of the cosmologically-motivated parameter space is already constrained. We also identify new probes of this scenario such as multibody kaon decays and Drell-Yan production of W bosons at the LHC.

Basic atomic interactions of accelerated heavy ions in matter atomic interactions of heavy ions

CERN Document Server

Tolstikhina, Inga; Winckler, Nicolas; Shevelko, Viacheslav

2018-01-01

This book provides an overview of the recent experimental and theoretical results on interactions of heavy ions with gaseous, solid and plasma targets from the perspective of atomic physics. The topics discussed comprise stopping power, multiple-electron loss and capture processes, equilibrium and non-equilibrium charge-state fractions in penetration of fast ion beams through matter including relativistic domain. It also addresses mean charge-states and equilibrium target thickness in ion-beam penetrations, isotope effects in low-energy electron capture, lifetimes of heavy ion beams, semi-empirical formulae for effective cross sections. The book is intended for researchers and graduate students working in atomic, plasma and accelerator physics.

Effect of electromagnetic dipole dark matter on energy transport in the solar interior

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geytenbeek, Ben; Rao, Soumya; White, Martin; Williams, Anthony G. [ARC Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics at the Terascale and CSSM, Department of Physics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005 (Australia); Scott, Pat; Vincent, Aaron C. [Department of Physics, Imperial College London, Blackett Laboratory, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Serenelli, Aldo, E-mail: bg364@cam.ac.uk, E-mail: soumya.rao@ncbj.gov.pl, E-mail: p.scott@imperial.ac.uk, E-mail: aldos@ice.csic.es, E-mail: aaron.vincent@imperial.ac.uk, E-mail: martin.white@adelaide.edu.au, E-mail: anthony.williams@adelaide.edu.au [Institute of Space Sciences (IEEC-CSIC), Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans s/n, 08193, Barcelona (Spain)

2017-03-01

In recent years, a revised set of solar abundances has led to a discrepancy in the sound-speed profile between helioseismology and theoretical solar models. Conventional solutions require additional mechanisms for energy transport within the Sun. Vincent et al. have recently suggested that dark matter with a momentum or velocity dependent cross section could provide a solution. In this work, we consider three models of dark matter with such cross sections and their effect on the stellar structure. In particular, the three models incorporate dark matter particles interacting through an electromagnetic dipole moment: an electric dipole, a magnetic dipole or an anapole. Each model is implemented in the DarkStec stellar evolution program, which incorporates the effects of dark matter capture and heat transport within the solar interior. We show that dark matter with an anapole moment of ∼ 1 GeV{sup −2} or magnetic dipole moment of ∼ 10{sup −3}μ {sub p} can improve the sound-speed profile, small frequency separations and convective zone radius with respect to the Standard Solar Model. However, the required dipole moments are strongly excluded by direct detection experiments.

Matter-antimatter and matter-matter interactions at intermediate energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, Antonio Carlos Fontes dos

2002-01-01

This article presents some of the recent experimental advances on the study on antimatter-matter and matter-matter interactions, and some of the subtle differences stimulated a great theoretical efforts for explanation of the results experimentally observed

Marker-Free Human Motion Capture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grest, Daniel

Human Motion Capture is a widely used technique to obtain motion data for animation of virtual characters. Commercial optical motion capture systems are marker-based. This book is about marker-free motion capture and its possibilities to acquire motion from a single viewing direction. The focus...

Geochemistry of rare earth elements in the mainstream of the Yangtze River, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, X.; Zhang, S.; Wang, L.; Zhang, C.

1998-01-01

Water, suspended matter, and sediment samples were taken from 8 locations along the Yangtze River in 1992. The concentration and speciation (exchangeable, bound to carbonates, bound to Fe-Mn oxides, bound to organic matter, and residual forms) of rare earth elements (La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb, and Lu) were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA).The contents of the soluble fraction of REEs in the river are low, and REEs mainly reside in particulate form. In the particles, the chondrite-normalized distribution patterns show significant LREE enrichment and Eu-depletion. While normalized to shales, both sediments and suspended matter samples show relative LREE enrichment and HREE depletion. REEs are relatively enriched in fine-grained fractions of the sediments.exchangeable. About 65 to 85% of REEs in the particles exist in the residual form, and the exchangeable form is very low. High proportions of residual REEs reveal that REEs in sediments and suspended matter are controlled by their abundances in the earth's crust. Carbonate, Fe-Mn oxide and organic fractions of REEs in sediments account for 2.4-6.9%, 5.2-11.1%, and 7.3-14.0% of the total contents respectively. They are similar to those in the suspended matter. This shows that carbonates, Fe-Mn oxides and organic matter play important roles during the particle-water interaction processes. By normalization to shales, the 3 forms of REEs follow convex shapes according to atomic number with middle REE (Sm, Eu, and Tb) enrichment, while light REE and heavy REE are depleted. (Copyright (c) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

Attentional capture by social stimuli in young infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maxie eGluckman

2013-08-01

Full Text Available We investigated the possibility that a range of social stimuli capture the attention of 6-month-old infants when in competition with other non-face objects. Infants viewed a series of six-item arrays in which one target item was a face, body part, or animal as their eye movements were recorded. Stimulus arrays were also processed for relative salience of each item in terms of color, luminance, and amount of contour. Targets were rarely the most visually salient items in the arrays, yet infants’ first looks toward all three target types were above chance, and dwell times for targets exceeded other stimulus types. Girls looked longer at faces than did boys, but there were no sex differences for other stimuli. These results are interpreted in a context of learning to discriminate between different classes of animate stimuli, perhaps in line with affordances for social interaction, and origins of sex differences in social attention.

Stimulus-driven capture and contingent capture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Theeuwes, J.; Olivers, C.N.L.; Belopolsky, A.V.

2010-01-01

Whether or not certain physical events can capture attention has been one of the most debated issues in the study of attention. This discussion is concerned with how goal-directed and stimulus-driven processes interact in perception and cognition. On one extreme of the spectrum is the idea that

Extraction of rare earths from iron-rich rare earth deposits

OpenAIRE

Bisaka, K.; Thobadi, I.C.; Pawlik, C.

2017-01-01

Rare earth metals are classified as critical metals by the United Nations, as they have found wide application in the fabrication of magnets, particularly those used in green energy technologies which mitigate global warming. Processing of ores containing rare earth elements is complex, and differs according to the nature of each ore. In the conventional process, run of mine (ROM) ores are processed in a physical separation plant to produce a concentrate from which rare earth elements are ext...

Renormalization group fixed points of foliated gravity-matter systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biemans, Jorn [Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics (IMAPP),Radboud University Nijmegen,Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen (Netherlands); Platania, Alessia [Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics (IMAPP),Radboud University Nijmegen,Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen (Netherlands); Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Catania,Via S. Sofia 63, 95123 Catania (Italy); INFN, Catania section,Via S. Sofia 64, 95123, Catania (Italy); INAF, Catania Astrophysical Observatory,Via S. Sofia 78, 95123, Catania (Italy); Saueressig, Frank [Institute for Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics (IMAPP),Radboud University Nijmegen,Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen (Netherlands)

2017-05-17

We employ the Arnowitt-Deser-Misner formalism to study the renormalization group flow of gravity minimally coupled to an arbitrary number of scalar, vector, and Dirac fields. The decomposition of the gravitational degrees of freedom into a lapse function, shift vector, and spatial metric equips spacetime with a preferred (Euclidean) “time”-direction. In this work, we provide a detailed derivation of the renormalization group flow of Newton’s constant and the cosmological constant on a flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker background. Adding matter fields, it is shown that their contribution to the flow is the same as in the covariant formulation and can be captured by two parameters d{sub g}, d{sub λ}. We classify the resulting fixed point structure as a function of these parameters finding that the existence of non-Gaussian renormalization group fixed points is rather generic. In particular the matter content of the standard model and its most common extensions gives rise to one non-Gaussian fixed point with real critical exponents suitable for Asymptotic Safety. Moreover, we find non-Gaussian fixed points for any number of scalar matter fields, making the scenario attractive for cosmological model building.

Rare variants in ischemic stroke: an exome pilot study.

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John W Cole

Full Text Available The genetic architecture of ischemic stroke is complex and is likely to include rare or low frequency variants with high penetrance and large effect sizes. Such variants are likely to provide important insights into disease pathogenesis compared to common variants with small effect sizes. Because a significant portion of human functional variation may derive from the protein-coding portion of genes we undertook a pilot study to identify variation across the human exome (i.e., the coding exons across the entire human genome in 10 ischemic stroke cases. Our efforts focused on evaluating the feasibility and identifying the difficulties in this type of research as it applies to ischemic stroke. The cases included 8 African-Americans and 2 Caucasians selected on the basis of similar stroke subtypes and by implementing a case selection algorithm that emphasized the genetic contribution of stroke risk. Following construction of paired-end sequencing libraries, all predicted human exons in each sample were captured and sequenced. Sequencing generated an average of 25.5 million read pairs (75 bp×2 and 3.8 Gbp per sample. After passing quality filters, screening the exomes against dbSNP demonstrated an average of 2839 novel SNPs among African-Americans and 1105 among Caucasians. In an aggregate analysis, 48 genes were identified to have at least one rare variant across all stroke cases. One gene, CSN3, identified by screening our prior GWAS results in conjunction with our exome results, was found to contain an interesting coding polymorphism as well as containing excess rare variation as compared with the other genes evaluated. In conclusion, while rare coding variants may predispose to the risk of ischemic stroke, this fact has yet to be definitively proven. Our study demonstrates the complexities of such research and highlights that while exome data can be obtained, the optimal analytical methods have yet to be determined.

Resource capture by single leaves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Long, S.P.

1992-05-01

Leaves show a variety of strategies for maximizing CO{sub 2} and light capture. These are more meaningfully explained if they are considered in the context of maximizing capture relative to the utilization of water, nutrients and carbohydrates reserves. There is considerable variation between crops in their efficiency of CO{sub 2} and light capture at the leaf level. Understanding of these mechanisms indicate some ways in which efficiency of resource capture could be level cannot be meaningfully considered without simultaneous understanding of implications at the canopy level. 36 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

Voxel-based MRI intensitometry reveals extent of cerebral white matter pathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

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Viktor Hartung

Full Text Available Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS is characterized by progressive loss of upper and lower motor neurons. Advanced MRI techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging have shown great potential in capturing a common white matter pathology. However the sensitivity is variable and diffusion tensor imaging is not yet applicable to the routine clinical environment. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM has revealed grey matter changes in ALS, but the bias-reducing algorithms inherent to traditional VBM are not optimized for the assessment of the white matter changes. We have developed a novel approach to white matter analysis, namely voxel-based intensitometry (VBI. High resolution T1-weighted MRI was acquired at 1.5 Tesla in 30 ALS patients and 37 age-matched healthy controls. VBI analysis at the group level revealed widespread white matter intensity increases in the corticospinal tracts, corpus callosum, sub-central, frontal and occipital white matter tracts and cerebellum. VBI results correlated with disease severity (ALSFRS-R and patterns of cerebral involvement differed between bulbar- and limb-onset. VBI would be easily translatable to the routine clinical environment, and once optimized for individual analysis offers significant biomarker potential in ALS.

Measurement of keV-neutron capture cross sections and capture gamma-ray spectra of Er isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harun-Ar-Rashid, A.K.M.; Igashira, Masayuki; Ohsaki, Toshiro

2000-01-01

Neutron capture cross sections and capture γ-ray spectra of 166,167, 168 Er were measured in the energy region of 10 to 550 keV. The measurements were performed with a pulsed 7 Li(p,n) 7 Be neutron source and a large anti-Compton NaI(Tl) γ-ray spectrometer. A pulse-height weighting technique and the standard capture cross sections of gold were used to derive the capture cross sections. The errors of the derived cross sections were about 5%. The present results were compared with other measurements and evaluations. The observed capture γ-ray pulse-height spectra were unfolded to obtain the corresponding γ-ray spectra. An anomalous shoulder was observed around 3 MeV in each of the capture γ-ray spectra. (author)

Magnetism and transport properties of layered rare-earth cobaltates Ln.sub.0.3./sub.CoO.sub.2./sub

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Knížek, Karel; Novák, Pavel; Jirák, Zdeněk; Hejtmánek, Jiří; Maryško, Miroslav; Buršík, Josef

2015-01-01

Roč. 117, č. 17 (2015), "17B706-1"-"17B706-4" ISSN 0021-8979 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-03708S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:61388980 Keywords : crystal field * rare earth cobaltates * magnetism and transport properties Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.101, year: 2015

Communication About Sexual Matters With Women Attending a Danish Fertility Clinic: A Descriptive Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fiil Eldridge, Katrine; Giraldi, Annamaria

2017-01-01

Introduction: Several studies have shown that sexuality is an important aspect of life. Nevertheless, sexual matters are only rarely discussed between patients and doctors. Other studies have suggested that women undergoing fertility treatment compose a group of patients with low satisfaction...... in their sexual life. Aim: To investigate how women at a fertility clinic desire and experience communication about sexual matters with doctors and to investigate the sexual function of these women. Methods: A cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire survey of women attending a Danish fertility clinic over...... 4 months was performed. Descriptive statistics were calculated and presented as frequencies. Main Outcome Measure: Communication about sexual matters with doctors included the women’s comfort, preferred and actual frequency of discussion, and initiation of the conversation. Sexual function included...

Speciation of rare earth elements in different types of soils in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Lijun; Zhang Shen; Gao Xiaojiang; Liu Shujuan

1997-01-01

Contents, distribution patterns, physical and chemical speciation of rare earth elements (REEs) in laterite (tropical zone), red earth (middle subtripical earth), yellow brown soil (Northern subtripical earth), cinnamon soil (warm temperature zone), leached chernozem (temperate zone) and albic bleached soil (temperate zone) in China were determined with instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Content and distribution patterns of ERRs are closely related to soil mechanical composition. In laterite, red earth, yellow brown soil and leached chernozem, REEs mainly enrich in fine grain particles or coarser grain partials while in clay particles no such enrichment was found. The distribution patterns of REEs in these soils are consistent with the REE features of their parent rocks. In all the six soils, REEs mainly exist in residual form, and with the increase of atomic number, intermediate REEs (IRRE) have lower proportions of residual form than light REEs (LREE) and heavy REEs (HREE). For the six unstable forms, water soluble form has the lowest proportion. The proportions of exchangeable form, carbonate and specific adsorption form are lower. The proportions of Fe-Min oxides form in different types of soils decrease gradually from Southern China to Northern China following the order: laterite > red earth > yellow brown soil > cinnamon soil, leached chernozem, albic bleached soil. Proportions of bound organic matters are higher and follow the order: Albic bleached soil > leached chernozem > red earth > laterite > yellow brown soil > cinnamon soil. The albic bleached soil has higher proportion of softly bound organic matter form. The leached chernozem has higher proportion of tightly bound organic matter form. Form of bound to organic matter in laterite is almost totally made up of form of softly bound to organic matter

Developing Pre-Service Teachers' Subject Matter Knowledge of Electromagnetism by Integrating Concept Maps and Collaborative Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Govender, Nadaraj

2015-01-01

This case study explored the development of two pre-service teachers' subject matter knowledge (SMK) of electromagnetism while integrating the use of concept maps (CM) and collaborative learning (CL) strategies. The study aimed at capturing how these pre-service teachers' SMK in electromagnetism was enhanced after having been taught SMK in a…

Techniques for capturing bighorn sheep lambs

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Joshua B.; Walsh, Daniel P.; Goldstein, Elise J.; Parsons, Zachary D.; Karsch, Rebekah C.; Stiver, Julie R.; Cain, James W.; Raedeke, Kenneth J.; Jenks, Jonathan A.

2014-01-01

Low lamb recruitment is a major challenge facing managers attempting to mitigate the decline of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), and investigations into the underlying mechanisms are limited because of the inability to readily capture and monitor bighorn sheep lambs. We evaluated 4 capture techniques for bighorn sheep lambs: 1) hand-capture of lambs from radiocollared adult females fitted with vaginal implant transmitters (VITs), 2) hand-capture of lambs of intensively monitored radiocollared adult females, 3) helicopter net-gunning, and 4) hand-capture of lambs from helicopters. During 2010–2012, we successfully captured 90% of lambs from females that retained VITs to ≤1 day of parturition, although we noted differences in capture rates between an area of high road density in the Black Hills (92–100%) of South Dakota, USA, and less accessible areas of New Mexico (71%), USA. Retention of VITs was 78% with pre-partum expulsion the main cause of failure. We were less likely to capture lambs from females that expelled VITs ≥1 day of parturition (range = 80–83%) or females that were collared without VITs (range = 60–78%). We used helicopter net-gunning at several sites in 1999, 2001–2002, and 2011, and it proved a useful technique; however, at one site, attempts to capture lambs led to lamb predation by golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). We attempted helicopter hand-captures at one site in 1999, and they also were successful in certain circumstances and avoided risk of physical trauma from net-gunning; however, application was limited. In areas of low accessibility or if personnel lack the ability to monitor females and/or VITs for extended periods, helicopter capture may provide a viable option for lamb capture.

China's rare-earth industry

Science.gov (United States)

Tse, Pui-Kwan

2011-01-01

Introduction China's dominant position as the producer of over 95 percent of the world output of rare-earth minerals and rapid increases in the consumption of rare earths owing to the emergence of new clean-energy and defense-related technologies, combined with China's decisions to restrict exports of rare earths, have resulted in heightened concerns about the future availability of rare earths. As a result, industrial countries such as Japan, the United States, and countries of the European Union face tighter supplies and higher prices for rare earths. This paper briefly reviews China's rare-earth production, consumption, and reserves and the important policies and regulations regarding the production and trade of rare earths, including recently announced export quotas. The 15 lanthanide elements-lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium (atomic numbers 57-71)-were originally known as the rare earths from their occurrence in oxides mixtures. Recently, some researchers have included two other elements-scandium and yttrium-in their discussion of rare earths. Yttrium (atomic number 39), which lies above lanthanum in transition group III of the periodic table and has a similar 3+ ion with a noble gas core, has both atomic and ionic radii similar in size to those of terbium and dysprosium and is generally found in nature with lanthanides. Scandium (atomic number 21) has a smaller ionic radius than yttrium and the lanthanides, and its chemical behavior is intermediate between that of aluminum and the lanthanides. It is found in nature with the lanthanides and yttrium. Rare earths are used widely in high-technology and clean-energy products because they impart special properties of magnetism, luminescence, and strength. Rare earths are also used in weapon systems to obtain the same properties.

Attentional capture under high perceptual load.

Science.gov (United States)

Cosman, Joshua D; Vecera, Shaun P

2010-12-01

Attentional capture by abrupt onsets can be modulated by several factors, including the complexity, or perceptual load, of a scene. We have recently demonstrated that observers are less likely to be captured by abruptly appearing, task-irrelevant stimuli when they perform a search that is high, as opposed to low, in perceptual load (Cosman & Vecera, 2009), consistent with perceptual load theory. However, recent results indicate that onset frequency can influence stimulus-driven capture, with infrequent onsets capturing attention more often than did frequent onsets. Importantly, in our previous task, an abrupt onset was present on every trial, and consequently, attentional capture might have been affected by both onset frequency and perceptual load. In the present experiment, we examined whether onset frequency influences attentional capture under conditions of high perceptual load. When onsets were presented frequently, we replicated our earlier results; attentional capture by onsets was modulated under conditions of high perceptual load. Importantly, however, when onsets were presented infrequently, we observed robust capture effects. These results conflict with a strong form of load theory and, instead, suggest that exposure to the elements of a task (e.g., abrupt onsets) combines with high perceptual load to modulate attentional capture by task-irrelevant information.

The calculation of rare-earth levels in layered cobaltates R.sub.x/3./sub.CoO.sub.2./sub. (x≤1)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Novák, Pavel; Knížek, Karel; Jirák, Zdeněk; Buršík, Josef

2015-01-01

Roč. 381, May (2015), s. 145-150 ISSN 0304-8853 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-03708S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:61388980 Keywords : rare- earth electronic levels * crystal field splitting * layered cobaltates Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.357, year: 2015

Effect of Tb and Al substitution within the rare earth and cobalt sublattices on magnetothermal properties of Dy.sub.0.5./sub.Ho.sub.0.5./sub.Co.sub.2./sub.

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Chzhan, V.B.; Tereshina, Evgeniya; Mikhailova, A.B.; Politova, G.A.; Tereshina, I. S.; Kozlov, V.I.; Ćwik, J.; Nenkov, K.; Alekseeva, O.A.; Filimonov, A.V.

2017-01-01

Roč. 432, June (2017), s. 461-465 ISSN 0304-8853 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA16-03593S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : rare- earth intermetallics * laves phase * heat capacity * magnetocaloric effect Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism OBOR OECD: Condensed matter physics (including formerly solid state physics, supercond.) Impact factor: 2.630, year: 2016

Mining with Rare Cases

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, Gary M.

Rare cases are often the most interesting cases. For example, in medical diagnosis one is typically interested in identifying relatively rare diseases, such as cancer, rather than more frequently occurring ones, such as the common cold. In this chapter we discuss the role of rare cases in Data Mining. Specific problems associated with mining rare cases are discussed, followed by a description of methods for addressing these problems.

Exploratory investigations of hypervelocity intact capture spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Tsou, P.; Griffiths, D. J.

1993-01-01

The ability to capture hypervelocity projectiles intact opens a new technique available for hypervelocity research. A determination of the reactions taking place between the projectile and the capture medium during the process of intact capture is extremely important to an understanding of the intact capture phenomenon, to improving the capture technique, and to developing a theory describing the phenomenon. The intact capture of hypervelocity projectiles by underdense media generates spectra, characteristic of the material species of projectile and capture medium involved. Initial exploratory results into real-time characterization of hypervelocity intact capture techniques by spectroscopy include ultra-violet and visible spectra obtained by use of reflecting gratings, transmitting gratings, and prisms, and recorded by photographic and electronic means. Spectrometry proved to be a valuable real-time diagnostic tool for hypervelocity intact capture events, offering understanding of the interactions of the projectile and the capture medium during the initial period and providing information not obtainable by other characterizations. Preliminary results and analyses of spectra produced by the intact capture of hypervelocity aluminum spheres in polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polyurethane (PU) foams are presented. Included are tentative emission species identifications, as well as gray body temperatures produced in the intact capture process.

The compressed baryonic matter experiment at FAIR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Senger, Peter

2015-01-01

Substantial experimental and theoretical efforts worldwide are devoted to explore the phase diagram of strongly interacting matter. At top RHIC and LHC energies, the QCD phase diagram is studied at very high temperatures and very low net-baryon densities. These conditions presumably existed in the early universe about a microsecond after the big bang. For larger net-baryon densities and lower temperatures, it is expected that the QCD phase diagram exhibits a rich structure such as a critical point, a first order phase transition between hadronic and partonic matter, or new phases like quarkyonic matter. The experimental discovery of these prominent landmarks of the QCD phase diagram would be a major breakthrough in our understanding of the properties of nuclear matter. The Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment will be one of the major scientific pillars of the future Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) in Darmstadt. The goal of the CBM research program is to explore the QCD phase diagram in the region of high baryon densities using high-energy nucleus-nucleus collisions. This includes the study of the equation-of-state of nuclear matter at neutron star core densities, and the search for the deconfinement and chiral phase transitions. The CBM detector is designed to measure rare diagnostic probes such as multi-strange hyperons, charmed particles and vector mesons decaying into lepton pairs with unprecedented precision and statistics. Most of these particles will be studied for the first time in the FAIR energy range. In order to achieve the required precision, the measurements will be performed at very high reaction rates of 100 kHz to 10 MHz. This requires very fast and radiation-hard detectors, and a novel data read-out and analysis concept based on free streaming front-end electronics and a high-performance computing cluster for online event selection. The layout, the physics performance, and the status of the proposed CBM experimental facility

What Determines State Capture in Poland?

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Stanisław Alwasiak

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: This study examines the determinants of ex-ante state capture in Poland. Methodology: In order to establish the determinants of ex-ante state capture a logistic regression is estimated. Findings: The study shows that in Poland the majority of legal acts were passed with the aim to satisfy the interest of particular groups. Furthermore, the regression analysis shows that the likelihood of state capture increases during the period of higher economic growth and local elections. The likelihood of state capture, however, declines during presidential elections. The results we attribute to different interests of political parties in the period of local and presidential elections. Finally, we fi nd that the state capture increased over the years in Poland. Additionally, we show that the EU accession did not prevent state capture in Poland. In contrast, the fi nancial crisis of 2007 resulted in a wake-up effect and the likelihood of state capture declined in Poland. Research limitations: In the study we employ proxies for state capture, yet we assume that corruption is a widespread phenomenon in Poland. However, due to its nature corruption is very diffi cult to assess and measure. Originality: The study uses a unique dataset on ex-ante state capture that was identifi ed in the legal acts that have been passed in the period 1990–2011 in Poland.

Synthesis of amino acid rare earth complexes and its application in agriculture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, G.-T.; Lian, P.; Hu, Y.H.; Guo, G.-R.

1998-01-01

Full text: The application of rare-earth compounds in agriculture has been widely reported. So far, most rare-earth compounds used in agriculture were inorganic salt and they were difficult to be absorbed by croup. The synthesis method and structure of amino acid rare-earth complexes have been reported. In this paper, we reported the preparation of mixed amino acids rare-earth complexes and their application in agriculture. The mixed amino acids were obtained by hydrolysis of waste natural protein. Rare earth was lanthanum oxide(99%). Mixed amino acids lanthanum complexes(MALa) was prepared according to the previous method. Investigation to the effect of croup by MALa, we have make tests of citrus, rice and mung bean. The results show as follows: 1) When the experiment group citrus was sprinkled twice 400ppm MALa at bouquet stage and young fruit stage, the sugar, morose, sucrose, soluble solid matter and vitamin C of fruit were increased 21%, 20%, 22%, 22% and 6% as compared to the control group, respectively. The area of leaf and foliage branch in Spring were also increased 4.6% and 2.2%. 2) When the rice was sprinkled 300ppm MALa at early tillering stage, the productively of rice was addition to 10-15%, and the relative effect of prevention was 45.61% for sheath and culm blight of rice. 3) In the test of mungbean growth, the low consistency of MALa ( 250ppm) retain from sprouting seed. As the same time, it was similar action to seeding growth. Preliminary results indicated MLAa could used as the plant growth regulation agent on the croup. Investigation to the effect of MALa on other croup and the mechanism of biological effect on the croup are still going on

The Classical Pathways of Occipital Lobe Epileptic Propagation Revised in the Light of White Matter Dissection.

Science.gov (United States)

Latini, Francesco; Hjortberg, Mats; Aldskogius, Håkan; Ryttlefors, Mats

2015-01-01

The clinical evidences of variable epileptic propagation in occipital lobe epilepsy (OLE) have been demonstrated by several studies. However the exact localization of the epileptic focus sometimes represents a problem because of the rapid propagation to frontal, parietal, or temporal regions. Each white matter pathway close to the supposed initial focus can lead the propagation towards a specific direction, explaining the variable semiology of these rare epilepsy syndromes. Some new insights in occipital white matter anatomy are herein described by means of white matter dissection and compared to the classical epileptic patterns, mostly based on the central position of the primary visual cortex. The dissections showed a complex white matter architecture composed by vertical and longitudinal bundles, which are closely interconnected and segregated and are able to support specific high order functions with parallel bidirectional propagation of the electric signal. The same sublobar lesions may hyperactivate different white matter bundles reemphasizing the importance of the ictal semiology as a specific clinical demonstration of the subcortical networks recruited. Merging semiology, white matter anatomy, and electrophysiology may lead us to a better understanding of these complex syndromes and tailored therapeutic options based on individual white matter connectivity.

The Classical Pathways of Occipital Lobe Epileptic Propagation Revised in the Light of White Matter Dissection

Science.gov (United States)

Latini, Francesco; Hjortberg, Mats; Aldskogius, Håkan; Ryttlefors, Mats

2015-01-01

The clinical evidences of variable epileptic propagation in occipital lobe epilepsy (OLE) have been demonstrated by several studies. However the exact localization of the epileptic focus sometimes represents a problem because of the rapid propagation to frontal, parietal, or temporal regions. Each white matter pathway close to the supposed initial focus can lead the propagation towards a specific direction, explaining the variable semiology of these rare epilepsy syndromes. Some new insights in occipital white matter anatomy are herein described by means of white matter dissection and compared to the classical epileptic patterns, mostly based on the central position of the primary visual cortex. The dissections showed a complex white matter architecture composed by vertical and longitudinal bundles, which are closely interconnected and segregated and are able to support specific high order functions with parallel bidirectional propagation of the electric signal. The same sublobar lesions may hyperactivate different white matter bundles reemphasizing the importance of the ictal semiology as a specific clinical demonstration of the subcortical networks recruited. Merging semiology, white matter anatomy, and electrophysiology may lead us to a better understanding of these complex syndromes and tailored therapeutic options based on individual white matter connectivity. PMID:26063964

Rare earth elements recycling from waste phosphor by dual hydrochloric acid dissolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Hu; Zhang, Shengen; Pan, Dean; Tian, Jianjun; Yang, Min; Wu, Maolin; Volinsky, Alex A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The article provides a new method for recycling rare earth (RE) from waste phosphor. • When compared with the traditional methods, leach rate was much higher. • Y–Eu concentrate and Tb–Ce concentrate were obtained successively. • It would reduce the burden of later extraction, separation and purification. - Abstract: This paper is a comparative study of recycling rare earth elements from waste phosphor, which focuses on the leaching rate and the technical principle. The traditional and dual dissolution by hydrochloric acid (DHA) methods were compared. The method of dual dissolution by hydrochloric acid has been developed. The Red rare earth phosphor (Y 0.95 Eu 0.05 ) 2 O 3 in waste phosphor is dissolved during the first step of acid leaching, while the Green phosphor (Ce 0.67 Tb 0.33 MgAl 11 O 19 ) and the Blue phosphor (Ba 0.9 Eu 0.1 MgAl 10 O 17 ) mixed with caustic soda are obtained by alkali sintering. The excess caustic soda and NaAlO 2 are removed by washing. The insoluble matter is leached by the hydrochloric acid, followed by solvent extraction and precipitation (the DHA method). In comparison, the total leaching rate of the rare earth elements was 94.6% by DHA, which is much higher than 42.08% achieved by the traditional method. The leaching rate of Y, Eu, Ce and Tb reached 94.6%, 99.05%, 71.45%, and 76.22%, respectively. DHA can decrease the consumption of chemicals and energy. The suggested DHA method is feasible for industrial applications

Etude des erreurs d'estimation des populations par la méthode des captures successives (DeLURY, 2 captures et des captures-recaptures (PETERSEN

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LAURENT M.

1978-01-01

Full Text Available L'estimation des populations naturelles par capture-recapture et par captures successives est souvent entachée d'erreur car, dans de nombreux cas, l'hypothèse fondamentale d'égalité des probabilités de captures pour tous les individus dans le temps et dans l'espace n'est pas respectée. Dans le cas des populations de poissons envisagés ici, les captures ont lieu par la pêche électrique. On a pu chiffrer l'ordre de grandeur des erreurs systématiques faites sur l'estimation des peuplements, en fonction des conditions particulières, biotiques et abiotiques, des différents milieux inventoriés.

Modified dark matter: Relating dark energy, dark matter and baryonic matter

Science.gov (United States)

Edmonds, Douglas; Farrah, Duncan; Minic, Djordje; Ng, Y. Jack; Takeuchi, Tatsu

Modified dark matter (MDM) is a phenomenological model of dark matter, inspired by gravitational thermodynamics. For an accelerating universe with positive cosmological constant (Λ), such phenomenological considerations lead to the emergence of a critical acceleration parameter related to Λ. Such a critical acceleration is an effective phenomenological manifestation of MDM, and it is found in correlations between dark matter and baryonic matter in galaxy rotation curves. The resulting MDM mass profiles, which are sensitive to Λ, are consistent with observational data at both the galactic and cluster scales. In particular, the same critical acceleration appears both in the galactic and cluster data fits based on MDM. Furthermore, using some robust qualitative arguments, MDM appears to work well on cosmological scales, even though quantitative studies are still lacking. Finally, we comment on certain nonlocal aspects of the quanta of modified dark matter, which may lead to novel nonparticle phenomenology and which may explain why, so far, dark matter detection experiments have failed to detect dark matter particles.

Adiabatic capture and debunching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, K.Y.

2012-01-01

In the study of beam preparation for the g-2 experiment, adiabatic debunching and adiabatic capture are revisited. The voltage programs for these adiabbatic processes are derived and their properties discussed. Comparison is made with some other form of adiabatic capture program. The muon g-2 experiment at Fermilab calls for intense proton bunches for the creation of muons. A booster batch of 84 bunches is injected into the Recycler Ring, where it is debunched and captured into 4 intense bunches with the 2.5-MHz rf. The experiment requires short bunches with total width less than 100 ns. The transport line from the Recycler to the muon-production target has a low momentum aperture of ∼ ±22 MeV. Thus each of the 4 intense proton bunches required to have an emittance less than ∼ 3.46 eVs. The incoming booster bunches have total emittance ∼ 8.4 eVs, or each one with an emittance ∼ 0.1 eVs. However, there is always emittance increase when the 84 booster bunches are debunched. There will be even larger emittance increase during adiabatic capture into the buckets of the 2.5-MHz rf. In addition, the incoming booster bunches may have emittances larger than 0.1 eVs. In this article, we will concentrate on the analysis of the adiabatic capture process with the intention of preserving the beam emittance as much as possible. At this moment, beam preparation experiment is being performed at the Main Injector. Since the Main Injector and the Recycler Ring have roughly the same lattice properties, we are referring to adiabatic capture in the Main Injector instead in our discussions.

Medial subclavicular musculotendinous complex and insulation break: Rare cause of late pacemaker lead malfunction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pranab Jyoti Bhattacharyya

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Insulation break in a permanent pacemaker lead is a rare long-term complication. We describe an elderly male with a VVIR pacemaker, who presented with an episode of presyncope more than 3 years after the initial implantation procedure, attributed to insulation break possibly caused by lead entrapment in components of the medial subclavicular musculotendinous complex (MSMC and repeated compressive damage over time during ipsilateral arm movement requiring lead replacement. The differential diagnosis of a clinical presentation when pacing stimuli are present with failure to capture and the role of the MSMC in causing lead damage late after implantation are discussed.

Rare earth octacyanomolybdates(4)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zubritskaya, D.I.; Sergeeva, A.N.; Pisak, Yu.V.

1980-01-01

Optimal conditions for synthesis of rare-earth octacyanomolybdates(4) of the Ln 4 [Mo(CN) 8 ] 3 xnH 2 O composition (where Ln is a rare-earth element, other than Pr, Pm, Lu, Tb) have been worked out. The synthesis has been accomplished by neutralization with octacianomolybdic acid with rare-earth carbonates. The composition and structure of the compounds synthesized have been studied by infrared-spectroscopy. It has been established that rare-earth octacyanomolybdates(4) form three isostructural groups

The Generic Data Capture Facility

Science.gov (United States)

Connell, Edward B.; Barnes, William P.; Stallings, William H.

1987-01-01

The Generic Data Capture Facility, which can provide data capture support for a variety of different types of spacecraft while enabling operations costs to be carefully controlled, is discussed. The data capture functions, data protection, isolation of users from data acquisition problems, data reconstruction, and quality and accounting are addressed. The TDM and packet data formats utilized by the system are described, and the development of generic facilities is considered.

Negative meson capture in hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baird, T.J.

1977-01-01

The processes of deexcitation and capture of negative mesons and hadrons in atomic hydrogen are investigated. Only slow collisions in which the projectile-atom relative velocity is less than one atomic unit are considered, and the motion of the incident particle is treated classically. For each classical trajectory the probability of ionizing the hydrogen atom is determined, together with the energy spectrum of the emitted electron. Ionization probabilities are calculated using the time-dependent formulation of the perturbed stationary state method. Exact two-center electronic wave functions are used for both bound and continuum states. The total ionization cross section and electron energy spectrum have been calculated for negative muons, kaons and antiprotons at incident relative velocities between 0.04 and 1.0 atomic units. The electron energy spectrum has a sharp peak for electron kinetic energies on the order of 10 -3 Rydbergs. The ionization process thus favors the emission of very slow electrons. The cross section for ionization with capture of the incident particle was calculated for relative kinetic energies greater than 1.0 Rydberg. Since ionization was found to occur with the emission of electrons of nearly zero kinetic energy, the fraction of ionizing collisions which result in capture decreases very rapidly with projectile kinetic energy. The energy distributions of slowed down muons and hadrons were also computed. These distributions were used together with the capture cross section to determine the distribution of kinetic energies at which capture takes place. It was found that most captures occur for kinetic energies slightly less than 1.0 Rydbergs with relatively little capture at thermal energies. The captured particles therefore tend to go into very large and loosely found orbits with binding energies less than 0.1 Rydbergs

CAPTURED India Country Evaluation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

O'Donoghue, R.; Brouwers, J.H.A.M.

2012-01-01

This report provides the findings of the India Country Evaluation and is produced as part of the overall CAPTURED End Evaluation. After five years of support by the CAPTURED project the End Evaluation has assessed that results are commendable. I-AIM was able to design an approach in which health

Carbon Capture and Storage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Benson, S.M.; Bennaceur, K.; Cook, P.; Davison, J.; Coninck, H. de; Farhat, K.; Ramirez, C.A.; Simbeck, D.; Surles, T.; Verma, P.; Wright, I.

2012-01-01

Emissions of carbon dioxide, the most important long-lived anthropogenic greenhouse gas, can be reduced by Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). CCS involves the integration of four elements: CO 2 capture, compression of the CO2 from a gas to a liquid or a denser gas, transportation of pressurized CO 2

Giant resonance effects in radiative capture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snover, K.A.

1979-01-01

The technique of capture reaction studies of giant resonance properties is described, and a number of examples are given. Most of the recent work of interest has been in proton capture, in part because of the great utility (and availability) of polarized beams; most of the discussion concerns this reaction. Alpha capture, which has been a useful tool for exploring isoscalar E2 strength, and neutron capture are, however, also treated. 46 references, 14 figures

Motion Capturing Emotions

OpenAIRE

Wood Karen; Cisneros Rosemary E.; Whatley Sarah

2017-01-01

The paper explores the activities conducted as part of WhoLoDancE: Whole Body Interaction Learning for Dance Education which is an EU-funded Horizon 2020 project. In particular, we discuss the motion capture sessions that took place at Motek, Amsterdam as well as the dancers’ experience of being captured and watching themselves or others as varying visual representations through the HoloLens. HoloLens is Microsoft’s first holographic computer that you wear as you would a pair of glasses. The ...

Rare-earth doped boron nitride nanotubes: Synthesis and characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, Wellington Marcos; Sousa, Edesia Martins Barros de, E-mail: wellingtonmarcos@yahoo.com.br [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

2016-07-01

Full text: Boron nitride is a heat and chemically resistant refractory compound of boron and nitrogen atoms with the chemical formula BN. This structure exists in various crystalline forms that are isoelectronic to a similarly structured carbon lattice. The hexagonal form (h-BN) corresponding to graphite is the most stable and soft among BN polymorph. However, boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) were first time synthesized in 1995 [1] and have a type of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructure. Recently the BNNTs have attracted significant interest for scientific and technological applications due to their Wide bandgap. The Wide-bandgap semiconductors doped with rare-earth are considered as a new type of luminescent material, combining special Wide bandgap semiconducting properties with the rare-earth luminescence feature. BNNTs have a stable wide bandgap of 5.5 eV and super thermal and chemical stabilities, which make BNNTs an ideal nanosized luminescent material [2]. In this study, we report a simple and efficient route for the synthesis of BNNTs doped with samarium and europium. High quality BNNTs doped was produced via CVD technique using NH{sub 3} and N{sub 2} gases as source. Boron amorphous, catalyst and oxides rare-earth powder were used as precursor. Detailed studies involving energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were performed in order to characterize the BNNTs as grown. [1] Chopra, N. G.; Luyken, R. J. et al. Science, v. 269, p. 966-967, 1995. [2] Chen, H.; Chen, Y. et al. Adv. Matter. v. 19, p. 1845-1848, 2007. (author)

Rare-earth doped boron nitride nanotubes: Synthesis and characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Wellington Marcos; Sousa, Edesia Martins Barros de

2016-01-01

Full text: Boron nitride is a heat and chemically resistant refractory compound of boron and nitrogen atoms with the chemical formula BN. This structure exists in various crystalline forms that are isoelectronic to a similarly structured carbon lattice. The hexagonal form (h-BN) corresponding to graphite is the most stable and soft among BN polymorph. However, boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) were first time synthesized in 1995 [1] and have a type of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructure. Recently the BNNTs have attracted significant interest for scientific and technological applications due to their Wide bandgap. The Wide-bandgap semiconductors doped with rare-earth are considered as a new type of luminescent material, combining special Wide bandgap semiconducting properties with the rare-earth luminescence feature. BNNTs have a stable wide bandgap of 5.5 eV and super thermal and chemical stabilities, which make BNNTs an ideal nanosized luminescent material [2]. In this study, we report a simple and efficient route for the synthesis of BNNTs doped with samarium and europium. High quality BNNTs doped was produced via CVD technique using NH 3 and N 2 gases as source. Boron amorphous, catalyst and oxides rare-earth powder were used as precursor. Detailed studies involving energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were performed in order to characterize the BNNTs as grown. [1] Chopra, N. G.; Luyken, R. J. et al. Science, v. 269, p. 966-967, 1995. [2] Chen, H.; Chen, Y. et al. Adv. Matter. v. 19, p. 1845-1848, 2007. (author)

Irreducible Representations of Oscillatory and Swirling Flows in Active Soft Matter

Science.gov (United States)

Ghose, Somdeb; Adhikari, R.

2014-03-01

Recent experiments imaging fluid flow around swimming microorganisms have revealed complex time-dependent velocity fields that differ qualitatively from the stresslet flow commonly employed in theoretical descriptions of active matter. Here we obtain the most general flow around a finite sized active particle by expanding the surface stress in irreducible Cartesian tensors. This expansion, whose first term is the stresslet, must include, respectively, third-rank polar and axial tensors to minimally capture crucial features of the active oscillatory flow around translating Chlamydomonas and the active swirling flow around rotating Volvox. The representation provides explicit expressions for the irreducible symmetric, antisymmetric, and isotropic parts of the continuum active stress. Antisymmetric active stresses do not conserve orbital angular momentum and our work thus shows that spin angular momentum is necessary to restore angular momentum conservation in continuum hydrodynamic descriptions of active soft matter.

Rare B decays, rare τ decays, and grand unification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sher, M.; Yuan, Y.

1991-01-01

In multi-Higgs-boson extensions of the standard model, tree-level flavor-changing neutral currents exist naturally, unless suppressed by some symmetry. For a given rate, the exchanged scalar or pseudoscalar mass is very sensitive to the flavor-changing coupling between the first two generations. Since the Yukawa couplings of the first two generations are unknown and certainly very small, bounds which rely on some assumed value of this flavor-changing coupling are quite dubious. One might expect the size (and reliability) of the Yukawa couplings involving the third generation to be greater. In this paper, we consider processes involving τ's and B's, and determine the bounds on the flavor-changing couplings which involve third-generation fields. The strongest bound in the quark sector comes from B-bar B mixing and in the lepton sector, surprisingly, from μ→eγ. It is then noted that the flavor-changing couplings in the quark sector are related to those in the lepton sector in many grand unified theories, and one can ask whether an analysis of rare τ decays or rare B decays will provide the strongest constraints. We show that rare B decays provide the strongest bounds, and that no useful information can be obtained from rare τ decays. It is also noted that the most promising decay modes are B→Kμτ and B s →μτ, and we urge experimenters to look for rare decay modes of the B in which a τ is in the final state

Rare particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kutschera, W.

1984-01-01

The use of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) to search for hypothetical particles and known particles of rare processes is discussed. The hypothetical particles considered include fractionally charged particles, anomalously heavy isotopes, and superheavy elements. The known particles produced in rare processes discussed include doubly-charged negative ions, counting neutrino-produced atoms in detectors for solar neutrino detection, and the spontaneous emission of 14 C from 223 Ra. 35 references

Integrated image data and medical record management for rare disease registries. A general framework and its instantiation to theGerman Calciphylaxis Registry.

Science.gov (United States)

Deserno, Thomas M; Haak, Daniel; Brandenburg, Vincent; Deserno, Verena; Classen, Christoph; Specht, Paula

2014-12-01

Especially for investigator-initiated research at universities and academic institutions, Internet-based rare disease registries (RDR) are required that integrate electronic data capture (EDC) with automatic image analysis or manual image annotation. We propose a modular framework merging alpha-numerical and binary data capture. In concordance with the Office of Rare Diseases Research recommendations, a requirement analysis was performed based on several RDR databases currently hosted at Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Germany. With respect to the study management tool that is already successfully operating at the Clinical Trial Center Aachen, the Google Web Toolkit was chosen with Hibernate and Gilead connecting a MySQL database management system. Image and signal data integration and processing is supported by Apache Commons FileUpload-Library and ImageJ-based Java code, respectively. As a proof of concept, the framework is instantiated to the German Calciphylaxis Registry. The framework is composed of five mandatory core modules: (1) Data Core, (2) EDC, (3) Access Control, (4) Audit Trail, and (5) Terminology as well as six optional modules: (6) Binary Large Object (BLOB), (7) BLOB Analysis, (8) Standard Operation Procedure, (9) Communication, (10) Pseudonymization, and (11) Biorepository. Modules 1-7 are implemented in the German Calciphylaxis Registry. The proposed RDR framework is easily instantiated and directly integrates image management and analysis. As open source software, it may assist improved data collection and analysis of rare diseases in near future.

A survey of the Carbon Capture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jokrllova, J.; Cik, G.; Takacova, A.; Smolinska, M.

2014-01-01

The concentration of carbon dioxide, one of the most important representatives of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continues to rise. Fossil fuels burned in thermal power plants currently represent 80% of total energy production around the world and are the largest point sources of CO 2 , accounting for approximately 40% of total CO 2 emissions. There are several options for reducing CO 2 emissions: reducing demand, improving production efficiency and carbon capture and storage (CCS, carbon capture and storage). Capture and storage of carbon dioxide is generally a three-step process: 1 st Capture and compression of combustion products, 2 nd transport (mostly pipeline) and 3 rd utilization (eg. production of urea, beverage industry, production of dry ice, etc.). Technologies for CO 2 capturing used in power plants burning fossil fuels can be divided into four groups, each of which requires a completely different approach to CO 2 capture.

Summary talk at the international symposium on strangeness in hadronic matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garvey, G.T.

1987-01-01

A selected summary of the workshop is presented. Emphasis is placed on the future role of studying kaon rare decay and an apparent solution of the ΔI = 1/2 enhancement in strangeness-changing weak decays. Also discussed is a proposed kaon condensate of hadronic matter as well as recent and proposed experiments on S = -1, -2 dibaryons. The summary concludes with a brief discussion of the status of hypernucleus research. 12 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

US Spacesuit Knowledge Capture

Science.gov (United States)

Chullen, Cinda; Thomas, Ken; McMann, Joe; Dolan, Kristi; Bitterly, Rose; Lewis, Cathleen

2011-01-01

The ability to learn from both the mistakes and successes of the past is vital to assuring success in the future. Due to the close physical interaction between spacesuit systems and human beings as users, spacesuit technology and usage lends itself rather uniquely to the benefits realized from the skillful organization of historical information; its dissemination; the collection and identification of artifacts; and the education of those in the field. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), other organizations and individuals have been performing United States (U.S.) Spacesuit Knowledge Capture since the beginning of space exploration. Avenues used to capture the knowledge have included publication of reports; conference presentations; specialized seminars; and classes usually given by veterans in the field. More recently the effort has been more concentrated and formalized whereby a new avenue of spacesuit knowledge capture has been added to the archives in which videotaping occurs engaging both current and retired specialists in the field presenting technical scope specifically for education and preservation of knowledge. With video archiving, all these avenues of learning can now be brought to life with the real experts presenting their wealth of knowledge on screen for future learners to enjoy. Scope and topics of U.S. spacesuit knowledge capture have included lessons learned in spacesuit technology, experience from the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Shuttle programs, hardware certification, design, development and other program components, spacesuit evolution and experience, failure analysis and resolution, and aspects of program management. Concurrently, U.S. spacesuit knowledge capture activities have progressed to a level where NASA, the National Air and Space Museum (NASM), Hamilton Sundstrand (HS) and the spacesuit community are now working together to provide a comprehensive closed-looped spacesuit knowledge capture system which includes

Continuum capture in the three-body problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sellin, I.A.

1980-01-01

The three-body problem, especially the problem of electron capture to the continuum in heavy particle collisions is reviewed. Major topics covered include: second born-induced asymmetry in electron capture to the continuum; historical context, links to other tests of atomic scattering theory; experiments characterizing the velocity distribution of ECC electrons; other atomic physics tests of high velocity Born expansions; atom capture; capture by positrons; and pion capture to the continuum

Rare earths as a future resource

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cornell, D.H.

1988-01-01

The fourteen rare earth or lanthanide elements have recently emerged as an important natural resource because of the rapidly growing demand in the electronic, chemical and metallurgical industries. The Symposium on rare earth elements as a future resource presented a multidisciplinary review of rare earth chemistry, geology, beneficiation, industrial applications and marketing. Papers by experts in many fields were presented on the following topics: chemical properties of the rare earth elements; the analysis of rare earth elements and minerals; beneficiation and extraction of rare earth elements; economic geochemistry and mineralogy of rare earths; present industrial uses of rare earth elements; the role of rare earth elements in high-temperature superconductors; the technical application of high-temperature superconductors; supply and demand for rare earth products - now and in the future, and the geology of rare earth deposits

Interacting dark matter disguised as warm dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boehm, Celine; Riazuelo, Alain; Hansen, Steen H.; Schaeffer, Richard

2002-01-01

We explore some of the consequences of dark-matter-photon interactions on structure formation, focusing on the evolution of cosmological perturbations and performing both an analytical and a numerical study. We compute the cosmic microwave background anisotropies and matter power spectrum in this class of models. We find, as the main result, that when dark matter and photons are coupled, dark matter perturbations can experience a new damping regime in addition to the usual collisional Silk damping effect. Such dark matter particles (having quite large photon interactions) behave like cold dark matter or warm dark matter as far as the cosmic microwave background anisotropies or matter power spectrum are concerned, respectively. These dark-matter-photon interactions leave specific imprints at sufficiently small scales on both of these two spectra, which may allow us to put new constraints on the acceptable photon-dark-matter interactions. Under the conservative assumption that the abundance of 10 12 M · galaxies is correctly given by the cold dark matter, and without any knowledge of the abundance of smaller objects, we obtain the limit on the ratio of the dark-matter-photon cross section to the dark matter mass σ γ-DM /m DM -6 σ Th /(100 GeV)≅6x10 -33 cm 2 GeV -1

A rare metastasis from a rare brain tumour

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aabenhus, Kristine; Hahn, Christoffer Holst

2014-01-01

This case report presents the story of a patient with an oligodendroglioma metastasizing to the bone marrow and to lymph nodes of the neck. The patient had undergone primary brain surgery 13 years prior to the discovery of metastases and radiotherapy directed at the brain tumour two months prior........ Oligodendroglioma are rare primary brain tumours of which extraneural metastasis is even more rare. The incidence of cases like this may be increasing because of better treatment and thus longer survival of patients with oligodendroglioma....

Capture of irregular satellites at Jupiter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nesvorný, David; Vokrouhlický, David; Deienno, Rogerio

2014-01-01

The irregular satellites of outer planets are thought to have been captured from heliocentric orbits. The exact nature of the capture process, however, remains uncertain. We examine the possibility that irregular satellites were captured from the planetesimal disk during the early solar system instability when encounters between the outer planets occurred. Nesvorný et al. already showed that the irregular satellites of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune were plausibly captured during planetary encounters. Here we find that the current instability models present favorable conditions for capture of irregular satellites at Jupiter as well, mainly because Jupiter undergoes a phase of close encounters with an ice giant. We show that the orbital distribution of bodies captured during planetary encounters provides a good match to the observed distribution of irregular satellites at Jupiter. The capture efficiency for each particle in the original transplanetary disk is found to be (1.3-3.6) × 10 –8 . This is roughly enough to explain the observed population of jovian irregular moons. We also confirm Nesvorný et al.'s results for the irregular satellites of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

CO2 Capture and Reuse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thambimuthu, K.; Gupta, M.; Davison, J.

2003-01-01

CO2 capture and storage including its utilization or reuse presents an opportunity to achieve deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from fossil energy use. The development and deployment of this option could significantly assist in meeting a future goal of achieving stabilization of the presently rising atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases. CO2 capture from process streams is an established concept that has achieved industrial practice. Examples of current applications include the use of primarily, solvent based capture technologies for the recovery of pure CO2 streams for chemical synthesis, for utilization as a food additive, for use as a miscible agent in enhanced oil recovery operations and removal of CO2 as an undesired contaminant from gaseous process streams for the production of fuel gases such as hydrogen and methane. In these applications, the technologies deployed for CO2 capture have focused on gas separation from high purity, high pressure streams and in reducing (or oxygen deficient) environments, where the energy penalties and cost for capture are moderately low. However, application of the same capture technologies for large scale abatement of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel use poses significant challenges in achieving (at comparably low energy penalty and cost) gas separation in large volume, dilute concentration and/or low pressure flue gas streams. This paper will focus on a review of existing commercial methods of CO2 capture and the technology stretch, process integration and energy system pathways needed for their large scale deployment in fossil fueled processes. The assessment of potential capture technologies for the latter purpose will also be based on published literature data that are both 'transparent' and 'systematic' in their evaluation of the overall cost and energy penalties of CO2 capture. In view of the of the fact that many of the existing commercial processes for CO2 capture have seen applications in

Associated rare anomalies in prune belly syndrome: A case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Fette

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The triad of deficient abdominal wall musculature, undescended testes and urinary tract anomalies characterizes the Prune Belly Syndrome (PBS. PBS can be associated with other comorbid urological and non urological conditions. But the full pathogenesis and best treatment is still a matter of debate. A term newborn with a classical PBS (Woodhouse Group 2, Smith and Woodard Group 2 plus lung hypoplasia and funnel chest deformity, a megapenis with a tight phimosis and an obturated anterior urethra is presented. Unfortunately, the baby died in urosepsis and renal failure in his 3rd week of life, despite urine drainage surgery and peritoneal dialysis undertaken. According to the best of our knowledge, this is an unique combination of rare anomalies in PBS patients.

Candidate gene resequencing to identify rare, pedigree-specific variants influencing healthy aging phenotypes in the long life family study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Druley, Todd E; Wang, Lihua; Lin, Shiow J

2016-01-01

from six pedigrees. OBFC1 (chromosome 10) is involved in telomere maintenance, and falls within a linkage peak recently reported from an analysis of telomere length in LLFS families. Two different algorithms for single gene associations identified three genes with an enrichment of variation......BACKGROUND: The Long Life Family Study (LLFS) is an international study to identify the genetic components of various healthy aging phenotypes. We hypothesized that pedigree-specific rare variants at longevity-associated genes could have a similar functional impact on healthy phenotypes. METHODS......: We performed custom hybridization capture sequencing to identify the functional variants in 464 candidate genes for longevity or the major diseases of aging in 615 pedigrees (4,953 individuals) from the LLFS, using a multiplexed, custom hybridization capture. Variants were analyzed individually...

Confusion noise from LISA capture sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barack, Leor; Cutler, Curt

2004-01-01

Captures of compact objects (COs) by massive black holes (MBHs) in galactic nuclei will be an important source for LISA, the proposed space-based gravitational wave (GW) detector. However, a large fraction of captures will not be individually resolvable - either because they are too distant, have unfavorable orientation, or have too many years to go before final plunge - and so will constitute a source of 'confusion noise', obscuring other types of sources. In this paper we estimate the shape and overall magnitude of the GW background energy spectrum generated by CO captures. This energy spectrum immediately translates to a spectral density S h capt (f) for the amplitude of capture-generated GWs registered by LISA. The overall magnitude of S h capt (f) is linear in the CO capture rates, which are rather uncertain; therefore we present results for a plausible range of rates. S h capt (f) includes the contributions from both resolvable and unresolvable captures, and thus represents an upper limit on the confusion noise level. We then estimate what fraction of S h capt (f) is due to unresolvable sources and hence constitutes confusion noise. We find that almost all of the contribution to S h capt (f) coming from white dwarf and neutron star captures, and at least ∼30% of the contribution from black hole captures, is from sources that cannot be individually resolved. Nevertheless, we show that the impact of capture confusion noise on the total LISA noise curve ranges from insignificant to modest, depending on the rates. Capture rates at the high end of estimated ranges would raise LISA's overall (effective) noise level [fS h eff (f)] 1/2 by at most a factor ∼2 in the frequency range 1-10 mHz, where LISA is most sensitive. While this slightly elevated noise level would somewhat decrease LISA's sensitivity to other classes of sources, we argue that, overall, this would be a pleasant problem for LISA to have: It would also imply that detection rates for CO captures

Nuclear muon capture

CERN Document Server

Mukhopadhyay, N C

1977-01-01

Our present knowledge of the nuclear muon capture reactions is surveyed. Starting from the formation of the muonic atom, various phenomena, having a bearing on the nuclear capture, are reviewed. The nuclear reactions are then studied from two angles-to learn about the basic muon+nucleon weak interaction process, and to obtain new insights on the nuclear dynamics. Future experimental prospects with the newer generation muon 'factories' are critically examined. Possible modification of the muon+nucleon weak interaction in complex nuclei remains the most important open problem in this field. (380 refs).

Beyond WIMPs: the Quark (Anti Nugget Dark Matter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhitnitsky Ariel

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We review a testable dark matter (DM model outside of the standard WIMP paradigm. The model is unique in a sense that the observed ratio Ωdark ≃ Ωvisible for visible and dark matter densities finds its natural explanation as a result of their common QCD origin when both types of matter (DM and visible are formed during the QCD phase transition and both are proportional to single dimensional parameter of the system, Λqcd. We argue that the charge separation effect also inevitably occurs during the same QCD phase transition in the presence of the CP odd axion field a(x. It leads to preferential formation of one species of nuggets on the scales of the visible Universe where the axion field a(x is coherent. A natural outcome of this preferential evolution is that only one type of the visible baryons (not anti- baryons remain in the system after the nuggets complete their formation. Unlike conventional WIMP dark matter candidates, the nuggets and anti-nuggets are strongly interacting but macroscopically large objects. The rare events of annihilation of the anti-nuggets with visible matter lead to a number of observable effects. We argue that the relative intensities for a number of measured excesses of emission from the centre of galaxy (covering more than 11 orders of magnitude are determined by standard and well established physics. At the same time the absolute intensity of emission is determined by a single new fundamental parameter of the theory, the axion mass, 10−6eV ≲ ma ≲ 10−3eV. Finally, we comment on implications of these studies for the axion search experiments, including microwave cavity and the Orpheus experiments.

Rare earth germanates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bondar', I.A.; Vinogradova, N.V.; Dem'yanets, L.N.

1983-01-01

From the viewpoint of structural chemistry and general regularities controlling formation reactions of compounds and phases in melts, solid and gaseous states, recent achievements in the chemistry of rare earth germanates are generalized. Methods of synthesizing germanates, systems on the base of germanium oxides and rare earths are considered. The data on crystallochemical characteristics are tabulated. Individual compounds of scandium germanate are also characterized. Processes of germanate formation using the data of IR-spectroscopy, X-ray phase analysis are studied. The structure and morphotropic series of rare earth germanates and silicates are determined. Fields of their present and possible future application are considered

Gaseous time projection chambers for rare event detection: results from the T-REX project. II. Dark matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Irastorza, I.G.; Aznar, F.; Castel, J., E-mail: igor.irastorza@cern.ch, E-mail: faznar@unizar.es, E-mail: jfcastel@unizar.es [Grupo de Física Nuclear y Astropartículas, Departamento de Física Teórica, Universidad de Zaragoza, C/ P. Cerbuna 12, Zaragoza, 50009 Spain (Spain); and others

2016-01-01

As part of the T-REX project, a number of R and D and prototyping activities have been carried out during the last years to explore the applicability of gaseous Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) with Micromesh Gas Structures (Micromegas) in rare event searches like double beta decay, axion research and low-mass WIMP searches. While in the companion paper we focus on double beta decay, in this paper we focus on the results regarding the search for dark matter candidates, both axions and WIMPs. Small (few cm wide) ultra-low background Micromegas detectors are used to image the axion-induced x-ray signal expected in axion helioscopes like the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) experiment. Background levels as low as 0.8 × 10{sup −6} counts keV{sup −1} cm{sup −2} s{sup −1} have already been achieved in CAST while values down to ∼10{sup −7} counts keV{sup −1} cm{sup −2} s{sup −1} have been obtained in a test bench placed underground in the Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc (LSC). Prospects to consolidate and further reduce these values down to ∼10{sup −8} counts keV{sup −1} cm{sup −2} s{sup −1} will be described. Such detectors, placed at the focal point of x-ray telescopes in the future International Axion Observatory (IAXO), would allow for 10{sup 5} better signal-to-noise ratio than CAST, and search for solar axions with g{sub a}γ down to few 10{sup 12} GeV{sup −1}, well into unexplored axion parameter space. In addition, a scaled-up version of these TPCs, properly shielded and placed underground, can be competitive in the search for low-mass WIMPs. The TREX-DM prototype, with ∼ 0.300 kg of Ar at 10 bar, or alternatively ∼ 0.160 kg of Ne at 10 bar, and energy threshold well below 1 keV, has been built to test this concept. We will describe the main technical solutions developed, as well as the results from the commissioning phase on surface. The anticipated sensitivity of this technique might reach ∼10{sup −44} cm{sup 2} for

Rare earth elements recycling from waste phosphor by dual hydrochloric acid dissolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Hu [School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Zhang, Shengen, E-mail: zhangshengen@mater.ustb.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Pan, Dean; Tian, Jianjun; Yang, Min; Wu, Maolin [School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Volinsky, Alex A. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620 (United States)

2014-05-01

Highlights: • The article provides a new method for recycling rare earth (RE) from waste phosphor. • When compared with the traditional methods, leach rate was much higher. • Y–Eu concentrate and Tb–Ce concentrate were obtained successively. • It would reduce the burden of later extraction, separation and purification. - Abstract: This paper is a comparative study of recycling rare earth elements from waste phosphor, which focuses on the leaching rate and the technical principle. The traditional and dual dissolution by hydrochloric acid (DHA) methods were compared. The method of dual dissolution by hydrochloric acid has been developed. The Red rare earth phosphor (Y{sub 0.95}Eu{sub 0.05}){sub 2}O{sub 3} in waste phosphor is dissolved during the first step of acid leaching, while the Green phosphor (Ce{sub 0.67}Tb{sub 0.33}MgAl{sub 11}O{sub 19}) and the Blue phosphor (Ba{sub 0.9}Eu{sub 0.1}MgAl{sub 10}O{sub 17}) mixed with caustic soda are obtained by alkali sintering. The excess caustic soda and NaAlO{sub 2} are removed by washing. The insoluble matter is leached by the hydrochloric acid, followed by solvent extraction and precipitation (the DHA method). In comparison, the total leaching rate of the rare earth elements was 94.6% by DHA, which is much higher than 42.08% achieved by the traditional method. The leaching rate of Y, Eu, Ce and Tb reached 94.6%, 99.05%, 71.45%, and 76.22%, respectively. DHA can decrease the consumption of chemicals and energy. The suggested DHA method is feasible for industrial applications.

Nucleic acid hybridization assays employing dA-tailed capture probes. II. Advanced multiple capture methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunsaker, W.R.; Badri, H.; Lombardo, M.; Collins, M.L.

1989-01-01

A fourth capture is added to the reversible target capture procedure. This results in an improved radioisotopic detection limit of 7.3 x 10(-21) mol of target. In addition, the standard triple capture method is converted into a nonradioactive format with a detection limit of under 1 amol of target. The principal advantage of nonradioactive detection is that the entire assay can be performed in about 1 h. Nucleic acids are released from cells in the presence of the (capture probe) which contains a 3'-poly(dA) sequence and the (labeled probe) which contains a detectable nonradioactive moiety such as biotin. After a brief hybridization in solution, the target is captured on oligo(dT) magnetic particles. The target is further purified from sample impurities and excess labeled probe by recapture either once or twice more on fresh magnetic particles. The highly purified target is then concentrated to 200 nl by recapture onto a poly(dT) nitrocellulose filter and rapidly detected with streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase using bromochloroindolyl phosphate and nitroblue tetrazolium. Using this procedure, as little as 0.25 amol of a target plasmid has been detected nonradioactively in crude samples in just 1 h without prior purification of the DNA and RNA. Finally, a new procedure called background capture is introduced to complement the background-reducing power of RTC

Mucormycosis: a rare fungal infection in tornado victims.

Science.gov (United States)

Austin, Cindy L; Finley, Phillip J; Mikkelson, Debbie R; Tibbs, Brian

2014-01-01

This article reviews four immunocompetent patients who developed a rare fungal infection, mucormycosis, secondary to multiple traumatic injuries sustained during an EF-5 tornado in Joplin, MO. Commonly found in soil and decaying organic matter, mucorales are fungi associated with soft tissue and cutaneous infections. Onset of this fungal infection can occur without clinical signs, presenting several days to several weeks after injury, delaying diagnosis. A multidisciplinary treatment approach including aggressive antifungal therapy and aggressive surgical debridement is critical. This diagnosis should be considered in all patients presenting with injuries sustained from high-velocity embedment of debris such as natural disasters or explosions. We present four cases of mucormycosis, species Apophysomyces trapeziformis. Data reported includes predisposing factors, number of days between injury and diagnosis of mucormycosis, surgical treatment, antifungal therapy, outcomes, and potential risk factors that may have contributed to the development of mucormycosis.

Determinants of capture-recapture success: an evaluation of trapping methods to estimate population and community parameters for Atlantic forest small mammals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camila S. Barros

2015-10-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Efficiently obtaining high-quality data on animal populations and communities is paramount for ecological and conservation studies. In many instances these data come from live-trapping, the success of which depends on various factors, such as the interaction between the trap's mechanisms and the morphological or ecological characteristics of the animals, and weather conditions that can affect both trap efficiency and animal behavior. Integrative approaches that address the simultaneous effects of these factors on capture-recapture success are rare. Here we contribute to close this knowledge gap by focusing on a large capture-recapture dataset from three 2-ha grids monitored for approximately two years (totaling 55.000 traps-night in the Morro Grande Forest Reserve, São Paulo, Brazil. The dataset contains data on 3608 captures of 1273 individuals from 24 species of Atlantic forest small mammals. We evaluated if mortality rates and the capture-recapture success of small mammals varied between two types of trap (Sherman and pitfall, and if the capture success of each type varied with age and sex of individuals, and with weather conditions. Our findings highlight that trap efficiency depends not only on the quantities considered (species, individuals or recaptures, but also on animal characteristics and weather conditions. Large pitfall traps should be used whenever the focus is on biodiversity and community parameters, since they captured more individuals and species. Studies focusing on demographic parameters require the combined use of pitfall and Sherman traps. While pitfall traps captured a larger number of individuals and a higher proportion of juveniles, Sherman traps provided higher recapture rates for most species.

The Effectiveness of Classroom Capture Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, Maire B.; Burns, Colleen E.; Mitch, Nathan; Gomez, Melissa M.

2012-01-01

The use of classroom capture systems (systems that capture audio and video footage of a lecture and attempt to replicate a classroom experience) is becoming increasingly popular at the university level. However, research on the effectiveness of classroom capture systems in the university classroom has been limited due to the recent development and…

Contingent orienting or contingent capture: a size singleton matching the target-distractor size relation cannot capture attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Feng; Yin, Yue; Qi, Yue; Zhang, Kan

2014-08-01

In the present study, we examined whether a peripheral size-singleton distractor that matches the target-distractor size relation can capture attention and disrupt central target identification. Three experiments consistently showed that a size singleton that matches the target-distractor size relation cannot capture attention when it appears outside of the attentional window, even though the same size singleton produces a cuing effect. In addition, a color singleton that matches the target color, instead of a size singleton that matches the target-distractor size relation, captures attention when it is outside of the attentional window. Thus, a size-relation-matched distractor is much weaker than a color-matched distractor in capturing attention and cannot capture attention when the distractor appears outside of the attentional window.

Rare earths 1998 market update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tourre, J.M.

1998-01-01

The rare earth industry has always been a world of rapid change with the emergence of new markets, new ores and new players, as well as the disappearance of old applications. Rare earth based products are used in a great diversity of applications such as hard disk drives, CD drives, batteries, capacitors, pigments, ceramics, polishing powders, fuel cells, flints, catalyst converter, fluid cracking catalysts, etc. South East Asia holds the largest share of the known reserve of rare earth ores and is one of the major markets for rare earth compounds; in the last ten years, China has become the largest producer of rare earth intermediates as well as an important exporter of separated rare earth elements. Today, China has approximately 150 factories producing rare earth compounds, most of which are experiencing financial difficulties due to the lack of knowledge of true market needs, lack of control of their distribution channels and production over-capacity. Recently the Chinese rare earth producers have recognized the situation and efforts are underway to rationalize rare earth production. Japan has dominated many of the major application markets, and is by far the largest market for metal and alloy products. This will remain the case for the next five years; however, new countries are emerging as significant users of rare earth products such as Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia. During the last ten years rare earth producers adjusted to several radical changes that affected the raw materials, the application mix and the price structure. New producers have emerged, especially from China; some have subsequently stopped their activities while others have focused their efforts in a specific market segment

Exploring Different Types of Assessment Items to Measure Linguistically Diverse Students' Understanding of Energy and Matter in Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Ryoo, Kihyun; Toutkoushian, Emily; Bedell, Kristin

2018-01-01

Energy and matter are fundamental, yet challenging concepts in middle school chemistry due to their abstract, unobservable nature. Although it is important for science teachers to elicit a range of students' ideas to design and revise their instruction, capturing such varied ideas using traditional assessments consisting of multiple-choice items…

Capture cross sections on unstable nuclei

Science.gov (United States)

Tonchev, A. P.; Escher, J. E.; Scielzo, N.; Bedrossian, P.; Ilieva, R. S.; Humby, P.; Cooper, N.; Goddard, P. M.; Werner, V.; Tornow, W.; Rusev, G.; Kelley, J. H.; Pietralla, N.; Scheck, M.; Savran, D.; Löher, B.; Yates, S. W.; Crider, B. P.; Peters, E. E.; Tsoneva, N.; Goriely, S.

2017-09-01

Accurate neutron-capture cross sections on unstable nuclei near the line of beta stability are crucial for understanding the s-process nucleosynthesis. However, neutron-capture cross sections for short-lived radionuclides are difficult to measure due to the fact that the measurements require both highly radioactive samples and intense neutron sources. Essential ingredients for describing the γ decays following neutron capture are the γ-ray strength function and level densities. We will compare different indirect approaches for obtaining the most relevant observables that can constrain Hauser-Feshbach statistical-model calculations of capture cross sections. Specifically, we will consider photon scattering using monoenergetic and 100% linearly polarized photon beams. Challenges that exist on the path to obtaining neutron-capture cross sections for reactions on isotopes near and far from stability will be discussed.

Capture cross sections on unstable nuclei

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tonchev A.P.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Accurate neutron-capture cross sections on unstable nuclei near the line of beta stability are crucial for understanding the s-process nucleosynthesis. However, neutron-capture cross sections for short-lived radionuclides are difficult to measure due to the fact that the measurements require both highly radioactive samples and intense neutron sources. Essential ingredients for describing the γ decays following neutron capture are the γ-ray strength function and level densities. We will compare different indirect approaches for obtaining the most relevant observables that can constrain Hauser-Feshbach statistical-model calculations of capture cross sections. Specifically, we will consider photon scattering using monoenergetic and 100% linearly polarized photon beams. Challenges that exist on the path to obtaining neutron-capture cross sections for reactions on isotopes near and far from stability will be discussed.

Rare earths: occurrence, production and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murthy, T.K.S.; Mukherjee, T.K.

2002-01-01

The mining and processing of rare earth minerals, particularly of monazite, began in a modest way in 1880s for commercialized production of mantle for gas lighting. For all major applications up to mid-twentieth century- production of lighter flints, misch metal as a metallurgical alloying agent, colouring, decolourizing and polishing agents for glass, petroleum cracking catalysts and arc-carbons, unseparated or partially separated rare earths were adequate. These applications continue till today. With the development and industrial application of powerful techniques like ion exchange and solvent extraction for the separation of rare earths, the decades after 1960 saw increasing utilization of the specific properties of the individual rare earths. Some of these advanced technological applications include: special glass for optical systems including camera lenses, phosphors for colour television, cathode ray tubes and fluorescent lighting, X-ray intensification screens, high intensity permanent magnets, electro optical devices, lasers, hydrogen storage materials, hydride rechargeable batteries, photomagnetic data storage systems, autoexhaust catalysts, special ceramics of unusual toughness, artificial diamonds and nonpoisonous plastic colorants. The topics covered in the book include rare earths: their story identity, rare earth resources, processing of ores and recovery of mixed rare earths products, separation and purification of rare earths, nonmetallic applications of rare earths, rare earth metals: production and applications, rare earth alloys and their applications, analysis of rare earth, processing of rare earth resources in India by Indian Rare Earth Ltd. and availability and market conditions

A Search for WIMP Dark Matter Using the First Five-Tower Run of the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Filippini, Jeffrey Peter [UC, Berkeley

2008-01-01

In recent decades astronomers and physicists have accumulated a vast array of evidence that the bulk of the universe's matter is in some non-baryonic form that remains undetected by electromagnetic means. This \\dark matter" resides in diuse halos surrounding galaxies and other cosmic structures. Particle theorists have proposed a wide array of candidates for its nature. One particularly promising class of candidates are Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs): quanta with masses of order 100 GeV/c2 and interactions characteristic of the weak nuclear force. The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) experiment seeks to directly detect the rare elastic interactions of galactic WIMPs with terrestrial nuclei. To this end, CDMS operates an array of crystalline Ge and Si particle detectors in Soudan Underground Laboratory in northern Minnesota. These crystals are operated at millikelvin temperatures and instrumented to measure the ionization and athermal phonons generated by each particle interaction. This combination provides a powerful two-fold discrimination against the interactions of particles generated by radioactive decay and cosmogenic showers. This dissertation describes the commissioning, analysis, and results of the rst WIMP-search data runs of the CDMS experiment with its full complement of 5 \\Towers" of detectors. These data represent a substantial increase in target mass and exposure over previous CDMS results. The results of this work place the most stringent limits yet set upon the WIMP-nucleon spin-independent cross section for WIMP masses above 44 GeV/c2 , as well as setting competitive limits on spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon interactions. This work also outlines the larger context of this and other probes of the WIMP theory of dark matter, as well as some current development eorts toward a larger cryogenic experiment.

RARE DISEASES AND GENETIC DISCRIMINATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariela Yaneva – Deliverska

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Rare diseases are characterised by their low prevalence (less than 1/2,000 and their heterogeneity. They affect both children and adults anywhere in the world. From the medical perspective, rare diseases are characterised by the large number and broad diversity of disorders and symptoms that vary not only from disease to disease, but also within the same disease.Main characteristics of rare diseases include:· Rare diseases are often chronic, progressive, degenerative, and often life-threatening· Rare diseases are disabling: the quality of life of patients is often compromised by the lack or loss of autonomy· High level of pain and suffering for the patient and his/ her family · No existing effective cure· There are between 6000 and 8000 rare diseases· 75% of rare diseases affect children· 30% of rare disease patients die before the age of 5· 80% of rare diseases have identified genetic origins. Other rare diseases are the result of infections (bacterial or viral, allergies and environmental causes, or are degenerative and proliferative.Beyond the diversity of the diseases, rare disease patients and their families are confronted with the same wide range of difficulties arising directly from the rarity of these pathologies. The period between the emergence of the first symptoms and the appropriate diagnosis involves unacceptable and highly risky delays, as well as wrong diagnosis leading to inaccurate treatments. Living with a rare disease has implications in all areas of life, whether school, choice of future work, leisure time with friends, or affective life. It may lead to stigmatisation, isolation, exclusion from social community, discrimination for insurance subscription (health insurance, travel insurance, mortgage, and often reduced professional opportunities.Innovative treatments are often unevenly available in the EU because of delays in price determination and/or reimbursement decision, lack of experience of the treating

The Chinese Society of Rare Earth is Studying The Feasibility of Marketing Rare Earth Futures

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

2015-01-01

Lin Donglu,secretary-general of the Chinese Society of Rare Earth recently said,the Chinese Society of Rare Earth undertook the research on subject of the National Social Science Fund Foundation on the reform of Chinese rare earth trading pricing mechanism on promoting RMB globalization,and is focusing on studying the feasibility of marketing rare earth futures variety.

Matter, dark matter, and anti-matter in search of the hidden universe

CERN Document Server

Mazure, Alain

2012-01-01

For over ten years, the dark side of the universe has been headline news. Detailed studies of the rotation of spiral galaxies, and 'mirages' created by clusters of galaxies bending the light from very remote objects, have convinced astronomers of the presence of large quantities of dark (unseen) matter in the cosmos. Moreover, in the 1990s, it was discovered that some four to five billion years ago the expansion of the universe entered a phase of acceleration. This implies the existence of dark energy. The nature of these 'dark; ingredients remains a mystery, but they seem to comprise about 95 percent of the matter/energy content of the universe. As for ordinary matter, although we are immersed in a sea of dark particles, including primordial neutrinos and photons from 'fossil' cosmological radiation, both we and our environment are made of ordinary, baryonic matter. Strangely, even if 15-20 percent of matter is baryonic matter, this represents only 4-5 percent of the total matter/energy content of the cosmos...

A Rare Presentation of a Rare Disease: Pulmonary Lymphomatoid Granulomatosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghulam Rehman Mohyuddin

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A 70-year-old female presented with a 4-week history of dry cough and wheezing. Chest radiograph showed a 10.5 cm mass-like density in the anterior mediastinum which had not been previously visualized. Computed tomography scan (CT of the chest showed a right hilar mass encasing and narrowing right upper lobe bronchus and right mainstem bronchus and secondary atelectatic changes. Biopsy was consistent with a diagnosis of lymphomatoid granulomatosis Grade 3. She responded well clinically and radiologically to therapy. Lymphomatoid granulomatosis is a rare EBV-associated disorder which is considered a lymphoproliferative disease. The most common radiographic feature is multiple lung nodules. An isolated hilar mass is an exceptionally rare presentation of this rare disease.

The Compressed Baryonic Matter experiment at FAIR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Höhne Claudia

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The CBM experiment will investigate highly compressed baryonic matter created in A+A collisions at the new FAIR research center. With a beam energy range up to 11 AGeV for the heaviest nuclei at the SIS 100 accelerator, CBM will investigate the QCD phase diagram in the intermediate range, i.e. at moderate temperatures but high net-baryon densities. This intermediate range of the QCD phase diagram is of particular interest, because a first order phase transition ending in a critical point and possibly new highdensity phases of strongly interacting matter are expected. In this range of the QCD phase diagram only exploratory measurements have been performed so far. CBM, as a next generation, high-luminosity experiment, will substantially improve our knowledge of matter created in this region of the QCD phase diagram and characterize its properties by measuring rare probes such as multi-strange hyperons, dileptons or charm, but also with event-by-event fluctuations of conserved quantities, and collective flow of identified particles. The experimental preparations with special focus on hadronic observables and strangeness is presented in terms of detector development, feasibility studies and fast track reconstruction. Preparations are progressing well such that CBM will be ready with FAIR start. As quite some detectors are ready before, they will be used as upgrades or extensions of already running experiments allowing for a rich physics program prior to FAIR start.

Measurement of rare probes with the silicon tracking system of the CBM experiment at FAIR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heuser, Johann; Friese, Volker

2014-01-01

The Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment at FAIR will explore the phase diagram of strongly interacting matter at highest net baryon densities and moderate temperatures. The CBM physics program will be started with beams delivered by the SIS 100 synchrotron, providing energies from 2 to 14 GeV/nucleon for heavy nuclei, up to 14 GeV/nucleon for light nuclei, and 29 GeV for protons. The highest net baryon densities will be explored with ion beams up to 45 GeV/nucleon energy delivered by SIS 300 in the next stage of FAIR. Collision rates up to 10 7 per second are required to produce very rare probes with unprecedented statistics in this energy range. Their signatures are complex. These conditions call for detector systems designed to meet the extreme requirements in terms of rate capability, momentum and spatial resolution, and a novel DAQ and trigger concept which is not limited by latency but by throughput. In this paper we outline the concepts of CBM's central detector, the Silicon Tracking System, and of the First-Level Event Selector, a dedicated computing farm to reduce on-line the raw data volume by up to three orders of magnitude to a recordable rate. Progress with the development of detector and software algorithms are discussed and examples of performance studies on the reconstruction of rare probes at SIS 100 and SIS 300 energies given

Quantifying Matter

CERN Document Server

Angelo, Joseph A

2011-01-01

Quantifying Matter explains how scientists learned to measure matter and quantify some of its most fascinating and useful properties. It presents many of the most important intellectual achievements and technical developments that led to the scientific interpretation of substance. Complete with full-color photographs, this exciting new volume describes the basic characteristics and properties of matter. Chapters include:. -Exploring the Nature of Matter. -The Origin of Matter. -The Search for Substance. -Quantifying Matter During the Scientific Revolution. -Understanding Matter's Electromagnet

Spectroscopic and neutron detection properties of rare earth and titanium doped LiAlO 2 single crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dickens, Peter T.; Marcial, José; McCloy, John; McDonald, Benjamin S.; Lynn, Kelvin G.

2017-10-01

In this study, LiAlO2 crystals doped with rare-earth elements and Ti were produced by the CZ method and spectroscopic and neutron detection properties were investigated. Photoluminescence revealed no clear luminescent activation of LiAlO2 by the rare-earth dopants though some interesting luminescence was observed from secondary phases within the crystal. Gamma-ray pulse height spectra collected using a 137Cs source exhibited only a Compton edge for the crystals. Neutron modeling using Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code revealed most neutrons used in the detection setup are thermalized, and while using natural lithium in the crystal growth, which contains 7.6 % 6Li, a 10 mm Ø by 10 mm sample of LiAlO2 has a 70.7 % intrinsic thermal neutron capture efficiency. Furthermore, the pulse height spectra collected using a 241Am-Be neutron source demonstrated a distinct neutron peak.

Theory of inelastic multiphonon scattering and carrier capture by defects in semiconductors: Application to capture cross sections

Science.gov (United States)

Barmparis, Georgios D.; Puzyrev, Yevgeniy S.; Zhang, X.-G.; Pantelides, Sokrates T.

2015-12-01

Inelastic scattering and carrier capture by defects in semiconductors are the primary causes of hot-electron-mediated degradation of power devices, which holds up their commercial development. At the same time, carrier capture is a major issue in the performance of solar cells and light-emitting diodes. A theory of nonradiative (multiphonon) inelastic scattering by defects, however, is nonexistent, while the theory for carrier capture by defects has had a long and arduous history. Here we report the construction of a comprehensive theory of inelastic scattering by defects, with carrier capture being a special case. We distinguish between capture under thermal equilibrium conditions and capture under nonequilibrium conditions, e.g., in the presence of an electrical current or hot carriers where carriers undergo scattering by defects and are described by a mean free path. In the thermal-equilibrium case, capture is mediated by a nonadiabatic perturbation Hamiltonian, originally identified by Huang and Rhys and by Kubo, which is equal to linear electron-phonon coupling to first order. In the nonequilibrium case, we demonstrate that the primary capture mechanism is within the Born-Oppenheimer approximation (adiabatic transitions), with coupling to the defect potential inducing Franck-Condon electronic transitions, followed by multiphonon dissipation of the transition energy, while the nonadiabatic terms are of secondary importance (they scale with the inverse of the mass of typical atoms in the defect complex). We report first-principles density-functional-theory calculations of the capture cross section for a prototype defect using the projector-augmented wave, which allows us to employ all-electron wave functions. We adopt a Monte Carlo scheme to sample multiphonon configurations and obtain converged results. The theory and the results represent a foundation upon which to build engineering-level models for hot-electron degradation of power devices and the performance

Does imminent threat capture and hold attention?

Science.gov (United States)

Koster, Ernst H W; Crombez, Geert; Van Damme, Stefaan; Verschuere, Bruno; De Houwer, Jan

2004-09-01

According to models of attention and emotion, threat captures and holds attention. In behavioral tasks, robust evidence has been found for attentional holding but not for attentional capture by threat. An important explanation for the absence of attentional capture effects is that the visual stimuli used posed no genuine threat. The present study investigated whether visual cues that signal an aversive white noise can elicit attentional capture and holding effects. Cues presented in an attentional task were simultaneously provided with a threat value through an aversive conditioning procedure. Response latencies showed that threatening cues captured and held attention. These results support recent views on attention to threat, proposing that imminent threat captures attention in everyone. (c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved

Theory, phenomenology, and prospects for detection of supersymmetric dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diehl, E.; Kane, G.L.; Kolda, C.; Wells, J.D.

1995-01-01

One of the great attractions of minimal superunified supersymmetric models is the prediction of a massive, stable, weakly interacting particle [the lightest supersymmetric partner (LSP)] which can have the right relic abundance to be a cold dark matter candidate. In this paper we investigate the identity, mass, and properties of the LSP after requiring gauge coupling unification, proper electroweak symmetry breaking, and numerous phenomenological constraints. We then discuss the prospects for detecting the LSP. The experiments which we investigate are (1) space annihilations into positrons, antiprotons, and γ rays, (2) large underground arrays to detect upward-going muons arising from LSP capture and annihilation in the sun and earth, (3) elastic collisions on matter in a table top apparatus, and (4) production of LSP's or decays into LSP's at high energy colliders. Our conclusions are that space annihilation experiments and large underground detectors are of limited help in initially detecting the LSP although perhaps they could provide confirmation of a signal seen in other experiments, while table top detectors have considerable discovery potential. Colliders such as the CERN LEP II, an upgraded Fermilab, and the CERN LHC might be the best dark matter detectors of all. This paper improves on most previous analyses in the literature by (a) only considering parameters not already excluded by several physics constraints listed above, (b) presenting results that are independent of (usually untenable) parameter choices, (c) comparing opportunities to study the same cold dark matter, and (d) including minor technical improvements

Rare earths and actinides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coqblin, B.

1982-01-01

This paper reviews the different properties of rare-earths and actinides, either as pure metals or as in alloys or compounds. Three different cases are considered: (i) First, in the case of 'normal' rare-earths which are characterized by a valence of 3, we discuss essentially the magnetic ordering, the coexistence between superconductivity and magnetism and the properties of amorphous rare-earth systems. (ii) Second, in the case of 'anomalous' rare-earths, we distinguish between either 'intermediate-valence' systems or 'Kondo' systems. Special emphasis is given to the problems of the 'Kondo lattice' (for compounds such as CeAl 2 ,CeAl 3 or CeB 6 ) or the 'Anderson lattice' (for compounds such as TmSe). The problem of neutron diffraction in these systems is also discussed. (iii) Third, in the case of actinides, we can separate between the d-f hybridized and almost magnetic metals at the beginning of the series and the rare-earth like the metals after americium. (orig.)

Recent development of capture of CO2

CERN Document Server

Chavez, Rosa Hilda

2014-01-01

"Recent Technologies in the capture of CO2" provides a comprehensive summary on the latest technologies available to minimize the emission of CO2 from large point sources like fossil-fuel power plants or industrial facilities. This ebook also covers various techniques that could be developed to reduce the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere. The contents of this book include chapters on oxy-fuel combustion in fluidized beds, gas separation membrane used in post-combustion capture, minimizing energy consumption in CO2 capture processes through process integration, characterization and application of structured packing for CO2 capture, calcium looping technology for CO2 capture and many more. Recent Technologies in capture of CO2 is a valuable resource for graduate students, process engineers and administrative staff looking for real-case analysis of pilot plants. This eBook brings together the research results and professional experiences of the most renowned work groups in the CO2 capture field...

Dark Matter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Einasto J.

2011-06-01

Full Text Available I give a review of the development of the concept of dark matter. The dark matter story passed through several stages from a minor observational puzzle to a major challenge for theory of elementary particles. Modern data suggest that dark matter is the dominant matter component in the Universe, and that it consists of some unknown non-baryonic particles. Dark matter is the dominant matter component in the Universe, thus properties of dark matter particles determine the structure of the cosmic web.

The burden of rare cancers in Italy: the surveillance of rare cancers in Italy (RITA) project.

Science.gov (United States)

Trama, Annalisa; Mallone, Sandra; Ferretti, Stefano; Meduri, Francesca; Capocaccia, Riccardo; Gatta, Gemma

2012-01-01

The project Surveillance of rare cancers in Italy (RITA) provides, for the first time, estimates of the burden of rare cancers in Italy based on the list of rare cancers proposed in collaboration with the European project Surveillance of Rare Cancers in Europe (RARECARE). RITA analyzed data from Italian population-based cancer registries (CR). The period of diagnosis was 1988 to 2002, and vital status information was available up to December 31, 2003. Incidence rates were estimated for the period 1995-2002, survival for the years 2000-2002 (with the period method of Brenner), and complete prevalence at January 1, 2003. Rare cancers are those with an incidence <6/100,000/year. In Italy, every year there are 60,000 new diagnoses of rare cancers corresponding to 15% of all new cancer diagnoses. Five-year relative survival was on the average worse for rare cancers (53%) than for common cancers (73%). A total of 770,000 patients were living in Italy in 2008 with a diagnosis of a rare cancer, 22% of the total cancer prevalence. Our estimates constitute a useful base for further research and support the idea that rare cancers are a public health problem that deserves attention. Centers of expertise for rare cancers that pool cases, expertise and resources could ensure an adequate clinical management for these diseases. Our data also showed that cancer registries are suitable sources of data to estimate incidence, prevalence and survival for rare cancers and should continue to monitoring rare cancers in Italy.

Effective prey attraction in the rare Drosophyllum lusitanicum, a flypaper-trap carnivorous plant.

Science.gov (United States)

Bertol, Nils; Paniw, Maria; Ojeda, Fernando

2015-05-01

Carnivorous plants have unusually modified leaves to trap insects as an adaptation to low-nutrient environments. Disparate mechanisms have been suggested as luring traits to attract prey insects into their deadly leaves, ranging from very elaborate to none at all. Drosophyllum lusitanicum is a rare carnivorous plant with a common flypaper-trap mechanism. Here we tested whether Drosophyllum plants lure prey insects into their leaves or they act just as passive traps. We compared prey capture between live, potted plants and Drosophyllum-shaped artificial mimics coated with odorless glue. Since this species is insect-pollinated, we also explored the possible existence of a pollinator-prey conflict by quantifying the similarity between the pollination and prey guilds in a natural population. All experiments were done in southern Spain. The sticky leaves of Drosophyllum captured significantly more prey than mimics, particularly small dipterans. Prey attraction, likely exerted by scent or visual cues, seems to be unrelated to pollinator attraction by flowers, as inferred from the low similarity between pollinator and prey insect faunas found in this species. Our results illustrate the effectiveness of this carnivorous species at attracting insects to their flypaper-trap leaves. © 2015 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Enzymes in CO2 Capture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fosbøl, Philip Loldrup; Gladis, Arne; Thomsen, Kaj

The enzyme Carbonic Anhydrase (CA) can accelerate the absorption rate of CO2 into aqueous solutions by several-fold. It exist in almost all living organisms and catalyses different important processes like CO2 transport, respiration and the acid-base balances. A new technology in the field...... of carbon capture is the application of enzymes for acceleration of typically slow ternary amines or inorganic carbonates. There is a hidden potential to revive currently infeasible amines which have an interesting low energy consumption for regeneration but too slow kinetics for viable CO2 capture. The aim...... of this work is to discuss the measurements of kinetic properties for CA promoted CO2 capture solvent systems. The development of a rate-based model for enzymes will be discussed showing the principles of implementation and the results on using a well-known ternary amine for CO2 capture. Conclusions...

Partial radiative capture of resonance neutrons; Capture radiative partielle des neutrons de resonance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samour, C [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1969-07-01

The radiative capture of resonance neutrons has been studied near the Saclay linac between 0.5 and 700 eV with time-of-flight method and a Ge(Li) detector. {sup 195}Pt + n and {sup 183}W + n allow the study of the distribution of partial radiative widths and their eventual correlation and also the variation of < {gamma}{sub {gamma}{sub i}} > with E{sub {gamma}}. The mean values of Ml and El transition intensities are compared in several tin isotopes. Interference effects, either between resonances or between direct capture and resonant capture are found in {sup 195}Pt + n, {sup 197}Au + n and {sup 59}Co + n. The excited level schemes of a great deal of nuclei are obtained and compared with theoretical predictions. This study has been completed by an analysis of thermal spectrum. (author) [French] La capture radiative des neutrons de resonance a ete etudiee pres de l'accelerateur lineaire de Saclay entre 0,5 et 700 eV a l'aide de la methode du temps-de-vol et d'un detecteur Ge(Li). Les noyaux {sup 195}Pt + n et {sup 183}W + n permettent l'analyse de la distribution de resonance en resonance des largeurs radiatives partielles {gamma}{sub {gamma}{sub i}} et de leur eventuelle correlation, ainsi que l'etude de la variation de < {gamma}{sub {gamma}{sub i}} > en fonction de E{sub {gamma}}. Les intensites moyennes des transitions Ml et El sont comparees pour quelques isotopes de l'etain. Des effets d'interference, soit entre resonances, soit entre capture directe et capture resonnante sont mis en evidence dans {sup 195}Pt + n, {sup 197}Au + n et {sup 59}Co + n. Enfin les schemas des etats excites d'un grand nombre de noyaux sont obtenus et compares avec les predictions theoriques. Cette etude a ete completee par une analyse des spectres thermiques. (auteur)

Partial radiative capture of resonance neutrons; Capture radiative partielle des neutrons de resonance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samour, C. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1969-07-01

The radiative capture of resonance neutrons has been studied near the Saclay linac between 0.5 and 700 eV with time-of-flight method and a Ge(Li) detector. {sup 195}Pt + n and {sup 183}W + n allow the study of the distribution of partial radiative widths and their eventual correlation and also the variation of < {gamma}{sub {gamma}{sub i}} > with E{sub {gamma}}. The mean values of Ml and El transition intensities are compared in several tin isotopes. Interference effects, either between resonances or between direct capture and resonant capture are found in {sup 195}Pt + n, {sup 197}Au + n and {sup 59}Co + n. The excited level schemes of a great deal of nuclei are obtained and compared with theoretical predictions. This study has been completed by an analysis of thermal spectrum. (author) [French] La capture radiative des neutrons de resonance a ete etudiee pres de l'accelerateur lineaire de Saclay entre 0,5 et 700 eV a l'aide de la methode du temps-de-vol et d'un detecteur Ge(Li). Les noyaux {sup 195}Pt + n et {sup 183}W + n permettent l'analyse de la distribution de resonance en resonance des largeurs radiatives partielles {gamma}{sub {gamma}{sub i}} et de leur eventuelle correlation, ainsi que l'etude de la variation de < {gamma}{sub {gamma}{sub i}} > en fonction de E{sub {gamma}}. Les intensites moyennes des transitions Ml et El sont comparees pour quelques isotopes de l'etain. Des effets d'interference, soit entre resonances, soit entre capture directe et capture resonnante sont mis en evidence dans {sup 195}Pt + n, {sup 197}Au + n et {sup 59}Co + n. Enfin les schemas des etats excites d'un grand nombre de noyaux sont obtenus et compares avec les predictions theoriques. Cette etude a ete completee par une analyse des spectres thermiques. (auteur)

DARWIN: towards the ultimate dark matter detector

Science.gov (United States)

Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Amaro, F. D.; Amsler, C.; Aprile, E.; Arazi, L.; Arneodo, F.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Beskers, B.; Breskin, A.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Bütikofer, L.; Calvén, J.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; Diglio, S.; Drexlin, G.; Duchovni, E.; Erdal, E.; Eurin, G.; Ferella, A.; Fieguth, A.; Fulgione, W.; Gallo Rosso, A.; Di Gangi, P.; Di Giovanni, A.; Galloway, M.; Garbini, M.; Geis, C.; Glueck, F.; Grandi, L.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Hasterok, C.; Hannen, V.; Hogenbirk, E.; Howlett, J.; Hilk, D.; Hils, C.; James, A.; Kaminsky, B.; Kazama, S.; Kilminster, B.; Kish, A.; Krauss, L. M.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Lin, Q.; Linde, F. L.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Marrodán Undagoitia, T.; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Mayani, D.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Molinario, A.; Morå, K. D.; Morteau, E.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Newstead, J. L.; Ni, K.; Oberlack, U.; Pakarha, P.; Pelssers, B.; de Perio, P.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Piro, M. C.; Plante, G.; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Rizzo, A.; Rupp, N.; Dos Santos, J. M. F.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schumann, M.; Schreiner, J.; Scotto Lavina, L.; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Silva, M. C.; Simgen, H.; Sissol, P.; von Sivers, M.; Thers, D.; Thurn, J.; Tiseni, A.; Trotta, R.; Tunnell, C. D.; Valerius, K.; Vargas, M. A.; Wang, H.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wester, T.; Wulf, J.; Zhang, Y.; Zhu, T.; Zuber, K.

2016-11-01

DARk matter WImp search with liquid xenoN (DARWIN) will be an experiment for the direct detection of dark matter using a multi-ton liquid xenon time projection chamber at its core. Its primary goal will be to explore the experimentally accessible parameter space for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) in a wide mass-range, until neutrino interactions with the target become an irreducible background. The prompt scintillation light and the charge signals induced by particle interactions in the xenon will be observed by VUV sensitive, ultra-low background photosensors. Besides its excellent sensitivity to WIMPs above a mass of 5 GeV/c2, such a detector with its large mass, low-energy threshold and ultra-low background level will also be sensitive to other rare interactions. It will search for solar axions, galactic axion-like particles and the neutrinoless double-beta decay of 136Xe, as well as measure the low-energy solar neutrino flux with detect galactic supernovae. We present the concept of the DARWIN detector and discuss its physics reach, the main sources of backgrounds and the ongoing detector design and R&D efforts.

DARWIN: towards the ultimate dark matter detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aalbers, J.; Breur, P.A.; Brown, A. [Nikhef and the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Agostini, F. [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Bologna and INFN-Bologna, Bologna (Italy); Alfonsi, M.; Beskers, B. [Institut für Physik and Exzellenzcluster PRISMA, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Mainz (Germany); Amaro, F.D. [Department of Physics, University of Coimbra, Coimbra (Portugal); Amsler, C. [Albert Einstein Center for Fundamental Physics, Universität Bern, Bern (Switzerland); Aprile, E. [Physics Department, Columbia University, New York, NY (United States); Arazi, L.; Breskin, A.; Budnik, R. [Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot (Israel); Arneodo, F.; Benabderrahmane, M.L. [New York University Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates); Barrow, P.; Baudis, L. [Physik-Institut, Universität Zürich, Zürich (Switzerland); Berger, T.; Brown, E. [Department of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY (United States); Bruenner, S. [Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg (Germany); Bruno, G., E-mail: lior.arazi@weizmann.ac.il, E-mail: laura.baudis@physik.uzh.ch, E-mail: amos.breskin@weizmann.ac.il, E-mail: decowski@nikhef.nl, E-mail: marc.schumann@lhep.unibe.ch [INFN-Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso and Gran Sasso Science Institute, L' Aquila (Italy); and others

2016-11-01

DARk matter WImp search with liquid xenoN (DARWIN) will be an experiment for the direct detection of dark matter using a multi-ton liquid xenon time projection chamber at its core. Its primary goal will be to explore the experimentally accessible parameter space for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) in a wide mass-range, until neutrino interactions with the target become an irreducible background. The prompt scintillation light and the charge signals induced by particle interactions in the xenon will be observed by VUV sensitive, ultra-low background photosensors. Besides its excellent sensitivity to WIMPs above a mass of 5 GeV/ c {sup 2}, such a detector with its large mass, low-energy threshold and ultra-low background level will also be sensitive to other rare interactions. It will search for solar axions, galactic axion-like particles and the neutrinoless double-beta decay of {sup 136}Xe, as well as measure the low-energy solar neutrino flux with < 1% precision, observe coherent neutrino-nucleus interactions, and detect galactic supernovae. We present the concept of the DARWIN detector and discuss its physics reach, the main sources of backgrounds and the ongoing detector design and R and D efforts.

Safety aspects in rare earths recovery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhattacharya, R.

2014-01-01

Recovery of rare earths involves mining of beach sands, mineral separation to obtain monazite and its chemical processing to obtain rare earth composites. The composites are then subjected to further chemical treatment to obtain individual rare earths. Although the separated out rare earths are not radioactive, the process for recovery of rare earths involve both radiological as well as conventional hazards. This paper highlights the safety aspects in the mining, mineral separation and chemical processing of monazite to obtain rare earths

Rare B decays at LHCb

CERN Document Server

Puig Navarro, Albert

2017-01-01

Rare decays are flavour changing neutral current processes that allow sensitive searches for phenomena beyond the Standard Model (SM). In the SM, rare decays are loop-suppressed and new particles in SM extensions can give significant contributions. The very rare decay $B^0_s\\to\\mu^+\\mu^-$ in addition helicity suppressed and constitutes a powerful probe for new (pseudo) scalar particles. Of particular interest are furthermore tests of lepton universality in rare $b\\to s\\ell^+\\ell^-$ decays. The LHCb experiment is designed for the study of b-hadron decays and ideally suited for the analysis of rare decays due to its high trigger efficiency, as well as excellent tracking and particle identification performance. Recent results from the LHCb experiment in the area of rare decays are presented, including tests of lepton universality and searches for lepton flavour violation.

Rare earths and rare earth alloys electrolytic preparation process and device for this process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seon, F.; Barthole, G.

1986-01-01

Electrolysis of a molten salt of rare earth or rare earth alloy for preparation of the metal or alloy is described. The molten salt bath comprises at least a rare earth chloride, at least an alkaline or alkaline earth chloride and at least an alkaline or alkaline earth fluoride [fr

Mirror matter as self-interacting dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohapatra, R.N.; Nussinov, S.; Teplitz, V.L.

2002-01-01

It has been argued that the observed core density profile of galaxies is inconsistent with having a dark matter particle that is collisionless and that alternative dark matter candidates which are self-interacting may explain observations better. One new class of self-interacting dark matter that has been proposed in the context of mirror universe models of particle physics is the mirror hydrogen atom, whose stability is guaranteed by the conservation of mirror baryon number. We show that the effective transport cross section for mirror hydrogen atoms has the right order of magnitude for solving the 'cuspy' halo problem. Furthermore, the suppression of dissipation effects for mirror atoms due to a higher mirror mass scale prevents the mirror halo matter from collapsing into a disk, strengthening the argument for mirror matter as galactic dark matter

Fast imaging of laboratory core floods using 3D compressed sensing RARE MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramskill, N P; Bush, I; Sederman, A J; Mantle, M D; Benning, M; Anger, B C; Appel, M; Gladden, L F

2016-09-01

Three-dimensional (3D) imaging of the fluid distributions within the rock is essential to enable the unambiguous interpretation of core flooding data. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been widely used to image fluid saturation in rock cores; however, conventional acquisition strategies are typically too slow to capture the dynamic nature of the displacement processes that are of interest. Using Compressed Sensing (CS), it is possible to reconstruct a near-perfect image from significantly fewer measurements than was previously thought necessary, and this can result in a significant reduction in the image acquisition times. In the present study, a method using the Rapid Acquisition with Relaxation Enhancement (RARE) pulse sequence with CS to provide 3D images of the fluid saturation in rock core samples during laboratory core floods is demonstrated. An objective method using image quality metrics for the determination of the most suitable regularisation functional to be used in the CS reconstructions is reported. It is shown that for the present application, Total Variation outperforms the Haar and Daubechies3 wavelet families in terms of the agreement of their respective CS reconstructions with a fully-sampled reference image. Using the CS-RARE approach, 3D images of the fluid saturation in the rock core have been acquired in 16min. The CS-RARE technique has been applied to image the residual water saturation in the rock during a water-water displacement core flood. With a flow rate corresponding to an interstitial velocity of vi=1.89±0.03ftday(-1), 0.1 pore volumes were injected over the course of each image acquisition, a four-fold reduction when compared to a fully-sampled RARE acquisition. Finally, the 3D CS-RARE technique has been used to image the drainage of dodecane into the water-saturated rock in which the dynamics of the coalescence of discrete clusters of the non-wetting phase are clearly observed. The enhancement in the temporal resolution that has

Electron capture and stellar collapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, K.C.

1979-01-01

In order, to investigate the function of electron capture in the phenomenon of pre-supernovae gravitacional collapse, an hydrodynamic caculation was carried out, coupling capture, decay and nuclear reaction equation system. A star simplified model (homogeneous model) was adopted using fermi ideal gas approximation for tthe sea of free electrons and neutrons. The non simplified treatment from quasi-static evolution to collapse is presented. The capture and beta decay rates, as wellas neutron delayed emission, were calculated by beta decay crude theory, while the other reaction rates were determined by usual theories. The preliminary results are presented. (M.C.K.) [pt

Proton capture by magnetic monopoles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olaussen, K.; Olsen, H.A.; Oeverboe, I.; Osland, P.

1983-09-01

In the Kazama-Yang approximation, the lowest monopole-proton bound states have binding energies of 938 MeV, 263 keV, 105 eV, and 0.04 eV. The cross section for radiative capture to these states is for velocities β = 10 -5 - 10 -3 found to be of the order of 10 -28 - 10 -26 cm 2 . For the state that has a binding energy of 263 keV, the capture length in water is 171 x (β/10 -4 )sup(0.48) m. Observation of photons from the capture process would indicate the presence of monopoles. (orig.)

CHAOTIC CAPTURE OF NEPTUNE TROJANS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nesvorny, David; Vokrouhlicky, David

2009-01-01

Neptune Trojans (NTs) are swarms of outer solar system objects that lead/trail planet Neptune during its revolutions around the Sun. Observations indicate that NTs form a thick cloud of objects with a population perhaps ∼10 times more numerous than that of Jupiter Trojans and orbital inclinations reaching ∼25 deg. The high inclinations of NTs are indicative of capture instead of in situ formation. Here we study a model in which NTs were captured by Neptune during planetary migration when secondary resonances associated with the mean-motion commensurabilities between Uranus and Neptune swept over Neptune's Lagrangian points. This process, known as chaotic capture, is similar to that previously proposed to explain the origin of Jupiter's Trojans. We show that chaotic capture of planetesimals from an ∼35 Earth-mass planetesimal disk can produce a population of NTs that is at least comparable in number to that inferred from current observations. The large orbital inclinations of NTs are a natural outcome of chaotic capture. To obtain the ∼4:1 ratio between high- and low-inclination populations suggested by observations, planetary migration into a dynamically excited planetesimal disk may be required. The required stirring could have been induced by Pluto-sized and larger objects that have formed in the disk.

Interactions of neutrinos with matter

Science.gov (United States)

Vannucci, F.

2017-07-01

Neutrinos are elementary particles electrically neutral which belong to the family of leptons. As a consequence and in first approximation they only undergo weak processes. This gives them very special properties. They are ideal tools to study precisely the weak interactions, but there is a price to pay: neutrinos are characterized by extremely low probabilities of interactions, they easily penetrate large amount of matter without being stopped. Consequently, it is hard to perform neutrino physics measurements. In practice the difficulty is twofold: in order to accumulate enough statistics, experiments must rely on huge fluxes traversing huge detectors, the number of interactions being obviously proportional to these two factors. As a corollary, backgrounds are difficult to handle because they appear much more commonly than good events. Nevertheless, neutrino interactions have been detected from a variety of sources, both man-made and natural, from very low to very large energies. The aim of this review is to survey our current knowledge about interaction cross sections of neutrinos with matter across all pertinent energy scales. We will see that neutrino interactions cover a large range of processes: nuclear capture, inverse beta-decay, quasi-elastic scattering, resonant pion production, deep inelastic scattering and ultra-high energy interactions. All the gathered information will be used to study weak properties of matter but it will also allow to explore the properties of the neutrinos themselves. In particular, the known three different flavors of neutrinos have different behaviors inside matter and this will be relevant to give some precious understanding about their intrinsic parameters in particular their masses and mixings. As a second order process, neutrinos can undergo electromagnetic interactions. This will also be discussed. Although the corresponding phenomena are not yet experimentally proven by actual measurements, the theory is able to calculate

Fish welfare in capture fisheries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veldhuizen, L.J.L.; Berentsen, P.B.M.; Boer, de I.J.M.; Vis, van de J.W.; Bokkers, E.A.M.

2018-01-01

Concerns about the welfare of production animals have extended from farm animals to fish, but an overview of the impact of especially capture fisheries on fish welfare is lacking. This review provides a synthesis of 85 articles, which demonstrates that research interest in fish welfare in capture

Dark matter with pseudoscalar-mediated interactions explains the DAMA signal and the galactic center excess.

Science.gov (United States)

Arina, Chiara; Del Nobile, Eugenio; Panci, Paolo

2015-01-09

We study a Dirac dark matter particle interacting with ordinary matter via the exchange of a light pseudoscalar, and analyze its impact on both direct and indirect detection experiments. We show that this candidate can accommodate the long-standing DAMA modulated signal and yet be compatible with all exclusion limits at 99(S)% C.L. This result holds for natural choices of the pseudoscalar-quark couplings (e.g., flavor universal), which give rise to a significant enhancement of the dark matter-proton coupling with respect to the coupling to neutrons. We also find that this candidate can accommodate the observed 1-3 GeV gamma-ray excess at the Galactic center and at the same time have the correct relic density today. The model could be tested with measurements of rare meson decays, flavor changing processes, and searches for axionlike particles with mass in the MeV range.

Analysis of capture-recapture data

CERN Document Server

McCrea, Rachel S

2014-01-01

An important first step in studying the demography of wild animals is to identify the animals uniquely through applying markings, such as rings, tags, and bands. Once the animals are encountered again, researchers can study different forms of capture-recapture data to estimate features, such as the mortality and size of the populations. Capture-recapture methods are also used in other areas, including epidemiology and sociology.With an emphasis on ecology, Analysis of Capture-Recapture Data covers many modern developments of capture-recapture and related models and methods and places them in the historical context of research from the past 100 years. The book presents both classical and Bayesian methods.A range of real data sets motivates and illustrates the material and many examples illustrate biometry and applied statistics at work. In particular, the authors demonstrate several of the modeling approaches using one substantial data set from a population of great cormorants. The book also discusses which co...

Towards Rare Itemset Mining

OpenAIRE

Szathmary , Laszlo; Napoli , Amedeo; Valtchev , Petko

2007-01-01

site de la conférence : http://ictai07.ceid.upatras.gr/; International audience; We describe here a general approach for rare itemset mining. While mining literature has been almost exclusively focused on frequent itemsets, in many practical situations rare ones are of higher interest (e.g., in medical databases, rare combinations of symptoms might provide useful insights for the physicians). Based on an examination of the relevant substructures of the mining space, our approach splits the ra...

Crusted piloleiomyoma with mental retardation: A rare association

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamboj Sangeeta

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Piloleiomyoma is an uncommon benign smooth muscle neoplasm arising from arrector pili muscle. It is clinically defined by the presence of solitary or multiple reddish brown, dome-shaped, smooth papules or nodules, ranging in size from a few millimeters to a centimeter. The patients are otherwise healthy; but mental retardation developing in some patients with multiple Piloleiomyomas has been emerging as an intriguing matter for analysis by the scientists. In this case report, a mentally retarded patient with Piloleiomyoma is described, who, besides the characteristic smooth and dome-shaped lesions on the anterolateral aspect of the dorsum of the right foot, had developed crusting on one of the largest lesions. The histopathological features were consistent with Piloleiomyoma. The occurrence of Piloleiomyoma in a mentally retarded child and its unusual crusted nature has been rarely reported. The association between Piloleiomyoma and mental retardation is further stressed in this case report.

Field Testing of Cryogenic Carbon Capture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sayre, Aaron [Sustainable Energy Solutions, LLC; Frankman, Dave [Sustainable Energy Solutions, LLC; Baxter, Andrew [Sustainable Energy Solutions, LLC; Stitt, Kyler [Sustainable Energy Solutions, LLC; Baxter, Larry [Sustainable Energy Solutions, LLC; Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT (United States)

2017-07-17

Sustainable Energy Solutions has been developing Cryogenic Carbon Capture™ (CCC) since 2008. In that time two processes have been developed, the External Cooling Loop and Compressed Flue Gas Cryogenic Carbon Capture processes (CCC ECL™ and CCC CFG™ respectively). The CCC ECL™ process has been scaled up to a 1TPD CO2 system. In this process the flue gas is cooled by an external refrigerant loop. SES has tested CCC ECL™ on real flue gas slip streams from subbituminous coal, bituminous coal, biomass, natural gas, shredded tires, and municipal waste fuels at field sites that include utility power stations, heating plants, cement kilns, and pilot-scale research reactors. The CO2 concentrations from these tests ranged from 5 to 22% on a dry basis. CO2 capture ranged from 95-99+% during these tests. Several other condensable species were also captured including NO2, SO2 and PMxx at 95+%. NO was also captured at a modest rate. The CCC CFG™ process has been scaled up to a .25 ton per day system. This system has been tested on real flue gas streams including subbituminous coal, bituminous coal and natural gas at field sites that include utility power stations, heating plants, and pilot-scale research reactors. CO2 concentrations for these tests ranged from 5 to 15% on a dry basis. CO2 capture ranged from 95-99+% during these tests. Several other condensable species were also captured including NO2, SO2 and PMxx at 95+%. NO was also captured at 90+%. Hg capture was also verified and the resulting effluent from CCC CFG™ was below a 1ppt concentration. This paper will focus on discussion of the capabilities of CCC, the results of field testing and the future steps surrounding the development of this technology.

Refined potentials for rare gas atom adsorption on rare gas and alkali-halide surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, J. W.; Heinbockel, J. H.; Outlaw, R. A.

1985-01-01

The utilization of models of interatomic potential for physical interaction to estimate the long range attractive potential for rare gases and ions is discussed. The long range attractive force is calculated in terms of the atomic dispersion properties. A data base of atomic dispersion parameters for rare gas atoms, alkali ion, and halogen ions is applied to the study of the repulsive core; the procedure for evaluating the repulsive core of ion interactions is described. The interaction of rare gas atoms on ideal rare gas solid and alkali-halide surfaces is analyzed; zero coverage absorption potentials are derived.

Preliminary Results of Clover and Grass Coverage and Total Dry Matter Estimation in Clover-Grass Crops Using Image Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anders K. Mortensen

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The clover-grass ratio is an important factor in composing feed ratios for livestock. Cameras in the field allow the user to estimate the clover-grass ratio using image analysis; however, current methods assume the total dry matter is known. This paper presents the preliminary results of an image analysis method for non-destructively estimating the total dry matter of clover-grass. The presented method includes three steps: (1 classification of image illumination using a histogram of the difference in excess green and excess red; (2 segmentation of clover and grass using edge detection and morphology; and (3 estimation of total dry matter using grass coverage derived from the segmentation and climate parameters. The method was developed and evaluated on images captured in a clover-grass plot experiment during the spring growing season. The preliminary results are promising and show a high correlation between the image-based total dry matter estimate and the harvested dry matter ( R 2 = 0.93 with an RMSE of 210 kg ha − 1 .

Rare Disease Video Portal

OpenAIRE

Sánchez Bocanegra, Carlos Luis

2011-01-01

Rare Disease Video Portal (RD Video) is a portal web where contains videos from Youtube including all details from 12 channels of Youtube. Rare Disease Video Portal (RD Video) es un portal web que contiene los vídeos de Youtube incluyendo todos los detalles de 12 canales de Youtube. Rare Disease Video Portal (RD Video) és un portal web que conté els vídeos de Youtube i que inclou tots els detalls de 12 Canals de Youtube.

Solid Matter

CERN Document Server

Angelo, Joseph A

2011-01-01

Supported by a generous quantity of full-color illustrations and interesting sidebars, Solid Matter introduces the basic characteristics and properties of solid matter. It briefly describes the cosmic connection of the elements, leading readers through several key events in human pre-history that resulted in more advanced uses of matter in the solid state. Chapters include:. -Solid Matter: An Initial Perspective. -Physical Behavior of Matter. -The Gravity of Matter. -Fundamentals of Materials Science. -Rocks and Minerals. -Metals. -Building Materials. -Carbon Earth's Most Versatile Element. -S

Improved Vote Aggregation Techniques for the Geo-Wiki Cropland Capture Crowdsourcing Game

Science.gov (United States)

Baklanov, Artem; Fritz, Steffen; Khachay, Michael; Nurmukhametov, Oleg; Salk, Carl; See, Linda; Shchepashchenko, Dmitry

2016-04-01

Crowdsourcing is a new approach for solving data processing problems for which conventional methods appear to be inaccurate, expensive, or time-consuming. Nowadays, the development of new crowdsourcing techniques is mostly motivated by so called Big Data problems, including problems of assessment and clustering for large datasets obtained in aerospace imaging, remote sensing, and even in social network analysis. By involving volunteers from all over the world, the Geo-Wiki project tackles problems of environmental monitoring with applications to flood resilience, biomass data analysis and classification of land cover. For example, the Cropland Capture Game, which is a gamified version of Geo-Wiki, was developed to aid in the mapping of cultivated land, and was used to gather 4.5 million image classifications from the Earth's surface. More recently, the Picture Pile game, which is a more generalized version of Cropland Capture, aims to identify tree loss over time from pairs of very high resolution satellite images. Despite recent progress in image analysis, the solution to these problems is hard to automate since human experts still outperform the majority of machine learning algorithms and artificial systems in this field on certain image recognition tasks. The replacement of rare and expensive experts by a team of distributed volunteers seems to be promising, but this approach leads to challenging questions such as: how can individual opinions be aggregated optimally, how can confidence bounds be obtained, and how can the unreliability of volunteers be dealt with? In this paper, on the basis of several known machine learning techniques, we propose a technical approach to improve the overall performance of the majority voting decision rule used in the Cropland Capture Game. The proposed approach increases the estimated consistency with expert opinion from 77% to 86%.

Impacts of WIMP dark matter upon stellar evolution: main-sequence stars

CERN Document Server

Scott, Pat; Edsjo, Joakim

2008-01-01

The presence of large amounts of WIMP dark matter in stellar cores has been shown to have significant effects upon models of stellar evolution. We present a series of detailed grids of WIMP-influenced stellar models for main sequence stars, computed using the DarkStars code. We describe the changes in stellar structure and main sequence evolution which occur for masses ranging from 0.3 to 2.0 solar masses and metallicities from Z = 0.0003-0.02, as a function of the rate of energy injection by WIMPs. We then go on to show what rates of energy injection can be obtained using realistic orbital parameters for stars near supermassive black holes, including detailed considerations of dark matter halo velocity and density profiles. Capture and annihilation rates are strongly boosted when stars follow elliptical rather than circular orbits, causing WIMP annihilation to provide up to 100 times the energy of hydrogen fusion in stars at the Galactic centre.

Capture and utilization of solar radiation by the soybean and common bean crops and by weeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, Jose Barbosa dos; Procopio, Sergio de Oliveira; Silva, Antonio Alberto da; Costa, Luiz Claudio

2003-01-01

Aiming to develop techniques for the establishment of a Weed Integrated Management Program, the performance of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) and of weeds Bidens pilosa L., Euphorbia heterophylla L. (two biotypes), sensitive and resistant to ALS inhibitor - herbicides and [ Desmodium tortuosum (SW.) DC.], was evaluated in relation to their efficiency in capturing and utilizing solar radiation.The following indices were calculated: total dry biomass production rate (Ct), leaf dry biomass production rate (Cf), radiation efficient use (x), net assimilation rate (EA), specific leaf area (SA), leaf area index (L), leaf matter ratio (FW) and leaf area ratio (FA). No difference was observed for all characteristics evaluated among E. heterophylla biotypes. Soybean showed the highest rate of total dry biomass production along its cycle and also the highest leaf area index, indicating its greater capacity in capturing light and providing shade to competitive plants. Especially after flowering, common bean was the most efficient in draining its photoassimilates for leaf formation. Soybean showed greater efficiency in converting radiation intercepted in the biomass. (author)

Materials For Gas Capture, Methods Of Making Materials For Gas Capture, And Methods Of Capturing Gas

KAUST Repository

Polshettiwar, Vivek; Patil, Umesh

2013-01-01

In accordance with the purpose(s) of the present disclosure, as embodied and broadly described herein, embodiments of the present disclosure, in one aspect, relate to materials that can be used for gas (e.g., CO.sub.2) capture, methods of making

Chelating capture and magnetic removal of non-magnetic heavy metal substances from soil

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Liren; Song, Jiqing; Bai, Wenbo; Wang, Shengping; Zeng, Ming; Li, Xiaoming; Zhou, Yang; Li, Haifeng; Lu, Haiwei

2016-02-01

A soil remediation method based on magnetic beneficiation is reported. A new magnetic solid chelator powder, FS@IDA (core-shell Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles coated with iminodiacetic acid chelators), was used as a reactive magnetic carrier to selectively capture non-magnetic heavy metals in soil by chelation and removal by magnetic separation. FS@IDA was prepared via inorganic-organic and organic synthesis reactions that generated chelating groups on the surface of magnetic, multi-core, core-shell Fe3O4@SiO2 (FS) nanoparticles. These reactions used a silane coupling agent and sodium chloroacetate. The results show that FS@IDA could chelate the heavy metal component of Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu and Ni carbonates, lead sulfate and lead chloride in water-insoluble salt systems. The resulting FS@IDA-Cd and FS@IDA-Pb chelates could be magnetically separated, resulting in removal rates of approximately 84.9% and 72.2% for Cd and Pb, respectively. FS@IDA could not remove the residual heavy metals and those bound to organic matter in the soil. FS@IDA did not significantly alter the chemical composition of the soil, and it allowed for fast chelating capture, simple magnetic separation and facilitated heavy metal elution. FS@IDA could also be easily prepared and reprocessed.

Device of capturing for radioactive corrosion products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohara, Atsushi; Fukushima, Kimichika.

1984-01-01

Purpose: To increase the area of contact between the capturing materials for the radioactive corrosion products contained in the coolants and the coolants by producing stirred turbulent flows in the coolant flow channel of LMFBR type reactors. Constitution: Constituent materials for the nuclear fuel elements or the reactor core structures are activated under the neutron irradiation, corroded and transferred into the coolants. While capturing devices made of pure metal nickel are used for the elimination of the corrosion products, since the coolants form laminar flows due to the viscosity thereof near the surface of the capturing materials, the probability that the corrosion products in the coolants flowing through the middle portion of the channel contact the capturing materials is reduced. In this invention, rotating rolls and flow channels in which the balls are rotated are disposed at the upstream of the capturing device to forcively disturb the flow of the liquid sodium, whereby the radioactive corrosion products can effectively be captured. (Kamimura, M.)

Packet Capture Solutions: PcapDB Benchmark for High-Bandwidth Capture, Storage, and Searching

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steinfadt, Shannon Irene [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Ferrell, Paul Steven [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-03-21

PcapDB stands alone when looking at the overall field of competitors, from the cost-effective COTS hardware, to the efficient utilization of disk space that enables a longer packet history. A scalable, 100GbE-enabled system that indexes every packet and indexes flow data without complicated load-balancing requirements. The Transport Layer search and indexing approach led to patent-pending flow indexing technology, providing a specialized database system specifically optimized around providing fast flow searches. While there are a plethora of options in network packet capture, there are very few that are able to effectively manage capture rates of more than 10 Gb/s, distributed capture and querying, and a responsive user interface. By far, the primary competitor in the market place is Endace and DeepSee; in addition to meeting the technical requirements we set out in this document, they provide technical support and a fully 'appliance like' system. In terms of cost, however, our experience has been that the yearly maintenance charges alone outstrip the entire hardware cost of solutions like PcapDB. Investment in cyber security research and development is a large part of what has enabled us to build the base of knowlegable workers needed to defend government resources in the rapidly evolving cyber security landscape. We believe projects like Bro, WireCap, and Farm do more than just fill temporary gaps in our capabilities. They give allow us to build the firm foundation needed to tackle the next generation of cyber challenges. PcapDB was built with loftier ambitions than simply solving the packet capture of a single lab site, but instead to provide a robust, scaleable packet capture solution to the DOE complex and beyond.

Measurements of neutron capture cross sections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakajima, Yutaka

1984-01-01

A review of measurement techniques for the neutron capture cross sections is presented. Sell transmission method, activation method, and prompt gamma-ray detection method are described using examples of capture cross section measurements. The capture cross section of 238 U measured by three different prompt gamma-ray detection methods (large liquid scintillator, Moxon-Rae detector, and pulse height weighting method) are compared and their discrepancies are resolved. A method how to derive the covariance is described. (author)

The Role of Relational Information in Contingent Capture

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Stefanie I.; Folk, Charles L.; Remington, Roger W.

2010-01-01

On the contingent capture account, top-down attentional control settings restrict involuntary attentional capture to items that match the features of the search target. Attention capture is involuntary, but contingent on goals and intentions. The observation that only target-similar items can capture attention has usually been taken to show that…

The phenology of a rare salamander (Salamandra infraimmaculata in a population breeding under unpredictable ambient conditions: a 25 year study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael R. Warburg

2007-11-01

Full Text Available This is a long-term study (1974-1999 on the phenology of the rare, xeric- inhabiting salamander Salamandra infraimmaculata in a small isolated population during the breeding season near the breeding ponds on Mt. Carmel. This is a fringe area of the genus’ south-easternmost Palaearctic distribution. Salamanders were captured during the 25 year long study. The first years up to the 1980s the total number of salamanders increased but during the last years there seems to have been a decline. Although this could be a phase in normal population cyclic oscillations nevertheless when compared with long-term data on a European Salamandra it does not seem so. The interpretation of the species’ status is dependent on numbers of salamanders captured as well as on the duration of the study. These subjects are reviewed and discussed in this paper.

Suspended matter and heavy metal content of the Elbe Estuary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vollbrecht, K.

1980-01-01

(1) In the River Elbe estuary there is a turbidity zone which is closely bound to the region of brackish waters. Its suspended matter content changes strongly with the tidal rhythm. Suspended matter and river bed sediments influence each other by exchanging their particles. Owing to that mechanism, the heavy metal ions bound or taken up by the suspended matter (sorption) enter the sediments. To obtain an estimation of the estuary's ability to cope with ( self purify ) a strong burden of industrial wastes, it is neccessary to take into consideration the absorbing capacity of both the mean suspension load and the sediments. (2) The concentration of nearly all heavy metal ions investigated in the suspension load decreases remarkably at the very beginning of the turbid zone already, in the Hamburg region. It indicates that the binding process are going on very rapidly and that the metal ion absorbing capacity of the Elbe estuary still requires only the first few miles of this self purification system. The results gained indicate that the suspended matter in Hamburg waters could bind or take up more heavy metal ions than are discharged into this area. (3) The concentration of most ions bound to the suspension material correlates very well with the grain size distribution of the (anorganic) particles. The concentration values decrease along the estuary and lead to a continuous transition to the values of the open sea. Cu, Ni and Cd appear to be captured preferably by organic suspended matter. This behaviour, however, is solely restricted to the turbid zone. In the open sea, after oxidation of the binding organic material, Cu and Ni correspond to the anorganic grain size distribution. (orig./HP) [de

MORPHOMETRIC CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SAND FRACTION IN A SAND GRAIN IMAGE CAPTURE SYSTEM1

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Lucimar Arruda Viana

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Morphology studies assume significant importance in analysis of phenomena of granular systems packaging, in particular with a view to the use of the technique of soil stabilization named particle size correction in forest roads. In this context, this study aimed to develop and operationalize a Sand Grain Image Capture System and, hereby, determine the morphological indices of the sand fractions of two sandy soils called João Pinheiro (JP and Cachoeira da Prata (CP. Soil samples, air-dried, were sieved (2.0 mm nominal mesh size for removal of gravels. The materials that passed through the sieve were subjected to dispersion, washing in 0.053 mm nominal mesh size sieve, removal of organic matter and iron oxides to obtain the clean sand fractions. Subsequently, each soil sample was sieved for separation into twelve classes, between the diameters of 0.149 mm and 1.190 mm, using a Rotap shaker. Next, tests were carried out to characterize the morphometric attributes of the twelve classes of sand fractions of the soils studied. For validation of the performance of the Sand Grain Image Capture System, the results were compared to those obtained using a standard procedure for image analysis. The analysis of the results led to the following conclusions: (i the sand fraction of the JP soil presented higher values for the morphometric indices roundness, elongation and compactness compared to sand fraction of the CP soil; and (ii the Sand Grain Image Capture System worked properly, with practicality.

CAPTURE OF TROJANS BY JUMPING JUPITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nesvorný, David; Vokrouhlický, David; Morbidelli, Alessandro

2013-01-01

Jupiter Trojans are thought to be survivors of a much larger population of planetesimals that existed in the planetary region when planets formed. They can provide important constraints on the mass and properties of the planetesimal disk, and its dispersal during planet migration. Here, we tested a possibility that the Trojans were captured during the early dynamical instability among the outer planets (aka the Nice model), when the semimajor axis of Jupiter was changing as a result of scattering encounters with an ice giant. The capture occurs in this model when Jupiter's orbit and its Lagrange points become radially displaced in a scattering event and fall into a region populated by planetesimals (that previously evolved from their natal transplanetary disk to ∼5 AU during the instability). Our numerical simulations of the new capture model, hereafter jump capture, satisfactorily reproduce the orbital distribution of the Trojans and their total mass. The jump capture is potentially capable of explaining the observed asymmetry in the number of leading and trailing Trojans. We find that the capture probability is (6-8) × 10 –7 for each particle in the original transplanetary disk, implying that the disk contained (3-4) × 10 7 planetesimals with absolute magnitude H disk ∼ 14-28 M Earth , is consistent with the mass deduced from recent dynamical simulations of the planetary instability.

Why some plant species are rare.

Science.gov (United States)

Wieger Wamelink, G W; Wamelink, G W Weiger; Goedhart, Paul W; Frissel, Joep; Frissel, Josep Y

2014-01-01

Biodiversity, including plant species diversity, is threatened worldwide as a result of anthropogenic pressures such as an increase of pollutants and climate change. Rare species in particular are on the verge of becoming extinct. It is still unclear as to why some plant species are rare and others are not. Are they rare due to: intrinsic reasons, dispersal capacity, the effects of management or abiotic circumstances? Habitat preference of rare plant species may play an important role in determining why some species are rare. Based on an extensive data set of soil parameters we investigated if rarity is due to a narrow habitat preference for abiotic soil parameters. For 23 different abiotic soil parameters, of which the most influential were groundwater-table, soil-pH and nutrient-contents, we estimated species responses for common and rare species. Based on the responses per species we calculated the range of occurrence, the range between the 5 and 95 percentile of the response curve giving the habitat preference. Subsequently, we calculated the average response range for common and rare species. In addition, we designed a new graphic in order to provide a better means for presentation of the results. The habitat preferences of rare species for abiotic soil conditions are significantly narrower than for common species. Twenty of the twenty-three abiotic parameters showed on average significantly narrower habitat preferences for rare species than for common species; none of the abiotic parameters showed on average a narrower habitat preference for common species. The results have major implications for the conservation of rare plant species; accordingly management and nature development should be focussed on the maintenance and creation of a broad range of environmental conditions, so that the requirements of rare species are met. The conservation of (abiotic) gradients within ecosystems is particularly important for preserving rare species.

La pêche des poissons Mugilidae dans la lagune de Grand-lahou (Côte d'ivoire: analyse de l'organisation de la pêche, des captures et de l'effort de pêche

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diaby, M.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The Fishing of Mugilidae in Grand-lahou Lagoon (Ivory Coast: Analysis of Fishing Organisation, Captures and Fishing Effort. Sixteen sites, around the lagoon, have been investigated from April 2009 to March 2011. At the pass, fishing with sparrow hawks is mainly done by Ghanaians. On the other sites of lagoon, indigenous fishers are dominant and use gill-nets. Ocean area, with more than 50% of activities and 60% of captures, is the place where the highest production is realized. The site around the pass provides 25% of activities and 20% of capture. At the pass and in the continental area of the lagoon, captures remain inferior to 10%. There, the peak of captures is registered in July and the lowest ones from February to April. On the others sites of the lagoon, two peaks can be observed in December, May and July. From the end of July to the end September, captures from ocean and the pass remain very low. During this period, fishing is interrupted on the others sites for Mugilidae are rare and water is desalinated because of continental waterways pouring out in the lagoon. Fishing efforts peaks don't always coincide with capture peaks even if during high captures period, fishing effort values are very high.

Raman scattering of rare earth hexaborides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogita, Norio; Hasegawa, Takumi; Udagawa, Masayuki; Iga, Fumitoshi; Kunii, Satoru

2009-01-01

Raman scattering spectra were measured for the rare-earth hexaborides RB 6 (R = Ce, Gd, or Dy). All Raman-active phonons due to B 6 vibrations were observed in the range 600 - 1400 cm -1 . Anomalous peaks were detected below 200 cm -1 , which correspond to vibrations of rare-earth ion excited by second-order Raman scattering process. The intensity and energy of the rare-earth mode decrease with decreasing temperature. This suggests that the rare-earth ion vibrates in a shallow and anharmonic potential due to the boron cage. Using the reported values of mean square displacement of rare-earth ion, we estimated the anharmonic contribution for the rare-earth vibrations.

Matter in the form of toroidal electromagnetic vortices

Science.gov (United States)

Hagen, Wilhelm F.

2015-09-01

The creation of charged elementary particles from neutral photons is explained as a conversion process of electromagnetic (EM) energy from linear to circular motion at the speed of light into two localized, toroidal shaped vortices of trapped EM energy that resist change of motion, perceptible as particles with inertia and hence mass. The photon can be represented as a superposition of left and right circular polarized transverse electric fields of opposite polarity originating from a common zero potential axis, the optical axis of the photon. If these components are separated by interaction with a strong field (nucleon) they would curl up into two electromagnetic vortices (EMV) due to longitudinal magnetic field components forming toroids. These vortices are perceptible as opposite charged elementary particles e+/- . These spinning toroids generate extended oscillating fields that interact with stationary field oscillations. The velocity-dependent frequency differences cause beat signals equivalent to matter waves, leading to interference. The extended fields entangled with every particle explain wave particle duality issues. Spin and magnetic moment are the natural outcome of these gyrating particles. As the energy and hence mass of the electron increases with acceleration so does its size shrink proportional to its reduced wavelength. The artificial weak and strong nuclear forces can be easily explained as different manifestations of the intermediate EM forces. The unstable neutron consists of a proton surrounded by a contracted and captured electron. The associated radial EM forces represent the weak nuclear force. The deuteron consists of two axially separated protons held together by a centrally captured electron. The axial EM forces represent the strong nuclear force, providing stability for "neutrons" only within nucleons. The same principles were applied to determine the geometries of force-balanced nuclei. The alpha-particle emerges as a very compact

Attentional capture by masked colour singletons.

Science.gov (United States)

Ansorge, Ulrich; Horstmann, Gernot; Worschech, Franziska

2010-09-15

We tested under which conditions a colour singleton of which an observer is unaware captures attention. To prevent visual awareness of the colour singleton, we used backward masking. We find that a masked colour singleton cue captures attention if it matches the observer's goal to search for target colours but not if it is task-irrelevant. This is also reflected in event-related potentials to the visible target: the masked goal-matching cue elicits an attentional potential (N2pc) in a target search task. By contrast, a non-matching but equally strong masked colour singleton cue failed to elicit a capture effect and an N2pc. Results are discussed with regard to currently pertaining conceptions of attentional capture by colour singletons. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Capturing the two dimensions of residential segregation at the neighborhood level for health research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masayoshi eOka

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Two conceptual and methodological foundations of segregation studies are that (i segregation involves more than one group, and (ii segregation measures need to quantify how different population groups are distributed across space. Therefore, percentage of population belonging to a group is not an appropriate measure of segregation because it does not describe how populations are spread across different areal units or neighborhoods. In principle, evenness and isolation are the two distinct dimensions of segregation that capture the spatial patterns of population groups. To portray people’s daily environment more accurately, segregation measures need to account for the spatial relationships between areal units and to reflect the situations at the neighborhood scale. For these reasons, the use of local spatial entropy-based diversity index (SHi and local spatial isolation index (Si to capture the evenness and isolation dimensions of segregation, respectively, are preferable. However, these two local spatial segregation indexes have rarely been incorporated into health research. Rather ineffective and insufficient segregation measures have been used in previous studies. Hence, this paper empirically demonstrates how the two measures can reflect the two distinct dimensions of segregation at the neighborhood level, and argues conceptually and set the stage for their future use to effectively and meaningfully examine the relationships between residential segregation and health.

Breathing mode distortion and magnetic order in rare-earth nickelates RNiO{sub 3}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hampel, Alexander; Ederer, Claude [Materials Theory, ETH Zuerich (Switzerland)

2016-07-01

Rare-earth nickelate perovskites display a rich and not yet fully understood phase diagram, where all RNiO{sub 3} compounds with R from Sm to Lu undergo a non-magnetic metal-insulator transition (MIT). This transition is connected to a lattice distortion, which can be described as breathing mode of the oxygen octahedra surrounding the Ni cations. Between 100-250 K the RNiO{sub 3} compounds undergo a magnetic transition to an antiferromagnetic (AFM) state, with a wave-vector k= [(1)/(4) (1)/(4) (1)/(4)] relative to the underlying simple cubic perovskite structure. Here, we use density functional theory and its extensions (DFT+U, DFT+DMFT) together with distortion mode analysis to explore the interplay between lattice distortions, magnetic order, and the strength of the local Coulomb interaction U in rare earth nickelates. Our results show a strong dependency of the breathing mode amplitude on the magnetic order, with a much larger breathing mode obtained for the AFM state compared to the ferromagnetic case. Furthermore, we demonstrate that DFT+U is able to capture the correct trends of the lattice distortions across the nickelate series.

Nitrogen and plant population change radiation capture and utilization capacity of sunflower in semi-arid environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Awais, Muhammad; Wajid, Aftab; Bashir, Muhammad Usman; Habib-Ur-Rahman, Muhammad; Raza, Muhammad Aown Sammar; Ahmad, Ashfaq; Saleem, Muhammad Farrukh; Hammad, Hafiz Mohkum; Mubeen, Muhammad; Saeed, Umer; Arshad, Muhammad Naveed; Fahad, Shah; Nasim, Wajid

2017-07-01

The combination of nitrogen and plant population expresses the spatial distribution of crop plants. The spatial distribution influences canopy structure and development, radiation capture, accumulated intercepted radiation (Sa), radiation use efficiency (RUE), and subsequently dry matter production. We hypothesized that the sunflower crop at higher plant populations and nitrogen (N) rates would achieve early canopy cover, capture more radiant energy, utilize radiation energy more efficiently, and ultimately increase economic yield. To investigate the above hypothesis, we examined the influences of leaf area index (LAI) at different plant populations (83,333, 66,666, and 55,555 plants ha -1 ) and N rates (90, 120, and 150 kg ha -1 ) on radiation interception (Fi), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) accumulation (Sa), total dry matter (TDM), achene yield (AY), and RUE of sunflower. The experimental work was conducted during 2012 and 2013 on sandy loam soil in Punjab, Pakistan. The sunflower crop captured more than 96% of incident radiant energy (mean of all treatments), 98% with a higher plant population (83,333 plants ha -1 ), and 97% with higher N application (150 kg ha -1 ) at the fifth harvest (60 days after sowing) during both study years. The plant population of 83,333 plants ha -1 with 150 kg N ha -1 ominously promoted crop, RUE, and finally productivity of sunflower (AY and TDM). Sunflower canopy (LAI) showed a very close and strong association with Fi (R 2  = 0.99 in both years), PAR (R 2  = 0.74 and 0.79 in 2012 and 2013, respectively), TDM (R 2  = 0.97 in 2012 and 0.91 in 2013), AY (R 2  = 0.95 in both years), RUE for TDM (RUE TDM ) (R 2  = 0.63 and 0.71 in 2012 and 2013, respectively), and RUE for AY (RUE AY ) (R 2  = 0.88 and 0.87 in 2012 and 2013, respectively). Similarly, AY (R 2  = 0.73 in 2012 and 0.79 in 2013) and TDM (R 2  = 0.75 in 2012 and 0.84 in 2013) indicated significant dependence on PAR accumulation of

Climatic and geomorphic drivers of plant organic matter transport in the Arun River, E Nepal

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffmann, Bernd; Feakins, Sarah J.; Bookhagen, Bodo; Olen, Stephanie M.; Adhikari, Danda P.; Mainali, Janardan; Sachse, Dirk

2016-10-01

Fixation of atmospheric CO2 in terrestrial vegetation, and subsequent export and deposition of terrestrial plant organic matter in marine sediments is an important component of the global carbon cycle, yet it is difficult to quantify. This is partly due to the lack of understanding of relevant processes and mechanisms responsible for organic-matter transport throughout a landscape. Here we present a new approach to identify terrestrial plant organic matter source areas, quantify contributions and ascertain the role of ecologic, climatic, and geomorphic controls on plant wax export in the Arun River catchment spanning the world's largest elevation gradient from 205 to 8848 m asl, in eastern Nepal. Our approach takes advantage of the distinct stable hydrogen isotopic composition (expressed as δD values) of plant wax n-alkanes produced along this gradient, transported in river waters and deposited in flood deposits alongside the Arun River and its tributaries. In mainstem-flood deposits, we found that plant wax n-alkanes were mostly derived from the lower elevations constituting only a small fraction (15%) of the catchment. Informed by remote sensing data, we tested four differently weighted isotopic mixing models that quantify sourcing of tributary plant-derived organic matter along the Arun and compare it to our field observations. The weighting parameters included catchment area, net primary productivity (NPP) and annual rainfall amount as well as catchment relief as erosion proxy. When weighted by catchment area the isotopic mixing model could not explain field observations on plant wax δD values along the Arun, which is not surprising because the large arid Tibetan Plateau is not expected to be a major source. Weighting areal contributions by annual rainfall and NPP captured field observations within model prediction errors suggesting that plant productivity may influence source strength. However weighting by a combination of rainfall and catchment relief also

Neutron rich matter, neutron stars, and their crusts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horowitz, C J

2011-01-01

Neutron rich matter is at the heart of many fundamental questions in Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics. What are the high density phases of QCD? Where did the chemical elements come from? What is the structure of many compact and energetic objects in the heavens, and what determines their electromagnetic, neutrino, and gravitational-wave radiations? Moreover, neutron rich matter is being studied with an extraordinary variety of new tools such as Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO). We describe the Lead Radius Experiment (PREX) that is using parity violation to measure the neutron radius in 208Pb. This has important implications for neutron stars and their crusts. Using large scale molecular dynamics, we model the formation of solids in both white dwarfs and neutron stars. We find neutron star crust to be the strongest material known, some 10 billion times stronger than steel. It can support mountains on rotating neutron stars large enough to generate detectable gravitational waves. Finally, we describe a new equation of state for supernova and neutron star merger simulations based on the Virial expansion at low densities, and large scale relativistic mean field calculations.

Constant-parameter capture-recapture models

Science.gov (United States)

Brownie, C.; Hines, J.E.; Nichols, J.D.

1986-01-01

Jolly (1982, Biometrics 38, 301-321) presented modifications of the Jolly-Seber model for capture-recapture data, which assume constant survival and/or capture rates. Where appropriate, because of the reduced number of parameters, these models lead to more efficient estimators than the Jolly-Seber model. The tests to compare models given by Jolly do not make complete use of the data, and we present here the appropriate modifications, and also indicate how to carry out goodness-of-fit tests which utilize individual capture history information. We also describe analogous models for the case where young and adult animals are tagged. The availability of computer programs to perform the analysis is noted, and examples are given using output from these programs.

Outcomes important to burns patients during scar management and how they compare to the concepts captured in burn-specific patient reported outcome measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Laura L; Calvert, Melanie; Moiemen, Naiem; Deeks, Jonathan J; Bishop, Jonathan; Kinghorn, Philip; Mathers, Jonathan

2017-12-01

Pressure garment therapy (PGT) is an established treatment for the prevention and treatment of hypertrophic scarring; however, there is limited evidence for its effectiveness. Burn survivors often experience multiple issues many of which are not adequately captured in current PGT trial measures. To assess the effectiveness of PGT it is important to understand what outcomes matter to patients and to consider whether patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) can be used to ascertain the effect of treatments on patients' health-related quality of life. This study aimed to (a) understand the priorities and perspectives of adult burns patients and the parents of burns patients who have experienced PGT via in-depth qualitative data, and (b) compare these with the concepts captured within burn-specific PROMs. We undertook 40 semi-structured interviews with adults and parents of paediatric and adolescent burns patients who had experienced PGT to explore their priorities and perspectives on scar management. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. The outcomes interpreted within the interview data were then mapped against the concepts captured within burn-specific PROMs currently in the literature. Eight core outcome domains were identified as important to adult patients and parents: (1) scar characteristics and appearance, (2) movement and function, (3) scar sensation, (4) psychological distress, adjustments and a sense of normality, (5) body image and confidence, (6) engagement in activities, (7) impact on relationships, and (8) treatment burden. The outcome domains presented reflect a complex holistic patient experience of scar management and treatments such as PGT. Some currently available PROMs do capture the concepts described here, although none assess psychological adjustments and attainment of a sense of normality following burn injury. The routine use of PROMs that represent patient experience and their relative contribution to trial

AMUC: Associated Motion capture User Categories.

Science.gov (United States)

Norman, Sally Jane; Lawson, Sian E M; Olivier, Patrick; Watson, Paul; Chan, Anita M-A; Dade-Robertson, Martyn; Dunphy, Paul; Green, Dave; Hiden, Hugo; Hook, Jonathan; Jackson, Daniel G

2009-07-13

The AMUC (Associated Motion capture User Categories) project consisted of building a prototype sketch retrieval client for exploring motion capture archives. High-dimensional datasets reflect the dynamic process of motion capture and comprise high-rate sampled data of a performer's joint angles; in response to multiple query criteria, these data can potentially yield different kinds of information. The AMUC prototype harnesses graphic input via an electronic tablet as a query mechanism, time and position signals obtained from the sketch being mapped to the properties of data streams stored in the motion capture repository. As well as proposing a pragmatic solution for exploring motion capture datasets, the project demonstrates the conceptual value of iterative prototyping in innovative interdisciplinary design. The AMUC team was composed of live performance practitioners and theorists conversant with a variety of movement techniques, bioengineers who recorded and processed motion data for integration into the retrieval tool, and computer scientists who designed and implemented the retrieval system and server architecture, scoped for Grid-based applications. Creative input on information system design and navigation, and digital image processing, underpinned implementation of the prototype, which has undergone preliminary trials with diverse users, allowing identification of rich potential development areas.

Physiological reactions to capture in hibernating brown bears.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Alina L; Singh, Navinder J; Fuchs, Boris; Blanc, Stéphane; Friebe, Andrea; Laske, Timothy G; Frobert, Ole; Swenson, Jon E; Arnemo, Jon M

2016-01-01

Human disturbance can affect animal life history and even population dynamics. However, the consequences of these disturbances are difficult to measure. This is especially true for hibernating animals, which are highly vulnerable to disturbance, because hibernation is a process of major physiological changes, involving conservation of energy during a resource-depleted time of year. During the winters of 2011-15, we captured 15 subadult brown bears ( Ursus arctos ) and recorded their body temperatures ( n  = 11) and heart rates ( n = 10) before, during and after capture using biologgers. We estimated the time for body temperature and heart rate to normalize after the capture event. We then evaluated the effect of the captures on the pattern and depth of hibernation and the day of den emergence by comparing the body temperature of captured bears with that of undisturbed subadult bears ( n  = 11). Both body temperature and heart rate increased during capture and returned to hibernation levels after 15-20 days. We showed that bears required 2-3 weeks to return to hibernation levels after winter captures, suggesting high metabolic costs during this period. There were also indications that the winter captures resulted in delayed den emergence.

Rare events: a state of the art

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uppuluri, V.R.R.

1980-12-01

The study of rare events has become increasingly important in the context of nuclear safety. Some philosophical considerations, such as the framework for the definition of a rare event, rare events and science, rare events and trans-science, and rare events and public perception, are discussed. The technical work of the Task Force on problems of Rare Events in the Reliability Analysis of Nuclear Plants (1976-1978), sponsored by OECD, is reviewed. Some recent technical considerations are discussed, and conclusions are drawn. The appendix contains an essay written by Anne E. Beachey, under the title: A Study of Rare Events - Problems and Promises

Metallothermic reduction of rare earth oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, R.A.

1986-01-01

Rare earth oxides can be reduced to rare earth metals by a novel, high yield, metallothermic process. The oxides are dispersed in a suitable, molten, calcium chloride bath along with sodium metal. The sodium reacts with the calcium chloride to produce calcium metal which reduces the rare earth oxides to rare earth metals. The metals are collected in a discrete layer in the reaction vessel

Capture of Planetesimals into a Circumterrestrial Swarm

Science.gov (United States)

Weidenschilling, S. J.

1985-01-01

The lunar origin model considered in this report involves processing of protolunar material through a circumterrestrial swarm of particles. Once such a swarm has formed, it can gain mass by capturing infalling planetesimals and ejecta from giant impacts on the Earth, although the angular momentum supply from these sources remains a problem. The first stage of formation of a geocentric swarm by capture of planetesimals from initially heliocentric orbits is examined. The only plausible capture mechanism that is not dependent on very low approach velocities is the mutual collision of planetesimals passing within Earth's sphere of influence. The dissipation of energy in inelastic collisions or accretion events changes the value of the Jacobi parameter, allowing capture into bound geocentric orbits. This capture scenario was tested directly by many body numerical integration of planetesimal orbits in near Earth space.

A Chemical Comparison of STARDUST Organics with Insoluble Organic Matter in Chondritic Meteorites

Science.gov (United States)

Cody, G. D.; Yabuta, H.; Alexander, C. M.; Araki, T.; Kilcoyne, D.

2006-12-01

We have analyzed 15 organic rich particles extracted from the aerogel capture device flown on the STARDUST mission spacecraft to comet Wild 2 using C-, N-, and O-X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) spectroscopy. Data were acquired with the Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy (STXM) beam line 5.3.2 at the Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. XANES can provide both quantitative molecular functional group information and atomic N/C and O/C data. We use these data to place the organic matter extracted from the Aerogel Capture device in context with a large database of C-, N-, and O-XANES spectra obtained on meteoritic Insoluble Organic Matter (IOM) obtained from type 1, 2, and 3 chondrites. We find that the organic chemistry of the particles extracted from aerogel varies in functional group abundances, but is universally very rich in heteroatoms (N and O). In several cases the organic carbon is closely associated with silica (possibly derived from the aerogel), but at a concentration far in excess of the intrinsic carbon abundance of synthesized (and flown) aerogel. Independently, 29-Si, 13-C, and 1-H solid state NMR was applied to analyze the nature of organic carbon present in the aerogel as byproduct of the synthesis. The intrinsic aerogel carbon is very simple in its functional group chemistry, very low in abundance, and differs completely from that detected in the extracted organic particles.

Understanding Motion Capture for Computer Animation

CERN Document Server

Menache, Alberto

2010-01-01

The power of today's motion capture technology has taken animated characters and special effects to amazing new levels of reality. And with the release of blockbusters like Avatar and Tin-Tin, audiences continually expect more from each new release. To live up to these expectations, film and game makers, particularly technical animators and directors, need to be at the forefront of motion capture technology. In this extensively updated edition of Understanding Motion Capture for Computer Animation and Video Games, an industry insider explains the latest research developments in digital design

Rare earth industries: Strategies for Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

Evidently, many reports cite Malaysia as having reasonably substantial amounts of rare earths elements. In fact, based on the rare earths found in the residual tin deposits alone, Malaysia has about 30,000 tonnes. This does not take into account unmapped deposits which experts believe may offer more tonnages of rare earths. Brazil which is reported to have about 48,000 tonnes has announced plans to invest aggressively in the rare earths business. China has on record the largest reserves with about 36 million tonnes. This explains why China has invested heavily in the entire value chain of the rare earths business. Chinas committed investment in rare earths started many years ago when the country's foremost leaders proclaimed the strategic position of rare earths in the world economy. That forecast is now a reality where the rise in the green high-tech economy is seen driving global demand for rare earths in a big way. Malaysia needs to discover and venture into new economic growth areas. This will help fuel the country's drive to achieve a high income status by 2020 as articulated in the New Economic Model (NEM) and the many supporting Economic Transformation Plans that the Government has recently launched. Rare earths may be the new growth area for Malaysia. However, the business opportunities should not just be confined to the mining, extraction and production of rare earths elements alone if Malaysia is to maximise benefits from this industry. The industry's gold mine is in the downstream products. This is also the sector that China wants to expand. Japan which now controls about 50 % of the global market for downstream rare earths-based high-tech components is desperately looking for partners to grow their stake in the business. Malaysia needs to embark on the right strategies in order to build the rare earths industry in the country. What are the strategies? (author)

Active Traffic Capture for Network Forensics

Science.gov (United States)

Slaviero, Marco; Granova, Anna; Olivier, Martin

Network traffic capture is an integral part of network forensics, but current traffic capture techniques are typically passive in nature. Under heavy loads, it is possible for a sniffer to miss packets, which affects the quality of forensic evidence.

Rare earth element and rare metal inventory of central Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Mihalasky, Mark J.; Tucker, Robert D.; Renaud, Karine; Verstraeten, Ingrid M.

2018-03-06

Rare earth elements (REE), with their unique physical and chemical properties, are an essential part of modern living. REE have enabled development and manufacture of high-performance materials, processes, and electronic technologies commonly used today in computing and communications, clean energy and transportation, medical treatment and health care, glass and ceramics, aerospace and defense, and metallurgy and chemical refining. Central Asia is an emerging REE and rare metals (RM) producing region. A newly compiled inventory of REE-RM-bearing mineral occurrences and delineation of areas-of-interest indicate this region may have considerable undiscovered resources.

Alignment in double capture processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moretto-Capelle, P.; Benhenni, M.; Bordenave-Montesquieu, A.; Benoit-Cattin, P.; Gleizes, A.

1993-01-01

The electron spectra emitted when a double capture occurs in N 7+ +He and Ne 8+ +He systems at 10 qkeV collisional energy, allow us to determine the angular distributions of the 3 ell 3 ell ' lines through a special spectra fitting procedure which includes interferences between neighbouring states. It is found that the doubly excited states populated in double capture processes are generally aligned

A Search for Weakly Interacting Particles with the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search Experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bruch, Tobias [Univ. of Zurich (Switzerland)

2010-01-01

Dark matter particles cannot only be detected directly in laboratories, but also indirectly by their annihilation products. Previous predictions of the neutrino flux from WIMP annihilation in the Earth and the Sun have assumed that galactic dark matter is distributed according to the SHM. Although the dark disc has a local density comparable to the dark halo, its higher phase space density at low velocities greatly enhances capture rates in the Sun and Earth. For typical dark disc properties, the resulting muon flux from the Earth is increased by three orders of magnitude over the SHM, while for the Sun the increase is one order of magnitude. This significantly increases the prospects of neutrino telescopes to fix or constrain parameters in WIMP models. The flux from the Earth is extremely sensitive to the detailed properties of the dark disc, while the flux from the Sun is more robust.

Rare earth-iron-boron premanent magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghendehari, M.H.

1988-01-01

This patent describes a method for producing rare earth-iron-boron permanent magnets containing added rare earth oxide, comprising the steps of: (a) mixing a particulate alloy containing at least one rare earth metal, iron, and boron with at least one particulate rare earth oxide; (b) aligning magnetic domains of the mixture in a magnetic field; (c) compacting the aligned mixture to form a shape; and (d) sintering the compacted shape

High-Energy Neutron Backgrounds for Underground Dark Matter Experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Yu [Syracuse Univ., NY (United States)

2016-01-01

Direct dark matter detection experiments usually have excellent capability to distinguish nuclear recoils, expected interactions with Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) dark matter, and electronic recoils, so that they can efficiently reject background events such as gamma-rays and charged particles. However, both WIMPs and neutrons can induce nuclear recoils. Neutrons are then the most crucial background for direct dark matter detection. It is important to understand and account for all sources of neutron backgrounds when claiming a discovery of dark matter detection or reporting limits on the WIMP-nucleon cross section. One type of neutron background that is not well understood is the cosmogenic neutrons from muons interacting with the underground cavern rock and materials surrounding a dark matter detector. The Neutron Multiplicity Meter (NMM) is a water Cherenkov detector capable of measuring the cosmogenic neutron flux at the Soudan Underground Laboratory, which has an overburden of 2090 meters water equivalent. The NMM consists of two 2.2-tonne gadolinium-doped water tanks situated atop a 20-tonne lead target. It detects a high-energy (>~ 50 MeV) neutron via moderation and capture of the multiple secondary neutrons released when the former interacts in the lead target. The multiplicity of secondary neutrons for the high-energy neutron provides a benchmark for comparison to the current Monte Carlo predictions. Combining with the Monte Carlo simulation, the muon-induced high-energy neutron flux above 50 MeV is measured to be (1.3 ± 0.2) ~ 10-9 cm-2s-1, in reasonable agreement with the model prediction. The measured multiplicity spectrum agrees well with that of Monte Carlo simulation for multiplicity below 10, but shows an excess of approximately a factor of three over Monte Carlo prediction for multiplicities ~ 10 - 20. In an effort to reduce neutron backgrounds for the dark matter experiment SuperCDMS SNO- LAB, an active neutron veto was developed

System and process for capture of H.sub.2S from gaseous process streams and process for regeneration of the capture agent

Science.gov (United States)

Heldenbrant, David J; Koech, Phillip K; Rainbolt, James E; Bearden, Mark D; Zheng, Feng

2014-02-18

A system and process are disclosed for selective removal and recovery of H.sub.2S from a gaseous volume, e.g., from natural gas. Anhydrous organic, sorbents chemically capture H.sub.2S gas to form hydrosulfide salts. Regeneration of the capture solvent involves addition of an anti-solvent that releases the captured H.sub.2S gas from the capture sorbent. The capture sorbent and anti-solvent are reactivated for reuse, e.g., by simple distillation.

Sub-barrier capture with quantum diffusion approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scheid W.

2011-10-01

Full Text Available With the quantum diffusion approach the behavior of capture cross sections and mean-square angular momenta of captured systems are revealed in the reactions with deformed and spherical nuclei at sub-barrier energies. With decreasing bombarding energy under the barrier the external turning point of the nucleus-nucleus potential leaves the region of short-range nuclear interaction and action of friction. Because of this change of the regime of interaction, an unexpected enhancement of the capture cross section is found at bombarding energies far below the Coulomb barrier. This effect is shown its worth in the dependence of mean-square angular momentum on the bombarding energy. From the comparison of calculated capture cross sections and experimental capture or fusion cross sections the importance of quasifission near the entrance channel is demonstrated for the actinidebased reactions and reactions with medium-heavy nuclei at extreme sub-barrier energies.

Chemical analysis of rare earth elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsukahara, Ryoichi; Sakoh, Takefumi; Nagai, Iwao

1994-01-01

Recently attention has been paid to ICP-AES or ICP-MS, and the reports on the analysis of rare earth elements by utilizing these methods continue to increase. These reports have become to take about 30% of the reports on rare earth analysis, and this is because these methods are highly sensitive to rare earth elements, and also these methods have spread widely. In ICP-AES and ICP-MS, mostly solution samples are measured, therefore, solids must be made into solution. At the time of quantitatively determining the rare earth elements of low concentration, separation and concentration are necessary. Referring to the literatures reported partially in 1990 and from 1991 to 1993, the progress of ICP-AES and ICP-MS is reported. Rare earth oxides and the alloys containing rare earth elements are easily decomposed with acids, but the decomposition of rocks is difficult, and its method is discussed. The separation of the rare earth elements from others in geochemical samples, cation exchange process is frequently utilized. Also solvent extraction process has been studied. For the separation of rare earth elements mutually, chromatography is used. The spectral interference in spectral analysis was studied. The comparison of these methods with other methods is reported. (K.I)

Identification and epidemiology of a rare HoBi-like pestivirus strain in Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Haider, N; Rahman, M S; Khan, S U; Mikolon, A; Gurley, E S; Osmani, M G; Shanta, I S; Paul, S K; Macfarlane-Berry, L; Islam, A; Desmond, J; Epstein, J H; Daszak, P; Azim, T; Luby, S P; Zeidner, N; Rahman, M Z

2014-06-01

The genus pestivirus of the family flaviviridae consists of four recognized species: bovine viral diarrhoea virus 1 (BVDV-1), bovine viral diarrhoea virus 2 (BVDV-2), classical swine fever virus and border disease virus. A new putative pestivirus species tentatively named as either 'HoBi-like pestivirus' or BVDV-3 has recently been identified in Brazil, Italy and Thailand. Despite reports of serological evidence of BVDV in Bangladesh, the types of the virus circulating in cattle have not been identified. We conducted surveillance in cattle from May 2009 to August 2010 in three government veterinary hospitals to characterize BVDV in cattle of Bangladesh. We tested serum for BVDV using an antigen-capture ELISA. Of 638 cattle samples, 3% (16/638) tested positive for BVDV antigen. The ELISA-positive samples were selected for further molecular detection and characterization of BVDV. Molecular analysis of the partial 5' untranslated region (UTR) nucleotide sequences of BVDV-positive samples identified the rare HoBi-like pestivirus or BVDV-3 virus circulating in cattle of Bangladesh. The identification of this rare HoBi-like pestivirus or BVDV-3 strain in Bangladesh warrants further surveillance to evaluate its impact on livestock production. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Knowledge Capture and Acquisition Mechanisms at Kisii University

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nemwel Aming'a

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Knowledge management and knowledge assets have gained much prominence in recent years and are said to improve organizational performance. Knowledge capture and acquisition mechanisms enhance organizational memory and performance. However, knowledge capture and acquisition mechanisms in higher education institutions are not well known. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge capture and acquisition mechanisms at Kisii University. This was a case study in which data were collected through interviews and questionnaires. Purposive sampling was used to determine interview participants while questionnaire respondents were selected through stratified random sampling. Qualitative and quantitative data were analysed using SPSS® student version 14; it revealed that there were various knowledge capture and acquisition mechanisms at Kisii University. It was also established that the University encountered various challenges in knowledge capture and acquisition and lacked some essential knowledge capture and acquisition mechanisms. In this regard, this study proposed knowledge capture and acquisition guidelines that may be adopted by the University to enhance its organizational memory and performance.

Formation of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter by Bacterial Degradation of Phytoplankton-Derived Aggregates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna D. Kinsey

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Organic matter produced and released by phytoplankton during growth is processed by heterotrophic bacterial communities that transform dissolved organic matter into biomass and recycle inorganic nutrients, fueling microbial food web interactions. Bacterial transformation of phytoplankton-derived organic matter also plays a poorly known role in the formation of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM which is ubiquitous in the ocean. Despite the importance of organic matter cycling, growth of phytoplankton and activities of heterotrophic bacterial communities are rarely measured in concert. To investigate CDOM formation mediated by microbial processing of phytoplankton-derived aggregates, we conducted growth experiments with non-axenic monocultures of three diatoms (Skeletonema grethae, Leptocylindrus hargravesii, Coscinodiscus sp. and one haptophyte (Phaeocystis globosa. Phytoplankton biomass, carbon concentrations, CDOM and base-extracted particulate organic matter (BEPOM fluorescence, along with bacterial abundance and hydrolytic enzyme activities (α-glucosidase, β-glucosidase, leucine-aminopeptidase were measured during exponential growth and stationary phase (~3–6 weeks and following 6 weeks of degradation. Incubations were performed in rotating glass bottles to keep cells suspended, promoting cell coagulation and, thus, formation of macroscopic aggregates (marine snow, more similar to surface ocean processes. Maximum carbon concentrations, enzyme activities, and BEPOM fluorescence occurred during stationary phase. Net DOC concentrations (0.19–0.46 mg C L−1 increased on the same order as open ocean concentrations. CDOM fluorescence was dominated by protein-like signals that increased throughout growth and degradation becoming increasingly humic-like, implying the production of more complex molecules from planktonic-precursors mediated by microbial processing. Our experimental results suggest that at least a portion of open

SYMPOSIUM: Rare decays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

1989-04-15

Late last year, a symposium entitled 'Rare Decays' attracted 115 participants to a hotel in Vancouver, Canada. These participants were particle physicists interested in checking conventional selection rules to look for clues of possible new behaviour outside today's accepted 'Standard Model'. For physicists, 'rare decays' include processes that have so far not been seen, explicitly forbidden by the rules of the Standard Model, or processes highly suppressed because the decay is dominated by an easier route, or includes processes resulting from multiple transitions.

Proton capture resonance studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitchell, G.E. [North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (United States) 27695]|[Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708; Bilpuch, E.G. [Duke University, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708]|[Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708; Bybee, C.R. [North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (United States) 27695]|[Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708; Cox, J.M.; Fittje, L.M. [Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee (United States) 38505]|[Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708; Labonte, M.A.; Moore, E.F.; Shriner, J.D. [North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (United States) 27695]|[Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708; Shriner, J.F. Jr. [Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee (United States) 38505]|[Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708; Vavrina, G.A. [North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (United States) 27695]|[Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708; Wallace, P.M. [Duke University, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708]|[Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina (United States) 27708

1997-02-01

The fluctuation properties of quantum systems now are used as a signature of quantum chaos. The analyses require data of extremely high quality. The {sup 29}Si(p,{gamma}) reaction is being used to establish a complete level scheme of {sup 30}P to study chaos and isospin breaking in this nuclide. Determination of the angular momentum J, the parity {pi}, and the isospin T from resonance capture data is considered. Special emphasis is placed on the capture angular distributions and on a geometric description of these angular distributions. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}

Carbon capture by hybrid separation processes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Benthum, R.J.; van Kemenade, H.P.; Brouwers, J.J.H.

2014-01-01

Even though there is an increasing development of carbon capture technology over the last decade, large-scale implementation is still far from common practice, mainly caused by the energy intensiveness of carbon capture processes and the lack of regulation. In absence of strict regulation, less

Alignment in double capture processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moretto-Capelle, P.; Benhenni, M.; Bordenave-Montesquieu, A.; Benoit-Cattin, P.; Gleizes, A. (IRSAMC, URA CNRS 770, Univ. Paul Sabatier, 118 rte de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex (France))

1993-06-05

The electron spectra emitted when a double capture occurs in N[sup 7+]+He and Ne[sup 8+]+He systems at 10 qkeV collisional energy, allow us to determine the angular distributions of the 3[ell]3[ell] [prime] lines through a special spectra fitting procedure which includes interferences between neighbouring states. It is found that the doubly excited states populated in double capture processes are generally aligned.

Toward transformational carbon capture systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, David C. [National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy, Pittsburgh PA (United States); Litynski, John T. [Office of Fossil Energy, U.S. Dept. of Energy, Washington DC (United States); Brickett, Lynn A. [National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy, Pittsburgh PA (United States); Morreale, Bryan D. [National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy, Pittsburgh PA (United States)

2015-10-28

This paper will briefly review the history and current state of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) research and development and describe the technical barriers to carbon capture. it will argue forcefully for a new approach to R&D, which leverages both simulation and physical systems at the laboratory and pilot scales to more rapidly move the best technoogies forward, prune less advantageous approaches, and simultaneously develop materials and processes.

Carbon Capture: A Technology Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-21

whereas laboratory-scale experiments typically seek to validate or obtain data for specific components of a system. Laboratory- and bench-scale processes...Plant,” Energy, vol. 35 (2010), pp. 841-850. E. Favre, R. Bounaceur, and D. Roizard, “ Biogas , Membranes and Carbon Dioxide Capture,” Journal of...pp. 1-49. 64 Favre, “ Biogas , Membranes.” Carbon Capture: A Technology Assessment Congressional Research Service 42 materials have pore sizes

Audiovisual Capture with Ambiguous Audiovisual Stimuli

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean-Michel Hupé

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Audiovisual capture happens when information across modalities get fused into a coherent percept. Ambiguous multi-modal stimuli have the potential to be powerful tools to observe such effects. We used such stimuli made of temporally synchronized and spatially co-localized visual flashes and auditory tones. The flashes produced bistable apparent motion and the tones produced ambiguous streaming. We measured strong interferences between perceptual decisions in each modality, a case of audiovisual capture. However, does this mean that audiovisual capture occurs before bistable decision? We argue that this is not the case, as the interference had a slow temporal dynamics and was modulated by audiovisual congruence, suggestive of high-level factors such as attention or intention. We propose a framework to integrate bistability and audiovisual capture, which distinguishes between “what” competes and “how” it competes (Hupé et al., 2008. The audiovisual interactions may be the result of contextual influences on neural representations (“what” competes, quite independent from the causal mechanisms of perceptual switches (“how” it competes. This framework predicts that audiovisual capture can bias bistability especially if modalities are congruent (Sato et al., 2007, but that is fundamentally distinct in nature from the bistable competition mechanism.

Boron neutron capture therapy for clear cell sarcoma (CCS): Biodistribution study of p-borono-L-phenylalanine in CCS-bearing animal models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andoh, T.; Fujimoto, T.; Sudo, T.; Fujita, I.; Imabori, M.; Moritake, H.; Sugimoto, T.; Sakuma, Y.; Takeuchi, T.; Kawabata, S.; Kirihata, M.; Akisue, T.; Yayama, K.; Kurosaka, M.; Miyatake, S.; Fukumori, Y.; Ichikawa, H.

2011-01-01

Clear cell sarcoma (CCS) is a rare melanocytic malignant tumor with a poor prognosis. Our previous study demonstrated that in vitro cultured CCS cells have the ability to highly uptake L-BPA and thus boron neutron capture therapy could be a new option for CCS treatment. This paper proved that a remarkably high accumulation of 10 B (45–74 ppm) in tumor was obtained even in a CCS-bearing animal with a well-controlled biodistribution followed by intravenous administration of L-BPA-fructose complex (500 mg BPA/kg).

Boron neutron capture therapy for clear cell sarcoma (CCS): Biodistribution study of p-borono-L-phenylalanine in CCS-bearing animal models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andoh, T. [Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Cooperative Research Center of Life Sciences, Kobe Gakuin University, Kobe 650-8586 (Japan); Fujimoto, T. [Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hyogo Cancer Center, Akashi 673-0021 (Japan); Sudo, T. [Section of Translational Research, Hyogo Cancer Center, Akashi 673-0021 (Japan); Fujita, I.; Imabori, M. [Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hyogo Cancer Center, Akashi 673-0021 (Japan); Moritake, H. [Department of Pediatrics, Miyazaki University, Kiyotake 889-1692 (Japan); Sugimoto, T. [Department of Pediatrics, Saiseikai Shigaken Hospital, Ritto 520-3046 (Japan); Sakuma, Y. [Department of Pathology, Hyogo Cancer Center, Akashi 673-0021 (Japan); Takeuchi, T. [Department of Pathology, Kochi University, Nangoku 783-8505 (Japan); Kawabata, S. [Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka Medical College, Osaka 569-8686 (Japan); Kirihata, M. [Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai 599-8531 (Japan); Akisue, T. [Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017 (Japan); Yayama, K. [Laboratory of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Cooperative Research Center of Life Sciences, Kobe Gakuin University, Kobe 650-8586 (Japan); Kurosaka, M. [Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017 (Japan); Miyatake, S. [Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka Medical College, Osaka 569-8686 (Japan); Fukumori, Y. [Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Cooperative Research Center of Life Sciences, Kobe Gakuin University, Kobe 650-8586 (Japan); Ichikawa, H., E-mail: ichikawa@pharm.kobegakuin.ac.jp [Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Cooperative Research Center of Life Sciences, Kobe Gakuin University, Kobe 650-8586 (Japan)

2011-12-15

Clear cell sarcoma (CCS) is a rare melanocytic malignant tumor with a poor prognosis. Our previous study demonstrated that in vitro cultured CCS cells have the ability to highly uptake L-BPA and thus boron neutron capture therapy could be a new option for CCS treatment. This paper proved that a remarkably high accumulation of {sup 10}B (45-74 ppm) in tumor was obtained even in a CCS-bearing animal with a well-controlled biodistribution followed by intravenous administration of L-BPA-fructose complex (500 mg BPA/kg).

Evaluation of Rare Earth Element Extraction from North Dakota Coal-Related Feed Stocks

Science.gov (United States)

Laudal, Daniel A.

identified that the predominant modes of rare earths occurrence in the lignite coals are associations with the organic matter, primarily as coordination complexes and a lesser amount as ion-exchangeable cations on oxygen functional groups. Overall it appears that about 80-95% of rare earths content in North Dakota lignite is organically associated, and not present in mineral forms, which due to the weak organic bonding, presented a unique opportunity for extraction. The process developed for extraction of rare earths was applied to the raw lignite coals instead of fly ash or other byproducts being investigated extensively in the literature. Rather, the process uses a dilute acid leaching process to strip the organically associated rare earths from the lignite with very high efficiency of about 70-90% at equilibrium contact times. Although the extraction kinetics are quite fast given commercial leaching operations, there is some tradeoff between extraction efficiency and contact time. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

The industry of metallic rare earths (R.E.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poirier, P.

1979-01-01

The following subjects are discussed: rare earths resources (rare earths abondance and world reserves, main ores). Rare earths separation and purification (ionic exchange, solvent extraction). Metallic rare earths and their mixtures, metallothermic reduction of oxides or fluorides (Ca, Mg, Al, Si or rare earth metals), Co-reduction process for intermetallic compounds (SmCo 5 ). Industrial applications of metallic rare earths (traditional applications such as flints, nodular cast iron, steel refining, magnesium industrie, applications under development such as rare earths/cobalt magnets, LaNi 5 for hydrogen storage, special alloys (automotive post combustion), magnetostrictive alloys). Economical problems: rare earth are elements relatively abundant and often at easily accessible prices. However, this group of 15 elements are liable to certain economical restraints. It is difficult to crack ore for only one rare earth. Availability of one given rare earth must be associated with the other corresponding rare earths to absorb all the other rare earths in other applications. Rare-earth industry has a strong expanding rate. 20% per year average for 6 years with Rhone-Poulenc. Thanks to their exceptional, specific characteristics rare earths have a bright future particularly for their metals

An Optimized Clustering Approach for Automated Detection of White Matter Lesions in MRI Brain Images

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Anitha

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Settings White Matter lesions (WMLs are small areas of dead cells found in parts of the brain. In general, it is difficult for medical experts to accurately quantify the WMLs due to decreased contrast between White Matter (WM and Grey Matter (GM. The aim of this paper is to
automatically detect the White Matter Lesions which is present in the brains of elderly people. WML detection process includes the following stages: 1. Image preprocessing, 2. Clustering (Fuzzy c-means clustering, Geostatistical Possibilistic clustering and Geostatistical Fuzzy clustering and 3.Optimization using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO. The proposed system is tested on a database of 208 MRI images. GFCM yields high sensitivity of 89%, specificity of 94% and overall accuracy of 93% over FCM and GPC. The clustered brain images are then subjected to Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO. The optimized result obtained from GFCM-PSO provides sensitivity of 90%, specificity of 94% and accuracy of 95%. The detection results reveals that GFCM and GFCMPSO better localizes the large regions of lesions and gives less false positive rate when compared to GPC and GPC-PSO which captures the largest loads of WMLs only in the upper ventral horns of the brain.

Nephron-sparing surgery for treatment of reninoma: a rare renin secreting tumor causing secondary hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Torricelli, Fabio Cesar Miranda; Marchini, Giovanni Scala; Colombo, Jose Roberto; Coelho, Rafael Ferreira; Nahas, Willian Carlos; Srougi, Miguel

2015-01-01

A 25-year-old hypertensive female patient was referred to our institution. Initial workup exams demonstrated a 2.8 cm cortical lower pole tumor in the right kidney. She underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy without complications. Histopathologic examination revealed a rare juxtaglomerular cell tumor known as reninoma. After surgery, she recovered uneventfully and all medications were withdrawn. Case hypothesis: Secondary arterial hypertension is a matter of great interest to urologists and nephrologists. Renovascular hypertension, primary hyperadosteronism and pheocromocytoma are potential diagnosis that must not be forgotten and should be excluded. Although rare, chronic pyelonephritis and renal tumors as rennin-producing tumors, nephroblastoma, hypernephroma, and renal cell carcinoma might also induce hypertension and should be in the diagnostic list of clinicians. Promising future implications: Approximately 5% of patients with high blood pressure have specific causes and medical investigation may usually identify such patients. Furthermore, these patients can be successfully treated and cured, most times by minimally invasive techniques. This interesting case might expand knowledge of physicians and aid better diagnostic care in future medical practice.

Neutron Capture Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Neutron Capture Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1969-11-15

Experimental capabilities in the field of neutron capture gamma-ray spectroscopy have expanded greatly in the last few years; this has been due in large part to the advent of high-quality Ge(Li) detectors, improvements in electronic data processing, and improvements in bent-crystal spectrometers. Previously unsuspected phenomena, such as the '5. 5-MeV1 anomaly, have appeared and new research tools, such as neutron guide tubes, have been brought into use. Equally exciting developments have occurred in the theory of neutron capture. Complex spectra have yielded to analysis after account had been taken of such effects as vibration, rotation and Coriolis forces, and the theoretical prediction of capture spectra seems to be a future possibility. In view of the International Atomic Energy Agency's close interest in this subject and the need for an international exchange of ideas to analyse and study the latest developments, the organizers of the Symposium felt that work on neutron capture gamma-ray spectroscopy had achieved such valuable and significant results that the time had come for this information to be presented, examined and discussed internationally.

Neutron Capture Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Neutron Capture Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1969-01-01

Experimental capabilities in the field of neutron capture gamma-ray spectroscopy have expanded greatly in the last few years; this has been due in large part to the advent of high-quality Ge(Li) detectors, improvements in electronic data processing, and improvements in bent-crystal spectrometers. Previously unsuspected phenomena, such as the '5. 5-MeV1 anomaly, have appeared and new research tools, such as neutron guide tubes, have been brought into use. Equally exciting developments have occurred in the theory of neutron capture. Complex spectra have yielded to analysis after account had been taken of such effects as vibration, rotation and Coriolis forces, and the theoretical prediction of capture spectra seems to be a future possibility. In view of the International Atomic Energy Agency's close interest in this subject and the need for an international exchange of ideas to analyse and study the latest developments, the organizers of the Symposium felt that work on neutron capture gamma-ray spectroscopy had achieved such valuable and significant results that the time had come for this information to be presented, examined and discussed internationally

Capturing, annotating and reflecting video footage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eckardt, Max Roald; Wagner, Johannes

A presentation of interaction field data capturing setups for uninterrupted long term capturing. Two setups were described: the AMU forklift driving school with 17 cameras and the Digital Days 2016 at University College Nord in Aalborg with 16 kameras, 14 audio recorders, and two HDMI recorders....

Detecting Boosted Dark Matter from the Sun with Large Volume Neutrino Detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berger, Joshua; /SLAC; Cui, Yanou; /Perimeter Inst. Theor. Phys.; Zhao, Yue; /Stanford U., ITP /Stanford U., Phys. Dept.

2015-04-02

We study novel scenarios where thermal dark matter (DM) can be efficiently captured in the Sun and annihilate into boosted dark matter. In models with semi-annihilating DM, where DM has a non-minimal stabilization symmetry, or in models with a multi-component DM sector, annihilations of DM can give rise to stable dark sector particles with moderate Lorentz boosts. We investigate both of these possibilities, presenting concrete models as proofs of concept. Both scenarios can yield viable thermal relic DM with masses O(1)-O(100) GeV. Taking advantage of the energetic proton recoils that arise when the boosted DM scatters off matter, we propose a detection strategy which uses large volume terrestrial detectors, such as those designed to detect neutrinos or proton decays. In particular, we propose a search for proton tracks pointing towards the Sun. We focus on signals at Cherenkov-radiation-based detectors such as Super-Kamiokande (SK) and its upgrade Hyper-Kamiokande (HK). We find that with spin-dependent scattering as the dominant DM-nucleus interaction at low energies, boosted DM can leave detectable signals at SK or HK, with sensitivity comparable to DM direct detection experiments while being consistent with current constraints. Our study provides a new search path for DM sectors with non-minimal structure.

Effects of a Balanced Translocation between Chromosomes 1 and 11 Disrupting the DISC1 Locus on White Matter Integrity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heather C Whalley

Full Text Available Individuals carrying rare, but biologically informative genetic variants provide a unique opportunity to model major mental illness and inform understanding of disease mechanisms. The rarity of such variations means that their study involves small group numbers, however they are amongst the strongest known genetic risk factors for major mental illness and are likely to have large neural effects. DISC1 (Disrupted in Schizophrenia 1 is a gene containing one such risk variant, identified in a single Scottish family through its disruption by a balanced translocation of chromosomes 1 and 11; t(1;11 (q42.1;q14.3.Within the original pedigree, we examined the effects of the t(1;11 translocation on white matter integrity, measured by fractional anisotropy (FA. This included family members with (n = 7 and without (n = 13 the translocation, along with a clinical control sample of patients with psychosis (n = 34, and a group of healthy controls (n = 33.We report decreased white matter integrity in five clusters in the genu of the corpus callosum, the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, acoustic radiation and fornix. Analysis of the mixed psychosis group also demonstrated decreased white matter integrity in the above regions. FA values within the corpus callosum correlated significantly with positive psychotic symptom severity.We demonstrate that the t(1;11 translocation is associated with reduced white matter integrity in frontal commissural and association fibre tracts. These findings overlap with those shown in affected patients with psychosis and in DISC1 animal models and highlight the value of rare but biologically informative mutations in modeling psychosis.

Neutron capture cross sections of Kr

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fiebiger Stefan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Neutron capture and β− -decay are competing branches of the s-process nucleosynthesis path at 85Kr [1], which makes it an important branching point. The knowledge of its neutron capture cross section is therefore essential to constrain stellar models of nucleosynthesis. Despite its importance for different fields, no direct measurement of the cross section of 85Kr in the keV-regime has been performed. The currently reported uncertainties are still in the order of 50% [2, 3]. Neutron capture cross section measurements on a 4% enriched 85Kr gas enclosed in a stainless steel cylinder were performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL using the Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE. 85Kr is radioactive isotope with a half life of 10.8 years. As this was a low-enrichment sample, the main contaminants, the stable krypton isotopes 83Kr and 86Kr, were also investigated. The material was highly enriched and contained in pressurized stainless steel spheres.

D matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiu, Gary; Wang Liantao

2004-01-01

We study the properties and phenomenology of particlelike states originating from D branes whose spatial dimensions are all compactified. They are nonperturbative states in string theory and we refer to them as D matter. In contrast to other nonperturbative objects such as 't Hooft-Polyakov monopoles, D-matter states could have perturbative couplings among themselves and with ordinary matter. The lightest D particle (LDP) could be stable because it is the lightest state carrying certain (integer or discrete) quantum numbers. Depending on the string scale, they could be cold dark matter candidates with properties similar to that of WIMPs or wimpzillas. The spectrum of excited states of D matter exhibits an interesting pattern which could be distinguished from that of Kaluza-Klein modes, winding states, and string resonances. We speculate about possible signatures of D matter from ultrahigh energy cosmic rays and colliders

Rare earth elements: end use and recyclability

Science.gov (United States)

Goonan, Thomas G.

2011-01-01

Rare earth elements are used in mature markets (such as catalysts, glassmaking, lighting, and metallurgy), which account for 59 percent of the total worldwide consumption of rare earth elements, and in newer, high-growth markets (such as battery alloys, ceramics, and permanent magnets), which account for 41 percent of the total worldwide consumption of rare earth elements. In mature market segments, lanthanum and cerium constitute about 80 percent of rare earth elements used, and in new market segments, dysprosium, neodymium, and praseodymium account for about 85 percent of rare earth elements used. Regardless of the end use, rare earth elements are not recycled in large quantities, but could be if recycling became mandated or very high prices of rare earth elements made recycling feasible.

Xeroderma pigmentosum: A rare case report with review of literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B Anand

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Xeroderma pigmentosum, or XP, is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder in which the ability to repair DNA damage caused by ultraviolet (UV light is deficient. In extreme cases, all exposure to sunlight must be forbidden, no matter how small. As such, individuals with the disease are often colloquially referred to as ′Children of the Night′. Mutations in XP genes that regulate nucleotide excision repair, not only predispose persons with xeroderma pigmentosum to multiple malignancies, but also promote premature cutaneous and ocular ageing, and in some cases promote progressive neurodegenerative changes. There is a great involvement of many parts of the body, especially head and neck. The oral manifestations are mainly related to the occurrence of malignant tumors in the lips, tongue and buccal mucosa. This paper reports a rare case of XP in a 40-year-old female presenting with dermatological, oral and ophthalmological involvement.

Organizational Learning in Rare Events

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Kristina Vaarst; Tyler, Beverly; Beukel, Karin

When organizations encounter rare events they often find it challenging to extract learning from the experience. We analyze opportunities for organizational learning in one such rare event, namely Intellectual Property (IP) litigation, i.e., when organizations take disputes regarding their intell......When organizations encounter rare events they often find it challenging to extract learning from the experience. We analyze opportunities for organizational learning in one such rare event, namely Intellectual Property (IP) litigation, i.e., when organizations take disputes regarding...... the organization little discretion to utilize any learning from past litigation success. Thus, learning appears be to most beneficial in infringement cases. Based on statistical analysis of 10,211 litigation court cases in China, we find support for our hypotheses. Our findings suggest that organizations can learn...

Do Admission Criteria for Teacher Education Institutions Matter? A Comparative Study on Beliefs of Student Teachers from Serbia and Slovenia about Inclusive Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Pecek, Mojca; Macura-Milovanovic, Suncica

2015-01-01

The relationship between admissions criteria, the preparation provided by teacher education programmes and student teachers' (STs) beliefs about inclusive education (IE) are rarely made explicit. The paucity of data regarding this relationship leads us to question whether teacher candidates' prior beliefs matter relative to admissions criteria or…

Terminological and methodological aspects in investigating the preservation of rare library materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Damir Hasenay

2008-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to provide a detailed insight into the issues of preserving rare library materials, and contribute to the possibilities of organizing and managing their continuous preservation, availability and use. The preservation of library materials is a complex issue that can be viewed from different aspects. This paper discusses the basic terminology that is used, with the special focus on rare library materials. The preservation of rare library materials is a seemingly simple and clear term, yet it calls for a more detailed consideration and questioning. The preservation of library materials, in addition to basic issues such as what should it be preserved from, who preserves it, etc., presupposes the establishment of clear links with the mission, functions, framework and the way the institution does its business. The aim of the preservation and all related activities, as well as a full understanding of responsibility, is crucial for the efficient preservation of rare library materials as part of written heritage. The paper presents the concepts and approaches to the protection of library materials in relation to specific methods, techniques and procedures. The preservation of library materials may be viewed at different levels that are intertwined through all concepts and approaches, and this issue is analyzed thoroughly. There is wide range of library materials that are considered as rare. These materials consist of numerous and varied matters that have different durability and characteristics. The criteria of age, value and rarity are also subject to terminological re-examination and should be defined as clearly as possible. Among the important elements in the entire process of preserving rare library materials are management and organization mechanisms. The measures that are undertaken in order to achieve the quality and efficient preservation of rare library materials must be managed purposefully and organized in detail. The

Electrofishing capture probability of smallmouth bass in streams

Science.gov (United States)

Dauwalter, D.C.; Fisher, W.L.

2007-01-01

Abundance estimation is an integral part of understanding the ecology and advancing the management of fish populations and communities. Mark-recapture and removal methods are commonly used to estimate the abundance of stream fishes. Alternatively, abundance can be estimated by dividing the number of individuals sampled by the probability of capture. We conducted a mark-recapture study and used multiple repeated-measures logistic regression to determine the influence of fish size, sampling procedures, and stream habitat variables on the cumulative capture probability for smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu in two eastern Oklahoma streams. The predicted capture probability was used to adjust the number of individuals sampled to obtain abundance estimates. The observed capture probabilities were higher for larger fish and decreased with successive electrofishing passes for larger fish only. Model selection suggested that the number of electrofishing passes, fish length, and mean thalweg depth affected capture probabilities the most; there was little evidence for any effect of electrofishing power density and woody debris density on capture probability. Leave-one-out cross validation showed that the cumulative capture probability model predicts smallmouth abundance accurately. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2007.

Asynchronous beating of cilia enhances particle capture rate

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Yang; Kanso, Eva

2014-11-01

Many aquatic micro-organisms use beating cilia to generate feeding currents and capture particles in surrounding fluids. One of the capture strategies is to ``catch up'' with particles when a cilium is beating towards the overall flow direction (effective stroke) and intercept particles on the downstream side of the cilium. Here, we developed a 3D computational model of a cilia band with prescribed motion in a viscous fluid and calculated the trajectories of the particles with different sizes in the fluid. We found an optimal particle diameter that maximizes the capture rate. The flow field and particle motion indicate that the low capture rate of smaller particles is due to the laminar flow in the neighbor of the cilia, whereas larger particles have to move above the cilia tips to get advected downstream which decreases their capture rate. We then analyzed the effect of beating coordination between neighboring cilia on the capture rate. Interestingly, we found that asynchrony of the beating of the cilia can enhance the relative motion between a cilium and the particles near it and hence increase the capture rate.

Rare B decays at LEP

CERN Document Server

Kluit, P M

2001-01-01

The results of the LEP experiments for rare B decays will be reviewed, covering hadronic final states, radiative and other rare decays and results for the inclusive charmless branching ratio. (8 refs).

The PM2.5 capture of poly (lactic acid)/nano MOFs eletrospinning membrane with hydrophilic surface

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yating; Dai, Xiu; Li, Xu; Wang, Xinlong

2018-03-01

In this article, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) material is introduced in the poly (lactic acid) (PLA) by electrospinning to fabricate the nanocomposite membrane. The acrylic acid (AA) is grafted onto the membrane under UV light. The prepared membrane is studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG), contact angle test and tensile strength test. The SEM image and XRD indicate that nano MOFs particles adhere to the membrane. Contact angle test shows that grafting AA on the composite fiber membrane improves its hydrophilicity effectively. TG analyses show that the particulate matter (PM) capture capacity of PLA membrane with 2 wt% ZIF-8 content is 22%, which rises to 37% after grafting.

'Mathematical model of K Capture and its implications'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angus, Andrew C.

2000-01-01

The mechanism of K Capture, the nuclear absorption of electron in the K shell, as induced by electricity, is explained in this article. Furthermore, a mathematical model of K Capture is formulated. Then, K Capture is applied to explain the negative results obtained by Steven Jones and the positive results obtained by Pons-Fleischmann in Deuterium Oxide Electrolysis Experiments. The most important implication of K Capture is the possibility of obtaining nuclear energy by fusion at low temperature from heavy water

Comparison of Ring-Buffer-Based Packet Capture Solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barker, Steven Andrew [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)

2015-10-01

Traditional packet-capture solutions using commodity hardware incur a large amount of overhead as packets are copied multiple times by the operating system. This overhead slows sensor systems to a point where they are unable to keep up with high bandwidth traffic, resulting in dropped packets. Incomplete packet capture files hinder network monitoring and incident response efforts. While costly commercial hardware exists to capture high bandwidth traffic, several software-based approaches exist to improve packet capture performance using commodity hardware.

Capture Gamma-Ray Libraries for Nuclear Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sleaford, B.W.; Firestone, Richard B.; Summers, N.; Escher, J.; Hurst, A.; Krticka, M.; Basunia, S.; Molnar, G.; Belgya, T.; Revay, Z.; Choi, H.D.

2010-01-01

The neutron capture reaction is useful in identifying and analyzing the gamma-ray spectrum from an unknown assembly as it gives unambiguous information on its composition. This can be done passively or actively where an external neutron source is used to probe an unknown assembly. There are known capture gamma-ray data gaps in the ENDF libraries used by transport codes for various nuclear applications. The Evaluated Gamma-ray Activation file (EGAF) is a new thermal neutron capture database of discrete line spectra and cross sections for over 260 isotopes that was developed as part of an IAEA Coordinated Research Project. EGAF has been used to improve the capture gamma production in ENDF libraries. For medium to heavy nuclei the quasi continuum contribution to the gamma cascades is not experimentally resolved. The continuum contains up to 90% of all the decay energy an is modeled here with the statistical nuclear structure code DICEBOX. This code also provides a consistency check of the level scheme nuclear structure evaluation. The calculated continuum is of sufficient accuracy to include in the ENDF libraries. This analysis also determines new total thermal capture cross sections and provides an improved RIPL database. For higher energy neutron capture there is less experimental data available making benchmarking of the modeling codes more difficult. We use CASINO, a version of DICEBOX that is modified for this purpose. This can be used to simulate the neutron capture at incident neutron energies up to 20 MeV to improve the gamma-ray spectrum in neutron data libraries used for transport modelling of unknown assemblies.

Mobile Motion Capture--MiMiC.

Science.gov (United States)

Harbert, Simeon D; Jaiswal, Tushar; Harley, Linda R; Vaughn, Tyler W; Baranak, Andrew S

2013-01-01

The low cost, simple, robust, mobile, and easy to use Mobile Motion Capture (MiMiC) system is presented and the constraints which guided the design of MiMiC are discussed. The MiMiC Android application allows motion data to be captured from kinematic modules such as Shimmer 2r sensors over Bluetooth. MiMiC is cost effective and can be used for an entire day in a person's daily routine without being intrusive. MiMiC is a flexible motion capture system which can be used for many applications including fall detection, detection of fatigue in industry workers, and analysis of individuals' work patterns in various environments.

Individual Differences in Recovery Time From Attentional Capture

Science.gov (United States)

Fukuda, Keisuke; Vogel, Edward K.

2015-01-01

Working memory capacity reflects a core ability of the individual that affects performance on many cognitive tasks. Recent work has suggested that an important covariate of memory capacity is attentional control, and specifically that low-capacity individuals are more susceptible to attentional capture by distractors than high-capacity individuals are, with the latter being able to resist capture. Here, we tested an alternative account according to which all individuals are equally susceptible to attentional capture, but high-capacity individuals recover more quickly than low-capacity individuals. Using psychophysical and electrophysiological methods, we measured recovery time from attentional capture. In two experiments, we found that high- and low-capacity individuals showed equivalent attentional capture effects in the initial moments following capture, but that low-capacity individuals took much longer to recover than high-capacity individuals did. These results suggest that the poor attentional control associated with low capacity is due to slow disengagement from distractors. PMID:21310945

Mercury capture by selected Bulgarian fly ashes: Influence of coal rank and fly ash carbon pore structure on capture efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

Kostova, I.J.; Hower, J.C.; Mastalerz, Maria; Vassilev, S.V.

2011-01-01

Mercury capture by fly ash C was investigated at five lignite- and subbituminous-coal-burning Bulgarian power plants (Republika, Bobov Dol, Maritza East 2, Maritza East 3, and Sliven). Although the C content of the ashes is low, never exceeding 1.6%, the Hg capture on a unit C basis demonstrates that the low-rank-coal-derived fly ash carbons are more efficient in capturing Hg than fly ash carbons from bituminous-fired power plants. While some low-C and low-Hg fly ashes do not reveal any trends of Hg versus C, the 2nd and, in particular, the 3rd electrostatic precipitator (ESP) rows at the Republika power plant do have sufficient fly ash C range and experience flue gas sufficiently cool to capture measurable amounts of Hg. The Republika 3rd ESP row exhibits an increase in Hg with increasing C, as observed in other power plants, for example, in Kentucky power plants burning Appalachian-sourced bituminous coals. Mercury/C decreases with an increase in fly ash C, suggesting that some of the C is isolated from the flue gas stream and does not contribute to Hg capture. Mercury capture increases with an increase in Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and micropore surface area. The differences in Hg capture between the Bulgarian plants burning low-rank coal and high volatile bituminous-fed Kentucky power plants suggests that the variations in C forms resulting from the combustion of the different ranks also influence the efficiency of Hg capture. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Mercury capture by selected Bulgarian fly ashes: Influence of coal rank and fly ash carbon pore structure on capture efficiency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kostova, I.J.; Hower, J.C.; Mastalerz, M.; Vassilev, S.V. [University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (United States). Center of Applied Energy Research

2011-01-15

Mercury capture by fly ash C was investigated at five lignite- and subbituminous-coal-burning Bulgarian power plants (Republika, Bobov Dol, Maritza East 2, Maritza East 3, and Sliven). Although the C content of the ashes is low, never exceeding 1.6%, the Hg capture on a unit C basis demonstrates that the low-rank-coal-derived fly ash carbons are more efficient in capturing Hg than fly ash carbons from bituminous-fired power plants. While some low-C and low-Hg fly ashes do not reveal any trends of Hg versus C, the 2nd and, in particular, the 3rd electrostatic precipitator (ESP) rows at the Republika power plant do have sufficient fly ash C range and experience flue gas sufficiently cool to capture measurable amounts of Hg. The Republika 3rd ESP row exhibits an increase in Hg with increasing C, as observed in other power plants, for example, in Kentucky power plants burning Appalachian-sourced bituminous coals. Mercury/C decreases with an increase in fly ash C, suggesting that some of the C is isolated from the flue gas stream and does not contribute to Hg capture. Mercury capture increases with an increase in Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and micropore surface area. The differences in Hg capture between the Bulgarian plants burning low-rank coal and high volatile bituminous-fed Kentucky power plants suggests that the variations in C forms resulting from the combustion of the different ranks also influence the efficiency of Hg capture.

Bayesian analysis of rare events

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Straub, Daniel, E-mail: straub@tum.de; Papaioannou, Iason; Betz, Wolfgang

2016-06-01

In many areas of engineering and science there is an interest in predicting the probability of rare events, in particular in applications related to safety and security. Increasingly, such predictions are made through computer models of physical systems in an uncertainty quantification framework. Additionally, with advances in IT, monitoring and sensor technology, an increasing amount of data on the performance of the systems is collected. This data can be used to reduce uncertainty, improve the probability estimates and consequently enhance the management of rare events and associated risks. Bayesian analysis is the ideal method to include the data into the probabilistic model. It ensures a consistent probabilistic treatment of uncertainty, which is central in the prediction of rare events, where extrapolation from the domain of observation is common. We present a framework for performing Bayesian updating of rare event probabilities, termed BUS. It is based on a reinterpretation of the classical rejection-sampling approach to Bayesian analysis, which enables the use of established methods for estimating probabilities of rare events. By drawing upon these methods, the framework makes use of their computational efficiency. These methods include the First-Order Reliability Method (FORM), tailored importance sampling (IS) methods and Subset Simulation (SuS). In this contribution, we briefly review these methods in the context of the BUS framework and investigate their applicability to Bayesian analysis of rare events in different settings. We find that, for some applications, FORM can be highly efficient and is surprisingly accurate, enabling Bayesian analysis of rare events with just a few model evaluations. In a general setting, BUS implemented through IS and SuS is more robust and flexible.

Dark matter detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forster, G.

1995-01-01

A fundamental question of astrophysics and cosmology is the nature of dark matter. Astrophysical observations show clearly the existence of some kind of dark matter, though they cannot yet reveal its nature. Dark matter can consist of baryonic particles, or of other (known or unknown) elementary particles. Baryonic dark matter probably exists in the form of dust, gas, or small stars. Other elementary particles constituting the dark matter can possibly be measured in terrestrial experiments. Possibilities for dark matter particles are neutrinos, axions and weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). While a direct detection of relic neutrinos seems at the moment impossible, there are experiments looking for baryonic dark matter in the form of Massive Compact Halo Objects, and for particle dark matter in the form of axions and WIMPS. (orig.)

Reverse (posterior) cloaca with congenital rectal stenosis and pseudohermaphrodism: a rare entity with rare association

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Intezar; Kureel, Shiv Narain; Chandra, Naveen

2010-01-01

Reverse (posterior) cloaca is itself a rare entity and association of this defect with other congenital syndromes or defects is extremely rare to find. To diagnose this unique anomaly one should be aware about this very infrequently encountered clinical entity. Reverse cloaca is a very rare variant of anorectal malformation in which urethra and vagina fused to form a urogenital sinus that diverts posteriorly and opens in the anterior rectal wall at the anus or immediately anterior to it. We report a neonate with the rare clinical entity of reverse cloaca type C, pseudophallus with rudimentary urethra as a component of female pseudohermaphrodism and congenital rectal stenosis. Surprisingly, there was no associated urological abnormality on ultrasonography and laparotomy. PMID:22797480

Screen captures to support switching attention.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gellevij, M.R.M.; van der Meij, Hans

2002-01-01

The study set out to validate the supportive role of screen captures for switching attention. Forty-two participants learned how to work with Microsoft Excel with a paper manual. There were three types of manuals: a textual manual, a visual manual with full-screen captures, and a visual manual with

SYMPOSIUM: Rare decays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1989-01-01

Late last year, a symposium entitled 'Rare Decays' attracted 115 participants to a hotel in Vancouver, Canada. These participants were particle physicists interested in checking conventional selection rules to look for clues of possible new behaviour outside today's accepted 'Standard Model'. For physicists, 'rare decays' include processes that have so far not been seen, explicitly forbidden by the rules of the Standard Model, or processes highly suppressed because the decay is dominated by an easier route, or includes processes resulting from multiple transitions

Disposal Of Waste Matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jeong Hyeon; Lee, Seung Mu

1989-02-01

This book deals with disposal of waste matter management of soiled waste matter in city with introduction, definition of waste matter, meaning of management of waste matter, management system of waste matter, current condition in the country, collect and transportation of waste matter disposal liquid waste matter, industrial waste matter like plastic, waste gas sludge, pulp and sulfuric acid, recycling technology of waste matter such as recycling system of Black clawson, Monroe and Rome.

Impeded Dark Matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kopp, Joachim; Liu, Jia [PRISMA Cluster of Excellence & Mainz Institute for Theoretical Physics,Johannes Gutenberg University,Staudingerweg 7, 55099 Mainz (Germany); Slatyer, Tracy R. [Center for Theoretical Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Wang, Xiao-Ping [PRISMA Cluster of Excellence & Mainz Institute for Theoretical Physics,Johannes Gutenberg University,Staudingerweg 7, 55099 Mainz (Germany); Xue, Wei [Center for Theoretical Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)

2016-12-12

We consider dark matter models in which the mass splitting between the dark matter particles and their annihilation products is tiny. Compared to the previously proposed Forbidden Dark Matter scenario, the mass splittings we consider are much smaller, and are allowed to be either positive or negative. To emphasize this modification, we dub our scenario “Impeded Dark Matter”. We demonstrate that Impeded Dark Matter can be easily realized without requiring tuning of model parameters. For negative mass splitting, we demonstrate that the annihilation cross-section for Impeded Dark Matter depends linearly on the dark matter velocity or may even be kinematically forbidden, making this scenario almost insensitive to constraints from the cosmic microwave background and from observations of dwarf galaxies. Accordingly, it may be possible for Impeded Dark Matter to yield observable signals in clusters or the Galactic center, with no corresponding signal in dwarfs. For positive mass splitting, we show that the annihilation cross-section is suppressed by the small mass splitting, which helps light dark matter to survive increasingly stringent constraints from indirect searches. As specific realizations for Impeded Dark Matter, we introduce a model of vector dark matter from a hidden SU(2) sector, and a composite dark matter scenario based on a QCD-like dark sector.

Impeded Dark Matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kopp, Joachim; Liu, Jia; Slatyer, Tracy R.; Wang, Xiao-Ping; Xue, Wei

2016-01-01

We consider dark matter models in which the mass splitting between the dark matter particles and their annihilation products is tiny. Compared to the previously proposed Forbidden Dark Matter scenario, the mass splittings we consider are much smaller, and are allowed to be either positive or negative. To emphasize this modification, we dub our scenario “Impeded Dark Matter”. We demonstrate that Impeded Dark Matter can be easily realized without requiring tuning of model parameters. For negative mass splitting, we demonstrate that the annihilation cross-section for Impeded Dark Matter depends linearly on the dark matter velocity or may even be kinematically forbidden, making this scenario almost insensitive to constraints from the cosmic microwave background and from observations of dwarf galaxies. Accordingly, it may be possible for Impeded Dark Matter to yield observable signals in clusters or the Galactic center, with no corresponding signal in dwarfs. For positive mass splitting, we show that the annihilation cross-section is suppressed by the small mass splitting, which helps light dark matter to survive increasingly stringent constraints from indirect searches. As specific realizations for Impeded Dark Matter, we introduce a model of vector dark matter from a hidden SU(2) sector, and a composite dark matter scenario based on a QCD-like dark sector.

Novel process concept for cryogenic CO2 capture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tuinier, M.J.

2011-01-01

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is generally considered as one of the necessary methods to mitigate anthropogenic CO2 emissions to combat climate change. The costs of CCS can for a large extent be attributed to the capture process. Several post-combustion CO2 capture processes have been developed,

Technology Roadmap: Carbon Capture and Storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-08-01

As long as fossil fuels and carbon-intensive industries play dominant roles in our economies, carbon capture and storage (CCS) will remain a critical greenhouse gas reduction solution. This CCS roadmap aims at assisting governments and industry in integrating CCS in their emissions reduction strategies and in creating the conditions for scaled-up deployment of all three components of the CCS chain: CO2 capture, transport and storage. To get us onto the right pathway, this roadmap highlights seven key actions needed in the next seven years to create a solid foundation for deployment of CCS starting by 2020. IEA analysis shows that CCS is an integral part of any lowest-cost mitigation scenario where long-term global average temperature increases are limited to significantly less than 4 °C, particularly for 2 °C scenarios (2DS). In the 2DS, CCS is widely deployed in both power generation and industrial applications. The total CO2 capture and storage rate must grow from the tens of megatonnes of CO2 captured in 2013 to thousands of megatonnes of CO2 in 2050 in order to address the emissions reduction challenge. A total cumulative mass of approximately 120 GtCO2 would need to be captured and stored between 2015 and 2050, across all regions of the globe.

Geological Sequestration Training and Research Program in Capture and Transport: Development of the Most Economical Separation Method for CO2 Capture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vahdat, Nader

2013-09-30

The project provided hands-on training and networking opportunities to undergraduate students in the area of carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and transport, through fundamental research study focused on advanced separation methods that can be applied to the capture of CO2 resulting from the combustion of fossil-fuels for power generation . The project team’s approach to achieve its objectives was to leverage existing Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) course materials and teaching methods to create and implement an annual CCS short course for the Tuskegee University community; conduct a survey of CO2 separation and capture methods; utilize data to verify and develop computer models for CO2 capture and build CCS networks and hands-on training experiences. The objectives accomplished as a result of this project were: (1) A comprehensive survey of CO2 capture methods was conducted and mathematical models were developed to compare the potential economics of the different methods based on the total cost per year per unit of CO2 avoidance; and (2) Training was provided to introduce the latest CO2 capture technologies and deployment issues to the university community.

Five-dimensional black hole capture cross sections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gooding, Cisco; Frolov, Andrei V.

2008-01-01

We study scattering and capture of particles by a rotating black hole in the five-dimensional spacetime described by the Myers-Perry metric. The equations of geodesic motion are integrable, and allow us to calculate capture conditions for a free particle sent towards a black hole from infinity. We introduce a three-dimensional impact parameter describing asymptotic initial conditions in the scattering problem for a given initial velocity. The capture surface in impact parameter space is a sphere for a nonrotating black hole, and is deformed for a rotating black hole. We obtain asymptotic expressions that describe such deformations for small rotational parameters, and use numerical calculations to investigate the arbitrary rotation case, which allows us to visualize the capture surface as extremal rotation is approached

Morals Matter in Economic Games

Science.gov (United States)

Brodbeck, Felix C.; Kugler, Katharina G.; Reif, Julia A. M.; Maier, Markus A.

2013-01-01

Contrary to predictions from Expected Utility Theory and Game Theory, when making economic decisions in interpersonal situations, people take the interest of others into account and express various forms of solidarity, even in one-shot interactions with anonymous strangers. Research in other-regarding behavior is dominated by behavioral economical and evolutionary biological approaches. Psychological theory building, which addresses mental processes underlying other-regarding behavior, is rare. Based on Relational Models Theory (RMT, [1]) and Relationship Regulation Theory (RRT, [2]) it is proposed that moral motives influence individuals’ decision behavior in interpersonal situations via conscious and unconscious (automatic) processes. To test our propositions we developed the ‘Dyadic Solidarity Game’ and its solitary equivalent, the ‘Self-Insurance Game’. Four experiments, in which the moral motives “Unity” and “Proportionality” were manipulated, support the propositions made. First, it was shown that consciously activated moral motives (via framing of the overall goal of the experiment) and unconsciously activated moral motives (via subliminal priming) influence other-regarding behavior. Second, this influence was only found in interpersonal, not in solitary situations. Third, by combining the analyses of the two experimental games the extent to which participants apply the Golden Rule (“treat others how you wish to be treated”) could be established. Individuals with a “Unity” motive treated others like themselves, whereas individuals with a “Proportionality” motive gave others less then they gave themselves. The four experiments not only support the assumption that morals matter in economic games, they also deliver new insights in how morals matter in economic decision making. PMID:24358115

Morals matter in economic games.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felix C Brodbeck

Full Text Available Contrary to predictions from Expected Utility Theory and Game Theory, when making economic decisions in interpersonal situations, people take the interest of others into account and express various forms of solidarity, even in one-shot interactions with anonymous strangers. Research in other-regarding behavior is dominated by behavioral economical and evolutionary biological approaches. Psychological theory building, which addresses mental processes underlying other-regarding behavior, is rare. Based on Relational Models Theory (RMT, [1] and Relationship Regulation Theory (RRT, [2] it is proposed that moral motives influence individuals' decision behavior in interpersonal situations via conscious and unconscious (automatic processes. To test our propositions we developed the 'Dyadic Solidarity Game' and its solitary equivalent, the 'Self-Insurance Game'. Four experiments, in which the moral motives "Unity" and "Proportionality" were manipulated, support the propositions made. First, it was shown that consciously activated moral motives (via framing of the overall goal of the experiment and unconsciously activated moral motives (via subliminal priming influence other-regarding behavior. Second, this influence was only found in interpersonal, not in solitary situations. Third, by combining the analyses of the two experimental games the extent to which participants apply the Golden Rule ("treat others how you wish to be treated" could be established. Individuals with a "Unity" motive treated others like themselves, whereas individuals with a "Proportionality" motive gave others less then they gave themselves. The four experiments not only support the assumption that morals matter in economic games, they also deliver new insights in how morals matter in economic decision making.

Morals matter in economic games.

Science.gov (United States)

Brodbeck, Felix C; Kugler, Katharina G; Reif, Julia A M; Maier, Markus A

2013-01-01

Contrary to predictions from Expected Utility Theory and Game Theory, when making economic decisions in interpersonal situations, people take the interest of others into account and express various forms of solidarity, even in one-shot interactions with anonymous strangers. Research in other-regarding behavior is dominated by behavioral economical and evolutionary biological approaches. Psychological theory building, which addresses mental processes underlying other-regarding behavior, is rare. Based on Relational Models Theory (RMT, [1]) and Relationship Regulation Theory (RRT, [2]) it is proposed that moral motives influence individuals' decision behavior in interpersonal situations via conscious and unconscious (automatic) processes. To test our propositions we developed the 'Dyadic Solidarity Game' and its solitary equivalent, the 'Self-Insurance Game'. Four experiments, in which the moral motives "Unity" and "Proportionality" were manipulated, support the propositions made. First, it was shown that consciously activated moral motives (via framing of the overall goal of the experiment) and unconsciously activated moral motives (via subliminal priming) influence other-regarding behavior. Second, this influence was only found in interpersonal, not in solitary situations. Third, by combining the analyses of the two experimental games the extent to which participants apply the Golden Rule ("treat others how you wish to be treated") could be established. Individuals with a "Unity" motive treated others like themselves, whereas individuals with a "Proportionality" motive gave others less then they gave themselves. The four experiments not only support the assumption that morals matter in economic games, they also deliver new insights in how morals matter in economic decision making.

Recovering heavy rare earth metals from magnet scrap

Science.gov (United States)

Ott, Ryan T.; McCallum, Ralph W.; Jones, Lawrence L.

2017-08-08

A method of treating rare earth metal-bearing permanent magnet scrap, waste or other material in a manner to recover the heavy rare earth metal content separately from the light rare earth metal content. The heavy rare earth metal content can be recovered either as a heavy rare earth metal-enriched iron based alloy or as a heavy rare earth metal based alloy.

Children as stakeholders in education: Does their voice matter?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maitumeleng Nthontho

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Children’s right to freely express their opinion in education is very rare, and it is critical for schools to realise it. Although at times they are consulted about their difficulties, children are seldom asked to participate in the development of programmes that affect their lives. The aim of this conceptual article is therefore twofold: (1 to explore the extent to which schools recognise children as rights holders and protect their right to freedom of expression in educational matters, and (2 to determine the implications of the previous findings in children’s right to freedom of expression in their education. Literature on children’s participation in education was reviewed. Legislations and policies on the right to freedom of expression were also analysed. The study revealed that regardless of their legitimate position in education and positive outcomes from engaging children as stakeholders in education, schools resist change. A significant finding of the study was that learners’ engagement in school affairs deepens democracy, and hence school improvement. Hart’s ‘Ladder of Participation’ on involvement of children in school matters is therefore recommended.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin-Amouroux, Jean-Marie

2016-01-01

The author first defines what carbon capture and storage (CCS)is, describes more precisely the various technologies, methods and processes involved in carbon capture, carbon transport, and carbon geological storage. He briefly evokes the various applications and uses of CCS. In the second part, he proposes an overview of advances and deadlocks of CCS in the world, of the status of installations and projects, of the development of capture practices in the industry, of some existing and important storage sites, of some pilot installations developed by various industrial actors in different countries (26 installations in the world). He indicates power stations equipped for CCS (in Canada, USA, United-Kingdom, Netherlands, Norway, China, South Korea and United Arab Emirates). He evokes projects which have been given up or postponed. He proposes an overview of policies implemented in different countries (USA, Canada, European Union, Australia, and others) to promote CCS

Auditory and Visual Capture during Focused Visual Attention

Science.gov (United States)

Koelewijn, Thomas; Bronkhorst, Adelbert; Theeuwes, Jan

2009-01-01

It is well known that auditory and visual onsets presented at a particular location can capture a person's visual attention. However, the question of whether such attentional capture disappears when attention is focused endogenously beforehand has not yet been answered. Moreover, previous studies have not differentiated between capture by onsets…

EVOLUTION OF PROGENITORS FOR ELECTRON CAPTURE SUPERNOVAE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Koh; Umeda, Hideyuki; Yoshida, Takashi

2013-01-01

We provide progenitor models for electron capture supernovae (ECSNe) with detailed evolutionary calculation. We include minor electron capture nuclei using a large nuclear reaction network with updated reaction rates. For electron capture, the Coulomb correction of rates is treated and the contribution from neutron-rich isotopes is taken into account in each nuclear statistical equilibrium (NSE) composition. We calculate the evolution of the most massive super asymptotic giant branch stars and show that these stars undergo off-center carbon burning and form ONe cores at the center. These cores become heavier up to the critical mass of 1.367 M ☉ and keep contracting even after the initiation of O+Ne deflagration. Inclusion of minor electron capture nuclei causes convective URCA cooling during the contraction phase, but the effect on the progenitor evolution is small. On the other hand, electron capture by neutron-rich isotopes in the NSE region has a more significant effect. We discuss the uniqueness of the critical core mass for ECSNe and the effect of wind mass loss on the plausibility of our models for ECSN progenitors.

Tank bromeliads capture Saharan dust in El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico

Science.gov (United States)

Royer, Dana L.; Moynihan, Kylen M.; Ariori, Carolyn; Bodkin, Gavin; Doria, Gabriela; Enright, Katherine; Hatfield-Gardner, Rémy; Kravet, Emma; Nuttle, C. Miller; Shepard, Lisa; Ku, Timothy C. W.; O'Connell, Suzanne; Resor, Phillip G.

2018-01-01

Dust from Saharan Africa commonly blows across the Atlantic Ocean and into the Caribbean. Most methods for measuring this dust either are expensive if collected directly from the atmosphere, or depend on very small concentrations that may be chemically altered if collected from soil. Tank bromeliads in the dwarf forest of El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico, have a structure of overlapping leaves used to capture rainwater and other atmospheric inputs. Therefore, it is likely that these bromeliads are collecting in their tanks Saharan dust along with local inputs. Here we analyze the elemental chemistry, including rare earth elements (REEs), of tank contents in order to match their chemical fingerprint to a provenance of the Earth's crust. We find that the tank contents differ from the local soils and bedrock and are more similar to published values of Saharan dust. Our study confirms the feasibility of using bromeliad tanks to trace Saharan dust in the Caribbean.

Measurements of Capture Efficiency of Range Hoods in Homes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simone, Angela; Sherman, Max H.; Walker, Iain S.

2015-01-01

mapped the pollution distribution in the room, and showed that the pollutants escape more at the sides of the cooktop. These preliminary results suggest that more measurements should be conducted investigating the capture efficiency at different pollutant source temperature, size and location...... want a range hood to use little energy and have high capture efficiency to minimize the required air flow to capture the cooking pollutants. Currently there are no standards for rating range hoods for capture efficiency In this study, measurements of range hood capture efficiency were made a tight...... kitchen-room built in a laboratory chamber, and a methodology for standardizing measurement of capture efficiency was developed. The results for a wall mounted range hood, showed that up to half of the cooking pollutants were not captured at a flow rate of 230 m3/h. A more detailed set of measurements...

Twenty-First Century Diseases: Commonly Rare and Rarely Common?

Science.gov (United States)

Daunert, Sylvia; Sittampalam, Gurusingham Sitta; Goldschmidt-Clermont, Pascal J

2017-09-20

Alzheimer's drugs are failing at a rate of 99.6%, and success rate for drugs designed to help patients with this form of dementia is 47 times less than for drugs designed to help patients with cancers ( www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-alzheimer-s-drugs-keep-failing/2014 ). How can it be so difficult to produce a valuable drug for Alzheimer's disease? Each human has a unique genetic and epigenetic makeup, thus endowing individuals with a highly unique complement of genes, polymorphisms, mutations, RNAs, proteins, lipids, and complex sugars, resulting in distinct genome, proteome, metabolome, and also microbiome identity. This editorial is taking into account the uniqueness of each individual and surrounding environment, and stresses the point that a more accurate definition of a "common" disorder could be simply the amalgamation of a myriad of "rare" diseases. These rare diseases are being grouped together because they share a rather constant complement of common features and, indeed, generally respond to empirically developed treatments, leading to a positive outcome consistently. We make the case that it is highly unlikely that such treatments, despite their statistical success measured with large cohorts using standardized clinical research, will be effective on all patients until we increase the depth and fidelity of our understanding of the individual "rare" diseases that are grouped together in the "buckets" of common illnesses. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 27, 511-516.

Visual Field Asymmetry in Attentional Capture

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Feng; Abrams, Richard A.

2010-01-01

The present study examined the spatial distribution of involuntary attentional capture over the two visual hemi-fields. A new experiment, and an analysis of three previous experiments showed that distractors in the left visual field that matched a sought-for target in color produced a much larger capture effect than identical distractors in the…

Afganistan and rare earths

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emilian M. Dobrescu

2013-05-01

Full Text Available On our planet, over a quarter of new technologies for the economic production of industrial goods, are using rare earths, which are also called critical minerals and industries that rely on these precious items being worth of an estimated nearly five trillion dollars, or 5 percent of world gross domestic product. In the near future, competition will increase for the control of rare earth minerals embedded in high-tech products. Rare minerals are in the twenty-first century what oil accounted for in the twentieth century and coal in the nineteenth century: the engine of a new industrial revolution. Future energy will be produced increasingly by more sophisticated technological equipment based not just on steel and concrete, but incorporating significant quantities of metals and rare earths. Widespread application of these technologies will result in an exponential increase in demand for such minerals, and what is worrying is that minerals of this type are almost nowhere to be found in Europe and in other industrialized countries in the world, such as U.S. and Japan, but only in some Asian countries, like China and Afghanistan.

Technical support for an enabling policy framework for carbon dioxide capture and geological storage. Task 3. Incentivising CO2 capture and storage in the EU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Coninck, H.; Groenenberg, H.

2007-03-01

To date CO2 capture and storage (CCS) is not deployed at a commercial scale, and a range of policy instruments could be used to provide adequate incentives for large scale deployment of CCS in the European Union. Five groups of incentives are discussed: (1) the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (weak and strong version); (2) Member-State-based public financial support through investment support, feed-in subsidies or a CO2 price guarantee; (3) an EU-level low-carbon portfolio standard with tradable certificates; (4) an EU-wide CCS obligation for all new fossil-fuel-based power capacity, and (5) public-private partnerships for realizing a CO2 pipeline infrastructure. The nature of the policy, mainly in case the scale of the instrument matters and much public financial is involved, determines whether it will be implemented by the EU or at the Member-State level. Support for CCS projects at the Member-State level, however, will require amendment of the Community Guidelines for State Aid for Environmental Protection

Target Capture during Mos1 Transposition*

Science.gov (United States)

Pflieger, Aude; Jaillet, Jerôme; Petit, Agnès; Augé-Gouillou, Corinne; Renault, Sylvaine

2014-01-01

DNA transposition contributes to genomic plasticity. Target capture is a key step in the transposition process, because it contributes to the selection of new insertion sites. Nothing or little is known about how eukaryotic mariner DNA transposons trigger this step. In the case of Mos1, biochemistry and crystallography have deciphered several inverted terminal repeat-transposase complexes that are intermediates during transposition. However, the target capture complex is still unknown. Here, we show that the preintegration complex (i.e., the excised transposon) is the only complex able to capture a target DNA. Mos1 transposase does not support target commitment, which has been proposed to explain Mos1 random genomic integrations within host genomes. We demonstrate that the TA dinucleotide used as the target is crucial both to target recognition and in the chemistry of the strand transfer reaction. Bent DNA molecules are better targets for the capture when the target DNA is nicked two nucleotides apart from the TA. They improve strand transfer when the target DNA contains a mismatch near the TA dinucleotide. PMID:24269942

Salmonella capture using orbiting magnetic microbeads

Science.gov (United States)

Owen, Drew; Ballard, Matthew; Mills, Zachary; Hanasoge, Srinivas; Hesketh, Peter; Alexeev, Alexander

2014-11-01

Using three-dimensional simulations and experiments, we examine capture of salmonella from a complex fluid sample flowing through a microfluidic channel. Capture is performed using orbiting magnetic microbeads, which can easily be extracted from the system for analysis after salmonella capture. Numerical simulations are used to model the dynamics of the system, which consists of a microchannel filled with a viscous fluid, model salmonella, magnetic microbeads and a series of angled parallel ridges lining the top of the microchannel. Simulations provide a statistical measure of the ability of the system to capture target salmonella. Our modeling findings guide the design of a lab-on-a-chip experimental device to be used for the detection of salmonella from complex food samples, allowing for the detection of the bacteria at the food source and preventing the consumption of contaminated food. Such a device can be used as a generic platform for the detection of a variety of biomaterials from complex fluids. This work is supported by a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture.

Carrier Transport and Related Effects in Detectors of the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sundqvist, Kyle Michael [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2012-01-01

The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) is searching for weakly-interacting massive particles (WIMPS), which could explain the dark matter problem in cosmology and particle physics. By simultaneously measuring signals from deposited charge and the energy in nonequilibrium phonons created by particle interactions in intrinsic germanium crystals at a temperature of 40 mK, a signature response for each event is produced. This response, combined with phonon pulse-shape information, allows CDMS to actively discriminate candidate WIMP interactions with nuclei from electromagnetic radioactive background which interacts with electrons. The challenges associated with these techniques are unique. Carrier scattering is dominated by the spontaneous emission of Luke-Neganov phonons due to zeropoint fluctuations of the lattice ions. Drift fields are maintained at only a few V/cm, else these emitted phonons would dominate the phonons of the original interaction. The dominant systematic issues with CDMS detectors are due to the effects of space charge accumulation. It has been an open question how space charge accrues, and by which of several potential recombination and ionization processes. In this work, we have simulated the transport of electrons and holes in germanium under CDMS conditions. We have implemented both a traditional Monte Carlo technique based on carrier energy, followed later by a novel Monte Carlo algorithm with scattering rates defined and sampled by vector momentum. This vector-based method provides for a full anisotropic simulation of carrier transport including free-fight acceleration with an anisotropic mass, and anisotropic scattering rates. With knowledge of steady state carrier dynamics as a function of applied field, the results of our Monte Carlo simulations allow us to make a wide variety of predictions for energy dependent processes for both electrons and holes. Such processes include carrier capture by charged impurities, neutral impurities, static

Sintered cobalt-rare earth intermetallic product

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benz, M.C.

1975-01-01

A process is described for preparing novel sintered cobalt--rare earth intermetallic products which can be magnetized to form permanent magnets having stable improved magnetic properties. A cobalt--rare earth metal alloy is formed having a composition which at sintering temperature falls outside the composition covered by the single Co 5 R intermetallic phase on the rare earth richer side. The alloy contains a major amount of the Co 5 R intermetallic phase and a second solid CoR phase which is richer in rare earth metal content than the Co 5 R phase. The specific cobalt and rare earth metal content of the alloy is substantially the same as that desired in the sintered product. The alloy, in particulate form, is pressed into compacts and sintered to the desired density. The sintered product is comprised of a major amount of the Co 5 R solid intermetallic phase and up to about 35 percent of the product of the second solid CoR intermetallic phase which is richer in rare earth metal content than the Co 5 R phase

AKT capture by feline leukemia virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawamura, Maki; Umehara, Daigo; Odahara, Yuka; Miyake, Ariko; Ngo, Minh Ha; Ohsato, Yoshiharu; Hisasue, Masaharu; Nakaya, Masa-Aki; Watanabe, Shinya; Nishigaki, Kazuo

2017-04-01

Oncogene-containing retroviruses are generated by recombination events between viral and cellular sequences, a phenomenon called "oncogene capture". The captured cellular genes, referred to as "v-onc" genes, then acquire new oncogenic properties. We report a novel feline leukemia virus (FeLV), designated "FeLV-AKT", that has captured feline c-AKT1 in feline lymphoma. FeLV-AKT contains a gag-AKT fusion gene that encodes the myristoylated Gag matrix protein and the kinase domain of feline c-AKT1, but not its pleckstrin homology domain. Therefore, it differs structurally from the v-Akt gene of murine retrovirus AKT8. AKT may be involved in the mechanisms underlying malignant diseases in cats.

HfO2 - rare earth oxide systems in the region with high content of rare earth oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shevchenko, A.V.; Lopato, L.M.

1982-01-01

Using the methods of annealing and hardenings (10 2 -10 4 deg/s cooling rate) and differential thermal analysis elements of state diagrams of HfO 2 - rare earth oxide (rare earths-La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Y, Er, Yb, Lu, Sc) systems from 1800 deg C up to melting in the range of 60-100 mol% rare earth oxide concentration were constructed. Regularities of HfQ 2 addition effect on high-temperature polymorphic transformations of rare earth oxides were studied. Results of investigation were discussed from viewpoint of crystal chemistry

Radiative muon capture on hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertl, W.; Ahmad, S.; Chen, C.Q.; Gumplinger, P.; Hasinoff, M.D.; Larabee, A.J.; Sample, D.G.; Schott, W.; Wright, D.H.; Armstrong, D.S.; Blecher, M.; Azuelos, G.; Depommier, P.; Jonkmans, G.; Gorringe, T.P.; Henderson, R.; Macdonald, J.A.; Poutissou, J.M.; Poutissou, R.; Von Egidy, T.; Zhang, N.S.; Robertson, B.D.

1992-01-01

The radiative capture of negative muons by protons can be used to measure the weak induced pseudoscalar form factor. Brief arguments why this method is preferable to ordinary muon capture are given followed by a discussion of the experimental difficulties. The solution to these problems as attempted by experiment no. 452 at TRIUMF is presented together with preliminary results from the first run in August 1990. An outlook on the expected final precision and the experimental schedule is also given. (orig.)

The story of CERN a 50 year journey to the heart of matter

CERN Document Server

Mann, Christopher

2004-01-01

This film chronicles the history of the CERN the world's largest laboratory for studying the nature of the matter. Using fascinating archive footage, interviews, stunning video and state-of the art computer generated images, it spans half a century, from the homes and vision of CERN's founding fathers to the laboratory's latest particle accelerator,the 27-km Large Hadron Collider. This special feature presents a rare opportunity to hear Professor Peter Higgins talking abaut his life and the hunt for the mass-conferring particle named after him, the Higgs boson.

Economic aspects of rare diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Borski, Krzysztof

2015-01-01

Economic problems related to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases are presented paying particular attention to the costs of financing treatment, including the issue of its refund, which is a fundamental and difficult to solve economic problem of the health care system. Rare diseases, despite the low frequency of occurrence, together cover a large group of diseases being a serious medical, social and economic problem. The adoption of Polish National Plan for Rare Diseases resulting from the recommendations of the Council of the European Union, the extension of institutional activities related to the area of public health and social initiatives seeking innovative solutions to create a model of social support for patients and their families, with very high complexity of the issues regarding rare diseases, results in the need for a coherent, comprehensive, system operations and adoption of comprehensive solutions.

Neutron Capture Gamma-Ray Libraries for Nuclear Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sleaford, B. W.; Summers, N.; Escher, J.; Firestone, R. B.; Basunia, S.; Hurst, A.; Krticka, M.; Molnar, G.; Belgya, T.; Revay, Z.; Choi, H. D.

2011-01-01

The neutron capture reaction is useful in identifying and analyzing the gamma-ray spectrum from an unknown assembly as it gives unambiguous information on its composition. This can be done passively or actively where an external neutron source is used to probe an unknown assembly. There are known capture gamma-ray data gaps in the ENDF libraries used by transport codes for various nuclear applications. The Evaluated Gamma-ray Activation file (EGAF) is a new thermal neutron capture database of discrete line spectra and cross sections for over 260 isotopes that was developed as part of an IAEA Coordinated Research Project. EGAF is being used to improve the capture gamma production in ENDF libraries. For medium to heavy nuclei the quasi continuum contribution to the gamma cascades is not experimentally resolved. The continuum contains up to 90% of all the decay energy and is modeled here with the statistical nuclear structure code DICEBOX. This code also provides a consistency check of the level scheme nuclear structure evaluation. The calculated continuum is of sufficient accuracy to include in the ENDF libraries. This analysis also determines new total thermal capture cross sections and provides an improved RIPL database. For higher energy neutron capture there is less experimental data available making benchmarking of the modeling codes more difficult. We are investigating the capture spectra from higher energy neutrons experimentally using surrogate reactions and modeling this with Hauser-Feshbach codes. This can then be used to benchmark CASINO, a version of DICEBOX modified for neutron capture at higher energy. This can be used to simulate spectra from neutron capture at incident neutron energies up to 20 MeV to improve the gamma-ray spectrum in neutron data libraries used for transport modeling of unknown assemblies.

Neutron Capture Gamma-Ray Libraries for Nuclear Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sleaford, B.W.; Firestone, R.B.; Summers, N.; Escher, J.; Hurst, A.; Krticka, M.; Basunia, S.; Molnar, G.; Belgya, T.; Revay, Z.; Choi, H.D.

2010-01-01

The neutron capture reaction is useful in identifying and analyzing the gamma-ray spectrum from an unknown assembly as it gives unambiguous information on its composition. this can be done passively or actively where an external neutron source is used to probe an unknown assembly. There are known capture gamma-ray data gaps in the ENDF libraries used by transport codes for various nuclear applications. The Evaluated Gamma-ray Activation file (EGAF) is a new thermal neutron capture database of discrete line spectra and cross sections for over 260 isotopes that was developed as part of an IAEA Coordinated Research project. EGAF is being used to improve the capture gamma production in ENDF libraries. For medium to heavy nuclei the quasi continuum contribution to the gamma cascades is not experimentally resolved. The continuum contains up to 90% of all the decay energy and is modeled here with the statistical nuclear structure code DICEBOX. This code also provides a consistency check of the level scheme nuclear structure evaluation. The calculated continuum is of sufficient accuracy to include in the ENDF libraries. This analysis also determines new total thermal capture cross sections and provides an improved RIPL database. For higher energy neutron capture there is less experimental data available making benchmarking of the modeling codes more difficult. They are investigating the capture spectra from higher energy neutrons experimentally using surrogate reactions and modeling this with Hauser-Feshbach codes. This can then be used to benchmark CASINO, a version of DICEBOX modified for neutron capture at higher energy. This can be used to simulate spectra from neutron capture at incident neutron energies up to 20 MeV to improve the gamma-ray spectrum in neutron data libraries used for transport modeling of unknown assemblies.

Dark Matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bashir, A.; Cotti, U.; De Leon, C. L.; Raya, A; Villasenor, L.

2008-01-01

One of the biggest scientific mysteries of our time resides in the identification of the particles that constitute a large fraction of the mass of our Universe, generically known as dark matter. We review the observations and the experimental data that imply the existence of dark matter. We briefly discuss the properties of the two best dark-matter candidate particles and the experimental techniques presently used to try to discover them. Finally, we mention a proposed project that has recently emerged within the Mexican community to look for dark matter

Prospects of Optical Single Atom Detection in Noble Gas Solids for Measurements of Rare Nuclear Reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Jaideep; Bailey, Kevin G.; Lu, Zheng-Tian; Mueller, Peter; O'Connor, Thomas P.; Xu, Chen-Yu; Tang, Xiaodong

2013-04-01

Optical detection of single atoms captured in solid noble gas matrices provides an alternative technique to study rare nuclear reactions relevant to nuclear astrophysics. I will describe the prospects of applying this approach for cross section measurements of the ^22Ne,,),25Mg reaction, which is the crucial neutron source for the weak s process inside of massive stars. Noble gas solids are a promising medium for the capture, detection, and manipulation of atoms and nuclear spins. They provide stable and chemically inert confinement for a wide variety of guest species. Because noble gas solids are transparent at optical wavelengths, the guest atoms can be probed using lasers. We have observed that ytterbium in solid neon exhibits intersystem crossing (ISC) which results in a strong green fluorescence (546 nm) under excitation with blue light (389 nm). Several groups have observed ISC in many other guest-host pairs, notably magnesium in krypton. Because of the large wavelength separation of the excitation light and fluorescence light, optical detection of individual embedded guest atoms is feasible. This work is supported by DOE, Office of Nuclear Physics, under contract DE-AC02-06CH11357.

Heavy Sterile Neutrino in Dark Matter Searches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paraskevi C. Divari

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Sterile neutrinos are possible dark matter candidates. We examine here possible detection mechanisms, assuming that the neutrino has a mass of about 50 keV and couples to the ordinary neutrino. Even though this neutrino is quite heavy, it is nonrelativistic with a maximum kinetic energy of 0.1 eV. Thus new experimental techniques are required for its detection. We estimate the expected event rate in the following cases: (i measuring electron recoil in the case of materials with very low electron binding; (ii low temperature crystal bolometers; (iii spin induced atomic excitations at very low temperatures, leading to a characteristic photon spectrum; (iv observation of resonances in antineutrino absorption by a nucleus undergoing electron capture; (v neutrino induced electron events beyond the end point energy of beta decaying systems, for example, in the tritium decay studied by KATRIN.

Rare Event Simulation in Radiation Transport

Science.gov (United States)

Kollman, Craig

This dissertation studies methods for estimating extremely small probabilities by Monte Carlo simulation. Problems in radiation transport typically involve estimating very rare events or the expected value of a random variable which is with overwhelming probability equal to zero. These problems often have high dimensional state spaces and irregular geometries so that analytic solutions are not possible. Monte Carlo simulation must be used to estimate the radiation dosage being transported to a particular location. If the area is well shielded the probability of any one particular particle getting through is very small. Because of the large number of particles involved, even a tiny fraction penetrating the shield may represent an unacceptable level of radiation. It therefore becomes critical to be able to accurately estimate this extremely small probability. Importance sampling is a well known technique for improving the efficiency of rare event calculations. Here, a new set of probabilities is used in the simulation runs. The results are multiplied by the likelihood ratio between the true and simulated probabilities so as to keep our estimator unbiased. The variance of the resulting estimator is very sensitive to which new set of transition probabilities are chosen. It is shown that a zero variance estimator does exist, but that its computation requires exact knowledge of the solution. A simple random walk with an associated killing model for the scatter of neutrons is introduced. Large deviation results for optimal importance sampling in random walks are extended to the case where killing is present. An adaptive "learning" algorithm for implementing importance sampling is given for more general Markov chain models of neutron scatter. For finite state spaces this algorithm is shown to give, with probability one, a sequence of estimates converging exponentially fast to the true solution. In the final chapter, an attempt to generalize this algorithm to a continuous

Improved Rare-Earth Emitter Hollow Cathode

Science.gov (United States)

Goebel, Dan M.

2011-01-01

An improvement has been made to the design of the hollow cathode geometry that was created for the rare-earth electron emitter described in Compact Rare Earth Emitter Hollow Cathode (NPO-44923), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 34, No. 3 (March 2010), p. 52. The original interior assembly was made entirely of graphite in order to be compatible with the LaB6 material, which cannot be touched by metals during operation due to boron diffusion causing embrittlement issues in high-temperature refractory materials. Also, the graphite tube was difficult to machine and was subject to vibration-induced fracturing. This innovation replaces the graphite tube with one made out of refractory metal that is relatively easy to manufacture. The cathode support tube is made of molybdenum or molybdenum-rhenium. This material is easily gun-bored to near the tolerances required, and finish machined with steps at each end that capture the orifice plate and the mounting flange. This provides the manufacturability and robustness needed for flight applications, and eliminates the need for expensive e-beam welding used in prior cathodes. The LaB6 insert is protected from direct contact with the refractory metal tube by thin, graphite sleeves in a cup-arrangement around the ends of the insert. The sleeves, insert, and orifice plate are held in place by a ceramic spacer and tungsten spring inserted inside the tube. To heat the cathode, an insulating tube is slipped around the refractory metal hollow tube, which can be made of high-temperature materials like boron nitride or aluminum nitride. A screw-shaped slot, or series of slots, is machined in the outside of the ceramic tube to constrain a refractory metal wire wound inside the slot that is used as the heater. The screw slot can hold a single heater wire that is then connected to the front of the cathode tube by tack-welding to complete the electrical circuit, or it can be a double slot that takes a bifilar wound heater with both leads coming out

Capturing Data Connections within the Climate Data Initiative to Support Resiliency

Science.gov (United States)

Ramachandran, R.; Bugbee, K.; Weigel, A. M.; Tilmes, C.

2015-12-01

The Climate Data Initiative (CDI) focuses on preparing the United States for the impacts of climate change by leveraging existing federal climate-relevant data to stimulate innovation and private-sector entrepreneurship supporting national climate-change preparedness. To achieve these goals, relevant data was curated around seven thematic areas relevant to climate change resiliency. Data for each theme was selected by subject matter experts from various Federal agencies and collected in Data.gov at http://climate.data.gov. While the curation effort for each theme has been immensely valuable on its own, in the end, the themes essentially become a long directory or a list. Establishing valuable connections between datasets and their intended use is lost. Therefore, the user understands that the datasets in the list have been approved by the CDI subject matter experts but has less certainty when making connections between the various datasets and their possible applications. Additionally, the intended use of the curated list is overwhelming and can be difficult to interpret. In order to better address the needs of the CDI data end users, the CDI team has been developing a new controlled vocabulary that will assist in capturing connections between datasets. This new vocabulary will be implemented in the Global Change Information System (GCIS), which has the capability to link individual items within the system. This presentation will highlight the methodology used to develop the controlled vocabulary that will aid end users in both understanding and locating relevant datasets for their intended use.

Production of rare earth-silicon-iron alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehra, O.K.; Bose, D.K.; Gupta, C.K.

1987-01-01

At Metallurgy Division, BARC, improved procedures for producing rare earth-silicon alloys have been investigated. In these methods, reduction of mixed rare earth oxide by a ferro-silicon and aluminium mixture in combination with CaO-MgO flux/CaO-CaF 2 flux have been tried to prepare an alloy product with a higher rare earth recovery at a higher rare earth content than the present commercial production method. The rare earth recovery using CaO-CaF 2 was 85 per cent while in the case of CaO-MgO flux it was 76 per cent. The corresponding rare earth contents in the alloy correspond to 40 per cent and 55 per cent by weight respectively. (author)

The Rare Earth Magnet Industry and Rare Earth Price in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ding Kaihong

2014-07-01

Full Text Available In the past four years, the price of rare earth metal fluctuates sharply for many reasons. Currently, it has become more stable and more reasonable. This presentation is focused on the effect about the rare earth metal price. Some motor manufacturers have shifted from rare earth permanent magnet to ferrite magnet. Many motor manufacturers changed the design for the motor cooling system to make the motor function at a lower temperature. Thus the consumption of Dy can be markedly reduced. As for manufacturer of NdFeB magnet, we are also trying to optimize our process to reduce to dependence of HREE such as Dy and Tb. HS process have been introduced to solve the problem. With more and more people focusing and engaging on the REE industry, the price of REE will be more transparent without too many fluctuations. China is considering the problems of balancing the environment, energy sources, and labor sources. The application field about NdFeB such as wind turbine generator, HEV/EV, FA /OA is flourishing.

The Rare Earth Magnet Industry and Rare Earth Price in China

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Kaihong

2014-07-01

In the past four years, the price of rare earth metal fluctuates sharply for many reasons. Currently, it has become more stable and more reasonable. This presentation is focused on the effect about the rare earth metal price. Some motor manufacturers have shifted from rare earth permanent magnet to ferrite magnet. Many motor manufacturers changed the design for the motor cooling system to make the motor function at a lower temperature. Thus the consumption of Dy can be markedly reduced. As for manufacturer of NdFeB magnet, we are also trying to optimize our process to reduce to dependence of HREE such as Dy and Tb. HS process have been introduced to solve the problem. With more and more people focusing and engaging on the REE industry, the price of REE will be more transparent without too many fluctuations. China is considering the problems of balancing the environment, energy sources, and labor sources. The application field about NdFeB such as wind turbine generator, HEV/EV, FA /OA is flourishing.

Climate Strategy with CO2 Capture from the Air

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keith, D.W. [Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB (Canada); Ha-Duong, M. [CNRS-CIRED, Campus du Jardin Tropical, 45 bis, av. de la Belle Gabrielle, 94736 Nogent sur Marne CEDEX (France); Stolaroff, J.K. [Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States)

2006-01-15

It is physically possible to capture CO2 directly from the air and immobilize it in geological structures. Air capture differs from conventional mitigation in three key aspects. First, it removes emissions from any part of the economy with equal ease or difficulty, so its cost provides an absolute cap on the cost of mitigation. Second, it permits reduction in concentrations faster than the natural carbon cycle: the effects of irreversibility are thus partly alleviated. Third, because it is weakly coupled to existing energy infrastructure, air capture may offer stronger economies of scale and smaller adjustment costs than the more conventional mitigation technologies. We assess the ultimate physical limits on the amount of energy and land required for air capture and describe two systems that might achieve air capture at prices under 200 and 500 $/tC using current technology. Like geoengineering, air capture limits the cost of a worst-case climate scenario. In an optimal sequential decision framework with uncertainty, existence of air capture decreases the need for near-term precautionary abatement. The long-term effect is the opposite; assuming that marginal costs of mitigation decrease with time while marginal climate change damages increase, then air capture increases long-run abatement. Air capture produces an environmental Kuznets curve, in which concentrations are returned to preindustrial levels.

The carbon dioxide capture and geological storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-06-01

This road-map proposes by the Group Total aims to inform the public on the carbon dioxide capture and geological storage. One possible means of climate change mitigation consists of storing the CO 2 generated by the greenhouse gases emission in order to stabilize atmospheric concentrations. This sheet presents the CO 2 capture from lage fossil-fueled combustion installations, the three capture techniques and the CO 2 transport options, the geological storage of the CO 2 and Total commitments in the domain. (A.L.B.)

Model of electron capture in low-temperature glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartczak, W.M.; Swiatla, D.; Kroh, J.

1983-01-01

The new model of electron capture by a statistical variety of traps in glassy matrices is proposed. The electron capture is interpreted as the radiationless transition (assisted by multiphonon emission) of the mobile electron to the localized state in the trap. The conception of 'unfair' and 'fair' traps is introduced. The 'unfair' trap captures the mobile electron by the shallow excited state. In contrast, the 'fair' trap captures the electron by the ground state. The model calculations of the statistical distributions of the occupied electron traps are presented and discussed with respect to experimental results. (author)

Evaporation and scattering of momentum- and velocity-dependent dark matter in the Sun

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Busoni, Giorgio [ARC Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics at the Terascale, School of Physics, The University of Melbourne, Swanston St and Tin Alley, Victoria 3010 (Australia); Simone, Andrea De [SISSA and INFN, Sezione di Trieste, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste (Italy); Scott, Pat; Vincent, Aaron C., E-mail: giorgio.busoni@unimelb.edu.au, E-mail: andrea.desimone@sissa.it, E-mail: p.scott@imperial.ac.uk, E-mail: aaron.vincent@imperial.ac.uk [Department of Physics, Imperial College London, Blackett Laboratory, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)

2017-10-01

Dark matter with momentum- or velocity-dependent interactions with nuclei has shown significant promise for explaining the so-called Solar Abundance Problem, a longstanding discrepancy between solar spectroscopy and helioseismology. The best-fit models are all rather light, typically with masses in the range of 3–5 GeV. This is exactly the mass range where dark matter evaporation from the Sun can be important, but to date no detailed calculation of the evaporation of such models has been performed. Here we carry out this calculation, for the first time including arbitrary velocity- and momentum-dependent interactions, thermal effects, and a completely general treatment valid from the optically thin limit all the way through to the optically thick regime. We find that depending on the dark matter mass, interaction strength and type, the mass below which evaporation is relevant can vary from 1 to 4 GeV. This has the effect of weakening some of the better-fitting solutions to the Solar Abundance Problem, but also improving a number of others. As a by-product, we also provide an improved derivation of the capture rate that takes into account thermal and optical depth effects, allowing the standard result to be smoothly matched to the well-known saturation limit.

Review of the neutron capture process in fission reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poenitz, W.P.

1981-07-01