Dual cesium and rubidium atomic fountain with a 10-16 level accuracy and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapelet, F.

2008-05-01

Atomic fountains are the most accomplished development of the atomic clocks based on the cesium atom whose hyperfine resonance defines the SI second since 1967. Today these systems are among those which realize the second with the best accuracy. We present the last developments of the cold cesium and rubidium atom dual fountain experiment at LNE-SYRTE. This unique dual setup would allow to obtain an outstanding resolution in fundamental physics tests based on atomic transition frequency comparisons. In order to enable operation with both atomic species simultaneously, we designed, tested and implemented on the fountain new collimators which combine the laser lights corresponding to each atom. By comparing our rubidium fountain to another cesium fountain over a decade, we performed a test of the stability of the fine structure constant at the level of 5 * 10 -16 per year. We carried on the work on the clock accuracy and we focused on the phase gradients effects in the interrogation cavity and on the microwave leakage. The fountain accuracy has been evaluated to 4 * 10 -16 for the cesium clock and to 5 * 10 -16 for the refurbished rubidium clock. As a powerful instrument of metrology, our fountain was implicated in many clock comparisons and contributed many times to calibrate the International Atomic Time. Furthermore, we used the fountain to perform a new test of Lorentz local invariance. (author)

The Galactic fountain as an origin for the Smith Cloud

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marasco, A.; Fraternali, F.

The recent discovery of an enriched metallicity for the Smith high-velocity H I Cloud (SC) lends support to a Galactic origin for this system. We use a dynamical model of the galactic fountain to reproduce the observed properties of the SC. In our model, fountain clouds are ejected from the region

Initial atomic coherences and Ramsey frequency pulling in fountain clocks

Science.gov (United States)

Gerginov, Vladislav; Nemitz, Nils; Weyers, Stefan

2014-09-01

In the uncertainty budget of primary atomic cesium fountain clocks, evaluations of frequency-pulling shifts of the hyperfine clock transition caused by unintentional excitation of its nearby transitions (Rabi and Ramsey pulling) have been based so far on an approach developed for cesium beam clocks. We re-evaluate this type of frequency pulling in fountain clocks and pay particular attention to the effect of initial coherent atomic states. We find significantly enhanced frequency shifts caused by Ramsey pulling due to sublevel population imbalance and corresponding coherences within the state-selected hyperfine component of the initial atom ground state. Such shifts are experimentally investigated in an atomic fountain clock and quantitative agreement with the predictions of the model is demonstrated.

Microfabricated Waveguide Atom Traps.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jau, Yuan-Yu [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-09-01

A nanoscale , microfabricated waveguide structure can in - principle be used to trap atoms in well - defined locations and enable strong photon-atom interactions . A neutral - atom platform based on this microfabrication technology will be prealigned , which is especially important for quantum - control applications. At present, there is still no reported demonstration of evanescent - field atom trapping using a microfabricated waveguide structure. We described the capabilities established by our team for future development of the waveguide atom - trapping technology at SNL and report our studies to overcome the technical challenges of loading cold atoms into the waveguide atom traps, efficient and broadband optical coupling to a waveguide, and the waveguide material for high - power optical transmission. From the atomic - physics and the waveguide modeling, w e have shown that a square nano-waveguide can be utilized t o achieve better atomic spin squeezing than using a nanofiber for first time.

Biodeterioration of the Lions Fountain at the Alhambra Palace, Granada (Spain)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarro, M. Isabel; Garcia, Ana M.; Rivalta, Victor M.; Moreno, Diego A. [Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Jose Gutierrez Abascal, Madrid (Spain). Departamento de Ingenieria y Ciencia de los Materiales; Arroyo, Irene [Instituto del Patrimonio Historico Espanol, Ministerio de Cultura, El Greco, Madrid (Spain)

2006-12-15

Stone works of art exposed to the environment are liable to be deteriorated by the action of biological agents such as bacteria, fungi, mosses, etc. In ornamental fountains, the microorganisms present in water can contribute to these biodeterioration processes. This paper assesses the biodeterioration experienced by the Lions Fountain at the Alhambra Palace in Granada (Spain). Analyses have been made of the biodeterioration of Lions 4, 5 and 9, the biofouling of the fountain basin, and the water supply system. Conventional and molecular biology techniques have identified microorganisms belonging to various microbial groups ({alpha}-, {beta}- and {gamma}-Protebacteria, Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia and Eukaryota). Additionally, on the mortar in the sculptures the presence of algae and bryophytes has been observed. X-ray diffraction allowed both the detection of neoformation mineral products that can be related with the presence of microorganisms and the corrosion products in the Lions Fountain. A number of recommendations are made regarding the prevention and control of biodeterioration in this important work of art. (author)

Microfabricated fuel heating value monitoring device

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Alex L [Albuquerque, NM; Manginell, Ronald P [Albuquerque, NM; Moorman, Matthew W [Albuquerque, NM

2010-05-04

A microfabricated fuel heating value monitoring device comprises a microfabricated gas chromatography column in combination with a catalytic microcalorimeter. The microcalorimeter can comprise a reference thermal conductivity sensor to provide diagnostics and surety. Using microfabrication techniques, the device can be manufactured in production quantities at a low per-unit cost. The microfabricated fuel heating value monitoring device enables continuous calorimetric determination of the heating value of natural gas with a 1 minute analysis time and 1.5 minute cycle time using air as a carrier gas. This device has applications in remote natural gas mining stations, pipeline switching and metering stations, turbine generators, and other industrial user sites. For gas pipelines, the device can improve gas quality during transfer and blending, and provide accurate financial accounting. For industrial end users, the device can provide continuous feedback of physical gas properties to improve combustion efficiency during use.

Can soda fountains be recommended in hospitals?

Science.gov (United States)

Chaberny, Iris F; Kaiser, Peter; Sonntag, Hans-Günther

2006-09-01

Mineral water (soda water) is very popular in Germany. Therefore, soda fountains were developed as alternatives to the traditional deposit bottle system. Nowadays, different systems of these devices are commercially available. For several years, soda fountains produced by different companies have been examined at the University Hospital of Heidelberg. In 1998, it was possible for the first time to observe and evaluate one of these systems over a period of 320 days in a series of microbiological examinations. The evaluation was implemented on the basis of the German drinking water regulation (Anonymous, 1990. Gesetz über Trinkwasser und Wasser für Lebensmittelbetriebe (Trinkwasserverordnung - TrinkwV) vom 12. Dezember 1990. Bundesgesetzblatt 66, 2613ff). Initially, the bacteria counts exceeded the reference values imposed by the German drinking water regulation in almost 50% of the analyses. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was also detected in almost 38% of the samples. After a re-arrangement of the disinfection procedure and the removal of the charcoal filter, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was not detectable any more. However, the bacteria counts still frequently exceeded the reference values of the German drinking water regulation. Following our long-term analysis, we would not recommend soda fountains in high-risk areas of hospitals. If these devices are to be used in hospitals, the disinfection procedures should be executed in weekly or fortnightly intervals and the water quality should be examined periodically.

Marker Pen Lithography for Flexible and Curvilinear On-Chip Energy Storage

KAUST Repository

Jiang, Qiu

2015-07-14

On-chip energy storage using microsupercapacitors can serve the dual role of supplementing batteries for pulse power delivery, and replacement of bulky electrolytic capacitors in ac-line filtering applications. Despite complexity and processing costs, microfabrication techniques are being employed in fabricating a great variety of microsupercapacitor devices. Here, a simple, cost-effective, and versatile strategy is proposed to fabricate flexible and curvilinear microsupercapacitors (MSCs). The protocol involves writing sacrificial ink patterns using commercial marker pens on rigid, flexible, and curvilinear substrates. It is shown that this process can be used in both lift-off and etching modes, and the possibility of multistack design of active materials using simple pen lithography is demonstrated. As a prototype, this method is used to produce conducting polymer MSCs involving both poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), polyaniline, and metal oxide (MnO2) electrode materials. Typical values of energy density in the range of 5-11 mWh cm-3 at power densities of 1-6 W cm-3 are achieved, which is comparable to thin film batteries and superior to the carbon and metal oxide based microsupercapacitors reported in the literature. The simplicity and broad scope of this innovative strategy can open up new avenues for easy and scalable fabrication of a wide variety of on-chip energy storage devices. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Marker Pen Lithography for Flexible and Curvilinear On-Chip Energy Storage

KAUST Repository

Jiang, Qiu; Kurra, Narendra; Alshareef, Husam N.

2015-01-01

On-chip energy storage using microsupercapacitors can serve the dual role of supplementing batteries for pulse power delivery, and replacement of bulky electrolytic capacitors in ac-line filtering applications. Despite complexity and processing costs, microfabrication techniques are being employed in fabricating a great variety of microsupercapacitor devices. Here, a simple, cost-effective, and versatile strategy is proposed to fabricate flexible and curvilinear microsupercapacitors (MSCs). The protocol involves writing sacrificial ink patterns using commercial marker pens on rigid, flexible, and curvilinear substrates. It is shown that this process can be used in both lift-off and etching modes, and the possibility of multistack design of active materials using simple pen lithography is demonstrated. As a prototype, this method is used to produce conducting polymer MSCs involving both poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), polyaniline, and metal oxide (MnO2) electrode materials. Typical values of energy density in the range of 5-11 mWh cm-3 at power densities of 1-6 W cm-3 are achieved, which is comparable to thin film batteries and superior to the carbon and metal oxide based microsupercapacitors reported in the literature. The simplicity and broad scope of this innovative strategy can open up new avenues for easy and scalable fabrication of a wide variety of on-chip energy storage devices. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Turbulence measurements in a Short Take-Off Vertical-Landing fountain

OpenAIRE

Saddington, Alistair J.; Knowles, K.

2013-01-01

THE wall jets created by the impingement on the ground of the individual jet flows from a jet-lift short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft with two nozzles meet at a stagnation line and form an upward-flowing fountain that interacts with the airframe (Fig. 1). While it is evident that the fountain upwash flow is unsteady, only limited data on the transient characteristics of this flow region are available. Early experiments relied on intrusive measurement techniques to provide me...

The Galactic fountain as an origin for the Smith Cloud

OpenAIRE

Marasco, A.; Fraternali, F.

2017-01-01

The recent discovery of an enriched metallicity for the Smith high-velocity H I Cloud (SC) lends support to a Galactic origin for this system. We use a dynamical model of the galactic fountain to reproduce the observed properties of the SC. In our model, fountain clouds are ejected from the region of the disc spiral arms and move through the halo interacting with a pre-existing hot corona. We find that a simple model where cold gas outflows vertically from the Perseus spiral arm reproduces th...

A Bullet-Block Experiment that Explains the Chain Fountain

Science.gov (United States)

Pantaleone, J.; Smith, R.

2018-05-01

It is common in science for two phenomena to appear to be very different, but in fact follow from the same basic principles. Here we consider such a case, the connection between the chain fountain and a bullet-block collision experiment. When an upward moving bullet strikes a wooden block resting on a horizontal table, the block will rise to a higher height when the bullet strikes near the end of the block. This is because the quickly rotating block experiences an additional upward "reaction" force from its contact with the table. Such a reaction force also explains the chain fountain. When a chain falls from a pile in a container to the floor below, the chain rises up above the container. This rise occurs because the quickly rotating links in the container push off of the surface beneath them. We derive a model that accurately describes our measurements in the bullet-block experiment, and then use this same model to calculate an approximate expression for the distance the chain rises above the container. More extensive discussions of the chain fountain are available elsewhere.

Microfabricated hydrogen sensitive membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naddaf, A.; Kraetz, L. [Lehrstuhl fuer Thermische Verfahrenstechnik, Technische Universitaet Kaiserslautern (Germany); Detemple, P.; Schmitt, S.; Hessel, V. [Institut fuer Mikrotechnik Mainz GmbH, Mainz (Germany); Faqir, N. [University of Jordan, Amman (Jordan); Bart, H.J.

2009-01-15

Thin, defect-free palladium, palladium/copper and palladium/silver hydrogen absorbing membranes were microfabricated. A dual sputtering technique was used to deposit the palladium alloy membranes of only 1 {mu}m thickness on a nonporous silicon substrate. Advanced silicon etching (ASE) was applied on the backside to create a mechanically stable support structure for the thin films. Performance evaluation was carried out for different gases in a temperature range of 20 C to 298 C at a constant differential pressure of 110 kPa at the two sides of the membrane. The composite membranes show an excellent permeation rate of hydrogen, which appears to be 0.05 Pa m{sup 3} s{sup -1} and 0.01.10{sup -3} Pa m{sup 3} s{sup -1} at 20 C for the microfabricated 23 % silver and the 53 % copper composite membranes, respectively. The selectivity to hydrogen over a gas mixture containing, in addition to hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen was measured. The mass spectrometer did not detect any CO{sub 2} or CO, showing that the membrane is completely hydrogen selective. The microfabricated membranes exhibit both high mechanical strength (they easily withstand pressures up to 4 bar) and high thermal stability (up to 650 C). (Abstract Copyright [2009], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

An outbreak of Legionnaires disease associated with a decorative water wall fountain in a hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Haupt, Thomas E; Heffernan, Richard T; Kazmierczak, James J; Nehls-Lowe, Henry; Rheineck, Bruce; Powell, Christine; Leonhardt, Kathryn K; Chitnis, Amit S; Davis, Jeffrey P

2012-02-01

To detect an outbreak-related source of Legionella, control the outbreak, and prevent additional Legionella infections from occurring. Epidemiologic investigation of an acute outbreak of hospital-associated Legionnaires disease among outpatients and visitors to a Wisconsin hospital. Patients with laboratory-confirmed Legionnaires disease who resided in southeastern Wisconsin and had illness onsets during February and March 2010. Patients with Legionnaires disease were interviewed using a hypothesis-generating questionnaire. On-site investigation included sampling of water and other potential environmental sources for Legionella testing. Case-finding measures included extensive notification of individuals potentially exposed at the hospital and alerts to area healthcare and laboratory personnel. Laboratory-confirmed Legionnaires disease was diagnosed in 8 patients, all of whom were present at the same hospital during the 10 days prior to their illness onsets. Six patients had known exposure to a water wall-type decorative fountain near the main hospital entrance. Although the decorative fountain underwent routine cleaning and maintenance, high counts of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 were isolated from cultures of a foam material found above the fountain trough. This outbreak of Legionnaires disease was associated with exposure to a decorative fountain located in a hospital public area. Routine cleaning and maintenance of fountains does not eliminate the risk of bacterial contamination. Our findings highlight the need to evaluate the safety of water fountains installed in any area of a healthcare facility.

A cluster of cases of nosocomial legionnaires disease linked to a contaminated hospital decorative water fountain.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmore, Tara N; Stock, Frida; White, Margaret; Bordner, MaryAnn; Michelin, Angela; Bennett, John E; Murray, Patrick R; Henderson, David K

2009-08-01

Nosocomial outbreaks of Legionnaires disease have been linked to contaminated water in hospitals. Immunocompromised patients are particularly vulnerable and, when infected, have a high mortality rate. We report the investigation of a cluster of cases of nosocomial pneumonia attributable to Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 that occurred among patients on our stem cell transplantation unit. We conducted a record review to identify common points of potential exposure, followed by environmental and water sampling for Legionella species from those sources. We used an air sampler to in an attempt to detect aerosolized Legionella and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to compare clinical and environmental isolates. The most likely sources identified were the water supply in the patients' rooms and a decorative fountain in the radiation oncology suite. Samples from the patients' rooms did not grow Legionella species. Cultures of the fountain, which had been restarted 4 months earlier after being shut off for 5 months, yielded L. pneumophila serogroup 1. The isolates from both patients and the fountain were identical by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Both patients developed pneumonia within 10 days of completing radiation therapy, and each reported having observed the fountain at close range. Both patients' infections were identified early and treated promptly, and both recovered. This cluster was caused by contamination of a decorative fountain despite its being equipped with a filter and ozone generator. Fountains are a potential source of nosocomial Legionnaires disease despite standard maintenance and sanitizing measures. In our opinion, fountains present unacceptable risk in hospitals serving immunocompromised patients.

FOG: Fighting the Achilles' Heel of Gossip Protocols with Fountain Codes

Science.gov (United States)

Champel, Mary-Luc; Kermarrec, Anne-Marie; Le Scouarnec, Nicolas

Gossip protocols are well known to provide reliable and robust dissemination protocols in highly dynamic systems. Yet, they suffer from high redundancy in the last phase of the dissemination. In this paper, we combine fountain codes (rateless erasure-correcting codes) together with gossip protocols for a robust and fast content dissemination in large-scale dynamic systems. The use of fountain enables to eliminate the unnecessary redundancy of gossip protocols. We propose the design of FOG, which fully exploits the first exponential growth phase (where the data is disseminated exponentially fast) of gossip protocols while avoiding the need for the shrinking phase by using fountain codes. FOG voluntarily increases the number of disseminations but limits those disseminations to the exponential growth phase. In addition, FOG creates a split-graph overlay that splits the peers between encoders and forwarders. Forwarder peers become encoders as soon as they have received the whole content. In order to benefit even further and quicker from encoders, FOG biases the dissemination towards the most advanced peers to make them complete earlier.

Measurements of water temperature in fountains as an indicator of potential secondary water pollution caused by Legionella bacteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bąk Joanna

2018-01-01

Full Text Available At high air temperatures persisting for a long time, water temperature in the fountains may also increase significantly. This can cause a sudden and significant increase in Legionella bacteria, which results in secondary water contamination. This phenomenon with water – air aerosol generated by fountains can be very dangerous for people. During the test, water temperature measurements in fountains in Poland were made. These research tests was conducted in the spring and summer. The research was conducted in order to determine whether there is a possibility of growth of Legionella bacteria. One of the aims of the study was to determine what temperature range occurs in the fountains and how the temperature changes in the basin of the fountain and when the highest temperature occurs. Single temperature measurements were made and also the temperature distribution was measured during daylight hours. The water temperature in most cases was greater than 20°C, but in no case exceed 26°C. The paper presents also the review about the effect of water temperature on the presence and bacterial growth. The study confirmed the existence of the risk of increasing the number of bacteria of the genus Legionella in the water in the fountains.

Measurements of water temperature in fountains as an indicator of potential secondary water pollution caused by Legionella bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Bąk, Joanna

2018-02-01

At high air temperatures persisting for a long time, water temperature in the fountains may also increase significantly. This can cause a sudden and significant increase in Legionella bacteria, which results in secondary water contamination. This phenomenon with water - air aerosol generated by fountains can be very dangerous for people. During the test, water temperature measurements in fountains in Poland were made. These research tests was conducted in the spring and summer. The research was conducted in order to determine whether there is a possibility of growth of Legionella bacteria. One of the aims of the study was to determine what temperature range occurs in the fountains and how the temperature changes in the basin of the fountain and when the highest temperature occurs. Single temperature measurements were made and also the temperature distribution was measured during daylight hours. The water temperature in most cases was greater than 20°C, but in no case exceed 26°C. The paper presents also the review about the effect of water temperature on the presence and bacterial growth. The study confirmed the existence of the risk of increasing the number of bacteria of the genus Legionella in the water in the fountains.

Lava Fountaining Discharge Regime driven by Slug-to-Churn Flow Transition. (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Ripepe, M.; Pioli, L.; Marchetti, E.; Ulivieri, G.

2013-12-01

Lava fountaining episodes at Etna volcano appear characterized by the transition between Strombolian and Hawaiian end-member eruptive styles. There is no evidence for this transition in the seismic (i.e. seismic tremor) signal. However, infrasonic records provide unprecedented evidence on this flow transition. Each eruptive episode is characterized by distinctive common trend in the amplitude, waveform and frequency content of the infrasonic wavefield, which evidences the shift from discrete, and transient, strombolian to sustained, and oscillatory, lava fountain dynamics. Large scale experiments on the dynamics of two-phase flow of basaltic magmas show how the transition between different regimes mainly depends on gas volume flow, which in turn controls pressure distribution within the conduit and also magma vesicularity. In particular, while regular large bubble bursting is associated with slug flow regime, large amplitude and low frequency column oscillations are associated with churn flow. In large pipes, transition from slug to churn flow regime is independent on conduit diameter and it is reached at high superficial gas velocity. Lava fountaining episodes at Etna can be thus interpreted as induced by the transition from the slug (discrete strombolian) to churn flow (sustained lava fountain) regimes that is reflecting an increase in the gas discharge rate. Based on laboratory experiments, we calculate that transition between these two end-member explosive regimes at Etna occurs when gas superficial velocity is 76 m/s for near-the-vent stagnant magma conditions.

Contrasting patterns of vesiculation in low, intermediate, and high Hawaiian fountains: A case study of the 1969 Mauna Ulu eruption

Science.gov (United States)

Parcheta, Carolyn E.; Houghton, Bruce F.; Swanson, Donald A.

2013-01-01

Hawaiian-style eruptions, or Hawaiian fountains, typically occur at basaltic volcanoes and are sustained, weakly explosive jets of gas and dominantly coarse, juvenile ejecta (dense spatter to delicate reticulite). Almost the entire range of styles and mass eruption rates within Hawaiian fountaining occurred during twelve fountaining episodes recorded at Mauna Ulu, Kīlauea between May and December 1969. Such diversity in intensity and style is controlled during magma ascent by many processes that can be constrained by the size and shape of vesicles in the 1969 pyroclasts. This paper describes pyroclast vesicularity from high, intermediate, and low fountaining episodes with eruption rates from 0.05 to 1.3 × 106 m3 h− 1. As each eruptive episode progressed, magma ascent slowed in and around the vent system, offering extended time for bubbles to grow and coalesce. Late ejected pyroclasts are thus characterized by populations of fewer and larger vesicles with relaxed shapes. This progression continued in the intervals between episodes after termination of fountain activity. The time scale for this process of shallow growth, coalescence and relaxation of bubbles is typically tens of hours. Rims and cores of pumiceous pyroclasts from moderate to high fountaining episodes record a second post-fragmentation form of vesicle maturation. Partially thermally insulated pyroclasts can have internal bubble populations evolve more dynamically with continued growth and coalescence, on a time scale of only minutes, during transport in the fountains. Reticulite, which formed in a short-lived fountain 540 m in height, underwent late, short-lived bubble nucleation followed by rapid growth of a uniform bubble population in a thermally insulated fountain, and quenched at the onset of permeability before significant coalescence. These contrasting patterns of shallow degassing and outgassing were the dominant controls in determining both the form and duration of fountaining

Ground water in Fountain and Jimmy Camp Valleys, El Paso County, Colorado with a section on Computations of drawdowns caused by the pumping of wells in Fountain Valley

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, Edward D.; Glover, Robert E.

1964-01-01

The part of Fountain Valley considered in this report extends from Colorado Springs to the Pueblo County line. It is 23 miles long and has an area of 26 square miles. The part of Jimmy Camp Valley discussed is 11 miles long and has an area of 9 square miles. The topography is characterized by level flood plains and alluvial terraces that parallel the valley and by rather steep hills along the valley sides. The climate is semiarid, average annual precipitation being about 13 inches. Farming and stock raising are the principal occupations in the valleys; however, some of the agricultural land near Colorado Springs is being used for housing developments. The Pierre Shale and alluvium underlie most of the area, and mesa gravel caps the shale hills adjacent to Fountain Valley. The alluvium yields water to domestic, stock, irrigation, and public-supply wells and is capable of yielding large quantities of water for intermittent periods. Several springs issue along the sides of the valley at the contact of the mesa gravel and the underlying Pierre Shale. The water table ranges in depth from less than 10 feet along the bottom lands to about 80 feet along the sides of the valleys; the saturated thickness ranges from less than a foot to about 50 feet. The ground-water reservoir in Fountain Valley is recharged by precipitation that falls within the area, by percolation from Fountain Creek, which originates in the Pikes Peak, Monument Valley, and Rampart Range areas, and by seepage from irrigation water. This reservoir contains about 70,000 acre-feet of ground water in storage. The ground-water reservoir in Jimmy Camp Valley is recharged from precipitation that falls within the area, by percolation from Jimmy Camp Creek during periods of streamflow, and by seepage from irrigation water. The Jimmy Camp ground-water reservoir contains about 25,000 acre-feet of water in storage. Ground water is discharged from the area by movement to the south, by evaporation and transpiration in

Response of cyanobacteria to the fountain-based water aeration system in Jeziorak Mały urban lake

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zębek Elżbieta

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This study of cyanobacteria phytoplankton was conducted from May to August in 2002, 2003 and 2005 during fountain-based water aeration in the pelagial of the Jeziorak Mały urban lake in Poland. Additional water mixing by this installation’s activity changed the cyanobacterial growth conditions. Although less of their proportion was noted in total phytoplankton abundance, higher mean abundance and biomass were recorded at the fountain than at the lake centre. Higher water temperature in the surface layer favoured cyanobacterial growth at the fountain, while higher iron concentration stimulated their development in the lake’s centre. This was supported by positive correlations between their abundance and these water parameters. Moreover, the fountain’s activity contributed to the cyanobacteria sinking in the water column. The higher abundance of cyanobacteria was found at 1m depth in May, July and August than in the fountain surface layer. Additional water mixing during fountain activity caused also a shift in their abundance maximum (C - June and F - August and contributed to intensive organic matter decomposition. These conditions promoted cyanobacterial nutrient uptake from the water at the fountain, and this is supported by the negative correlation between their abundance and orthophosphate and total nitrogen concentrations. Generally, water mixing during the fountain’s activity does not inhibit the growth of cyanobacteria. This phenomenon disturbed abundance dynamics of the cyanobacteria in summer months but didn’t contribute to their abundance decrease. It is important for these results to be considered in future management of shallow urban lakes.

Improvement on Temperature Measurement of Cold Atoms in a Rubidium Fountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lü De-Sheng; Qu Qiu-Zhi; Wang Bin; Zhao Jian-Bo; Liu Liang; Wang Yu-Zhu

2011-01-01

The time-of-flight (TOF) method is one of the most common ways to measure the temperature of cold atoms. In the cold atomic fountain setup, the geometry of the probe beam will introduce the measurement errors to the spatial distribution of cold atomic cloud, which will lead to the measurement errors on atomic temperature. Using deconvolution, we recover the atomic cloud profile from the TOF signal. Then, we use the recovered signals other than the TOF signals to obtain a more accurate atomic temperature. This will be important in estimating the effects of cold atom collision shift and the shift due to transverse cavity phase distribution on an atomic fountain clock. (atomic and molecular physics)

Microfabricated Segmented-Involute-Foil Regenerator for Stirling Engines

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Mounir; Danila, Daniel; Simon, Terrence; Mantell, Susan; Sun, Liyong; Gedeon, David; Qiu, Songgang; Wood, Gary; Kelly, Kevin; McLean, Jeffrey

2010-01-01

An involute-foil regenerator was designed, microfabricated, and tested in an oscillating-flow test rig. The concept consists of stacked involute-foil nickel disks (see figure) microfabricated via a lithographic process. Test results yielded a performance of about twice that of the 90-percent random-fiber currently used in small Stirling converters. The segmented nature of the involute- foil in both the axial and radial directions increases the strength of the structure relative to wrapped foils. In addition, relative to random-fiber regenerators, the involute-foil has a reduced pressure drop, and is expected to be less susceptible to the release of metal fragments into the working space, thus increasing reliability. The prototype nickel involute-foil regenerator was adequate for testing in an engine with a 650 C hot-end temperature. This is lower than that required by larger engines, and high-temperature alloys are not suited for the lithographic microfabrication approach.

An evaluation of prefilled insulin pens: a focus on the Next Generation FlexPen®

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Estella M Davis

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Estella M Davis, Emily L Sexson, Mikayla L Spangler, Pamela A ForalDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, Omaha, Nebraska, USAAbstract: Insulin pen delivery systems are preferred by patients over the traditional vial and syringe method for insulin delivery because they are simple and easy to use, improve confidence in dosing insulin, and have less interference with activities and improved discretion with use. Insulin manufacturers have made numerous improvements to their first marketed pen devices and are now introducing their next generation of devices. Design modifications to the newest generation of prefilled insulin pen devices are intended to improve the ease of use and safety and continue to positively impact adherence to insulin. This review focuses on the Next Generation FlexPen® with regard to design considerations to reduce injection force, improve accuracy and ease of use, and evaluate the preference of patient and health-care provider compared with other disposable, prefilled insulin pen devices.Keywords: diabetes, dose accuracy, injection force, patient preference, insulin pen device

Reticulite‐producing fountains from ring fractures in Kīlauea Caldera ca. 1500 CE: Chapter 16

Science.gov (United States)

May, Michael; Carey, Rebecca J.; Swanson, Don; Houghton, Bruce F.; Carey, Rebecca; Cayol, Valérie; Poland, Michael P.; Weis, Dominique

2015-01-01

A widely dispersed reticulite bed occurs close to the base of the Keanakākoʻi Tephra at Kīlauea Volcano. It can be divided into six subunits in the northern sector of the volcano; the reticulite also occurs in the southern sector, but outcrops are sparse owing to penecontemporaneous erosion and burial. Multilobate isopachs for each subunit and the total deposit suggest that multiple fountaining vents were distributed in the northern half of the caldera, possibly along ring fractures for the newly formed caldera. Isopach maps also show a sharp decline in thickness along the dispersal axis of each lobe, which could be explained by remobilization of tephra and/or inclined fountains. Despite such isopach characteristics, thinning rates calculated from the isopach data indicate that the fountains were among the most intense and powerful of all studied Kīlauea fountains. Density analyses of the pyroclasts suggest that fountaining was high (>600m) yet complex, possibly due to lava ponding and reentrainment. The calculated volume of the reticulite deposited around the caldera rim is approximately 0.2km3, more voluminous than the deposits of the 1959 Kīlauea Iki eruption; this volume is a minimum, however, as the low-density tephra is easily remobilized, and 600m high caldera walls probably trapped tephra within the caldera, which is deeply buried today and not accounted for in the volume calculations. The duration of this eruption was most likely at least a few days to weeks, based on the calculated volume and estimated discharge rates as seen during the Kīlauea Iki 1959 eruption.

Infrasound reveals transition to oscillatory discharge regime during lava fountaining: Implication for early warning

Science.gov (United States)

Ulivieri, Giacomo; Ripepe, Maurizio; Marchetti, Emanuele

2013-06-01

present the analysis of ~4 million infrasonic signals which include 39 episodes of lava fountains recorded at 5.5 km from the active vents. We show that each eruptive episode is characterized by a distinctive trend in the amplitude, waveform, and frequency content of the acoustic signals, reflecting different explosive levels. Lava fountain starts with an ~93 min long violent phase of acoustic transients at ~1.25 Hz repeating every 2-5 s. Infrasound suddenly evolves into a persistent low-frequency quasi-monochromatic pressure oscillation at ~0.4 Hz. We interpret this shift as induced by the transition from the slug (discrete Strombolian) to churn flow (sustained lava fountain) regime that is reflecting an increase in the gas discharge rate. We calculate that infrasonic transition can occur at a gas superficial velocity of ≤76 m/s and it can be used to define infrasonic-based thresholds for an efficient early warning system.

Laser precision microfabrication

CERN Document Server

Sugioka, Koji; Pique, Alberto

2010-01-01

Miniaturization and high precision are rapidly becoming a requirement for many industrial processes and products. As a result, there is greater interest in the use of laser microfabrication technology to achieve these goals. This book composed of 16 chapters covers all the topics of laser precision processing from fundamental aspects to industrial applications to both inorganic and biological materials. It reviews the sate of the art of research and technological development in the area of laser processing.

High-fidelity operations in microfabricated surface ion traps

Science.gov (United States)

Maunz, Peter

2017-04-01

Trapped ion systems can be used to implement quantum computation as well as quantum simulation. To scale these systems to the number of qubits required to solve interesting problems in quantum chemistry or solid state physics, the use of large multi-zone ion traps has been proposed. Microfabrication enables the realization of surface electrode ion traps with complex electrode structures. While these traps may enable the scaling of trapped ion quantum information processing (QIP), microfabricated ion traps also pose several technical challenges. Here, we present Sandia's trap fabrication capabilities and characterize trap properties and shuttling operations in our most recent high optical access trap (HOA-2). To demonstrate the viability of Sandia's microfabricated ion traps for QIP we realize robust single and two-qubit gates and characterize them using gate set tomography (GST). In this way we are able to demonstrate the first single qubit gates with a diamond norm of less than 1 . 7 ×10-4 , below a rigorous fault tolerance threshold for general noise of 6 . 7 ×10-4. Furthermore, we realize Mølmer-Sørensen two qubit gates with a process fidelity of 99 . 58(6) % also characterized by GST. These results demonstrate the viability of microfabricated surface traps for state of the art quantum information processing demonstrations. This research was funded, in part, by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA).

Proximal Monitoring of the 2011–2015 Etna Lava Fountains Using MSG-SEVIRI Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefano Corradini

2018-04-01

Full Text Available From 2011 to 2015, 49 lava fountains occurred at Etna volcano. In this work, the measurements carried out from the Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI instrument, on board the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG geostationary satellite, are processed to realize a proximal monitoring of the eruptive activity for each event. The SEVIRI measurements are managed to provide the time series of start and duration of eruption and fountains, Time Averaged Discharge Rate (TADR and Volcanic Plume Top Height (VPTH. Due to its temperature responsivity, the eruptions start and duration, fountains start and duration and TADR are realized by exploiting the SEVIRI 3.9 μm channel, while the VPTH is carried out by applying a simplified procedure based on the SEVIRI 10.8 μm brightness temperature computation. For each event, the start, duration and TADR have been compared with ground-based observations. The VPTH time series is compared with the results obtained from a procedures-based on the volcanic cloud center of mass tracking in combination with the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT back-trajectories. The results indicate that SEVIRI is generally able to detect the start of the lava emission few hours before the ground measurements. A good agreement is found for both the start and the duration of the fountains and the VPTH with mean differences of about 1 h, 50 min and 1 km respectively.

Microfabricated Multianalyte Sensor Arrays for Metabolite Monitoring

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Pishko, Michael V; Mugweru, Amos

2005-01-01

.... In this work we have taken advantage of silicon micro-fabrication technologies to develop implantable redundant microsensor arrays with glucose oxidase molecules immobilized in photopolymerized...

Introduction to microfabrication

CERN Document Server

Franssila, Sami

2010-01-01

This accessible text is now fully revised and updated, providing an overview of fabrication technologies and materials needed to realize modern microdevices. It demonstrates how common microfabrication principles can be applied in different applications, to create devices ranging from nanometer probe tips to meter scale solar cells, and a host of microelectronic, mechanical, optical and fluidic devices in between. Latest developments in wafer engineering, patterning, thin films, surface preparation and bonding are covered. This second edition includes:expanded sections on MEMS

Vegetation survey of PEN Branch wetlands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1991-01-01

A survey was conducted of vegetation along Pen Branch Creek at Savannah River Site (SRS) in support of K-Reactor restart. Plants were identified to species by overstory, understory, shrub, and groundcover strata. Abundance was also characterized and richness and diversity calculated. Based on woody species basal area, the Pen Branch delta was the most impacted, followed by the sections between the reactor and the delta. Species richness for shrub and groundcover strata were also lowest in the delta. No endangered plant species were found. Three upland pine areas were also sampled. In support of K Reactor restart, this report summarizes a study of the wetland vegetation along Pen Branch. Reactor effluent enters Indian Grove Branch and then flows into Pen Branch and the Pen Branch Delta.

The Fountain of Living Water and the Deceitful Brook

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holt, Else Kragelund

2005-01-01

The metaphor "God is Water" is distinctive for the Book of Jeremiah in different variants. The core metaphor is found in Jer 2:13, it is elaborated in other instances as: "God is a fountain", or "God is not a wasteland" (chapter 2), and it is gainsaid in 15:18 which reads: "You are to me like a d...

''First evaluation of the accuracy of a cesium cold atom fountain, perspectives''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghezali, S.

1997-01-01

The present PHD thesis is, at first, a detailed description of the atomic cesium fountain 'FO1' working as a frequency standard since more than three years at the Laboratoire Primaire du Temps et des Frequences. The 'FO1' has been included in the calculation of the TA1 in the CCDS 1996. Then, this manuscript holds on the different effects such as cold collisions, inhomogeneities of the static magnetic field... affecting the fountain's accuracy, limited at 2.10 -15 because of the hydrogen maser (few hours of integration). The traverse velocity selection via stimulated Raman transitions at two dimensions constitute an important part of the present work. The possible improvements are discussed at the end of the manuscript. (author)

Conservation of the stone in Cibeles Fountain, Madrid , Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

López de Azcona, M. C.

2002-03-01

Full Text Available The water in Cibeles Fountain flows in a closed circuit and is replaced every 6 months. After this period of time, an increase in bicarbonate, sulfate, calcium and magnesium contents is registered in the water, as well as a slight increase in its acidity. This acidity, favored by atmospheric pollution, is the main cause for the process of dissolution that marble used in the ornamental sections of the fountain undergoes. Calcite-based marble, from the Carrara quarries in Italy, of the cherubs suffers the most acute dissolution processes, while dolomite-based marble, used for the main sculpture body is less affected by these processes. Dissolved materials fall on certain sections of the sculpture and of the fountain forming dirt crusts and inlaid soiling. In order to prevent decay of the fountain building materials, periodical control of water composition is necessary, with a view to stabilizing water pH level at around 7.8. It is likewise necessary to add chemicals that prevent bacteria and algae proliferation, thus improving water quality.

El agua de la Fuente de Cibeles funciona en un circuito cerrado, con cambio cada seis meses del agua. Al final de un periodo el agua tiende a incrementar su contenido en bicarbonatos, sulfatos, calcio y magnesio, con una ligero aumento de su acidez, con respecto al agua original. Esta acidez, favorecida por la acción de la contaminación atmosférica, genera procesos de disolución en los mármoles con los que está esculpida la parte escultórica de la Fuente. Son los mármoles calcíticos, procedentes de las canteras de Carrara (Italia, de los amorcillos, los que tienen un mayor proceso de disolución, mientras que los mármoles dolomíticos, con los que está esculpido el conjunto escultórico principal, presentan menos procesos de disolución. Los elementos en disolución precipitan en zonas determinadas del conjunto escultórico y en elementos de la Fuente, dando la formación de costras e

Laser precision microfabrication in Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Miyamoto, Isamu; Ooie, Toshihiko; Takeno, Shozui

2000-11-01

Electronic devices such as handy phones and micro computers have been rapidly expanding their market recent years due to their enhanced performance, down sizing and cost down. This has been realized by the innovation in the precision micro- fabrication technology of semiconductors and printed wiring circuit boards (PWB) where laser technologies such as lithography, drilling, trimming, welding and soldering play an important role. In phot lithography, for instance, KrF excimer lasers having a resolution of 0.18 micrometers has been used in production instead of mercury lamp. Laser drilling of PWB has been increased up to over 1000 holes per second, and approximately 800 laser drilling systems of PWB are expected to be delivered in the world market this year, and most of these laser processing systems are manufactured in Japan. Trend of laser micro-fabrication in Japanese industry is described along with recent topics of R&D, government supported project and future tasks of industrial laser precision micro-fabrication on the basis of the survey conducted by Japan laser Processing Society.

Pen dosimeters

CERN Multimedia

SC/RP Group

2006-01-01

The Radiation Protection Group has decided to withdraw all pen dosimeters from the main PS and SPS access points. This will be effective as of January 2006. The following changes will be implemented: All persons working in a limited-stay controlled radiation area must wear an operational dosimeter in addition to their personal DIS dosimeter. Any persons not equipped with this additional dosimeter must contact the SC/RP Group, which will make this type of dosimeter available for temporary loan. A notice giving the phone numbers of the SC/RP Group members to contact will be displayed at the former distribution points for the pen dosimeters. Thank you for your cooperation. The SC/RP Group

Similarity and pleasantness assessments of water-fountain sounds recorded in urban public spaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Ekman, Maria Rådsten; Lundén, Peter; Nilsson, Mats E

2015-11-01

Water fountains are potential tools for soundscape improvement, but little is known about their perceptual properties. To explore this, sounds were recorded from 32 fountains installed in urban parks. The sounds were recorded with a sound-field microphone and were reproduced using an ambisonic loudspeaker setup. Fifty-seven listeners assessed the sounds with regard to similarity and pleasantness. Multidimensional scaling of similarity data revealed distinct groups of soft variable and loud steady-state sounds. Acoustically, the soft variable sounds were characterized by low overall levels and high temporal variability, whereas the opposite pattern characterized the loud steady-state sounds. The perceived pleasantness of the sounds was negatively related to their overall level and positively related to their temporal variability, whereas spectral centroid was weakly correlated to pleasantness. However, the results of an additional experiment, using the same sounds set equal in overall level, found a negative relationship between pleasantness and spectral centroid, suggesting that spectral factors may influence pleasantness scores in experiments where overall level does not dominate pleasantness assessments. The equal-level experiment also showed that several loud steady-state sounds remained unpleasant, suggesting an inherently unpleasant sound character. From a soundscape design perspective, it may be advisable to avoid fountains generating such sounds.

Cytotoxicity of Pd nanostructures supported on PEN: Influence of sterilization on Pd/PEN interface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Polívková, M., E-mail: polivkoa@vscht.cz [Department of Solid State Engineering, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, 166 28 Prague (Czech Republic); Siegel, J. [Department of Solid State Engineering, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, 166 28 Prague (Czech Republic); Rimpelová, S. [Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, 166 28 Prague (Czech Republic); Hubáček, T. [Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre of the AS CR, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic); Kolská, Z. [Materials Centre of Usti n. L., J.E. Purkyne University, 400 96 Usti nad Labem (Czech Republic); Švorčík, V. [Department of Solid State Engineering, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, 166 28 Prague (Czech Republic)

2017-01-01

Non-conventional antimicrobial agents, such as palladium nanostructures, have been increasingly used in the medicinal technology. However, experiences uncovering their harmful and damaging effects to human health have begun to appear. In this study, we have focused on in vitro cytotoxicity assessment of Pd nanostructures supported on a biocompatible polymer. Pd nanolayers of variable thicknesses (ranging from 1.1 to 22.4 nm) were sputtered on polyethylene naphthalate (PEN). These nanolayers were transformed by low-temperature post-deposition annealing into discrete nanoislands. Samples were characterized by AFM, XPS, ICP-MS and electrokinetic analysis before and after annealing. Sterilization of samples prior to cytotoxicity testing was done by UV irradiation, autoclave and/or ethanol. Among the listed sterilization techniques, we have chosen the gentlest one which had minimal impact on sample morphology, Pd dissolution and overall Pd/PEN interface quality. Cytotoxic response of Pd nanostructures was determined by WST-1 cell viability assay in vitro using three model cell lines: mouse macrophages (RAW 264.7) and two types of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (L929 and NIH 3T3). Finally, cell morphology in response to Pd/PEN was evaluated by means of fluorescence microscopy. - Highlights: • Annealing of Pd nanolayers on PEN resulted to Pd aggregation and formation of discrete nanoislands. • UV treatment was found as the gentlest sterilization method in term of physicochemical properties of Pd/PEN interface. • Autoclaving and chemical sterilization by ethanol resulted into remarkable changes of Pd/PEN interface. • Cytotoxicity of Pd samples was insignificant. • Pd nanostructures are potentially applicable as health-unobjectionable antibacterial coatings of medical devices.

NovoPen Echo® insulin delivery device

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyllested-Winge J

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Jacob Hyllested-Winge,1 Thomas Sparre,2 Line Kynemund Pedersen2 1Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd, Tokyo, Japan; 2Novo Nordisk A/S, Søborg, Denmark Abstract: The introduction of insulin pen devices has provided easier, well-tolerated, and more convenient treatment regimens for patients with diabetes mellitus. When compared with vial and syringe regimens, insulin pens offer a greater clinical efficacy, improved quality of life, and increased dosing accuracy, particularly at low doses. The portable and discreet nature of pen devices reduces the burden on the patient, facilitates adherence, and subsequently contributes to the improvement in glycemic control. NovoPen Echo® is one of the latest members of the NovoPen® family that has been specifically designed for the pediatric population and is the first to combine half-unit increment (=0.5 U of insulin dosing with a simple memory function. The half-unit increment dosing amendments and accurate injection of 0.5 U of insulin are particularly beneficial for children (and insulin-sensitive adults/elders, who often require small insulin doses. The memory function can be used to record the time and amount of the last dose, reducing the fear of double dosing or missing a dose. The memory function also provides parents with extra confidence and security that their child is taking insulin at the correct doses and times. NovoPen Echo is a lightweight, durable insulin delivery pen; it is available in two different colors, which may help to distinguish between different types of insulin, providing more confidence for both users and caregivers. Studies have demonstrated a high level of patient satisfaction, with 80% of users preferring NovoPen Echo to other pediatric insulin pens. Keywords: NovoPen Echo®, memory function, half-unit increment dosing, adherence, children, adolescents 

The Penning fusion experiment-ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schauer, M. M.; Umstadter, K. R.; Barnes, D. C.

1999-01-01

The Penning fusion experiment (PFX) studies the feasibility of using a Penning trap as a fusion confinement device. Such use would require spatial and/or temporal compression of the plasma to overcome the Brillouin density limit imposed by the nonneutrality of Penning trap plasmas. In an earlier experiment, we achieved enhanced plasma density at the center of a pure, electron plasma confined in a hyperbolic, Penning trap by inducing spherically convergent flow in a nonthermal plasma. The goal of this work is to induce similar flow in a positive ion plasma confined in the virtual cathode provided by a spherical, uniform density electron plasma. This approach promises the greatest flexibility in operating with multi-species plasmas (e.g. D + /T + ) or implementing temporal compression schemes such as the Periodically Oscillating Plasma Sphere of Nebel and Barnes. Here, we report on our work to produce and diagnose the necessary electron plasma

Role of fire in the germination ecology of fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum), an invasive African bunchgrass in Hawaii

Science.gov (United States)

Edith N. Adkins; Susan Cordell; Donald R. Drake

2011-01-01

Field and laboratory studies were carried out to test factors expected to be relevant for the germination of fountain grass: (1) light; (2) emergence of fountain grass seedlings from depths of 0, 2.5, and 5 cm; (3) fire passing over exposed and buried seeds; (4) laboratory heat treatment mimicking exposure to grass fire. Both fire in the field and heat applied in the...

Perceptions of Tap Water and School Water Fountains and Association with Intake of Plain Water and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

Science.gov (United States)

Onufrak, Stephen J.; Park, Sohyun; Sharkey, Joseph R.; Merlo, Caitlin; Dean, Wesley R.; Sherry, Bettylou

2014-01-01

Background: Little is known regarding youth perceptions of tap water and school water fountains and how these relate to water and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake. Methods: We used national 2010 YouthStyles data to assess perceptions of tap water and school water fountains and associations with water and SSB intake. Results: Nearly 1 in 5…

Beverages obtained from soda fountain machines in the U.S. contain microorganisms, including coliform bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Amy S; Godard, Renee D; Belling, Carolyn; Kasza, Victoria; Beach, Rebecca L

2010-01-31

Ninety beverages of three types (sugar sodas, diet sodas and water) were obtained from 20 self-service and 10 personnel-dispensed soda fountains, analyzed for microbial contamination, and evaluated with respect to U.S. drinking water regulations. A follow-up study compared the concentration and composition of microbial populations in 27 beverages collected from 9 soda fountain machines in the morning as well as in the afternoon. Ice dispensed from these machines was also examined for microbial contamination. While none of the ice samples exceeded U.S. drinking water standards, coliform bacteria was detected in 48% of the beverages and 20% had a heterotrophic plate count greater than 500cfu/ml. Statistical analyses revealed no difference in levels of microbial contamination between beverage types or between those dispensed from self-service and personnel-dispensed soda fountains. More than 11% of the beverages analyzed contained Escherichia coli and over 17% contained Chryseobacterium meningosepticum. Other opportunistic pathogenic microorganisms isolated from the beverages included species of Klebsiella, Staphylococcus, Stenotrophomonas, Candida, and Serratia. Most of the identified bacteria showed resistance to one or more of the 11 antibiotics tested. These findings suggest that soda fountain machines may harbor persistent communities of potentially pathogenic microorganisms which may contribute to episodic gastric distress in the general population and could pose a more significant health risk to immunocompromised individuals. These findings have important public health implications and signal the need for regulations enforcing hygienic practices associated with these beverage dispensers. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

From handwriting analysis to pen-computer applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schomaker, L

1998-01-01

In this paper, pen computing, i.e. the use of computers and applications in which the pen is the main input device, will be described from four different viewpoints. Firstly a brief overview of the hardware developments in pen systems is given, leading to the conclusion that the technological

Understanding differences in access to water fountains and sugar-sweetened beverages in children׳s environments: a pilot study in high and low deprivation neighbourhoods.

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson, Amber L; de Latour, Phillip; Kemp, Gabrielle; Findlay, Nohoana; Halim, Angela; Atkinson, Nicola; Chong, Mark; Cameron, Rose; Brown, Courtney; Kim, Grace; Campbell, Paul; Hills, Toby; Jayawant, Aditya; Chae, Matthew; Bhagavan, Chiranth; French, Claire; Jenkin, Gabrielle; Smith, Moira; Signal, Louise

2014-11-01

Access to water fountains and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in children׳s environments may impact on child obesity and may vary with neighbourhood deprivation. Our pilot analyses of access to water fountains and SSBs in Wellington, New Zealand revealed that water fountain access was high in school environments and low in recreational environments. There were also differences in water fountain and SSB access points by neighbourhood deprivation. The methods piloted in this study could be translated in a larger study, more capable of detecting significant differences in access and allowing for more sophisticated analyses. Such future studies may provide important evidence for the improvement of children׳s health and well-being. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microfabrication of crosslinked PTFE by synchrotron radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Yasunori; Yamaguchi, Daichi; Oshima, Akihiro; Washio, Masakazu; Katoh, Takanori; Aoki, Yasushi; Ikeda, Shigetoshi; Tanaka, Shigeru

2003-01-01

Microfabrication of crosslinked polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) using synchrotron radiation (SR) has been demonstrated for production of micro-components applicable to radiation fields. The method of microfabrication was readily capable of obtaining a microstructure with aspect-ratio of 25 made of crosslinked PTFE. The etching rate of crosslinked PTFE was higher than that of non-crosslinked PTFE. The results show that the etching rate of crosslinked PTFE depends only on the degree of crosslinking. The effect of molecular motion on etching process was discussed from temperature dependence on etching rate. Moreover, in order to examine whether any change of chemical structures and crystallinity would be induced by SR-irradiation on PTFE, SR-irradiated PTFE was measured by NMR spectroscopy and DSC analysis. The results showed that the crosslinking reaction of PTFE would be induced by SR-irradiation in the solid state. (author)

State of the art in microfabrication

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schmitz, Jurriaan

2014-01-01

In this review paper the state of the art in microfabrication is presented. The focus is on trends in integrated circuit fabrication by mainstream industrial players. The article starts with Moore’s Law, describing its inception as well as the evolution of Moore’s metric of the number of components

Ceramic microfabrication by rapid prototyping process chains

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Ceramic microfabrication by rapid prototyping process chains ... is nearly impossible, shaping has to be done by a replication step in the green, unfired state. ... This process chain combines the fast and inexpensive supply of master models by ...

Computer controlling of writing beam in laser microfabrication of diffractive optics

OpenAIRE

Korolkov, V.; Shimansky, R.; Cherkashin, V.; Denk, D.

2003-01-01

Laser microfabrication of diffractive optics with continuous relief is based on the direct local action of focused laser radiation on the recording material. Control of writing beam parameters (beam power, spot size, waist position) is one of the main tasks in microfabrication using laser writing systems. Method of the control defines the correspondence between the fabricated microrelief of the diffractive optical element and a designed one. Complexity of this task consists in the necessity t...

Hydrogel microfabrication technology toward three dimensional tissue engineering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fumiki Yanagawa

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The development of biologically relevant three-dimensional (3D tissue constructs is essential for the alternative methods of organ transplantation in regenerative medicine, as well as the development of improved drug discovery assays. Recent technological advances in hydrogel microfabrication, such as micromolding, 3D bioprinting, photolithography, and stereolithography, have led to the production of 3D tissue constructs that exhibit biological functions with precise 3D microstructures. Furthermore, microfluidics technology has enabled the development of the perfusion culture of 3D tissue constructs with vascular networks. In this review, we present these hydrogel microfabrication technologies for the in vitro reconstruction and cultivation of 3D tissues. Additionally, we discuss current challenges and future perspectives of 3D tissue engineering.

Biological Macro and Micro Systems Co-existing in the “Fountain of the Two Dragons”, Palermo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enza Di Carlo

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Stone works of art located outdoors are exposed to natural deterioration, due to several physical, chemical and biological factors. Biological macro- and micro-systems (e.g. weeds, insects, algae, mosses, fungi and bacteria may induce the biodeterioration of stone materials. In February 2014, the state of conservation of the Fountain of the two Dragons in Palermo was examined, during which time biological colonization in some areas of the fountain and statues, was also detected. The monument represents an excellent substrate for the development and growth of microrganisms and organisms that need a continuous supply of water. Direct solar irradiance promotes the development of photoautotrophic organisms, bryophyte flora, in addition to several microbial genera, responsible for pigmentation, discoloring, efflorescence. After autotrophic colonization, some organisms find an ideal habitat also during wintertime, including two species of gastropods and two species of Hemiptera, omnivorous, a species of Collembola, mostly fungivorous. This interdisciplinary study has enabled the detection and identification of different biological communities, providing information for a subsequent project of preventive conservation of the fountain and its surroundings.

Microfabricated Chemical Sensors for Safety and Emission Control Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, G. W.; Neudeck, P. G.; Chen, L.-Y.; Knight, D.; Liu, C. C.; Wu, Q. H.

1998-01-01

Chemical sensor technology is being developed for leak detection, emission monitoring, and fire safety applications. The development of these sensors is based on progress in two types of technology: 1) Micromachining and microfabrication (MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS)-based) technology to fabricate miniaturized sensors. 2) The development of high temperature semiconductors, especially silicon carbide. Using these technologies, sensors to measure hydrogen, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are being developed. A description is given of each sensor type and its present stage of development. It is concluded that microfabricated sensor technology has significant potential for use in a range of aerospace applications.

Control of the 133 cesium cold collisions, search for a variation of the fine structure constant using a dual rubidium-cesium atomic fountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marion, H.

2005-03-01

We developed a method of measurement of the frequency shift due to the collisions between cold atoms. This is the main systematic limitation for the accuracy of the Cs 133 based fountains (∼ 10 -15 in relative frequency). Consequently, we can measure this effect near 0.5% This opens prospects for improvements of the fountains performances in term of accuracy until 10 -16 . The fountain has also obtained a stability about 10 -14 at 1 s. We discovered for the first time, at very low magnetic field (5 ± 1 mG), Feshbach resonances. We also took a new absolute measurement of the hyperfine transition of the Rb 87 , which is the most precise ever carried out and is used now as definition for the secondary standard. By comparing this value with those measured the previous years, we could carry out a test of the stability of the fine structure constant on the level of 10 -15 /yr. We led local comparisons between atomic fountains and the other fountains of the laboratory. Most stable it is unrolled with a combined stability of 5.10 -14 at 1 s. The behavior of the difference of the two clocks goes like white frequency noise up to 3.10 -16 . The assessment of the dual fountain accuracy budget has been evaluated at 7.10 -16 for the cesium part and 8.10 -16 for the rubidium part. We contributed to the realization of the scale of International Atomic Time, by series of calibrations of hydrogen masers. An atomic comparison of fountain by satellite links was tested between our laboratory and our German counterpart. This measurement has determined the good agreement between the two clocks. (author)

Microfabrication of biocompatible hydrogels by proton beam writing

Science.gov (United States)

Nagasawa, Naotsugu; Kimura, Atsushi; Idesaki, Akira; Yamada, Naoto; Koka, Masashi; Satoh, Takahiro; Ishii, Yasuyuki; Taguchi, Mitsumasa

2017-10-01

Functionalization of biocompatible materials is expected to be widely applied in biomedical engineering and regenerative medicine fields. Hydrogel has been expected as a biocompatible scaffold which support to keep an organ shape during cell multiplying in regenerative medicine. Therefore, it is important to understanding a surface microstructure (minute shape, depth of flute) and a chemical characteristic of the hydrogel affecting the cell culture. Here, we investigate the microfabrication of biocompatible polymeric materials, such as the water-soluble polysaccharide derivatives hydroxypropyl cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose, by use of proton beam writing (PBW). These polymeric materials were dissolved thoroughly in pure water using a planetary centrifugal mixer, and a sample sheet (1 mm thick) was formed on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. Crosslinking to form hydrogels was induced using a 3.0 MeV focused proton beam from the single-ended accelerator at Takasaki Ion Accelerators for Advanced Radiation Application. The aqueous samples were horizontally irradiated with the proton beam through the PET cover film, and then rinsed with deionized water. Microstructured hydrogels were obtained on the PET film using the PBW technique without toxic crosslinking reagents. Cell adhesion and proliferation on the microfabricated biocompatible hydrogels were investigated. Microfabrication of HPC and CMC by the use of PBW is expected to produce new biocompatible materials that can be applied in biological and medical applications.

Negative Ion Sources: Magnetron and Penning

CERN Document Server

Faircloth, D.C.

2013-12-16

The history of the magnetron and Penning electrode geometry is briefly outlined. Plasma generation by electrical discharge-driven electron impact ionization is described and the basic physics of plasma and electrodes relevant to magnetron and Penning discharges are explained. Negative ions and their applications are introduced, along with their production mechanisms. Caesium and surface production of negative ions are detailed. Technical details of how to build magnetron and Penning surface plasma sources are given, along with examples of specific sources from around the world. Failure modes are listed and lifetimes compared.

Negative Ion Sources: Magnetron and Penning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faircloth, D C

2013-01-01

The history of the magnetron and Penning electrode geometry is briefly outlined. Plasma generation by electrical discharge-driven electron impact ionization is described and the basic physics of plasma and electrodes relevant to magnetron and Penning discharges are explained. Negative ions and their applications are introduced, along with their production mechanisms. Caesium and surface production of negative ions are detailed. Technical details of how to build magnetron and Penning surface plasma sources are given, along with examples of specific sources from around the world. Failure modes are listed and lifetimes compared. (author)

Microfabricated BTU monitoring device for system-wide natural gas monitoring.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Einfeld, Wayne; Manginell, Ronald Paul; Robinson, Alex Lockwood; Moorman, Matthew Wallace

2005-11-01

The natural gas industry seeks inexpensive sensors and instrumentation to rapidly measure gas heating value in widely distributed locations. For gas pipelines, this will improve gas quality during transfer and blending, and will expedite accurate financial accounting. Industrial endusers will benefit through continuous feedback of physical gas properties to improve combustion efficiency during use. To meet this need, Sandia has developed a natural gas heating value monitoring instrument using existing and modified microfabricated components. The instrument consists of a silicon micro-fabricated gas chromatography column in conjunction with a catalytic micro-calorimeter sensor. A reference thermal conductivity sensor provides diagnostics and surety. This combination allows for continuous calorimetric determination with a 1 minute analysis time and 1.5 minute cycle time using air as a carrier gas. This system will find application at remote natural gas mining stations, pipeline switching and metering stations, turbine generators, and other industrial user sites. Microfabrication techniques will allow the analytical components to be manufactured in production quantities at a low per-unit cost.

Microfabrication and Test of a Three-Dimensional Polymer Hydro-focusing Unit for Flow Cytometry Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ren; Feeback, Daniel L.; Wang, Wan-Jun

2005-01-01

This paper details a novel three-dimensional (3D) hydro-focusing micro cell sorter for micro flow cytometry applications. The unit was microfabricated by means of SU-8 3D lithography. The 3D microstructure for coaxial sheathing was designed, microfabricated, and tested. Three-dimensional hydrofocusing capability was demonstrated with an experiment to sort labeled tanned sheep erythrocytes (red blood cells). This polymer hydro-focusing microstructure is easily microfabricated and integrated with other polymer microfluidic structures. Keywords: SU-8, three-dimensional hydro-focusing, microfluidic, microchannel, cytometer

Isodose plotting for pen plotters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosen, I.I.

1985-01-01

A general algorithm for treatment plan isodose line plotting is described which is particularly useful for pen plotters. Unlike other methods of plotting isodose lines, this algorithm is designed specifically to reduce pen motion, thereby reducing plotting time and wear on the transport mechanism. Points with the desired dose value are extracted from the dose matrix and stored, sorted into continuous contours, and then plotted. This algorithm has been implemented on DEC PDP-11/60 and VAX-11/780 computers for use with two models of Houston Instrument pen plotters, two models of Tektronix vector graphics terminals, a DEC VT125 raster graphics terminal, and a DEC VS11 color raster graphics terminal. Its execution time is similar to simpler direct-plotting methods

Evaluation of caesium atomic fountain NICT-CsF1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumagai, M.; Ito, H.; Kajita, M.; Hosokawa, M.

2008-01-01

In this paper, we describe the first caesium atomic fountain primary frequency standard NICT-CsF1 of National Institute of Information Communications Technology (NICT) in Tokyo, Japan. The structure of the NICT-CsF1 system and evaluation procedure of the systematic frequency shifts and their uncertainties are presented. Typically, NICT-CsF1 has a frequency stability of 4 * 10 -13 /τ 1/2 and a frequency uncertainty of 1.9 * 10 -15 . (authors)

Design of control system based on SCM music fountain

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Biqing; Li, Zhao; Jiang, Suping

2018-06-01

The design of the design of a microprocessor controlled by simple circuit, introduced this design applied to the components, and draw the main flow chart presentation. System is the use of an external music source, the intensity of the input audio signal lights will affect the light off, the fountain spray of water level will be based on changes in the lantern light off. This design uses a single-chip system is simple, powerful, good reliability and low cost.

The LongPen--the world's first original remote signing device.

Science.gov (United States)

Kruger, Diane M

2010-05-01

The LongPen is a remote-controlled pen and videoconferencing device conceived by Canadian author Margaret Atwood in 2004 and initially intended to bring "live" author signings to far away locations. The LongPen allows for individually inscribed long distance signatures and writing while maintaining an original record, written with pen and ink. LongPen specimens were compared with control specimens using different speeds, pen pressures, and types of pens. Preliminary indications are that LongPen inscriptions can be identified or associated with their author. Size and form are maintained and artifacts are subtle. Some limitations with respect to the capture of long tapered strokes, delicate connecting strokes, and differences in line width were noted. Factors which may impact forensic handwriting examinations include limited amounts of writing, light pen pressure, date of the writing, type of writing instrument, dimensions of the writing, and failure to consider that the device has been used.

Microfabricated pressure and shear stress sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chang (Inventor); Chen, Jack (Inventor); Engel, Jonathan (Inventor)

2009-01-01

A microfabricated pressure sensor. The pressure sensor comprises a raised diaphragm disposed on a substrate. The diaphragm is configured to bend in response to an applied pressure difference. A strain gauge of a conductive material is coupled to a surface of the raised diaphragm and to at least one of the substrate and a piece rigidly connected to the substrate.

Pen of Health Care Worker as Vector of Infection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prashant Patil

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Nosocomial infections are the major concern in tertiary hospitals. Health care workers and their belonging are known to act as vector in transmission of infections. In present study, the writing pen of health care workers was worked out for carrying infection. The swab from writing pen of health care workers were cultured for any growth of microorganism and compared with swab from pen of the non health care workers. It was found that the rate of growth of microorganism were more in pen of health care workers. Similarly the organism attributed to the nosocomial infection was grown from the pens of health care workers. These organisms might be transmitted from the hands of health care workers. The writing pen which health care worker are using became the vectors of transmission of infection. So to prevent it, the most important way is to wash the hands and pen properly after examining the patients.

Rare earth elements and uranium in fountain waters from different towns of the Iron Quadrangle, MG, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferreira, Claudia A.; Palmieri, Helena E.L.; Menezes, Maria Angela de B.C.

2015-01-01

Rare earth elements (REE) and uranium were evaluated in 34 fountain waters collected in different towns of the Iron Quadrangle (IQ), Minas Gerais, Brazil. The IQ is one of the largest and most well-known mineral deposits in the world. Not only extensive iron deposits but also hydrothermal gold deposits are found in this region. Because of the toxicological properties of REE, monitoring of groundwater which is used for drinking water may be useful if relatively high concentrations of REE are expected. The total REE (ΣREE) concentrations in fountain water range from 3 to 33395 ng L -1 . It was observed that fountains with a pH value below 5 presented higher concentration values of the determined elements proposed in this work. This is due to the fact that waters exhibiting low pH values enhance the dissolution of these elements. Moreover, for uranium the values ranged from less than < 2 to 540 ng L -1 . The highest concentrations in waters were observed only in four cities. Statistical methods such as Pearson correlation, PCA and HCA analysis were applied to the data set to shed some light on the behavior of the elements in water in this study. Three major groups with similar characteristics were identified and six diagrams of REE signatures in fountain waters were plotted according to their groupings of subdivisions. Using the REE-Post-Archean Australian Shale (PAAS) normalized patterns it was possible to verify presence of distinct REE signatures and recognize that the two samples belong to the same aquifer type. (author)

Nano- and microfabrication for industrial and biomedical applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luttge, R.

2016-01-01

Nano- and Microfabrication for Industrial and Biomedical Applications, Second Edition, focuses on the industrial perspective on micro- and nanofabrication methods, including large-scale manufacturing, the transfer of concepts from lab to factory, process tolerance, yield, robustness, and cost. The

The effects of zonation of the pen and grouping in intact litters on use of pen, immune competence and health of pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damgaard, B.M.; Studnitz, M.; Nielsen, Jens

2006-01-01

The effects of pen design and group composition were examined with respect to activity, use of pen, floor conditions, health condition and immune competence for groups of 60 pigs. The experiment was designed with the two factors with zones/without zones and divided litters/intact litters....... The experiment included a total of 1440 pigs from weaning at the age of 4 weeks to the age of 18 weeks after weaning. In pens with zones, the selection of different areas for different activities was improved. Pens with zones were more dirty in the elimination and open areas than pens without zones. In pens...... with zones, the number of lymphocytes was decreased, the ability to respond to an additional challenge by a model infection was decreased and the number of neutrophils was increased in intact litters. In week 9, the health condition was better with a group composition consisting of intact litters compared...

Pen- Name in Persian and Arabic Poetry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ebrahim Khodayar

2012-03-01

Full Text Available  Abstract Pen-name (Takhalloss is one of the main features of Persian poetry. It has been a matter of concern among many of Persian language geography poets in the orient at least up to the Mashrouteh era. Pen-name has been promoted among the other Muslim nations throuph Persian poetry. Although it is not as famous in the Arab nations as in the Persian speaking nations, it is known as “Alqab-o-shoara” among the Arab nations and, through this way, it has affected the poetrical wealth of the Arabic poets.   The Present paper, using description-analystic approach, compares the pen-names of Persian and Arabic poets under the title of “pen-names” and investigates their features in both cultures. The main research question is: What are the similarities and differences of poetic-names, in Persian and Arabic poets in terms of the type of name, position and importance? The results showed that Pseudonym by its amazing expansion in Persian poetry has also influenced Arabic poetry. In addition to the factors affecting in the choice of pen-names (like pseudonym, pen-name, nickname..., sometimes such external factors as events, commends, community benefactors and climate, as well as internal factors including the poets’ inner beliefs are associated too. .

Microfabricated Formaldehyde Gas Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karen C. Cheung

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Formaldehyde is a volatile organic compound that is widely used in textiles, paper, wood composites, and household materials. Formaldehyde will continuously outgas from manufactured wood products such as furniture, with adverse health effects resulting from prolonged low-level exposure. New, microfabricated sensors for formaldehyde have been developed to meet the need for portable, low-power gas detection. This paper reviews recent work including silicon microhotplates for metal oxide-based detection, enzyme-based electrochemical sensors, and nanowire-based sensors. This paper also investigates the promise of polymer-based sensors for low-temperature, low-power operation.

The fluid dynamics of the chocolate fountain

Science.gov (United States)

Townsend, Adam K.; Wilson, Helen J.

2016-01-01

We consider the fluid dynamics of the chocolate fountain. Molten chocolate is a mildly shear-thinning non-Newtonian fluid. Dividing the flow into three main domains—the pumped flow up the centre, the film flow over each dome, and the freely falling curtain flow between the domes—we generate a wide-ranging study of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid mechanics. The central pumped flow is a benchmark to elucidate the effects of shear-thinning. The dome flow can be modelled as a thin-film flow with the leading-order effects being a simple balance of gravity and viscosity. Finally, the curtain flow is analytically intractable but is related to the existing theory of water bells (both inviscid and viscous). In pipe flow, Newtonian fluids exhibit a parabolic velocity profile; shear-thinning makes the profile more blunted. In thin-film flow over the dome, gravitational and viscous effects balance and the dome shape is not important beyond the local slope. We find that the chocolate thins and slows down as it travels down the dome. Finally, in the curtain flow, we predict the shape of the falling sheet for an inviscid fluid, and compare this with the literature to predict the shape for a viscous fluid, having shown that viscous forces are too great to ignore. We also find that the primary effect driving the shape of the curtain (which falls inwards towards the axis of the fountain) is surface tension. We find that the three domains provide excellent introductions to non-Newtonian mechanics, the important mathematical technique of scaling, and how to manipulate existing data to make our own predictions. We also find that the topic generates interest among the public in our engagement work.

The fluid dynamics of the chocolate fountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Townsend, Adam K; Wilson, Helen J

2016-01-01

We consider the fluid dynamics of the chocolate fountain. Molten chocolate is a mildly shear-thinning non-Newtonian fluid. Dividing the flow into three main domains—the pumped flow up the centre, the film flow over each dome, and the freely falling curtain flow between the domes—we generate a wide-ranging study of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid mechanics. The central pumped flow is a benchmark to elucidate the effects of shear-thinning. The dome flow can be modelled as a thin-film flow with the leading-order effects being a simple balance of gravity and viscosity. Finally, the curtain flow is analytically intractable but is related to the existing theory of water bells (both inviscid and viscous). In pipe flow, Newtonian fluids exhibit a parabolic velocity profile; shear-thinning makes the profile more blunted. In thin-film flow over the dome, gravitational and viscous effects balance and the dome shape is not important beyond the local slope. We find that the chocolate thins and slows down as it travels down the dome. Finally, in the curtain flow, we predict the shape of the falling sheet for an inviscid fluid, and compare this with the literature to predict the shape for a viscous fluid, having shown that viscous forces are too great to ignore. We also find that the primary effect driving the shape of the curtain (which falls inwards towards the axis of the fountain) is surface tension. We find that the three domains provide excellent introductions to non-Newtonian mechanics, the important mathematical technique of scaling, and how to manipulate existing data to make our own predictions. We also find that the topic generates interest among the public in our engagement work. (paper)

Single qubit manipulation in a microfabricated surface electrode ion trap

Science.gov (United States)

Mount, Emily; Baek, So-Young; Blain, Matthew; Stick, Daniel; Gaultney, Daniel; Crain, Stephen; Noek, Rachel; Kim, Taehyun; Maunz, Peter; Kim, Jungsang

2013-09-01

We trap individual 171Yb+ ions in a surface trap microfabricated on a silicon substrate, and demonstrate a complete set of high fidelity single qubit operations for the hyperfine qubit. Trapping times exceeding 20 min without laser cooling, and heating rates as low as 0.8 quanta ms-1, indicate stable trapping conditions in these microtraps. A coherence time of more than 1 s, high fidelity qubit state detection and single qubit rotations are demonstrated. The observation of low heating rates and demonstration of high quality single qubit gates at room temperature are critical steps toward scalable quantum information processing in microfabricated surface traps.

Single qubit manipulation in a microfabricated surface electrode ion trap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mount, Emily; Baek, So-Young; Gaultney, Daniel; Crain, Stephen; Noek, Rachel; Kim, Taehyun; Maunz, Peter; Kim, Jungsang; Blain, Matthew; Stick, Daniel

2013-01-01

We trap individual 171 Yb + ions in a surface trap microfabricated on a silicon substrate, and demonstrate a complete set of high fidelity single qubit operations for the hyperfine qubit. Trapping times exceeding 20 min without laser cooling, and heating rates as low as 0.8 quanta ms −1 , indicate stable trapping conditions in these microtraps. A coherence time of more than 1 s, high fidelity qubit state detection and single qubit rotations are demonstrated. The observation of low heating rates and demonstration of high quality single qubit gates at room temperature are critical steps toward scalable quantum information processing in microfabricated surface traps. (paper)

The Galactic fountain as an origin for the Smith Cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Marasco, A.; Fraternali, F.

2017-01-01

The recent discovery of an enriched metallicity for the Smith high-velocity H I Cloud (SC) lends support to a Galactic origin for this system. We use a dynamical model of the galactic fountain to reproduce the observed properties of the SC. In our model, fountain clouds are ejected from the region of the disc spiral arms and move through the halo interacting with a pre-existing hot corona. We find that a simple model where cold gas outflows vertically from the Perseus spiral arm reproduces the kinematics and the distance of the SC, but is in disagreement with the cloud's cometary morphology, if this is produced by ram-pressure stripping by the ambient gas. To explain the cloud morphology, we explore two scenarios: (I) the outflow is inclined with respect to the vertical direction and (II) the cloud is entrained by a fast wind that escapes an underlying superbubble. Solutions in agreement with all observational constraints can be found for both cases, the former requires outflow angles >40° while the latter requires ≳1000 km s-1 winds. All scenarios predict that the SC is in the ascending phase of its trajectory and has large - but not implausible - energy requirements.

Thermal Effectiveness of Wall Indoor Fountain in Warm Humid Climate

Science.gov (United States)

Seputra, J. A. P.

2018-03-01

Nowadays, many buildings wield indoor water features such as waterfalls, fountains, and water curtains to improve their aesthetical value. Despite the provision of air cooling due to water evaporation, this feature also has adverse effect if applied in warm humid climate since evaporation might increase air humidity beyond the comfort level. Yet, there are no specific researches intended to measure water feature’s effect upon its thermal condition. In response, this research examines the influence of evaporative cooling on indoor wall fountain toward occupant’s thermal comfort in warm humid climate. To achieve this goal, case study is established in Waroeng Steak Restaurant’s dining room in Surakarta-Indonesia. In addition, SNI 03-6572-2001 with comfort range of 20.5–27.1°C and 40-60% of relative humidity is utilized as thermal criterion. Furthermore, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is employed to process the data and derive conclusions. Research variables are; feature’s height, obstructions, and fan types. As results, Two Bumps Model (ToB) is appropriate when employs natural ventilation. However, if the room is mechanically ventilated, Three Bumps Model (TeB) becomes the best choice. Moreover, application of adaptive ventilation is required to maintain thermal balance.

Penning ionization processes studied by electron spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yencha, A.J.

1978-01-01

The technique of measuring the kinetic energy of electrons ejected from atomic or molecular species as a result of collisional energy transfer between a metastable excited rare gas atom and an atom or molecule is known as Penning ionization spectroscopy. Like the analogous photoionization process of photoelectron spectroscopy, a considerable amount of information has been gained about the ionization potentials of numerous molecular systems. It is, in fact, through the combined analyses of photoelectron and Penning electron spectra that affords a probe of the particle-particle interactions that occur in the Penning process. In this paper a short survey of the phenomenon of Penning ionization, as studied by electron spectroscopy, will be presented as it pertains to the ionization processes of simple molecules by metastable excited atoms. (author)

Microfabricated inserts for magic angle coil spinning (MACS wireless NMR spectroscopy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vlad Badilita

Full Text Available This article describes the development and testing of the first automatically microfabricated probes to be used in conjunction with the magic angle coil spinning (MACS NMR technique. NMR spectroscopy is a versatile technique for a large range of applications, but its intrinsically low sensitivity poses significant difficulties in analyzing mass- and volume-limited samples. The combination of microfabrication technology and MACS addresses several well-known NMR issues in a concerted manner for the first time: (i reproducible wafer-scale fabrication of the first-in-kind on-chip LC microresonator for inductive coupling of the NMR signal and reliable exploitation of MACS capabilities; (ii improving the sensitivity and the spectral resolution by simultaneous spinning the detection microcoil together with the sample at the "magic angle" of 54.74° with respect to the direction of the magnetic field (magic angle spinning - MAS, accompanied by the wireless signal transmission between the microcoil and the primary circuit of the NMR spectrometer; (iii given the high spinning rates (tens of kHz involved in the MAS methodology, the microfabricated inserts exhibit a clear kinematic advantage over their previously demonstrated counterparts due to the inherent capability to produce small radius cylindrical geometries, thus tremendously reducing the mechanical stress and tearing forces on the sample. In order to demonstrate the versatility of the microfabrication technology, we have designed MACS probes for various Larmor frequencies (194, 500 and 700 MHz testing several samples such as water, Drosophila pupae, adamantane solid and LiCl at different magic angle spinning speeds.

Inkjet printing technology and conductive inks synthesis for microfabrication techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dang, Mau Chien; Dung Dang, Thi My; Fribourg-Blanc, Eric

2013-01-01

Inkjet printing is an advanced technique which reliably reproduces text, images and photos on paper and some other substrates by desktop printers and is now used in the field of materials deposition. This interest in maskless materials deposition is coupled with the development of microfabrication techniques for the realization of circuits or patterns on flexible substrates for which printing techniques are of primary interest. This paper is a review of some results obtained in inkjet printing technology to develop microfabrication techniques at Laboratory for Nanotechnology (LNT). Ink development, in particular conductive ink, study of printed patterns, as well as application of these to the realization of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags on flexible substrates, are presented. (paper)

De innemende verteller Louwrens Penning

OpenAIRE

Ester, Hans

2012-01-01

Dutch author Louwrens Penning (1854 – 1927) indisputably contributed more than any other novelist in the Netherlands to the high degree of solidarity with the Boers before, during and after the Anglo- Boer War 1899 – 1902. Penning, being a believer in the Calvinist tradition, had a profound trust in God’s guidance of history. He identified the war of the Boer soldiers against the British imperialists with the rebellion of the Dutch out of their true religious convictions against t...

"Largo de São Mamede" and "Rua de Alconchel" Fountains, in Évora: methodological notes on their recovery and the unveiling, conservation and restoration of mural painting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Inês Cardoso

2009-01-01

Full Text Available In order to protect the hydraulic heritage of Évora, a restoration project was carried on eighteen structures with different typologies (wall fountains, free standing fountains, drinking fountains characterized by their diversity in historical value and state of conservation. The main objectives of this work promoted by the Municipality of Évora and developed by the company Nova Conservação, Lda. were the conservation, restoration and reactivation of these structures in order to give them back to the public. This paper presents the methodologies for their recovering. A particular emphasis was given to the fountains of "Largo de São Mamede" and, specially, of "Rua de Alconchel" due to the discovery of decorative mural paintings made using fresco techniques (feigned marbles underneath layers of lime wash.

Microfabrication process for patterning metallic lithium encapsulated electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oukassi, Sami; Dunoyer, Nicolas; Salot, Raphael; Martin, Steve

2009-01-01

This work presents recent achievements concerning thin film encapsulation of metallic lithium negative electrode. In the context of this study, the encapsulation stack includes polymer and dielectric layers combined in such way to optimize barrier performances of the whole structure towards oxygen and water vapor permeation. The first part of this work is dedicated to the description of the barrier stack architecture and properties. A second part presents the application of a microfabrication process to the metallic lithium negative electrode and barrier stack so as to have very small features (100 μm x 100 μm patterns). The microfabrication process includes several steps of photolithography and etching (dry and wet) blocks, which allows us to reach the target critical dimensions. These results show a method of patterning functional metallic lithium. It demonstrates the feasibility of energy sources miniaturization which is an important issue in the field of autonomous and wireless sensor networks.

9 CFR 313.1 - Livestock pens, driveways and ramps.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Livestock pens, driveways and ramps... INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION HUMANE SLAUGHTER OF LIVESTOCK § 313.1 Livestock pens, driveways and ramps. (a) Livestock pens, driveways and ramps shall be maintained in good repair. They shall be free from sharp or...

The spatial distribution of microfabric around gravel grains: indicator of till formation processes

Science.gov (United States)

KalväNs, Andis; Saks, Tomas

2010-05-01

Till micromorphology studies in thin sections is an established tool in the field of glacial geology. Often the thin sections are inspected only visually with help of mineralogical microscope. This can lead to subjective interpretation of observed structures. More objective method used in till micromorphology is measurement of apparent microfabric, usually seen as preferred orientation of elongated sand grains. In theses studies only small fraction of elongated sand grains often confined to small area of thin section usually are measured. We present a method for automated measurement of almost all elongated sand grains across the full area of the thin section. Apparently elongated sand grains are measured using simple image analysis tools, the data are processed in a way similar to regular till fabric data and visualised as a grid of rose diagrams. The method allows to draw statistical information about spatial variation of microfabric preferred orientation and fabric strength with resolution as fine as 1 mm. Late Weichselian tills from several sites in Western Latvia were studied and large variations in fabric strength and spatial distribution were observed in macroscopically similar till units. The observed types of microfabric spatial distributions include strong, monomodal and uniform distribution; weak and highly variable in small distances distribution; consistently bimodal distribution and domain-like pattern of preferred sand grain orientation. We suggest that the method can be readily used to identify the basic deformation and sedimentation processes active during the final stages of till formation. It is understood that the microfabric orientation will be significant affected by nearby large particles. The till is highly heterogonous sediment and the source of microfabric perturbations observed in thin section might lie outside the section plane. Therefore we suggest that microfabric distribution around visible sources of perturbation - gravel grains cut

Microfabricated Bulk Piezoelectric Transformers

Science.gov (United States)

Barham, Oliver M.

Piezoelectric voltage transformers (PTs) can be used to transform an input voltage into a different, required output voltage needed in electronic and electro- mechanical systems, among other varied uses. On the macro scale, they have been commercialized in electronics powering consumer laptop liquid crystal displays, and compete with an older, more prevalent technology, inductive electromagnetic volt- age transformers (EMTs). The present work investigates PTs on smaller size scales that are currently in the academic research sphere, with an eye towards applications including micro-robotics and other small-scale electronic and electromechanical sys- tems. PTs and EMTs are compared on the basis of power and energy density, with PTs trending towards higher values of power and energy density, comparatively, indicating their suitability for small-scale systems. Among PT topologies, bulk disc-type PTs, operating in their fundamental radial extension mode, and free-free beam PTs, operating in their fundamental length extensional mode, are good can- didates for microfabrication and are considered here. Analytical modeling based on the Extended Hamilton Method is used to predict device performance and integrate mechanical tethering as a boundary condition. This model differs from previous PT models in that the electric enthalpy is used to derive constituent equations of motion with Hamilton's Method, and therefore this approach is also more generally applica- ble to other piezoelectric systems outside of the present work. Prototype devices are microfabricated using a two mask process consisting of traditional photolithography combined with micropowder blasting, and are tested with various output electri- cal loads. 4mm diameter tethered disc PTs on the order of .002cm. 3 , two orders smaller than the bulk PT literature, had the followingperformance: a prototype with electrode area ratio (input area / output area) = 1 had peak gain of 2.3 (+/- 0.1), efficiency of 33 (+/- 0

The development of microfabricated biocatalytic fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sasaki, Satoshi; Karube, Isao [University of Tokyo (Japan). Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology

1999-02-01

The production of electricity by biocatalytic fuel cells has been feasible for almost two decades and can produce electric power at a practical level. These fuel cells use immobilized microorganisms or enzymes as catalysts, and glucose as a fuel. A microfabricated enzyme battery has recently been made that is designed to function as a power supply for microsurgery robots or artificial organs. (author)

Selenium Speciation in the Fountain Creek Watershed (Colorado, USA Correlates with Water Hardness, Ca and Mg Levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James S. Carsella

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The environmental levels of selenium (Se are regulated and strictly enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA because of the toxicity that Se can exert at high levels. However, speciation plays an important role in the overall toxicity of Se, and only when speciation analysis has been conducted will a detailed understanding of the system be possible. In the following, we carried out the speciation analysis of the creek waters in three of the main tributaries—Upper Fountain Creek, Monument Creek and Lower Fountain Creek—located in the Fountain Creek Watershed (Colorado, USA. There are statistically significant differences between the Se, Ca and Mg, levels in each of the tributaries and seasonal swings in Se, Ca and Mg levels have been observed. There are also statistically significant differences between the Se levels when grouped by Pierre Shale type. These factors are considered when determining the forms of Se present and analyzing their chemistry using the reported thermodynamic relationships considering Ca2+, Mg2+, SeO42−, SeO32− and carbonates. This analysis demonstrated that the correlation between Se and water hardness can be explained in terms of formation of soluble CaSeO4. The speciation analysis demonstrated that for the Fountain Creek waters, the Ca2+ ion may be mainly responsible for the observed correlation with the Se level. Considering that the Mg2+ level is also correlating linearly with the Se levels it is important to recognize that without Mg2+ the Ca2+ would be significantly reduced. The major role of Mg2+ is thus to raise the Ca2+ levels despite the equilibria with carbonate and other anions that would otherwise decrease Ca2+ levels.

Dual cesium and rubidium atomic fountain with a 10{sup -16} level accuracy and applications; Fontaine atomique double de cesium et de rubidium avec une exactitude de quelques 10{sup -16} et applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chapelet, F

2008-05-15

Atomic fountains are the most accomplished development of the atomic clocks based on the cesium atom whose hyperfine resonance defines the SI second since 1967. Today these systems are among those which realize the second with the best accuracy. We present the last developments of the cold cesium and rubidium atom dual fountain experiment at LNE-SYRTE. This unique dual setup would allow to obtain an outstanding resolution in fundamental physics tests based on atomic transition frequency comparisons. In order to enable operation with both atomic species simultaneously, we designed, tested and implemented on the fountain new collimators which combine the laser lights corresponding to each atom. By comparing our rubidium fountain to another cesium fountain over a decade, we performed a test of the stability of the fine structure constant at the level of 5 * 10{sup -16} per year. We carried on the work on the clock accuracy and we focused on the phase gradients effects in the interrogation cavity and on the microwave leakage. The fountain accuracy has been evaluated to 4 * 10{sup -16} for the cesium clock and to 5 * 10{sup -16} for the refurbished rubidium clock. As a powerful instrument of metrology, our fountain was implicated in many clock comparisons and contributed many times to calibrate the International Atomic Time. Furthermore, we used the fountain to perform a new test of Lorentz local invariance. (author)

Quantum Dynamics in Atomic-Fountain Experiments for Measuring the Electric Dipole Moment of the Electron with Improved Sensitivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. J. Wundt

2012-11-01

Full Text Available An improved measurement of the electron electric dipole moment (EDM appears feasible using ground-state alkali atoms in an atomic fountain in which a strong electric field, which couples to a conceivable EDM, is applied perpendicular to the fountain axis. In a practical fountain, the ratio of the atomic tensor Stark shift to the Zeeman shift is a factor μ∼100. We expand the complete time-evolution operator in inverse powers of this ratio; complete results are presented for atoms of total spin F=3, 4, and 5. For a specific set of entangled hyperfine sublevels (coherent states, potential systematic errors enter only as even powers of 1/μ, making the expansion rapidly convergent. The remaining EDM-mimicking effects are further suppressed in a proposed double-differential setup, where the final state is interrogated in a differential laser configuration, and the direction of the strong electric field also is inverted. Estimates of the signal available at existing accelerator facilities indicate that the proposed apparatus offers the potential for a drastic improvement in EDM limits over existing measurements, and for constraining the parameter space of supersymmetric (SUSY extensions of the Standard Model.

Coherent states approach to Penning trap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, David J; Velazquez, Mercedes

2009-01-01

By using a matrix technique, which allows us to identify directly the ladder operators, the Penning trap coherent states are derived as eigenstates of the appropriate annihilation operators. These states are compared with those obtained through the displacement operator. The associated wavefunctions and mean values for some relevant operators in these states are also evaluated. It turns out that the Penning trap coherent states minimize the Heisenberg uncertainty relation

Silicon microfabricated beam expander

Science.gov (United States)

Othman, A.; Ibrahim, M. N.; Hamzah, I. H.; Sulaiman, A. A.; Ain, M. F.

2015-03-01

The feasibility design and development methods of silicon microfabricated beam expander are described. Silicon bulk micromachining fabrication technology is used in producing features of the structure. A high-precision complex 3-D shape of the expander can be formed by exploiting the predictable anisotropic wet etching characteristics of single-crystal silicon in aqueous Potassium-Hydroxide (KOH) solution. The beam-expander consist of two elements, a micromachined silicon reflector chamber and micro-Fresnel zone plate. The micro-Fresnel element is patterned using lithographic methods. The reflector chamber element has a depth of 40 µm, a diameter of 15 mm and gold-coated surfaces. The impact on the depth, diameter of the chamber and absorption for improved performance are discussed.

Development of fountain detectors for spectroscopy of secondary electron in SEM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agemura, Toshihide [University of Tsukuba (Japan); Iwai, Hideo [National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba (Japan); Sekiguchi, Takashi [University of Tsukuba (Japan); National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba (Japan)

2017-07-15

To image the variation of surface potential in semiconductors, energy selective secondary electron detector, named fountain detector (FD), was developed. Two types of grids, planar and spherical, were designed and the superiority of latter was demonstrated. The p-n junction of 4H-SiC was observed using spherical FD and the image was much clear than that using conventional detector. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Micromanipulation and microfabrication for optical microrobotics

Science.gov (United States)

Palima, Darwin; Bañas, Andrew Rafael; Vizsnyiczai, Gaszton; Kelemen, Lóránd; Aabo, Thomas; Ormos, Pál.; Glückstad, Jesper

2012-10-01

Robotics can use optics feedback in vision-based control of intelligent robotic guidance systems. With light's miniscule momentum, shrinking robots down to the microscale regime creates opportunities for exploiting optical forces and torques in microrobotic actuation and control. Indeed, the literature on optical trapping and micromanipulation attests to the possibilities for optical microrobotics. This work presents an optical microrobotics perspective on the optical microfabrication and micromanipulation work that we performed. We designed different three-dimensional microstructures and fabricated them by two-photon polymerization. These microstructures were then handled using our biophotonics workstation (BWS) for proof-of-principle demonstrations of optical actuation, akin to 6DOF actuation of robotic micromanipulators. Furthermore, we also show an example of dynamic behavior of the trapped microstructure that can be achieved when using static traps in the BWS. This can be generalized, in the future, towards a structural shaping optimization strategy for optimally controlling microstructures to complement approaches based on lightshaping. We also show that light channeled to microfabricated, free-standing waveguides can be used not only to redirect light for targeted delivery of optical energy but can also for targeted delivery of optical force, which can serve to further extend the manipulation arms in optical robotics. Moreover, light deflection with waveguide also creates a recoil force on the waveguide, which can be exploited for controlling the optical force.

Operation Facelift: Cover Makeovers Can Be the Fountain of Youth for Many Titles

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Leigh Ann

2009-01-01

Aging covers and those that miss their mark and lead to sluggish sales are often targeted for makeovers, many times with good results. Up to 75 percent of Viking's books get redesigned, says Assistant Art Director Jim Hoover, because the publisher sees it as a chance to reintroduce a book to the market. Makeovers are considered the fountain of…

Administration technique and storage of disposable insulin pens reported by patients with diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Virginia D; Porter, Kyle; Beatty, Stuart J

2012-01-01

The purpose of the study was to evaluate insulin injection technique and storage of insulin pens as reported by patients with diabetes and to compare correct pen use to initial education on injection technique, hemoglobin A1C, duration of insulin therapy, and duration of insulin pen. Cross-sectional questionnaire orally administered to patients at a university-affiliated primary care practice. Subjects were patients with diabetes who were 18 years or older and prescribed a disposable insulin pen for at least 4 weeks. A correct usage score was calculated for each patient based on manufacturer recommendations for disposable insulin pen use. Associations were made between the correct usage score and certainty in technique, initial education, years of insulin therapy, duration of pen use, and hemoglobin A1C. Sixty-seven patients completed the questionnaire, reporting total use of 94 insulin pens. The 3 components most often neglected by patients were priming pen needle, holding for specific count time before withdrawal of pen needle from skin, and storing an in-use pen. For three-fourths of the insulin pens being used, users did not follow the manufacturer's instructions for proper administration and storage of insulin pens. Correct usage scores were significantly higher if initial education on insulin pens was performed by a pharmacist or nurse. The majority of patients may be ignoring or unaware of key components for consistent insulin dosing using disposable insulin pens; therefore, initial education and reeducation on correct use of disposable insulin pens by health care professionals are needed.

Pen-and-Paper User Interfaces

CERN Document Server

Steimle, Jurgen

2012-01-01

Even at the beginning of the 21st century, we are far from becoming paperless. Pen and paper is still the only truly ubiquitous information processing technology. Pen-and-paper user interfaces bridge the gap between paper and the digital world. Rather than replacing paper with electronic media, they seamlessly integrate both worlds in a hybrid user interface. Classical paper documents become interactive. This opens up a huge field of novel computer applications at our workplaces and in our homes. This book provides readers with a broad and extensive overview of the field, so as to provide a fu

Microfabricated Chemical Sensors for Aerospace Fire Detection Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Gary W.; Neudeck, Philip G.; Fralick, Gustave; Thomas, Valarie; Makel, D.; Liu, C. C.; Ward, B.; Wu, Q. H.

2001-01-01

The detection of fires on-board commercial aircraft is extremely important for safety reasons. Although dependable fire detection equipment presently exists within the cabin, detection of fire within the cargo hold has been less reliable and susceptible to false alarms. A second, independent method of fire detection to complement the conventional smoke detection techniques, such as the measurement of chemical species indicative of a fire, will help reduce false alarms and improve aircraft safety. Although many chemical species are indicative of a fire, two species of particular interest are CO and CO2. This paper discusses microfabricated chemical sensor development tailored to meet the needs of fire safety applications. This development is based on progress in three types of technology: 1) Micromachining and microfabrication (Microsystem) technology to fabricate miniaturized sensors. 2) The use of nanocrystalline materials to develop sensors with improved stability combined with higher sensitivity. 3) The development of high temperature semiconductors, especially silicon carbide. The individual sensor being developed and their level of maturity will be presented.

AFM cantilever with in situ renewable mercury microelectrode

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schön, Peter Manfred; Geerlings, J.; Tas, Niels Roelof; Sarajlic, Edin

2013-01-01

We report here first results obtained on a novel, in situ renewable mercury microelectrode integrated into an atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilever. Our approach is based on a fountain pen probe with appropriate dimensions enabling reversible filling with(nonwetting) mercury under changing the

Microfabricating 3D Structures by Laser Origami

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-09

10.1117/2.1201111.003952 Microfabricating 3D structures by laser origami Alberto Piqué, Scott Mathews, Andrew Birnbaum, and Nicholas Charipar A new...folding known as origami allows the transformation of flat patterns into 3D shapes. A similar approach can be used to generate 3D structures com... geometries . The overarching challenge is to move away from traditional planar semiconductor photolitho- graphic techniques, which severely limit the type of

Early warning of diarrhea and pen fouling in growing pigs using sensor-based monitoring

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, D. B.; Toft, Nils; Kristensen, A. R.

2016-01-01

then identify specific pens in need of extra attention. Here we evaluate the value of monitoring live weight, feed usage, humidity, drinking behavior and pen temperature in relation to early warnings of diarrhea and pen fouling in slaughter pigs. Materials and methods: We used data collected in 16 pens (8...... double-pens) between November 2013 and December 2014 at a commercial Danish farm. During this time, three new batches were inserted. We monitored the mean live weight of the pigs per pen (weekly, only in 4 pens), feed usage per double-pen (daily), humidity per section (daily), temperature at two...... positions per pen (hourly), water flow per double-pen (liters/hour/pig) and drinking frequency per pen (activations/hour/pig). Staff registrations of diarrhea and pen fouling were the events of interest. The data were divided into a learning set (15 events) and a test set (18 events). The data were modeled...

Microfabricated Silicon Microneedle Array for Transdermal Drug Delivery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, J; Tay, F E; Miao Jianmin; Iliescu, C

2006-01-01

This paper presents developed processes for silicon microneedle arrays microfabrication. Three types of microneedles structures were achieved by isotropic etching in inductively coupled plasma (ICP) using SF 6 /O 2 gases, combination of isotropic etching with deep etching, and wet etching, respectively. A microneedle array with biodegradable porous tips was further developed based on the fabricated microneedles

Microfabricated Silicon Microneedle Array for Transdermal Drug Delivery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ji, J [Mechanical Engineering National University of Singapore, 119260, Singapore (Singapore); Tay, F E [Mechanical Engineering National University of Singapore, 119260, Singapore (Singapore); Miao Jianmin [MicroMachines Center, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798 (Singapore); Iliescu, C [Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, Nanos, 04-01, 138669 (Singapore)

2006-04-01

This paper presents developed processes for silicon microneedle arrays microfabrication. Three types of microneedles structures were achieved by isotropic etching in inductively coupled plasma (ICP) using SF{sub 6}/O{sub 2} gases, combination of isotropic etching with deep etching, and wet etching, respectively. A microneedle array with biodegradable porous tips was further developed based on the fabricated microneedles.

Tail posture predicts tail biting outbreaks at pen level in weaner pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lahrmann, Helle Pelant; Hansen, Christian Fink; D'Eath, Rick

2018-01-01

posture and behaviour could be detected at pen level between upcoming tail biting pens (T-pens) and control pens (C-pens). The study included 2301 undocked weaner pigs in 74 pens (mean 31.1 pigs/pen; SD 1.5). Tails were scored three times weekly (wound freshness, wound severity and tail length) between 07......Detecting a tail biting outbreak early is essential to reduce the risk of pigs getting severe tail damage. A few previous studies suggest that tail posture and behavioural differences can predict an upcoming outbreak. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate if differences in tail......:00 h-14:00 h from weaning until a tail biting outbreak. An outbreak (day 0) occurred when at least four pigs had a tail damage, regardless of wound freshness. On average 7.6 (SD 4.3) pigs had a damaged tail (scratches + wound) in T-pens on day 0. Tail posture and behaviour (activity, eating...

Simulation-based design of a microfabricated pneumatic electrospray nebulizer

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Járvás, G.; Grym, Jakub; Foret, František; Guttman, A.

2015-01-01

Roč. 36, č. 3 (2015), s. 386-392 ISSN 0173-0835 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP206/12/G014 Institutional support: RVO:68081715 Keywords : CFD * microfabrication * modeling * electrospray * nebulizer Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 2.482, year: 2015

Simulation-based design of a microfabricated pneumatic electrospray nebulizer

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Járvás, G.; Grym, Jakub; Foret, František; Guttman, A.

2015-01-01

Roč. 36, č. 3 (2015), s. 386-392 ISSN 0173-0835 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP206/12/G014 Institutional support: RVO:68081715 Keywords : CFD * microfabrication * modeling * electrospray * nebulizer Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry , Separation Impact factor: 2.482, year: 2015

Silicon microfabricated beam expander

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Othman, A.; Ibrahim, M. N.; Hamzah, I. H.; Sulaiman, A. A.; Ain, M. F.

2015-01-01

The feasibility design and development methods of silicon microfabricated beam expander are described. Silicon bulk micromachining fabrication technology is used in producing features of the structure. A high-precision complex 3-D shape of the expander can be formed by exploiting the predictable anisotropic wet etching characteristics of single-crystal silicon in aqueous Potassium-Hydroxide (KOH) solution. The beam-expander consist of two elements, a micromachined silicon reflector chamber and micro-Fresnel zone plate. The micro-Fresnel element is patterned using lithographic methods. The reflector chamber element has a depth of 40 µm, a diameter of 15 mm and gold-coated surfaces. The impact on the depth, diameter of the chamber and absorption for improved performance are discussed

Silicon microfabricated beam expander

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Othman, A., E-mail: aliman@ppinang.uitm.edu.my; Ibrahim, M. N.; Hamzah, I. H.; Sulaiman, A. A. [Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia, 40450, Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Ain, M. F. [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Seri Ampangan, 14300,Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang (Malaysia)

2015-03-30

The feasibility design and development methods of silicon microfabricated beam expander are described. Silicon bulk micromachining fabrication technology is used in producing features of the structure. A high-precision complex 3-D shape of the expander can be formed by exploiting the predictable anisotropic wet etching characteristics of single-crystal silicon in aqueous Potassium-Hydroxide (KOH) solution. The beam-expander consist of two elements, a micromachined silicon reflector chamber and micro-Fresnel zone plate. The micro-Fresnel element is patterned using lithographic methods. The reflector chamber element has a depth of 40 µm, a diameter of 15 mm and gold-coated surfaces. The impact on the depth, diameter of the chamber and absorption for improved performance are discussed.

Humalog(®) KwikPen™: an insulin-injecting pen designed for ease of use.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Sherwyn L; Ignaut, Debra A; Bodie, Jennifer N

2010-11-01

Insulin pens offer significant benefits over vial and syringe injections for patients with diabetes who require insulin therapy. Insulin pens are more discreet, easier for patients to hold and inject, and provide better dosing accuracy than vial and syringe injections. The Humalog(®) KwikPen™ (prefilled insulin lispro [Humalog] pen, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA) is a prefilled insulin pen highly rated by patients for ease of use in injections, and has been preferred by patients to both a comparable insulin pen and to vial and syringe injections in comparator studies. Together with an engineering study demonstrating smoother injections and reduced dosing error versus a comparator pen, recent evidence demonstrates the Humalog KwikPen device is an accurate, easy-to-use, patient-preferred insulin pen.

Microfabricated linear Paul-Straubel ion trap

Science.gov (United States)

Mangan, Michael A [Albuquerque, NM; Blain, Matthew G [Albuquerque, NM; Tigges, Chris P [Albuquerque, NM; Linker, Kevin L [Albuquerque, NM

2011-04-19

An array of microfabricated linear Paul-Straubel ion traps can be used for mass spectrometric applications. Each ion trap comprises two parallel inner RF electrodes and two parallel outer DC control electrodes symmetric about a central trap axis and suspended over an opening in a substrate. Neighboring ion traps in the array can share a common outer DC control electrode. The ions confined transversely by an RF quadrupole electric field potential well on the ion trap axis. The array can trap a wide array of ions.

Contact printed masks for 3D microfabrication in negative resists

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Häfliger, Daniel; Boisen, Anja

2005-01-01

We present a process based on contact printed shadow masks for three dimensional microfabrication of soft and sensitive overhanging membranes in SU-8. A metal mask is transferred onto unexposed SU-8 from an elastomer stamp made of polydimethylsiloxane. This mask is subsequently embedded into the ......We present a process based on contact printed shadow masks for three dimensional microfabrication of soft and sensitive overhanging membranes in SU-8. A metal mask is transferred onto unexposed SU-8 from an elastomer stamp made of polydimethylsiloxane. This mask is subsequently embedded...... into the negative resist to protect buried material from UV-exposure. Unlike direct evaporation-deposition of a mask onto the SU-8, printing avoids high stress and radiation, thus preventing resist wrinkling and prepolymerization. We demonstrate effective monolithic fabrication of soft, 4-μm thick and 100-μm long...

Of Papers and Pens: Polysemes and Homophones in Lexical (Mis)Selection

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Leon; Slevc, L. Robert

2017-01-01

Every word signifies multiple senses. Many studies using comprehension-based measures suggest that polysemes' senses (e.g., "paper" as in "printer paper" or "term paper") share lexical representations, whereas homophones' meanings (e.g., "pen" as in "ballpoint pen" or "pig pen")…

Polymeric microsieves via phase separation microfabrication: Process and design optimization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bikel, M.; Culfaz, P.Z.; Bolhuis-Versteeg, Lydia A.M.; Perez, J. Garduno; Lammertink, Rob G.H.; Wessling, Matthias

2010-01-01

Phase separation microfabrication (PSμF) is a fabrication method that allows the preparation of membranes having micropattern surface topologies. PSμF has been successfully used for manufacturing polymeric microsieves. The technique benefits from the vertical shrinkage of polymer solutions to ensure

Essential Characteristics of Plasma Antennas Filled with He-Ar Penning Gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Naifeng; Li Wenzhong; Wang Shiqing; Li Jian; Ci Jiaxiang

2012-01-01

Based on the essential theory of Penning gases, the discharge characteristics of He-Ar Penning gases in insulating tubes were analyzed qualitatively. The relation between the effective length of an antenna column filled with He-Ar Penning gases and the applied radio frequency (RF) power was investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The distribution of the plasma density along the antenna column in different conditions was studied. The receiving characteristics of local frequency modulated (FM) electromagnetic waves by the plasma antenna filled with He-Ar Penning gases were compared with those by an aluminum antenna with the same dimensions. Results show that it is feasible to take plasma antennas filled with He-Ar Penning gases as receiving antennas.

Trends in Microfabrication Capabilities & Device Architectures.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bauer, Todd [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Jones, Adam [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Lentine, Tony [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Mudrick, John [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Okandan, Murat [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Rodrigues, Arun [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-06-01

The last two decades have seen an explosion in worldwide R&D, enabling fundamentally new capabilities while at the same time changing the international technology landscape. The advent of technologies for continued miniaturization and electronics feature size reduction, and for architectural innovations, will have many technical, economic, and national security implications. It is important to anticipate possible microelectronics development directions and their implications on US national interests. This report forecasts and assesses trends and directions for several potentially disruptive microfabrication capabilities and device architectures that may emerge in the next 5-10 years.

Microfabrication on a curved surface using 3D microlens array projection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Lei; Yi, Allen Y

2009-01-01

Accurate three-dimensional microstructures on silicon or other substrates are becoming increasingly important for optical, electronic, biomedical and medical applications. Traditional microfabrication processes based on cleanroom lithography and dry or wet etching processes are essentially two-dimensional methods. In the past, complicated procedures were designed to create some three-dimensional microstructures; however, these processes were mainly used to create features on planar silicon wafer substrates using the bulk silicon machining technique. In a major departure from previous micromachining processes, a microfabrication process based on microlens projection is presented in this paper. The proposed microfabrication system will have the capabilities of a typical conventional micromachining process plus the unique true three-dimensional replication features based on microlenses that were created on a steep curved substrate. These microlenses were precisely fabricated with a specific pattern on the curved surface that can be used to create microstructures on a pre-defined nonplanar substrate where a layer of photoresist was spin coated. After proper exposure and development, the desired micro patterns are created on the photoresist layer. These micro features can eventually be replicated on the substrate via wet or dry etching processes. The results show that the fabricated three-dimensional microlens array has very high dimensional accuracy and the profile error is less than 6 µm over the entire surface

Non-Linear Dependence of the Height of a Chain Fountain on Drop Height

Science.gov (United States)

Andrew, Y.; Kearns, F.; Mustafa, T.; Salih, R.; Ioratim-Uba, A.; Udall, I.; Usama, M.

2015-01-01

If the end of a long chain, which is contained in an elevated beaker, is dropped over the edge of the beaker and falls, it is observed that as the speed of the chain increases the chain rises to form a loop well above the top of the beaker. The name "chain fountain" has been applied to this phenomenon. In this study the dependence of the…

Ease of use and patient preference injection simulation study comparing two prefilled insulin pens.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Paula E; Valentine, Virginia; Bodie, Jennifer N; Sarwat, Samiha

2010-07-01

To determine patient ease of use and preference for the Humalog KwikPen* (prefilled insulin lispro [Humalog dagger] pen, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA) (insulin lispro pen) versus the Next Generation FlexPen double dagger (prefilled insulin aspart [NovoRapid section sign ] pen, Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) (insulin aspart pen). This was a randomized, open-label, 2-period, 8-sequence crossover study in insulin pen-naïve patients with diabetes. Randomized patients (N = 367) received device training, then simulated low- (15 U) and high- (60 U) dose insulin injections with an appliance. Patients rated pens using an ease of use questionnaire and were asked separately for final pen preferences. The Insulin Device 'Ease of Use' Battery is a 10-item questionnaire with a 7-point scale (higher scores reflect greater ease of use). The primary objective was to determine pen preference for 'easy to press to inject my dose' (by comparing composite scores [low- plus high-dose]). Secondary objectives were to determine pen preference on select questionnaire items (from composite scores), final pen preference, and summary responses for all questionnaire items. On the primary endpoint, 'easy to press to inject my dose,' a statistically significant majority of patients with a preference chose the insulin lispro pen over the insulin aspart pen (68.4%, 95% CI = 62.7-73.6%). Statistically significant majorities of patients with a preference also favored the insulin lispro pen on secondary items: 'easy to hold in my hand when I inject' (64.9%, 95% CI = 58.8-70.7%), 'easy to use when I am in a public place' (67.5%, 95% CI = 61.0-73.6%), and 'overall easy to use' (69.9%, 95% CI = 63.9-75.4%). A statistically significant majority of patients had a final preference for the insulin lispro pen (67.3%, 95% CI = 62.2-72.1%). Among pen-naïve patients with diabetes who had a preference, the majority preferred the insulin lispro pen over the insulin aspart pen with regard

A proof of concept of a BioMEMS glucose biosensor using microfabricated SU-8 films

OpenAIRE

Psoma, Sotiria D.

2009-01-01

The present project investigated and proved the concept of developing a novel BioMEMS glucose micro-biosensor using a simple one-step microfabrication process of the widely used SU-8 polymer. More specifically, the study focused on the investigation of the suitability of the SU-8 polymer as a matrix for enzyme immobilisation that is carried out during the microfabrication process. A comparative study between commercially available SU-8 and “customised” SU-8 solutions showed tha...

Pen-based Interfaces for Engineering and Education

Science.gov (United States)

Stahovich, Thomas F.

Sketches are an important problem-solving tool in many fields. This is particularly true of engineering design, where sketches facilitate creativity by providing an efficient medium for expressing ideas. However, despite the importance of sketches in engineering practice, current engineering software still relies on traditional mouse and keyboard interfaces, with little or no capabilities to handle free-form sketch input. With recent advances in machine-interpretation techniques, it is now becoming possible to create practical interpretation-based interfaces for such software. In this chapter, we report on our efforts to create interpretation techniques to enable pen-based engineering applications. We describe work on two fundamental sketch understanding problems. The first is sketch parsing, the task of clustering pen strokes or geometric primitives into individual symbols. The second is symbol recognition, the task of classifying symbols once they have been located by a parser. We have used the techniques that we have developed to construct several pen-based engineering analysis tools. These are used here as examples to illustrate our methods. We have also begun to use our techniques to create pen-based tutoring systems that scaffold students in solving problems in the same way they would ordinarily solve them with paper and pencil. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of these systems.

Complete Genome Sequence of a Novel Aquareovirus That Infects the Endangered Fountain Darter, Etheostoma fonticola

OpenAIRE

Iwanowicz, Luke R.; Iwanowicz, Deborah D.; Adams, Cynthia R.; Lewis, Teresa D.; Brandt, Thomas M.; Cornman, Robert S.; Sanders, Lakyn

2016-01-01

Here, we report the complete genome of a novel aquareovirus isolated from clinically normal fountain darters, Etheostoma fonticola, inhabiting the San Marcos River, Texas, USA. The complete genome consists of 23,958 bp consisting of 11 segments that range from 783 bp (S11) to 3,866 bp (S1).

Complete genome sequence of a novel aquareovirus that infects the endangered fountain darter, Etheostoma fonticola

Science.gov (United States)

Iwanowicz, Luke R.; Iwanowicz, Deborah; Adams, Cynthia; Lewis, Teresa D.; Brandt, Thomas M.; Cornman, Robert S.; Sanders, Lakyn R.

2016-01-01

Here, we report the complete genome of a novel aquareovirus isolated from clinically normal fountain darters, Etheostoma fonticola, inhabiting the San Marcos River, Texas, USA. The complete genome consists of 23,958 bp consisting of 11 segments that range from 783 bp (S11) to 3,866 bp (S1).

Development of a Micro-Fabricated Total-Field Magnetometer

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-01

are made with fluxgate technologies. Fluxgates have lower sensitivity than Cs magnetometers , yet they continue to be used in small wands simply...extraction process by providing the sensitivity of a Cs magnetometer with the convenience and low cost of a fluxgate wand. Extremely small and low cost...FINAL REPORT Development of a Micro-Fabricated Total-Field Magnetometer SERDP Project MR-1512 MARCH 2011 Mark Prouty Geometrics, Inc

The LEBIT 9.4 T Penning trap system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ringle, R.; Bollen, G.; Schury, P.; Sun, T. [National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, East Lansing, MI (United States); Michigan State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, East Lansing, MI (United States); Lawton, D.; Schwarz, S. [National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, East Lansing, MI (United States)

2005-09-01

The initial experimental program with the Low-Energy Beam and Ion Trap Facility, or LEBIT, will concentrate on Penning trap mass measurements of rare isotopes, delivered by the Coupled Cyclotron Facility (CCF) of the NSCL. The LEBIT Penning trap system has been optimized for high-accuracy mass measurements of very short-lived isotopes. (orig.)

The LEBIT 9.4 T Penning trap system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ringle, R.; Bollen, G.; Schury, P.; Sun, T.; Lawton, D.; Schwarz, S.

2005-01-01

The initial experimental program with the Low-Energy Beam and Ion Trap Facility, or LEBIT, will concentrate on Penning trap mass measurements of rare isotopes, delivered by the Coupled Cyclotron Facility (CCF) of the NSCL. The LEBIT Penning trap system has been optimized for high-accuracy mass measurements of very short-lived isotopes. (orig.)

Advanced microstructures based on poly(trimethylene carbonate) microfabrication and stereolithography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schüller-Ravoo, S.

2011-01-01

There is an evident need in the biomedical field to develop (new) materials with tailored properties for specific applications. In addition it is essential to be able to process these materials into desired two- and three-dimensional shapes and (micro)structures. Microfabrication, and especially

Microfabricated tools for manipulation and analysis of magnetic microcarriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tondra, Mark; Popple, Anthony; Jander, Albrecht; Millen, Rachel L.; Pekas, Nikola; Porter, Marc D.

2005-01-01

Tools for manipulating and detecting magnetic microcarriers are being developed with microscale features. Microfabricated giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensors and wires are used for detection, and for creating high local field gradients. Microfluidic structures are added to control flow, and positioning of samples and microcarriers. These tools are designed for work in analytical chemistry and biology

A Microfabricated Involute-Foil Regenerator for Stirling Engines

Science.gov (United States)

Tew, Roy; Ibrahim, Mounir; Danila, Daniel; Simon, Terrence; Mantell, Susan; Sun, Liyong; Gedeon, David; Kelly, Kevin; McLean, Jeffrey; Qiu, Songgang

2007-01-01

A segmented involute-foil regenerator has been designed, microfabricated and tested in an oscillating-flow rig with excellent results. During the Phase I effort, several approximations of parallel-plate regenerator geometry were chosen as potential candidates for a new microfabrication concept. Potential manufacturers and processes were surveyed. The selected concept consisted of stacked segmented-involute-foil disks (or annular portions of disks), originally to be microfabricated from stainless-steel via the LiGA (lithography, electroplating, and molding) process and EDM. During Phase II, re-planning of the effort led to test plans based on nickel disks, microfabricated via the LiGA process, only. A stack of nickel segmented-involute-foil disks was tested in an oscillating-flow test rig. These test results yielded a performance figure of merit (roughly the ratio of heat transfer to pressure drop) of about twice that of the 90 percent random fiber currently used in small approx.100 W Stirling space-power convertors-in the Reynolds Number range of interest (50 to 100). A Phase III effort is now underway to fabricate and test a segmented-involute-foil regenerator in a Stirling convertor. Though funding limitations prevent optimization of the Stirling engine geometry for use with this regenerator, the Sage computer code will be used to help evaluate the engine test results. Previous Sage Stirling model projections have indicated that a segmented-involute-foil regenerator is capable of improving the performance of an optimized involute-foil engine by 6 to 9 percent; it is also anticipated that such involute-foil geometries will be more reliable and easier to manufacture with tight-tolerance characteristics, than random-fiber or wire-screen regenerators. Beyond the near-term Phase III regenerator fabrication and engine testing, other goals are (1) fabrication from a material suitable for high temperature Stirling operation (up to 850 C for current engines; up to 1200 C

Measurement of magnetic field gradients using Raman spectroscopy in a fountain

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivasan, Arvind; Zimmermann, Matthias; Efremov, Maxim A.; Davis, Jon P.; Narducci, Frank A.

2017-02-01

In many experiments involving cold atoms, it is crucial to know the strength of the magnetic field and/or the magnetic field gradient at the precise location of a measurement. While auxiliary sensors can provide some of this information, the sensors are usually not perfectly co-located with the atoms and so can only provide an approximation to the magnetic field strength. In this article, we describe a technique to measure the magnetic field, based on Raman spectroscopy, using the same atomic fountain source that will be used in future magnetically sensitive measurements.

PtRu colloid nanoparticles for CO oxidation in microfabricated reactors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klerke, Asbjørn; Saadi, Souheil; Toftegaard, Maja Bøg

2006-01-01

The catalytic activity of PtRu colloid nanoparticles for CO oxidation is investigated in microfabricated reactors. The measured catalytic performance describes a volcano curve as a function of the Pt/Ru ratio. The apparent activation energies for the different alloy catalysts are between 21 and 1...

A self-assembled monolayer-assisted surface microfabrication and release technique

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kim, B.J.; Liebau, M.; Huskens, Jurriaan; Reinhoudt, David; Brugger, J.P.

2001-01-01

This paper describes a method of thin film and MEMS processing which uses self-assembled monolayers as ultra-thin organic surface coating to enable a simple removal of microfabricated devices off the surface without wet chemical etching. A 1.5-nm thick self-assembled monolayer of

Correlates of cannabis vape-pen use and knowledge among U.S. college students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tessa Frohe

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The proliferation of electronic devices, such as vape-pens, has provided alternative means for cannabis use. Research has found cannabis-vaping (i.e., vape-pen use is associated with lower perceived risks and higher cannabis use. Knowledge of these products may increase likelihood of subsequent use. As policies for cannabis shift, beliefs that peers and family approve of this substance use (injunctive norms increase and there has been an increase in vape-pen use among young adults (18–35year olds; however, correlates thereof remain unknown. Young adults often engage in cross-substance use with cannabis and alcohol, making alcohol a potential correlate of cannabis vape-pen use and knowledge. Therefore, we examined alcohol use and other potential correlates of vape-pen use and knowledge among a sample of university students. Methods: This secondary data analysis utilized surveys at multiple colleges in the U.S. (N=270. Alcohol use, social anxiety, cannabis expectancies, injunctive and descriptive norms and facets of impulsivity were examined as correlates of vape-pen use and knowledge using bivariate correlations and logistic regressions. Results: Alcohol use was correlated with cannabis vape-pen use and knowledge. Frequency of cannabis use, peer injunctive norms, and positive expectancies were associated with increased likelihood of vape-pen use. Lack of premeditation, a facet of impulsivity, was associated with cannabis vape-pen knowledge. Conclusions: Given the unknown nature and consequences of cannabis vape-pens, the present findings offer valuable information on correlates of this behavior. Further, correlates of knowledge of vape-pens may point to areas for education and clinical intervention to prevent heavy cannabis vape-pen use. Keywords: Marijuana, Vaporizer, College students, Substance use, Attitudes, Cannabis

Microfabricated Gas Phase Chemical Analysis Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

FRYE-MASON, GREGORY CHARLES; HELLER, EDWIN J.; HIETALA, VINCENT M.; KOTTENSTETTE, RICHARD; LEWIS, PATRICK R.; MANGINELL, RONALD P.; MATZKE, CAROLYN M.; WONG, CHUNGNIN C.

1999-01-01

A portable, autonomous, hand-held chemical laboratory ((micro)ChemLab(trademark)) is being developed for trace detection (ppb) of chemical warfare (CW) agents and explosives in real-world environments containing high concentrations of interfering compounds. Microfabrication is utilized to provide miniature, low-power components that are characterized by rapid, sensitive and selective response. Sensitivity and selectivity are enhanced using two parallel analysis channels, each containing the sequential connection of a front-end sample collector/concentrator, a gas chromatographic (GC) separator, and a surface acoustic wave (SAW) detector. Component design and fabrication and system performance are described

Survival through Adaptation: The Chinese Red Army and the Encirclement Campaigns, 1927-1936

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-08

The attacks of the Red Army cracked the illusion of invincibility, and demonstrated to the people there was an alternative. Such a breakthrough...647The surviving members all received a new linen tunic, a notebook, a fountain pen, an enamel bowl, an enamel pan, and a pair of chopsticks

Laser subtractive-additive-welding microfabrication for Lab-On-Chip (LOC) applications

Science.gov (United States)

Jonušauskas, Linas; RekštytÄ--, Sima; Buivydas, Ričardas; Butkus, Simas; Paipulas, Domas; Gadonas, Roaldas; Juodkazis, Saulius; Malinauskas, Mangirdas

2017-02-01

An approach employing ultrafast laser hybrid microfabrication combining ablation, 3D nanolithography and welding is proposed for the realization of Lab-On-Chip (LOC) device. The same laser setup is shown to be suitable for fabricating microgrooves in glass slabs, polymerization of fine meshes inside them, and, lastly, sealing the whole chip with cover glass into one monolithic piece. The created micro fluidic device proved its particle sorting function by separating 1 μm and 10 μm polystyrene spheres from a mixture. Next, a lens adapter for a cell phone's camera was manufactured via thermal extrusion 3D printing technique which allowed to achieve sufficient magnification to clearly resolve <10 μm features. All together shows fs-laser microfabrication technology as a flexible and versatile tool for study and manufacturing of Lab-On-Chip devices.

Progress Toward a Microfabricated Gas Turbine Generator for Soldier Portable Power Applications

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Jacobson, S. A; Das, S; Savoulides, N; Steyn, J. L; Lang, J; Li, H. Q; Livermore, C; Schmidt, M. A; Teo, C. J; Umans, S. D; Epstein, A. H; Arnold, D. P; Park, J-W; Zana, I; Allen, M. G

2004-01-01

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) turbocharger and electric generator devices have been fabricated and tested as part of a program at MIT to develop a microfabricated gas turbine generator for portable power applications...

Esthetics, "Aida" and "Re-entry shock:" Fountains in a blind woman's drawings

OpenAIRE

Kennedy, John M.

2014-01-01

Blind people can invent drawings for material objects like cups, and matters esthetic, like "glory" at the climax of a story. In sketches of cups, their drawings are realistic, using lines for surface edges of profiles, and borders of cross-sections. They are metaphoric if they show purely mental events. These points are illustrated by two drawings by EW, a blind woman with two notable uses of a "fountain" device. One shows "glory" in the opera "Aida" and one is for memories overflowing.

Ball-grid array architecture for microfabricated ion traps

Science.gov (United States)

Guise, Nicholas D.; Fallek, Spencer D.; Stevens, Kelly E.; Brown, K. R.; Volin, Curtis; Harter, Alexa W.; Amini, Jason M.; Higashi, Robert E.; Lu, Son Thai; Chanhvongsak, Helen M.; Nguyen, Thi A.; Marcus, Matthew S.; Ohnstein, Thomas R.; Youngner, Daniel W.

2015-05-01

State-of-the-art microfabricated ion traps for quantum information research are approaching nearly one hundred control electrodes. We report here on the development and testing of a new architecture for microfabricated ion traps, built around ball-grid array (BGA) connections, that is suitable for increasingly complex trap designs. In the BGA trap, through-substrate vias bring electrical signals from the back side of the trap die to the surface trap structure on the top side. Gold-ball bump bonds connect the back side of the trap die to an interposer for signal routing from the carrier. Trench capacitors fabricated into the trap die replace area-intensive surface or edge capacitors. Wirebonds in the BGA architecture are moved to the interposer. These last two features allow the trap die to be reduced to only the area required to produce trapping fields. The smaller trap dimensions allow tight focusing of an addressing laser beam for fast single-qubit rotations. Performance of the BGA trap as characterized with 40Ca+ ions is comparable to previous surface-electrode traps in terms of ion heating rate, mode frequency stability, and storage lifetime. We demonstrate two-qubit entanglement operations with 171Yb+ ions in a second BGA trap.

Ball-grid array architecture for microfabricated ion traps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guise, Nicholas D.; Fallek, Spencer D.; Stevens, Kelly E.; Brown, K. R.; Volin, Curtis; Harter, Alexa W.; Amini, Jason M.; Higashi, Robert E.; Lu, Son Thai; Chanhvongsak, Helen M.; Nguyen, Thi A.; Marcus, Matthew S.; Ohnstein, Thomas R.; Youngner, Daniel W.

2015-01-01

State-of-the-art microfabricated ion traps for quantum information research are approaching nearly one hundred control electrodes. We report here on the development and testing of a new architecture for microfabricated ion traps, built around ball-grid array (BGA) connections, that is suitable for increasingly complex trap designs. In the BGA trap, through-substrate vias bring electrical signals from the back side of the trap die to the surface trap structure on the top side. Gold-ball bump bonds connect the back side of the trap die to an interposer for signal routing from the carrier. Trench capacitors fabricated into the trap die replace area-intensive surface or edge capacitors. Wirebonds in the BGA architecture are moved to the interposer. These last two features allow the trap die to be reduced to only the area required to produce trapping fields. The smaller trap dimensions allow tight focusing of an addressing laser beam for fast single-qubit rotations. Performance of the BGA trap as characterized with 40 Ca + ions is comparable to previous surface-electrode traps in terms of ion heating rate, mode frequency stability, and storage lifetime. We demonstrate two-qubit entanglement operations with 171 Yb + ions in a second BGA trap

Semi-confined compression of microfabricated polymerized biomaterial constructs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moraes, Christopher; Likhitpanichkul, Morakot; Simmons, Craig A; Sun, Yu; Zhao, Ruogang

2011-01-01

Mechanical forces are critical parameters in engineering functional tissue because of their established influence on cellular behaviour. However, identifying ideal combinations of mechanical, biomaterial and chemical stimuli to obtain a desired cellular response requires high-throughput screening technologies, which may be realized through microfabricated systems. This paper reports on the development and characterization of a MEMS device for semi-confined biomaterial compression. An array of these devices would enable studies involving mechanical deformation of three-dimensional biomaterials, an important parameter in creating physiologically relevant microenvironments in vitro. The described device has the ability to simultaneously apply a range of compressive mechanical stimuli to multiple polymerized hydrogel microconstructs. Local micromechanical strains generated within the semi-confined hydrogel cylinders are characterized and compared with those produced in current micro- and macroscale technologies. In contrast to previous work generating unconfined compression in microfabricated devices, the semi-confined compression model used in this work generates uniform regions of strain within the central portion of each hydrogel, demonstrated here to range from 20% to 45% across the array. The uniform strains achieved simplify experimental analysis and improve the utility of the compression platform. Furthermore, the system is compatible with a wide variety of polymerizable biomaterials, enhancing device versatility and usability in tissue engineering and fundamental cell biology studies

3D laser microfabrication principles and applications

CERN Document Server

Misawa, Hiroaki

2006-01-01

A thorough introduction to 3D laser microfabrication technology, leading readers from the fundamentals and theory to its various potent applications, such as the generation of tiny objects or three-dimensional structures within the bulk of transparent materials. The book also presents new theoretical material on dielectric breakdown, allowing a better understanding of the differences between optical damage on surfaces and inside the bulk, as well as a look into the future.Chemists, physicists, materials scientists and engineers will find this a valuable source of interdisciplinary know

Complete Genome Sequence of a Novel Aquareovirus That Infects the Endangered Fountain Darter, Etheostoma fonticola.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwanowicz, Luke R; Iwanowicz, Deborah D; Adams, Cynthia R; Lewis, Teresa D; Brandt, Thomas M; Cornman, Robert S; Sanders, Lakyn

2016-12-22

Here, we report the complete genome of a novel aquareovirus isolated from clinically normal fountain darters, Etheostoma fonticola, inhabiting the San Marcos River, Texas, USA. The complete genome consists of 23,958 bp consisting of 11 segments that range from 783 bp (S11) to 3,866 bp (S1). Copyright © 2016 Iwanowicz et al.

Microfabricated rubber microscope using soft solid immersion lenses

OpenAIRE

Gambin, Yann; Legrand, Olivier; Quake, Stephen R.

2006-01-01

We show here a technique of soft lithography to microfabricate efficient solid immersion lenses (SIL) out of rubber elastomers. The light collection efficiency of a lens system is described by its numerical aperture (NA), and is critical for applications as epifluorescence microscopy [B. Herman, Fluorescence Microscopy (BIOS Scientific, Oxford/Springer, United Kingdom, 1998). While most simple lens systems have numerical apertures less than 1, the lenses described here have NA=1.25. Better pe...

Microfabrication of an Implantable silicone Microelectrode array for an epiretinal prosthesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maghribi, Mariam Nader [Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)

2003-06-10

Millions of people suffering from diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration are legally blind due to the loss of photoreceptor function. Fortunately a large percentage of the neural cells connected to the photoreceptors remain viable, and electrical stimulation of these cells has been shown to result in visual perception. These findings have generated worldwide efforts to develop a retinal prosthesis device, with the hope of restoring vision. Advances in microfabrication, integrated circuits, and wireless technologies provide the means to reach this challenging goal. This dissertation describes the development of innovative silicone-based microfabrication techniques for producing an implantable microelectrode array. The microelectrode array is a component of an epiretinal prosthesis being developed by a multi-laboratory consortium. This array will serve as the interface between an electronic imaging system and the human eye, directly stimulating retinal neurons via thin film conducting traces. Because the array is intended as a long-term implant, vital biological and physical design requirements must be met. A retinal implant poses difficult engineering challenges due to the size of the intraocular cavity and the delicate retina. Not only does it have to be biocompatible in terms of cytotoxicity and degradation, but it also has to be structurally biocompatible, with regard to smooth edges and high conformability; basically mimicking the biological tissue. This is vital to minimize stress and prevent physical damage to the retina. Also, the device must be robust to withstand the forces imposed on it during fabrication and implantation. In order to meet these biocompatibility needs, the use of non-conventional microfabrication materials such as silicone is required. This mandates the enhancement of currently available polymer-based fabrication techniques and the development of new microfabrication methods. Through an iterative process, devices

Rapid, all dry microfabrication of three-dimensional Co3O4/Pt nanonetworks for high-performance microsupercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Xinyu; Feng, Shuxuan; He, Liang; Yan, Mengyu; Tian, Xiaocong; Li, Yanxi; Tang, Chunjuan; Hong, Xufeng; Mai, Liqiang

2017-08-17

On-chip electrochemical energy storage devices have attracted growing attention due to the decreasing size of electronic devices. Various approaches have been applied for constructing the microsupercapacitors. However, the microfabrication of high-performance microsupercapacitors by conventional and fully compatible semiconductor microfabrication technologies is still a critical challenge. Herein, unique three-dimensional (3D) Co 3 O 4 nanonetwork microelectrodes formed by the interconnection of Co 3 O 4 nanosheets are constructed by controllable physical vapor deposition combined with rapid thermal annealing. This construction process is an all dry and rapid (≤5 minutes) procedure. Afterward, by sputtering highly electrically conductive Pt nanoparticles on the microelectrodes, the 3D Co 3 O 4 /Pt nanonetworks based microsupercapacitor is fabricated, showing a high volume capacitance (35.7 F cm -3 ) at a scan rate of 20 mV s -1 due to the unique interconnected structures, high electrical conductivity and high surface area of the microelectrodes. This microfabrication process is also used to construct high-performance flexible microsupercapacitors, and it can be applied in the construction of wearable devices. The proposed strategy is completely compatible with the current semiconductor microfabrication and shows great potential in the applications of the large-scale integration of micro/nano and wearable devices.

Tilting-Twisting-Rolling: a pen-based technique for compass geometric construction

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Fei LYU; Feng TIAN; Guozhong DAI; Hongan WANG

2017-01-01

This paper presents a new pen-based technique,Tilting-Twisting-Rolling,to support compass geometric construction.By leveraging the 3D orientation information and 3D rotation information of a pen,this technique allows smooth pen action to complete multi-step geometric construction without switching task states.Results from a user study show this Tilting-Twisting-Rolling technique can improve user performance and user experience in compass geometric construction.

Micro-fabricated mechanical sensors for lateral molecular-force microscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vicary, J.A., E-mail: james.vicary@bristol.ac.uk [H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL (United Kingdom); Ulcinas, A. [Research Centre for Microsystems and Nanotechnology, Kaunas University of Technology, LT-51369 Kaunas (Lithuania); Hoerber, J.K.H.; Antognozzi, M. [H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL (United Kingdom); Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1FD (United Kingdom)

2011-11-15

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been very successful in measuring forces perpendicular to the sample plane. Here, we present the advantages of turning the AFM cantilever 90 Degree-Sign in order for it to be perpendicular to the sample. This rotation leads naturally to the detection of in-plane forces with some extra advantages with respect to the AFM orientation. In particular, the use of extremely small (1 {mu}m wide) and soft (k{approx_equal}10{sup -5} N/m) micro-fabricated cantilevers is demonstrated by recording their thermal power spectral density in ambient conditions and in liquid. These measurements lead to the complete characterisation of the sensors in terms of their stiffness and resonant frequency. Future applications, which will benefit from the use of this force microscopy technique, are also described. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Micro-fabrication of ultra-soft silicon nitride sensors. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer SEW detection system enables the use of extremely small cantilevers. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Choice of sensor geometry permits control of thermal excitations and axial rotations. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer LMFM can be used in a force regime not previously associated with AFM.

Particle confinement in penning traps an introduction

CERN Document Server

Vogel, Manuel

2018-01-01

This book provides an introduction to the field of Penning traps and related experimental techniques. It serves both as a primer for those entering the field, and as a quick reference for those working in it. The book is motivated by the observation that often a vast number of different resources have to be explored to gain a good overview of Penning trap principles. This is especially true for students who experience additional difficulty due to the different styles of presentation and notation. This volume provides a broad introductory overview in unified notation.

Penning transfer in argon-based gas mixtures

CERN Document Server

Sahin, O; Tapan, I; Ozmutlu, E N

2010-01-01

Penning transfers, a group of processes by which excitation energy is used to ionise the gas, increase the gas gain in some detectors. Both the probability that such transfers occur and the mechanism by which the transfer takes place, vary with the gas composition and pressure. With a view to developing a microscopic electron transport model that takes Penning transfers into account, we use this dependence to identify the transfer mechanisms at play. We do this for a number of argon-based gas mixtures, using gain curves from the literature.

Remediation scenarios for attenuating peak flows and reducing sediment transport in Fountain Creek, Colorado, 2013

Science.gov (United States)

Kohn, Michael S.; Fulton, John W.; Williams, Cory A.; Stogner, Sr., Robert W.

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Fountain Creek Watershed, Flood Control and Greenway District assessed remediation scenarios to attenuate peak flows and reduce sediment loads in the Fountain Creek watershed. To evaluate these strategies, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC) hydrologic and hydraulic models were employed. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers modeling system HEC-HMS (Hydrologic Modeling System) version 3.5 was used to simulate runoff in the Fountain Creek watershed, Colorado, associated with storms of varying magnitude and duration. Rain-gage precipitation data and radar-based precipitation data from the April 28–30, 1999, and September 14–15, 2011, storm events were used in the calibration process for the HEC-HMS model. The curve number and lag time for each subwatershed and Manning's roughness coefficients for each channel reach were adjusted within an acceptable range so that the simulated and measured streamflow hydrographs for each of the 12 USGS streamgages approximated each other. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers modeling system HEC-RAS (River Analysis System) versions 4.1 and 4.2 were used to simulate streamflow and sediment transport, respectively, for the Fountain Creek watershed generated by a particular storm event. Data from 15 USGS streamgages were used for model calibration and 7 of those USGS streamgages were used for model validation. The calibration process consisted of comparing the simulated water-surface elevations and the cross-section-averaged velocities from the model with those surveyed in the field at the cross section at the corresponding 15 and 7 streamgages, respectively. The final Manning’s roughness coefficients were adjusted between –30 and 30 percent at the 15 calibration streamgages from the original left, right, and channel-averaged Manning's roughness coefficients upon completion of calibration. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers modeling system HEC

Microfabricated modular scale-down device for regenerative medicine process development.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcel Reichen

Full Text Available The capacity of milli and micro litre bioreactors to accelerate process development has been successfully demonstrated in traditional biotechnology. However, for regenerative medicine present smaller scale culture methods cannot cope with the wide range of processing variables that need to be evaluated. Existing microfabricated culture devices, which could test different culture variables with a minimum amount of resources (e.g. expensive culture medium, are typically not designed with process development in mind. We present a novel, autoclavable, and microfabricated scale-down device designed for regenerative medicine process development. The microfabricated device contains a re-sealable culture chamber that facilitates use of standard culture protocols, creating a link with traditional small-scale culture devices for validation and scale-up studies. Further, the modular design can easily accommodate investigation of different culture substrate/extra-cellular matrix combinations. Inactivated mouse embryonic fibroblasts (iMEF and human embryonic stem cell (hESC colonies were successfully seeded on gelatine-coated tissue culture polystyrene (TC-PS using standard static seeding protocols. The microfluidic chip included in the device offers precise and accurate control over the culture medium flow rate and resulting shear stresses in the device. Cells were cultured for two days with media perfused at 300 µl.h(-1 resulting in a modelled shear stress of 1.1×10(-4 Pa. Following perfusion, hESC colonies stained positively for different pluripotency markers and retained an undifferentiated morphology. An image processing algorithm was developed which permits quantification of co-cultured colony-forming cells from phase contrast microscope images. hESC colony sizes were quantified against the background of the feeder cells (iMEF in less than 45 seconds for high-resolution images, which will permit real-time monitoring of culture progress in future

Microfabricated Chemical Gas Sensors and Sensor Arrays for Aerospace Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Gary W.

2005-01-01

Aerospace applications require the development of chemical sensors with capabilities beyond those of commercially available sensors. In particular, factors such as minimal sensor size, weight, and power consumption are particularly important. Development areas which have potential aerospace applications include launch vehicle leak detection, engine health monitoring, and fire detection. Sensor development for these applications is based on progress in three types of technology: 1) Micromachining and microfabrication (Microsystem) technology to fabricate miniaturized sensors; 2) The use of nanocrystalline materials to develop sensors with improved stability combined with higher sensitivity; 3) The development of high temperature semiconductors, especially silicon carbide. This presentation discusses the needs of space applications as well as the point-contact sensor technology and sensor arrays being developed to address these needs. Sensors to measure hydrogen, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides (NO,), carbon monoxide, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are being developed as well as arrays for leak, fire, and emissions detection. Demonstrations of the technology will also be discussed. It is concluded that microfabricated sensor technology has significant potential for use in a range of aerospace applications.

Asymmetric Penning trap coherent states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Contreras-Astorga, Alonso; Fernandez, David J.

2010-01-01

By using a matrix technique, which allows to identify directly the ladder operators, the coherent states of the asymmetric Penning trap are derived as eigenstates of the appropriate annihilation operators. They are compared with those obtained through the displacement operator method.

RESEARCHES REGARDING THE MAIN REPRODUCTION INDICATORS DETERMINATED IN SOWS, STAND GESTATION PEN TIPE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RAMONA UNTARU

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Current researches were carried out with the goal to quantisize the lost from the weaning to early gestation at the sows housed in open pen gestation. In this trail we tested two pen types, different not only by size, but also by feeders’ emplacement. The main reproduction indicators that we calculated until the 28 gestation day were the proportion of sows in heat after weaning, the weaning to estrus interval and the gestation rates. The weaning to estrus interval was about 4 to 7 days, most sows were in heat in the day 5 and 6 days after weaning. The percent of heat detection after weaning was 71.42% for the small pens and 70.71% for the big pens (differences statistically non significant, chi test value was 0.983. The gestation rate at 28 days after insemination was 91.62% for the small pens and 94.72% for the large pens (chi test value 0,959, statistically non significant differences. The overpopulation for heat induction and after that chipping animals together in those pens, show that the lost are up to 40.47%, between weaning – day 28 of gestation.

Hydrodynamic loading and viscous damping of patterned perforations on microfabricated resonant structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Park, Kidong; Shim, Jeong; Solovyeva, Vita

2012-01-01

We examined the hydrodynamic loading of vertically resonating microfabricated plates immersed in liquids with different viscosities. The planar structures were patterned with focused ion beam, perforating various shapes with identical area but varying perimeters. The hydrodynamic loading of various...

Dynamic-compliance and viscosity of PET and PEN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weick, Brian L.

2016-01-01

Complex dynamic-compliance and in-phase dynamic-viscosity data are presented and analyzed for PET and PEN advanced polyester substrates used for magnetic tapes. Frequency-temperature superposition is used to predict long-term behavior. Temperature and frequency ranges for the primary glass transition and secondary transitions are discussed and compared for PET and PEN. Shift factors from frequency-temperature superposition are used to determine activation energies for the transitions, and WLF parameters are determined for the polyester substrates.

Dynamic-compliance and viscosity of PET and PEN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weick, Brian L. [School of Engineering and Computer Science, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, 95211 (United States)

2016-05-18

Complex dynamic-compliance and in-phase dynamic-viscosity data are presented and analyzed for PET and PEN advanced polyester substrates used for magnetic tapes. Frequency-temperature superposition is used to predict long-term behavior. Temperature and frequency ranges for the primary glass transition and secondary transitions are discussed and compared for PET and PEN. Shift factors from frequency-temperature superposition are used to determine activation energies for the transitions, and WLF parameters are determined for the polyester substrates.

Dynamic-compliance and viscosity of PET and PEN

Science.gov (United States)

Weick, Brian L.

2016-05-01

Complex dynamic-compliance and in-phase dynamic-viscosity data are presented and analyzed for PET and PEN advanced polyester substrates used for magnetic tapes. Frequency-temperature superposition is used to predict long-term behavior. Temperature and frequency ranges for the primary glass transition and secondary transitions are discussed and compared for PET and PEN. Shift factors from frequency-temperature superposition are used to determine activation energies for the transitions, and WLF parameters are determined for the polyester substrates.

Space-charge effects in Penning ion traps

Science.gov (United States)

Porobić, T.; Beck, M.; Breitenfeldt, M.; Couratin, C.; Finlay, P.; Knecht, A.; Fabian, X.; Friedag, P.; Fléchard, X.; Liénard, E.; Ban, G.; Zákoucký, D.; Soti, G.; Van Gorp, S.; Weinheimer, Ch.; Wursten, E.; Severijns, N.

2015-06-01

The influence of space-charge on ion cyclotron resonances and magnetron eigenfrequency in a gas-filled Penning ion trap has been investigated. Off-line measurements with K39+ using the cooling trap of the WITCH retardation spectrometer-based setup at ISOLDE/CERN were performed. Experimental ion cyclotron resonances were compared with ab initio Coulomb simulations and found to be in agreement. As an important systematic effect of the WITCH experiment, the magnetron eigenfrequency of the ion cloud was studied under increasing space-charge conditions. Finally, the helium buffer gas pressure in the Penning trap was determined by comparing experimental cooling rates with simulations.

Microfabrication of a platform to measure and manipulate the mechanics of engineered microtissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramade, Alexandre; Legant, Wesley R; Picart, Catherine; Chen, Christopher S; Boudou, Thomas

2014-01-01

Engineered tissues can be used to understand fundamental features of biology, develop organotypic in vitro model systems, and as engineered tissue constructs for replacing damaged tissue in vivo. However, a key limitation is an inability to test the wide range of parameters that might impact the engineered tissue in a high-throughput manner and in an environment that mimics the three-dimensional (3D) native architecture. We developed a microfabricated platform to generate arrays of microtissues embedded within 3D micropatterned matrices. Microcantilevers simultaneously constrain microtissue formation and report forces generated by the microtissues in real time, opening the possibility to use high-throughput, low-volume screening for studies on engineered tissues. Thanks to the micrometer scale of the microtissues, this platform is also suitable for high-throughput monitoring of drug-induced effect on architecture and contractility in engineered tissues. Moreover, independent variations of the mechanical stiffness of the cantilevers and collagen matrix allow the measurement and manipulation of the mechanics of the microtissues. Thus, our approach will likely provide valuable opportunities to elucidate how biomechanical, electrical, biochemical, and genetic/epigenetic cues modulate the formation and maturation of 3D engineered tissues. In this chapter, we describe the microfabrication, preparation, and experimental use of such microfabricated tissue gauges. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microfabrication and Applications of Opto-Microfluidic Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Daiying; Men, Liqiu; Chen, Qiying

2011-01-01

A review of research activities on opto-microfluidic sensors carried out by the research groups in Canada is presented. After a brief introduction of this exciting research field, detailed discussion is focused on different techniques for the fabrication of opto-microfluidic sensors, and various applications of these devices for bioanalysis, chemical detection, and optical measurement. Our current research on femtosecond laser microfabrication of optofluidic devices is introduced and some experimental results are elaborated. The research on opto-microfluidics provides highly sensitive opto-microfluidic sensors for practical applications with significant advantages of portability, efficiency, sensitivity, versatility, and low cost. PMID:22163904

Influence of lucite phantoms on calibration of dosimetric pens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, E.C.; Xavier, M.; Caldas, L.E.V.

1992-01-01

Dosimetrical pens were studied for the answer repetition and were tested in gamma radiation fields ( 60 Co and 137 Cs) in air and in front of a lucite phantom, obtaining a backscattering contribution. The medium backscattering factors were 1,053 and 1,108 for respectively 60 Co and 137 Cs. The pens were placed behind the phantom for verifying the radiation attenuation. (C.G.C.)

Controlled dielectrophoretic nanowire self-assembly using atomic layer deposition and suspended microfabricated electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baca, Alicia I; Brown, Joseph J; Bright, Victor M; Bertness, Kris A

2012-01-01

Effects of design and materials on the dielectrophoretic self-assembly of individual gallium nitride nanowires (GaN NWs) onto microfabricated electrodes have been experimentally investigated. The use of TiO 2 surface coating generated by atomic layer deposition (ALD) improves dielectrophoretic assembly yield of individual GaN nanowires on microfabricated structures by as much as 67%. With a titanium dioxide coating, individual nanowires were placed across suspended electrode pairs in 46% of tests (147 out of 320 total), versus 28% of tests (88 out of 320 total tests) that used uncoated GaN NWs. An additional result from these tests was that suspending the electrodes 2.75 μm above the substrate corresponded with up to 15.8% improvement in overall assembly yield over that of electrodes fabricated directly on the substrate. (paper)

Phase II Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition (PEN) evaluation: interviews with key informants.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowden, Fran Martin; Lordly, Daphne; Thirsk, Jayne; Corby, Lynda

2012-01-01

Dietitians of Canada has collaborated with experts in knowledge translation and transfer, technology, and dietetic practice to develop and implement an innovative online decision-support system called Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition (PEN). A study was conducted to evaluate the perceived facilitators and barriers that enable dietitians to use or prevent them from using PEN. As part of the overall evaluation framework of PEN, a qualitative descriptive research design was used to address the research purpose. Individual, semi-structured telephone interviews with 17 key informants were completed, and the interview transcripts underwent qualitative content analysis. Respondents identified several facilitators of and barriers to PEN use. Facilitators included specificity to dietetics, rigorous/expert review, easy accessibility, current content, credible/secure material, well-organized/easy-to-use material, material that is valuable to practice, and good value for money. Barriers included perceived high cost, fee structuring/cost to students, certain organizational aspects, and a perceived lack of training for pathway contributors. This formative evaluation has indicated areas in which PEN could be improved and strategies to make PEN the standard for dietetic education and practice. Ensuring that PEN is meeting users' knowledge needs is of the utmost importance if dietitians are to remain on the cutting edge of scientific inquiry.

Fast and Simple Forensic Red Pen Ink Analysis Using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, L.C.; Ying, S.L.; Wan Nur Syazwani Wan Mohamad Fuad; Ab Aziz Ishak; Khairul Osman

2016-01-01

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) is more effective than high performance liquid chromatography in terms of analysis speed and sensitivity. This paper presents a feasibility study on forensic red pen inks analysis using UPLC. A total of 12 varieties of red ball point pen inks were purchased from selected stationary shop. For each variety, four different individual pens were sampled to provide intra-variability within a particular variety of pen. The proposed approach is very simple that it only involved limited analysis step and chemicals. A total of 144 chromatograms were obtained from red ink entries extracted with 1.5 mL 80 % (v/v) acetonitrile. Peaks originated from pen inks were determined by comparing the chromatograms of both blank paper and blank solvent against that of ink samples. Subsequently, one-way ANOVA was conducted to discriminate all 66 possible pairs for red pen inks. Results showed that the proposed approach giving discriminating power of 95.45 %. The outcome of the study indicates that UPLC could be a fast and simple approach to red ball point pen inks analysis. (author)

Micro-fabricated integrated coil and magnetic circuit and method of manufacturing thereof

Science.gov (United States)

Mihailovich, Robert E.; Papavasiliou, Alex P.; Mehrotra, Vivek; Stupar, Philip A.; Borwick, III, Robert L.; Ganguli, Rahul; DeNatale, Jeffrey F.

2017-03-28

A micro-fabricated electromagnetic device is provided for on-circuit integration. The electromagnetic device includes a core. The core has a plurality of electrically insulating layers positioned alternatingly between a plurality of magnetic layers to collectively form a continuous laminate having alternating magnetic and electrically insulating layers. The electromagnetic device includes a coil embedded in openings of the semiconductor substrate. An insulating material is positioned in the cavity and between the coil and an inner surface of the core. A method of manufacturing the electromagnetic device includes providing a semiconductor substrate having openings formed therein. Windings of a coil are electroplated and embedded in the openings. The insulating material is coated on or around an exposed surface of the coil. Alternating magnetic layers and electrically insulating layers may be micro-fabricated and electroplated as a single and substantially continuous segment on or around the insulating material.

Innovation & evaluation of tangible direct manipulation digital drawing pens for children.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Tai-Hua; Wu, Fong-Gong; Chen, Huei-Tsz

2017-04-01

Focusing on the theme of direct manipulation, in this study, we proposed a new and innovative tangible user interface (TUI) design concept for a manipulative digital drawing pen. Based on interviews with focus groups brainstorming and experts and the results of a field survey, we selected the most suitable tangible user interface for children between 4 and 7 years of age. Using the new tangible user interface, children could choose between the brush tools after touching and feeling the various patterns. The thickness of the brush could be adjusted by changing the tilt angle. In a subsequent experimental process we compared the differences in performance and subjective user satisfaction. A total of sixteen children, aged 4-7 years participated in the experiment. Two operating system experiments (the new designed tangible digital drawing pen and traditional visual interface-icon-clicking digital drawing pens) were performed at random and in turns. We assessed their manipulation performance, accuracy, brush stroke richness and subjective evaluations. During the experimental process we found that operating functions using the direct manipulation method, and adding shapes and semantic models to explain the purpose of each function, enabled the children to perform stroke switches relatively smoothly. By using direct manipulation digital pens, the children could improve their stroke-switching performance for digital drawing. Additionally, by using various patterns to represent different brushes or tools, the children were able to make selections using their sense of touch, thereby reducing the time required to move along the drawing pens and select icons (The significant differences (p = 0.000, p drawing thick lines using the crayon function of the two (new and old) drawing pens (new 5.8750 drawing operations enhanced the drawing results, thereby increasing the children's enjoyment of drawing with tangible digital drawing pens. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All

Chemical composition of felt-tip pen inks.

Science.gov (United States)

Germinario, Giulia; Garrappa, Silvia; D'Ambrosio, Valeria; van der Werf, Inez Dorothé; Sabbatini, Luigia

2018-01-01

Felt-tip pens are frequently used for the realization of sketches, drawings, architectural projects, and other technical designs. The formulations of these inks are usually rather complex and may be associated to those of modern paint materials where, next to the binding medium and pigments/dyes, solvents, fillers, emulsifiers, antioxidants, plasticizers, light stabilizers, biocides, and so on are commonly added. Felt-tip pen inks are extremely sensitive to degradation and especially exposure to light may cause chromatic changes and fading. In this study, we report on the complete chemical characterization of modern felt-tip pen inks that are commercially available and commonly used for the realization of artworks. Three brands of felt-tip pens (Faber-Castell, Edding, and Stabilo) were investigated with complementary analytical techniques such as thin-layer chromatography (TLC), VIS-reflectance spectroscopy, μ-Raman spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), GC-MS, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The use of TLC proved to be very powerful in the study of complex mixtures of synthetic dyes. First derivatives of the reflectance spectra acquired on the TLC spots were useful in the preliminary identification of the dye, followed by Raman spectroscopy and SERS, which allowed for the unambiguous determination of the chemical composition of the pigments (phthalocyanines, dioxazines, and azo pigments) and dyes (azo dyes, triarylmethanes, xanthenes). FTIR spectroscopy was used especially for the detection of additives, as well as for confirming the nature of solvents and dyes/pigments. Finally, (Py-)GC-MS data provided information on the binders (styrene-acrylic resins, plant gums), solvents, and additives, as well as on pigments and dyes.

A redesigned follitropin alfa pen injector for infertility: results of a market research study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abbotts C

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Carole Abbotts1, Cristiana Salgado-Braga2, Céline Audibert-Gros31Pharmaceutical Marketing Research Consultancy, London, UK; 2Fertility and Endocrinology Global Business Unit, 3Business Intelligence, Merck Serono SA, Geneva, SwitzerlandBackground: The purpose of this study was to evaluate patient-learning and nurse-teaching experiences when using a redesigned prefilled, ready-to-use follitropin alfa pen injector.Methods: Seventy-three UK women of reproductive age either administering daily treatment with self-injectable gonadotropins or about to start gonadotropin treatment for infertility (aged 24–47 years; 53 self-injection-experienced and 20 self-injection-naïve and 28 nurses from UK infertility clinics were recruited for the study. Following instruction, patients and nurses used the redesigned follitropin alfa pen to inject water into an orange and completed questionnaires to evaluate their experiences with the pen immediately after the simulated injections.Results: Most (88%, n = 64 patients found it easy to learn how to use the pen. Among injection-experienced patients, 66% (n = 35 agreed that the redesigned pen was easier to learn to use compared with their current method and 70% (n = 37 also said they would prefer its use over current devices for all injectable fertility medications. All nurses considered the redesigned pen easy to learn and believed it would be easy to teach patients how to use. Eighty-six percent (n = 24 of the nurses thought it was easy to teach patients to determine the remaining dose to be dialed and injected in a second pen if the initial dose was incomplete. Compared with other injection devices, 96% (n = 27 thought it was "much easier" to "as easy" to teach patients to use the redesigned pen. Based on ease of teaching, 68% (n = 19 of nurses would choose to teach the pen in preference to any other injection method. Almost all (93%, n = 26 nurses considered that having the same pen format for a range of

Update on insulin treatment for dogs and cats: insulin dosing pens and more

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thompson A

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Ann Thompson,1 Patty Lathan,2 Linda Fleeman3 1School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, Australia; 2College of Veterinary Medicine Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA; 3Animal Diabetes Australia, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Abstract: Insulin therapy is still the primary therapy for all diabetic dogs and cats. Several insulin options are available for each species, including veterinary registered products and human insulin preparations. The insulin chosen depends on the individual patient's requirements. Intermediate-acting insulin is usually the first choice for dogs, and longer-acting insulin is the first choice for cats. Once the insulin type is chosen, the best method of insulin administration should be considered. Traditionally, insulin vials and syringes have been used, but insulin pen devices have recently entered the veterinary market. Pens have different handling requirements when compared with standard insulin vials including: storage out of the refrigerator for some insulin preparations once pen cartridges are in use; priming of the pen to ensure a full dose of insulin is administered; and holding the pen device in place for several seconds during the injection. Many different types of pen devices are available, with features such as half-unit dosing, large dials for visually impaired people, and memory that can display the last time and dose of insulin administered. Insulin pens come in both reusable and disposable options. Pens have several benefits over syringes, including improved dose accuracy, especially for low insulin doses. Keywords: diabetes, mellitus, canine, feline, NPH, glargine, porcine lente

MICROFABRICATED ELECTROCHEMICAL ANALYSIS SYSTEM FOR HEAVY METAL DETECTION. (R825511C047)

Science.gov (United States)

A low power, hand-held system has been developed for the measurement of heavy metal ions in aqueous solutions. The system consists of an electrode array sensor, a high performance single chip potentiostat and a microcontroller circuit. The sensor is a microfabricated array of ...

Dynamic monitoring of weight data at the pen vs at the individual level

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Dan; Toft, Nils; Kristensen, A. R. K.

recorded weight data from finisher pigs. Data are collected at insertion and at the exit of the first pigs in the pen, and in few pens, the weight is recorded weekly. Dynamic linear models are fitted on the weight data, at the pig level (univariate), at the double pen level using averaged weight...... (univariate) and using individual pig values as parameters in a hierarchical (multivariate) model including section, double pen, and individual level. Variance components of the different models are estimated using the Expectation Maximization algorithm. The difference of information obtained...... at the individual vs pen level is thereafter assessed. Whereas weight data is usually monitored after a batch is being sent to the slaughter house, this method provides weekly updating of the data. Perspectives of application include dynamic monitoring of weight data in relation to events such as diarrhoea, tail...

Dynamic monitoring of weight data at the pen vs at the individual level

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Dan Børge; Toft, Nils; Kristensen, Anders Ringgaard

recorded weight data from finisher pigs. Data are collected at insertion and at the exit of the first pigs in the pen, and in few pens, the weight is recorded weekly. Dynamic linear models are fitted on the weight data, at the pig level (univariate), at the double pen level using averaged weight...... (univariate) and using individual pig values as parameters in a hierarchical (multivariate) model including section, double pen, and individual level. Variance components of the different models are estimated using the Expectation Maximization algorithm. The difference of information obtained...... at the individual vs. pen level is thereafter assessed. Whereas weight data is usually monitored after a batch is being sent to the slaughter house, this method provides with weekly updating of the data. Perspectives of application include dynamic monitoring of weight data in relation to events such as diarrhoea...

A Survey of Pen name semantic Applications in Rumis Sonnets (Ghazals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zohre AhmadiPoor anari

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract The pen name in sonnet is the poet’s poetic name which most of the poets mention it in their verses. Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Rumi lived in 13th-century was a Persian Moslem poet, theologian, and Sufi mystic. He has written more than 3229 sonnets and dedicated to Shams Tabrizi. Thus mentioned, names such “Shams”, “Shams od-Din” and “Shams al-Haq” in the ending lines of his sonnets.    One of the points which could be studied about pen name is study of theme or concepts which are mentioned alongside that. Entirely it has been said that the same theme which comes with the pen name “Shams” in 992 sonnets. In this study, we pay attention to mentioning the poets desired name which is not necessarily the pen name in Rumis’ sonnets, what theme does it carry and what is relationship of it with the previous lines?    Themes which the poets apply in their sonnets beside pen name is mostly what that has been mentioned in the previous lines. However, in times the concept mentioned along side with the pen name is independent from the sonnet concepts, mostly eulogy. Studying Hafiz and Saadi sonnets shows that the most important themes existing are: love declaration, advice, eulogizing and sometimes a mischievous concept.    Rumis’ sonnets are lover-based. Therefore, there is much talk of the lover in the whole sonnet. But in other poet’s sonnets, the lover (the poet is the main theme is the sonnet. The poet may find a way to praise his own poem or stays in his dreamy world and focuses on the romantic feelings. Considering the fact that unlike other poets Rumi has not mentioned his own pen name but his lover “Shams”, the study focuses on the themes which are mentioned by the pen name “Shams” as the following: 1-Eulogy: One third of the Shams pen names are eulogies. The sufist approach has given the lines a special color. The similes and metaphors used for him are heavenly and

Microfabricated optically pumped magnetometer arrays for biomedical imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, A. R.; Sheng, D.; Krzyzewski, S. P.; Geller, S.; Knappe, S.

2017-02-01

Optically-pumped magnetometers have demonstrated magnetic field measurements as precise as the best superconducting quantum interference device magnetometers. Our group develops miniature alkali atom-based magnetic sensors using microfabrication technology. Our sensors do not require cryogenic cooling, and can be positioned very close to the sample, making these sensors an attractive option for development in the medical community. We will present our latest chip-scale optically-pumped gradiometer developed for array applications to image magnetic fields from the brain noninvasively. These developments should lead to improved spatial resolution, and potentially sensitive measurements in unshielded environments.

Low voltage electroosmotic pump for high density integration into microfabricated fluidic systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heuck, F.C.A.; Staufer, U.

2011-01-01

A low voltage electroosmotic (eo) pump suitable for high density integration into microfabricated fluidic systems has been developed. The high density integration of the eo pump required a small footprint as well as a specific on-chip design to ventilate the electrolyzed gases emerging at the

Component-Level Demonstration of a Microfabricated Atomic Frequency Reference

Science.gov (United States)

2005-08-01

Kitching, L. A. Liew, and J. Moreland, "A microfabricated atomic clock," Applied Physics Letters, vol. 85, pp. 1460-1462, 2004. [4] R. Lutwak , P...Symposium on Frequency Standards and Metrology, P. Gill, Ed. St. Andrews, Scotland: World Scientific, 2001, pp. 155-166. [31] R. Lutwak , D. Emmons...Frequency and Time Forum. Tampa, FL, 2003, pp. 31-32. [71] R. Lutwak , D. Emmons, T. English, W. Riley, A. Duwel, M. Varghese, D. K. Serkland, and

The Possible Role of Penning Ionization Processes in Planetary Atmospheres

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Stefano Falcinelli

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper we suggest Penning ionization as an important route of formation for ionic species in upper planetary atmospheres. Our goal is to provide relevant tools to researchers working on kinetic models of atmospheric interest, in order to include Penning ionizations in their calculations as fast processes promoting reactions that cannot be neglected. Ions are extremely important for the transmission of radio and satellite signals, and they govern the chemistry of planetary ionospheres. Molecular ions have also been detected in comet tails. In this paper recent experimental results concerning production of simple ionic species of atmospheric interest are presented and discussed. Such results concern the formation of free ions in collisional ionization of H2O, H2S, and NH3 induced by highly excited species (Penning ionization as metastable noble gas atoms. The effect of Penning ionization still has not been considered in the modeling of terrestrial and extraterrestrial objects so far, even, though metastable helium is formed by radiative recombination of He+ ions with electrons. Because helium is the second most abundant element of the universe, Penning ionization of atomic or molecular species by He*(23S1 is plausibly an active route of ionization in relatively dense environments exposed to cosmic rays.

Angels with Nanotech Wings: Magic, Medicine and Technology in Aronofksky's The Fountain, Gibson's The Neuromancer and Slonczewski's Brain Plague

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lord, C.M.

2009-01-01

Darren Aronofsky's feature film The Fountain (2006), William Gibson's celebrated novel The Neuromancer (1984)and Joan Slonczewski'ls best-seller Brain Plague (2000), all have in common a preoccupation with the neuroscientific secrets of the brain. But more than this, all these works that explore the

Manipulation and in situ transmission electron microscope characterization of sub-100 nm nanostructures using a microfabricated nanogripper

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cagliani, Alberto; Wierzbicki, Rafal; Petersen, Dirch Hjorth; Dyvelkov, Karin Nordstrøm; Sardan Sukas, Özlem; Booth, Tim; Bøggild, Peter; Occhipinti, Luigi; Herstrøm, Berit G

2010-01-01

We present here a polysilicon electrothermal microfabricated nanogripper capable of manipulating nanowires and nanotubes in the sub-100 nm range. The nanogripper was fabricated with a mix and match microfabrication process, combining high throughput of photolithography with 10 nm resolution of electron beam lithography. Vertically grown III–V nanowires with a diameter of 70 nm were picked up using the nanogripper, allowing direct transfer of the nanogripper-nanowire ensemble into a transmission electron microscope (TEM) for structural characterization. By refining the end-effectors with focused ion beam milling and subsequently coating these with Au, the nanogripper could lift up laterally aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes from a 1 µm wide trench, while immediately making good electrical contact. One such carbon nanotube was structurally and electrically characterized real-time in TEM, showing a breakdown current density of approximately 0.5 × 10 12 Am −2 . The nanogripper is the smallest microfabricated gripper to date and is the first tool showing repeatable, 3D nanomanipulation of sub-100 nm structures.

Analysis of the NovoTwist pen needle in comparison with conventional screw-thread needles.

Science.gov (United States)

Aye, Tandy

2011-11-01

Administration of insulin via a pen device may be advantageous over a vial and syringe system. Hofman and colleagues introduce a new insulin pen needle, the NovoTwist, to simplify injections to a small group of children and adolescents. Their overall preferences and evaluation of the handling of the needle are reported in the study. This new needle has the potential to ease administration of insulin via a pen device that may increase both the use of a pen device and adherence to insulin therapy. © 2011 Diabetes Technology Society.

Increasing viscosity and inertia using a robotically-controlled pen improves handwriting in children

Science.gov (United States)

Ben-Pazi, Hilla; Ishihara, Abraham; Kukke, Sahana; Sanger, Terence D

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of mechanical properties of the pen on the quality of handwriting in children. Twenty two school aged children, ages 8–14 years wrote in cursive using a pen attached to a robot. The robot was programmed to increase the effective weight (inertia) and stiffness (viscosity) of the pen. Speed, frequency, variability, and quality of the two handwriting samples were compared. Increased inertia and viscosity improved handwriting quality in 85% of children (pHandwriting quality did not correlate with changes in speed, suggesting that improvement was not due to reduced speed. Measures of movement variability remained unchanged, suggesting that improvement was not due to mechanical smoothing of pen movement by the robot. Since improvement was not explained by reduced speed or mechanical smoothing, we conclude that children alter handwriting movements in response to pen mechanics. Altered movement could be caused by changes in proprioceptive sensory feedback. PMID:19794098

Penning ionization cross sections of excited rare gas atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ukai, Masatoshi; Hatano, Yoshihiko.

1988-01-01

Electronic energy transfer processes involving excited rare gas atoms play one of the most important roles in ionized gas phenomena. Penning ionization is one of the well known electronic energy transfer processes and has been studied extensively both experimentally and theoretically. The present paper reports the deexcitation (Penning ionization) cross sections of metastable state helium He(2 3 S) and radiative He(2 1 P) atoms in collision with atoms and molecules, which have recently been obtained by the authors' group by using a pulse radiolysis method. Investigation is made of the selected deexcitation cross sections of He(2 3 S) by atoms and molecules in the thermal collisional energy region. Results indicate that the cross sections are strongly dependent on the target molecule. The deexcitation probability of He(2 3 S) per collision increases with the excess electronic energy of He(2 3 S) above the ionization potential of the target atom or molecule. Another investigation, made on the deexcitation of He(2 1 P), suggests that the deexcitation cross section for He(2 1 P) by Ar is determined mainly by the Penning ionization cross section due to a dipole-dipole interaction. Penning ionization due to the dipole-dipole interaction is also important for deexcitation of He(2 1 P) by the target molecules examined. (N.K.)

( sup 3 H)(D-PEN sup 2 , D-PEN sup 5 ) enkephalin binding to delta opioid receptors on intact neuroblastoma-glioma (NG 108-15) hybrid cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knapp, R.J.; Yamamura, H.I. (Univ. of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson (USA))

1990-01-01

({sup 3}H)(D-Pen{sup 2}, D-Pen{sup 5})enkephalin binding to intact NG 108-15 cells has been measured under physiological conditions of temperature and medium. The dissociation constant, receptor density, and Hill slope values measured under these conditions are consistent with values obtained by others using membranes prepared from these cells. Kinetic analysis of the radioligand binding to these cells show biphasic association and monophasic dissociation processes suggesting the presence of different receptor affinity states for the agonist. The data show that the binding affinity of ({sup 3}H)(D-Pen{sup 2}, D-Pen{sup 5})enkephalin under physiological conditions is not substantially different to that measured in 50 mM Tris buffer using cell membrane fractions. Unlike DPDPE, the {mu} opioid agonists morphine, normorphine, PL-17, and DAMGO, have much lower affinity for the {delta} receptor measured under these conditions than is observed by studies using 50 mM Tris buffer. The results described here suggest that this assay may serve as a useful model of {delta} opioid receptor binding in vivo.

An Evaluation On Typology Of Fountains To The Villages Located In Uşak Center / Uşak Merkez Köylerinde Yer Alan Çeşmelerin Tipolojisi Üzerine Bir Değerlendirme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Türkan Acar

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Uşak, which is located in the Aegean Region’s inner western Anatolia part, is divided into five districts. The city has 265 villages affiliated to central the villages and districts. The land studies were conducted in ninety villages affiliated to the province center in 2014-2016, and 75 fountains were identified. The fountains located in the Uşak central villages have a single façade design, unlike the examples in the city center. In physical form, the mass is usually a vertical rectangle. Some of the fountains are without belts and are shaped like a rectangular mass. The main element of the facade’s composition is a pointed, semi-circular, flat or sliced arch. In a small number of cases, horizontal rectangular samples are also found. The second elements after the arches in the facade composition are the plasterers. 28 of the fountains in the central villages have a vertical rectangle and 2 half-cylindrical shaped plaster. Another element of facade architecture in fountain architecture is mirror stones. The mirror stone of 17 of the 22 fountains with a mirror stone is the re-used marble, 1 is marble and the other is cutting stone. The water coming from the fountain to the fountain at 66 is constantly flowing from a metal pipe. While some fountains are fitted with a modern battery or plastic pipe after repairs, there are no faucets or pipes today in some of the fountains that are dysfunctional. In the 47 fountains in the central villages, square, rectangular shape; pointed, sliced or semicircular arched ones. Only 29 of the 75 fountains have inscriptions. It is dated to the beginning of the 18th century and the first half of the 20th century, according to the fountain scrolls and architectural features. Only 12 of the 75 fountains in Uşak central villages are registered. Despite the fact that the examples of fountains in Uşak central villages vary in terms of the mass formation, they draw attention with their single facade design in

Micromanipulation and microfabrication for optical microrobotics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Palima, Darwin; Bañas, Andrew Rafael; Vizsnyiczai, Gaszton

2012-01-01

Robotics can use optics feedback in vision-based control of intelligent robotic guidance systems. With light’s miniscule momentum, shrinking robots down to the microscale regime creates opportunities for exploiting optical forces and torques in microrobotic actuation and control. Indeed...... of the trapped microstructure that can be achieved when using static traps in the BWS. This can be generalized, in the future, towards a structural shaping optimization strategy for optimally controlling microstructures to complement approaches based on lightshaping. We also show that light channeled...... to microfabricated, free-standing waveguides can be used not only to redirect light for targeted delivery of optical energy but can also for targeted delivery of optical force, which can serve to further extend the manipulation arms in optical robotics. Moreover, light deflection with waveguide also creates a recoil...

Flexible, Penetrating Brain Probes Enabled by Advances in Polymer Microfabrication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahuva Weltman

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The acquisition of high-fidelity, long-term neural recordings in vivo is critically important to advance neuroscience and brain–machine interfaces. For decades, rigid materials such as metal microwires and micromachined silicon shanks were used as invasive electrophysiological interfaces to neurons, providing either single or multiple electrode recording sites. Extensive research has revealed that such rigid interfaces suffer from gradual recording quality degradation, in part stemming from tissue damage and the ensuing immune response arising from mechanical mismatch between the probe and brain. The development of “soft” neural probes constructed from polymer shanks has been enabled by advancements in microfabrication; this alternative has the potential to mitigate mismatch-related side effects and thus improve the quality of recordings. This review examines soft neural probe materials and their associated microfabrication techniques, the resulting soft neural probes, and their implementation including custom implantation and electrical packaging strategies. The use of soft materials necessitates careful consideration of surgical placement, often requiring the use of additional surgical shuttles or biodegradable coatings that impart temporary stiffness. Investigation of surgical implantation mechanics and histological evidence to support the use of soft probes will be presented. The review concludes with a critical discussion of the remaining technical challenges and future outlook.

Pen-Enabled, Real-Time Student Engagement for Teaching in STEM Subjects

Science.gov (United States)

Urban, Sylvia

2017-01-01

The introduction of pen-enabling devices has been demonstrated to increase a student's ability to solve problems, communicate, and learn during note taking. For the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects that are considered to be symbolic in nature, pen interfaces are better suited for visual-spatial content and also provide a…

Public debate on the Penly 3 project. Construction of an electronuclear production unit of the Penly site (Seine-Maritime)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

After a presentation of the objectives of the Penly 3 project, this report gives an overview of the context of electricity production (increasing world demand, geographically unbalanced energy reserves with fluctuating prices and a tendency to increase, French energy assessment, electricity peculiarities, electricity production and consumption in France in 2009, climate change issue). It presents the Penly 3 project and its alternatives within the frame of the French environment and energy policy. The project is then presented in terms of safety objectives, of design choices, of environmental improvements (water sampling, thermal, chemical and radioactive releases, wastes, sound and visual impact, foreseen cost and financing), and then in terms of socio-economical impact. The main steps of the project are briefly indicated

Product Plan of New Generation System Camera "OLYMPUS PEN E-P1"

Science.gov (United States)

Ogawa, Haruo

"OLYMPUS PEN E-P1", which is new generation system camera, is the first product of Olympus which is new standard "Micro Four-thirds System" for high-resolution mirror-less cameras. It continues good sales by the concept of "small and stylish design, easy operation and SLR image quality" since release on July 3, 2009. On the other hand, the half-size film camera "OLYMPUS PEN" was popular by the concept "small and stylish design and original mechanism" since the first product in 1959 and recorded sale number more than 17 million with 17 models. By the 50th anniversary topic and emotional value of the Olympus pen, Olympus pen E-P1 became big sales. I would like to explain the way of thinking of the product plan that included not only the simple functional value but also emotional value on planning the first product of "Micro Four-thirds System".

Pen harvester for powering a pulse rate sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bedekar, Vishwas; Oliver, Josiah; Priya, Shashank

2009-01-01

Rapid developments in the area of micro-sensors for various applications such as structural health monitoring, bio-chemical sensors and pressure sensors have increased the demand for portable, low cost, high efficiency energy harvesting devices. In this paper, we describe the scheme for powering a pulse rate sensor with a vibration energy harvester integrated inside a pen commonly carried by humans in the pocket close to the heart. Electromagnetic energy harvesting was selected in order to achieve high power at lower frequencies. The prototype pen harvester was found to generate 3 mW at 5 Hz and 1 mW at 3.5 Hz operating under displacement amplitude of 16 mm (corresponding to an acceleration of approximately 1.14 g rms at 5 Hz and 0.56 g rms at 3.5 Hz, respectively). A comprehensive mathematical modelling and simulations were performed in order to optimize the performance of the vibration energy harvester. The integrated pen harvester prototype was found to generate continuous power of 0.46-0.66 mW under normal human actions such as jogging and jumping which is enough for a small scale pulse rate sensor.

A quantitative experiment on the fountain effect in superfluid helium

Science.gov (United States)

Amigó, M. L.; Herrera, T.; Neñer, L.; Peralta Gavensky, L.; Turco, F.; Luzuriaga, J.

2017-09-01

Superfluid helium, a state of matter existing at low temperatures, shows many remarkable properties. One example is the so called fountain effect, where a heater can produce a jet of helium. This converts heat into mechanical motion; a machine with no moving parts, but working only below 2 K. Allen and Jones first demonstrated the effect in 1938, but their work was basically qualitative. We now present data of a quantitative version of the experiment. We have measured the heat supplied, the temperature and the height of the jet produced. We also develop equations, based on the two-fluid model of superfluid helium, that give a satisfactory fit to the data. The experiment has been performed by advanced undergraduate students in our home institution, and illustrates in a vivid way some of the striking properties of the superfluid state.

Microfabricated Electrochemical Cell-Based Biosensors for Analysis of Living Cells In Vitro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Wang

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Cellular biochemical parameters can be used to reveal the physiological and functional information of various cells. Due to demonstrated high accuracy and non-invasiveness, electrochemical detection methods have been used for cell-based investigation. When combined with improved biosensor design and advanced measurement systems, the on-line biochemical analysis of living cells in vitro has been applied for biological mechanism study, drug screening and even environmental monitoring. In recent decades, new types of miniaturized electrochemical biosensor are emerging with the development of microfabrication technology. This review aims to give an overview of the microfabricated electrochemical cell-based biosensors, such as microelectrode arrays (MEA, the electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS technique, and the light addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS. The details in their working principles, measurement systems, and applications in cell monitoring are covered. Driven by the need for high throughput and multi-parameter detection proposed by biomedicine, the development trends of electrochemical cell-based biosensors are also introduced, including newly developed integrated biosensors, and the application of nanotechnology and microfluidic technology.

9 CFR 89.5 - Feeding pens.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Feeding pens. 89.5 Section 89.5 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION OF ANIMALS (INCLUDING POULTRY) AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS STATEMENT OF POLICY UNDER THE...

Ballpoint pen ingestion in a 2-year-old child.

Science.gov (United States)

Rameau, Anaïs; Anand, Sumeet M; Nguyen, Lily H

2011-07-01

A 2-year-old girl ingested a ballpoint pen, which was found on chest x-ray to have lodged in the lower esophagus and stomach. The pen, which measured nearly 15 cm in length, was removed via rigid esophagoscopy without complication. To the best of our knowledge, this is the longest nonflexible foreign body ingested by a young child ever reported in the English-language literature. We describe the presentation of this case and the current guidelines for safety as enumerated in the Small Parts Regulations established by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Nonlinear PIC simulation in a Penning trap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lapenta, G.; Delzanno, G.L.; Finn, J. M.

2002-01-01

We study the nonlinear dynamics of a Penning trap plasma, including the effect of the finite length and end curvature of the plasma column. A new cylindrical PIC code, called KANDINSKY, has been implemented by using a new interpolation scheme. The principal idea is to calculate the volume of each cell from a particle volume, in the same manner as it is done for the cell charge. With this new method, the density is conserved along streamlines and artificial sources of compressibility are avoided. The code has been validated with a reference Eulerian fluid code. We compare the dynamics of three different models: a model with compression effects, the standard Euler model and a geophysical fluid dynamics model. The results of our investigation prove that Penning traps can really be used to simulate geophysical fluids

Characterization of water quality and suspended sediment during cold-season flows, warm-season flows, and stormflows in the Fountain and Monument Creek watersheds, Colorado, 2007–2015

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Lisa D.; Stogner, Sr., Robert W.

2017-09-01

From 2007 through 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Colorado Springs City Engineering, conducted a study in the Fountain and Monument Creek watersheds, Colorado, to characterize surface-water quality and suspended-sediment conditions for three different streamflow regimes with an emphasis on characterizing water quality during storm runoff. Data collected during this study were used to evaluate the effects of stormflows and wastewater-treatment effluent discharge on Fountain and Monument Creeks in the Colorado Springs, Colorado, area. Water-quality samples were collected at 2 sites on Upper Fountain Creek, 2 sites on Monument Creek, 3 sites on Lower Fountain Creek, and 13 tributary sites during 3 flow regimes: cold-season flow (November–April), warm-season flow (May–October), and stormflow from 2007 through 2015. During 2015, additional samples were collected and analyzed for Escherichia coli (E. coli) during dry weather conditions at 41 sites, located in E. coli impaired stream reaches, to help identify source areas and scope of the impairment.Concentrations of E. coli, total arsenic, and dissolved copper, selenium, and zinc in surface-water samples were compared to Colorado in-stream standards. Stormflow concentrations of E. coli frequently exceeded the recreational use standard of 126 colonies per 100 milliliters at main-stem and tributary sites by more than an order of magnitude. Even though median E. coli concentrations in warm-season flow samples were lower than median concentrations in storm-flow samples, the water quality standard for E. coli was still exceeded at most main-stem sites and many tributary sites during warm-season flows. Six samples (three warm-season flow and three stormflow samples) collected from Upper Fountain Creek, upstream from the confluence of Monument Creek, and two stormflow samples collected from Lower Fountain Creek, downstream from the confluence with Monument Creek, exceeded the acute water

Quantification of Tissue Trauma following Insulin Pen Needle Insertions in Skin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Casper Bo; Larsen, Rasmus; Vestergaard, Jacob Schack

Objective: Within the field of pen needle development, most research on needle design revolves around mechanical tensile testing and patient statements. Only little has been published on the actual biological skin response to needle insertions. The objective of this study was to develop a computa......Objective: Within the field of pen needle development, most research on needle design revolves around mechanical tensile testing and patient statements. Only little has been published on the actual biological skin response to needle insertions. The objective of this study was to develop...... a computational method to quantify tissue trauma based on skin bleeding and immune response. Method: Two common sized pen needles of 28G (0.36mm) and 32G (0.23mm) were inserted into skin of sedated LYD pigs prior to termination. Four pigs were included and a total of 32 randomized needle insertions were conducted...... diameter. Conclusion: A computational and quantitative method has been developed to assess tissue trauma following insulin pen needle insertions. Application of the method is tested by conduction of a needle diameter study. The obtained quantitative measures of tissue trauma correlate positively to needle...

Microstructural control over soluble pentacene deposited by capillary pen printing for organic electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Wi Hyoung; Min, Honggi; Park, Namwoo; Lee, Junghwi; Seo, Eunsuk; Kang, Boseok; Cho, Kilwon; Lee, Hwa Sung

2013-08-28

Research into printing techniques has received special attention for the commercialization of cost-efficient organic electronics. Here, we have developed a capillary pen printing technique to realize a large-area pattern array of organic transistors and systematically investigated self-organization behavior of printed soluble organic semiconductor ink. The capillary pen-printed deposits of organic semiconductor, 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS_PEN), was well-optimized in terms of morphological and microstructural properties by using ink with mixed solvents of chlorobenzene (CB) and 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB). Especially, a 1:1 solvent ratio results in the best transistor performances. This result is attributed to the unique evaporation characteristics of the TIPS_PEN deposits where fast evaporation of CB induces a morphological evolution at the initial printed position, and the remaining DCB with slow evaporation rate offers a favorable crystal evolution at the pinned position. Finally, a large-area transistor array was facilely fabricated by drawing organic electrodes and active layers with a versatile capillary pen. Our approach provides an efficient printing technique for fabricating large-area arrays of organic electronics and further suggests a methodology to enhance their performances by microstructural control of the printed organic semiconducting deposits.

Clint Mansell: Music in the films "Requiem for a Dream" and "The Fountain" by Darren Aronofsky

OpenAIRE

Krzic, Visnja

2015-01-01

This monograph examines how minimalist techniques and the influence of rock music shape the film scores of the British film composer Clint Mansell (b. 1963) and how these scores differ from the usual Hollywood model. The primary focus of this study is Mansell's work for two films by the American director Darren Aronofsky (b. 1969), which earned both Mansell and Aronofsky the greatest recognition: Requiem for a Dream (2000) and The Fountain (2006). This analysis devotes particular attention to...

A flexible approach to light pen calibration for a monocular-vision-based coordinate measuring system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Shuai; Zhang, Liyan; Ye, Nan; Liu, Shenglan; Zhang, WeiZhong

2014-01-01

A monocular-vision-based coordinate measuring system (MVB-CMS) obtains the 3D coordinates of the probe tip center of a light pen by analyzing the monocular image of the target points on the light pen. The light pen calibration, including the target point calibration and the probe tip center calibration, is critical to guarantee the accuracy of the MVB-CMS. The currently used method resorts to special equipment to calibrate the feature points on the light pen in a separate offsite procedure and uses the system camera to calibrate the probe tip center onsite. Instead, a complete onsite light pen calibration method is proposed in this paper. It needs only several auxiliary target points with the same visual features of the light pen targets and two or more cone holes with known distance(s). The target point calibration and the probe tip center calibration are jointly implemented by simply taking two groups of images of the light pen with the camera of the system. The proposed method requires no extra equipment other than the system camera for the calibration, so it is easier to implement and flexible for use. It has been incorporated in a large field-of-view MVB-CMS, which uses active luminous infrared LEDs as the target points. Experimental results demonstrate the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed method. (paper)

(Anti)hydrogen recombination studies in a nested Penning trap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quint, W.; Kaiser, R.; Hall, D.; Gabrielse, G.

1993-01-01

Extremely cold antiprotons, stored in Penning trap at 4 K, open the way toward the production and study of cold antihydrogen. We have begun experimentally investigating the possibility to recombine cold positrons and antiprotons within nested Penning traps. Trap potentials are adjusted to allow cold trapped protons (and positive helium ions) to pass through cold trapped electrons. Electrons, protons and ions are counted by ejecting them to a cold channel plate and by nondestructive radiofrequency techniques. The effect of the space charge of one trapped species upon another trapped species passing through is clearly observed. (orig.)

III. Penning ionization, associative ionization and chemi-ionization processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cermak, V.

1975-01-01

Physical mechanisms of three important ionization processes in a cold plasma and the methods of their experimental study are discussed. An apparatus for the investigation of the Penning ionization using ionization processes of long lived metastable rare gas atoms is described. Methods of determining interaction energies and ionization rates from the measured energy spectra of the originating electrons are described and illustrated by several examples. Typical associative ionization processes are listed and the ionization rates are compared with those of the Penning ionization. Interactions with short-lived excited particles and the transfer of excitation without ionization are discussed. (J.U.)

Smartphone Versus Pen-and-Paper Data Collection of Infant Feeding Practices in Rural China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shuyi; Wu, Qiong; van Velthoven, Michelle HMMT; Chen, Li; Car, Josip; Rudan, Igor; Li, Ye; Scherpbier, Robert W

2012-01-01

Background Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) household survey data are collected mainly with pen-and-paper. Smartphone data collection may have advantages over pen-and-paper, but little evidence exists on how they compare. Objective To compare smartphone data collection versus the use of pen-and-paper for infant feeding practices of the MNCH household survey. We compared the two data collection methods for differences in data quality (data recording, data entry, open-ended answers, and interrater reliability), time consumption, costs, interviewers’ perceptions, and problems encountered. Methods We recruited mothers of infants aged 0 to 23 months in four village clinics in Zhaozhou Township, Zhao County, Hebei Province, China. We randomly assigned mothers to a smartphone or a pen-and-paper questionnaire group. A pair of interviewers simultaneously questioned mothers on infant feeding practices, each using the same method (either smartphone or pen-and-paper). Results We enrolled 120 mothers, and all completed the study. Data recording errors were prevented in the smartphone questionnaire. In the 120 pen-and-paper questionnaires (60 mothers), we found 192 data recording errors in 55 questionnaires. There was no significant difference in recording variation between the groups for the questionnaire pairs (P = .32) or variables (P = .45). The smartphone questionnaires were automatically uploaded and no data entry errors occurred. We found that even after double data entry of the pen-and-paper questionnaires, 65.0% (78/120) of the questionnaires did not match and needed to be checked. The mean duration of an interview was 10.22 (SD 2.17) minutes for the smartphone method and 10.83 (SD 2.94) minutes for the pen-and-paper method, which was not significantly different between the methods (P = .19). The mean costs per questionnaire were higher for the smartphone questionnaire (¥143, equal to US $23 at the exchange rate on April 24, 2012) than for the pen

Microfabrication of hard x-ray lenses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stöhr, Frederik

This thesis deals with the development of silicon compound refractive lenses (Si-CRLs) for shaping hard x-ray beams. The CRLs are to be fabricated using state of the art microfabrication techniques. The primary goal of the thesis work is to produce Si-CRLs with considerably increased structure...... and characterized with respect to their shape. Their optical performances were tested at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). Two 1D-focusing Si-CRLs suitable as condensers in hard-XRM were developed utilizing the aforementioned two different strategies. The first Si-condenser showed focusing of a 56...... of space for sample surroundings and ensure low-divergent and wide x-ray beams with narrow waists. Both results are substantial improvements to what was available at the start of this thesis work. The challenge of making x-ray objectives in silicon by interdigitation of lenslets alternately focusing...

penORNL: a parallel Monte Carlo photon and electron transport package using PENELOPE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bekar, Kursat B.; Miller, Thomas Martin; Patton, Bruce W.; Weber, Charles F.

2015-01-01

The parallel Monte Carlo photon and electron transport code package penORNL was developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to enable advanced scanning electron microscope (SEM) simulations on high-performance computing systems. This paper discusses the implementations, capabilities and parallel performance of the new code package. penORNL uses PENELOPE for its physics calculations and provides all available PENELOPE features to the users, as well as some new features including source definitions specifically developed for SEM simulations, a pulse-height tally capability for detailed simulations of gamma and x-ray detectors, and a modified interaction forcing mechanism to enable accurate energy deposition calculations. The parallel performance of penORNL was extensively tested with several model problems, and very good linear parallel scaling was observed with up to 512 processors. penORNL, along with its new features, will be available for SEM simulations upon completion of the new pulse-height tally implementation.

Temporal change in biological community structure in the Fountain Creek basin, Colorado, 2001-2008

Science.gov (United States)

Zuellig, Robert E.; Bruce, James F.; Stogner, Sr., Robert W.

2010-01-01

In 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Colorado Springs City Engineering, began a study to better understand the relations between environmental characteristics and biological communities in the Fountain Creek basin in order to aide water-resource management and guide future monitoring activities. To accomplish this task, environmental (streamflow, habitat, and water chemistry) and biological (fish and macroinvertebrate) data were collected annually at 24 sites over a 6- or 8-year period (fish, 2003 to 2008; macroinvertebrates, 2001 to 2008). For this report, these data were first analyzed to determine the presence of temporal change in macroinvertebrate and fish community structure among years using nonparametric multivariate statistics. Where temporal change in the biological communities was found, these data were further analyzed using additional nonparametric multivariate techniques to determine which subset of selected streamflow, habitat, or water-chemistry variables best described site-specific changes in community structure relative to a gradient of urbanization. This study identified significant directional patterns of temporal change in macroinvertebrate and fish community structure at 15 of 24 sites in the Fountain Creek basin. At four of these sites, changes in environmental variables were significantly correlated with the concurrent temporal change identified in macroinvertebrate and fish community structure (Monument Creek above Woodmen Road at Colorado Springs, Colo.; Monument Creek at Bijou Street at Colorado Springs, Colo.; Bear Creek near Colorado Springs, Colo.; Fountain Creek at Security, Colo.). Combinations of environmental variables describing directional temporal change in the biota appeared to be site specific as no single variable dominated the results; however, substrate composition variables (percent substrate composition composed of sand, gravel, or cobble) collectively were present in 80 percent of the environmental

A Rapid and Sensitive Assay for the Detection of Benzylpenicillin (PenG in Milk.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Pennacchio

Full Text Available Antibiotics, such as benzyl-penicillin (PenG and cephalosporin, are the most common compounds used in animal therapy. Their massive and illegal use in animal therapy and prophylaxis inevitably causes the presence of traces in foods of animal origin (milk and meat, which creates several problems for human health. With the aim to prevent the negative impact of β-lactam and, in particular, PenG residues present in the milk on customer health, many countries have established maximum residue limits (MRLs. To cope with this problem here, we propose an effective alternative, compared to the analytical methods actually employed, to quantify the presence of penicillin G using the surface plasmon resonance (SPR method. In particular, the PenG molecule was conjugated to a protein carrier to immunize a rabbit and produce polyclonal antibodies (anti-PenG. The produced antibodies were used as molecular recognition elements for the design of a competitive immune-assay for the detection of PenG by SPR experiments. The detection limit of the developed assay was found to be 8.0 pM, a value much lower than the MRL of the EU regulation limit that is fixed at 12 nM. Thus, our results clearly show that this system could be successfully suitable for the accurate and easy determination of PenG.

[Preference for etanercept pen versus syringe in patients with chronic arthritis. Nurse education workshop].

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Diaz, Silvia; Girabent-Farrés, Montserrat; Roig-Vilaseca, Daniel; Reina, Delia; Cerdà, Dacia; González, Marina; Torrente-Segarra, Vicenç; Fíguls, Ramon; Corominas, Hèctor

2013-01-01

The aims of this study are to evaluate the level of fear of post-injection pain prior to the administration, the difficulty in handling the device, and the level of satisfaction of patients using a pre-filled syringe versus an etanercept pen, as well as to evaluate the usefulness of the training given by nursing staff prior to starting with the pen, and the preferences of patients after using both devices. A prospective study was designed to follow-up a cohort of patients during a 6 months period. The data was collected using questionnaires and analyzed with SPSS 18.00. Rank and McNemar tests were performed. Statistical significance was pre-set at an α level of 0.05. A total of 29 patients were included, of whom 69% female, and with a mean age 52.5±10.9 years. Of these, 48% had rheumatoid arthritis, 28% psoriatic arthritis, 21% ankylosing spondylitis, and 3% undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy. There were no statistically significant differences either with the fear or pain or handling of the device between the syringe and the pen (P=.469; P=.812; P=.169 respectively). At 6 months, 59% of patients referred to being satisfied or very satisfied with the pen. Almost all (93%) found useful or very useful the training given by nursing staff prior to using the pen, and 55% preferred the pen over the pre-filled syringe. The etanercept pen is another subcutaneous device option for patients with chronic arthritis. According to the present study, nursing educational workshops before starting this therapy are recommended. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Preservation of Isparta Yılan Kırkan (Yılan Kıran) Fountain within the Scope of Sustainability

OpenAIRE

Meryem Elif Çelebi Yakartepe; Ayşe Betül Gökarslan

2014-01-01

Sustainable architecture is an approach which accepts the climatic and tomographic data as a necessary preliminary data package by favoring the relationship between human and nature and which strives to use the sources economically. The reflection of sustainable architecture approach to preservation - restoration discipline is including the architectural inheritance to daily life with its unique or new function by restoring it. The restoration decisions of Yılan Kırkan Fountain in Isparta...

Sorting white blood cells in microfabricated arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Castelino, Judith Andrea Rose

Fractionating white cells in microfabricated arrays presents the potential for detecting cells with abnormal adhesive or deformation properties. A possible application is separating nucleated fetal red blood cells from maternal blood. Since fetal cells are nucleated, it is possible to extract genetic information about the fetus from them. Separating fetal cells from maternal blood would provide a low cost noninvasive prenatal diagnosis for genetic defects, which is not currently available. We present results showing that fetal cells penetrate further into our microfabricated arrays than adult cells, and that it is possible to enrich the fetal cell fraction using the arrays. We discuss modifications to the array which would result in further enrichment. Fetal cells are less adhesive and more deformable than adult white cells. To determine which properties limit penetration, we compared the penetration of granulocytes and lymphocytes in arrays with different etch depths, constriction size, constriction frequency, and with different amounts of metabolic activity. The penetration of lymphocytes and granulocytes into constrained and unconstrained arrays differed qualitatively. In constrained arrays, the cells were activated by repeated shearing, and the number of cells stuck as a function of distance fell superexponentially. In unconstrained arrays the number of cells stuck fell slower than an exponential. We attribute this result to different subpopulations of cells with different sticking parameters. We determined that penetration in unconstrained arrays was limited by metabolic processes, and that when metabolic activity was reduced penetration was limited by deformability. Fetal cells also contain a different form of hemoglobin with a higher oxygen affinity than adult hemoglobin. Deoxygenated cells are paramagnetic and are attracted to high magnetic field gradients. We describe a device which can separate cells using 10 μm magnetic wires to deflect the paramagnetic

Glass Imprint Templates by Spark Assisted Chemical Engraving for Microfabrication by Hot Embossing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucas Abia Hof

2017-01-01

Full Text Available As the field of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS matures, new demands are being placed on the microfabrication of complex architectures in robust materials, such as hard plastics. Iterative design optimization in a timely manner—rapid prototyping—places challenges on template fabrication, for methods such as injection moulding and hot embossing. In this paper, we demonstrate the possibility of using spark assisted chemical engraving (SACE to produce micro patterned glass templates. The direct, write-based approach enabled the facile fabrication of smooth microfeatures with variations in all three-dimensions, which could be replicated by hot embossing different thermoplastics. As a proof of principle, we demonstrated the technique for a high glass transition temperature polycarbonate. Good fidelity over more than 10 cycles provides evidence that the approach is viable for rapid prototyping and has the potential to satisfy commercial-grade production at medium-level output volumes. Glass imprint templates showed no degradation after use, but care must be taken due to brittleness. The technique has the potential to advance microfabrication needs in academia and could be used by MEMS product developers.

Novel dip-pen nanolithography strategies for nanopatterning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wu, C.C.

2010-01-01

Dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) is an atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based lithography technique offering the possibility of fabricating patterns with feature sizes ranging from micrometers to tens of nanometers, utilizing either top-down or bottom-up strategies. Although during its early development

Using a Computer Module to Teach Use of the EpiPen®

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amandeep Singh Rai

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Background: The medical literature suggests that patients and physicians are deficient in their ability to use a self-injectable epinephrine device (EpiPen® for management of anaphylaxis. This study aims to determine whether a computer module is an effective tool for the instruction of a technical skill to medical trainees. Methods: We conducted a two group comparison study of 35 Post-Graduate Year 1 and 2 Family Medicine residents. Participants were instructed on use of the EpiPen® using either a written module or a computer module. Participants were evaluated on use of the EpiPen® using standardized objective outcome measures by a blinded assessor. Assessments took place prior to and following instruction, using the assigned learning modality. Results: There were 34 participants who completed the study. Both groups demonstrated significant improvement in demonstrating use of the EpiPen® following training (p <0.001 for both. A significant post-training difference favouring the computer module learners over the written module learners was observed (p = 0.035. However, only 53% and 18% of candidates (computer module and written module, respectively were able to correctly perform all of the checklist steps. Conclusion: While our findings suggest computer modules represent an effective modality for teaching use of the EpiPen® to medical trainees, the low number of candidates who were able to perform all the checklist items regardless of modality needs to be addressed.

Extending Penning trap mass measurements with SHIPTRAP to the heaviest elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Block, M.; Ackermann, D.; Herfurth, F.; Hofmann, S.; Blaum, K.; Droese, C.; Marx, G.; Schweikhard, L.; Düllmann, Ch. E.; Eibach, M.; Eliseev, S.; Haettner, E.; Plaß, W. R.; Scheidenberger, C.; Heßberger, F. P.; Ramirez, E. Minaya; Nesterenko, D.

2013-01-01

Penning-trap mass spectrometry of radionuclides provides accurate mass values and absolute binding energies. Such mass measurements are sensitive indicators of the nuclear structure evolution far away from stability. Recently, direct mass measurements have been extended to the heavy elements nobelium (Z=102) and lawrencium (Z=103) with the Penning-trap mass spectrometer SHIPTRAP. The results probe nuclear shell effects at N=152. New developments will pave the way to access even heavier nuclides.

CrossRef Space-charge effects in Penning ion traps

CERN Document Server

Porobić, T; Breitenfeldt, M; Couratin, C; Finlay, P; Knecht, A; Fabian, X; Friedag, P; Fléchard, X; Liénard, E; Ban, G; Zákoucký, D; Soti, G; Van Gorp, S; Weinheimer, Ch; Wursten, E; Severijns, N

2015-01-01

The influence of space-charge on ion cyclotron resonances and magnetron eigenfrequency in a gas-filled Penning ion trap has been investigated. Off-line measurements with View the MathML source using the cooling trap of the WITCH retardation spectrometer-based setup at ISOLDE/CERN were performed. Experimental ion cyclotron resonances were compared with ab initio Coulomb simulations and found to be in agreement. As an important systematic effect of the WITCH experiment, the magnetron eigenfrequency of the ion cloud was studied under increasing space-charge conditions. Finally, the helium buffer gas pressure in the Penning trap was determined by comparing experimental cooling rates with simulations.

Effects of lignite application on ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions from cattle pens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Jianlei, E-mail: su@unimelb.edu.au [Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010 (Australia); Bai, Mei [Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010 (Australia); Shen, Jianlin [Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125 (China); Griffith, David W.T. [Department of Chemistry, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522 (Australia); Denmead, Owen T. [Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010 (Australia); Hill, Julian [Ternes Agricultural Consulting Pty Ltd, Upwey, VIC 3158 (Australia); Lam, Shu Kee; Mosier, Arvin R. [Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010 (Australia); Chen, Deli, E-mail: delichen@unimelb.edu.au [Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010 (Australia)

2016-09-15

Beef cattle feedlots are a major source of ammonia (NH{sub 3}) emissions from livestock industries. We investigated the effects of lignite surface applications on NH{sub 3} and nitrous oxide (N{sub 2}O) emissions from beef cattle feedlot pens. Two rates of lignite, 3 and 6 kg m{sup −2}, were tested in the treatment pen. No lignite was applied in the control pen. Twenty-four Black Angus steers were fed identical commercial rations in each pen. We measured NH{sub 3} and N{sub 2}O concentrations continuously from 4th Sep to 13th Nov 2014 using Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) NH{sub 3} analysers and a closed-path Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analyser (CP-FTIR) in conjunction with the integrated horizontal flux method to calculate NH{sub 3} and N{sub 2}O fluxes. During the feeding period, 16 and 26% of the excreted nitrogen (N) (240 g N head{sup −1} day{sup −1}) was lost via NH{sub 3} volatilization from the control pen, while lignite application decreased NH{sub 3} volatilization to 12 and 18% of the excreted N, for Phase 1 and Phase 2, respectively. Compared to the control pen, lignite application decreased NH{sub 3} emissions by approximately 30%. Nitrous oxide emissions from the cattle pens were small, 0.10 and 0.14 g N{sub 2}O-N head{sup −1} day{sup −1} (< 0.1% of excreted N) for the control pen, for Phase 1 and Phase 2, respectively. Lignite application increased direct N{sub 2}O emissions by 40 and 57%, to 0.14 and 0.22 g N{sub 2}O-N head{sup −1} day{sup −1}, for Phase 1 and Phase 2, respectively. The increase in N{sub 2}O emissions resulting from lignite application was counteracted by the lower indirect N{sub 2}O emission due to decreased NH{sub 3} volatilization. Using 1% as a default emission factor of deposited NH{sub 3} for indirect N{sub 2}O emissions, the application of lignite decreased total N{sub 2}O emissions. - Graphical abstract: Lignite application substantially decreased NH{sub 3} emissions from cattle feedlots and increased

Dynamics of Saxothuringian subduction channel/wedge constrained by phase equilibria modelling and micro-fabric analysis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Collett, S.; Štípská, P.; Kusbach, Vladimír; Schulmann, K.; Marciniak, G.

2017-01-01

Roč. 35, č. 3 (2017), s. 253-280 ISSN 0263-4929 Institutional support: RVO:67985530 Keywords : eclogite * Bohemian Massif * thermodynamic modelling * micro-fabric analysis * subduction and exhumation dynamics Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy OBOR OECD: Geology Impact factor: 3.594, year: 2016

Uranium, thorium, gross alpha and gross beta assessment in fountain waters in towns of the Iron Quadrangle, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferreira, Claudia A.; Palmieri, Helena E.L.; Menezes, Maria Angela de B.C.; Chaves, Renata D.A.; Dalmazio, Ilza

2013-01-01

The Iron Quadrangle region is known worldwide for its diversity, both ores and rock types, which record a long and important period of Earth's history. For thousands of years erosive processes have exposed ancient rocks, Archean and Proterozoic, in this region. The concentration of uranium, thorium, gross alpha and gross beta activities has been assessed in 34 fountains water samples collected from different towns in the Iron Quadrangle. The results obtained were compared to values established by CONAMA nº 396/2008 and Decree nº 2914/2011 by the Ministry of Health. For Th in water consumption there is no value established in the Brazilian legislation and the concentrations in all samples were lower than 0.01 μg L -1 . For uranium, the values ranged from less than 0.002 to 0.61 μg L -1 , and all results were lower than the value allowed of 15 μg L -1 and 30 μg L -1 established by the legislations above, respectively. The results for the radiation levels of gross alpha and gross beta activity in some fountains waters were slightly above the limits (0.5 Bq L -1 and 1.0 Bq L -1 ) established by CONAMA nº 396/2008 and Decreet nº 2914/2011, respectively. (author)

Ecosystem Pen Pals: Using Place-Based Marine Science and Culture to Connect Students

Science.gov (United States)

Wiener, Carlie S.; Matsumoto, Karen

2014-01-01

The marine environment provides a unique context for students to explore both natural and cultural connections. This paper reports preliminary findings on Ecosystem Pen Pals, an ocean literacy program for 4th and 5th graders focused on using a pen pal model for integrating traditional ecological knowledge into marine science. Surveys with…

Flexible AMOLED display on polyethylene napthalate (PEN) foil with metal-oxide TFT backplane

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tripathi, A.K.; Putten, B. van der; Steen, J.L. van der; Tempelaars, K.; Cobb, B.; Ameys, M.; Ke, T.H.; Myny, K.; Steudel, S.; Nag, M.; Schols, S.; Vicca, P.; Smout, S.; Genoe, J.; Heremans, P.; Yakimets, I.; Gelinck, G.H.

2012-01-01

We present a top emitting monochrome AMOLED display with 85dpi resolution using an amorphous Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide (IGZO) TFT backplane on PEN-foil. Maximum processing temperature was limited to 150 °C in order to ensure an overlay accuracy < 3μm on PEN foil. The backplane process flow is based

Studying the variability in the Raman signature of writing pen inks.

Science.gov (United States)

Braz, André; López-López, María; García-Ruiz, Carmen

2014-12-01

This manuscript aims to study the inter and intra brand, model and batch variability in the Raman spectral signature among modern pen inks that will help forensic document examiners during the interpretation process. Results showed that most oil-based samples have similar Raman signatures that are characteristic of the Crystal Violet dye, independently of the brand. Exception was the Pilot samples that use Victoria Pure Blue BO instead. This small inter-brand variability makes oil-based pens difficult to discriminate by brand. On the contrary, gel and liquid-based samples use different colorants such as Rhodamine B, Copper Phthalocyanine, Ethyl Violet and Victoria Blue B. No particular pattern was observed regarding the colorants used by each brand, except the Pilot samples that were the only brand using the Victoria Blue B dye, which is a clear distinct feature. Additionally, the intra-brand variability was also large among gel-based Pilot samples. The small spectral differences observed among several batches of Bic Crystal Medium samples demonstrated that changes were introduced in their chemical formula over the years. The intra-batch variability was small and no spectral differences were observed within batches. This manuscript demonstrates the potential of Raman spectroscopy for discriminating pens inks from different brands and models and even, batches. Additionally, the main colorants used in modern pens were also identified. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and Application of Microfabricated Chemical Gas Sensors For Aerospace Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, G. W.; Neudeck, P. G.; Fralick, G.; Thomas, V.; Liu, C. C.; Wu, Q. H.; Sawayda, M. S.; Jin, A.; Hammond, J.; Makel, D.;

A microfabricated electroosmotic pump coupled to a gas-diffusion microchip for flow injection analysis of ammonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Zaifang; Lu, Joann J.; Liu, Shaorong; Almeida, M. Inês G. S.; Kolev, Spas D.; Pu, Qiaosheng

2015-01-01

We have microfabricated two functional components toward developing a microchip flow injection analysis (FIA) system, i.e., an open-channel electroosmotic pump and a gas-diffusion chip, consisting of two microfabricated glass wafers and a porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane. This is the first application of gas-diffusion separation in a microchip FIA system. To demonstrate the feasibility of using these two components for performing gas-diffusion FIA, we have incorporated them together with a regular FIA injection valve and a capillary electrophoresis absorbance detector in a flow injection system for determination of ammonia in environmental water samples. This system has a limit of detection of 0.10 mg L −1 NH 3 , with a good repeatability (relative standard deviation of less than 5 % for 4.0 mg L −1 NH 3 ). Parameters affecting its performance are also discussed. (author)

Comparability among four invertebrate sampling methods and two multimetric indexes, Fountain Creek Basin, Colorado, 2010–2012

Science.gov (United States)

Bruce, James F.; Roberts, James J.; Zuellig, Robert E.

2018-05-24

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Colorado Springs City Engineering and Colorado Springs Utilities, analyzed previously collected invertebrate data to determine the comparability among four sampling methods and two versions (2010 and 2017) of the Colorado Benthic Macroinvertebrate Multimetric Index (MMI). For this study, annual macroinvertebrate samples were collected concurrently (in space and time) at 15 USGS surface-water gaging stations in the Fountain Creek Basin from 2010 to 2012 using four sampling methods. The USGS monitoring project in the basin uses two of the methods and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment recommends the other two. These methods belong to two distinct sample types, one that targets single habitats and one that targets multiple habitats. The study results indicate that there are significant differences in MMI values obtained from the single-habitat and multihabitat sample types but methods from each program within each sample type produced comparable values. This study also determined that MMI values calculated by different versions of the Colorado Benthic Macroinvertebrate MMI are indistinguishable. This indicates that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment methods are comparable with the USGS monitoring project methods for single-habitat and multihabitat sample types. This report discusses the direct application of the study results to inform the revision of the existing USGS monitoring project in the Fountain Creek Basin.

Carbon Nanotube Templated Microfabrication of Porous Silicon-Carbon Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jun; Jensen, David; Dadson, Andrew; Vail, Michael; Linford, Matthew; Vanfleet, Richard; Davis, Robert

2010-10-01

Carbon nanotube templated microfabrication (CNT-M) of porous materials is demonstrated. Partial chemical infiltration of three dimensional carbon nanotube structures with silicon resulted in a mechanically robust material, precisely structured from the 10 nm scale to the 100 micron scale. Nanoscale dimensions are determined by the diameter and spacing of the resulting silicon/carbon nanotubes while the microscale dimensions are controlled by lithographic patterning of the CNT growth catalyst. We demonstrate the utility of this hierarchical structuring approach by using CNT-M to fabricate thin layer chromatography (TLC) separations media with precise microscale channels for fluid flow control and nanoscale porosity for high analyte capacity.

Nanoscale displacement sensing using microfabricated variable-inductance planar coils

Science.gov (United States)

Coskun, M. Bulut; Thotahewa, Kasun; Ying, York-Sing; Yuce, Mehmet; Neild, Adrian; Alan, Tuncay

2013-09-01

Microfabricated spiral inductors were employed for nanoscale displacement detection, suitable for use in implantable pressure sensor applications. We developed a variable inductor sensor consisting of two coaxially positioned planar coils connected in series to a measurement circuit. The devices were characterized by varying the air gap between the coils hence changing the inductance, while a Colpitts oscillator readout was used to obtain corresponding frequencies. Our approach shows significant advantages over existing methodologies combining a displacement resolution of 17 nm and low hysteresis (0.15%) in a 1 × 1 mm2 device. We show that resolution could be further improved by shrinking the device's lateral dimensions.

Between history, art and medicine: the Dresden-Friedrichstadt hospital, its Neptune fountain and connections to Vienna.

Science.gov (United States)

Wollina, Uwe; Hunger, Sabine; Koch, André; França, Katlein; Lotti, Torello; Fioranelli, Massimo; Roccia, Maria Grazia

2017-10-01

The Dresden-Friedrichstadt hospital originated from Marcolini's summer palace. It was founded in 1845 and opened in 1849. It is a place where history and art of European importance mixes with technical and medical innovations. We reflect on the meetings of Napoleon Bonaparte and Metternich in 1812, the creation of the famous Neptune fountain by Longuelune and Matielli and two outstanding physicians of the 19 th  century, the surgeon Eduard Zeis, who coined the medical term "plastic surgery", and Maximilian Nitze, inventor of the first "modern" cystoscope and the father of urology.

Preliminary study for the National Energy Plan (PEN) uses the Community market as a reference base. El ante-proyecto del Plan Energetico Nacional (PEN) toma referencia basica del mercado comunitario

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1991-11-01

The National Energy Plan (PEN) for the period 1991 to 2000 lays down basic guidelines for a Spanish energy policy. This includes a wide range of economic measures. The PEN is divided into five main sections with two appendices. The sections are: the international situation; energy demand; energy supply; energy and the environment; and R D policy. The appendices are: Energy-saving and energy-efficiency plan; and General plan for radioactive waste. The PEN provides for 4-year research programmes which aim to reduce the environmental impact of energy production and use. General demand for energy during this period will increase by2.4% and investment in power installations and in the gas sector will be some 1.5 thousand million pesetas. 4 figs., 3 tabs.

Mineralogical and Micro-fabric investigation of the Sandy Facies of Opalinus Clay (Mont Terri)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaufhold, Annette; Siegesmund, Siegfried; Dohrmann, Reiner; Graesle, Werner; Plischke, Ingo

2013-01-01

In the field of geological disposal of radioactive waste in many countries argillaceous formations are considered as potential host rock. For the understanding of the long-term behaviour of clay host rock, it is important to understand the interaction between mechanical behaviour, micro-fabric, and mineral composition. Previous publications showed that particularly the carbonate content and the arrangement of the carbonate grains (as cement in the matrix or as shells) determines the mechanical strength of Opalinus Clay and Callovo-Oxfordian Clay specimens, respectively. Klinkenberg et al. (2009) studied the shaly facies of Opalinus Clay, however, the actual deposit is planned to be built in the sandy facies of Opalinus Clay. The aim of the present study is to investigate the relation between micro-fabric, mineral composition, and mechanical properties of different samples derived from the sandy facies (BLT-A2). Image analysis showed that the carbonates in the sandy facies mainly occur as 1) matrix which in turn acts as cement. Carbonates also occur 2) in the fine sand fraction and 3) biogenic carbonates as traces. The carbonates of the sandy facies, therefore, appear to be similar to the carbonates of the Callovo-Oxfordian Clay with respect to their possible influence on failure strength. The mechanical testing showed that the shear strength increases with increasing carbonate content. This phenomenon was also observed for the samples of the Callovo-Oxfordian Clay, while the opposite relation was found for the shaly facies of the Opalinus Clay. Preliminary results presented here, indicate that the sandy facies (drilling BLT-A2) and Callovo-Oxfordian Clay show similar mechanical properties - in detail: 1) Micro-fabric: carbonates predominate in the matrix, 2) Mineralogy: high carbonate content and 3) Mechanical testing: shear strength increases with increasing carbonate content, where the type of carbonates which controls the increase of strength has to be

Manipulation and in situ transmission electron microscope characterization of sub-100 nm nanostructures using a microfabricated nanogripper

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cagliani, Alberto; Wierzbicki, Rafal; Occhipini, Luigi

2010-01-01

ion beam milling and subsequently coating these with Au, the nanogripper could lift up laterally aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes from a 1 µm wide trench, while immediately making good electrical contact. One such carbon nanotube was structurally and electrically characterized real-time in TEM......We present here a polysilicon electrothermal microfabricated nanogripper capable of manipulating nanowires and nanotubes in the sub-100 nm range. The nanogripper was fabricated with a mix and match microfabrication process, combining high throughput of photolithography with 10 nm resolution...... of electron beam lithography. Vertically grown III–V nanowires with a diameter of 70 nm were picked up using the nanogripper, allowing direct transfer of the nanogripper-nanowire ensemble into a transmission electron microscope (TEM) for structural characterization. By refining the end-effectors with focused...

Chemically stable Au nanorods as probes for sensitive surface enhanced scattering (SERS) analysis of blue BIC ballpoint pens

Science.gov (United States)

Alyami, Abeer; Saviello, Daniela; McAuliffe, Micheal A. P.; Cucciniello, Raffaele; Mirabile, Antonio; Proto, Antonio; Lewis, Liam; Iacopino, Daniela

2017-08-01

Au nanorods were used as an alternative to commonly used Ag nanoparticles as Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) probes for identification of dye composition of blue BIC ballpoint pens. When used in combination with Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), Au nanorod colloids allowed identification of the major dye components of the BIC pen ink, otherwise not identifiable by normal Raman spectroscopy. Thanks to their enhanced chemical stability compared to Ag colloids, Au nanorods provided stable and reproducible SERS signals and allowed easy identification of phthalocyanine and triarylene dyes in the pen ink mixture. These findings were supported by FTIR and MALDI analyses, also performed on the pen ink. Furthermore, the self-assembly of Au nanorods into large area ordered superstructures allowed identification of BIC pen traces. SERS spectra of good intensity and high reproducibility were obtained using Au nanorod vertical arrays, due to the high density of hot spots and morphological reproducibility of these superstructures. These results open the way to the employment of SERS for fast screening analysis and for quantitative analysis of pens and faded pens which are relevant for the fields of forensic and art conservation sciences.

Rap van tong, scherp van pen. Literaire discussiecultuur in Nederlandse praatjespamfletten (circa 1600-1750)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dingemanse, C.W.

2008-01-01

In the early modern period pamphlets constituted the most important medium to influence public opinion in the Netherlands. The thesis Rap van tong, scherp van pen (Glib tongues, sharp pens) focuses on the literary and rhetorical aspects of a remarkable type of pamphlet called praatje (small-talk),

Role of penA polymorphisms for penicillin susceptibility in Neisseria lactamica and Neisseria meningitidis.

Science.gov (United States)

Karch, André; Vogel, Ulrich; Claus, Heike

2015-10-01

In meningococci, reduced penicillin susceptibility is associated with five specific mutations in the transpeptidase region of penicillin binding protein 2 (PBP2). We showed that the same set of mutations was present in 64 of 123 Neisseria lactamica strains obtained from a carriage study (MIC range: 0.125-2.0mg/L). The PBP2 encoding penA alleles in these strains were genetically similar to those found in intermediate resistant meningococci suggesting frequent interspecies genetic exchange. Fifty-six N. lactamica isolates with mostly lower penicillin MICs (range: 0.064-0.38mg/L) exhibited only three of the five mutations. The corresponding penA alleles were unique to N. lactamica and formed a distinct genetic clade. PenA alleles with no mutations on the other hand were unique to meningococci. Under penicillin selective pressure, genetic transformation of N. lactamica penA alleles in meningococci was only possible for alleles encoding five mutations, but not for those encoding three mutations; the transfer resulted in MICs comparable to those of meningococci harboring penA alleles that encoded PBP2 with five mutations, but considerably lower than those of the corresponding N. lactamica donor strains. Due to a transformation barrier the complete N. lactamica penA could not be transformed into N. meningitidis. In summary, penicillin MICs in N. lactamica were associated with the number of mutations in the transpeptidase region of PBP2. Evidence for interspecific genetic transfer was only observed for penA alleles associated with higher MICs, suggesting that alleles encoding only three mutations in the transpeptidase region are biologically not effective in N. meningitidis. Factors other than PBP2 seem to be responsible for the high levels of penicillin resistance in N. lactamica. A reduction of penicillin susceptibility in N. meningitidis by horizontal gene transfer from N. lactamica is unlikely to happen. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae and extended-spectrum cephalosporins in California: surveillance and molecular detection of mosaic penA.

Science.gov (United States)

Gose, Severin; Nguyen, Duylinh; Lowenberg, Daniella; Samuel, Michael; Bauer, Heidi; Pandori, Mark

2013-12-04

The spread of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains with mosaic penA alleles and reduced susceptibility to extended-spectrum cephalosporins is a major public health problem. While much work has been performed internationally, little is known about the genetics or molecular epidemiology of N. gonorrhoeae isolates with reduced susceptibility to extended-spectrum cephalosporins in the United States. The majority of N. gonorrhoeae infections are diagnosed without a live culture. Molecular tools capable of detecting markers of extended-spectrum cephalosporin resistance are needed. Urethral N. gonorrhoeae isolates were collected from 684 men at public health clinics in California in 2011. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to ceftriaxone, cefixime, cefpodoxime and azithromycin were determined by Etest and categorized according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control 2010 alert value breakpoints. 684 isolates were screened for mosaic penA alleles using real-time PCR (RTPCR) and 59 reactive isolates were subjected to DNA sequencing of their penA alleles and Neisseria gonorrhoeae multi-antigen sequence typing (NG-MAST). To increase the specificity of the screening RTPCR in detecting isolates with alert value extended-spectrum cephalosporin MICs, the primers were modified to selectively amplify the mosaic XXXIV penA allele. Three mosaic penA alleles were detected including two previously described alleles (XXXIV, XXXVIII) and one novel allele (LA-A). Of the 29 isolates with an alert value extended-spectrum cephalosporin MIC, all possessed the mosaic XXXIV penA allele and 18 were sequence type 1407, an internationally successful strain associated with multi-drug resistance. The modified RTPCR detected the mosaic XXXIV penA allele in urethral isolates and urine specimens and displayed no amplification of the other penA alleles detected in this study. N. gonorrhoeae isolates with mosaic penA alleles and reduced susceptibility to extended-spectrum cephalosporins are currently

Free flow zone electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing using a microfabricated glass device with ion permeable membranes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kohlheyer, D.; Besselink, G.A.J.; Schlautmann, Stefan; Schasfoort, Richardus B.M.

2006-01-01

This paper describes a microfabricated free-flow electrophoresis device with integrated ion permeable membranes. In order to obtain continuous lanes of separated components an electrical field is applied perpendicular to the sample flow direction. This sample stream is sandwiched between two sheath

Pengembangan Media Ice Breaker Talking Pen pada Mata Pelajaran PAI Kelas X SMAN 100 Jakarta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ati Sulastri

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This study aims to find out how to develop media ice breaker talking pen and media feasibility on the subjects of PAI. The research method used is Borg and Gall development model which includes requirement analysis, validation test, and test phase. The result of this development research is ice breaker talking pen media product which consists of command card and music developed through data collection, planning, product development, and validation and testing. Based on the validation results obtained the average score of the material experts of 4.75 (very good, and from the media experts of 3.78 (good, and the results of student responses about this media amounted to 4.39 or very good category. Therefore the ice breaker talking media on the eyes of learning PAI class X is declared eligible for use with very good category. Keywords: Development Model  Study, Ice Breaker Talking Pen, PAI Abstrak Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui cara mengembangkan media ice breaker talking pen dan kelayakan media tersebut pada mata pelajaran PAI. Metode yang digunakan adalah model pengembangan Borg dan Gall yang meliputi analisis kebutuhan, tahap validasi dan tahap uji coba. Hasil penelitian pengembangan ini adalah produk media ice breaker talking pen yang terdiri dari kartu perintah dan musik yang dikembangkan melalui tahap pengumpulan data, perencanaan, pengembangan produk, serta validasi dan uji coba. Berdasarkan pada hasil validasi didapat skor rata-rata dari ahli materi sebesar 4,75 (sangat baik, dan dari ahli media sebesar 3,78 (baik. Serta hasil dari tanggapan siswa mengenai media ini sebesar 4,39 atau kategori sangat baik. Maka dari itu media ice breaker talking pen pada mata pelajaran PAI kelas X dinyatakan layak untuk digunakan dengan kategori sangat baik. Kata Kunci : Pengembangan Model Pembelajaran, Ice Breaker Talking Pen, PAI

Dosing Accuracy of Insulin Aspart FlexPens After Transport Through the Pneumatic Tube System.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Leah G; Heckman, Michael G; Warren, Amy I; Tran, Kimberly

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether transporting insulin aspart FlexPens via a pneumatic tube system affects the dosing accuracy of the pens. A total of 115 Novo Nordisk FlexPens containing insulin aspart were randomly assigned to be transported via a pneumatic tube system (n = 92) or to serve as the control (n = 23). Each pen was then randomized to 10 international unit (IU) doses (n = 25) or 30 IU doses (n = 67), providing 600 and 603 doses, respectively, for the pneumatic tube group. The control group also received random assignment to 10 IU doses (n = 6) or 30 IU doses (n = 17), providing 144 and 153 doses, respectively. Each dose was expelled using manufacturer instructions. Weights were recorded, corrected for specific gravity, and evaluated based on acceptable International Organization for Standardization (ISO) dosing limits. In the group of pens transported through the pneumatic tube system, none of the 600 doses of 10 IU (0.0%; 95% CI, 0.0 to 0.6) and none of the 603 doses of 30 IU (0.0%; 95% CI, 0.0 to 0.6) fell outside of the range of acceptable weights. Correspondingly, in the control group, none of the 144 doses at 10 IU (0.0%; 95% CI, 0.0 to 2.5) and none of the 153 doses at 30 IU (0.0%; 95% CI, 0.0 to 2.4) were outside of acceptable ISO limits. Transportation via pneumatic tube system does not appear to compromise dosing accuracy. Hospital pharmacies may rely on the pneumatic tube system for timely and accurate transport of insulin aspart FlexPens.

The effect of sex, slaughter weight and weight gains in PEN-AR-LAN ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of sex, body weight and growth rates on basic fattening and slaughter indexes in PEN-AR-LAN fatteners. The research was conducted on 274 PEN-ARLAN hybrid fatteners coming from sows of the Naïma maternal line and was sired by boars of the P-76 meat line. Recorded ...

Forensic Analysis of Blue Ball point Pen Inks Using Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrometer and Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatograph

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, L.C.; Shandu, K.T.S.; Nor Syahirah Mohamad Razi; Ab Aziz Ishak; Khairul Osman

2015-01-01

Twelve varieties of blue ball point pens were selected and analyzed using UV-Vis spectrometer and ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). The aim of the study was to determine discrimination power (DP) of these methods in differentiating pen inks collected from the market in Malaysia. Discrimination analysis of 66 possible pen-pair of blue ball point pens was carried out via one-way ANOVA based on obtained chromatogram and spectra. A total of 18 peaks were determined as coming from inks based on the chromatographic data extracted at three different wavelengths (279, 370 and 400 nm). While for the UV-Vis spectrometer analysis, presence of peaks at 303, 545, 577 and 584 nm wavelengths were recorded. UV-Vis spectral data were mainly produced by the colorant components (for example, dyes) found in inks and UPLC may detect ink components other than dyes, for example, additives. As conclusion, the DP for UV-Vis and UPLC were determined to be 72.12 % and 98.48 %, respectively. This manuscript demonstrates the potential of UPLC for discriminating pen inks based on non-dye components. Additionally, the dye components in inks do not seem to play important role in discrimination of pen inks. (author)

Growth of long triisopropylsilylethynyl pentacene (TIPS-PEN) nanofibrils in a polymer thin film during spin-coating.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Minwoo; Min, Yuho; Lee, Yu-Jeong; Jeong, Unyong

2014-03-01

This study demonstrates the growth of long triisopropylsilyethynyl pentacene (TIPS-PEN) nanofibrils in a thin film of a crystalline polymer, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL). During spin-coating, TIPS-PEN molecules are locally extracted around the PCL grain boundaries and they crystallize into [010] direction forming long nanofibrils. Molecular weight of PCL and weight fraction (α) of TIPS-PEN in PCL matrix are key factors to the growth of nanofibrils. Long high-quality TIPS-PEN nanofibrils are obtained with high-molecular-weight PCL and at the α values in the range of 0.03-0.1. The long nanofibrils are used as an active layer in a field-effect organic transistor. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Near-field microscopy with a microfabricated solid immersion lens

Science.gov (United States)

Fletcher, Daniel Alden

2001-07-01

Diffraction of focused light prevents optical microscopes from resolving features in air smaller than half the wavelength, λ Spatial resolution can be improved by passing light through a sub-wavelength metal aperture scanned close to a sample, but aperture-based probes suffer from low optical throughput, typically below 10-4. An alternate and more efficient technique is solid immersion microscopy in which light is focused through a high refractive index Solid Immersion Lens (SIL). This work describes the fabrication, modeling, and use of a microfabricated SIL to obtain spatial resolution better than the diffraction limit in air with high optical throughput for infrared applications. SILs on the order of 10 μm in diameter are fabricated from single-crystal silicon and integrated onto silicon cantilevers with tips for scanning. We measure a focused spot size of λ/5 with optical throughput better than 10-1 at a wavelength of λ = 9.3 μm. Spatial resolution is improved to λ/10 with metal apertures fabricated directly on the tip of the silicon SIL. Microlenses have reduced spherical aberration and better transparency than large lenses but cannot be made arbitrarily small and still focus. We model the advantages and limitations of focusing in lenses close to the wavelength in diameter using an extension of Mie theory. We also investigate a new contrast mechanism unique to microlenses resulting from the decrease in field-of-view with lens diameter. This technique is shown to achieve λ/4 spatial resolution. We explore applications of the microfabricated silicon SIL for high spatial resolution thermal microscopy and biological spectroscopy. Thermal radiation is collected through the SIL from a heated surface with spatial resolution four times better than that of a diffraction- limited infrared microscope. Using a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer, we observe absorption peaks in bacteria cells positioned at the focus of the silicon SIL.

Arsenic Removal from Drinking Water by Iron Removal - U.S. EPA Demonstration Project at Northeastern Elementary School in Fountain City, IN - Final Performance Evaluation Report

Science.gov (United States)

This report documents the activities performed and the results obtained from the arsenic removal treatment technology demonstration project at Northeastern Elementary School in Fountain City, IN. The main objective of the project was to evaluate the effectiveness of US Water Sys...

A Penning-assisted subkilovolt coaxial plasma source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Zhehui; Beinke, Paul D.; Barnes, Cris W.; Martin, Michael W.; Mignardot, Edward; Wurden, Glen A.; Hsu, Scott C.; Intrator, Thomas P.; Munson, Carter P.

2005-01-01

A Penning-assisted 20 MW coaxial plasma source (plasma gun), which can achieve breakdown at sub-kV voltages, is described. The minimum breakdown voltage is about 400 V, significantly lower than previously reported values of 1-5 kV. The Penning region for electrons is created using a permanent magnet assembly, which is mounted to the inside of the cathode of the coaxial plasma source. A theoretical model for the breakdown is given. A 900 V 0.5 F capacitor bank supplies energy for gas breakdown and plasma sustainment from 4 to 6 ms duration. Typical peak gun current is about 100 kA and gun voltage between anode and cathode after breakdown is about 200 V. A circuit model is used to understand the current-voltage characteristics of the coaxial gun plasma. Energy deposited into the plasma accounts for about 60% of the total capacitor bank energy. This plasma source is uniquely suitable for studying multi-MW multi-ms plasmas with sub-MJ capacitor bank energy

Technical note: whole-pen assessments of nutrient excretion and digestibility from dairy replacement heifers housed in sand-bedded freestalls.

Science.gov (United States)

Coblentz, W K; Hoffman, P C; Esser, N M; Bertram, M G

2013-10-01

Our objectives were to describe and test refined procedures for quantifying excreta produced from whole pens of dairy heifers. Previous research efforts attempting to make whole-pen measurements of excreta output have been complicated by the use of organic bedding, which requires cumbersome analytical techniques to quantify excreta apart from the bedding. Research pens equipped with sand-bedded freestalls offer a unique opportunity for refinement of whole-pen fecal collection methods, primarily because sand-bedded freestall systems contain no organic bedding; therefore, concentrations of ash within the manure, sand, and feces can be used to correct for contamination of manure by sand bedding. This study was conducted on a subset of heifers from a larger production-scale feeding trial evaluating ensiled eastern gamagrass [Tripsacum dactyloides (L.) L.] haylage (EGG) that was incorporated into a corn silage/alfalfa haylage-based blended diet at rates of 0, 9.1, 18.3, or 27.4% of total DM. The diet without EGG also was offered on a limit-fed basis. Eighty Holstein dairy heifers were blocked (heavy weight, 424 ± 15.9 kg; light weight, 324 ± 22.4 kg) and then assigned to 10 individual pens containing 8 heifers/pen. One pen per block was assigned to each of the 5 research diets, and whole-pen fecal collections were conducted twice for each pen. Grab fecal samples also were gathered from individual heifers within each pen, and subsequent analysis of these whole-pen composites allowed reasonable estimates of OM and NDF excreta output. Under the conditions of our experimental design, pooled SEM for the excreta DM, OM, NDF, and NDF (ash corrected) output were 0.113, 0.085, 0.093, and 0.075 kg·heifer(-1)·d(-1), respectively. For DM excretion, this represented about one-third of the SEM reported for previous whole-pen collections from bedded-pack housing systems. Subsequent calculations of apparent DM and OM digestibilities indicated that the technique was sensitive, and

Changes in biological communities of the Fountain Creek Basin, Colorado, 2003–2016, in relation to antecedent streamflow, water quality, and habitat

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, James J.; Bruce, James F.; Zuellig, Robert E.

2018-01-08

The analysis described in this report is part of a longterm project monitoring the biological communities, habitat, and water quality of the Fountain Creek Basin. Biology, habitat, and water-quality data have been collected at 10 sites since 2003. These data include annual samples of aquatic invertebrate communities, fish communities, water quality, and quantitative riverine habitat. This report examines trends in biological communities from 2003 to 2016 and explores relationships between biological communities and abiotic variables (antecedent streamflow, physical habitat, and water quality). Six biological metrics (three invertebrate and three fish) and four individual fish species were used to examine trends in these data and how streamflow, habitat, and (or) water quality may explain these trends. The analysis of 79 trends shows that the majority of significant trends decreased over the trend period. Overall, 19 trends before adjustments for streamflow in the fish (12) and invertebrate (7) metrics were all decreasing except for the metric Invertebrate Species Richness at the most upstream site in Monument Creek. Seven of these trends were explained by streamflow and four trends were revealed that were originally masked by variability in antecedent streamflow. Only two sites (Jimmy Camp Creek at Fountain, CO and Fountain Creek near Pinon, CO) had no trends in the fish or invertebrate metrics. Ten of the streamflow-adjusted trends were explained by habitat, one was explained by water quality, and five were not explained by any of the variables that were tested. Overall, from 2003 to 2016, all the fish metric trends were decreasing with an average decline of 40 percent, and invertebrate metrics decreased on average by 9.5 percent. A potential peak streamflow threshold was identified above which there is severely limited production of age-0 flathead chub (Platygobio gracilis).

From Pen-and-Paper Sketches to Prototypes: The Advanced Interaction Design Environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Störrle, Harald

2014-01-01

Pen and paper is still the best tool for sketching GUIs. How-ever, sketches cannot be executed, at best we have facilitated or animated scenarios. The Advanced User Interaction Environment facilitates turn-ing hand-drawn sketches into executable prototypes.......Pen and paper is still the best tool for sketching GUIs. How-ever, sketches cannot be executed, at best we have facilitated or animated scenarios. The Advanced User Interaction Environment facilitates turn-ing hand-drawn sketches into executable prototypes....

Microfabricated Microwave-Integrated Surface Ion Trap

Science.gov (United States)

Revelle, Melissa C.; Blain, Matthew G.; Haltli, Raymond A.; Hollowell, Andrew E.; Nordquist, Christopher D.; Maunz, Peter

2017-04-01

Quantum information processing holds the key to solving computational problems that are intractable with classical computers. Trapped ions are a physical realization of a quantum information system in which qubits are encoded in hyperfine energy states. Coupling the qubit states to ion motion, as needed for two-qubit gates, is typically accomplished using Raman laser beams. Alternatively, this coupling can be achieved with strong microwave gradient fields. While microwave radiation is easier to control than a laser, it is challenging to precisely engineer the radiated microwave field. Taking advantage of Sandia's microfabrication techniques, we created a surface ion trap with integrated microwave electrodes with sub-wavelength dimensions. This multi-layered device permits co-location of the microwave antennae and the ion trap electrodes to create localized microwave gradient fields and necessary trapping fields. Here, we characterize the trap design and present simulated microwave performance with progress towards experimental results. This research was funded, in part, by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA).

Microfabricated adhesive mimicking gecko foot-hair

Science.gov (United States)

Geim, A. K.; Dubonos, S. V.; Grigorieva, I. V.; Novoselov, K. S.; Zhukov, A. A.; Shapoval, S. Yu.

2003-07-01

The amazing climbing ability of geckos has attracted the interest of philosophers and scientists alike for centuries. However, only in the past few years has progress been made in understanding the mechanism behind this ability, which relies on submicrometre keratin hairs covering the soles of geckos. Each hair produces a miniscule force ~10-7 N (due to van der Waals and/or capillary interactions) but millions of hairs acting together create a formidable adhesion of ~10 N cm-2: sufficient to keep geckos firmly on their feet, even when upside down on a glass ceiling. It is very tempting to create a new type of adhesive by mimicking the gecko mechanism. Here we report on a prototype of such 'gecko tape' made by microfabrication of dense arrays of flexible plastic pillars, the geometry of which is optimized to ensure their collective adhesion. Our approach shows a way to manufacture self-cleaning, re-attachable dry adhesives, although problems related to their durability and mass production are yet to be resolved.

Thermal and Structural Analysis of Micro-Fabricated Involute Regenerators

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Songgang; Augenblick, Jack E.

2005-02-01

Long-life, high-efficiency power generators based on free-piston Stirling engines are an energy conversion solution for future space power generation and commercial applications. As part of the efforts to further improve Stirling engine efficiency and reliability, a micro-fabricated, involute regenerator structure is proposed by a Cleveland State University-led regenerator research team. This paper reports on thermal and structural analyses of the involute regenerator to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed regenerator. The results indicate that the involute regenerator has extremely high axial stiffness to sustain reasonable axial compression forces with negligible lateral deformation. The relatively low radial stiffness may impose some challenges to the appropriate installation of the in-volute regenerators.

Optically controlled three-dimensional assembly of microfabricated building blocks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rodrigo, Peter John; Kelemen, Lorand; Palima, Darwin

2009-01-01

We demonstrate a system for constructing reconfigurable microstructures using multiple, real-time configurable counterpropagating-beam traps. We optically assemble geometrically complementary microstructures with complex three-dimensional (3D) topologies produced by two-photon polymerization....... This demonstrates utilization of controllable 3D optical traps for building hierarchical structures from microfabricated building blocks. Optical microassembly with translational and tip-tilt control in 3D achieved by dynamic multiple CB traps can potentially facilitate the construction of functional microdevices...... and may also lead to the future realization of optically actuated micromachines. Fabricating morphologically complex microstructures and then optically manipulating these archetypal building blocks can also be used to construct reconfigurable microenvironments that can aid in understanding cellular...

Control of the conformations of ion Coulomb crystals in a Penning trap

Science.gov (United States)

Mavadia, Sandeep; Goodwin, Joseph F.; Stutter, Graham; Bharadia, Shailen; Crick, Daniel R.; Segal, Daniel M.; Thompson, Richard C.

2013-01-01

Laser-cooled atomic ions form ordered structures in radiofrequency ion traps and in Penning traps. Here we demonstrate in a Penning trap the creation and manipulation of a wide variety of ion Coulomb crystals formed from small numbers of ions. The configuration can be changed from a linear string, through intermediate geometries, to a planar structure. The transition from a linear string to a zigzag geometry is observed for the first time in a Penning trap. The conformations of the crystals are set by the applied trap potential and the laser parameters, and agree with simulations. These simulations indicate that the rotation frequency of a small crystal is mainly determined by the laser parameters, independent of the number of ions and the axial confinement strength. This system has potential applications for quantum simulation, quantum information processing and tests of fundamental physics models from quantum field theory to cosmology. PMID:24096901

Digital assist: A comparison of two note-taking methods (traditional vs. digital pen) for students with emotional behavioral disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Rody, Carlotta A.

High school biology classes traditionally follow a lecture format to disseminate content and new terminology. With the inclusive practices of No Child Left Behind, the Common Core State Standards, and end-of-course exam requirement for high school diplomas, classes include a large range of achievement levels and abilities. Teachers assume, often incorrectly, that students come to class prepared to listen and take notes. In a standard diploma, high school biology class in a separate school for students with emotional and behavioral disorders, five students participated in a single-subject, alternating treatment design study that compared the use of regular pens and digital pens to take notes during 21 lecture sessions. Behavior measures were threefold between the two interventions: (a) quantity of notes taken per minute during lectures, (b) quantity of notes or notations taken during review pauses, and (c) percent of correct responses on the daily comprehension quizzes. The study's data indicated that two students were inclined to take more lecture notes when using the digital pen. Two students took more notes with the regular pen. One student demonstrated no difference in her performance with either pen type. Both female students took more notes per minute, on average, than the three males regardless of pen type. During the review pause, three of the five students only added notes or notations to their notes when using the regular pen. The remaining two students did not add to their notes. Quiz scores differed in favor of the regular pen. All five participants earned higher scores on quizzes given during regular pen sessions. However, the differences were minor, and recommendations are made for specific training in note-taking, the pause strategy, and digital pen fluency which may produce different results for both note-taking and quiz scores.

Transport of three veterinary antimicrobials from feedlot pens via simulated rainfall runoff.

Science.gov (United States)

Sura, Srinivas; Degenhardt, Dani; Cessna, Allan J; Larney, Francis J; Olson, Andrew F; McAllister, Tim A

2015-07-15

Veterinary antimicrobials are introduced to wider environments by manure application to agricultural fields or through leaching or runoff from manure storage areas (feedlots, stockpiles, windrows, lagoons). Detected in manure, manure-treated soils, and surface and ground water near intensive cattle feeding operations, there is a concern that environmental contamination by these chemicals may promote the development of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria. Surface runoff and leaching appear to be major transport pathways by which veterinary antimicrobials eventually contaminate surface and ground water, respectively. A study was conducted to investigate the transport of three veterinary antimicrobials (chlortetracycline, sulfamethazine, tylosin), commonly used in beef cattle production, in simulated rainfall runoff from feedlot pens. Mean concentrations of veterinary antimicrobials were 1.4 to 3.5 times higher in surface material from bedding vs. non-bedding pen areas. Runoff rates and volumetric runoff coefficients were similar across all treatments but both were significantly higher from non-bedding (0.53Lmin(-1); 0.27) than bedding areas (0.40Lmin(-1); 0.19). In keeping with concentrations in pen surface material, mean concentrations of veterinary antimicrobials were 1.4 to 2.5 times higher in runoff generated from bedding vs. non-bedding pen areas. Water solubility and sorption coefficient of antimicrobials played a role in their transport in runoff. Estimated amounts of chlortetracycline, sulfamethazine, and tylosin that could potentially be transported to the feedlot catch basin during a one in 100-year precipitation event were 1.3 to 3.6ghead(-1), 1.9ghead(-1), and 0.2ghead(-1), respectively. This study demonstrates the magnitude of veterinary antimicrobial transport in feedlot pen runoff and supports the necessity of catch basins for runoff containment within feedlots. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pen confinement of yearling ewes with cows or heifers for 14 days to produce bonded sheep.

Science.gov (United States)

Fredrickson, E L.; Anderson, D M.; Estell, R E.; Havstad, K M.; Shupe, W L.; Remmenga, M D.

2001-06-01

Mixed species stocking is commonly a more ecologically sound and efficient use of forage resources than single species stocking, especially in pastures having complex assemblages of forage species. However, in many environments livestock predation on especially smaller ruminants adds an extra challenge to mixed species stocking. When mixed sheep and cattle remain consistently as a cohesive group (flerd), predation risks are lessened, while fencing and herding costs are reduced. To establish a cohesive group (bond), a 30-day bonding period in which young sheep and cattle pairs are penned together is currently recommended. The purpose of this research was to test if a bond could be produced in open field test. Other behaviors were also noted and recorded during the field test. Separation distance did not differ (P=0.973) between the PC and PH treatments; however, separation distance for NC versus NH (Ptime grazing and less time walking than animals not previously penned for 14 days. Penned animals also vocalized less than non-penned animals during the open field test. The bond sheep formed to the bovines was not affected by cow age. These data suggest that inter-specific bond formation using pen confinement can be accomplished within 14 days, representing a 53% savings in time and associated costs when compared to pen confinement lasting 30 days.

Insulin pen needles: effects of extra-thin wall needle technology on preference, confidence, and other patient ratings.

Science.gov (United States)

Aronson, Ronnie; Gibney, Michael A; Oza, Kunjal; Bérubé, Julie; Kassler-Taub, Kenneth; Hirsch, Laurence

2013-07-01

Pen needles (PNs) are essential for insulin injections using pen devices. PN characteristics affect patients' injection experience. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of a new extra-thin wall (XTW) PN versus usual PNs on overall patient preference, ease of injection, perceived time to complete the full dose, thumb button force to deliver the injection, and dose delivery confidence in individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM). Subjects injected insulin with the KwikPen(TM) (Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana), SoloSTAR(®) (sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC, Bridgewater, New Jersey), and FlexPen(®) (Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) insulin pens, and included some with impaired hand dexterity. We first performed quantitative testing of XTW and comparable PNs with the 3 insulin pens for thumb force, flow rate, and time to deliver medication. A prospective, randomized, 2-period, open-label, crossover trial was then conducted in patients aged 35 to 80 years with type 1 or type 2 DM who injected insulin by pen for ≥2 months, with at least 1 daily dose ≥10 U. Patients who used 4- to 8-mm length PNs with 31- to 32-G diameter were randomly assigned to use their current PN or the same/similar size XTW PN at home for ~1 week and the other PN the second week. They completed several comparative 150-mm visual analog scales and direct questions at the end of period 2. XTW PNs had statistically significant better performance for each studied PN characteristic (thumb force, flow, and time to deliver medication) for all pens combined and each individual pen brand (all, P ≤ 0.05). Of 216 patients randomized to study groups (80, SoloSTAR; 77, FlexPen; 59, KwikPen), 209 completed both periods; 198 were evaluable. Baseline characteristics revealed a mean (SD) age of 60.8 (9.3) years, insulin pen use duration of 4.3 (4.1) years, and mean total daily dose of 75.1 (52.3) U (range, 10-420 U). Approximately 50% of patients were female; 81.5% were white and 14.8% were

Uranium, thorium, gross alpha and gross beta assessment in fountain waters in towns of the Iron Quadrangle, Brazil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferreira, Claudia A.; Palmieri, Helena E.L.; Menezes, Maria Angela de B.C.; Chaves, Renata D.A.; Dalmazio, Ilza, E-mail: cferreiraquimica@yahoo.com.br, E-mail: help@cdtn.br, E-mail: menezes@cdtn.br, E-mail: rda@cdtn.br, E-mail: id@cdtn.br [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

2013-07-01

The Iron Quadrangle region is known worldwide for its diversity, both ores and rock types, which record a long and important period of Earth's history. For thousands of years erosive processes have exposed ancient rocks, Archean and Proterozoic, in this region. The concentration of uranium, thorium, gross alpha and gross beta activities has been assessed in 34 fountains water samples collected from different towns in the Iron Quadrangle. The results obtained were compared to values established by CONAMA nº 396/2008 and Decree nº 2914/2011 by the Ministry of Health. For Th in water consumption there is no value established in the Brazilian legislation and the concentrations in all samples were lower than 0.01 μg L{sup -1}. For uranium, the values ranged from less than 0.002 to 0.61 μg L{sup -1}, and all results were lower than the value allowed of 15 μg L{sup -1} and 30 μg L{sup -1} established by the legislations above, respectively. The results for the radiation levels of gross alpha and gross beta activity in some fountains waters were slightly above the limits (0.5 Bq L{sup -1} and 1.0 Bq L{sup -1}) established by CONAMA nº 396/2008 and Decreet nº 2914/2011, respectively. (author)

Space-charge effects in Penning ion traps

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Porobic, T.; Beck, M.; Breitenfeldt, M.; Couratin, C.; Finlay, P.; Knecht, A.; Fabian, X.; Friedag, P.; Flechard, X.; Lienard, E.; Ban, G.; Zákoucký, Dalibor; Soti, G.; Van Gorp, S.; Weinheimer, C.; Wursten, E.; Severijns, N.

2015-01-01

Roč. 785, JUN (2015), s. 153-162 ISSN 0168-9002 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LA08015; GA MŠk(CZ) LG13031 Institutional support: RVO:61389005 Keywords : Penning trap * space-charge * magnetron motion * ion trapping * buffer gas cooling * ion cyclotron resonance Subject RIV: BG - Nuclear, Atomic and Molecular Physics, Colliders Impact factor: 1.200, year: 2015

Propylthiouracil Attenuates Experimental Pulmonary Hypertension via Suppression of Pen-2, a Key Component of Gamma-Secretase.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying-Ju Lai

Full Text Available Gamma-secretase-mediated Notch3 signaling is involved in smooth muscle cell (SMC hyper-activity and proliferation leading to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH. In addition, Propylthiouracil (PTU, beyond its anti-thyroid action, has suppressive effects on atherosclerosis and PAH. Here, we investigated the possible involvement of gamma-secretase-mediated Notch3 signaling in PTU-inhibited PAH. In rats with monocrotaline-induced PAH, PTU therapy improved pulmonary arterial hypertrophy and hemodynamics. In vitro, treatment of PASMCs from monocrotaline-treated rats with PTU inhibited their proliferation and migration. Immunocyto, histochemistry, and western blot showed that PTU treatment attenuated the activation of Notch3 signaling in PASMCs from monocrotaline-treated rats, which was mediated via inhibition of gamma-secretase expression especially its presenilin enhancer 2 (Pen-2 subunit. Furthermore, over-expression of Pen-2 in PASMCs from control rats increased the capacity of migration, whereas knockdown of Pen-2 with its respective siRNA in PASMCs from monocrotaline-treated rats had an opposite effect. Transfection of PASMCs from monocrotaline-treated rats with Pen-2 siRNA blocked the inhibitory effect of PTU on PASMC proliferation and migration, reflecting the crucial role of Pen-2 in PTU effect. We present a novel cell-signaling paradigm in which overexpression of Pen-2 is essential for experimental pulmonary arterial hypertension to promote motility and growth of smooth muscle cells. Propylthiouracil attenuates experimental PAH via suppression of the gamma-secretase-mediated Notch3 signaling especially its presenilin enhancer 2 (Pen-2 subunit. These findings provide a deep insight into the pathogenesis of PAH and a novel therapeutic strategy.

Prevalence of digital dermatitis in young stock in Alberta, Canada, using pen walks.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, C; Orsel, K; Barkema, H W

2017-11-01

Digital dermatitis (DD), an infectious bacterial foot lesion prevalent in dairy cattle worldwide, reduces both animal welfare and production. This disease was recently identified in replacement dairy heifers, with implications including increased risk of DD and decreased milk production in first lactation, poor reproductive performance, and altered hoof conformation. Therefore, a simple and effective method is needed to identify DD in young stock and to determine risk factors for DD in this group so that effective control strategies can be implemented. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine prevalence of DD in young stock (based on pen walks); and (2) identify potential risk factors for DD in young stock. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 28 dairy farms in Alberta, Canada; pen walks were used to identify DD (present/absent) on the hind feet of group-housed, young dairy stock. A subset of 583 young stock on 5 farms were selected for chute inspection of feet to determine the accuracy of pen walks for DD detection. Pen walks as a means of identifying DD lesions on the hind feet in young stock had sensitivity and specificity at the animal level of 65 and 98%, with positive and negative predictive values of 94 and 83%, respectively, at a prevalence of 37%. At the foot level, pen walks had sensitivity and specificity of 62 and 98%, respectively, with positive and negative predictive values of 92 and 88%, respectively, at a prevalence of 26%. Pen walks identified DD in 79 [2.9%; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 2.3-3.6%] of 2,815 young stock on 11 (39%; 95% CI: 22-59%) of 28 farms, with all 79 DD-positive young stock ≥309 d of age. Apparent within-herd prevalence estimates ranged from 0 to 9.3%, with a mean of 1.4%. True within-herd prevalence of DD in young stock, calculated using the sensitivity and specificity of the pen walks, ranged from 0 to 12.6%, with a mean of 1.4%. On the 11 DD-positive farms, the proportion of young stock >12 mo of age

Structural modifications of swift heavy ion irradiated PEN probed by optical and thermal measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devgan, Kusum; Singh, Lakhwant; Samra, Kawaljeet Singh

2013-01-01

Highlights: • The present paper reports the effect of swift heavy ion irradiation on Polyethylene Naphthalate (PEN). • Swift heavy ion irradiation introduces structural modification and degradation of PEN at different doses. • Lower irradiation doses in PEN result in modification of structural properties and higher doses lead to complete degradation. • Strong correlation between structural, optical, and thermal properties. - Abstract: The effects of swift heavy ion irradiation on the structural characteristics of Polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) were studied. Samples were irradiated in vacuum at room temperature by lithium (50 MeV), carbon (85 MeV), nickel (120 MeV) and silver (120 MeV) ions with the fluence in the range of 1×10 11 –3×10 12 ions cm −2 . Ion induced changes were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infra red (FT-IR), UV–visible spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques. Cross-linking was observed at lower doses resulting in modification of structural properties, however higher doses lead to the degradation of the investigated polymeric samples

An EPR at Penly: an outline from the SFEN to feed the public debate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2010-01-01

Penly-3 is the project to build an EPR reactor as a third unit on the Penly site (France). The authors have reviewed 5 reasons to back it: 1) nuclear power is a useful source of energy at the world scale, 2) nuclear power is an adequate solution to meet our future needs of energy, 3) the EPR is at the top of today's nuclear technology, 4) nuclear power is an efficient tool to diminish CO 2 releases, and 5) The EPR is a valuable asset to maintain France in the top group of world actors in the nuclear sector. A public debate will be held soon concerning the Penly-3 project. (A.C.)

Reducing alarms and prioritising interventions in pig production by simultaneous monitoring of water consumption in multiple pens

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dominiak, Katarina Nielsen; Hindsborg, Jeff; Pedersen, L. J.

to be generated at pen level or merged at section or herd level to reduce the number of alarms. Information on which specific pens or sections are of higher risk of stress or diseases is communicated to the farmer and target work effort to pens at risk. For Herd A, all model parameters defined at section level...... resulted in the best fit (MSE =13.85 litres2/hour). For Herd B, parameters defined at both pen and section level resulted in the best fit (MSE = 1.47 litres2/hour). For both Herd A and Herd B, preliminary results support the spatial approach by generating a reduced number of alarms when comparing section...

Development of Microfabricated Chemical Gas Sensors and Sensor Arrays for Aerospace Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, G. W.; Neudeck, P. G.; Fralick, G.; Thomas, V.; Liu, C. C.; Wu, W. H.; Ward, B.; Makel, D.

2002-01-01

Aerospace applications require the development of chemical sensors with capabilities beyond those of commercially available sensors. In particular, factors such as minimal sensor size, weight, and power consumption are particularly important. Development areas which have potential aerospace applications include launch vehicle leak detection, engine health monitoring, fire detection, and environmental monitoring. Sensor development for these applications is based on progress in three types of technology: 1) Micromachining and microfabrication (Microsystem) technology to fabricate miniaturized sensors. 2) The use of nanocrystalline materials to develop sensors with improved stability combined with higher sensitivity. 3) The development of high temperature semiconductors, especially silicon carbide. However, due to issues of selectivity and cross-sensitivity, individual sensors are limited in the amount of information that they can provide in environments that contain multiple chemical species. Thus, sensor arrays are being developed to address detection needs in such multi-species environments. This paper discusses the needs of space applications as well as the point-contact sensor technology and sensor arrays being developed to address these needs. Sensors to measure hydrogen, hydrocarbons, hydrazine, nitrogen oxides (NO,), carbon monoxide, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are being developed as well as arrays for leak, fire, and emissions detection. Demonstrations of the technology will also be discussed. It is concluded that microfabricated sensor technology has significant potential for use in a range of aerospace applications.

Prediction of suspended-sediment concentrations at selected sites in the Fountain Creek watershed, Colorado, 2008-09

Science.gov (United States)

Stogner, Sr., Robert W.; Nelson, Jonathan M.; McDonald, Richard R.; Kinzel, Paul J.; Mau, David P.

2013-01-01

In 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, Colorado Water Conservation Board, Colorado Springs City Engineering, and the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District, began a small-scale pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of a computational model of streamflow and suspended-sediment transport for predicting suspended-sediment concentrations and loads in the Fountain Creek watershed in Colorado. Increased erosion and sedimentation damage have been identified by the Fountain Creek Watershed Plan as key problems within the watershed. A recommendation in the Fountain Creek Watershed plan for management of the basin is to establish measurable criteria to determine if progress in reducing erosion and sedimentation damage is being made. The major objective of this study was to test a computational method to predict local suspended-sediment loads at two sites with different geomorphic characteristics in order to evaluate the feasibility of using such an approach to predict local suspended-sediment loads throughout the entire watershed. Detailed topographic surveys, particle-size data, and suspended-sediment samples were collected at two gaged sites: Monument Creek above Woodmen Road at Colorado Springs, Colorado (USGS gage 07103970), and Sand Creek above mouth at Colorado Springs, Colorado (USGS gage 07105600). These data were used to construct three-dimensional computational models of relatively short channel reaches at each site. The streamflow component of these models predicted a spatially distributed field of water-surface elevation, water velocity, and bed shear stress for a range of stream discharges. Using the model predictions, along with measured particle sizes, the sediment-transport component of the model predicted the suspended-sediment concentration throughout the reach of interest. These computed concentrations were used with predicted flow patterns and channel morphology to

A Prototype of Mathematical Treatment of Pen Pressure Data for Signature Verification.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chi-Keung; Wong, Siu-Kay; Chim, Lai-Chu Joyce

2018-01-01

A prototype using simple mathematical treatment of the pen pressure data recorded by a digital pen movement recording device was derived. In this study, a total of 48 sets of signature and initial specimens were collected. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to compare the data of the pen pressure patterns. From the 820 pair comparisons of the 48 sets of genuine signatures, a high degree of matching was found in which 95.4% (782 pairs) and 80% (656 pairs) had rPA > 0.7 and rPA > 0.8, respectively. In the comparison of the 23 forged signatures with their corresponding control signatures, 20 of them (89.2% of pairs) had rPA values prototype could be used as a complementary technique to improve the objectivity of signature examination and also has a good potential to be developed as a tool for automated signature identification. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Microfabrication, characterization and in vivo MRI compatibility of diamond microelectrodes array for neural interfacing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hébert, Clément, E-mail: clement.hebert@cea.fr [Institut Néel, CNRS et Université Joseph Fourier, BP 166, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Warnking, Jan; Depaulis, Antoine [INSERM, U836, Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, Grenoble (France); Garçon, Laurie Amandine [Institut Néel, CNRS et Université Joseph Fourier, BP 166, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); CEA/INAC/SPrAM/CREAB, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Mermoux, Michel [Université Grenoble Alpes, LEPMI, F-38000 Grenoble (France); CNRS, LEPMI, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Eon, David [Institut Néel, CNRS et Université Joseph Fourier, BP 166, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Mailley, Pascal [CEA-LETI-DTBS Minatec, 17 rue des Martyres, 38054 Grenoble (France); Omnès, Franck [Institut Néel, CNRS et Université Joseph Fourier, BP 166, F-38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France)

2015-01-01

Neural interfacing still requires highly stable and biocompatible materials, in particular for in vivo applications. Indeed, most of the currently used materials are degraded and/or encapsulated by the proximal tissue leading to a loss of efficiency. Here, we considered boron doped diamond microelectrodes to address this issue and we evaluated the performances of a diamond microelectrode array. We described the microfabrication process of the device and discuss its functionalities. We characterized its electrochemical performances by cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy in saline buffer and observed the typical diamond electrode electrochemical properties, wide potential window and low background current, allowing efficient electrochemical detection. The charge storage capacitance and the modulus of the electrochemical impedance were found to remain in the same range as platinum electrodes used for standard commercial devices. Finally we observed a reduced Magnetic Resonance Imaging artifact when the device was implanted on a rat cortex, suggesting that boron doped-diamond is a very promising electrode material allowing functional imaging. - Highlights: • Microfabrication of all-diamond microelectrode array • Evaluation of as-grown nanocrystalline boron-doped diamond for electrical neural interfacing • MRI compatibility of nanocrystalline boron-doped diamond.

The influence of facility and home pen design on the welfare of the laboratory-housed dog.

Science.gov (United States)

Scullion Hall, Laura E M; Robinson, Sally; Finch, John; Buchanan-Smith, Hannah M

We have an ethical and scientific obligation to Refine all aspects of the life of the laboratory-housed dog. Across industry there are many differences amongst facilities, home pen design and husbandry, as well as differences in features of the dogs such as strain, sex and scientific protocols. Understanding how these influence welfare, and hence scientific output is therefore critical. A significant proportion of dogs' lives are spent in the home pen and as such, the design can have a considerable impact on welfare. Although best practice guidelines exist, there is a paucity of empirical evidence to support the recommended Refinements and uptake varies across industry. In this study, we examine the effect of modern and traditional home pen design, overall facility design, husbandry, history of regulated procedures, strain and sex on welfare-indicating behaviours and mechanical pressure threshold. Six groups of dogs from two facilities (total n=46) were observed in the home pen and tested for mechanical pressure threshold. Dogs which were housed in a purpose-built modern facility or in a modern design home pen showed the fewest behavioural indicators of negative welfare (such as alert or pacing behaviours) and more indicators of positive welfare (such as resting) compared to those in a traditional home pen design or traditional facility. Welfare indicating behaviours did not vary consistently with strain, but male dogs showed more negative welfare indicating behaviours and had greater variation in these behaviours than females. Our findings showed more positive welfare indicating behaviours in dogs with higher mechanical pressure thresholds. We conclude that factors relating to the design of home pens and implementation of Refinements at the facility level have a significant positive impact on the welfare of laboratory-housed dogs, with a potential concomitant impact on scientific endpoints. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights

Pen-on-paper strategy for point-of-care testing: Rapid prototyping of fully written microfluidic biosensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zedong; Li, Fei; Xing, Yue; Liu, Zhi; You, Minli; Li, Yingchun; Wen, Ting; Qu, Zhiguo; Ling Li, Xiao; Xu, Feng

2017-12-15

Paper-based microfluidic biosensors have recently attracted increasing attentions in point-of-care testing (POCT) territories benefiting from their affordable, accessible and eco-friendly features, where technologies for fabricating such biosensors are preferred to be equipment free, easy-to-operate and capable of rapid prototyping. In this work, we developed a pen-on-paper (PoP) strategy based on two custom-made pens, i.e., a wax pen and a conductive-ink pen, to fully write paper-based microfluidic biosensors through directly writing both microfluidic channels and electrodes. Particularly, the proposed wax pen is competent to realize one-step fabrication of wax channels on paper, as the melted wax penetrates into paper during writing process without any post-treatments. The practical applications of the fabricated paper-based microfluidic biosensors are demonstrated by both colorimetric detection of Salmonella typhimurium DNA with detection limit of 1nM and electrochemical measurement of glucose with detection limit of 1mM. The developed PoP strategy for making microfluidic biosensors on paper characterized by true simplicity, prominent portability and excellent capability for rapid prototyping shows promising prospect in POCT applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pen size and parity effects on maternal behaviour of Small-Tail Han sheep.

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, S-J; Yang, Y; Dwyer, C M; Li, F-K

2015-07-01

The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of pen size and parity on maternal behaviour of twin-bearing Small-Tail Han ewes. A total of 24 ewes were allocated to a 2×2 design (six per pen), with parity (primiparous or multiparous) and pen size (large: 6.0×3.0 m; small: 6.0×1.5 m) as main effects at Linyi University, Shandong Province, China. Behaviour was observed from after parturition until weaning. All ewes were observed for 6 h every 5 days from 0700 to1000 h and from 1400 to 1700 h. Continuous focal animal sampling was used to quantify the duration of maternal behaviours: sucking, grooming and following as well as the frequency of udder accepting, udder refusing and low-pitched bleating. Oestradiol and cortisol concentrations in the faeces (collected in the morning every 5 days) were detected using EIA kits. All lambs were weighed 24 h after parturition and again at weaning at 35 days of age. The small pen size significantly reduced following (Pbehaviour in sheep during lactation. The study is also the first to report on the maternal behaviour of Chinese native sheep breeds (Small-Tail Han sheep), with implications for the production of sheep in China.

Conversion of Squid Pens to Chitosanases and Proteases via Paenibacillus sp. TKU042

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Chien Thang Doan

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Chitosanases and proteases have received much attention due to their wide range of applications. Four kinds of chitinous materials, squid pens, shrimp heads, demineralized shrimp shells and demineralized crab shells, were used as the sole carbon and nitrogen (C/N source to produce chitosanases, proteases and α-glucosidase inhibitors (αGI by four different strains of Paenibacillus. Chitosanase productivity was highest in the culture supernatants using squid pens as the sole C/N source. The maximum chitosanase activity of fermented squid pens (0.759 U/mL was compared to that of fermented shrimp heads (0.397 U/mL, demineralized shrimp shells (0.201 U/mL and demineralized crab shells (0.216 U/mL. A squid pen concentration of 0.5% was suitable for chitosanase, protease and αGI production via Paenibacillus sp. TKU042. Multi-purification, including ethanol precipitation and column chromatography of Macro-Prep High S as well as Macro-Prep DEAE (diethylaminoethyl, led to the isolation of Paenibacillus sp. TKU042 chitosanase and protease with molecular weights of 70 and 35 kDa, respectively. For comparison, 16 chitinolytic bacteria, including strains of Paenibacillus, were investigated for the production of chitinase, exochitinase, chitosanase, protease and αGI using two kinds of chitinous sources.

Microfabric of illitic clays from the Pacific deep-sea basin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burkett, D.J.; Bennett, R.H.; Bryant, W.R.

1990-01-01

The microfabric of deep-sea illitic clays was investigated using electron microscopy in support of the In-Situ Heat Transfer Experiment (ISHTE) Simulation test (ISIMU) and the Subseabed Disposal Program (SDP). Sandia National Laboratories, ISHTE and the field exercises were designed to investigate the thermal, fluid, and mechanical response of the sediment to the emplacement of radioactive waste in the seabed. Clay fabric of an undisturbed core sample, designated RAMA, was compared to dredge, remolded, reconsolidated material in order to investigate the effects of mechanical disturbances from sediment remolding and heater probe insertion and effects of induced thermal gradients caused by heating of the sediment

A multivariate dynamic linear model for early warnings of diarrhea and pen fouling in slaughter pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Dan Børge; Toft, Nils; Kristensen, Anders Ringgaard

2017-01-01

We present a method for providing early, but indiscriminant, predictions of diarrhea and pen fouling in grower/finisher pigs. We collected data on dispensed feed amount, water flow, drinking bouts frequency, temperature at two positions per pen, and section level humidity from 12 pens (6 double...... a set threshold a sufficient number of times, consecutively. Using this method with a 7 day prediction window, we achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.84. Shorter prediction windows yielded lower performances, but longer prediction windows did not affect...

Pen Branch Delta and Savannah River Swamp Hydraulic Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, K.F.

1999-01-01

The proposed Savannah River Site (SRS) Wetlands Restoration Project area is located in Barnwell County, South Carolina on the southwestern boundary of the SRS Reservation. The swamp covers about 40.5 km2 and is bounded to the west and south by the Savannah River and to the north and east by low bluffs at the edge of the Savannah River floodplain. Water levels within the swamp are determined by stage along the Savannah River, local drainage, groundwater seepage, and inflows from four tributaries, Beaver Dam Creek, Fourmile Branch, Pen Branch, and Steel Creek. Historic discharges of heated process water into these tributaries scoured the streambed, created deltas in the adjacent wetland, and killed native vegetation in the vicinity of the delta deposits. Future releases from these tributaries will be substantially smaller and closer to ambient temperatures. One component of the proposed restoration project will be to reestablish indigenous wetland vegetation on the Pen Branch delta that covers about 1.0 km2. Long-term predictions of water levels within the swamp are required to determine the characteristics of suitable plants. The objective of the study was to predict water levels at various locations within the proposed SRS Wetlands Restoration Project area for a range of Savannah River flows and regulated releases from Pen Branch. TABS-MD, a United States Army Corps of Engineer developed two-dimensional finite element open channel hydraulic computer code, was used to model the SRS swamp area for various flow conditions

Techniques For Microfabricating Coils For Microelectromechanical Systems Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woods, R. C.; Powell, A. L.

2008-01-01

The advanced technology necessary for building future space exploration vehicles includes microfabricated coils for making possible self-inductances integrated with other passive and active electronic components. Integrated inductances make possible significant improvements in reliability over the traditional arrangement of using external discrete inductances, as well as allowing significant size (volume) reductions (also important in space vehicles). Two possible fabrication techniques (one using proprietary branded 'Foturan' glass, the other using silicon wafer substrates) for microscopic coils are proposed, using electroplating into channels. The techniques have been evaluated for fabricating the planar electrical coils needed for typical microelectromechanical systems applications. There remain problems associated with processing using 'Foturan' glass, but coil fabrication on silicon wafers was successful. Fabrication methods such as these are expected to play an important part in the development of systems and subsystems for forthcoming space exploration missions

A pocket type thermoluminescent personnel dosimeter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vora, K.G.; Nagpal, J.S.; Pendurkar, H.K.; Gangadharan, P.

1979-01-01

A pocket type thermoluminescent personnel dosemeter using CaSO 4 : Dy phosphor is described. Two glass capillaries containing the phosphor are fitted into a plastic tube and covered by a cylindrical filter. The combination is fitted into an ink barrel of a fountain pen. The response of this Dy glass dosimeter was studied for various incident photon energies. A uniform response over the energy range from 33 keV to 1250 keV is achieved. (A.K.)

Students’ Attention when Using Touchscreens and Pen Tablets in a Mathematics Classroom

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Chiung-Hui Chiu

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Aim/Purpose: The present study investigated and compared students’ attention in terms of time-on-task and number of distractors between using a touchscreen and a pen tablet in mathematical problem-solving activities with virtual manipulatives. Background: Although there is an increasing use of these input devices in educational practice, little research has focused on assessing student attention while using touchscreens or pen tablets in a mathematics classroom. Methodology: A qualitative exploration was conducted in a public elementary school in New Taipei, Taiwan. Six fifth-grade students participated in the activities. Video recordings of the activities and the students’ actions were analyzed. Findings: The results showed that students in the activity using touchscreens maintained greater attention and, thus, had more time-on-task and fewer distractors than those in the activity using pen tablets. Recommendations for Practitioners: School teachers could employ touchscreens in mathematics classrooms to support activities that focus on students’ manipulations in relation to the attention paid to the learning content. Recommendation for Researchers: The findings enhance our understanding of the input devices used in educational practice and provide a basis for further research. Impact on Society: The findings may also shed light on the human-technology interaction process involved in using pen and touch technology conditions. Future Research: Activities similar to those reported here should be conducted using more participants. In addition, it is important to understand how students with different levels of mathematics achievement use the devices in the activities.

Development and Evaluation of an Interactive Pen

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Froilan G. Destreza

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Technologies have reached the classroom. It is one of the means of teaching strategies nowadays. Multimedia projectors have become one of the teaching tools the teacher cannot bear without it. The concept of making this tool to be interactive and easier to use was far conceived by the researcher. The researcher’s objective was to develop such tool and evaluate it according to its portability, simplicity, robustness, user-friendliness, effectiveness and efficiency. The respondents of the project were both the students and teachers of Batangas State University ARASOF-Nasugbu. The researcher has developed different prototypes for the interactive pen and tested in different environment and demonstrated the “know-how” of the project. The project was built using a simple infrared light emitting diode (IR LED, infrared tracker, and software which computes, detects and interact with the application program. Evaluation of the project followed the demonstration. The project got a high acceptance according to its portability, simplicity, robustness, user-friendliness, effectiveness and efficiency. The researcher is recommending the full implementation of the project in the Batangas State University ARASOF- Nasugbu and for better enhancement of the project by eliminating the pen.

Pen Culture of the Black-Chinned Tilapia, Sarotherodon ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Pen-fish-culture as a culture-based fisheries approach was investigated in the Aglor Lagoon from December 2003 to June, 2004. The fish used in the study was the Black-chinned tilapia Sarotherodon melanotheron. The growth performance of S. melanotheron cultured for six months in the Aglor Lagoon under three ...

A feature based comparison of pen and swipe based signature characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Joshua; Guest, Richard

2015-10-01

Dynamic Signature Verification (DSV) is a biometric modality that identifies anatomical and behavioral characteristics when an individual signs their name. Conventionally signature data has been captured using pen/tablet apparatus. However, the use of other devices such as the touch-screen tablets has expanded in recent years affording the possibility of assessing biometric interaction on this new technology. To explore the potential of employing DSV techniques when a user signs or swipes with their finger, we report a study to correlate pen and finger generated features. Investigating the stability and correlation between a set of characteristic features recorded in participant's signatures and touch-based swipe gestures, a statistical analysis was conducted to assess consistency between capture scenarios. The results indicate that there is a range of static and dynamic features such as the rate of jerk, size, duration and the distance the pen traveled that can lead to interoperability between these two systems for input methods for use within a potential biometric context. It can be concluded that this data indicates that a general principle is that the same underlying constructional mechanisms are evident. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pen-mate directed behaviour in ad libitum fed pigs given different quantities and frequencies of straw

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Williams, Charlotte Amdi; Lahrmann, H. P.; Oxholm, L. C.

2015-01-01

Straw stimulates explorative behaviour and is therefore attractive to pigs. Further, it can be effective in reducing negative pen-mate directed behaviours. Under most commercial conditions, straw can only be used in limited amounts as it can be difficult to handle in most vacuum slurry systems...... as a control treatment, against which the other treatments (quantities T25 and T50) and frequencies of straw allocations (T2×50 and T4×25) were tested. Three focal pigs per pen were randomly chosen and observed for 15 min per hour where tail-in-mouth, ear-in-mouth, aggression and other pen-mate directed...... behaviour were recorded. In addition, residual straw in the pens was assessed using four categories ranging from straw in a thin layer; little straw; few straws; and soiled straw. Pigs were active for about 30% of the registered time, but overall no differences in total pen-mate directed behaviour (tail...

(D-Pen2,4 prime -125I-Phe4,D-Pen5)enkephalin: A selective high affinity radioligand for delta opioid receptors with exceptional specific activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knapp, R.J.; Sharma, S.D.; Toth, G.; Duong, M.T.; Fang, L.; Bogert, C.L.; Weber, S.J.; Hunt, M.; Davis, T.P.; Wamsley, J.K. (Department of Pharmacology, University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson (United States))

1991-09-01

(D-Pen2,4{prime}-125I-Phe4,D-Pen5)enkephalin ((125I)DPDPE) is a highly selective radioligand for the delta opioid receptor with a specific activity (2200 Ci/mmol) that is over 50-fold greater than that of tritium-labeled DPDPE analogs. (125I)DPDPE binds to a single site in rat brain membranes with an equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) value of 421 {plus minus} 67 pM and a receptor density (Bmax) value of 36.4 {plus minus} 2.7 fmol/mg protein. The high affinity of this site for delta opioid receptor ligands and its low affinity for mu or kappa receptor-selective ligands are consistent with its being a delta opioid receptor. The distribution of these sites in rat brain, observed by receptor autoradiography, is also consistent with that of delta opioid receptors. Association and dissociation binding kinetics of 1.0 nM (125I) DPDPE are monophasic at 25 degrees C. The association rate (k + 1 = 5.80 {plus minus} 0.88 {times} 10(7) M-1 min-1) is about 20- and 7-fold greater than that measured for 1.0 nM (3H) DPDPE and 0.8 nM (3H) (D-Pen2,4{prime}-Cl-Phe4, D-Pen5)enkephalin, respectively. The dissociation rate of (125I)DPDPE (0.917 {plus minus} 0.117 {times} 10(-2) min-1) measured at 1.0 nM is about 3-fold faster than is observed for either of the other DPDPE analogs. The rapid binding kinetics of (125I)DPDPE is advantageous because binding equilibrium is achieved with much shorter incubation times than are required for other cyclic enkephalin analogs. This, in addition to its much higher specific activity, makes (125I)DPDPE a valuable new radioligand for studies of delta opioid receptors.

Feedlot- and Pen-Level Prevalence of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli in Feces of Commercial Feedlot Cattle in Two Major U.S. Cattle Feeding Areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Cull, Charley A; Renter, David G; Dewsbury, Diana M; Noll, Lance W; Shridhar, Pragathi B; Ives, Samuel E; Nagaraja, Tiruvoor G; Cernicchiaro, Natalia

2017-06-01

The objective of this study was to determine feedlot- and pen-level fecal prevalence of seven enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) belonging to serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157, or EHEC-7) in feces of feedlot cattle in two feeding areas in the United States. Cattle pens from four commercial feedlots in each of the two major U.S. beef cattle areas were sampled. Up to 16 pen-floor fecal samples were collected from each of 4-6 pens per feedlot, monthly, for a total of three visits per feedlot, from June to August, 2014. Culture procedures including fecal enrichment in E. coli broth, immunomagnetic separation, and plating on selective media, followed by confirmation through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, were conducted. Generalized linear mixed models were fitted to estimate feedlot-, pen-, and sample-level fecal prevalence of EHEC-7 and to evaluate associations between potential demographic and management risk factors with feedlot and within-pen prevalence of EHEC-7. All study feedlots and 31.0% of the study pens had at least one non-O157 EHEC-positive fecal sample, whereas 62.4% of pens tested positive for EHEC O157; sample-level prevalence estimates ranged from 0.0% for EHEC O121 to 18.7% for EHEC O157. Within-pen prevalence of EHEC O157 varied significantly by sampling month; similarly within-pen prevalence of non-O157 EHEC varied significantly by month and by the sex composition of the pen (heifer, steer, or mixed). Feedlot management factors, however, were not significantly associated with fecal prevalence of EHEC-7. Intraclass correlation coefficients for EHEC-7 models indicated that most of the variation occurred between pens, rather than within pens, or between feedlots. Hence, the potential combination of preharvest interventions and pen-level management strategies may have positive food safety impacts downstream along the beef chain.

Poli(Etileno Naftalato - PEN: uma revisão do seu histórico e as principais tendências de sua aplicação mundial Poly(ethylene naphtalate - PEN: historical review and main trends in world application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edilene de Cássia D. Nunes

1998-06-01

Full Text Available Este artigo contém uma revisão sobre o Poli(etileno naftalato - PEN e também inclui vários aspectos relacionados com as blendas poliméricas Poli(etileno tereftalato - PET / Poli(etileno naftalato - PEN. O artigo é resultado de um desenvolvimento conjunto da Alcoa Alumínio S.A.- Divisão de Embalagens e do Departamento de Engenharia de Materiais - Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar, que tem como objetivo pesquisar o tema aqui abordado.This paper presents a review on poly(ethylene naphtalate - PEN including several features related to poly(ethylene terephtalate - PET / poly(ethylene naphtalate - PEN blends.The paper is a result of a conjoint development of Alcoa S.A. - Packaging Divisions and of the Department of Materials Engineering - Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar, whose scope is to investigate the subject here approached.

Le Pen õigustas natside tegevust Prantsusmaal / Margo Pajuste

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Pajuste, Margo

2005-01-01

Prantsuse paremäärmusliku partei juht Jean-Marie Le Pen väitis, et Saksa okupatsioon II maailmasõja ajal Prantsusmaal ei olnud eriti ebainimlik ja et kui väited massimõrvade kohta Prantsusmaal vastaksid tõele, poleks olnud vaja luua koonduslaagreid poliitvangidele. Reageeringutest Le Peni väidete kohta Prantsusmaal

Cost minimization analysis of different growth hormone pen devices based on time-and-motion simulations

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Kim Jaewhan

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Numerous pen devices are available to administer recombinant Human Growth Hormone (rhGH, and both patients and health plans have varying issues to consider when selecting a particular product and device for daily use. Therefore, the present study utilized multi-dimensional product analysis to assess potential time involvement, required weekly administration steps, and utilization costs relative to daily rhGH administration. Methods Study objectives were to conduct 1 Time-and-Motion (TM simulations in a randomized block design that allowed time and steps comparisons related to rhGH preparation, administration and storage, and 2 a Cost Minimization Analysis (CMA relative to opportunity and supply costs. Nurses naïve to rhGH administration and devices were recruited to evaluate four rhGH pen devices (2 in liquid form, 2 requiring reconstitution via TM simulations. Five videotaped and timed trials for each product were evaluated based on: 1 Learning (initial use instructions, 2 Preparation (arrange device for use, 3 Administration (actual simulation manikin injection, and 4 Storage (maintain product viability between doses, in addition to assessment of steps required for weekly use. The CMA applied micro-costing techniques related to opportunity costs for caregivers (categorized as wages, non-drug medical supplies, and drug product costs. Results Norditropin® NordiFlex and Norditropin® NordiPen (NNF and NNP, Novo Nordisk, Inc., Bagsværd, Denmark took less weekly Total Time (p ® Pen (GTP, Pfizer, Inc, New York, New York or HumatroPen® (HTP, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana. Time savings were directly related to differences in new package Preparation times (NNF (1.35 minutes, NNP (2.48 minutes GTP (4.11 minutes, HTP (8.64 minutes, p Conclusions Time-and-motion simulation data used to support a micro-cost analysis demonstrated that the pen device with the greater time demand has highest net costs.

Influence of Penning effect on the plasma features in a non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma jet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Zhengshi; Zhang, Guanjun [School of Electrical Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Jiang, Nan; Cao, Zexian, E-mail: zxcao@iphy.ac.cn [Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China)

2014-03-14

Non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) is a cold plasma source that promises various innovative applications. The influence of Penning effect on the formation, propagation, and other physical properties of the plasma bullets in APPJ remains a debatable topic. By using a 10 cm wide active electrode and a frequency of applied voltage down to 0.5 Hz, the Penning effect caused by preceding discharges can be excluded. It was found that the Penning effect originating in a preceding discharge helps build a conductive channel in the gas flow and provide seed electrons, thus the discharge can be maintained at a low voltage which in turn leads to a smaller propagation speed for the plasma bullet. Photographs from an intensified charge coupled device reveal that the annular structure of the plasma plume for He is irrelevant to the Penning ionization process arising from preceding discharges. By adding NH{sub 3} into Ar to introduce Penning effect, the originally filamentous discharge of Ar can display a rather extensive plasma plume in ambient as He. These results are helpful for the understanding of the behaviors of non-equilibrium APPJs generated under distinct conditions and for the design of plasma jet features, especially the spatial distribution and propagation speed, which are essential for application.

Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR Spectroscopy with Chemometric Techniques for the Classification of Ballpoint Pen Inks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Naeim Mohamad Asri

2015-12-01

Full Text Available FTIR spectroscopic techniques have been shown to possess good abilities to analyse ballpoint pen inks. These in-situ techniques involve directing light onto ballpoint ink samples to generate an FTIR spectrum, providing “molecular fingerprints” of the ink samples thus allowing comparison by direct visual comparison. In this study, ink from blue (n=15 and red (n=15 ballpoint pens of five different brands: Kilometrico®, G-Soft®, Stabilo®, Pilot® and Faber Castell® was analysed using the FTIR technique with the objective of establishing a distinctive differentiation according to the brand. The resulting spectra were first compared and grouped manually. Due to the similarities in terms of colour and shade of the inks, distinctive differentiation could not be achieved by means of direct visual comparison. However, when the same spectral data was analysed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA software, distinctive grouping of the ballpoint pen inks was achieved. Our results demonstrate that PCA can be used objectively to investigate ballpoint pen inks of similar colour and more importantly of different brands.

CRESU studies of electron attachment and Penning ionization at temperatures down to 48 K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Garrec, J.L.; Mitchell, J.B.A.; Rowe, B.R.

1996-01-01

The object of the present report is to present results obtained for electron attachment and Penning ionization, obtained with the addition of a Langmuir probe to the measurement apparatus. Measurements of the rate coefficients for electron attachment and Penning ionization are performed using the standard techniques for the flow reactors. Rate coefficients for the Penning ionisation of argon, nitrogen molecule, oxygen molecule by helium metastable are presented. The results obtained concerning the attachment of electrons to SF 6 (non-dissociative), CCl 2 F 2 (producing Cl - ), and CF 3 Br as a function of temperature are presented. The differences observed, and the variation of the value of β below 100 K, provides evidence of the strong influence of the internal state (probably vibrational) of the CF 3 Br molecule on its dissociative attachment

Monolithic integration of optical waveguides for absorbance detection in microfabricated electrophoresis devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mogensen, Klaus Bo; Petersen, Nickolaj Jacob; Hübner, Jörg

2001-01-01

. The waveguides on the device were connected to optical fibers, which enabled alignment free operation due to the absence of free-space optics. A 750 mum long U-shaped detection cell was used to facilitate longitudinal absorption detection. To minimize geometrically induced band broadening at the turn in the U......The fabrication and performance of an electrophoretic separation chip with integrated of optical waveguides for absorption detection is presented. The device was fabricated on a silicon substrate by standard microfabrication techniques with the use of two photolithographic mask steps...

Micro-fabricated semi-packed column for gas chromatography by using functionalized parylene as a stationary phase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakai, T; Nishiyama, S; Shuzo, M; Delaunay, J-J; Yamada, I

2009-01-01

The conformal coating of effective stationary phases onto micro-fabricated columns having complex geometries such as semi-packed columns poses a real challenge. Here, we report for the first time the conformal coating of a semi-packed column with amino-functionalized parylene diX-AM (poly-aminomethyl-[2,2]-paracyclophane), which was found to be an effective stationary-phase material for the chromatography of short-retention-time compounds. A semi-packed column (consisting of a zigzag array of 30 µm square micro-pillars in a 1.0 m long, 180 µm wide and 230 µm deep channel) and an open tubular column (1.0 m long, 160 µm wide and 230 µm deep channel) used for comparison purposes were micro-fabricated on silicon that was subsequently coated with diX-AM parylene and thermally bonded. The chromatograms recorded on a commercial gas chromatograph demonstrated the usefulness of the conformal diX-AM coating as a stationary phase for semi-packed columns. The separation efficiency of the semi-packed column was found to be more than ten times that of the open tubular column

Noble-gas ionization in the ion source with Penning effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monchka, D.; Lyatushinskij, A.; Vasyak, A.

1982-01-01

By additional use of that the ion source efficiency can be increased the Penning ionization. The results of estimates of certain coefficients for the processes taking place in the plasma ion sources are presented

A new pen device for injection of recombinant human growth hormone: a convenience, functionality and usability evaluation study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sauer M

2017-12-01

Full Text Available   Maritta Sauer,1 Carole Abbotts2 1Global Strategic Insights, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany; 2Pharmaceutical Market Research Consultant, London, UK Purpose: Adherence to recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH is critical to growth and other outcomes in patients with growth disorders, but the requirement for daily injections means that ease of use is an important factor. This study assessed the perceived ease of use and functionality of the prototype of a reusable pen injector (pen device for r-hGH that incorporates several advanced features. Participants and methods: Semi-structured 60-minute qualitative interviews were conducted in 5 countries with 57 health care professionals (HCPs and 30 patients with GH deficiency/caregivers administering r-hGH to patients, including children. HCPs had to be responsible for training in the use of r-hGH pen devices and to see ≥4 r-hGH patients/caregivers per month. Patients/caregivers had to have experience with r-hGH administration for at least 6 months.Results: Thirty-seven (65% of HCPs described the pen device as “simple” or “easy” to use. The aluminum body was generally perceived as attractive, high quality and comfortable to hold and operate. The ease of preparation and use made it suitable for both children and adults. The ability to dial back the r-hGH dose, if entered incorrectly, was mentioned as a major benefit, because other devices need several user steps to reset. Patients/caregivers felt the pen device was easy to use and the injection-feedback features reassured them that the full dose had been given. Overall, 40 (70% HCPs and 16 (52% patients/caregivers were likely to recommend or request the pen device. Moreover, patients/caregivers rated the pen device higher than their current reusable pens and almost equal to the leading disposable device for ease of learning, preparation, administration and ease of use.Conclusion: The prototype pen device successfully met its design

Aspiration of a perforated pen cap: complete tracheal obstruction ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Foreign body aspiration is a common but underestimated event in children with potentially fatal outcome. Because of unreliable histories and inconsistent clinical and radiologic findings, diagnosis and treatment can represent a challenge. Inhaled pen caps predispose for complete airway obstruction and are difficult to ...

Development of a microfabricated artificial limbus with micropockets for cell delivery to the cornea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ortega, Ílida; Deshpande, Pallavi; Gill, Andrew A; MacNeil, Sheila; Claeyssens, Frederik

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop a synthetic alternative to the human corneal limbus for use initially as an ex vivo model in which to study corneal stem cell function within a niche environment and ultimately to develop an implantable limbus for future clinical use. Microstereolithography was used for the fabrication of polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) based rings on a macroscopic (1.2 cm) scale containing unique microfeatures (pockets) which were then modified with fibronectin to promote cell adhesion. These rings were designed to mimic the limbal area of the eye containing structures of the approximate size and shape of the stem cell microenvironments found in the palisades of Vogt. The attachment of rabbit limbal fibroblasts and rabbit limbal epithelial cells to the PEGDA rings was increased by pretreating the microfabricated structures with biotinylated fibronectin. Cell outgrowth from fibronectin coated microfabricated structures was 50% greater than from rings without structures or fibronectin coating. The cell loaded rings were then placed on an ex vivo wounded cornea model and the outgrowth of cells to form a multilayered epithelium was observed. We suggest this is a new approach to investigating limbal stem cells niches and the first steps towards a new approach for corneal regeneration. (paper)

Precise mass measurements of exotic nuclei--the SHIPTRAP Penning trap mass spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herfurth, F.; Ackermann, D.; Block, M.; Dworschak, M.; Eliseev, S.; Hessberger, F.; Hofmann, S.; Kluge, H.-J.; Maero, G.; Martin, A.; Mazzocco, M.; Rauth, C.; Vorobjev, G.; Blaum, K.; Ferrer, R.; Neidherr, D.; Chaudhuri, A.; Marx, G.; Schweikhard, L.; Neumayr, J.

2007-01-01

The SHIPTRAP Penning trap mass spectrometer has been designed and constructed to measure the mass of short-lived, radioactive nuclei. The radioactive nuclei are produced in fusion-evaporation reactions and separated in flight with the velocity filter SHIP at GSI in Darmstadt. They are captured in a gas cell and transfered to a double Penning trap mass spectrometer. There, the cyclotron frequencies of the radioactive ions are determined and yield mass values with uncertainties ≥4.5·10 -8 . More than 50 nuclei have been investigated so far with the present overall efficiency of about 0.5 to 2%

Field-scale evaluation of water fluxes and manure solution leaching in feedlot pen soils.

Science.gov (United States)

García, Ana R; Maisonnave, Roberto; Massobrio, Marcelo J; Fabrizio de Iorio, Alicia R

2012-01-01

Accumulation of beef cattle manure on feedlot pen surfaces generates large amounts of dissolved solutes that can be mobilized by water fluxes, affecting surface and groundwater quality. Our objective was to examine the long-term impacts of a beef cattle feeding operation on water fluxes and manure leaching in feedlot pens located on sandy loam soils of the subhumid Sandy Pampa region in Argentina. Bulk density, gravimetric moisture content, and chloride concentration were quantified. Rain simulation trials were performed to estimate infiltration and runoff rates. Using chloride ion as a tracer, profile analysis techniques were applied to estimate the soil moisture flux and manure conservative chemical components leaching rates. An organic stratum was found over the surface of the pen soil, separated from the underlying soil by a highly compacted thin layer (the manure-soil interface). The soil beneath the organic layer showed greater bulk density in the A horizon than in the control soil and had greater moisture content. Greater concentrations of chloride were found as a consequence of the partial sealing of the manure-soil interface. Surface runoff was the dominant process in the feedlot pen soil, whereas infiltration was the main process in control soil. Soil moisture flux beneath pens decreased substantially after 15 yr of activity. The estimated minimum leaching rate of chloride was 13 times faster than the estimated soil moisture flux. This difference suggests that chloride ions are not exclusively transported by advective flow under our conditions but also by solute diffusion and preferential flow. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Human factors engineering and design validation for the redesigned follitropin alfa pen injection device.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahony, Mary C; Patterson, Patricia; Hayward, Brooke; North, Robert; Green, Dawne

2015-05-01

To demonstrate, using human factors engineering (HFE), that a redesigned, pre-filled, ready-to-use, pre-asembled follitropin alfa pen can be used to administer prescribed follitropin alfa doses safely and accurately. A failure modes and effects analysis identified hazards and harms potentially caused by use errors; risk-control measures were implemented to ensure acceptable device use risk management. Participants were women with infertility, their significant others, and fertility nurse (FN) professionals. Preliminary testing included 'Instructions for Use' (IFU) and pre-validation studies. Validation studies used simulated injections in a representative use environment; participants received prior training on pen use. User performance in preliminary testing led to IFU revisions and a change to outer needle cap design to mitigate needle stick potential. In the first validation study (49 users, 343 simulated injections), in the FN group, one observed critical use error resulted in a device design modification and another in an IFU change. A second validation study tested the mitigation strategies; previously reported use errors were not repeated. Through an iterative process involving a series of studies, modifications were made to the pen design and IFU. Simulated-use testing demonstrated that the redesigned pen can be used to administer follitropin alfa effectively and safely.

Pervasive liquid metal based direct writing electronics with roller-ball pen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Zheng

2013-11-01

Full Text Available A roller-ball pen enabled direct writing electronics via room temperature liquid metal ink was proposed. With the rolling to print mechanism, the metallic inks were smoothly written on flexible polymer substrate to form conductive tracks and electronic devices. The contact angle analyzer and scanning electron microscope were implemented to disclose several unique inner properties of the obtained electronics. An ever high writing resolution with line width and thickness as 200 μm and 80 μm, respectively was realized. Further, with the administration of external writing pressure, GaIn24.5 droplets embody increasing wettability on polymer which demonstrates the pervasive adaptability of the roller-ball pen electronics.

Properties of H- and D- beams from magnetron and Penning sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sluyters, T.; Kovarik, V.

1979-01-01

The quality of negative hydrogen isotope beams are evaluated after extraction from magnetron and Penning sources. The general conclusions of these measurements are that: (a) the beam quality from these plasma sources are adequate for the transport of high current negative ion beams in bending magnets; (b) there is evidence of practically complete space charge neutralization in the drift space beyond the extractor; (c) the beam performance from the Penning source appears to be better compared with the magnetron source; and (d) it is likely that the high electric field gradient and a concave ion emission boundary are responsible for a beam cross-over near the anode aperture, which causes beam divergence practically independent of the extraction geometry

Design, Microfabrication and Characterization of a Power Delivery System for new Biomedical Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CARUSO Massimo

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the design, microfabrication and characterization of a wireless power delivery system capable of driving a surface acoustic wave sensor (SAW for biomedical applications. The system consists of two planar, spiral-square microcoils, which have been geometrically optimized in order to maximize the quality factor Q. The integration of the SAW - microcoil system into artificial implant sites will allow a real-time biofilm growth monitoring and treatment, providing countless advantages to the related medical applications.

Microfabrication of pre-aligned fiber bundle couplers using ultraviolet lithography of SU-8

OpenAIRE

Yang, Ren; Soper, Steven A.; Wang, Wanjun

2006-01-01

This paper describes the design, microfabrication and testing of a pre-aligned array of fiber couplers using direct UV-lithography of SU-8. The fiber coupler array includes an out-of-plane refractive microlens array and two fiberport collimator arrays. With the optical axis of the pixels parallel to the substrate, each pixel of the microlens array can be pre-aligned with the corresponding pixels of the fiberport collimator array as defined by the lithography mask design. This out-of-plane pol...

JPRS Report China

Science.gov (United States)

1989-12-19

Japanese Investment 90OH0029A Beijing GUOJIMAOYI WENTI [INTERNATIONAL TRADE JOURNAL ] in Chinese No 7-8, 30Aug89pp 12-14 [Article by Zhang Dong...beginning of July showed that in recent years the practice of building private homes by cadres has flour - ished, with two-thirds of the cities and...the mess hall; and the money for the fountain pen ink and for glue used by the cadres came from the individual’s own pocket. Once, Young Jiang

Microfabrication of Microchannels for Fuel Cell Plates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ho Su Jang

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Portable electronic devices such as notebook computers, PDAs, cellular phones, etc., are being widely used, and they increasingly need cheap, efficient, and lightweight power sources. Fuel cells have been proposed as possible power sources to address issues that involve energy production and the environment. In particular, a small type of fuel-cell system is known to be suitable for portable electronic devices. The development of micro fuel cell systems can be achieved by the application of microchannel technology. In this study, the conventional method of chemical etching and the mechanical machining method of micro end milling were used for the microfabrication of microchannel for fuel cell separators. The two methods were compared in terms of their performance in the fabrication with regards to dimensional errors, flatness, straightness, and surface roughness. Following microchannel fabrication, the powder blasting technique is introduced to improve the coating performance of the catalyst on the surface of the microchannel. Experimental results show that end milling can remarkably increase the fabrication performance and that surface treatment by powder blasting can improve the performance of catalyst coating.

Development of compact size penning ion source for compact neutron generator.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Basanta Kumar; Shyam, Anurag

2008-12-01

For long-life operation, easy to mount and compact in size penning type ion sources are widely used in different fields of research such as neutron generators, material research, and surface etching. One penning type ion source has been developed in our laboratory. Applying high voltage of 2 kV between two oppositely biased electrodes and using permanent magnet of 500 gauss magnetic field along the axis, we had produced the glow discharge in the plasma region. The performance of this source was investigated using nitrogen gas. Deuterium ions were produced and extracted on the basis of chosen electrodes and the angle of extraction. Using a single aperture plasma electrode, the beam was extracted along the axial direction. The geometry of plasma electrode is an important factor for the efficient extraction of the ions from the plasma ion source. The extracted ion current depends upon the shape of the plasma meniscus. A concave shaped plasma meniscus produces converged ion beam. The convergence of extracted ions is related to the extraction electrode angle. The greater the angle, the more the beam converges. We had studied experimentally this effect with a compact size penning ion source. The detailed comparison among the different extraction geometry and different electrode angle are discussed in this paper.

Aspiration of a perforated pen cap: complete tracheal obstruction ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Keywords: children, flexible bronchoscopy, Fogarty catheter, foreign body aspiration, pen cap, rigid ... plastic foreign body with central perforation occluding the trachea in supracarinal ... venous steroids and was discharged home on postoperative day 1 without ... history may not be as reliable, if not witnessed by an adult.

Individual and pen-based oral fluid sampling: A welfare-friendly sampling method for group-housed gestating sows.

Science.gov (United States)

Pol, Françoise; Dorenlor, Virginie; Eono, Florent; Eudier, Solveig; Eveno, Eric; Liégard-Vanhecke, Dorine; Rose, Nicolas; Fablet, Christelle

2017-11-01

The aims of this study were to assess the feasibility of individual and pen-based oral fluid sampling (OFS) in 35 pig herds with group-housed sows, compare these methods to blood sampling, and assess the factors influencing the success of sampling. Individual samples were collected from at least 30 sows per herd. Pen-based OFS was performed using devices placed in at least three pens for 45min. Information related to the farm, the sows, and their living conditions were collected. Factors significantly associated with the duration of sampling and the chewing behaviour of sows were identified by logistic regression. Individual OFS took 2min 42s on average; the type of floor, swab size, and operator were associated with a sampling time >2min. Pen-based OFS was obtained from 112 devices (62.2%). The type of floor, parity, pen-level activity, and type of feeding were associated with chewing behaviour. Pen activity was associated with the latency to interact with the device. The type of floor, gestation stage, parity, group size, and latency to interact with the device were associated with a chewing time >10min. After 15, 30 and 45min of pen-based OFS, 48%, 60% and 65% of the sows were lying down, respectively. The time spent after the beginning of sampling, genetic type, and time elapsed since the last meal were associated with 50% of the sows lying down at one time point. The mean time to blood sample the sows was 1min 16s and 2min 52s if the number of operators required was considered in the sampling time estimation. The genetic type, parity, and type of floor were significantly associated with a sampling time higher than 1min 30s. This study shows that individual OFS is easy to perform in group-housed sows by a single operator, even though straw-bedded animals take longer to sample than animals housed on slatted floors, and suggests some guidelines to optimise pen-based OFS success. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quadrupole deflector of the double Penning trap system MLLTRAP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gartzke, Eva; Kolhinen, Veli; Habs, Dietrich; Neumayr, Juergen; Schuermann, Christian; Szerypo, Jerzy; Thirolf, Peter [Fakultaet fuer Physik, LMU Muenchen, Garching (Germany); Maier-Leibnitz Laboratory, Garching (Germany)

2009-07-01

A cylindrical double Penning trap has been installed and successfully commissioned at the Maier-Leibnitz Laboratory in Garching. This trap system has been designed to isobarically purify low energy ion beams and perform highly accurate mass measurements. An electrostatic quadrupole deflector has been designed and installed at the injection line of the Penning trap system enabling a simultaneous use of an online ion beam with reference ions from an offline ion source. Alternatively two offline sources can be used concurrently e.g. an {alpha} recoil sources providing heavy radioactive species (e.g {sup 240}U) together with reference mass ions (which in the future will be e.g. a carbon cluster ion source). The bender has been designed for beam energies up to 1 keV with q/A ratios 1/1-1/250. This presentation shows the technical design and the operating parameters of the quadrupole beam bender and its implementation at the MLLTRAP system.

About the measurements systems with pen and thermoluminescent dosemeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cortes I, M.E.; Ramirez G, F.P.

1998-01-01

In this work it is presented dosimetric data obtained with pen and thermoluminescent dosemeters, which are used by the Occupational Exposure Personnel (OEP) of the Mexican Petroleum Institute (IMP)(1). It was marked several great characteristics as for example, the differences among units which use one and another dosemeter type. Likewise, it is given to know diverse problems that were had in the IMP at relating the data obtained with these dosemeters (which utilizes OEP) and the ICRP 60 recommendations 1990. One of the most important difficulties is to satisfy the recommended limits by ICRP, particularly those that are referring to the units and their complex calculations. With respect to the unities, the ICRP makes reference at the concepts 'dose equivalent' and 'effective dose' with the sievert unit, that the General Regulations for Radiological Safety associates with 'dose equivalent' and 'effective dose equivalent'. It was illustrated the type of dosimetric statistics which are obtained with the TLD lectures and a OEP pen dosemeter during 1997. (Author)

Microfabricated electrochemical sensor for the detection of radiation-induced DNA damage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, J.; Rivas, G.; Ozsoz, M.; Grant, D.H.; Cai, X.; Parrado, C. [New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM (United States)

1997-04-01

An electrochemical biosensor protocol for the detection of radiation-induced DNA damage is described. The procedure employs a dsDNA-coated screen-printed electrode and relies on changes in the guanine-DNA oxidation signal upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The decreased signal is ascribed primarily to conformational changes in the DNA and to the photoconversion of the guanine-DNA moiety to a nonelectroactive monomeric base product. Factors influencing the response of these microfabricated DNA sensors, such as irradiation time, wavelength, and distance, are explored, and future prospects are discussed. Similar results are given for the use of bare strip electrodes in connection with irradiated DNA solutions. 8 refs., 4 figs.

Second Generation Electronic Nicotine Delivery System Vape Pen Exposure Generalizes as a Smoking Cue.

Science.gov (United States)

King, Andrea C; Smith, Lia J; McNamara, Patrick J; Cao, Dingcai

2018-01-05

Second generation electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS; also known as e-cigarettes, vaporizers or vape pens) are designed for a customized nicotine delivery experience and have less resemblance to regular cigarettes than first generation "cigalikes." The present study examined whether they generalize as a conditioned cue and evoke smoking urges or behavior in persons exposed to their use. Data were analyzed in N = 108 young adult smokers (≥5 cigarettes per week) randomized to either a traditional combustible cigarette smoking cue or a second generation ENDS vaping cue in a controlled laboratory setting. Cigarette and e-cigarette urge and desire were assessed pre- and post-cue exposure. Smoking behavior was also explored in a subsample undergoing a smoking latency phase after cue exposure (N = 26). The ENDS vape pen cue evoked both urge and desire for a regular cigarette to a similar extent as that produced by the combustible cigarette cue. Both cues produced similar time to initiate smoking during the smoking latency phase. The ENDS vape pen cue elicited smoking urge and desire regardless of ENDS use history, that is, across ENDS naїve, lifetime or current users. Inclusion of past ENDS or cigarette use as covariates did not significantly alter the results. These findings demonstrate that observation of vape pen ENDS use generalizes as a conditioned cue to produce smoking urge, desire, and behavior in young adult smokers. As the popularity of these devices may eventually overtake those of first generation ENDS cigalikes, exposure effects will be of increasing importance. This study shows that passive exposure to a second generation ENDS vape pen cue evoked smoking urge, desire, and behavior across a range of daily and non-daily young adult smokers. Smoking urge and desire increases after vape pen exposure were similar to those produced by exposure to a first generation ENDS cigalike and a combustible cigarette, a known potent cue. Given the increasing

Study of argon-based Penning gas mixtures for use in proportional counters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agrawal, P.C.; Ramsey, B.D.; Weisskopf, M.C.

1989-01-01

Results from an experimental investigation of three Penning gas mixtures, namely argon-acetylene (Ar-C 2 H 2 ), argon-xenon (Ar-Xe) and argon-xenon-trimethylamine (Ar-Xe-TMA), are reported. The measurements, carried out in cylindrical geometry as well as parallel plate geometry detectors, demonstrate that the Ar-C 2 H 2 mixtures show a significant Penning effect even at an acetylene concentration of 10% and provide the best energy resolution among all the argon-based gas mixtures (≤13% FWHM at 5.9 keV and 6.7% at 22.2 keV). In the parallel plate detector the Ar-C 2 H 2 fillings provide a resolution of ≅7% FWHM at 22.2 keV up to a gas gain of at least ≅10 4 . The nonmetastable Penning mixture Ar-Xe provides the highest gas gain among all the argon-based gas mixtures and is well suited for use in long-duration space-based experiments. Best results are obtained with 5% and 20% Xe in Ar, the energy resolution being ≅7% FWHM at 22.2 keV and ≅4.5% at 59.6 keV for gas gain 3 . Addition of ≥1% TMA to an 80% Ar-20% Xe mixture produces a dramatic increase in gas gain but the energy resolution remains unaffected (≅7% FWHM at 22.2 keV). This increase in gas gain is attributed to the occurrence of a Penning effect between Xe and TMA, the ionization potential of TMA being 8.3 eV, just below the xenon metastable potential of 8.39 eV. (orig.)

Temperature and body weight affect fouling of pig pens.

Science.gov (United States)

Aarnink, A J A; Schrama, J W; Heetkamp, M J W; Stefanowska, J; Huynh, T T T

2006-08-01

Fouling of the solid lying area in pig housing is undesirable for reasons of animal welfare, animal health, environmental pollution, and labor costs. In this study the influence of temperature on the excreting and lying behavior of growing-finishing pigs of different BW (25, 45, 65, 85, or 105 kg) was studied. Ten groups of 5 pigs were placed in partially slatted pens (60% solid concrete, 40% metal-slatted) in climate respiration chambers. After an adaptation period, temperatures were raised daily for 9 d. Results showed that above certain inflection temperatures (IT; mean 22.6 degrees C, SE = 0.78) the number of excretions (relative to the total number of excretions) on the solid floor increased with temperature (mean increase 9.7%/ degrees C, SE = 1.41). Below the IT, the number of excretions on the solid floor was low and not influenced by temperature (mean 13.2%, SE = 3.5). On average, the IT for excretion on the solid floor decreased with increasing BW, from approximately 25 degrees C at 25 kg to 20 degrees C at 100 kg of BW (P temperature also affected the pattern and postural lying. The temperature at which a maximum number of pigs lay on the slatted floor (i.e., the IT for lying) decreased from approximately 27 degrees C at 25 kg to 23 degrees C at 100 kg of BW (P temperatures, pigs lay more on their sides and less against other pigs (P Temperature affects lying and excreting behavior of growing-finishing pigs in partially slatted pens. Above certain IT, pen fouling increases linearly with temperature. Inflection temperatures decrease at increasing BW.

Preparation and characterisation of irradiated crab chitosan and New Zealand Arrow squid pen chitosan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shavandi, Amin; Bekhit, Adnan A.; Bekhit, Alaa El-Din A.; Sun, Zhifa; Ali, M. Azam

2015-01-01

The properties of chitosan from Arrow squid (Nototodarus sloanii) pen (CHS) and commercial crab shell (CHC) were investigated using FTIR, DSC, SEM and XRD before and after irradiation at the dose of 28 kGy in the presence or absence of 5% water. Also, the viscosity, deacetylation degree, water and oil holding capacities, colour and antimicrobial activities of the chitosan samples were determined. Irradiation decreased (P < 0.05) the viscosity of CHC from 0.21 to 0.03 Pa s and of CHS from 1.71 to 0.23 Pa s. The inclusion of water had no effect on the viscosity of irradiated chitosan. Irradiation did not affect the degree of deacetylation of CHC, but increased the deacetylation degree of CHS from 72.78 to 82.29% in samples with 5% water. Water and oil holding capacities of CHS (1197.30% and 873.3%, respectively) were higher (P < 0.05) than those found in CHC (340.70% and 264.40%, respectively). The water and oil holding capacities were decreased for both types of chitosan irradiation, but were not affected by the addition of water. Squid pen chitosan was whiter in colour (White Index = 90.06%) compared to CHC (White Index = 83.70%). Generally, the CHC samples (control and irradiated) exhibited better antibacterial activity compared to CHS, but the opposite was observed with antifungal activity. - Highlights: • Chitosan prepared from Arrow squid pens (Nototodarus sloanii). • Chitosan samples were gamma irradiated at 28 kGy. • Squid pen chitosan showed high fat and water uptake capacities compared to crab shell chitosan. • Gamma irradiation enhanced the DDA of squid pen chitosan but not crab shell chitosan.

Highly uniform parallel microfabrication using a large numerical aperture system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Zi-Yu; Su, Ya-Hui, E-mail: ustcsyh@ahu.edu.cn, E-mail: dongwu@ustc.edu.cn [School of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Anhui University, Hefei 230601 (China); Zhang, Chen-Chu; Hu, Yan-Lei; Wang, Chao-Wei; Li, Jia-Wen; Chu, Jia-Ru; Wu, Dong, E-mail: ustcsyh@ahu.edu.cn, E-mail: dongwu@ustc.edu.cn [CAS Key Laboratory of Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Department of Precision Machinery and Precision Instrumentation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China)

2016-07-11

In this letter, we report an improved algorithm to produce accurate phase patterns for generating highly uniform diffraction-limited multifocal arrays in a large numerical aperture objective system. It is shown that based on the original diffraction integral, the uniformity of the diffraction-limited focal arrays can be improved from ∼75% to >97%, owing to the critical consideration of the aperture function and apodization effect associated with a large numerical aperture objective. The experimental results, e.g., 3 × 3 arrays of square and triangle, seven microlens arrays with high uniformity, further verify the advantage of the improved algorithm. This algorithm enables the laser parallel processing technology to realize uniform microstructures and functional devices in the microfabrication system with a large numerical aperture objective.

Microfabricated electrochemical sensors for combustion applications

Science.gov (United States)

Vulcano Rossi, Vitor A.; Mullen, Max R.; Karker, Nicholas A.; Zhao, Zhouying; Kowarz, Marek W.; Dutta, Prabir K.; Carpenter, Michael A.

2015-05-01

A new design for the miniaturization of an existing oxygen sensor is proposed based on the application of silicon microfabrication technologies to a cm sized O2 sensor demonstrated by Argonne National Laboratory and The Ohio State University which seals a metal/metal oxide within the structure to provide an integrated oxygen reference. The structural and processing changes suggested will result in a novel MEMS-based device meeting the semiconductor industry standards for cost efficiency and mass production. The MEMS design requires thin film depositions to create a YSZ membrane, palladium oxide reference and platinum electrodes. Pt electrodes are studied under operational conditions ensuring film conductivity over prolonged usage. SEM imaging confirms void formation after extended tests, consistent with the literature. Furthermore, hydrophilic bonding of pairs of silicon die samples containing the YSZ membrane and palladium oxide is discussed in order to create hermetic sealed cavities for oxygen reference. The introduction of tensile Si3N4 films to the backside of the silicon die generates bowing of the chips, compromising bond quality. This effect is controlled through the application of pressure during the initial bonding stages. In addition, KOH etching of the bonded die samples is discussed, and a YSZ membrane that survives the etching step is characterized by Raman spectroscopy.

Gradual training of alpacas to the confinement of metabolism pens reduces stress when normal excretion behavior is accommodated.

Science.gov (United States)

Lund, Kirrin E; Maloney, Shane K; Milton, John T B; Blache, Dominique

2012-01-01

Confinement in metabolism pens may provoke a stress response in alpacas that will reduce the welfare of the animal and jeopardize the validity of scientific results obtained in such pens. In this study, we tested a protocol designed to successfully train alpacas to be held in a specially designed metabolism pen so that the animals' confinement would not jeopardize their welfare. We hypothesized that the alpacas would show fewer behaviors associated with a response to stress as training gradually progressed, and that they would adapt to being in the confinement of the metabolism pen. The training protocol was successful at introducing alpacas to the metabolism pens, and it did reduce the incidence of behavioral responses to stress as the training progressed. The success of the training protocol may be attributed to the progressive nature of the training, the tailoring of the protocol to suit alpacas, and the use of positive reinforcement. This study demonstrated that both animal welfare and the validity of the scientific outcomes could be maximized by the gradual training of experimental animals, thereby minimizing the stress imposed on the animals during experimental procedures.

Comparison of bacterial culture and qPCR testing of rectal and pen floor samples as diagnostic approaches to detect enterotoxic Escherichia coli in nursery pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weber, N. R.; Nielsen, J. P.; Hjulsager, Charlotte Kristiane

2017-01-01

Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) are a major cause of diarrhoea in weaned pigs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the agreement at pen level among three different diagnostic approaches for the detection of ETEC in groups of nursery pigs with diarrhoea. The diagnostic approaches used were...... to determine the quantity of F18 and F4 genes. The study was carried out in three Danish pig herds and included 31 pens with a pen-level diarrhoea prevalence of > 25%, as well as samples from 93 diarrhoeic nursery pigs from these pens. All E. coli isolates were analysed by PCR and classified as ETEC when genes...... was observed between the detection of ETEC by bacterial culture and qPCR in the same pen floor sample in 26 (83.9%, Kappa = 0.679) pens. Conclusion: We observed an acceptable agreement for the detection of ETEC-positive diarrhoeic nursery pigs in pen samples for both bacterial culture of pen floor samples...

Johannes Vermeer and Tom Gouws: textual discourse through pen ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Poems such as 'ars poetica' and 'die kantklosser' will be read as speaking paintings of visual texts and visual writing through which an exceptional merger of pen and brush come into being. Keywords: iconicity, tipography, cohesion, visual text, ars poetica, syntactic chiasm, texture, canto. Journal for Language Teaching Vol ...

Evaluation of drop versus trickle-feeding systems for crated or group-penned gestating sows.

Science.gov (United States)

Hulbert, L E; McGlone, J J

2006-04-01

A total of 160 gilts were used to evaluate the effects of pen vs. crated housing systems and drop- vs. trickle-fed feeding systems on sow productivity, occurrence of lesions during farrowing and weaning, immune measures, and behavioral responses during 2 consecutive gestation periods. Of the 160 eligible gilts, 117 farrowed in parity 1, and of those, 72 farrowed in parity 2. The gilts were randomly assigned to represent 1 of 4 factorially arranged treatment groups: pen drop-fed, crate drop-fed, pen trickle-fed, or crate trickle-fed. Replicate blocks were used for each parity with 5 sows per block initially in each treatment. At weaning, sows housed in pens had greater (P trickle-feeding system. Lesions scores and all other productivity measures did not differ among treatments. An interaction was observed for percentage of neutrophil phagocytosis (P trickle-fed sows, but in crates, drop-fed sows had a tendency for lower phagocytosis than trickle-fed sows. All other immune measures were not different among treatments. The occurrence of oral-nasal-facial (ONF) behaviors (chewing, rooting, and rubbing) and active behaviors increased, and lying behavior decreased (P trickle-feeding systems. None of the environments evaluated were associated with significant physiological stress responses among the sows. Thus, sows were able to adapt within each environment through behavioral mechanisms without the need to invoke major physiological adjustments.

Modeling of discharges generated by electron beams in dense gases: Fountain and thunderstorm regimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macheret, S.O.; Shneider, M.N.; Miles, R.B.

2001-01-01

In this paper we present an analysis of the predicted dynamics of plasmas generated in air and other gases by injecting beams of high-energy electrons. Two distinct regimes are found, differing in the way that the excess negative charge brought in by the ionizing electron beam is removed. In the first regime, called a fountain, the charge is removed by the back current of plasma electrons toward the injection foil. In the second, called a thunderstorm, a substantial cloud of negative charge accumulates, and the increased electric field near the cloud causes a streamer to strike between the cloud and a positive or grounded electrode, or between two clouds created by two different beams. A quantitative analysis, including electron beam propagation, electrodynamics, charge particle kinetics, and a simplified heat balance, is performed in a one-dimensional approximation

9 CFR 309.7 - Livestock affected with anthrax; cleaning and disinfection of infected livestock pens and driveways.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

...; cleaning and disinfection of infected livestock pens and driveways. 309.7 Section 309.7 Animals and Animal... INSPECTION § 309.7 Livestock affected with anthrax; cleaning and disinfection of infected livestock pens and... followed immediately by a thorough disinfection of the exposed premises by soaking the ground, fences...

Rapid Analyses of Polyetheretherketone Wear Characteristics by Accelerated Wear Testing with Microfabricated Surfaces for Artificial Joint Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Chen-Ying; Kuo, Chien-Wei; Fang, Hsu-Wei

2017-01-01

Wear particle-induced biological responses are the major factors resulting in the loosening and then failure of total joint arthroplasties. It is feasible to improve the lubrication and reduce the wear of artificial joint system. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is considered as a potential bearing material due to its mechanical characteristics of resistance to fatigue strain. The PEEK wear particles have been indicated to be involved in biological responses in vitro, and further studies regarding the wear phenomena and wear particle generation are needed. In this study, we have established an accelerated wear testing system with microfabricated surfaces. Various contact pressures and lubricants have been utilized in the accelerated wear tests. Our results showed that increasing contact pressure resulted in an increase of wear particle sizes and wear rate, and the size of PEEK wear particles can be controlled by the feature size of microfabricated surfaces. These results provided the information rapidly about factors that affect the morphology and amount of PEEK wear particles and can be applied in the future for application of PEEK on the biological articulation system.

IRAS 18113-2503: THE WATER FOUNTAIN WITH THE FASTEST JET?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomez, Jose F.; Guerrero, MartIn A.; Ricardo Rizzo, J.; Suarez, Olga; Miranda, Luis F.; Ramos-Larios, Gerardo

2011-01-01

We present Expanded Very Large Array water maser observations at 22 GHz toward the source IRAS 18113-2503. Maser components span over a very high velocity range of ≅ 500 km s -1 , the second largest found in a Galactic maser, only surpassed by the high-mass star-forming region W49N. Maser components are grouped into a blueshifted and a redshifted cluster, separated by 0.''12. Further mid-IR and radio data suggest that IRAS 18113-2503 is a post-asymptotic giant branch star, thus a new bona fide member of the rare class of 'water fountains' (WFs). It is the evolved object with the largest total velocity spread in its water masers and with the highest velocity dispersion within its redshifted and blueshifted lobes (≅ 170 km s -1 ). The large total velocity range of emission probably indicates that IRAS 18113-2503 has the fastest jet among the known WF stars. On the other hand, the remarkably high velocity dispersion within each lobe may be interpreted in terms of shocks produced by an episode of mass ejection whose velocity increased up to very high values or, alternatively, by projection effects in a jet with a large opening angle and/or precessing motions.

Forensic Analysis of Blue Ball point Pen Inks on Questioned Documents by High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography Technique (HPTLC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, L.C.; Siti Mariam Nunurung; Abdul Aziz Ishak

2014-01-01

Nowadays, crimes related to forged documents are increasing. Any erasure, addition or modification in the document content always involves the use of writing instrument such as ball point pens. Hence, there is an evident need to develop a fast and accurate ink analysis protocol to solve this problem. This study is aimed to determine the discrimination power of high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) technique for analyzing a set of blue ball point pen inks. Ink samples deposited on paper were extracted using methanol and separated via a solvent mixture of ethyl acetate, methanol and distilled water (70: 35: 30, v/ v/ v). In this method, the discrimination power of 89.40 % was achieved, which confirm that the proposed method was able to differentiate a significant number of pen-pair samples. In addition, composition of blue pen inks was found to be homogeneous (RSD < 2.5 %) and the proposed method showed good repeatability and reproducibility (RSD < 3. 0%). As a conclusion, HPTLC is an effective tool to separate blue ball point pen inks. (author)

Groundwater and surface-water interaction, water quality, and processes affecting loads of dissolved solids, selenium, and uranium in Fountain Creek near Pueblo, Colorado, 2012–2014

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, L. Rick; Ortiz, Roderick F.; Brown, Christopher R.; Watts, Kenneth R.

2016-11-28

In 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Arkansas River Basin Regional Resource Planning Group, initiated a study of groundwater and surface-water interaction, water quality, and loading of dissolved solids, selenium, and uranium to Fountain Creek near Pueblo, Colorado, to improve understanding of sources and processes affecting loading of these constituents to streams in the Arkansas River Basin. Fourteen monitoring wells were installed in a series of three transects across Fountain Creek near Pueblo, and temporary streamgages were established at each transect to facilitate data collection for the study. Groundwater and surface-water interaction was characterized by using hydrogeologic mapping, groundwater and stream-surface levels, groundwater and stream temperatures, vertical hydraulic-head gradients and ratios of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in the hyporheic zone, and streamflow mass-balance measurements. Water quality was characterized by collecting periodic samples from groundwater, surface water, and the hyporheic zone for analysis of dissolved solids, selenium, uranium, and other selected constituents and by evaluating the oxidation-reduction condition for each groundwater sample under different hydrologic conditions throughout the study period. Groundwater loads to Fountain Creek and in-stream loads were computed for the study area, and processes affecting loads of dissolved solids, selenium, and uranium were evaluated on the basis of geology, geochemical conditions, land and water use, and evapoconcentration.During the study period, the groundwater-flow system generally contributed flow to Fountain Creek and its hyporheic zone (as a single system) except for the reach between the north and middle transects. However, the direction of flow between the stream, the hyporheic zone, and the near-stream aquifer was variable in response to streamflow and stage. During periods of low streamflow, Fountain Creek generally gained flow from

Forensic analysis of ballpoint pen inks using paper spray mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva Ferreira, Priscila; Fernandes de Abreu e Silva, Débora; Augusti, Rodinei; Piccin, Evandro

2015-02-07

A novel analytical approach based on paper spray mass spectrometry (PS-MS) is developed for a fast and effective forensic analysis of inks in documents. Ink writings made in ordinary paper with blue ballpoint pens were directly analyzed under ambient conditions without any prior sample preparation. Firstly, the method was explored on a set of distinct pens and the results obtained in the positive ion mode, PS(+)-MS, demonstrated that pens from different brands provide typical profiles. Simple visual inspection of the PS(+)-MS led to the distinction of four different combinations of dyes and additives in the inks. Further discrimination was performed by using the concept of relative ion intensity (RII), owing to the large variability of dyes BV3 and BB26 regarding their demethylated homologues. Following screening and differentiation studies, the composition changes of ink entries subjected to light exposure were also monitored by PS-MS. The results of these tests revealed distinct degradation behaviors which were reflected on the typical chemical profiles of the studied inks, attesting that PS-MS may be also useful to verify the fading of dyes thus allowing the discrimination of entries on a document. As proof of concept experiments, PS-MS was successfully utilized for the analysis of archived documents and characterization of overlapped ink lines made on simulated forged documents.

Status of the Penning trap project in Munich

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szerypo, J.; Kolhinen, V.S.; Gartzke, E.; Habs, D.; Neumayr, J.; Schuermann, C.; Sewtz, M.; Thirolf, P.G.; Bussmann, M.; Schramm, U.

2009-01-01

The MLLTRAP at the Maier-Leibnitz-Laboratory (Garching) is a new Penning trap facility designed to combine several novel technologies to decelerate, charge breed, cool, bunch and purify the reaction products and perform high-accuracy nuclear and atomic mass measurements. It is now in the commissioning phase, achieving a mass-resolving power of about 10 5 in the purification trap for stable ions. (orig.)

Status of the Penning trap project in Munich

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szerypo, J.; Kolhinen, V.S.; Gartzke, E.; Habs, D.; Neumayr, J.; Schuermann, C.; Sewtz, M.; Thirolf, P.G. [University of Munich (LMU) and Maier-Leibnitz-Laboratory (MLL), Faculty of Physics, Garching (Germany); Bussmann, M.; Schramm, U. [University of Munich (LMU) and Maier-Leibnitz-Laboratory (MLL), Faculty of Physics, Garching (Germany); Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany)

2009-12-15

The MLLTRAP at the Maier-Leibnitz-Laboratory (Garching) is a new Penning trap facility designed to combine several novel technologies to decelerate, charge breed, cool, bunch and purify the reaction products and perform high-accuracy nuclear and atomic mass measurements. It is now in the commissioning phase, achieving a mass-resolving power of about 10{sup 5} in the purification trap for stable ions. (orig.)

Tracking Color Shift in Ballpoint Pen Ink Using Photoshop Assisted Spectroscopy: A Nondestructive Technique Developed to Rehouse a Nobel Laureate's Manuscript.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Kristi; Herro, Holly

2016-01-01

Many historically and culturally significant documents from the mid-to-late twentieth century were written in ballpoint pen inks, which contain light-sensitive dyes that present problems for collection custodians and paper conservators. The conservation staff at the National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health, conducted a multiphase project on the chemistry and aging of ballpoint pen ink that culminated in the development of a new method to detect aging of ballpoint pen ink while examining a variety of storage environments. NLM staff determined that ballpoint pen ink color shift can be detected noninvasively using image editing software. Instructions are provided on how to detect color shift in digitized materials using a technique developed specifically for this project-Photoshop Assisted Spectroscopy. 1 The study results offer collection custodians storage options for historic documents containing ballpoint pen ink.

Pen Branch fault: Confirmatory drilling results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stieve, A.; Coruh, C.; Costain, J.K.

1994-01-01

The Confirmatory Drilling Project is the final investigation under the Pen Branch Fault Program initiated to determine the capability of the Pen Branch fault (PBF) to release seismic energy. This investigation focused on a small zone over the fault where previously collected seismic reflection data had indicated the fault deforms the subsurface at 150 msec (with reference to an 80 m reference datum). Eighteen drill holes, 2 to basement and the others to 300 ft, were arranged in a scatter pattern over the fault. To adequately define configuration of the layers deformed by the fault boreholes were spaced over a zone of 800 ft, north to south. The closely spaced data were to confirm or refute the existence of flat lying reflectors observed in seismic reflection data and to enable the authors to identify and correlate lithologic layers with seismic reflection data. Results suggest that deformation by the fault in sediments 300 ft deep ad shallower is subtle. Corroboration of the geologic interpretation with the seismic reflection profile is ongoing but preliminary results indicate that specific reflectors can be assigned to lithologic layers. A large amplitude package of reflections below a flat lying continuous reflection at 40 msec can be correlated with a lithology that corresponds to carbonate sediments in geologic cross-section. Further, data also show that a geologic layer as shallow as 30 ft can be traced on these seismic data over the same subsurface distance where geologic cross-section shows corresponding continuity. The subsurface structure is thus corroborated by both methods at this study site

Ultrasonic misting in the treatment of works of art on paper

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João Paulo Dias

2005-01-01

Full Text Available A solution of calcium hydroxide and sodium borohydride was applied using an ultrasonic misting device to a graphite drawing from the artist Guilherme Camarinha. This process allowed the drawing to be washed, reduce its foxing stains and planar distortions without interfering with a fountain pen inscription written by the author in the bottom righthand corner. As there is not much literature regarding this procedure, some practical questions related to the use of ultrasonic dispersions in the treatment of paper are discussed herein.

Additive direct-write microfabrication for MEMS: A review

Science.gov (United States)

Teh, Kwok Siong

2017-12-01

manufacturing technologies, it is possible to fabricate unsophisticated micrometer scale structures at adequate resolutions and precisions using materials that range from polymers, metals, ceramics, to composites. In both academia and industry, direct-write additive manufacturing offers extraordinary promises to revolutionize research and development in microfabrication and MEMS technologies. Importantly, direct-write additive manufacturing could appreciably augment current MEMS fabrication technologies, enable faster design-to-product cycle, empower new paradigms in MEMS designs, and critically, encourage wider participation in MEMS research at institutions or for individuals with limited or no access to cleanroom facilities. This article aims to provide a limited review of the current landscape of direct-write additive manufacturing techniques that are potentially applicable for MEMS microfabrication.

Fabrication of a pen-shaped portable biochemical reaction system based on magnetic bead manipulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shikida, Mitsuhiro; Inagaki, Noriyuki; Okochi, Mina; Honda, Hiroyuki; Sato, Kazuo

2011-01-01

A pen-shaped platform that is similar to a mechanical pencil is proposed for producing a portable reaction system. A reaction unit, as the key component in the system, was produced by using a heat shrinkable tube. A mechanical pencil supplied by Mitsubishi Pencil Co. Ltd was used as the pen-shaped platform for driving the reaction cylinder. It was actuated using an inchworm motion. We confirmed that the magnetic beads were successfully manipulated in the droplet in the cylinder-shaped reaction units. (technical note)

Frequency shift due to blackbody radiation in a cesium atomic fountain and improvement of the clock performances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, S.

2004-07-01

FO1 was the first caesium fountain primary frequency standard in the world. The most recent evaluation in 2002 before improvement reached an accuracy of 1*10 -15 when operated with optical molasses. Working as an extremely precise and stable instrument, FO1 has contributed to fundamental physics and technical measurements: - Frequency comparison between Cs and Rb fountains over an interval of 5 years sets an upper limit for a possible variation of the fine structure constant as |alpha/alpha| -15 /y. The resolution is about 5 times better than the previous test in our laboratory. The projected accuracy of the space clock PHARAO is 1*10 -16 . We confirmed its Ramsey cavity performance by testing the phase difference between the two interaction zones in FO1. The measured temperature T dependent frequency shift of the Cs clock induced by the blackbody radiation field is given as nu(T)=154(6)*10 -6 *(T/300) 4 [1+ε(T/300) 2 ] Hz with the theoretical value ε = 0,014. The obtained accuracy represents a 3 times improvement over the previous measurement by the PTB group. Some improvements have been carried out on FO1. The new FO1 version works directly with optical molasses loaded by a laser slowed atomic beam. The application of the adiabatic passage method to perform the state selection allows us to determine the atom number dependent frequency shifts due to the cold collision and cavity pulling effects at a level of of 10 -16 . Recently, the obtained frequency stability is 2,8*10 -14 *τ -1/2 for about 4*10 6 detected atoms. The accuracy is currently under evaluation, the expected value is a few times 10 -16 . (author)

Joseph Jacobs: Apprentice to Crawford W. Long in Athens, GA; Pharmacist and Retailer of Soda Fountain Beverages in Atlanta, GA.

Science.gov (United States)

Haridas, Rajesh P

2018-01-01

In the 1870s, Joseph Jacobs was employed as an apprentice in the Longs and Billups pharmacy in Athens, GA. Jacobs later established a chain of pharmacies in Atlanta, GA. Coca-Cola was first sold to the public on May 8, 1886, at Jacobs' Pharmacy in the Five Points district of Atlanta, GA. The soda fountain in Jacobs' Pharmacy was owned by Willis E. Venable, who was related to James M. Venable, the first patient etherized by Crawford Long in Jefferson, GA. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of bacterial culture and qPCR testing of rectal and pen floor samples as diagnostic approaches to detect enterotoxic Escherichia coli in nursery pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weber, N. R.; Nielsen, J. P.; Hjulsager, Charlotte Kristiane

2017-01-01

Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) are a major cause of diarrhoea in weaned pigs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the agreement at pen level among three different diagnostic approaches for the detection of ETEC in groups of nursery pigs with diarrhoea. The diagnostic approaches used were......: bacterial culturing of faecal samples from three pigs (per pen) with clinical diarrhoea and subsequent testing for virulence genes in E. coli isolates; bacterial culturing of pen floor samples and subsequent testing for virulence genes in E. coli isolates; qPCR testing of pen floor samples in order...... to determine the quantity of F18 and F4 genes. The study was carried out in three Danish pig herds and included 31 pens with a pen-level diarrhoea prevalence of > 25%, as well as samples from 93 diarrhoeic nursery pigs from these pens. All E. coli isolates were analysed by PCR and classified as ETEC when genes...

Patient evaluation of the use of follitropin alfa in a prefilled ready-to-use injection pen in assisted reproductive technology: an observational study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Welcker J

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Self-administration of recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (r-hFSH can be performed using injection pen devices by women undergoing assisted reproductive technology procedures. The objective of this study was to explore the use of the prefilled follitropin alfa pen in routine assisted reproductive technology procedures in Germany. Methods This prospective, observational study was conducted across 43 German IVF centres over a period of 1.75 years. Patients who had used the prefilled follitropin alfa pen in the current or a previous cycle of controlled ovarian stimulation completed a questionnaire to assess their opinions of the device. Results A total of 5328 patients were included in the study. Of these, 2888 reported that they had previous experience of daily FSH injections. Significantly more patients reported that less training was required to use the prefilled follitropin alfa pen than a syringe and lyophilized powder (1997/3081 [64.8%]; p Conclusions In this questionnaire-based survey, routine use of the prefilled follitropin alfa pen was well accepted and associated with favourable patient perceptions. Users of the pen found it easier to initially learn how to use, and subsequently use, than other injection methods. In general, the prefilled follitropin alfa pen was the preferred method for self-administration of gonadotrophins. Together with previous findings, the results here indicate a high level of patient satisfaction among users of the prefilled follitropin alfa pen for daily self-administration of r-hFSH.

Three-dimensional photolithography technology for a fiber substrate using a microfabricated exposure module

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Yao; Zhang, Yi; Lu, Jian; Mimura, Akio; Matsumoto, Sohei; Itoh, Toshihiro

2010-01-01

This paper proposes a new three-dimensional (3D) photolithography technology for a high-resolution micropatterning process on a fiber substrate. A brief review on the lithography technology of the non-planar surface is also presented. The proposed technology mainly comprises the microfabrication of the 3D exposure module and the spray deposition of thin resist films on the fiber. The 3D exposure module is successfully prepared by the wet etching of a quartz substrate and the projection exposure method. The chief advantages of the 3D exposure module are long service life, low cost, narrow print gap and thus high resolution. A novel spray coating system has been developed for the preparation of uniform and thin resist films on the fibers, which are necessary for the high-resolution micropatterning process. The spray deposition process on the 125 µm in-diameter optical fiber has been systematically investigated. The viscosity and volatility of the resist solutions have complicated effects because the spray-coating deposition process on the fiber mainly consisted of the impinging region. The uniform and thin resist film down to 1 µm thick had been successfully achieved. Fine patterns with the line width down to 6 µm were successfully formed on the optical fiber by using the microfabricated exposure module. Preliminary photolithography experiments confirmed that the new 3D photolithography technology is one attractive low-cost solution to the integration of micro transducers onto the fibers for various applications. The 3D exposure module could also enable the continuous photolithography process on the fibers

Review: Factors affecting fouling in conventional pens for slaughter pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Mona Lilian Vestbjerg; Bertelsen, Maja; Pedersen, Lene Juul

2018-01-01

and pigs’ earlier experience. Further, these primary factors are affected by secondary factors such as the shape of the pen, the weight of the pigs and especially the heat balance of the pigs, which is affected by several tertiary factors including, for example, temperature, humidity and draught. Results...

Dynamics of a single ion in a perturbed Penning trap: Octupolar perturbation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lara, Martin; Salas, J. Pablo

2004-01-01

Imperfections in the design or implementation of Penning traps may give rise to electrostatic perturbations that introduce nonlinearities in the dynamics. In this paper we investigate, from the point of view of classical mechanics, the dynamics of a single ion trapped in a Penning trap perturbed by an octupolar perturbation. Because of the axial symmetry of the problem, the system has two degrees of freedom. Hence, this model is ideal to be managed by numerical techniques like continuation of families of periodic orbits and Poincare surfaces of section. We find that, through the variation of the two parameters controlling the dynamics, several periodic orbits emanate from two fundamental periodic orbits. This process produces important changes (bifurcations) in the phase space structure leading to chaotic behavior

Review on pen-and-paper-based observational methods for assessing ergonomic risk factors of computer work.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Mohd Nasrull Abdol; Mohamad, Siti Shafika

2017-01-01

Computer works are associated with Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). There are several methods have been developed to assess computer work risk factor related to MSDs. This review aims to give an overview of current techniques available for pen-and-paper-based observational methods in assessing ergonomic risk factors of computer work. We searched an electronic database for materials from 1992 until 2015. The selected methods were focused on computer work, pen-and-paper observational methods, office risk factors and musculoskeletal disorders. This review was developed to assess the risk factors, reliability and validity of pen-and-paper observational method associated with computer work. Two evaluators independently carried out this review. Seven observational methods used to assess exposure to office risk factor for work-related musculoskeletal disorders were identified. The risk factors involved in current techniques of pen and paper based observational tools were postures, office components, force and repetition. From the seven methods, only five methods had been tested for reliability. They were proven to be reliable and were rated as moderate to good. For the validity testing, from seven methods only four methods were tested and the results are moderate. Many observational tools already exist, but no single tool appears to cover all of the risk factors including working posture, office component, force, repetition and office environment at office workstations and computer work. Although the most important factor in developing tool is proper validation of exposure assessment techniques, the existing observational method did not test reliability and validity. Futhermore, this review could provide the researchers with ways on how to improve the pen-and-paper-based observational method for assessing ergonomic risk factors of computer work.

Tracking Color Shift in Ballpoint Pen Ink Using Photoshop Assisted Spectroscopy: A Nondestructive Technique Developed to Rehouse a Nobel Laureate's Manuscript

OpenAIRE

Wright, Kristi; Herro, Holly

2016-01-01

Many historically and culturally significant documents from the mid-to-late twentieth century were written in ballpoint pen inks, which contain light-sensitive dyes that present problems for collection custodians and paper conservators. The conservation staff at the National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health, conducted a multiphase project on the chemistry and aging of ballpoint pen ink that culminated in the development of a new method to detect aging of ballpoint pen ...

Nest building and posture changes and activity budget of gilts housed in pens and crates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Inger Lise; Vasdal, Guro; Pedersen, Lene Juul

2014-01-01

was born until 8 h after the birth of the first piglet. There was no significant effect of the sows breeding value on any of the sow behaviours. Sows housed in pens spent significantly more time nest building than crated sows from 4 to 12 h prepartum (P ...The aim of the present work was to study nest building, posture changes and the overall activity budget of gilts in pens vs. crates. Twenty-three HB gilts (high piglet survival day 5) and 21 LB gilts (low piglet survival day 5) were video recorded from day 110 in pregnancy to four days after...... farrowing in either a farrowing pen or farrowing crate. The gilts were provided with 2 kg of chopped straw daily from day 113 of pregnancy until farrowing in both environments. Nest building and other activity measures of the sows were analysed using continuous sampling the last 12 h before the first piglet...

Microwave warning device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shriner, W.

1981-01-01

A device for warning a person carrying or wearing it of the presence of dangerous microwave radiation is fully powered by the radiations being detected. A very low-wattage gas-discharge lamp is energized by a broadly or a sharply tuned receiver circuit including dipole antennas or one antenna and a ''grounding'' casing element. The casing may be largely and uniformly transparent or have different areas gradedly light-transmissive to indicate varying radiation intensities. The casing can be made in the shape of a pocket watch, fountain pen, bracelet or finger ring, etc

Xenon-based Penning mixtures for proportional counters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramsey, B.D.; Agrawal, P.C.; National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Huntsville, AL

1989-01-01

The choice of quench gas can have a significant effect on the gas gain and energy resolution of gas-filed proportional counters. Details are given on the performance obtained with a variety of quench additives of varying ionization potentials for use in xenon-filled systems. It is confirmed that optimum performance is obtained when the ionization potential is closely matched to the first metastable level of xenon (8.3 eV) as is the case with xenon + trimethylamine and xenon + dimethylamine. For these mixtures the Penning effect is at its strongest. (orig.)

Mechanism of force mode dip-pen nanolithography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Haijun, E-mail: yanghaijun@sinap.ac.cn, E-mail: swguo@sjtu.edu.cn, E-mail: wanghuabin@cigit.ac.cn [Key Laboratory for Thin Film and Microfabrication of the Ministry of Education, Research Institute of Micro/Nano Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Interfacial Water Division and Key Laboratory of Interfacial Physics and Technology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, CAS, Shanghai 201800 (China); Xie, Hui; Rong, Weibin; Sun, Lining [State Key Laboratory of Robotics and Systems, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080 (China); Wu, Haixia; Guo, Shouwu, E-mail: yanghaijun@sinap.ac.cn, E-mail: swguo@sjtu.edu.cn, E-mail: wanghuabin@cigit.ac.cn [Key Laboratory for Thin Film and Microfabrication of the Ministry of Education, Research Institute of Micro/Nano Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Wang, Huabin, E-mail: yanghaijun@sinap.ac.cn, E-mail: swguo@sjtu.edu.cn, E-mail: wanghuabin@cigit.ac.cn [Centre for Tetrahertz Research, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714 (China)

2014-05-07

In this work, the underlying mechanism of the force mode dip-pen nanolithography (FMDPN) is investigated in depth by analyzing force curves, tapping mode deflection signals, and “Z-scan” voltage variations during the FMDPN. The operation parameters including the relative “trigger threshold” and “surface delay” parameters are vital to control the loading force and dwell time for ink deposition during FMDPN. A model is also developed to simulate the interactions between the atomic force microscope tip and soft substrate during FMDPN, and verified by its good performance in fitting our experimental data.

Controlling trapping potentials and stray electric fields in a microfabricated ion trap through design and compensation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charles Doret, S; Amini, Jason M; Wright, Kenneth; Volin, Curtis; Killian, Tyler; Ozakin, Arkadas; Denison, Douglas; Hayden, Harley; Pai, C-S; Slusher, Richart E; Harter, Alexa W

2012-01-01

Recent advances in quantum information processing with trapped ions have demonstrated the need for new ion trap architectures capable of holding and manipulating chains of many (>10) ions. Here we present the design and detailed characterization of a new linear trap, microfabricated with scalable complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) techniques, that is well-suited to this challenge. Forty-four individually controlled dc electrodes provide the many degrees of freedom required to construct anharmonic potential wells, shuttle ions, merge and split ion chains, precisely tune secular mode frequencies, and adjust the orientation of trap axes. Microfabricated capacitors on dc electrodes suppress radio-frequency pickup and excess micromotion, while a top-level ground layer simplifies modeling of electric fields and protects trap structures underneath. A localized aperture in the substrate provides access to the trapping region from an oven below, permitting deterministic loading of particular isotopic/elemental sequences via species-selective photoionization. The shapes of the aperture and radio-frequency electrodes are optimized to minimize perturbation of the trapping pseudopotential. Laboratory experiments verify simulated potentials and characterize trapping lifetimes, stray electric fields, and ion heating rates, while measurement and cancellation of spatially-varying stray electric fields permits the formation of nearly-equally spaced ion chains. (paper)

[Effects of large bio-manipulation fish pen on community structure of crustacean zooplankton in Meiliang Bay of Taihu Lake].

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Zhi-Xin; Xie, Ping; Guo, Long-Gen; Xu, Jun; Zhou, Qiong

2012-08-01

In 2005, a large bio-manipulation pen with the stock of silver carp and bighead carp was built to control the cyanobacterial bloom in Meiliang Bay of Taihu Lake. This paper investigated the seasonal variation of the community structure of crustacean zooplankton and the water quality within and outside the pen. There were no significant differences in the environmental parameters and phytoplankton biomass within and outside the pen. The species composition and seasonal dynamics of crustacean zooplankton within and outside the pen were similar, but the biomass of crustacean zooplankton was greatly suppressed by silver carp and bighead carp. The total crustacean zooplankton biomass and cladocerans biomass were significantly lower in the pen (P < 0.05). In general, silver carp and bighead carp exerted more pressure on cladoceran species than on copepod species. A distinct seasonal succession of crustacean zooplankton was observed in the Bay. Many crustacean species were only dominated in given seasons. Large-sized crustacean (mainly Daphnia sp. and Cyclops vicnus) dominated in winter and spring, while small-sized species (mainly Bosmina sp., Ceriodaphnia cornuta, and Limnoithona sinensis) dominated in summer and autumn. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that water transparency, temperature, and phytoplankton biomass were the most important factors affecting the seasonal succession of the crustacean.

A new era for French far right politics?: Comparing the FN under two Le Pens Uma nova era para a extrema-direita francesa?: Uma comparação entre a Frente Nacional dos dois Le Pen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michelle Hale Williams

2011-10-01

Full Text Available With 2012 elections looming on the horizon in France, much political attention has focused on the new leader of the National Front, Marine Le Pen. She is polling quite well outpacing many of her mainstream party candidate rivals for the 2012 French presidency and the public appears to have embraced her with open arms. Hailed as a promising new face of French politics, a wide swath of the French electorate indicates confidence in her ability to bring needed changes to France. Yet does she really represent a dramatic departure from former FN policies and positions? This article examines the model of the FN during the leadership of Jean-Marie Le Pen in comparison with that seen in the first eight months of Marine Le Pen’s leadership in order to address this question.Com a iminência das eleições francesas de 2012, muita da atenção política se tem centrado na nova líder da Frente Nacional, Marine Le Pen, que tem tido um desempenho notável nas sondagens, ultrapassando muitos dos seus rivais dos partidos tradicionais na corrida para a presidência francesa, e sendo aparentemente acolhida de braços abertos por grande parte do eleitorado. Considerada uma nova e promissora figura no panorama político francês, uma larga fatia do eleitorado demonstra confiança na sua capacidade para trazer ao país a mudança necessária. Mas será que ela representa, de facto, uma ruptura com as antigas posições políticas da FN? O presente artigo examina o modelo da FN sob a liderança de Jean-Marie Le Pen comparando-o com o dos primeiros oito meses da liderança de Marine Le Pen por forma a analisar esta questão.

UTC(OP) based on LNE-SYRTE atomic fountain primary frequency standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rovera, G.D.; Bize, S.; Chupin, B.; Guena, J.; Laurent, Ph; Rosenbusch, Ph.; Uhrich, P.; Abgrall, M.

2016-01-01

UTC(OP), the French national realization of the international coordinated universal time, was redesigned and rebuilt. The first step was the implementation in October 2012 of a new algorithm based on a H-maser and on atomic fountain data. Thanks to the new implementation, the stability of UTC(OP) was dramatically improved and UTC(OP) competes with the best time scales available today. Then the hardware generation and distribution of the UTC(OP) physical signals were replaced. Part of the new hardware is composed of commercial devices, but the key elements were specifically developed. One of them is a special switch that allows the UTC(OP) signals to be derived from one of two time scales, based on two different H-masers, which are generated simultaneously. This insures the continuity of the UTC(OP) signal even when a change of the reference H-maser is required. With the new hardware implementation, UTC(OP) is made available through three coherent signals: 100 MHz, 10 MHz and 1 PPS. For more than 3 years, UTC(OP) remained well below 10 ns close to UTC, with a difference even less than 5 ns if we except a short period around MJD 56650. (authors)

Particle-in-cell simulations of anomalous transport in a Penning discharge

Science.gov (United States)

Carlsson, Johan; Kaganovich, Igor; Powis, Andrew; Raitses, Yevgeny; Romadanov, Ivan; Smolyakov, Andrei

2018-06-01

Electrostatic particle-in-cell simulations of a Penning discharge are performed in order to investigate azimuthally asymmetric, spoke-like structures previously observed in experiments. Two-dimensional simulations show that for Penning-discharge conditions, a persistent nonlinear spoke-like structure forms readily and rotates in the direction of E × B and electron diamagnetic drifts. The azimuthal velocity is within about a factor of 2 of the ion acoustic speed. The spoke frequency follows the experimentally observed scaling with ion mass, which indicates the importance of ion inertia in spoke formation. The spoke provides enhanced (anomalous) radial electron transport, and the effective cross-field conductivity is several times larger than the classical (collisional) value. The level of anomalous current obtained in the simulations is in good agreement with the experimental data. The rotating spoke channels most of the radial current, observable by an edge probe as short pulses.

Penning traps with unitary architecture for storage of highly charged ions.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Joseph N; Brewer, Samuel M; Guise, Nicholas D

2012-02-01

Penning traps are made extremely compact by embedding rare-earth permanent magnets in the electrode structure. Axially-oriented NdFeB magnets are used in unitary architectures that couple the electric and magnetic components into an integrated structure. We have constructed a two-magnet Penning trap with radial access to enable the use of laser or atomic beams, as well as the collection of light. An experimental apparatus equipped with ion optics is installed at the NIST electron beam ion trap (EBIT) facility, constrained to fit within 1 meter at the end of a horizontal beamline for transporting highly charged ions. Highly charged ions of neon and argon, extracted with initial energies up to 4000 eV per unit charge, are captured and stored to study the confinement properties of a one-magnet trap and a two-magnet trap. Design considerations and some test results are discussed.

Penning traps with unitary architecture for storage of highly charged ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan, Joseph N.; Guise, Nicholas D.; Brewer, Samuel M.

2012-01-01

Penning traps are made extremely compact by embedding rare-earth permanent magnets in the electrode structure. Axially-oriented NdFeB magnets are used in unitary architectures that couple the electric and magnetic components into an integrated structure. We have constructed a two-magnet Penning trap with radial access to enable the use of laser or atomic beams, as well as the collection of light. An experimental apparatus equipped with ion optics is installed at the NIST electron beam ion trap (EBIT) facility, constrained to fit within 1 meter at the end of a horizontal beamline for transporting highly charged ions. Highly charged ions of neon and argon, extracted with initial energies up to 4000 eV per unit charge, are captured and stored to study the confinement properties of a one-magnet trap and a two-magnet trap. Design considerations and some test results are discussed.

Characteristics of Handwriting of People With Cerebellar Ataxia: Three-Dimensional Movement Analysis of the Pen Tip, Finger, and Wrist.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujisawa, Yuhki; Okajima, Yasutomo

2015-11-01

There are several functional tests for evaluating manual performance; however, quantitative manual tests for ataxia, especially those for evaluating handwriting, are limited. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of cerebellar ataxia by analyzing handwriting, with a special emphasis on correlation between the movement of the pen tip and the movement of the finger or wrist. This was an observational study. Eleven people who were right-handed and had cerebellar ataxia and 17 people to serve as controls were recruited. The Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia was used to grade the severity of ataxia. Handwriting movements of both hands were analyzed. The time required for writing a character, the variability of individual handwriting, and the correlation between the movement of the pen tip and the movement of the finger or wrist were evaluated for participants with ataxia and control participants. The writing time was longer and the velocity profile and shape of the track of movement of the pen tip were more variable in participants with ataxia than in control participants. For participants with ataxia, the direction of movement of the pen tip deviated more from that of the finger or wrist, and the shape of the track of movement of the pen tip differed more from that of the finger or wrist. The severity of upper extremity ataxia measured with the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia was mostly correlated with the variability parameters. Furthermore, it was correlated with the directional deviation of the trajectory of movement of the pen tip from that of the finger and with increased dissimilarity of the shapes of the tracks. The results may have been influenced by the scale and parameters used to measure movement. Ataxic handwriting with increased movement noise is characterized by irregular pen tip movements unconstrained by the finger or wrist. The severity of ataxia is correlated with these unconstrained movements. © 2015 American

Novel methods for improvement of a Penning ion source for neutron generator applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Sy, A; Ji, Q; Persaud, A; Waldmann, O; Schenkel, T

2012-02-01

Penning ion source performance for neutron generator applications is characterized by the atomic ion fraction and beam current density, providing two paths by which source performance can be improved for increased neutron yields. We have fabricated a Penning ion source to investigate novel methods for improving source performance, including optimization of wall materials and electrode geometry, advanced magnetic confinement, and integration of field emitter arrays for electron injection. Effects of several electrode geometries on discharge characteristics and extracted ion current were studied. Additional magnetic confinement resulted in a factor of two increase in beam current density. First results indicate unchanged proton fraction and increased beam current density due to electron injection from carbon nanofiber arrays.

Discrimination of Black Ball-point Pen Inks by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohamed Izzharif Abdul Halim; Norashikin Saim; Rozita Osman; Halila Jasmani; Nurul Nadhirah Zainal Abidin

2013-01-01

In this study, thirteen types of black ball-point pen inks of three major brands were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Separation of the ink components was achieved using Bondapak C-18 column with gradient elution using water, ethanol and ethyl acetate. The chromatographic data obtained at wavelength 254.8 nm was analyzed using agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) and principle component analysis (PCA). AHC was able to group the inks into three clusters. This result was supported by PCA, whereby distinct separation of the three different brands was achieved. Therefore, HPLC in combination with chemometric methods may be a valuable tool for the analysis of black ball-point pen inks for forensic purposes. (author)

Application of micro-attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to ink examination in signatures written with ballpoint pen on questioned documents.

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, Yun Sik; Park, Jin Sook; Lee, Yeonhee; Lee, Kang-Bong

2014-05-01

Questioned documents examined in a forensic laboratory sometimes contain signatures written with ballpoint pen inks; these signatures were examined to assess the feasibility of micro-attenuated total reflectance (ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as a forensic tool. Micro-ATR FTIR spectra for signatures written with 63 ballpoint pens available commercially in Korea were obtained and used to construct an FTIR spectral database. A library-searching program was utilized to identify the manufacturer, blend, and model of each black ballpoint pen ink based upon their FTIR peak intensities, positions, and patterns in the spectral database. This FTIR technique was also successfully used in determining the sequence of homogeneous line intersections from the crossing lines of two ballpoint pen signatures. We have demonstrated with a set of sample documents that micro-ATR FTIR is a viable nondestructive analytical method that can be used to identify the origin of the ballpoint pen ink used to mark signatures. © 2014 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

The early behaviour of cow and calf in an individual calving pen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Margit Bak

2011-01-01

The aim was to investigate the early behaviour in dairy cows and their calves. Thirty-eight multiparous Danish Holstein Frisian cows and their calves were housed in individual calving pens during the first twelve days post-partum and their behaviour was observed during 24 h on days 3, 7 and 11....... Cows gradually reduced the time spent sniffing and licking their calves from 59 to 49 min over the days studied (P cow from less than half a minute on days 3 and 7 to 1 min on day 11 (P ... studied (P cows’ behavioural priorities, the cows were tested on either day 4, 8 or 12 after calving by removing them from their pens during 3 h and subsequently reintroducing them. Behavioural observations during 3 h after reintroduction showed...

Particle-In-Cell simulations of the Ball-pen probe

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Komm, M.; Adámek, Jiří; Pekárek, Z.; Pánek, Radomír

2010-01-01

Roč. 50, č. 9 (2010), s. 814-818 ISSN 0863-1042 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KJB100430901 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20430508 Keywords : Ball- pen * tokamak * plasma * plasma potential * PIC * simulation * I-V characteristics Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 1.006, year: 2010 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ctpp.201010137/pdf

Orobanche flava Mart. ex F.W. Schultz (Orobanchaceae: en la Península Ibérica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pujadas Salvá, Antonio J.

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Orobanche flava is reported in the N of the Iberian Península. Its diversity and distribution is analyzed for the península: var. flava in the Pyrenees and var. albicans Rhiner in the Cantabrian Mountain chain. Lectotypification of O. flava var. albicans Rhiner [ZT] is proposed. To facilítate the identification of O. flava we emphasize its differential morphological characters and an original icon is contributed.Se indica la presencia de Orobanche flava en el N de la Península Ibérica. Se analiza su diversidad y su distribución en el territorio: var. flava en el Pirineo y var. albicans Rhiner en la Cordillera Cantábrica. Se propone el lectótipo de O. flava var. albicans Rhiner [ZT]. Para facilitar la identificación de O. flava destacamos sus caracteres morfológicos diferenciales y aportamos un icono original.

Carcass traits and meat quality of growing rabbits in pens with and without different multilevel platforms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Martino

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this trial was to determine the effect of the presence of wire or plastic mesh elevated platforms on carcass traits and meat quality characteristics, with particular attention to the oxidative status of growing rabbits. A total of 174 five-week old rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups with 2 replications (6 pens; 29 rabbits/pen: pens without platforms (NoP with a stocking density of 16 rabbits/m2 and pens with wire-mesh platforms (WP or plastic-mesh platforms (PP that were placed on 2 levels, with a stocking density of 16 rabbits/m2 on the floor or 9.14 rabbits/m2 when the platform were included. At 84 d rabbits were slaughtered. The slaughter traits and Longissimus lumborum (LL physical and chemical compositition were not affected by treatments. Rabbits from the PP group showed the highest retinol and γ-tocotrienol content on LL muscle, whereas the NoP ones showed a higher α-tocotrienol and α-tocopherol level. The absence of platforms led to decreased (P<0.001 thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances values and induced an improvement in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Levels of linoleic, linolenic and docosahexaenoic acids were equal to those of the WP group (23.45, 3.75, 0.64% in NoP and 22.6, 4.14, 0.53% in WP, respectively but higher than in PP rabbits (20.86, 3.05, 0.45%, respectively. It can be concluded that the pens with elevated platforms provide greater possibilities for movement, which is beneficial from the viewpoint of animal welfare. However, this greater activity influences the oxidative status of the meat, decreasing the antioxidant content and worsening the lipid oxidation of rabbit meat.

Defining the Pen Islands Caribou Herd of southern Hudson Bay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenneth F. Abraham

1998-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we describe the Pen Islands Herd of caribou, the largest aggregation of caribou in Ontario (it also occupies a portion of northeastern Manitoba. Photographic counts showed the herd had a minimum population of 2300 in 1979, 4660 in 1986, 7424 in 1987 and 10 798 in 1994. Throughout the 1980s, the Pen Islands caribou exhibited population behaviour similar to migratory barren-ground caribou herds, although morphology suggests they are woodland caribou or possibly a mixture of subspecies. The herd had well-defined traditional tundra calving grounds, formed nursery groups and large mobile post-calving aggregations, and migrated over 400 km between tundra summer habitats and boreal forest winter habitats. Its migration took it into three Canadian jurisdictions (Ontario, Manitoba, Northwest Territories and it was important to residents of both Manitoba and Ontario. It is clear that the herd should be managed as a migratory herd and the critical importance of both the coastal and variable large winter ranges should be noted in ensuring the herd's habitat needs are secure.

A Microfabricated Segmented-Involute-Foil Regenerator for Enhancing Reliability and Performance of Stirling Engines. Phase III Final Report for the Radioisotope Power Conversion Technology NRA

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Mounir B.; Gedeon, David; Wood, Gary; McLean, Jeffrey

2009-01-01

Under Phase III of NASA Research Announcement contract NAS3-03124, a prototype nickel segmented-involute-foil regenerator was microfabricated and tested in a Sunpower Frequency-Test-Bed (FTB) Stirling convertor. The team for this effort consisted of Cleveland State University, Gedeon Associates, Sunpower Inc. and International Mezzo Technologies. Testing in the FTB convertor produced about the same efficiency as testing with the original random-fiber regenerator. But the high thermal conductivity of the prototype nickel regenerator was responsible for a significant performance degradation. An efficiency improvement (by a 1.04 factor, according to computer predictions) could have been achieved if the regenerator was made from a low-conductivity material. Also, the FTB convertor was not reoptimized to take full advantage of the microfabricated regenerator s low flow resistance; thus, the efficiency would likely have been even higher had the FTB been completely reoptimized. This report discusses the regenerator microfabrication process, testing of the regenerator in the Stirling FTB convertor, and the supporting analysis. Results of the pre-test computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of the effects of the regenerator-test-configuration diffusers (located at each end of the regenerator) are included. The report also includes recommendations for further development of involute-foil regenerators from a higher-temperature material than nickel.

Dose measurement in periapical radiographic exams using dosemeter pen: a look at the radioprotection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliveira, Renato; Ferreira, Vanessa, E-mail: vanessamachado@ufmg.br [Curso Superior de Tecnologia em Radiologia. Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Pereira, Claubia; Oliveira, Arno H.; Veloso, M.A.F., E-mail: gbarros@nuclear.ufmg.br, E-mail: claubia@nuclear.ufmg.br, E-mail: heeren@nuclear.ufmg.br, E-mail: Dora@nuclear.ufmg.br [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Nuclear

2011-07-01

The use of radiology has been a large increase with the crescent accessibility to dental care, orthodontics and aesthetic. Besides the increase in the number of exams, there was an increase in radiation dose during dental exams such as computed tomography. The objective of this work is to evaluate the radiation dose to which the patient is subjected in a peri apical dental radiography. The dose values were measured with a dosimeter pen during radiographs in real exams peri apical with the X-ray equipment Timex 70 C Gnatus. During the exams realization, was maintained, in the holder, the dosimeter pen near to the region of interest. The values collected were recorded in dosimeter pen. These values were compared with the reference doses of the Portaria 453 of ANVISA, this procedure allows to verify if the recommended dose limits for this exam are being respected. These data indicates if the used equipment is calibrated and in good condition of use. It was performed a comparison between the obtained experimental dose values and the values found from computer simulation with the code MCNPX 2.6.0. (author)

Dose measurement in periapical radiographic exams using dosemeter pen: a look at the radioprotection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, Renato; Ferreira, Vanessa; Pereira, Claubia; Oliveira, Arno H.; Veloso, M.A.F.

2011-01-01

The use of radiology has been a large increase with the crescent accessibility to dental care, orthodontics and aesthetic. Besides the increase in the number of exams, there was an increase in radiation dose during dental exams such as computed tomography. The objective of this work is to evaluate the radiation dose to which the patient is subjected in a peri apical dental radiography. The dose values were measured with a dosimeter pen during radiographs in real exams peri apical with the X-ray equipment Timex 70 C Gnatus. During the exams realization, was maintained, in the holder, the dosimeter pen near to the region of interest. The values collected were recorded in dosimeter pen. These values were compared with the reference doses of the Portaria 453 of ANVISA, this procedure allows to verify if the recommended dose limits for this exam are being respected. These data indicates if the used equipment is calibrated and in good condition of use. It was performed a comparison between the obtained experimental dose values and the values found from computer simulation with the code MCNPX 2.6.0. (author)

SU-8 as a Material for Microfabricated Particle Physics Detectors

CERN Document Server

Maoddi, Pietro; Jiguet, Sebastien; Renaud, Philippe

2014-01-01

Several recent detector te chnologies developed for particle physics applications are based on microfabricated structures. Dete ctors built with this approach generally exhibit the overall best performance in te rms of spatial and time resolution. Many properties of the SU-8 photoepoxy make it suitable for the manufacturing of microstructured particle detectors. This arti cle aims to review some emerging detector technologies making use of SU-8 microstructu ring, namely micropatte rn gaseous detectors and microfluidic scintillation detectors. Th e general working principle and main process steps for the fabrication of each device are reported, with a focus on the advantages brought to the device functionality by the us e of SU-8. A novel process based on multiple bonding steps for the fabrication of thin multila yer microfluidic scin tillation detectors developed by the authors is presented. Finally, a brief overview of the applications for the discussed devices is given.

Comprehension of handwriting development: Pen-grip kinetics in handwriting tasks and its relation to fine motor skills among school-age children.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yu-Chen; Chao, Yen-Li; Wu, Shyi-Kuen; Lin, Ho-Hsio; Hsu, Chieh-Hsiang; Hsu, Hsiao-Man; Kuo, Li-Chieh

2017-10-01

Numerous tools have been developed to evaluate handwriting performances by analysing written products. However, few studies have directly investigated kinetic performances of digits when holding a pen. This study thus attempts to investigate pen-grip kinetics during writing tasks of school-age children and explore the relationship between the kinetic factors and fine motor skills. This study recruited 181 children aged from 5 to 12 years old and investigated the effects of age on handwriting kinetics and the relationship between these and fine motor skills. The forces applied from the digits and pen-tip were measured during writing tasks via a force acquisition pen, and the children's fine motor performances were also evaluated. The results indicate that peak force and average force might not be direct indicators of handwriting performance for normally developing children at this age. Younger children showed larger force variation and lower adjustment frequency during writing, which might indicate they had poorer force control than the older children. Force control when handling a pen is significantly correlated with fine motor performance, especially in relation to the manual dexterity. A novel system is proposed for analysing school-age children's force control while handwriting. We observed the development of force control in relation to pen grip among the children with different ages in this study. The findings suggested that manipulation skill may be crucial when children are establishing their handwriting capabilities. © 2017 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Microfabricated Ion Beam Drivers for Magnetized Target Fusion

Science.gov (United States)

Persaud, Arun; Seidl, Peter; Ji, Qing; Ardanuc, Serhan; Miller, Joseph; Lal, Amit; Schenkel, Thomas

2015-11-01

Efficient, low-cost drivers are important for Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF). Ion beams offer a high degree of control to deliver the required mega joules of driver energy for MTF and they can be matched to several types of magnetized fuel targets, including compact toroids and solid targets. We describe an ion beam driver approach based on the MEQALAC concept (Multiple Electrostatic Quadrupole Array Linear Accelerator) with many beamlets in an array of micro-fabricated channels. The channels consist of a lattice of electrostatic quadrupoles (ESQ) for focusing and of radio-frequency (RF) electrodes for ion acceleration. Simulations with particle-in-cell and beam envelope codes predict >10x higher current densities compared to state-of-the-art ion accelerators. This increase results from dividing the total ion beam current up into many beamlets to control space charge forces. Focusing elements can be biased taking advantage of high breakdown electric fields in sub-mm structures formed using MEMS techniques (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems). We will present results on ion beam transport and acceleration in MEMS based beamlets. Acknowledgments: This work is supported by the U.S. DOE under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.

Sequencing of real-world samples using a microfabricated hybrid device having unconstrained straight separation channels.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shaorong; Elkin, Christopher; Kapur, Hitesh

2003-11-01

We describe a microfabricated hybrid device that consists of a microfabricated chip containing multiple twin-T injectors attached to an array of capillaries that serve as the separation channels. A new fabrication process was employed to create two differently sized round channels in a chip. Twin-T injectors were formed by the smaller round channels that match the bore of the separation capillaries and separation capillaries were incorporated to the injectors through the larger round channels that match the outer diameter of the capillaries. This allows for a minimum dead volume and provides a robust chip/capillary interface. This hybrid design takes full advantage, such as sample stacking and purification and uniform signal intensity profile, of the unique chip injection scheme for DNA sequencing while employing long straight capillaries for the separations. In essence, the separation channel length is optimized for both speed and resolution since it is unconstrained by chip size. To demonstrate the reliability and practicality of this hybrid device, we sequenced over 1000 real-world samples from Human Chromosome 5 and Ciona intestinalis, prepared at Joint Genome Institute. We achieved average Phred20 read of 675 bases in about 70 min with a success rate of 91%. For the similar type of samples on MegaBACE 1000, the average Phred20 read is about 550-600 bases in 120 min separation time with a success rate of about 80-90%.

Micro-fabricated Liquid Encapsulated Energy Harvester with Polymer Barrier Layer as Liquid Electret Interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bu, L; Xu, H Y; Xu, B J; Song, L

2014-01-01

This paper addresses the electret discharge issue for liquid based electret energy harvesters. An interface structure of PDMS/PTFE polymer barrier layer between liquid and electrets is introduced, achieving 75% charge retain rate over 100h, compared with 0% without the proposed layer over 100h. Further, the PDMS/PTFE layer is introduced into liquid encapsulated energy harvester (LEEH) and is compatible with micro-fabrication process. The retain rate of device voltage is about 47%∼65% over 100h. At 100h after corona charging, the device generates maximally 3.7V, 0.55μW @1Hz rotation

Development of the Pirani and penning vacuum gauges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, B. H.; In, S. R.; Yoon, B. J.; Yoon, J. S.

2000-02-01

The Pirani and penning gauges developed during this study had made good characteristics compared with the measured results of customized other gauges, and this results show the possibility of developing the gauges by ourselves in Korea. In order to make a competition with the customized gauges of other countries, it is necessary to upgrade several points to have good characteristics over the large range of the pressure. The new efforts will be made in developing the full scale gauge in the next year. (author)

Serologic surveillance of wild and pen-reared ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) as a method of understanding disease reservoirs

Science.gov (United States)

Dwight, Ian; Coates, Peter S.; Stoute, Simone T.; Senties-Cue, C. Gabriel; Gharpure, Radhika V.; Pitesky, Maurice E.

2018-01-01

We investigated exposure to infectious diseases in wild (n=33) and pen-reared (n=12) Ring-necked Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) in the Central Valley of California during 2014 and 2015. Serologic tests were positive for antibodies against hemorrhagic enteritis (HE), infectious bursal disease (IBD), and Newcastle disease (ND) viruses in both wild and pen-reared pheasants.

NeuroPigPen: A Scalable Toolkit for Processing Electrophysiological Signal Data in Neuroscience Applications Using Apache Pig.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahoo, Satya S; Wei, Annan; Valdez, Joshua; Wang, Li; Zonjy, Bilal; Tatsuoka, Curtis; Loparo, Kenneth A; Lhatoo, Samden D

2016-01-01

The recent advances in neurological imaging and sensing technologies have led to rapid increase in the volume, rate of data generation, and variety of neuroscience data. This "neuroscience Big data" represents a significant opportunity for the biomedical research community to design experiments using data with greater timescale, large number of attributes, and statistically significant data size. The results from these new data-driven research techniques can advance our understanding of complex neurological disorders, help model long-term effects of brain injuries, and provide new insights into dynamics of brain networks. However, many existing neuroinformatics data processing and analysis tools were not built to manage large volume of data, which makes it difficult for researchers to effectively leverage this available data to advance their research. We introduce a new toolkit called NeuroPigPen that was developed using Apache Hadoop and Pig data flow language to address the challenges posed by large-scale electrophysiological signal data. NeuroPigPen is a modular toolkit that can process large volumes of electrophysiological signal data, such as Electroencephalogram (EEG), Electrocardiogram (ECG), and blood oxygen levels (SpO2), using a new distributed storage model called Cloudwave Signal Format (CSF) that supports easy partitioning and storage of signal data on commodity hardware. NeuroPigPen was developed with three design principles: (a) Scalability-the ability to efficiently process increasing volumes of data; (b) Adaptability-the toolkit can be deployed across different computing configurations; and (c) Ease of programming-the toolkit can be easily used to compose multi-step data processing pipelines using high-level programming constructs. The NeuroPigPen toolkit was evaluated using 750 GB of electrophysiological signal data over a variety of Hadoop cluster configurations ranging from 3 to 30 Data nodes. The evaluation results demonstrate that the toolkit

Usability of devices for self-injection: results of a formative study on a new disposable pen injector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lange J

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Jakob Lange,1 Philipp Richard,1 Nick Bradley21Ypsomed AG, Burgdorf, Switzerland; 2Bergo, Glasgow, United KingdomAbstract: This article presents a late-stage formative usability study of a pen-injector platform device. Such devices are used for the subcutaneous delivery of biopharmaceuticals, primarily for self-administration by the patient. The study was conducted with a broad user population, defined to represent user characteristics across a range of indications. The goals of the study were to confirm that the pen could be used without recurring patterns of use errors leading to hazardous situations, to evaluate the comprehension of the instructions for use (IFU, and to determine if training is necessary. In the study, a total of 36 participants in six groups (health care providers, caregivers, adolescents, diabetics with retinopathy, diabetics with neuropathy, and patients with arthritis each read the IFU, prepared the device, and performed two simulated injections into an injection pad. Any use errors, near misses, or deviations from the IFU procedure were recorded. The overall success rate (injection completed by the participant without need for assistance was 94% for the first and 100% for the second injection. Ninety-two percent of the participants reported that they felt confident using the device, 100% found the IFU helpful, and 75% found the device positively comfortable to use. Overall, a total average of 3.35 deviations and errors per user and injection were recorded (there were no near misses. Subtracting the errors without any potential for negative consequences for the injection or the user (trivial deviations, as well as those related to attaching and removing the pen needle (independent of the design of the pen itself, led to an average of 1.31 potentially relevant deviations per user and injection. It was concluded that the pen injector together with the IFU could be safely and efficiently used by all user groups without any

Enhanced sensitivity of a microfabricated resonator using a graphene-polystyrene bilayer membrane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yun, Minhyuk; Lee, Eunho; Cho, Kilwon; Jeon, Sangmin, E-mail: jeons@postech.ac.kr [Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang (Korea, Republic of)

2014-08-18

A graphene layer was synthesized using chemical vapor deposition methods and a polystyrene solution was spin-cast onto the graphene film. The graphene-polystyrene bilayer membrane was attached between the two tines of a microfabricated quartz tuning fork (QTF). The modulus of the graphene-polystyrene bilayer was measured to be twice that of a pristine polystyrene membrane. Exposure of the membrane-coated QTF to ethanol vapor decreased the resonance frequency of the microresonator. The bilayer membrane-coated QTF produced a frequency change that was three times the change obtained using a polystyrene membrane-coated QTF, with a lower degree of degradation in the Q factor. The limit of detection of the bilayer membrane-coated QTF to ethanol vapor was determined to be 20 ppm.

Evaluation of 1991--1992 brood overwinter-reared coho released from net pens in Youngs Bay, Oregon. Final completion report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirose, P.S.

1997-01-01

Funding from Bonneville Power Administration was provided to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Clatsop County Economic Development Council's Fisheries Project to identify and develop terminal fishing opportunities. The 1991 and 1992 brood fingerling coho from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife hatcheries were successfully reared during the winter period to smolt stage in Youngs Bay utilizing floating net pens. Based on coded-wire-tag recoveries during 1991--93 from 2-week net-pen acclimation releases, total accountability of coho adults averaged 40,540 fish, with the Youngs Bay commercial harvest accounting for 39%. With reduced ocean harvest impacts during 1994 and 1995, 92% of 51,640 coho in 1994 and 68% of 23,599 coho in 1995 (based on coded-wire-tag recoveries) were accounted for in the Youngs Bay commercial fishery for combined 2-week and overwinter acclimation net-pen releases. Overwinter net-pen acclimation coho accounted for 35,063 and 15,775 coho adults in 1994 and 1995 with 93% and 68% accountable in the Youngs Bay commercial harvest. Based on coded-wire-tag recoveries, less than 1% of the adults resulting from releases at Youngs Bay net pens strayed to hatcheries, while none were recovered on spawning ground surveys during 1991--95. The highest survival rates were observed for 1991 and 1992 brood overwinter coho released in early May. Time of release, not rearing strategy, appears to be the determining factor affecting survival in Youngs Bay

Thermoplastic polymers surfaces for Dip-Pen Nanolithography of oligonucleotides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suriano, Raffaella; Biella, Serena; Cesura, Federico; Levi, Marinella; Turri, Stefano

2013-01-01

Different thermoplastic polymers were spin-coated to prepare smooth surfaces for the direct deposition of end-group modified oligonucleotides by Dip-Pen Nanolithography. A study of the diffusion process was done in order to investigate the dependence of calibration coefficient and quality of deposited features on environmental parameters (temperature, relative humidity) and ink's molecular weight and functionality. The optimization of the process parameters led to the realization of high quality and density nanoarrays on plastics.

Improvements in the injection system of the Canadian Penning trap mass spectrometer

CERN Document Server

Clark, J; Boudreau, C; Buchinger, F; Crawford, J E; Gulick, S; Hardy, J C; Heinz, A; Lee, J K P; Moore, R B; Savard, G; Seweryniak, D; Sharma, K S; Sprouse, G; Vaz, J; Wang, J C; Zhou, Z

2003-01-01

The Canadian Penning Trap (CPT) mass spectrometer is designed to make precise mass measurements on a variety of stable and short-lived isotopes. Modifications to the injection system of the CPT have been implemented in recent months, the purpose being to more efficiently collect and transfer weakly-produced reaction products from the target to the Penning trap. These include a magnetic triplet situated after the target chamber to increase the acceptance of the Enge spectrograph, a velocity filter to more effectively separate the beam from the reaction products and the replacement of the Paul trap with a linear trap resulting in more efficient capture and accumulation of ions from the ion cooler. This paper will discuss these recent modifications and how they have increased our ability in making mass measurements on isotopes of low abundance, including those from a sup 2 sup 5 sup 2 Cf fission source.

A microfabricated nickel-hydrogen battery using thick film printing techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Tam, Waiping G.; Wainright, Jesse S.

To utilize the distinctive cycle life and safety characteristics of the nickel-hydrogen chemistry while eliminating the high pressure limitations of conventional nickel-hydrogen cells, a microfabricated nickel-hydrogen battery using a low-pressure metal hydride for hydrogen storage is being developed for powering micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices and for biomedical applications where the battery would be implanted within the body. Thick film printing techniques which are simple and low cost were used to fabricate this battery. Inks were developed for each of the different battery components, including the electrodes, current collectors and separator. SEM images on these printed components showed the desired characteristics for each. Positive electrode cycling tests were performed on the printed positive electrodes while cyclic voltammetry was used to characterize the printed negative electrodes. Consistent charge and discharge performance was observed during positive electrode cycling. Full cells with printed positive and negative assemblies were assembled and tested.

A microfabricated nickel-hydrogen battery using thick film printing techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tam, Waiping G.; Wainright, Jesse S. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 (United States)

2007-02-25

To utilize the distinctive cycle life and safety characteristics of the nickel-hydrogen chemistry while eliminating the high pressure limitations of conventional nickel-hydrogen cells, a microfabricated nickel-hydrogen battery using a low-pressure metal hydride for hydrogen storage is being developed for powering micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices and for biomedical applications where the battery would be implanted within the body. Thick film printing techniques which are simple and low cost were used to fabricate this battery. Inks were developed for each of the different battery components, including the electrodes, current collectors and separator. SEM images on these printed components showed the desired characteristics for each. Positive electrode cycling tests were performed on the printed positive electrodes while cyclic voltammetry was used to characterize the printed negative electrodes. Consistent charge and discharge performance was observed during positive electrode cycling. Full cells with printed positive and negative assemblies were assembled and tested. (author)

Vegetation survey of Pen Branch and Four Mile Creek wetlands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-01-01

One hundred-fifty plots were recently sampled (vegetational sampling study) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). An extensive characterization of the vascular flora, in four predetermined strata (overstory, Understory, shrub layer, and ground cover), was undertaken to determine dominance, co-dominance, and the importance value (I.V.) of each species. These results will be used by the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) to evaluate the environmental status of Four Mile Creek, Pen Branch, and two upland pine stands. Objectives of this study were to: Describe in detail the plant communities previously mapped with reference to the topography and drainage, including species of plants present: Examine the successional trends within each sampling area and describe the extent to which current vegetation communities have resulted from specific earlier vegetation disturbances (e.g., logging and grazing); describe in detail the botanical field techniques used to sample the flora; describe the habitat and location of protected and/or rare species of plants; and collect and prepare plant species as herbarium quality specimens. Sampling was conducted at Four Mile Creek and Pen Branch, and in two upland pine plantations of different age growth.

Vegetation survey of Pen Branch and Four Mile Creek wetlands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-10-01

One hundred-fifty plots were recently sampled (vegetational sampling study) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). An extensive characterization of the vascular flora, in four predetermined strata (overstory, Understory, shrub layer, and ground cover), was undertaken to determine dominance, co-dominance, and the importance value (I.V.) of each species. These results will be used by the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) to evaluate the environmental status of Four Mile Creek, Pen Branch, and two upland pine stands. Objectives of this study were to: Describe in detail the plant communities previously mapped with reference to the topography and drainage, including species of plants present: Examine the successional trends within each sampling area and describe the extent to which current vegetation communities have resulted from specific earlier vegetation disturbances (e.g., logging and grazing); describe in detail the botanical field techniques used to sample the flora; describe the habitat and location of protected and/or rare species of plants; and collect and prepare plant species as herbarium quality specimens. Sampling was conducted at Four Mile Creek and Pen Branch, and in two upland pine plantations of different age growth.

Application of the CO2-PENS risk analysis tool to the Rock Springs Uplift, Wyoming

Science.gov (United States)

Stauffer, P.H.; Pawar, R.J.; Surdam, R.C.; Jiao, Z.; Deng, H.; Lettelier, B.C.; Viswanathan, H.S.; Sanzo, D.L.; Keating, G.N.

2011-01-01

We describe preliminary application of the CO2-PENS performance and risk analysis tool to a planned geologic CO2 sequestration demonstration project in the Rock Springs Uplift (RSU), located in south western Wyoming. We use data from the RSU to populate CO2-PENS, an evolving system-level modeling tool developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This tool has been designed to generate performance and risk assessment calculations for the geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide. Our approach follows Systems Analysis logic and includes estimates of uncertainty in model parameters and Monte-Carlo simulations that lead to probabilistic results. Probabilistic results provide decision makers with a range in the likelihood of different outcomes. Herein we present results from a newly implemented approach in CO 2-PENS that captures site-specific spatially coherent details such as topography on the reservoir/cap-rock interface, changes in saturation and pressure during injection, and dip on overlying aquifers that may be impacted by leakage upward through wellbores and faults. We present simulations of CO 2 injection under different uncertainty distributions for hypothetical leaking wells and faults. Although results are preliminary and to be used only for demonstration of the approach, future results of the risk analysis will form the basis for a discussion on methods to reduce uncertainty in the risk calculations. Additionally, we present ideas on using the model to help locate monitoring equipment to detect potential leaks. By maintaining site-specific details in the CO2-PENS analysis we provide a tool that allows more logical presentations to stakeholders in the region. ?? 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A microfabricated fringing field capacitive pH sensor with an integrated readout circuit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arefin, Md Shamsul; Redoute, Jean-Michel; Rasit Yuce, Mehmet; Bulut Coskun, M.; Alan, Tuncay; Neild, Adrian

2014-01-01

This work presents a microfabricated fringe-field capacitive pH sensor using interdigitated electrodes and an integrated modulation-based readout circuit. The changes in capacitance of the sensor result from the permittivity changes due to pH variations and are converted to frequency shifts using a crossed-coupled voltage controlled oscillator readout circuit. The shift in resonant frequency of the readout circuit is 30.96 MHz for a change in pH of 1.0–5.0. The sensor can be used for the measurement of low pH levels, such as gastric acid, and can be integrated with electronic pills. The measurement results show high repeatability, low noise, and a stable output.

A microfabricated fringing field capacitive pH sensor with an integrated readout circuit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arefin, Md Shamsul, E-mail: md.arefin@monash.edu; Redoute, Jean-Michel; Rasit Yuce, Mehmet [Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne (Australia); Bulut Coskun, M.; Alan, Tuncay; Neild, Adrian [Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne (Australia)

2014-06-02

This work presents a microfabricated fringe-field capacitive pH sensor using interdigitated electrodes and an integrated modulation-based readout circuit. The changes in capacitance of the sensor result from the permittivity changes due to pH variations and are converted to frequency shifts using a crossed-coupled voltage controlled oscillator readout circuit. The shift in resonant frequency of the readout circuit is 30.96 MHz for a change in pH of 1.0–5.0. The sensor can be used for the measurement of low pH levels, such as gastric acid, and can be integrated with electronic pills. The measurement results show high repeatability, low noise, and a stable output.

Nucleate pool boiling investigation on a silicon test section with micro-fabricated cavities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanna, A.; Kenning, D.B.R.; Karayiannis, T.G.; Hutter, C.; Sefiane, K.; Nelson, R.A.

2009-01-01

The basic mechanisms of nucleate boiling are still not completely understood, in spite of the many numerical and experimental studies dedicated to the topic. The use of a hybrid code allows reasonable computational times for simulations of a solid plate with a large population of artificial micro-cavities with fixed distribution. This paper analyses the guidelines for the design, through numerical simulations, of the location and sizes of micro-fabricated cavities on a new silicon test section immersed in FC-72 at the saturation temperature for different pressures with an imposed heat flux applied at the back of the plate. Particular focus is on variations of wall temperature around nucleation sites. (author)

Using insulin pen needles up to five times does not affect needle tip shape nor increase pain intensity.

Science.gov (United States)

Puder, Jardena J; Atar, Michael; Muller, Beat; Pavan, Marco; Keller, Ulrich

2005-02-01

Reusing insulin pen needles could help to reduce the increasing economic burden of diabetes. We tested the hypothesis that reusing insulin pen needles leads to needle tip deformity and increased pain. Three blinded reviewers assessed 123 electron microscope pictures analyzing needle tip deformity of insulin pen needles used up to four times by diabetic subjects and up to five times by blinded non-diabetic volunteers. The estimated frequency of needle use was correlated to the actual number of needle use. Pain intensity and unpleasantness of each injection were measured by a visual analogue scale and their differences analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance. Unused needles could be differentiated visually from used needles. However, there was no correlation between the actual and guessed number of times a needle was used (r = 0.07, P = 0.2). Evaluating all 270 injections, neither pain intensity nor unpleasantness increased with repeated injections of the same needles in people with diabetes (P = 0.1 and 0.96) and in the volunteers (P = 0.63 and 0.92). Using pen needles four to five times does not lead to progressive needle tip deformity and does not increase pain intensity or unpleasantness, but could increase convenience and lead to substantial financial savings in Europe of around EUR 100 million/year.

Thermoplastic polymers surfaces for Dip-Pen Nanolithography of oligonucleotides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suriano, Raffaella [Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano (Italy); Biella, Serena, E-mail: serena.biella@polimi.it [Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano (Italy); Cesura, Federico; Levi, Marinella; Turri, Stefano [Dipartimento di Chimica, Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano (Italy)

2013-05-15

Different thermoplastic polymers were spin-coated to prepare smooth surfaces for the direct deposition of end-group modified oligonucleotides by Dip-Pen Nanolithography. A study of the diffusion process was done in order to investigate the dependence of calibration coefficient and quality of deposited features on environmental parameters (temperature, relative humidity) and ink's molecular weight and functionality. The optimization of the process parameters led to the realization of high quality and density nanoarrays on plastics.

High-voltage switching for in-flight capture of keV antiprotons in a Penning trap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fei, X.; Davisson, R.; Gabrielse, G.

1987-01-01

The recently observed in-flight capture of keV antiprotons and protons in a Penning trap requires that the -3-kV potentials on electrodes of a Penning trap near 4.2 K be switched on and off with switching times less than 20 ns. These rapidly switched potentials are applied via transmission lines which are not terminated at the trap, thereby avoiding unacceptable heat load on the helium Dewar. Simple high-voltage switching circuits are constructed using krytrons and reed relays. A krytron provides the rapid switching and stays on just long enough for a reed relay to kick in and maintain the switched state indefinitely

Assessment of Pen Branch delta and corridor vegetation changes using multispectral scanner data 1992--1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

Airborne multispectral scanner data were used to monitor natural succession of wetland vegetation species over a three-year period from 1992 through 1994 for Pen Branch on the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. Image processing techniques were used to identify and measure wetland vegetation communities in the lower portion of the Pen Branch corridor and delta. The study provided a reliable means for monitoring medium- and large-scale changes in a diverse environment. Findings from the study will be used to support decisions regarding remediation efforts following the cessation of cooling water discharge from K reactor at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site in South Carolina

Estilo desornamentado, arquitetura-chã: alguns aspectos do renascimento na Península Ibérica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Buchidid Loewen

2011-12-01

Full Text Available En el siglo 16, en la Península Ibérica, la asimilación del romano dale impulsión a una corriente arquitectónica en la cual un clasicismo progresivo e la desnudez decorativa anuncian la llegada del llamado Renacimiento. A despecho de sus peculiaridades, tanto el estilo-chão portugués cuanto el desornamentado español se sostienen sobre doctrinas arquitectónicas de origen itálica. Traídas sea por los artífices que estuvieran en tales tierras - o por los arquitectos desde allá llamados a trabajar en la Península - sea por los tratados de arquitectura importados y, más tarde, traducidos al castellano y al portugués, tales doctrinas alimentaran todavía la publicación de otras significativas obras de sistematización teórica, como la sagrediana Medidas del romano. Esto artículo discute tales aspectos del Renacimiento en la Península Ibérica.

Security Enhancement for Multicast over Internet of Things by Dynamically Constructed Fountain Codes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qinghe Du

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The Internet of Things (IoT is expected to accommodate every object which exists in this world or likely to exist in the near future. The enormous scale of the objects is challenged by big security concerns, especially for common information dissemination via multicast services, where the reliability assurance for multiple multicast users at the cost of increasing redundancy and/or retransmissions also benefits eavesdroppers in successfully decoding the overheard signals. The objective of this work is to address the security challenge present in IoT multicast applications. Specifically, with the presence of the eavesdropper, an adaptive fountain code design is proposed in this paper to enhance the security for multicast in IoT. The main novel features of the proposed scheme include two folds: (i dynamical encoding scheme which can effectively decrease intercept probability at the eavesdropper; (ii increasing the transmission efficiency compared with the conventional nondynamical design. The analysis and simulation results show that the proposed scheme can effectively enhance information security while achieving higher transmission efficiency with a little accredited complexity, thus facilitating the secured wireless multicast transmissions over IoT.

Effect of sand and rubber surface on the lying behavior of lame dairy cows in hospital pens

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bak, Anne Sandgrav; Herskin, Mette S.; Jensen, Margit Bak

2016-01-01

Housing lame cows in designated hospital pens with a soft surface may lessen the pain the animals feel when lying and changing position. This study investigated the effect of the lying surface on the behavior of lame cows in hospital pens. Thirty-two lame dairy cows were kept in individual hospital...... pens, provided with either 30-cm deep-bedded sand or 24-mm rubber mats during 24 h in a crossover design. On each surface, the lying behavior of each cow was recorded during 18 h. On deep-bedded sand, cows lay down more and changed position more often than when housed on the rubber surface. Furthermore......, a shorter duration of lying down and getting up movements and a shorter duration of lying intention movements were observed. These results suggest that lame dairy cows are more reluctant to change position on rubber compared with sand, and that sand is more comfortable to lie on. Thus, deep bedding...

Optimal design of a 7 T highly homogeneous superconducting magnet for a Penning trap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Wei; He Yuan; Ma Lizhen; Huang Wenxue; Xia Jiawen

2010-01-01

A Penning trap system called Lanzhou Penning Trap (LPT) is now being developed for precise mass measurements at the Institute of Modern Physics(IMP). One of the key components is a 7 T actively shielded superconducting magnet with a clear warm bore of 156 mm. The required field homogeneity is 3 x 10 -7 over two 1 cubic centimeter volumes lying 220 mm apart along the magnet axis. We introduce a two-step method which combines linear programming and a nonlinear optimization algorithm for designing the multi-section superconducting magnet. This method is fast and flexible for handling arbitrary shaped homogeneous volumes and coils. With the help of this method an optimal design for the LPT superconducting magnet has been obtained. (authors)

Preparation of a tritium Q-value measurement in a double penning trap

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diehl, Christoph; Orth, Christoph; Blaum, Klaus [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik, Heidelberg (Germany); Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universitaet, Heidelberg (Germany); Pinegar, David [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik, Heidelberg (Germany); Van Dyck, Robert Jr. [Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle (United States)

2009-07-01

A precise determination of the Q-value of tritium ({sup 3}H) is of relevance for the determination of the electron anti-neutrino mass as aspired by the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino Experiment (KATRIN). In our double Penning trap mass spectrometer we aim to measure the mass ratio of {sup 3}H and its {beta}-decay product {sup 3}He to an accuracy of 10{sup -11}, which would determine the Q-value to an accuracy of 30 meV. The spectrometer we utilize is an enhanced version of the University of Washington Penning trap mass spectrometer (UW-PTMS) and was recently transfered from Seattle to Heidelberg, where it is set up at the moment as the MPIK/UW-PTMS. We present the necessary preparation work at the Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik. This includes major reconstructions of the building as well as studies and control of environmental parameters in the laboratory, like temperature and magnetic field.

Influence of pen area and trough space on feedlot performance of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

performance. There was no advantage in allowing more than 170 mm trough space or more than 5,5 m2 floor area per animal with the conditions and climate under which these trials were conducted ... pen area on feed intake and feedlot performance. A total of 196 dehorned ... Standard deviation (kg). 0,19. 0,18. 0,19. 0,15.

Testing and Evaluation of a Pen Input Device Using an Inertial/Magnetic Sensor Module

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Drakopoulos, Leonidas

2008-01-01

.... Before continuing to evaluate the 3-D writing, a calibration algorithm is implemented for computing the length between the nose of the pen input device and the point where the inertial/magnetic...

Penning trap mass measurements on nobelium isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dworschak, M.; Block, M.; Ackermann, D.; Herfurth, F.; Hessberger, F. P.; Hofmann, S.; Vorobyev, G. K.; Audi, G.; Blaum, K.; Droese, C.; Marx, G.; Schweikhard, L.; Eliseev, S.; Ketter, J.; Fleckenstein, T.; Haettner, E.; Plass, W. R.; Scheidenberger, C.; Ketelaer, J.; Kluge, H.-J.

2010-01-01

The Penning trap mass spectrometer SHIPTRAP at GSI Darmstadt allows accurate mass measurements of radionuclides, produced in fusion-evaporation reactions and separated by the velocity filter SHIP from the primary beam. Recently, the masses of the three nobelium isotopes 252-254 No were determined. These are the first direct mass measurements of transuranium elements, which provide new anchor points in this region. The heavy nuclides were produced in cold-fusion reactions by irradiating a PbS target with a 48 Ca beam, resulting in production rates of the nuclei of interest of about one atom per second. In combination with data from decay spectroscopy our results are used to perform a new atomic-mass evaluation in this region.

Pen Name as a Form of a Journalist’s Self-Presentation in the Late 19th — Early 20th Centuries Russian Regional Press

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatiana A. Gridina

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The article investigates into the role of pen-names in the self-presentation of a regional newspaper’s journalist, the pen name being analyzed as a kind of micro-text that models the reporter’s image according to their position within the edition’s information field, its stylistic and generic strategies of presenting information. From the onomasiological point of view, the authors distinguish between four types of journalistic pseudonyms: 1 pen names intended to present the author as an unspecified individual; 2 pseudonyms patterned after speaking names whose internal form stresses the characteristics of the journalist’s image; 3 pen names based on the culturally specific associative meaning of the motivating name — such names impose cultural and historical presuppositions governing the perception of the journalist’s image; 4 pen names with various role specializations that manifest the journalist’s inclination to ludic self-presentation. Each type corresponds to several ways of name creation. The latter include abbreviation, onymization of common nouns, different techniques of language game. The authors also establish the generalized strategies of communicational interaction between journalists and their readers: strategy of distancing, strategy of adhesion, and strategy of game interaction. The paper argues that there is correlation between the choice of an interaction strategy and the journalist’s image reflected in their pen name.

Performances evaluation of the PHARAO atomic fountain: participation to the study of the PHARAO space clock; Evaluation des performances de la fontaine atomique PHARAO, participation a l'etude de l'horloge spatiale PHARAO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abgrall, M

2003-01-01

The performances of an atomic frequency standard depend drastically on the observation time of the atoms. The interrogation of laser cooled atoms allows to obtain about half a second interaction time in a fountain geometry. This duration could be much more varied in absence of gravity, and would allow a better trade-off between stability and accuracy. The application of this principle is the aim of the PHARAO project, that should attend to the ACES mission planned in 2006 onboard the International Space Station. The first part of this thesis deals with the cold Cs{sup 133} PHARAO fountain. This clock stems from the transformation of a space clock prototype previously tested in microgravity. A detailed evaluation of the whole frequency shifts has been carried out, reaching a 7.7 10{sup -16} accuracy and a 1.7 10{sup -13}{tau}{sup -1/2} short term stability. These values are obtained for 4 10{sup 5} detected atoms, that provides a good stability-accuracy trade-off. This transportable fountain, built at BNM-SYRTE, has been operating at MPQ in Munich (Germany). The collaboration between the 2 laboratories gave a {approx} 10 improvement factor on the measurement accuracy (1.8 10{sup -14}) for the 1S - 2S two photons hydrogen transition. In a second part of this thesis, we present the characterisation of 2 elements of the PHARAO space clock: the construction of a standard extended cavity laser and the test of the phase symmetry between the two interrogating areas of the space cavity. (author)

In Vivo-Selected Compensatory Mutations Restore the Fitness Cost of Mosaic penA Alleles That Confer Ceftriaxone Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leah R. Vincent

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Resistance to ceftriaxone in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is mainly conferred by mosaic penA alleles that encode penicillin-binding protein 2 (PBP2 variants with markedly lower rates of acylation by ceftriaxone. To assess the impact of these mosaic penA alleles on gonococcal fitness, we introduced the mosaic penA alleles from two ceftriaxone-resistant (Cror clinical isolates (H041 and F89 into a Cros strain (FA19 by allelic exchange and showed that the resultant Cror mutants were significantly outcompeted by the Cros parent strain in vitro and in a murine infection model. Four Cror compensatory mutants of FA19 penA41 were isolated independently from mice that outcompeted the parent strain both in vitro and in vivo. One of these compensatory mutants (LV41C displayed a unique growth profile, with rapid log growth followed by a sharp plateau/gradual decline at stationary phase. Genome sequencing of LV41C revealed a mutation (G348D in the acnB gene encoding the bifunctional aconitate hydratase 2/2 methylisocitrate dehydratase. Introduction of the acnBG348D allele into FA19 penA41 conferred both a growth profile that phenocopied that of LV41C and a fitness advantage, although not as strongly as that exhibited by the original compensatory mutant, suggesting the existence of additional compensatory mutations. The mutant aconitase appears to be a functional knockout with lower activity and expression than wild-type aconitase. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq analysis of FA19 penA41 acnBG348D revealed a large set of upregulated genes involved in carbon and energy metabolism. We conclude that compensatory mutations can be selected in Cror gonococcal strains that increase metabolism to ameliorate their fitness deficit.

Analysis on composition and inclusions of ballpoint pen tip steel

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Qian-kun; Shen, Ping; Zhang, Dong; Wu, Yan-xin; Fu, Jian-xun

2018-04-01

Ballpoint pen tip steel, a super free-cutting stainless steel, exhibits excellent corrosion resistance and good machining properties. In this study, inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy, metallographic microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy were used to determine the elemental contents in five ballpoint pen tips and their components, morphologies, and inclusion distributions. The results showed that the steels were all S-Pb-Te super free-cutting ferritic stainless steel. The free-cutting phases in the steels were mainly MnS, Pb, and small amounts of PbTe. MnS inclusions were in the form of chain distributions, and the aspect ratio of each size inclusion in the chain was small. The stress concentration effect could substantially reduce the cutting force when the material was machined. Some of the Pb was distributed evenly in the steel matrix as fine particles (1-2 μm), and the rest of the Pb was distributed at the middle or at both ends of the MnS inclusions. The Pb plays a role in lubrication and melting embrittlement, which substantially increases the cutting performance. PbTe was also usually distributed in the middle and at both ends of the MnS inclusions, and Te could convert the sulfides into spindles, thereby improving the cutting performance of the steel.

The Role of Microfabrication and Nanotechnology in the Development of Microbial Fuel Cells

KAUST Repository

Rojas, Jhonathan Prieto; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

2015-01-01

Innovative solutions are paramount to the identification and development of alternative energy resources, specifically for the production of potable water. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a trending emerging technology that promises green energy production while simultaneously treating wastewater. At present, several research efforts are working towards determining which bacteria, fuels, and materials are optimal for developing the most efficient MFCs; microsized MFCs have a key role in this goal. Therefore, in this Review, we summarize recent microfabrication techniques for building microsized cells and elaborate on their advantages and the challenges that need to be overcome. We will then focus on the integration of nanomaterials into MFCs and finish with an overview on the challenges to scale up MFCs and potential uses for these miniature cells.

The Role of Microfabrication and Nanotechnology in the Development of Microbial Fuel Cells

KAUST Repository

Rojas, Jhonathan Prieto

2015-09-23

Innovative solutions are paramount to the identification and development of alternative energy resources, specifically for the production of potable water. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a trending emerging technology that promises green energy production while simultaneously treating wastewater. At present, several research efforts are working towards determining which bacteria, fuels, and materials are optimal for developing the most efficient MFCs; microsized MFCs have a key role in this goal. Therefore, in this Review, we summarize recent microfabrication techniques for building microsized cells and elaborate on their advantages and the challenges that need to be overcome. We will then focus on the integration of nanomaterials into MFCs and finish with an overview on the challenges to scale up MFCs and potential uses for these miniature cells.

The role of self-esteem and gender in pen scores and risk-taking ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The role of self-esteem and gender in pen scores and risk-taking behaviour of learners in a South African school. ... RTB to some extent but not on the moderation effects of self-esteem (SE) and gender on RTB ... AJOL African Journals Online.

The influence of central corneal thickness and age on intraocular pressure measured by pneumotonometry, non-contact tonometry, the Tono-Pen XL, and Goldmann applanation tonometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Tonnu, P-A; Ho, T; Newson, T; El Sheikh, A; Sharma, K; White, E; Bunce, C; Garway-Heath, D

2005-07-01

To evaluate the influence of central corneal thickness (CCT) on intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements made with the Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT), Tono-Pen XL, ocular blood flow tonograph (OBF), and Canon TX-10 non-contact tonometer (NCT). CCT was recorded for either eye (randomly selected) of each of 105 untreated patients with ocular hypertension and glaucoma attending the glaucoma research unit at Moorfields Eye Hospital. For each of the selected eyes, IOP was measured with the GAT (two observers), Tono-Pen, OBF, and NCT in a randomised order. The relation of measured IOP and of inter-tonometer differences with CCT and subject age was explored by linear regression analysis. A significant association between measured IOP and CCT was found with each instrument. The change in measured IOP for a 10 mum increase in CCT was 0.28, 0.31, 0.38, and 0.46 for the GAT, Tono-Pen, OBF, and NCT, respectively (all p< or = 0.05). There was a significant association between the NCT/GAT differences and CCT, with a tendency of NCT to overestimate GAT in eyes with thicker corneas. There was a significant association between GAT/Tono-Pen and OBF/Tono-Pen differences and age, with a tendency of GAT and OBF to overestimate the Tono-Pen in eyes of older subjects. IOP measurement by all four methods is affected by CCT. The NCT is affected by CCT significantly more than the GAT. Subject age has a differential effect on the IOP measurements made by the GAT and OBF compared to the Tono-Pen.

Kinetic model of a Ne-H2 Penning Recombination Laser operating in the hollow cathode discharge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pramatarov, P.M.; Stefanova, M.S.; Petrov, G.M.

1995-01-01

The Penning Recombination Laser (PRL) requires the presence of both a recombination plasma populating the upper laser level (ULL) and a gas component efficiently depopulating the lower laser level (LLL) by Penning reactions. Such requirements are met in the negative glow plasma of a pulsed high voltage Ne-H 2 discharge with a helical hollow cathode. High rates of ionizations followed by recombinations are reached due to the beam component of non-Maxwellian electrons of 1-2 keV energy present in the tail of the electron energy distribution function. The H 2 , on the one hand plays the role of Penning component and on the other hand effectively cools the electrons by rotational and vibrational levels excitation. The latter contributes to the effectiveness of the recombination processes. A kinetic model of the physical processes determining the inversion population on the NeI(2p 1 -1s 2 ) transition (the 585.3 nm line) in a Ne-H 2 PRL operating in a high voltage hollow cathode discharge at intermediate pressures is proposed. About 60 plasma-chemical reactions are considered in the model. These include: two-electron recombination of Ne + ; dissociative recombination of Ne 2 + , NeH + and H 2 + ; ion-ion recombination of Ne + and H - ; Ne and H 2 direct ionization by fast electrons; Ne stepwise ionization; Penning ionization; Ne excitation by fast electrons; Ne stepwise excitation and de-excitation; radiative transitions; electron mixing between Ne excited states; H 2 rotational and vibrational levels excitation; H 2 dissociative attachment; elastic electron collisions with H 2 and Ne. The rate constants for the reactions are either taken from the literature or calculated in this work

A Microfabricated 8-40 GHz Dual-Polarized Reflector Feed

Science.gov (United States)

Vanhille, Kenneth; Durham, Tim; Stacy, William; Karasiewicz, David; Caba, Aaron; Trent, Christopher; Lambert, Kevin; Miranda, Felix

2014-01-01

Planar antennas based on tightly coupled dipole arrays (also known as a current sheet antenna or CSA) are amenable for use as electronically scanned phased arrays. They are capable of performance nearing a decade of bandwidth. These antennas have been demonstrated in many implementations at frequencies below 18 GHz. This paper describes the implementation using a relatively new multi-layer microfabrication process resulting in a small, 6x6 element, dual-linear polarized array with beamformer that operates from 8 to 40 GHz. The beamformer includes baluns that feed the dual-polarized differential antenna elements and reactive splitter networks that also cover the full frequency range of operation. This antenna array serves as a reflector feed for a multi-band instrument designed to measure snow water equivalent (SWE) from airborne platforms. The instrument has both radar and radiome try capability at multiple frequencies. Scattering-parameter and time-domain measurements have been used to characterize the array feed. Radiation patterns of the antenna have been measured and are compared to simulation. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this work represents the most integrated multi-octave millimeter-wave antenna feed fabricated to date.

Computational prediction of the effective temperature in the lying area of pig pens

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerg, Bjarne; Rong, Li; Zhang, Guoqiang

2018-01-01

Using solid floor instead of drained or slatted floor in the lying areas of pig pens has distinct advantages in relation to animal welfare, odour abatement and ammonia emission, energy consumption and reduced building costs. However, pig producers often opt out of providing a solid floor due......, individually contribute to the combined effect of the thermal condition raising pigs are exposed to. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted to estimate the relevant parameters and, finally, the ET. Furthermore, the developed ET equation was implemented in the CFD model as a Custom Field...... Function to calculate the distribution of ET in the animal occupied zone. It was assumed that a traditional diffuse ceiling air inlet would deliver the required airflow rate as long as the outdoor temperature was below 10. °C. At higher outdoor temperature, a ceiling-jet inlet above each pen was opened...

Using the PEN-3 Model to Plan Culturally Competent Domestic Violence Intervention and Prevention Services in Chinese American and Immigrant Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Yick, Alice G.; Oomen-Early, Jody

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this article is two-fold. First, it applies the PEN-3 model to the topic of domestic violence within the Chinese American and Chinese immigrant community. The PEN-3 model was developed by Collins Airhihenbuwa, and it focuses on placing culture at the forefront of health promotion. It consists of three dimensions: cultural…

An automated cell analysis sensing system based on a microfabricated rheoscope for the study of red blood cells physiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Bransky, Avishay; Korin, Natanel; Nemirovski, Yael; Dinnar, Uri

2006-08-15

An automated rheoscope has been developed, utilizing a microfabricated glass flow cell, high speed camera and advanced image-processing software. RBCs suspended in a high viscosity medium were filmed flowing through a microchannel. Under these conditions, RBCs exhibit different orientations and deformations according to their location in the velocity profile. The rheoscope system produces valuable data such as velocity profile of RBCs, spatial distribution within a microchannel and deformation index (DI) curves. The variation of DI across the channel height, due to change in shear stress, was measured carrying implications for diffractometry methods. These curves of DI were taken at a constant flow rate and cover most of the relevant shear stress spectrum. This is an improvement of the existing techniques for deformability measurements and may serve as a diagnostic tool for certain blood disorders. The DI curves were compared to measurements of the flowing RBCs velocity profile. In addition, we found that RBCs flowing in a microchannel are mostly gathered in the center of the flow and maintain a characteristic spatial distribution. The spatial distribution in this region changes slightly with increasing flow rate. Hence, the system described, provides means for examining the behavior of individual RBCs, and may serve as a microfabricated diagnostic device for deformability measurement.

Host cell entry of powdery mildew is correlated with endosomal transport of antagonistically acting VvPEN1 and VvMLO to the papilla.

Science.gov (United States)

Feechan, A; Jermakow, A M; Ivancevic, A; Godfrey, D; Pak, H; Panstruga, R; Dry, I B

2013-10-01

Challenge by a nonadapted powdery mildew fungal pathogen leads to the formation of a local cell-wall apposition (papilla) beneath the point of attempted penetration. Several plasma membrane (PM) proteins with opposing roles in powdery mildew infection, including Arabidopsis thaliana PENETRATION1 (PEN1) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) MILDEW RESISTANCE LOCUS O (MLO), are localized to the site of powdery mildew attack. PEN1 contributes to penetration resistance to nonadapted powdery mildews, whereas MLO is a susceptibility factor required by adapted powdery mildew pathogens for host cell entry. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the vesicle and endosomal trafficking inhibitors, brefeldin A and wortmannin, have opposite effects on the penetration rates of adapted and nonadapted powdery mildews on grapevine. These findings prompted us to study the pathogen-induced intracellular trafficking of grapevine variants of MLO and PEN1. We first identified grapevine (Vitis vinifera) VvPEN1 and VvMLO orthologs that rescue Arabidopsis Atpen1 and Atmlo2 mlo6 mlo12 null mutants, respectively. By using endomembrane trafficking inhibitors in combination with fluorescence microscopy, we demonstrate that VvMLO3/VvMLO4 and VvPEN1 are co-trafficked together from the PM to the site of powdery mildew challenge. This focal accumulation of VvMLO3/VvMLO4 and VvPEN1 to the site of attack seems to be required for their opposing functions during powdery mildew attack, because their subcellular localization is correlated with the outcome of attempted powdery mildew penetration.

The Fountain of Health: Bringing Seniors’ Mental Health Promotion into Clinical Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Thoo, Vanessa; Freer, Janya; Cassidy, Keri-Leigh

2015-01-01

Background The Fountain of Health (FoH) initiative offers valuable evidence-based mental health knowledge and provides clinicians with evaluated tools for translating knowledge into practice, in order to reduce seniors’ risks of mental disorders, including dementia. Methods A presentation on mental health promotion and educational materials were disseminated to mental health clinicians including physicians and other allied health professionals either in-person or via tele-education through a provincial seniors’ mental health network. Measures included: 1) a tele-education quality evaluation form, 2) a knowledge transfer questionnaire, 3) a knowledge translation-to-practice evaluation tool, and 4) a quality assurance questionnaire. Results A total of 74 mental health clinicians received the FoH education session. There was a highly significant (p < .0001) difference in clinicians’ knowledge transfer questionnaire scores pre- and post-educational session. At a two-month follow-up, 19 (25.7%) participants completed a quality assurance questionnaire, with all 19 (100%) of respondents stating they would positively recommend the FoH information to colleagues and patients. Eleven (20.4%) translation-to-practice forms were also collected at this interval, tracking clinician use of the educational materials. Conclusions The use of a formalized network for knowledge transfer allows for education and evaluation of health-care practitioners in both acquisition of practical knowledge and subsequent clinical behavior change. PMID:26740830

Microfabricated ratchet structures for concentrating and patterning motile bacterial cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Sang Yub; Lee, Eun Se; Lee, Ho Jae; Lee, Se Yeon; Lee, Sung Kuk; Kim, Taesung

2010-01-01

We present a novel microfabricated concentrator for Escherichia coli that can be a stand-alone and self-contained microfluidic device because it utilizes the motility of cells. First of all, we characterize the motility of E. coli cells and various ratcheting structures that can guide cells to move in a desired direction in straight and circular channels. Then, we combine these ratcheting microstructures with the intrinsic tendency of cells to swim on the right side in microchannels to enhance the concentration rates up to 180 fold until the concentrators are fully filled with cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that cells can be positioned and concentrated with a constant spacing distance on a surface, allowing spatial patterning of motile cells. These results can be applied to biosorption or biosensor devices that are powered by motile cells because they can be highly concentrated without any external mechanical and electrical energy sources. Hence, we believe that the concentrator design holds considerable potential to be applied for concentrating and patterning other motile microbes and providing a versatile structure for motility study of bacterial cells.

“Data characterizing microfabricated human blood vessels created via hydrodynamic focusing”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyle A. DiVito

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This data article provides further detailed information related to our research article titled “Microfabricated Blood Vessels Undergo Neovascularization” (DiVito et al., 2017 [1], in which we report fabrication of human blood vessels using hydrodynamic focusing (HDF. Hydrodynamic focusing with advection inducing chevrons were used in concert to encase one fluid stream within another, shaping the inner core fluid into ‘bullseye-like” cross-sections that were preserved through click photochemistry producing streams of cellularized hollow 3-dimensional assemblies, such as human blood vessels (Daniele et al., 2015a, 2015b, 2014, 2016; Roberts et al., 2016 [2–6]. Applications for fabricated blood vessels span general tissue engineering to organ-on-chip technologies, with specific utility in in vitro drug delivery and pharmacodynamics studies. Here, we report data regarding the construction of blood vessels including cellular composition and cell positioning within the engineered vascular construct as well as functional aspects of the tissues.

Evaluation of magnetic resonance imaging issues for implantable microfabricated magnetic actuators.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hyowon; Xu, Qing; Shellock, Frank G; Bergsneider, Marvin; Judy, Jack W

2014-02-01

The mechanical robustness of microfabricated torsional magnetic actuators in withstanding the strong static fields (7 T) and time-varying field gradients (17 T/m) produced by an MR system was studied in this investigation. The static and dynamic mechanical characteristics of 30 devices were quantitatively measured before and after exposure to both strong uniform and non-uniform magnetic fields. The results showed no statistically significant change in both the static and dynamic mechanical performance, which mitigate concerns about the mechanical stability of these devices in association with MR systems under the conditions used for this assessment. The MR-induced heating was also measured in a 3-T/128-MHz MR system. The results showed a minimal increase (1.6 °C) in temperature due to the presence of the magnetic microactuator array. Finally, the size of the MR-image artifacts created by the magnetic microdevices were quantified. The signal loss caused by the devices was approximately four times greater than the size of the device.

Technology for On-Chip Qubit Control with Microfabricated Surface Ion Traps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Highstrete, Clark [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Quantum Information Sciences Dept.; Scott, Sean Michael [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). RF/Optoelectronics Dept.; Nordquist, Christopher D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). RF/Optoelectronics Dept.; Sterk, Jonathan David [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Photonic Microsystem Technologies Dept.; Maunz, Peter Lukas Wilhelm [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Photonic Microsystem Technologies Dept.; Tigges, Christopher P. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Photonic Microsystem Technologies Dept.; Blain, Matthew Glenn [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Photonic Microsystem Technologies Dept.; Heller, Edwin J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Microsystems Integration Dept.; Stevens, James E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). MESAFab Operations 2 Dept.

2013-11-01

Trapped atomic ions are a leading physical system for quantum information processing. However, scalability and operational fidelity remain limiting technical issues often associated with optical qubit control. One promising approach is to develop on-chip microwave electronic control of ion qubits based on the atomic hyperfine interaction. This project developed expertise and capabilities at Sandia toward on-chip electronic qubit control in a scalable architecture. The project developed a foundation of laboratory capabilities, including trapping the ¹⁷¹Yb⁺ hyperfine ion qubit and developing an experimental microwave coherent control capability. Additionally, the project investigated the integration of microwave device elements with surface ion traps utilizing Sandia’s state-of-the-art MEMS microfabrication processing. This effort culminated in a device design for a multi-purpose ion trap experimental platform for investigating on-chip microwave qubit control, laying the groundwork for further funded R&D to develop on-chip microwave qubit control in an architecture that is suitable to engineering development.

Complex fluids under microflow probed by SAXS: rapid microfabrication and analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, Hazel P; Luckham, Paul F; Cabral, Joao T; Brooks, Nicholas J; Seddon, John M; Terrill, Nick J; Kowalski, Adam J

2010-01-01

We report a combined microfluidic and online synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) study of complex surfactant mixtures under flow. We investigate the influence of a series of flow constrictions, generating well-defined, periodic extensional flow fields, on the microstructure of two model surfactant mixtures containing SDS and CTAC. Specifically, the lamella spacing, orientation and structural order are reported and correlated with the imposed flow field: geometry, flow velocity and residence time. The design, fabrication and operation of a microfluidic system using rapid prototyping is described in detail. We show that polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS), ubiquitous in microfabrication, provides a suitable matrix for SAXS microdevices provided that: (i) PDMS thickness are kept to a minimum while retaining structural integrity (∼1000μm) and (ii) scattering from the structure of interest is sufficiently decoupled from the amorphous background scattering. The combination SAXS-microfluidics provides unprecedented opportunities to elucidate the non-equilibrium structure formation and relaxation of complex fluids, demonstrated here for concentrated surfactant mixtures.

Complex fluids under microflow probed by SAXS: rapid microfabrication and analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin, Hazel P; Luckham, Paul F; Cabral, Joao T [Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Brooks, Nicholas J; Seddon, John M [Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Terrill, Nick J [Diamond Light Source Ltd., Diamond House, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0DE (United Kingdom); Kowalski, Adam J, E-mail: j.cabral@imperial.ac.u [Unilever Research and Development, Port Sunlight Laboratory, Bebington, Wirral, CH63 3JW (United Kingdom)

2010-10-01

We report a combined microfluidic and online synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) study of complex surfactant mixtures under flow. We investigate the influence of a series of flow constrictions, generating well-defined, periodic extensional flow fields, on the microstructure of two model surfactant mixtures containing SDS and CTAC. Specifically, the lamella spacing, orientation and structural order are reported and correlated with the imposed flow field: geometry, flow velocity and residence time. The design, fabrication and operation of a microfluidic system using rapid prototyping is described in detail. We show that polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS), ubiquitous in microfabrication, provides a suitable matrix for SAXS microdevices provided that: (i) PDMS thickness are kept to a minimum while retaining structural integrity ({approx}1000{mu}m) and (ii) scattering from the structure of interest is sufficiently decoupled from the amorphous background scattering. The combination SAXS-microfluidics provides unprecedented opportunities to elucidate the non-equilibrium structure formation and relaxation of complex fluids, demonstrated here for concentrated surfactant mixtures.

Spatially monitoring oxygen level in 3D microfabricated cell culture systems using optical oxygen sensing beads.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lin; Acosta, Miguel A; Leach, Jennie B; Carrier, Rebecca L

2013-04-21

Capability of measuring and monitoring local oxygen concentration at the single cell level (tens of microns scale) is often desirable but difficult to achieve in cell culture. In this study, biocompatible oxygen sensing beads were prepared and tested for their potential for real-time monitoring and mapping of local oxygen concentration in 3D micro-patterned cell culture systems. Each oxygen sensing bead is composed of a silica core loaded with both an oxygen sensitive Ru(Ph2phen3)Cl2 dye and oxygen insensitive Nile blue reference dye, and a poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) shell rendering biocompatibility. Human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells were cultivated on a series of PDMS and type I collagen based substrates patterned with micro-well arrays for 3 or 7 days, and then brought into contact with oxygen sensing beads. Using an image analysis algorithm to convert florescence intensity of beads to partial oxygen pressure in the culture system, tens of microns-size oxygen sensing beads enabled the spatial measurement of local oxygen concentration in the microfabricated system. Results generally indicated lower oxygen level inside wells than on top of wells, and local oxygen level dependence on structural features of cell culture surfaces. Interestingly, chemical composition of cell culture substrates also appeared to affect oxygen level, with type-I collagen based cell culture systems having lower oxygen concentration compared to PDMS based cell culture systems. In general, results suggest that oxygen sensing beads can be utilized to achieve real-time and local monitoring of micro-environment oxygen level in 3D microfabricated cell culture systems.

Reaction of calves to two flooring materials offered simultaneously in one pen.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stefanowska, J.; Swierstra, D.; Smits, A.C.; Berg, van den J.V.; Metz, J.H.M.

2002-01-01

Now that group housing is replacing individual crates, so that calves can lie, stand and walk on the pen floor, the quality of the floor for group-housed calves has become the focus of attention. The reaction of two groups of four calves to a double area of floor made from two materials (wooden

Een nieuw voersysteem voor versgras : Netwerk: Vers en veilig in de pens

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Philipsen, A.P.; Duinkerken, van G.

2006-01-01

De melkveehouders binnen het netwerk 'Vers en veilig in de pens' staan voor het voeren van vers gras, willen dat graag blijven doen, maar willen liever niet twee maal per dag hoeven te voeren. Daarvoor moet het gras wel langer vers blijven. Nu kan het met een halve dag al warm worden door broei. Het

Electron Cooling of Protons in a Nested Penning Trap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, D.S.; Gabrielse, G.

1996-01-01

Trapped protons cool via collisions with trapped electrons at 4 K.This first demonstration of sympathetic cooling by trapped species of opposite sign of charge utilizes a nested Penning trap. The demonstrated interaction of electrons and protons at very low relative velocities, where recombination is predicted to be most rapid, indicates that this may be a route towards the study of low temperature recombination. The production of cold antihydrogen is of particular interest, and electron cooling of highly stripped ions may also be possible. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

Proportional counter with uniform electric field with Penning's mixture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pawlowski, Z.; Marzec, J.; Zaremba, K.

1984-01-01

Some calculations are given and the design of proportional counters with a homogeneous electric field filled with Penning's mixtures, which ensure the best energy resolution is described. The counters with mixtures of Ne+Ar, Ne+CH 4 , Ne+CO 2 and Ar+C 2 H 2 have been checked. The admixtures (Ar, CH 4 , CO 2 , C 2 H 2 ) constitute from 0.1 to 2%, with pressure from 125 Tr to 760 Torr. The best energy resolution has been obtained for the mixture of Ne+1%CH 4 at the pressure of 190 Torr

No between-pen transmission of foot-and-mouth disease virus in vaccinated pigs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roermund, van H.J.W.; Eblé, P.L.; Jong, de M.C.M.; Dekker, A.

2010-01-01

Many studies have shown transmission of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) within groups of pigs, even when vaccinated, but only limited information is available on transmission between pens. Three new experiments were carried out in two replicates, which consisted of infectious pigs housed in a

Fiber supercapacitors utilizing pen ink for flexible/wearable energy storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Yongping; Cai, Xin; Wu, Hongwei; Lv, Zhibin; Hou, Shaocong; Peng, Ming; Yu, Xiao; Zou, Dechun

2012-11-08

A novel type of flexible fiber/wearable supercapacitor that is composed of two fiber electrodes - a helical spacer wire and an electrolyte - is demonstrated. In the carbon-based fiber supercapacitor (FSC), which has high capacitance performance, commercial pen ink is directly utilized as the electrochemical material. FSCs have potential benefits in the pursuit of low-cost, large-scale, and efficient flexible/wearable energy storage systems. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fiber supercapacitors utilizing pen ink for flexible/wearable energy storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fu, Yongping; Cai, Xin; Wu, Hongwei; Lv, Zhibin; Hou, Shaocong; Peng, Ming; Yu, Xiao; Zou, Dechun [Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing (China)

2012-11-08

A novel type of flexible fiber/wearable supercapacitor that is composed of two fiber electrodes - a helical spacer wire and an electrolyte - is demonstrated. In the carbon-based fiber supercapacitor (FSC), which has high capacitance performance, commercial pen ink is directly utilized as the electrochemical material. FSCs have potential benefits in the pursuit of low-cost, large-scale, and efficient flexible/wearable energy storage systems. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Confirmation of a second EPR to be built at Penly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2009-01-01

The French government has made public its decision to launch the construction of a second EPR in France. This EPR is planned to be built on the Penly site (northern region of France). EDF will manage this project but other investors like GDF-Suez are invited to participate. The construction works are planned to begin in 2012 for a commissioning in 2017. This reactor will be the fifth EPR being built in the world. (A.C.)

Commissioning of the double Penning trap system MLLTRAP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolhinen, V.S.; Bussmann, M.; Gartzke, E.; Habs, D.; Neumayr, J.B.; Schuermann, C.; Szerypo, J.; Thirolf, P.G.

2009-01-01

A cylindrical double Penning trap system has been installed and commissioned at the Maier-Leibnitz-Laboratory (MLL) in Garching. This trap system has been designed to isobarically purify low-energy ion beams and perform highly accurate mass measurements. Technical details of the device and the first results of the commissioning measurements will be presented. The mass resolving power achieved in the first trap for 85 Rb ions is R=139(2)x10 3 , while a relative mass uncertainty of δm/m=2.9x10 -8 was reached with the second trap (no analysis of systematic uncertainties included) when using 87 Rb as a reference ion for 85 Rb.

The Ramsey method in high-precision mass spectrometry with Penning traps Experimental results

CERN Document Server

George, S; Herfurth, F; Herlert, A; Kretzschmar, M; Nagy, S; Schwarz, S; Schweikhard, L; Yazidjian, C

2007-01-01

The highest precision in direct mass measurements is obtained with Penning trap mass spectrometry. Most experiments use the interconversion of the magnetron and cyclotron motional modes of the stored ion due to excitation by external radiofrequency-quadrupole fields. In this work a new excitation scheme, Ramsey's method of time-separated oscillatory fields, has been successfully tested. It has been shown to reduce significantly the uncertainty in the determination of the cyclotron frequency and thus of the ion mass of interest. The theoretical description of the ion motion excited with Ramsey's method in a Penning trap and subsequently the calculation of the resonance line shapes for different excitation times, pulse structures, and detunings of the quadrupole field has been carried out in a quantum mechanical framework and is discussed in detail in the preceding article in this journal by M. Kretzschmar. Here, the new excitation technique has been applied with the ISOLTRAP mass spectrometer at ISOLDE/CERN fo...

Synthesis of poly(ethylene furandicarboxylate) polyester using monomers derived from renewable resources: thermal behavior comparison with PET and PEN.

Science.gov (United States)

Papageorgiou, George Z; Tsanaktsis, Vasilios; Bikiaris, Dimitrios N

2014-05-07

Poly(ethylene-2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PEF) is a new alipharomatic polyester that can be prepared from monomers derived from renewable resources like furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural. For this reason it has gained high interest recently. In the present work it was synthesized from the dimethylester of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid and ethylene glycol by applying the two-stage melt polycondensation method. The thermal behavior of PEF was studied in comparison to its terephthalate and naphthalate homologues poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and poly(ethylene naphthalate) (PEN), which were also synthesized following the same procedure. The equilibrium melting point of PEF was found to be 265 °C while the heat of fusion for the pure crystalline PEF was estimated to be about 137 J g(-1). The crystallization kinetics was analyzed using various models. PET showed faster crystallization rates than PEN and this in turn showed faster crystallization than PEF, under both isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. The spherulitic morphology of PEF during isothermal crystallization was investigated by polarized light microscopy (PLM). A large nucleation density and a small spherulite size were observed for PEF even at low supercoolings, in contrast to PET or PEN. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that PEF is thermally stable up to 325 °C and the temperature for the maximum degradation rate was 438 °C. These values were a little lower than those for PET or PEN.

Plasma potential and electron temperature evaluated by ball-pen and Langmuir probes in the COMPASS tokamak

Science.gov (United States)

Dimitrova, M.; Popov, Tsv K.; Adamek, J.; Kovačič, J.; Ivanova, P.; Hasan, E.; López-Bruna, D.; Seidl, J.; Vondráček, P.; Dejarnac, R.; Stöckel, J.; Imríšek, M.; Panek, R.; the COMPASS Team

2017-12-01

The radial distributions of the main plasma parameters in the scrape-off-layer of the COMPASS tokamak are measured during L-mode and H-mode regimes by using both Langmuir and ball-pen probes mounted on a horizontal reciprocating manipulator. The radial profile of the plasma potential derived previously from Langmuir probes data by using the first derivative probe technique is compared with data derived using ball-pen probes. A good agreement can be seen between the data acquired by the two techniques during the L-mode discharge and during the H-mode regime within the inter-ELM periods. In contrast with the first derivative probe technique, the ball-pen probe technique does not require a swept voltage and, therefore, the temporal resolution is only limited by the data acquisition system. In the electron temperature evaluation, in the far scrape-off layer and in the limiter shadow, where the electron energy distribution is Maxwellian, the results from both techniques match well. In the vicinity of the last closed flux surface, where the electron energy distribution function is bi-Maxwellian, the ball-pen probe technique results are in agreement with the high-temperature components of the electron distribution only. We also discuss the application of relatively large Langmuir probes placed in parallel and perpendicularly to the magnetic field lines to studying the main plasma parameters. The results obtained by the two types of the large probes agree well. They are compared with Thomson scattering data for electron temperatures and densities. The results for the electron densities are compared also with the results from ASTRA code calculation of the electron source due to the ionization of the neutrals by fast electrons and the origin of the bi-Maxwellian electron energy distribution function is briefly discussed.

The Pen Branch Project: Restoration of a Forested Wetland in South Carolina

Science.gov (United States)

Randall K. Kolka; Eric A. Nelson; Ronald E. Bonar; Neil C. Dulohery; David Gartner

1998-01-01

The Pen Branch Project is a program to restore a forested riparian wetland that has been subject to thermal disturbance caused by nuclear reactor operations at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS), an 80,200-hectare nuclear facility located in South Carolina. Various levels of thermal discharges to streams located across the US. have occurred...

Random Walk Model for the Growth of Monolayer in Dip Pen Nanolithography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, H; Ha, S; Jang, J

2013-01-01

By using a simple random-walk model, we simulate the growth of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) pattern generated in dip pen nanolithography (DPN). In this model, the SAM pattern grows mainly via the serial pushing of molecules deposited from the tip. We examine various SAM patterns, such as lines, crosses, and letters by changing the tip scan speed.

Microfabric and Structures in Glacial Ice

Science.gov (United States)

Monz, M.; Hudleston, P. J.

2017-12-01

Similar to rocks in active orogens, glacial ice develops both structures and fabrics that reflect deformation. Crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO), associated with mechanical anisotropy, develops as ice deforms, and as in rock, directly reflects the conditions and mechanisms of deformation and influences the overall strength. This project aims to better constrain the rheologic properties of natural ice through microstructural analysis and to establish the relationship of microfabric to macroscale structures. The focus is on enigmatic fabric patterns found in coarse grained, "warm" (T > -10oC) ice deep in ice sheets and in valley glaciers. Deformation mechanisms that produce such patterns are poorly understood. Detailed mapping of surface structures, including bedding, foliation, and blue bands (bubble-free veins of ice), was done in the ablation zone of Storglaciären, a polythermal valley glacier in northern Sweden. Microstructural studies on samples from a transect across the ablation zone were carried out in a cold room. Crystal size was too large for use of electron backscattered diffraction to determine CPO, therefore a Rigsby universal stage, designed specifically for ice, was used. In thick and thin sections, recrystallized grains are locally variable in both size (1mm-7cm in one thin section) and shape and clearly reflect recrystallization involving highly mobile grain boundaries. Larger crystals are often branching, and appear multiple times throughout one thin section. There is a clear shape preferred orientation that is generally parallel with foliation defined by bubble alignment and concentration. Locally, there appears to be an inverse correlation between bubble concentration and smoothness of grain boundaries. Fabric in samples that have undergone prolonged shear display roughly symmetrical multimaxima patterns centered around the pole to foliation. The angular distances between maxima suggest a possible twin relationship that may have

Confinement of Reinforced-Concrete Columns with Non-Code Compliant Confining Reinforcement plus Supplemental Pen-Binder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anang Kristianto

2012-11-01

Full Text Available One of the important requirements for earthquake resistant building related to confinement is the use of seismic hooks in the hoop or confining reinforcement of reinforced-concrete column elements. However, installation of a confining reinforcement with a 135-degree hook is not easy. Therefore, in practice, many construction workers apply a confining reinforcement with a 90-degreehook (non-code compliant. Based on research and records of recent earthquakes in Indonesia, the use of a non-code compliant confining reinforcement for concrete columns produces structures with poor seismic performance. This paper presents a study that introduces an additional element that is expected to improve the effectiveness of concrete columns confined with a non-code compliant confining reinforcement. The additional element, named a pen-binder, is used to keep the non-code compliant confining reinforcement in place. The effectiveness of this element under pure axial concentric loading was investigatedcomprehensively.The specimens tested in this study were 18 concrete columns,with a cross-section of 170 mm x 170 mm and a height of 480 mm. The main test variables were the material type of the pen-binder, the angle of the hook, and the confining reinforcement configuration.The test results indicate that adding pen-binders can effectively improve the strength and ductility of the column specimens confined with a non-code compliant confining reinforcement

Design of a high field uniformity electromagnet for Penning trap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itteera, Janvin; Singh, Kumud; Teotia, Vikas; Ukarde, Priti; Malhotra, Sanjay; Taly, Y.K.; Joshi, Manoj; Rao, Pushpa

2013-01-01

An ion trap (Penning trap) facility is being developed at BARC for spectroscopy studies. This requires the design of an iron core electromagnet capable of generating high magnetic fields (∼1.7T) at the centre of an 88 mm long air gap. This electromagnet provides the requisite dipole magnetic field which when superimposed on the electrostatic quadrupoles ensures a stable trapping of ions. To conduct high precision spectroscopy studies, we need to ensure a high degree of magnetic field uniformity ( 3 volume (Trap zone). Various pole shoe profiles were studied and modelled, FEM simulation of the same were conducted to compute the magnetic field intensity and field uniformity. Owing to the large air gap and requirement of high field intensity in the GFR, the exciting coils need to handle high current densities, which require water cooled systems. Double Pan-Cake coil design is selected for powering the magnet. Electrical, thermal and hydraulic designs of the coils are completed and a prototype double pancake coil was fabricated and tested for verifying the electrical and thermal parameter. The spatial field homogeneity is achieved by shimming the pole tip. Temporal stability of magnet requires a highly stable power supply for exciting the coils and its stability class is derived from FEM simulations. This paper discusses the electromagnetic design and development of the penning trap magnet being developed at BARC. (author)

Development of hollow anode penning ion source for laboratory application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Das, B.K., E-mail: dasbabu31@gmail.com [Energetics and Electromagnetics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Autonagar, Visakhapatnam (India); Shyam, A.; Das, R. [Energetics and Electromagnetics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Autonagar, Visakhapatnam (India); Rao, A.D.P. [Department of Nuclear Physics, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam (India)

2012-03-21

The research work presented here focuses for the development of miniature penning type ion source. One hollow anode penning type ion source was developed in our laboratory. The size of the ion source is 38 mm diameter and 55 mm length. The ion source consists of two cathodes, a hollow anode and one piece of rare earth permanent magnet. The plasma was created in the plasma region between cathodes and the hollow anode. The J Multiplication-Sign B force in the region helps for efficient ionization of the gas even in the high vacuum region{approx}1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -5} Torr. The ions were extracted in the axial direction with help of the potential difference between the electrodes and the geometry of the extraction angle. The effect of the extraction electrode geometry for efficient extraction of the ions from the plasma region was examined. This ion source is a self extracted ion source. The self extracted phenomena reduce the cost and the size of the ion source. The extracted ion current was measured by a graphite probe. An ion current of more than 200 {mu}A was observed at the probe placed 70 mm apart from the extraction electrode. In this paper, the structure of the ion source, effect of operating pressure, potential difference and the magnetic field on the extracted ion current is reported.

cDNA cloning, characterization and expression analysis of a novel antimicrobial peptide gene penaeidin-3 (Fi-Pen3) from the haemocytes of Indian white shrimp Fenneropenaeus indicus.

Science.gov (United States)

Shanthi, S; Vaseeharan, B

2012-03-20

A new member of antimicrobial peptide genes of the penaeidin family, penaeidin 3, was cloned from the haemocytes of Indian white shrimp Fenneropeneaus indicus (F. indicus), by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE-PCR) methods. The complete nucleotide sequence of cDNA clone of Indian white shrimp F. indicus Penaeidin 3 (Fi-Pen3) was 243bp long and has an open reading frame which encodes 80 amino acid peptide. The homology analysis of Fi-Pen3 sequence with other Penaeidins 3 shows higher similarity with Penaeus monodon (92%). The theoretical 3D structure generated through ab initio modelling indicated the presence of two-disulphide bridges in the alpha-helix. The signal peptide sequence of Fi-Pen3 is almost entirely homologous to that of other Penaeidin 3 of crustaceans, while differing relatively in the N-terminal domain of the mature peptide. The mature peptide has a predicted molecular weight of 84.9kDa, and a theoretical pI of 9.38. Phylogenetic analysis of Fi-Pen3 shows high resemblance with other Pen-3 from P. monodon, Litopenaeus stylirostris, Litopenaeus vannamei and Litopenaeus setiferus. Fi-Pen3 found to be expressed in haemocytes, heart, hepatopancreas, muscles, gills, intestine, and eyestalk with higher expression in haemocytes. Microbial challenge resulted in mRNA up-regulation, up to 6h post injection of Vibrio parahemolyticus. The Fi-Pen3 mRNA expression of F. indicus in the premolt stage (D(01) and D(02)) was significantly up-regulated than the postmolt (A and B) and intermolt stages (C). The findings of the present paper underline the involvement of Fi-Pen3 in innate immune system of F. indicus. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Technical developments for an upgrade of the LEBIT Penning trap mass spectrometry facility for rare isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Redshaw, M.; Barquest, B. R.; Bollen, G.; Bustabad, S. E.; Campbell, C. M.; Ferrer, R.; Gehring, A.; Kwiatkowski, A. A.; Lincoln, D. L.; Morrissey, D. J.; Pang, G. K.; Ringle, R.; Schwarz, S.

2011-07-01

The LEBIT (Low Energy Beam and Ion Trap) facility is the only Penning trap mass spectrometry (PTMS) facility to utilize rare isotopes produced via fast-beam fragmentation. This technique allows access to practically all elements lighter than uranium, and in particular enables the production of isotopes that are not available or that are difficult to obtain at isotope separation on-line facilities. The preparation of the high-energy rare-isotope beam produced by projectile fragmentation for low-energy PTMS experiments is achieved by gas stopping to slow down and thermalize the fast-beam ions, along with an rf quadrupole cooler and buncher and rf quadrupole ion guides to deliver the beam to the Penning trap. During its first phase of operation LEBIT has been very successful, and new developments are now underway to access rare isotopes even farther from stability, which requires dealing with extremely short lifetimes and low production rates. These developments aim at increasing delivery efficiency, minimizing delivery and measurement time, and maximizing use of available beam time. They include an upgrade to the gas-stopping station, active magnetic field monitoring and stabilization by employing a miniature Penning trap as a magnetometer, the use of stored waveform inverse Fourier transform (SWIFT) to most effectively remove unwanted ions, and charge breeding.

Technical developments for an upgrade of the LEBIT Penning trap mass spectrometry facility for rare isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Redshaw, M.; Barquest, B. R.; Bollen, G.; Bustabad, S. E.; Campbell, C. M.; Ferrer, R.; Gehring, A.; Kwiatkowski, A. A.; Lincoln, D. L.; Morrissey, D. J.; Pang, G. K.; Ringle, R.; Schwarz, S.

2011-01-01

The LEBIT (Low Energy Beam and Ion Trap) facility is the only Penning trap mass spectrometry (PTMS) facility to utilize rare isotopes produced via fast-beam fragmentation. This technique allows access to practically all elements lighter than uranium, and in particular enables the production of isotopes that are not available or that are difficult to obtain at isotope separation on-line facilities. The preparation of the high-energy rare-isotope beam produced by projectile fragmentation for low-energy PTMS experiments is achieved by gas stopping to slow down and thermalize the fast-beam ions, along with an rf quadrupole cooler and buncher and rf quadrupole ion guides to deliver the beam to the Penning trap. During its first phase of operation LEBIT has been very successful, and new developments are now underway to access rare isotopes even farther from stability, which requires dealing with extremely short lifetimes and low production rates. These developments aim at increasing delivery efficiency, minimizing delivery and measurement time, and maximizing use of available beam time. They include an upgrade to the gas-stopping station, active magnetic field monitoring and stabilization by employing a miniature Penning trap as a magnetometer, the use of stored waveform inverse Fourier transform (SWIFT) to most effectively remove unwanted ions, and charge breeding.

The absorption and emission spectrum of radiative cooling galactic fountain gas

Science.gov (United States)

Benjamin, Robert A.; Shapiro, Paul R.

1993-01-01

We have calculated the time-dependent, nonequilibrium thermal and ionization history of gas cooling radiatively from 10(exp 6) K in a one-dimensional, planar, steady-state flow model of the galactic fountain, including the effects of radiative transfer. Our previous optically thin calculations explored the effects of photoionization on such a flow and demonstrated that self-ionization was sufficient to cause the flow to match the observed galactic halo column densities of C 4, Si 4, and N 5 and UV emission from C 4 and O 3 in the constant density (isochoric) limit, which corresponded to cooling regions homogeneous on scales D less than or approximately equal to 1 kpc. Our new calculations which take full account of radiative transfer confirm the importance of self-ionization in enabling such a flow to match the data but allow a much larger range for cooling region sizes, i.e. D(sub 0) greater than or approximately equal to 15 pc. For an initial flow velocity v(sub 0) approximately equal to 100 km/s, comparable to the sound speed of a 10(exp 6) K gas, the initial density is found to be n(sub h,0) is approximately 2 x 10(exp -2) cm(exp -3), in reasonable agreement with other observation estimates, and D(sub 0) is approximately equal to 40 pc. We also compare predicted H(alpha) fluxes, UV line emission, and broadband x-ray fluxes with observed values. One dimensional numerical hydrodynamical calculations including the effects of radiative cooling are also presented.

In Vivo-Selected Compensatory Mutations Restore the Fitness Cost of Mosaic penA Alleles That Confer Ceftriaxone Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Science.gov (United States)

Vincent, Leah R; Kerr, Samuel R; Tan, Yang; Tomberg, Joshua; Raterman, Erica L; Dunning Hotopp, Julie C; Unemo, Magnus; Nicholas, Robert A; Jerse, Ann E

2018-04-03

Resistance to ceftriaxone in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is mainly conferred by mosaic penA alleles that encode penicillin-binding protein 2 (PBP2) variants with markedly lower rates of acylation by ceftriaxone. To assess the impact of these mosaic penA alleles on gonococcal fitness, we introduced the mosaic penA alleles from two ceftriaxone-resistant (Cro r ) clinical isolates (H041 and F89) into a Cro s strain (FA19) by allelic exchange and showed that the resultant Cro r mutants were significantly outcompeted by the Cro s parent strain in vitro and in a murine infection model. Four Cro r compensatory mutants of FA19 penA41 were isolated independently from mice that outcompeted the parent strain both in vitro and in vivo One of these compensatory mutants (LV41C) displayed a unique growth profile, with rapid log growth followed by a sharp plateau/gradual decline at stationary phase. Genome sequencing of LV41C revealed a mutation (G348D) in the acnB gene encoding the bifunctional aconitate hydratase 2/2 methylisocitrate dehydratase. Introduction of the acnB G348D allele into FA19 penA41 conferred both a growth profile that phenocopied that of LV41C and a fitness advantage, although not as strongly as that exhibited by the original compensatory mutant, suggesting the existence of additional compensatory mutations. The mutant aconitase appears to be a functional knockout with lower activity and expression than wild-type aconitase. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of FA19 penA41 acnB G348D revealed a large set of upregulated genes involved in carbon and energy metabolism. We conclude that compensatory mutations can be selected in Cro r gonococcal strains that increase metabolism to ameliorate their fitness deficit. IMPORTANCE The emergence of ceftriaxone-resistant (Cro r ) Neisseria gonorrhoeae has led to the looming threat of untreatable gonorrhea. Whether Cro resistance is likely to spread can be predicted from studies that compare the relative fitnesses of

Stable, Microfabricated Thin Layer Chromatography Plates without Volume Distortion on Patterned, Carbon and Al2O3-Primed Carbon Nanotube Forests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jensen, David S.; Kanyal, Supriya S.; Gupta, Vipul; Vail, Michael A.; Dadson, Andrew; Engelhard, Mark H.; Vanfleet, Richard; Davis, Robert C.; Linford, Matthew R.

2012-09-28

In a recent report (Song, J.; et al., Advanced Functional Materials 2011, 21, 1132-1139) some of us described the fabrication of thin layer chromatography (TLC) plates from patterned carbon nanotube (CNT) forests, which were directly infiltrated/coated with silicon by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) of silicon using SiH4. Following infiltration, the nanotubes were removed from the assemblies and the silicon simultaneously converted to SiO2 in a high temperature oxidation step. However, while straightforward, this process had some shortcomings, not the least of which was some distortion of the lithographically patterned features during the volume expansion that accompanied oxidation. Herein we overcome theis issue and also take substantial steps forward in the microfabrication of TLC plates by showing: (i) A new method for creating an adhesion promotion layer on CNT forests by depositing a few nanometers of carbon followed by atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al2O3. This method for appears to be new, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the expected presence of oxygen after carbon deposition. ALD of Al2O3 alone and in combination with the carbon on patterned CNT forests was also explored as an adhesion promotion layer for CNT forest infiltration. (ii) Rapid, conformal deposition of an inorganic material that does not require subsequent oxidation: fast pseudo-ALD growth of SiO2 via alumina catalyzed deposition of tris(tert-butoxy)silanol onto the carbon/Al2O3-primed CNT forests. (iii) Faithful reproduction of the features in the masks used to microfabricate the TLC plates (M-TLC) this advance springs from the previous two points. (iv) A bonded (amino) phase on a CNT-templated microfabricated TLC plate. (v) Fast, highly efficient (125,000 - 225,000 N/m) separations of fluorescent dyes on M-TLC plates. (vi) Extensive characterization of our new materials by TEM, SEM, EDAX, DRIFT, and XPS. (vii) A substantially lower process temperature for the

Microfabricated microbial fuel cell arrays reveal electrochemically active microbes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huijie Hou

Full Text Available Microbial fuel cells (MFCs are remarkable "green energy" devices that exploit microbes to generate electricity from organic compounds. MFC devices currently being used and studied do not generate sufficient power to support widespread and cost-effective applications. Hence, research has focused on strategies to enhance the power output of the MFC devices, including exploring more electrochemically active microbes to expand the few already known electricigen families. However, most of the MFC devices are not compatible with high throughput screening for finding microbes with higher electricity generation capabilities. Here, we describe the development of a microfabricated MFC array, a compact and user-friendly platform for the identification and characterization of electrochemically active microbes. The MFC array consists of 24 integrated anode and cathode chambers, which function as 24 independent miniature MFCs and support direct and parallel comparisons of microbial electrochemical activities. The electricity generation profiles of spatially distinct MFC chambers on the array loaded with Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 differed by less than 8%. A screen of environmental microbes using the array identified an isolate that was related to Shewanella putrefaciens IR-1 and Shewanella sp. MR-7, and displayed 2.3-fold higher power output than the S. oneidensis MR-1 reference strain. Therefore, the utility of the MFC array was demonstrated.

The mechanical design and simulation of a scaled H⁻ Penning ion source.

Science.gov (United States)

Rutter, T; Faircloth, D; Turner, D; Lawrie, S

2016-02-01

The existing ISIS Penning H(-) source is unable to produce the beam parameters required for the front end test stand and so a new, high duty factor, high brightness scaled source is being developed. This paper details first the development of an electrically biased aperture plate for the existing ISIS source and second, the design, simulation, and development of a prototype scaled source.

The mechanical design and simulation of a scaled H- Penning ion source

Science.gov (United States)

Rutter, T.; Faircloth, D.; Turner, D.; Lawrie, S.

2016-02-01

The existing ISIS Penning H- source is unable to produce the beam parameters required for the front end test stand and so a new, high duty factor, high brightness scaled source is being developed. This paper details first the development of an electrically biased aperture plate for the existing ISIS source and second, the design, simulation, and development of a prototype scaled source.

Experiments with Highly-Ionized Atoms in Unitary Penning Traps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shannon Fogwell Hoogerheide

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Highly-ionized atoms with special properties have been proposed for interesting applications, including potential candidates for a new generation of optical atomic clocks at the one part in 1019 level of precision, quantum information processing and tests of fundamental theory. The proposed atomic systems are largely unexplored. Recent developments at NIST are described, including the isolation of highly-ionized atoms at low energy in unitary Penning traps and the use of these traps for the precise measurement of radiative decay lifetimes (demonstrated with a forbidden transition in Kr17+, as well as for studying electron capture processes.

Commissioning of the double Penning trap system MLLTRAP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kolhinen, V.S. [Fakultaet fuer Physik, LMU Muenchen and Maier-Leibnitz Laboratory, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching (Germany)], E-mail: veli.kolhinen@physik.uni-muenchen.de; Bussmann, M. [Fakultaet fuer Physik, LMU Muenchen and Maier-Leibnitz Laboratory, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching (Germany); Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01314 Dresden (Germany); Gartzke, E.; Habs, D.; Neumayr, J.B.; Schuermann, C.; Szerypo, J.; Thirolf, P.G. [Fakultaet fuer Physik, LMU Muenchen and Maier-Leibnitz Laboratory, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching (Germany)

2009-03-01

A cylindrical double Penning trap system has been installed and commissioned at the Maier-Leibnitz-Laboratory (MLL) in Garching. This trap system has been designed to isobarically purify low-energy ion beams and perform highly accurate mass measurements. Technical details of the device and the first results of the commissioning measurements will be presented. The mass resolving power achieved in the first trap for {sup 85}Rb ions is R=139(2)x10{sup 3}, while a relative mass uncertainty of {delta}m/m=2.9x10{sup -8} was reached with the second trap (no analysis of systematic uncertainties included) when using {sup 87}Rb as a reference ion for {sup 85}Rb.

Distinguishing Different Stages of Parkinson’s Disease Using Composite Index of Speed and Pen-Pressure of Sketching a Spiral

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Poonam Zham

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The speed and pen-pressure while sketching a spiral are lower among Parkinson’s disease (PD patients with higher severity of the disease. However, the correlation between these features and the severity level (SL of PD has been reported to be 0.4. There is a need for identifying parameters with a stronger correlation for considering this for accurate diagnosis of the disease. This study has proposed the use of the Composite Index of Speed and Pen-pressure (CISP of sketching as a feature for analyzing the severity of PD. A total of 28 control group (CG and 27 PD patients (total 55 participants were recruited and assessed for Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS. They drew guided Archimedean spiral on an A3 sheet. Speed, pen-pressure, and CISP were computed and analyzed to obtain their correlation with severity of the disease. The correlation of speed, pen-pressure, and CISP with the severity of PD was −0.415, −0.584, and −0.641, respectively. Mann–Whitney U test confirmed that CISP was suitable to distinguish between PD and CG, while non-parametric k-sample Kruskal–Wallis test confirmed that it was significantly different for PD SL-1 and PD SL-3. This shows that CISP during spiral sketching may be used to differentiate between CG and PD and between PD SL-1 and PD SL-3 but not SL-2.

Structures and microfabrics of the Franciscan Complex (California): Inferences on the rheology and kinematics of a subduction channel

Science.gov (United States)

Krohe, A.; Wassmann, S.; Trepmann, C.; Stoeckhert, B.

2009-12-01

The characteristic feature of the Franciscan Subduction Complex (FSC) is a chaotic mélange structure with centimeter- to about one kilometer-sized tectonic blocks composed of metabasalts, floating in a matrix of oceanic meta-sediments or, locally, serpentinites. Investigating map scale structures, microfabrics, and P-T-histories of the FSC, we try to gain information on the mechanical properties of rocks and their influence on the kinematics of material transport in a subduction channel. Structures and microfabrics indicate that metabasalts from the oceanic crust as well as mantle-derived ultramafic rocks (i) underwent fragmentation and sealing under high pore fluid pressure, (ii) remaining internally undeformed, or (iii) deform by dissolution precipitation creep. Importantly, microfabrics which would indicate crystal plastic deformation or dislocation creep are systematically absent. This means that, during the entire P-T history, differential stresses generally remained too low to activate crystal plastic deformation or dislocation creep. Hence the material in the subduction channel is characterized by a low strength, being either limited by brittle failure at high pore fluid pressure, or a Newton viscosity, which is expected for dissolution precipitation creep. We interpret the characteristic mélange structure as to reflect this mechanical state of the system: Brittle failure at quasi-lithostatic fluid pressures down to great depths is recorded in the tectonic blocks by the widespread occurrence of aragonite-bearing veins. This leads to fragmentation into the blocks of variable size and moderate aspect ratios, which behave as rigid inclusions in a flowing matrix with distributed deformation by dissolution precipitation creep. In contrast, a power law rheology characteristic for dislocation creep, would favor strain localization into shear zones at sites of stress concentration. However, such shear zones formed at high-P metamorphic conditions are not

Tianma 65-m telescope detection of new OH maser features towards the water fountain source IRAS 18286-0959

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xi; Shen, Zhi-Qiang; Li, Xiao-Qiong; Yang, Kai; Nakashima, Jun-ichi; Wu, Ya-Jun; Zhao, Rong-Bin; Li, Juan; Wang, Jun-Zhi; Jiang, Dong-Rong; Wang, Jin-Qing; Li, Bin; Zhong, Wei-Ye; Yung, Bosco H. K.

2017-07-01

We report the results of the OH maser observation towards the water fountain source IRAS 18286-0959 using the newly built Shanghai Tianma 65-m Radio Telescope. We observed the three OH ground state transition lines at frequencies of 1612, 1665 and 1667 MHz. Comparing with the spectra of previous observations, we find new maser spectral components at velocity channels largely shifted from the systemic velocity: the velocity offsets of the newly found components lie in the range 20-40 km s-1 with respect to the systemic velocity. Besides maser variability, another possible interpretation for the newly detected maser features is that part of the molecular gas in the circumstellar envelope is accelerated. The acceleration is probably caused by the passage of a high-velocity molecular jet, which has been detected in previous Very Long Baseline Interferometry observations in the H2O maser line.

Note: Development of a microfabricated sensor to measure thermal conductivity of picoliter scale liquid samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Byoung Kyoo; Yi, Namwoo; Park, Jaesung; Kim, Dongsik

2012-10-01

This paper presents a thermal analysis device, which can measure thermal conductivity of picoliter scale liquid sample. We employ the three omega method with a microfabricated AC thermal sensor with nanometer width heater. The liquid sample is confined by a micro-well structure fabricated on the sensor surface. The performance of the instrument was verified by measuring the thermal conductivity of 27-picoliter samples of de-ionized (DI) water, ethanol, methanol, and DI water-ethanol mixtures with accuracies better than 3%. Furthermore, another analytical scheme allows real-time thermal conductivity measurement with 5% accuracy. To the best of our knowledge, this technique requires the smallest volume of sample to measure thermal property ever.

The effect of farrowing environment and previous experience on the maternal behaviour of sows in indoor pens and outdoor huts.

Science.gov (United States)

Wülbers-Mindermann, M; Berg, C; Illmann, G; Baulain, U; Algers, B

2015-04-01

Outdoor farrowing huts facilitate a less restricted maternal behaviour in sows compared with sows kept indoors in farrowing pens. The aim of our study was to investigate whether there are behavioural differences between primiparous sows kept outdoors in farrowing huts and indoors in pens, and whether the maternal behaviour during the second parity, when all sows were kept outdoors in farrowing huts, would differ between sows that have experienced the indoor or the outdoor environment, respectively, during their first parturition. A total of 26 Yorkshire×Swedish Landrace sows were studied. Of these, 11 sows were housed outdoors in farrowing huts during both parturitions (group=OUTOUT). The other 15 sows were kept indoors in a barn with single farrowing pens during their first parturition. During their second parturition, sows were kept outdoors in farrowing huts (group=INOUT). The behaviour was video recorded from 2 h prepartum to 48 h postpartum. The sows' responsiveness to playbacks of a piglet's screams was tested on days 2 to 3 postpartum. Parity 1: during the last 2 h prepartum, OUTOUT sows had a higher proportion of observations in the sternal lying position (Pbehavioural differences between INOUT and OUTOUT sows. In conclusion, it is not problematic for a second parity sow with initial maternal experience from an indoor farrowing pen to be kept outdoors in farrowing huts during its following farrowing.

Gesture language use in natural UI: pen-based sketching in conceptual design

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Cuixia; Dai, Guozhong

2003-04-01

Natural User Interface is one of the important next generation interactions. Computers are not just the tools of many special people or areas but for most people. Ubiquitous computing makes the world magic and more comfortable. In the design domain, current systems, which need the detail information, cannot conveniently support the conceptual design of the early phrase. Pen and paper are the natural and simple tools to use in our daily life, especially in design domain. Gestures are the useful and natural mode in the interaction of pen-based. In natural UI, gestures can be introduced and used through the similar mode to the existing resources in interaction. But the gestures always are defined beforehand without the users' intention and recognized to represent something in certain applications without being transplanted to others. We provide the gesture description language (GDL) to try to cite the useful gestures to the applications conveniently. It can be used in terms of the independent control resource such as menus or icons in applications. So we give the idea from two perspectives: one from the application-dependent point of view and the other from the application-independent point of view.

Chitinolytic Bacteria-Assisted Conversion of Squid Pen and Its Effect on Dyes and Pigments Adsorption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tzu-Wen Liang

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to produce chitosanase by fermenting from squid pen, and recover the fermented squid pen for dye removal by adsorption. One chitosanase induced from squid pen powder (SPP-containing medium by Bacillus cereus TKU034 was purified in high purification fold (441 and high yield of activity recovery (51% by ammonium sulfate precipitation and combined column chromatography. The SDS-PAGE results showed its molecular mass to be around 43 kDa. The TKU034 chitosanase used for the chitooligomers preparation was studied. The enzyme products revealed that the chitosanase could degrade chitosan with various degrees of polymerization, ranging from 3 to 9, as well as the chitosanase in an endolytic manner. Besides, the fermented SPP was recovered and displayed a better adsorption rate (up to 99.5% for the disperse dyes (red, yellow, blue, and black than the water-soluble food colorants, Allura Red AC (R40 and Tartrazine (Y4. The adsorbed R40 on the unfermented SPP and the fermented SPP was eluted by distilled water and 1 M NaOH to confirm the dye adsorption mechanism. The fermented SPP had a slightly higher adsorption capacity than the unfermented, and elution of the dye from the fermented SPP was easier than from the unfermented. The main dye adsorption mechanism of fermented SPP was physical adsorption, while the adsorption mechanism of unfermented SPP was chemical adsorption.

Chitinolytic Bacteria-Assisted Conversion of Squid Pen and Its Effect on Dyes and Pigments Adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Tzu-Wen; Lo, Bo-Chang; Wang, San-Lang

2015-07-23

The aim of this work was to produce chitosanase by fermenting from squid pen, and recover the fermented squid pen for dye removal by adsorption. One chitosanase induced from squid pen powder (SPP)-containing medium by Bacillus cereus TKU034 was purified in high purification fold (441) and high yield of activity recovery (51%) by ammonium sulfate precipitation and combined column chromatography. The SDS-PAGE results showed its molecular mass to be around 43 kDa. The TKU034 chitosanase used for the chitooligomers preparation was studied. The enzyme products revealed that the chitosanase could degrade chitosan with various degrees of polymerization, ranging from 3 to 9, as well as the chitosanase in an endolytic manner. Besides, the fermented SPP was recovered and displayed a better adsorption rate (up to 99.5%) for the disperse dyes (red, yellow, blue, and black) than the water-soluble food colorants, Allura Red AC (R40) and Tartrazine (Y4). The adsorbed R40 on the unfermented SPP and the fermented SPP was eluted by distilled water and 1 M NaOH to confirm the dye adsorption mechanism. The fermented SPP had a slightly higher adsorption capacity than the unfermented, and elution of the dye from the fermented SPP was easier than from the unfermented. The main dye adsorption mechanism of fermented SPP was physical adsorption, while the adsorption mechanism of unfermented SPP was chemical adsorption.

Chitinolytic Bacteria-Assisted Conversion of Squid Pen and Its Effect on Dyes and Pigments Adsorption

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Tzu-Wen; Lo, Bo-Chang; Wang, San-Lang

2015-01-01

The aim of this work was to produce chitosanase by fermenting from squid pen, and recover the fermented squid pen for dye removal by adsorption. One chitosanase induced from squid pen powder (SPP)-containing medium by Bacillus cereus TKU034 was purified in high purification fold (441) and high yield of activity recovery (51%) by ammonium sulfate precipitation and combined column chromatography. The SDS-PAGE results showed its molecular mass to be around 43 kDa. The TKU034 chitosanase used for the chitooligomers preparation was studied. The enzyme products revealed that the chitosanase could degrade chitosan with various degrees of polymerization, ranging from 3 to 9, as well as the chitosanase in an endolytic manner. Besides, the fermented SPP was recovered and displayed a better adsorption rate (up to 99.5%) for the disperse dyes (red, yellow, blue, and black) than the water-soluble food colorants, Allura Red AC (R40) and Tartrazine (Y4). The adsorbed R40 on the unfermented SPP and the fermented SPP was eluted by distilled water and 1 M NaOH to confirm the dye adsorption mechanism. The fermented SPP had a slightly higher adsorption capacity than the unfermented, and elution of the dye from the fermented SPP was easier than from the unfermented. The main dye adsorption mechanism of fermented SPP was physical adsorption, while the adsorption mechanism of unfermented SPP was chemical adsorption. PMID:26213948

Integrated microfabricated biodevices. New advances in sample preparation (T2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guttman, A.

2002-01-01

Full text: Interdisciplinary science and technologies have converged in the past few years to create exciting challenges and opportunities, which involve novel, integrated microfabricated systems, facilitating large-scale analytical applications. These new devices are referred to as lab-on-a-chip or micro Total Analysis Systems (uTAS). Their development involves both established and evolving technologies, which include microlithography, micromachining, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, microfluidics and nanotechnology. The advent of this extremely powerful and rapid analysis technique opens up new horizons in analytical chemistry and molecular biology, capable of revealing global changes in gene expression levels by enabling genome, proteome and metabolome analysis on microchips. This presentation will provide an overview of the key device subject areas and the basic interdisciplinary technologies. It will also give a better understanding of how to utilize these miniaturized technologies as well as to provide appropriate technical solutions to problems perceived as being more fundamental. Theoretical and practical aspects of integrating sample preparation/purification and analysis units with chemical and biochemical reactors in monolithic microdevices are going to be thoroughly discussed. Important applications for this novel 'synergized' technology in high throughput analysis of biologically important molecules will also be addressed. (author)

Skin Blood Perfusion and Cellular Response to Insertion of Insulin Pen Needles With Different Diameters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Præstmark, Kezia Ann; Stallknecht, Bente Merete; Bo Jensen, Casper

2014-01-01

skin blood perfusion response around needle insertion sites. Three common sized pen needles of 28G, 30G, and 32G as well as hooked 32G needles, were inserted into the neck skin of pigs and then removed. Laser Speckle Contrast Analysis was used to measure skin blood perfusion for 20 minutes after...... blood perfusion recording and grouped according to needle type, skin blood perfusion response relates to needle diameter. The response was significantly higher after insertions with 28G and hooked 32G needles than with 30G (P ..., but there was a trend of an increased response with increasing needle diameter. Skin blood perfusion response to pen needle insertions rank according to needle diameter, and the tissue response caused by hooked 32G needles corresponds to that of 28G needles. The relation between needle diameter and trauma when...

[A comparison of rebound tonometry (ICare) with TonoPenXL and Goldmann applanation tonometry].

Science.gov (United States)

Schreiber, W; Vorwerk, C K; Langenbucher, A; Behrens-Baumann, W; Viestenz, A

2007-04-01

Goldmann applanation tonometry and dynamic contour tonometry (PASCAL) are two well established slit lamp mounted tonometric methods. Intraocular pressure measurement in bedridden patients and children is often only possible using hand held tonometers (TonoPenXL, Perkins tonometer, Draeger tonometer). This study was performed to evaluate the hand held ICare tonometer, which is based on the rebound method. A total of 102 eyes were examined by two highly experienced ophthalmologists for: 1) ophthalmological status, 2) central corneal power (Zeiss IOL-Master), 3) central corneal thickness (Tomey ultrasound pachymetry, five successive measurements, SDr=0.592-0.642; p<0.001). There was a great intra-individual variability of up to 17 mmHg between the GAT, TonoPenXL and ICare methods. The ICare tonometer is easy to handle and high reliability. The data are comparable with those from the Goldmann tonometer. A tonography effect of 0.6 mmHg in the successive measurement series was found.

Status and outlook of CHIP-TRAP: The Central Michigan University high precision Penning trap

Science.gov (United States)

Redshaw, M.; Bryce, R. A.; Hawks, P.; Gamage, N. D.; Hunt, C.; Kandegedara, R. M. E. B.; Ratnayake, I. S.; Sharp, L.

2016-06-01

At Central Michigan University we are developing a high-precision Penning trap mass spectrometer (CHIP-TRAP) that will focus on measurements with long-lived radioactive isotopes. CHIP-TRAP will consist of a pair of hyperbolic precision-measurement Penning traps, and a cylindrical capture/filter trap in a 12 T magnetic field. Ions will be produced by external ion sources, including a laser ablation source, and transported to the capture trap at low energies enabling ions of a given m / q ratio to be selected via their time-of-flight. In the capture trap, contaminant ions will be removed with a mass-selective rf dipole excitation and the ion of interest will be transported to the measurement traps. A phase-sensitive image charge detection technique will be used for simultaneous cyclotron frequency measurements on single ions in the two precision traps, resulting in a reduction in statistical uncertainty due to magnetic field fluctuations.

Microfabrication and Characterization of an Integrated 3-Axis CMOS-MEMS Accelerometer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongwei QU

2007-10-01

Full Text Available This paper reports the fabrication and characterization of a monolithically integrated 3-axis CMOS-MEMS accelerometer with a single proof mass. An improved microfabrication process has been developed to solve the structure overheating and particle contamination problems in the plasma etching processes of device fabrication. The whole device is made of bulk silicon except for some short thin films for electrical isolation, allowing large sensing capacitance and flat device structure. A low-noise, low-power amplifier is designed for each axis, which provides 40 dB on-chip amplification and consumes only 1 mW power. Quasi-static and dynamic characterization of the fabricated device has been performed. The measured sensitivities of the lateral- and z-axis accelerometers are 560 mV/g and 320 mV/g, respectively, which can be tuned by simply varying the amplitude of the modulation signal. The over-all noise floors of the lateral- and z-axis are 12 μg/ÖHz and 110 μg/ÖHz, respectively when tested at 200 Hz.

Scalable Microfabrication Procedures for Adhesive-Integrated Flexible and Stretchable Electronic Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Dae Y.; Kim, Yun-Soung; Ornelas, Gladys; Sinha, Mridu; Naidu, Keerthiga; Coleman, Todd P.

2015-01-01

New classes of ultrathin flexible and stretchable devices have changed the way modern electronics are designed to interact with their target systems. Though more and more novel technologies surface and steer the way we think about future electronics, there exists an unmet need in regards to optimizing the fabrication procedures for these devices so that large-scale industrial translation is realistic. This article presents an unconventional approach for facile microfabrication and processing of adhesive-peeled (AP) flexible sensors. By assembling AP sensors on a weakly-adhering substrate in an inverted fashion, we demonstrate a procedure with 50% reduced end-to-end processing time that achieves greater levels of fabrication yield. The methodology is used to demonstrate the fabrication of electrical and mechanical flexible and stretchable AP sensors that are peeled-off their carrier substrates by consumer adhesives. In using this approach, we outline the manner by which adhesion is maintained and buckling is reduced for gold film processing on polydimethylsiloxane substrates. In addition, we demonstrate the compatibility of our methodology with large-scale post-processing using a roll-to-roll approach. PMID:26389915

Studies on laser-assisted Penning ionization by the optogalvanic effect in Ne/Eu hollow cathode discharge.

Science.gov (United States)

Saini, V K; Kumar, P; Dixit, S K; Nakhe, S V

2015-02-01

Laser-assisted Penning ionization (LAPI) is detected in a Ne/Eu hollow cathode (HC) discharge lamp using the pulsed optogalvanic (OG) method. In the Ne/Eu discharge, doubly ionized europium excited energy levels Eu[4f(7)(P(7/2,5/2)6)] lie within the thermal limit (∼kT) from the laser-excited neon's energy level [2p(5)(P3/202)3p or 2p(8) (in Paschen notation)] lying at 149,848  cm(-1). Therefore, Penning ionization (PI) of europium atoms likely to occur into its highly excited ionic states is investigated. To probe the PI of europium, the temporal profiles of its counterpart neon OG signal are studied as a function of discharge current for the transitions (1s(4)→2p(8)) and (1s(2)→2p(2)), corresponding to 650.65 and 659.89 nm wavelengths, respectively. It is observed that PI of europium alters the overall discharge characteristics significantly and, hence, modifies the temporal profile of the OG signals accordingly. The quasi-resonant ionizing energy transfer collisions between laser-excited Ne 2p(8) atoms and electronically excited europium P(9/2)10 atoms are used to explain the LAPI mechanism. Such LAPI studies carried out in HC discharge could be useful for the discharge of a metal-vapor laser with appropriate Penning mixtures.

Possibilities for achieving antihydrogen recombination and trapping using a nested Penning trap and a magnetic well

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ordonez, C.A.; Dolliver, D.D.; Chang Yongbin; Correa, J. R.

2002-01-01

A theoretical study is presented regarding some possibilities for achieving antihydrogen recombination and trapping using a nested Penning trap and a magnetic well. The work reported consists of a review, an extension, and applications of the relevant knowledge base. A nested Penning trap produces a magnetic field, which provides plasma confinement perpendicular to the magnetic field, and an electric field associated with a nested-well potential profile. The nested-well potential profile provides plasma confinement parallel to the magnetic field for oppositely signed plasma species that can have overlapping confinement regions. A configuration is considered in which the electric field is applied in two regions of uniform magnetic field that reside on opposite sides of a magnetic well region. The electric field confines overlapping positron and antiproton plasmas, which thread the magnetic well region. The magnetic well region would serve to trap a fraction of any antihydrogen atoms that are formed. Two different methods are considered for achieving overlap of positron and antiproton plasmas. For each, a set of conditions is predicted for achieving antihydrogen recombination and trapping. Although the study reported specifically considers simultaneous confinement of positron and antiproton plasmas in nested Penning traps, much of the information presented is also relevant to the prospect of merging other pairs of oppositely signed plasmas (e.g., electron and positron plasmas)

‘Die pen is magtiger as die swaard’: Oor skrifgeletterdheid, skrifgeleerdes en Israel se Tweede Tempeltydperk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerda de Villiers

2013-08-01

Full Text Available ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’: Literacy and scribes in Israel during the Second Temple period. This article is divided in two parts. Part one examines scribal education and scribes in the ancient Near East and Israel. Although no real evidence exists for scribal schools and education in Israel, it is argued that some form of institutionalised training must have taken place in order to produce literary texts of such a high quality as are found in the Hebrew Bible. Comparative material from Mesopotamia serves to trace the education of scribes in general. Part two focuses on the Second Temple period in ancient Israel. Ezra the scribe emerges as a typical scribe from that era. Post-exilic Israel was grappling with its identity, and sought guidance from ַ[as was written in the Torah]. However, it appears that there were different interpretations of the written Law during this period. Scribes of the Ezra circle advocated a radical policy of exclusivity on the basis of what was written in the Law; others who wrote the texts of Trito-Isaiah and Ruth pleaded for a more inclusive attitude towards foreigners. The conclusion is that the battle was fought not with the sword, but with the pen, therefore: ‘The pen is mightier than the sword.’

‘Die pen is magtiger as die swaard’: Oor skrifgeletterdheid, skrifgeleerdes en Israel se Tweede Tempeltydperk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerda de Villiers

2013-08-01

Full Text Available ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’: Literacy and scribes in Israel during the Second Temple period. This article is divided in two parts. Part one examines scribal education and scribes in the ancient Near East and Israel. Although no real evidence exists for scribal schools and education in Israel, it is argued that some form of institutionalised training must have taken place in order to produce literary texts of such a high quality as are found in the Hebrew Bible. Comparative material from Mesopotamia serves to trace the education of scribes in general. Part two focuses on the Second Temple period in ancient Israel. Ezra the scribe emerges as a typical scribe from that era. Post-exilic Israel was grappling with its identity, and sought guidance from ַ [as was written in the Torah]. However, it appears that there were different interpretations of the written Law during this period. Scribes of the Ezra circle advocated a radical policy of exclusivity on the basis of what was written in the Law; others who wrote the texts of Trito-Isaiah and Ruth pleaded for a more inclusive attitude towards foreigners. The conclusion is that the battle was fought not with the sword, but with the pen, therefore: ‘The pen is mightier than the sword.’

Effects of straw processing and pen overstocking on the growth performance and sorting characteristics of diets offered to replacement Holstein dairy heifers.

Science.gov (United States)

Coblentz, W K; Akins, M S; Esser, N M; Ogden, R K; Gelsinger, S L

2018-02-01

Our objectives were to evaluate the effects of pen-stocking density and straw processing on the growth performance, feed-bunk sorting behaviors, and hygiene of Holstein dairy heifers. Two corn silage-alfalfa haylage diets diluted with wheat straw were offered; diet composition was identical, except that one diet contained short (well-processed) straw (SS; 46.0% neutral detergent fiber, 12.9% crude protein, 60.7% total digestible nutrients, TDN), and the other long (poorly processed) straw (LS; 46.5% neutral detergent fiber, 12.6% crude protein, 60.0% TDN; % of dry matter basis). A 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of straw-processing (SS or LS) and pen-stocking-density [100, 125, or 150% of capacity] treatments was evaluated with 240 Holstein dairy heifers (410 ± 56.3 kg) that were blocked by weight, and then assigned to 24 pens with 4 pens/interactive treatment. For 91 d, diets were dispersed at 1100 h daily, and bunks were sampled subsequently at 1300, 1600, 1900, 2200, 0100, and 0600 h during 3 evaluation periods throughout the trial. Diets were offered for ad libitum intake, but with minimal orts (19 mm) particles increased linearly from 1.26 to 2.82 across sampling times, differing from the SS diet at 2200, 0100, 0600, and 0900 h (orts). Similar factors calculated for the SS diet also increased linearly across sampling times, but these responses were less severe (1.27 to 1.97). Overall, particle-size concentration factors for physically effective fiber exhibited responses similar to those observed for large particles, except they were limited to narrower ranges for both the SS (1.04 to 1.14) and LS (1.03 to 1.26) diets. Despite these differences, daily dry matter intake was not affected by treatment (mean = 9.65 kg of dry matter/d), nor was daily intake of TDN (mean = 5.92 kg of TDN/d). For SS, heifers housed within overstocked pens exhibited reduced average daily gain (ADG) compared with the 100% stocking rate (0.93 vs. 0.99 kg/d). With LS processing, ADG

Touch the Page and Mimic Me: Evaluation of a Talking-Pen Learning Tool

Science.gov (United States)

Odakura, Abigail

2013-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the talking-pen device called the Mimic Me, an educational technology product of a large English conversation school in Japan, as an educational learning tool. The product will be reviewed in terms of its developmental appropriateness for the target audience based on current research. Although the Mimic Me…

Diagnostics of magnetized low temperature plasma by ball-pen probe

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Adámek, Jiří; Peterka, M.; Gyergyek, T.; Kudrna, P.; Tichý, M.

2012-01-01

Roč. 57, č. 2 (2012), s. 297-300 ISSN 0029-5922. [International Conference on Research and Applications of Plasmas (PLASMA). Warsaw, 12.09.2011-16.09.2011] R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/07/0044; GA AV ČR KJB100430901 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20430508 Keywords : ball- pen probe * magnetron Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 0.507, year: 2012 http://www.nukleonika.pl/www/back/full/vol57_2012/v57n2p297f.pdf

Molecular characterization of a fungal gene paralogue of the penicillin penDE gene of Penicillium chrysogenum

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

Background Penicillium chrysogenum converts isopenicillin N (IPN) into hydrophobic penicillins by means of the peroxisomal IPN acyltransferase (IAT), which is encoded by the penDE gene. In silico analysis of the P. chrysogenum genome revealed the presence of a gene, Pc13g09140, initially described as paralogue of the IAT-encoding penDE gene. We have termed this gene ial because it encodes a protein with high similarity to IAT (IAL for IAT-Like). We have conducted an investigation to characterize the ial gene and to determine the role of the IAL protein in the penicillin biosynthetic pathway. Results The IAL contains motifs characteristic of the IAT such as the processing site, but lacks the peroxisomal targeting sequence ARL. Null ial mutants and overexpressing strains indicated that IAL lacks acyltransferase (penicillin biosynthetic) and amidohydrolase (6-APA forming) activities in vivo. When the canonical ARL motif (leading to peroxisomal targeting) was added to the C-terminus of the IAL protein (IALARL) by site-directed mutagenesis, no penicillin biosynthetic activity was detected. Since the IAT is only active after an accurate self-processing of the preprotein into α and β subunits, self-processing of the IAL was tested in Escherichia coli. Overexpression experiments and SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that IAL is also self-processed in two subunits, but despite the correct processing, the enzyme remained inactive in vitro. Conclusion No activity related to the penicillin biosynthesis was detected for the IAL. Sequence comparison among the P. chrysogenum IAL, the A. nidulans IAL homologue and the IAT, revealed that the lack of enzyme activity seems to be due to an alteration of the essential Ser309 in the thioesterase active site. Homologues of the ial gene have been found in many other ascomycetes, including non-penicillin producers. Our data suggest that like in A. nidulans, the ial and penDE genes might have been formed from a single ancestral gene that became

A Microfabricated Segmented-Involute-Foil Regenerator for Enhancing Reliability and Performance of Stirling Engines

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Mounir; Danila, Daniel; Simon, Terrence; Mantell, Susan; Sun, Liyong; Gadeon, David; Qiu, Songgang; Wood, Gary; Kelly, Kevin; McLean, Jeffrey

2007-01-01

An actual-size microfabricated regenerator comprised of a stack of 42 disks, 19 mm diameter and 0.25 mm thick, with layers of microscopic, segmented, involute-shaped flow channels was fabricated and tested. The geometry resembles layers of uniformly-spaced segmented-parallel-plates, except the plates are curved. Each disk was made from electro-plated nickel using the LiGA process. This regenerator had feature sizes close to those required for an actual Stirling engine but the overall regenerator dimensions were sized for the NASA/Sunpower oscillating-flow regenerator test rig. Testing in the oscillating-flow test rig showed the regenerator performed extremely well, significantly better than currently used random-fiber material, producing the highest figures of merit ever recorded for any regenerator tested in that rig over its approximately 20 years of use.

Comparison of vials and prefilled pens of a rapid-acting insulin analog on pharmacy budgets in a long-term care setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Eby, Elizabeth L; Smolen, Lee J; Pitts, Amber C; Krueger, Linda A; Andrews, Jeffrey Scott

2014-12-01

Estimate budgetary impact for skilled nursing facility converting from individual patient supply (IPS) delivery of rapid-acting insulin analog (RAIA) 10-mL vials or 3-mL prefilled pens to 3-mL vials. A budget-impact model used insulin volume purchased and assumptions of length of stay (LOS), daily RAIA dose, and delivery protocol to estimate the cost impact of using 3-mL vials. Skilled nursing facility. Medicare Part A patients. Simulations conducted using 12-month current and future scenarios. Comparisons of RAIA use for 13- and 28-day LOS. RAIA costs and savings, waste reduction. For patients with 13-day LOS using 20 units/day of IPS insulin, the model estimated a 70% reduction in RAIA costs and units purchased and a 95% waste reduction for the 3-mL vial compared with the 10-mL vial. The estimated costs for prefilled pen use were 58% lower than for use of 10-mL vials. The incremental savings associated with 3-mL vial use instead of prefilled pens was 28%, attributable to differences in per-unit cost of insulin in vials versus prefilled pens. Using a more conservative scenario of 28-day LOS at 20 units/day, the model estimated a 40% reduction in RAIA costs and units purchased, resulting in a 91% reduction in RAIA waste for the 3-mL vial, compared with 10-mL vial. Budget-impact analysis of conversion from RAIA 10-mL vials or 3-mL prefilled pens to 3-mL vials estimated reductions in both insulin costs and waste across multiple scenarios of varying LOS and patient daily doses for skilled nursing facility stays.

Paper-pen peer-correction versus wiki-based peer-correction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Froldova Vladimira

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study reports on the comparison of the students’ achievement and their attitudes towards the use of paper-pen peer-correction and wiki-based peer-correction within English language lessons and CLIL Social Science lessons at the higher secondary school in Prague. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were utilized to gather information. The data suggests that students made considerable use of wikis and showed higher degrees of motivation in wiki-based peer-correction during English language lessons than in CLIL Social Science lessons. In both cases wikis not only contributed to developing students’ writing skills, but also helped students recognize the importance of collaboration.

Systematic Assessment of Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transforms Infrared Spectroscopy Coupled with Multivariate Analysis for Forensic Analysis of Black Ball-point Pen Inks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, L.C.; Mohamed Rozali Othman; Pua, H.; Lee, L.C.

2012-01-01

This manuscript aims to provide a new and non-destructive method for systematic analysis of inks on a questioned document. Ink samples were analyzed in situ on the paper substrate by micro-ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and the data obtained was processed and evaluated by a series of multivariate chemometrics. Absorbance value from wavenumbers of 2000-675 cm -1 were first processed by cluster analysis (CA), followed by principal component analysis (PCA) to form a set of new variables. Subsequently, the variables set was used for classification, differentiation and identification of 155 sample pens that comprise nine different brands. Results show that nine black ball-point pen brands could be classified into three main groups via discriminant analysis (DA). Differentiation analyses of nine different pen brands performed using one-way ANOVA indicated only two pairs of brands cannot be differentiated at 95 % confidence interval. Finally an identification flow chart was proposed to determine the brand of unknown pen inks. As a conclusion, the proposed method for extracting and creating a new variable set from infrared spectrum was evaluated to be satisfactory for systematic analysis of inks based on their infrared spectrum. (author)

European Food Safety Authority; Analysis of the baseline survey of Salmonella in holdings with breeding pigs, in the EU, 2008; Part B: Analysis of factors potentially associated with Salmonella pen positivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hald, Tine

or slaughter (production holdings) were sampled. In each selected holding, pooled fresh faecal samples were collected from 10 randomly chosen pens of breeding pigs over six months of age, representing the different stages of the breeding herd, and examined for the presence of Salmonella. Analyses at country......, multivariable regression analysis showed that the odds of Salmonella-positive pens with pigs increased with the number of breeding pigs in the holding and with the following pen-level factors: flooring systems other than slatted floors or solid floors with straw, presence of maiden gilts, number of pigs per pen...

Los animales representados en el arte rupestre de la Península Ibérica. Frecuencias de los mismos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesús Altuna

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Se trata de recuentos de los animales figurados en el arte parietal paleolítico de la Península Ibérica, considerados tanto en su conjunto y comparados con el de Perigord y el Pirineos Francés, como en las diversas regiones de la misma Península, incluidos los sitios protugueses. Tanto la primera comparación como la consideración por separado de los animales representados en las diversas regiones peninsulares, muestra diferencias notables. Por fin se recuentan las figuras animales de todos los sitios del País Vasco, tanto peninsular como continental.

PENTATRAP. A novel Penning-trap system for high-precision mass measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doerr, Andreas

2015-01-21

The novel Penning-trap mass spectrometer PENTATRAP aims at mass-ratio determinations of medium-heavy to heavy ions with relative uncertainties below 10{sup -11}. From the mass ratios of certain ion species, the corresponding mass differences will be determined with sub-eV/c{sup 2} uncertainties. These mass differences are relevant for neutrino-mass experiments, a test of special relativity and tests of bound-state QED. Means to obtain the required precision are very stable trapping fields, the use of highly-charged ions produced by EBITs, a non-destructive cyclotron-frequency determination scheme employing detectors with single-ion sensitivity and a five-trap tower, that allows for measurement schemes being insensitive to magnetic field drifts. Within this thesis, part of the detection electronics was set up and tested under experimental conditions. A single-trap setup was realized. A Faraday cup in the trap tower enabled the proper adjustment of the settings of the beamline connecting the EBIT and the Penning-trap system, resulting in the first trapping of ions at PENTATRAP. A stabilization of switched voltages in the beamline and detailed studies of ion bunch characteristics allowed for reproducible loading of only a few ions. Detection of the axial oscillation of the trapped ions gave hints that in some cases, even single ions had been trapped. Furthermore, valuable conclusions about necessary modifications of the setup could be drawn.