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Sample records for nlr ionization cone

  1. MMTF DISCOVERY OF GIANT IONIZATION CONES IN MR 2251–178: IMPLICATIONS FOR QUASAR RADIATIVE FEEDBACK

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kreimeyer, Kory; Veilleux, Sylvain

    2013-01-01

    We report the discovery of giant ionization cones in the 140 kpc nebula around quasar MR 2251–178 based on deep [O III] λ5007/Hβ and [N II] λ6583/Hα flux ratio maps obtained with the Maryland-Magellan Tunable Filter on the Baade-Magellan 6.5 m Telescope. These cones are aligned with the weak double-lobed radio source observed on smaller scale (<30 kpc). They have an opening angle ∼120° ± 10° and subtend ∼65%-90% of 4π sr, where the uncertainty takes into account possible projection effects. The material in the outer ionization cones is matter-bounded, indicating that all ionizing photons emitted through the cones escape from the system. The quasar ionizing flux is ∼2-3 times fainter outside of these cones, despite the largely symmetric geometry of the nebula in [O III]. Overall, adding up the contributions from both inside and outside the cones, we find that ∼65%-95% of the quasar ionizing radiation makes its way out of the system. These results emphasize the need for line ratio maps to quantify the escape fraction of ionizing radiation from quasars and the importance of quasar radiative feedback on the intergalactic medium

  2. Matching NLR Immune Receptors to Autoimmunity in camta3 Mutants Using Antimorphic NLR Alleles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lolle, Signe; Greeff, Christiaan; Petersen, Klaus

    2017-01-01

    result from inappropriate NLR activation because mutations in plant guardees could trigger corresponding NLR guards. To explore these hypotheses, we expressed 108 dominant-negative (DN) Arabidopsis NLRs in various lesion mimic mutants, including camta3, which exhibits autoimmunity. CAMTA3 was previously...

  3. Functional diversification of structurally alike NLR proteins in plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chakraborty, Joydeep; Jain, Akansha; Mukherjee, Dibya; Ghosh, Suchismita; Das, Sampa

    2018-04-01

    In due course of evolution many pathogens alter their effector molecules to modulate the host plants' metabolism and immune responses triggered upon proper recognition by the intracellular nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins. Likewise, host plants have also evolved with diversified NLR proteins as a survival strategy to win the battle against pathogen invasion. NLR protein indeed detects pathogen derived effector proteins leading to the activation of defense responses associated with programmed cell death (PCD). In this interactive process, genome structure and plasticity play pivotal role in the development of innate immunity. Despite being quite conserved with similar biological functions in all eukaryotes, the intracellular NLR immune receptor proteins happen to be structurally distinct. Recent studies have made progress in identifying transcriptional regulatory complexes activated by NLR proteins. In this review, we attempt to decipher the intracellular NLR proteins mediated surveillance across the evolutionarily diverse taxa, highlighting some of the recent updates on NLR protein compartmentalization, molecular interactions before and after activation along with insights into the finer role of these receptor proteins to combat invading pathogens upon their recognition. Latest information on NLR sensors, helpers and NLR proteins with integrated domains in the context of plant pathogen interactions are also discussed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Cones for dental radiography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Butler, M J [National Radiological Protection Board, Harwell (UK)

    1977-04-01

    Dental radiographic techniques are summarized. The advantages and disadvantages of the use of both the conventional plastic pointer cone and the open-ended cylinders or divergent cones favoured both by the ICRP (Protection against Ionizing Radiation from External Sources, Oxford, Pergamon Press, 1973, ICRP Publication 15), and in the Code of Practice for the Protection of Persons against Ionizing Radiation arising from Medical and Dental Use (1972, 3rd edition, London, HMSO) are discussed. The use of the word 'should' in these recommendations to signify a desirable requirement, not an essential one, is noted. This wording is currently of interest both nationally and internationally in relation to regulations, standards and notes for guidance. The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) has been reviewing the position, and has concluded that open-ended cones have disadvantages which may sometimes outweigh their advantages. Although open-ended cones are preferable under some circumstances, the recommendation that they should be used ought not to be followed without an understanding of the issues involved. The hazards associated with the use of interchangeable cones are considered. The NRPB now proposes that the requirement for the replacement of pointer cones (for both new and existing equipment) should be withdrawn.

  5. Influence of neutrophile granulocyte/lymphocyte ratio (NLR on poor prognosis of elderly AECOPD patients during hospital stay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jian-Rong Cui

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To discuss the influence of neutrophile granulocyte/lymphocyte ratio(NLR to the poor prognosis of elderly AECOPD patients during the stay in hospital. Method: A total of 133 cases elderly patients with AECOPD admitted in our hospital from March 2013 to September 2014 were selected, and divided them into death group (31 cases and survival group (102 cases according to in-hospital death occurrence; To compare the on admission general clinical data, therapy method, lung function, blood routine examination [white blood cell count (WBC, neutrophile granulocyte/lymphocyte ratio(NLR], C-reactive protein (CRP, blood gas analysis and blood biochemical indexes in both groups, and drew ROC curve for a analysis of the clinical value of NLR in the prediction of death. Results: Among 133 cases of elderly AECOPD patients: the proportion of combined pulmonary heart disease and mechanical ventilation in death group was higher than that in survival group, PaCO2, WBC count, neutrophil count, NLR, CRP level in death group was higher, but lymphocyte count, serum albumin(ALB in death group was lower; multiple logistic regression analysis showed that NLR presented independent positive correlation with the in-hospital death in elderly AECOPD patients; ROC curve analysis showed that the ROCAUC of NLR to the inhospital death in elderly AECOPD patients was 0.787, the best diagnostic node value was 7.3, sensitivity and specificity were 77.4% and 74.5% respectively; bounded by NLR(7.3, divided patients into NLR≥7.3 group and NLR<7.3 group, hospital stays, CRP level and mortality in NLR≥7.3 group were higher than that in NLR<7.3 group. Conclusion: NLR was the high risk factor of the in-hospital death in elderly AECOPD patients, early detection of NLR level had a certain difference to the evaluation for short-term prognosis of elderly AECOPD patients and guide treatment.

  6. Combination of preoperative NLR, PLR and CEA could increase the diagnostic efficacy for I-III stage CRC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Hong-Xin; Yang, Lin; He, Bang-Shun; Pan, Yu-Qin; Ying, Hou-Qun; Sun, Hui-Ling; Lin, Kang; Hu, Xiu-Xiu; Xu, Tao; Wang, Shu-Kui

    2017-09-01

    Inflammation plays an important role in the development and progression of CRC. The members of inflammatory biomarkers, preoperative NLR and PLR, have been proved by numerous studies to be promising prognostic biomarkers for CRC. However, the diagnostic value of the two biomarkers in CRC remains unknown, and no study reported the combined diagnostic efficacy of NLR, PLR and CEA. Five hundred and fifty-nine patients with I-III stage CRC undergoing surgical resection and 559 gender- and age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this retrospective study. NLR and PLR were calculated from preoperative peripheral blood cell count detected using white blood cell five classification by Sysmex XT-1800i Automated Hematology System and serum CEA were measured by electrochemiluminescence by ELECSYS 2010. The diagnostic performance of NLR, PLR and CEA for CRC was evaluated by ROC curve. Levels of NLR and PLR in the cases were significantly higher than them in the healthy controls. ROC curves comparison analyses showed that the diagnostic efficacy of NLR (AUC=.755, 95%CI=.728-.780) alone for CRC was significantly higher than PLR (AUC=.723, 95%CI=.696-.749, P=.037) and CEA (AUC=.690, 95%CI=.662-.717, P=.002) alone. In addition, the diagnostic efficacy of the combination of NLR, PLR and CEA(AUC=.831, 95%CI=.807-.852)for CRC was not only significantly higher than NLR alone but also higher than any combinations of the two of these three biomarkers (PCRC diagnostic biomarker, even for early stage CRC, and the combination of NLR, PLR and CEA could significantly improve the diagnostic efficacy. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. A New Marker to Determine Prognosis of Acute Pancreatitis: PLR and NLR Combination

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    Kaplan Mustafa

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: We aimed to investigate the prognostic importance of platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR and neutro - phil-lymphocyte ratio(NLR combination for patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis and its relationship with mortality. Methods: This retrospective study was included 142 patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Ranson, Atlanta and BISAP 0h, 24h and 48h scores of the patients were calculated by examining their patient files. The patients were divided into three groups as low-risk, medium-risk and high-risk patients according to their PLR and NLR levels. Results: The number of patients with acute pancreatitis complications such as necrotizing pancreatitis, acute renal failure, sepsis and cholangitis was significantly higher in the high-risk group compared to other groups. Mortality rate was found to be 90% in the high-risk group, 16% in the medium-risk group, and 1.9% in the low-risk group. The number of patients with a Ranson score of 5 and 6, a severe Atlanta score, a BISAP 0h score of 3 and 4, a BISAP 24h and 48h score of 4 and 5 was higher in the high-risk group compared to other groups. PLR-NLR combination, Atlanta and Ranson scores, and C-reactive protein level were determined to be independent risk factors predicting mortality in stepwise regression model. PLR-NLR combination had the highest area under curve value in terms of predicting acute claspancreatitis prognosis and had a similar diagnostic discrimination with other scoring systems. Conclusion: In our study it was found that PLR-NLR combination had a similar prognostic importance with other scoring systems used to determine acute pancreatitis prognosis.

  8. New constraints on the escape of ionizing photons from starburst galaxies using ionization-parameter mapping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zastrow, Jordan; Oey, M. S.; Veilleux, Sylvain; McDonald, Michael

    2013-01-01

    The fate of ionizing radiation in starburst galaxies is key to understanding cosmic reionization. However, the galactic parameters on which the escape fraction of ionizing radiation depend are not well understood. Ionization-parameter mapping provides a simple, yet effective, way to study the radiative transfer in starburst galaxies. We obtain emission-line ratio maps of [S III]/[S II] for six, nearby, dwarf starbursts: NGC 178, NGC 1482, NGC 1705, NGC 3125, NGC 7126, and He 2-10. The narrowband images are obtained with the Maryland-Magellan Tunable Filter at Las Campanas Observatory. Using these data, we previously reported the discovery of an optically thin ionization cone in NGC 5253, and here we also discover a similar ionization cone in NGC 3125. This latter cone has an opening angle of 40° ± 5° (0.4 sr), indicating that the passageways through which ionizing radiation may travel correspond to a small solid angle. Additionally, there are three sample galaxies that have winds and/or superbubble activity, which should be conducive to escaping radiation, yet they are optically thick. These results support the scenario that an orientation bias limits our ability to directly detect escaping Lyman continuum in many starburst galaxies. A comparison of the star formation properties and histories of the optically thin and thick galaxies is consistent with the model that high escape fractions are limited to galaxies that are old enough (≳3 Myr) for mechanical feedback to have cleared optically thin passageways in the interstellar medium, but young enough (≲5 Myr) that the ionizing stars are still present.

  9. Ultraviolet/Optical Emission of the Ionized Gas in AGN: Diagnostics of the Ionizing Source and Gas Properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Feltre, Anna [Univ Lyon, Univ Lyon1, Ens de Lyon, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon UMR5574, Saint-Genis-Laval (France); Sorbonne Universités, UPMC-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7095, Institut d' Astrophysique de Paris, Paris (France); Charlot, Stephane [Sorbonne Universités, UPMC-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7095, Institut d' Astrophysique de Paris, Paris (France); Mignoli, Marco [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, Bologna (Italy); Bongiorno, Angela [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Monteporzio Catone (Italy); Calura, Francesco [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, Bologna (Italy); Chevallard, Jacopo [Scientific Support Office, Directorate of Science and Robotic Exploration, European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), European Space Agency (ESA), Noordwijk (Netherlands); Curtis-Lake, Emma [Sorbonne Universités, UPMC-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7095, Institut d' Astrophysique de Paris, Paris (France); Gilli, Roberto [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, Bologna (Italy); Plat, Adele, E-mail: anna.feltre@univ-lyon1.fr [Sorbonne Universités, UPMC-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7095, Institut d' Astrophysique de Paris, Paris (France)

    2017-11-02

    Spectroscopic studies of active galactic nuclei (AGN) are powerful means of probing the physical properties of the ionized gas within them. In particular, near future observational facilities, such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), will allow detailed statistical studies of rest-frame ultraviolet and optical spectral features of the very distant AGN with unprecedented accuracy. In this proceedings, we discuss the various ways of exploiting new dedicated photoionization models of the narrow-line emitting regions (NLR) of AGN for the interpretation of forthcoming revolutionary datasets.

  10. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) improves the risk assessment of ISS staging in newly diagnosed MM patients treated upfront with novel agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romano, A; Parrinello, N L; Consoli, M L; Marchionni, L; Forte, S; Conticello, C; Pompa, A; Corso, A; Milone, G; Di Raimondo, F; Borrello, I

    2015-11-01

    Recent reports identify the ratio between absolute neutrophil count (ANC) and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), called neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), as a predictor of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in various malignancies. We retrospectively examined the NLR in a cohort of 309 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) patients treated upfront with novel agents. NLR was calculated using data obtained from the complete blood count (CBC) at diagnosis and subsequently correlated with PFS and OS. The median NLR was 1.9 (range 0.4-15.9). Higher NLR was independent of international staging system (ISS) stage, plasma cell infiltration or cytogenetics. The 5-year PFS and OS estimates were, respectively, 18.2 and 36.4 % for patients with NLR ≥ 2 versus 25.5 and 66.6 % in patients with NLR < 2. Among younger patients (age <65 years, N = 179), NLR ≥ 2 had a negative prognostic impact on both PFS and OS, in all ISS stages. By combining ISS stage and NLR in a model limited to young patients, we found that 19 % of the patients were classified as very low risk, 70 % standard risk and 11 % very high risk. The 5-year estimates were 39.3, 19.4 and 10.9 % for PFS and 95.8, 50.9 and 23.6 % for OS for very low, standard-risk and very high-risk groups. We found NLR to be a predictor of PFS and OS in MM patients treated upfront with novel agents. NLR can be combined with ISS staging system to identify patients with dismal outcome. However, larger cohorts and prospective studies are needed to use NLR as additional parameter to personalise MM therapy in the era of novel agents.

  11. Ultraviolet/Optical Emission of the Ionized Gas in AGN: Diagnostics of the Ionizing Source and Gas Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Feltre

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Spectroscopic studies of active galactic nuclei (AGN are powerful means of probing the physical properties of the ionized gas within them. In particular, near future observational facilities, such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST, will allow detailed statistical studies of rest-frame ultraviolet and optical spectral features of the very distant AGN with unprecedented accuracy. In this proceedings, we discuss the various ways of exploiting new dedicated photoionization models of the narrow-line emitting regions (NLR of AGN for the interpretation of forthcoming revolutionary datasets.

  12. The Brassicaceae family displays divergent, shoot-skewed NLR resistance gene expression

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munch, David; Gupta, Vikas; Bachmann, Asger

    2018-01-01

    Nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat resistance genes (NLRs) allow plants to detect microbial effectors. We hypothesized that NLR expression patterns could reflect organ-specific differences in effector challenge and tested this by carrying out a meta-analysis of expression data for 1,235 ...

  13. Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) are associated with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Zhidan; Liu, Jianhua; Wang, Jiaxin; Xie, Tinyan; Zhang, Qiuhuan; Feng, Sisi; Deng, Hui; Zhong, Baiyun

    2017-10-01

    This retrospective study aimed to investigate the associations between the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and disease severity in patients with chronic HBV infection-related liver disease (CHB). Patients with CHB were retrospectively identified. Clinical data for 172 HBV-infected patients and 40 healthy controls were collected from the electronic patient medical record system database of our hospital. HBV-related-compensated-cirrhosis patients (HBV-CC patients) had a significantly lower mean PLR than did other patients (PHBV-related-decompensated-cirrhosis patients (HBV-DC patients) had a significantly higher mean NLR than did any other patients (PHBV DNA (r=0.264, PHBV DNA in both HBV-CC patients (r=-0.116, P=0.044) and HBV-DC patients (r=0.456, P=0.008). In HBV-Active-Carriers patients (HBV-AC patients), the PLR was positively correlated with serum HBeAg level (r=0.321, P=0.023). In HBV-DC patients, the NLR was positively correlated with serum HBeAg level (r=0.372, P=0.033). In the logistic regression prediction model, a predictive probability cutoff of 0.392 had the highest sensitivity and specificity (sensitivity, 91.2%; specificity, 84.0%) in distinguishing between HBV-CC and HBV-AC patients. A NLR cutoff value of 2.94 had the highest sensitivity and specificity (sensitivity, 81.8%; specificity, 88.2%) in distinguishing between HBV-DC and HBV-CC patients. The PLR and NLR partially reflect the amounts of serum HBV DNA and serum HBeAg levels circulating in CHB patients. The logistic regression model including the PLR and age most accurately distinguished between HBV-CC and HBV-AC patients. The NLR may be useful for follow-up in HBV-CC patients to predict disease progression. In summary, the PLR and NLR provided a supplementary means for effectively managing chronic HBV infection and disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Plasma microinstabilities driven by loss-cone distributions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Summers, D.; Thorne, R.M.

    1995-01-01

    Electromagnetic and electrostatic instabilities driven by loss-cone particle distributions have been invoked to explain a variety of plasma phenomena observed in space and in the laboratory. In this paper we analyse how the loss-cone feature (as determined by the loss-cone index or indices) influences the growth of such instabilities in a fully ionized, homogeneous, hot plasma in a uniform magnetic field. Specifically, we consider three loss-cone distributions: a generalized Lorentzian (kappa) loss-cone distribution, the Dory-Guest-Harris distribution and the Ashour-Abdalla-Kennel distribution (involving a subtracted Maxwellian). Our findings are common to all three distributions. We find that, for parallel propagation, electromagnetic instabilities are only affected by the loss-cone indices in terms of their occurrence in the temperature anisotropy. However, for oblique propagation, even including propagation at small angles to the ambient magnetic field, the loss-cone indices do independently affect the growth of instabilities for electromagnetic waves, in contrast to certain claims in the literature. For electrostatic waves such that 1/2(κ perpendicular to ρ L σ 2 L σ is the Larmor radius for particle species σ, we find that the loss-cone indices only enter the dispersion equation via the temperature anisotropy, and so in this case the loss-cone feature and perpendicular effective thermal speed do not independently affect wave growth. (Author)

  15. Techniques for optimizing nanotips derived from frozen taylor cones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirsch, Gregory

    2017-12-05

    Optimization techniques are disclosed for producing sharp and stable tips/nanotips relying on liquid Taylor cones created from electrically conductive materials with high melting points. A wire substrate of such a material with a preform end in the shape of a regular or concave cone, is first melted with a focused laser beam. Under the influence of a high positive potential, a Taylor cone in a liquid/molten state is formed at that end. The cone is then quenched upon cessation of the laser power, thus freezing the Taylor cone. The tip of the frozen Taylor cone is reheated by the laser to allow its precise localized melting and shaping. Tips thus obtained yield desirable end-forms suitable as electron field emission sources for a variety of applications. In-situ regeneration of the tip is readily accomplished. These tips can also be employed as regenerable bright ion sources using field ionization/desorption of introduced chemical species.

  16. The Potato Nucleotide-binding Leucine-rich Repeat (NLR) Immune Receptor Rx1 Is a Pathogen-dependent DNA-deforming Protein*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fenyk, Stepan; Townsend, Philip D.; Dixon, Christopher H.; Spies, Gerhard B.; de San Eustaquio Campillo, Alba; Slootweg, Erik J.; Westerhof, Lotte B.; Gawehns, Fleur K. K.; Knight, Marc R.; Sharples, Gary J.; Goverse, Aska; Pålsson, Lars-Olof; Takken, Frank L. W.; Cann, Martin J.

    2015-01-01

    Plant nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins enable cells to respond to pathogen attack. Several NLRs act in the nucleus; however, conserved nuclear targets that support their role in immunity are unknown. Previously, we noted a structural homology between the nucleotide-binding domain of NLRs and DNA replication origin-binding Cdc6/Orc1 proteins. Here we show that the NB-ARC (nucleotide-binding, Apaf-1, R-proteins, and CED-4) domain of the Rx1 NLR of potato binds nucleic acids. Rx1 induces ATP-dependent bending and melting of DNA in vitro, dependent upon a functional P-loop. In situ full-length Rx1 binds nuclear DNA following activation by its cognate pathogen-derived effector protein, the coat protein of potato virus X. In line with its obligatory nucleocytoplasmic distribution, DNA binding was only observed when Rx1 was allowed to freely translocate between both compartments and was activated in the cytoplasm. Immune activation induced by an unrelated NLR-effector pair did not trigger an Rx1-DNA interaction. DNA binding is therefore not merely a consequence of immune activation. These data establish a role for DNA distortion in Rx1 immune signaling and define DNA as a molecular target of an activated NLR. PMID:26306038

  17. The Potato Nucleotide-binding Leucine-rich Repeat (NLR) Immune Receptor Rx1 Is a Pathogen-dependent DNA-deforming Protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fenyk, Stepan; Townsend, Philip D; Dixon, Christopher H; Spies, Gerhard B; de San Eustaquio Campillo, Alba; Slootweg, Erik J; Westerhof, Lotte B; Gawehns, Fleur K K; Knight, Marc R; Sharples, Gary J; Goverse, Aska; Pålsson, Lars-Olof; Takken, Frank L W; Cann, Martin J

    2015-10-09

    Plant nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins enable cells to respond to pathogen attack. Several NLRs act in the nucleus; however, conserved nuclear targets that support their role in immunity are unknown. Previously, we noted a structural homology between the nucleotide-binding domain of NLRs and DNA replication origin-binding Cdc6/Orc1 proteins. Here we show that the NB-ARC (nucleotide-binding, Apaf-1, R-proteins, and CED-4) domain of the Rx1 NLR of potato binds nucleic acids. Rx1 induces ATP-dependent bending and melting of DNA in vitro, dependent upon a functional P-loop. In situ full-length Rx1 binds nuclear DNA following activation by its cognate pathogen-derived effector protein, the coat protein of potato virus X. In line with its obligatory nucleocytoplasmic distribution, DNA binding was only observed when Rx1 was allowed to freely translocate between both compartments and was activated in the cytoplasm. Immune activation induced by an unrelated NLR-effector pair did not trigger an Rx1-DNA interaction. DNA binding is therefore not merely a consequence of immune activation. These data establish a role for DNA distortion in Rx1 immune signaling and define DNA as a molecular target of an activated NLR. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  18. Prognostic Significance of Combination of Preoperative Platelet Count and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (COP-NLR in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Based on a Large Cohort Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hua Zhang

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of the combination of the preoperative platelet count and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (COP-NLR for predicting postoperative survival of patients undergoing complete resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC.The preoperative COP-NLR was calculated on the basis of data obtained.Patients with both an increased platelet count (>30.0 × 104 mm(-3 and an elevated NLR (>2.3 were assigned a score of 2, and patients with one or neither were assigned as a score of 1 or 0, respectively.A total of 1238 NSCLC patients were enrolled in this analysis. Multivariate analysis using the 15 clinicolaboratory variables selected by univariate analyses demonstrated that the preoperative COP-NLR was an independent prognostic factor for DFS (HR: 1.834, 95%CI: 1.536 to 2.200, P<0.001 and OS (HR: 1.810, 95%CI: 1.587 to 2.056, P<0.001. In sub-analyses by tumor stage (I, II, IIIA, a significant association was found between DFS and OS and level of COP-NLR in each subgroup (P<0.001, P=0.002, P<0.001 for DFS, respectively; P<0.001, P=0.001, P<0.001 for OS. When the subgroup of patients with high-risk COP-NLR (score of 2 was analyzed, no benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy could be found (P=0.237 for DFS and P=0.165 for OS.The preoperative COP-NLR is able to predict the prognosis of patients with NSCLC and divide these patients into three independent groups before surgery. Our results also demonstrate that high-risk patients based on the COP-NLR do not benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Independent validation of our findings is warranted.

  19. The Role of NLR-related Protein 3 Inflammasome in Host Defense and Inflammatory Diseases

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    Chul-Su Yang

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Among a number of innate receptors, the nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat containing (NLR nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD-like receptor families are involved in the recognition of cytosolic pathogen- or danger-associated molecules. Activation of these specific sets of receptors leads to the assembly of a multiprotein complex, the inflammasome, leading to the activation of caspase-1 and maturation of the cytokines interleukin (IL-1β, IL-18, and IL-33. Among NLRs, NLR-related protein 3 (NLRP3 is one of the best-characterized receptors that activates the inflammasome. There is no doubt that NLRP3 inflammasome activation is important for host defense and effective pathogen clearance against fungal, bacterial, and viral infection. In addition, mounting evidence indicates that the NLRP3 inflammasome plays a role in a variety of inflammatory diseases, including gout, atherosclerosis, and type II diabetes, as well as under conditions of cellular stress or injury. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in host defense and various inflammatory diseases.

  20. Pooled Enrichment Sequencing Identifies Diversity and Evolutionary Pressures at NLR Resistance Genes within a Wild Tomato Population

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    Stam, Remco; Scheikl, Daniela; Tellier, Aurélien

    2016-01-01

    Nod-like receptors (NLRs) are nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeats containing proteins that are important in plant resistance signaling. Many of the known pathogen resistance (R) genes in plants are NLRs and they can recognize pathogen molecules directly or indirectly. As such, divergence and copy number variants at these genes are found to be high between species. Within populations, positive and balancing selection are to be expected if plants coevolve with their pathogens. In order to understand the complexity of R-gene coevolution in wild nonmodel species, it is necessary to identify the full range of NLRs and infer their evolutionary history. Here we investigate and reveal polymorphism occurring at 220 NLR genes within one population of the partially selfing wild tomato species Solanum pennellii. We use a combination of enrichment sequencing and pooling ten individuals, to specifically sequence NLR genes in a resource and cost-effective manner. We focus on the effects which different mapping and single nucleotide polymorphism calling software and settings have on calling polymorphisms in customized pooled samples. Our results are accurately verified using Sanger sequencing of polymorphic gene fragments. Our results indicate that some NLRs, namely 13 out of 220, have maintained polymorphism within our S. pennellii population. These genes show a wide range of πN/πS ratios and differing site frequency spectra. We compare our observed rate of heterozygosity with expectations for this selfing and bottlenecked population. We conclude that our method enables us to pinpoint NLR genes which have experienced natural selection in their habitat. PMID:27189991

  1. Prognostic meaning of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lymphocyte to monocyte ration (LMR) in newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma patients treated upfront with a PET-2 based strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romano, Alessandra; Parrinello, Nunziatina Laura; Vetro, Calogero; Chiarenza, Annalisa; Cerchione, Claudio; Ippolito, Massimo; Palumbo, Giuseppe Alberto; Di Raimondo, Francesco

    2018-06-01

    Recent reports identify NLR (the ratio between absolute neutrophils counts, ANC, and absolute lymphocyte count, ALC), as predictor of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in cancer patients. We retrospectively tested NLR and LMR (the ratio between absolute lymphocyte and monocyte counts) in newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients treated upfront with a PET-2 risk-adapted strategy. NLR and LMR were calculated using records obtained from the complete blood count (CBC) from 180 newly diagnosed HL patients. PFS was evaluated accordingly to Kaplan-Meier method. Higher NLR was associated to advanced stage, increased absolute counts of neutrophils and reduced count of lymphocytes, and markers of systemic inflammation. After a median follow-up of 68 months, PFS at 60 months was 86.6% versus 70.1%, respectively, in patients with NLR ≥ 6 or NLR PET-2 scan (p PET-2 was an independent predictor of PFS in multivariate analysis. Advanced-stage patients (N = 119) were treated according to a PET-2 risk-adapted protocol, with an early switch to BEACOPP regimen in case of PET-2 positivity. Despite this strategy, patients with positive PET-2 still had an inferior outcome, with PFS at 60 months of 84.7% versus 40.1% (negative and positive PET-2 patients, respectively, p PET-2 status and to a lesser extend NLR in advanced stage, while LMR maintained its significance in early stage. By focusing on PET-2 negative patients, we found that patients with NLR ≥ 6.0 or LMR PET-2 scan, NLR and LMR can result in a meaningful prognostic system that needs to be further validated in prospective series including patients treated upfront with PET-2 adapted-risk therapy.

  2. Pooled Enrichment Sequencing Identifies Diversity and Evolutionary Pressures at NLR Resistance Genes within a Wild Tomato Population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stam, Remco; Scheikl, Daniela; Tellier, Aurélien

    2016-06-02

    Nod-like receptors (NLRs) are nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeats containing proteins that are important in plant resistance signaling. Many of the known pathogen resistance (R) genes in plants are NLRs and they can recognize pathogen molecules directly or indirectly. As such, divergence and copy number variants at these genes are found to be high between species. Within populations, positive and balancing selection are to be expected if plants coevolve with their pathogens. In order to understand the complexity of R-gene coevolution in wild nonmodel species, it is necessary to identify the full range of NLRs and infer their evolutionary history. Here we investigate and reveal polymorphism occurring at 220 NLR genes within one population of the partially selfing wild tomato species Solanum pennellii. We use a combination of enrichment sequencing and pooling ten individuals, to specifically sequence NLR genes in a resource and cost-effective manner. We focus on the effects which different mapping and single nucleotide polymorphism calling software and settings have on calling polymorphisms in customized pooled samples. Our results are accurately verified using Sanger sequencing of polymorphic gene fragments. Our results indicate that some NLRs, namely 13 out of 220, have maintained polymorphism within our S. pennellii population. These genes show a wide range of πN/πS ratios and differing site frequency spectra. We compare our observed rate of heterozygosity with expectations for this selfing and bottlenecked population. We conclude that our method enables us to pinpoint NLR genes which have experienced natural selection in their habitat. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

  3. Cone Algorithm of Spinning Vehicles under Dynamic Coning Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuang-biao Zhang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Due to the fact that attitude error of vehicles has an intense trend of divergence when vehicles undergo worsening coning environment, in this paper, the model of dynamic coning environment is derived firstly. Then, through investigation of the effect on Euler attitude algorithm for the equivalency of traditional attitude algorithm, it is found that attitude error is actually the roll angle error including drifting error and oscillating error, which is induced directly by dynamic coning environment and further affects the pitch angle and yaw angle through transferring. Based on definition of the cone frame and cone attitude, a cone algorithm is proposed by rotation relationship to calculate cone attitude, and the relationship between cone attitude and Euler attitude of spinning vehicle is established. Through numerical simulations with different conditions of dynamic coning environment, it is shown that the induced error of Euler attitude fluctuates by the variation of precession and nutation, especially by that of nutation, and the oscillating frequency of roll angle error is twice that of pitch angle error and yaw angle error. In addition, the rotation angle is more competent to describe the spinning process of vehicles under coning environment than Euler angle gamma, and the real pitch angle and yaw angle are calculated finally.

  4. The Potato Nucleotide-Binding Leucine-Rich Repeat (NLR) Immune Receptor Rx1 is a Pathogen Dependent DNA-Deforming Protein

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fenyk, S.; Townsend, P.D.; Dixon, C.H.; Spies, G.B.; Campillo, A.S.E.; Slootweg, E.J.; Westerhof, L.B.; Gawehns, F.K.K.; Knight, M.R.; Sharples, G.J.; Goverse, A.; Palsson, L.O.; Takken, F.L.W.; Cann, M.J.

    2015-01-01

    Plant NLR proteins enable cells to respond to pathogen attack. Several NLRs act in the nucleus, however, conserved nuclear targets that support their role in immunity are unknown. Previously we noted a structural homology between the NB domain of NLRs and DNA replication origin-binding Cdc6/Orc1

  5. Nanocarriers for DNA Vaccines: Co-Delivery of TLR-9 and NLR-2 Ligands Leads to Synergistic Enhancement of Proinflammatory Cytokine Release

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johanna Poecheim

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Adjuvants enhance immunogenicity of vaccines through either targeted antigen delivery or stimulation of immune receptors. Three cationic nanoparticle formulations were evaluated for their potential as carriers for a DNA vaccine, and muramyl dipeptide (MDP as immunostimulatory agent, to induce and increase immunogenicity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen encoding plasmid DNA (pDNA. The formulations included (1 trimethyl chitosan (TMC nanoparticles, (2 a squalene-in-water nanoemulsion, and (3 a mineral oil-in-water nanoemulsion. The adjuvant effect of the pDNA-nanocomplexes was evaluated by serum antibody analysis in immunized mice. All three carriers display a strong adjuvant effect, however, only TMC nanoparticles were capable to bias immune responses towards Th1. pDNA naturally contains immunostimulatory unmethylated CpG motifs that are recognized by Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR-9. In mechanistic in vitro studies, activation of TLR-9 and the ability to enhance immunogenicity by simultaneously targeting TLR-9 and NOD-like receptor 2 (NLR-2 was determined by proinflammatory cytokine release in RAW264.7 macrophages. pDNA in combination with MDP was shown to significantly increase proinflammatory cytokine release in a synergistic manner, dependent on NLR-2 activation. In summary, novel pDNA-Ag85A loaded nanoparticle formulations, which induce antigen specific immune responses in mice were developed, taking advantage of the synergistic combinations of TLR and NLR agonists to increase the adjuvanticity of the carriers used.

  6. Leptospira Interrogans Induces Fibrosis in the Mouse Kidney through Inos-Dependent, TLR- and NLR-Independent Signaling Pathways

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fanton d'Andon, Martine; Quellard, Nathalie; Fernandez, Béatrice; Ratet, Gwenn; Lacroix-Lamandé, Sonia; Vandewalle, Alain; Boneca, Ivo G.; Goujon, Jean-Michel; Werts, Catherine

    2014-01-01

    Background Leptospira (L.) interrogans are bacteria responsible for a worldwide reemerging zoonosis. Rodents carry L. interrogans asymptomatically in their kidneys and excrete bacteria in the urine, contaminating the environment. Humans get infected through skin contact and develop a mild or severe leptospirosis that may lead to renal failure and fibrosis. L. interrogans provoke an interstitial nephritis, but the induction of fibrosis caused by L. interrogans has not been studied in murine models. Innate immune receptors from the TLR and NLR families have recently been shown to play a role in the development and progression of tissue fibrosis in the lung, liver and kidneys under different pathophysiological situations. We recently showed that TLR2, TLR4, and NLRP3 receptors were crucial in the defense against leptospirosis. Moreover, infection of a human cell line with L. interrogans was shown to induce TLR2-dependent production of fibronectin, a component of the extracellular matrix. Therefore, we thought to assess the presence of renal fibrosis in L. interrogans infected mice and to analyze the contribution of some innate immune pathways in this process. Methodology/principal findings Here, we characterized by immunohistochemical studies and quantitative real-time PCR, a model of Leptospira-infected C57BL/6J mice, with chronic carriage of L. interrogans inducing mild renal fibrosis. Using various strains of transgenic mice, we determined that the renal infiltrates of T cells and, unexpectedly, TLR and NLR receptors, are not required to generate Leptospira-induced renal fibrosis. We also show that the iNOS enzyme, known to play a role in Leptospira-induced interstitial nephritis, also plays a role in the induction of renal fibrosis. Conclusion/significance To our knowledge, this work provides the first experimental murine model of sustained renal fibrosis induced by a chronic bacterial infection that may be peculiar, since it does not rely on TLR or NLR receptors

  7. Cold knife cone biopsy

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... biopsy; Pap smear - cone biopsy; HPV - cone biopsy; Human papilloma virus - cone biopsy; Cervix - cone biopsy; Colposcopy - cone biopsy Images Female reproductive anatomy Cold cone biopsy Cold cone removal References Baggish ...

  8. Extreme Gaseous Outflows in Radio-Loud Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Komossa, S.; Xu, D. W.; Wagner, A. Y.

    2018-04-01

    We present four radio-loud NLS1 galaxies with extreme emission-line shifts, indicating radial outflow velocities of the ionized gas of up to 2450 km/s, above the escape velocity of the host galaxies. The forbidden lines show strong broadening, up to 2270 km/s. An ionization stratification (higher line shift at higher ionization potential) implies that we see a large-scale outflow rather than single, localized jet-cloud interactions. Similarly, the paucity of zero-velocity [OIII]λ5007 emitting gas implies the absence of a second narrow-line region (NLR) component at rest, and therefore a large part of the high-ionization NLR is affected by the outflow. Given the radio loudness of these NLS1 galaxies, the observations are consistent with a pole on view onto their central engines, so that the effects of polar outflows are maximized. In addition, a very efficient driving mechanism is required, to reach the high observed velocities. We explore implications from recent hydrodynamic simulations of the interaction between fast winds or jets with the large-scale NLR. Overall, the best agreement with observations (and especially the high outflow speeds of the [NeV] emitting gas) can be reached if the NLS1 galaxies are relatively young sources with lifetimes not much exceeding 1 Myr. These systems represent sites of strong feedback at NLR scales at work, well below redshift one.

  9. The Salmonella type III effector SspH2 specifically exploits the NLR co-chaperone activity of SGT1 to subvert immunity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amit P Bhavsar

    Full Text Available To further its pathogenesis, S. Typhimurium delivers effector proteins into host cells, including the novel E3 ubiquitin ligase (NEL effector SspH2. Using model systems in a cross-kingdom approach we gained further insight into the molecular function of this effector. Here, we show that SspH2 modulates innate immunity in both mammalian and plant cells. In mammalian cell culture, SspH2 significantly enhanced Nod1-mediated IL-8 secretion when transiently expressed or bacterially delivered. In addition, SspH2 also enhanced an Rx-dependent hypersensitive response in planta. In both of these nucleotide-binding leucine rich repeat receptor (NLR model systems, SspH2-mediated phenotypes required its catalytic E3 ubiquitin ligase activity and interaction with the conserved host protein SGT1. SGT1 has an essential cell cycle function and an additional function as an NLR co-chaperone in animal and plant cells. Interaction between SspH2 and SGT1 was restricted to SGT1 proteins that have NLR co-chaperone function and accordingly, SspH2 did not affect SGT1 cell cycle functions. Mechanistic studies revealed that SspH2 interacted with, and ubiquitinated Nod1 and could induce Nod1 activity in an agonist-independent manner if catalytically active. Interestingly, SspH2 in vitro ubiquitination activity and protein stability were enhanced by SGT1. Overall, this work adds to our understanding of the sophisticated mechanisms used by bacterial effectors to co-opt host pathways by demonstrating that SspH2 can subvert immune responses by selectively exploiting the functions of a conserved host co-chaperone.

  10. Cone beam computed tomography: basics and applications in dentistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venkatesh, Elluru; Elluru, Snehal Venkatesh

    2017-01-01

    The introduction of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) devices, changed the way oral and maxillofacial radiology is practiced. CBCT was embraced into the dental settings very rapidly due to its compact size, low cost, low ionizing radiation exposure when compared to medical computed tomography. Alike medical CT, 3 dimensional evaluation of the maxillofacial region with minimal distortion is offered by the CBCT. This article provides an overview of basics of CBCT technology and reviews the specific application of CBCT technology to oral and maxillofacial region with few illustrations.

  11. First Detections of the [N II] 122 micron Line at High Redshift: Demonstrating the Utility of the Line for Studying Galaxies in the Early Universe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferkinhoff, Carl; Brisbin, Drew; Nikola, Thomas; Parshley, Stephen C.; Stacey, Gordon J.; Phillips, Thomas G.; Falgarone, Edith; Benford, Dominic J.; Staguhn, Johannes G.; Tucker, Carol E.

    2011-01-01

    We report the first detections of the [N II] 122 micron line from a high-redshift galaxy. The line was strongly (>6(sigma)) detected from SMMJ02399-0136, and H1413 + 117 (the Cloverleaf QSO) using the Redshift (zeta) and Early Universe Spectrometer on the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory. The lines from both sources are quite bright with line to far-infrared (FIR) continuum luminosity ratios that are approx.7.0 x 10(exp -4) (Cloverleaf) and 2.1 x 10(exo -3) (SMMJ02399). With ratios 2-10 times larger than the average value for nearby galaxies, neither source exhibits the line to continuum deficits seen in nearby sources. The line strengths also indicate large ionized gas fractions, approx.8%-17% of the molecUlar gas mass. The [O III]/[N II] line ratio is very sensitive to the effective temperature of ionizing stars and the ionization parameter for emission arising in the narrow-line region (NLR) of an active galactic nucleus (AGN). Using Our previous detection of the [O III] 88 micron line, the [O III]/[N II]line ratio for SMMJ02399-0136 indicates that the dominant source of the line emission is either stellar H II regions ionized by O9.5 stars, or the NLR of the AGN with ionization parameter log(U) = -3.3 to -4.0. A composite system, where 30%-50% of the FIR lines arise in the NLR also matches the data. The Cloverleaf is best modeled by a superposition of approx.200 M82-like starbursts accounting for all of the FIR emission and 43% of the [N II]line. The remainder may come from the NLR. This war!< demonstrates the utility of the [N II] and [O III] lines in constraining properties of the ionized medium.

  12. First Detections of the [NII] 122 Micrometer Line at High Redshift: Demonstrating the Utility of the Line for Studying Galaxies in the Early Universe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferkinhoff, Carl; Brisbin, Drew; Nikola, Thomas; Parshley, Stephen C.; Stacey, Gordon J.; Phillips, Thomas G.; Falgarone, Edith; Benford, Dominic J.; Staguhn, Johannes G.; Tucker, Carol E.

    2011-01-01

    We report the first detections of the [NIl] 122 {\\mu} m line from a high redshift galaxy. The line was strongly (> 6{\\sigma}) detected from SMMJ02399-0136, and HI413+ 117 (the Cloverleaf QSO) using the Redshift(z) and Early Universe Spectrometer (ZEUS) on the CSO. The lines from both sources are quite bright with line-to-FIR continuum luminosity ratios that are approx.7.0x10(exp -4) (Cloverleaf) and 2.1x10(exp -3) (SMMJ02399). With ratios 2-10 times larger than the average value for nearby galaxies, neither source exhibits the line-to-continuum deficits seen in nearby sources. The line strengths also indicate large ionized gas fractions, approx.8 to 17% of the molecular gas mass. The [OIII]/[NII] line ratio is very sensitive to the effective temperature of ionizing stars and the ionization parameter for emission arising in the narrow-line region (NLR) of an AGN. Using our previous detection of the [01II] 88 {\\mu}m line, the [OIII]/ [NIl] line ratio for SMMJ02399-0136 indicates the dominant source of the line emission is either stellar HII regions ionized by 09.5 stars, or the NLR of the AGN with ionization parameter 10g(U) = -3.3 to -4.0. A composite system, where 30 to 50% of the FIR lines arise in the NLR also matches the data. The Cloverleaf is best modeled by a superposition of approx.200 M82like starbursts accounting for all of the FIR emission and 43% of the [NIl] line. The remainder may come from the NLR. This work demonstrates the utility of the [NIl] and [OIII] lines in constraining properties of the ionized medium.

  13. Geomorphometric variability of "monogenetic" volcanic cones: Evidence from Mauna Kea, Lanzarote and experimental cones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kervyn, M.; Ernst, G. G. J.; Carracedo, J.-C.; Jacobs, P.

    2012-01-01

    Volcanic cones are the most common volcanic constructs on Earth. Their shape can be quantified using two morphometric ratios: the crater/cone base ratio (W cr/W co) and the cone height/width ratio (H co/W co). The average values for these ratios obtained over entire cone fields have been explained by the repose angle of loose granular material (i.e. scoria) controlling cone slopes. The observed variability in these ratios between individual cones has been attributed to the effect of erosional processes or contrasting eruptive conditions on cone morphometry. Using a GIS-based approach, high spatial resolution Digital Elevation Models and airphotos, two new geomorphometry datasets for cone fields at Mauna Kea (Hawaii, USA) and Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain) are extracted and analyzed here. The key observation in these datasets is the great variability in morphometric ratios, even for simple-shape and well-preserved cones. Simple analog experiments are presented to analyze factors influencing the morphometric ratios. The formation of a crater is simulated within an analog cone (i.e. a sand pile) by opening a drainage conduit at the cone base. Results from experiments show that variability in the morphometric ratios can be attributed to variations in the width, height and horizontal offset of the drainage point relative to the cone symmetry axis, to the dip of the underlying slope or to the influence of a small proportion of fine cohesive material. GIS analysis and analog experiments, together with specific examples of cones documented in the field, suggest that the morphometric ratios for well-preserved volcanic cones are controlled by a combination of 1) the intrinsic cone material properties, 2) time-dependent eruption conditions, 3) the local setting, and 4) the method used to estimate the cone height. Implications for interpreting cone morphometry solely as either an age or as an eruption condition indicator are highlighted.

  14. Foveal cone spacing and cone photopigment density difference: objective measurements in the same subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcos, S; Tornow, R P; Elsner, A E; Navarro, R

    1997-07-01

    Foveal cone spacing was measured in vivo using an objective technique: ocular speckle interferometry. Cone packing density was computed from cone spacing data. Foveal cone photopigment density difference was measured in the same subjects using retinal densitometry with a scanning laser ophthalmoscope. Both the cone packing density and cone photopigment density difference decreased sharply with increasing retinal eccentricity. From the comparison of both sets of measurements, the computed amounts of photopigment per cone increased slightly with increasing retinal eccentricity. Consistent with previous results, decreases in cone outer segment length are over-compensated by an increase in the outer segment area, at least in retinal eccentricities up to 1 deg.

  15. Quotient normed cones

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    general setting of the space CL(X, Y ) of all continuous linear mappings from a normed cone (X, p) to a normed cone (Y, q), extending several well-known results related to open continuous linear mappings between normed linear spaces. Keywords. Normed cone; extended quasi-metric; continuous linear mapping; bicom-.

  16. Chemical profile of Taxodium distichum winter cones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Đapić Nina M.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This work is concerned with the chemical profile of Taxodium distichum winter cones. The extract obtained after maceration in absolute ethanol was subjected to qualitative analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and quantification was done by gas chromatography/ flame ionization detector. The chromatogram revealed the presence of 53 compounds, of which 33 compounds were identified. The extract contained oxygenated monoterpenes (12.42%, sesquiterpenes (5.18%, oxygenated sesquiterpenes (17.41%, diterpenes (1.15%, and oxygenated diterpenes (30.87%, while the amount of retinoic acid was 0.32%. Monoacylglycerols were detected in the amount of 4.32%. The most abundant compounds were: caryophyllene oxide (14.27%, 6,7-dehydro-ferruginol (12.49%, bornyl acetate (10.96%, 6- deoxy-taxodione (9.50% and trans-caryophyllene (4.20%.

  17. Berkeley Lighting Cone

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lask, Kathleen [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Gadgil, Ashok [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2016-10-24

    A lighting cone is a simple metal cone placed on the fuel bed of a stove during ignition to act as a chimney, increasing the draft through the fuel bed. Many stoves tend to be difficult to light due to poor draft through the fuel bed, so lighting cones are used in various parts of the world as an inexpensive accessory to help with ignition.

  18. Progress in light cone physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Preparata, G.

    1973-01-01

    A very brief review is given of the progress made in the physics of the light cone in the past year. Included are the light cone expansion, gauge invariance and the consequences of precocious scaling near threshold, the light cone description of the muon pair experiment, light cone expansions, and the assessment and exploitation of analyticity properties in both mass and energy of light cone amplitudes. (U.S.)

  19. Ejecta evolution during cone impact

    KAUST Repository

    Marston, Jeremy

    2014-07-07

    We present findings from an experimental investigation into the impact of solid cone-shaped bodies onto liquid pools. Using a variety of cone angles and liquid physical properties, we show that the ejecta formed during the impact exhibits self-similarity for all impact speeds for very low surface tension liquids, whilst for high-surface tension liquids similarity is only achieved at high impact speeds. We find that the ejecta tip can detach from the cone and that this phenomenon can be attributed to the air entrainment phenomenon. We analyse of a range of cone angles, including some ogive cones, and impact speeds in terms of the spatiotemporal evolution of the ejecta tip. Using superhydrophobic cones, we also examine the entry of cones which entrain an air layer.

  20. Morphology of AGN Emission Line Regions in SDSS-IV MaNGA Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Zhicheng; Sun, Ai-Lei; Zakamska, Nadia L.; Wylezalek, Dominika; Kelly, Michael; Greene, Jenny E.; Rembold, Sandro B.; Riffel, Rogério; Riffel, Rogemar A.

    2018-05-01

    Extended narrow-line regions (NLRs) around active galactic nuclei (AGN) are shaped by the distribution of gas in the host galaxy and by the geometry of the circumnuclear obscuration, and thus they can be used to test the AGN unification model. In this work, we quantify the morphologies of the narrow-line regions in 308 nearby AGNs (z = 0 - 0.14, Lbol˜1042.4 - 44.1 erg s-1) from the MaNGA survey. Based on the narrow-line region maps, we find that a large fraction (81%) of these AGN have bi-conical NLR morphology. The distribution of their measured opening angles suggests that the intrinsic opening angles of the ionization cones has a mean value of 85-98° with a finite spread of 39-44° (1-σ). Our inferred opening angle distribution implies a number ratio of type I to type II AGN of 1:1.6-2.3, consistent with other measurements of the type I / type II ratio at low AGN luminosities. Combining these measurements with the WISE photometry data, we find that redder mid-IR color (lower effective temperature of dust) corresponds to stronger and narrower photo-ionized bicones. This relation is in agreement with the unification model that suggests that the bi-conical narrow-line regions are shaped by a toroidal dusty structure within a few pc from the AGN. Furthermore, we find a significant alignment between the minor axis of host galaxy disks and AGN ionization cones. Together, these findings suggest that obscuration on both circumnuclear (˜pc) and galactic (˜ kpc) scales are important in shaping and orienting the AGN narrow-line regions.

  1. Photoionization Models of the H_2 Emission of the Narrow Line Region of AGNs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aleman, I.; Gruenwald, R.

    2011-05-01

    The excitation mechanism of the narrow line region (NLR) of AGNs is still an open question. Excitation by UV radiation from O and B stars, x-rays from the central black hole, shock from supernovae or jets, or a combination of these mechanisms have been suggested. In the present work, we use photoionization models to study the excitation mechanisms of the H_2 infrared emission lines in the NLR. In the literature, analyzes of the H_2 emission have been done assuming that the molecules is present only in neutral regions (photodissociation regions, x-ray-dominated regions, or shocks; Veilleux et al. 1997, Krabbe et al. 2000, Rigopoulou et al. 2002, Rodriguez-Ardila et al. 2004, 2005, and Davies et al. 2005). However, they are not conclusive. In previous work (Aleman & Gruenwald 2004, 2011), we show that the H_2 emission from the ionized region of PNe can be significant for planetary nebulae (PNe) with hot central stars (T⋆ > 150000 K). Such stars produce copious amounts of high energy photons, which create an extended partially ionized region that favors the H_2 survival. The conditions in the NLR are similar to those in PNe with hot central stars, so we can expect that the H_2 emission might also be important. We obtain and analyze a grid of photoionization models for different NRL parameters. We study the resulting H_2 density and emission, as well as, the formation, destruction, excitation, and de-excitation mechanisms. The higher values observed for the H_2 1-0 S(1)/Brγ ratio cannot be reproduced by our models. The calculated ratios are between 10^-8 and 10^-1, while the observational ration can be as high as 10. The calculated ratio is strongly anti-correlated with the ionization parameter (U) and only models with U<10-3 result in ratios inside the observational range. We show that the NLR is an environment more hostile to the H_2 molecule than the ionized region of PNe. Another interesting result of our calculations is that the H_2 formation on grain surfaces

  2. Correlation Between Cone Penetration Rate And Measured Cone Penetration Parameters In Silty Soils

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulsen, Rikke; Nielsen, Benjaminn Nordahl; Ibsen, Lars Bo

    2013-01-01

    This paper shows, how a change in cone penetration rate affects the cone penetration measurements, hence the cone resistance, pore pressure, and sleeve friction in silty soil. The standard rate of penetration is 20 mm/s, and it is generally accepted that undrained penetration occurs in clay while...... drained penetration occurs in sand. When lowering the penetration rate, the soil pore water starts to dissipate and a change in the drainage condition is seen. In intermediate soils such as silty soils, the standard cone penetration rate may result in a drainage condition that could be undrained......, partially or fully drained. However, lowering the penetration rate in silty soils has a great significance because of the soil permeability, and only a small change in penetration rate will result in changed cone penetration measurements. In this paper, analyses will be done on data from 15 field cone...

  3. NGC 3393: multi-component AGN feedback as seen by CHEERS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maksym, W. Peter; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Elvis, Martin; Karovska, Margarita; Raymond, John C.; Storchi-Bergmann, Thaisa; Paggi, Alessandro; Wang, Junfeng; Risaliti, Guido

    2017-01-01

    Due to its low density, moderate ionization, and weak kinematics, the narrow line region (NLR) of active galactic nuclei (AGN) provides poweful diagnostics for investigating AGN feedback. The CHandra Extended Emission line Region Survey (CHEERS) is the ultimate investigation into resolved feedback in the NLR. We present results from our CHEERS investigations of NGC 3393. By imaging extended X-ray line emission of NGC 3393 with Chandra and optical line emission with Hubble's narrow-band filters, we are able to map out the simultaneous impact of photoionization, jets and an AGN disk-wind. When resolved on scales of ~10s of parsecs, the NLR of NGC 3393 shows a complex multi-component medium. Diagnostic line mapping indicates a Low-ionization Emmision Line Region (LINER) cocoon surrounding the outflow-evacuated cavities (in optical) and surrounding the supports the presence of collisional plasma (in X-rays). These physically distinct constituent regions can only be resolved by the high-resolution imaging that Chandra and HST enable.

  4. The Size-Luminosity Relationship of Quasar Narrow-Line Regions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dempsey, Ross; Zakamska, Nadia L.

    2018-04-01

    The presence of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) can strongly affect its host. Due to the copious radiative power of the nucleus, the effects of radiative feedback can be detected over the entire host galaxy and sometimes well into the intergalactic space. In this paper we model the observed size-luminosity relationship of the narrow-line regions (NLRs) of AGN. We model the NLR as a collection of clouds in pressure equilibrium with the ionizing radiation, with each cloud producing line emission calculated by Cloudy. The sizes of the NLRs of powerful quasars are reproduced without any free parameters, as long as they contain massive (105M⊙ to 107M⊙) ionization-bounded clouds. At lower AGN luminosities the observed sizes are larger than the model sizes, likely due to additional unmodeled sources of ionization (e.g., star formation). We find that the observed saturation of sizes at ˜10kpc which is observed at high AGN luminosities (Lion ≃ 1046erg/s) is naturally explained by optically thick clouds absorbing the ionizing radiation and preventing illumination beyond a critical distance. Using our models in combination with observations of the [O III]/IR ratio and the [O III] size - IR luminosity relationship, we calculate the covering factor of the obscuring torus (and therefore the type 2 fraction within the quasar population) to be f = 0.5, though this is likely an upper bound. Finally, because the gas behind the ionization front is invisible in ionized gas transitions, emission-based NLR mass calculations underestimate the mass of the NLR and therefore of the energetics of ionized-gas winds.

  5. Cone beam computed tomography and intraoral radiography for diagnosis of dental abnormalities in dogs and cats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roza, Marcello R.; Fioravanti, Maria Clorinda S.; Silva, Luiz Antonio F.; Barriviera, Mauricio; Januario, Alessandro L.; Bezerra, Ana Cristina B.

    2011-01-01

    The development of veterinary dentistry has substantially improved the ability to diagnose canine and feline dental abnormalities. Consequently, examinations previously performed only on humans are now available for small animals, thus improving the diagnostic quality. This has increased the need for technical qualification of veterinary professionals and increased technological investments. This study evaluated the use of cone beam computed tomography and intraoral radiography as complementary exams for diagnosing dental abnormalities in dogs and cats. Cone beam computed tomography was provided faster image acquisition with high image quality, was associated with low ionizing radiation levels, enabled image editing, and reduced the exam duration. Our results showed that radiography was an effective method for dental radiographic examination with low cost and fast execution times, and can be performed during surgical procedures

  6. Interrogating Seyferts with NebulaBayes: Spatially Probing the Narrow-line Region Radiation Fields and Chemical Abundances

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Adam D.; Dopita, Michael A.; Kewley, Lisa J.; Groves, Brent A.; Sutherland, Ralph S.; Hopkins, Andrew M.; Blanc, Guillermo A.

    2018-04-01

    NebulaBayes is a new Bayesian code that implements a general method of comparing observed emission-line fluxes to photoionization model grids. The code enables us to extract robust, spatially resolved measurements of abundances in the extended narrow-line regions (ENLRs) produced by Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). We observe near-constant ionization parameters but steeply radially declining pressures, which together imply that radiation pressure regulates the ENLR density structure on large scales. Our sample includes four “pure Seyfert” galaxies from the S7 survey that have extensive ENLRs. NGC 2992 shows steep metallicity gradients from the nucleus into the ionization cones. An inverse metallicity gradient is observed in ESO 138-G01, which we attribute to a recent gas inflow or minor merger. A uniformly high metallicity and hard ionizing continuum are inferred across the ENLR of Mrk 573. Our analysis of IC 5063 is likely affected by contamination from shock excitation, which appears to soften the inferred ionizing spectrum. The peak of the ionizing continuum E peak is determined by the nuclear spectrum and the absorbing column between the nucleus and the ionized nebula. We cannot separate variation in this intrinsic E peak from the effects of shock or H II region contamination, but E peak measurements nevertheless give insights into ENLR excitation. We demonstrate the general applicability of NebulaBayes by analyzing a nuclear spectrum from the non-active galaxy NGC 4691 using a H II region grid. The NLR and H II region model grids are provided with NebulaBayes for use by the astronomical community.

  7. Chloride currents in cones modify feedback from horizontal cells to cones in goldfish retina

    Science.gov (United States)

    Endeman, Duco; Fahrenfort, Iris; Sjoerdsma, Trijntje; Steijaert, Marvin; ten Eikelder, Huub; Kamermans, Maarten

    2012-01-01

    In neuronal systems, excitation and inhibition must be well balanced to ensure reliable information transfer. The cone/horizontal cell (HC) interaction in the retina is an example of this. Because natural scenes encompass an enormous intensity range both in temporal and spatial domains, the balance between excitation and inhibition in the outer retina needs to be adaptable. How this is achieved is unknown. Using electrophysiological techniques in the isolated retina of the goldfish, it was found that opening Ca2+-dependent Cl− channels in recorded cones reduced the size of feedback responses measured in both cones and HCs. Furthermore, we show that cones express Cl− channels that are gated by GABA released from HCs. Similar to activation of ICl(Ca), opening of these GABA-gated Cl− channels reduced the size of light-induced feedback responses both in cones and HCs. Conversely, application of picrotoxin, a blocker of GABAA and GABAC receptors, had the opposite effect. In addition, reducing GABA release from HCs by blocking GABA transporters also led to an increase in the size of feedback. Because the independent manipulation of Ca2+-dependent Cl− currents in individual cones yielded results comparable to bath-applied GABA, it was concluded that activation of either Cl− current by itself is sufficient to reduce the size of HC feedback. However, additional effects of GABA on outer retinal processing cannot be excluded. These results can be accounted for by an ephaptic feedback model in which a cone Cl− current shunts the current flow in the synaptic cleft. The Ca2+-dependent Cl− current might be essential to set the initial balance between the feedforward and the feedback signals active in the cone HC synapse. It prevents that strong feedback from HCs to cones flood the cone with Ca2+. Modulation of the feedback strength by GABA might play a role during light/dark adaptation, adjusting the amount of negative feedback to the signal to noise ratio of the

  8. Critical condition for the transformation from Taylor cone to cone-jet

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei Cheng; Zhao Yang; Gang Tie-Qiang; Chen Li-Jie

    2014-01-01

    An energy method is proposed to investigate the critical transformation condition from a Taylor cone to a cone-jet. Based on the kinetic theorem, the system power allocation and the electrohydrodynamics stability are discussed. The numerical results indicate that the energy of the liquid cone tip experiences a maximum value during the transformation. With the proposed jetting energy, we give the critical transformation condition under which the derivative of jetting energy with respect to the surface area is greater than or equal to the energy required to form a unit of new liquid surface

  9. Review on resonance cone fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohnuma, Toshiro.

    1980-02-01

    Resonance cone fields and lower hybrid heating are reviewed in this report. The resonance cone fields were reported by Fisher and Gould, and they proposed the use of the measurement of resonance cones and structure as a diagnostic tool to determine the plasma density and electron temperature in magnetoplasma. After the resonance cone, a wave-like disturbance persists. Ohnuma et al. have measured bending, reflection and ducting of resonance cones in detail. The thermal modes in inhomogeneous magnetoplasma were seen. The reflection of thermal mode near an electron plasma frequency layer and an insulating plate has been observed. The non-linear effects of resonance cones is reported. Monochromatic electron beam produces the noise of broad band whistler mode. Lower hybrid waves have been the subject of propagation from the edge of plasma to the lower hybrid layer. Linear lower hybrid waves were studied. The lower hybrid and ion acoustic waves radiated from a point source were observed. The parametric decay of finite-extent, cold electron plasma waves was studied. The lower hybrid cone radiated from a point source going along magnetic field lines was observed. Several experimental data on the lower hybrid heating in tokamak devices have been reported. The theories on resonance cones and lower hybrid waves are introduced in this report. (Kato, T.)

  10. Understanding the cone scale in Cupressaceae: insights from seed-cone teratology in Glyptostrobus pensilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dörken, Veit Martin; Rudall, Paula J

    2018-01-01

    Both wild-type and teratological seed cones are described in the monoecious conifer Glyptostrobus pensilis and compared with those of other Cupressaceae sensu lato and other conifers. Some Cupressaceae apparently possess a proliferation of axillary structures in their cone scales. In our interpretation, in Glyptostrobus each bract of both typical and atypical seed cones bears two descending accessory shoots, interpreted here as seed scales (ovuliferous scales). The primary seed scale is fertile and forms the ovules, the second is sterile and forms characteristic tooth-like structures. The bract and the two axillary seed scales are each supplied with a single distinct vascular bundle that enters the cone axis as a separate strand; this vasculature also characterises the descending accessory short shoots in the vegetative parts of the crown. In wild-type seed cones, the fertile seed scale is reduced to its ovules, and the ovules are always axillary. In contrast, the ovules of some of the teratological seed cones examined were located at the centre of the cone scale. An additional tissue found on the upper surface of the sterile lower seed scale is here interpreted as the axis of the fertile seed scale. Thus, the central position of the ovules can be explained by recaulescent fusion of the upper fertile and lower sterile seed scales. In several teratological cone scales, the ovules were enveloped by an additional sterile tissue that is uniseriate and represents an epidermal outgrowth of the fertile seed scale. Close to the ovules, the epidermis was detached from lower tissue and surrounded the ovule completely, except at the micropyle. These teratological features are potentially significant in understanding seed-cone homologies among extant conifers.

  11. Understanding the cone scale in Cupressaceae: insights from seed-cone teratology in Glyptostrobus pensilis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Veit Martin Dörken

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Both wild-type and teratological seed cones are described in the monoecious conifer Glyptostrobus pensilis and compared with those of other Cupressaceae sensu lato and other conifers. Some Cupressaceae apparently possess a proliferation of axillary structures in their cone scales. In our interpretation, in Glyptostrobus each bract of both typical and atypical seed cones bears two descending accessory shoots, interpreted here as seed scales (ovuliferous scales. The primary seed scale is fertile and forms the ovules, the second is sterile and forms characteristic tooth-like structures. The bract and the two axillary seed scales are each supplied with a single distinct vascular bundle that enters the cone axis as a separate strand; this vasculature also characterises the descending accessory short shoots in the vegetative parts of the crown. In wild-type seed cones, the fertile seed scale is reduced to its ovules, and the ovules are always axillary. In contrast, the ovules of some of the teratological seed cones examined were located at the centre of the cone scale. An additional tissue found on the upper surface of the sterile lower seed scale is here interpreted as the axis of the fertile seed scale. Thus, the central position of the ovules can be explained by recaulescent fusion of the upper fertile and lower sterile seed scales. In several teratological cone scales, the ovules were enveloped by an additional sterile tissue that is uniseriate and represents an epidermal outgrowth of the fertile seed scale. Close to the ovules, the epidermis was detached from lower tissue and surrounded the ovule completely, except at the micropyle. These teratological features are potentially significant in understanding seed-cone homologies among extant conifers.

  12. Light-cone quantization of quantum chromodynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brodsky, S.J.; Pauli, H.C.

    1991-06-01

    We discuss the light-cone quantization of gauge theories from two perspectives: as a calculational tool for representing hadrons as QCD bound-states of relativistic quarks and gluons, and also as a novel method for simulating quantum field theory on a computer. The light-cone Fock state expansion of wavefunctions at fixed light cone time provides a precise definition of the parton model and a general calculus for hadronic matrix elements. We present several new applications of light-cone Fock methods, including calculations of exclusive weak decays of heavy hadrons, and intrinsic heavy-quark contributions to structure functions. A general nonperturbative method for numerically solving quantum field theories, ''discretized light-cone quantization,'' is outlined and applied to several gauge theories, including QCD in one space and one time dimension, and quantum electrodynamics in physical space-time at large coupling strength. The DLCQ method is invariant under the large class of light-cone Lorentz transformations, and it can be formulated such at ultraviolet regularization is independent of the momentum space discretization. Both the bound-state spectrum and the corresponding relativistic light-cone wavefunctions can be obtained by matrix diagonalization and related techniques. We also discuss the construction of the light-cone Fock basis, the structure of the light-cone vacuum, and outline the renormalization techniques required for solving gauge theories within the light-cone Hamiltonian formalism

  13. Light-cone quantization of quantum chromodynamics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brodsky, S.J. (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Menlo Park, CA (USA)); Pauli, H.C. (Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik, Heidelberg (Germany, F.R.))

    1991-06-01

    We discuss the light-cone quantization of gauge theories from two perspectives: as a calculational tool for representing hadrons as QCD bound-states of relativistic quarks and gluons, and also as a novel method for simulating quantum field theory on a computer. The light-cone Fock state expansion of wavefunctions at fixed light cone time provides a precise definition of the parton model and a general calculus for hadronic matrix elements. We present several new applications of light-cone Fock methods, including calculations of exclusive weak decays of heavy hadrons, and intrinsic heavy-quark contributions to structure functions. A general nonperturbative method for numerically solving quantum field theories, discretized light-cone quantization,'' is outlined and applied to several gauge theories, including QCD in one space and one time dimension, and quantum electrodynamics in physical space-time at large coupling strength. The DLCQ method is invariant under the large class of light-cone Lorentz transformations, and it can be formulated such at ultraviolet regularization is independent of the momentum space discretization. Both the bound-state spectrum and the corresponding relativistic light-cone wavefunctions can be obtained by matrix diagonalization and related techniques. We also discuss the construction of the light-cone Fock basis, the structure of the light-cone vacuum, and outline the renormalization techniques required for solving gauge theories within the light-cone Hamiltonian formalism.

  14. Trace analysis of acids and bases by conductometric titration with multiparametric non-linear regression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coelho, Lúcia H G; Gutz, Ivano G R

    2006-03-15

    A chemometric method for analysis of conductometric titration data was introduced to extend its applicability to lower concentrations and more complex acid-base systems. Auxiliary pH measurements were made during the titration to assist the calculation of the distribution of protonable species on base of known or guessed equilibrium constants. Conductivity values of each ionized or ionizable species possibly present in the sample were introduced in a general equation where the only unknown parameters were the total concentrations of (conjugated) bases and of strong electrolytes not involved in acid-base equilibria. All these concentrations were adjusted by a multiparametric nonlinear regression (NLR) method, based on the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. This first conductometric titration method with NLR analysis (CT-NLR) was successfully applied to simulated conductometric titration data and to synthetic samples with multiple components at concentrations as low as those found in rainwater (approximately 10 micromol L(-1)). It was possible to resolve and quantify mixtures containing a strong acid, formic acid, acetic acid, ammonium ion, bicarbonate and inert electrolyte with accuracy of 5% or better.

  15. Cone photoreceptor structure in patients with x-linked cone dysfunction and red-green color vision deficiency

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Patterson, Emily J.; Wilk, Melissa; Langlo, Christopher S.

    2016-01-01

    encoded by exon 4, and two with a novel insertion in exon 2. Foveal cone structure and retinal thickness was disrupted to a variable degree, even among related individuals with the same L/M array. CONCLUSIONS. Our findings provide a direct link between disruption of the cone mosaic and L/ M opsin variants......PURPOSE. Mutations in the coding sequence of the L and M opsin genes are often associated with X-linked cone dysfunction (such as Bornholm Eye Disease, BED), though the exact color vision phenotype associated with these disorders is variable. We examined individuals with L/ M opsin gene mutations...... to clarify the link between color vision deficiency and cone dysfunction.  METHODS. We recruited 17 males for imaging. The thickness and integrity of the photoreceptor layers were evaluated using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Cone density was measured using high-resolution images of the cone...

  16. The NLO jet vertex in the small-cone approximation for kt and cone algorithms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colferai, D.; Niccoli, A.

    2015-01-01

    We determine the jet vertex for Mueller-Navelet jets and forward jets in the small-cone approximation for two particular choices of jet algoritms: the kt algorithm and the cone algorithm. These choices are motivated by the extensive use of such algorithms in the phenomenology of jets. The differences with the original calculations of the small-cone jet vertex by Ivanov and Papa, which is found to be equivalent to a formerly algorithm proposed by Furman, are shown at both analytic and numerical level, and turn out to be sizeable. A detailed numerical study of the error introduced by the small-cone approximation is also presented, for various observables of phenomenological interest. For values of the jet “radius” R=0.5, the use of the small-cone approximation amounts to an error of about 5% at the level of cross section, while it reduces to less than 2% for ratios of distributions such as those involved in the measure of the azimuthal decorrelation of dijets.

  17. The NLO jet vertex in the small-cone approximation for kt and cone algorithms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Colferai, D.; Niccoli, A. [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Firenze and INFN, Sezione di Firenze, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Italy)

    2015-04-15

    We determine the jet vertex for Mueller-Navelet jets and forward jets in the small-cone approximation for two particular choices of jet algoritms: the kt algorithm and the cone algorithm. These choices are motivated by the extensive use of such algorithms in the phenomenology of jets. The differences with the original calculations of the small-cone jet vertex by Ivanov and Papa, which is found to be equivalent to a formerly algorithm proposed by Furman, are shown at both analytic and numerical level, and turn out to be sizeable. A detailed numerical study of the error introduced by the small-cone approximation is also presented, for various observables of phenomenological interest. For values of the jet “radius” R=0.5, the use of the small-cone approximation amounts to an error of about 5% at the level of cross section, while it reduces to less than 2% for ratios of distributions such as those involved in the measure of the azimuthal decorrelation of dijets.

  18. QCD on the light cone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brodsky, S.J.

    1992-09-01

    The quantization of gauge theory at fixed light-cone time τ = t - z/c provides new perspectives for solving non-perturbative problems in quantum chromodynamics. The light-cone Fock state expansion provides both a precise definition of the relativistic wavefunctions of hadrons as bound-states of quarks and gluons and a general calculus for predicting QCD processes at the amplitude level. Applications to exclusive processes and weak decay amplitudes are discussed. The problem of computing the hadronic spectrum and the corresponding light-cone wavefunctions of QCD in one space and one time dimension has been successfully reduced to the diagonalization of a discrete representation of the light-cone Hamiltonian. The problems confronting the solution of gauge theories in 3 + 1 dimensions in the light-cone quantization formalism,, including zero modes and non-perturbative renormalization, are reviewed

  19. NMNAT1 variants cause cone and cone-rod dystrophy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nash, Benjamin M; Symes, Richard; Goel, Himanshu; Dinger, Marcel E; Bennetts, Bruce; Grigg, John R; Jamieson, Robyn V

    2018-03-01

    Cone and cone-rod dystrophies (CD and CRD, respectively) are degenerative retinal diseases that predominantly affect the cone photoreceptors. The underlying disease gene is not known in approximately 75% of autosomal recessive cases. Variants in NMNAT1 cause a severe, early-onset retinal dystrophy called Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). We report two patients where clinical phenotyping indicated diagnoses of CD and CRD, respectively. NMNAT1 variants were identified, with Case 1 showing an extremely rare homozygous variant c.[271G > A] p.(Glu91Lys) and Case 2 compound heterozygous variants c.[53 A > G];[769G > A] p.(Asn18Ser);(Glu257Lys). The detailed variant analysis, in combination with the observation of an associated macular atrophy phenotype, indicated that these variants were disease-causing. This report demonstrates that the variants in NMNAT1 may cause CD or CRD associated with macular atrophy. Genetic investigations of the patients with CD or CRD should include NMNAT1 in the genes examined.

  20. Ionizing and non-ionizing radiations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    The monograph is a small manual to get a knowledge of ionizing and non-ionizing radiations. The main chapters are: - Electromagnetic radiations - Ionizing and non-ionizing radiations - Non-ionizing electromagnetic radiations - Ionizing electromagnetic radiation - Other ionizing radiations - Ionizing radiation effects - The Nuclear Safety Conseil

  1. Evaluation of Complete Blood Count Indices (NLR, PLR, MPV/PLT, and PLCRi) in Healthy Dogs, Dogs With Periodontitis, and Dogs With Oropharyngeal Tumors as Potential Biomarkers of Systemic Inflammatory Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rejec, Ana; Butinar, Janos; Gawor, Jerzy; Petelin, Milan

    2017-12-01

    The aim of the study was to retrospectively assess complete blood count (CBC) indices of dogs with periodontitis (PD; n = 73) and dogs with oropharyngeal tumors (OT; n = 92) in comparison to CBC indices of healthy dogs (HD; n = 71). Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio, mean platelet volume to platelet ratio, and platelet large cell ratio index (PLCRi) were evaluated as biomarkers of systemic inflammatory response provoked by PD and OT. Results of multivariable polytomous logistic regression analysis indicated no significant associations between CBC indices and PD. Both NLR and PLCRi were significantly higher in dogs with OT when compared to HD and dogs with PD and could, therefore, indicate a tumor-associated systemic inflammatory response. Additional studies of CBC indices, along with other biomarkers of systemic inflammatory response, are recommended to validate them as reliable indicators of clinical disease activity.

  2. Mach cones in space and laboratory dusty magnetoplasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mamun, A.A.; Shukla, P.K

    2004-07-01

    We present a rigorous theoretical investigation on the possibility for the formation of Mach cones in both space and laboratory dusty magnetoplasmas. We find the parametric regimes for which different types of Mach cones, such as dust acoustic Mach cones, dust magneto-acoustic Mach cones, oscillonic Mach cones, etc. are formed in space and laboratory dusty magnetoplasmas. We also identify the basic features of such different classes of Mach cones (viz. dust- acoustic, dust magneto-acoustic, oscillonic Mach cones, etc.), and clearly explain how they are relevant to space and laboratory dusty manetoplasmas. (author)

  3. Clinical Course, Genetic Etiology, and Visual Outcome in Cone and Cone-Rod Dystrophy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thiadens, Alberta A. H. J.; Phan, T. My Lan; Zekveld-Vroon, Renate C.; Leroy, Bart P.; van den Born, L. Ingeborgh; Hoyng, Carel B.; Klaver, Caroline C. W.; Roosing, Susanne; Pott, Jan-Willem R.; van Schooneveld, Mary J.; van Moll-Ramirez, Norka; van Genderen, Maria M.; Boon, Camiel J. F.; den Hollander, Anneke I.; Bergen, Arthur A. B.; De Baere, Elfride; Cremers, Frans P. M.; Lotery, Andrew J.

    Objective: To evaluate the clinical course, genetic etiology, and visual prognosis in patients with cone dystrophy (CD) and cone-rod dystrophy (CRD). Design: Clinic-based, longitudinal, multicenter study. Participants: Consecutive probands with CD (N = 98), CRD (N = 83), and affected relatives (N =

  4. Development and degeneration of cone bipolar cells are independent of cone photoreceptors in a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miao Chen

    Full Text Available Retinal photoreceptors die during retinal synaptogenesis in a portion of retinal degeneration. Whether cone bipolar cells establish regular retinal mosaics and mature morphologies, and resist degeneration are not completely understood. To explore these issues, we backcrossed a transgenic mouse expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP in one subset of cone bipolar cells (type 7 into rd1 mice, a classic mouse model of retinal degeneration, to examine the development and survival of cone bipolar cells in a background of retinal degeneration. Our data revealed that both the development and degeneration of cone bipolar cells are independent of the normal activity of cone photoreceptors. We found that type 7 cone bipolar cells achieved a uniform tiling of the retinal surface and developed normal dendritic and axonal arbors without the influence of cone photoreceptor innervation. On the other hand, degeneration of type 7 cone bipolar cells, contrary to our belief of central-to-peripheral progression, was spatially uniform across the retina independent of the spatiotemporal pattern of cone degeneration. The results have important implications for the design of more effective therapies to restore vision in retinal degeneration.

  5. Design of a trichromatic cone array.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrick Garrigan

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Cones with peak sensitivity to light at long (L, medium (M and short (S wavelengths are unequal in number on the human retina: S cones are rare (<10% while increasing in fraction from center to periphery, and the L/M cone proportions are highly variable between individuals. What optical properties of the eye, and statistical properties of natural scenes, might drive this organization? We found that the spatial-chromatic structure of natural scenes was largely symmetric between the L, M and S sensitivity bands. Given this symmetry, short wavelength attenuation by ocular media gave L/M cones a modest signal-to-noise advantage, which was amplified, especially in the denser central retina, by long-wavelength accommodation of the lens. Meanwhile, total information represented by the cone mosaic remained relatively insensitive to L/M proportions. Thus, the observed cone array design along with a long-wavelength accommodated lens provides a selective advantage: it is maximally informative.

  6. Cone and Seed Maturation of Southern Pines

    Science.gov (United States)

    James P. Barnett

    1976-01-01

    If slightly reduced yields and viability are acceptable, loblolly and slash cone collections can begin 2 to 3 weeks before maturity if the cones are stored before processing. Longleaf(P. palestris Mill.) pine cones should be collected only when mature, as storage decreased germination of seeds from immature cones. Biochemical analyses to determine reducing sugar...

  7. 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.)

  8. Spectral characteristics of light sources for S-cone stimulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlegelmilch, F; Nolte, R; Schellhorn, K; Husar, P; Henning, G; Tornow, R P

    2002-11-01

    Electrophysiological investigations of the short-wavelength sensitive pathway of the human eye require the use of a suitable light source as a S-cone stimulator. Different light sources with their spectral distribution properties were investigated and compared with the ideal S-cone stimulator. First, the theoretical background of the calculation of relative cone energy absorption from the spectral distribution function of the light source is summarized. From the results of the calculation, the photometric properties of the ideal S-cone stimulator will be derived. The calculation procedure was applied to virtual light sources (computer generated spectral distribution functions with different medium wavelengths and spectrum widths) and to real light sources (blue and green light emitting diodes, blue phosphor of CRT-monitor, multimedia projector, LCD monitor and notebook display). The calculated relative cone absorbencies are compared to the conditions of an ideal S-cone stimulator. Monochromatic light sources with wavelengths of less than 456 nm are close to the conditions of an ideal S-cone stimulator. Spectrum widths up to 21 nm do not affect the S-cone activation significantly (S-cone activation change < 0.2%). Blue light emitting diodes with peak wavelength at 448 nm and spectrum bandwidth of 25 nm are very useful for S-cone stimulation (S-cone activation approximately 95%). A suitable display for S-cone stimulation is the Trinitron computer monitor (S-cone activation approximately 87%). The multimedia projector has a S-cone activation up to 91%, but their spectral distribution properties depends on the selected intensity. LCD monitor and notebook displays have a lower S-cone activation (< or = 74%). Carefully selecting the blue light source for S-cone stimulation can reduce the unwanted L-and M-cone activation down to 4% for M-cones and 1.5% for L-cones.

  9. Transmission geometry laserspray ionization vacuum using an atmospheric pressure inlet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lutomski, Corinne A; El-Baba, Tarick J; Inutan, Ellen D; Manly, Cory D; Wager-Miller, James; Mackie, Ken; Trimpin, Sarah

    2014-07-01

    This represents the first report of laserspray ionization vacuum (LSIV) with operation directly from atmospheric pressure for use in mass spectrometry. Two different types of electrospray ionization source inlets were converted to LSIV sources by equipping the entrance of the atmospheric pressure inlet aperture with a customized cone that is sealed with a removable glass plate holding the matrix/analyte sample. A laser aligned in transmission geometry (at 180° relative to the inlet) ablates the matrix/analyte sample deposited on the vacuum side of the glass slide. Laser ablation from vacuum requires lower inlet temperature relative to laser ablation at atmospheric pressure. However, higher inlet temperature is required for high-mass analytes, for example, α-chymotrypsinogen (25.6 kDa). Labile compounds such as gangliosides and cardiolipins are detected in the negative ion mode directly from mouse brain tissue as intact doubly deprotonated ions. Multiple charging enhances the ion mobility spectrometry separation of ions derived from complex tissue samples.

  10. Light-cone observables and gauge-invariance in the geodesic light-cone formalism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Scaccabarozzi, Fulvio; Yoo, Jaiyul, E-mail: fulvio@physik.uzh.ch, E-mail: jyoo@physik.uzh.ch [Center for Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology, Institute for Computational Science, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich (Switzerland)

    2017-06-01

    The remarkable properties of the geodesic light-cone (GLC) coordinates allow analytic expressions for the light-cone observables, providing a new non-perturbative way for calculating the effects of inhomogeneities in our Universe. However, the gauge-invariance of these expressions in the GLC formalism has not been shown explicitly. Here we provide this missing part of the GLC formalism by proving the gauge-invariance of the GLC expressions for the light-cone observables, such as the observed redshift, the luminosity distance, and the physical area and volume of the observed sources. Our study provides a new insight on the properties of the GLC coordinates and it complements the previous work by the GLC collaboration, leading to a comprehensive description of light propagation in the GLC representation.

  11. Variability of silver fir (Abies alba Mill. cones – variability of cone parameters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aniszewska Monika

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed at determining the shape of closed silver fir cones from the Jawor Forest District (Wroclaw, based purely on measurements of their length and thickness. Using these two parameters, the most accurate estimations were achieved with a fourth-degree polynomial fitting function. We then calculated the cones’ surface area and volume in three different ways: 1 Using the fourth-degree polynomial shape estimation, 2 Introducing indicators of compliance (k1, k2, k3 to calculate the volume and then comparing it to its actual value as measured in a pitcher filled with water, 3 Comparing the surface area of the cones as calculated with the polynomial function to the value obtained from ratios of indicators of compliance (ratios k4 and k5. We found that the calculated surface area and volume were substantially higher than the corresponding measured values. Test values of cone volume and surface area as calculated by our model were 8% and 5% lower, respectively, compared to direct measurements. We also determined the fir cones apparent density to be 0.8 g·cm-3on average. The gathered data on cone surface area, volume and bulk density is a valuable tool for optimizing the thermal peeling process in mill cabinets to acquire high quality seeds.

  12. Méthode analytique généralisée pour le calcul du coning. Nouvelle solution pour calculer le coning de gaz, d'eau et double coning dans les puits verticaux et horizontaux Generalized Analytical Method for Coning Calculation. New Solution to Calculation Both the Gas Coning, Water Coning and Dual Coning for Vertical and Horizontal Wells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pietraru V.

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available Une nouvelle méthode analytique d'évaluation du coning d'eau par bottom water drive et/ou de gaz par gas-cap drive dans les puits horizontaux et verticaux a été développée pour les réservoirs infinis [1]. Dans cet article, une généralisation de cette méthode est présentée pour les réservoirs confinés d'extension limitée dont le toit est horizontal. La généralisation proposée est basée sur la résolution des équations différentielles de la diffusivité avec prise en compte des effets de drainage par gravité et des conditions aux limites pour un réservoir confiné. La méthode est applicable aux réservoirs isotropes ou anisotropes. L'hypothèse de pression constante à la limite de l'aire de drainage dans l'eau et/ou dans le gaz a été adoptée. Les pertes de charge dans l'aquifère et dans le gas-cap sont donc négligées. Les principales contributions de cet article sont : - L'introduction de la notion de rayon de cône, différent du rayon de puits. La hauteur du cône et le débit critique dépendent du rayon de cône alors qu'ils sont indépendants du rayon du puits. - Une nouvelle corrélation pour le calcul du débit critique sous forme adimensionnelle en fonction de trois paramètres : le temps, la longueur du drain horizontal (nulle pour un puits vertical et le rayon de drainage. - Des corrélations pour le calcul du rapport des débits gaz/huile (GOR ou de la fraction en eau (fw, pendant les périodes critique et postcritique, qui tiennent compte de la pression capillaire et des perméabilités relatives. - Des corrélations pour le calcul des rapports de débits gaz/huile et eau/huile pendant les périodes pré, post et supercritique en double coning. - Des critères pour le calcul du temps de percée au puits en simple coning de gaz ou d'eau, ou en double coning de gaz et d'eau. A new analytical method for assessing water and/or gas coning in horizontal and vertical wells has been developed for infinite

  13. Use of RI-cone penetrometer in clay foundations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mimura, Mamoru; Shibata, Toru; Shrivastava, A.K.

    1993-01-01

    RI cone penetrometer tests are carried out at four different sites. The foundation grounds discussed here mainly consist of clayey materials. The measured results by RI cone penetrometers are shown for Kyobashi, Hachirougata, Kurihama and Kinkai Bay site. According to comparison of water content and density profiles by RI cone measurement with the conventional testing results, RI cone penetrometers are proved to be versatile tools for site investigation. Settlement assessment by RI cone penetrometer is also discussed by exemplifying the embankment at Kinkai Bay site. Elasto-vis-coplastic finite element analysis correspondingly performed strongly supports the RI cone based assessment. Repeated use of RI cone penetrometer with the advance of construction enables us to assess the consolidation process of the clay foundation. (author)

  14. Implementation of Tuy's cone-beam inversion formula

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeng, G.L.; Clack, R.; Gullberg, G.T.

    1994-01-01

    Tuy's cone-beam inversion formula was modified to develop a cone-beam reconstruction algorithm. The algorithm was implemented for a cone-beam vertex orbit consisting of a circle and two orthogonal lines. This orbit geometry satisfies the cone-beam data sufficiency condition and is easy to implement on commercial single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) systems. The algorithm which consists of two derivative steps, one rebinning step, and one three-dimensional backprojection step, was verified by computer simulations and by reconstructing physical phantom data collected on a clinical SPECT system. The proposed algorithm gives equivalent results and is as efficient as other analytical cone-beam reconstruction algorithms. (Author)

  15. Handling data redundancy in helical cone beam reconstruction with a cone-angle-based window function and its asymptotic approximation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang Xiangyang; Hsieh Jiang

    2007-01-01

    A cone-angle-based window function is defined in this manuscript for image reconstruction using helical cone beam filtered backprojection (CB-FBP) algorithms. Rather than defining the window boundaries in a two-dimensional detector acquiring projection data for computed tomographic imaging, the cone-angle-based window function deals with data redundancy by selecting rays with the smallest cone angle relative to the reconstruction plane. To be computationally efficient, an asymptotic approximation of the cone-angle-based window function is also given and analyzed in this paper. The benefit of using such an asymptotic approximation also includes the avoidance of functional discontinuities that cause artifacts in reconstructed tomographic images. The cone-angle-based window function and its asymptotic approximation provide a way, equivalent to the Tam-Danielsson-window, for helical CB-FBP reconstruction algorithms to deal with data redundancy, regardless of where the helical pitch is constant or dynamically variable during a scan. By taking the cone-parallel geometry as an example, a computer simulation study is conducted to evaluate the proposed window function and its asymptotic approximation for helical CB-FBP reconstruction algorithm to handle data redundancy. The computer simulated Forbild head and thorax phantoms are utilized in the performance evaluation, showing that the proposed cone-angle-based window function and its asymptotic approximation can deal with data redundancy very well in cone beam image reconstruction from projection data acquired along helical source trajectories. Moreover, a numerical study carried out in this paper reveals that the proposed cone-angle-based window function is actually equivalent to the Tam-Danielsson-window, and rigorous mathematical proofs are being investigated

  16. Double Dirac cones in phononic crystals

    KAUST Repository

    Li, Yan

    2014-07-07

    A double Dirac cone is realized at the center of the Brillouin zone of a two-dimensional phononic crystal (PC) consisting of a triangular array of core-shell-structure cylinders in water. The double Dirac cone is induced by the accidental degeneracy of two double-degenerate Bloch states. Using a perturbation method, we demonstrate that the double Dirac cone is composed of two identical and overlapping Dirac cones whose linear slopes can also be accurately predicted from the method. Because the double Dirac cone occurs at a relatively low frequency, a slab of the PC can be mapped onto a slab of zero refractive index material by using a standard retrieval method. Total transmission without phase change and energy tunneling at the double Dirac point frequency are unambiguously demonstrated by two examples. Potential applications can be expected in diverse fields such as acoustic wave manipulations and energy flow control.

  17. Double Dirac cones in phononic crystals

    KAUST Repository

    Li, Yan; Wu, Ying; Mei, Jun

    2014-01-01

    A double Dirac cone is realized at the center of the Brillouin zone of a two-dimensional phononic crystal (PC) consisting of a triangular array of core-shell-structure cylinders in water. The double Dirac cone is induced by the accidental degeneracy of two double-degenerate Bloch states. Using a perturbation method, we demonstrate that the double Dirac cone is composed of two identical and overlapping Dirac cones whose linear slopes can also be accurately predicted from the method. Because the double Dirac cone occurs at a relatively low frequency, a slab of the PC can be mapped onto a slab of zero refractive index material by using a standard retrieval method. Total transmission without phase change and energy tunneling at the double Dirac point frequency are unambiguously demonstrated by two examples. Potential applications can be expected in diverse fields such as acoustic wave manipulations and energy flow control.

  18. Cone-based Electrical Resistivity Tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pidlisecky, A.; Knight, R.; Haber, E.

    2005-05-01

    Determining the 3D spatial distribution of subsurface properties is a critical part of managing the clean-up of contaminated sites. Most standard hydrologic methods sample small regions immediately adjacent to wells or testing devices. This provides data which are not representative of the entire region of interest. Furthermore, at many contaminated sites invasive methods are not acceptable, due to the risks associated with contacting and spreading the contaminants. To address these issues, we have developed a minimally invasive technology that provides information about the 3D distribution of electrical conductivity. This new technique, cone-based electrical resistivity tomography (C-bert), involves placing several permanent current electrodes in the subsurface and using electrodes mounted on a cone penetrometer to measure the resultant potential field while advancing the cone into the subsurface. In addition to potential field measurements, we obtain the standard suite of cone-penetration measurements, including high resolution resistivity logs; these data can then be used to constrain the inversion of the potential field data. A major challenge of working with these data is that the cone penetrometer is highly conductive, and thus presents a large local perturbation around the measurement location. As the cone is very small (approximately 30mm in diameter) with respect to the total model space, explicitly modeling the cone is computationally demanding. We developed a method for solving the forward model that reduces computational time by an order of magnitude. This solution method, iteratively determined boundary conditions, makes it possible to correct for the cone effect before inversion of the data. Results from synthetic experiments suggest that the C-bert method of data acquisition can result in high quality electrical conductivity images of the subsurface. We tested the practicality of this technique by performing a field test of the C-bert system to image

  19. Dirac cones in isogonal hexagonal metallic structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Kang

    2018-03-01

    A honeycomb hexagonal metallic lattice is equivalent to a triangular atomic one and cannot create Dirac cones in its electromagnetic wave spectrum. We study in this work the low-frequency electromagnetic band structures in isogonal hexagonal metallic lattices that are directly related to the honeycomb one and show that such structures can create Dirac cones. The band formation can be described by a tight-binding model that allows investigating, in terms of correlations between local resonance modes, the condition for the Dirac cones and the consequence of the third structure tile sustaining an extra resonance mode in the unit cell that induces band shifts and thus nonlinear deformation of the Dirac cones following the wave vectors departing from the Dirac points. We show further that, under structure deformation, the deformations of the Dirac cones result from two different correlation mechanisms, both reinforced by the lattice's metallic nature, which directly affects the resonance mode correlations. The isogonal structures provide new degrees of freedom for tuning the Dirac cones, allowing adjustment of the cone shape by modulating the structure tiles at the local scale without modifying the lattice periodicity and symmetry.

  20. g-Weak Contraction in Ordered Cone Rectangular Metric Spaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. K. Malhotra

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available We prove some common fixed-point theorems for the ordered g-weak contractions in cone rectangular metric spaces without assuming the normality of cone. Our results generalize some recent results from cone metric and cone rectangular metric spaces into ordered cone rectangular metric spaces. Examples are provided which illustrate the results.

  1. A SAMPLE OF SEYFERT-2 GALAXIES WITH ULTRALUMINOUS GALAXY-WIDE NARROW-LINE REGIONS: QUASAR LIGHT ECHOES?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schirmer, M.; Diaz, R.; Levenson, N. A.; Winge, C.; Holhjem, K.

    2013-01-01

    We report the discovery of Seyfert-2 galaxies in SDSS-DR8 with galaxy-wide, ultraluminous narrow-line regions (NLRs) at redshifts z = 0.2-0.6. With a space density of 4.4 Gpc –3 at z ∼ 0.3, these 'green beans' (GBs) are amongst the rarest objects in the universe. We are witnessing an exceptional and/or short-lived phenomenon in the life cycle of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). The main focus of this paper is on a detailed analysis of the GB prototype galaxy J2240–0927 (z = 0.326). Its NLR extends over 26 × 44 kpc and is surrounded by an extended NLR. With a total [O III] λ5008 luminosity of (5.7 ± 0.9) × 10 43 erg s –1 , this is one of the most luminous NLRs known around any type-2 galaxy. Using VLT/XSHOOTER, we show that the NLR is powered by an AGN, and we derive resolved extinction, density, and ionization maps. Gas kinematics is disturbed on a global scale, and high-velocity outflows are absent or faint. This NLR is unlike any other NLR or extended emission line region known. Spectroscopy with Gemini/GMOS reveals extended, high-luminosity [O III] emission also in other GBs. WISE 24 μm luminosities are 5-50 times lower than predicted by the [O III] fluxes, suggesting that the NLRs reflect earlier, very active quasar states that have strongly subsided in less than a galaxy's light-crossing time. These light echoes, or ionization echoes, are about 100 times more luminous than any other such echo known to date. X-ray data are needed for photoionization modeling and to verify the light echoes.

  2. Singularities of plane complex curves and limits of Kähler metrics with cone singularities. I: Tangent Cones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Borbon Martin de

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The goal of this article is to provide a construction and classification, in the case of two complex dimensions, of the possible tangent cones at points of limit spaces of non-collapsed sequences of Kähler-Einstein metrics with cone singularities. The proofs and constructions are completely elementary, nevertheless they have an intrinsic beauty. In a few words; tangent cones correspond to spherical metrics with cone singularities in the projective line by means of the Kähler quotient construction with respect to the S1-action generated by the Reeb vector field, except in the irregular case ℂβ₁×ℂβ₂ with β₂/ β₁ ∉ Q.

  3. Strong-field ionization with twisted laser pulses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paufler, Willi; Böning, Birger; Fritzsche, Stephan

    2018-04-01

    We apply quantum trajectory Monte Carlo computations in order to model strong-field ionization of atoms by twisted Bessel pulses and calculate photoelectron momentum distributions (PEMD). Since Bessel beams can be considered as an infinite superposition of circularly polarized plane waves with the same helicity, whose wave vectors lie on a cone, we compared the PEMD of such Bessel pulses to those of a circularly polarized pulse. We focus on the momentum distributions in propagation direction of the pulse and show how these momentum distributions are affected by experimental accessible parameters, such as the opening angle of the beam or the impact parameter of the atom with regard to the beam axis. In particular, we show that we can find higher momenta of the photoelectrons, if the opening angle is increased.

  4. Light cone thermodynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Lorenzo, Tommaso; Perez, Alejandro

    2018-02-01

    We show that null surfaces defined by the outgoing and infalling wave fronts emanating from and arriving at a sphere in Minkowski spacetime have thermodynamical properties that are in strict formal correspondence with those of black hole horizons in curved spacetimes. Such null surfaces, made of pieces of light cones, are bifurcate conformal Killing horizons for suitable conformally stationary observers. They can be extremal and nonextremal depending on the radius of the shining sphere. Such conformal Killing horizons have a constant light cone (conformal) temperature, given by the standard expression in terms of the generalization of surface gravity for conformal Killing horizons. Exchanges of conformally invariant energy across the horizon are described by a first law where entropy changes are given by 1 /(4 ℓp2) of the changes of a geometric quantity with the meaning of horizon area in a suitable conformal frame. These conformal horizons satisfy the zeroth to the third laws of thermodynamics in an appropriate way. In the extremal case they become light cones associated with a single event; these have vanishing temperature as well as vanishing entropy.

  5. Cone dystrophy with "supernormal" rod ERG: psychophysical testing shows comparable rod and cone temporal sensitivity losses with no gain in rod function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stockman, Andrew; Henning, G Bruce; Michaelides, Michel; Moore, Anthony T; Webster, Andrew R; Cammack, Jocelyn; Ripamonti, Caterina

    2014-02-10

    We report a psychophysical investigation of 5 observers with the retinal disorder "cone dystrophy with supernormal rod ERG," caused by mutations in the gene KCNV2 that encodes a voltage-gated potassium channel found in rod and cone photoreceptors. We compared losses for rod- and for cone-mediated vision to further investigate the disorder and to assess whether the supernormal ERG is associated with any visual benefit. L-cone, S-cone, and rod temporal acuity (critical flicker fusion frequency) were measured as a function of target irradiance; L-cone temporal contrast sensitivity was measured as a function of temporal frequency. Temporal acuity measures revealed that losses for vision mediated by rods, S-cones, and L-cones are roughly equivalent. Further, the gain in rod function implied by the supernormal ERG provides no apparent benefit to near-threshold rod-mediated visual performance. The L-cone temporal contrast sensitivity function in affected observers was similar in shape to the mean normal function but only after the mean function was compressed by halving the logarithmic sensitivities. The name of this disorder is potentially misleading because the comparable losses found across rod and cone vision suggest that the disorder is a generalized cone-rod dystrophy. Temporal acuity and temporal contrast sensitivity measures are broadly consistent with the defect in the voltage-gated potassium channel producing a nonlinear distortion of the photoreceptor response but after otherwise normal transduction processes.

  6. CRALBP supports the mammalian retinal visual cycle and cone vision.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Yunlu; Shen, Susan Q; Jui, Jonathan; Rupp, Alan C; Byrne, Leah C; Hattar, Samer; Flannery, John G; Corbo, Joseph C; Kefalov, Vladimir J

    2015-02-01

    Mutations in the cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP, encoded by RLBP1) can lead to severe cone photoreceptor-mediated vision loss in patients. It is not known how CRALBP supports cone function or how altered CRALBP leads to cone dysfunction. Here, we determined that deletion of Rlbp1 in mice impairs the retinal visual cycle. Mice lacking CRALBP exhibited M-opsin mislocalization, M-cone loss, and impaired cone-driven visual behavior and light responses. Additionally, M-cone dark adaptation was largely suppressed in CRALBP-deficient animals. While rearing CRALBP-deficient mice in the dark prevented the deterioration of cone function, it did not rescue cone dark adaptation. Adeno-associated virus-mediated restoration of CRALBP expression specifically in Müller cells, but not retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, rescued the retinal visual cycle and M-cone sensitivity in knockout mice. Our results identify Müller cell CRALBP as a key component of the retinal visual cycle and demonstrate that this pathway is important for maintaining normal cone-driven vision and accelerating cone dark adaptation.

  7. A cone-beam reconstruction algorithm using shift-variant filtering and cone-beam backprojection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Defrise, M.; Clack, R.

    1994-01-01

    An exact inversion formula written in the form of shift-variant filtered-backprojection (FBP) is given for reconstruction from cone-beam data taken from any orbit satisfying Tuy's sufficiency conditions. The method is based on a result of Grangeat, involving the derivative of the three-dimensional (3-D) Radon transform, but unlike Grangeat's algorithm, no 3D rebinning step is required. Data redundancy, which occurs when several cone-beam projections supply the same values in the Radon domain, is handled using an elegant weighting function and without discarding data. The algorithm is expressed in a convenient cone-beam detector reference frame, and a specific example for the case of a dual orthogonal circular orbit is presented. When the method is applied to a single circular orbit, it is shown to be equivalent to the well-known algorithm of Feldkamp et al

  8. Spectral properties of the narrow-line region in Seyfert galaxies selected from the SDSS-DR7

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaona, L.; Ciroi, S.; Di Mille, F.; Cracco, V.; La Mura, G.; Rafanelli, P.

    2012-12-01

    Although the properties of the narrow-line region (NLR) of active galactic nuclei (AGN) have been deeply studied by many authors in the past three decades, many questions are still open. The main goal of this work is to explore the NLR of Seyfert galaxies by collecting a large statistical spectroscopic sample of Seyfert 2 and Intermediate-type Seyfert galaxies having a high signal-to-noise ratio in order to take advantage of a high number of emission lines to be accurately measured. 2153 Seyfert 2 and 521 Intermediate-type Seyfert spectra were selected from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 (SDSS-DR7) with a diagnostic diagram based on the oxygen emission-line ratios. All the emission lines, broad components included, were measured by means of a self-developed code, after the subtraction of the stellar component. Physical parameters, such as internal reddening, ionization parameter, temperature, density, gas and stellar velocity dispersion were determined for each object. Furthermore, we estimated mass and radius of the NLR, kinetic energy of the ionized gas and black hole accretion rate. From the emission-line analysis and the estimated physical properties, it appears that the NLR is similar in Seyfert 2 and Intermediate-Seyfert galaxies. The only differences, lower extinction, gas kinematics in general not dominated by the host galaxy gravitational potential and higher percentage of [O III]λ5007 blue asymmetries in Intermediate-Seyfert, can be ascribed to an effect of inclination of our line of sight with respect to the torus axis.

  9. Cone rod dystrophies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamel, Christian P

    2007-01-01

    Cone rod dystrophies (CRDs) (prevalence 1/40,000) are inherited retinal dystrophies that belong to the group of pigmentary retinopathies. CRDs are characterized by retinal pigment deposits visible on fundus examination, predominantly localized to the macular region. In contrast to typical retinitis pigmentosa (RP), also called the rod cone dystrophies (RCDs) resulting from the primary loss in rod photoreceptors and later followed by the secondary loss in cone photoreceptors, CRDs reflect the opposite sequence of events. CRD is characterized by primary cone involvement, or, sometimes, by concomitant loss of both cones and rods that explains the predominant symptoms of CRDs: decreased visual acuity, color vision defects, photoaversion and decreased sensitivity in the central visual field, later followed by progressive loss in peripheral vision and night blindness. The clinical course of CRDs is generally more severe and rapid than that of RCDs, leading to earlier legal blindness and disability. At end stage, however, CRDs do not differ from RCDs. CRDs are most frequently non syndromic, but they may also be part of several syndromes, such as Bardet Biedl syndrome and Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 7 (SCA7). Non syndromic CRDs are genetically heterogeneous (ten cloned genes and three loci have been identified so far). The four major causative genes involved in the pathogenesis of CRDs are ABCA4 (which causes Stargardt disease and also 30 to 60% of autosomal recessive CRDs), CRX and GUCY2D (which are responsible for many reported cases of autosomal dominant CRDs), and RPGR (which causes about 2/3 of X-linked RP and also an undetermined percentage of X-linked CRDs). It is likely that highly deleterious mutations in genes that otherwise cause RP or macular dystrophy may also lead to CRDs. The diagnosis of CRDs is based on clinical history, fundus examination and electroretinogram. Molecular diagnosis can be made for some genes, genetic counseling is always advised. Currently

  10. Cone rod dystrophies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamel Christian P

    2007-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Cone rod dystrophies (CRDs (prevalence 1/40,000 are inherited retinal dystrophies that belong to the group of pigmentary retinopathies. CRDs are characterized by retinal pigment deposits visible on fundus examination, predominantly localized to the macular region. In contrast to typical retinitis pigmentosa (RP, also called the rod cone dystrophies (RCDs resulting from the primary loss in rod photoreceptors and later followed by the secondary loss in cone photoreceptors, CRDs reflect the opposite sequence of events. CRD is characterized by primary cone involvement, or, sometimes, by concomitant loss of both cones and rods that explains the predominant symptoms of CRDs: decreased visual acuity, color vision defects, photoaversion and decreased sensitivity in the central visual field, later followed by progressive loss in peripheral vision and night blindness. The clinical course of CRDs is generally more severe and rapid than that of RCDs, leading to earlier legal blindness and disability. At end stage, however, CRDs do not differ from RCDs. CRDs are most frequently non syndromic, but they may also be part of several syndromes, such as Bardet Biedl syndrome and Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 7 (SCA7. Non syndromic CRDs are genetically heterogeneous (ten cloned genes and three loci have been identified so far. The four major causative genes involved in the pathogenesis of CRDs are ABCA4 (which causes Stargardt disease and also 30 to 60% of autosomal recessive CRDs, CRX and GUCY2D (which are responsible for many reported cases of autosomal dominant CRDs, and RPGR (which causes about 2/3 of X-linked RP and also an undetermined percentage of X-linked CRDs. It is likely that highly deleterious mutations in genes that otherwise cause RP or macular dystrophy may also lead to CRDs. The diagnosis of CRDs is based on clinical history, fundus examination and electroretinogram. Molecular diagnosis can be made for some genes, genetic counseling is

  11. CRALBP supports the mammalian retinal visual cycle and cone vision

    OpenAIRE

    Xue, Yunlu; Shen, Susan Q.; Jui, Jonathan; Rupp, Alan C.; Byrne, Leah C.; Hattar, Samer; Flannery, John G.; Corbo, Joseph C.; Kefalov, Vladimir J.

    2015-01-01

    Mutations in the cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP, encoded by RLBP1) can lead to severe cone photoreceptor-mediated vision loss in patients. It is not known how CRALBP supports cone function or how altered CRALBP leads to cone dysfunction. Here, we determined that deletion of Rlbp1 in mice impairs the retinal visual cycle. Mice lacking CRALBP exhibited M-opsin mislocalization, M-cone loss, and impaired cone-driven visual behavior and light responses. Additionally, M-cone dark ad...

  12. Heavy-to-light correlators beyond the light cone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lucha, W.; Melikhov, D. I.; Simula, S.

    2008-01-01

    We present the first systematic analysis of the off-light-cone effects in correlators relevant for the extraction of the heavy-to-light form factors within the method of light-cone sum rules. In a model with scalar constituents, the correlator is calculated in two different ways: (i) by performing the expansion of the Bethe-Salpeter amplitude of the light meson near the light cone x 2 = 0 and (ii) by adopting the known solution for the Bethe-Salpeter amplitude which allows one to calculate the correlator without invoking any expansion. We demonstrate that the contributions to the correlator from the off-light-cone terms x 2 ≠ 0 are not suppressed by any large parameter compared to the contribution of the light-cone term x 2 0. For decays of heavy particles of mass in the range 1.5-5 GeV, the light-cone correlator is shown to systematically overestimate the full correlator, numerically the difference being 10-20%

  13. Heavy-to-light correlators beyond the light cone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lucha, W.; Melikhov, D. I.; Simula, S.

    2008-01-01

    We present the first systematic analysis of the off-light-cone effects in correlators relevant for the extraction of the heavy-to-light form factors within the method of light-cone sum rules. In a model with scalar constituents, the correlator is calculated in two different ways: (i) by performing the expansion of the Bethe-Salpeter amplitude of the light meson near the light cone x 2 = 0 and (ii) by adopting the known solution for the Bethe-Salpeter amplitude which allows one to calculate the correlator without invoking any expansion. We demonstrate that the contributions to the correlator from the off-light-cone terms x 2 ≠ 0 are not suppressed by any large parameter compared to the contribution of the light-cone term x 2 = 0. For decays of heavy particles of mass in the range 1.5–5 GeV, the light-cone correlator is shown to systematically overestimate the full correlator, numerically the difference being 10–20%.

  14. Strain engineering of Dirac cones in graphyne

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Gaoxue; Kumar, Ashok; Pandey, Ravindra, E-mail: pandey@mtu.edu [Department of Physics, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan 49931 (United States); Si, Mingsu [Key Laboratory for Magnetism and Magnetic Materials of the Ministry of Education, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China)

    2014-05-26

    6,6,12-graphyne, one of the two-dimensional carbon allotropes with the rectangular lattice structure, has two kinds of non-equivalent anisotropic Dirac cones in the first Brillouin zone. We show that Dirac cones can be tuned independently by the uniaxial compressive strain applied to graphyne, which induces n-type and p-type self-doping effect, by shifting the energy of the Dirac cones in the opposite directions. On the other hand, application of the tensile strain results into a transition from gapless to finite gap system for the monolayer. For the AB-stacked bilayer, the results predict tunability of Dirac-cones by in-plane strains as well as the strain applied perpendicular to the plane. The group velocities of the Dirac cones show enhancement in the resistance anisotropy for bilayer relative to the case of monolayer. Such tunable and direction-dependent electronic properties predicted for 6,6,12-graphyne make it to be competitive for the next-generation electronic devices at nanoscale.

  15. Plate Tearing by a Cone

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simonsen, Bo Cerup

    1997-01-01

    The present paper is concerned with steady-state plate tearing by a cone. This is a scenario where a cone is forced through a ductile metal plate with a constant lateral tip penetration in a motion in the plane of the plate. The considered process could be an idealisaton of the damage, which...... as for the out-of-plane reaction force....

  16. DOS cones along atomic chains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kwapiński, Tomasz

    2017-01-01

    The electron transport properties of a linear atomic chain are studied theoretically within the tight-binding Hamiltonian and the Green’s function method. Variations of the local density of states (DOS) along the chain are investigated. They are crucial in scanning tunnelling experiments and give important insight into the electron transport mechanism and charge distribution inside chains. It is found that depending on the chain parity the local DOS at the Fermi level can form cone-like structures (DOS cones) along the chain. The general condition for the local DOS oscillations is obtained and the linear behaviour of the local density function is confirmed analytically. DOS cones are characterized by a linear decay towards the chain which is in contrast to the propagation properties of charge density waves, end states and Friedel oscillations in one-dimensional systems. We find that DOS cones can appear due to non-resonant electron transport, the spin–orbit scattering or for chains fabricated on a substrate with localized electrons. It is also shown that for imperfect chains (e.g. with a reduced coupling strength between two neighboring sites) a diamond-like structure of the local DOS along the chain appears. (paper)

  17. DOS cones along atomic chains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwapiński, Tomasz

    2017-03-01

    The electron transport properties of a linear atomic chain are studied theoretically within the tight-binding Hamiltonian and the Green’s function method. Variations of the local density of states (DOS) along the chain are investigated. They are crucial in scanning tunnelling experiments and give important insight into the electron transport mechanism and charge distribution inside chains. It is found that depending on the chain parity the local DOS at the Fermi level can form cone-like structures (DOS cones) along the chain. The general condition for the local DOS oscillations is obtained and the linear behaviour of the local density function is confirmed analytically. DOS cones are characterized by a linear decay towards the chain which is in contrast to the propagation properties of charge density waves, end states and Friedel oscillations in one-dimensional systems. We find that DOS cones can appear due to non-resonant electron transport, the spin-orbit scattering or for chains fabricated on a substrate with localized electrons. It is also shown that for imperfect chains (e.g. with a reduced coupling strength between two neighboring sites) a diamond-like structure of the local DOS along the chain appears.

  18. Hanford waste tank cone penetrometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seda, R.Y.

    1995-12-01

    A new tool is being developed to characterize tank waste at the Hanford Reservation. This tool, known as the cone penetrometer, is capable of obtaining chemical and physical properties in situ. For the past 50 years, this tool has been used extensively in soil applications and now has been modified for usage in Hanford Underground Storage tanks. These modifications include development of new ''waste'' data models as well as hardware design changes to accommodate the hazardous and radioactive environment of the tanks. The modified cone penetrometer is scheduled to be deployed at Hanford by Fall 1996. At Hanford, the cone penetrometer will be used as an instrumented pipe which measures chemical and physical properties as it pushes through tank waste. Physical data, such as tank waste stratification and mechanical properties, is obtained through three sensors measuring tip pressure, sleeve friction and pore pressure. Chemical data, such as chemical speciation, is measured using a Raman spectroscopy sensor. The sensor package contains other instrumentation as well, including a tip and side temperature sensor, tank bottom detection and an inclinometer. Once the cone penetrometer has reached the bottom of the tank, a moisture probe will be inserted into the pipe. This probe is used to measure waste moisture content, water level, waste surface moisture and tank temperature. This paper discusses the development of this new measurement system. Data from the cone penetrometer will aid in the selection of sampling tools, waste tank retrieval process, and addressing various tank safety issues. This paper will explore various waste models as well as the challenges associated with tank environment

  19. A Deep Chandra ACIS Study of NGC 4151. III. The Line Emission and Spectral Analysis of the Ionization Cone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Junfeng; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Elvis, Martin; Risaliti, Guido; Karovska, Margarita; Zezas, Andreas; Mundell, Carole G.; Dumas, Gaelle; Schinnerer, Eva

    2011-11-01

    This paper is the third in a series in which we present deep Chandra ACIS-S imaging spectroscopy of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4151, devoted to study its complex circumnuclear X-ray emission. Emission features in the soft X-ray spectrum of the bright extended emission (L 0.3-2 keV ~ 1040 erg s-1) at r > 130 pc (2'') are consistent with blended brighter O VII, O VIII, and Ne IX lines seen in the Chandra HETGS and XMM-Newton RGS spectra below 2 keV. We construct emission line images of these features and find good morphological correlations with the narrow-line region clouds mapped in [O III] λ5007. Self-consistent photoionization models provide good descriptions of the spectra of the large-scale emission, as well as resolved structures, supporting the dominant role of nuclear photoionization, although displacement of optical and X-ray features implies a more complex medium. Collisionally ionized emission is estimated to be lsim12% of the extended emission. Presence of both low- and high-ionization spectral components and extended emission in the X-ray image perpendicular to the bicone indicates leakage of nuclear ionization, likely filtered through warm absorbers, instead of being blocked by a continuous obscuring torus. The ratios of [O III]/soft X-ray flux are approximately constant (~15) for the 1.5 kpc radius spanned by these measurements, indicating similar relative contributions from the low- and high-ionization gas phases at different radial distances from the nucleus. If the [O III] and X-ray emission arise from a single photoionized medium, this further implies an outflow with a wind-like density profile. Using spatially resolved X-ray features, we estimate that the mass outflow rate in NGC 4151 is ~2 M ⊙ yr-1 at 130 pc and the kinematic power of the ionized outflow is 1.7 × 1041 erg s-1, approximately 0.3% of the bolometric luminosity of the active nucleus in NGC 4151.

  20. Plate Tearing by a Cone

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simonsen, Bo Cerup

    1998-01-01

    The present paper is concerned with steady-state plate tearing by a cone. This is a scenario where a cone is forced through a ductile metal plate with a constant lateral tip penetration in a motion in the plane of the plate. The considered process could be an idealisation of the damage, which...... as for the out-of-plane reaction force. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved....

  1. Topology-optimized dual-polarization Dirac cones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Zin; Christakis, Lysander; Li, Yang; Mazur, Eric; Rodriguez, Alejandro W.; Lončar, Marko

    2018-02-01

    We apply a large-scale computational technique, known as topology optimization, to the inverse design of photonic Dirac cones. In particular, we report on a variety of photonic crystal geometries, realizable in simple isotropic dielectric materials, which exhibit dual-polarization Dirac cones. We present photonic crystals of different symmetry types, such as fourfold and sixfold rotational symmetries, with Dirac cones at different points within the Brillouin zone. The demonstrated and related optimization techniques open avenues to band-structure engineering and manipulating the propagation of light in periodic media, with possible applications to exotic optical phenomena such as effective zero-index media and topological photonics.

  2. Demise of light cone field theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hagen, C.R.

    1977-01-01

    It is shown that the massive spin one-half field is noncovariant in two dimensional light cone coordinates. It is shown that spin one-half is noncovariant in four dimensions as well. It is concluded that since the case of the spin one-half field is an absolute necessity if one is to build a world containing fermions. It seems safe to infer that light cone quantization cannot be useful in the quark binding problem as currently conceived. It is suggested that further work on light cone quantization be focused solely upon the questions of consistency as discussed rather than on applications to model building. 9 references

  3. Integrity of the cone photoreceptor mosaic in oligocone trichromacy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Michaelides, Michel; Rha, Jungtae; Dees, Elise W

    2011-01-01

    Oligocone trichromacy (OT) is an unusual cone dysfunction syndrome characterized by reduced visual acuity, mild photophobia, reduced amplitude of the cone electroretinogram with normal rod responses, normal fundus appearance, and normal or near-normal color vision. It has been proposed that these...... that these patients have a reduced number of normal functioning cones (oligocone). This paper has sought to evaluate the integrity of the cone photoreceptor mosaic in four patients previously described as having OT....

  4. CRYOVOLCANISM AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PATOM CONE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir R. Alekseyev

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available In the Earth’s regions with cold climate, cryovolcanism is widespread. This phenomena is manifested as eruptions of material due to freezing of closed-type or open-type water-bearing systems which is accompanied by generation of effusive topographic forms, such as «pingo». The Patom cone is a typical structure created by cryovolcanism in fractured bedrocksof the Proterozoic age. The cone was shaped a result of the long-term, possibly multistage freezing of the hydrogeological structure during continuous and complicated phase of cryo- and speleo-genesis. The ice-saturated breccia containing limestone, sandstone and shale, which composed the cone, was subject to slow spreading due to its plastic properties; the top of the mound developed into a subsidence cone bordered by ring-shaped ramparts and a knoll in the middle, while thelongitudinal profile took on an asymmetric form. The absence of soil and vegetation cover on the surface of the cone, and a relatively weak degree of weathering of the rudaceous deposits bear no evidence that the geological object is young. The question as to the age of the cone is still open.

  5. A reconstruction algorithms for helical cone-beam SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weng, Y.; Zeng, G.L.; Gullberg, G.T.

    1993-01-01

    Cone-beam SPECT provides improved sensitivity for imaging small organs like the brain and heart. However, current cone-beam tomography with the focal point traversing a planar orbit does not acquire sufficient data to give an accurate reconstruction. In this paper, the authors employ a data-acquisition method which obtains complete data for cone-beam SPECT by simultaneously rotating the gamma camera and translating the patient bed, so that cone-beam projections can be obtained with the focal point traversing a helix surrounding the patient. An implementation of Grangeat's algorithm for helical cone-beam projections is developed. The algorithm requires a rebinning step to convert cone-beam data to parallel-beam data which are then reconstructed using the 3D Radon inversion. A fast new rebinning scheme is developed which uses all of the detected data to reconstruct the image and properly normalizes any multiply scanned data. This algorithm is shown to produce less artifacts than the commonly used Feldkamp algorithm when applied to either a circular planar orbit or a helical orbit acquisition. The algorithm can easily be extended to any arbitrary orbit

  6. Integrity of the cone photoreceptor mosaic in oligocone trichromacy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Michaelides, Michel; Rha, Jungtae; Dees, Elise W

    2011-01-01

    Oligocone trichromacy (OT) is an unusual cone dysfunction syndrome characterized by reduced visual acuity, mild photophobia, reduced amplitude of the cone electroretinogram with normal rod responses, normal fundus appearance, and normal or near-normal color vision. It has been proposed that these......Oligocone trichromacy (OT) is an unusual cone dysfunction syndrome characterized by reduced visual acuity, mild photophobia, reduced amplitude of the cone electroretinogram with normal rod responses, normal fundus appearance, and normal or near-normal color vision. It has been proposed...

  7. Simulation analysis of the effects of an initial cone position and opening angle on a cone-guided implosion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yanagawa, T. [Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602 (Japan); Sakagami, H. [Fundamental Physics Simulation Division, National Institute for Fusion Science, Oroshi-cho, Toki, Gifu 509-5292 (Japan); Nagatomo, H. [Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan)

    2013-10-15

    In inertial confinement fusion, the implosion process is important in forming a high-density plasma core. In the case of a fast ignition scheme using a cone-guided target, the fuel target is imploded with a cone inserted. This scheme is advantageous for efficiently heating the imploded fuel core; however, asymmetric implosion is essentially inevitable. Moreover, the effect of cone position and opening angle on implosion also becomes critical. Focusing on these problems, the effect of the asymmetric implosion, the initial position, and the opening angle on the compression rate of the fuel is investigated using a three-dimensional pure hydrodynamic code.

  8. Cone penetrometer moisture probe acceptance test report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnes, G.A.

    1996-01-01

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

  9. An Analysis Model for Water Cone Subsidence in Bottom Water Drive Reservoirs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jianjun; Xu, Hui; Wu, Shucheng; Yang, Chao; Kong, lingxiao; Zeng, Baoquan; Xu, Haixia; Qu, Tailai

    2017-12-01

    Water coning in bottom water drive reservoirs, which will result in earlier water breakthrough, rapid increase in water cut and low recovery level, has drawn tremendous attention in petroleum engineering field. As one simple and effective method to inhibit bottom water coning, shut-in coning control is usually preferred in oilfield to control the water cone and furthermore to enhance economic performance. However, most of the water coning researchers just have been done on investigation of the coning behavior as it grows up, the reported studies for water cone subsidence are very scarce. The goal of this work is to present an analytical model for water cone subsidence to analyze the subsidence of water cone when the well shut in. Based on Dupuit critical oil production rate formula, an analytical model is developed to estimate the initial water cone shape at the point of critical drawdown. Then, with the initial water cone shape equation, we propose an analysis model for water cone subsidence in bottom water reservoir reservoirs. Model analysis and several sensitivity studies are conducted. This work presents accurate and fast analytical model to perform the water cone subsidence in bottom water drive reservoirs. To consider the recent interests in development of bottom drive reservoirs, our approach provides a promising technique for better understanding the subsidence of water cone.

  10. Cone Penetrometer N Factor Determination Testing Results

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Follett, Jordan R.

    2014-03-05

    This document contains the results of testing activities to determine the empirical 'N Factor' for the cone penetrometer in kaolin clay simulant. The N Factor is used to releate resistance measurements taken with the cone penetrometer to shear strength.

  11. Preparation of Au cone for fast ignition target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du Kai; Zhou Lan; Zhang Lin; Wan Xiaobo; Xiao Jiang

    2005-01-01

    Cone-shell target is typically used for the fast ignition experiments of inertial confinement fusion. In order to fabricate cone-shell target the Au cones with different angles were produced by electroplating and precise machining. The Au electroplating process was introduced in the paper, and the dependence of coating quality on the parameters, such as composition, temperature, pH of electroplating bath, current density and tip effect, were discussed. (author)

  12. Loss and gain of cone types in vertebrate ciliary photoreceptor evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Musser, Jacob M; Arendt, Detlev

    2017-11-01

    Ciliary photoreceptors are a diverse cell type family that comprises the rods and cones of the retina and other related cell types such as pineal photoreceptors. Ciliary photoreceptor evolution has been dynamic during vertebrate evolution with numerous gains and losses of opsin and phototransduction genes, and changes in their expression. For example, early mammals lost all but two cone opsins, indicating loss of cone receptor types in response to nocturnal lifestyle. Our review focuses on the comparison of specifying transcription factors and cell type-specific transcriptome data in vertebrate retinae to build and test hypotheses on ciliary photoreceptor evolution. Regarding cones, recent data reveal that a combination of factors specific for long-wavelength sensitive opsin (Lws)- cones in non-mammalian vertebrates (Thrb and Rxrg) is found across all differentiating cone photoreceptors in mice. This suggests that mammalian ancestors lost all but one ancestral cone type, the Lws-cone. We test this hypothesis by a correlation analysis of cone transcriptomes in mouse and chick, and find that, indeed, transcriptomes of all mouse cones are most highly correlated to avian Lws-cones. These findings underscore the importance of specifying transcription factors in tracking cell type evolution, and shed new light on the mechanisms of cell type loss and gain in retina evolution. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Feedback-induced glutamate spillover enhances negative feedback from horizontal cells to cones

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vroman, Rozan; Kamermans, M.

    2015-01-01

    KEY POINTS: In the retina, horizontal cells feed back negatively to cone photoreceptors. Glutamate released from cones can spill over to neighbouring cones. Here we show that cone glutamate release induced by negative feedback can also spill over to neighbouring cones. This glutamate activates the

  14. Feedback-induced glutamate spillover enhances negative feedback from horizontal cells to cones

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vroman, Rozan; Kamermans, Maarten

    2015-01-01

    In the retina, horizontal cells feed back negatively to cone photoreceptors. Glutamate released from cones can spill over to neighbouring cones. Here we show that cone glutamate release induced by negative feedback can also spill over to neighbouring cones. This glutamate activates the glutamate

  15. Cardiac cone-beam CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manzke, Robert

    2005-01-01

    This doctoral thesis addresses imaging of the heart with retrospectively gated helical cone-beam computed tomography (CT). A thorough review of the CT reconstruction literature is presented in combination with a historic overview of cardiac CT imaging and a brief introduction to other cardiac imaging modalities. The thesis includes a comprehensive chapter about the theory of CT reconstruction, familiarizing the reader with the problem of cone-beam reconstruction. The anatomic and dynamic properties of the heart are outlined and techniques to derive the gating information are reviewed. With the extended cardiac reconstruction (ECR) framework, a new approach is presented for the heart-rate-adaptive gated helical cardiac cone-beam CT reconstruction. Reconstruction assessment criteria such as the temporal resolution, the homogeneity in terms of the cardiac phase, and the smoothness at cycle-to-cycle transitions are developed. Several reconstruction optimization approaches are described: An approach for the heart-rate-adaptive optimization of the temporal resolution is presented. Streak artifacts at cycle-to-cycle transitions can be minimized by using an improved cardiac weighting scheme. The optimal quiescent cardiac phase for the reconstruction can be determined automatically with the motion map technique. Results for all optimization procedures applied to ECR are presented and discussed based on patient and phantom data. The ECR algorithm is analyzed for larger detector arrays of future cone-beam systems throughout an extensive simulation study based on a four-dimensional cardiac CT phantom. The results of the scientific work are summarized and an outlook proposing future directions is given. The presented thesis is available for public download at www.cardiac-ct.net

  16. The contribution of the medical physicist in the field of Cone Beam (CT) in dental and maxillofacial for quality assurance and patient dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Begnozzi, L.

    2014-01-01

    The guideline RP n. 172 of the European Commission has recently published (http://ec.europa.eu/energy/nuclear/radiation_protection/medical/publications_en.htm) in order to provide guidance to ensure the safety and effectiveness within the scope of Cone Beam CT for Dental and Maxillofacial Radiology in compliance with the criteria of justification, optimization and limitation of doses. The document should be a useful reference and help to the professional categories and must help to optimize the use of ionizing radiation in dental imaging.

  17. Cone calorimeter tests of wood composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robert H. White; Kuma Sumathipala

    2013-01-01

    The cone calorimeter is widely used for the determination of the heat release rate (HRR) of building products and other materials. As part of an effort to increase the availability of cone calorimeter data on wood products, the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory and the American Wood Council conducted this study on composite wood products in cooperation with the Composite...

  18. Cone penetrometer demonstration standard startup review checklist

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    KRIEG, S.A.

    1998-01-01

    Startup readiness for the Cone Penetrometer Demonstration in AX Tank Farm will be verified through the application of a Standard Startup Review Checklist. This is a listing of those items essential to demonstrating readiness to start the Cone Penetrometer Demonstration in AX Tank Farm

  19. Revision total knee arthroplasty with the use of trabecular metal cones

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Claus L; Petersen, Michael Mygind; Schrøder, Henrik

    2012-01-01

    "Trabecular Metal Cone" (TM Cone) (Zimmer, Inc, Warsaw, Ind) for reconstruction of bone loss in the proximal tibia during revision total knee arthroplasty is now optional. Forty patients were randomized to receive revision total knee arthroplasty with or without TM Cone (No TM Cone). The Anderson...

  20. Derivation of the gauge link in light cone gauge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao Jianhua

    2010-01-01

    In light cone gauge, a gauge link at light cone infinity is necessary for transverse momentum-dependent parton distribution to restore the gauge invariance in some specific boundary conditions. We derive such transverse gauge link in a more regular and general method. We find the gauge link at light cone infinity naturally arises from the contribution of the pinched poles: one is from the quark propagator and the other is hidden in the gauge vector field in light cone gauge. Actually, in the amplitude level, we have obtained a more general gauge link over the hypersurface at light cone infinity which is beyond the transverse direction. The difference of such gauge link between semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering and Drell-Yan processes can also be obtained directly and clearly in our derivation.

  1. A High Definition View of AGN Feedback: Chandra Imaging of Nearby Seyfert Galaxies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Junfeng; Fabbiano, G.; Risaliti, G.; Elvis, M.; Karovska, M.; Zezas, A.; Mundell, C. G.

    2010-03-01

    To improve the physics of AGN feedback, it is crucial to evaluate the true role of outflows on galaxy evolution observationally. I will present new results from Chandra spectral imaging of nearby Seyfert galaxies, which offer unique opportunities to examine feedback in action in much greater detail than at high redshift. Exploiting Chandra's highest possible resolution, we are able to study structures in NGC 4151 on spatial scales of 0.5 arcsec (30 pc), showing an extended X-ray morphology overall consistent with the optical NLR. We find that most of the NLR clouds in NGC 4151 have [OIII] to soft X-ray ratio consistent with the values observed in NLRs of some Seyfert 2 galaxies, which indicates a uniform ionization parameter even at large radii. We examine various X-ray emission mechanisms of the radio jet and consider thermal emission from interaction between radio outflow and the NLR clouds the most probable origin for the X-ray emission associated with the jet.

  2. Venomics-Accelerated Cone Snail Venom Peptide Discovery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Himaya, S. W. A.

    2018-01-01

    Cone snail venoms are considered a treasure trove of bioactive peptides. Despite over 800 species of cone snails being known, each producing over 1000 venom peptides, only about 150 unique venom peptides are structurally and functionally characterized. To overcome the limitations of the traditional low-throughput bio-discovery approaches, multi-omics systems approaches have been introduced to accelerate venom peptide discovery and characterisation. This “venomic” approach is starting to unravel the full complexity of cone snail venoms and to provide new insights into their biology and evolution. The main challenge for venomics is the effective integration of transcriptomics, proteomics, and pharmacological data and the efficient analysis of big datasets. Novel database search tools and visualisation techniques are now being introduced that facilitate data exploration, with ongoing advances in related omics fields being expected to further enhance venomics studies. Despite these challenges and future opportunities, cone snail venomics has already exponentially expanded the number of novel venom peptide sequences identified from the species investigated, although most novel conotoxins remain to be pharmacologically characterised. Therefore, efficient high-throughput peptide production systems and/or banks of miniaturized discovery assays are required to overcome this bottleneck and thus enhance cone snail venom bioprospecting and accelerate the identification of novel drug leads. PMID:29522462

  3. Venomics-Accelerated Cone Snail Venom Peptide Discovery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. W. A. Himaya

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Cone snail venoms are considered a treasure trove of bioactive peptides. Despite over 800 species of cone snails being known, each producing over 1000 venom peptides, only about 150 unique venom peptides are structurally and functionally characterized. To overcome the limitations of the traditional low-throughput bio-discovery approaches, multi-omics systems approaches have been introduced to accelerate venom peptide discovery and characterisation. This “venomic” approach is starting to unravel the full complexity of cone snail venoms and to provide new insights into their biology and evolution. The main challenge for venomics is the effective integration of transcriptomics, proteomics, and pharmacological data and the efficient analysis of big datasets. Novel database search tools and visualisation techniques are now being introduced that facilitate data exploration, with ongoing advances in related omics fields being expected to further enhance venomics studies. Despite these challenges and future opportunities, cone snail venomics has already exponentially expanded the number of novel venom peptide sequences identified from the species investigated, although most novel conotoxins remain to be pharmacologically characterised. Therefore, efficient high-throughput peptide production systems and/or banks of miniaturized discovery assays are required to overcome this bottleneck and thus enhance cone snail venom bioprospecting and accelerate the identification of novel drug leads.

  4. Avian cone photoreceptors tile the retina as five independent, self-organizing mosaics.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoseph A Kram

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available The avian retina possesses one of the most sophisticated cone photoreceptor systems among vertebrates. Birds have five types of cones including four single cones, which support tetrachromatic color vision and a double cone, which is thought to mediate achromatic motion perception. Despite this richness, very little is known about the spatial organization of avian cones and its adaptive significance. Here we show that the five cone types of the chicken independently tile the retina as highly ordered mosaics with a characteristic spacing between cones of the same type. Measures of topological order indicate that double cones are more highly ordered than single cones, possibly reflecting their posited role in motion detection. Although cones show spacing interactions that are cell type-specific, all cone types use the same density-dependent yardstick to measure intercone distance. We propose a simple developmental model that can account for these observations. We also show that a single parameter, the global regularity index, defines the regularity of all five cone mosaics. Lastly, we demonstrate similar cone distributions in three additional avian species, suggesting that these patterning principles are universal among birds. Since regular photoreceptor spacing is critical for uniform sampling of visual space, the cone mosaics of the avian retina represent an elegant example of the emergence of adaptive global patterning secondary to simple local interactions between individual photoreceptors. Our results indicate that the evolutionary pressures that gave rise to the avian retina's various adaptations for enhanced color discrimination also acted to fine-tune its spatial sampling of color and luminance.

  5. Design of a cone target for fast ignition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sunahara Atsushi

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available We propose a new type of target for the fast ignition of inertial confinement fusion. Pre-formed plasma inside a cone target can significantly reduce the energy coupling efficiency from the ultra-high intense short-pulse laser to the imploded core plasma. Also, in order to protect the tip of the cone and reduce generation of pre-formed plasma, we propose pointed shaped cone target. In our estimation, the shock traveling time can be delayed 20–30 ps by lower-Z material with larger areal density compared to the conventional gold flat tip. Also, the jet flow can sweep the blow-off plasma from the tip of the cone, and the implosion performance is not drastically affected by the existence of pointed tip. In addition, the self-generated magnetic field is generated along the boundary of cone tip and surrounding CD or DT plasma. This magnetic field can confine fast electrons and focus to the implosion core plasma. Resultant heating efficiency is improved by 30% compared to that with conventional gold flat tip.

  6. Noise masking of S-cone increments and decrements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Quanhong; Richters, David P; Eskew, Rhea T

    2014-11-12

    S-cone increment and decrement detection thresholds were measured in the presence of bipolar, dynamic noise masks. Noise chromaticities were the L-, M-, and S-cone directions, as well as L-M, L+M, and achromatic (L+M+S) directions. Noise contrast power was varied to measure threshold Energy versus Noise (EvN) functions. S+ and S- thresholds were similarly, and weakly, raised by achromatic noise. However, S+ thresholds were much more elevated by S, L+M, L-M, L- and M-cone noises than were S- thresholds, even though the noises consisted of two symmetric chromatic polarities of equal contrast power. A linear cone combination model accounts for the overall pattern of masking of a single test polarity well. L and M cones have opposite signs in their effects upon raising S+ and S- thresholds. The results strongly indicate that the psychophysical mechanisms responsible for S+ and S- detection, presumably based on S-ON and S-OFF pathways, are distinct, unipolar mechanisms, and that they have different spatiotemporal sampling characteristics, or contrast gains, or both. © 2014 ARVO.

  7. Identifying Dirac cones in carbon allotropes with square symmetry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Jinying [College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Huang, Huaqing; Duan, Wenhui [Department of Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Liu, Zhirong, E-mail: LiuZhiRong@pku.edu.cn [College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

    2013-11-14

    A theoretical study is conducted to search for Dirac cones in two-dimensional carbon allotropes with square symmetry. By enumerating the carbon atoms in a unit cell up to 12, an allotrope with octatomic rings is recognized to possess Dirac cones under a simple tight-binding approach. The obtained Dirac cones are accompanied by flat bands at the Fermi level, and the resulting massless Dirac-Weyl fermions are chiral particles with a pseudospin of S = 1, rather than the conventional S = 1/2 of graphene. The spin-1 Dirac cones are also predicted to exist in hexagonal graphene antidot lattices.

  8. Conical Refraction: new observations and a dual cone model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sokolovskii, G S; Carnegie, D J; Kalkandjiev, T K; Rafailov, E U

    2013-05-06

    We propose a paraxial dual-cone model of conical refraction involving the interference of two cones of light behind the exit face of the crystal. The supporting experiment is based on beam selecting elements breaking down the conically refracted beam into two separate hollow cones which are symmetrical with one another. The shape of these cones of light is a product of a 'competition' between the divergence caused by the conical refraction and the convergence due to the focusing by the lens. The developed mathematical description of the conical refraction demonstrates an excellent agreement with experiment.

  9. Conceptual Design of Deployment Structure of Morphing Nose Cone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junlan Li

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available For a reusable space vehicle or a missile, the shape of the nose cone has a significant effect on the drag of the vehicle. In this paper, the concept of morphing nose cone is proposed to reduce the drag when the reentry vehicle flies back into the atmosphere. The conceptual design of the structure of morphing nose cone is conducted. Mechanical design and optimization approach are developed by employing genetic algorithm to find the optimal geometric parameters of the morphing structure. An example is analyzed by using the proposed method. The results show that optimal solution supplies the minimum position error. The concept of morphing nose cone will provide a novel way for the drag reduction of reentry vehicle. The proposed method could be practically used for the design and optimization of the deployable structure of morphing nose cone.

  10. Full utilization of semi-Dirac cones in photonics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yasa, Utku G.; Turduev, Mirbek; Giden, Ibrahim H.; Kurt, Hamza

    2018-05-01

    In this study, realization and applications of anisotropic zero-refractive-index materials are proposed by exposing the unit cells of photonic crystals that exhibit Dirac-like cone dispersion to rotational symmetry reduction. Accidental degeneracy of two Bloch modes in the Brillouin zone center of two-dimensional C2-symmetric photonic crystals gives rise to the semi-Dirac cone dispersion. The proposed C2-symmetric photonic crystals behave as epsilon-and-mu-near-zero materials (ɛeff≈ 0 , μeff≈ 0 ) along one propagation direction, but behave as epsilon-near-zero material (ɛeff≈ 0 , μeff≠ 0 ) for the perpendicular direction at semi-Dirac frequency. By extracting the effective medium parameters of the proposed C4- and C2-symmetric periodic media that exhibit Dirac-like and semi-Dirac cone dispersions, intrinsic differences between isotropic and anisotropic materials are investigated. Furthermore, advantages of utilizing semi-Dirac cone materials instead of Dirac-like cone materials in photonic applications are demonstrated in both frequency and time domains. By using anisotropic transmission behavior of the semi-Dirac materials, photonic application concepts such as beam deflectors, beam splitters, and light focusing are proposed. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, semi-Dirac cone dispersion is also experimentally demonstrated for the first time by including negative, zero, and positive refraction states of the given material.

  11. Cadmium Removal from Aqueous Solutions by Ground Pine Cone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H Izanloo, S Nasseri

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available A study on the removal of cadmium ions from aqueous solutions by pine cone was conducted in batch conditions. Kinetic data and equilibrium removal isotherms were obtained. The influence of different experimental parameters such as contact time, initial concentration of cadmium, pine cone mass and particle size, and temperature on the kinetics of cadmium removal was studied. Results showed that the main parameters that played an important role in removal phenomenon were initial cadmium concentration, particle size and pine cone mass. The necessary time to reach equilibrium was between 4 and 7 hours based on the initial concentration of cadmium. The capacity of cadmium adsorption at equilibrium increased with the decrease of pine cone particle size. The capacity of cadmium adsorption at equilibrium by pine cone increased with the quantity of pine cone introduced (1–4 g/L. Temperature in the range of 20-30°C showed a restricted effect on the removal kinetics (13.56 mg/g at 20°C and a low capacity of adsorption about 11.48 mg/g at 30°C. The process followed pseudo second-order kinetics. The cadmium uptake of pine cone was quantitatively evaluated using adsorption isotherms. Results indicated that the Langmuir model gave a better fit to the experimental data in comparison with the Freundlich equation.

  12. JWFront: Wavefronts and Light Cones for Kerr Spacetimes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frutos Alfaro, Francisco; Grave, Frank; Müller, Thomas; Adis, Daria

    2015-04-01

    JWFront visualizes wavefronts and light cones in general relativity. The interactive front-end allows users to enter the initial position values and choose the values for mass and angular momentum per unit mass. The wavefront animations are available in 2D and 3D; the light cones are visualized using the coordinate systems (t, x, y) or (t, z, x). JWFront can be easily modified to simulate wavefronts and light cones for other spacetime by providing the Christoffel symbols in the program.

  13. Tracking blue cone signals in the primate brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayakumar, Jaikishan; Dreher, Bogdan; Vidyasagar, Trichur R

    2013-05-01

    In this paper, we review the path taken by signals originating from the short wavelength sensitive cones (S-cones) in Old World and New World primates. Two types of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) carrying S-cone signals (blue-On and blue-Off cells) project to the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) in the thalamus. In all primates, these S-cone signals are relayed through the 'dust-like' (konis in classical Greek) dLGN cells. In New World primates such as common marmoset, these very small cells are known to form distinct and spatially extensive, koniocellular layers. Although in Old World primates, such as macaques, koniocellular layers tend to be very thin, the adjacent parvocellular layers contain distinct koniocellular extensions. It appears that all S-cone signals are relayed through such konio cells, whether they are in the main koniocellular layers or in their colonies within the parvocellular layers of the dLGN. In the primary visual cortex, these signals begin to merge with the signals carried by the other two principal parallel channels, namely the magnocellular and parvocellular channels. This article will also review the possible routes taken by the S-cone signals to reach one of the topographically organised extrastriate visual cortical areas, the middle temporal area (area MT). This area is the major conduit for signals reaching the parietal cortex. Alternative visual inputs to area MT not relayed via the primary visual cortex area (V1) may provide the neurological basis for the phenomenon of 'blindsight' observed in human and non-human primates, who have partial or complete damage to the primary visual cortex. Short wavelength sensitive cone (S-cone) signals to area MT may also play a role in directing visual attention with possible implications for understanding the pathology in dyslexia and some of its treatment options. © 2012 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Optometry © 2012 Optometrists Association Australia.

  14. Cinder cones of Mount Slamet, Central Java, Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Igan S. SutawIdjaja

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.17014/ijog.vol4no1.20096The Mount Slamet volcanic field in Central Java, Indonesia, contains thirty five cinder cones within an area of 90 sq. km in the east flank of the volcano. The cinder cones occur singly or in small groups, with diameter of the base ranges from 130 - 750 m and the height is around 250 m. Within the volcanic field, the cinder cones are spread over the volcanic area at the distance of 4 to 14 km from the eruption center of the Slamet Volcano. They are concentrated within latitudes 7°11’00” - 7°16’00” S,, and longitudes 109°15’00” - 109°18’00” E. The density of the cinder cones is about 1.5 cones/km2. Most of the cinder cones lie on the Tertiary sedimentary rocks along the NW-trending fault system and on radial fractures. The structural pattern may be related to the radial faults in this region. The cone surfaces are commonly blanketed by Slamet air-falls and lava flows. The deposits consist of poorly bedded, very coarse-grained, occasionally overlain by oxidized scoria, and large-sized of ballistic bombs and blocks. There are various kind of volcanic bombs originating from scoriae ballistic rock fragments. The other kind of volcanic bombs are breadcrust bomb, almond seed or contorted shape. All of the cinder cones have undergone degradation, which can be observed from the characters of gully density and surface morphology. By using Porter parameters, Hco is equal to 0.25 Wco, whilst Wcr is equal to 0.40 Wco. The Hco/Wco ratio is higher than Hco = 0.2 Wco reference line. A radiometric dating using K-Ar method carried out on a scoria bomb yields the age of 0.042 + 0.020 Ma.  

  15. Jordan's algebra of a facially homogeneous autopolar cone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bellissard, Jean; Iochum, Bruno

    1979-01-01

    It is shown that a Jordan-Banach algebra with predual may be canonically associated with a facially homogeneous autopolar cone. This construction generalizes the case where a trace vector exists in the cone [fr

  16. Modified superstring in light cone gauge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamimura, Kiyoshi; Tatewaki, Machiko.

    1988-01-01

    We analyze the covariant superstring theory proposed by Siegel in light cone gauge. The physical states are the direct product of those of Green-Schwarz Superstring and the additional internal space spanned by light cone spinors. At clasical level, there is no difference among observables in Siegel's modified Superstring theory (SMST) and Green-Schwarz's one (GSST). However SMST can not be quantized with additional constraints as the physical state conditions. (author)

  17. Comparison of the WSA-ENLIL model with three CME cone types

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Soojeong; Moon, Y.; Na, H.

    2013-07-01

    We have made a comparison of the CME-associated shock propagation based on the WSA-ENLIL model with three cone types using 29 halo CMEs from 2001 to 2002. These halo CMEs have cone model parameters as well as their associated interplanetary (IP) shocks. For this study we consider three different cone types (an asymmetric cone model, an ice-cream cone model and an elliptical cone model) to determine 3-D CME parameters (radial velocity, angular width and source location), which are the input values of the WSA-ENLIL model. The mean absolute error (MAE) of the arrival times for the asymmetric cone model is 10.6 hours, which is about 1 hour smaller than those of the other models. Their ensemble average of MAE is 9.5 hours. However, this value is still larger than that (8.7 hours) of the empirical model of Kim et al. (2007). We will compare their IP shock velocities and densities with those from ACE in-situ measurements and discuss them in terms of the prediction of geomagnetic storms.Abstract (2,250 Maximum Characters): We have made a comparison of the CME-associated shock propagation based on the WSA-ENLIL model with three cone types using 29 halo CMEs from 2001 to 2002. These halo CMEs have cone model parameters as well as their associated interplanetary (IP) shocks. For this study we consider three different cone types (an asymmetric cone model, an ice-cream cone model and an elliptical cone model) to determine 3-D CME parameters (radial velocity, angular width and source location), which are the input values of the WSA-ENLIL model. The mean absolute error (MAE) of the arrival times for the asymmetric cone model is 10.6 hours, which is about 1 hour smaller than those of the other models. Their ensemble average of MAE is 9.5 hours. However, this value is still larger than that (8.7 hours) of the empirical model of Kim et al. (2007). We will compare their IP shock velocities and densities with those from ACE in-situ measurements and discuss them in terms of the

  18. The light-cone Fock state expansion and hadron physics phenomenology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brodsky, S.J.

    1997-06-01

    The light-cone Fock expansion is defined in the following way: one first constructs the light-cone time evolution operator and the invariant mass operator in light-cone gauge from the QCD Lagrangian. The total longitudinal momentum and transverse momenta are conserved, i.e. are independent of the interactions. The matrix elements of the invariant mass operator on the complete orthonormal basis of the free theory can then be constructed. The matrix elements connect Fock states differing by 0, 1, or 2 quark or gluon quanta, and they include the instantaneous quark and gluon contributions imposed by eliminating dependent degrees of freedom in light-cone gauge. Applications of light-cone methods to QCD phenomenology are briefly described

  19. Rapid Recovery of Visual Function Associated with Blue Cone Ablation in Zebrafish

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagerman, Gordon F.; Noel, Nicole C. L.; Cao, Sylvia Y.; DuVal, Michèle G.; Oel, A. Phillip; Allison, W. Ted

    2016-01-01

    Hurdles in the treatment of retinal degeneration include managing the functional rewiring of surviving photoreceptors and integration of any newly added cells into the remaining second-order retinal neurons. Zebrafish are the premier genetic model for such questions, and we present two new transgenic lines allowing us to contrast vision loss and recovery following conditional ablation of specific cone types: UV or blue cones. The ablation of each cone type proved to be thorough (killing 80% of cells in each intended cone class), specific, and cell-autonomous. We assessed the loss and recovery of vision in larvae via the optomotor behavioural response (OMR). This visually mediated behaviour decreased to about 5% or 20% of control levels following ablation of UV or blue cones, respectively (Pvision recovery following UV cone ablation was robust, as measured by both assays, returning to control levels within four days. In contrast, robust functional recovery following blue cone ablation was unexpectedly rapid, returning to normal levels within 24 hours after ablation. Ablation of cones led to increased proliferation in the retina, though the rapid recovery of vision following blue cone ablation was demonstrated to not be mediated by blue cone regeneration. Thus rapid visual recovery occurs following ablation of some, but not all, cone subtypes, suggesting an opportunity to contrast and dissect the sources and mechanisms of outer retinal recovery during cone photoreceptor death and regeneration. PMID:27893779

  20. A remote control neutron cone scanner and measurement of the d(T,n) α neutron cone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suwanakachorn, D.; Vilaithong, T.; Vilaithong, C.; Boonyawan, D.; Chimooy, T.; Sornphorm, P.; Hoyce, G.; Pairsuwan, W.; Singkarat, S.

    1988-01-01

    We have measured the neutron cone associated with alpha particles from the d(T,n)α reaction by using a remote-control cone scanner. This scanner has two principal parts. The first part is the neutron detector scanner which can move the detector in the horizontal and vertical axis using to stepping-motors. The neutron detector can be moved in 0.5 cm increments over the whole rage of 30 cm. The second part is the remote-control electronic circuit using digital ICs. The rotation of stepping-motors is controlled by pulse signals from this circuit and the position of the detector is known by counting the number of pulses. The position of the neutron detector is indicated directly on a 3 digit display at the control panel. The method of measuring the neutron cone by the Time-of-Flight technique is also described

  1. Gemini long-slit observations of luminous obscured quasars: Further evidence for an upper limit on the size of the narrow-line region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hainline, Kevin N.; Hickox, Ryan C.; Greene, Jenny E.; Myers, Adam D.; Zakamska, Nadia L.; Liu, Guilin; Liu, Xin

    2014-01-01

    We examine the spatial extent of the narrow-line regions (NLRs) of a sample of 30 luminous obscured quasars at 0.4 < z < 0.7 observed with spatially resolved Gemini-N GMOS long-slit spectroscopy. Using the [O III] λ5007 emission feature, we estimate the size of the NLR using a cosmology-independent measurement: the radius where the surface brightness falls to 10 –15 erg s –1 cm –2 arcsec –2 . We then explore the effects of atmospheric seeing on NLR size measurements and conclude that direct measurements of the NLR size from observed profiles are too large by 0.1-0.2 dex on average, as compared to measurements made to best-fit Sérsic or Voigt profiles convolved with the seeing. These data, which span a full order of magnitude in IR luminosity (log (L 8 μm /erg s –1 ) = 44.4-45.4), also provide strong evidence that there is a flattening of the relationship between NLR size and active galactic nucleus luminosity at a seeing-corrected size of ∼7 kpc. The objects in this sample have high luminosities which place them in a previously under-explored portion of the size-luminosity relationship. These results support the existence of a maximal size of the NLR around luminous quasars; beyond this size, there is either not enough gas or the gas is over-ionized and does not produce enough [O III] λ5007 emission.

  2. Development of a full ice-cream cone model for halo CME structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Na, Hyeonock; Moon, Yong-Jae

    2015-04-01

    The determination of three dimensional parameters (e.g., radial speed, angular width, source location) of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) is very important for space weather forecast. To estimate these parameters, several cone models based on a flat cone or a shallow ice-cream cone with spherical front have been suggested. In this study, we investigate which cone model is proper for halo CME morphology using 33 CMEs which are identified as halo CMEs by one spacecraft (SOHO or STEREO-A or B) and as limb CMEs by the other ones. From geometrical parameters of these CMEs such as their front curvature, we find that near full ice-cream cone CMEs (28 events) are dominant over shallow ice-cream cone CMEs (5 events). So we develop a new full ice-cream cone model by assuming that a full ice-cream cone consists of many flat cones with different heights and angular widths. This model is carried out by the following steps: (1) construct a cone for given height and angular width, (2) project the cone onto the sky plane, (3) select points comprising the outer boundary, (4) minimize the difference between the estimated projection points with the observed ones. We apply this model to several halo CMEs and compare the results with those from other methods such as a Graduated Cylindrical Shell model and a geometrical triangulation method.

  3. Exact cone beam CT with a spiral scan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tam, K.C.; Samarasekera, S.; Sauer, F.

    1998-01-01

    A method is developed which makes it possible to scan and reconstruct an object with cone beam x-rays in a spiral scan path with area detectors much shorter than the length of the object. The method is mathematically exact. If only a region of interest of the object is to be imaged, a top circle scan at the top level of the region of interest and a bottom circle scan at the bottom level of the region of interest are added. The height of the detector is required to cover only the distance between adjacent turns in the spiral projected at the detector. To reconstruct the object, the Radon transform for each plane intersecting the object is computed from the totality of the cone beam data. This is achieved by suitably combining the cone beam data taken at different source positions on the scan path; the angular range of the cone beam data required at each source position can be determined easily with a mask which is the spiral scan path projected on the detector from the current source position. The spiral scan algorithm has been successfully validated with simulated cone beam data. (author)

  4. Light-cone averaging in cosmology: formalism and applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gasperini, M.; Marozzi, G.; Veneziano, G.; Nugier, F.

    2011-01-01

    We present a general gauge invariant formalism for defining cosmological averages that are relevant for observations based on light-like signals. Such averages involve either null hypersurfaces corresponding to a family of past light-cones or compact surfaces given by their intersection with timelike hypersurfaces. Generalized Buchert-Ehlers commutation rules for derivatives of these light-cone averages are given. After introducing some adapted ''geodesic light-cone'' coordinates, we give explicit expressions for averaging the redshift to luminosity-distance relation and the so-called ''redshift drift'' in a generic inhomogeneous Universe

  5. Tokay gecko photoreceptors achieve rod-like physiology with cone-like proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xue; Wensel, Theodore G; Yuan, Ching

    2006-01-01

    The retinal photoreceptors of the nocturnal Tokay gecko (Gekko gekko) consist exclusively of rods by the criteria of morphology and key features of their light responses. Unlike cones, they display robust photoresponses and have relatively slow recovery times. Nonetheless, the major and minor visual pigments identified in gecko rods are of the cone type by sequence and spectroscopic behavior. In the ongoing search for the molecular bases for the physiological differences between cones and rods, we have characterized the molecular biology and biochemistry of the gecko rod phototransduction cascade. We have cloned cDNAs encoding all or part of major protein components of the phototransduction cascade by RT-PCR with degenerate oligonucleotides designed to amplify cone- or rod-like sequences. For all proteins examined we obtained only cone-like and never rod-like sequences. The proteins identified include transducin alpha (Galphat), phosphodiesterase (PDE6) catalytic and inhibitory subunits, cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (CNGalpha) and arrestin. We also cloned cDNA encoding gecko RGS9-1 (Regulator of G Protein Signaling 9, splice variant 1), which is expressed in both rods and cones of all species studied but is typically found at 10-fold higher concentrations in cones, and found that gecko rods contain slightly lower RGS9-1 levels than mammalian rods. Furthermore, we found that the levels of GTPase accelerating protein (GAP) activity and cyclic GMP (cGMP) phosphodiesterase activity were similar in gecko and mammalian rods. These results place substantial constraints on the critical changes needed to convert a cone into a rod in the course of evolution: The many features of phototransduction molecules conserved between those expressed in gecko rods and those expressed in cones cannot explain the physiological differences, whereas the higher levels of RGS9-1 and GAP activity in cones are likely among the essential requirements for the rapid photoresponses of cones.

  6. Analysis of macular cone photoreceptors in a case of occult macular dystrophy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tojo N

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Naoki Tojo Tomoko Nakamura Hironori Ozaki Miyako Oka Toshihiko Oiwake Atsushi HayashiDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Toyama, Toyama, JapanPurpose: To investigate changes in cone photoreceptors with adaptive optics (AO fundus imaging and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT in a case of occult macular dystrophy (OMD.Patient and methods: Both eyes of a 42-year-old woman diagnosed with OMD were examined. We used an AO fundus camera to obtain images of cone photoreceptors in the macula of the OMD subject and five healthy control subjects. Correlations between the AO images and the SD-OCT images were examined. Cone photoreceptors in eight areas in the macula of OMD and healthy control subjects were analyzed and compared.Results: SD-OCT showed a loss of the cone outer-segment tips line outside of the fovea in both eyes of the subject with OMD. The left eye with decreased visual acuity showed a discontinuous photoreceptor inner-segment and outer-segment line and cone outer-segment tips line at the fovea in SD-OCT and loss of cone mosaics as a dark spot in the AO image. In panoramic AO images and cone-density maps, less cone density was observed in a ring-like region outside the fovea than in the peripheral retina. In most of the areas examined, the cone densities were lower in the OMD eyes than in the healthy control eyes.Conclusions: Cone densities in the macula of the OMD patient were greatly decreased. AO images were found to be useful to evaluate morphologic changes in cone photoreceptors in patients with OMD.Keywords: occult macular dystrophy, adaptive optics, cone photoreceptor, cone analysis, optical coherence tomography

  7. A unified analysis of FBP-based algorithms in helical cone-beam and circular cone- and fan-beam scans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan Xiaochuan; Xia Dan; Zou Yu; Yu Lifeng

    2004-01-01

    A circular scanning trajectory is and will likely remain a popular choice of trajectory in computed tomography (CT) imaging because it is easy to implement and control. Filtered-backprojection (FBP)-based algorithms have been developed previously for approximate and exact reconstruction of the entire image or a region of interest within the image in circular cone-beam and fan-beam cases. Recently, we have developed a 3D FBP-based algorithm for image reconstruction on PI-line segments in a helical cone-beam scan. In this work, we demonstrated that the 3D FBP-based algorithm indeed provided a rather general formulation for image reconstruction from divergent projections (such as cone-beam and fan-beam projections). On the basis of this formulation we derived new approximate or exact algorithms for image reconstruction in circular cone-beam or fan-beam scans, which can be interpreted as special cases of the helical scan. Existing algorithms corresponding to the derived algorithms were identified. We also performed a preliminary numerical study to verify our theoretical results in each of the cases. The results in the work can readily be generalized to other non-circular trajectories

  8. Determination of HCME 3-D parameters using a full ice-cream cone model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Na, Hyeonock; Moon, Yong-Jae; Lee, Harim

    2016-05-01

    It is very essential to determine three dimensional parameters (e.g., radial speed, angular width, source location) of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) for space weather forecast. Several cone models (e.g., an elliptical cone model, an ice-cream cone model, an asymmetric cone model) have been examined to estimate these parameters. In this study, we investigate which cone type is close to a halo CME morphology using 26 CMEs: halo CMEs by one spacecraft (SOHO or STEREO-A or B) and as limb CMEs by the other ones. From cone shape parameters of these CMEs such as their front curvature, we find that near full ice-cream cone type CMEs are much closer to observations than shallow ice-cream cone type CMEs. Thus we develop a new cone model in which a full ice-cream cone consists of many flat cones with different heights and angular widths. This model is carried out by the following steps: (1) construct a cone for given height and angular width, (2) project the cone onto the sky plane, (3) select points comprising the outer boundary, and (4) minimize the difference between the estimated projection speeds with the observed ones. By applying this model to 12 SOHO/LASCO halo CMEs, we find that 3-D parameters from our method are similar to those from other stereoscopic methods (a geometrical triangulation method and a Graduated Cylindrical Shell model) based on multi-spacecraft data. We are developing a general ice-cream cone model whose front shape is a free parameter determined by observations.

  9. The uniqueness of the solution of cone-like inversion models for halo CMEs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, X. P.

    2006-12-01

    Most of elliptic halo CMEs are believed to be formed by the Thompson scattering of the photospheric light by the 3-D cone-like shell of the CME plasma. To obtain the real propagation direction and angular width of the halo CMEs, such cone-like inversion models as the circular cone, the elliptic cone and the ice-cream cone models have been suggested recently. Because the number of given parameters that are used to characterize 2-D elliptic halo CMEs observed by one spacecraft are less than the number of unknown parameters that are used to characterize the 3-D elliptic cone model, the solution of the elliptic cone model is not unique. Since it is difficult to determine whether or not an observed halo CME is formed by an circular cone or elliptic cone shell, the solution of circular cone model may often be not unique too. To fix the problem of the uniqueness of the solution of various 3-D cone-like inversion models, this work tries to develop the algorithm for using the data from multi-spacecraft, such as the STEREO A and B, and the Solar Sentinels.

  10. Case of Unilateral Peripheral Cone Dysfunction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yujin Mochizuki

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Peripheral cone dystrophy is a subgroup of cone dystrophy, and only 4 cases have been reported. We present a patient with unilateral peripheral cone dysfunction and report the functional changes determined by electrophysiological tests and ultrastructural changes determined by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT. Case: A 34-year-old woman complained of blurred vision in both eyes. Our examination showed that her visual acuity was 0.05 OD and 0.2 OS. A relative afferent pupillary defect was present in her right eye. The results of slit-lamp examination, ophthalmoscopy, and fluorescein angiography were normal except for pallor of the right optic disc. SD-OCT showed a diffuse thinning of the retina in the posterior pole of the right eye. A severe constriction of the visual fields was found in both eyes but more in the right eye. The photopic full-field electroretinograms (ERGs were reduced in the right eye but normal in the left eye. The multifocal ERGs were severely reduced throughout the visual field except in the central area of the right eye. The multifocal ERGs from the left eye were normal. The pattern visual evoked responses were within the normal range in both eyes. She had a 5-year history of sniffing paint thinner. Results: Although the visual dysfunction was initially suspected to be due to psychological problems from the results of subjective tests, objective tests indicated a peripheral cone dysfunction in the right eye. The pathophysiological mechanism and the relationship with thinner sniffing were not determined. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that peripheral cone dysfunction can occur unilaterally. Electrophysiology and SD-OCT are valuable tests to perform to determine the pathogenesis of unusual ocular findings objectively.

  11. Human Blue Cone Opsin Regeneration Involves Secondary Retinal Binding with Analog Specificity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srinivasan, Sundaramoorthy; Fernández-Sampedro, Miguel A; Morillo, Margarita; Ramon, Eva; Jiménez-Rosés, Mireia; Cordomí, Arnau; Garriga, Pere

    2018-03-27

    Human color vision is mediated by the red, green, and blue cone visual pigments. Cone opsins are G-protein-coupled receptors consisting of an opsin apoprotein covalently linked to the 11-cis-retinal chromophore. All visual pigments share a common evolutionary origin, and red and green cone opsins exhibit a higher homology, whereas blue cone opsin shows more resemblance to the dim light receptor rhodopsin. Here we show that chromophore regeneration in photoactivated blue cone opsin exhibits intermediate transient conformations and a secondary retinoid binding event with slower binding kinetics. We also detected a fine-tuning of the conformational change in the photoactivated blue cone opsin binding site that alters the retinal isomer binding specificity. Furthermore, the molecular models of active and inactive blue cone opsins show specific molecular interactions in the retinal binding site that are not present in other opsins. These findings highlight the differential conformational versatility of human cone opsin pigments in the chromophore regeneration process, particularly compared to rhodopsin, and point to relevant functional, unexpected roles other than spectral tuning for the cone visual pigments. Copyright © 2018 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Accessibility analysis in manufacturing processes using visibility cones

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    尹周平; 丁汉; 熊有伦

    2002-01-01

    Accessibility is a kind of important design feature of products,and accessibility analysis has been acknowledged as a powerful tool for solving computational manufacturing problems arising from different manufacturing processes.After exploring the relations among approachability,accessibility and visibility,a general method for accessibility analysis using visibility cones (VC) is proposed.With the definition of VC of a point,three kinds of visibility of a feature,namely complete visibility cone (CVC),partial visibility cone (PVC) and local visibility cone (LVC),are defined.A novel approach to computing VCs is formulated by identifying C-obstacles in the C-space,for which a general and efficient algorithm is proposed and implemented by making use of visibility culling.Lastly,we discuss briefly how to realize accessibility analysis in numerically controlled (NC) machining planning,coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) inspection planning and assembly sequence planning with the proposed methods.

  13. Testing the reliability of ice-cream cone model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Zonghao; Shen, Chenglong; Wang, Chuanbing; Liu, Kai; Xue, Xianghui; Wang, Yuming; Wang, Shui

    2015-04-01

    Coronal Mass Ejections (CME)'s properties are important to not only the physical scene itself but space-weather prediction. Several models (such as cone model, GCS model, and so on) have been raised to get rid of the projection effects within the properties observed by spacecraft. According to SOHO/ LASCO observations, we obtain the 'real' 3D parameters of all the FFHCMEs (front-side full halo Coronal Mass Ejections) within the 24th solar cycle till July 2012, by the ice-cream cone model. Considering that the method to obtain 3D parameters from the CME observations by multi-satellite and multi-angle has higher accuracy, we use the GCS model to obtain the real propagation parameters of these CMEs in 3D space and compare the results with which by ice-cream cone model. Then we could discuss the reliability of the ice-cream cone model.

  14. Prescriptionless light-cone integrals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, A.T.; Schmidt, A.G.M.

    2000-01-01

    Perturbative quantum gauge field theory as seen within the perspective of physical gauge choices such as the light-cone gauge entails the emergence of troublesome poles of the type (k.n) -α in the Feynman integrals. These come from the boson field propagator, where α=1,2,.. and n μ is the external arbitrary four-vector that defines the gauge properly. This becomes an additional hurdle in the computation of Feynman diagrams, since any graph containing internal boson lines will inevitably produce integrands with denominators bearing the characteristic gauge-fixing factor. How one deals with them has been the subject of research over decades, and several prescriptions have been suggested and tried in the course of time, with failures and successes. However, a more recent development at this fronteer which applies the negative dimensional technique to compute light-cone Feynman integrals shows that we can altogether dispense with prescriptions to perform the calculations. An additional bonus comes to us attached to this new technique, in that not only it renders the light-cone prescriptionless but, by the very nature of it, it can also dispense with decomposition formulas or partial fractioning tricks used in the standard approach to separate pole products of the type (k.n) -α [(k-p).n] -β (β=1,2,..). In this work we demonstrate how all this can be done. (orig.)

  15. Alopecia associated with unexpected leakage from electron cone

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wen, B.C.; Pennington, E.C.; Hussey, D.H.; Jani, S.K.

    1989-06-01

    Excessive irradiation due to unexpected leakage was found on a patient receiving electron beam therapy. The cause of this leakage was analyzed and the amount of leakage was measured for different electron beam energies. The highest leakage occurred with a 6 x 6 cm cone using a 12 MeV electron beam. The leakage dose measured along the side of the cone could be as great as 40%. Until the cones are modified or redesigned, it is advised that all patient setups be carefully reviewed to assure that no significant patient areas are in the side scatter region.

  16. Development of pits and cones on ion bombarded copper

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanovic, L.A.; Carter, G.; Nobes, M.J.; Whitton, I.L.; Williams, J.S.

    1980-01-01

    The formation of pits and cones on Ar ion bombarded copper has been studied. Carefully polished surfaces of large grained 99.999% pure copper crystals have been bombarded at normal incidence with 40 keV argon ions. The cone formation has been investigated for annealed and non-annealed crystals at room temperature and at 30 K and in the case of monocrystal and polycrystal samples. Although in the most other studies the presence of impurities is as a necessary condition for generation of cones and pits the obtained experimental results show that under certain conditions these features are formed on clean surfaces. It is shown that the dominant parameter in the production of cones on copper is the crystal orientation [ru

  17. Formation of shatter cones by symmetric fracture bifurcation: Phenomenological modeling and validation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kenkmann, Thomas; Hergarten, Stefan; Kuhn, Thomas; Wilk, Jakob

    2016-08-01

    Several models of shatter cone formation require a heterogeneity at the cone apex of high impedance mismatch to the surrounding bulk rock. This heterogeneity is the source of spherically expanding waves that interact with the planar shock front or the following release wave. While these models are capable of explaining the overall conical shape of shatter cones, they are not capable of explaining the subcone structure and the diverging and branching striations that characterize the surface of shatter cones and lead to the so-called horse-tailing effect. Here, we use the hierarchical arrangement of subcone ridges of shatter cone surfaces as key for understanding their formation. Tracing a single subcone ridge from its apex downward reveals that each ridge branches after some distance into two symmetrically equivalent subcone ridges. This pattern is repeated to form new branches. We propose that subcone ridges represent convex-curved fracture surfaces and their intersection corresponds to the bifurcation axis. The characteristic diverging striations are interpreted as the intersection lineations delimiting each subcone. Multiple symmetric crack branching is the result of rapid fracture propagation that may approach the Raleigh wave speed. We present a phenomenological model that fully constructs the shatter cone geometry to any order. The overall cone geometry including apex angle of the enveloping cone and the degree of concavity (horse-tailing) is largely governed by the convexity of the subcone ridges. Straight cones of various apical angles, constant slope, and constant bifurcation angles form if the subcone convexity is low (30°). Increasing subcone convexity leads to a stronger horse-tailing effect and the bifurcation angles increase with increasing distance from the enveloping cone apex. The model predicts possible triples of enveloping cone angle, bifurcation angle, and subcone angle. Measurements of these quantities on four shatter cones from different

  18. Direct cone beam SPECT reconstruction with camera tilt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jianying Li; Jaszczak, R.J.; Greer, K.L.; Coleman, R.E.; Zongjian Cao; Tsui, B.M.W.

    1993-01-01

    A filtered backprojection (FBP) algorithm is derived to perform cone beam (CB) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) reconstruction with camera tilt using circular orbits. This algorithm reconstructs the tilted angle CB projection data directly by incorporating the tilt angle into it. When the tilt angle becomes zero, this algorithm reduces to that of Feldkamp. Experimentally acquired phantom studies using both a two-point source and the three-dimensional Hoffman brain phantom have been performed. The transaxial tilted cone beam brain images and profiles obtained using the new algorithm are compared with those without camera tilt. For those slices which have approximately the same distance from the detector in both tilt and non-tilt set-ups, the two transaxial reconstructions have similar profiles. The two-point source images reconstructed from this new algorithm and the tilted cone beam brain images are also compared with those reconstructed from the existing tilted cone beam algorithm. (author)

  19. Bright and durable field emission source derived from refractory taylor cones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirsch, Gregory

    2016-12-20

    A method of producing field emitters having improved brightness and durability relying on the creation of a liquid Taylor cone from electrically conductive materials having high melting points. The method calls for melting the end of a wire substrate with a focused laser beam, while imposing a high positive potential on the material. The resulting molten Taylor cone is subsequently rapidly quenched by cessation of the laser power. Rapid quenching is facilitated in large part by radiative cooling, resulting in structures having characteristics closely matching that of the original liquid Taylor cone. Frozen Taylor cones thus obtained yield desirable tip end forms for field emission sources in electron beam applications. Regeneration of the frozen Taylor cones in-situ is readily accomplished by repeating the initial formation procedures. The high temperature liquid Taylor cones can also be employed as bright ion sources with chemical elements previously considered impractical to implement.

  20. A close look at the very heart of NGC7469

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rouan, Daniel [LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, UPMC, Universite Paris Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, F-92190 Meudon (France); Gratadour, Damien [Gemini Observatory, 670 N. A' ohoku PL, Hilo, Hawaii 96720 (United States)], E-mail: daniel.rouan@obspm.fr

    2008-10-15

    We observed the central regions of the well-known LIRG/Seyfert 1.2 galaxy NGC 7469 with adaptive optics, performing K band long-slit spectroscopic observations with NaCo at VLT. We concentrate here on the inner 100 pc, focusing on the structure of the NLR. The study of the continuum as well as of the molecular and ionized hydrogen emission lines shows some unexpected properties that raise several questions that we consider as different pieces of a unique puzzle. The most striking result of our study is the detection of broad ionized hydrogen emission over a 45pc radius around the central source with a symmetric behaviour with respect to the central core. We also detect molecular hydrogen in the innermost part of this Seyfert nuclei. The continuum emission corresponds to a very hot black body. We interpret all those facts as due to some Thomson scattering by electrons of the NLR. The temperature evolution is in good agreement with this interpretation and the electron density we derive is compatible with densities found in NLRs of typical AGNs.

  1. Cone pigments in a North American marsupial, the opossum (Didelphis virginiana).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobs, Gerald H; Williams, Gary A

    2010-05-01

    Only two of the four cone opsin gene families found in vertebrates are represented in contemporary eutherian and marsupial species. Recent genetic studies of two species of South American marsupial detected the presence of representatives from two of the classes of cone opsin genes and the structures of these genes predicted cone pigments with respective peaks in the ultraviolet and long-wavelength portions of the spectrum. The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), a profoundly nocturnal animal, is the only marsupial species found in North America. The prospects for cone-based vision in this species were examined through recordings of the electroretinogram (ERG), a commonly examined retinal response to photic stimulation. Recorded under flickering-light conditions that elicit signals from cone photoreceptors, the spectral sensitivity of the opossum eye is well accounted for by contributions from the presence of a single cone pigment having peak absorption at 561-562 nm. A series of additional experiments that employed various chromatic adaptation paradigms were conducted in a search for possible contributions from a second (short-wavelength sensitive) cone pigment. We found no evidence that such a mechanism contributes to the ERG in this marsupial.

  2. Instantaneous interactions of hadrons on the light cone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hyer, T.

    1994-01-01

    Hadron wave functions are most naturally defined in the framework of light-cone quantization, a Hamiltonian formulation quantized at equal light-cone ''time'' τ≡t+z. One feature of the light-cone perturbation theory is the presence of instantaneous interactions, which complicate the consideration of processes involving bound states. We show that these interactions can be written in a simple and general form, parametrized by an instantaneous contribution ψ to the hadronic wave function. We use the rotational invariance of Feynman diagrams to relate this instantaneous piece of the meson wave function to the propagating part, and to obtain constraints relating wave functions and quark fragmentation amplitudes

  3. Laser-enhanced ionization spectroscopy around the ionization limit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Axner, O.; Berglind, T.; Sjoestroem, S.

    1986-01-01

    Laser-induced photoionization and Laser-Enhanced collision Ionization (LEI) of Na, Tl, and Li in flames are detected by measuring the production of charges following a laser excitation. The ionization signal is investigated for excitations of the atoms from lower lying states both to Rydberg states close to the ionization limit, as well as to continuum states, i.e. the process of collision ionization is compared with that of photoionization. The qualitative behaviour of the ionization signal when scanning across the ionization limit is studied. It is shown that the ionization signal has a smooth behaviour when passing from bound states into continuum states. The laser-induced photoionization signal strength of atoms in flames is both calculated and measured and a good agreement is obtained. A calculation of wavelength dependent photoionization signal strengths for a number of elements is also presented. Photoionization is used to determine flame- and geometry-dependent parameters. An implication of photoionization in connection with LEI spectrometry for trace element analysis is that there will be a significant increase in background noise if the sample contains high concentrations of easily photoionizing elements and short wavelength light is used. (orig.)

  4. Chloride equilibrium potential in salamander cones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bryson Eric J

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background GABAergic inhibition and effects of intracellular chloride ions on calcium channel activity have been proposed to regulate neurotransmission from photoreceptors. To assess the impact of these and other chloride-dependent mechanisms on release from cones, the chloride equilibrium potential (ECl was determined in red-sensitive, large single cones from the tiger salamander retinal slice. Results Whole cell recordings were done using gramicidin perforated patch techniques to maintain endogenous Cl- levels. Membrane potentials were corrected for liquid junction potentials. Cone resting potentials were found to average -46 mV. To measure ECl, we applied long depolarizing steps to activate the calcium-activated chloride current (ICl(Ca and then determined the reversal potential for the current component that was inhibited by the Cl- channel blocker, niflumic acid. With this method, ECl was found to average -46 mV. In a complementary approach, we used a Cl-sensitive dye, MEQ, to measure the Cl- flux produced by depolarization with elevated concentrations of K+. The membrane potentials produced by the various high K+ solutions were measured in separate current clamp experiments. Consistent with electrophysiological experiments, MEQ fluorescence measurements indicated that ECl was below -36 mV. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that ECl is close to the dark resting potential. This will minimize the impact of chloride-dependent presynaptic mechanisms in cone terminals involving GABAa receptors, glutamate transporters and ICl(Ca.

  5. Effect of Drainage Conditions on Cone Penetration Testing in Silty Soils

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulsen, Rikke; Nielsen, Benjaminn Nordahl; Ibsen, Lars Bo

    2011-01-01

    This paper discusses the challenges that occur when performing Cone Penetration Tests (CPT) in silty soil due to changes in drainage conditions. In this paper, CPT results from various papers and researchers are collected and interpreted. Results from cone penetrations tests with various penetrat......This paper discusses the challenges that occur when performing Cone Penetration Tests (CPT) in silty soil due to changes in drainage conditions. In this paper, CPT results from various papers and researchers are collected and interpreted. Results from cone penetrations tests with various...

  6. Resonance in a Cone-Topped Tube

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angus Cheng-Huan Chia

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available The relationship between ratio of the upper opening diameter of a cone-topped cylinder to the cylinder diameter,and the ratio of the length of the air column to resonant period was examined. Plastic cones with upper openings ranging from 1.3 cm to 3.6 cm and tuning forks with frequencies ranging from 261.6 Hz to 523.3 Hz were used. The transition from a standing wave in a cylindrical column to a Helmholtz-type resonance in a resonant cavity with a narrow opening was observed.

  7. Dysflective cones: Visual function and cone reflectivity in long-term follow-up of acute bilateral foveolitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joanna H. Tu

    2017-09-01

    Conclusions and importance: Fundus-referenced visual testing proved useful to identify functional cones despite apparent photoreceptor loss identified using AOSLO and SD-OCT. While AOSLO and SD-OCT appear to be sensitive for the detection of abnormal or absent photoreceptors, changes in photoreceptors that are identified with these imaging tools do not correlate completely with visual function in every patient. Fundus-referenced vision testing is a useful tool to indicate the presence of cones that may be amenable to recovery or response to experimental therapies despite not being visible on confocal AOSLO or SD-OCT images.

  8. Noninvasive gene delivery to foveal cones for vision restoration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khabou, Hanen; Garita-Hernandez, Marcela; Jaillard, Céline; Brazhnikova, Elena; Bertin, Stéphane; Forster, Valérie; Desrosiers, Mélissa; Winckler, Céline; Goureau, Olivier; Duebel, Jens; Sahel, José-Alain

    2018-01-01

    Intraocular injection of adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors has been an evident route for delivering gene drugs into the retina. However, gaps in our understanding of AAV transduction patterns within the anatomically unique environments of the subretinal and intravitreal space of the primate eye impeded the establishment of noninvasive and efficient gene delivery to foveal cones in the clinic. Here, we establish new vector-promoter combinations to overcome the limitations associated with AAV-mediated cone transduction in the fovea with supporting studies in mouse models, human induced pluripotent stem cell–derived organoids, postmortem human retinal explants, and living macaques. We show that an AAV9 variant provides efficient foveal cone transduction when injected into the subretinal space several millimeters away from the fovea, without detaching this delicate region. An engineered AAV2 variant provides gene delivery to foveal cones with a well-tolerated dose administered intravitreally. Both delivery modalities rely on a cone-specific promoter and result in high-level transgene expression compatible with optogenetic vision restoration. The model systems described here provide insight into the behavior of AAV vectors across species to obtain safety and efficacy needed for gene therapy in neurodegenerative disorders. PMID:29367457

  9. [Ionizing and non-ionizing radiation (comparative risk estimations)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grigor'ev, Iu G

    2012-01-01

    The population has widely used mobile communication for already more than 15 years. It is important to note that the use of mobile communication has sharply changed the conditions of daily exposure of the population to EME We expose our brain daily for the first time in the entire civilization. The mobile phone is an open and uncontrollable source of electromagnetic radiation. The comparative risk estimation for the population of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation was carried out taking into account the real conditions of influence. Comparison of risks for the population of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation leads us to a conclusion that EMF RF exposure in conditions of wide use of mobile communication is potentially more harmful than ionizing radiation influence.

  10. The NLR-related protein NWD1 is associated with prostate cancer and modulates androgen receptor signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Correa, Ricardo G; Krajewska, Maryla; Ware, Carl F; Gerlic, Motti; Reed, John C

    2014-03-30

    Prostate cancer (PCa) is among the leading causes of cancer-related death in men. Androgen receptor (AR) signaling plays a seminal role in prostate development and homeostasis, and dysregulation of this pathway is intimately linked to prostate cancer pathogenesis and progression. Here, we identify the cytosolic NLR-related protein NWD1 as a novel modulator of AR signaling. We determined that expression of NWD1 becomes elevated during prostate cancer progression, based on analysis of primary tumor specimens. Experiments with cultured cells showed that NWD1 expression is up-regulated by the sex-determining region Y (SRY) family proteins. Gene silencing procedures, in conjunction with transcriptional profiling, showed that NWD1 is required for expression of PDEF (prostate-derived Ets factor), which is known to bind and co-regulate AR. Of note, NWD1 modulates AR protein levels. Depleting NWD1 in PCa cell lines reduces AR levels and suppresses activity of androgen-driven reporter genes. NWD1 knockdown potently suppressed growth of androgen-dependent LNCaP prostate cancer cells, thus showing its functional importance in an AR-dependent tumor cell model. Proteomic analysis suggested that NWD1 associates with various molecular chaperones commonly related to AR complexes. Altogether, these data suggest a role for tumor-associated over-expression of NWD1 in dysregulation of AR signaling in PCa.

  11. Compensation of deformations in 3D cone beam tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Desbat, L.; Roux, S.; Roux, S.; Grangeat, P.

    2006-01-01

    In dynamic tomography, the measured objects or organs are no-longer supposed to be static in the scanner during the acquisition but are supposed to move or to be deformed. Our approach is the analytic deformation compensation during the reconstruction. Our work concentrates on 3-dimensional cone beam tomography. We introduce a new large class of deformations preserving the 3-dimensional cone beam geometry. We show that deformations from this class can be analytically compensated. We present numerical experiments on phantoms showing the compensation of these deformations in 3-dimensional cone beam tomography. (authors)

  12. Scientific designs of pine seeds and pine cones for species conservation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Kahye; Yeom, Eunseop; Kim, Hyejeong; Lee, Sang Joon

    2015-11-01

    Reproduction and propagation of species are the most important missions of every living organism. For effective species propagation, pine cones fold their scales under wet condition to prevent seeds from short-distance dispersal. They open and release their embedded seeds on dry and windy days. In this study, the micro-/macro-scale structural characteristics of pine cones and pine seeds are studied using various imaging modalities. Since the scales of pine cones consist of dead cells, the folding motion is deeply related to structural changes. The scales of pine cones consist of three layers. Among them, bract scales are only involved in collecting water. This makes pine cones reduce the amount of water and minimize the time spent on structural changes. These systems also involve in drying and recovery of pine cones. In addition, pine cones and pine seeds have advantageous structures for long-distance dispersal and response to natural disaster. Owing to these structural features, pine seeds can be released safely and efficiently, and these types of structural advantages could be mimicked for practical applications. This research was financially supported by the Creative Research Initiative of the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea (Contract grant number: 2008-0061991).

  13. CONE BIOPSY IN PREGNANCY*

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    1 Mei 1971. S.-A. TYDSKRIF VIR OBSTETRIE EN GINEKOLOGIE. CONE BIOPSY ... of the abnormal cervix in pregnancy is also no longer in question following the .... the concept of cancer prophylaxis to the majority of women, many of whom ...

  14. Comparison of Asymmetric and Ice-cream Cone Models for Halo Coronal Mass Ejections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Na, H.; Moon, Y.

    2011-12-01

    Halo coronal mass ejections (HCMEs) are major cause of the geomagnetic storms. To minimize the projection effect by coronagraph observation, several cone models have been suggested: an ice-cream cone model, an asymmetric cone model etc. These models allow us to determine the three dimensional parameters of HCMEs such as radial speed, angular width, and the angle between sky plane and central axis of the cone. In this study, we compare these parameters obtained from different models using 48 well-observed HCMEs from 2001 to 2002. And we obtain the root mean square error (RMS error) between measured projection speeds and calculated projection speeds for both cone models. As a result, we find that the radial speeds obtained from the models are well correlated with each other (R = 0.86), and the correlation coefficient of angular width is 0.6. The correlation coefficient of the angle between sky plane and central axis of the cone is 0.31, which is much smaller than expected. The reason may be due to the fact that the source locations of the asymmetric cone model are distributed near the center, while those of the ice-cream cone model are located in a wide range. The average RMS error of the asymmetric cone model (85.6km/s) is slightly smaller than that of the ice-cream cone model (87.8km/s).

  15. Functional complexity of the axonal growth cone: a proteomic analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriana Estrada-Bernal

    Full Text Available The growth cone, the tip of the emerging neurite, plays a crucial role in establishing the wiring of the developing nervous system. We performed an extensive proteomic analysis of axonal growth cones isolated from the brains of fetal Sprague-Dawley rats. Approximately 2000 proteins were identified at ≥ 99% confidence level. Using informatics, including functional annotation cluster and KEGG pathway analysis, we found great diversity of proteins involved in axonal pathfinding, cytoskeletal remodeling, vesicular traffic and carbohydrate metabolism, as expected. We also found a large and complex array of proteins involved in translation, protein folding, posttranslational processing, and proteasome/ubiquitination-dependent degradation. Immunofluorescence studies performed on hippocampal neurons in culture confirmed the presence in the axonal growth cone of proteins representative of these processes. These analyses also provide evidence for rough endoplasmic reticulum and reveal a reticular structure equipped with Golgi-like functions in the axonal growth cone. Furthermore, Western blot revealed the growth cone enrichment, relative to fetal brain homogenate, of some of the proteins involved in protein synthesis, folding and catabolism. Our study provides a resource for further research and amplifies the relatively recently developed concept that the axonal growth cone is equipped with proteins capable of performing a highly diverse range of functions.

  16. Nontraumatic tibial polyethylene insert cone fracture in mobile-bearing posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yohei Tanikake

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available A 72-year-old male patient underwent mobile-bearing posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis. He experienced a nontraumatic polyethylene tibial insert cone fracture 27 months after surgery. Scanning electron microscopy of the fracture surface of the tibial insert cone suggested progress of ductile breaking from the posterior toward the anterior of the cone due to repeated longitudinal bending stress, leading to fatigue breaking at the anterior side of the cone, followed by the tibial insert cone fracture at the anterior side of the cone, resulting in fracture at the base of the cone. This analysis shows the risk of tibial insert cone fracture due to longitudinal stress in mobile-bearing posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty in which an insert is designed to highly conform to the femoral component.

  17. Ionization effects in electronic inner-shells of ionized atoms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shchornak, G.

    1983-01-01

    A review of the atomic physics of ionization atoms has been presented. Interaction and structure effects in atomic shells, correlated to the occurrence of vacancies in several subshells of the atom have been considered. The methods of calculations of atomic states and wave functions have been reviewed. The energy shift of characteristic X-rays is discussed as a function of the ionization stage of the atom. The influence of inner and outer-shell vacancies on the energy of the X-rays is shown in detail. The influence of chemical effects on the parameters of X-rays is also taken into account. Further on, the change of transition probabilities in radiative and non-radiative transitions by changing stage of ionization is discussed; and among them the leading part of Auger and Coster-Kronig transitions by the arearrangement of the atomic states is shown. The influence of non-radiative electronic transitions on ionization cross-sections for multiple ionization is discussed. Using these results, ionization cross-sections for direct and indirect processes for several ionization stages are given

  18. Some Extensions of Banach's Contraction Principle in Complete Cone Metric Spaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raja P

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract In this paper we consider complete cone metric spaces. We generalize some definitions such as -nonexpansive and -uniformly locally contractive functions -closure, -isometric in cone metric spaces, and certain fixed point theorems will be proved in those spaces. Among other results, we prove some interesting applications for the fixed point theorems in cone metric spaces.

  19. Loss-cone-driven ion cyclotron waves in the magnetosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Denton, R.E.; Hudson, M.K.; Roth, I.

    1992-01-01

    The theoretical properties of linear ion cyclotron waves propagating in the magnetosphere at arbitrary angles to the background magnetic field are explored. It is found that in some cases the linear wave growth of modes with oblique propagation can dominate that of the parallel propagating electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave. In particular, when the hot ring current protons have a loss cone and their temperature anisotropy A ≡ T perpendicular /T parallel - 1 is reduced, the parallel propagating EMIC wave becomes stable, while the obliquely propagating loss-cone-driven mode persists. The growth rate of the loss-cone-driven model depends strongly on the depth of the loss cone. Unlike the parallel propagating EMIC wave, it can be unstable with A = 0. Other conditions that favor the loss-cone-driven mode in comparison to the parallel mode are stronger background magnetic field, lower density of cold hydrogen, and a lower temperature for the hot anisotropic component of hydrogen. A simple analytical theory is presented which explains the scaling of the growth rate of the oblique mode with respect to various parameters. The loss-cone-driven mode is an electromagnetic mode which is preferentially nearly linearly polarized. It is nearly electrostatic in the sense that the wave electric field is aligned with the perpendicular (to B 0 ) component of the wave vector k and k perpendicular > k parallel . Since the electric and magnetic wave fields are perpendicular to B 0 , they would be difficult to distinguish from those of a linearly polarized parallel propagating electromagnetic wave with the same k parallel

  20. Topografia do cone medular em gatos sem raça definida Topography of the medullar cone in the domestic non-defined breed cat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P.H.C. Silva

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Estudou-se a topografia post mortem do cone medular em 30 gatos adultos sem raça definida. Procedeu-se à remoção da pele e da musculatura dorsal da coluna vertebral e expuseram-se a medula espinhal e seus envoltórios, após a secção dos arcos vertebrais. O cone medular foi evidenciado e mensurado. Avaliou-se a sua relação com as vértebras lombares (L, sacrais (S e caudais (Cd. O cone medular variou de 3,40 a 8,00cm (média=5,08cm. A esqueletopia foi variável, pois em 24 (80% animais o cone medular iniciou-se na vértebra L6; em quatro (13,3%, na L7; e em dois (6,7%, na L5. Em 12 (40% animais terminou na vértebra S2; em 10 (33,3%, na S3; em cinco (16,7%, na Cd1; em dois (6,7%, na S1; e em um (3,3% na Cd2.It was studied the post mortem topography of the medullar cone in 30 adult non-defined breed cats. The dorsal skin and muscles from the vertebral column were removed and the spinal cord and its wrappers were visualized, after the section of the vertebral arcs. The medullar cone was then exposed and measured. Its relationship with lumbar (L, sacral (S, and caudal (Cd vertebrae was determined. The length of the medullar cone presented a variation from 3.40 to 8.00cm (average 5.08cm. Its skeletopy was variable; since in 24 animals (80%, the medullar cone began at the L6 vertebra; in four (13.3%, at the L7; and in two (6.7% at the L5 vertebra. It ended in 12 (40% animals at the S2 vertebra; in 10 (33,33%, at the S3; in five (16.7% at the caudal (Cd vertebra; in two (6.7%, at the S1; and in one (3.3%, at the Cd2.

  1. Effect of loss cone on confinement in toroidal helical device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Itoh, K.; Itoh, S.-I.; Fukuyama, A.; Hanatani, K.

    1988-12-01

    Analytical estimation is given on the loss cone in the toroidal helical devices in the presence of the radial electric field and the modulation of the helical ripple. The minimum energy of particles entering the loss cone is calculated. The modulation is not always effective in reducing the loss in the presence of the radial electric field. The plasma loss due to the loss cone is estimated in the collisionless limit. The radial electric field is estimated in the presence of the loss cone. It is found that the transition to the solution with positive radial electric field, which is necessary to achieve the high-ion-temperature mode, becomes difficult. This difficulty is large for the systems with the small helical ripple. (author)

  2. Response of Spectral Reflectances and Vegetation Indices on Varying Juniper Cone Densities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guillermo E. Ponce-Campos

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Juniper trees are widely distributed throughout the world and are common sources of allergies when microscopic pollen grains are transported by wind and inhaled. In this study, we investigated the spectral influences of pollen-discharging male juniper cones within a juniper canopy. This was done through a controlled outdoor experiment involving ASD FieldSpec Pro Spectroradiometer measurements over juniper canopies of varying cone densities. Broadband and narrowband spectral reflectance and vegetation index (VI patterns were evaluated as to their sensitivity and their ability to discriminate the presence of cones. The overall aim of this research was to assess remotely sensed phenological capabilities to detect pollen-bearing juniper trees for public health applications. A general decrease in reflectance values with increasing juniper cone density was found, particularly in the Green (545–565 nm and NIR (750–1,350 nm regions. In contrast, reflectances in the shortwave-infrared (SWIR, 2,000 nm to 2,350 nm region decreased from no cone presence to intermediate amounts (90 g/m2 and then increased from intermediate levels to the highest cone densities (200 g/m2. Reflectance patterns in the Red (620–700 nm were more complex due to shifting contrast patterns in absorptance between cones and juniper foliage, where juniper foliage is more absorbing than cones only within the intense narrowband region of maximum chlorophyll absorption near 680 nm. Overall, narrowband reflectances were more sensitive to cone density changes than the equivalent MODIS broadbands. In all VIs analyzed, there were significant relationships with cone density levels, particularly with the narrowband versions and the two-band vegetation index (TBVI based on Green and Red bands, a promising outcome for the use of phenocams in juniper phenology trait studies. These results indicate that spectral indices are sensitive to certain juniper phenologic traits that can potentially be

  3. Pollen cone anatomy of Classostrobus crossii sp. nov. (Cheirolepidiaceae)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rothwell, Gar W.; Mapes, Gene [Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens OH 45701 (United States); Hilton, Jason [Department of Earth Sciences, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Hollingworth, Neville T. [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Winfrith Technology Centre, Winfrith Newburgh, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 8ZD (United Kingdom)

    2007-01-02

    Discovery of a permineralized fossil cone in Mesozoic deposits of southern England provides an opportunity to document the first detailed evidence of internal pollen cone anatomy for the extinct conifer family Cheirolepidiaceae. The specimen, described here as Classostrobus crossii sp. nov., occurs in a calcareous nodule recovered from Middle Jurassic marine sediments of the Lower Callovian Sigaloceras calloviense biozone, Kellaways, near Cirencester, England. The cone is 2.0 cm long and 1.8 cm wide. Sporophylls diverge helically from the axis. Each sporophyll displays a narrow stalk and a distal lamina approx. 11 mm long that tapers to a pointed tip. There is also a basal keel that bends inward at the bottom and sides to form a shallow pocket. A single vascular bundle diverges from the cone axis, extends distally into the sporophyll stalk at the contact of two distinctly different histological zones, and further expands into the distal lamina as transfusion tracheids. Several pollen sacs are attached abaxially at the juncture of the sporophyll stalk and keel. Pollen is roughly spheroidal, 26-35 {mu}m in diameter, with unequal polar caps separated by a striated belt with a subequatorial furrow. This specimen helps clarify the range of variation in the morphology of Mesozoic conifer pollen cones. (author)

  4. Allelic diversity in an NLR gene BPH9 enables rice to combat planthopper variation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yan; Huang, Jin; Wang, Zhizheng; Jing, Shengli; Wang, Yang; Ouyang, Yidan; Cai, Baodong; Xin, Xiu-Fang; Liu, Xin; Zhang, Chunxiao; Pan, Yufang; Ma, Rui; Li, Qiaofeng; Jiang, Weihua; Zeng, Ya; Shangguan, Xinxin; Wang, Huiying; Du, Bo; Zhu, Lili; Xu, Xun; Feng, Yu-Qi; He, Sheng Yang; Chen, Rongzhi; Zhang, Qifa; He, Guangcun

    2016-10-24

    Brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens Stål, is one of the most devastating insect pests of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Currently, 30 BPH-resistance genes have been genetically defined, most of which are clustered on specific chromosome regions. Here, we describe molecular cloning and characterization of a BPH-resistance gene, BPH9, mapped on the long arm of rice chromosome 12 (12L). BPH9 encodes a rare type of nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat (NLR)-containing protein that localizes to the endomembrane system and causes a cell death phenotype. BPH9 activates salicylic acid- and jasmonic acid-signaling pathways in rice plants and confers both antixenosis and antibiosis to BPH. We further demonstrated that the eight BPH-resistance genes that are clustered on chromosome 12L, including the widely used BPH1, are allelic with each other. To honor the priority in the literature, we thus designated this locus as BPH1/9 These eight genes can be classified into four allelotypes, BPH1/9-1, -2, -7, and -9 These allelotypes confer varying levels of resistance to different biotypes of BPH. The coding region of BPH1/9 shows a high level of diversity in rice germplasm. Homologous fragments of the nucleotide-binding (NB) and leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domains exist, which might have served as a repository for generating allele diversity. Our findings reveal a rice plant strategy for modifying the genetic information to gain the upper hand in the struggle against insect herbivores. Further exploration of natural allelic variation and artificial shuffling within this gene may allow breeding to be tailored to control emerging biotypes of BPH.

  5. Comparison of three-dimensional parameters of Halo CMEs using three cone models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Na, H.; Moon, Y.; Jang, S.; Lee, K.

    2012-12-01

    Halo coronal mass ejections (HCMEs) are a major cause of geomagnetic storms and their three dimensional structures are important for space weather. In this study, we compare three cone models: an elliptical cone model, an ice-cream cone model, and an asymmetric cone model. These models allow us to determine the three dimensional parameters of HCMEs such as radial speed, angular width, and the angle (γ) between sky plane and cone axis. We compare these parameters obtained from three models using 62 well-observed HCMEs observed by SOHO/LASCO from 2001 to 2002. Then we obtain the root mean square error (RMS error) between maximum measured projection speeds and their calculated projection speeds from the cone models. As a result, we find that the radial speeds obtained from the models are well correlated with one another (R > 0.84). The correlation coefficients between angular widths are ranges from 0.04 to 0.53 and those between γ values are from -0.15 to 0.47, which are much smaller than expected. The reason may be due to different assumptions and methods. The RMS errors between the maximum measured projection speeds and the maximum estimated projection speeds of the elliptical cone model, the ice-cream cone model, and the asymmetric cone model are 213 km/s, 254 km/s, and 267 km/s, respectively. And we obtain the correlation coefficients between the location from the models and the flare location (R > 0.75). Finally, we discuss strengths and weaknesses of these models in terms of space weather application.

  6. Recurrent abnormalities in conifer cones and the evolutionary origins of flower-like structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rudall, Paula J; Hilton, Jason; Vergara-Silva, Francisco; Bateman, Richard M

    2011-03-01

    Conifer cones are reproductive structures that are typically of restricted growth and either exclusively pollen-bearing (male) or exclusively ovule-bearing (female). Here, we review two common spontaneous developmental abnormalities of conifer cones: proliferated cones, in which the apex grows vegetatively, and bisexual cones, which possess both male and female structures. Emerging developmental genetic data, combined with evidence from comparative morphology, ontogeny and palaeobotany, provide new insights into the evolution of both cones and flowers, and prompt novel strategies for understanding seed-plant evolution. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Predation and protection in the macroevolutionary history of conifer cones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leslie, Andrew B.

    2011-01-01

    Conifers are an excellent group in which to explore how changing ecological interactions may have influenced the allocation of reproductive tissues in seed plants over long time scales, because of their extensive fossil record and their important role in terrestrial ecosystems since the Palaeozoic. Measurements of individual conifer pollen-producing and seed-producing cones from the Pennsylvanian to the Recent show that the relative amount of tissue invested in pollen cones has remained constant through time, while seed cones show a sharp increase in proportional tissue investment in the Jurassic that has continued to intensify to the present day. Since seed size in conifers has remained similar through time, this increase reflects greater investment in protective cone tissues such as robust, tightly packed scales. This shift in morphology and tissue allocation is broadly concurrent with the appearance of new vertebrate groups capable of browsing in tree canopies, as well as a diversification of insect-feeding strategies, suggesting that an important change in plant–animal interactions occurred over the Mesozoic that favoured an increase in seed cone protective tissues. PMID:21345864

  8. Numerical Investigation of Double-Cone Flows with High Enthalpy Effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nompelis, I.; Candler, G. V.

    2009-01-01

    A numerical study of shock/shock and shock/boundary layer interactions generated by a double-cone model that is placed in a hypersonic free-stream is presented. Computational results are compared with the experimental measurements made at the CUBRC LENS facility for nitrogen flows at high enthalpy conditions. The CFD predictions agree well with surface pressure and heat-flux measurements for all but one of the double-cone cases that have been studied by the authors. Unsteadiness is observed in computations of one of the LENS cases, however for this case the experimental measurements show that the flowfield is steady. To understand this discrepancy, several double-cone experiments performed in two different facilities with both air and nitrogen as the working gas are examined in the present study. Computational results agree well with measurements made in both the AEDC tunnel 9 and the CUBRC LENS facility for double-cone flows at low free-stream Reynolds numbers where the flow is steady. It is shown that at higher free- stream pressures the double-cone simulations develop instabilities that result in an unsteady separation.

  9. Meaning of visualizing retinal cone mosaic on adaptive optics images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacob, Julie; Paques, Michel; Krivosic, Valérie; Dupas, Bénédicte; Couturier, Aude; Kulcsar, Caroline; Tadayoni, Ramin; Massin, Pascale; Gaudric, Alain

    2015-01-01

    To explore the anatomic correlation of the retinal cone mosaic on adaptive optics images. Retrospective nonconsecutive observational case series. A retrospective review of the multimodal imaging charts of 6 patients with focal alteration of the cone mosaic on adaptive optics was performed. Retinal diseases included acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (n = 1), hydroxychloroquine retinopathy (n = 1), and macular telangiectasia type 2 (n = 4). High-resolution retinal images were obtained using a flood-illumination adaptive optics camera. Images were recorded using standard imaging modalities: color and red-free fundus camera photography; infrared reflectance scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) images. On OCT, in the marginal zone of the lesions, a disappearance of the interdigitation zone was observed, while the ellipsoid zone was preserved. Image recording demonstrated that such attenuation of the interdigitation zone co-localized with the disappearance of the cone mosaic on adaptive optics images. In 1 case, the restoration of the interdigitation zone paralleled that of the cone mosaic after a 2-month follow-up. Our results suggest that the interdigitation zone could contribute substantially to the reflectance of the cone photoreceptor mosaic. The absence of cones on adaptive optics images does not necessarily mean photoreceptor cell death. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Polynomial Primal-Dual Cone Affine Scaling for Semidefinite Programming

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    A.B. Berkelaar (Arjan); J.F. Sturm; S. Zhang (Shuzhong)

    1996-01-01

    textabstractIn this paper we generalize the primal--dual cone affine scaling algorithm of Sturm and Zhang to semidefinite programming. We show in this paper that the underlying ideas of the cone affine scaling algorithm can be naturely applied to semidefinite programming, resulting in a new

  11. Axial length and cone density as assessed with adaptive optics in myopia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Supriya Dabir

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: To assess the variations in cone mosaic in myopia and its correlation with axial length (AL. Subjects and Methods: Twenty-five healthy myopic volunteers underwent assessment of photoreceptors using adaptive optics retinal camera at 2° and 3° from the foveal center in four quadrants superior, inferior, temporal and nasal. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 17 (IBM. Multivariable regression analysis was conducted to study the relation between cone density and AL, quadrant around the fovea and eccentricity from the fovea. Results: The mean cone density was significantly lower as the eccentricity increased from 2° from the fovea to 3° (18,560 ± 5455-16,404 ± 4494/mm 2 respectively. There was also a statistically significant difference between four quadrants around the fovea. The correlation of cone density and spacing with AL showed that there was a significant inverse relation of AL with the cone density. Conclusion: In myopic patients with good visual acuity cone density around the fovea depends on the quadrant, distance from the fovea as well as the AL. The strength of the relation of AL with cone density depends on the quadrant and distance.

  12. Performance of the coned-face end seal with regard to energy conservation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sehnal, J.; Sedy, J.; Zobens, A.; Etsion, I.

    1982-01-01

    The effects of face coning on seal performance are evaluated with particular regard to the energy saving potential of convex conedface end seals as indicated by torque reduction. Experiments were conducted using a conventional carbon flat-face pusher-type seal, a coned-face pusher-type seal, coned-face bellows-type seal, and a modified coned-face pusher-type seal intended for dynamically unstable operation, with shaft rotation at up to 8000 rpm, pressures of up to 2758 kPa, and a petroleum-based turbine oil as lubricant. Torque at the seal interface is found to be reduced by 42% when the standard flat-face seal is replaced by a coned seal, although the leakage of the cone-face seal was 11 times greater. Reduction of seal balance from 76.1 to 51.3% resulted in an additional 44% reduction in torque, although at the expense of excessive leakage, but did not produce unstable operation. Face temperatures were reduced by 33-56 C and wear was also reduced greatly on the cone face seals. Seal performance is noted to be in agreement with analytical calculations.

  13. Shape measurement and vibration analysis of moving speaker cone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qican; Liu, Yuankun; Lehtonen, Petri

    2014-06-01

    Surface three-dimensional (3-D) shape information is needed for many fast processes such as structural testing of material, standing waves on loudspeaker cone, etc. Usually measurement is done from limited number of points using electrical sensors or laser distance meters. Fourier Transform Profilometry (FTP) enables fast shape measurement of the whole surface. Method is based on angled sinusoidal fringe pattern projection and image capturing. FTP requires only one image of the deformed fringe pattern to restore the 3-D shape of the measured object, which makes real-time or dynamic data processing possible. In our experiment the method was used for loudspeaker cone distortion measurement in dynamic conditions. For sound quality issues it is important that the whole cone moves in same phase and there are no partial waves. Our imaging resolution was 1280x1024 pixels and frame rate was 200 fps. Using our setup we found unwanted spatial waves in our sample cone.

  14. Visible and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of Hephaestus Fossae Cratered Cones, Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dapremont, A.; Wray, J. J.

    2017-12-01

    Hephaestus Fossae are a system of sub-parallel fractures on Mars (> 500 km long) interpreted as near-surface tensional cracks [1]. Images of the Martian surface from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment have revealed cratered cones within the Hephaestus Fossae region. A volcanic origin (cinder/tuff cones) has been proposed for these features based on morphometric measurements and fine-scale surface characteristics [2]. In an effort to further constrain the origin of these cones as the products of igneous or sedimentary volcanism, we use data from the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM). We take advantage of CRISM's S (0.4 - 1.0 microns) and L (1.0 - 3.9 microns) detector wavelength ranges to investigate the presence or absence of spectral signatures consistent with previous identifications of igneous and mud volcanism products on Mars [3,4]. Hephaestus Fossae cratered cone rims exhibit a consistent nanophase ferric oxide signature. We also identify ferrous phases and 3-micron absorptions (attributed to fundamental vibrational stretch frequencies in H2O) on the crater rims of several cones. Mafic signatures on cratered cone rims support an igneous provenance for these features. The 3-micron absorptions are consistent with the presence of structurally bound or adsorbed water. Our CRISM observations are similar to those of small edifice features in Chryse Planitia, which were interpreted as mud volcanism products based on their enrichment of nanophase ferric minerals and 3-micron absorptions on summit crater rims [3]. Hydrothermal activity was invoked for a Coprates Chasma pitted cone (scoria/tuff cone) based on CRISM identification of partially dehydrated opaline silica, which we do not observe in Hephaestus Fossae [4]. Our spectral observations are more consistent with mud volcanism, but we do not definitively rule out an igneous volcanic origin for the cones in our study region. We demonstrate that VNIR spectroscopy is a valuable

  15. Ablation and cone formation mechanism on CR-39 by ArF laser irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shakeri Jooybari, B., E-mail: baninshakery@gmail.com, E-mail: hafarideh@aut.ac.ir [Department of Energy Engineering and Physics, Amirkabir University of Technology, P.O. Box 15875-4413, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute NSRT, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Afarideh, H., E-mail: baninshakery@gmail.com, E-mail: hafarideh@aut.ac.ir [Department of Energy Engineering and Physics, Amirkabir University of Technology, P.O. Box 15875-4413, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Lamehi-Rachti, M. [Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute NSRT, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ghergherehchi, M. [Department of Energy Engineering and Physics, Amirkabir University of Technology, P.O. Box 15875-4413, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); College of Information and Communication Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-03-07

    In this work, chemical properties, surface modification, and micro structures formation on ablated polyallyl di-glycol carbonate (CR-39) polymer by ArF laser irradiation (λ = 193 nm) at various fluences and pulse number were investigated. CR-39 samples have been irradiated with an ArF laser (193 nm) at a repetition rate of 1 Hz. Threshold fluence of ablation and effective absorption coefficient of CR-39 were determined. Conical microstructures (Taylor cone) formed on laser-ablated CR-39 exhibit: smooth, Taylor cone shape walls and sharp tips together with interference and well defined fringe-structure with a period of 230 nm, around cone base. Mechanism of cone formation and cone evolution of CR-39 ablated surface were investigated by change of fluences (at a given pulse number) and pulse number (at a given fluence). Cone height, cone base, and region of interface were increased in micrometer steps by increasing the total fluence. Depression on the base of the cone and the circular fringe were simulated. FTIR spectra were measured and energy dispersive x-ray analysis of irradiated and un-irradiated samples was performed.

  16. On the geometry of null cones to infinity under curvature flux bounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alexakis, Spyros; Shao, Arick

    2014-01-01

    The main objective of this paper is to control the geometry of a future outgoing truncated null cone extending smoothly toward infinity in an Einstein-vacuum spacetime. In particular, we wish to do this under minimal regularity assumptions, namely, at the (weighted) L 2 -curvature level. We show that if the curvature flux and the data on an initial sphere of the cone are sufficiently close to the corresponding values in a standard Minkowski or Schwarzschild null cone, then we can obtain quantitative bounds on the geometry of the entire infinite cone. The same bounds also imply the existence of limits at infinity, along the null cone, of naturally scaled geometric quantities. In Alexakis and Shao (2013 Bounds on the Bondi energy by a flux of curvature arXiv:1308.4170), we will apply these results in order to control various physical quantities—e.g., the Bondi energy and (linear and angular) momenta—associated with such infinite null cones in vacuum spacetimes. (paper)

  17. ZnO twin-cones: synthesis, photoluminescence, and catalytic decomposition of ammonium perchlorate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xuefei; Qiu, Xiaoqing; Li, Liping; Li, Guangshe

    2008-05-19

    ZnO twin-cones, a new member to the ZnO family, were prepared directly by a solvothermal method using a mixed solution of zinc nitrate and ethanol. The reaction and growth mechanisms of ZnO twin-cones were investigated by X-ray diffraction, UV-visible spectra, infrared and ion trap mass spectra, and transmission electron microscopy. All as-prepared ZnO cones consisted of tiny single crystals with lengths of several micrometers. With prolonging of the reaction time from 1.5 h to 7 days, the twin-cone shape did not change at all, while the lattice parameters increased slightly and the emission peak of photoluminescence shifted from the green region to the near orange region. ZnO twin-cones are also explored as an additive to promote the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate. The variations of photoluminescence spectra and catalytic roles in ammonium perchlorate decomposition were discussed in terms of the defect structure of ZnO twin-cones.

  18. Buckling behaviour of imperfect ring-stiffened cone-cylinder intersections under internal pressure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Y.

    2005-01-01

    Cone-cylinder intersections are used commonly in pressure vessels and piping. In the case of a cone large end-to-cylinder intersection under internal pressure, the intersection is subject to a large circumferential compressive force. While both the cone and the cylinder may be locally thickened to strengthen the intersection, it is often desirable and convenient to provide an annular plate ring at the cone-to-cylinder joint to supplement local thickening or as an alternative strengthening measure, leading to a ring-stiffened cone-cylinder intersection. Only limited work has been carried out specifically on ring-stiffened cone-cylinder intersections under internal pressure. This paper presents the first experimental study on such intersections. In addition to the presentation of test results including geometric imperfections, failure behaviour and the determination of buckling mode and load based on displacement measurements, results from nonlinear bifurcation analysis using the perfect shape and nonlinear analysis using the measured imperfect shape are presented and compared with the experimental results

  19. Eruptive and Geomorphic Processes at the Lathrop Wells Scoria Cone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    G. Valentine; D.J. Krier; F.V. Perry; G. Heiken

    2006-01-01

    The ∼80 ka Lathrop Wells volcano (southern Nevada, U.S.A.) preserves evidence for a range of explosive processes and emplacement mechanisms of pyroclastic deposits and lava fields in a small-volume basaltic center. Early cone building by Strombolian bursts was accompanied by development of a fan-like lava field reaching ∼800 m distance from the cone, built upon a gently sloping surface. Lava flows carried rafts of cone deposits, which provide indirect evidence for cone facies in lieu of direct exposures in the active quarry. Subsequent activity was of a violent Strombolian nature, with many episodes of sustained eruption columns up to a few km in height. These deposited layers of scoria lapilli and ash in different directions depending upon wind direction at the time of a given episode, reaching up to ∼20 km from the vent, and also produced the bulk of the scoria cone. Lava effusion migrated from south to north around the eastern base of the cone as accumulation of lavas successively reversed the topography at the base of the cone. Late lavas were emplaced during violent Strombolian activity and continued for some time after explosive eruptions had waned. Volumes of the eruptive products are: fallout--0.07 km 3 , scoria cone--0.02 km 3 , and lavas--0.03 km 3 . Shallow-derived xenolith concentrations suggest an upper bound on average conduit diameter of ∼21 m in the uppermost 335 m beneath the volcano. The volcano was constructed over a period of at least seven months with cone building occurring only during part of that time, based upon analogy with historical eruptions. Post-eruptive geomorphic evolution varied for the three main surface types that were produced by volcanic activity: (1) scoria cone, (2) low relief surfaces (including lavas) with abundant pyroclastic material, and (3) lavas with little pyroclastic material. The role of these different initial textures must be accounted for in estimating relative ages of volcanic surfaces, and failure to

  20. Eruptive and Geomorphic Processes at the Lathrop Wells Scoria Cone

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    G. Valentine; D.J. Krier; F.V. Perry; G. Heiken

    2006-08-03

    The {approx}80 ka Lathrop Wells volcano (southern Nevada, U.S.A.) preserves evidence for a range of explosive processes and emplacement mechanisms of pyroclastic deposits and lava fields in a small-volume basaltic center. Early cone building by Strombolian bursts was accompanied by development of a fan-like lava field reaching {approx}800 m distance from the cone, built upon a gently sloping surface. Lava flows carried rafts of cone deposits, which provide indirect evidence for cone facies in lieu of direct exposures in the active quarry. Subsequent activity was of a violent Strombolian nature, with many episodes of sustained eruption columns up to a few km in height. These deposited layers of scoria lapilli and ash in different directions depending upon wind direction at the time of a given episode, reaching up to {approx}20 km from the vent, and also produced the bulk of the scoria cone. Lava effusion migrated from south to north around the eastern base of the cone as accumulation of lavas successively reversed the topography at the base of the cone. Late lavas were emplaced during violent Strombolian activity and continued for some time after explosive eruptions had waned. Volumes of the eruptive products are: fallout--0.07 km{sup 3}, scoria cone--0.02 km{sup 3}, and lavas--0.03 km{sup 3}. Shallow-derived xenolith concentrations suggest an upper bound on average conduit diameter of {approx}21 m in the uppermost 335 m beneath the volcano. The volcano was constructed over a period of at least seven months with cone building occurring only during part of that time, based upon analogy with historical eruptions. Post-eruptive geomorphic evolution varied for the three main surface types that were produced by volcanic activity: (1) scoria cone, (2) low relief surfaces (including lavas) with abundant pyroclastic material, and (3) lavas with little pyroclastic material. The role of these different initial textures must be accounted for in estimating relative ages of

  1. Topological Vector Space-Valued Cone Metric Spaces and Fixed Point Theorems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radenović Stojan

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available We develop the theory of topological vector space valued cone metric spaces with nonnormal cones. We prove three general fixed point results in these spaces and deduce as corollaries several extensions of theorems about fixed points and common fixed points, known from the theory of (normed-valued cone metric spaces. Examples are given to distinguish our results from the known ones.

  2. A Clinical Evaluation Of Cone Beam Computed Tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-01

    A CLINICAL EVALUATION OF CONE BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY by Bryan James Behm, D.D.S. Lieutenant, Dental Corps United States Navy A thesis... COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY " is appropriately acknowledged and, beyond brief excerpts, is with the permission of the copyright owner. ~mes Behm Endodontic...printed without the expressed written permission of the author. IV ABSTRACT A CLINICAL EVALUATION OF CONE BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY BRYAN JAMES

  3. Neurosurgeon as innovator: William V. Cone (1897-1959).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preul, M C; Stratford, J; Bertrand, G; Feindel, W

    1993-10-01

    Neurosurgeons are well known for being productive researchers and innovators. Few, however, have possessed the prolific ingenuity of William Cone. In 1934, he and William Penfield were cofounders of the Montreal Neurological Institute where, until 1959, he filled the twin roles of neurosurgeon-in-chief and neuropathologist. Because he did not find writing easy, many of his technical inventions and refinements remained unpublished. His numerous innovations included the extensive use of twist-drill technique for biopsy, drainage for subdural hematoma and cerebral abscess, and ventriculography. In the mid-1940's, he developed power tools driven by nitrogen that led to the modern, universally used air-driven tool systems. He had a special interest in the treatment of spinal dysfunction, for which he invented the Cone-Barton skull-traction tongs along with the Cone spinal operating table. He also devised operative procedures for vertebral fracture-dislocation and craniospinal anomalies. For the maintenance of muscle tone in the paralyzed bladder, he constructed a tidal drainage system. He introduced and popularized ventriculoperitoneal shunting techniques and carried out some of the earliest experimental trails to treat brain infections with sulphonamide and antibiotic drugs. He designed his own set of surgical suction devices, bone rongeurs, and a personal suction "air-conditioning" system for each surgeon. He had a keen early interest in intracranial tumors, and also demonstrated on monkeys how subdural mass lesions caused pupillary dilation and mesial temporal lobe damage due to cerebral compression. His work for the military during World War II on effects of altitude on brain pressure remained classified for many years. The first clipping and excision of an intracranial aneurysm is attributed to Cone. Although Penfield was known as "the Chief," Cone was referred to as "the Boss." His fervent dedication to provide total care to his patients was expressed in round

  4. Direct numerical simulation of hypersonic boundary-layer flow on a flared cone

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pruett, C.D. [James Madison Univ., Harrisonburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Math. and Comput. Sci.; Chang Chau-Lyan [High Technology Corporation, Hampton, VA 23666 (United States)

    1998-03-01

    The forced transition of the boundary layer on an axisymmetric flared cone in Mach 6 flow is simulated by the method of spatial direct numerical simulation (DNS). The full effects of the flared afterbody are incorporated into the governing equations and boundary conditions; these effects include nonzero streamwise surface curvature, adverse streamwise pressure gradient, and decreasing boundary-layer edge Mach number. Transition is precipitated by periodic forcing at the computational inflow boundary with perturbations derived from parabolized stability equation (PSE) methodology and based, in part, on frequency spectra available from physical experiments. Significant qualitative differences are shown to exist between the present results and those obtained previously for a cone without afterbody flare. In both cases, the primary instability is of second-mode type; however, frequencies are much higher for the flared cone because of the decrease in boundary-layer thickness in the flared region. Moreover, Goertler modes, which are linearly stable for the straight cone, are unstable in regions of concave body flare. Reynolds stresses, which peak near the critical layer for the straight cone, exhibit peaks close to the wall for the flared cone. The cumulative effect appears to be that transition onset is shifted upstream for the flared cone. However, the length of the transition zone may possibly be greater because of the seemingly more gradual nature of the transition process on the flared cone. (orig.) With 20 figs., 28 refs.

  5. The Na+/Ca2+, K+ exchanger NCKX4 is required for efficient cone-mediated vision.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinberg, Frans; Wang, Tian; De Maria, Alicia; Zhao, Haiqing; Bassnett, Steven; Chen, Jeannie; Kefalov, Vladimir J

    2017-06-26

    Calcium (Ca 2+ ) plays an important role in the function and health of neurons. In vertebrate cone photoreceptors, Ca 2+ controls photoresponse sensitivity, kinetics, and light adaptation. Despite the critical role of Ca 2+ in supporting the function and survival of cones, the mechanism for its extrusion from cone outer segments is not well understood. Here, we show that the Na + /Ca 2+ , K + exchanger NCKX4 is expressed in zebrafish, mouse, and primate cones. Functional analysis of NCKX4-deficient mouse cones revealed that this exchanger is essential for the wide operating range and high temporal resolution of cone-mediated vision. We show that NCKX4 shapes the cone photoresponse together with the cone-specific NCKX2: NCKX4 acts early to limit response amplitude, while NCKX2 acts late to further accelerate response recovery. The regulation of Ca 2+ by NCKX4 in cones is a novel mechanism that supports their ability to function as daytime photoreceptors and promotes their survival.

  6. Large Scale Plasmonic nanoCones array For Spectroscopy Detection

    KAUST Repository

    Das, Gobind

    2015-09-24

    Advanced optical materials or interfaces are gaining attention for diagnostic applications. However, the achievement of large device interface as well as facile surface functionalization largely impairs their wide use. The present work is aimed to address different innovative aspects related to the fabrication of large area 3D plasmonic arrays, their direct and easy functionalization with capture elements and their spectroscopic verifications through enhanced Raman and enhanced fluorescence techniques. In detail we have investigated the effect of Au-based nanoCones array, fabricated by means of direct nanoimprint technique over large area (mm2), on protein capturing and on the enhancement in optical signal. A selective functionalization of gold surfaces was proposed by using a peptide (AuPi3) previously selected by phage display. In this regard, two different sequences, labeled with fluorescein and biotin, were chemisorbed on metallic surfaces. The presence of Au nanoCones array consents an enhancement in electric field on the apex of cone, enabling the detection of molecules. We have witnessed around 12-fold increase in fluorescence intensity and SERS enhancement factor around 1.75 ×105 with respect to the flat gold surface. Furthermore, a sharp decrease in fluorescence lifetime over nanoCones confirms the increase in radiative emission (i.e. an increase in photonics density at the apex of cones).

  7. Large Scale Plasmonic nanoCones array For Spectroscopy Detection

    KAUST Repository

    Das, Gobind; Battista, Edmondo; Manzo, Gianluigi; Causa, Filippo; Netti, Paolo; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.

    2015-01-01

    Advanced optical materials or interfaces are gaining attention for diagnostic applications. However, the achievement of large device interface as well as facile surface functionalization largely impairs their wide use. The present work is aimed to address different innovative aspects related to the fabrication of large area 3D plasmonic arrays, their direct and easy functionalization with capture elements and their spectroscopic verifications through enhanced Raman and enhanced fluorescence techniques. In detail we have investigated the effect of Au-based nanoCones array, fabricated by means of direct nanoimprint technique over large area (mm2), on protein capturing and on the enhancement in optical signal. A selective functionalization of gold surfaces was proposed by using a peptide (AuPi3) previously selected by phage display. In this regard, two different sequences, labeled with fluorescein and biotin, were chemisorbed on metallic surfaces. The presence of Au nanoCones array consents an enhancement in electric field on the apex of cone, enabling the detection of molecules. We have witnessed around 12-fold increase in fluorescence intensity and SERS enhancement factor around 1.75 ×105 with respect to the flat gold surface. Furthermore, a sharp decrease in fluorescence lifetime over nanoCones confirms the increase in radiative emission (i.e. an increase in photonics density at the apex of cones).

  8. Light-cone gauge approach to arbitrary spin fields, currents and shadows

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Metsaev, R R

    2014-01-01

    Totally symmetric arbitrary spin fields in AdS space, conformal fields, conformal currents, and shadow fields in flat space are studied. Light-cone gauge formulations for such fields, currents and shadows are obtained. Use of the Poincaré parametrization of AdS space and ladder operators allows us to treat fields in flat and AdS spaces on an equal footing. Light-cone gauge realization of relativistic symmetries for fields, currents and shadows is also obtained. The light-cone gauge formulation for fields is obtained by using the gauge invariant Lagrangian which is presented in terms of modified de Donder divergence, while the light-cone gauge formulation for currents and shadows is obtained by using the gauge invariant approach to currents and shadows. This allows us to demonstrate explicitly how the ladder operators entering the gauge invariant formulation of fields, currents and shadows manifest themselves in the light-cone gauge formulation for fields, currents and shadows. (paper)

  9. Retinal cone photoreceptors of the deer mouse Peromyscus maniculatus: development, topography, opsin expression and spectral tuning.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrick Arbogast

    Full Text Available A quantitative analysis of photoreceptor properties was performed in the retina of the nocturnal deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus, using pigmented (wildtype and albino animals. The aim was to establish whether the deer mouse is a more suitable model species than the house mouse for photoreceptor studies, and whether oculocutaneous albinism affects its photoreceptor properties. In retinal flatmounts, cone photoreceptors were identified by opsin immunostaining, and their numbers, spectral types, and distributions across the retina were determined. Rod photoreceptors were counted using differential interference contrast microscopy. Pigmented P. maniculatus have a rod-dominated retina with rod densities of about 450.000/mm(2 and cone densities of 3000-6500/mm(2. Two cone opsins, shortwave sensitive (S and middle-to-longwave sensitive (M, are present and expressed in distinct cone types. Partial sequencing of the S opsin gene strongly supports UV sensitivity of the S cone visual pigment. The S cones constitute a 5-15% minority of the cones. Different from house mouse, S and M cone distributions do not have dorsoventral gradients, and coexpression of both opsins in single cones is exceptional (<2% of the cones. In albino P. maniculatus, rod densities are reduced by approximately 40% (270.000/mm(2. Overall, cone density and the density of cones exclusively expressing S opsin are not significantly different from pigmented P. maniculatus. However, in albino retinas S opsin is coexpressed with M opsin in 60-90% of the cones and therefore the population of cones expressing only M opsin is significantly reduced to 5-25%. In conclusion, deer mouse cone properties largely conform to the general mammalian pattern, hence the deer mouse may be better suited than the house mouse for the study of certain basic cone properties, including the effects of albinism on cone opsin expression.

  10. Cones fabricated by 3D nanoimprint lithography for highly sensitive surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Wei; Hu Min; Ou Fungsuong; Li Zhiyong; Williams, R Stanley

    2010-01-01

    We demonstrated a cost-effective and deterministic method of patterning 3D cone arrays over a large area by using nanoimprint lithography (NIL). Cones with tip radius of less than 10 nm were successfully duplicated onto the UV-curable imprint resist materials from the silicon cone templates. Such cone structures were shown to be a versatile platform for developing reliable, highly sensitive surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates. In contrast to the silicon nanocones, the SERS substrates based on the Au coated cones made by the NIL offered significant improvement of the SERS signal. A further improvement of the SERS signal was observed when the polymer cones were imprinted onto a reflective metallic mirror surface. A sub-zeptomole detection sensitivity for a model molecule, trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)-ethylene (BPE), on the Au coated NIL cone surfaces was achieved.

  11. Laser bistatic two-dimensional scattering imaging simulation of lambert cone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Yanjun; Zhu, Chongyue; Wang, Mingjun; Gong, Lei

    2015-11-01

    This paper deals with the laser bistatic two-dimensional scattering imaging simulation of lambert cone. Two-dimensional imaging is called as planar imaging. It can reflect the shape of the target and material properties. Two-dimensional imaging has important significance for target recognition. The expression of bistatic laser scattering intensity of lambert cone is obtained based on laser radar eauqtion. The scattering intensity of a micro-element on the target could be obtained. The intensity is related to local angle of incidence, local angle of scattering and the infinitesimal area on the cone. According to the incident direction of laser, scattering direction and normal of infinitesimal area, the local incidence angle and scattering angle can be calculated. Through surface integration and the introduction of the rectangular function, we can get the intensity of imaging unit on the imaging surface, and then get Lambert cone bistatic laser two-dimensional scattering imaging simulation model. We analyze the effect of distinguishability, incident direction, observed direction and target size on the imaging. From the results, we can see that the scattering imaging simulation results of the lambert cone bistatic laser is correct.

  12. Off-shell spinor-helicity amplitudes from light-cone deformation procedure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ponomarev, Dmitry [Theoretical physics group, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London,London, SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)

    2016-12-22

    We study the consistency conditions for interactions of massless fields of any spin in four-dimensional flat space using the light-cone approach. We show that they can be equivalently rewritten as the Ward identities for the off-shell light-cone amplitudes built from the light-cone Hamiltonian in the standard way. Then we find a general solution of these Ward identities. The solution admits a compact representation when written in the spinor-helicity form and is given by an arbitrary function of spinor products, satisfying well-known homogeneity constraints. Thus, we show that the light-cone consistent deformation procedure inevitably leads to a certain off-shell version of the spinor-helicity approach. We discuss how the relation between the two approaches can be employed to facilitate the search of consistent interaction of massless higher-spin fields.

  13. A fast and efficient method for sequential cone-beam tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koehler, Th.; Proksa, R.; Grass, M.

    2001-01-01

    Sequential cone-beam tomography is a method that uses data of two or more parallel circular trajectories of a cone-beam scanner to reconstruct the object function. We propose a condition for the data acquisition that ensures that all object points between two successive circles are irradiated over an angular span of the x-ray source position of exactly 360 deg. in total as seen along the rotation axis. A fast and efficient approximative reconstruction method for the proposed acquisition is presented which uses data from exactly 360 deg. for every object point. It is based on the Tent-FDK method which was recently developed for single circular cone-beam CT. The measurement geometry does not provide sufficient data for exact reconstruction but it is shown that the proposed reconstruction method provides satisfying image quality for small cone angles

  14. Domain requirements for the Dock adapter protein in growth- cone signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Y; Zipursky, S L

    1998-03-03

    Tyrosine phosphorylation has been implicated in growth-cone guidance through genetic, biochemical, and pharmacological studies. Adapter proteins containing src homology 2 (SH2) domains and src homology 3 (SH3) domains provide a means of linking guidance signaling through phosphotyrosine to downstream effectors regulating growth-cone motility. The Drosophila adapter, Dreadlocks (Dock), the homolog of mammalian Nck containing three N-terminal SH3 domains and a single SH2 domain, is highly specialized for growth-cone guidance. In this paper, we demonstrate that Dock can couple signals in either an SH2-dependent or an SH2-independent fashion in photoreceptor (R cell) growth cones, and that Dock displays different domain requirements in different neurons.

  15. Clinical utility of dental cone-beam computed tomography: current perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaju PP

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Prashant P Jaju,1 Sushma P Jaju21Oral Medicine and Radiology, 2Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Rishiraj College of Dental Sciences and Research Center, Bhopal, IndiaAbstract: Panoramic radiography and computed tomography were the pillars of maxillofacial diagnosis. With the advent of cone-beam computed tomography, dental practice has seen a paradigm shift. This review article highlights the potential applications of cone-beam computed tomography in the fields of dental implantology and forensic dentistry, and its limitations in maxillofacial diagnosis.Keywords: dental implants, cone-beam computed tomography, panoramic radiography, computed tomography

  16. Ring magnetron ionizer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alessi, J.G.

    1986-01-01

    A ring magnetron D - charge exchange ionizer has been built and tested. An H - current of 500 μA was extracted with an estimated H 0 density in the ionizer of 10 12 cm -3 . This exceeds the performance of ionizers presently in use on polarized H - sources. The ionizer will soon be tested with a polarized atomic beam

  17. Percussion drilling cone penetrometer with wireless operating in-tip gaschromatograph

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bracht, C.; Matz, G. [Technische Univ. Hamburg-Harburg, Hamburg (Germany)

    2003-07-01

    Percussion drilling cone penetrometric analysis is the fast alternative to soil sampling and laboratory analyses. Online detection enables the characterization of a large variety of contaminants in soil. This becomes very important in the reactivation of contaminated sites. Therefore a new system has been constructed, which avoids tedious harness handling through the penetrometer drill rods and minimizes the time for an analysis down to 30 minutes per drill hole. This system enables the in-situ analysis of soil gases up to a depth of 10 to 15 meters. This system consists of a remote controlled in-tip mounted gaschromatograph, a special gas inlet module and a data transfer unit including a rechargeable battery pack. The modules are shock proved to be suitable for percussion drilling techniques and can be removed easily for maintenance. A PDA (Pocket PC) controls the subsoil gaschromatograph unit, calculates and displays the concentration of the detected compounds and stores the acquired data. The gaschromatograph until is optimized to analyze VOCs e.g. BTEX within 10 seconds per analysis. It consists of a loop inlet, a capillary column and a Photo Ionization Detector. It is microcontroller operated and battery powered. The inlet module is optimized soil gases. It includes a sensor and solenoid valve system for water protection and humidity acquisition while drilling. A completely charged battery pack provides up to three hours of analyses. It could be exchanged fast and easy to enable continuous analyses. Digital data transfer between subsoil unit and surface is provided wireless by IR light through the rods. On surface data is transferred wireless by BLUETOOTH radio link to the PDA. The depth of the penetrometer, global position and local time are acquired on-line onto the surface and are transferred on request by BLUETOOTH radio link to the PDA. The wireless data transfer and battery powered modules avoid time consuming cable handling and enable this cone

  18. Multiple cone pathways are involved in photic regulation of retinal dopamine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, Sheng-Nan; Zhang, Zhijing; Ribelayga, Christophe P; Zhong, Yong-Mei; Zhang, Dao-Qi

    2016-06-30

    Dopamine is a key neurotransmitter in the retina and plays a central role in the light adaptive processes of the visual system. The sole source of retinal dopamine is dopaminergic amacrine cells (DACs). We and others have previously demonstrated that DACs are activated by rods, cones, and intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) upon illumination. However, it is still not clear how each class of photosensitive cells generates light responses in DACs. We genetically isolated cone function in mice to specifically examine the cone-mediated responses of DACs and their neural pathways. In addition to the reported excitatory input to DACs from light-increment (ON) bipolar cells, we found that cones alternatively signal to DACs via a retrograde signalling pathway from ipRGCs. Cones also produce ON and light-decrement (OFF) inhibitory responses in DACs, which are mediated by other amacrine cells, likely driven by type 1 and type 2/3a OFF bipolar cells, respectively. Dye injections indicated that DACs had similar morphological profiles with or without ON/OFF inhibition. Our data demonstrate that cones utilize specific parallel excitatory and inhibitory circuits to modulate DAC activity and efficiently regulate dopamine release and the light-adaptive state of the retina.

  19. Cone pigments in a North American marsupial, the opossum (Didelphis virginiana)

    OpenAIRE

    Jacobs, Gerald H.; Williams, Gary A.

    2010-01-01

    Only two of the four cone opsin gene families found in vertebrates are represented in contemporary eutherian and marsupial species. Recent genetic studies of two species of South American marsupial detected the presence of representatives from two of the classes of cone opsin genes and the structures of these genes predicted cone pigments with respective peaks in the ultraviolet and long-wavelength portions of the spectrum. The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), a profoundly nocturnal a...

  20. Extrafoveal Cone Packing in Eyes With a History of Retinopathy of Prematurity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramamirtham, Ramkumar; Akula, James D; Soni, Garima; Swanson, Matthew J; Bush, Jennifer N; Moskowitz, Anne; Swanson, Emily A; Favazza, Tara L; Tavormina, Jena L; Mujat, Mircea; Ferguson, R Daniel; Hansen, Ronald M; Fulton, Anne B

    2016-02-01

    To study the density and packing geometry of the extrafoveal cone photoreceptors in eyes with a history of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). We used a multimodal combination of adaptive optics (AO) scanning light ophthalmoscopy (SLO) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Cones were identified in subjects (aged 14-26 years) with a history of ROP that was either severe and treated by laser ablation of avascular peripheral retina (TROP; n = 5) or mild and spontaneously resolved, untreated (UROP; n = 5), and in term-born controls (CT; n = 8). The AO-SLO images were obtained at temporal eccentricities 4.5°, 9°, 13.5°, and 18° using both confocal and offset apertures with simultaneous, colocal OCT images. Effects of group, eccentricity, and aperture were evaluated and the modalities compared. In the SLO images, cone density was lower and the packing pattern less regular in TROP, relative to CT and UROP retinae. Although SLO image quality appeared lower in TROP, root mean square (RMS) wavefront error did not differ among the groups. In TROP eyes, cone discrimination was easier in offset aperture images. There was no evidence of cone loss in the TROP OCT images. Low cone density in TROP confocal SLO images may have resulted from lower image quality. Since AO correction in these eyes was equivalent to that of the control group, and OCT imaging showed no significant cone loss, the optical properties of the inner retina or properties of the cones themselves are likely altered in a way that affects photoreceptor imaging.

  1. Field Test Evaluation of Effect on Cone Resistance Caused by Change in Penetration Rate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulsen, Rikke; Nielsen, Benjaminn Nordahl; Ibsen, Lars Bo

    2012-01-01

    in the laboratory. A change in the measured cone resistance occurs by lowering the penetration rate. This is caused by the changes in drainage conditions. Compared to the normal penetration rate of 20 mm/s, this paper illustrates that lowering the penetration rate leads to an increase in the cone resistance from 1......This paper presents how a change in cone penetration rate affects the measured cone resistance during cone penetration testing in silty soils. Regardless of soil, type the standard rate of penetration is 20 mm/s and it is generally accepted that undrained penetration occurs in clay while drained...... penetration occurs in sand. In intermediate soils such as silty soils, the standard cone penetration rate may result in drainage conditions varying from undrained to partially or fully drained conditions. Field cone penetrations tests have been conducted with different penetration rates on a test site...

  2. Structure and function of the TIR domain from the grape NLR protein RPV1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon John Williams

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The N-terminal Toll/interleukin-1 receptor/resistance protein (TIR domain has been shown to be both necessary and sufficient for defence signalling in the model plants flax and Arabidopsis. In examples from these organisms, TIR domain self-association is required for signalling function, albeit through distinct interfaces. Here, we investigate these properties in the TIR domain containing resistance protein RPV1 from the wild grapevine Muscadinia rotundifolia. The RPV1 TIR domain, without additional flanking sequence present, is autoactive when transiently expressed in tobacco, demonstrating that the TIR domain alone is capable of cell-death signalling. We determined the crystal structure of the RPV1 TIR domain at 2.3 Å resolution. In the crystals, the RPV1 TIR domain forms a dimer, mediated predominantly through residues in the αA and αE helices (AE interface. This interface is shared with the interface discovered in the dimeric complex of the TIR domains from the Arabidopsis RPS4/RRS1 resistance protein pair. We show that surface-exposed residues in the AE interface that mediate the dimer interaction in the crystals are highly conserved among plant TIR domain-containing proteins. While we were unable to demonstrate self-association of the RPV1 TIR domain in solution or using yeast 2-hybrid, mutations of surface-exposed residues in the AE interface prevent the cell-death autoactive phenotype. In addition, mutation of residues known to be important in the cell-death signalling function of the flax L6 TIR domain were also shown to be required for RPV1 TIR domain mediated cell-death. Our data demonstrate that multiple TIR domain surfaces control the cell-death function of the RPV1 TIR domain and we suggest that the conserved AE interface may have a general function in TIR-NLR signalling.

  3. A comparison of neuronal growth cone and cell body membrane: electrophysiological and ultrastructural properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guthrie, P B; Lee, R E; Kater, S B

    1989-10-01

    This study investigated a broad set of general electrophysiological and ultrastructural features of growth cone and cell body membrane of individual neurons where membrane from different regions of the same neuron can be directly compared. Growth cones were surgically isolated from identified adult Helisoma neurons in culture and compared with the cell body using whole-cell patch-clamp recording techniques. All isolated growth cones generated overshooting regenerative action potentials. Five neurons (buccal neurons B4, B5, and B19; pedal neurons P1 and P5) were selected that displayed distinctive action potential waveforms. In all cases, the growth cone action potential was indistinguishable from the cell body action potential and different from growth cones from other identified neurons. Two of these neurons (B5 and B19) were studied further using voltage-clamp procedures; growth cones and cell bodies again revealed major similarities within one neuron type and differences between neuron types. The only suggested difference between the growth cone and cell body was an apparent reduction in the magnitude of the A-current in the growth cone. Peak inward and outward current densities, as with other electrophysiological features, were different between neuron types, but were, again, similar between the growth cone and the cell body of the same neuron. Freeze-fracture analysis of intramembraneous particles (IMPs) was also performed on identified regions of the same neuron in culture. Both the density and the size distribution of IMPs were the same in growth cone, cell body, and neurite membranes. In these general electrophysiological and ultrastructural characteristics, therefore, growth cone membranes appear to retain the identity of the parent neuron cell body membrane.

  4. Hadronic wavefunctions in light-cone quantization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hyer, T.

    1994-05-01

    The analysis of light-cone wavefunctions seems the most promising theoretical approach to a detailed understanding of the structure of relativistic bound states, particularly hadrons. However, there are numerous complications in this approach. Most importantly, the light-cone approach sacrifices manifest rotational invariance in exchange for the elimination of negative-energy states. The requirement of rotational invariance of the full theory places important constraints on proposed light-cone wavefunctions, whether they are modelled or extracted from some numerical procedure. A formulation of the consequences of the hidden rotational symmetry has been sought for some time; it is presented in Chapter 2. In lattice gauge theory or heavy-quark effective theory, much of the focus is on the extraction of numerical values of operators which are related to the hadronic wavefunction. These operators are to some extent interdependent, with relations induced by fundamental constraints on the underlying wavefunction. The consequences of the requirement of unitarity are explored in Chapter 3, and are found to have startling phenomenological relevance. To test model light-cone wavefunctions, experimental predictions must be made. The reliability of perturbative QCD as a tool for making such predictions has been questioned. In Chapter 4, the author presents a computation of the rates for nucleon-antinucleon annihilation, improving the reliability of the perturbative computation by taking into account the Sudakov suppression of exclusive processes at large transverse impact parameter. In Chapter 5, he develops the analysis of semiexclusive production. This work focuses on processes in which a single isolated meson is produced perturbatively and recoils against a wide hadronizing system. At energies above about 10 GeV, semiexclusive processes are shown to be the most sensitive experimental probes of hadronic structure

  5. Enhanced photon production rate on the light-cone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aurenche, P.; Grenoble-1 Univ., 74 - Annecy; Gelis, F.; Kobes, R.; Petitgirard, E.

    1996-01-01

    Recent studies of the high temperature soft photon production rate on the light cone using Braaten-Pisarski resummation techniques have found collinear divergences present. It is shown that there exist a class of terms outside the Braaten-Pisarski framework which, although also divergent, dominate over these previously considered terms. The divergences in these new terms may be alleviated by application of a recently developed resummation scheme for processes sensitive to the light-cone. (author)

  6. Enhancement of the Number of Fast Electrons Generated in a Laser Inverse Cone Interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan-Ling, Ji; Gang, Jiang; Wei-Dong, Wu; Ji-Cheng, Zhang; Yong-Jian, Tang

    2010-01-01

    Enhancement of the energy-conversion efficiency from laser to target electrons is demonstrated by two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations in a laser-inverse cone interaction. When an intense short-pulse laser illuminates the inverse cone target, the electrons at the cone end are accelerated by the ponderomotive force. Then these electrons are guided and confined to transport along the inverse cone walls by the induced electromagnetic fields. A device consisting of inverse hollow-cone and multihole array plasma is proposed in order to increase the energy-conversion efficiency from laser to electrons. Particle-in-cell simulations present that the multiholes transpiercing the cone end help to enhance the number of fast electrons and the maximum electron energy significantly. (physics of gases, plasmas, and electric discharges)

  7. A new approximate algorithm for image reconstruction in cone-beam spiral CT at small cone-angles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schaller, S.; Flohr, T.; Steffen, P.

    1996-01-01

    This paper presents a new approximate algorithm for image reconstruction with cone-beam spiral CT data at relatively small cone-angles. Based on the algorithm of Wang et al., our method combines a special complementary interpolation with filtered backprojection. The presented algorithm has three main advantages over Wang's algorithm: (1) It overcomes the pitch limitation of Wang's algorithm. (2) It significantly improves z-resolution when suitable sampling schemes are applied. (3) It avoids the waste of applied radiation dose inherent to Wang's algorithm. Usage of the total applied dose is an important requirement in medical imaging. Our method has been implemented on a standard workstation. Reconstructions of computer-simulated data of different phantoms, assuming sampling conditions and image quality requirements typical to medical CT, show encouraging results

  8. Effects of early cone collection and artificial ripening on white spruce and red pine germination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Winston, D.A.; Haddon, B.D.

    1981-12-01

    Two experiments were conducted at the Petawawa National Forestry Institute. Chalk River, Ontario in 1978 to test the feasibility of early cone collection and to determine the optimum conditions for the artificial ripening of white spruce and red pine cones. Cones were collected at periodic intervals, commencing 7 weeks before natural cone ripeness, and stored under four storage conditions and three storage periods. White spruce cones collected August 1, 4 weeks before natural seed dispersal, and stored on open, screened trays for 12 weeks at 5 degrees Celcius and 75-95% relative humidity yielded seeds of high germinability. Seeds extracted from cones immediately after this collection failed to germinate. Cold storage of white spruce cones at 5 degrees Celcius for as little as 4 weeks eliminated dormancy and the subsequent need for seed stratification after extraction. Good germination of red pine seeds was obtained from cones collected August 16, 7 weeks before natural seed dispersal, and stored on screened trays in a well-ventilated, unheated building, for 4 weeks. Completion of embryo growth must be attained before artificial ripening can be successfully applied; it may be used as an index for commencement of cone collections provided subsequent cone handling includes artificial ripening. (Refs. 39).

  9. Generalized Fourier slice theorem for cone-beam image reconstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Shuang-Ren; Jiang, Dazong; Yang, Kevin; Yang, Kang

    2015-01-01

    The cone-beam reconstruction theory has been proposed by Kirillov in 1961, Tuy in 1983, Feldkamp in 1984, Smith in 1985, Pierre Grangeat in 1990. The Fourier slice theorem is proposed by Bracewell 1956, which leads to the Fourier image reconstruction method for parallel-beam geometry. The Fourier slice theorem is extended to fan-beam geometry by Zhao in 1993 and 1995. By combining the above mentioned cone-beam image reconstruction theory and the above mentioned Fourier slice theory of fan-beam geometry, the Fourier slice theorem in cone-beam geometry is proposed by Zhao 1995 in short conference publication. This article offers the details of the derivation and implementation of this Fourier slice theorem for cone-beam geometry. Especially the problem of the reconstruction from Fourier domain has been overcome, which is that the value of in the origin of Fourier space is 0/0. The 0/0 type of limit is proper handled. As examples, the implementation results for the single circle and two perpendicular circle source orbits are shown. In the cone-beam reconstruction if a interpolation process is considered, the number of the calculations for the generalized Fourier slice theorem algorithm is O(N^4), which is close to the filtered back-projection method, here N is the image size of 1-dimension. However the interpolation process can be avoid, in that case the number of the calculations is O(N5).

  10. Fabrication and Application of Iron(III-Oxide Nanoparticle/Polydimethylsiloxane Composite Cone in Microfluidic Channels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheng-Chun Huang

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presented the fabrication and applications of an iron(III-oxide nanoparticle/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS cone as a component integrated in lab on a chip. The two main functions of this component were to capture magnetic microbeads in the microfluid and to mix two laminar fluids by generating disturbance. The iron(III-oxide nanoparticle/PDMS cone was fabricated by automatic dispensing and magnetic shaping. Three consecutive cones of 300 μm in height were asymmetrically placed along a microchannel of 2 mm in width and 1.1 mm in height. Flow passing the cones was effectively redistributed for Renolds number lower than . Streptavidin-coated magnetic microbeads which were bound with biotin were successfully captured by the composite cones as inspected under fluorescence microscope. The process parameters for fabricating the composite cones were investigated. The fabricated cone in the microchannel could be applied in lab on a chip for bioassay in the future.

  11. Development of partial ontogenic resistance to powdery mildew in hop cones and its management implications.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Megan C Twomey

    Full Text Available Knowledge of processes leading to crop damage is central to devising rational approaches to disease management. Multiple experiments established that infection of hop cones by Podosphaera macularis was most severe if inoculation occurred within 15 to 21 days after bloom. This period of infection was associated with the most pronounced reductions in alpha acids, cone color, and accelerated maturation of cones. Susceptibility of cones to powdery mildew decreased progressively after the transition from bloom to cone development, although complete immunity to the disease failed to develop. Maturation of cone tissues was associated with multiple significant affects on the pathogen manifested as reduced germination of conidia, diminished frequency of penetration of bracts, lengthening of the latent period, and decreased sporulation. Cones challenged with P. macularis in juvenile developmental stages also led to greater frequency of colonization by a complex of saprophytic, secondary fungi. Since no developmental stage of cones was immune to powdery mildew, the incidence of powdery mildew continued to increase over time and exceeded 86% by late summer. In field experiments with a moderately susceptible cultivar, the incidence of cones with powdery mildew was statistically similar when fungicide applications were made season-long or targeted only to the juvenile stages of cone development. These studies establish that partial ontogenic resistance develops in hop cones and may influence multiple phases of the infection process and pathogen reproduction. The results further reinforce the concept that the efficacy of a fungicide program may depend largely on timing of a small number of sprays during a relatively brief period of cone development. However in practice, targeting fungicide and other management tactics to periods of enhanced juvenile susceptibility may be complicated by a high degree of asynchrony in cone development and other factors that are

  12. Chloride currents in cones modify feedback from horizontal cells to cones in goldfish retina

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Endeman, Duco; Fahrenfort, Iris; Sjoerdsma, Trijntje; Steijaert, Marvin; ten Eikelder, Huub; Kamermans, Maarten

    2012-01-01

    In neuronal systems, excitation and inhibition must be well balanced to ensure reliable information transfer. The cone/horizontal cell (HC) interaction in the retina is an example of this. Because natural scenes encompass an enormous intensity range both in temporal and spatial domains, the balance

  13. The nature of surround-induced depolarizing responses in goldfish cones

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kraaij, D. A.; Spekreijse, H.; Kamermans, M.

    2000-01-01

    Cones in the vertebrate retina project to horizontal and bipolar cells and the horizontal cells feedback negatively to cones. This organization forms the basis for the center/surround organization of the bipolar cells, a fundamental step in the visual signal processing. Although the surround

  14. Fundamental harmonic electron cyclotron emission for hot, loss-cone type distributions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bornatici, M.; Ruffina, U.; Westerhof, E.

    1988-01-01

    Electron cyclotron emission (ECE) is an important diagnostic tool for the study of hot plasmas. ECE can be used not only to measure the electron temperature but also to obtain information about non-thermal characteristics of the electron distribution function. One such a nonthermal characteristic is a loss-cone anisotropy. Loss-cone anisotropy can give rise to unstable growth of electro-magnetic waves around the harmonics of the electron cyclotron resonance and to increased emissivity of electron cyclotron waves. In case of high electron temperatures, also the dispersion properties of the extraordinary (X-) mode arond the fundamental electron cyclotron resonance are changed due to loss-cone anisotropy. The consequences of these dispersion properties for the emissivity of the fundamental harmonic X-mode are analyzed for perpendicular propagation. The emissivity, is calculated for two types of distribution functions having a loss-cone anisotropy. These distribution functions are a relativistic Dory-Guest-Harris type distribution function and modified relativistic Maxwellian distribution having a loss-cone with rounded edges (author). 9 refs.; 2 figs

  15. Surface-ionization field mass-spectrometry studies of nonequilibrium surface ionization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blashenkov, Nikolai M; Lavrent'ev, Gennadii Ya

    2007-01-01

    The ionization of polyatomic molecules on tungsten and tungsten oxide surfaces is considered for quasiequilibrium or essentially nonequilibrium conditions (in the latter case, the term nonequilibrium surface ionization is used for adsorbate ionization). Heterogeneous reactions are supposed to proceed through monomolecular decay of polyatomic molecules or fragments of multimolecular complexes. The nonequilibrium nature of these reactions is established. The dependences of the current density of disordered ions on the surface temperature, electric field strength, and ionized particle energy distribution are obtained in analytical form. Heterogeneous dissociation energies, the ionization potentials of radicals, and the magnitude of reaction departure from equilibrium are determined from experimental data, as are energy exchange times between reaction products and surfaces, the number of molecules in molecular complexes, and the number of effective degrees of freedom in molecules and complexes. In collecting the data a new technique relying on surface-ionization field mass-spectrometry was applied. (instruments and methods of investigation)

  16. Pivotal roles of Fezf2 in differentiation of cone OFF bipolar cells and functional maturation of cone ON bipolar cells in retina.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki-Kerr, Haruna; Iwagawa, Toshiro; Sagara, Hiroshi; Mizota, Atsushi; Suzuki, Yutaka; Watanabe, Sumiko

    2018-06-01

    During development of the retina, common retinal progenitor cells give rise to six classes of neurons that subsequently further diversify into more than 55 subtypes of neuronal subtypes. Here, we have investigated the expression and function of Fezf2, Fez zinc finger family of protein, in the developing mouse retina. Expression of Fezf2 transcripts was strongly observed in the embryonic retinal progenitors at E14.5 and declined quickly in subsequent development of retina. Then, in postnatal stage at around day 8, Fezf2 was transiently expressed then declined again. Loss-of-function analysis using retinas from mice in which Fezf2 coding region was substituted with β-galactosidase showed that Fezf2 is expressed in a subset of cone OFF bipolar cells and required for their differentiation. Using electroretinogram, we found that Fezf2 knockout retina exhibited significantly reduced photopic b-wave, suggesting functional abnormality of cone ON bipolar cells. Furthermore, reduced expression of synaptic protein Trpm1 and structural alteration of ON bipolar cell invagination, both of which affected cone photoreceptor terminal synaptic activity, was identified by transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Taken together, our results show that Fezf2 is indispensable in differentiation of bipolar precursors into cone OFF bipolar cells and in functional maturation of cone ON bipolar cells during development of mouse retina. These results contribute to our understanding of how diversity of neuronal subtypes and hence specificity of neuronal connections are established in the retina by intrinsic cues. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Chromatic detection from cone photoreceptors to V1 neurons to behavior in rhesus monkeys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hass, Charles A; Angueyra, Juan M; Lindbloom-Brown, Zachary; Rieke, Fred; Horwitz, Gregory D

    2015-01-01

    Chromatic sensitivity cannot exceed limits set by noise in the cone photoreceptors. To determine how close neurophysiological and psychophysical chromatic sensitivity come to these limits, we developed a parameter-free model of stimulus encoding in the cone outer segments, and we compared the sensitivity of the model to the psychophysical sensitivity of monkeys performing a detection task and to the sensitivity of individual V1 neurons. Modeled cones had a temporal impulse response and a noise power spectrum that were derived from in vitro recordings of macaque cones, and V1 recordings were made during performance of the detection task. The sensitivity of the simulated cone mosaic, the V1 neurons, and the monkeys were tightly yoked for low-spatiotemporal-frequency isoluminant modulations, indicating high-fidelity signal transmission for this class of stimuli. Under the conditions of our experiments and the assumptions for our model, the signal-to-noise ratio for these stimuli dropped by a factor of ∼3 between the cones and perception. Populations of weakly correlated V1 neurons narrowly exceeded the monkeys' chromatic sensitivity but fell well short of the cones' chromatic sensitivity, suggesting that most of the behavior-limiting noise lies between the cone outer segments and the output of V1. The sensitivity gap between the cones and behavior for achromatic stimuli was larger than for chromatic stimuli, indicating greater postreceptoral noise. The cone mosaic model provides a means to compare visual sensitivity across disparate stimuli and to identify sources of noise that limit visual sensitivity.

  18. Technical factors influencing cone packing density estimates in adaptive optics flood illuminated retinal images.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Lombardo

    Full Text Available PURPOSE: To investigate the influence of various technical factors on the variation of cone packing density estimates in adaptive optics flood illuminated retinal images. METHODS: Adaptive optics images of the photoreceptor mosaic were obtained in fifteen healthy subjects. The cone density and Voronoi diagrams were assessed in sampling windows of 320×320 µm, 160×160 µm and 64×64 µm at 1.5 degree temporal and superior eccentricity from the preferred locus of fixation (PRL. The technical factors that have been analyzed included the sampling window size, the corrected retinal magnification factor (RMFcorr, the conversion from radial to linear distance from the PRL, the displacement between the PRL and foveal center and the manual checking of cone identification algorithm. Bland-Altman analysis was used to assess the agreement between cone density estimated within the different sampling window conditions. RESULTS: The cone density declined with decreasing sampling area and data between areas of different size showed low agreement. A high agreement was found between sampling areas of the same size when comparing density calculated with or without using individual RMFcorr. The agreement between cone density measured at radial and linear distances from the PRL and between data referred to the PRL or the foveal center was moderate. The percentage of Voronoi tiles with hexagonal packing arrangement was comparable between sampling areas of different size. The boundary effect, presence of any retinal vessels, and the manual selection of cones missed by the automated identification algorithm were identified as the factors influencing variation of cone packing arrangements in Voronoi diagrams. CONCLUSIONS: The sampling window size is the main technical factor that influences variation of cone density. Clear identification of each cone in the image and the use of a large buffer zone are necessary to minimize factors influencing variation of Voronoi

  19. The holographic entropy cone

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bao, Ning [Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, California Institute of Technology,Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology,452-48, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Nezami, Sepehr [Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics, Stanford University,Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Ooguri, Hirosi [Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology,452-48, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, University of Tokyo,Kashiwa 277-8583 (Japan); Stoica, Bogdan [Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology,452-48, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Sully, James [Theory Group, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University,Menlo Park, CA 94025 (United States); Walter, Michael [Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics, Stanford University,Stanford, CA 94305 (United States)

    2015-09-21

    We initiate a systematic enumeration and classification of entropy inequalities satisfied by the Ryu-Takayanagi formula for conformal field theory states with smooth holographic dual geometries. For 2, 3, and 4 regions, we prove that the strong subadditivity and the monogamy of mutual information give the complete set of inequalities. This is in contrast to the situation for generic quantum systems, where a complete set of entropy inequalities is not known for 4 or more regions. We also find an infinite new family of inequalities applicable to 5 or more regions. The set of all holographic entropy inequalities bounds the phase space of Ryu-Takayanagi entropies, defining the holographic entropy cone. We characterize this entropy cone by reducing geometries to minimal graph models that encode the possible cutting and gluing relations of minimal surfaces. We find that, for a fixed number of regions, there are only finitely many independent entropy inequalities. To establish new holographic entropy inequalities, we introduce a combinatorial proof technique that may also be of independent interest in Riemannian geometry and graph theory.

  20. The holographic entropy cone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bao, Ning; Nezami, Sepehr; Ooguri, Hirosi; Stoica, Bogdan; Sully, James; Walter, Michael

    2015-01-01

    We initiate a systematic enumeration and classification of entropy inequalities satisfied by the Ryu-Takayanagi formula for conformal field theory states with smooth holographic dual geometries. For 2, 3, and 4 regions, we prove that the strong subadditivity and the monogamy of mutual information give the complete set of inequalities. This is in contrast to the situation for generic quantum systems, where a complete set of entropy inequalities is not known for 4 or more regions. We also find an infinite new family of inequalities applicable to 5 or more regions. The set of all holographic entropy inequalities bounds the phase space of Ryu-Takayanagi entropies, defining the holographic entropy cone. We characterize this entropy cone by reducing geometries to minimal graph models that encode the possible cutting and gluing relations of minimal surfaces. We find that, for a fixed number of regions, there are only finitely many independent entropy inequalities. To establish new holographic entropy inequalities, we introduce a combinatorial proof technique that may also be of independent interest in Riemannian geometry and graph theory.

  1. An ice-cream cone model for coronal mass ejections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, X. H.; Wang, C. B.; Dou, X. K.

    2005-08-01

    In this study, we use an ice-cream cone model to analyze the geometrical and kinematical properties of the coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Assuming that in the early phase CMEs propagate with near-constant speed and angular width, some useful properties of CMEs, namely the radial speed (v), the angular width (α), and the location at the heliosphere, can be obtained considering the geometrical shapes of a CME as an ice-cream cone. This model is improved by (1) using an ice-cream cone to show the near real configuration of a CME, (2) determining the radial speed via fitting the projected speeds calculated from the height-time relation in different azimuthal angles, (3) not only applying to halo CMEs but also applying to nonhalo CMEs.

  2. Instantons on Calabi-Yau and hyper-Kähler cones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geipel, Jakob C.; Sperling, Marcus

    2017-10-01

    The instanton equations on vector bundles over Calabi-Yau and hyper-Kähler cones can be reduced to matrix equations resembling Nahm's equations. We complement the discussion of Hermitian Yang-Mills (HYM) equations on Calabi-Yau cones, based on regular semi-simple elements, by a new set of (singular) boundary conditions which have a known instanton solution in one direction. This approach extends the classic results of Kronheimer by probing a relation between generalised Nahm's equations and nilpotent pairs/tuples. Moreover, we consider quaternionic instantons on hyper-Kähler cones over generic 3-Sasakian manifolds and study the HYM moduli spaces arising in this set-up, using the fact that their analysis can be traced back to the intersection of three Hermitian Yang-Mills conditions.

  3. Development of a Full Ice-cream Cone Model for Halo Coronal Mass Ejections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Na, Hyeonock; Moon, Y.-J.; Lee, Harim, E-mail: nho0512@khu.ac.kr, E-mail: moonyj@khu.ac.kr [School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University, Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-04-20

    It is essential to determine three-dimensional parameters (e.g., radial speed, angular width, and source location) of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) for the space weather forecast. In this study, we investigate which cone type represents a halo CME morphology using 29 CMEs (12 Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) /Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) halo CMEs and 17 Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory ( STEREO )/Sun–Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation COR2 halo CMEs) from 2010 December to 2011 June. These CMEs are identified as halo CMEs by one spacecraft ( SOHO or one of STEREO A and B ) and limb ones by the other spacecraft (One of STEREO A and B or SOHO ). From cone shape parameters of these CMEs, such as their front curvature, we find that the CME observational structures are much closer to a full ice-cream cone type than a shallow ice-cream cone type. Thus, we develop a full ice-cream cone model based on a new methodology that the full ice-cream cone consists of many flat cones with different heights and angular widths to estimate the three-dimensional parameters of the halo CMEs. This model is constructed by carrying out the following steps: (1) construct a cone for a given height and angular width, (2) project the cone onto the sky plane, (3) select points comprising the outer boundary, and (4) minimize the difference between the estimated projection speeds with the observed ones. By applying this model to 12 SOHO /LASCO halo CMEs, we find that 3D parameters from our method are similar to those from other stereoscopic methods (i.e., a triangulation method and a Graduated Cylindrical Shell model).

  4. Development of a Full Ice-cream Cone Model for Halo Coronal Mass Ejections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Na, Hyeonock; Moon, Y.-J.; Lee, Harim

    2017-01-01

    It is essential to determine three-dimensional parameters (e.g., radial speed, angular width, and source location) of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) for the space weather forecast. In this study, we investigate which cone type represents a halo CME morphology using 29 CMEs (12 Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) /Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) halo CMEs and 17 Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory ( STEREO )/Sun–Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation COR2 halo CMEs) from 2010 December to 2011 June. These CMEs are identified as halo CMEs by one spacecraft ( SOHO or one of STEREO A and B ) and limb ones by the other spacecraft (One of STEREO A and B or SOHO ). From cone shape parameters of these CMEs, such as their front curvature, we find that the CME observational structures are much closer to a full ice-cream cone type than a shallow ice-cream cone type. Thus, we develop a full ice-cream cone model based on a new methodology that the full ice-cream cone consists of many flat cones with different heights and angular widths to estimate the three-dimensional parameters of the halo CMEs. This model is constructed by carrying out the following steps: (1) construct a cone for a given height and angular width, (2) project the cone onto the sky plane, (3) select points comprising the outer boundary, and (4) minimize the difference between the estimated projection speeds with the observed ones. By applying this model to 12 SOHO /LASCO halo CMEs, we find that 3D parameters from our method are similar to those from other stereoscopic methods (i.e., a triangulation method and a Graduated Cylindrical Shell model).

  5. Development of a Full Ice-cream Cone Model for Halo Coronal Mass Ejections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Na, Hyeonock; Moon, Y.-J.; Lee, Harim

    2017-04-01

    It is essential to determine three-dimensional parameters (e.g., radial speed, angular width, and source location) of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) for the space weather forecast. In this study, we investigate which cone type represents a halo CME morphology using 29 CMEs (12 Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)/Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) halo CMEs and 17 Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO)/Sun-Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation COR2 halo CMEs) from 2010 December to 2011 June. These CMEs are identified as halo CMEs by one spacecraft (SOHO or one of STEREO A and B) and limb ones by the other spacecraft (One of STEREO A and B or SOHO). From cone shape parameters of these CMEs, such as their front curvature, we find that the CME observational structures are much closer to a full ice-cream cone type than a shallow ice-cream cone type. Thus, we develop a full ice-cream cone model based on a new methodology that the full ice-cream cone consists of many flat cones with different heights and angular widths to estimate the three-dimensional parameters of the halo CMEs. This model is constructed by carrying out the following steps: (1) construct a cone for a given height and angular width, (2) project the cone onto the sky plane, (3) select points comprising the outer boundary, and (4) minimize the difference between the estimated projection speeds with the observed ones. By applying this model to 12 SOHO/LASCO halo CMEs, we find that 3D parameters from our method are similar to those from other stereoscopic methods (I.e., a triangulation method and a Graduated Cylindrical Shell model).

  6. Holographic entanglement entropy for hollow cones and banana shaped regions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dorn, Harald [Institut für Physik und IRIS Adlershof, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin,Zum Großen Windkanal 6, D-12489 Berlin (Germany)

    2016-06-09

    We consider banana shaped regions as examples of compact regions, whose boundary has two conical singularities. Their regularised holographic entropy is calculated with all divergent as well as finite terms. The coefficient of the squared logarithmic divergence, also in such a case with internally curved boundary, agrees with that calculated in the literature for infinite circular cones with their internally flat boundary. For the otherwise conformally invariant coefficient of the ordinary logarithmic divergence an anomaly under exceptional conformal transformations is observed. The construction of minimal submanifolds, needed for the entanglement entropy of cones, requires fine-tuning of Cauchy data. Perturbations of such fine-tuning leads to solutions relevant for hollow cones. The divergent parts for the entanglement entropy of hollow cones are calculated. Increasing the difference between the opening angles of their outer and inner boundary, one finds a transition between connected solutions for small differences to disconnected solutions for larger ones.

  7. Development of a cone-geometry positron moderator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lynn, K.G.; Gramsch, E.; Usmar, S.G.; Sferlazzo, P.

    1989-01-01

    Results are presented on a new cone-shaped positron moderator which shows a high moderator efficiency (i.e., conversion of beta decay to emitted slow positrons). The moderator efficiencies for the cone moderators studied were found to be up to 0.14% compared to thin-foil measurements of 0.06% in the same experimental system including identical source and holder. These moderators are rugged and easily fabricated, however, they have a lower brightness than single-crystal foil moderators. Comparison of various geometries is presented as well as suggestions for further improvements to increase the total efficiencies

  8. Some Nonunique Fixed Point Theorems of Ćirić Type on Cone Metric Spaces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erdal Karapınar

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Some results of (Ćirić, 1974 on a nonunique fixed point theorem on the class of metric spaces are extended to the class of cone metric spaces. Namely, nonunique fixed point theorem is proved in orbitally complete cone metric spaces under the assumption that the cone is strongly minihedral. Regarding the scalar weight of cone metric, we are able to remove the assumption of strongly minihedral.

  9. Insectos de cones y semillas de las coniferas de Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    David Cibrián-Tovar; Bernard H. Ebel; Harry O. Yates; José Tulio Mhdez-Montiel

    1986-01-01

    The hosts, description, damage, life cycle, habits, and importance of 54 known cone and seed destroying insects attacking Mexican conifer trees are discussed. Distribution maps and color photos are provided. New species described are three species of Cydia (seedworm), four species of Dioryctria (coneworm), and four species of cone...

  10. Ejecta evolution during cone impact

    KAUST Repository

    Marston, Jeremy; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur T

    2014-01-01

    -similarity for all impact speeds for very low surface tension liquids, whilst for high-surface tension liquids similarity is only achieved at high impact speeds. We find that the ejecta tip can detach from the cone and that this phenomenon can be attributed

  11. Cone photopigment in older subjects: decreased optical density in early age-related macular degeneration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elsner, Ann E.; Burns, Stephen A.; Weiter, John J.

    2002-01-01

    We measured changes to cone photoreceptors in patients with early age-related macular degeneration. The data of 53 patients were compared with normative data for color matching measurements of long- and middle-wavelength-sensitive cones in the central macula. A four-parameter model quantified cone photopigment optical density and kinetics. Cone photopigment optical density was on average less for the patients than for normal subjects and was uncorrelated with visual acuity. More light was needed to reduce the photopigment density by 50% in the steady state for patients. These results imply that cone photopigment optical density is reduced by factors other than slowed kinetics.

  12. On Krasnoselskii's Cone Fixed Point Theorem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Man Kam Kwong

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, the Krasnoselskii fixed point theorem for cone maps and its many generalizations have been successfully applied to establish the existence of multiple solutions in the study of boundary value problems of various types. In the first part of this paper, we revisit the Krasnoselskii theorem, in a more topological perspective, and show that it can be deduced in an elementary way from the classical Brouwer-Schauder theorem. This viewpoint also leads to a topology-theoretic generalization of the theorem. In the second part of the paper, we extend the cone theorem in a different direction using the notion of retraction and show that a stronger form of the often cited Leggett-Williams theorem is a special case of this extension.

  13. Nontraumatic tibial polyethylene insert cone fracture in mobile-bearing posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty

    OpenAIRE

    Tanikake, Yohei; Hayashi, Koji; Ogawa, Munehiro; Inagaki, Yusuke; Kawate, Kenji; Tomita, Tetsuya; Tanaka, Yasuhito

    2016-01-01

    A 72-year-old male patient underwent mobile-bearing posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis. He experienced a nontraumatic polyethylene tibial insert cone fracture 27 months after surgery. Scanning electron microscopy of the fracture surface of the tibial insert cone suggested progress of ductile breaking from the posterior toward the anterior of the cone due to repeated longitudinal bending stress, leading to fatigue breaking at the anterior side of the cone, followed...

  14. The DAL10 gene from Norway spruce (Picea abies) belongs to a potentially gymnosperm-specific subclass of MADS-box genes and is specifically active in seed cones and pollen cones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlsbecker, Annelie; Sundström, Jens; Tandre, Karolina; Englund, Marie; Kvarnheden, Anders; Johanson, Urban; Engström, Peter

    2003-01-01

    Transcription factors encoded by different members of the MADS-box gene family have evolved central roles in the regulation of reproductive organ development in the flowering plants, the angiosperms. Development of the stamens and carpels, the pollen- and seed-bearing organs, involves the B- and C-organ-identity MADS-box genes. B- and C-type gene orthologs with activities specifically in developing pollen- and seed-bearing organs are also present in the distantly related gymnosperms: the conifers and the gnetophytes. We now report on the characterization of DAL10, a novel MADS-box gene from the conifer Norway spruce, which unlike the B- and C-type conifer genes shows no distinct orthology relationship to any angiosperm gene or clade in phylogenetic analyses. Like the B- and C-type genes, it is active specifically in developing pollen cones and seed cones. In situ RNA localization experiments show DAL10 to be expressed in the cone axis, which carry the microsporophylls of the young pollen cone. In contrast, in the seed cone it is expressed both in the cone axis and in the bracts, which subtend the ovuliferous scales. Expression data and the phenotype of transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing DAL10 suggest that the gene may act upstream to or in concert with the B- and C-type genes in the establishment of reproductive identity of developing cones.

  15. Monte-Carlo Simulation of Hydrogen Adsorption in Single-Wall Carbon Nano-Cones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zohreh Ahadi

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The properties of hydrogen adsorption in single-walled carbon nano-cones are investigated in detail by Monte Carlo simulations. A great deal of our computational results show that the hydrogen storage capacity in single-walled carbon nano-cones is slightly smaller than the capacity of single-walled carbon nanotubes at any time at the same conditions. This indicates that the hydrogen storage capacity of single-walled carbon nano-cones is related to angles of carbon nano-cones. It seems that these type of nanotubes could not exceed the 2010 goal of 6 wt%, which is presented by the U.S. Department of Energy. In addition, these results are discussed in theory.

  16. Fixed Points of α-Admissible Mappings in Cone Metric Spaces with Banach Algebra

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.K. Malhotra

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we introduce the $\\alpha$-admissible mappings in the setting of cone metric spaces equipped with Banach algebra and solid cones. Our results generalize and extend several known results of metric and cone metric spaces. An example is presented which illustrates and shows the significance of results proved herein.

  17. Ionization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    This document reprints the text of the French by-law from January 8, 2002 relative to the approval and to the controls and verifications of facilities devoted to the ionizing of food products for human beings and animals. The by-law imposes the operators of such facilities to perform measurements and dosimetric verifications all along the ionization process. (J.S.)

  18. Improved image quality for asymmetric double-focal cone-beam SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cao, Z.J.; Tsui, B.M.W.

    1993-01-01

    To optimize both spatial resolution and detection efficiency in brain SPECT imaging using a rectangular camera, an asymmetric double-focal cone-beam collimator is proposed with the focal points located near the base plane of the patient's head. To fit the entire head into the field-of-view of the collimator with dimensions of 50cmx40cm and at a radius-of-rotation of 15 cm, the focal lengths of the collimator are 55 and 70 cm, respectively, in the transverse and axial directions. With this geometry, the artifacts in the reconstructed image produced by the Feldkamp algorithm are more severe compared to those in a symmetric cone-beam geometry, due to the larger vertex angle between the top of the head and the base plane. To improve the reconstructed image quality, a fully three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction algorithm developed previously for single-focal cone-beam SPECT was extended to the asymmetric double-focal cone-beam geometry. The algorithm involves nonstationary 2D filtering and a reprojection technique for estimation of the missing data caused by a single-orbit cone-beam geometry. The results from simulation studies with the 3D Defrise slab phantom demonstrated that the fully 3D algorithm provided a much improved image quality in terms of reduced slice-to-slice cross talks and shape elongation compared to that produced by the conventional Feldkamp algorithm

  19. The photocurrent response of human cones is fast and monophasic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lamb TD

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The precise form of the light response of human cone photoreceptors in vivo has not been established with certainty. To investigate the response shape we compare the predictions of a recent model of transduction in primate cone photoreceptors with measurements extracted from human cones using the paired-flash electroretinogram method. As a check, we also compare the predictions with previous single-cell measurements of ground squirrel cone responses. Results The predictions of the model provide a good description of the measurements, using values of parameters within the range previously determined for primate retina. The dim-flash response peaks in about 20 ms, and flash responses at all intensities are essentially monophasic. Three time constants in the model are extremely short: the two time constants for inactivation (of visual pigment and of transducin/phosphodiesterase are around 3 and 10 ms, and the time constant for calcium equilibration lies in the same range. Conclusion The close correspondence between experiment and theory, using parameters previously derived for recordings from macaque retina, supports the notion that the electroretinogram approach and the modelling approach both provide an accurate estimate of the cone photoresponse in the living human eye. For reasons that remain unclear, the responses of isolated photoreceptors from the macaque retina, recorded previously using the suction pipette method, are considerably slower than found here, and display biphasic kinetics.

  20. Cone beam tomography of the heart using single-photon emission-computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gullberg, G.T.; Christian, P.E.; Zeng, G.L.; Datz, F.L.; Morgan, H.T.

    1991-01-01

    The authors evaluated cone beam single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT) of the heart. A new cone beam reconstruction algorithm was used to reconstruct data collected from short scan acquisitions (of slightly more than 180 degrees) of a detector anteriorally traversing a noncircular orbit. The less than 360 degrees acquisition was used to minimize the attenuation artifacts that result from reconstructing posterior projections of 201T1 emissions from the heart. The algorithm includes a new method for reconstructing truncated projections of background tissue activity that eliminates reconstruction ring artifacts. Phantom and patient results are presented which compare a high-resolution cone beam collimator (50-cm focal length; 6.0-mm full width at half maximum [FWHM] at 10 cm) to a low-energy general purpose (LEGP) parallel hole collimator (8.2-mm FWHM at 10 cm) which is 1.33 times more sensitive. The cone beam tomographic results are free of reconstruction artifacts and show improved spatial and contrast resolution over that obtained with the LEGP parallel hole collimator. The limited angular sampling restrictions and truncation problems associated with cone beam tomography do not deter from obtaining diagnostic information. However, even though these preliminary results are encouraging, a thorough clinical study is still needed to investigate the specificity and sensitivity of cone beam tomography

  1. Ionizing radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kruger, J.

    1989-01-01

    Ionizing radiation results in biological damage that differs from other hazardous substances and is highly dangerous to man. Ionizing radiation cannot be perceived by man's sense organs and the biological damage cannot be detected immediately afterwards (except in very high doses). Every human being is exposed to low doses of radiation. The structure of the atom; sources of ionizing radiation; radiation units; biological effects; norms for radiation protection; and the national control in South Africa are discussed. 1 fig., 5 refs

  2. A DEEP CHANDRA ACIS STUDY OF NGC 4151. III. THE LINE EMISSION AND SPECTRAL ANALYSIS OF THE IONIZATION CONE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Junfeng; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Elvis, Martin; Risaliti, Guido; Karovska, Margarita; Zezas, Andreas; Mundell, Carole G.; Dumas, Gaelle; Schinnerer, Eva

    2011-01-01

    This paper is the third in a series in which we present deep Chandra ACIS-S imaging spectroscopy of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4151, devoted to study its complex circumnuclear X-ray emission. Emission features in the soft X-ray spectrum of the bright extended emission (L 0.3-2 k eV ∼ 10 40 erg s –1 ) at r > 130 pc (2'') are consistent with blended brighter O VII, O VIII, and Ne IX lines seen in the Chandra HETGS and XMM-Newton RGS spectra below 2 keV. We construct emission line images of these features and find good morphological correlations with the narrow-line region clouds mapped in [O III] λ5007. Self-consistent photoionization models provide good descriptions of the spectra of the large-scale emission, as well as resolved structures, supporting the dominant role of nuclear photoionization, although displacement of optical and X-ray features implies a more complex medium. Collisionally ionized emission is estimated to be ∼ ☉ yr –1 at 130 pc and the kinematic power of the ionized outflow is 1.7 × 10 41 erg s –1 , approximately 0.3% of the bolometric luminosity of the active nucleus in NGC 4151.

  3. Electron ionization and the Compton effect in double ionization of helium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Samson, J.

    1994-01-01

    The author discusses ionization phenomena in helium, both photoionization and electron ionization. In particular he compares double ionization cross sections with total cross sections, as a function of electron energy, and photon energy. Data is discussed over the energy range up to 10 keV

  4. The Effects of Gx, Gy and Gz Forces on Cone Mesopic Vision

    Science.gov (United States)

    1983-10-01

    of duration less than 1.0 seconds (time frame may vary depending on the source referred to). macular degeneration - Atrophy of the macula of the...rela- 7 tive number of cones itrcreases. In the macula , the visual center of the eye, there is virtually only cones. There are other anatomic...the cones in the center of the macula having a 1:1 synaptic ratio). These features allow small stimuli with minimal separated distances to activate

  5. Evaluation of mechanical and thermal properties of Pine cone fibers reinforced compatibilized polypropylene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arrakhiz, F.Z.; El Achaby, M.; Benmoussa, K.; Bouhfid, R.; Essassi, E.M.; Qaiss, A.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Pine cone fibers are used as reinforcement in thermoplastic matrix. ► Pine cone fiber was alkali treated to remove waxes and non cellulosic component. ► Fiber–matrix adhesion was assured by the use of a SEBS-g-MA as a compatibilizer. -- Abstract: Pine cone fibers are a cellulosic material readily available and can be used as reinforcement in a thermoplastic-based composite. A solid knowledge of their fibrillar morphology and structure is required to evaluate their usefulness as a substitute to other abundant natural fibers. Pine cone fibers were alkali treated prior usage to remove waxes and non cellulosic surface component. Fiber–matrix adhesion was assured by both a styrene–(ethylene–butene)–styrene triblock copolymer grafted with maleic anhydride (SEBS-g-MA) and a linear block copolymer based on styrene and butadiene compatibilizer. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), tensile and torsional tests were employed for Pine cone polypropylene composite and compatibilized composite at different fiber content. Results show a clear improvement in mechanical properties from the use of both alkali treated Pine cone and Pine cone compatibilized with maleic anhydride, a gain of 43% and 49% respectively in the Young’s modulus, as a results of improved adhesion between fibers and matrix at the interface.

  6. ℮-conome: an automated tissue counting platform of cone photoreceptors for rodent models of retinitis pigmentosa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clérin Emmanuelle

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Retinitis pigmentosa is characterized by the sequential loss of rod and cone photoreceptors. The preservation of cones would prevent blindness due to their essential role in human vision. Rod-derived Cone Viability Factor is a thioredoxin-like protein that is secreted by rods and is involved in cone survival. To validate the activity of Rod-derived Cone Viability Factors (RdCVFs as therapeutic agents for treating retinitis Pigmentosa, we have developed e-conome, an automated cell counting platform for retinal flat mounts of rodent models of cone degeneration. This automated quantification method allows for faster data analysis thereby accelerating translational research. Methods An inverted fluorescent microscope, motorized and coupled to a CCD camera records images of cones labeled with fluorescent peanut agglutinin lectin on flat-mounted retinas. In an average of 300 fields per retina, nine Z-planes at magnification X40 are acquired after two-stage autofocus individually for each field. The projection of the stack of 9 images is subject to a threshold, filtered to exclude aberrant images based on preset variables. The cones are identified by treating the resulting image using 13 variables empirically determined. The cone density is calculated over the 300 fields. Results The method was validated by comparison to the conventional stereological counting. The decrease in cone density in rd1 mouse was found to be equivalent to the decrease determined by stereological counting. We also studied the spatiotemporal pattern of the degeneration of cones in the rd1 mouse and show that while the reduction in cone density starts in the central part of the retina, cone degeneration progresses at the same speed over the whole retinal surface. We finally show that for mice with an inactivation of the Nucleoredoxin-like genes Nxnl1 or Nxnl2 encoding RdCVFs, the loss of cones is more pronounced in the ventral retina. Conclusion The automated

  7. ℮-conome: an automated tissue counting platform of cone photoreceptors for rodent models of retinitis pigmentosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clérin, Emmanuelle; Wicker, Nicolas; Mohand-Saïd, Saddek; Poch, Olivier; Sahel, José-Alain; Léveillard, Thierry

    2011-12-20

    Retinitis pigmentosa is characterized by the sequential loss of rod and cone photoreceptors. The preservation of cones would prevent blindness due to their essential role in human vision. Rod-derived Cone Viability Factor is a thioredoxin-like protein that is secreted by rods and is involved in cone survival. To validate the activity of Rod-derived Cone Viability Factors (RdCVFs) as therapeutic agents for treating retinitis Pigmentosa, we have developed e-conome, an automated cell counting platform for retinal flat mounts of rodent models of cone degeneration. This automated quantification method allows for faster data analysis thereby accelerating translational research. An inverted fluorescent microscope, motorized and coupled to a CCD camera records images of cones labeled with fluorescent peanut agglutinin lectin on flat-mounted retinas. In an average of 300 fields per retina, nine Z-planes at magnification X40 are acquired after two-stage autofocus individually for each field. The projection of the stack of 9 images is subject to a threshold, filtered to exclude aberrant images based on preset variables. The cones are identified by treating the resulting image using 13 variables empirically determined. The cone density is calculated over the 300 fields. The method was validated by comparison to the conventional stereological counting. The decrease in cone density in rd1 mouse was found to be equivalent to the decrease determined by stereological counting. We also studied the spatiotemporal pattern of the degeneration of cones in the rd1 mouse and show that while the reduction in cone density starts in the central part of the retina, cone degeneration progresses at the same speed over the whole retinal surface. We finally show that for mice with an inactivation of the Nucleoredoxin-like genes Nxnl1 or Nxnl2 encoding RdCVFs, the loss of cones is more pronounced in the ventral retina. The automated platform ℮-conome used here for retinal disease is a tool that

  8. Cone-beam CT in paediatric dentistry. DIMITRA project position statement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oenning, Anne Caroline; Jacobs, Reinhilde; Pauwels, Ruben; Stratis, Andreas; Hedesiu, Mihaela; Salmon, Benjamin

    2018-01-01

    DIMITRA (dentomaxillofacial paediatric imaging: an investigation towards low-dose radiation induced risks) is a European multicenter and multidisciplinary project focused on optimizing cone-beam CT exposures for children and adolescents. With increasing use of cone-beam CT for dentomaxillofacial diagnostics, concern arises regarding radiation risks associated with this imaging modality, especially for children. Research evidence concerning cone-beam CT indications in children remains limited, while reports mention inconsistent recommendations for dose reduction. Furthermore, there is no paper using the combined and integrated information on the required indication-oriented image quality and the related patient dose levels. In this paper, therefore, the authors initiate an integrated approach based on current evidence regarding image quality and dose, together with the expertise of DIMITRA's members searching for a state of the art. The aim of this DIMITRA position statement is to provide indication-oriented and patient-specific recommendations regarding the main cone-beam CT applications in the pediatric field. The authors will review this position statement document when results regarding multidisciplinary approaches evolve, in a period of 5 years or earlier. (orig.)

  9. Characteristics of cones and seeds of Pinus sibirica Du Tour at tree line in the Central Altai

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. O. Filimonova

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available We studied the cones of Siberian stone pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour at its treeline in the forest tundra ecotone in the Severo-Chuisky Range, the Altai Mountains, Russia. We have registered length, diameter and form of apophysis, the number of sterile and fertile scales in the cones, the number of ovules and the number of seeds, including developed and underdeveloped seeds, and the developed seeds/ovules ratio. The cones and seeds are produced below 2350 m a. s. l under arid conditions (east-south-eastern slope and below 2390 m a. s. l. under more humid conditions (west-north-western slope. These altitudes are reproductive line of Siberian stone pine. The predominant forms of the cones near this line are cone-like, spherical and cylindrical. Apophyses are mostly tuberous, hook-like and flat. The most (50% of the sampled cones have the cylindrical form. The number of ovules varied from 84.6 to 102.4 per cone, the number of seeds were from 76.7 to 98.9 per cone, and the developed seeds were 74.5 to 95.7 per cone. The lowest proportion of developed seeds was registered for cones sampled on arid east-south-eastern slope in 2011. The cones with tuberous apophysis have the highest number of seeds (up to 103.6–110 per cone under more humid and 87.3–104.4 per cone under more arid conditions. Cones gathered at 2235–2390 m a. s. l. have low presence of underdeveloped seeds (1.0 to 3.2 % and high developed seeds/ovules ratio (87.2 to 93.7 %.

  10. Correlated cone noise decreases rod signal contributions to the post-receptoral pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hathibelagal, Amithavikram R; Feigl, Beatrix; Zele, Andrew J

    2018-04-01

    This study investigated how invisible extrinsic temporal white noise that correlates with the activity of one of the three [magnocellular (MC), parvocellular (PC), or koniocellular (KC)] post-receptoral pathways alters mesopic rod signaling. A four-primary photostimulator provided independent control of the rod and three cone photoreceptor excitations. The rod contributions to the three post-receptoral pathways were estimated by perceptually matching a 20% contrast rod pulse by independently varying the LMS (MC pathway), +L-M (PC pathway), and S-cone (KC pathway) excitations. We show that extrinsic cone noise caused a predominant decrease in the overall magnitude and ratio of the rod contributions to each pathway. Thus, the relative cone activity in the post-receptoral pathways determines the relative mesopic rod inputs to each pathway.

  11. Polymorphic New World monkeys with more than three M/L cone types

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobs, Gerald H.; Deegan, Jess F.

    2005-10-01

    Most New World (platyrrhine) monkeys have M/L cone photopigment polymorphisms that map directly into individual variations in visual sensitivity and color vision. We used electroretinogram flicker photometry to examine M/L cone photopigments in the New World monkey Callicebus moloch (the dusky Titi). Like other New World monkeys, this species has an M/L cone photopigment polymorphism that reflects the presence of X-chromosome opsin gene alleles. However, unlike other platyrrhines in which three M/L photopigments are typical, Callicebus has a total of five M/L cone photopigments. The peak sensitivity values for these pigments extend across the range from 530 to 562 nm. The result is an enhanced array of potential color vision phenotypes in this species.

  12. On the zero mode problem of the light-cone quantization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Suzhou; Lin, Wei

    1993-01-01

    The light-cone quantization for theories involving arbitrarily interacting scalars is studied systematically. The zero mode, which plays a special role in the light-cone quantization, is treated explicitly. The arguments utilize a lattice regularization and the constrained path-integral method. It is shown, to all orders in coupling constants or the loop expansion, that the ghost fields, introduced to enforce the constraints, decouple from all the virtual processes in the infinite-volume limit. The only possibility for the light-cone quantization to deviate from the equal-time quantization is when the interaction is such that the bosonic ghost fields develop expectation values and consequently alter the location of the minimum point of the effective potential. 24 refs

  13. Kornwell-Norton moments and electromagnetic current commutator expansion on light cone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vitsorek, Eh.; Motts, G.

    1975-01-01

    Relations have been obtained between the asymptotic behaviour of moments and the commutator of electromagnetic currents on the light cone. The existence of the operator decomposition on the light cone and the applicability of Fourier transformation to it has not been assumed

  14. Genetics Home Reference: cone-rod dystrophy

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... common cause of autosomal recessive cone-rod dystrophy , accounting for 30 to 60 percent of cases. At ... dystrophy play essential roles in the structure and function of specialized light receptor cells (photoreceptors) in the ...

  15. Spectral sensitivity of the feedback signal from horizontal cells to cones in goldfish retina

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kraaij, D. A.; Kamermans, M.; Spekreijse, H.

    1998-01-01

    The spectral sensitivity of cones in isolated goldfish retina was determined with whole-cell recording techniques. Three spectral classes of cones were found with maximal sensitivities around 620 nm, 540 nm, and 460 nm. UV-cones were not found because our stimulator did not allow effective

  16. The sine-Gordon model and the small κ+ region of light- cone perturbation theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Griffin, P.A.

    1992-01-01

    The non-perturbative ultraviolet divergence of the sine-Gordon model is used to study the k + = 0 region of light-cone perturbation theory. The light-cone vacuum is shown to be unstable at the non- perturbative β 2 = 8π critical point by a light-cone version of Coleman's variational method. Vacuum bubbles, which are k + = 0 diagram in light-cone field theory and are individually finite and non-vanishing for all β, conspire to generate ultraviolet divergences of the light-cone energy density. The k + = 0 region of momentum also contributed to connected Green's functions: the connected two point function will not diverge, as it should, at the critical point unless diagrams which contribute only at k + = 0 are properly included. This analysis shows in a simple way how the k + = 0 region cannot be ignored even for connected diagrams. This phenomenon is expected to occur in higher dimensional gauge theories starting at two loop order in light-cone perturbation theory

  17. Ionization detector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Solomon, E.E.

    1980-01-01

    A safe and reliable apparatus for detecting products of combustion and aerosols in the atmosphere was developed which uses a beta source. It is easy to adjust for optimum performance. The ionization detector comprises a double chamber; one of the chambers is the basic sensing chamber. The sensing chamber is ported to both the secondary chambers to account for slow ambient changes in the atmosphere outside of the chamber. The voltages from the ionization chamber are adjusted with electrodes in each chamber. The ionization chamber contains baffles to direct the air to be sensed as well as an electrostatic screen. A unique electronic circuit provides an inexpensive and reliable means for detecting the signal change which occurs in the ionization chamber. The decision level of the alarm circuit can be adjusted to allow for any desired sensitivity. (D.N.)

  18. Non-dissipative electromagnetic media with two Lorentz null cones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dahl, Matias F.

    2013-01-01

    We study Maxwell’s equations on a 4-manifold where the electromagnetic medium is modeled by an antisymmetric (2/2 )-tensor with 21 real coefficients. In this setting the Fresnel surface is a fourth-order polynomial surface that describes the dynamical response of the medium in the geometric optics limit. For example, in an isotropic medium the Fresnel surface is a Lorentz null cone. The contribution of this paper is the pointwise description of all electromagnetic medium tensors κ with real coefficients that satisfy the following three conditions: (i)medium κ is invertible, (ii)medium κ is skewon-free, or non-dissipative, (iii)the Fresnel surface of κ is the union of two distinct Lorentz null cones. We show that there are only three classes of media with these properties and give explicit expressions in local coordinates for each class. - Highlights: ► We find two new electromagnetic media classes for which the Fresnel surface decomposes into two light cones. ► In a suitable setting we classify all electromagnetic media where this is the case. ► We find an electromagnetic medium tensor with three different signal speeds in one direction. ► The work is related to [5], which classifies all media with one light cone (in a suitable setting).

  19. Determination of the Resistance of Cone-Shaped Solid Electrodes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frandsen, Henrik Lund; Hendriksen, Peter Vang; Koch, Søren

    2017-01-01

    during processing can be avoided. Newman's formula for current constriction in the electrolyte is then used to deduce the active contact area based on the ohmic resistance of the cell, and from this the surface specific electro-catalytic activity. However, for electrode materials with low electrical......A cone-shaped electrode pressed into an electrolyte can with advantage be utilized to characterize the electro-catalytic properties of the electrode, because it is less dependent on the electrode microstructure than e.g. thin porous composite electrodes, and reactions with the electrolyte occurring...... conductivity (like Ce1-xPrxO2-δ), the resistance of the cell is significantly influenced by the ohmic resistance of the cone electrode, wherefore it must be included. In this work the ohmic resistance of a cone is modelled analytically based on simplified geometries. The two analytical models only differ...

  20. Effect of inlet cone pipe angle in catalytic converter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amira Zainal, Nurul; Farhain Azmi, Ezzatul; Arifin Samad, Mohd

    2018-03-01

    The catalytic converter shows significant consequence to improve the performance of the vehicle start from it launched into production. Nowadays, the geometric design of the catalytic converter has become critical to avoid the behavior of backpressure in the exhaust system. The backpressure essentially reduced the performance of vehicles and increased the fuel consumption gradually. Consequently, this study aims to design various models of catalytic converter and optimize the volume of fluid flow inside the catalytic converter by changing the inlet cone pipe angles. Three different geometry angles of the inlet cone pipe of the catalytic converter were assessed. The model is simulated in Solidworks software to determine the optimum geometric design of the catalytic converter. The result showed that by decreasing the divergence angle of inlet cone pipe will upsurge the performance of the catalytic converter.

  1. Light-cone quantized QCD and novel hadron phenomenology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brodsky, S.J.

    1997-09-01

    The authors reviews progress made in solving gauge theories such as collinear quantum chromodynamics using light-cone Hamiltonian methods. He also shows how the light-cone Fock expansion for hadron wavefunctions can be used to compute operator matrix elements such as decay amplitudes, form factors, distribution amplitudes, and structure functions, and how it provides a tool for exploring novel features of QCD. The author also reviews commensurate scale relations, leading-twist identities which relate physical observables to each other, thus eliminating renormalization scale and scheme ambiguities in perturbative QCD predictions

  2. Design and development of new collimator cones for fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy in Samsung Medical Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahn, Y C; Ju, S G; Kim, D Y; Choi, D R; Huh, S J; Park, Y H; Lim, D H; Kim, M K

    1999-05-01

    In stereotactic radiotherapy using X-Knife system, the commercially supplied collimator cone system had a few mechanical limitations. The authors have developed new collimator cones to overcome these limitations and named them "SMC type" collimator cones. We made use of cadmium-free cerrobend alloy within the stainless steel cylinder housing. We made nine cones of relatively larger sizes (3.0 cm to 7.0 cm in diameter) and of shorter length with bigger clearance from the isocenter than the commercial cones. The cone housing and the collimator cones were designed to insert into the wedge mount of the gantry head to enable double-exposure linac-gram taking. The mechanical accuracy of pointing to the isocenter was tested by ball test and cone rotation test, and the dosimetric measurements were performed, all of which were with satisfactory results. A new innovative quality assurance procedure using linac-grams on the patients at the actual treatment setup was attempted after taking 10 sets of AP and lateral linac-grams and the overall mechanical isocenter accuracy was excellent (average error = 0.4 +/- 0.2 mm). We have developed the SMC type collimator cone system mainly for fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy use with our innovative ideas. The new cones' mechanical accuracy and physical properties were satisfactory for clinical use, and the verification of the isocenter accuracy on the actual treatment setup has become possible.

  3. Chapter 51: How to Build a Simple Cone Search Service Using a Local Database

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kent, B. R.; Greene, G. R.

    The cone search service protocol will be examined from the server side in this chapter. A simple cone search service will be setup and configured locally using MySQL. Data will be read into a table, and the Java JDBC will be used to connect to the database. Readers will understand the VO cone search specification and how to use it to query a database on their local systems and return an XML/VOTable file based on an input of RA/DEC coordinates and a search radius. The cone search in this example will be deployed as a Java servlet. The resulting cone search can be tested with a verification service. This basic setup can be used with other languages and relational databases.

  4. Ionizing radiation in environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jandl, J.; Petr, I.

    1988-01-01

    The basic terms are explained such as the atom, radioactivity, nuclear reaction, interaction of ionizing radiation with matter, etc. The basic dosimetric variables and units and properties of radionuclides and ionizing radiation are given. Natural and artificial sources of ionizing radiation are discussed with regard to the environment and the propagation and migration of radionuclides is described in the environment to man. The impact is explained of ionizing radiation on the cell and the somatic and genetic effects of radiation on man are outlined. Attention is devoted to protection against ionizing radiation and to radiation limits, also to the detection, dosimetry and monitoring of ionizing radiation in the environment. (M.D.). 92 figs., 40 tabs. 74 refs

  5. Internal Reflection Sensor for the Cone Penetrometer. Innovative Technology Summary Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    None

    2001-01-01

    The Internal Reflection Sensor, developed by EIC Laboratories, Inc. as a cone penetrometer based technology, provides real-time detection of subsurface non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs). The internal reflection element is positioned against the wall of the cone penetrometer probe such that its sensing face is in contact with the soil or groundwater as the cone is pushed into the subsurface. When NAPL is present and in contact with the sensing face, the internally reflected light is diminished. This results in a decrease in the signal output by the detector - a positive indicator of NAPL presence

  6. A model for precessing helical vortex in the turbine discharge cone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuibin, P A; University Politehnica Timişoara, Bv. Mihai Viteazu 1, RO-300222, Timişoara (Romania))" data-affiliation=" (Department of Hydraulic Machinery, University Politehnica Timişoara, Bv. Mihai Viteazu 1, RO-300222, Timişoara (Romania))" >Susan-Resiga, R F; Muntean, S

    2014-01-01

    The decelerated swirling flow in the discharge cone of hydraulic turbine develops various self-induced instabilities and associated low frequency phenomena when the turbine is operated far from the best efficiency regime. In particular, the precessing helical vortex ( v ortex rope ) developed at part-load regimes is notoriously difficult and expensive to be computed using full three-dimensional turbulent unsteady flow models. On the other hand, modern design and optimization techniques require robust, tractable and accurate a-priori assessment of the turbine flow unsteadiness level within a wide operating range before actually knowing the runner geometry details. This paper presents the development and validation of a quasi-analytical model of the vortex rope in the discharge cone. The first stage is the computing of the axisymmetrical swirling flow at runner outlet with input information related only to the operating point and to the blade outlet angle. Then, the swirling flow profile further downstream is computed in successive cross-sections through the discharge cone. The second stage is the reconstruction of the precessing vortex core parameters in successive cross-sections of the discharge cone. The final stage lies in assembling 3D unsteady flow field in the discharge cone. The end result is validated against both experimental and numerical data

  7. Quantitative and Topographical Analysis of the Losses of Cone Photoreceptors and Retinal Ganglion Cells Under Taurine Depletion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadj-Saïd, Wahiba; Froger, Nicolas; Ivkovic, Ivana; Jiménez-López, Manuel; Dubus, Élisabeth; Dégardin-Chicaud, Julie; Simonutti, Manuel; Quénol, César; Neveux, Nathalie; Villegas-Pérez, María Paz; Agudo-Barriuso, Marta; Vidal-Sanz, Manuel; Sahel, Jose-Alain; Picaud, Serge; García-Ayuso, Diego

    2016-09-01

    Taurine depletion is known to induce photoreceptor degeneration and was recently found to also trigger retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss similar to the retinal toxicity of vigabatrin. Our objective was to study the topographical loss of RGCs and cone photoreceptors, with a distinction between the two cone types (S- and L- cones) in an animal model of induced taurine depletion. We used the taurine transporter (Tau-T) inhibitor, guanidoethane sulfonate (GES), to induce taurine depletion at a concentration of 1% in the drinking water. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and electroretinograms (ERG) were performed on animals after 2 months of GES treatment administered through the drinking water. Retinas were dissected as wholemounts and immunodetection of Brn3a (RGC), S-opsin (S-cones), and L-opsin (L-cones) was performed. The number of Brn3a+ RGCs, and L- and S-opsin+ cones was automatically quantified and their retinal distribution studied using isodensity maps. The treatment resulted in a significant reduction in plasma taurine levels and a profound dysfunction of visual performance as shown by ERG recordings. Optical coherence tomography analysis revealed that the retina was thinner in the taurine-depleted group. S-opsin+cones were more affected (36%) than L-opsin+cones (27%) with greater cone cell loss in the dorsal area whereas RGC loss (12%) was uniformly distributed. This study confirms that taurine depletion causes RGC and cone loss. Electroretinograms results show that taurine depletion induces retinal dysfunction in photoreceptors and in the inner retina. It establishes a gradient of cell loss depending on the cell type from S-opsin+cones, L-opsin+cones, to RGCs. The greater cell loss in the dorsal retina and of the S-cone population may underline different cellular mechanisms of cellular degeneration and suggests that S-cones may be more sensitive to light-induced retinal toxicity enhanced by the taurine depletion.

  8. Lrit1, a Retinal Transmembrane Protein, Regulates Selective Synapse Formation in Cone Photoreceptor Cells and Visual Acuity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akiko Ueno

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Summary: In the vertebrate retina, cone photoreceptors play crucial roles in photopic vision by transmitting light-evoked signals to ON- and/or OFF-bipolar cells. However, the mechanisms underlying selective synapse formation in the cone photoreceptor pathway remain poorly understood. Here, we found that Lrit1, a leucine-rich transmembrane protein, localizes to the photoreceptor synaptic terminal and regulates the synaptic connection between cone photoreceptors and cone ON-bipolar cells. Lrit1-deficient retinas exhibit an aberrant morphology of cone photoreceptor pedicles, as well as an impairment of signal transmission from cone photoreceptors to cone ON-bipolar cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Lrit1 interacts with Frmpd2, a photoreceptor scaffold protein, and with mGluR6, an ON-bipolar cell-specific glutamate receptor. Additionally, Lrit1-null mice showed visual acuity impairments in their optokinetic responses. These results suggest that the Frmpd2-Lrit1-mGluR6 axis regulates selective synapse formation in cone photoreceptors and is essential for normal visual function. : Ueno et al. finds that Lrit1 plays an important role in regulating the synaptic connection between cone photoreceptors and cone ON-bipolar cells. The Frmpd2-Lrit1-mGluR6 axis is crucial for selective synapse formation in cone photoreceptors and for development of normal visual function. Keywords: retina, circuit, synapse formation, cone photoreceptor cell, ON-bipolar cell, visual acuity

  9. Effective lifetime of minority carriers in black silicon nano-textured by cones and pyramids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Onyshchenko, V.F.; Karachevtseva, L.A.; Lytvynenko, O.O.

    2017-01-01

    We calculated the dependence of effective lifetime of minority carriers in black silicon nano-textured by cones and pyramids on the diameter of the cone base, the side of the pyramid base, the height of cone and pyramid. The numerical calculation shows that n-type polished plate of single crystal...

  10. Analysis of New Aerodynamic Design of the Nose Cone Section Using CFD and SPH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bogdan-Alexandru BELEGA

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available A new nose cones concept that promises a gain in performance over existing conventional nose cones is discussed in this paper. It is shown that significant performance gains result from the adaptation of the exhaust flow to the ambient pressure. For this complex work, it was necessary to collect and study the various nose cone shapes and the equations describing them? The paper objective was to identify the types of nose cones with ejector channels and specific aerodynamic characteristics of different types of nose cones. The scope of this paper is to develop some prototype profiles with outstanding aerodynamic qualities and low cost for use in construction projects for missile increasing their range and effect on target. The motivation for such a work is caused by a lack of data on aerodynamics for profiles of some nose cones and especially improved aerodynamic qualities that can be used in designing missiles/ rockets. This design method consists of a geometry creation step in which a three-dimensional geometry is generated, a mathematical model presented and a simple flow analysis (FLUENT Simulation from SolidWorks2012 and ANSYS Simulation with SPH for fluid-structure interaction, step which predicts the air intake mass flow rate. Flow phenomena observed in numerical simulations during different nose cone operations are highlighted, critical design aspects and operation conditions are discussed, and performance characteristics of the selected nose cone are presented.

  11. Bulk Fluidity and Apparent Wall Slip of Aqueous Kaolin Suspensions Studied Using the Cone-cone (KK) Sensor: The Effect of Concentration and Temperature.

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pěnkavová, Věra; Tihon, Jaroslav; Wein, Ondřej

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 511, DEC 20 (2016), s. 272-284 ISSN 0927-7757 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LD13018 Grant - others:COST- European Coperation in Science and Technology(XE) MP1305; COST- European Coperation in Science and Technology(XE) MP1106 Program:LD COST Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : aqueous kaolin suspensions * apparent wall slip * cone-cone (KK) sensor Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry , Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 2.714, year: 2016

  12. Determination of CME 3D parameters based on a new full ice-cream cone model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Na, Hyeonock; Moon, Yong-Jae

    2017-08-01

    In space weather forecast, it is important to determine three-dimensional properties of CMEs. Using 29 limb CMEs, we examine which cone type is close to a CME three-dimensional structure. We find that most CMEs have near full ice-cream cone structure which is a symmetrical circular cone combined with a hemisphere. We develop a full ice-cream cone model based on a new methodology that the full ice-cream cone consists of many flat cones with different heights and angular widths. By applying this model to 12 SOHO/LASCO halo CMEs, we find that 3D parameters from our method are similar to those from other stereoscopic methods (i.e., a triangulation method and a Graduated Cylindrical Shell model). In addition, we derive CME mean density (ρmean=Mtotal/Vcone) based on the full ice-cream cone structure. For several limb events, we determine CME mass by applying the Solarsoft procedure (e.g., cme_mass.pro) to SOHO/LASCO C3 images. CME volumes are estimated from the full ice-cream cone structure. From the power-law relationship between CME mean density and its height, we estimate CME mean densities at 20 solar radii (Rs). We will compare the CME densities at 20 Rs with their corresponding ICME densities.

  13. The development of cones and associated features on ion bombarded copper

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whitton, J.L.; Carter, G.; Nobes, M.J.; Williams, J.S.

    1977-01-01

    Observations of ion-bombardment-induced surface modifications on crystalline copper substrates have been made using scanning electron microscopy. The delineation and development of grain boundary edges, faceted and terraced etch pits and small-scale ripple structure, together with the formation of faceted conical features, have all been observed on low and high purity polycrystalline substrates. In general, the density of such surface morphological features, although variable from grain to grain, is higher in the proximity of grain boundaries. In particular, cones are only found within regions where other surface erosional features are present and it would appear that the development of these other features is a pre-requisite to cone generation in high-purity crystalline substrates. We suggest the operation of a defect-induced mechanism of cone formation whereby sputter elaboration of bulk defects (either pre-existing or bombardment-induced) leads to the formation and development of surface features which, in turn, may intersect and result in the generation of cones. (author)

  14. The development of cones and associated features on ion bombarded copper

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whitton, J.L.; Williams, J.S.

    1977-01-01

    Observations of ion-bombardment-induced surface modifications on crystalline copper substrates have been made using scanning electron microscopy. The delineation and development of grain boundary edges, faceted and terraced etch pits and small-scale ripple structure, together with the formation of faceted conical features have all been observed on low and high purity polycrystalline substrates. In general, the density of such surface morphological features, although variable from grain to grain, is higher in the proximity of grain boundaries. In particular, cones are only found within regions where other surface erosional features are present and it would appear that the development of these other surface features is a pre-requisite to cone generation in high-purity crystalline substrates. The authors suggest the operation of a defect-induced mechanism of cone formation whereby sputter elaboration of bulk defects (either preexisting or bombardment-induced) leads to the formation and development of surface features which, in turn, may intersect and result in the generation of cones. (Auth.)

  15. Point spread function modeling and image restoration for cone-beam CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Hua; Shi Yikai; Huang Kuidong; Xu Zhe

    2015-01-01

    X-ray cone-beam computed tomography (CT) has such notable features as high efficiency and precision, and is widely used in the fields of medical imaging and industrial non-destructive testing, but the inherent imaging degradation reduces the quality of CT images. Aimed at the problems of projection image degradation and restoration in cone-beam CT, a point spread function (PSF) modeling method is proposed first. The general PSF model of cone-beam CT is established, and based on it, the PSF under arbitrary scanning conditions can be calculated directly for projection image restoration without the additional measurement, which greatly improved the application convenience of cone-beam CT. Secondly, a projection image restoration algorithm based on pre-filtering and pre-segmentation is proposed, which can make the edge contours in projection images and slice images clearer after restoration, and control the noise in the equivalent level to the original images. Finally, the experiments verified the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed methods. (authors)

  16. Conceptual design of a Raman probe for inclusion in the in-tank cone penetrometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kyle, K.R.

    1994-01-01

    Currently, tank wastes are to be characterized by drilling and physically removing core samples. The cores are analyzed in laboratories in a hot cell environment. The purpose of the cone penetrometer is to bring the interrogative methods to the sample in its native environment, providing faster, safer, and more cost effective tank characterization, both in terms of time and effort. Probes currently exist for the physical characterization of tank wastes in terms of porosity, density, temperature, and electrical conductivity. The main tool for chemical analysis in the in-tank cone penetrometer will be a fiber optic Raman spectroscopy probe, which will be used to collect information about the molecular chemical constituents of the tank wastes. This report addresses the design and implementation of a Raman probe with the in-tank cone penetrometer. The scope of this document includes design specifications and recommendations for the following aspects of the in-tank Raman cone penetrometer probe: cone penetrometer probe interface--an unit for the inclusion of a Raman probe in the in-tank cone penetrometer will be described; window materials--chemically resistant and mechanically stable materials for the cone penetrometer probe interface window will be considered; Raman probes--Raman probes for inclusion in the penetrometer will be discussed

  17. Weather effects on the success of longleaf pine cone crops

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniel J. Leduc; Shi-Jean Susana Sung; Dale G. Brockway; Mary Anne Sword Sayer

    2016-01-01

    We used National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather data and historical records of cone crops from across the South to relate weather conditions to the yield of cones in 10 longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) stands. Seed development in this species occurs over a three-year time period and weather conditions during any part of this...

  18. Current-voltage characteristic of parallel-plane ionization chamber with inhomogeneous ionization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stoyanov, D G

    2007-01-01

    The balances of particles and charges in the volume of parallel-plane ionization chamber are considered. Differential equations describing the distribution of current densities in the chamber volume are obtained. As a result of the differential equations solution an analytical form of the current-voltage characteristic of parallel-plane ionization chamber with inhomogeneous ionization in the volume is obtained

  19. Current-voltage characteristic of parallel-plane ionization chamber with inhomogeneous ionization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stoyanov, D G [Faculty of Engineering and Pedagogy in Sliven, Technical University of Sofia, 59, Bourgasko Shaussee Blvd, 8800 Sliven (Bulgaria)

    2007-08-15

    The balances of particles and charges in the volume of parallel-plane ionization chamber are considered. Differential equations describing the distribution of current densities in the chamber volume are obtained. As a result of the differential equations solution an analytical form of the current-voltage characteristic of parallel-plane ionization chamber with inhomogeneous ionization in the volume is obtained.

  20. Light cone sum rules in nonabelian gauge field theory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mallik, S [Bern Univ. (Switzerland). Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik

    1981-03-24

    The author examines, in the context of nonabelian gauge field theory, the derivation of the light cone sum rules which were obtained earlier on the assumption of dominance of canonical singularity in the current commutator on the light cone. The retarded scaling functions appearing in the sum rules are numbers known in terms of the charges of the quarks and the number of quarks and gluons in the theory. Possible applications of the sum rules are suggested.

  1. Pheromones in White Pine Cone Beetle, Conophthorus coniperdu (Schwarz) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goran Birgersson; Gary L. DeBarr; Peter de Groot; Mark J. Dalusky; Harold D. Pierce; John H. Borden; Holger Meyer; Wittko Francke; Karl E. Espelie; C. Wayne Berisford

    1995-01-01

    Female white pine cone beetles, Conophrhorus coniperda, attacking second-year cones of eastern white pine, Pinus strobus L., produced a sex-specific pheromone that attracted conspecific males in laboratory bioassays and to field traps. Beetle response was enhanced by host monoterpenes. The female-produced compound was identified in...

  2. IONIZATION IN ATMOSPHERES OF BROWN DWARFS AND EXTRASOLAR PLANETS. V. ALFVÉN IONIZATION

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stark, C. R.; Helling, Ch.; Rimmer, P. B.; Diver, D. A.

    2013-01-01

    Observations of continuous radio and sporadic X-ray emission from low-mass objects suggest they harbor localized plasmas in their atmospheric environments. For low-mass objects, the degree of thermal ionization is insufficient to qualify the ionized component as a plasma, posing the question: what ionization processes can efficiently produce the required plasma that is the source of the radiation? We propose Alfvén ionization as a mechanism for producing localized pockets of ionized gas in the atmosphere, having sufficient degrees of ionization (≥10 –7 ) that they constitute plasmas. We outline the criteria required for Alfvén ionization and demonstrate its applicability in the atmospheres of low-mass objects such as giant gas planets, brown dwarfs, and M dwarfs with both solar and sub-solar metallicities. We find that Alfvén ionization is most efficient at mid to low atmospheric pressures where a seed plasma is easier to magnetize and the pressure gradients needed to drive the required neutral flows are the smallest. For the model atmospheres considered, our results show that degrees of ionization of 10 –6 -1 can be obtained as a result of Alfvén ionization. Observable consequences include continuum bremsstrahlung emission, superimposed with spectral lines from the plasma ion species (e.g., He, Mg, H 2 , or CO lines). Forbidden lines are also expected from the metastable population. The presence of an atmospheric plasma opens the door to a multitude of plasma and chemical processes not yet considered in current atmospheric models. The occurrence of Alfvén ionization may also be applicable to other astrophysical environments such as protoplanetary disks

  3. Novel Animal Model of Crumbs-Dependent Progressive Retinal Degeneration That Targets Specific Cone Subtypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Jinling; Nagashima, Mikiko; Guo, Chuanyu; Raymond, Pamela A; Wei, Xiangyun

    2018-01-01

    Human Crb1 is implicated in some forms of retinal degeneration, suggesting a role in photoreceptor maintenance. Multiple Crumbs (Crb) polarity genes are expressed in vertebrate retina, although their functional roles are not well understood. To gain further insight into Crb and photoreceptor maintenance, we compared retinal cell densities between wild-type and Tg(RH2-2:Crb2b-sfEX/RH2-2:GFP)pt108b transgenic zebrafish, in which the extracellular domain of Crb2b-short form (Crb2b-sfEX) is expressed in the retina as a secreted protein, which disrupts the planar organization of RGB cones (red, green, and blue) by interfering with Crb2a/2b-based cone-cone adhesion. We used standard morphometric techniques to assess age-related changes in retinal cell densities in adult zebrafish (3 to 27 months old), and to assess effects of the Crb2b-sfEX transgene on retinal structure and photoreceptor densities. Linear cell densities were measured in all retinal layers in radial sections with JB4-Feulgen histology. Planar (surface) densities of cones were determined in retinal flat-mounts. Cell counts from wild-type and pt108b transgenic fish were compared with both a "photoreceptor maintenance index" and statistical analysis of cell counts. Age-related changes in retinal cell linear densities and cone photoreceptor planar densities in wild-type adult zebrafish provided a baseline for analysis. Expression of Crb2b-sfEX caused progressive and selective degeneration of RGB cones, but had no effect on ultraviolet-sensitive (UV) cones, and increased numbers of rod photoreceptors. These differential responses of RGB cones, UV cones, and rods to sustained exposure to Crb2b-sfEX suggest that Crb-based photoreceptor maintenance mechanisms are highly selective.

  4. Cone-beam tomography with discrete data sets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barrett, H.H.

    1994-01-01

    Sufficiently conditions for cone-beam data are well known for the case of continuous data collection along a cone-vortex curve with continuous detectors. These continuous conditions are inadequate for real-world data where discrete vertex geometries and discrete detector arrays are used. In this paper we present a theoretical formulation of cone-beam tomography with arbitrary discrete arrays of detectors and vertices. The theory models the imaging system as a linear continuous-to-discrete mapping and represents the continuous object exactly as a Fourier series. The reconstruction problem is posed as the estimation of some subset of the Fourier coefficients. The main goal of the theory is to determine which Fourier coefficients can be reliably determined from the data delivered by a specific discrete design. A fourier component will be well determined by the data if it satisfies two conditions: it makes a strong contribution to the data, and this contribution is relatively independent of the contribution of other Fourier components. To make these considerations precise, we introduce a concept called the cross-talk matrix. A diagonal element of this matrix measures the strength of a Fourier component in the data, while an off-diagonal element quantifies the dependence or aliasing of two different components. (Author)

  5. Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ingram, M.; Mason, W. B.; Whipple, G. H.; Howland, J. W.

    1952-04-07

    This report presents a review of present knowledge and concepts of the biological effects of ionizing radiations. Among the topics discussed are the physical and chemical effects of ionizing radiation on biological systems, morphological and physiological changes observed in biological systems subjected to ionizing radiations, physiological changes in the intact animal, latent changes following exposure of biological systems to ionizing radiations, factors influencing the biological response to ionizing radiation, relative effects of various ionizing radiations, and biological dosimetry.

  6. Ionization chambers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boag, J.W.

    1987-01-01

    Although a variety of solid-state and chemical methods for measuring radiation dose have been developed in recent decades and calorimetry can now provide an absolute standard of reference, ionization dosimetry retains its position as the most widely used, most convenient, and, in most situations, most accurate method of measuring either exposure or absorbed dose. The ionization chamber itself is the central element in this system of dosimetry. In this chapter the principles governing the construction and operation of ionization chambers of various types are examined. Since the ionization chambers now in general use are nearly all of commercial manufacture, the emphasis is on operating characteristics and interpretation of measurements rather than on details of construction, although some knowledge of the latter is often required when applying necessary corrections to the measured quantities. Examples are given of the construction of typical chambers designed for particular purposes, and the methods of calibrating them are discussed

  7. Perturbation theory in light-cone gauge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vianello, Eliana

    2000-01-01

    Perturbation calculations are presented for the light-cone gauge Schwinger model. Eigenstates can be calculated perturbatively but the perturbation theory is nonstandard. We hope to extend the work to QCD 2 to resolve some outstanding issues in those theories

  8. Effectiveness of 2% peracetic acid for the disinfection of gutta-percha cones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Carolina Rodrigues Danzi Salvia

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of 2% peracetic acid for the disinfection of gutta-percha cones contaminated in vitro with Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Candida albicans and Bacillus subtilus (in spore form. Two hundred and twenty-five gutta-percha cones were contaminated with standardized suspensions of each microorganism and incubated at 37°C for 24 h. The cones were divided into 10 experimental groups (n = 15, according to the microorganism tested and disinfection testing times. The disinfection procedure consisted of immersing each cone in a plastic tube containing the substance. The specimens remained in contact with the substance for 1 or 2.5 minutes. Afterwards, each cone was transferred to a 10% sodium thiosulphate solution (Na2S2O3 to neutralize the disinfectant. Microbial biofilms adhering to the cones were dispersed by agitation. Aliquots of 0.1 ml of the suspensions obtained were plated on Sabouraud dextrose agar, or brain and heart infusion agar, and incubated at 37°C for 24 h. The results were expressed in colony forming units (CFU/ml and the data were submitted to the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test (level of significance at 0.05. A significant reduction was observed, after 1 minute of exposure, in the test solution for C. albicans (p = 0.0190, S. aureus (p = 0.0001, S. mutans (p = 0.0001, B. subtilis (p = 0.0001, and E. coli (p = 0.0001. After 2.5 minutes of exposure, 100% of the microbial inocula were eliminated. It was concluded that the 2% peracetic acid solution was effective against the biofilms of the tested microorganisms on gutta-percha cones at 1 minute of exposure.

  9. Effectiveness of 2% peracetic acid for the disinfection of gutta-percha cones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salvia, Ana Carolina Rodrigues Danzi; Teodoro, Guilherme Rodrigues; Balducci, Ivan; Koga-Ito, Cristiane Yumi; Oliveira, Simone Helena Gonçalves de

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of 2% peracetic acid for the disinfection of gutta-percha cones contaminated in vitro with Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Candida albicans and Bacillus subtilus (in spore form). Two hundred and twenty-five gutta-percha cones were contaminated with standardized suspensions of each microorganism and incubated at 37°C for 24 h. The cones were divided into 10 experimental groups (n = 15), according to the microorganism tested and disinfection testing times. The disinfection procedure consisted of immersing each cone in a plastic tube containing the substance. The specimens remained in contact with the substance for 1 or 2.5 minutes. Afterwards, each cone was transferred to a 10% sodium thiosulphate solution (Na(2)S(2)O(3)) to neutralize the disinfectant. Microbial biofilms adhering to the cones were dispersed by agitation. Aliquots of 0.1 ml of the suspensions obtained were plated on Sabouraud dextrose agar, or brain and heart infusion agar, and incubated at 37°C for 24 h. The results were expressed in colony forming units (CFU/ml) and the data were submitted to the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test (level of significance at 0.05). A significant reduction was observed, after 1 minute of exposure, in the test solution for C. albicans (p = 0.0190), S. aureus (p = 0.0001), S. mutans (p = 0.0001), B. subtilis (p = 0.0001), and E. coli (p = 0.0001). After 2.5 minutes of exposure, 100% of the microbial inocula were eliminated. It was concluded that the 2% peracetic acid solution was effective against the biofilms of the tested microorganisms on gutta-percha cones at 1 minute of exposure.

  10. Optical imaging of human cone photoreceptors directly following the capture of light.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Phillip Bedggood

    Full Text Available Capture of light in the photoreceptor outer segment initiates a cascade of chemical events that inhibit neurotransmitter release, ultimately resulting in vision. The massed response of the photoreceptor population can be measured non-invasively by electrical recordings, but responses from individual cells cannot be measured without dissecting the retina. Here we used optical imaging to observe individual human cones in the living eye as they underwent bleaching of photopigment and associated phototransduction. The retina was simultaneously stimulated and observed with high intensity visible light at 1 kHz, using adaptive optics. There was marked variability between individual cones in both photosensitivity and pigment optical density, challenging the conventional assumption that photoreceptors act as identical subunits (coefficient of variation in rate of photoisomerization = 23%. There was also a pronounced inverse correlation between these two parameters (p<10(-7; the temporal evolution of image statistics revealed this to be a dynamic relationship, with cone waveguiding efficiency beginning a dramatic increase within 3 ms of light onset. Beginning as early as 2 ms after light onset and including half of cells by ∼7 ms, cone intensity showed reversals characteristic of interference phenomena, with greater delays in reversal corresponding to cones with more photopigment (p<10(-3. The timing of these changes is argued to best correspond with either the cessation of dark current, or to related events such as changes in intracellular cGMP. Cone intensity also showed fluctuations of high frequency (332±25 Hz and low amplitude (3.0±0.85%. Other groups have shown similar fluctuations that were directly evoked by light; if this corresponds to the same phenomenon, we propose that the amplitude of fluctuation may be increased by the use of a bright flash followed by a brief pause, to allow recovery of cone circulating current.

  11. An Alternating Direction Method for Convex Quadratic Second-Order Cone Programming with Bounded Constraints

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xuewen Mu

    2015-01-01

    quadratic programming over second-order cones and a bounded set. At each iteration, we only need to compute the metric projection onto the second-order cones and the projection onto the bound set. The result of convergence is given. Numerical results demonstrate that our method is efficient for the convex quadratic second-order cone programming problems with bounded constraints.

  12. Analytical fan-beam and cone-beam reconstruction algorithms with uniform attenuation correction for SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang Qiulin; Zeng, Gengsheng L; Gullberg, Grant T

    2005-01-01

    In this paper, we developed an analytical fan-beam reconstruction algorithm that compensates for uniform attenuation in SPECT. The new fan-beam algorithm is in the form of backprojection first, then filtering, and is mathematically exact. The algorithm is based on three components. The first one is the established generalized central-slice theorem, which relates the 1D Fourier transform of a set of arbitrary data and the 2D Fourier transform of the backprojected image. The second one is the fact that the backprojection of the fan-beam measurements is identical to the backprojection of the parallel measurements of the same object with the same attenuator. The third one is the stable analytical reconstruction algorithm for uniformly attenuated Radon data, developed by Metz and Pan. The fan-beam algorithm is then extended into a cone-beam reconstruction algorithm, where the orbit of the focal point of the cone-beam imaging geometry is a circle. This orbit geometry does not satisfy Tuy's condition and the obtained cone-beam algorithm is an approximation. In the cone-beam algorithm, the cone-beam data are first backprojected into the 3D image volume; then a slice-by-slice filtering is performed. This slice-by-slice filtering procedure is identical to that of the fan-beam algorithm. Both the fan-beam and cone-beam algorithms are efficient, and computer simulations are presented. The new cone-beam algorithm is compared with Bronnikov's cone-beam algorithm, and it is shown to have better performance with noisy projections

  13. Relationship between foveal cone specialization and pit morphology in albinism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilk, Melissa A; McAllister, John T; Cooper, Robert F; Dubis, Adam M; Patitucci, Teresa N; Summerfelt, Phyllis; Anderson, Jennifer L; Stepien, Kimberly E; Costakos, Deborah M; Connor, Thomas B; Wirostko, William J; Chiang, Pei-Wen; Dubra, Alfredo; Curcio, Christine A; Brilliant, Murray H; Summers, C Gail; Carroll, Joseph

    2014-05-20

    Albinism is associated with disrupted foveal development, though intersubject variability is becoming appreciated. We sought to quantify this variability, and examine the relationship between foveal cone specialization and pit morphology in patients with a clinical diagnosis of albinism. We recruited 32 subjects with a clinical diagnosis of albinism. DNA was obtained from 25 subjects, and known albinism genes were analyzed for mutations. Relative inner and outer segment (IS and OS) lengthening (fovea-to-perifovea ratio) was determined from manually segmented spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) B-scans. Foveal pit morphology was quantified for eight subjects from macular SD-OCT volumes. Ten subjects underwent imaging with adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO), and cone density was measured. We found mutations in 22 of 25 subjects, including five novel mutations. All subjects lacked complete excavation of inner retinal layers at the fovea, though four subjects had foveal pits with normal diameter and/or volume. Peak cone density and OS lengthening were variable and overlapped with that observed in normal controls. A fifth hyper-reflective band was observed in the outer retina on SD-OCT in the majority of the subjects with albinism. Foveal cone specialization and pit morphology vary greatly in albinism. Normal cone packing was observed in the absence of a foveal pit, suggesting a pit is not required for packing to occur. The degree to which retinal anatomy correlates with genotype or visual function remains unclear, and future examination of larger patient groups will provide important insight on this issue. Copyright 2014 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

  14. Modulation of rod photoreceptor output by HCN1 channels is essential for regular mesopic cone vision.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seeliger, Mathias W; Brombas, Arne; Weiler, Reto; Humphries, Peter; Knop, Gabriel; Tanimoto, Naoyuki; Müller, Frank

    2011-11-08

    Retinal photoreceptors permit visual perception over a wide range of lighting conditions. Rods work best in dim, and cones in bright environments, with considerable functional overlap at intermediate (mesopic) light levels. At many sites in the outer and inner retina where rod and cone signals interact, gap junctions, particularly those containing Connexin36, have been identified. However, little is known about the dynamic processes associated with the convergence of rod and cone system signals into ON- and OFF-pathways. Here we show that proper cone vision under mesopic conditions requires rapid adaptational feedback modulation of rod output via hyperpolarization-activated and cyclic nucleotide-gated channels 1. When these channels are absent, sustained rod responses following bright light exposure saturate the retinal network, resulting in a loss of downstream cone signalling. By specific genetic and pharmacological ablation of key signal processing components, regular cone signalling can be restored, thereby identifying the sites involved in functional rod-cone interactions.

  15. Composition and structure of ion-bombardment-induced growth cones on InP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malherbe, J.B.; Lakner, H.; Gries, W.H.

    1991-01-01

    The previously reported effect of low-energy (several keV) ion bombardment on the surface topography of InP was investigated by scanning transmission electron microscopy. Convergent beam electron diffraction patterns of the surface growth 'cones' induced by argon ion bombardment of (100) InP between 7 and 10 keV proved the cones to consist of crystalline InP (and not metallic indium, as has sometimes been claimed). The investigation showed that the irradiated surface region is not rendered completely amorphous but that it recrystallizes from the crystalline/amorphous interface in a columnar growth pattern, often terminating in growth cones protruding above the surface. Weak beam investigations revealed that the overwhelming majority of the cones have the orientation of the substrate. These phenomena were observed at all dose densities from 7 x 10 15 to 2 x 10 17 cm -2 . (author)

  16. Beryllium satellite thrust cone design, manufacture and test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schneiter, H.; Chandler, D.

    1977-01-01

    Pre-formed beryllium sheet material has been used in the design, manufacturing and test of a satellite thrust cone structure. Adhesive bonding was used for attachment of aluminium flanges and conical segment lap strips. Difficulties in beryllium structure design such as incompatibilities with aluminium and handling problems are discussed. Testing to optimize beryllium-beryllium and beryllium-aluminium adhesive bonds is described. The completed thrust cone assembly has been subjected to static load testing and the results are presented. A summary of the relative merits of the use of beryllium in satellite structures is given with recommendations for future users. (author)

  17. 3D algebraic iterative reconstruction for cone-beam x-ray differential phase-contrast computed tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Jian; Hu, Xinhua; Velroyen, Astrid; Bech, Martin; Jiang, Ming; Pfeiffer, Franz

    2015-01-01

    Due to the potential of compact imaging systems with magnified spatial resolution and contrast, cone-beam x-ray differential phase-contrast computed tomography (DPC-CT) has attracted significant interest. The current proposed FDK reconstruction algorithm with the Hilbert imaginary filter will induce severe cone-beam artifacts when the cone-beam angle becomes large. In this paper, we propose an algebraic iterative reconstruction (AIR) method for cone-beam DPC-CT and report its experiment results. This approach considers the reconstruction process as the optimization of a discrete representation of the object function to satisfy a system of equations that describes the cone-beam DPC-CT imaging modality. Unlike the conventional iterative algorithms for absorption-based CT, it involves the derivative operation to the forward projections of the reconstructed intermediate image to take into account the differential nature of the DPC projections. This method is based on the algebraic reconstruction technique, reconstructs the image ray by ray, and is expected to provide better derivative estimates in iterations. This work comprises a numerical study of the algorithm and its experimental verification using a dataset measured with a three-grating interferometer and a mini-focus x-ray tube source. It is shown that the proposed method can reduce the cone-beam artifacts and performs better than FDK under large cone-beam angles. This algorithm is of interest for future cone-beam DPC-CT applications.

  18. The ionizing treatment of food

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    This book of proceedings contains the talks given by the members of the Society of chemical experts of France (SECF) and by various specialists of the ionizing treatment during the scientific days of September 25-26, 1997. The aim of this meeting was to reconsider the effects of ionization from a scientific point of view and apart from the polemics generated by this domain. The following topics were discussed successively: source and characterization of a ionizing treatment, biological effects of ionization on food and the expected consequences, the ionizing treatment and the reduction of the vitamin C content of fruits and vegetables, is it safe to eat irradiated food?, the organoleptic modifications of food after ionization, quality assurance of dosimetry measurements in an industrial installation of food ionization, the French and European regulations in food ionization, the detection of irradiated foodstuffs, processed food and complex lipid matrices, sterilization of dishes for immuno-depressed patients using ionization. (J.S.)

  19. Analytic treatment of nuclear spin-lattice relaxation for diffusion in a cone model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sitnitsky, A. E.

    2011-12-01

    We consider nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate resulted from a diffusion equation for rotational wobbling in a cone. We show that the widespread point of view that there are no analytical expressions for correlation functions for wobbling in a cone model is invalid and prove that nuclear spin-lattice relaxation in this model is exactly tractable and amenable to full analytical description. The mechanism of relaxation is assumed to be due to dipole-dipole interaction of nuclear spins and is treated within the framework of the standard Bloemberger, Purcell, Pound-Solomon scheme. We consider the general case of arbitrary orientation of the cone axis relative the magnetic field. The BPP-Solomon scheme is shown to remain valid for systems with the distribution of the cone axes depending only on the tilt relative the magnetic field but otherwise being isotropic. We consider the case of random isotropic orientation of cone axes relative the magnetic field taking place in powders. Also we consider the cases of their predominant orientation along or opposite the magnetic field and that of their predominant orientation transverse to the magnetic field which may be relevant for, e.g., liquid crystals. Besides we treat in details the model case of the cone axis directed along the magnetic field. The latter provides direct comparison of the limiting case of our formulas with the textbook formulas for free isotropic rotational diffusion. The dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation rate on the cone half-width yields results similar to those predicted by the model-free approach.

  20. The generalized back projection theorem for cone beam reconstruction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peyrin, F.C.

    1985-01-01

    The use of cone beam scanners raises the problem of three dimensional reconstruction from divergent projections. After a survey on bidimensional analytical reconstruction methods we examine their application to the 3D problem. Finally, it is shown that the back projection theorem can be generalized to cone beam projections. This allows to state a new inversion formula suitable for both the 4 π parallel and divergent geometries. It leads to the generalization of the ''rho-filtered back projection'' algorithm which is outlined

  1. Scattering of wedges and cones with impedance boundary conditions

    CERN Document Server

    Lyalinov, Mikhail

    2012-01-01

    This book is a systematic and detailed exposition of different analytical techniques used in studying two of the canonical problems, the wave scattering by wedges or cones with impedance boundary conditions. It is the first reference on novel, highly efficient analytical-numerical approaches for wave diffraction by impedance wedges or cones. The applicability of the reported solution procedures and formulae to existing software packages designed for real-world high-frequency problems encountered in antenna, wave propagation, and radar cross section.

  2. The discrete cones method for two-dimensional neutron transport calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watanabe, Y.; Maynard, C.W.

    1986-01-01

    A novel method, the discrete cones method (DC/sub N/), is proposed as an alternative to the discrete ordinates method (S/sub N/) for solutions of the two-dimensional neutron transport equation. The new method utilizes a new concept, discrete cones, which are made by partitioning a unit spherical surface that the direction vector of particles covers. In this method particles in a cone are simultaneously traced instead of those in discrete directions so that an anomaly of the S/sub N/ method, the ray effects, can be eliminated. The DC/sub N/ method has been formulated for X-Y geometry and a program has been creaed by modifying the standard S/sub N/ program TWOTRAN-II. Our sample calculations demonstrate a strong mitigation of the ray effects without a computing cost penalty

  3. Vertical microbial community variability of carbonate-based cones may provide insight into ancient conical stromatolite formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradley, James; Daille, Leslie; Trivedi, Christopher; Bojanowski, Caitlin; Nunn, Heather; Stamps, Blake; Johnson, Hope; Stevenson, Bradley; Berelson, Will; Corsetti, Frank; Spear, John

    2016-04-01

    Stromatolite morphogenesis is poorly understood, and the process by which microbial mats become mineralized is a primary question in microbialite formation. Ancient conical stromatolites are primarily carbonate-based whereas the few modern analogues in hot springs are either non-mineralized or mineralized by silica. A team from the 2015 International GeoBiology Course investigated carbonate-rich microbial cones from near Little Hot Creek (LHC), Long Valley Caldera, California, to investigate how conical stromatolites might form in a hot spring carbonate system. The cones rise up from a layered microbial mat on the east side of a 45° C pool with very low flow that is super-saturated with respect to CaCO3. Cone structures are 8-30 mm in height, are rigid and do not deform when removed from the pool. Morphological characterization through environmental scanning electronic microscopy revealed that the cone structure is maintained by a matrix of intertwining microbial filaments around carbonate grains. This matrix gives rise to cone-filaments that are arranged vertically or horizontally, and provides further stability to the cone. Preliminary 16S rRNA gene analysis indicated variability of community composition between different vertical levels of the cone. The cone tip had comparatively greater abundance of filamentous cyanobacteria including Leptolingbya, Phormidium and Isosphaera and fewer heterotrophs (e.g. Chloroflexi) compared to the cone bottom. This supports the hypothesis that cone formation may depend on the differential abundance of the microbial community and their potential functional roles. Metagenomic analyses of the cones revealed potential genes related to chemotaxis and motility. Specifically, a genomic bin identified as a member of the genus Isosphaera contained an hmp chemotaxis operon implicated in gliding motility in the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme. Isosphaera is a Planctomycete shown to have phototactic capabilities, and may play a role in

  4. 'Saddle-point' ionization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gay, T.J.; Hale, E.B.; Irby, V.D.; Olson, R.E.; Missouri Univ., Rolla; Berry, H.G.

    1988-01-01

    We have studied the ionization of rare gases by protons at intermediate energies, i.e., energies at which the velocities of the proton and the target-gas valence electrons are comparable. A significant channel for electron production in the forward direction is shown to be 'saddle-point' ionization, in which electrons are stranded on or near the saddle-point of electric potential between the receding projectile and the ionized target. Such electrons yield characteristic energy spectra, and contribute significantly to forward-electron-production cross sections. Classical trajectory Monte Carlo calculations are found to provide qualitative agreement with our measurements and the earlier measurements of Rudd and coworkers, and reproduce, in detail, the features of the general ionization spectra. (orig.)

  5. Manipulation of Dirac cones in metal-intercalated epitaxial graphene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Cai-Zhuang; Kim, Minsung; Tringides, Michael; Ho, Kai-Ming

    Graphene is one of the most attractive materials from both fundamental and practical points of view due to its characteristic Dirac cones. The electronic property of graphene can be modified through the interaction with substrate or another graphene layer as illustrated in few-layer epitaxial graphene. Recently, metal intercalation became an effective method to manipulate the electronic structure of graphene by modifying the coupling between the constituent layers. In this work, we show that the Dirac cones of epitaxial graphene can be manipulated by intercalating rare-earth metals. We demonstrate that rare-earth metal intercalated epitaxial graphene has tunable band structures and the energy levels of Dirac cones as well as the linear or quadratic band dispersion can be controlled depending on the location of the intercalation layer and density. Our results could be important for applications and characterizations of the intercalated epitaxial graphene. Supported by the U.S. DOE-BES under Contract No. DE-AC02-07CH11358.

  6. Cone visual pigments are present in gecko rod cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kojima, D; Okano, T; Fukada, Y; Shichida, Y; Yoshizawa, T; Ebrey, T G

    1992-08-01

    The Tokay gecko (Gekko gekko), a nocturnal lizard, has two kinds of visual pigments, P467 and P521. In spite of the pure-rod morphology of the photoreceptor cells, the biochemical properties of P521 and P467 resemble those of iodopsin (the chicken red-sensitive cone visual pigment) and rhodopsin, respectively. We have found that the amino acid sequence of P521 deduced from the cDNA was very similar to that of iodopsin. In addition, P467 has the highest homology with the chicken green-sensitive cone visual pigment, although it also has a relatively high homology with rhodopsins. These results give additional strength to the transmutation theory of Walls [Walls, G. L. (1934) Am. J. Ophthalmol. 17, 892-915], who proposed that the rod-shaped photoreceptor cells of lizards have been derived from ancestral cone-like photoreceptors. Apparently amino acid sequences of visual pigments are less changeable than the morphology of the photoreceptor cells in the course of evolution.

  7. A practical attenuation compensation method for cone beam spect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manglos, S.H.; Jaszczak, R.J.; Floyd, C.E.; Greer, K.L.; Coleman, R.E.

    1987-01-01

    An algorithm for attenuation compensation of cone beam SPECT images has been developed and implemented. The algorithm is based on a multiplicative post-processing method previously used for parallel and fan beam geometries. This method computes the compensation from the estimated average attenuation of photons originating from each image pixel. In the present development, a uniform attenuation coefficient inside of the body contour is assumed, although the method could be extended to include a non-uniform attenuation map. The algorithm is tested with experimental projections of a phantom obtained using a cone beam collimator. Profiles through the reconstructed images are presented as a quantitative test of the improvement due to the compensation. The algorithm provides adequate compensation for attenuation in a simple uniform cylindrical phantom, and the computational time is short compared to that expected for iterative reconstruction techniques. Also observed are image distortions in some reconstructed slices when the source distribution extends beyond the edge of the cone beam axial field-of-view

  8. Heating and ionization in MHD shock waves propagating into partially ionized plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bighel, L.; Collins, A.R.; Cramer, N.F.; Watson-Munro, C.N.

    1975-09-01

    A model of the structure of MHD switch-on shocks propagating in a partially ionized plasma, in which the primary dissipation mechanism is friction between ions and neutrals, is here compared favourably with experimental results. Four degrees of upstream ionization were studied, ranging from almost complete to very small ionization. (author)

  9. Heating and ionization in MHD shock wave propagating into partially ionized plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bighel, L.; Collins, A.R.; Cramer, N.F.; Watson-Munro, C.N.

    1975-09-01

    A model of the structure of MHD switch-on shocks propagating in a partially ionized plasma, in which the primary dissipation mechanism is friction between ions and neutrals, is here compared favourably with experimental results. Four degrees of upstream ionization were studied, ranging from almost complete to very small ionization. (author)

  10. Five-photon ionization of atomic hydrogen at wavelengths around the threshold for four-photon ionization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gontier, Y.; Trahin, M.; Wolff-Rottke, B.; Rottke, H.; Welge, K.H.; Feldmann, D.

    1992-01-01

    Theoretical and experimental studies show the strong influence of the three-photon nearly resonant 2p state on four- and five-photon ionization of atomic hydrogen near the threshold for four-photon ionization. Changes in five-photon ionization occur when the four-photon ionization channel opens. The angular distributions of photoelectrons from five-photon ionization of H are studied at five wavelengths which cover the range from four-photon resonance with high-lying Rydberg states (n≥10) to direct four-photon ionization into the continuum. The role of resonances in this ionization process is discussed. A fair agreement is found in comparing experimental and theoretical results

  11. Equipment for handling ionization chamber

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Altmann, J.

    1988-01-01

    The device consists of an ionization channel with an ionization chamber, of a support ring, axial and radial bearings, a sleeve, a screw gear and an electric motor. The ionization chamber is freely placed on the bottom of the ionization channel. The bottom part of the channel deviates from the vertical axis. The support ring propped against the axial bearing in the sleeve is firmly fixed to the top part of the ionization channel. The sleeve is fixed to the reactor lid. Its bottom part is provided with a recess for the radial bearing which is propped against a screw wheel firmly connected to the ionization channel. In measuring neutron flux, the screw wheel is rotated by the motor, thus rotating the whole ionization channel such that the ionization chamber is displaced into the reactor core.(J.B.). 1 fig

  12. Foodstuffs preservation by ionization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-12-01

    This document contains all the papers presented at the meeting on foodstuffs preservation by ionization. These papers deal especially with the food ionization process, its development and the view of the food industry on ionization. Refs and figs (F.M.)

  13. Ambient ionization mass spectrometry: A tutorial

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Min-Zong; Cheng, Sy-Chi; Cho, Yi-Tzu [Department of Chemistry, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Shiea, Jentaie, E-mail: jetea@fac.nsysu.edu.tw [Department of Chemistry, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China); Cancer Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (China)

    2011-09-19

    Highlights: {yields} Ambient ionization technique allows the direct analysis of sample surfaces with little or no sample pretreatment. {yields} We sort ambient ionization techniques into three main analytical strategies, direct ionization, direct desorption/ionization, and two-step ionization. {yields} The underlying principles of operation, ionization processes, detecting mass ranges, sensitivity, and representative applications of these techniques are described and compared. - Abstract: Ambient ionization is a set of mass spectrometric ionization techniques performed under ambient conditions that allows the direct analysis of sample surfaces with little or no sample pretreatment. Using combinations of different types of sample introduction systems and ionization methods, several novel techniques have been developed over the last few years with many applications (e.g., food safety screening; detection of pharmaceuticals and drug abuse; monitoring of environmental pollutants; detection of explosives for antiterrorism and forensics; characterization of biological compounds for proteomics and metabolomics; molecular imaging analysis; and monitoring chemical and biochemical reactions). Electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization are the two main ionization principles most commonly used in ambient ionization mass spectrometry. This tutorial paper provides a review of the publications related to ambient ionization techniques. We describe and compare the underlying principles of operation, ionization processes, detecting mass ranges, sensitivity, and representative applications of these techniques.

  14. Ambient ionization mass spectrometry: A tutorial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Min-Zong; Cheng, Sy-Chi; Cho, Yi-Tzu; Shiea, Jentaie

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Ambient ionization technique allows the direct analysis of sample surfaces with little or no sample pretreatment. → We sort ambient ionization techniques into three main analytical strategies, direct ionization, direct desorption/ionization, and two-step ionization. → The underlying principles of operation, ionization processes, detecting mass ranges, sensitivity, and representative applications of these techniques are described and compared. - Abstract: Ambient ionization is a set of mass spectrometric ionization techniques performed under ambient conditions that allows the direct analysis of sample surfaces with little or no sample pretreatment. Using combinations of different types of sample introduction systems and ionization methods, several novel techniques have been developed over the last few years with many applications (e.g., food safety screening; detection of pharmaceuticals and drug abuse; monitoring of environmental pollutants; detection of explosives for antiterrorism and forensics; characterization of biological compounds for proteomics and metabolomics; molecular imaging analysis; and monitoring chemical and biochemical reactions). Electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization are the two main ionization principles most commonly used in ambient ionization mass spectrometry. This tutorial paper provides a review of the publications related to ambient ionization techniques. We describe and compare the underlying principles of operation, ionization processes, detecting mass ranges, sensitivity, and representative applications of these techniques.

  15. Basic principle of cone beam computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Yong Suk; Kim, Gyu Tae; Hwang, Eui Hwan

    2006-01-01

    The use of computed tomography for dental procedures has increased recently. Cone beam computed tomography(CBCT) systems have been designed for imaging hard tissues of the dentomaxillofacial region. CBCT is capable of providing high resolution in images of high diagnostic quality. This technology allows for 3-dimensional representation of the dentomaxillofacial skeleton with minimal distortion, but at lower equipment cost, simpler image acquisition and lower patient dose. Because this technology produces images with isotropic sub-millimeter spatial resolution, it is ideally suited for dedicated dentomaxillofacial imaging. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of cone beam scanning technology and compare it with the fan beam scanning used in conventional CT and the basic principles of currently available CBCT systems

  16. Analog Experiment for rootless cone eruption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noguchi, R.; Hamada, A.; Suzuki, A.; Kurita, K.

    2017-09-01

    Rootless cone is a unique geomorphological landmark to specify igneous origin of investigated terrane, which is formed by magma-water interaction. To understand its formation mechanism we conducted analog experiment for heat-induced vesiculation by using hot syrup and sodium bicarbonate solution.

  17. The light-cone gauge at two loops: The scalar anomalous dimension

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Capper, D.M.; Suzuki, A.T.; Jones, D.R.T.

    1985-01-01

    We demonstrate that the light-cone gauge is a feasible tool for multi-loop computations by using it to evaluate the two-loop scalar anomalous dimension, γsup((2)), in a general gauge theory. In the special case of supersymmetry we obtain agreement with previous results which were derived using nonlight-cone techniques. (orig.)

  18. Adaptive optics fundus images of cone photoreceptors in the macula of patients with retinitis pigmentosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tojo, Naoki; Nakamura, Tomoko; Fuchizawa, Chiharu; Oiwake, Toshihiko; Hayashi, Atsushi

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine cone photoreceptors in the macula of patients with retinitis pigmentosa using an adaptive optics fundus camera and to investigate any correlations between cone photoreceptor density and findings on optical coherence tomography and fundus autofluorescence. We examined two patients with typical retinitis pigmentosa who underwent ophthalmological examination, including measurement of visual acuity, and gathering of electroretinographic, optical coherence tomographic, fundus autofluorescent, and adaptive optics fundus images. The cone photoreceptors in the adaptive optics images of the two patients with retinitis pigmentosa and five healthy subjects were analyzed. An abnormal parafoveal ring of high-density fundus autofluorescence was observed in the macula in both patients. The border of the ring corresponded to the border of the external limiting membrane and the inner segment and outer segment line in the optical coherence tomographic images. Cone photoreceptors at the abnormal parafoveal ring were blurred and decreased in the adaptive optics images. The blurred area corresponded to the abnormal parafoveal ring in the fundus autofluorescence images. Cone densities were low at the blurred areas and at the nasal and temporal retina along a line from the fovea compared with those of healthy controls. The results for cone spacing and Voronoi domains in the macula corresponded with those for the cone densities. Cone densities were heavily decreased in the macula, especially at the parafoveal ring on high-density fundus autofluorescence in both patients with retinitis pigmentosa. Adaptive optics images enabled us to observe in vivo changes in the cone photoreceptors of patients with retinitis pigmentosa, which corresponded to changes in the optical coherence tomographic and fundus autofluorescence images.

  19. Enhanced proton acceleration by intense laser interaction with an inverse cone target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bake, Muhammad Ali; Aimidula, Aimierding; Xiaerding, Fuerkaiti; Rashidin, Reyima

    2016-01-01

    The generation and control of high-quality proton bunches using focused intense laser pulse on an inverse cone target is investigated with a set of particle-in-cell simulations. The inverse cone is a high atomic number conical frustum with a thin solid top and open base, where the laser impinges onto the top surface directly, not down the open end of the cone. Results are compared with a simple planar target, where the proton angular distribution is very broad because of transverse divergence of the electromagnetic fields behind the target. For a conical target, hot electrons along the cone wall surface induce a transverse focusing sheath field. This field can effectively suppress the spatial spreading of the protons, resulting in a high-quality small-emittance, low-divergence proton beam. A slightly lower proton beam peak energy than that of a conventional planar target was also found.

  20. Enhanced proton acceleration by intense laser interaction with an inverse cone target

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bake, Muhammad Ali; Aimidula, Aimierding, E-mail: amir@mail.bnu.edu.cn; Xiaerding, Fuerkaiti; Rashidin, Reyima [School of Physics Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046 (China)

    2016-08-15

    The generation and control of high-quality proton bunches using focused intense laser pulse on an inverse cone target is investigated with a set of particle-in-cell simulations. The inverse cone is a high atomic number conical frustum with a thin solid top and open base, where the laser impinges onto the top surface directly, not down the open end of the cone. Results are compared with a simple planar target, where the proton angular distribution is very broad because of transverse divergence of the electromagnetic fields behind the target. For a conical target, hot electrons along the cone wall surface induce a transverse focusing sheath field. This field can effectively suppress the spatial spreading of the protons, resulting in a high-quality small-emittance, low-divergence proton beam. A slightly lower proton beam peak energy than that of a conventional planar target was also found.

  1. Ionization of food products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vasseur, J.P.

    1991-01-01

    After general remarks on foods preservation, on international works and on ionization future prospects, main irradiation sources are described. Recalls on radioactivity, on radiation-matter interaction, on toxicology of ionized foods and on ionized foods detection are given. Ionization applications to various products are reviewed, especially in: - Poultry meat - Fishing products - Fresh fruits and vegetables - Dry fruits and vegetables - spices, tea, infusion - prepacked products... An evaluation of economics and sociocultural impacts is presented in connection with recent experiments [fr

  2. Heavy-to-light form factors: Sum rules on the light cone and beyond

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lucha, Wolfgang; Melikhov, Dmitri; Simula, Silvano

    2007-01-01

    We report the first systematic analysis of the off-light-cone effects in sum rules for heavy-to-light form factors. These effects are investigated in a model based on scalar constituents, which allows a technically rather simple analysis but has the essential features of the analogous QCD calculation. The correlator relevant for the extraction of the heavy-to-light form factor is calculated in two different ways: first, by adopting the full Bethe-Salpeter amplitude of the light meson and, second, by performing the expansion of this amplitude near the light cone x 2 =0. We demonstrate that the contributions to the correlator from the light-cone term x 2 =0 and the off-light-cone terms x 2 ≠0 have the same order in the 1/m Q expansion. The light-cone correlator, corresponding to x 2 =0, is shown to systematically overestimate the full correlator, the difference being ∼Λ QCD /δ, with δ the continuum subtraction parameter of order 1 GeV. Numerically, this difference is found to be 10 divide 20%

  3. Comparative evaluation of tensile strength of Gutta-percha cones with a herbal disinfectant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahali, Raghunandhan Raju; Dola, Binoy; Tanikonda, Rambabu; Peddireddi, Suresh

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate and compare the tensile strength values and influence of taper on the tensile strength of Gutta-percha (GP) cones after disinfection with sodium hypochlorite (SH) and Aloe vera gel (AV). Sixty GP cones of size 110, 2% taper, 60 GP cones F3 ProTaper, and 60 GP of size 30, 6% taper were obtained from sealed packs as three different groups. Experimental groups were disinfected with 5.25% SH and 90% AV gel except the control group. Tensile strengths of GP were measured using the universal testing machine. The mean tensile strength values for Group IA, IIA and IIIA are 11.8 MPa, 8.69 MPa, and 9.24 MPa, respectively. Results were subjected to statistical analysis one-way analysis of variance test and Tukey post-hoc test. 5.25% SH solutions decreased the tensile strength of GP cones whereas with 90% AV gel it was not significantly altered. Ninety percent Aloe vera gel as a disinfectant does not alter the tensile strength of GP cones.

  4. Cardiac single-photon emission-computed tomography using combined cone-beam/fan-beam collimation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gullberg, Grant T.; Zeng, Gengsheng L.

    2004-01-01

    The objective of this work is to increase system sensitivity in cardiac single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT) studies without increasing patient imaging time. For imaging the heart, convergent collimation offers the potential of increased sensitivity over that of parallel-hole collimation. However, if a cone-beam collimated gamma camera is rotated in a planar orbit, the projection data obtained are not complete. Two cone-beam collimators and one fan-beam collimator are used with a three-detector SPECT system. The combined cone-beam/fan-beam collimation provides a complete set of data for image reconstruction. The imaging geometry is evaluated using data acquired from phantom and patient studies. For the Jaszazck cardiac torso phantom experiment, the combined cone-beam/fan-beam collimation provided 1.7 times greater sensitivity than standard parallel-hole collimation (low-energy high-resolution collimators). Also, phantom and patient comparison studies showed improved image quality. The combined cone-beam/fan-beam imaging geometry with appropriate weighting of the two data sets provides improved system sensitivity while measuring sufficient data for artifact free cardiac images

  5. A reconstruction method for cone-beam differential x-ray phase-contrast computed tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Jian; Velroyen, Astrid; Tan, Renbo; Zhang, Junwei; Chen, Liyuan; Tapfer, Arne; Bech, Martin; Pfeiffer, Franz

    2012-09-10

    Most existing differential phase-contrast computed tomography (DPC-CT) approaches are based on three kinds of scanning geometries, described by parallel-beam, fan-beam and cone-beam. Due to the potential of compact imaging systems with magnified spatial resolution, cone-beam DPC-CT has attracted significant interest. In this paper, we report a reconstruction method based on a back-projection filtration (BPF) algorithm for cone-beam DPC-CT. Due to the differential nature of phase contrast projections, the algorithm restrains from differentiation of the projection data prior to back-projection, unlike BPF algorithms commonly used for absorption-based CT data. This work comprises a numerical study of the algorithm and its experimental verification using a dataset measured with a three-grating interferometer and a micro-focus x-ray tube source. Moreover, the numerical simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can deal with several classes of truncated cone-beam datasets. We believe that this feature is of particular interest for future medical cone-beam phase-contrast CT imaging applications.

  6. An analytical simulation technique for cone-beam CT and pinhole SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Xuezhu; Qi Yujin

    2011-01-01

    This study was aimed at developing an efficient simulation technique with an ordinary PC. The work involved derivation of mathematical operators, analytic phantom generations, and effective analytical projectors developing for cone-beam CT and pinhole SPECT imaging. The computer simulations based on the analytical projectors were developed by ray-tracing method for cone-beam CT and voxel-driven method for pinhole SPECT of degrading blurring. The 3D Shepp-Logan, Jaszczak and Defrise phantoms were used for simulation evaluations and image reconstructions. The reconstructed phantom images were of good accuracy with the phantoms. The results showed that the analytical simulation technique is an efficient tool for studying cone-beam CT and pinhole SPECT imaging. (authors)

  7. Numerical simulation of axisymmetric valve operation for different outer cone angle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smyk, Emil

    One of the method of flow separation control is application of axisymmetric valve. It is composed of nozzle with core. Normally the main flow is attached to inner cone and flow by preferential collector to primary flow pipe. If through control nozzle starts flow jet (control jet) the main flow is switched to annular secondary collector. In both situation the main flow is deflected to inner or outer cone (placed at the outlet of the valve's nozzle) by Coanda effect. The paper deals with the numerical simulation of this axisymetric annular nozzle with integrated synthetic jet actuator. The aim of the work is influence examination of outer cone angle on deflection on main stream.

  8. Lrit1, a Retinal Transmembrane Protein, Regulates Selective Synapse Formation in Cone Photoreceptor Cells and Visual Acuity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ueno, Akiko; Omori, Yoshihiro; Sugita, Yuko; Watanabe, Satoshi; Chaya, Taro; Kozuka, Takashi; Kon, Tetsuo; Yoshida, Satoyo; Matsushita, Kenji; Kuwahara, Ryusuke; Kajimura, Naoko; Okada, Yasushi; Furukawa, Takahisa

    2018-03-27

    In the vertebrate retina, cone photoreceptors play crucial roles in photopic vision by transmitting light-evoked signals to ON- and/or OFF-bipolar cells. However, the mechanisms underlying selective synapse formation in the cone photoreceptor pathway remain poorly understood. Here, we found that Lrit1, a leucine-rich transmembrane protein, localizes to the photoreceptor synaptic terminal and regulates the synaptic connection between cone photoreceptors and cone ON-bipolar cells. Lrit1-deficient retinas exhibit an aberrant morphology of cone photoreceptor pedicles, as well as an impairment of signal transmission from cone photoreceptors to cone ON-bipolar cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Lrit1 interacts with Frmpd2, a photoreceptor scaffold protein, and with mGluR6, an ON-bipolar cell-specific glutamate receptor. Additionally, Lrit1-null mice showed visual acuity impairments in their optokinetic responses. These results suggest that the Frmpd2-Lrit1-mGluR6 axis regulates selective synapse formation in cone photoreceptors and is essential for normal visual function. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Proceedings of the nuclear and particle physics on the light cone workshop

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, M.B.; Kisslinger, L.

    1988-01-01

    This book deals with phenomena in nuclear and particle physics that occur at high energy and at high momentum transfer. At high energy, particles move near the light cone, and the topics covered deal with the physics from this perspective. The light-cone description is familiar in particle physics, but until recently it has not been used in nuclear physics. In view of the fact that nuclear physicists are increasingly looking to questions that can be answered only by experiments in the range of energy where the light-cone description seems to be of advantage, and that the ideas involved are new to many people in the nuclear physics community, efforts were made to ensure that each main speaker would give an introduction to the subject as well as present recent developments. The book should, therefore, be valuable to those who want to learn about light-cone approaches, in particular experimentalists and students, as well as to specialists. The volume is divided into eight chapters. The first chapter is an overview of the meeting and an introduction to the subject of light-cone physics. The remaining chapters encompass various applications and current topics in nuclear and particle physics where use of light-cone methods leads to understanding of high-energy phenomena and their connection to the quark and mesonic substructure of the nucleus. These include the main talks containing the introductory material, as well as shorter papers on the more specialized topics of current interest in both experimental and theoretical aspects of the subject. 38 papers have been cataloged separately

  10. Characterization of the full cone pressure swirl spray nozzles for the nuclear reactor containment spray system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jain, Manish [Department of Mechanical Engineering, I.I.T., Bombay, Powai, Mumbai (India); John, Benny [Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, Mumbai (India); Iyer, K.N. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, I.I.T., Bombay, Powai, Mumbai (India); Prabhu, S.V., E-mail: svprabhu@iitb.ac.in [Department of Mechanical Engineering, I.I.T., Bombay, Powai, Mumbai (India)

    2014-07-01

    Highlights: • Full cone spray pressure swirl nozzle with X-Vane is studied. • Laser illuminated imaging technique is used. • Correlations for coefficient of discharge, spray cone angle and SMD are suggested. • Droplet size and mass fraction distribution is measured. • Inviscid theory predicts the coefficient of discharge. - Abstract: The objective of the present study is to characterize a full cone pressure swirl nozzle for the Containment Spray System (CSS) of Indian Pressurized heavy Water reactors (IPHWR). The influence of Reynolds number and geometric parameters on the coefficient of discharge, spray cone angle, mass flux density distribution, droplet size distribution, Sauter mean diameter (SMD is studied for full cone pressure swirl full cone nozzles. The nozzles of orifice diameter range from 1.3 to 7.2 mm are studied. Experiments are conducted with water at room temperature as the working medium. The nozzles are operated with the pressure ranging from 1 to 8 bar. The measurements of the drop size distributions are performed with laser illuminated imaging technique. The spray cone-angle of the full cone nozzles is measured by the evaluation of images recorded with a camera using IMAGE J software. Correlations for coefficient of discharge, spray cone angle and Sauter mean diameter are suggested on the basis of the experimental results. Rosin–Rammler model and Nukiyama–Tanasawa distributions predict the mass fraction distribution reasonably well. However, the droplet size distribution is predicted by Nukiyama-Tanasawa model only.

  11. A study on properties of a cone-type brake for motor vehicle winch

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dongxu Li

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The brake of winch is to prevent the occurrence of reverse slipping at working time. Based on the analysis of two types of brake, this article establishes the relationship model of the brake force and the angle of the screw thread on the brake shaft and builds the model of the relationship of the brake force and the height of the cone and found that the brake force is the largest when the angle of the screw is 45°. Also found that the brake force increases with the increase in the load, and the brake force is positively related to the height of the cone. Two brake mechanisms are manufactured and arranged in the same winch to conduct the experimental performance comparison. The experimental results show that the temperature of the winch with cone brake finally reaches about 60°C, which is 33% lower than the 90°C of the disk brake, and the no-load current of the cone brake winch is under 60 A, while in the disk brake winch it is over 90 A after 7 min, which consumes 33% energy than cone brake. The cone brake can reduce the occurrence of harmful friction and enhance the efficiency of winch and is able to solve the winch safety problem caused by nylon cable damage because of the heat accumulation.

  12. Full data consistency conditions for cone-beam projections with sources on a plane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clackdoyle, Rolf; Desbat, Laurent

    2013-01-01

    Cone-beam consistency conditions (also known as range conditions) are mathematical relationships between different cone-beam projections, and they therefore describe the redundancy or overlap of information between projections. These redundancies have often been exploited for applications in image reconstruction. In this work we describe new consistency conditions for cone-beam projections whose source positions lie on a plane. A further restriction is that the target object must not intersect this plane. The conditions require that moments of the cone-beam projections be polynomial functions of the source positions, with some additional constraints on the coefficients of the polynomials. A precise description of the consistency conditions is that the four parameters of the cone-beam projections (two for the detector, two for the source position) can be expressed with just three variables, using a certain formulation involving homogeneous polynomials. The main contribution of this work is our demonstration that these conditions are not only necessary, but also sufficient. Thus the consistency conditions completely characterize all redundancies, so no other independent conditions are possible and in this sense the conditions are full. The idea of the proof is to use the known consistency conditions for 3D parallel projections, and to then apply a 1996 theorem of Edholm and Danielsson that links parallel to cone-beam projections. The consistency conditions are illustrated with a simulation example. (paper)

  13. Mitogenomic phylogeny of cone snails endemic to Senegal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abalde, Samuel; Tenorio, Manuel J; Afonso, Carlos M L; Zardoya, Rafael

    2017-07-01

    Cone snails attain in Senegal one of their highest peaks of species diversity throughout the continental coast of Western Africa. A total of 15 endemic species have been described, all placed in the genus Lautoconus. While there is ample data regarding the morphology of the shell and the radular tooth of these species, virtually nothing is known regarding the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of one of the most endangered groups of cones. In this work, we determined the complete or near-complete (only lacking the control region) mitochondrial (mt) genomes of 17 specimens representing 11 endemic species (Lautoconus belairensis, Lautoconus bruguieresi, Lautoconus cacao, Lautoconus cloveri, Lautoconus cf. echinophilus, Lautoconus guinaicus, Lautoconus hybridus, Lautoconus senegalensis, Lautoconus mercator, Lautoconus taslei, and Lautoconus unifasciatus). We also sequenced the complete mt genome of Lautoconus guanche from the Canary Islands, which has been related to the cones endemic to Senegal. All mt genomes share the same gene arrangement, which conforms to the consensus reported for Conidae, Neogastropoda and Caenogastropoda. Phylogenetic analyses using probabilistic methods recovered three major lineages, whose divergence coincided in time with sea level and ocean current changes as well as temperature fluctuations during the Messinian salinity crisis and the Plio-Pleistocene transition. Furthermore, the three lineages corresponded to distinct types of radular tooth (robust, small, and elongated), suggesting that dietary specialization could be an additional evolutionary driver in the diversification of the cones endemic to Senegal. The reconstructed phylogeny showed several cases of phenotypic convergence (cryptic species) and questions the validity of some species (ecotypes or phenotypic plasticity), both results having important taxonomic and conservation consequences. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Two lepidopteran pests and damage on the cones of Abies koreana (Pinaceae in Jeju Island, Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Young-Min Shin

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available In the present study, we report two lepidopteran pests and their damage on the cones of Abies koreana E. H. Wilson from Mt. Halla, Jeju, South Korea: Cydia kamijoi Oku and Dioryctria abietella (Denis & Schiffermüller. The former is new to Korea, and the latter is well known as an insect pest on cones of various coniferous trees. Larvae of these species bore into the immature cones of the host tree. Damaged cones can be easily distinguished by reddish brown frass piled around the holes that were made by the moths, and the cones that are severely damaged become crooked and eventually are folded in half. The average damage rate on the cones was 75.3±2.34% from the survey sites in 2014, but the insect damage could not be found again from the sites as the host did not bear any cones in 2015. Descriptions and images of C. kamijoi and D. abietella are provided along with a list of host species and distribution.

  15. Multi-mounted X-ray cone-beam computed tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Jian; Wang, Jingzheng; Guo, Wei; Peng, Peng

    2018-04-01

    As a powerful nondestructive inspection technique, X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) has been widely applied to clinical diagnosis, industrial production and cutting-edge research. Imaging efficiency is currently one of the major obstacles for the applications of X-CT. In this paper, a multi-mounted three dimensional cone-beam X-CT (MM-CBCT) method is reported. It consists of a novel multi-mounted cone-beam scanning geometry and the corresponding three dimensional statistical iterative reconstruction algorithm. The scanning geometry is the most iconic design and significantly different from the current CBCT systems. Permitting the cone-beam scanning of multiple objects simultaneously, the proposed approach has the potential to achieve an imaging efficiency orders of magnitude greater than the conventional methods. Although multiple objects can be also bundled together and scanned simultaneously by the conventional CBCT methods, it will lead to the increased penetration thickness and signal crosstalk. In contrast, MM-CBCT avoids substantially these problems. This work comprises a numerical study of the method and its experimental verification using a dataset measured with a developed MM-CBCT prototype system. This technique will provide a possible solution for the CT inspection in a large scale.

  16. Chemical data on ionizing and non-ionizing angiographic contrast materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bonati, F.

    1980-01-01

    The cardiovascular effects of ionizing and non-ionizing contrast media are compared in experimental animals and in isolated heart preparations. The following parameters were recorded: peripheric arterial diastolic pressure, heart rate, duration of asystolic period, respiratory rate, contractility of the myocardium (dp/dt, LVSP, Vsub(max), EDV, ESV, SV). The observed changes are mainly due to the higher osmotic activity of the contrast media, as similar alterations were recorded after the injection of hyperosmotic glucose solution. It is concluded that administration of non-ionizing contrast media results in significantly less cardiovascular side effects. (L.E.)

  17. Light cone sum rules for single-pion electroproduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mallik, S.

    1978-01-01

    Light cone dispersion sum rules (of low energy and superconvergence types) are derived for nucleon matrix elements of the commutator involving electromagnetic and divergence of axial vector currents. The superconvergence type sum rules in the fixed mass limit are rewritten without requiring the knowledge of Regge subtractions. The retarded scaling functions occurring in these sum rules are evaluated within the framework of quark light cone algebra of currents. Besides a general consistency check of the framework underlying the derivation, the author infers, on the basis of crude evaluation of scaling functions, an upper limit of 100 MeV for the bare mass of nonstrange quarks. (Auth.)

  18. Ionizing radiations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1999-01-01

    This is an update about the radiological monitoring in base nuclear installations. A departmental order of the 23. march 1999 (J.O.28. april, p.6309) determines the enabling rules by the Office of Protection against Ionizing Radiations of person having at one's disposal the results with names of individual exposure of workers put through ionizing radiations. (N.C.)

  19. Adaptive optics fundus images of cone photoreceptors in the macula of patients with retinitis pigmentosa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tojo N

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Naoki Tojo, Tomoko Nakamura, Chiharu Fuchizawa, Toshihiko Oiwake, Atsushi HayashiDepartment of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, JapanBackground: The purpose of this study was to examine cone photoreceptors in the macula of patients with retinitis pigmentosa using an adaptive optics fundus camera and to investigate any correlations between cone photoreceptor density and findings on optical coherence tomography and fundus autofluorescence.Methods: We examined two patients with typical retinitis pigmentosa who underwent ophthalmological examination, including measurement of visual acuity, and gathering of electroretinographic, optical coherence tomographic, fundus autofluorescent, and adaptive optics fundus images. The cone photoreceptors in the adaptive optics images of the two patients with retinitis pigmentosa and five healthy subjects were analyzed.Results: An abnormal parafoveal ring of high-density fundus autofluorescence was observed in the macula in both patients. The border of the ring corresponded to the border of the external limiting membrane and the inner segment and outer segment line in the optical coherence tomographic images. Cone photoreceptors at the abnormal parafoveal ring were blurred and decreased in the adaptive optics images. The blurred area corresponded to the abnormal parafoveal ring in the fundus autofluorescence images. Cone densities were low at the blurred areas and at the nasal and temporal retina along a line from the fovea compared with those of healthy controls. The results for cone spacing and Voronoi domains in the macula corresponded with those for the cone densities.Conclusion: Cone densities were heavily decreased in the macula, especially at the parafoveal ring on high-density fundus autofluorescence in both patients with retinitis pigmentosa. Adaptive optics images enabled us to observe in vivo changes in the cone photoreceptors of

  20. Cone structure imaged with adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy in eyes with nonneovascular age-related macular degeneration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zayit-Soudry, Shiri; Duncan, Jacque L; Syed, Reema; Menghini, Moreno; Roorda, Austin J

    2013-11-15

    To evaluate cone spacing using adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) in eyes with nonneovascular AMD, and to correlate progression of AOSLO-derived cone measures with standard measures of macular structure. Adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy images were obtained over 12 to 21 months from seven patients with AMD including four eyes with geographic atrophy (GA) and four eyes with drusen. Adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy images were overlaid with color, infrared, and autofluorescence fundus photographs and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images to allow direct correlation of cone parameters with macular structure. Cone spacing was measured for each visit in selected regions including areas over drusen (n = 29), at GA margins (n = 14), and regions without drusen or GA (n = 13) and compared with normal, age-similar values. Adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy imaging revealed continuous cone mosaics up to the GA edge and overlying drusen, although reduced cone reflectivity often resulted in hyporeflective AOSLO signals at these locations. Baseline cone spacing measures were normal in 13/13 unaffected regions, 26/28 drusen regions, and 12/14 GA margin regions. Although standard clinical measures showed progression of GA in all study eyes, cone spacing remained within normal ranges in most drusen regions and all GA margin regions. Adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy provides adequate resolution for quantitative measurement of cone spacing at the margin of GA and over drusen in eyes with AMD. Although cone spacing was often normal at baseline and remained normal over time, these regions showed focal areas of decreased cone reflectivity. These findings may provide insight into the pathophysiology of AMD progression. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00254605).

  1. Three-dimensional single-photon emission computed tomography using cone beam collimation (CB-SPECT)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jaszczak, R.J.; Floyd, C.E. Jr.; Manglos, S.H.; Greer, K.L.; Coleman, R.E.

    1986-01-01

    A simple and economically practical method of improving the sensitivity of camera-based SPECT was developed using converging (cone-beam) collimation. This geometry is particularly advantageous for SPECT devices using large field-of-view cameras in imaging smaller, centrally located activity distributions. Geometric sensitivities, spatial resolutions, and fields-of-view of a cone-beam collimator having a focal length of 48 cm and a similarly designed parallel hole collimator were compared analytically. At 15 cm from the collimator surface the point-source sensitivity of the cone-beam collimator was 2.4 times the sensitivity of the parallel-hole collimator. SPECT projection data (simulated using Monte Carlo methodology) were reconstructed using a 3-D filtered backprojection algorithm. Cone-beam emission CT (CB-SPECT) seems potentially useful for animal investigations, pediatric studies, and for brain imaging

  2. Clinical utility of dental cone-beam computed tomography: current perspectives

    OpenAIRE

    Jaju, Prashant P; Jaju, Sushma P

    2014-01-01

    Prashant P Jaju,1 Sushma P Jaju21Oral Medicine and Radiology, 2Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Rishiraj College of Dental Sciences and Research Center, Bhopal, IndiaAbstract: Panoramic radiography and computed tomography were the pillars of maxillofacial diagnosis. With the advent of cone-beam computed tomography, dental practice has seen a paradigm shift. This review article highlights the potential applications of cone-beam computed tomography in the fields of dental implantology an...

  3. Ghost number anomaly in the Polyakov's light-cone gauge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Hiroshi.

    1990-06-01

    The conformal (Weyl) anomaly of the ghost-anti-ghost system in the two-dimentional quantum gravity is calculated. A background covariant formalism allows us to treat the Polyakov's light-cone gauge in a systematic way. The anomaly gives a contribution to the central charge, -28, which agrees with the result of Kniznik, Polyakov and Zamolodchikov. The ghost number anomaly is also calculated, and the metric corrections to the naive ghost number current are given. It is suggested that a general scalar density in the light-cone gauge carries a screening ghost number. (author)

  4. A strong-topological-metal material with multiple Dirac cones

    OpenAIRE

    Ji, Huiwen; Pletikosić, I; Gibson, Q. D.; Sahasrabudhe, Girija; Valla, T.; Cava, R. J.

    2015-01-01

    We report a new, cleavable, strong-topological-metal, Zr2Te2P, which has the same tetradymite-type crystal structure as the topological insulator Bi2Te2Se. Instead of being a semiconductor, however, Zr2Te2P is metallic with a pseudogap between 0.2 and 0.7 eV above the fermi energy (EF). Inside this pseudogap, two Dirac dispersions are predicted: one is a surface-originated Dirac cone protected by time-reversal symmetry (TRS), while the other is a bulk-originated and slightly gapped Dirac cone...

  5. A cone-like enhancement of polar solar corona plasma and its influence on heliospheric particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grzedzielski, Stan; Sokół, Justyna M.

    2017-04-01

    We will present results of the study of the properties of the solar wind plasma due to rotation of the polar solar corona. We focus in our study on the solar minimum conditions, when the polar coronal holes are well formed and the magnetic field in the solar polar corona exhibit almost regular "ray-like" structure. The solar rotation twists the magnetic field lines of the expanding fast polar solar wind and the resulting toroidal component of the field induces a force directed towards the rotation axis. This phenomenon is tantamount to a (weak) zeta pinch, known also in other astrophysical contexts (e.g. like in AGN jets). The pinch compresses the polar solar corona plasma and forms a cone-like enhancement of the solar wind density aligned with the rotation axis in the spherically symmetric case. The effect is likely very dynamic due to fast changing conditions in the solar corona, however in the study presented here, we assume a time independent description to get an order-of-magnitude estimate. The weak pinch is treated as a first-order perturbation to the zeroth-order radial flow. Following the assumptions based on the available knowledge about the plasma properties in the polar solar corona we estimated the most typical density enhancements. The cone like structure may extend as far from the Sun as tens of AU and thus will influence the heliospheric particles inside the heliosphere. An increase of the solar wind density in the polar region may be related with a decrease of the solar wind speed. Such changes of the solar wind plasma at high latitudes may modify the charge-exchange and electron impact ionization rates of heliospheric particles in interplanetary space. We will present their influence on the interstellar neutral gas and energetic neutral atoms observed by IBEX.

  6. Light Cone 2017 : Frontiers in Light Front Hadron Physics : Theory and Experiment.

    CERN Document Server

    2018-01-01

    LC2017 belongs to a series of Light-Cone conferences, which started in 1991. Light Cone conferences are held each year under the auspices of the International Light Cone Advisory Committee (ILCAC) (http://www.ilcacinc.org). The main objective of the Light Cone conference series is to provide a timely update of the progress in light-front theory and its phenomenological applications. Light-front theory provides a suitable framework to calculate observables such as scattering amplitudes, decay rates, spin effects, parton distributions, and other hadronic observables. One of the themes of the conference will be the interface between theory and experiment in hadron physics. The main topics of the program are: o Hadron Physics at present and future colliders o Light Front Field Theory in QED and QCD o AdS/QCD, D Branes and Strings o Hadron Structure : TMDs, GPDs and PDFs o Lattice QCD o QCD at high temperature and density o Higher order QCD corrections

  7. Morphology and nanomechanics of sensory neurons growth cones following peripheral nerve injury.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta Martin

    Full Text Available A prior peripheral nerve injury in vivo, promotes a rapid elongated mode of sensory neurons neurite regrowth in vitro. This in vitro model of conditioned axotomy allows analysis of the cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to an improved neurite re-growth. Our differential interference contrast microscopy and immunocytochemistry results show that conditioned axotomy, induced by sciatic nerve injury, did not increase somatic size of adult lumbar sensory neurons from mice dorsal root ganglia sensory neurons but promoted the appearance of larger neurites and growth cones. Using atomic force microscopy on live neurons, we investigated whether membrane mechanical properties of growth cones of axotomized neurons were modified following sciatic nerve injury. Our data revealed that neurons having a regenerative growth were characterized by softer growth cones, compared to control neurons. The increase of the growth cone membrane elasticity suggests a modification in the ratio and the inner framework of the main structural proteins.

  8. Laboratory studies of the dynamic of resonance cones formation in magnetized plasmas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nazarov, V. V.; Starodubtsev, M. V.; Kostrov, A. V. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Applied Physics, Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation)

    2013-03-15

    The paper is devoted to experimental studies of formation of resonance cones in magnetized plasmas by pulsed RF source in the lower-hybrid (whistler) and the upper-hybrid frequency ranges. It is shown that in both frequency ranges, resonance cones exhibit similar dynamics after switching-on the RF source: at first, wide maxima of radiation are formed in non-resonance directions, which then become narrower, with their direction approaching the resonance one. While the resonance cones are being formed, one observes a fine structure in the form of secondary radiation maxima. It is shown that the characteristic formation time of stationary resonance cones is determined by the minimal value of the group velocity of the quasi-electrostatic waves excited by the antenna. In the low-temperature plasma, this value is limited in the lower-hybrid frequency range by the spatial spectrum of the emitting antenna and in the upper-hybrid range, by the effects of spatial plasma dispersion.

  9. Color opponency in cone-driven horizontal cells in carp retina. Aspecific pathways between cones and horizontal cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kamermans, M.; van Dijk, B. W.; Spekreijse, H.

    1991-01-01

    The spectral and dynamic properties of cone-driven horizontal cells in carp retina were evaluated with silent substitution stimuli and/or saturating background illumination. The aim of this study was to describe the wiring underlying the spectral sensitivity of these cells. We will present

  10. Physical properties of new collimator cone system for stereotactic radiation therapy developed in samsung medical center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, D Y; Ahn, Y C; Oh, D G; Choi, D R; Ju, S G; Yeo, I H; Huh, S J

    2000-09-01

    A new collimator cone system has been developed at the Samsung Medical Center that overcomes some of the limitations of present commercially supplied collimator cones. The physical properties of the newly developed cone system are described in this report. The new cones have relatively larger aperture sizes (3.0-7.0 cm in diameter) and are 16 cm in length. Each new cone is fabricated with cerrobend alloy melted and poured into a stainless steel housing that is permanently fixed to a mounting plate. The mounting plate of the new cone is designed to insert into the wedge mount slot of the gantry head. The mechanical accuracy of the central axis of the cone pointing to the isocenter was tested using film, a steel ball positioned at the isocenter by the mechanical isocenter device. For the evaluation of beam flatness and penumbra, off-axis ratios at 5 cm depth were measured by film dosimetry using polystyrene phantom. The average error of the mechanical isocenter was 0.27 mm (+/- 0.16 mm). The beam flatness was excellent in the central region of the beam, and the average penumbra width was 3.35 mm (+/- 0.25 mm). The new cone design has more clearance between the patient's head and the gantry, and can more easily be removed from the gantry head because it slides in and out of the wedge slot. This facilitates changing cone sizes during one treatment session, and makes the process of double exposure port films easier. A new collimator cone system for stereotactic radiation therapy has been developed. The mechanical accuracy and physical properties are satisfactory for clinical use, and the new design permits a wider range of clinical applications for stereotactic radiation therapy.

  11. Range to cone length relations for light ions in CR-39

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gil, L.R.; Marques, A.

    1988-01-01

    Curves ''range x cone lenght'' and ''diameter x cone lenght'' are calculated for tracks left by low energy light ions in CR-39. The calculations cover ions from helium to iron and are performed for 6.25 N NaOH at 70 0 C and a standard etching time but can be easily extended to other etching conditions. (author) [pt

  12. Visual pigment coexpression in all cones of two rodents, the Siberian hamster, and the pouched mouse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lukáts, Akos; Dkhissi-Benyahya, Ouria; Szepessy, Zsuzsanna; Röhlich, Pál; Vígh, Béla; Bennett, Nigel C; Cooper, Howard M; Szél, Agoston

    2002-07-01

    To decide whether the identical topography of short- and middle-wavelength cone photoreceptors in two species of rodents reflects the presence of both opsins in all cone cells. Double-label immunocytochemistry using antibodies directed against short-wavelength (S)-and middle- to long-wavelength (M/L)-sensitive opsin were used to determine the presence of visual pigments in cones of two species of rodents, the Siberian hamster (Phodopus sungorus) and the pouched mouse (Saccostomus campestris) from South Africa. Topographical distribution was determined from retinal whole-mounts, and the colocalization of visual pigments was examined using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Opsin colocalization was also confirmed in consecutive semithin tangential sections. The immunocytochemical results demonstrate that in both the Siberian hamster and the pouched mouse all retinal cones contain two visual pigments. No dorsoventral gradient in the differential expression of the two opsins is observed. The retina of the Siberian hamster and the pouched mouse is the first example to show a uniform coexpression of M and S cone opsins in all cones, without any topographical gradient in opsin expression. This finding makes these two species good models for the study of molecular control mechanisms in opsin coexpression in rodents, and renders them suitable as sources of dual cones for future investigations on the role and neural connections of this cone type.

  13. Temporal and spatial characteristics of male cone development in Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu et Cheng.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Biao; Tang, Liang; Lu, Yan; Wang, Di; Zhang, Min; Ma, Jiuxia

    2012-12-01

    Metasequoia glyptostroboides, a famous relic species of conifer that survived in China, has been successfully planted in large numbers across the world. However, limited information on male cone development in the species is available. In this study, we observed the morphological and anatomical changes that occur during male cone development in M. glyptostroboides using semi-thin sections and scanning electron microscopy. The male cones were borne oppositely on one-year-old twigs that were mainly located around the outer and sunlit parts of crown. Male cones were initiated from early September and shed pollen in the following February. Each cone consisted of spirally arranged microsporophylls subtended by decussate sterile scales, and each microsporophyll commonly consisted of three microsporangia and a phylloclade. The microsporangial wall was composed of an epidermis, endothecium, and tapetum. In mid-February, the endothecium and tapetum layers disintegrated, and in the epidermal layer the cell walls were thickened with inner protrusions. Subsequently, dehiscence of the microsporangia occurred through rupturing of the microsporangial wall along the dehiscence line. These results suggest that the structure, morphology, architecture and arrangement of male cones of M. glyptostroboides are mainly associated with the production, protection and dispersal of pollen for optimization of wind pollination.

  14. Evaluation of radiosurgery techniques–Cone-based linac radiosurgery vs tomotherapy-based radiosurgery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yip, Ho Yin; Mui, Wing Lun A.; Lee, Joseph W.Y.; Fung, Winky Wing Ki; Chan, Jocelyn M.T.; Chiu, G.; Law, Maria Y.Y.

    2013-01-01

    Performances of radiosurgery of intracranial lesions between cone-based Linac system and Tomotherapy-based system were compared in terms of dosimetry and time. Twelve patients with single intracranial lesion treated with cone-based Linac radiosurgery system from 2005 to 2009 were replanned for Tomotherapy-based radiosurgery treatment. The conformity index, homogeneity index (HI), and gradient score index (GSI) of each case was calculated. The Wilcoxon matched-pair test was used to compare the 3 indices between both systems. The cases with regular target (n = 6) and those with irregular target (n = 6) were further analyzed separately. The estimated treatment time between both systems was also compared. Significant differences were found in HI (p = 0.05) and in GSI (p = 0.03) for the whole group. Cone-based radiosurgery was better in GSI whereas Tomotherapy-based radiosurgery was better in HI. Cone-based radiosurgery was better in conformity index (p = 0.03) and GSI (p = 0.03) for regular targets, whereas Tomotherapy-based radiosurgery system performed significantly better in HI (p = 0.03) for irregular targets. The estimated total treatment time for Tomotherapy-based radiosurgery ranged from 24 minutes to 35 minutes, including 15 minutes of pretreatment megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) and image registration, whereas that for cone-based radiosurgery ranged from 15 minutes for 1 isocenter to 75 minutes for 5 isocenters. As a rule of thumb, Tomotherapy-based radiosurgery system should be the first-line treatment for irregular lesions because of better dose homogeneity and shorter treatment time. Cone-based Linac radiosurgery system should be the treatment of choice for regular targets because of the better dose conformity, rapid dose fall-off, and reasonable treatment time

  15. Evaluation of radiosurgery techniques–Cone-based linac radiosurgery vs tomotherapy-based radiosurgery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yip, Ho Yin, E-mail: hoyinyip@yahoo.com.hk [Department of Radiotherapy, Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, Happy Valley, Hong Kong (China); Mui, Wing Lun A.; Lee, Joseph W.Y.; Fung, Winky Wing Ki; Chan, Jocelyn M.T.; Chiu, G. [Department of Radiotherapy, Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, Happy Valley, Hong Kong (China); Law, Maria Y.Y. [Medical Physics and Research Department, Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, Happy Valley, Hong Kong (China)

    2013-07-01

    Performances of radiosurgery of intracranial lesions between cone-based Linac system and Tomotherapy-based system were compared in terms of dosimetry and time. Twelve patients with single intracranial lesion treated with cone-based Linac radiosurgery system from 2005 to 2009 were replanned for Tomotherapy-based radiosurgery treatment. The conformity index, homogeneity index (HI), and gradient score index (GSI) of each case was calculated. The Wilcoxon matched-pair test was used to compare the 3 indices between both systems. The cases with regular target (n = 6) and those with irregular target (n = 6) were further analyzed separately. The estimated treatment time between both systems was also compared. Significant differences were found in HI (p = 0.05) and in GSI (p = 0.03) for the whole group. Cone-based radiosurgery was better in GSI whereas Tomotherapy-based radiosurgery was better in HI. Cone-based radiosurgery was better in conformity index (p = 0.03) and GSI (p = 0.03) for regular targets, whereas Tomotherapy-based radiosurgery system performed significantly better in HI (p = 0.03) for irregular targets. The estimated total treatment time for Tomotherapy-based radiosurgery ranged from 24 minutes to 35 minutes, including 15 minutes of pretreatment megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT) and image registration, whereas that for cone-based radiosurgery ranged from 15 minutes for 1 isocenter to 75 minutes for 5 isocenters. As a rule of thumb, Tomotherapy-based radiosurgery system should be the first-line treatment for irregular lesions because of better dose homogeneity and shorter treatment time. Cone-based Linac radiosurgery system should be the treatment of choice for regular targets because of the better dose conformity, rapid dose fall-off, and reasonable treatment time.

  16. Biological effects of low-level ionizing and non-ionizing radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Upton, A.C.

    1986-01-01

    Early in this century it was recognized that large doses of ionizing radiation could injure almost any tissue in the body, but small doses were generally thought to be harmless. By the middle of the century however it came to be suspected that even the smallest doses of ionizing radiation to the gonads might increase the risk of hereditary disease in subsequently-conceived offspring. Since then the hypothesis that carcinogenic and teratogenic effects also have no threshold has been adopted for purposes of radiological protection. It is estimated nevertheless that the risks that may be associated with natural background levels of ionizing irradiation are too small to be detectable. Hence validation of such risk estimates will depend on further elucidation of the dose-effect relationships and mechanisms of the effects in question, through studies at higher dose levels. In contrast to the situation with ionizing radiation, exposure to natural background levels of ultraviolet radiation has been implicated definitively in the etiology of skin cancers in fair-skinned individuals. Persons with inherited effects in DNA repair capacity are particularly susceptible. Non-ionizing radiations of other types can also affect health at high dose levels, but whether they can cause injury at low levels of exposure is not known

  17. Necrotic enlargement of cone photoreceptor cells and the release of high-mobility group box-1 in retinitis pigmentosa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murakami, Y; Ikeda, Y; Nakatake, S; Tachibana, T; Fujiwara, K; Yoshida, N; Notomi, S; Nakao, S; Hisatomi, T; Miller, J W; Vavvas, DG; Sonoda, KH; Ishibashi, T

    2015-01-01

    Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) refers to a group of inherited retinal degenerations resulting form rod and cone photoreceptor cell death. The rod cell death due to deleterious genetic mutations has been shown to occur mainly through apoptosis, whereas the mechanisms and features of the secondary cone cell death have not been fully elucidated. Our previous study showed that the cone cell death in rd10 mice, an animal model of RP, involves necrotic features and is partly mediated by the receptor interacting protein kinase. However, the relevancy of necrotic cone cell death in human RP patients remains unknown. In the present study, we showed that dying cone cells in rd10 mice exhibited cellular enlargement, along with necrotic changes such as cellular swelling and mitochondrial rupture. In human eyes, live imaging of cone cells by adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy revealed significantly increased percentages of enlarged cone cells in the RP patients compared with the control subjects. The vitreous of the RP patients contained significantly higher levels of high-mobility group box-1, which is released extracellularly associated with necrotic cell death. These findings suggest that necrotic enlargement of cone cells is involved in the process of cone degeneration, and that necrosis may be a novel target to prevent or delay the loss of cone-mediated central vision in RP. PMID:27551484

  18. Study on the performance improvement of multiblade fans. Effects of suction cones; Tayoku fan no seino kaizen ni kansuru kenkyu. Suction cone no eikyo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuratani, F.; Ogawa, T. [Hyogo University of Teacher Education, Hyogo (Japan); Yamamoto, S.

    1999-07-25

    In order to improve the performance of a multiblade fan, the effects of three types of suction cones of the fan casing on the fan efficiency and noise are investigated experimentally. The first type of the suction cone is the insertion type, which is inserted into the inside of the fan impeller. The second type is the extrusion type, which extrudes outside from the casing surface. The third type is the combination type of two types. The results of those three types are compared with those of the commonly used suction cone. The followings are made clear: (1) The insertion type and the extrusion type are effective in improving the efficiency and reducing noise. (2) The optimal lengths of the insertion and the extrusion exist. (3) The combination type is more effective in improving the efficiency. (4) The combination type with the skewed cutoff of the fan casing shows the best effect. (author)

  19. A proton point source produced by laser interaction with cone-top-end target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Jinqing; Jin, Xiaolin; Zhou, Weimin; Zhao, Zongqing; Yan, Yonghong; Li, Bin; Hong, Wei; Gu, Yuqiu

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we propose a proton point source by the interaction of laser and cone-top-end target and investigate it by two-dimensional particle-in-cell (2D-PIC) simulations as the proton point sources are well known for higher spatial resolution of proton radiography. Our results show that the relativistic electrons are guided to the rear of the cone-top-end target by the electrostatic charge-separation field and self-generated magnetic field along the profile of the target. As a result, the peak magnitude of sheath field at the rear surface of cone-top-end target is higher compared to common cone target. We test this scheme by 2D-PIC simulation and find the result has a diameter of 0.79λ 0 , an average energy of 9.1 MeV and energy spread less than 35%.

  20. Effect of flow conditions on spray cone angle of a two-fluid atomizer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shafaee, Maziar; Banitabaei, Sayed Abdolhossein; Ashjaee, Mehdi; Esfahanian, Vahid [Tehran University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2011-02-15

    A visual study is conducted to determine the effects of operating conditions on the spray cone angle of a two-fluid atomizer. The liquid (water) jets exit from peripheral inclined orifices and are introduced into a high-speed gas (air) stream in the gravitational direction. Using a high-speed imaging system, the spray cone angle is determined for Reynolds numbers ranging from 4x10{sup 4} to 9x10{sup 4} and different Weber numbers up to 140. The droplet sizes (Sauter mean diameter) and their distributions are determined using a Malvern Mastersizer X. The results show that the spray cone angle depends on the operating conditions, especially in lower values of Reynolds and Weber numbers. An empirical correlation is also obtained to predict the spray cone angle in terms of these two parameters.

  1. A combination-weighted Feldkamp-based reconstruction algorithm for cone-beam CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mori, Shinichiro; Endo, Masahiro; Komatsu, Shuhei; Kandatsu, Susumu; Yashiro, Tomoyasu; Baba, Masayuki

    2006-01-01

    The combination-weighted Feldkamp algorithm (CW-FDK) was developed and tested in a phantom in order to reduce cone-beam artefacts and enhance cranio-caudal reconstruction coverage in an attempt to improve image quality when utilizing cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Using a 256-slice cone-beam CT (256CBCT), image quality (CT-number uniformity and geometrical accuracy) was quantitatively evaluated in phantom and clinical studies, and the results were compared to those obtained with the original Feldkamp algorithm. A clinical study was done in lung cancer patients under breath holding and free breathing. Image quality for the original Feldkamp algorithm is degraded at the edge of the scan region due to the missing volume, commensurate with the cranio-caudal distance between the reconstruction and central planes. The CW-FDK extended the reconstruction coverage to equal the scan coverage and improved reconstruction accuracy, unaffected by the cranio-caudal distance. The extended reconstruction coverage with good image quality provided by the CW-FDK will be clinically investigated for improving diagnostic and radiotherapy applications. In addition, this algorithm can also be adapted for use in relatively wide cone-angle CBCT such as with a flat-panel detector CBCT

  2. Synaptojanin 1 is required for endolysosomal trafficking of synaptic proteins in cone photoreceptor inner segments.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ashley A George

    Full Text Available Highly polarized cells such as photoreceptors require precise and efficient strategies for establishing and maintaining the proper subcellular distribution of proteins. The signals and molecular machinery that regulate trafficking and sorting of synaptic proteins within cone inner segments is mostly unknown. In this study, we show that the polyphosphoinositide phosphatase Synaptojanin 1 (SynJ1 is critical for this process. We used transgenic markers for trafficking pathways, electron microscopy, and immunocytochemistry to characterize trafficking defects in cones of the zebrafish mutant, nrc(a14 , which is deficient in phosphoinositide phosphatase, SynJ1. The outer segments and connecting cilia of nrc(a14 cone photoreceptors are normal, but RibeyeB and VAMP2/synaptobrevin, which normally localize to the synapse, accumulate in the nrc(a14 inner segment. The structure of the Endoplasmic Reticulum in nrc(a14 mutant cones is normal. Golgi develop normally, but later become disordered. Large vesicular structures accumulate within nrc(a14 cone photoreceptor inner segments, particularly after prolonged incubation in darkness. Cone inner segments of nrc (a14 mutants also have enlarged acidic vesicles, abnormal late endosomes, and a disruption in autophagy. This last pathway also appears exacerbated by darkness. Taken altogether, these findings show that SynJ1 is required in cones for normal endolysosomal trafficking of synaptic proteins.

  3. A general exact method for synthesizing parallel-beam projections from cone-beam projections via filtered backprojection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Liang; Chen Zhiqiang; Xing Yuxiang; Zhang Li; Kang Kejun; Wang Ge

    2006-01-01

    In recent years, image reconstruction methods for cone-beam computed tomography (CT) have been extensively studied. However, few of these studies discussed computing parallel-beam projections from cone-beam projections. In this paper, we focus on the exact synthesis of complete or incomplete parallel-beam projections from cone-beam projections. First, an extended central slice theorem is described to establish a relationship between the Radon space and the Fourier space. Then, data sufficiency conditions are proposed for computing parallel-beam projection data from cone-beam data. Using these results, a general filtered backprojection algorithm is formulated that can exactly synthesize parallel-beam projection data from cone-beam projection data. As an example, we prove that parallel-beam projections can be exactly synthesized in an angular range in the case of circular cone-beam scanning. Interestingly, this angular range is larger than that derived in the Feldkamp reconstruction framework. Numerical experiments are performed in the circular scanning case to verify our method

  4. Simulation study of the ionizing front in the critical ionization velocity phenomenon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Machida, S.; Goertz, C.K.; Lu, G.

    1988-01-01

    Simulations of the Critical Ionization Velocity (CIV) for a neutral gas cloud moving across the static magnetic field are made. We treat a low-β plasma and use a 2-1/2 D electrostatic code linked with our Plasma and Neutral Interaction Code (PANIC). Our study is focused on the understanding of the interface between the neutral gas cloud and the surrounding plasma where the strong interaction takes place. We assume the existence of some hot electrons in the ambient plasma to provide a seed ionization for CIV. When the ionization starts a sheath-like structure is formed at the surface of the neutral gas (Ionizing Front). In that region the crossfield component of the electric field causes the electron to E x B drift with a velocity of the order of the neutral gas velocity times the square root of the ion to electron mass ratio. Thus the kinetic energy of the drifting electrons can be large enough for electron impact ionization. In addition a diamagnetic drift of the electron occurs due to the number density and temperature inhomogeneity in the ionization front. These drift currents excite the lower-hybrid waves with the wave k-vectors almost perpendicular to the neutral flow and magnetic field again resulting in electron heating and additional ionization. The overall structure is studied by developing a simple analytic model as well as making simulation runs. (author)

  5. Seawave Slot-Cone Generator

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vicinanza, Diego; Margheritini, Lucia; Contestabile, Pasquale

    2009-01-01

    This paper discusses a new type of Wave Energy Converter (WEC) named Seawave Slot-Cone Generator (SSG). The SSG is a WEC of the overtopping type. The structure consists of a number of reservoirs one on the top of each others above the mean water level in which the water of incoming waves is store...... on sloping walls constituting the structure. The research is intended to be of direct use to engineers analyzing design and stability of this peculiar kind of coastal structure....

  6. Introduction to ionizing radiation physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Musilek, L.

    1979-01-01

    Basic properties are described of the atom, atomic nucleus and of ionizing radiation particles; nuclear reactions, ionizing radiation sources and ionizing radiation interaction with matter are explained. (J.P.)

  7. Collisional ionization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arnaud, M.

    1985-07-01

    In low density, thin plasmas (such as stellar coronae, interstellar medium, intracluster medium) the ionization process is governed by collision between electrons and ions in their ground state. In view of the recent improvements we thought an updating of ionization rates was really needed. The work is based on both experimental data and theoretical works and give separate estimates for the direct and autoionization rates

  8. General surface reconstruction for cone-beam multislice spiral computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Laigao; Liang Yun; Heuscher, Dominic J.

    2003-01-01

    A new family of cone-beam reconstruction algorithm, the General Surface Reconstruction (GSR), is proposed and formulated in this paper for multislice spiral computed tomography (CT) reconstructions. It provides a general framework to allow the reconstruction of planar or nonplanar surfaces on a set of rebinned short-scan parallel beam projection data. An iterative surface formation method is proposed as an example to show the possibility to form nonplanar reconstruction surfaces to minimize the adverse effect between the collected cone-beam projection data and the reconstruction surfaces. The improvement in accuracy of the nonplanar surfaces over planar surfaces in the two-dimensional approximate cone-beam reconstructions is mathematically proved and demonstrated using numerical simulations. The proposed GSR algorithm is evaluated by the computer simulation of cone-beam spiral scanning geometry and various mathematical phantoms. The results demonstrate that the GSR algorithm generates much better image quality compared to conventional multislice reconstruction algorithms. For a table speed up to 100 mm per rotation, GSR demonstrates good image quality for both the low-contrast ball phantom and thorax phantom. All other performance parameters are comparable to the single-slice 180 deg. LI (linear interpolation) algorithm, which is considered the 'gold standard'. GSR also achieves high computing efficiency and good temporal resolution, making it an attractive alternative for the reconstruction of next generation multislice spiral CT data

  9. ON Cone Bipolar Cell Axonal Synapses in the OFF Inner Plexiform Layer of the Rabbit Retina

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lauritzen, J. Scott; Anderson, James R.; Jones, Bryan W.; Watt, Carl B.; Mohammed, Shoeb; Hoang, John V.; Marc, Robert E.

    2012-01-01

    Analysis of the rabbit retinal connectome RC1 reveals that the division between the ON and OFF inner plexiform layer (IPL) is not structurally absolute. ON cone bipolar cells make non-canonical axonal synapses onto specific targets and receive amacrine cell synapses in the nominal OFF layer, creating novel motifs, including inhibitory crossover networks. Automated transmission electron microscope (ATEM) imaging, molecular tagging, tracing, and rendering of ≈ 400 bipolar cells reveals axonal ribbons in 36% of ON cone bipolar cells, throughout the OFF IPL. The targets include GABA-positive amacrine cells (γACs), glycine-positive amacrine cells (GACs) and ganglion cells. Most ON cone bipolar cell axonal contacts target GACs driven by OFF cone bipolar cells, forming new architectures for generating ON-OFF amacrine cells. Many of these ON-OFF GACs target ON cone bipolar cell axons, ON γACs and/or ON-OFF ganglion cells, representing widespread mechanisms for OFF to ON crossover inhibition. Other targets include OFF γACs presynaptic to OFF bipolar cells, forming γAC-mediated crossover motifs. ON cone bipolar cell axonal ribbons drive bistratified ON-OFF ganglion cells in the OFF layer and provide ON drive to polarity-appropriate targets such as bistratified diving ganglion cells (bsdGCs). The targeting precision of ON cone bipolar cell axonal synapses shows that this drive incidence is necessarily a joint distribution of cone bipolar cell axonal frequency and target cell trajectories through a given volume of the OFF layer. Such joint distribution sampling is likely common when targets are sparser than sources and when sources are coupled, as are ON cone bipolar cells. PMID:23042441

  10. Dosimetry of ionizing radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Musilek, L.; Seda, J.; Trousil, J.

    1992-01-01

    The publication deals with a major field of ionizing radiation dosimetry, viz., integrating dosimetric methods, which are the basic means of operative dose determination. It is divided into the following sections: physical and chemical effects of ionizing radiation; integrating dosimetric methods for low radiation doses (film dosimetry, nuclear emulsions, thermoluminescence, radiophotoluminescence, solid-state track detectors, integrating ionization dosemeters); dosimetry of high ionizing radiation doses (chemical dosimetric methods, dosemeters based on the coloring effect, activation detectors); additional methods applicable to integrating dosimetry (exoelectron emission, electron spin resonance, lyoluminescence, etc.); and calibration techniques for dosimetric instrumentation. (Z.S.). 422 refs

  11. Assessment of Different Sampling Methods for Measuring and Representing Macular Cone Density Using Flood-Illuminated Adaptive Optics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Shu; Gale, Michael J; Fay, Jonathan D; Faridi, Ambar; Titus, Hope E; Garg, Anupam K; Michaels, Keith V; Erker, Laura R; Peters, Dawn; Smith, Travis B; Pennesi, Mark E

    2015-09-01

    To describe a standardized flood-illuminated adaptive optics (AO) imaging protocol suitable for the clinical setting and to assess sampling methods for measuring cone density. Cone density was calculated following three measurement protocols: 50 × 50-μm sampling window values every 0.5° along the horizontal and vertical meridians (fixed-interval method), the mean density of expanding 0.5°-wide arcuate areas in the nasal, temporal, superior, and inferior quadrants (arcuate mean method), and the peak cone density of a 50 × 50-μm sampling window within expanding arcuate areas near the meridian (peak density method). Repeated imaging was performed in nine subjects to determine intersession repeatability of cone density. Cone density montages could be created for 67 of the 74 subjects. Image quality was determined to be adequate for automated cone counting for 35 (52%) of the 67 subjects. We found that cone density varied with different sampling methods and regions tested. In the nasal and temporal quadrants, peak density most closely resembled histological data, whereas the arcuate mean and fixed-interval methods tended to underestimate the density compared with histological data. However, in the inferior and superior quadrants, arcuate mean and fixed-interval methods most closely matched histological data, whereas the peak density method overestimated cone density compared with histological data. Intersession repeatability testing showed that repeatability was greatest when sampling by arcuate mean and lowest when sampling by fixed interval. We show that different methods of sampling can significantly affect cone density measurements. Therefore, care must be taken when interpreting cone density results, even in a normal population.

  12. First successful ionization of Lr (Z = 103) by a surface-ionization technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sato, Tetsuya K., E-mail: sato.tetsuya@jaea.go.jp; Sato, Nozomi; Asai, Masato; Tsukada, Kazuaki; Toyoshima, Atsushi; Ooe, Kazuhiro; Miyashita, Sunao; Schädel, Matthias [Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), 2-4 Shirakata-shirane, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Kaneya, Yusuke; Nagame, Yuichiro [Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), 2-4 Shirakata-shirane, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ibaraki University, 2-1-1, Bunkyo, Mito, Ibaraki 310-8512 (Japan); Osa, Akihiko [Department of Research Reactor and Tandem Accelerator, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), 2-4 Shirakata shirane, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Ichikawa, Shin-ichi [Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), 2-4 Shirakata-shirane, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198 (Japan); Stora, Thierry [ISOLDE, CERN, CH-1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); Kratz, Jens Volker [Institut für Kernchemie, Universität Mainz, D-55099 Mainz (Germany)

    2013-02-15

    We have developed a surface ionization ion-source as part of the JAEA-ISOL (Isotope Separator On-Line) setup, which is coupled to a He/CdI{sub 2} gas-jet transport system to determine the first ionization potential of the heaviest actinide lawrencium (Lr, Z = 103). The new ion-source is an improved version of the previous source that provided good ionization efficiencies for lanthanides. An additional filament was newly installed to give better control over its operation. We report, here, on the development of the new gas-jet coupled surface ion-source and on the first successful ionization and mass separation of 27-s {sup 256}Lr produced in the {sup 249}Cf + {sup 11}B reaction.

  13. Case histories of roller cone core bit application in crystalline rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dahlem, J.S.

    1988-01-01

    The increased interest in deep crystalline rock drilling projects has resulted in a requirement for premium coring bits which are effective in such a harsh and abrasive environment. Hard formation roller cone insert bits have traditionally and constantly performed well in crystalline rock. As a result, the application of state of the art roller cone rock bit technology to the design and development of core bits has made crystalline coring projects more viable than ever before. This paper follows the development of roller cone core bits by examining their use on project such as HDR (Hot Dry Rock, Los Alamos); NAGRA (Nuclear Waste Disposal Wells in Switzerland); Camborne School of Mines Geothermal Project in Cornwall, UK; Deep Gas Project in Sweden; and the KTB Deep Drilling Project in West Germany

  14. Light-cone expansion of the Dirac sea in the presence of chiral and scalar potentials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finster, Felix

    2000-10-01

    We study the Dirac sea in the presence of external chiral and scalar/pseudoscalar potentials. In preparation, a method is developed for calculating the advanced and retarded Green's functions in an expansion around the light cone. For this, we first expand all Feynman diagrams and then explicitly sum up the perturbation series. The light-cone expansion expresses the Green's functions as an infinite sum of line integrals over the external potential and its partial derivatives. The Dirac sea is decomposed into a causal and a noncausal contribution. The causal contribution has a light-cone expansion which is closely related to the light-cone expansion of the Green's functions; it describes the singular behavior of the Dirac sea in terms of nested line integrals along the light cone. The noncausal contribution, on the other hand, is, to every order in perturbation theory, a smooth function in position space.

  15. Ardnamurchan 3D cone-sheet architecture explained by a single elongate magma chamber.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burchardt, Steffi; Troll, Valentin R; Mathieu, Lucie; Emeleus, Henry C; Donaldson, Colin H

    2013-10-08

    The Palaeogene Ardnamurchan central igneous complex, NW Scotland, was a defining place for the development of the classic concepts of cone-sheet and ring-dyke emplacement and has thus fundamentally influenced our thinking on subvolcanic structures. We have used the available structural information on Ardnamurchan to project the underlying three-dimensional (3D) cone-sheet structure. Here we show that a single elongate magma chamber likely acted as the source of the cone-sheet swarm(s) instead of the traditionally accepted model of three successive centres. This proposal is supported by the ridge-like morphology of the Ardnamurchan volcano and is consistent with the depth and elongation of the gravity anomaly underlying the peninsula. Our model challenges the traditional model of cone-sheet emplacement at Ardnamurchan that involves successive but independent centres in favour of a more dynamical one that involves a single, but elongate and progressively evolving magma chamber system.

  16. Iterative reconstruction with attenuation compensation from cone-beam projections acquired via nonplanar orbits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeng, G.L.; Weng, Y.; Gullberg, G.T.

    1997-01-01

    Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging with cone-beam collimators provides improved sensitivity and spatial resolution for imaging small objects with large field-of-view detectors. It is known that Tuy's cone-beam data sufficiency condition must be met to obtain artifact-free reconstructions. Even though Tuy's condition was derived for an attenuation-free situation, the authors hypothesize that an artifact-free reconstruction can be obtained even if the cone-beam data are attenuated, provided the imaging orbit satisfies Tuy's condition and the exact attenuation map is known. In the authors' studies, emission data are acquired using nonplanar circle-and-line orbits to acquire cone-beam data for tomographic reconstructions. An extended iterative ML-EM (maximum likelihood-expectation maximization) reconstruction algorithm is derived and used to reconstruct projection data with either a pre-acquired or assumed attenuation map. Quantitative accuracy of the attenuation corrected emission reconstruction is significantly improved

  17. Pressure-sensitive paint on a truncated cone in hypersonic flow at incidences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, L.; Erdem, E.; Zare-Behtash, H.; Kontis, K.; Saravanan, S.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Global pressure map over the truncated cone is obtained at various incidence angles in Mach 5 flow. ► Successful application of AA-PSP in hypersonic flow expands operation area of this technique. ► AA-PSP reveals complex three-dimensional pattern which is difficult for transducer to obtain. ► Quantitative data provides strong correlation with colour Schlieren and oil flow results. ► High spatial resolution pressure mappings identify small scale vortices and flow separation. - Abstract: The flow over a truncated cone is a classical and fundamental problem for aerodynamic research due to its three-dimensional and complicated characteristics. The flow is made more complex when examining high angles of incidence. Recently these types of flows have drawn more attention for the purposes of drag reduction in supersonic/hypersonic flows. In the present study the flow over a truncated cone at various incidences was experimentally investigated in a Mach 5 flow with a unit Reynolds number of 13.5 × 10 6 m −1 . The cone semi-apex angle is 15° and the truncation ratio (truncated length/cone length) is 0.5. The incidence of the model varied from −12° to 12° with 3° intervals relative to the freestream direction. The external flow around the truncated cone was visualised by colour Schlieren photography, while the surface flow pattern was revealed using the oil flow method. The surface pressure distribution was measured using the anodized aluminium pressure-sensitive paint (AA-PSP) technique. Both top and sideviews of the pressure distribution on the model surface were acquired at various incidences. AA-PSP showed high pressure sensitivity and captured the complicated flow structures which correlated well with the colour Schlieren and oil flow visualisation results.

  18. The Mythical Retention Chart and the Corruption of Dale's Cone of Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Subramony, Deepak Prem; Molenda, Michael; Betrus, Anthony K.; Thalheimer, Will

    2014-01-01

    In response to the wide-scale proliferation of "the cone of learning"--a fanciful retention chart confounded with Dale's Cone of Experience--the authors make four major claims debunking this fantasy and provide documentary evidence to support these claims. The first claim is that the data in the mythical retention chart do not make…

  19. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Cone-Beam CT in Conjunction with DSA for Identifying Prostatic Arterial Anatomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Mao Qiang; Duan, Feng; Yuan, Kai; Zhang, Guo Dong; Yan, Jieyu; Wang, Yan

    2017-01-01

    Purpose To describe findings in prostatic arteries (PAs) at digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and cone-beam computed tomography (CT) that allow identification of benign prostatic hyperplasia and to determine the value added with the use of cone-beam CT. Materials and Methods This retrospective single-institution study was approved by the institutional review board, and the requirement for written informed consent was waived. From February 2009 to December 2014, a total of 148 patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 70.5 years ± 14.5) underwent DSA of the internal iliac arteries and cone-beam CT with a flat-detector angiographic system before they underwent prostate artery embolization. Both the DSA and cone-beam CT images were evaluated by two interventional radiologists to determine the number of independent PAs and their origins and anastomoses with adjacent arteries. The exact McNemar test was used to compare the detection rate of the PAs and the anastomoses with DSA and with cone-beam CT. Results The PA anatomy was evaluated successfully by means of cone-beam CT in conjunction with DSA in all patients. Of the 296 pelvic sides, 274 (92.6%) had only one PA. The most frequent PA origin was the common gluteal-pudendal trunk with the superior vesicular artery in 118 (37.1%), followed by the anterior division of the internal iliac artery in 99 (31.1%), and the internal pudendal artery in 77 (24.2%) pelvic sides. In 67 (22.6%) pelvic sides, anastomoses to adjacent arteries were documented. The numbers of PA origins and anastomoses, respectively, that could be identified were significantly higher with cone-beam CT (301 of 318 [94.7%] and 65 of 67 [97.0%]) than with DSA (237 [74.5%] and 39 [58.2%], P < .05). Cone-beam CT provided essential information that was not available with DSA in 90 of 148 (60.8%) patients. Conclusion Cone-beam CT is a useful adjunctive technique to DSA for identification of the PA anatomy and provides information to help treatment planning

  20. Ionization chamber

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jilbert, P.H.

    1975-01-01

    The invention concerns ionization chambers with particular reference to air-equivalent ionization chambers. In order to ensure that similar chambers have similar sensitivities and responses the surface of the chamber bounding the active volume carries a conducting material, which may be a colloidal graphite, arranged in the form of lines so that the area of the conducting material occupies only a small proportion of the area of said surface. (U.S.)

  1. The melt/shrink effect of low density thermoplastics insulates: Cone calorimeter tests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xu Qiang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The melt/shrink effects on the fire behavior of low density thermoplastic foam have been studied in a cone calorimeter. The experiments have been performed with four samples of expanded polystyrene foams having different thicknesses and two extruded polystyrene foams. Decrease in surface area and increase in density, characterizing the melt/shrink effect have been measured at different incident heat fluxes. Three of these foams tested have been also examined by burning tests at an incident heat flux of 50 kW/m2. It was assessed that the fire behavior predictions based the current literature models provided incorrect results if the cone test results were applied directly. However, the correct models provided adequate results when the initial burning area and the density of the molten foam were used to correct the initial cone calorimeter data. This communication refers to the fact that both the effective burning area and the density of the molten foam affect the cone calorimeter data, which requires consequent corrections to attain adequate predictions of models about the materials fire behavior.

  2. Plasma production via field ionization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. L. O’Connell

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Plasma production via field ionization occurs when an incoming particle beam is sufficiently dense that the electric field associated with the beam ionizes a neutral vapor or gas. Experiments conducted at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center explore the threshold conditions necessary to induce field ionization by an electron beam in a neutral lithium vapor. By independently varying the transverse beam size, number of electrons per bunch, or bunch length, the radial component of the electric field is controlled to be above or below the threshold for field ionization. Additional experiments ionized neutral xenon and neutral nitric oxide by varying the incoming beam’s bunch length. A self-ionized plasma is an essential step for the viability of plasma-based accelerators for future high-energy experiments.

  3. Ionization mechanisms in capillary supercritical fluid chromatography-chemical ionization mass spectrometry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Houben, R.J.; Leclercq, P.A.; Cramers, C.A.M.G.

    1991-01-01

    Ionization mechanisms have been studied for supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) with mass spectrometric (MS) detection. One of the problems associated with SFC-MS is the interference of mobile phase constituents in the ionization process, which complicates the interpretation of the resulting

  4. Homeostatic Plasticity Mediated by Rod-Cone Gap Junction Coupling in Retinal Degenerative Dystrophic RCS Rats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Baoke; Fu, Yan; Weng, Chuanhuang; Liu, Weiping; Zhao, Congjian; Yin, Zheng Qin

    2017-01-01

    Rod-cone gap junctions open at night to allow rod signals to pass to cones and activate the cone-bipolar pathway. This enhances the ability to detect large, dim objects at night. This electrical synaptic switch is governed by the circadian clock and represents a novel form of homeostatic plasticity that regulates retinal excitability according to network activity. We used tracer labeling and ERG recording in the retinae of control and retinal degenerative dystrophic RCS rats. We found that in the control animals, rod-cone gap junction coupling was regulated by the circadian clock via the modulation of the phosphorylation of the melatonin synthetic enzyme arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT). However, in dystrophic RCS rats, AANAT was constitutively phosphorylated, causing rod-cone gap junctions to remain open. A further b/a-wave ratio analysis revealed that dystrophic RCS rats had stronger synaptic strength between photoreceptors and bipolar cells, possibly because rod-cone gap junctions remained open. This was despite the fact that a decrease was observed in the amplitude of both a- and b-waves as a result of the progressive loss of rods during early degenerative stages. These results suggest that electric synaptic strength is increased during the day to allow cone signals to pass to the remaining rods and to be propagated to rod bipolar cells, thereby partially compensating for the weak visual input caused by the loss of rods. PMID:28473754

  5. On the co-derivative of normal cone mappings to inequality systems

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Henrion, R.; Outrata, Jiří; Surowiec, T.

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 71, 3-4 (2009), s. 1213-1226 ISSN 0362-546X R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA1030405 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : Mordukhovich coderivative * Normal cone mapping * Calmness * Inequality constraints Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.487, year: 2009 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2009/MTR/outrata-on the co-derivative of normal cone mappings to inequality systems.pdf

  6. Null cone superspace supergravity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Downes-Martin, S.G.

    1980-03-01

    The null cone formalism is used to derive a 2(N-1) parameter family of constraints for O(N) extended superspace supergravity. The invariance groups of these constraints is analysed and is found to be [subgroup U submanifold] contains GL(4,R) for N = 1, the submanifold being eliminated for N > 1. The invariance group defines non-Weyl rotations on the superbein which combine to form Weyl transformations on the supertangent space metric. The invariance of the supergravity Lagrangian under these transformations is discussed. (Auth.)

  7. Auto calibration of a cone-beam-CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gross, Daniel; Heil, Ulrich; Schulze, Ralf; Schoemer, Elmar; Schwanecke, Ulrich

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: This paper introduces a novel autocalibration method for cone-beam-CTs (CBCT) or flat-panel CTs, assuming a perfect rotation. The method is based on ellipse-fitting. Autocalibration refers to accurate recovery of the geometric alignment of a CBCT device from projection images alone, without any manual measurements. Methods: The authors use test objects containing small arbitrarily positioned radio-opaque markers. No information regarding the relative positions of the markers is used. In practice, the authors use three to eight metal ball bearings (diameter of 1 mm), e.g., positioned roughly in a vertical line such that their projection image curves on the detector preferably form large ellipses over the circular orbit. From this ellipse-to-curve mapping and also from its inversion the authors derive an explicit formula. Nonlinear optimization based on this mapping enables them to determine the six relevant parameters of the system up to the device rotation angle, which is sufficient to define the geometry of a CBCT-machine assuming a perfect rotational movement. These parameters also include out-of-plane rotations. The authors evaluate their method by simulation based on data used in two similar approaches [L. Smekal, M. Kachelriess, S. E, and K. Wa, “Geometric misalignment and calibration in cone-beam tomography,” Med. Phys. 31(12), 3242–3266 (2004); K. Yang, A. L. C. Kwan, D. F. Miller, and J. M. Boone, “A geometric calibration method for cone beam CT systems,” Med. Phys. 33(6), 1695–1706 (2006)]. This allows a direct comparison of accuracy. Furthermore, the authors present real-world 3D reconstructions of a dry human spine segment and an electronic device. The reconstructions were computed from projections taken with a commercial dental CBCT device having two different focus-to-detector distances that were both calibrated with their method. The authors compare their reconstruction with a reconstruction computed by the manufacturer of the

  8. Evaluation of cone function by a handheld non-mydriatic flicker electroretinogram device

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nakamura N

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Natsuko Nakamura,1 Kaoru Fujinami,1 Yoshinobu Mizuno,2 Toru Noda,2 Kazushige Tsunoda11Laboratory of Visual Physiology, Division of Vision Research, National Institute of Sensory Organs, 2Department of Ophthalmology, National Hospital Organization, National Tokyo Medical Center, Tokyo, JapanPurpose: Full-field electroretinograms (ERGs are used to evaluate retinal function in patients with various types of hereditary and acquired retinal diseases. However, ERG recordings require relatively invasive procedures, including pupillary dilation and the use of contact lens electrodes. Thus, it would be helpful to have a simpler and noninvasive screening method. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a new, handheld, portable ERG device, RETeval™, can be used to screen patients for cone dysfunction.Patients and methods: Thirty-five eyes of 35 patients who had reduced cone responses ascertained by a conventional ERG system using contact lens electrodes were studied. The causative diseases included achromatopsia, cone dystrophy, cone-rod dystrophy, retinitis pigmentosa, choroidal dystrophy, autoimmune retinopathy, and Stargardt disease. The flicker ERGs were recorded with the RETeval™ under undilated conditions with skin electrodes (stimulus strength, 3.0 cd·s/m2; frequency, 28.3 Hz, and the responses were compared to that of 50 healthy eyes. The amplitudes and implicit times of the fundamental component of the flicker ERGs were analyzed in three age groups: Group A, ≤20 years; Group B, 21–40 years; and Group C, ≥41 years.Results: In all of the age groups, the amplitudes of the ERGs were significantly smaller and the implicit times significantly longer in patients with cone dysfunction than in the control eyes. All but one of the patients had flicker amplitudes lower than the mean −2.0 standard deviation of control eyes.Conclusion: The RETeval™ has a potential of being used to screen for cone dysfunction. The entire examination

  9. Ionizing radiation in hospitals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blok, K.; Ginkel, G. van; Leun, K. van der; Muller, H.; Oude Elferink, J.; Vesseur, A.

    1985-10-01

    This booklet dels with the risks of the use of ionizing radiation for people working in a hospital. It is subdivided in three parts. Part 1 treats the properties of ionizing radiation in general. In part 2 the various applications are discussed of ionizing radiation in hospitals. Part 3 indicates how a not completely safe situation may be improved. (H.W.). 14 figs.; 4 tabs

  10. Birth order dependent growth cone segregation determines synaptic layer identity in the Drosophila visual system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulkarni, Abhishek; Ertekin, Deniz; Lee, Chi-Hon; Hummel, Thomas

    2016-03-17

    The precise recognition of appropriate synaptic partner neurons is a critical step during neural circuit assembly. However, little is known about the developmental context in which recognition specificity is important to establish synaptic contacts. We show that in the Drosophila visual system, sequential segregation of photoreceptor afferents, reflecting their birth order, lead to differential positioning of their growth cones in the early target region. By combining loss- and gain-of-function analyses we demonstrate that relative differences in the expression of the transcription factor Sequoia regulate R cell growth cone segregation. This initial growth cone positioning is consolidated via cell-adhesion molecule Capricious in R8 axons. Further, we show that the initial growth cone positioning determines synaptic layer selection through proximity-based axon-target interactions. Taken together, we demonstrate that birth order dependent pre-patterning of afferent growth cones is an essential pre-requisite for the identification of synaptic partner neurons during visual map formation in Drosophila.

  11. Partial volume and aliasing artefacts in helical cone-beam CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zou Yu; Sidky, Emil Y; Pan, Xiaochuan

    2004-01-01

    A generalization of the quasi-exact algorithms of Kudo et al (2000 IEEE Trans. Med. Imaging 19 902-21) is developed that allows for data acquisition in a 'practical' frame for clinical diagnostic helical, cone-beam computed tomography (CT). The algorithm is investigated using data that model nonlinear partial volume averaging. This investigation leads to an understanding of aliasing artefacts in helical, cone-beam CT image reconstruction. An ad hoc scheme is proposed to mitigate artefacts due to the nonlinear partial volume and aliasing artefacts

  12. Ionization of EPA contaminants in direct and dopant-assisted atmospheric pressure photoionization and atmospheric pressure laser ionization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kauppila, Tiina J; Kersten, Hendrik; Benter, Thorsten

    2015-06-01

    Seventy-seven EPA priority environmental pollutants were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) equipped with an optimized atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) and an atmospheric pressure laser ionization (APLI) interface with and without dopants. The analyzed compounds included e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitro compounds, halogenated compounds, aromatic compounds with phenolic, acidic, alcohol, and amino groups, phthalate and adipatic esters, and aliphatic ethers. Toluene, anisole, chlorobenzene, and acetone were tested as dopants. The widest range of analytes was ionized using direct APPI (66/77 compounds). The introduction of dopants decreased the amount of compounds ionized in APPI (e.g., 54/77 with toluene), but in many cases the ionization efficiency increased. While in direct APPI the formation of molecular ions via photoionization was the main ionization reaction, dopant-assisted (DA) APPI promoted ionization reactions, such as charge exchange and proton transfer. Direct APLI ionized a much smaller amount of compounds than APPI (41/77 compounds), showing selectivity towards compounds with low ionization energies (IEs) and long-lived resonantly excited intermediate states. DA-APLI, however, was able to ionize a higher amount of compounds (e.g. 51/77 with toluene), as the ionization took place entirely through dopant-assisted ion/molecule reactions similar to those in DA-APPI. Best ionization efficiency in APPI and APLI (both direct and DA) was obtained for PAHs and aromatics with O- and N-functionalities, whereas nitro compounds and aliphatic ethers were the most difficult to ionize. Halogenated aromatics and esters were (mainly) ionized in APPI, but not in APLI.

  13. Mandibular condyle position in cone beam computed tomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hwang, Hyoung Joo; Kim, Gyu Tae; Choi, Yong Suk; Hwang, Eui Hwan [Kyung Hee Univ. School of Dentistry, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2006-06-15

    To evaluate position of the mandibular condyle within articular fossa in an asymptomatic population radiographically by a cone beam computed tomography. Cone beam computed tomography of 60 temporomandibular joints was performed on 15 males and 15 females with no history of any temporomandibular disorders, or any other orthodontic or photoconductors treatments. Position of mandibular condyle within articular fossa at centric occlusion was evaluated. A statistical evaluation was done using a SPSS. In the sagittal views, mandibular condyle within articular fossa was laterally located at central section. Mandibular condyles in the right and left sides were showed asymmetric positional relationship at medial, central, and lateral sections. Mandibular condyle within articular fossa in an asymptomatic population was observed non-concentric position in the sagittal and coronal views.

  14. Development of Efficient Sludge Collection Cones for Concentration of Raceway-Derived Solids in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Michael R.; Laursen, Jesper; McLean, E

    2004-01-01

    The efficiency of sludge cones in raceways was studied using both physical and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. A sludge cone installed at a commercial trout farm was used as a model for the experiments. A scale 1:4 model of the commercial cone was constructed. In order to describe flui...... removal but will also reduce water loss....

  15. Miniature ionization chamber

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alexeev, V.I.; Emelyanov, I.Y.; Ivanov, V.M.; Konstantinov, L.V.; Lysikov, B.V.; Postnikov, V.V.; Rybakov, J.V.

    1976-01-01

    A miniature ionization chamber having a gas-filled housing which accommodates a guard electrode made in the form of a hollow perforated cylinder is described. The cylinder is electrically associated with the intermediate coaxial conductor of a triaxial cable used as the lead-in of the ionization chamber. The gas-filled housing of the ionization chamber also accommodates a collecting electrode shaped as a rod electrically connected to the center conductor of the cable and to tubular members. The rod is disposed internally of the guard electrode and is electrically connected, by means of jumpers passing through the holes in the guard electrode, to the tubular members. The tubular members embrace the guard electrode and are spaced a certain distance apart along its entire length. Arranged intermediate of these tubular members are spacers secured to the guard electrode and fixing the collecting electrode throughout its length with respect to the housing of the ionization chamber

  16. Influence of the number of cones on speckle patterns in the Laser MegaJoule configuration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Cain, A.; Riazuelo, G.; Sajer, J. M.

    2013-01-01

    This paper investigates statistical properties of hot spots when speckle patterns are generated by the superimposition of multiple laser beams in a 2 cone and a 3 cone Laser MegaJoule configuration in the zone where all the beams overlap. Three different cases of polarizations are investigated: P polarization, S polarization and the case of Double Polarization Smoothing (DPS). It is found that the sizes of the speckles depend on the choice of the polarization and that DPS seems to be the best option in both configurations. It is shown that the longitudinal radius of the hot spots in a 2 cone configuration is bigger than in a 3 cone configuration. (authors)

  17. Light-cone quantization and QCD phenomenology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brodsky, S.J.; Robertson, D.G.

    1995-01-01

    In principle, quantum chromodynamics provides a fundamental description of hadronic and nuclear structure and dynamics in terms of their elementary quark and gluon degrees of freedom. In practice, the direct application of QCD to reactions involving the structure of hadrons is extremely complex because of the interplay of nonperturbative effects such as color confinement and multi-quark coherence. A crucial tool in analyzing such phenomena is the use of relativistic light-cone quantum mechanics and Fock state methods to provide tractable and consistent treatments of relativistic many-body systems. In this article we present an overview of this formalism applied to QCD, focusing in particular on applications to the final states in deep inelastic lepton scattering that will be relevant for the proposed European Laboratory for Electrons (ELFE), HERMES, HERA, SLAC, and CEBAF. We begin with a brief introduction to light-cone field theory, stressing how it many allow the derivation of a constituent picture, analogous to the constituent quark model, from QCD. We then discuss several applications of the light-cone Fock state formalism to QCD phenomenology. The Fock state representation includes all quantum fluctuations of the hadron wavefunction, including far off-shell configurations such as intrinsic charm and, in the case of nuclei, hidden color. In some applications, such as exclusive processes at large momentum transfer, one can make first-principle predictions using factorization theorems which separate the hard perturbative dynamics from the nonpertubative physics associated with hadron binding. The Fock state components of the hadron with small transverse size, which dominate hard exclusive reactions, have small color dipole moments and thus diminished hadronic interactions. Thus QCD predicts minimal absorptive corrections, i.e., color transparency for quasi-elastic exclusive reactions in nuclear targets at large momentum transfer

  18. Concentration of membrane antigens by forward transport and trapping in neuronal growth cones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheetz, M P; Baumrind, N L; Wayne, D B; Pearlman, A L

    1990-04-20

    Formation of the nervous system requires that neuronal growth cones follow specific paths and then stop at recognition signals, sensed at the growth cone's leading edge. We used antibody-coated gold particles viewed by video-enhanced differential interference contrast microscopy to observe the distribution and movement of two cell surface molecules, N-CAM and the 2A1 antigen, on growth cones of cultured cortical neurons. Gold particles are occasionally transported forward at 1-2 microns/s to the leading edge where they are trapped but continue to move. Concentration at the edge persists after cytochalasin D treatment or ATP depletion, but active movements to and along edges cease. We also observed a novel outward movement of small cytoplasmic aggregates at 1.8 microns/s in filopodia. We suggest that active forward transport and trapping involve reversible attachment of antigens to and transport along cytoskeletal elements localized to edges of growth cones.

  19. Motion tolerant iterative reconstruction algorithm for cone-beam helical CT imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takahashi, Hisashi; Goto, Taiga; Hirokawa, Koichi; Miyazaki, Osamu [Hitachi Medical Corporation, Chiba-ken (Japan). CT System Div.

    2011-07-01

    We have developed a new advanced iterative reconstruction algorithm for cone-beam helical CT. The features of this algorithm are: (a) it uses separable paraboloidal surrogate (SPS) technique as a foundation for reconstruction to reduce noise and cone-beam artifact, (b) it uses a view weight in the back-projection process to reduce motion artifact. To confirm the improvement of our proposed algorithm over other existing algorithm, such as Feldkamp-Davis-Kress (FDK) or SPS algorithm, we compared the motion artifact reduction, image noise reduction (standard deviation of CT number), and cone-beam artifact reduction on simulated and clinical data set. Our results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm dramatically reduces motion artifacts compared with the SPS algorithm, and decreases image noise compared with the FDK algorithm. In addition, the proposed algorithm potentially improves time resolution of iterative reconstruction. (orig.)

  20. Attenuation maps for SPECT determined using cone beam transmission computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manglos, S.H.; Bassano, D.A.; Duxbury, C.E.; Capone, R.B.

    1990-01-01

    This paper presents a new method for measuring non-uniform attenuation maps, using a cone beam geometry CT scan acquired on a standard rotating gamma camera normally used for SPECT imaging. The resulting map is intended for use in non-uniform attenuation compensation of SPECT images. The method was implemented using a light-weight point source holder attached to the camera. A cone beam collimator may be used on the gamma camera, but the cone beam CT scans may also be acquired without collimator. In either implementation, the advantages include very high efficiency and resolution limited not by the collimator but by the intrinsic camera resolution (about 4 mm). Several phantoms tested the spatial uniformity, noise, linearity as a function of attenuation coefficient, and spatial resolution. Good quality attenuation maps were obtained, at least for the central slices where no truncation was present

  1. Evolution, Development and Function of Vertebrate Cone Oil Droplets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew B. Toomey

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available To distinguish colors, the nervous system must compare the activity of distinct subtypes of photoreceptors that are maximally sensitive to different portions of the light spectrum. In vertebrates, a variety of adaptations have arisen to refine the spectral sensitivity of cone photoreceptors and improve color vision. In this review article, we focus on one such adaptation, the oil droplet, a unique optical organelle found within the inner segment of cone photoreceptors of a diverse array of vertebrate species, from fish to mammals. These droplets, which consist of neutral lipids and carotenoid pigments, are interposed in the path of light through the photoreceptor and modify the intensity and spectrum of light reaching the photosensitive outer segment. In the course of evolution, the optical function of oil droplets has been fine-tuned through changes in carotenoid content. Species active in dim light reduce or eliminate carotenoids to enhance sensitivity, whereas species active in bright light precisely modulate carotenoid double bond conjugation and concentration among cone subtypes to optimize color discrimination and color constancy. Cone oil droplets have sparked the curiosity of vision scientists for more than a century. Accordingly, we begin by briefly reviewing the history of research on oil droplets. We then discuss what is known about the developmental origins of oil droplets. Next, we describe recent advances in understanding the function of oil droplets based on biochemical and optical analyses. Finally, we survey the occurrence and properties of oil droplets across the diversity of vertebrate species and discuss what these patterns indicate about the evolutionary history and function of this intriguing organelle.

  2. A fixed point theorem for uniformly locally contractive mappings in a C-chainable cone rectangular metric space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bessem Samet

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Recently, Azam, Arshad and Beg [ Banach contraction principle on cone rectangular metric spaces, Appl. Anal. Discrete Math. 2009] introduced the notion of cone rectangular metric spaces by replacing the triangular inequality of a cone metric space by a rectangular inequality. In this paper, we introduce the notion of c-chainable cone rectangular metric space and we establish a fixed point theorem for uniformly locally contractive mappings in such spaces. An example is given to illustrate our obtained result.

  3. Bi-cone vacuum chamber in the ISR

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN PhotoLab

    1976-01-01

    The "bi-cone" vacuum chamber in ISR intersection I-7, for experiment R702. Made from 0.28 mm thick titanium, it was at its time the most transparent chamber ever built. Ian Wilson is standing next to the chamber. See also 7609219.

  4. Generation and Transport of Hot Electrons in Cone-Wire Targets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beg, Farhat

    2009-11-01

    We present results from a series of experiments where cone-wire targets in various configurations were employed both to assess hot electron coupling efficiency, and to reveal the source temperature of the hot electrons. Initial experiments were performed on the Vulcan petawatt laser at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and Titan laser at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Results with aluminum cones joined to Cu wires of diameters from 10 to 40 μm show that the laser coupling efficiency to electron energy within the wire is proportional to the cross sectional area of the wire. In addition, coupling into the wire was observed to decrease with the laser prepulse and cone-wall thickness. More recently, this study was extended, using the OMEGA EP laser. The resulting changes in coupling energy give indications of the scaling as we approach FI-relevant conditions. Requirements for FI scale fast ignition cone parameters: tip thickness, wall thickness, laser prepulse and laser pulse length, will be discussed. In collaboration with T. Yabuuchi, T. Ma, D. Higginson, H. Sawada, J. King, M.H. Key, K.U. Akli, Al Elsholz, D. Batani, H. Chen, R.R. Freeman, L. Gizzi, J. Green, S. Hatchett, D. Hey, P. Jaanimagi, J. Koch, K. L. Lancaster, D.Larson, A.J. MacKinnon, H. McLean, A. MacPhee, P.A. Norreys, P.K Patel, R. B. Stephens, W. Theobald, R. Town, M. Wei, S. Wilks, Roger Van Maren, B. Westover and L. VanWoerkom.

  5. Hormone-like peptides in the venoms of marine cone snails

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Samuel D.; Li, Qing; Bandyopadhyay, Pradip K.; Gajewiak, Joanna; Yandell, Mark; Papenfuss, Anthony T.; Purcell, Anthony W.; Norton, Raymond S.; Safavi-Hemami, Helena

    2015-01-01

    The venoms of cone snails (genus Conus) are remarkably complex, consisting of hundreds of typically short, disulfide-rich peptides termed conotoxins. These peptides have diverse pharmacological targets, with injection of venom eliciting a range of physiological responses, including sedation, paralysis and sensory overload. Most conotoxins target the prey’s nervous system but evidence of venom peptides targeting neuroendocrine processes is emerging. Examples include vasopressin, RFamide neuropeptides and recently also insulin. To investigate the diversity of hormone/neuropeptide-like molecules in the venoms of cone snails we systematically mined the venom gland transcriptomes of several cone snail species and examined secreted venom peptides in dissected and injected venom of the Australian cone snail Conus victoriae. Using this approach we identified several novel hormone/neuropeptide-like toxins, including peptides similar to the bee brain hormone prohormone-4, the mollusc ganglia neuropeptide elevenin, and thyrostimulin, a member of the glycoprotein hormone family, and confirmed the presence of insulin. We confirmed that at least two of these peptides are not only expressed in the venom gland but also form part of the injected venom cocktail, unambiguously demonstrating their role in envenomation. Our findings suggest that hormone/neuropeptide-like toxins are a diverse and integral part of the complex envenomation strategy of Conus. Exploration of this group of venom components offers an exciting new avenue for the discovery of novel pharmacological tools and drug candidates, complementary to conotoxins. PMID:26301480

  6. Hormone-like peptides in the venoms of marine cone snails.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Samuel D; Li, Qing; Bandyopadhyay, Pradip K; Gajewiak, Joanna; Yandell, Mark; Papenfuss, Anthony T; Purcell, Anthony W; Norton, Raymond S; Safavi-Hemami, Helena

    2017-04-01

    The venoms of cone snails (genus Conus) are remarkably complex, consisting of hundreds of typically short, disulfide-rich peptides termed conotoxins. These peptides have diverse pharmacological targets, with injection of venom eliciting a range of physiological responses, including sedation, paralysis and sensory overload. Most conotoxins target the prey's nervous system but evidence of venom peptides targeting neuroendocrine processes is emerging. Examples include vasopressin, RFamide neuropeptides and recently also insulin. To investigate the diversity of hormone/neuropeptide-like molecules in the venoms of cone snails we systematically mined the venom gland transcriptomes of several cone snail species and examined secreted venom peptides in dissected and injected venom of the Australian cone snail Conus victoriae. Using this approach we identified several novel hormone/neuropeptide-like toxins, including peptides similar to the bee brain hormone prohormone-4, the mollusc ganglia neuropeptide elevenin, and thyrostimulin, a member of the glycoprotein hormone family, and confirmed the presence of insulin. We confirmed that at least two of these peptides are not only expressed in the venom gland but also form part of the injected venom cocktail, unambiguously demonstrating their role in envenomation. Our findings suggest that hormone/neuropeptide-like toxins are a diverse and integral part of the complex envenomation strategy of Conus. Exploration of this group of venom components offers an exciting new avenue for the discovery of novel pharmacological tools and drug candidates, complementary to conotoxins. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Fundamentals of cone beam computed tomography for a prosthodontist

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    George Puthenpurayil John

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT, also referred to as C-arm computed tomography [CT], cone beam volume CT, or flat panel CT is a medical imaging technique of X-ray CT where the X-rays are divergent, forming a cone. [1] CBCT systems have been designed for imaging hard tissues of the maxillofacial region. CBCT is capable of providing sub-millimeter resolution in images of high diagnostic quality, with short scanning times (10-70 s and radiation dosages reportedly up to 15-100 times lower than those of conventional CT scans. Increasing availability of this technology provides the dental clinician with an imaging modality capable of providing a three-dimensional representation of the maxillofacial skeleton with minimal distortion. The aim of this article is to sensitize the Prosthodontist to CBCT technology, provide an overview of currently available maxillofacial CBCT systems and review the specific application of various CBCT display modes to clinical Prosthodontic practice. A MEDLINE search for relevant articles in this specific area of interest was conducted. The selected articles were critically reviewed and the data acquired were systematically compiled.

  8. Camera Layout Design for the Upper Stage Thrust Cone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wooten, Tevin; Fowler, Bart

    2010-01-01

    Engineers in the Integrated Design and Analysis Division (EV30) use a variety of different tools to aid in the design and analysis of the Ares I vehicle. One primary tool in use is Pro-Engineer. Pro-Engineer is a computer-aided design (CAD) software that allows designers to create computer generated structural models of vehicle structures. For the Upper State thrust cone, Pro-Engineer was used to assist in the design of a layout for two camera housings. These cameras observe the separation between the first and second stage of the Ares I vehicle. For the Ares I-X, one standard speed camera was used. The Ares I design calls for two separate housings, three cameras, and a lighting system. With previous design concepts and verification strategies in mind, a new layout for the two camera design concept was developed with members of the EV32 team. With the new design, Pro-Engineer was used to draw the layout to observe how the two camera housings fit with the thrust cone assembly. Future analysis of the camera housing design will verify the stability and clearance of the camera with other hardware present on the thrust cone.

  9. Fundamentals of cone beam computed tomography for a prosthodontist

    Science.gov (United States)

    John, George Puthenpurayil; Joy, Tatu Elenjickal; Mathew, Justin; Kumar, Vinod R. B.

    2015-01-01

    Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT, also referred to as C-arm computed tomography [CT], cone beam volume CT, or flat panel CT) is a medical imaging technique of X-ray CT where the X-rays are divergent, forming a cone.[1] CBCT systems have been designed for imaging hard tissues of the maxillofacial region. CBCT is capable of providing sub-millimeter resolution in images of high diagnostic quality, with short scanning times (10–70 s) and radiation dosages reportedly up to 15–100 times lower than those of conventional CT scans. Increasing availability of this technology provides the dental clinician with an imaging modality capable of providing a three-dimensional representation of the maxillofacial skeleton with minimal distortion. The aim of this article is to sensitize the Prosthodontist to CBCT technology, provide an overview of currently available maxillofacial CBCT systems and review the specific application of various CBCT display modes to clinical Prosthodontic practice. A MEDLINE search for relevant articles in this specific area of interest was conducted. The selected articles were critically reviewed and the data acquired were systematically compiled. PMID:26929479

  10. Ion evaporation from the surface of a Taylor cone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higuera, F J

    2003-07-01

    An analysis is carried out of the electric field-induced evaporation of ions from the surface of a polar liquid that is being electrosprayed in a vacuum. The high-field cone-to-jet transition region of the electrospray, where ion evaporation occurs, is studied taking advantage of its small size and neglecting the inertia of the liquid and the space charge around the liquid. Evaporated ions and charged drops coexist in a range of flow rates, which is investigated numerically. The structure of the cone-to-jet transition comprises: a hydrodynamic region where the nearly equipotential surface of the liquid departs from a Taylor cone and becomes a jet; a slender region where the radius of the jet decreases and the electric field increases while the pressure and the viscous stress balance the electric stress at the surface; the ion evaporation region of high, nearly constant field; and a charged, continuously strained jet that will eventually break into drops. Estimates of the ion and drop contributions to the total, conduction-limited current show that the first of these contributions dominates for small flow rates, while most of the mass is still carried by the drops.

  11. Domain requirements for the Dock adapter protein in growth- cone signaling

    OpenAIRE

    Rao, Yong; Zipursky, S. Lawrence

    1998-01-01

    Tyrosine phosphorylation has been implicated in growth-cone guidance through genetic, biochemical, and pharmacological studies. Adapter proteins containing src homology 2 (SH2) domains and src homology 3 (SH3) domains provide a means of linking guidance signaling through phosphotyrosine to downstream effectors regulating growth-cone motility. The Drosophila adapter, Dreadlocks (Dock), the homolog of mammalian Nck containing three N-terminal SH3 domains and a single SH2 domain, is highly speci...

  12. Pushing the limits of photoreception in twilight conditions: The rod-like cone retina of the deep-sea pearlsides

    KAUST Repository

    Busserolles, Fanny de; Cortesi, Fabio; Helvik, Jon Vidar; Davies, Wayne I. L.; Templin, Rachel M.; Sullivan, Robert K. P.; Michell, Craig T.; Mountford, Jessica K.; Collin, Shaun P.; Irigoien, Xabier; Kaartvedt, Stein; Marshall, Justin

    2017-01-01

    retina does not have rod photoreceptors only; instead, it is composed almost exclusively of transmuted cone photoreceptors. These transmuted cells combine the morphological characteristics of a rod photoreceptor with a cone opsin and a cone

  13. Increased ionization rate in laser enrichment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Janes, G.S.; Pike, G.T.

    1977-01-01

    A system employing multiple, upper excitation levels in a technique for isotopically selective ionization to improve the ionization efficiency is described. Laser radiation is employed to excite particles with isotopic selectivity. Excitation is produced to a plurality of excited states below the ionization level with the result of increasing the number of available excited particles for ionization and thereby increasing the ionization cross section for improved system efficiency

  14. PHYSICAL CONDITIONS IN THE INNER NARROW-LINE REGION OF THE SEYFERT 2 GALAXY MARKARIAN 573

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kraemer, S. B.; Trippe, M. L.; Crenshaw, D. M.; Fischer, T. C.; Melendez, M.; Schmitt, H. R.

    2009-01-01

    We have examined the physical conditions within a bright emission-line knot in the inner narrow-line region (NLR) of the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 573 using optical spectra and photoionization models. The spectra were obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, through the 0.''2 x 52.''0 slit, at a position angle of -71. 0 2, with the G430L and G750M gratings. Comparing the spatial emission-line profiles, we found [Fe X] λ 6734 barely resolved, [O III] λ5007 centrally peaked, but broader than [Fe X], and [O II] λ3727 the most extended. Spectra of the central knot were extracted from a region 1.''1 in extent, corresponding to the full width at zero intensity in the cross-dispersion direction, of the knot. The spectra reveal that [Fe X] is broader in velocity width and blueshifted compared with lines from less ionized species. Our estimate of the bolometric luminosity indicates that the active galactic nucleus (AGN) is radiating at or above its Eddington luminosity, which is consistent with its identification as a hidden Narrow-Line Seyfert 1. We were able to successfully match the observed emission-line ratios with a three-component photoionization model. Two components, one to account for the [O III] emission and another in which the [Fe X] arises, are directly ionized by the AGN, while [O II] forms in a third component, which is ionized by a heavily absorbed continuum. Based on our assumed ionizing continuum and the model parameters, we determined that the two directly ionized components are ∼55 pc from the AGN. We have found similar radial distances for the central knots in the Seyfert 2 galaxies Mrk 3 and NGC 1068, but much smaller radial distances for the inner NLR in the Seyfert 1 galaxies NGC 4151 and NGC 5548. Although in general agreement with the unified model, these results suggest that the obscuring material in Seyfert galaxies extends out to at least tens of parsecs from the AGN.

  15. Electrospray ionization and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry: powerful analytical tools in recombinant protein chemistry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Jens S.; Svensson, B; Roepstorff, P

    1996-01-01

    Electrospray ionization and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization are effective ionization methods for mass spectrometry of biomolecules. Here we describe the capabilities of these methods for peptide and protein characterization in biotechnology. An integrated analytical strategy is presen......Electrospray ionization and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization are effective ionization methods for mass spectrometry of biomolecules. Here we describe the capabilities of these methods for peptide and protein characterization in biotechnology. An integrated analytical strategy...... is presented encompassing protein characterization prior to and after cloning of the corresponding gene....

  16. SU-E-T-225: Correction Matrix for PinPoint Ionization Chamber for Dosimetric Measurements in the Newly Released Incise™ Multileaf Collimator Shaped Small Field for CyberKnife M6™ Machine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Y; Li, T; Heron, D; Huq, M [University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and UPMC CancerCenter, Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: For small field dosimetry, such as measurements of output factors for cones or MLC-shaped irregular small fields, ion chambers often Result in an underestimation of the dose, due to both the volume averaging effect and the lack of lateral charged particle equilibrium. This work presents a mathematical model for correction matrix for a PTW PinPoint ionization chamber for dosimetric measurements made in the newly released Incise™ Multileaf collimator fields of the CyberKnife M6™ machine. Methods: A correction matrix for a PTW 0.015cc PinPoint ionization chamber was developed by modeling its 3D dose response in twelve cone-shaped circular fields created using the 5mm, 7.5mm, 10mm, 12.5mm, 15mm, 20mm, 25mm, 30mm, 35mm, 40mm, 50mm, 60mm cones in a CyberKnife M6™ machine. For each field size, hundreds of readings were recorded for every 2mm chamber shift in the horizontal plane. The contribution of each dose pixel to a measurement point depended on the radial distance and the angle to the chamber axis. These readings were then compared with the theoretical dose as obtained with Monte Carlo calculation. A penalized least-square optimization algorithm was developed to generate the correction matrix. After the parameter fitting, the mathematical model was validated for MLC-shaped irregular fields. Results: The optimization algorithm used for parameter fitting was stable and the resulted response factors were smooth in spatial domain. After correction with the mathematical model, the chamber reading matched with the calculation for all the tested fields to within 2%. Conclusion: A novel mathematical model has been developed for PinPoint chamber for dosimetric measurements in small MLC-shaped irregular fields. The correction matrix is dependent on detector, treatment unit and the geometry of setup. The model can be applied to non-standard composite fields and provides an access to IMRT point dose validation.

  17. SU-E-T-225: Correction Matrix for PinPoint Ionization Chamber for Dosimetric Measurements in the Newly Released Incise™ Multileaf Collimator Shaped Small Field for CyberKnife M6™ Machine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Y; Li, T; Heron, D; Huq, M

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: For small field dosimetry, such as measurements of output factors for cones or MLC-shaped irregular small fields, ion chambers often Result in an underestimation of the dose, due to both the volume averaging effect and the lack of lateral charged particle equilibrium. This work presents a mathematical model for correction matrix for a PTW PinPoint ionization chamber for dosimetric measurements made in the newly released Incise™ Multileaf collimator fields of the CyberKnife M6™ machine. Methods: A correction matrix for a PTW 0.015cc PinPoint ionization chamber was developed by modeling its 3D dose response in twelve cone-shaped circular fields created using the 5mm, 7.5mm, 10mm, 12.5mm, 15mm, 20mm, 25mm, 30mm, 35mm, 40mm, 50mm, 60mm cones in a CyberKnife M6™ machine. For each field size, hundreds of readings were recorded for every 2mm chamber shift in the horizontal plane. The contribution of each dose pixel to a measurement point depended on the radial distance and the angle to the chamber axis. These readings were then compared with the theoretical dose as obtained with Monte Carlo calculation. A penalized least-square optimization algorithm was developed to generate the correction matrix. After the parameter fitting, the mathematical model was validated for MLC-shaped irregular fields. Results: The optimization algorithm used for parameter fitting was stable and the resulted response factors were smooth in spatial domain. After correction with the mathematical model, the chamber reading matched with the calculation for all the tested fields to within 2%. Conclusion: A novel mathematical model has been developed for PinPoint chamber for dosimetric measurements in small MLC-shaped irregular fields. The correction matrix is dependent on detector, treatment unit and the geometry of setup. The model can be applied to non-standard composite fields and provides an access to IMRT point dose validation

  18. Comparison of the CME-associated shock arrival times at the earth using the WSA-ENLIL model with three cone models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, S.; Moon, Y.; Na, H.

    2012-12-01

    We have made a comparison of CME-associated shock arrival times at the earth based on the WSA-ENLIL model with three cone models using 29 halo CMEs from 2001 to 2002. These halo CMEs have cone model parameters from Michalek et al. (2007) as well as their associated interplanetary (IP) shocks. For this study we consider three different cone models (an asymmetric cone model, an ice-cream cone model and an elliptical cone model) to determine CME cone parameters (radial velocity, angular width and source location), which are used for input parameters of the WSA-ENLIL model. The mean absolute error (MAE) of the arrival times for the elliptical cone model is 10 hours, which is about 2 hours smaller than those of the other models. However, this value is still larger than that (8.7 hours) of an empirical model by Kim et al. (2007). We are investigating several possibilities on relatively large errors of the WSA-ENLIL cone model, which may be caused by CME-CME interaction, background solar wind speed, and/or CME density enhancement.

  19. A BPF-FBP tandem algorithm for image reconstruction in reverse helical cone-beam CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, Seungryong; Xia, Dan; Pellizzari, Charles A.; Pan Xiaochuan

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: Reverse helical cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a scanning configuration for potential applications in image-guided radiation therapy in which an accurate anatomic image of the patient is needed for image-guidance procedures. The authors previously developed an algorithm for image reconstruction from nontruncated data of an object that is completely within the reverse helix. The purpose of this work is to develop an image reconstruction approach for reverse helical CBCT of a long object that extends out of the reverse helix and therefore constitutes data truncation. Methods: The proposed approach comprises of two reconstruction steps. In the first step, a chord-based backprojection-filtration (BPF) algorithm reconstructs a volumetric image of an object from the original cone-beam data. Because there exists a chordless region in the middle of the reverse helix, the image obtained in the first step contains an unreconstructed central-gap region. In the second step, the gap region is reconstructed by use of a Pack-Noo-formula-based filteredbackprojection (FBP) algorithm from the modified cone-beam data obtained by subtracting from the original cone-beam data the reprojection of the image reconstructed in the first step. Results: The authors have performed numerical studies to validate the proposed approach in image reconstruction from reverse helical cone-beam data. The results confirm that the proposed approach can reconstruct accurate images of a long object without suffering from data-truncation artifacts or cone-angle artifacts. Conclusions: They developed and validated a BPF-FBP tandem algorithm to reconstruct images of a long object from reverse helical cone-beam data. The chord-based BPF algorithm was utilized for converting the long-object problem into a short-object problem. The proposed approach is applicable to other scanning configurations such as reduced circular sinusoidal trajectories.

  20. Asymptomatic radiopaque lesions of the jaws. A radiographic study using cone-beam computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Araki, Masao; Matsumoto, Naoyuki; Matsumoto, Kunihito; Ohnishi, Masaaki; Honda, Kazuya; Komiyama, Kazuo

    2011-01-01

    Panoramic radiography and cone-beam computed tomography (CT) were used to analyze asymptomatic radiopaque lesions in the jaw bones and determine the diagnostic relevance of the lesions based on their relationships to teeth and site of origin. One hundred radiopaque lesions detected between 1998 and 2002 were examined by both panoramic radiography and cone-beam CT. On the basis of panoramic radiographs, the region was classified as periapical, body, or edentulous, and the site was classified as molar or premolar. Follow-up data from medical records were available for only 36 of these cases. The study protocol for simultaneous use of cone-beam CT was approved by the ethics review board of our institution. A large majority of radiopaque lesions were observed in premolar and molar sites of the mandible; 60% of lesions were periapical, 24% were in the body, and 16% were in the edentulous region. An interesting type of radiopaque lesion, which we named a pearl shell structure (PSS), was observed on cone-beam CT in 34 of the 100 lesions. The PSS is a distinctive structure, and this finding on cone-beam CT likely represents the start of bone formation before bone sclerosis. (author)

  1. Spray cone angle and air core diameter of hollow cone swirl rocket injector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad Hussein Abdul Hamid

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT : Fuel injector for liquid rocket is a very critical component since that small difference in its design can dramatically affect the combustion efficiency. The primary function of the injector is to break the fuel up into very small droplets. The smaller droplets are necessary for fast quiet ignition and to establish a flame front close to the injector head, thus shorter combustion chamber is possible to be utilized. This paper presents an experimetal investigation of a mono-propellant hollow cone swirl injector. Several injectors with different configuration were investigated under cold flow test, where water is used as simulation fluid. This investigation reveals that higher injection pressure leads to higher spray cone angle. The effect of injection pressure on spray cone angle is more prominent for injector with least number of tangential ports. Furthermore, it was found that injector with the most number of tangential ports and with the smallest tangential port diameter produces the widest resulting spray. Experimental data also tells that the diameter of an air core that forms inside the swirl chamber is largest for the injector with smallest tangential port diameter and least number of tangential ports.ABSTRAK : Injektor bahan api bagi roket cecair merupakan satu komponen yang amat kritikal memandangkan perbezaan kecil dalam reka bentuknya akan secara langsung mempengaruhi kecekapan pembakaran. Fungsi utama injektor adalah untuk memecahkan bahan api kepada titisan yang amat kecil. Titisan kecil penting untuk pembakaran pantas secara senyap dan untuk mewujudkan satu nyalaan di hadapan, berhampiran dengan kepala injektor, maka kebuk pembakaran yang lebih pendek berkemungkinan dapat digunakan. Kertas kerja ini mebentangkan satu penyelidikan eksperimental sebuah injektor ekabahan dorong geronggang kon pusar. Beberapa injektor dengan konfigurasi berbeza telah dikaji di bawah ujian aliran sejuk, di mana air digunakan sebagai bendalir

  2. Sedimentology, eruptive mechanism and facies architecture of basaltic scoria cones from the Auckland Volcanic Field (New Zealand)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kereszturi, Gábor; Németh, Károly

    2016-09-01

    Scoria cones are a common type of basaltic to andesitic small-volume volcanoes (e.g. 10- 1-10- 5 km3) that results from gas-bubble driven explosive eruptive styles. Although they are small in volume, they can produce complex eruptions, involving multiple eruptive styles. Eight scoria cones from the Quaternary Auckland Volcanic Field in New Zealand were selected to define the eruptive style variability from their volcanic facies architecture. The reconstruction of their eruptive and pyroclastic transport mechanisms was established on the basis of study of their volcanic sedimentology, stratigraphy, and measurement of their pyroclast density, porosity, Scanning Electron Microscopy, 2D particle morphology analysis and Visible and Near Visible Infrared Spectroscopy. Collection of these data allowed defining three end-member types of scoria cones inferred to be constructed from lava-fountaining, transitional fountaining and Strombolian type, and explosive Strombolian type. Using the physical and field-based characteristics of scoriaceous samples a simple generalised facies model of basaltic scoria cones for the AVF is developed that can be extended to other scoria cones elsewhere. The typical AVF scoria cone has an initial phreatomagmatic phases that might reduce the volume of magma available for subsequent scoria cone forming eruptions. This inferred to have the main reason to have decreased cone volumes recognised from Auckland in comparison to other volcanic fields evolved dominantly in dry eruptive condition (e.g. no external water influence). It suggests that such subtle eruptive style variations through a scoria cone evolution need to be integrated into the hazard assessment of a potentially active volcanic field such as that in Auckland.

  3. Pyrolysis kinetics and combustion of thin wood using advanced cone calorimetry test method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mark A. Dietenberger

    2011-01-01

    Mechanistic pyrolysis kinetics analysis of extractives, holocellulose, and lignin in solid wood over entire heating regime was possible using specialized cone calorimeter test and new mathematical analysis tools. Added hardware components include: modified sample holder for thin specimen with tiny thermocouples, methane ring burner with stainless steel mesh above cone...

  4. On the ionization of interstellar magnesium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gurzadyan, G.A.

    1977-01-01

    It has been shown that two concentric ionization zones of interstellar magnesium must exist around each star: internal, with a radius coinciding with that of the zone of hydrogen ionization Ssub(H); and external, with a radius greater than Ssub(H), by one order. Unlike interstellar hydrogen, interstellar magnesium is ionized throughout the Galaxy. It also transpires that the ionizing radiation of ordinary hot stars cannot provide for the observed high degree of ionization of interstellar magnesium. The discrepance can be eliminated by assuming the existence of circumstellar clouds or additional ionization sources of interstellar magnesium (X-ray background radiation, high-energy particles, etc.). Stars of the B5 and BO class play the main role in the formation of ionization zones of interstellar magnesium; the contribution of O class stars is negligible (<1%). (Auth.)

  5. Liouville action in cone gauge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zamolodchikov, A.B.

    1989-01-01

    The effective action of the conformally invariant field theory in the curved background space is considered in the light cone gauge. The effective potential in the classical background stress is defined as the Legendre transform of the Liouville action. This potential is tightly connected with the sl(2) current algebra. The series of the covariant differential operators is constructed and the anomalies of their determinants are reduced to this effective potential. 7 refs

  6. Evidence for RPE65-independent vision in the cone-dominated zebrafish retina.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schonthaler, Helia B; Lampert, Johanna M; Isken, Andrea; Rinner, Oliver; Mader, Andreas; Gesemann, Matthias; Oberhauser, Vitus; Golczak, Marcin; Biehlmaier, Oliver; Palczewski, Krzysztof; Neuhauss, Stephan C F; von Lintig, Johannes

    2007-10-01

    An enzyme-based cyclic pathway for trans to cis isomerization of the chromophore of visual pigments (11-cis-retinal) is intrinsic to vertebrate cone and rod vision. This process, called the visual cycle, is mostly characterized in rod-dominated retinas and essentially depends on RPE65, an all-trans to 11-cis-retinoid isomerase. Here we analysed the role of RPE65 in zebrafish, a species with a cone-dominated retina. We cloned zebrafish RPE65 and showed that its expression coincided with photoreceptor development. Targeted gene knockdown of RPE65 resulted in morphologically altered rod outer segments and overall reduced 11-cis-retinal levels. Cone vision of RPE65-deficient larvae remained functional as demonstrated by behavioural tests and by metabolite profiling for retinoids. Furthermore, all-trans retinylamine, a potent inhibitor of the rod visual cycle, reduced 11-cis-retinal levels of control larvae to a similar extent but showed no additive effects in RPE65-deficient larvae. Thus, our study of zebrafish provides in vivo evidence for the existence of an RPE65-independent pathway for the regeneration of 11-cis-retinal for cone vision.

  7. Cone responses in Usher syndrome types 1 and 2 by microvolt electroretinography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zein, Wadih M; Falsini, Benedetto; Tsilou, Ekaterina T; Turriff, Amy E; Schultz, Julie M; Friedman, Thomas B; Brewer, Carmen C; Zalewski, Christopher K; King, Kelly A; Muskett, Julie A; Rehman, Atteeq U; Morell, Robert J; Griffith, Andrew J; Sieving, Paul A

    2014-11-25

    Progressive decline of psychophysical cone-mediated measures has been reported in type 1 (USH1) and type 2 (USH2) Usher syndrome. Conventional cone electroretinogram (ERG) responses in USH demonstrate poor signal-to-noise ratio. We evaluated cone signals in USH1 and USH2 by recording microvolt level cycle-by-cycle (CxC) ERG. Responses of molecularly genotyped USH1 (n = 18) and USH2 (n = 24) subjects (age range, 15-69 years) were compared with those of controls (n = 12). A subset of USH1 (n = 9) and USH2 (n = 9) subjects was examined two to four times over 2 to 8 years. Photopic CxC ERG and conventional 30-Hz flicker ERG were recorded on the same visits. Usher syndrome subjects showed considerable cone flicker ERG amplitude losses and timing phase delays (P Usher subjects showed abnormal ERG response latency, but this changed less than amplitude with time. In USH syndrome, CxC ERG is more sensitive than conventional ERG and warrants consideration as an outcome measure in USH treatment trials. Copyright 2014 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

  8. Multiple ionization and coupling effects in L-subshell ionization of heavy atoms by oxygen ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pajek, M.; Banas, D.; Semaniak, J.; Braziewicz, J.; Majewska, U.; Chojnacki, S.; Czyzewski, T.; Fijal, I.; Jaskola, M.; Glombik, A.; Kretschmer, W.; Trautmann, D.; Lapicki, G.; Mukoyama, T.

    2003-01-01

    The multiple-ionization and coupling effects in L-shell ionization of atoms by heavy-ion impact have been studied by measuring the L x-ray production cross sections in solid targets of Au, Bi, Th, and U bombarded by oxygen ions in the energy range 6.4-70 MeV. The measured L x-ray spectra were analyzed using the recently proposed method accounting for the multiple-ionization effects, such as x-ray line shifting and broadening, which enables one to obtain the ionization probabilities for outer shells. The L-subshell ionization cross sections have been obtained from measured x-ray production cross sections for resolved Lα 1,2 , Lγ 1 , and Lγ 2,3 transitions using the L-shell fluorescence and Coster-Kronig yields being substantially modified by the multiple ionization in the M and N shells. In particular, the effect of closing of strong L 1 -L 3 M 4,5 Coster-Kronig transitions in multiple-ionized atoms was evidenced and discussed. The experimental ionization cross sections for the L 1 , L 2 , and L 3 subshells have been compared with the predictions of the semiclassical approximation (SCA) and the ECPSSR theory that includes the corrections for the binding-polarization effect within the perturbed stationary states approximation, the projecticle energy loss, and Coulomb deflection effects as well as the relativistic description of inner-shell electrons. These approaches were further modified to include the L-subshell couplings within the ''coupled-subshell model'' (CSM). Both approaches, when modified for the coupling effects, are in better agreement with the data. Particularly, the predictions of the SCA-CSM calculations reproduce the experimental L-subshell ionization cross section reasonably well. Remaining discrepancies are discussed qualitatively, in terms of further modifications of the L-shell decay rates caused by a change of electronic wave functions in multiple-ionized atoms

  9. Dual ionization chamber

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mallory, J.; Turlej, Z.

    1981-01-01

    Dual ionization chambers are provided for use with an electronic smoke detector. The chambers are separated by electrically-conductive partition. A single radiation source extends through the partition into both chambers, ionizing the air in each. The mid-point current of the device may be balanced by adjusting the position of the source

  10. Resonance ionization scheme development for europium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chrysalidis, K., E-mail: katerina.chrysalidis@cern.ch; Goodacre, T. Day; Fedosseev, V. N.; Marsh, B. A. [CERN (Switzerland); Naubereit, P. [Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Institiut für Physik (Germany); Rothe, S.; Seiffert, C. [CERN (Switzerland); Kron, T.; Wendt, K. [Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Institiut für Physik (Germany)

    2017-11-15

    Odd-parity autoionizing states of europium have been investigated by resonance ionization spectroscopy via two-step, two-resonance excitations. The aim of this work was to establish ionization schemes specifically suited for europium ion beam production using the ISOLDE Resonance Ionization Laser Ion Source (RILIS). 13 new RILIS-compatible ionization schemes are proposed. The scheme development was the first application of the Photo Ionization Spectroscopy Apparatus (PISA) which has recently been integrated into the RILIS setup.

  11. Graded and filtrated topological * - algebras. The closure of the positive cone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shmudgen, K.

    1979-01-01

    It is shown that for certain graded locally convex topologies on a filtrated *-algebra the closure of the cone of all finite sums of squares is precisely the cone of all infinite (convergent) sums of squares, similar to the case of the test function algebra. The result applies to tensor algebras and symmetrized tensor algebras over involutive nuclear Frechet spaces and to some finitely generated *-algebras such as polynomial algebras, the Weyl algebra and enveloping algebras

  12. The role of ecological factors in shaping bat cone opsin evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutierrez, Eduardo de A; Schott, Ryan K; Preston, Matthew W; Loureiro, Lívia O; Lim, Burton K; Chang, Belinda S W

    2018-04-11

    Bats represent one of the largest and most striking nocturnal mammalian radiations, exhibiting many visual system specializations for performance in light-limited environments. Despite representing the greatest ecological diversity and species richness in Chiroptera, Neotropical lineages have been undersampled in molecular studies, limiting the potential for identifying signatures of selection on visual genes associated with differences in bat ecology. Here, we investigated how diverse ecological pressures mediate long-term shifts in selection upon long-wavelength ( Lws ) and short-wavelength ( Sws1 ) opsins, photosensitive cone pigments that form the basis of colour vision in most mammals, including bats. We used codon-based likelihood clade models to test whether ecological variables associated with reliance on visual information (e.g. echolocation ability and diet) or exposure to varying light environments (e.g. roosting behaviour and foraging habitat) mediated shifts in evolutionary rates in bat cone opsin genes. Using additional cone opsin sequences from newly sequenced eye transcriptomes of six Neotropical bat species, we found significant evidence for different ecological pressures influencing the evolution of the cone opsins. While Lws is evolving under significantly lower constraint in highly specialized high-duty cycle echolocating lineages, which have enhanced sonar ability to detect and track targets, variation in Sws1 constraint was significantly associated with foraging habitat, exhibiting elevated rates of evolution in species that forage among vegetation. This suggests that increased reliance on echolocation as well as the spectral environment experienced by foraging bats may differentially influence the evolution of different cone opsins. Our study demonstrates that different ecological variables may underlie contrasting evolutionary patterns in bat visual opsins, and highlights the suitability of clade models for testing ecological hypotheses of

  13. Examination of gutta-percha cones for microbial contamination during chemical use

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guven Kayaoglu

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of microbial contamination in packaged gutta-percha cones before and during use in clinical conditions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sealed packages of #15-40 gutta-percha cones were opened under aseptic laboratory conditions. Two gutta-percha cones from each size were randomly drawn and added to tubes containing glass beads and 750 µL of saline. The tubes were vortexed, serially diluted and samples of 250 µL were cultured on agar plates. The plates were incubated at 37ºC for 3 days and colonies were counted. The initially sampled packages were distributed to 12 final year dental students. The packages were collected at the end of the first and the third clinical practice days and sampled as described above. RESULTS: Baseline microbial counts did not exceed 3 CFU. At the end of the first and the third day, additional contamination was found in five and three of the packages, respectively. The ratio of contaminated packages at the first day and the third day was not significantly different (z-test; p > 0.05. The numbers of microorganisms cultured at the first day (8 ± 9.9 CFU and the third day (4.5 ± 8.3 CFU were not significantly different (Wilcoxon signed-rank test; p > 0.05. No significant correlation was found between the number of filled root canals and cultured microorganisms at either the first day (Spearman's rho; r = 0.481, p = 0.113 or the third day (r = -0.034, p = 0.917. CONCLUSIONS: Gutta-percha cones taken directly from manufacturer's sealed package harbored microorganisms. Clinical use of the packages has been found to be associated with additional contamination of the gutta-percha cones. The counts of cultured microorganisms did not correlate well with the number of filled root canals.

  14. Topografia do cone medular da paca (Agouti paca, Linnaeus - 1766

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandra Regina Freixo Scavone

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Objetivamos neste trabalho determinar a esqueletopia da terminação do cone medular da paca relacionando com as vértebras lombares e sacrais, visando assim estabelecer parâmetros morfométricos e topográficos do cone medular nesta espécie. Para tanto, procedemos à dissecação, mediante incisão, rebatimento da pele, da tela subcutânea e da musculatura da região dorsal à coluna vertebral, com posterior secção e remoção dos arcos vertebrais para melhor visualização da medula espinhal. Após a individualização do cone medular, registramos os aspectos anatômicos de interesse, enfatizando seu início (base e seu término (ápice em relação às vértebras, e a partir de então efetuamos suas medidas com o auxílio de paquímetro; visando documentar nossos achados, realizamos fotografias e esquemas dos espécimes estudados.

  15. K-shell ionization by antiprotons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mehler, G.; Mueller, B.; Greiner, W.; Soff, G.

    1987-01-01

    We present first calculations for the impact parameter dependence of K-shell ionization rates in anti pCu and in anti pAg collisions at various projectile energies. We show that the effect of the attractive Coulomb potential on the Rutherford trajectory and the anti-binding effect caused by the negative charge of the antiproton result in a considerable increase of the ionization probability. Total ionization cross-sections for proton and antiproton projectiles are compared with each other and with experimental ionization cross-sections for protons. (orig.)

  16. Electron-Impact Ionization and Dissociative Ionization of Biomolecules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huo, Winifred M.; Chaban, Galina M.; Dateo, Christopher E.

    2006-01-01

    It is well recognized that secondary electrons play an important role in radiation damage to humans. Particularly important is the damage of DNA by electrons, potentially leading to mutagenesis. Molecular-level study of electron interaction with DNA provides information on the damage pathways and dominant mechanisms. Our study of electron-impact ionization of DNA fragments uses the improved binary-encounter dipole model and covers DNA bases, sugar phosphate backbone, and nucleotides. An additivity principle is observed. For example, the sum of the ionization cross sections of the separate deoxyribose and phosphate fragments is in close agreement with the C3(sup prime)- and C5 (sup prime)-deoxyribose-phospate cross sections, differing by less than 5%. Investigation of tandem double lesion initiated by electron-impact dissociative ionization of guanine, followed by proton reaction with the cytosine in the Watson-Crick pair, is currently being studied to see if tandem double lesion can be initiated by electron impact. Up to now only OH-induced tandem double lesion has been studied.

  17. Differentiation and Transplantation of Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Cone Photoreceptors into a Mouse Model of End-Stage Retinal Degeneration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamil Kruczek

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The loss of cone photoreceptors that mediate daylight vision represents a leading cause of blindness, for which cell replacement by transplantation offers a promising treatment strategy. Here, we characterize cone differentiation in retinas derived from mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs. Similar to in vivo development, a temporal pattern of progenitor marker expression is followed by the differentiation of early thyroid hormone receptor β2-positive precursors and, subsequently, photoreceptors exhibiting cone-specific phototransduction-related proteins. We establish that stage-specific inhibition of the Notch pathway increases cone cell differentiation, while retinoic acid signaling regulates cone maturation, comparable with their actions in vivo. MESC-derived cones can be isolated in large numbers and transplanted into adult mouse eyes, showing capacity to survive and mature in the subretinal space of Aipl1−/− mice, a model of end-stage retinal degeneration. Together, this work identifies a robust, renewable cell source for cone replacement by purified cell suspension transplantation.

  18. A One-Step Cone-Beam CT-Enabled Planning-to-Treatment Model for Palliative Radiotherapy-From Development to Implementation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, Rebecca K.S.; Letourneau, Daniel; Varma, Anita; Bissonnette, Jean Pierre; Fitzpatrick, David; Grabarz, Daniel; Elder, Christine; Martin, Melanie; Bezjak, Andrea; Panzarella, Tony; Gospodarowicz, Mary; Jaffray, David A.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To develop a cone-beam computed tomography (CT)–enabled one-step simulation-to-treatment process for the treatment of bone metastases. Methods and Materials: A three-phase prospective study was conducted. Patients requiring palliative radiotherapy to the spine, mediastinum, or abdomen/pelvis suitable for treatment with simple beam geometry (≤2 beams) were accrued. Phase A established the accuracy of cone-beam CT images for the purpose of gross tumor target volume (GTV) definition. Phase B evaluated the feasibility of implementing the cone-beam CT–enabled planning process at the treatment unit. Phase C evaluated the online cone-beam CT–enabled process for the planning and treatment of patients requiring radiotherapy for bone metastases. Results: Eighty-four patients participated in this study. Phase A (n = 9) established the adequacy of cone-beam CT images for target definition. Phase B (n = 45) established the quality of treatment plans to be adequate for clinical implementation for bone metastases. When the process was applied clinically in bone metastases (Phase C), the degree of overlap between planning computed tomography (PCT) and cone-beam CT for GTV and between PCT and cone-beam CT for treatment field was 82% ± 11% and 97% ± 4%, respectively. The oncologist’s decision to accept the plan under a time-pressured environment remained of high quality, with the cone-beam CT–generated treatment plan delivering at least 90% of the prescribed dose to 100% ± 0% of the cone-beam CT planning target volume (PTV). With the assumption that the PCT PTV is the gold-standard target, the cone-beam CT–generated treatment plan delivered at least 90% and at least 95% of dose to 98% ± 2% and 97% ± 5% of the PCT PTV, respectively. The mean time for the online planning and treatment process was 32.7 ± 4.0 minutes. Patient satisfaction was high, with a trend for superior satisfaction with the cone-beam CT–enabled process. Conclusions: The cone-beam CT

  19. A One-Step Cone-Beam CT-Enabled Planning-to-Treatment Model for Palliative Radiotherapy-From Development to Implementation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wong, Rebecca K.S., E-mail: rebecca.wong@rmp.uhn.on.ca [Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Letourneau, Daniel; Varma, Anita [Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Bissonnette, Jean Pierre; Fitzpatrick, David; Grabarz, Daniel; Elder, Christine [Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Martin, Melanie; Bezjak, Andrea [Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Panzarella, Tony [Department of Biostatistics, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Gospodarowicz, Mary [Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Jaffray, David A. [Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

    2012-11-01

    Purpose: To develop a cone-beam computed tomography (CT)-enabled one-step simulation-to-treatment process for the treatment of bone metastases. Methods and Materials: A three-phase prospective study was conducted. Patients requiring palliative radiotherapy to the spine, mediastinum, or abdomen/pelvis suitable for treatment with simple beam geometry ({<=}2 beams) were accrued. Phase A established the accuracy of cone-beam CT images for the purpose of gross tumor target volume (GTV) definition. Phase B evaluated the feasibility of implementing the cone-beam CT-enabled planning process at the treatment unit. Phase C evaluated the online cone-beam CT-enabled process for the planning and treatment of patients requiring radiotherapy for bone metastases. Results: Eighty-four patients participated in this study. Phase A (n = 9) established the adequacy of cone-beam CT images for target definition. Phase B (n = 45) established the quality of treatment plans to be adequate for clinical implementation for bone metastases. When the process was applied clinically in bone metastases (Phase C), the degree of overlap between planning computed tomography (PCT) and cone-beam CT for GTV and between PCT and cone-beam CT for treatment field was 82% {+-} 11% and 97% {+-} 4%, respectively. The oncologist's decision to accept the plan under a time-pressured environment remained of high quality, with the cone-beam CT-generated treatment plan delivering at least 90% of the prescribed dose to 100% {+-} 0% of the cone-beam CT planning target volume (PTV). With the assumption that the PCT PTV is the gold-standard target, the cone-beam CT-generated treatment plan delivered at least 90% and at least 95% of dose to 98% {+-} 2% and 97% {+-} 5% of the PCT PTV, respectively. The mean time for the online planning and treatment process was 32.7 {+-} 4.0 minutes. Patient satisfaction was high, with a trend for superior satisfaction with the cone-beam CT-enabled process. Conclusions: The cone

  20. Electromagnetic scattering of a vector Bessel beam in the presence of an impedance cone

    KAUST Repository

    Salem, Mohamed; Bagci, Hakan

    2013-01-01

    The electromagnetic field scattering of a vector Bessel beam in the presence of an infinite circular cone with an impedance boundary on its surface is considered. The impinging field is normal to the tip of the cone and is expanded in terms

  1. Spatiotemporal regulation of ATP and Ca2+ dynamics in vertebrate rod and cone ribbon synapses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Jerry E; Perkins, Guy A; Giddabasappa, Anand; Chaney, Shawntay; Xiao, Weimin; White, Andrew D; Brown, Joshua M; Waggoner, Jenna; Ellisman, Mark H; Fox, Donald A

    2007-06-15

    In conventional neurons, Ca2+ enters presynaptic terminals during an action potential and its increased local concentration triggers transient exocytosis. In contrast, vertebrate photoreceptors are nonspiking neurons that maintain sustained depolarization and neurotransmitter release from ribbon synapses in darkness and produce light-dependent graded hyperpolarizing responses. Rods transmit single photon responses with high fidelity, whereas cones are less sensitive and exhibit faster response kinetics. These differences are likely due to variations in presynaptic Ca2+ dynamics. Metabolic coupling and cross-talk between mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase (PMCA), and Na+-Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) coordinately control presynaptic ATP production and Ca2+ dynamics. The goal of our structural and functional studies was to determine the spatiotemporal regulation of ATP and Ca2+ dynamics in rod spherules and cone pedicles. Central retina tissue from C57BL/6 mice was used. Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) experiments were conducted on fixed-frozen vertical sections. Primary antibodies were selected for their tissue/cellular specificity and ability to recognize single, multiple or all splice variants of selected isoforms. Electron microscopy (EM) and 3-D electron tomography (ET) studies used our standard procedures on thin- and thick-sectioned retinas, respectively. Calibrated fluo-3-Ca2+ imaging experiments of dark- and light-adapted rod and cone terminals in retinal slices were conducted. Confocal microscopy showed that mitochondria, ER, PMCA, and NCX1 exhibited distinct retinal lamination patterns and differential distribution in photoreceptor synapses. Antibodies for three distinct mitochondrial compartments differentially labeled retinal areas with high metabolic demand: rod and cone inner segments, previously undescribed cone juxtanuclear mitochondria and the two plexiform layers. Rod spherule membranes uniformly and intensely

  2. Cone beam computed tomography in veterinary dentistry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Thielen, B.; Siguenza, F.; Hassan, B.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in imaging dogs and cats for diagnostic dental veterinary applications. CBCT scans of heads of six dogs and two cats were made. Dental panoramic and multi-planar reformatted (MPR) para-sagittal

  3. Spray Modeling for Outwardly-Opening Hollow-Cone Injector

    KAUST Repository

    Sim, Jaeheon; Badra, Jihad; Elwardani, Ahmed Elsaid; Im, Hong G.

    2016-01-01

    linear instability sheet atomization (LISA) model was originally developed for pressure swirl hollow-cone injectors with moderate spray angle and toroidal ligament breakups. Therefore, it is not appropriate for the outwardly-opening injectors having wide

  4. Microtubule and Cell Contact Dependency of ER-bound PTP1B Localization in Growth Cones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuentes, Federico

    2009-01-01

    PTP1B is an ER-bound protein tyrosine phosphatase implied in the regulation of cell adhesion. Here we investigated mechanisms involved in the positioning and dynamics of PTP1B in axonal growth cones and evaluated the role of this enzyme in axons. In growth cones, PTP1B consistently localizes in the central domain, and occasionally at the peripheral region and filopodia. Live imaging of GFP-PTP1B reveals dynamic excursions of fingerlike processes within the peripheral region and filopodia. PTP1B and GFP-PTP1B colocalize with ER markers and coalign with microtubules at the peripheral region and redistribute to the base of the growth cone after treatment with nocodazole, a condition that is reversible. Growth cone contact with cellular targets is accompanied by invasion of PTP1B and stable microtubules in the peripheral region aligned with the contact axis. Functional impairment of PTP1B causes retardation of axon elongation, as well as reduction of growth cone filopodia lifetime and Src activity. Our results highlight the role of microtubules and cell contacts in the positioning of ER-bound PTP1B to the peripheral region of growth cones, which may be required for the positive role of PTP1B in axon elongation, filopodia stabilization, and Src activity. PMID:19158394

  5. Superparticle and superstring in AdS3 x S3 Ramond--Ramond background in the light-cone gauge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Metsaev, R. R.; Tseytlin, A. A.

    2001-01-01

    We discuss superparticle and superstring dynamics in AdS 3 x S 3 supported by R--R 3-form background using light-cone gauge approach. Starting with the superalgebra psu(1,1|2)(circle plus)psu (1,1|2) representing the basic symmetry of this background we find the light-cone superparticle Hamiltonian. We determine the harmonic decomposition of light-cone superfield describing fluctuations of type IIB supergravity fields expanded near AdS 3 x S 3 background and thus the corresponding Kaluza--Klein spectrum. We fix the fermionic and bosonic light-cone gauges in the covariant Green--Schwarz AdS 3 x S 3 superstring action and find the corresponding light-cone string Hamiltonian. We also obtain a realization of the generators of psu(1,1|2)(circle plus)psu (1,1|2) in terms of the superstring 2-d fields in the light-cone gauge

  6. Analytical Investigation of Elastic Thin-Walled Cylinder and Truncated Cone Shell Intersection Under Internal Pressure

    OpenAIRE

    Zamani, J.; Soltani, B.; Aghaei, M.

    2014-01-01

    An elastic solution of cylinder-truncated cone shell intersection under internal pressure is presented. The edge solution theory that has been used in this study takes bending moments and shearing forces into account in the thin-walled shell of revolution element. The general solution of the cone equations is based on power series method. The effect of cone apex angle on the stress distribution in conical and cylindrical parts of structure is investigated. In addition, the effect of the inter...

  7. Composition and Biological Activity of Picea pungens and Picea orientalis Seed and Cone Essential Oils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wajs-Bonikowska, Anna; Szoka, Łukasz; Karna, Ewa; Wiktorowska-Owczarek, Anna; Sienkiewicz, Monika

    2017-03-01

    The increasing consumption of natural products lead us to discover and study new plant materials, such as conifer seeds and cones, which could be easily available from the forest industry as a waste material, for their potential uses. The chemical composition of the essential oils of Picea pungens and Picea orientalis was fully characterized by GC and GC/MS methods. Seed and cone oils of both tree species were composed mainly of monoterpene hydrocarbons, among which limonene, α- and β-pinene were the major, but in different proportions in the examined conifer essential oils. The levorotary form of chiral monoterpene molecules was predominant over the dextrorotary form. The composition of oils from P. pungens seeds and cones was similar, while the hydrodistilled oils of P. orientalis seeds and cones differed from each other, mainly by a higher amount of oxygenated derivatives of monoterpenes and by other higher molar mass terpenes in seed oil. The essential oils showed mild antimicrobial action, however P. orientalis cone oil exhibited stronger antimicrobial properties against tested bacterial species than those of P. pungens. Effects of the tested cone essential oils on human skin fibroblasts and microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) were similar: in a concentration of 0 - 0.075 μl/ml the oils were rather safe for human skin fibroblasts and 0 - 0.005 μl/ml for HMEC-1 cells. IC 50 value of Picea pungens oils was 0.115 μl/ml, while that of Picea orientalis was 0.105 μl/ml. The value of IC 50 of both oils were 0.035 μl/ml for HMEC-1 cells. The strongest effect on cell viability had the oil from Picea orientalis cones, while on DNA synthesis the oil from Picea pungens cones. © 2017 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.

  8. Cone beam computerized tomography of face. Technological assessment report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saint-Pierre, Francoise; Fanelli, Gaelle; Mosnegutu, Lavinia; Devaux, Frederique

    2009-12-01

    Cone beam computerized tomography is an imagery technique notably used for the maxillofacial complex or a complete or limited exploration of maxillo-mandibular and dento-alveolar structures. Typically, this technique is implemented with devices which are different from scanners in various respects (performance of several linear cuts, use of an open cone beam). Based on a literature survey, this document reports an assessment which aimed at determining technical and dosimetric performances of the device, potential benefits in terms of diagnosis and therapy with respect to existing imagery techniques, specifications and role of this technique in odonto-stomatology, maxillofacial surgery, and even in ENT, and operation conditions and training to perform this act

  9. Droplets Behavior of Hollow-Cone Spray in a Non-Condensable Environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Minoru Takahashi; Shin-ichi Kitagawa; Suizheng Qiu

    2002-01-01

    The characteristics of droplets in a water hollow-cone spray from nozzles 1.1 mm and 3.6 mm in diameter in an air environment have been investigated experimentally. The dual phase Doppler anemometry (PDA) system was used to measure the size and two velocity components of individual spherical particles. The liquid spray geometry, including spray breakup length and spray angle were also obtained experimentally. The mechanism and the influence of these parameters on a hollow cone spray flow were described. (authors)

  10. Cone beam CT findings of retromolar canals: Report of cases and literature review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, Sang Sun [Dept. of Dental Hygiene, Eulji University, Seongnam (Korea, Republic of); Park, Chang Seo [Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, College of Dentistry, Yonsei University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-12-15

    A retromolar canal is an anatomical variation in the mandible. As it includes the neurovascular bundle, local anesthetic insufficiency can occur, and an injury of the retromolar canal during dental surgery in the mandible may result in excessive bleeding, paresthesia, and traumatic neuroma. Using imaging analysis software, we evaluated the cone-beam computed tomography (CT) images of two Korean patients who presented with retromolar canals. Retromolar canals were detectable on the sagittal and cross-sectional images of cone-beam CT, but not on the panoramic radiographs of the patients. Therefore, the clinician should pay particular attention to the identification of retromolar canals by preoperative radiographic examination, and additional cone beam CT scanning would be recommended.

  11. Cone beam CT findings of retromolar canals: Report of cases and literature review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, Sang Sun; Park, Chang Seo

    2013-01-01

    A retromolar canal is an anatomical variation in the mandible. As it includes the neurovascular bundle, local anesthetic insufficiency can occur, and an injury of the retromolar canal during dental surgery in the mandible may result in excessive bleeding, paresthesia, and traumatic neuroma. Using imaging analysis software, we evaluated the cone-beam computed tomography (CT) images of two Korean patients who presented with retromolar canals. Retromolar canals were detectable on the sagittal and cross-sectional images of cone-beam CT, but not on the panoramic radiographs of the patients. Therefore, the clinician should pay particular attention to the identification of retromolar canals by preoperative radiographic examination, and additional cone beam CT scanning would be recommended.

  12. Measurement of the first ionization potential of astatine by laser ionization spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothe, S.; Andreyev, A. N.; Antalic, S.; Borschevsky, A.; Capponi, L.; Cocolios, T. E.; De Witte, H.; Eliav, E.; Fedorov, D. V.; Fedosseev, V. N.; Fink, D. A.; Fritzsche, S.; Ghys, L.; Huyse, M.; Imai, N.; Kaldor, U.; Kudryavtsev, Yuri; Köster, U.; Lane, J. F. W.; Lassen, J.; Liberati, V.; Lynch, K. M.; Marsh, B. A.; Nishio, K.; Pauwels, D.; Pershina, V.; Popescu, L.; Procter, T. J.; Radulov, D.; Raeder, S.; Rajabali, M. M.; Rapisarda, E.; Rossel, R. E.; Sandhu, K.; Seliverstov, M. D.; Sjödin, A. M.; Van den Bergh, P.; Van Duppen, P.; Venhart, M.; Wakabayashi, Y.; Wendt, K. D. A.

    2013-01-01

    The radioactive element astatine exists only in trace amounts in nature. Its properties can therefore only be explored by study of the minute quantities of artificially produced isotopes or by performing theoretical calculations. One of the most important properties influencing the chemical behaviour is the energy required to remove one electron from the valence shell, referred to as the ionization potential. Here we use laser spectroscopy to probe the optical spectrum of astatine near the ionization threshold. The observed series of Rydberg states enabled the first determination of the ionization potential of the astatine atom, 9.31751(8) eV. New ab initio calculations are performed to support the experimental result. The measured value serves as a benchmark for quantum chemistry calculations of the properties of astatine as well as for the theoretical prediction of the ionization potential of superheavy element 117, the heaviest homologue of astatine. PMID:23673620

  13. Polyhedral combinatorics of UPGMA cones

    OpenAIRE

    Davidson, Ruth; Sullivant, Seth

    2013-01-01

    Distance-based methods such as UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean) continue to play a significant role in phylogenetic research. We use polyhedral combinatorics to analyze the natural subdivision of the positive orthant induced by classifying the input vectors according to tree topologies returned by the algorithm. The partition lattice informs the study of UPGMA trees. We give a closed form for the extreme rays of UPGMA cones on n taxa, and compute the normalized volume...

  14. Geometric calibration method for multiple head cone beam SPECT systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rizo, Ph.; Grangeat, P.; Guillemaud, R.; Sauze, R.

    1993-01-01

    A method is presented for performing geometric calibration on Single Photon Emission Tomography (SPECT) cone beam systems with multiple cone beam collimators, each having its own orientation parameters. This calibration method relies on the fact that, in tomography, for each head, the relative position of the rotation axis and of the collimator does not change during the acquisition. In order to ensure the method stability, the parameters to be estimated in intrinsic parameters and extrinsic parameters are separated. The intrinsic parameters describe the acquisition geometry and the extrinsic parameters position of the detection system with respect to the rotation axis. (authors) 3 refs

  15. y scaling as a probe of nuclear light-cone dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ji Xiangdong; Filippone, B.W.

    1990-01-01

    The y scaling exhibited in quasielastic electron scattering on nuclei is shown to occur in the same kinematic limit as x scaling in deep-inelastic lepton-nucleon scattering. Using the impulse approximation in a relativistic model, we demonstrate that the scaling function F(y) can be interpreted as the nucleon light-cone momentum distribution and the scaling variable y is related to the light-cone momentum t + of the nucleon. We also derive the convolution formula for deep-inelastic lepton-nucleus scattering and show that the same F(y) can be extracted from the experimental structure functions of the nucleon and nuclei

  16. Quasi-monoenergetic proton beam produced by cone-top-end target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu Jinqing; Jin Xiaolin; Li Bin; Zhou Weimin; Gu Yuqiu

    2012-01-01

    A scheme for generating quasi-monoenergetic proton beam is presented. In this paper, a new cone-top-end target is proposed and investigated by two-dimensional particle-in-cell (2D-PIC) simulation. The simulation results show that this target configuration can guide the hot electrons by the self-generated magnetic field along the profile of the cone-top-end target. The peak magnitude of sheath field at the rear surface of solid target can be enhanced, so the proton energy can be improved. The proton beam with energy spread of 9.9% can be obtained. (authors)

  17. QCD string with quarks. 2. Light cone Hamiltonian

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dubin, A.Yu.; Kaidalov, A.B.; Simonov, Yu.A.

    1994-01-01

    The light-cone Hamiltonian is derived from the general gauge - and Lorentz - invariant expression for the qq-bar Green function. The resulting Hamiltonian contains in a non-additive way contributions from quark and string degrees of freedom

  18. Morphometric analysis of cinder cones on Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain): results and applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doniz Paez, F. J.

    2009-01-01

    This paper applied morphometric to the cinder cones of Tenerife. The technical morphometric allows to establish simple models of morphology, and size to the most frequent volcanoes of Tenerife's mafic volcanism. The obtained classification allow to distinguish four morphological types of scoria cones and three size groups, which is also extended to other volcanic regions. (Author) 5 refs.

  19. Cone dysfunctions in retinitis pigmentosa with retinal nerve fiber layer thickening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sobacı, Güngör; Ozge, Gökhan; Gündoğan, Fatih Ç

    2012-01-01

    To investigate whether or not thicker retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients relates to functional abnormalities of the photoreceptors. Optical coherence tomography-based RNFL thickness was measured by Stratus-3™ (Zeiss, Basel, Switzerland) optical coherence tomography and electroretinogram (ERG) recordings made using the RETI-port(®) system (Roland, Wiesbaden, Germany) in 27 patients with retinitis pigmentosa and in 30 healthy subjects. Photopic ERG b-wave amplitude, cone ERG b-wave latency, 30 Hz flicker amplitude, and 30 Hz flicker latency had significant correlations to the RNFL-temporal (r = -0.55, P = 0.004, r = 0.68, P = 0.001, r = -0.65, P = 0.001, and r = -0.52, P = 0.007, respectively). Eyes with thicker RNFL (ten eyes) differed significantly from those with thinner RNFL (eight eyes) regarding cone ERG b-wave latency values only (P = 0.001). Thicker RNFL in patients with retinitis pigmentosa may be associated with functional abnormality of the cone system.

  20. Twelve inequivalent Dirac cones in two-dimensional ZrB2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lopez-Bezanilla, Alejandro

    2018-01-01

    Theoretical evidence of the existence of 12 inequivalent Dirac cones at the vicinity of the Fermi energy in monolayered ZrB2 is presented. Two-dimensional ZrB2 is a mechanically stable d- and p-orbital compound exhibiting a unique electronic structure with two Dirac cones out of high-symmetry points in the irreducible Brillouin zone with a small electron-pocket compensation. First-principles calculations demonstrate that while one of the cones is insensitive to lattice expansion, the second cone vanishes for small perturbation of the vertical Zr position. Internal symmetry breaking with external physical stimuli, along with the relativistic effect of spin-orbit coupling, is able to remove selectively the Dirac cones. A rational explanation in terms of d- and p-orbital mixing is provided to elucidate the origin of the infrequent Dirac cones in a flat structure. The versatility of transition-metal d orbitals combined with the honeycomb lattice provided by the B atoms yields particular features in a two-dimensional material.

  1. Muscarinic receptor activation stimulates B-50/GAP43 phosphorylation in isolated nerve growth cones

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gispen, W.H.; Hooff, C.O.M. van; Graan, P.N.E. de; Oestreicher, A.B.

    1989-01-01

    A characteristic feature of neurite formation is high expression of the phosphoprotein B-50/GAP43. Previous studies with growth cone membranes have indicated that this neuron-specific protein kinase C substrate may be involved in transmembrane signal transduction at the growth cone. We monitored the

  2. Cone-beam volume CT mammographic imaging: feasibility study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Biao; Ning, Ruola

    2001-06-01

    X-ray projection mammography, using a film/screen combination or digital techniques, has proven to be the most effective imaging modality for early detection of breast cancer currently available. However, the inherent superimposition of structures makes small carcinoma (a few millimeters in size) difficult to detect in the occultation case or in dense breasts, resulting in a high false positive biopsy rate. The cone-beam x-ray projection based volume imaging using flat panel detectors (FPDs) makes it possible to obtain three-dimensional breast images. This may benefit diagnosis of the structure and pattern of the lesion while eliminating hard compression of the breast. This paper presents a novel cone-beam volume CT mammographic imaging protocol based on the above techniques. Through computer simulation, the key issues of the system and imaging techniques, including the x-ray imaging geometry and corresponding reconstruction algorithms, x-ray characteristics of breast tissues, x-ray setting techniques, the absorbed dose estimation and the quantitative effect of x-ray scattering on image quality, are addressed. The preliminary simulation results support the proposed cone-beam volume CT mammographic imaging modality in respect to feasibility and practicability for mammography. The absorbed dose level is comparable to that of current two-view mammography and would not be a prominent problem for this imaging protocol. Compared to traditional mammography, the proposed imaging protocol with isotropic spatial resolution will potentially provide significantly better low contrast detectability of breast tumors and more accurate location of breast lesions.

  3. Cone-beam and fan-beam image reconstruction algorithms based on spherical and circular harmonics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeng, Gengsheng L; Gullberg, Grant T

    2004-01-01

    A cone-beam image reconstruction algorithm using spherical harmonic expansions is proposed. The reconstruction algorithm is in the form of a summation of inner products of two discrete arrays of spherical harmonic expansion coefficients at each cone-beam point of acquisition. This form is different from the common filtered backprojection algorithm and the direct Fourier reconstruction algorithm. There is no re-sampling of the data, and spherical harmonic expansions are used instead of Fourier expansions. As a special case, a new fan-beam image reconstruction algorithm is also derived in terms of a circular harmonic expansion. Computer simulation results for both cone-beam and fan-beam algorithms are presented for circular planar orbit acquisitions. The algorithms give accurate reconstructions; however, the implementation of the cone-beam reconstruction algorithm is computationally intensive. A relatively efficient algorithm is proposed for reconstructing the central slice of the image when a circular scanning orbit is used

  4. An improved cone-beam filtered backprojection reconstruction algorithm based on x-ray angular correction and multiresolution analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Y.; Hou, Y.; Yan, Y.

    2004-01-01

    With the extensive application of industrial computed tomography in the field of non-destructive testing, how to improve the quality of the reconstructed image is receiving more and more concern. It is well known that in the existing cone-beam filtered backprojection reconstruction algorithms the cone angle is controlled within a narrow range. The reason of this limitation is the incompleteness of projection data when the cone angle increases. Thus the size of the tested workpiece is limited. Considering the characteristic of X-ray cone angle, an improved cone-beam filtered back-projection reconstruction algorithm taking account of angular correction is proposed in this paper. The aim of our algorithm is to correct the cone-angle effect resulted from the incompleteness of projection data in the conventional algorithm. The basis of the correction is the angular relationship among X-ray source, tested workpiece and the detector. Thus the cone angle is not strictly limited and this algorithm may be used to detect larger workpiece. Further more, adaptive wavelet filter is used to make multiresolution analysis, which can modify the wavelet decomposition series adaptively according to the demand for resolution of local reconstructed area. Therefore the computation and the time of reconstruction can be reduced, and the quality of the reconstructed image can also be improved. (author)

  5. Quantization on the cone and cyon-oscillator duality

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sisakyan, A.N.; Ter-Antonyan, V.M.

    1996-01-01

    It is shown that the three-dimensional isotropic oscillator with coordinates belonging to the two-dimensional half-up cone is dual to the cyon, i.e. the planar particle-vortex bound system provided by fractional statistics. 12 refs

  6. Technical sheets of ionizing radiations. 2. Non-ionizing radiations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1975-01-01

    The biological effects of different non-ionizing radiations are studied: ultra-violet radiation, visible radiation, infrared radiation, micrometric waves, ultrasonics. In spite of their apparent diversity these radiations are similar in their physico-chemical effects, but in view of their widely varying production methods and types of application each type is considered separately. It is pointed out that no organization resembling the CIPR exists in the field of non-ionizing radiations, the result being a great disparity amongst the different legislations in force [fr

  7. Scoria cones on Mars: detailed investigation of morphometry based on high - resolution Digital Elevation Models

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Brož, Petr; Čadek, O.; Hauber, E.; Rossi, A. P.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 120, č. 9 (2015), s. 1512-1527 ISSN 2169-9097 Institutional support: RVO:67985530 Keywords : Mars surface * volcanism * pyroclastic cone * scoria cone Subject RIV: DC - Siesmology, Volcanology, Earth Structure Impact factor: 3.440, year: 2013

  8. Solving quantum chromodynamics by discretized light-cone quantization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pauli, H.C.

    1996-01-01

    An effective theory for quantum chromodynamics (QCD) is derived analytically and nonperturbatively from the canonical Lagrangian for QCD in three space and one time dimension. The full light-cone QCD-Hamiltonian is mapped identically onto an effective Hamiltonian which acts only in the q anti q-space. A vertex coupling function is resumed to all orders and after renormalization should become the running coupling constant. The final equations are of surprizing simplicity, and are numerically solvable on a small computer. The prescription is given how to derive from these solutions the probability amplitudes for arbitrary gluon and quark-anti-quark composition by quadratures. The method is based on discretized light-cone quantization and the new method of iterated resolvents. The procedure is applicable also to other many-body theories, but the present work specializes to the general aspects of QCD. (orig.)

  9. Micro-motion Recognition of Spatial Cone Target Based on ISAR Image Sequences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Changyong Shu

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The accurate micro-motions recognition of spatial cone target is the foundation of the characteristic parameter acquisition. For this reason, a micro-motion recognition method based on the distinguishing characteristics extracted from the Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR sequences is proposed in this paper. The projection trajectory formula of cone node strong scattering source and cone bottom slip-type strong scattering sources, which are located on the spatial cone target, are deduced under three micro-motion types including nutation, precession, and spinning, and the correctness is verified by the electromagnetic simulation. By comparison, differences are found among the projection of the scattering sources with different micro-motions, the coordinate information of the scattering sources in the Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar sequences is extracted by the CLEAN algorithm, and the spinning is recognized by setting the threshold value of Doppler. The double observation points Interacting Multiple Model Kalman Filter is used to separate the scattering sources projection of the nutation target or precession target, and the cross point number of each scattering source’s projection track is used to classify the nutation or precession. Finally, the electromagnetic simulation data are used to verify the effectiveness of the micro-motion recognition method.

  10. The content of vitamine E in hop cones of the Saaz variety

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helena Pluháčková

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The activity of vitamin E, total content of tocols and the content of individual isomers: α-tocopherols, β-tocopherols, γ-tocopherols and δ-tocopherols was monitored in samples of hop cones of the world-important Saaz variety. Hop cone samples originated from hop-breeding area Tršice, Czech Republic. The method used for the determination of vitamin E in barley was modified and used for this quantitative analysis. The results indicate that monitored characteristics are influenced by the year of harvest (2010 or 2011 but also by the age of hop-gardens (hop bucks. High values of vitamin E activity (up to 67.79 mg.kg−1 and total content of tocols (up to 76.31 mg.kg−1 in hop cones are worth further attention from the viewpoint of alternative use of hops.

  11. Variability in Morphology and Thermophysical Properties of Pitted Cones in Acidalia Planitia and Cydonia Mensae

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrand, W. H.; Gaddis, L. R.; Blundell, S.

    2004-01-01

    The northern plains of Mars contain a number of unique landforms and are unique in terms of their topography and composition . Much of the speculation about the northern plains centers on whether there was ever a northern ocean, and if there was, was it long-lived or ephemeral? The northern plains also hosts the Vastitas Borealis Formation which has been variously interpreted as the residue from a northern ocean , and pre-existing material reworked by cold-weather processes . In this work we examine a set of unusual features resident on the northern plains, the pitted cones originally recognized in Viking data . Our focus is on the pitted cones in Acidalia and Cydonia regions. The pitted cones of the northern plains have been hypothesized as being equivalent to terrestrial cinder cones , rootless cones , pingos , and mud volcanoes . To examine the Acidalia and Cydonia regions, multispectral data from the Mars Odyssey THEMIS, gridded topography from Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) MOLA, images from MGS MOC, and mineralogic and thermal inertia information from MGS TES have been assembled in a Geographic Information System. Analysis of MOC Narrow Angle camera images

  12. Design and optimization of mixed flow pump impeller blades by varying semi-cone angle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dash, Nehal; Roy, Apurba Kumar; Kumar, Kaushik

    2018-03-01

    The mixed flow pump is a cross between the axial and radial flow pump. These pumps are used in a large number of applications in modern fields. For the designing of these mixed flow pump impeller blades, a lot number of design parameters are needed to be considered which makes this a tedious task for which fundamentals of turbo-machinery and fluid mechanics are always prerequisites. The semi-cone angle of mixed flow pump impeller blade has a specified range of variations generally between 45o to 60o. From the literature review done related to this topic researchers have considered only a particular semi-cone angle and all the calculations are based on this very same semi-cone angle. By varying this semi-cone angle in the specified range, it can be verified if that affects the designing of the impeller blades for a mixed flow pump. Although a lot of methods are available for designing of mixed flow pump impeller blades like inverse time marching method, the pseudo-stream function method, Fourier expansion singularity method, free vortex method, mean stream line theory method etc. still the optimized design of the mixed flow pump impeller blade has been a cumbersome work. As stated above since all the available research works suggest or propose the blade designs with constant semi-cone angle, here the authors have designed the impeller blades by varying the semi-cone angle in a particular range with regular intervals for a Mixed-Flow pump. Henceforth several relevant impeller blade designs are obtained and optimization is carried out to obtain the optimized design (blade with optimal geometry) of impeller blade.

  13. The ionization mechanisms in direct and dopant-assisted atmospheric pressure photoionization and atmospheric pressure laser ionization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kauppila, Tiina J; Kersten, Hendrik; Benter, Thorsten

    2014-11-01

    A novel, gas-tight API interface for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to study the ionization mechanism in direct and dopant-assisted atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) and atmospheric pressure laser ionization (APLI). Eight analytes (ethylbenzene, bromobenzene, naphthalene, anthracene, benzaldehyde, pyridine, quinolone, and acridine) with varying ionization energies (IEs) and proton affinities (PAs), and four common APPI dopants (toluene, acetone, anisole, and chlorobenzene) were chosen. All the studied compounds were ionized by direct APPI, forming mainly molecular ions. Addition of dopants suppressed the signal of the analytes with IEs above the IE of the dopant. For compounds with suitable IEs or Pas, the dopants increased the ionization efficiency as the analytes could be ionized through dopant-mediated gas-phase reactions, such as charge exchange, proton transfer, and other rather unexpected reactions, such as formation of [M + 77](+) in the presence of chlorobenzene. Experiments with deuterated toluene as the dopant verified that in case of proton transfer, the proton originated from the dopant instead of proton-bound solvent clusters, as in conventional open or non-tight APPI sources. In direct APLI using a 266 nm laser, a narrower range of compounds was ionized than in direct APPI, because of exceedingly high IEs or unfavorable two-photon absorption cross-sections. Introduction of dopants in the APLI system changed the ionization mechanism to similar dopant-mediated gas-phase reactions with the dopant as in APPI, which produced mainly ions of the same form as in APPI, and ionized a wider range of analytes than direct APLI.

  14. Mass spectrometry of solid samples in open air using combined laser ionization and ambient metastable ionization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He, X.N.; Xie, Z.Q.; Gao, Y.; Hu, W.; Guo, L.B.; Jiang, L.; Lu, Y.F.

    2012-01-01

    Mass spectrometry of solid samples in open air was carried out using combined laser ionization and metastable ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LI-MI-TOFMS) in ambient environment for qualitative and semiquantitative (relative analyte information, not absolute information) analysis. Ambient metastable ionization using a direct analysis in realtime (DART) ion source was combined with laser ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LI-TOFMS) to study the effects of combining metastable and laser ionization. A series of metallic samples from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST 494, 495, 498, 499, and 500) and a pure carbon target were characterized using LI-TOFMS in open air. LI-MI-TOFMS was found to be superior to laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Laser pulse energies between 10 and 200 mJ at the second harmonic (532 nm) of an Nd:YAG laser were applied in the experiment to obtain a high degree of ionization in plasmas. Higher laser pulse energy improves signal intensities of trace elements (such as Fe, Cr, Mn, Ni, Ca, Al, and Ag). Data were analyzed by numerically calculating relative sensitivity coefficients (RSCs) and limit of detections (LODs) from mass spectrometry (MS) and LIBS spectra. Different parameters, such as boiling point, ionization potential, RSC, LOD, and atomic weight, were shown to analyze the ionization and MS detection processes in open air.

  15. Image quality and absorbed dose comparison of single- and dual-source cone-beam computed tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miura, Hideharu; Ozawa, Shuichi; Okazue, Toshiya; Kawakubo, Atsushi; Yamada, Kiyoshi; Nagata, Yasushi

    2018-04-17

    Dual-source cone-beam computed tomography (DCBCT) is currently available in the Vero4DRT image-guided radiotherapy system. We evaluated the image quality and absorbed dose for DCBCT and compared the values with those for single-source CBCT (SCBCT). Image uniformity, Hounsfield unit (HU) linearity, image contrast, and spatial resolution were evaluated using a Catphan phantom. The rotation angle for acquiring SCBCT and DCBCT images is 215° and 115°, respectively. The image uniformity was calculated using measurements obtained at the center and four peripheral positions. The HUs of seven materials inserted into the phantom were measured to evaluate HU linearity and image contrast. The Catphan phantom was scanned with a conventional CT scanner to measure the reference HU for each material. The spatial resolution was calculated using high-resolution pattern modules. Image quality was analyzed using ImageJ software ver. 1.49. The absorbed dose was measured using a 0.6-cm 3 ionization chamber with a 16-cm-diameter cylindrical phantom, at the center and four peripheral positions of the phantom, and calculated using weighted cone-beam CT dose index (CBCTDI w ). Compared with that of SCBCT, the image uniformity of DCBCT was slightly reduced. A strong linear correlation existed between the measured HU for DCBCT and the reference HU, although the linear regression slope was different from that of the reference HU. DCBCT had poorer image contrast than did SCBCT, particularly with a high-contrast material. There was no significant difference between the spatial resolutions of SCBCT and DCBCT. The absorbed dose for DCBCT was higher than that for SCBCT, because in DCBCT, the two x-ray projections overlap between 45° and 70°. We found that the image quality was poorer and the absorbed dose was higher for DCBCT than for SCBCT in the Vero4DRT. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of

  16. Characteristics of kilovoltage x-ray beams used for cone-beam computed tomography in radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ding, George X; Duggan, Dennis M; Coffey, Charles W

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this investigation is to characterize the beams produced by a kilovoltage (kV) imager integrated into a linear accelerator (Varian on-board imager integrated into the Trilogy accelerator) for acquiring high resolution volumetric cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of the patient on the treatment table. The x-ray tube is capable of generating photon spectra with kVp values between 40 and 125 kV. The Monte Carlo simulations were used to study the characteristics of kV beams and the properties of imaged target scatters. The Monte Carlo results were benchmarked against measurements, and excellent agreements were obtained. We also studied the effect of including the electron impact ionization (EII), and the simulation showed that the characteristic radiation is increased significantly in the energy spectra when EII is included. Although only slight beam hardening is observed in the spectra of all photons after passing through the phantom target, there is a significant difference in the spectra and angular distributions between scattered and primary photons. The results also show that the photon fluence distributions are significantly altered by adding bow tie filters. The results indicate that a combination of large cone-beam field size and large imaged target significantly increases scatter-to-primary ratios for photons that reach the detector panel. For phantoms 10 cm, 20 cm and 30 cm thick of water placed at the isocentre, the scatter-to-primary ratios are 0.94, 3.0 and 7.6 respectively for an open 125 kVp CBCT beam. The Monte Carlo simulations show that the increase of the scatter is proportional to the increase of the imaged volume, and this also applies to scatter-to-primary ratios. This study shows both the magnitude and the characteristics of scattered x-rays. The knowledge obtained from this investigation may be useful in the future design of the image detector to improve the image quality

  17. Light-cone gauge versus proper-time gauge for massless spinning particles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skagerstam, B.S.; Stern, A.

    1987-01-01

    Although the light-cone gauge is convenient for many applications in physics, it is known to distort topology. We show that as a consequence, some interesting, possibly physical, features of a quantum theory may be missed when working in the light-cone gauge. We shall illustrate this by examining the description of massless spinning particles in an arbitrary number of space-time dimensions. When quantizing such particles in four space-time dimensions (without introducing Grassmann degrees of freedom), the light-cone gauge yields a purely bosonic spectrum, i.e. the helicity λ is integer-valued. The problem is rectified by going to the proper-time gauge; there λ = 0, ±1/2, ±1, ... Upon using the proper-time gauge to quantize massless particle systems in more than four space-time dimensions, we find the following interesting features: Except for space-time dimension d equal to 5 and 9, (i) wave functions cannot be expressed as global functions of momentum (or position). (This is also true for d=4.) Further, for d ≠ 5 and 9, (ii) the helicity group spin (d-2) and (iii) canonical position operators do not exist, globally. (The result that helicity cannot be globally defined resembles a known property of nonabelian monopoles arising in grand unified theories. There, topological obstructions prevent one from defining the color group, globally.) All of the features (i)-(iii) are missed when working in the light-cone gauge. (orig.)

  18. MAGNETIC RECONNECTION IN NON-EQUILIBRIUM IONIZATION PLASMA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Imada, S.; Shimizu, T.; Murakami, I.; Watanabe, T.; Hara, H.

    2011-01-01

    We have studied the effect of time-dependent ionization and the recombination processes on magnetic reconnection in the solar corona. Petschek-type steady reconnection, in which the magnetic energy is mainly converted at the slow-mode shocks, was assumed. We carried out the time-dependent ionization calculation in the magnetic reconnection structure. We only calculated the transient ionization of iron; the other species were assumed to be in ionization equilibrium. The intensity of line emissions at specific wavelengths was also calculated for comparison with Hinode or other observations in future. We found the following: (1) iron is mostly in non-equilibrium ionization in the reconnection region; (2) the intensity of line emission estimated by the time-dependent ionization calculation is significantly different from that determined from the ionization equilibrium assumption; (3) the effect of time-dependent ionization is sensitive to the electron density in the case where the electron density is less than 10 10 cm –3 ; (4) the effect of thermal conduction lessens the time-dependent ionization effect; and (5) the effect of radiative cooling is negligibly small even if we take into account time-dependent ionization.

  19. Light Cone 2016 : Challenges for Theory and Experiment in Hadron and Nuclear Physics on the Light Front

    CERN Document Server

    Pena, Teresa

    2018-01-01

    The Light-Cone 2016 conference, held in September 2016 in Lisbon, Portugal, belongs to a series of yearly Light-Cone meetings that started in 1991. As its predecessors, this conference was guided by the objectives defined by the International Light Cone Advisory Committee, namely to “advance research in quantum field theory, particularly light-cone quantization methods applicable to the solution of physical problems”. This volume compiles selected papers presented at the conference by experts from all over the world, which describe recent progress in theoretical research, and new results and planned activities at leading experimental facilities, with special emphasis on the physics of hadrons and nuclei.

  20. Geomorphologic Analysis of Drainage Basins in Damavand Volcano Cone, Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zareinejad, M.

    2011-12-01

    Damavand volcanic cone is located in the center of the Alborz chain, in the southern Caspian Sea in Iran. Damavand is a dormant volcano in Iran. It is not only the country's highest peak but also the highest mountain on the Middle East; its elevation is 5619 m. The main purpose of this paper is recognition and appraisement of drainage basins in Damavand cone from geomorphic point of view. Water causes erosion in nature in different forms and creates diverse forms on the earth surface depending on the manner of its appearance in nature. Although water is itself a former factor, it flows under morphological effect of earth surface. The difference of earth surface topography and as a result water movement on it, cause the formation of sub-basins. Identification of region drainage basins is considered as one of the requirements for Damavand cone morphometric. Thereupon, five drainage basins were identified in this research by relying on main criteria including topographic contours with 10 m intervals, drainage system, DEM map, slope map, aspect map and satellite images. (Fig 1) Area, perimeter, height classification for classifying morphological landforms in different levels, hypsometric calculations, drainage density, etc. were then calculated by using ArcGIS software. (Table 1) Damavand cone, with a height more than 5,000 meters from the sea surface, has very hard pass slopes and our purpose in this paper is to identify the effect of drainage basins conditions in the region on erosion and the formation of morphological landforms by using SPOT, ASTER, satellite images as well as papering of data in GIS environment.