Fibronectin Extra Domain A Promotes Liver Sinusoid Repair following Hepatectomy.

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Bridget Sackey-Aboagye

Full Text Available Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs are the main endothelial cells in the liver and are important for maintaining liver homeostasis as well as responding to injury. LSECs express cellular fibronectin containing the alternatively spliced extra domain A (EIIIA-cFN and increase expression of this isoform after liver injury, although its function is not well understood. Here, we examined the role of EIIIA-cFN in liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy. We carried out two-thirds partial hepatectomies in mice lacking EIIIA-cFN and in their wild type littermates, studied liver endothelial cell adhesion on decellularized, EIIIA-cFN-containing matrices and investigated the role of cellular fibronectins in liver endothelial cell tubulogenesis. We found that liver weight recovery following hepatectomy was significantly delayed and that sinusoidal repair was impaired in EIIIA-cFN null mice, especially females, as was the lipid accumulation typical of the post-hepatectomy liver. In vitro, we found that liver endothelial cells were more adhesive to cell-deposited matrices containing the EIIIA domain and that cellular fibronectin enhanced tubulogenesis and vascular cord formation. The integrin α9β1, which specifically binds EIIIA-cFN, promoted tubulogenesis and adhesion of liver endothelial cells to EIIIA-cFN. Our findings identify a role for EIIIA-cFN in liver regeneration and tubulogenesis. We suggest that sinusoidal repair is enhanced by increased LSEC adhesion, which is mediated by EIIIA-cFN.

Sinusoidal masks for single channel speech separation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mowlaee, Pejman; Christensen, Mads Græsbøll; Jensen, Søren Holdt

2010-01-01

In this paper we present a new approach for binary and soft masks used in single-channel speech separation. We present a novel approach called the sinusoidal mask (binary mask and Wiener filter) in a sinusoidal space. Theoretical analysis is presented for the proposed method, and we show...... that the proposed method is able to minimize the target speech distortion while suppressing the crosstalk to a predetermined threshold. It is observed that compared to the STFTbased masks, the proposed sinusoidal masks improve the separation performance in terms of objective measures (SSNR and PESQ) and are mostly...

Amplitude Modulated Sinusoidal Signal Decomposition for Audio Coding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, M. G.; Jacobson, A.; Andersen, S. V.

2006-01-01

In this paper, we present a decomposition for sinusoidal coding of audio, based on an amplitude modulation of sinusoids via a linear combination of arbitrary basis vectors. The proposed method, which incorporates a perceptual distortion measure, is based on a relaxation of a nonlinear least......-squares minimization. Rate-distortion curves and listening tests show that, compared to a constant-amplitude sinusoidal coder, the proposed decomposition offers perceptually significant improvements in critical transient signals....

Observation of Sinusoidal Voltage Behaviour in Silver Doped YBCO

Science.gov (United States)

Altinkok, Atilgan; Olutas, Murat; Kilic, Kivilcim; Kilic, Atilla

The influence of bi-directional square wave (BSW) current was investigated on the evolution of the V - t curves at different periods (P) , temperatures and external magnetic fields. It was observed that slow transport relaxation measurements result in regular sinusoidal voltage oscillations which were discussed mainly in terms of the dynamic competition between pinning and depinning.The symmetry in the voltage oscillations was attributed to the elastic coupling between the flux lines and the pinning centers along grain boundaries and partly inside the grains. This case was also correlated to the equality between flux entry and exit along the YBCO/Ag sample during regular oscillations. It was shown that the voltage oscillations can be described well by an empirical expression V (t) sin(wt + φ) . We found that the phase angle φgenerally takes different values for the repetitive oscillations. Fast Fourier Transform analysis of the V - t oscillations showed that the oscillation period is comparable to that (PI) of the BSW current. This finding suggests a physical mechanism associated with charge density waves (CDWs), and, indeed, the weakly pinned flux line system in YBCO/Ag resembles the general behavior of CDWs. At certain values of PI, amplitude of BSW current, H and T, the YBCO/Ag sample behaves like a double-integrator, since it converts the BSW current to sinusoidal voltage oscillations in time.

Band structure and optical properties of sinusoidal superlattices: ZnSe1-xTex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, G.; Lee, S.; Furdyna, J. K.

2000-01-01

This paper examines the band structure and optical selection rules in superlattices with a sinusoidal potential profile. The analysis is motivated by the recent successful fabrication of high quality ZnSe 1-x Te x superlattices in which the composition x varies sinusoidally along the growth direction. Although the band alignment in the ZnSe 1-x Te x sinusoidal superlattices is staggered (type II), they exhibit unexpectedly strong photoluminescence, thus suggesting interesting optical behavior. The band structure of such sinusoidal superlattices is formulated in terms of the nearly-free-electron (NFE) approximation, in which the superlattice potential is treated as a perturbation. The resulting band structure is unique, characterized by a single minigap separating two wide, free-electron-like subbands for both electrons and holes. Interband selection rules are derived for optical transitions involving conduction and valence-band states at the superlattice Brillouin-zone center, and at the zone edge. A number of transitions are predicted due to wave-function mixing of different subband states. It should be noted that the zone-center and zone-edge transitions are especially easy to distinguish in these superlattices because of the large width of the respective subbands. The results of the NFE approximation are shown to hold surprisingly well over a wide range of parameters, particularly when the period of the superlattice is short. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society

Compressed Domain Packet Loss Concealment of Sinusoidally Coded Speech

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rødbro, Christoffer A.; Christensen, Mads Græsbøll; Andersen, Søren Vang

2003-01-01

We consider the problem of packet loss concealment for voice over IP (VoIP). The speech signal is compressed at the transmitter using a sinusoidal coding scheme working at 8 kbit/s. At the receiver, packet loss concealment is carried out working directly on the quantized sinusoidal parameters......, based on time-scaling of the packets surrounding the missing ones. Subjective listening tests show promising results indicating the potential of sinusoidal speech coding for VoIP....

Sensorless optimal sinusoidal brushless direct current for hard disk drives

Science.gov (United States)

Soh, C. S.; Bi, C.

2009-04-01

Initiated by the availability of digital signal processors and emergence of new applications, market demands for permanent magnet synchronous motors have been surging. As its back-emf is sinusoidal, the drive current should also be sinusoidal for reducing the torque ripple. However, in applications like hard disk drives, brushless direct current (BLDC) drive is adopted instead of sinusoidal drive for simplification. The adoption, however, comes at the expense of increased harmonics, losses, torque pulsations, and acoustics. In this paper, we propose a sensorless optimal sinusoidal BLDC drive. First and foremost, the derivation for an optimal sinusoidal drive is presented, and a power angle control scheme is proposed to achieve an optimal sinusoidal BLDC. The scheme maintains linear relationship between the motor speed and drive voltage. In an attempt to execute the sensorless drive, an innovative power angle measurement scheme is devised, which takes advantage of the freewheeling diodes and measures the power angle through the detection of diode voltage drops. The objectives as laid out will be presented and discussed in this paper, supported by derivations, simulations, and experimental results. The proposed scheme is straightforward, brings about the benefits of sensorless sinusoidal drive, negates the need for current sensors by utilizing the freewheeling diodes, and does not incur additional cost.

Sinusoidal Analysis-Synthesis of Audio Using Perceptual Criteria

Science.gov (United States)

Painter, Ted; Spanias, Andreas

2003-12-01

This paper presents a new method for the selection of sinusoidal components for use in compact representations of narrowband audio. The method consists of ranking and selecting the most perceptually relevant sinusoids. The idea behind the method is to maximize the matching between the auditory excitation pattern associated with the original signal and the corresponding auditory excitation pattern associated with the modeled signal that is being represented by a small set of sinusoidal parameters. The proposed component-selection methodology is shown to outperform the maximum signal-to-mask ratio selection strategy in terms of subjective quality.

Losses analysis of soft magnetic ring core under sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM) and space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) excitations

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Hezhe; Li, Yongjian; Wang, Shanming; Zhu, Jianguo; Yang, Qingxin; Zhang, Changgeng; Li, Jingsong

2018-05-01

Practical core losses in electrical machines differ significantly from those experimental results using the standardized measurement method, i.e. Epstein Frame method. In order to obtain a better approximation of the losses in an electrical machine, a simulation method considering sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM) and space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) waveforms is proposed. The influence of the pulse width modulation (PWM) parameters on the harmonic components in SPWM and SVPWM is discussed by fast Fourier transform (FFT). Three-level SPWM and SVPWM are analyzed and compared both by simulation and experiment. The core losses of several ring samples magnetized by SPWM, SVPWM and sinusoidal alternating current (AC) are obtained. In addition, the temperature rise of the samples under SPWM, sinusoidal excitation are analyzed and compared.

Variable Dimension Trellis-Coded Quantization of Sinusoidal Parameters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Morten Holm; Christensen, Mads G.; Jensen, Søren Holdt

2008-01-01

In this letter, we propose joint quantization of the parameters of a set of sinusoids based on the theory of trellis-coded quantization. A particular advantage of this approach is that it allows for joint quantization of a variable number of sinusoids, which is particularly relevant in variable...

Galalctic Tides & the Sinusoidal Potential

Science.gov (United States)

Bartlett, David F.

2011-05-01

The sinusoidal potential is a nonNewtonian alternative to dark matter. Instead of φ = -GM/r we write φ = -(GM/r) cos kor, where ko= 2π/ λo and λo = Ro/20= 400 pc. Evidence for this choice for the "wavelength” λo has been given in one article and many previous meetings of the AAS & DDA. The solar system and nearby stars are trapped in a local groove of width Δr Quality (4 types) and semi-major axis aoriginal . For 10 of the 12 classes radial tides dominate Z-tides. The classic Oort cloud comets (1851-1996) have a particularly strong modulation with galactic longitude. This modulation is exactly in those directions where a radial tide would be important. The equally numerous recent Oort comets (1996-2008) show a different evidence for strong radial tides. The recent comets generally have much larger perihelion distances q than the classic ones. Here the evidence is that a radial tide is removing angular momentum from the orbit and thus bringing the perihelion closer to the earth and to observers.

Driving and control strategies in alternative current machines of permanent magnet with non-sinusoidal flux; Estrategias de acionamento e controle em maquinas CA de ima permanente com fluxo nao senoidal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Monteiro, Jose Roberto Boffino de Almeida

1997-07-01

The aim of this work is to study and analyze the torque performance of brush less machines with non-sinusoidal distributed magnetic fluxes. The machine type considered is a surface mount permanent magnet brush less machine. Three mathematical models for the machine are considered: the per stator phase, the vectorial and the linear second order speed-voltage models. Machines with different stator windings are compared including the permanent magnet synchronous machines with sinusoidal distributed stator windings. The torque outputs of these machines are obtained considering two kinds of open loop driving systems: one with a six-pulse waveform and other with a sinusoidal waveform. Finally, a vectorial control is proposed for the non-sinusoidal machines. The torque ripple as well the overall performance of non-sinusoidal machines with vectorial control is compared to that of sinusoidal machines. (author)

Estimating Aquifer Properties Using Sinusoidal Pumping Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Rasmussen, T. C.; Haborak, K. G.; Young, M. H.

2001-12-01

We develop the theoretical and applied framework for using sinusoidal pumping tests to estimate aquifer properties for confined, leaky, and partially penetrating conditions. The framework 1) derives analytical solutions for three boundary conditions suitable for many practical applications, 2) validates the analytical solutions against a finite element model, 3) establishes a protocol for conducting sinusoidal pumping tests, and 4) estimates aquifer hydraulic parameters based on the analytical solutions. The analytical solutions to sinusoidal stimuli in radial coordinates are derived for boundary value problems that are analogous to the Theis (1935) confined aquifer solution, the Hantush and Jacob (1955) leaky aquifer solution, and the Hantush (1964) partially penetrated confined aquifer solution. The analytical solutions compare favorably to a finite-element solution of a simulated flow domain, except in the region immediately adjacent to the pumping well where the implicit assumption of zero borehole radius is violated. The procedure is demonstrated in one unconfined and two confined aquifer units near the General Separations Area at the Savannah River Site, a federal nuclear facility located in South Carolina. Aquifer hydraulic parameters estimated using this framework provide independent confirmation of parameters obtained from conventional aquifer tests. The sinusoidal approach also resulted in the elimination of investigation-derived wastes.

Encryption in Chaotic Systems with Sinusoidal Excitations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Obregón-Pulido

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this contribution an encryption method using a chaotic oscillator, excited by “n” sinusoidal signals, is presented. The chaotic oscillator is excited by a sum of “n” sinusoidal signals and a message. The objective is to encrypt such a message using the chaotic behavior and transmit it, and, as the chaotic system is perturbed by the sinusoidal signal, the transmission security could be increased due to the effect of such a perturbation. The procedure is based on the regulation theory and consider that the receiver knows the frequencies of the perturbing signal, with this considerations the algorithm estimates the excitation in such a way that the receiver can cancel out the perturbation and all the undesirable dynamics in order to produce only the message. In this way we consider that the security level is increased.

Bottomside sinusoidal irregularities in the equatorial F region

Science.gov (United States)

Valladares, C. E.; Hanson, W. B.; Mcclure, J. P.; Cragin, B. L.

1983-01-01

By using the Ogo 6 satellite, McClure and Hanson (1973) have discovered sinusoidal irregularities in the equatorial F region ion number density. In the present investigation, a description is provided of the properties of a distinct category of sinusoidal irregularities found in equatorial data from the AE-C and AE-E satellites. The observed scale sizes vary from about 300 m to 3 km in the direction perpendicular to B, overlapping with and extending the range observed by using Ogo 6. Attention is given to low and high resolution data, a comparison with Huancayo ionograms, the confinement of 'bottomside sinusoidal' (BSS) irregularities essentially to the bottomside of the F layer, spectral characteristics, and BSS, scintillation, and ionosonde observations.

Design of Helical Capacitance Sensor for Holdup Measurement in Two-Phase Stratified Flow: A Sinusoidal Function Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Lam Ghai; Pao, William K. S.; Hamid, Nor Hisham; Tang, Tong Boon

2016-01-01

A 360° twisted helical capacitance sensor was developed for holdup measurement in horizontal two-phase stratified flow. Instead of suppressing nonlinear response, the sensor was optimized in such a way that a ‘sine-like’ function was displayed on top of the linear function. This concept of design had been implemented and verified in both software and hardware. A good agreement was achieved between the finite element model of proposed design and the approximation model (pure sinusoidal function), with a maximum difference of ±1.2%. In addition, the design parameters of the sensor were analysed and investigated. It was found that the error in symmetry of the sinusoidal function could be minimized by adjusting the pitch of helix. The experiments of air-water and oil-water stratified flows were carried out and validated the sinusoidal relationship with a maximum difference of ±1.2% and ±1.3% for the range of water holdup from 0.15 to 0.85. The proposed design concept therefore may pose a promising alternative for the optimization of capacitance sensor design. PMID:27384567

Design of Helical Capacitance Sensor for Holdup Measurement in Two-Phase Stratified Flow: A Sinusoidal Function Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lam Ghai Lim

2016-07-01

Full Text Available A 360° twisted helical capacitance sensor was developed for holdup measurement in horizontal two-phase stratified flow. Instead of suppressing nonlinear response, the sensor was optimized in such a way that a ‘sine-like’ function was displayed on top of the linear function. This concept of design had been implemented and verified in both software and hardware. A good agreement was achieved between the finite element model of proposed design and the approximation model (pure sinusoidal function, with a maximum difference of ±1.2%. In addition, the design parameters of the sensor were analysed and investigated. It was found that the error in symmetry of the sinusoidal function could be minimized by adjusting the pitch of helix. The experiments of air-water and oil-water stratified flows were carried out and validated the sinusoidal relationship with a maximum difference of ±1.2% and ±1.3% for the range of water holdup from 0.15 to 0.85. The proposed design concept therefore may pose a promising alternative for the optimization of capacitance sensor design.

Design of Helical Capacitance Sensor for Holdup Measurement in Two-Phase Stratified Flow: A Sinusoidal Function Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Lam Ghai; Pao, William K S; Hamid, Nor Hisham; Tang, Tong Boon

2016-07-04

A 360° twisted helical capacitance sensor was developed for holdup measurement in horizontal two-phase stratified flow. Instead of suppressing nonlinear response, the sensor was optimized in such a way that a 'sine-like' function was displayed on top of the linear function. This concept of design had been implemented and verified in both software and hardware. A good agreement was achieved between the finite element model of proposed design and the approximation model (pure sinusoidal function), with a maximum difference of ±1.2%. In addition, the design parameters of the sensor were analysed and investigated. It was found that the error in symmetry of the sinusoidal function could be minimized by adjusting the pitch of helix. The experiments of air-water and oil-water stratified flows were carried out and validated the sinusoidal relationship with a maximum difference of ±1.2% and ±1.3% for the range of water holdup from 0.15 to 0.85. The proposed design concept therefore may pose a promising alternative for the optimization of capacitance sensor design.

One-dimensional plasma photonic crystals with sinusoidal densities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qi, L.; Shang, L.; Zhang, S.

2014-01-01

Properties of electromagnetic waves with normal and oblique incidence have been studied for one-dimensional plasma layers with sinusoidal densities. Wave transmittance as a function of wave frequency exhibits photonic band gaps characteristic of photonic crystals. For periodic structures, increasing collision frequency is demonstrated to lead to greater absorption, increasing the modulation factor enlarges the gap width, and increasing incidence angle can change the gap locations of the two polarizations. If a defect layer is introduced by inserting a new plasma layer in the center, a defect mode may appear within the gap. Periodic number, collision frequency, and modulation factor can affect magnitude of the defect mode. The incidence angle enables the frequency to be tuned. Defect layer thickness affects both frequency and number of defect modes. These results may provide theoretical guidance in designing tunable narrow-band filters

Adaptive Feedforward Cancellation of Sinusoidal Disturbances in Superconducting RF Cavities

CERN Document Server

Kandil, T H; Hartung, W; Khalil, H; Popielarski, J; Vincent, J; York, R C

2004-01-01

A control method, known as adaptive feedforward cancellation (AFC) is applied to damp sinusoidal disturbances due to microphonics in superconducting RF (SRF) cavities. AFC provides a method for damping internal, and external sinusoidal disturbances with known frequencies. It is preferred over other schemes because it uses rudimentary information about the frequency response at the disturbance frequencies, without the necessity of knowing an analytic model (transfer function) of the system. It estimates the magnitude and phase of the sinusoidal disturbance inputs and generates a control signal to cancel their effect. AFC, along with a frequency estimation process, is shown to be very successful in the cancellation of sinusoidal signals from different sources. The results of this research may significantly reduce the power requirements and increase the stability for lightly loaded continuous-wave SRF systems.

Nematic liquid crystals on sinusoidal channels: the zigzag instability.

Science.gov (United States)

Silvestre, Nuno M; Romero-Enrique, Jose M; Telo da Gama, Margarida M

2017-01-11

Substrates which are chemically or topographically patterned induce a variety of liquid crystal textures. The response of the liquid crystal to competing surface orientations, typical of patterned substrates, is determined by the anisotropy of the elastic constants and the interplay of the relevant lengths scales, such as the correlation length and the surface geometrical parameters. Transitions between different textures, usually with different symmetries, may occur under a wide range of conditions. We use the Landau-de Gennes free energy to investigate the texture of nematics in sinusoidal channels with parallel anchoring bounded by nematic-air interfaces that favour perpendicular (hometropic) anchoring. In micron size channels 5CB was observed to exhibit a non-trivial texture characterized by a disclination line, within the channel, which is broken into a zigzag pattern. Our calculations reveal that when the elastic anisotropy of the nematic does not favour twist distortions the defect is a straight disclination line that runs along the channel, which breaks into a zigzag pattern with a characteristic period, when the twist elastic constant becomes sufficiently small when compared to the splay and bend constants. The transition occurs through a twist instability that drives the defect line to rotate from its original position. The interplay between the energetically favourable twist distortions that induce the defect rotation and the liquid crystal anchoring at the surfaces leads to the zigzag pattern. We investigate in detail the dependence of the periodicity of the zigzag pattern on the geometrical parameters of the sinusoidal channels, which in line with the experimental results is found to be non-linear.

Sinusoidal oscillators and waveform generators using modern electronic circuit building blocks

CERN Document Server

Senani, Raj; Singh, V K; Sharma, R K

2016-01-01

This book serves as a single-source reference to sinusoidal oscillators and waveform generators, using classical as well as a variety of modern electronic circuit building blocks. It provides a state-of-the-art review of a large variety of sinusoidal oscillators and waveform generators and includes a catalogue of over 600 configurations of oscillators and waveform generators, describing their relevant design details and salient performance features/limitations. The authors discuss a number of interesting, open research problems and include a comprehensive collection of over 1500 references on oscillators and non-sinusoidal waveform generators/relaxation oscillators. Offers readers a single-source reference to everything connected to sinusoidal oscillators and waveform generators, using classical as well as modern electronic circuit building blocks; Provides a state-of-the-art review of a large variety of sinusoidal oscillators and waveform generators; Includes a catalog of over 600 configurations of oscillato...

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS): A light and electron microscopy study in human liver.

Science.gov (United States)

Vreuls, C P H; Driessen, A; Olde Damink, S W M; Koek, G H; Duimel, H; van den Broek, M A J; Dejong, C H C; Braet, F; Wisse, E

2016-05-01

Oxaliplatin is an important chemotherapeutic agent, used in the treatment of hepatic colorectal metastases, and known to induce the sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS). Pathophysiological knowledge concerning SOS is based on a rat model. Therefore, the aim was to perform a comprehensive study of the features of human SOS, using both light microscopy (LM) and electron microscopy (EM). Included were all patients of whom wedge liver biopsies were collected during a partial hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases, in a 4-year period. The wedge biopsy were perfusion fixated and processed for LM and EM. The SOS lesions were selected by LM and details were studied using EM. Material was available of 30 patients, of whom 28 patients received neo-adjuvant oxaliplatin. Eighteen (64%) of the 28 patients showed SOS lesions, based on microscopy. The lesions consisted of sinusoidal endothelial cell detachment from the space of Disse on EM. In the enlarged space of Disse a variable amount of erythrocytes were located. Sinusoidal endothelial cell detachment was present in human SOS, accompanied by enlargement of the space of Disse and erythrocytes in this area. These findings, originally described in a rat model, were now for the first time confirmed in human livers under clinically relevant settings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Orbital periods of recurrent novae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaefer, B.E.

1990-01-01

The class of recurrent novae (RN) with thermonuclear runaways contains only three systems (T Pyx, U Sco, and V394 CrA), for which no orbital periods are known. This paper presents a series of photometric observations where the orbital periods for all three systems are discovered. T Pyx is found to have sinusoidal modulation with an amplitude of 0.08 mag and a period of 2.3783 h (with a possible alias of 2.6403 h). U Sco is found to be an eclipsing system with an eclipse amplitude of roughly 1.5 mag and an orbital period of 1.2344 days. V394 CrA is found to have sinusoidal modulation with an amplitude of 0.5 mag and a period of 0.7577 days. Thus two out of three RN with thermonuclear runaways (or five out of six for all RN) have evolved companions. 16 refs

Effects of chronic alcoholism in the sensitivity to luminance contrast in vertical sinusoidal gratings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Éllen Dias Nicácio da Cruz

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The aim of this study was to measure visual contrast sensitivity (CS of luminance using vertical sinusoidal gratings with spatial frequencies of 0.6, 2.5, 5.0 and 20.0 cycles per degree of visual angle in chronic alcoholics in abstinence period. The participants were 20 volunteers (26–59 years of age divided into two groups: the study group (SG consisted of 10 volunteers with a clinical history of chronic alcoholism abstinence and the control group (CG consisted of 10 healthy volunteers. Each group had five female and five male participants. All participants had normal or corrected visual acuity and were free of identifiable diseases. The psychophysical method of forced choice between two temporal alternatives (2AFC was used to measure visual CS of luminance of 41.2 cd/m2. The results showed significant differences between groups for all spatial frequencies tested (p< 0.001. These results suggest alterations in the visual perception related to chronic alcohol consumption even after years of abstinence.

Chaos to periodicity and periodicity to chaos by periodic perturbations in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Qianshu; Zhu Rui

2004-01-01

A three-variable model of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction system subject to external sinusoidal perturbations is investigated by means of frequency spectrum analysis. In the period-1 window of the model, the transitions from periodicity to chaos are observed; in the chaotic window, the transitions from chaos to periodicity are found. The former might be understood by the circle map of two coupled oscillators, and the latter is partly explained by the resonance between the main frequency of the chaos and the frequency of the external periodic perturbations

CNNs for sinusoidal signal recognition in hearing rehabilitation

Science.gov (United States)

Carnimeo, Leonarda; Giaquinto, Antonio

2003-04-01

In this paper, a contribution is given to provide a tool to the recognition of sinusoidal signals with a particular reference to the field of pediatric hearing rehabilitation. To this purpose, a synthesis technique previously developed by the authors' is used to design a Cellular Neural Network for an Associative Memory able to compare submitted discrete-time sinusoidal signals with memorized ones. A robustness analysis of the synthesized associative memory is also developed both for noisy inputs and for parameter variations. Simulation results are then reported to illustrate the performances of the designed network.

Computationally Efficient Amplitude Modulated Sinusoidal Audio Coding using Frequency-Domain Linear Prediction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, M. G.; Jensen, Søren Holdt

2006-01-01

A method for amplitude modulated sinusoidal audio coding is presented that has low complexity and low delay. This is based on a subband processing system, where, in each subband, the signal is modeled as an amplitude modulated sum of sinusoids. The envelopes are estimated using frequency......-domain linear prediction and the prediction coefficients are quantized. As a proof of concept, we evaluate different configurations in a subjective listening test, and this shows that the proposed method offers significant improvements in sinusoidal coding. Furthermore, the properties of the frequency...

Inverse modelling and pulsating torque minimization of salient pole non-sinusoidal synchronous machines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ait-gougam, Y.; Ibtiouen, R.; Touhami, O. [Laboratoire de Recherche en Electrotechnique, Ecole Nationale Polytechnique, BP 182, El-Harrach 16200 (Algeria); Louis, J.-P.; Gabsi, M. [Systemes et Applications des Technologies de l' Information et de l' Energie (SATIE), CNRS UMR 8029, Ecole Normale Superieure de Cachan, 61 Avenue du President Wilson, 94235 Cachan Cedex (France)

2008-01-15

Sinusoidal motor's mathematical models are usually obtained using classical d-q transformation in the case of salient pole synchronous motors having sinusoidal field distribution. In this paper, a new inverse modelling for synchronous motors is presented. This modelling is derived from the properties of constant torque curves in the Concordia's reference frame. It takes into account the non-sinusoidal field distribution; EMF, self and mutual inductances having non-sinusoidal variations with respect to the angular rotor position. Both copper losses and torque ripples are minimized by adapted currents waveforms calculated from this model. Experimental evaluation was carried out on a DSP-controlled PMSM drive platform. Test results obtained demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in reducing torque ripple. (author)

Construction of a liver sinusoid based on the laminar flow on chip and self-assembly of endothelial cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Mi, Shengli; Yi, Xiaoman; Du, Zhichang; Xu, Yuanyuan; Sun, Wei

2018-02-20

The liver is one of the main metabolic organs, and nearly all ingested drugs will be metabolized by the liver. Only a small fraction of drugs are able to come onto the market during drug development, and hepatic toxicity is a major cause for drug failure. Since drug development is costly in both time and materials, an in vitro liver model that can accelerate bioreactions in the liver and reduce drug consumption is imperative in the pharmaceutical industry. The liver on a chip is an ideal alternative for its controllable environment and tiny size, which means constructing a more biomimetic model, reducing material consumption as well as promoting drug diffusion and reaction. In this study, taking advantage of the laminar flow on chips and using natural degradable gel rat tail Collagen-I, we constructed a liver sinusoid on a chip. By synchronously injecting two kinds of cell-laden collagen, HepG2-laden collagen and HUVEC-laden collagen, we formed two collagen layers with a clear borderline. By controlling the HUVEC density and injection of growth factors, HUVECs in collagen formed a monolayer through self-assembly. Thus, a liver sinusoid on a chip was achieved in a more biomimetic environment with a more controllable and uniform distribution of discrete HUVECs. Viability, album secretion and urea synthesis of the live sinusoid on a chip were analysed on days 3, 5 and 7 after collagen injection with acetaminophen treatment at 0 (control), 10 and 20 mM. The results indicated that our liver sinusoid on a chip was able to maintain bioactivity and function for at least 7 d and was beneficial for hepatotoxic drug screening.

Electronically Tunable Quadrature Sinusoidal Oscillator with Equal Output Amplitudes during Frequency Tuning Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Den Satipar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A new configuration of voltage-mode quadrature sinusoidal oscillator is proposed. The proposed oscillator employs two voltage differencing current conveyors (VDCCs, two resistors, and two grounded capacitors. In this design, the use of multiple/dual output terminal active building block is not required. The tuning of frequency of oscillation (FO can be done electronically by adjusting the bias current of active device without affecting condition of oscillation (CO. The electronic tuning can be done by controlling the bias current using a digital circuit. The amplitude of two sinusoidal outputs is equal when the frequency of oscillation is tuned. This makes the sinusoidal output voltages meet good total harmonic distortions (THD. Moreover, the proposed circuit can provide the sinusoidal output current with high impedance which is connected to external load or to another circuit without the use of buffer device. To confirm that the oscillator can generate the quadrature sinusoidal output signal, the experimental results using VDCC constructed from commercially available ICs are also included. The experimental results agree well with theoretical anticipation.

Hepatic sinusoid is not well-stirred: estimation of the degree of axial mixing by analysis of lobular concentration gradients formed during uptake of thyroxine by the perfused rat liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weisiger, R.A.; Mendel, C.M.; Cavalieri, R.R.

1986-01-01

Two general models have been proposed for predicting the effects of metabolism, protein binding, and plasma flow on the removal of drugs by the liver. These models differ in the degree of plasma mixing assumed to exist within each hepatic sinusoid. The venous equilibrium model treats the sinusoid as a single well-stirred compartment, whereas the sinusoidal model effectively breaks up the sinusoid into a large number of sequentially perfused compartments which do not exchange their contents except through plasma flow. As a consequence, the sinusoidal model, but not the venous equilibrium model, predicts that the concentration of highly extracted drugs will decline as the plasma flows through the hepatic lobule. To determine which of these alternative models best describes the hepatic uptake process, we looked for evidence that concentration gradients are formed during the uptake of [ 125 I]thyroxine by the perfused rat liver. Autoradiography of tissue slices after perfusion of the portal vein at physiologic flow rates with protein-free buffer containing [ 125 I]thyroxine demonstrated a rapid exponential fall in grain density with distance from the portal venule, declining by half for each 8% of the mean length of the sinusoid. Reversing the direction of perfusate flow reversed the direction of the autoradiographic gradients, indicating that they primarily reflect differences in the concentration of thyroxine within the hepatic sinusoids rather than differences in the uptake capacity of portal and central hepatocytes. Analysis of the data using models in which each sinusoid was represented by different numbers of sequentially perfused compartments (1-20) indicated that at least eight compartments were necessary to account for the magnitude of the gradients seen

Efficiency enhancement of a self-propelled pitching profile using non-sinusoidal trajectories

Science.gov (United States)

Mekadem, M.; Chihani, E.; Oualli, H.; Hanchi, S.; Bouabdallah, A.; Gad-El-Hak, M.

2017-11-01

A symmetrical profile is subjected to non-sinusoidal pitching motion. The airfoil has a chord length c = 0.006 m and a semi-circular leading edge with a diameter of D = 0.001 m. The extrados and intrados are two straight lines that intersect at a tapered trailing edge, and the pitching pivot point is positioned at the leading edge. The pitching frequency is in the range of 1 based upon the maximum profile thickness D varies in the range of 35 <= Re <= 210 , which matches insect's Reynolds numbers. The foil movement is executed using the dynamic mesh technique and a user defined function (UDF). The adopted mesh has 70,445 nodes with 5,1960 quadrilateral cells. The results are in good agreement with prior experiments, and, compared to sinusoidal oscillations, show that non-sinusoidal flapping trajectories lead to advancing velocity increase of 550%. Additionally, if improved propulsive efficiency is sought, non-sinusoidal flapping lead to better thrust.

A Perceptual Model for Sinusoidal Audio Coding Based on Spectral Integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jensen Søren Holdt

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Psychoacoustical models have been used extensively within audio coding applications over the past decades. Recently, parametric coding techniques have been applied to general audio and this has created the need for a psychoacoustical model that is specifically suited for sinusoidal modelling of audio signals. In this paper, we present a new perceptual model that predicts masked thresholds for sinusoidal distortions. The model relies on signal detection theory and incorporates more recent insights about spectral and temporal integration in auditory masking. As a consequence, the model is able to predict the distortion detectability. In fact, the distortion detectability defines a (perceptually relevant norm on the underlying signal space which is beneficial for optimisation algorithms such as rate-distortion optimisation or linear predictive coding. We evaluate the merits of the model by combining it with a sinusoidal extraction method and compare the results with those obtained with the ISO MPEG-1 Layer I-II recommended model. Listening tests show a clear preference for the new model. More specifically, the model presented here leads to a reduction of more than 20% in terms of number of sinusoids needed to represent signals at a given quality level.

Unidirectional Motion of Vehicle on Sinusoidal Path

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 17; Issue 4. Unidirectional Motion of Vehicle on Sinusoidal Path: Can it Cause Illusory Forward and Backward Motion? Anuj Bhatnagar. Classroom Volume 17 Issue 4 April 2012 pp 387-392 ...

Crashworthiness Analysis and Evaluation of Fuselage Section with Sub-floor Composite Sinusoidal Specimens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H.L. Mou

Full Text Available Abstract Crashworthiness is one of the main concerns in civil aviation safety particularly with regard to the increasing ratio of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP in aircraft primary structures. In order to generate dates for model validations, the mechanical properties of T700/3234 were obtained by material performance tests, and energy-absorbing results were gained by quasi-static crushing tests of composite sinusoidal specimens. The correctness of composite material model and single-layer finite element model of composite sinusoidal specimens were verified based on the simulation results and test results that were in good agreement. A typical civil aircraft fuselage section with composite sinusoidal specimens under cargo floor was suggested. The crashworthiness of finite element model of fuselage section was assessed by simulating the vertical drop test subjected to 7 m/s impact velocity, and the influences of different thickness of sub-floor composite sinusoidal specimens on crashworthiness of fuselage section were also analyzed. The simulation results show that the established finite element model can accurately simulate the crushing process of composite sinusoidal specimens; the failure process of fuselage section is more stable, and the safety of occupants can be effectively improved because of the smaller peak accelerations that was limited to human tolerance, a critical thickness of sub-floor composite sinusoidal specimens can restrict the magnitude of acceleration peaks, which has certain reference values for enhancing crashworthiness capabilities of fuselage section and improving the survivability of passengers.

Walking strategies of visually impaired people on trapezoidal- and sinusoidal-section tactile groundsurface indicators.

Science.gov (United States)

Ranavolo, A; Conte, C; Iavicoli, S; Serrao, M; Silvetti, A; Sandrini, G; Pierelli, F; Draicchio, F

2011-03-01

The visual system in walking serves to perceive feedback or feed-forward signals. Therefore, visually impaired persons (VIP) have biased motor control mechanisms. The use of leading indicators (LIs) and long canes helps to improve their walking efficiency. The aims of this study were to compare the walking efficiency of VIP on trapezoidal- and sinusoidal-section LIs using an optoelectronic motion analysis system. VIP displayed a significantly longer stance phase, a shorter swing phase and shorter step and stride lengths when they walked on the sinusoidal LI than when they walked on the trapezoidal LI. Compared with the trapezoidal LI, VIP walking on the sinusoidal LI displayed significantly lower joint ranges of motion. The centre of mass lateral displacement was wider for VIP walking on the sinusoidal LI than on the trapezoidal LI. Some significant differences were also found in sighted persons walking on both LIs. In conclusion, the trapezoidal shape enabled visually impaired subjects to walk more efficiently, whereas the sinusoidal shape caused dynamic balance problems. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: These findings suggest that VIP can walk more efficiently, with a lower risk of falls, on trapezoidal-section than on sinusoidal-section LIs. These results should be considered when choosing the most appropriate ground tactile surface indicators for widespread use.

The sinusoidal lining cells in "normal" human liver. A scanning electron microscopic investigation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Horn, T; Henriksen, Jens Henrik Sahl; Christoffersen, P

1986-01-01

The scanning electron microscopic was used to study the fenestrations of human liver sinusoids. Thirteen biopsies, where light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed normal sinusoidal architecture, were investigated. The number of fenestrae was calculated in acinar zone 3...

Investigation of Calibrating Force Transducer Using Sinusoidal Force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Li; Wang Yu; Zhang Lizhe

2010-01-01

Sinusoidal force calibration method was studied several years before at Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). A similar dynamic force calibration system is developed at Changcheng Institute of Metrology and Measurement (CIMM). It uses electro-dynamic shakers to generate dynamic force in the range from 1 N to 20 kN, and heterodyne laser interferometers are used for acceleration measurement. The force transducer to be calibrated is mounted on the shaker, and a mass block is screwed on the top of force transducer, the sinusoidal forces realized by accelerated load masses are traceable to acceleration and mass according to the force definition. The methods of determining Spatial-dependent acceleration on mass block and measuring the end mass of force transducer in dynamic force calibration are discussed in this paper.

Some New Results on the Estimation of Sinusoids in Noise

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jesper Kjær

2012-01-01

This thesis is concerned with the problem of estimating sinusoidal parameters from noisy observations. This field of research is applicable to solving problems in a large number of areas such as music and speech processing, electrocardiography, seismology, radar and sonar processing, astronomy....... Third, an efficient algorithm for performing inference and interpolation in a dynamic sinusoidal model is proposed. This method is applied to packet-loss concealment, and listening tests indicate that the proposed algorithm can be used for this purpose. Fourth, the Capon filtering method for amplitude...

An Adaptive Filter for the Removal of Drifting Sinusoidal Noise Without a Reference.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, John W; Siewiorek, Daniel P; Smailagic, Asim; Wang, Wei

2016-01-01

This paper presents a method for filtering sinusoidal noise with a variable bandwidth filter that is capable of tracking a sinusoid's drifting frequency. The method, which is based on the adaptive noise canceling (ANC) technique, will be referred to here as the adaptive sinusoid canceler (ASC). The ASC eliminates sinusoidal contamination by tracking its frequency and achieving a narrower bandwidth than typical notch filters. The detected frequency is used to digitally generate an internal reference instead of relying on an external one as ANC filters typically do. The filter's bandwidth adjusts to achieve faster and more accurate convergence. In this paper, the focus of the discussion and the data is physiological signals, specifically electrocorticographic (ECoG) neural data contaminated with power line noise, but the presented technique could be applicable to other recordings as well. On simulated data, the ASC was able to reliably track the noise's frequency, properly adjust its bandwidth, and outperform comparative methods including standard notch filters and an adaptive line enhancer. These results were reinforced by visual results obtained from real ECoG data. The ASC showed that it could be an effective method for increasing signal to noise ratio in the presence of drifting sinusoidal noise, which is of significant interest for biomedical applications.

Influence of sinusoidal flow on the thermal and hydraulic performance of microchannel heat sink

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Om, N I; Gunnasegaran, P; Rajasegaran, S

2013-01-01

In this paper, the effect of sinusoidal flow on the thermal and hydraulic performance of microchannel heat sink (MCHS) is numerically investigated. This investigation covers Reynolds number in the range of 100 ≤ Re ≤ 1000 and pure water is used as a working fluid. The three-dimensional steady, laminar flow and heat transfer governing equations are solved using finite volume method (FVM). The water flow field and heat transfer performance inside the sinusoidal microchannels is simulated and the results are compared with the straight microchannels. The effect of using sinusoidal microchannels on temperature distribution, Nusselt number, friction factor and thermal resistance is presented in this paper. It is found that with same rectangular cross-section, sinusoidal microchannels have a better heat transfer performance compared to the straight microchannels.

Regorafenib suppresses sinusoidal obstruction syndrome in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Okuno, Masayuki; Hatano, Etsuro; Nakamura, Kojiro; Miyagawa-Hayashino, Aya; Kasai, Yosuke; Nishio, Takahiro; Seo, Satoru; Taura, Kojiro; Uemoto, Shinji

2015-02-01

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), a form of drug-induced liver injury related to oxaliplatin treatment, is associated with postoperative morbidity after hepatectomy. This study aimed to examine the impact of regorafenib, the first small-molecule kinase inhibitor to show efficacy against metastatic colorectal cancer, on a rat model of SOS. Rats with monocrotaline (MCT)-induced SOS were divided into two groups according to treatment with either regorafenib (6 mg/kg) or vehicle alone, which were administered at 12 and 36 h, respectively, before MCT administration. Histopathologic examination and serum biochemistry tests were performed 48 h after MCT administration. Sinusoidal endothelial cells were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. To examine whether regorafenib preserved remnant liver function, a 30% hepatectomy was performed in each group. The rats in the vehicle group displayed typical SOS features, whereas these features were suppressed in the regorafenib group. The total SOS scores were significantly lower in the regorafenib group than in the vehicle group. Immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy showed that regorafenib had a protective effect on sinusoidal endothelial cells. The postoperative survival rate after 7 d was significantly better in the regorafenib group than that in the vehicle group (26.7% versus 6.7%, P Regorafenib reduced the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, which induced matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activation and decreased the activity of MMP-9, one of the crucial mediators of SOS development. Regorafenib suppressed MCT-induced SOS, concomitant with attenuating extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation, and MMP-9 activation, suggesting that regorafenib may be a favorable agent for use in combination with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The electronic states calculated using the sinusoidal potential for Cd1-xZnxS quantum dot superlattices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakly, A.; Safta, N.; Mejri, H.; Lamine, A. Ben

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → This paper is dedicated to structures based on Cd 1-x Zn x S. - Abstract: The present work reports on a theoretical investigation of superlattices based on Cd 1-x Zn x S quantum dots embedded in an insulating material. The system to model is assumed to be a series of flattened cylindrical quantum dots with a finite barrier at the boundary and is studied using a sinusoidal potential. The electronic states of both Γ 1 - (ground) and Γ 2 - (first excited) minibands have been computed as a function of inter-quantum dot separation and Zn composition. An analysis of the results shows that the widths of Γ 1 - and Γ 2 - minibands decrease as the superlattice period and Zn content increase separately. Moreover, the sinusoidal shape of the confining potential accounts for the coupling between quantum dots quantitatively less than the Kronig-Penney potential model.

Model selection and comparison for independents sinusoids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jesper Kjær; Christensen, Mads Græsbøll; Jensen, Søren Holdt

2014-01-01

In the signal processing literature, many methods have been proposed for estimating the number of sinusoidal basis functions from a noisy data set. The most popular method is the asymptotic MAP criterion, which is sometimes also referred to as the BIC. In this paper, we extend and improve this me...

Exact solution of unsteady flow generated by sinusoidal pressure gradient in a capillary tube

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Abdulhameed

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the mathematical modeling of unsteady second grade fluid in a capillary tube with sinusoidal pressure gradient is developed with non-homogenous boundary conditions. Exact analytical solutions for the velocity profiles have been obtained in explicit forms. These solutions are written as the sum of the steady and transient solutions for small and large times. For growing times, the starting solution reduces to the well-known periodic solution that coincides with the corresponding solution of a Newtonian fluid. Graphs representing the solutions are discussed.

New Canonic Active RC Sinusoidal Oscillator Circuits Using Second-Generation Current Conveyors with Application as a Wide-Frequency Digitally Controlled Sinusoid Generator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abhirup Lahiri

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reports two new circuit topologies using second-generation current conveyors (CCIIs for realizing variable frequency sinusoidal oscillators with minimum passive components. The proposed topologies in this paper provide new realizations of resistance-controlled and capacitor-controlled variable frequency oscillators (VFOs using only four passive components. The first topology employs three CCIIs, while the second topology employs two CCIIs. The second topology provides an advantageous feature of frequency tuning through two grounded elements. Application of the proposed circuits as a wide-frequency range digitally controlled sinusoid generator is exhibited wherein the digital frequency control has been enabled by replacing both the capacitors by two identical variable binary capacitor banks tunable by means of the same binary code. SPICE simulations of the CMOS implementation of the oscillators using 0.35 μm TSMC CMOS technology parameters and bipolar implementation of the oscillators using process parameters for NR200N-2X (NPN and PR200N-2X (PNP of bipolar arrays ALA400-CBIC-R have validated their workability. One of the oscillators (with CMOS implementation is exemplified as a digitally controlled sinusoid generator with frequency generation from 25 kHz to 6.36 MHz, achieved by switching capacitors and with power consumption of 7 mW in the entire operating frequency range.

Intravascular Immune Surveillance by CXCR6+ NKT Cells Patrolling Liver Sinusoids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Geissmann Frederic

2005-01-01

Full Text Available We examined the in vivo behavior of liver natural killer T cells (NKT cells by intravital fluorescence microscopic imaging of mice in which a green fluorescent protein cDNA was used to replace the gene encoding the chemokine receptor CXCR6. NKT cells, which account for most CXCR6+ cells in liver, were found to crawl within hepatic sinusoids at 10-20 µm/min and to stop upon T cell antigen receptor activation. CXCR6-deficient mice exhibited a selective and severe reduction of CD1d-reactive NKT cells in the liver and decreased susceptibility to T-cell-dependent hepatitis. CXCL16, the cell surface ligand for CXCR6, is expressed on sinusoidal endothelial cells, and CXCR6 deficiency resulted in reduced survival, but not in altered speed or pattern of patrolling of NKT cells. Thus, NKT cells patrol liver sinusoids to provide intravascular immune surveillance, and CXCR6 contributes to liver-based immune responses by regulating their abundance.

DISPLAY OF PIXEL LOSS AND REPLICATION IN REPROJECTING RASTER DATA FROM THE SINUSOIDAL PROJECTION

Science.gov (United States)

Recent studies show the sinusoidal projection to be a superior planar projection for representing global raster datasets. This study uses the sinusoidal projection as a basis for evaluating pixel loss and replication in eight other planar map projections. The percent of pixels ...

Riding the Ferris Wheel: A Sinusoidal Model

Science.gov (United States)

Mittag, Kathleen Cage; Taylor, Sharon E.

2011-01-01

When thinking of models for sinusoidal waves, examples such as tides of the ocean, daily temperatures for one year in your town, light and sound waves, and certain types of motion are used. Many textbooks [1, p. 222] also present a "Ferris wheel description problem" for students to work. This activity takes the Ferris wheel problem out of the…

Large-area uniform periodic microstructures on fused silica induced by surface phonon polaritons and incident laser

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chuanchao; Liao, Wei; Zhang, Lijuan; Jiang, Xiaolong; Chen, Jing; Wang, Haijun; Luan, Xiaoyu; Yuan, Xiaodong

2018-06-01

A simple and convenient means to self-organize large-area uniform periodic microstructures on fused silica by using multiple raster scans of microsecond CO2 laser pulses with beam spot overlapping at normal incidence is presented, which is based on laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) attributed to the interference between surface phonon polaritons and incident CO2 laser. The evolution of fused silica surface morphologies with increasing raster scans indicates that the period of microstructures changed from 10.6 μm to 9 μm and the profiles of microstructures changed from a sinusoidal curve to a half-sinusoidal shape. Numerical simulation results suggest that the formation of the half-sinusoidal profile is due to the exponential relationship between evaporation rate and surface temperature inducing by the intensive interference between surface phonon polaritons and incident laser. The fabricated uniform periodic microstructures show excellent structural color effect in both forward-diffraction and back-diffraction.

The 3-D alignment of objects in dynamic PET scans using filtered sinusoidal trajectories of sinogram

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostopoulos, Aristotelis E.; Happonen, Antti P.; Ruotsalainen, Ulla

2006-01-01

In this study, our goal is to employ a novel 3-D alignment method for dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Because the acquired data (i.e. sinograms) often contain noise considerably, filtering of the data prior to the alignment presumably improves the final results. In this study, we utilized a novel 3-D stackgram domain approach. In the stackgram domain, the signals along the sinusoidal trajectory signals of the sinogram can be processed separately. In this work, we performed angular stackgram domain filtering by employing well known 1-D filters: the Gaussian low-pass filter and the median filter. In addition, we employed two wavelet de-noising techniques. After filtering we performed alignment of objects in the stackgram domain. The local alignment technique we used is based on similarity comparisons between locus vectors (i.e. the signals along the sinusoidal trajectories of the sinogram) in a 3-D neighborhood of sequences of the stackgrams. Aligned stackgrams can be transformed back to sinograms (Method 1), or alternatively directly to filtered back-projected images (Method 2). In order to evaluate the alignment process, simulated data with different kinds of additive noises were used. The results indicated that the filtering prior to the alignment can be important concerning the accuracy

Comparison between the water activation effects by pulsed and sinusoidal helium plasma jets

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Han; Liu, Dingxin; Xia, Wenjie; Chen, Chen; Wang, Weitao; Liu, Zhijie; Wang, Xiaohua; Kong, Michael G.

2018-01-01

Comparisons between pulsed and sinusoidal plasma jets have been extensively reported for the discharge characteristics and gaseous reactive species, but rarely for the aqueous reactive species in water solutions treated by the two types of plasma jets. This motivates us to compare the concentrations of aqueous reactive species induced by a pulsed and a sinusoidal plasma jet, since it is widely reported that these aqueous reactive species play a crucial role in various plasma biomedical applications. Experimental results show that the aqueous H2O2, OH/O2-, and O2-/ONOO- induced by the pulsed plasma jet have higher concentrations, and the proportional difference increases with the discharge power. However, the emission intensities of OH(A) and O(3p5P) are higher for the sinusoidal plasma jet, which may be attributed to its higher gas temperature since more water vapor could participate in the plasma. In addition, the efficiency of bacterial inactivation induced by the pulsed plasma jet is higher than that for the sinusoidal plasma jet, in accordance with the concentration relation of aqueous reactive species for the two types of plasma jets.

Trans-sinusoidal maxillary distraction in three cleft patients.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wenghoefer, M.H.; Martini, M.; Nadjmi, N.; Schutyser, F.A.C.; Jagtman, A.K.; Bergé, S.J.

2006-01-01

The trans-sinusoidal maxillary distractor (TS-MD) was used to achieve maxillary advancement in three patients with repaired cleft lip and palate. After preoperative computer-aided planning of the distraction vectors, each TS-MD was bent on a stereolithographic model of the maxilla of the patient.

Dietary macronutrients and the aging liver sinusoidal endothelial cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Cogger, Victoria Carroll; Mohamad, Mashani; Solon-Biet, Samantha Marie; Senior, Alistair M; Warren, Alessandra; O'Reilly, Jennifer Nicole; Tung, Bui Thanh; Svistounov, Dmitri; McMahon, Aisling Clare; Fraser, Robin; Raubenheimer, David; Holmes, Andrew J; Simpson, Stephen James; Le Couteur, David George

2016-05-01

Fenestrations are pores within the liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) that line the sinusoids of the highly vascularized liver. Fenestrations facilitate the transfer of substrates between blood and hepatocytes. With pseudocapillarization of the hepatic sinusoid in old age, there is a loss of fenestrations. LSECs are uniquely exposed to gut-derived dietary and microbial substrates delivered by the portal circulation to the liver. Here we studied the effect of 25 diets varying in content of macronutrients and energy on LSEC fenestrations using the Geometric Framework method in a large cohort of mice aged 15 mo. Macronutrient distribution rather than total food or energy intake was associated with changes in fenestrations. Porosity and frequency were inversely associated with dietary fat intake, while fenestration diameter was inversely associated with protein or carbohydrate intake. Fenestrations were also linked to diet-induced changes in gut microbiome, with increased fenestrations associated with higher abundance of Firmicutes and reduced abundance of Bacteroidetes Diet-induced changes in levels of several fatty acids (C16:0, C19:0, and C20:4) were also significantly inversely associated with fenestrations, suggesting a link between dietary fat and modulation of lipid rafts in the LSECs. Diet influences fenestrations and these data reflect both the key role of the LSECs in clearing gut-derived molecules from the vascular circulation and the impact these molecules have on LSEC morphology. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Evoked responses to sinusoidally modulated sound in unanaesthetized dogs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tielen, A.M.; Kamp, A.; Lopes da Silva, F.H.; Reneau, J.P.; Storm van Leeuwen, W.

1. 1. Responses evoked by sinusoidally amplitude-modulated sound in unanaesthetized dogs have been recorded from inferior colliculus and from auditory cortex structures by means of chronically indwelling stainless steel wire electrodes. 2. 2. Harmonic analysis of the average responses demonstrated

Optimization for sinusoidal profiles in surface relief gratings ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2014-02-07

Feb 7, 2014 ... filometry [7–9] and monitoring of surface self-diffusion of solids under ultrahigh vacuum conditions [10]. In the present work, recording parameters, i.e. exposure time and deve- lopment time for fabrication of such holographic gratings have been optimized to obtain nearly perfect sinusoidal profiles in the ...

Asymptotic Theory of the Least Squares Estimators of Sinusoidal Signal

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kundu, Debasis

1997-01-01

... normality are derived for the sinusoidal signal under the assumption of normal error (Kundu; 1993) and under the assumptions of independent and identically distributed random variables in Kundu and Mitra...

Dynamic performance of maximum power point tracking circuits using sinusoidal extremum seeking control for photovoltaic generation

Science.gov (United States)

Leyva, R.; Artillan, P.; Cabal, C.; Estibals, B.; Alonso, C.

2011-04-01

The article studies the dynamic performance of a family of maximum power point tracking circuits used for photovoltaic generation. It revisits the sinusoidal extremum seeking control (ESC) technique which can be considered as a particular subgroup of the Perturb and Observe algorithms. The sinusoidal ESC technique consists of adding a small sinusoidal disturbance to the input and processing the perturbed output to drive the operating point at its maximum. The output processing involves a synchronous multiplication and a filtering stage. The filter instance determines the dynamic performance of the MPPT based on sinusoidal ESC principle. The approach uses the well-known root-locus method to give insight about damping degree and settlement time of maximum-seeking waveforms. This article shows the transient waveforms in three different filter instances to illustrate the approach. Finally, an experimental prototype corroborates the dynamic analysis.

Estimation of the second heart sound split using windowed sinusoidal models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sæderup, Rasmus Gundorf; Hoang, Poul; Winther, Simon

2018-01-01

to the potential overlap between A2 and P2. In this paper, a model-based approach is proposed where both A2 and P2 are modeled as windowed sinusoids with their sum forming the S2 signal. Estimation of the model parameters and the S2 split form a non-convex optimization problem, where a local minimum is obtained...... using a sequential optimization procedure. First, the window parameters are found as the solution to a regularized least squares problem. Then, the frequencies and phases of the sinusoids are found by locating the maximal peaks of the heart signals’ frequency magnitudes, and using the corresponding...

Sinusoidal modulation analysis for optical system MTF measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Boone, J M; Yu, T; Seibert, J A

1996-12-01

The modulation transfer function (MTF) is a commonly used metric for defining the spatial resolution characteristics of imaging systems. While the MTF is defined in terms of how an imaging system demodulates the amplitude of a sinusoidal input, this approach has not been in general use to measure MTFs in the medical imaging community because producing sinusoidal x-ray patterns is technically difficult. However, for optical systems such as charge coupled devices (CCD), which are rapidly becoming a part of many medical digital imaging systems, the direct measurement of modulation at discrete spatial frequencies using a sinusoidal test pattern is practical. A commercially available optical test pattern containing spatial frequencies ranging from 0.375 cycles/mm to 80 cycles/mm was sued to determine the MRF of a CCD-based optical system. These results were compared with the angulated slit method of Fujita [H. Fujita, D. Tsia, T. Itoh, K. Doi, J. Morishita, K. Ueda, and A. Ohtsuka, "A simple method for determining the modulation transfer function in digital radiography," IEEE Trans. Medical Imaging 11, 34-39 (1992)]. The use of a semiautomated profiled iterated reconstruction technique (PIRT) is introduced, where the shift factor between successive pixel rows (due to angulation) is optimized iteratively by least-squares error analysis rather than by hand measurement of the slit angle. PIRT was used to find the slit angle for the Fujita technique and to find the sine-pattern angle for the sine-pattern technique. Computer simulation of PIRT for the case of the slit image (a line spread function) demonstrated that it produced a more accurate angle determination than "hand" measurement, and there is a significant difference between the errors in the two techniques (Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, p < 0.001). The sine-pattern method and the Fujita slit method produced comparable MTF curves for the CCD camera evaluated.

Compensated pulsed alternator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weldon, W.F.; Driga, M.D.; Woodson, H.H.

1980-01-01

This invention relates to an electromechanical energy converter with inertial energy storage. The device, a single phase, two or multi-pole alternator with stationary field coils, and a rotating armature is provided. The rotor itself may be of laminated steel for slower pulses or for faster pulses should be nonmagnetic and electrically nonconductive in order to allow rapid penetration of the field as the armature coil rotates. The armature coil comprises a plurality of power generating conductors mounted on the rotor. The alternator may also include a stationary or counterrotating compensating coil to increase the output voltage thereof and to reduce the internal impedance of the alternator at the moment of peak output. As the machine voltage rises sinusoidally, an external trigger switch is adapted to be closed at the appropriate time to create the desired output current from said alternator to an external load circuit, and as the output current passes through zero a self-commutating effect is provided to allow the switch to disconnect the generator from the external circuit

Increased sinusoidal volume and solute extraction during retrograde liver perfusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bass, N.M.; Manning, J.A.; Weisiger, R.A.

1989-01-01

Retrograde isolated liver perfusion has been used to probe acinar functional heterogeneity, but the hemodynamic effects of backward flow have not been characterized. In this study, extraction of a long-chain fatty acid derivative, 12-N-methyl-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-amino stearate (12-NBDS), was greater during retrograde than during anterograde perfusion of isolated rat liver. To determine whether hemodynamic differences between anterograde and retrograde perfused livers could account for this finding, the hepatic extracellular space was measured for both directions of flow by means of [ 14 C]sucrose washout during perfusion as well as by direct measurement of [ 14 C]sucrose entrapped during perfusion. A three- to fourfold enlargement of the total hepatic extracellular space was found during retrograde perfusion by both approaches. Examination of perfusion-fixed livers by light microscopy and morphometry revealed that marked distension of the sinusoids occurred during retrograde perfusion and that this accounts for the observed increase in the [ 14 C]sucrose space. These findings support the hypothesis that maximum resistance to perfusate flow in the isolated perfused rat liver is located at the presinusoidal level. In addition, increased transit time of perfusate through the liver and greater sinusoidal surface area resulting from sinusoidal distension may account for the higher extraction of 12-NBDS and possibly other compounds by retrograde perfused liver

BPM Offset Determination by Sinusoidal Quadrupole K-modulation

CERN Document Server

Baer, T; Wenninger, J

2011-01-01

To ensure an adequate orbit steering that maximizes the machine aperture, a good knowledge of the BPM measurement offsets is crucial. During this MD, a sinusoidal k-modulation of individually powered quadrupoles was performed to determine the offsets of the nearby BPMs. An accuracy of 10µm for the determination of the absolute beam position is reached.

Analysis of Passive Mixing in a Serpentine Microchannel with Sinusoidal Side Walls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Usman Javaid

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Sample mixing is difficult in microfluidic devices because of laminar flow. Micromixers are designed to ensure the optimal use of miniaturized devices. The present study aims to design a chaotic-advection-based passive micromixer with enhanced mixing efficiency. A serpentine-shaped microchannel with sinusoidal side walls was designed, and three cases, with amplitude to wavelength (A/λ ratios of 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2 were investigated. Numerical simulations were conducted using the Navier–Stokes equations, to determine the flow field. The flow was then coupled with the convection–diffusion equation to obtain the species concentration distribution. The mixing performance of sinusoidal walled channels was compared with that of a simple serpentine channel for Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.1 to 50. Secondary flows were observed at high Reynolds numbers that mixed the fluid streams. These flows were dominant in the proposed sinusoidal walled channels, thereby showing better mixing performance than the simple serpentine channel at similar or less mixing cost. Higher mixing efficiency was obtained by increasing the A/λ ratio.

Biphase sinusoidal oscillator based on negative resistor.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayard, Jean

2010-06-01

This paper describes a biphase sinusoidal generator which provides two signals: v(ref)=V(M) sin(omegat) and v(out)=V(M) sin(omegat+DeltaPhi), where DeltaPhi is in the range 0, pi/2 or -pi/2, 0 and is not dependent on the frequency value. It is based on a negative resistor and it requires very few components. SPICE simulations and measurements on an experimental setup confirm the theoretical analysis.

Realisation and advanced engineering of true optical rugate filters based on nanoporous anodic alumina by sinusoidal pulse anodisation

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Abel; Yoo, Jeong Ha; Rohatgi, Charu Vashisth; Kumeria, Tushar; Wang, Ye; Losic, Dusan

2016-01-01

This study is the first realisation of true optical rugate filters (RFs) based on nanoporous anodic alumina (NAA) by sinusoidal waves. An innovative and rationally designed sinusoidal pulse anodisation (SPA) approach in galvanostatic mode is used with the aim of engineering the effective medium of NAA in a sinusoidal fashion. A precise control over the different anodisation parameters (i.e. anodisation period, anodisation amplitude, anodisation offset, number of pulses, anodisation temperature and pore widening time) makes it possible to engineer the characteristic reflection peaks and interferometric colours of NAA-RFs, which can be finely tuned across the UV-visible-NIR spectrum. The effect of the aforementioned anodisation parameters on the photonic properties of NAA-RFs (i.e. characteristic reflection peaks and interferometric colours) is systematically assessed in order to establish for the first time a comprehensive rationale towards NAA-RFs with fully controllable photonic properties. The experimental results are correlated with a theoretical model (Looyenga-Landau-Lifshitz - LLL), demonstrating that the effective medium of these photonic nanostructures can be precisely described by the effective medium approximation. NAA-RFs are also demonstrated as chemically selective photonic platforms combined with reflectometric interference spectroscopy (RIfS). The resulting optical sensing system is used to assess the reversible binding affinity between a model drug (i.e. indomethacin) and human serum albumin (HSA) in real-time. Our results demonstrate that this system can be used to determine the overall pharmacokinetic profile of drugs, which is a critical aspect to be considered for the implementation of efficient medical therapies.This study is the first realisation of true optical rugate filters (RFs) based on nanoporous anodic alumina (NAA) by sinusoidal waves. An innovative and rationally designed sinusoidal pulse anodisation (SPA) approach in galvanostatic

Transcranial alternating current stimulation with sawtooth waves: simultaneous stimulation and EEG recording

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James eDowsett

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS has until now mostly been administered as an alternating sinusoidal wave. Despite modern tACS stimulators being able to deliver alternating current with any arbitrary shape there has been no systematic exploration into the relative benefits of different waveforms. As tACS is a relatively new technique there is a huge parameter space of unexplored possibilities which may prove superior or complimentary to the traditional sinusoidal waveform. Here we begin to address this with an investigation into the effects of sawtooth wave tACS on individual alpha power. Evidence from animal models suggests that the gradient and direction of an electric current should be important factors for the subsequent neural firing rate; we compared positive and negative ramp sawtooth waves to test this. An additional advantage of sawtooth waves is that the resulting artefact in the electroencephalogram (EEG recording is significantly simpler to remove than a sine wave; accordingly we were able to observe alpha oscillations both during and after stimulation.We found that positive ramp sawtooth, but not negative ramp sawtooth, significantly enhanced alpha power during stimulation relative to sham (p<0.01. In addition we tested for an after-effect of both sawtooth and sinusoidal stimulation on alpha power but in this case did not find any significant effect. This preliminary study paves the way for further investigations into the effect of the gradient and direction of the current in tACS which could significantly improve the usefulness of this technique.

3D hepatic cultures simultaneously maintain primary hepatocyte and liver sinusoidal endothelial cell phenotypes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yeonhee Kim

Full Text Available Developing in vitro engineered hepatic tissues that exhibit stable phenotype is a major challenge in the field of hepatic tissue engineering. However, the rapid dedifferentiation of hepatic parenchymal (hepatocytes and non-parenchymal (liver sinusoidal endothelial, LSEC cell types when removed from their natural environment in vivo remains a major obstacle. The primary goal of this study was to demonstrate that hepatic cells cultured in layered architectures could preserve or potentially enhance liver-specific behavior of both cell types. Primary rat hepatocytes and rat LSECs (rLSECs were cultured in a layered three-dimensional (3D configuration. The cell layers were separated by a chitosan-hyaluronic acid polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM, which served to mimic the Space of Disse. Hepatocytes and rLSECs exhibited several key phenotypic characteristics over a twelve day culture period. Immunostaining for the sinusoidal endothelial 1 antibody (SE-1 demonstrated that rLSECs cultured in the 3D hepatic model maintained this unique feature over twelve days. In contrast, rLSECs cultured in monolayers lost their phenotype within three days. The unique stratified structure of the 3D culture resulted in enhanced heterotypic cell-cell interactions, which led to improvements in hepatocyte functions. Albumin production increased three to six fold in the rLSEC-PEM-Hepatocyte cultures. Only rLSEC-PEM-Hepatocyte cultures exhibited increasing CYP1A1/2 and CYP3A activity. Well-defined bile canaliculi were observed only in the rLSEC-PEM-Hepatocyte cultures. Together, these data suggest that rLSEC-PEM-Hepatocyte cultures are highly suitable models to monitor the transformation of toxins in the liver and their transport out of this organ. In summary, these results indicate that the layered rLSEC-PEM-hepatocyte model, which recapitulates key features of hepatic sinusoids, is a potentially powerful medium for obtaining comprehensive knowledge on liver metabolism

New Results on Single-Channel Speech Separation Using Sinusoidal Modeling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mowlaee, Pejman; Christensen, Mads Græsbøll; Jensen, Søren Holdt

2011-01-01

We present new results on single-channel speech separation and suggest a new separation approach to improve the speech quality of separated signals from an observed mix- ture. The key idea is to derive a mixture estimator based on sinusoidal parameters. The proposed estimator is aimed at finding...... mixture estimator used in binary masks and the Wiener filtering approach, it is observed that the proposed method achieves an acceptable perceptual speech quality with less cross- talk at different signal-to-signal ratios. Moreover, the method is independent of pitch estimates and reduces the computational...... complexity of the separation by replacing the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) feature vectors of high dimensionality with sinusoidal feature vectors. We report separation results for the proposed method and compare them with respect to other benchmark methods. The improvements made by applying...

Measurement of definite integral of sinusoidal signal absolute value third power using digital stochastic method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beljić Željko

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper a special case of digital stochastic measurement of the third power of definite integral of sinusoidal signal’s absolute value, using 2-bit AD converters is presented. This case of digital stochastic method had emerged from the need to measure power and energy of the wind. Power and energy are proportional to the third power of wind speed. Anemometer output signal is sinusoidal. Therefore an integral of the third power of sinusoidal signal is zero. Two approaches are proposed for the third power calculation of the wind speed signal. One approach is to use absolute value of sinusoidal signal (before AD conversion for which there is no need of multiplier hardware change. The second approach requires small multiplier hardware change, but input signal remains unchanged. For the second approach proposed minimal hardware change was made to calculate absolute value of the result after AD conversion. Simulations have confirmed theoretical analysis. Expected precision of wind energy measurement of proposed device is better than 0,00051% of full scale. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. TR32019

Evaluation of Steel Shear Walls Behavior with Sinusoidal and Trapezoidal Corrugated Plates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emad Hosseinpour

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Reinforcement of structures aims to control the input energy of unnatural and natural forces. In the past four decades, steel shear walls are utilized in huge constructions in some seismic countries such as Japan, United States, and Canada to lessen the risk of destructive forces. The steel shear walls are divided into two types: unstiffened and stiffened. In the former, a series of plates (sinusoidal and trapezoidal corrugated with light thickness are used that have the postbuckling field property under overall buckling. In the latter, steel profile belt series are employed as stiffeners with different arrangement: horizontal, vertical, or diagonal in one side or both sides of wall. In the unstiffened walls, increasing the thickness causes an increase in the wall capacity under large forces in tall structures. In the stiffened walls, joining the stiffeners to the wall is costly and time consuming. The ANSYS software was used to analyze the different models of unstiffened one-story steel walls with sinusoidal and trapezoidal corrugated plates under lateral load. The obtained results demonstrated that, in the walls with the same dimensions, the trapezoidal corrugated plates showed higher ductility and ultimate bearing compared to the sinusoidal corrugated plates.

"Pre-emptive strike"-the case for early treatment of hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome with defibrotide.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajagopal, Revathi; Phillips, Marianne B; Gottardo, Nicholas G

2018-07-01

The initial signs of hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) can be challenging to recognize in children, especially outside the hematopoietic stem cell transplantation setting. To assist clinicians to promptly identify HSOS, the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation has proposed pediatric HSOS diagnostic criteria which emphasize unexplained consumptive and transfusion-refractory thrombocytopenia. To highlight the importance of these "bellwether" early signs of HSOS and the efficacy of pre-emptive treatment with defibrotide, we describe the case of a child with a right 11th rib primitive neuroectodermal tumor who developed HSOS following focal radiotherapy and actinomycin-D treatment. © 2018 The Authors. Pediatric Blood & Cancer Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Removal of Stationary Sinusoidal Noise from Random Vibration Signals.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, Brian; Cap, Jerome S.

2018-02-01

In random vibration environments, sinusoidal line noise may appear in the vibration signal and can affect analysis of the resulting data. We studied two methods which remove stationary sine tones from random noise: a matrix inversion algorithm and a chirp-z transform algorithm. In addition, we developed new methods to determine the frequency of the tonal noise. The results show that both of the removal methods can eliminate sine tones in prefabricated random vibration data when the sine-to-random ratio is at least 0.25. For smaller ratios down to 0.02 only the matrix inversion technique can remove the tones, but the metrics to evaluate its effectiveness also degrade. We also found that using fast Fourier transforms best identified the tonal noise, and determined that band-pass-filtering the signals prior to the process improved sine removal. When applied to actual vibration test data, the methods were not as effective at removing harmonic tones, which we believe to be a result of mixed-phase sinusoidal noise.

Dynamical pattern formation in a low-concentration magnetorheological fluid under two orthogonal sinusoidal fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yépez, L.D.; Carrillo, J.L. [Instituto de Física de la Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Ciudad Universitaria, Edif. 110 A, Puebla 72570 (Mexico); Donado, F.; Sausedo-Solorio, J.M.; Miranda-Romagnoli, P. [Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Pachuca 42090, Pachuca (Mexico)

2016-06-15

The dynamical pattern formation of clusters of magnetic particles in a low-concentration magnetorheological fluid, under the influence of a superposition of two perpendicular sinusoidal fields, is studied experimentally. By varying the frequency and phase shift of the perpendicular fields, this configuration enables us to experimentally analyze a wide range of field configurations, including the case of a pure rotating field and the case of an oscillating unidirectional field. The fields are applied parallel to the horizontal plane where the fluid lies or in the vertical plane. For fields applied in the horizontal plane, we observed that, when the ratio of the frequencies increases, the average cluster size exhibits a kind of periodic resonances. When the phase shift between the fields is varied, the average chain length reaches maximal values for the cases of the rotating field and the unidirectional case. We analyze and discuss these results in terms of a weighted average of the time-dependent Mason number. In the case of a rotating field on the vertical plane, we also observe that the competition between the magnetic and the viscous forces determines the average cluster size. We show that this configuration generates a series of physically meaningful self-organization of clusters and transport phenomena. - Highlights: • A weighted average of the time-dependent Mason number is proposed. • The self-propelling clusters appear when a vertical rotating magnetic field is applied. • The largest average chain lengths are reached when frequencies are multiples one another. • Rotating and unidirectional alternating fields produce the largest average chain length values.

Dynamical pattern formation in a low-concentration magnetorheological fluid under two orthogonal sinusoidal fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yépez, L.D.; Carrillo, J.L.; Donado, F.; Sausedo-Solorio, J.M.; Miranda-Romagnoli, P.

2016-01-01

The dynamical pattern formation of clusters of magnetic particles in a low-concentration magnetorheological fluid, under the influence of a superposition of two perpendicular sinusoidal fields, is studied experimentally. By varying the frequency and phase shift of the perpendicular fields, this configuration enables us to experimentally analyze a wide range of field configurations, including the case of a pure rotating field and the case of an oscillating unidirectional field. The fields are applied parallel to the horizontal plane where the fluid lies or in the vertical plane. For fields applied in the horizontal plane, we observed that, when the ratio of the frequencies increases, the average cluster size exhibits a kind of periodic resonances. When the phase shift between the fields is varied, the average chain length reaches maximal values for the cases of the rotating field and the unidirectional case. We analyze and discuss these results in terms of a weighted average of the time-dependent Mason number. In the case of a rotating field on the vertical plane, we also observe that the competition between the magnetic and the viscous forces determines the average cluster size. We show that this configuration generates a series of physically meaningful self-organization of clusters and transport phenomena. - Highlights: • A weighted average of the time-dependent Mason number is proposed. • The self-propelling clusters appear when a vertical rotating magnetic field is applied. • The largest average chain lengths are reached when frequencies are multiples one another. • Rotating and unidirectional alternating fields produce the largest average chain length values.

Using piecewise sinusoidal basis functions to blanket multiple wire segments

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Lysko, AA

2009-06-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses application of the piecewise sinusoidal (PWS) basis function (BF) over a chain of several wire segments, for example as a multiple domain basis function. The usage of PWS BF is compared to results based on the piecewise linear...

Sinusoidal velaroidal shell – numerical modelling of the nonlinear ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The nonlinearity, applied to a sinusoidal velaroidal shell with the inner radius r0, the outer variables radii from 10m to 20m and the number of waves n=8, will give rise to the investigation of its nonlinear buckling resistance. The building material is a high-performant concrete. The investigation emphasizes more on the ...

Inferring probabilistic stellar rotation periods using Gaussian processes

Science.gov (United States)

Angus, Ruth; Morton, Timothy; Aigrain, Suzanne; Foreman-Mackey, Daniel; Rajpaul, Vinesh

2018-02-01

Variability in the light curves of spotted, rotating stars is often non-sinusoidal and quasi-periodic - spots move on the stellar surface and have finite lifetimes, causing stellar flux variations to slowly shift in phase. A strictly periodic sinusoid therefore cannot accurately model a rotationally modulated stellar light curve. Physical models of stellar surfaces have many drawbacks preventing effective inference, such as highly degenerate or high-dimensional parameter spaces. In this work, we test an appropriate effective model: a Gaussian Process with a quasi-periodic covariance kernel function. This highly flexible model allows sampling of the posterior probability density function of the periodic parameter, marginalizing over the other kernel hyperparameters using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach. To test the effectiveness of this method, we infer rotation periods from 333 simulated stellar light curves, demonstrating that the Gaussian process method produces periods that are more accurate than both a sine-fitting periodogram and an autocorrelation function method. We also demonstrate that it works well on real data, by inferring rotation periods for 275 Kepler stars with previously measured periods. We provide a table of rotation periods for these and many more, altogether 1102 Kepler objects of interest, and their posterior probability density function samples. Because this method delivers posterior probability density functions, it will enable hierarchical studies involving stellar rotation, particularly those involving population modelling, such as inferring stellar ages, obliquities in exoplanet systems, or characterizing star-planet interactions. The code used to implement this method is available online.

Electric stimulation with sinusoids and white noise for neural prostheses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel K Freeman

2010-02-01

Full Text Available We are investigating the use of novel stimulus waveforms in neural prostheses to determine whether they can provide more precise control over the temporal and spatial pattern of elicited activity as compared to conventional pulsatile stimulation. To study this, we measured the response of retinal ganglion cells to both sinusoidal and white noise waveforms. The use of cell-attached and whole cell patch clamp recordings allowed the responses to be observed without significant obstruction from the stimulus artifact. Electric stimulation with sinusoids elicited robust responses. White noise analysis was used to derive the linear kernel for the ganglion cell’s spiking response as well as for the underlying excitatory currents. These results suggest that in response to electric stimulation, presynaptic retinal neurons exhibit bandpass filtering characteristics with peak response that occur 25ms after onset. The experimental approach demonstrated here may be useful for studying the temporal response properties of other neurons in the CNS.

New Canonic Active RC Sinusoidal Oscillator Circuits Using Second-Generation Current Conveyors with Application as a Wide-Frequency Digitally Controlled Sinusoid Generator

OpenAIRE

Abhirup Lahiri

2011-01-01

This paper reports two new circuit topologies using second-generation current conveyors (CCIIs) for realizing variable frequency sinusoidal oscillators with minimum passive components. The proposed topologies in this paper provide new realizations of resistance-controlled and capacitor-controlled variable frequency oscillators (VFOs) using only four passive components. The first topology employs three CCIIs, while the second topology employs two CCIIs. The second topology provides an advantag...

Pelagic behaviour of reservoir fishes: sinusoidal swimming and associated behaviour

OpenAIRE

JAROLÍM, Oldřich

2009-01-01

Annotation Long-term fixed-location hydroacoustic study with uplooking transducer was performed during 2005 in Římov reservoir, Czech Republic. It dealt mainly with fish behaviour in the open water of reservoir, especially with sinusoidal swimming behaviour. The dependence of pelagic fish behaviour on environmental conditions was also studied.

PERIOD ESTIMATION FOR SPARSELY SAMPLED QUASI-PERIODIC LIGHT CURVES APPLIED TO MIRAS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Shiyuan; Huang, Jianhua Z.; Long, James [Department of Statistics, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX (United States); Yuan, Wenlong; Macri, Lucas M., E-mail: lmacri@tamu.edu [George P. and Cynthia W. Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX (United States)

2016-12-01

We develop a nonlinear semi-parametric Gaussian process model to estimate periods of Miras with sparsely sampled light curves. The model uses a sinusoidal basis for the periodic variation and a Gaussian process for the stochastic changes. We use maximum likelihood to estimate the period and the parameters of the Gaussian process, while integrating out the effects of other nuisance parameters in the model with respect to a suitable prior distribution obtained from earlier studies. Since the likelihood is highly multimodal for period, we implement a hybrid method that applies the quasi-Newton algorithm for Gaussian process parameters and search the period/frequency parameter space over a dense grid. A large-scale, high-fidelity simulation is conducted to mimic the sampling quality of Mira light curves obtained by the M33 Synoptic Stellar Survey. The simulated data set is publicly available and can serve as a testbed for future evaluation of different period estimation methods. The semi-parametric model outperforms an existing algorithm on this simulated test data set as measured by period recovery rate and quality of the resulting period–luminosity relations.

Stochastic analysis/synthesis using sinusoidal atoms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Kristoffer

2008-01-01

This work proposes a method for re-synthesizing music for use in perceptual experiments regarding structural changes and in music creation. Atoms are estimated from music audio, modelled in a stochastic model, and re-synthesized from the model pa- rameters. The atoms are found by splitting...... sinusoids into short segments, and modelled into amplitude and envelope shape, frequency, time and duration. A simple model for creating envelopes with percussive, sustained or crescendo shape is presented. Single variable and joint probability density functions are created from the atom parameters and used...... to re-create sounds with the same distribution of the atoms parameters. A novel method for visualization music, the musigram, permits a better understanding of the re- synthesized sounds....

A Perceptual Model for Sinusoidal Audio Coding Based on Spectral Integration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van de Par, S.; Kohlrausch, A.; Heusdens, R.; Jensen, J.; Holdt Jensen, S.

2005-01-01

Psychoacoustical models have been used extensively within audio coding applications over the past decades. Recently, parametric coding techniques have been applied to general audio and this has created the need for a psychoacoustical model that is specifically suited for sinusoidal modelling of

A perceptual model for sinusoidal audio coding based on spectral integration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van de Par, S.; Kohlrauch, A.; Heusdens, R.; Jensen, J.; Jensen, S.H.

2005-01-01

Psychoacoustical models have been used extensively within audio coding applications over the past decades. Recently, parametric coding techniques have been applied to general audio and this has created the need for a psychoacoustical model that is specifically suited for sinusoidal modelling of

Impact Testing and Simulation of a Sinusoid Foam Sandwich Energy Absorber

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Karen E.; Fasanella, Edwin L; Littell, Justin D.

2015-01-01

A sinusoidal-shaped foam sandwich energy absorber was developed and evaluated at NASA Langley Research Center through multi-level testing and simulation performed under the Transport Rotorcraft Airframe Crash Testbed (TRACT) research project. The energy absorber, designated the "sinusoid," consisted of hybrid carbon- Kevlar® plain weave fabric face sheets, two layers for each face sheet oriented at +/-45deg with respect to the vertical or crush direction, and a closed-cell ELFOAM(TradeMark) P200 polyisocyanurate (2.0-lb/ft3) foam core. The design goal for the energy absorber was to achieve an average floor-level acceleration of between 25- and 40-g during the full-scale crash test of a retrofitted CH-46E helicopter airframe, designated TRACT 2. Variations in the design were assessed through quasi-static and dynamic crush testing of component specimens. Once the design was finalized, a 5-ft-long subfloor beam was fabricated and retrofitted into a barrel section of a CH-46E helicopter. A vertical drop test of the barrel section was conducted onto concrete to evaluate the performance of the energy absorber prior to retrofit into TRACT 2. Finite element models were developed of all test articles and simulations were performed using LSDYNA ®, a commercial nonlinear explicit transient dynamic finite element code. Test analysis results are presented for the sinusoid foam sandwich energy absorber as comparisons of load-displacement and acceleration-time-history responses, as well as predicted and experimental structural deformations and progressive damage for each evaluation level (component testing through barrel section drop testing).

Sinusoidal potential cycling operation of a direct ethanol fuel cell to improving carbon dioxide yields

Science.gov (United States)

Majidi, Pasha; Pickup, Peter G.

2014-12-01

A direct ethanol fuel cell has been operated under sinusoidal (AC) potential cycling conditions in order to increase the yield of carbon dioxide and thereby increase cell efficiency relative to operation at a fixed potential. At 80 °C, faradaic yields of CO2 as high as 25% have been achieved with a PtRu anode catalyst, while the maximum CO2 production at constant potential was 13%. The increased yields under cycling conditions have been attributed to periodic oxidative stripping of adsorbed CO. These results will be important in the optimization of operating conditions for direct ethanol fuel cells, where the benefits of potential cycling are projected to increase as catalysts that produce CO2 more efficiently are implemented.

Core losses of a permanent magnet synchronous motor with an amorphous stator core under inverter and sinusoidal excitations

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Atsushi; Sugimoto, Takaya; Odawara, Shunya; Fujisaki, Keisuke

2018-05-01

We report core loss properties of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM) with amorphous magnetic materials (AMM) core under inverter and sinusoidal excitations. To discuss the core loss properties of AMM core, a comparison with non-oriented (NO) core is also performed. In addition, based on both experiments and numerical simulations, we estimate higher (time and space) harmonic components of the core losses under inverter and sinusoidal excitations. The core losses of PMSM are reduced by about 59% using AMM stator core instead of NO core under sinusoidal excitation. We show that the average decrease obtained by using AMM instead of NO in the stator core is about 94% in time harmonic components.

Core losses of a permanent magnet synchronous motor with an amorphous stator core under inverter and sinusoidal excitations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atsushi Yao

2018-05-01

Full Text Available We report core loss properties of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM with amorphous magnetic materials (AMM core under inverter and sinusoidal excitations. To discuss the core loss properties of AMM core, a comparison with non-oriented (NO core is also performed. In addition, based on both experiments and numerical simulations, we estimate higher (time and space harmonic components of the core losses under inverter and sinusoidal excitations. The core losses of PMSM are reduced by about 59% using AMM stator core instead of NO core under sinusoidal excitation. We show that the average decrease obtained by using AMM instead of NO in the stator core is about 94% in time harmonic components.

Mapping surface properties of sinusoidal roughness standards by TPM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, X; Rubert, P

2005-01-01

We report our investigation on the surface properties of sinusoidal roughness standards made from pure electroformed nickel. Two specimens having a sinusoidal profile with nominal R a of 0.36 μm and a peak spacing of 25 μm are chosen for this investigation. One specimen is further treated with a hard protective coating of nickel-boron. The surface topography, friction, hardness and Young's modulus of the specimens were measured by a novel instrument, the multi-function Tribological Probe Microscope (TPM). The results show that hardness of these two specimens is 14.1 GPa for uncoated specimen and 25.7 GPa for the coated one, while the Young's modulus is 188 GPa and 225 GPa, respectively. The ramping force was set to 3mN for both the specimens and the effect of the tip penetration was investigated by comparing the topography measurements before and after hardness mapping. It has been found out that there is no significant change in the averaged profiles over the scanned area, which indicates the topography distortion seen in the multi-function mapping, is recoverable. Cross correlation between topography and its corresponding hardness/Young's modulus has been carried out and the result will be discussed in the paper

Latent fluctuation periods and long-term forecasting of the level of Markakol lake

Science.gov (United States)

Madibekov, A. S.; Babkin, A. V.; Musakulkyzy, A.; Cherednichenko, A. V.

2018-01-01

The analysis of time series of the level of Markakol Lake by the method of “Periodicities” reveals in its variations the harmonics with the periods of 12 and 14 years, respectively. The verification forecasts of the lake level by the trend tendency and by its combination with these sinusoids were computed with the lead time of 5 and 10 years. The estimation of the forecast results by the new independent data permitted to conclude that forecasts by the combination of the sinusoids and trend tendency are better than by the trend tendency only. They are no worse than the mean value prediction.

To the problem of DQ Herculis orbital period variations.

Science.gov (United States)

Dmitrienko, E. S.

The eclipses of the primary component by the secondary one in DQ Her (Nova Her 1934) were analyzed using the light curves obtained by photometrical observations in 1982 - 1986. It is suspected that the value O-C is varying with time according to a sinusoidal law with the period of about 5 years and the amplitude ≡3 - 4 min. The secondary minimum is not shown up on the UBVRI-light curves of DQ Her. That is why the two hypotheses - the apsidal motion and the third component in the system - would seem adequate to explain the sinusoidal change of the value "O-C". By assuming that a probable sinusoidal dependence O-C on time occurs due to apsidal motion, it can be a result of deformation of the secondary component shape, since the contribution from the relativistic motion does not exceed 5%. The obtained value of k2 for the models with zero viscosity is (1 - 5)×10-3 that corresponds to a very high concentration of stellar matter toward the centre of the star. Application of models with the viscosity not equal to zero must lead to the increase of the k2 parameter.

Generation of sinusoidal fringes with a holographic phase grating and a phase-only spatial light modulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berberova, Natalia; Stoykova, Elena; Sainov, Ventseslav

2012-01-01

A variety of pattern projection methods for the three-dimensional capture of objects is based on the generation of purely sinusoidal fringes. This is not an easy task, especially when a portable non-interferometric system for outdoor usage is required. The use of phase gratings with coherent illumination as a possible solution has the advantage of providing good stability and a large measurement volume. In this work, we analyze the quality of fringes projected with two sinusoidal phase gratings. The first grating is recorded on a silver-halide holographic plate by means of a Michelson interferometer. The spatial resolution of the silver-halide material used is greater than 6000 lines per millimeter, and the recorded grating is practically analogous to a smooth variation of the phase profile. The second grating is formed as a sinusoidal phase variation on a liquid crystal-on-silicon phase-only reflective display with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels, a pixel pitch of 8 μm and 256 phase levels. The frequency content of the fringes projected with both gratings is analyzed and compared on the basis of the calculated Fresnel diffraction pattern, taking into account that the sinusoidal phase distribution in the case of a spatial light modulator is both sampled and quantized. Experimental fringe patterns projected using both gratings are also provided.

Levitation performance of high-T{sub c} superconductor in sinusoidal guideway magnetic field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, W. [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China)], E-mail: asclab@asclab.cn; Wang, J.S.; Jing, H.; Jiang, M.; Zheng, J.; Wang, S.Y. [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China)

2008-12-01

The vertical component of the Halbach array's magnetic field exhibits a sinusoid distribution because of the closed magnetic flux area between two neighbouring poles, so this field can be regarded as the sinusoidal magnetic field. This article mainly discusses the influence of the closed flux region on the levitation performance of the bulk high-temperature superconductor (HTS). Moreover, the levitation performance is compared between the closed and diverging region of magnetic flux. The experimental results can be analyzed by the magnetic circuit theory and the frozen-image model. The analysis indicates that the closed region of magnetic flux can influence the levitation performance of bulk HTS obviously and provide an extra useful guidance force. These conclusions are helpful to optimize the HTS Maglev system.

THE RESONANT OVERVOLTAGE IN NON-SINUSOIDAL MODE OF MAIN ELECTRIC NETWORK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. G. Kuznetsov

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The resonant overvoltage arises in main electrical networks as a result of random coincidence of some parameters of circuit and its mode and it may exist for a relatively long time. Therefore, the traditional means of limitation of short duration commutation surges are not effective in this case. The study determines conditions of appearance and development of non-sinusoidal mode after switching idle autotransformer to the overhead line of extra high voltage. The purpose of the paper is to choice measures for prevention overvoltage, too. Methodology. The study has used the result of extra high voltage line testing, the methods of electric circuit theory and the simulation in the MATLAB & Simulink package. Results. The simulation model of the extra high voltage transmission line for the study of resonant non-sinusoidal overvoltage is developed. The conditions for the appearance of resonant circuits in the real power line are found and harmonic frequency in which overvoltage arises are obtained. The study proposes using the controlled switching device as a measure to prevent resonance surges and determines the appropriate settings. Originality. The expression for calculation of resonant length of extra high voltage line was derived. The special investigation of processes in the resonant circuit of the extra high voltage transmission line for higher harmonic components of voltage is carried out. The program of switching for control apparatus that prevents non-sinusoidal overvoltage has been developed at the first time. Practical value. The using of the proposed settings of controlled switchgear will prevent the occurrence of hazardous resonant surge on higher harmonic components of voltage.

Ageing monitoring in IGBT module under sinusoidal loading

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ghimire, Pramod; Pedersen, Kristian Bonderup; Rannestad, Bjørn

2015-01-01

This paper presents monitoring of ageing in high power insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules subjected to sinusoidal loading at nominal power level. On-state voltage for IGBT, diode, and rise in interconnection resistance are used as ageing parameters. These are measured in three...... different ways: calibration of power modules after 24 h of operation, offline characterization every 5 min of operation, and continuous measurement during normal converter operation. Four power modules are tested, which are cycled to different degradation levels by number of cycles, where one is tested...

Hydraulic testing in granite using the sinusoidal variation of pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Black, J.H.; Holmes, D.C.; Noy, D.J.

1982-09-01

Access to two boreholes at the Carwynnen test site in Cornwall enabled the trial of a number of innovative approaches to the hydrogeology of fractured crystalline rock. These methods ranged from the use of seisviewer data to measure the orientation of fractures to the use of the sinusoidal pressure technique to measure directional hydraulic diffusivity. The testing began with a short programme of site investigation consisting of borehole caliper and seisviewer logging followed by some single borehole hydraulic tests. The single borehole hydraulic testing was designed to assess whether the available boreholes and adjacent rock were suitable for testing using the sinusoidal method. The main testing methods were slug and pulse tests and were analysed using the fissured porous medium analysis proposed in Barker and Black (1983). Derived hydraulic conductivity (K) ranged from 2 x 10 -12 m/sec to 5 x 10 -7 m/sec with one near-surface zone of high K being perceived in both boreholes. The results were of the form which is typical of fractured rock and indicated a combination of high fracture frequency and permeable granite matrix. The results are described and discussed. (author)

Rapid oscillations in cataclysmic variables. VI. Periodicities in erupting dwarf novae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, J.

1981-01-01

We report an extensive study of the coherent oscillations observed in high-speed photometry of dwarf novae during eruption. The oscillations are in all cases singly periodic and sinusoidal to the limits of measurement. The detection of oscillations in 14 separate eruptions of AH Her and SY Cnc enables a general study of period variations. The stars trace out characteristic loops (''banana diagrams'') in the period-intensity plane. New detections are also reported for SS Cyg, EM Cyg, and HT Cas

Calculation of the mean path length of the Epstein frame under non-sinusoidal excitations using the double Epstein method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marketos, Philip; Zurek, Stan; Moses, Anthony J.

2008-01-01

This paper discusses the effect of non-sinusoidal excitation on the mean path length of the Epstein frame. Two different steels, a non-oriented (NO) steel and a high-permeability grain-oriented (HGO) electrical steel have been tested under pure sinusoidal and non-sinusoidal excitations and the mean path length of the Epstein frame has been re-calculated. Results indicate that the actual mean path of the Epstein frame depends not only on the material permeability and anisotropy but also on the peak flux density and magnetising frequency. The amount of distortion of the excitation frequency also has an effect on the value of the actual mean path length of the Epstein frame

Research on a new magnetic-field-modulated brushless double-rotor machine with sinusoidal-permeance modulating ring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ping Zheng

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The magnetic-field-modulated brushless double-rotor machine (MFM-BDRM, composed of a stator, a modulating ring rotor, and a PM rotor, is a kind of power-split device for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs. In this paper, a new MFM-BDRM with sinusoidal-permeance modulating ring named Sinusoidal-Permeance-Modulating-Ring Brushless Double-Rotor Machine (SPMR-BDRM is proposed to solve the problem of poor mechanical strength and large iron loss. The structure and the operating principle of the MFM-BDRM are introduced. The design principle of the sinusoidal-permeance modulating ring is analyzed and derived. The main idea of that is to minimize the harmonic permeance of air gap, thereby the harmonic magnetic fields can be restrained. There are comparisons between a MFM-BDRM with sinusoidal-permeance modulating ring and a same size MFM-BDRM with traditional modulating ring, including magnetic field distributions and electromagnetic performances. Most importantly, the iron losses are compared under six different conditions. The result indicates that the harmonic magnetic fields in the air gap are restrained; the electromagnetic torque and power factor are almost the same with same armature current; the torque ripples of the modulating ring rotor and the PM rotor are reduced; the stator loss is reduced by 13% at least and the PM loss is reduced by 20% at least compared with the same size traditional MFM-BDRM under the same operating conditions.

Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome (Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease)

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Cathy Q.; Crawford, James M.

2014-01-01

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is an obliterative venulitis of the terminal hepatic venules, which in its more severe forms imparts a high risk of mortality. SOS, also known as veno-occlusive disease (VOD), occurs as a result of cytoreductive therapy prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), following oxaliplatin-containing adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal carcinoma metastatic to the liver and treated by partial hepatectomy, in patients taking pyrrolizidine alkaloid-containing herbal remedies, and in other particular settings such as the autosomal recessive condition of veno-occlusive disease with immunodeficiency (VODI). A central pathogenic event is toxic destruction of hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (SEC), with sloughing and downstream occlusion of terminal hepatic venules. Contributing factors are SEC glutathione depletion, nitric oxide depletion, increased intrahepatic expression of matrix metalloproteinases and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and activation of clotting factors. The clinical presentation of SOS includes jaundice, development of right upper-quadrant pain and tender hepatomegaly, ascites, and unexplained weight gain. Owing to the potentially critical condition of these patients, transjugular biopsy may be the preferred route for liver biopsy to exclude other potential causes of liver dysfunction and to establish a diagnosis of SOS. Treatment includes rigorous fluid management so as to avoid excessive fluid overload while avoiding too rapid diuresis or pericentesis, potential use of pharmaceutics such as defibrotide, coagulolytic agents, or methylprednisolone, and liver transplantation. Proposed strategies for prevention and prophylaxis include reduced-intensity conditioning radiation for HSCT, treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid, and inclusion of bevacizumab with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapeutic regimes. While significant progress has been made in understanding the pathogenesis

Influence of internal and external boundary conditions on the decrement factor and time lag heat flux of building walls in steady periodic regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazzeo, D.; Oliveti, G.; Arcuri, N.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Dynamic behaviour of building walls subjected to sinusoidal and actual loadings. • The joint action of more temperature and heat flux loadings has been considered. • Dynamic parameters were defined by the internal and external fluctuating heat flux. • Use of the Total Harmonic Distortion to determine the number of harmonics required. • Study of the influence of external and internal loadings on dynamic parameters. - Abstract: The dynamic behaviour of opaque components of the building envelope in steady periodic regime is investigated using parameters defined by the fluctuating heat flux that is transferred in the wall. The use of the heat flux allows for the joint action of the loadings that characterise both the outdoor environment and the indoor air-conditioned environment to be taken into account. The analysis was developed in sinusoidal conditions to determine the frequency response of the wall and in non-sinusoidal conditions to identify the actual dynamic behaviour of the wall. The use of non-dimensional periodic thermal transmittance is proposed for the sinusoidal analysis in order to evaluate the decrement factor and the time lag that the heat flux undergoes in crossing the wall as well as the efficiency of heat storage. In the presence of non-sinusoidal loadings, the identification of the dynamic behaviour of the wall is obtained using several dynamic parameters: the decrement factor in terms of energy, defined as the ratio between the energy in a semi-period entering and exiting the wall; the decrement factor and the time lag in terms of heat flux, considering the maximum peak and the minimum peak. These parameters allow for the identification of how the form of the heat flux trend crossing the wall is modified. The number of harmonics to be considered for an accurate representation of heat fluxes is determined by means of the introduction of the Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), which quantifies the distortion of a non-sinusoidal

Scavenger receptor-mediated endocytosis by sinusoidal cells in rat bone marrow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geoffroy, J.S.

1987-01-01

Endocytosis of serum albumin by sinusoidal endothelial cells in rat bone marrow was investigated initially at the ultrastructural level with subsequent biochemical investigation of the specificity mediating this event. Bovine serum albumin adsorbed to 20nm colloidal gold particles (AuBSA) was chosen as the electron microscopic probe. Morphological data strongly suggested that a receptor was involved in uptake of AuBSA. Confirmation of receptor involvement in the uptake of AuBSA by marrow sinusoidal endothelial cells was achieved utilizing an in situ isolated hind limb perfusion protocol in conjunction with unlabeled, radiolabeled, and radio-/colloidal gold labeled probes. The major findings of competition and saturation experiments were: (1) endocytosis of AuBSA was mediated by a receptor for modified/treated serum albumin; (2) endocytosis of formaldehyde-treated serum albumin was mediated by a binding site which may be the same or closely related to the site responsible for the uptake of AuBSA; and (3) endocytosis of native untreated albumin was not mediated by receptor and probably represents fluid-phase pinocitosis

An experimental study on flow friction and heat transfer of water in sinusoidal wavy silicon microchannels

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Houxue; Wu, Huiying; Zhang, Chi

2018-05-01

Sinusoidal wavy microchannels have been known as a more heat transfer efficient heat sink for the cooling of electronics than normal straight microchannels. However, the existing experimental study on wavy silicon microchannels with different phase differences are few. As a result of this, in this paper an experimental study has been conducted to investigate the single phase flow friction and heat transfer of de-ionized water in eight different sinusoidal wavy silicon microchannels (SWSMCs) and one straight silicon microchannel (SMC). The SWSMCs feature different phase differences (α  =  0 to π) and different relative wavy amplitudes (β  =  A/l  =  0.05 to 0.4), but the same average hydraulic diameters (D h  =  160 µm). It is found that both flow friction constant fRe and the Nusselt number depend on the phase difference and relative wavy amplitude. For sinusoidal wavy microchannels with a relative wavy amplitude (β  =  0.05), the Nusselt number increased noticeably with the phase difference for Re  >  250, but the effect was insignificant for Re  reducing the wavy wave length induced higher pressure drop and apparent friction constant fRe, while the Nusselt number increased with relative wavy amplitude for Re  >  300. The results indicate that the thermal resistances of sinusoidal wavy silicon microchannels were generally lower than that of straight silicon microchannels, and the thermal resistance decreased with the increase in relative wavy amplitude. The enhancement of thermal performance is attributed to the flow re-circulation occurring in the corrugation troughs and the secondary flows or Dean vortices introduced by curved channels. It is concluded that silicon sinusoidal wavy microchannels provide higher heat transfer rate albeit with a higher flow friction, making it a better choice for the cooling of high heat flux electronics.

Enhanced diffusion with abnormal temperature dependence in underdamped space-periodic systems subject to time-periodic driving

Science.gov (United States)

Marchenko, I. G.; Marchenko, I. I.; Zhiglo, A. V.

2018-01-01

We present a study of the diffusion enhancement of underdamped Brownian particles in a one-dimensional symmetric space-periodic potential due to external symmetric time-periodic driving with zero mean. We show that the diffusivity can be enhanced by many orders of magnitude at an appropriate choice of the driving amplitude and frequency. The diffusivity demonstrates abnormal (decreasing) temperature dependence at the driving amplitudes exceeding a certain value. At any fixed driving frequency Ω normal temperature dependence of the diffusivity is restored at low enough temperatures, T oscillation frequency at the potential minimum, the diffusivity is shown to decrease with Ω according to a power law, with the exponent related to the transient superdiffusion exponent. This behavior is found similar for the cases of sinusoidal in time and piecewise constant periodic ("square") driving.

Inflation from periodic extra dimensions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Higaki, Tetsutaro [Department of Physics, Keio University, Kanagawa 223-8522 (Japan); Tatsuta, Yoshiyuki, E-mail: thigaki@rk.phys.keio.ac.jp, E-mail: y_tatsuta@akane.waseda.jp [Department of Physics, Waseda University, Tokyo 169-8555 (Japan)

2017-07-01

We discuss a realization of a small field inflation based on string inspired supergravities. In theories accompanying extra dimensions, compactification of them with small radii is required for realistic situations. Since the extra dimension can have a periodicity, there will appear (quasi-)periodic functions under transformations of moduli of the extra dimensions in low energy scales. Such a periodic property can lead to a UV completion of so-called multi-natural inflation model where inflaton potential consists of a sum of multiple sinusoidal functions with a decay constant smaller than the Planck scale. As an illustration, we construct a SUSY breaking model, and then show that such an inflaton potential can be generated by a sum of world sheet instantons in intersecting brane models on extra dimensions containing orbifold. We show also predictions of cosmic observables by numerical analyzes.

Numerical analysis of beam with sinusoidally corrugated webs

Science.gov (United States)

Górecki, Marcin; Pieńko, Michał; Łagoda, GraŻyna

2018-01-01

The paper presents numerical tests results of the steel beam with sinusoidally corrugated web, which were performed in the Autodesk Algor Simulation Professional 2010. The analysis was preceded by laboratory tests including the beam's work under the influence of the four point bending as well as the study of material characteristics. Significant web's thickness and use of tools available in the software allowed to analyze the behavior of the plate girder as beam, and also to observe the occurrence of stresses in the characteristic element - the corrugated web. The stress distribution observed on the both web's surfaces was analyzed.

Sinusoidal visuomotor tracking: intermittent servo-control or coupled oscillations?

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, D M; Sternad, D

2001-12-01

In visuomotor tasks that involve accuracy demands, small directional changes in the trajectories have been taken as evidence of feedback-based error corrections. In the present study variability, or intermittency, in visuomanual tracking of sinusoidal targets was investigated. Two lines of analyses were pursued: First, the hypothesis that humans fundamentally act as intermittent servo-controllers was re-examined, probing the question of whether discontinuities in the movement trajectory directly imply intermittent control. Second, an alternative hypothesis was evaluated: that rhythmic tracking movements are generated by entrainment between the oscillations of the target and the actor, such that intermittency expresses the degree of stability. In 2 experiments, participants (N = 6 in each experiment) swung 1 of 2 different hand-held pendulums, tracking a rhythmic target that oscillated at different frequencies with a constant amplitude. In 1 line of analyses, the authors tested the intermittency hypothesis by using the typical kinematic error measures and spectral analysis. In a 2nd line, they examined relative phase and its variability, following analyses of rhythmic interlimb coordination. The results showed that visually guided corrective processes play a role, especially for slow movements. Intermittency, assessed as frequency and power components of the movement trajectory, was found to change as a function of both target frequency and the manipulandum's inertia. Support for entrainment was found in conditions in which task frequency was identical to or higher than the effector's eigenfrequency. The results suggest that it is the symmetry between task and effector that determines which behavioral regime is dominant.

"Artificial micro organs"--a microfluidic device for dielectrophoretic assembly of liver sinusoids.

Science.gov (United States)

Schütte, Julia; Hagmeyer, Britta; Holzner, Felix; Kubon, Massimo; Werner, Simon; Freudigmann, Christian; Benz, Karin; Böttger, Jan; Gebhardt, Rolf; Becker, Holger; Stelzle, Martin

2011-06-01

In order to study possible toxic side effects of potential drug compounds in vitro a reliable test system is needed. Predicting liver toxicity presents a major challenge of particular importance as liver cells grown in a cell culture suffer from a rapid loss of their liver specific functions. Therefore we are developing a new microfluidic test system for liver toxicity. This test system is based on an organ-like liver 3D co-culture of hepatocytes and endothelial cells. We devised a microfluidic chip featuring cell culture chambers with integrated electrodes for the assembly of liver sinusoids by dielectrophoresis. Fluid channels enable an organ-like perfusion with culture media and test compounds. Different chamber designs were studied and optimized with regard to dielectrophoretic force distribution, hydrodynamic flow profile, and cell trapping rate using numeric simulations. Based on simulation results a microchip was injection-moulded from COP. This chip allowed the assembly of viable hepatocytes and endothelial cells in a sinusoid-like fashion.

An Alternative Periodization of Romanian History. A Research Agenda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Poenaru Florin

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper, I suggest an alternative form of periodization of Romanian history. My aim is not to move around historical posts; rather I propose a different way of understanding Romanian history as such. This is the research agenda. I seek to write a world history from the perspective of a peripheral place like Romania has been. Therefore, this is not simply an attempt to insert a local, neglected, silenced or distorted history into a wider, European, global story (that is, to discover the history of “people without history”, just as it is not another attempt to “provincialize Europe” in favour of a view from its repressed margins. Instead, following Coronil (2004, I believe it is indispensable to globalize the periphery, to understand its worldwide formation. My investigation draws upon the conceptual toolkit of world-system theory and its underlining philosophy of history (Wallerstein, 2011. In the same vein, the guiding principles of my periodization elaborate on Andre Gunder Frank’s insight that the exchange (or rather direct transfer of surplus between societies is what links regions and societies as whole (Frank, 1978. The focus then shifts from a given society/state and its internal relations to the wider world-system, or world-economy, in which it is embedded. The unit of analysis is not a geographical location, but relations and networks and their historical development.

Adult Periodic Alternating Nystagmus Masked by Involuntary Head Movements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego Kaski

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Acquired periodic alternating nystagmus (PAN describes a horizontal jerk nystagmus that reverses its direction with a predictable cycle, and is thought to arise from lesions involving the brainstem and cerebellum. We report a 20-year-old patient with PAN who presented with an acute vertiginous episode and developed an involuntary head movement that initially masked the PAN. The involuntary head movements were abolished with a subtherapeutic dose of botulinum toxin to the neck muscles. We propose that the head movements initially developed as a compensatory movement to the nystagmus, to maintain visual fixation in the presence of the underlying nystagmus, and became an entrained involuntary behavior. This case highlights the importance of disambiguating psychogenic from organic pathology as this may have clinical therapeutic implications, in this case resolution of the most disabling symptom which was her head oscillations, leading to improved day-to-day function despite PAN.

Compact broadband polarization beam splitter using a symmetric directional coupler with sinusoidal bends.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Fan; Yun, Han; Wang, Yun; Lu, Zeqin; Chrostowski, Lukas; Jaeger, Nicolas A F

2017-01-15

We design and demonstrate a compact broadband polarization beam splitter (PBS) using a symmetric directional coupler with sinusoidal bends on a silicon-on-insulator platform. The sinusoidal bends in our PBS suppress the power exchange between two parallel symmetric strip waveguides for the transverse-electric (TE) mode, while allowing for the maximum power transfer to the adjacent waveguide for the transverse-magnetic (TM) mode. Our PBS has a nominal coupler length of 8.55 μm, and it has an average extinction ratio (ER) of 12.0 dB for the TE mode, an average ER of 20.1 dB for the TM mode, an average polarization isolation (PI) of 20.6 dB for the through port, and an average PI of 11.5 dB for the cross port, all over a bandwidth of 100 nm.

CMOS-based active RC sinusoidal oscillator with four-phase quadrature outputs and single-resistance-controlled (SRC) tuning laws

OpenAIRE

Lahiri, Abhirup; Herencsár, Norbert

2012-01-01

This paper proposes a very compact CMOS realization of active RC sinusoidal oscillator capable of generating four quadrature voltage outputs. The oscillator is based on the cascade of lossless and lossy integrators in loop. The governing laws for the condition of oscillation (CO) and the frequency of oscillation (FO) are single-resistance-controlled (SRC) and which allow independent FO tuning. Unlike previously reported SRC-based sinusoidal oscillators based on the active building block (ABB)...

Propiedades de transporte de una superred de grafeno tipo sinusoidal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. A. Briones-Torres

2015-01-01

Full Text Available En este trabajo usamos el método de la matriz de transferencia para estudiar el tunelamiento de los electrones de Dirac a través de superredes en grafeno. Consideramos una superred con potencial sinusoidal o polaridad invertida, para ello consideramos dos maneras de crearla, una por medio de sustratos mixtos junto con la aplicación de un campo perpendicular sobre el sustrato de Óxido de Silicio (SiO2, la otra por medio de potenciales alternados aplicados perpendicularmente sobre la sábana de grafeno. Calculamos las propiedades de transmisión, transporte y estructura electrónica, variando diferentes parámetros como ángulo de incidencia, anchos de pozos y barreras y diferente número de barreras. Se encontró (1 el importante papel que juega el efecto Klein en tales estructuras, (2 las propiedades de transmisión y transporte presentan cierta simetría respecto del origen de la energía, y (3 el carácter sinusoidal del sistema trae consigo una baja en el nivel de energía de las subbandas en el espectro de estados acotados, además las degenera y origina que la apertura-cierre de las minibandas sea en el mismo nivel de energía.

Highly enhanced avalanche probability using sinusoidally-gated silicon avalanche photodiode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suzuki, Shingo; Namekata, Naoto, E-mail: nnao@phys.cst.nihon-u.ac.jp; Inoue, Shuichiro [Institute of Quantum Science, Nihon University, 1-8-14 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8308 (Japan); Tsujino, Kenji [Tokyo Women' s Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8666 (Japan)

2014-01-27

We report on visible light single photon detection using a sinusoidally-gated silicon avalanche photodiode. Detection efficiency of 70.6% was achieved at a wavelength of 520 nm when an electrically cooled silicon avalanche photodiode with a quantum efficiency of 72.4% was used, which implies that a photo-excited single charge carrier in a silicon avalanche photodiode can trigger a detectable avalanche (charge) signal with a probability of 97.6%.

Representative Sinusoids for Hepatic Four-Scale Pharmacokinetics Simulations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lars Ole Schwen

Full Text Available The mammalian liver plays a key role for metabolism and detoxification of xenobiotics in the body. The corresponding biochemical processes are typically subject to spatial variations at different length scales. Zonal enzyme expression along sinusoids leads to zonated metabolization already in the healthy state. Pathological states of the liver may involve liver cells affected in a zonated manner or heterogeneously across the whole organ. This spatial heterogeneity, however, cannot be described by most computational models which usually consider the liver as a homogeneous, well-stirred organ. The goal of this article is to present a methodology to extend whole-body pharmacokinetics models by a detailed liver model, combining different modeling approaches from the literature. This approach results in an integrated four-scale model, from single cells via sinusoids and the organ to the whole organism, capable of mechanistically representing metabolization inhomogeneity in livers at different spatial scales. Moreover, the model shows circulatory mixing effects due to a delayed recirculation through the surrounding organism. To show that this approach is generally applicable for different physiological processes, we show three applications as proofs of concept, covering a range of species, compounds, and diseased states: clearance of midazolam in steatotic human livers, clearance of caffeine in mouse livers regenerating from necrosis, and a parameter study on the impact of different cell entities on insulin uptake in mouse livers. The examples illustrate how variations only discernible at the local scale influence substance distribution in the plasma at the whole-body level. In particular, our results show that simultaneously considering variations at all relevant spatial scales may be necessary to understand their impact on observations at the organism scale.

Plasma characteristics in non-sinusoidally excited CCP discharges

Science.gov (United States)

Lafleur, Trevor; Booth, Jean-Paul

2012-10-01

Using particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations we perform a characterization of the plasma response to positive pulse-type voltage excitations (with a repetition frequency of 13.56 MHz) in a geometrically symmetric CCP reactor (with a gap length of 2 cm) operated with argon (for pressures between 20-500 mTorr). Use of these non-sinusoidal waveforms generates an electrical asymmetry effect in the system, which necessitates the formation of a DC bias. This DC bias, together with the shape of the voltage waveforms used, produces a number of new phenomena that are not present in typical sinusoidal discharges: (1) the plasma density and ion flux can be increased as the pulse width is reduced, (2) a significant asymmetry in the ion fluxes to the powered and grounded electrodes develops as the pressure increases, (3) the average ion energy striking the grounded electrode remains low and approximately constant as the pulse width decreases, and (4) the sheath at the grounded electrode never fully collapses; electrons are no longer lost in sharp pulses, but escape essentially throughout the rf cycle. Effects (1) and (3) above offer the possibility for a new form of control in these types of discharges, where the ion flux can be increased while the ion energy on the grounded electrode can be kept small and essentially constant. This effect has recently been exploited to control the crystallinity of silicon thin films [1], where the low ion bombarding energy was found to improve the quality of films grown. [4pt] [1] Johnson E V, Pouliquen S, Delattre P A, and Booth J P, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 2012, in press.

Automatic fringe enhancement with novel bidimensional sinusoids-assisted empirical mode decomposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chenxing; Kemao, Qian; Da, Feipeng

2017-10-02

Fringe-based optical measurement techniques require reliable fringe analysis methods, where empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is an outstanding one due to its ability of analyzing complex signals and the merit of being data-driven. However, two challenging issues hinder the application of EMD in practical measurement. One is the tricky mode mixing problem (MMP), making the decomposed intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) have equivocal physical meaning; the other is the automatic and accurate extraction of the sinusoidal fringe from the IMFs when unpredictable and unavoidable background and noise exist in real measurements. Accordingly, in this paper, a novel bidimensional sinusoids-assisted EMD (BSEMD) is proposed to decompose a fringe pattern into mono-component bidimensional IMFs (BIMFs), with the MMP solved; properties of the resulted BIMFs are then analyzed to recognize and enhance the useful fringe component. The decomposition and the fringe recognition are integrated and the latter provides a feedback to the former, helping to automatically stop the decomposition to make the algorithm simpler and more reliable. A series of experiments show that the proposed method is accurate, efficient and robust to various fringe patterns even with poor quality, rendering it a potential tool for practical use.

Enormous periodic doppler shifts in SS 433

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Margon, B.; Ford, H.C.; Grandi, S.A.; Stone, R.P.S.

1979-01-01

We have previously reported prominent ''moving' emission lines in the visible spectrum of Stephenson-Sanduleak 433, the optical counterpart of a variable radio and X-ray source. Further observations show that despite the implausible velocities and changes in velocities implied if the moving features are interpreted as Doppler-shifted Balmer lines, this explanation is indeed correct. Spectroscopy of SS 433 on 51 mights in 1978--1979 reveals that the unidentified features are two sets of Balmer and He I lines, one with large and changing redshift, and the other with large and changing blueshift. Combining our data with published earlier observations, we obtain Doppler shifts on 80 nights in the period 1978 June to 1979 June. These data indicate that the velocity variations are cyclical, repeating in both the blueshift and redshift systems with a period of 164 +- 3 days. The two systems have thus far been observed to reach maximum positive and negative radial velocities of +50,000 and -35,000 km s -1 , respectively, are always symmetric about redshift z=0.04, and follow roughly sinusoidal velocity curves. We discuss in addition a variety of interesting short-term spectroscopic details, including minor but highly significant deviations of the radial velocity from the sinusoid, and nightly line profile changes, sometimes appearing as mirror-image events in the redshift and blueshift systems. The behavior of SS 433 is unprecedented

40 CFR 61.243-2 - Alternative standards for valves in VHAP service-skip period leak detection and repair.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... VHAP service-skip period leak detection and repair. 61.243-2 Section 61.243-2 Protection of Environment... AIR POLLUTANTS National Emission Standard for Equipment Leaks (Fugitive Emission Sources) § 61.243-2 Alternative standards for valves in VHAP service—skip period leak detection and repair. (a)(1) An owner or...

A Bayesian Approach to Period Searching in Solar Coronal Loops

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scherrer, Bryan; McKenzie, David [Montana State University, P.O. Box 173840 Bozeman, MT 59717-3840 (United States)

2017-03-01

We have applied a Bayesian generalized Lomb–Scargle period searching algorithm to movies of coronal loop images obtained with the Hinode X-ray Telescope (XRT) to search for evidence of periodicities that would indicate resonant heating of the loops. The algorithm makes as its only assumption that there is a single sinusoidal signal within each light curve of the data. Both the amplitudes and noise are taken as free parameters. It is argued that this procedure should be used alongside Fourier and wavelet analyses to more accurately extract periodic intensity modulations in coronal loops. The data analyzed are from XRT Observation Program 129C: “MHD Wave Heating (Thin Filters),” which occurred during 2006 November 13 and focused on active region 10293, which included coronal loops. The first data set spans approximately 10 min with an average cadence of 2 s, 2″ per pixel resolution, and used the Al-mesh analysis filter. The second data set spans approximately 4 min with a 3 s average cadence, 1″ per pixel resolution, and used the Al-poly analysis filter. The final data set spans approximately 22 min at a 6 s average cadence, and used the Al-poly analysis filter. In total, 55 periods of sinusoidal coronal loop oscillations between 5.5 and 59.6 s are discussed, supporting proposals in the literature that resonant absorption of magnetic waves is a viable mechanism for depositing energy in the corona.

[Defibrotide therapy for patients with sinusoidal obstruction syndrome after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation].

Science.gov (United States)

Yakushijin, Kimikazu; Okamura, Atsuo; Ono, Kanako; Kawano, Yuko; Kawano, Hiroki; Funakoshi, Yohei; Kawamori, Yuriko; Nishikawa, Shinichiro; Minagawa, Kentaro; Sada, Akiko; Shimoyama, Manabu; Yamamoto, Katsuya; Katayama, Yoshio; Matsui, Toshimitsu

2009-01-01

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is one of the life-threatening complications caused by endothelial damage to the hepatic sinusoids after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, a satisfactory treatment for SOS has not yet been established. Defibrotide has anti-thrombotic, anti-ischemic, anti-inflammatory, and thrombolytic properties without systemic anticoagulant effects. We treated eight post-transplant SOS patients with defibrotide. Three patients responded to the therapy and the initial response was observed within a week. In addition to the improvement of liver function, rapid recovery of response to diuretic drugs followed by the improvement of renal function was observed. All of the five patients with respiratory dysfunction died despite administration of defibrotide, suggesting that early treatment might lead to better outcomes. There were no severe adverse effects directly due to defibrotide administration. Defibrotide seems to be a promising treatment for SOS, and the initiation of a clinical study in Japan would be important.

CFD study on NACA 4415 airfoil implementing spherical and sinusoidal Tubercle Leading Edge.

Science.gov (United States)

Aftab, S M A; Ahmad, K A

2017-01-01

The Humpback whale tubercles have been studied for more than a decade. Tubercle Leading Edge (TLE) effectively reduces the separation bubble size and helps in delaying stall. They are very effective in case of low Reynolds number flows. The current Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study is on NACA 4415 airfoil, at a Reynolds number 120,000. Two TLE shapes are tested on NACA 4415 airfoil. The tubercle designs implemented on the airfoil are sinusoidal and spherical. A parametric study is also carried out considering three amplitudes (0.025c, 0.05c and 0.075c), the wavelength (0.25c) is fixed. Structured mesh is utilized to generate grid and Transition SST turbulence model is used to capture the flow physics. Results clearly show spherical tubercles outperform sinusoidal tubercles. Furthermore experimental study considering spherical TLE is carried out at Reynolds number 200,000. The experimental results show that spherical TLE improve performance compared to clean airfoil.

CFD study on NACA 4415 airfoil implementing spherical and sinusoidal Tubercle Leading Edge.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S M A Aftab

Full Text Available The Humpback whale tubercles have been studied for more than a decade. Tubercle Leading Edge (TLE effectively reduces the separation bubble size and helps in delaying stall. They are very effective in case of low Reynolds number flows. The current Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD study is on NACA 4415 airfoil, at a Reynolds number 120,000. Two TLE shapes are tested on NACA 4415 airfoil. The tubercle designs implemented on the airfoil are sinusoidal and spherical. A parametric study is also carried out considering three amplitudes (0.025c, 0.05c and 0.075c, the wavelength (0.25c is fixed. Structured mesh is utilized to generate grid and Transition SST turbulence model is used to capture the flow physics. Results clearly show spherical tubercles outperform sinusoidal tubercles. Furthermore experimental study considering spherical TLE is carried out at Reynolds number 200,000. The experimental results show that spherical TLE improve performance compared to clean airfoil.

Controlled generation of nonlinear resonances through sinusoidal lattice modes in Bose–Einstein condensate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Priyam; Panigrahi, Prasanta K

2015-01-01

We study Bose–Einstein condensate in the combined presence of time modulated optical lattice and harmonic trap in the mean-field approach. Through the self-similar method, we show the existence of sinusoidal lattice modes in this inhomogeneous system, commensurate with the lattice potential. A significant advantage of this system is wide tunability of the parameters through chirp management. The combined effect of the interaction, harmonic trap and lattice potential leads to the generation of nonlinear resonances, exactly where the matter wave changes its direction. When the harmonic trap is switched off, the BEC undergoes a nonlinear compression for the static optical lattice potential. For better understanding of chirp management and the nature of the sinusoidal excitation, we investigate the energy spectrum of the condensate, which clearly reveals the generation of nonlinear resonances in the appropriate regime. We have also identified a classical dynamical phase transition occurring in the system, where loss of superfluidity takes the superfluid phase to an insulating state. (paper)

Stress singularities in a model of a wood disk under sinusoidal pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Jay A. Johnson; John C. Hermanson; Steven M. Cramer; Charles Amundson

2005-01-01

A thin, solid, circular wood disk, cut from the transverse plane of a tree stem, can be modeled as a cylindrically orthotropic elastic material. It is known that a stress singularity can occur at the center of a cylindrically orthotropic disk subjected to uniform pressure. If a solid cylindrically orthotropic disk is subjected to sinusoidal pressure distributions, then...

HP Memristor mathematical model for periodic signals and DC

KAUST Repository

Radwan, Ahmed G.

2012-07-28

In this paper mathematical models of the HP Memristor for DC and periodic signal inputs are provided. The need for a rigid model for the Memristor using conventional current and voltage quantities is essential for the development of many promising Memristors\\' applications. Unlike the previous works, which focuses on the sinusoidal input waveform, we derived rules for any periodic signals in general in terms of voltage and current. Square and triangle waveforms are studied explicitly, extending the formulas for any general square wave. The limiting conditions for saturation are also provided in case of either DC or periodic signals. The derived equations are compared to the SPICE model of the Memristor showing a perfect match.

Diffraction Efficiency Testing of Sinusoidal and Blazed Off-Plane Reflection Gratings

Science.gov (United States)

Tutt, James H.; McEntaffer, Randall L.; Marlowe, Hannah; Miles, Drew M.; Peterson, Thomas J.; Deroo, Casey T.; Scholze, Frank; Laubis, Christian

2016-09-01

Reflection gratings in the off-plane mount have the potential to enhance the performance of future high resolution soft X-ray spectrometers. Diffraction efficiency can be optimized through the use of blazed grating facets, achieving high-throughput on one side of zero-order. This paper presents the results from a comparison between a grating with a sinusoidally grooved profile and two gratings that have been blazed. The results show that the blaze does increase throughput to one side of zero-order; however, the total throughput of the sinusoidal gratings is greater than the blazed gratings, suggesting the method of manufacturing the blazed gratings does not produce precise facets. The blazed gratings were also tested in their Littrow and anti-Littrow configurations to quantify diffraction efficiency sensitivity to rotations about the grating normal. Only a small difference in the energy at which efficiency is maximized between the Littrow and anti-Littrow configurations is seen with a small shift in peak efficiency towards higher energies in the anti-Littrow case. This is due to a decrease in the effective blaze angle in the anti-Littrow mounting. This is supported by PCGrate-SX V6.1 modeling carried out for each blazed grating which predicts similar response trends in the Littrow and anti-Littrow orientations.

Realization of Electronically Tunable Current- Mode Multiphase Sinusoidal Oscillators Using CFTAs

OpenAIRE

Prungsak Uttaphut

2012-01-01

An implementation of current-mode multiphase sinusoidal oscillators is presented. Using CFTA-based lossy integrators, odd and odd/even phase systems can be realized with following advantages. The condition of oscillation and frequency of oscillation can be orthogonally tuned. The high output impedances facilitate easy driving an external load without additional current buffers. The proposed MSOs provide odd or even phase signals that are equally spaced in phase and equal amplitude. The circui...

Propiedades de transporte de una superred de grafeno tipo sinusoidal

OpenAIRE

J. A. Briones-Torres; I. Rodríguez-Vargas

2015-01-01

En este trabajo usamos el método de la matriz de transferencia para estudiar el tunelamiento de los electrones de Dirac a través de superredes en grafeno. Consideramos una superred con potencial sinusoidal o polaridad invertida, para ello consideramos dos maneras de crearla, una por medio de sustratos mixtos junto con la aplicación de un campo perpendicular sobre el sustrato de Óxido de Silicio (SiO2), la otra por medio de potenciales alternados aplicados perpendicularmente sobre la sábana de...

Sinusoidal Order Estimation Using Angles between Subspaces

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Søren Holdt Jensen

2009-01-01

Full Text Available We consider the problem of determining the order of a parametric model from a noisy signal based on the geometry of the space. More specifically, we do this using the nontrivial angles between the candidate signal subspace model and the noise subspace. The proposed principle is closely related to the subspace orthogonality property known from the MUSIC algorithm, and we study its properties and compare it to other related measures. For the problem of estimating the number of complex sinusoids in white noise, a computationally efficient implementation exists, and this problem is therefore considered in detail. In computer simulations, we compare the proposed method to various well-known methods for order estimation. These show that the proposed method outperforms the other previously published subspace methods and that it is more robust to the noise being colored than the previously published methods.

Interpretations of Frequency Domain Analyses of Neural Entrainment: Periodicity, Fundamental Frequency, and Harmonics.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Hong; Melloni, Lucia; Poeppel, David; Ding, Nai

2016-01-01

Brain activity can follow the rhythms of dynamic sensory stimuli, such as speech and music, a phenomenon called neural entrainment. It has been hypothesized that low-frequency neural entrainment in the neural delta and theta bands provides a potential mechanism to represent and integrate temporal information. Low-frequency neural entrainment is often studied using periodically changing stimuli and is analyzed in the frequency domain using the Fourier analysis. The Fourier analysis decomposes a periodic signal into harmonically related sinusoids. However, it is not intuitive how these harmonically related components are related to the response waveform. Here, we explain the interpretation of response harmonics, with a special focus on very low-frequency neural entrainment near 1 Hz. It is illustrated why neural responses repeating at f Hz do not necessarily generate any neural response at f Hz in the Fourier spectrum. A strong neural response at f Hz indicates that the time scales of the neural response waveform within each cycle match the time scales of the stimulus rhythm. Therefore, neural entrainment at very low frequency implies not only that the neural response repeats at f Hz but also that each period of the neural response is a slow wave matching the time scale of a f Hz sinusoid.

Iodine-frequency-stabilized laser diode and displacement-measuring interferometer based on sinusoidal phase modulation

Science.gov (United States)

Duong, Quang Anh; Vu, Thanh Tung; Higuchi, Masato; Wei, Dong; Aketagawa, Masato

2018-06-01

We propose a sinusoidal phase modulation method to achieve both the frequency stabilization of an external-cavity laser diode (ECLD) to an 127I2 saturated absorption transition near 633 nm and displacement measurement using a Mach–Zehnder interferometer. First, the frequency of the ECLD is stabilized to the b 21 hyperfine component of the P(33) 6-3 transition of 127I2 by combining sinusoidal phase modulation by an electro-optic modulator and frequency modulation spectroscopy by chopping the pump beam using an acousto-optic modulator. Even though a small modulation index of m  =  3.768 rad is utilized, a relative frequency stability of 10‑11 order is obtained over a sampling time of 400 s. Secondly, the frequency-stabilized ECLD is applied as a light source to a Mach–Zehnder interferometer. From the two consecutive modulation harmonics (second and third orders) involved in the interferometer signal, the displacement of the moving mirror is determined for four optical path differences (L 0  =  100, 200, 500, and 1000 mm). The measured modulation indexes for the four optical path differences coincide with the designated value (3.768 rad) within 0.5%. Compared with the sinusoidal frequency modulation Michelson interferometer (Vu et al 2016 Meas. Sci. Technol. 27 105201) which was demonstrated by some of the same authors of this paper, the phase modulation Mach–Zhender interferometer could fix the modulation index to a constant value for the four optical path differences. In this report, we discuss the measurement principle, experimental system, and results.

Flow and heat transfer characteristics in a channel having furrowed wall based on sinusoidal wave

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jiansheng; Gao, Xiaoming; Li, Weiyi [Tianjin University, Tianjin (Switzerland)

2015-11-15

The effect of wall geometry on the flow and heat transfer in a channel with one lower furrowed and an upper flat wall kept at a uniform temperature is investigated by large eddy simulation. Three channels, one with sinusoidal wavy surface having the ratio (amplitude to wavelength) α/λ=0.05 and the other two with furrowed surface derived from the sinusoidal curve, are considered. The numerical results show that the streamwise vortices center is located near the lower wall and vary along the streamwise on various furrow surfaces. The furrow geometry increases the pressure drag and decreases the friction drag of the furrowed surface compared with that of the smooth surface; consequently, the total drag is increased for the augment of pressure drag. As expected, the heat transfer performance has been improved. Finally, a thermal performance factor is defined to evaluate the performance of the furrowed wall.

СURRENT FILTERING IN A THREE-PHASE THREE-WIRE POWER SYSTEM AT ASYMMETRIC SINUSOIDAL VOLTAGES

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M. Yu. Artemenko

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Investigation of the optimal current distribution between source, shunt active filter and reactive compensator of a three-phase three-wire system that provides consumption of a sinusoidal symmetric current under asymmetric source voltages with minimal power losses was provided. Methodology. The tasks were solved by conducting theoretical and experimental studies. The main provisions of the theory of electrical circuits, the apparatus of mathematical analysis, methods for solving linear differential and algebraic equations, elements of matrix and complex calculus and vector algebra are used. During the development, modern methods and software of computer simulation of electrical engineering complexes and dynamic systems were applied: Matlab-Simulink, MATHCAD. Originality. The principle of compensating current distribution between PAF and reactive compensator of a three-phase three-wire power system with asymmetric sinusoidal voltage was proposed at which the input current is equal to the positive-sequence active current and rms value of PAF current is minimal. The feasibility to compensate the inactive sinusoidal Fryze current by reactive elements under arbitrary combination of load and source parameters was proved and expression for direct calculation of the reactive compensator parameters for generation of inactive Fryze current in the source unbalanced mode was obtained. Practical value. The simulative example for transmission line load showed that combined application of PAF and reactive compensator with the specified distribution of compensating currents ensured a reduction of power losses in 3.273 times and rms value of the SAF current is 12.9 % of rms value total compensation current.

Sinusoidal voltage protocols for rapid characterisation of ion channel kinetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Beattie, Kylie A; Hill, Adam P; Bardenet, Rémi; Cui, Yi; Vandenberg, Jamie I; Gavaghan, David J; de Boer, Teun P; Mirams, Gary R

2018-03-24

Ion current kinetics are commonly represented by current-voltage relationships, time constant-voltage relationships and subsequently mathematical models fitted to these. These experiments take substantial time, which means they are rarely performed in the same cell. Rather than traditional square-wave voltage clamps, we fitted a model to the current evoked by a novel sum-of-sinusoids voltage clamp that was only 8 s long. Short protocols that can be performed multiple times within a single cell will offer many new opportunities to measure how ion current kinetics are affected by changing conditions. The new model predicts the current under traditional square-wave protocols well, with better predictions of underlying currents than literature models. The current under a novel physiologically relevant series of action potential clamps is predicted extremely well. The short sinusoidal protocols allow a model to be fully fitted to individual cells, allowing us to examine cell-cell variability in current kinetics for the first time. Understanding the roles of ion currents is crucial to predict the action of pharmaceuticals and mutations in different scenarios, and thereby to guide clinical interventions in the heart, brain and other electrophysiological systems. Our ability to predict how ion currents contribute to cellular electrophysiology is in turn critically dependent on our characterisation of ion channel kinetics - the voltage-dependent rates of transition between open, closed and inactivated channel states. We present a new method for rapidly exploring and characterising ion channel kinetics, applying it to the hERG potassium channel as an example, with the aim of generating a quantitatively predictive representation of the ion current. We fitted a mathematical model to currents evoked by a novel 8 second sinusoidal voltage clamp in CHO cells overexpressing hERG1a. The model was then used to predict over 5 minutes of recordings in the same cell in response to

Successful treatment of severe sinusoidal obstruction syndrome despite multiple organ failure with defibrotide after allogeneic stem cell transplantation: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Behre, Gerhard; Theurich, Sebastian; Christopeit, Maximilian; Weber, Thomas

2009-03-10

We report a case of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, a typical and life-threatening complication after allogeneic stem-cell transplantation, successfully treated with defibrotide despite massive multiple organ failure. A 64-year-old Caucasian woman underwent allogeneic peripheral blood stem-cell transplantation from her human leukocyte antigen-identical sister against aggressive lymphoplasmocytoid immunocytoma. Seven days later, the patient developed severe sinusoidal obstruction syndrome according to the modified Seattle criteria. We initiated treatment with defibrotide. Despite early treatment, multiple organ failure with kidney failure requiring dialysis and ventilator-dependent lung failure aggravated the clinical course. Furthermore, central nervous dysfunction occurred as well as transfusion refractory thrombocytopenia. As highlighted in our report, defibrotide is the most promising drug in the treatment of the formerly, almost lethal, severe sinusoidal obstruction syndrome to date. This is demonstrated very clearly in our patient. She improved completely, even after renal, cerebral and respiratory failure.

Simply Adjustable Sinusoidal Oscillator Based on Negative Three-Port Current Conveyors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Sotner

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with sinusoidal oscillator employing two controlled second-generation negative-current conveyors and two capacitors. The proposed oscillator has a simple circuit configuration. Electronic (voltage adjusting of the oscillation frequency and condition of oscillation are possible. The presented circuit is verified in PSpice utilizing macro models of commercially available negative current conveyors. The circuit is also verified by experimental measurements. Important characteristics and drawbacks of the proposed circuit and influences of real active elements in the designed circuit are discussed in detail.

Controller Synthesis for Periodically Forced Chaotic Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Basso, Michele; Genesio, Roberto; Giovanardi, Lorenzo

Delayed feedback controllers are an appealing tool for stabilization of periodic orbits in chaotic systems. Despite their conceptual simplicity, specific and reliable design procedures are difficult to obtain, partly also because of their inherent infinite-dimensional structure. This chapter considers the use of finite dimensional linear time invariant controllers for stabilization of periodic solutions in a general class of sinusoidally forced nonlinear systems. For such controllers — which can be interpreted as rational approximations of the delayed ones — we provide a computationally attractive synthesis technique based on Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs), by mixing results concerning absolute stability of nonlinear systems and robustness of uncertain linear systems. The resulting controllers prove to be effective for chaos suppression in electronic circuits and systems, as shown by two different application examples.

Biliary obstruction dissipates bioelectric sinusoidal-canalicular barrier without altering taurocholate uptake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cotting, J.; Zysset, T.; Reichen, J.

1989-01-01

To study immediate events during extrahepatic cholestasis, we investigated the effect of short-term biliary obstruction on the bioelectrical sinusoidal-canalicular barrier in the rat using molecular weight-matched uncharged and negatively charged inert solute pairs. The bioelectrical barrier averaged -22 +/- 5 and -18 +/- 4 mV (NS) using the pair carboxy-/methoxyinulin and ferrocyanide/sucrose, respectively. After a 20-min biliary obstruction both decreased by 61 and 11%, respectively, but only the large molecular weight pair (the inulins) returned to base line after release of the obstruction. Inert solute clearances were increased after short biliary obstruction depending on molecular size and negative charge (ferrocyanide greater than sucrose greater than carboxyinulin greater than inulin), suggesting that both permeability and bioelectrical barriers were affected by obstruction. The hepatic extraction in vivo of a passively transported drug not excreted into bile (D-propranolol) was not affected by obstruction, whereas that of an actively transported drug (glycocholate) decreased from 66 +/- 8 to 41 +/- 20% during biliary obstruction (P less than 0.01). Unidirectional transfer of glycocholate was not affected by short-term biliary obstruction in the situ perfused rat liver; however, 2 min after [14C]glycocholate administration, increased return was observed in hepatic venous effluent in obstructed animals. Our findings demonstrate a loss of the bioelectrical barrier immediately after short-term biliary obstruction. Decreased hepatic extraction in the view of unaltered sinusoidal uptake demonstrates regurgitation of bile into blood during short-term biliary obstruction

Mechanical Homogeneous Continuous Dynamical Systems Holor Algebra - Steady-State Alternating Velocity Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fijałkowski B.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In this article, a new mathematical representation of the sinusoidal alternating velocity, force and power by means of some complex quantities, termed ‘holors’ is proposed. The word holor is a term to describe a mathematical entity that is made up of one or more independent quantities, and includes complex numbers, scalars, vectors, matrices, tensors and other hypernumbers. Holors, thus defined, have been known for centuries but each has been developed more or less independently, accompanied by separate nomenclature and theory.

Numerical versus analytical Ic(H) patterns in Josephson junctions with periodically alternating critical current density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazarides, N

2004-01-01

An analytical expression for the magnetic-field-dependent critical current I c (H) of Josephson junctions with periodically alternating critical current density J c (x) is derived within the uniform field approximation. Comparison with numerically calculated I c (H) patterns for junctions with identical, thick, periodically arranged defects with the corresponding analytical expression reveals fair agreement for a wide range of parameters, due to increased characteristic length. Based on qualitative arguments, we give the dependence of the new characteristic length on the geometrical parameters of the junction, which is in agreement with self-consistent calculations with the static sine-Gordon equation. The analytical expression captures the observed qualitative features of the I c (H) patterns, while it is practically exact for short junctions or high fields. It also produces the shift of the major peak from the zero-field position of the standard Fraunhofer pattern to another position related to the periodicity of the critical current density in φ-junctions

Successful treatment of severe sinusoidal obstruction syndrome despite multiple organ failure with defibrotide after allogeneic stem cell transplantation: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Behre Gerhard

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction We report a case of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, a typical and life-threatening complication after allogeneic stem-cell transplantation, successfully treated with defibrotide despite massive multiple organ failure. Case presentation A 64-year-old Caucasian woman underwent allogeneic peripheral blood stem-cell transplantation from her human leukocyte antigen-identical sister against aggressive lymphoplasmocytoid immunocytoma. Seven days later, the patient developed severe sinusoidal obstruction syndrome according to the modified Seattle criteria. We initiated treatment with defibrotide. Despite early treatment, multiple organ failure with kidney failure requiring dialysis and ventilator-dependent lung failure aggravated the clinical course. Furthermore, central nervous dysfunction occurred as well as transfusion refractory thrombocytopenia. Conclusion As highlighted in our report, defibrotide is the most promising drug in the treatment of the formerly, almost lethal, severe sinusoidal obstruction syndrome to date. This is demonstrated very clearly in our patient. She improved completely, even after renal, cerebral and respiratory failure.

Scintillations associated with bottomside sinusoidal irregularities in the equatorial F region

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, S.; Basu, S.; Valladares, C. E.; Dasgupta, A.; Whitney, H. E.

1986-01-01

Multisatellite scintillation observations and spaced receiver drift measurements are presented for a category of equatorial F region plasma irregularities characterized by nearly sinusoidal waveforms in the ion number density. The observations were made at Huancayo, Peru, and the measurements at Ancon, Peru, associated with irregularities observed by the Atmospheric-Explorer-E satellite on a few nights in December 1979. Utilizing ray paths to various geostationary satellites, it was found that the irregularities grow and decay almost simultaneously in long-lived patches extending at least 1000 km in the east-west direction.

Electromagnetic characterization of current transformer with toroidal core under sinusoidal conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koprivica, Branko, E-mail: branko.koprivica@ftn.kg.ac.rs; Milovanovic, Alenka, E-mail: alenka.milovanovic@ftn.kg.ac.rs

2016-04-01

The aim of this paper is to present a new procedure for the electromagnetic analysis of a measuring current transformer under sinusoidal conditions in its electrical and magnetic circuit. The influence of the magnetic hysteresis has been taken into account using the measured inverse magnetization curve and phase lag between the time waveforms of the magnetic field and the magnetic induction. Using the proposed analysis, ratio and phase errors of the current transformer have been calculated. The results of the calculation have been compared with experimental results and a good agreement has been found.

Voltage-Mode Four-Phase Sinusoidal Generator and Its Useful Extensions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sudhanshu Maheshwari

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces a new voltage-mode second-order sinusoidal generator circuit with four active elements and six passive elements, including grounded capacitors. The frequency and condition of oscillation can be independently controlled. The effect of active element’s nonidealities and parasitic effects is also studied; the proposed topology is good in absorbing several parasitic elements involved with the active elements. The circuit is advantageous for generating high frequency signals which is demonstrated for 25 MHz outputs. Several circuit extensions are also given which makes the new proposal useful for real circuit adoption. The proposed theory is validated through simulation results.

Identification of a single sinusoidal bile salt uptake system in skate liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fricker, G.; Hugentobler, G.; Meier, P.J.; Kurz, G.; Boyer, J.L.

1987-01-01

To identify the sinusoidal bile acid uptake system(s) of skate liver, photoaffinity labeling and kinetic transport studies were performed in isolated plasma membranes as well as intact hepatocytes. In both preparations photoaffinity labeling with the photolabile bile salt derivative revealed the presence of a predominant bile salt binding polypeptide with an apparent molecular weight of 54,000. The [ 3 H]-labeling of this polypeptide was inhibited by taurocholate and cholate in a concentration-dependent manner and was virtually abolished by 1 mM of the anion transport inhibitor 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid. Kinetic studies of hepatic uptake with taurocholate, cholate, and the photoreactive bile salt derivative indicated the involvement of a single transport system, and all three substrates mutually competed with the uptake of each other. Finally, irreversible inhibition of the bile salt uptake system of photoaffinity labeling of hepatocytes with high concentrations of photolabile derivative reduced the V max but the K m of taurocholate uptake. These findings strongly indicate that a single polypeptide with an apparent molecular weight of 54,000 is involved in sinusoidal bile salt uptake into skate hepatocytes. These findings contrast with similar studies in rat liver that implicate both a 54,000- and 48,000-K polypeptide in bile salt uptake and are consistent with a single Na + -independent transport mechanism for hepatic bile salt uptake in this primitive vertebrate

The reliability of nonlinear least-squares algorithm for data analysis of neural response activity during sinusoidal rotational stimulation in semicircular canal neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Pengyu; Li, Bowen; Dong, Shiyao; Chen, Lin; Zhang, Yuelin

2018-01-01

Although many mathematical methods were used to analyze the neural activity under sinusoidal stimulation within linear response range in vestibular system, the reliabilities of these methods are still not reported, especially in nonlinear response range. Here we chose nonlinear least-squares algorithm (NLSA) with sinusoidal model to analyze the neural response of semicircular canal neurons (SCNs) during sinusoidal rotational stimulation (SRS) over a nonlinear response range. Our aim was to acquire a reliable mathematical method for data analysis under SRS in vestibular system. Our data indicated that the reliability of this method in an entire SCNs population was quite satisfactory. However, the reliability was strongly negatively depended on the neural discharge regularity. In addition, stimulation parameters were the vital impact factors influencing the reliability. The frequency had a significant negative effect but the amplitude had a conspicuous positive effect on the reliability. Thus, NLSA with sinusoidal model resulted a reliable mathematical tool for data analysis of neural response activity under SRS in vestibular system and more suitable for those under the stimulation with low frequency but high amplitude, suggesting that this method can be used in nonlinear response range. This method broke out of the restriction of neural activity analysis under nonlinear response range and provided a solid foundation for future study in nonlinear response range in vestibular system.

Neuronal oscillations with non-sinusoidal morphology produce spurious phase-to-amplitude coupling and directionality.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego Lozano-Soldevilla

2016-08-01

. Furthermore, we showed that periodic signals whose waveform deviate from pure sine waves produce non-zero CFCoh with predictable CFD. Our results reveal the important role of the non-sinusoidal wave morphology on state of the art CFC metrics and we recommend caution with strong physiological interpretations of CFC and suggest basic data quality checks to enhance the mechanistic understanding of CFC.

New Realizations of Single OTRA-Based Sinusoidal Oscillators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hung-Chun Chien

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study proposes three new sinusoidal oscillators based on an operational transresistance amplifier (OTRA. Each of the proposed oscillator circuits consists of one OTRA combined with a few passive components. The first circuit is an OTRA-based minimum RC oscillator. The second circuit is capable of providing independent control on the condition of oscillation without affecting the oscillation frequency. The third circuit exhibits independent control of oscillation frequency through a capacitor. This study first introduces the OTRA and the related formulations of the proposed oscillator circuits, and then discusses the nonideal effects, sensitivity analyses, and frequency stability of the presented circuits. The proposed oscillators exhibit low sensitivities and good frequency stability. Because the presented circuits feature low impedance output, they can be connected directly to the next stage without cascading additional voltage buffers. HSPICE simulations and experimental results confirm the feasibility of the new oscillator circuits.

Effects of frequency and duration on psychometric functions for detection of increments and decrements in sinusoids in noise.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, B C; Peters, R W; Glasberg, B R

1999-12-01

Psychometric functions for detecting increments or decrements in level of sinusoidal pedestals were measured for increment and decrement durations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 ms and for frequencies of 250, 1000, and 4000 Hz. The sinusoids were presented in background noise intended to mask spectral splatter. A three-interval, three-alternative procedure was used. The results indicated that, for increments, the detectability index d' was approximately proportional to delta I/I. For decrements, d' was approximately proportional to delta L. The slopes of the psychometric functions increased (indicating better performance) with increasing frequency for both increments and decrements. For increments, the slopes increased with increasing increment duration up to 200 ms at 250 and 1000 Hz, but at 4000 Hz they increased only up to 50 ms. For decrements, the slopes increased for durations up to 50 ms, and then remained roughly constant, for all frequencies. For a center frequency of 250 Hz, the slopes of the psychometric functions for increment detection increased with duration more rapidly than predicted by a "multiple-looks" hypothesis, i.e., more rapidly than the square root of duration, for durations up to 50 ms. For center frequencies of 1000 and 4000 Hz, the slopes increased less rapidly than predicted by a multiple-looks hypothesis, for durations greater than about 20 ms. The slopes of the psychometric functions for decrement detection increased with decrement duration at a rate slightly greater than the square root of duration, for durations up to 50 ms, at all three frequencies. For greater durations, the increase in slope was less than proportional to the square root of duration. The results were analyzed using a model incorporating a simulated auditory filter, a compressive nonlinearity, a sliding temporal integrator, and a decision device based on a template mechanism. The model took into account the effects of both the external noise and an assumed internal

Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells induce immunosuppressive IL-10-producing Th1 cells via the Notch pathway

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Neumann, Katrin; Rudolph, Christine; Neumann, Christian; Janke, Marko; Amsen, Derk; Scheffold, Alexander

2015-01-01

Under homeostasis, liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) shift intrahepatic T-cell responses towards tolerance. However, the role of LSECs in the regulation of T-cell-induced liver inflammation is less clear. Here, we studied the capacity of LSECs to modulate pro-inflammatory Th1-cell

The Relationship between fenestrations, sieve plates and rafts in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dmitri Svistounov

Full Text Available Fenestrations are transcellular pores in endothelial cells that facilitate transfer of substrates between blood and the extravascular compartment. In order to understand the regulation and formation of fenestrations, the relationship between membrane rafts and fenestrations was investigated in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells where fenestrations are grouped into sieve plates. Three dimensional structured illumination microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, internal reflectance fluorescence microscopy and two-photon fluorescence microscopy were used to study liver sinusoidal endothelial cells isolated from mice. There was an inverse distribution between sieve plates and membrane rafts visualized by structured illumination microscopy and the fluorescent raft stain, Bodipy FL C5 ganglioside GM1. 7-ketocholesterol and/or cytochalasin D increased both fenestrations and lipid-disordered membrane, while Triton X-100 decreased both fenestrations and lipid-disordered membrane. The effects of cytochalasin D on fenestrations were abrogated by co-administration of Triton X-100, suggesting that actin disruption increases fenestrations by its effects on membrane rafts. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF depleted lipid-ordered membrane and increased fenestrations. The results are consistent with a sieve-raft interaction, where fenestrations form in non-raft lipid-disordered regions of endothelial cells once the membrane-stabilizing effects of actin cytoskeleton and membrane rafts are diminished.

Aerosol absorption measurement with a sinusoidal phase modulating fiber optic photo thermal interferometer

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shuwang; Shao, Shiyong; Mei, Haiping; Rao, Ruizhong

2016-10-01

Aerosol light absorption plays an important role in the earth's atmosphere direct and semi-direct radiate forcing, simultaneously, it also has a huge influence on the visibility impairment and laser engineering application. Although various methods have been developed for measuring aerosol light absorption, huge challenge still remains in precision, accuracy and temporal resolution. The main reason is that, as a part of aerosol light extinction, aerosol light absorption always generates synchronously with aerosol light scattering, and unfortunately aerosol light scattering is much stronger in most cases. Here, a novel photo-thermal interferometry is proposed only for aerosol absorption measurement without disturbance from aerosol scattering. The photo-thermal interferometry consists of a sinusoidal phase-modulating single mode fiber-optic interferometer. The thermal dissipation, caused by aerosol energy from photo-thermal conversion when irritated by pump laser through interferometer, is detected. This approach is completely insensitive to aerosol scattering, and the single mode fiber-optic interferometer is compact, low-cost and insensitive to the polarization shading. The theory of this technique is illustrated, followed by the basic structure of the sinusoidal phase-modulating fiber-optic interferometer and demodulation algorithms. Qualitative and quantitative analysis results show that the new photo-thermal interference is a potential approach for aerosol absorption detection and environmental pollution detection.

Richtmyer-Meshkov instability of a sinusoidal interface driven by a cylindrical shock

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Liu, L.; Ding, J.; Zhai, Z.; Luo, X.

2018-04-01

Evolution of a single-mode interface triggered by a cylindrically converging shock in a V-shaped geometry is investigated numerically using an adaptive multi-phase solver. Several physical mechanisms, including the Bell-Plesset (BP) effect, the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) effect, the nonlinearity, and the compressibility are found to be pronounced in the converging environment. Generally, the BP and nonlinear effects play an important role at early stages, while the RT effect and the compressibility dominate the late-stage evolution. Four sinusoidal interfaces with different initial amplitudes (a_0 ) and wavelengths (λ ) are found to evolve differently in the converging geometry. For the very small a_0 /λ interfaces, nonlinearity is negligible at the early stages and the sole presence of the BP effect results in an increasing growth rate, confining the linear growth of the instability to a relatively small amount of time. For the moderately small a_0 /λ cases, the BP and nonlinear effects, which, respectively, promote and inhibit the perturbation development, coexist in the early stage. The counterbalancing effects between them produce a very long period of growth that is linear in time, even to a moment when the amplitude over wavelength ratio approaches 0.6. The RT stabilization effect at late stages due to the interface deceleration significantly inhibits the perturbation growth, which can be reasonably predicted by a modified Bell model.

Generation of hyperchaos from the Chen-Lee system via sinusoidal perturbation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tam, L.M.; Chen, J.H.; Chen, H.K.; Wai Meng Si Tou

2008-01-01

A system with more than one positive Lyapunov exponent can be classified as a hyperchaotic system. In this study, a sinusoidal perturbation was designed for generating hyperchaos from the Chen-Lee chaotic system. The hyperchaos was identified by the existence of two positive Lyapunov exponents and bifurcation diagrams. The system is hyperchaotic in several different regions of the parameters c, ε, and ω. It was found that this method not only can enhance or suppress chaotic behavior, but also induces chaos in non-chaotic parameter ranges. In addition, two interesting dynamical behaviors, Hopf bifurcation and intermittency, were also found in this study

Generation of hyperchaos from the Chen-Lee system via sinusoidal perturbation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tam, L.M. [Department of Electromechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Av. Padre Thomas Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macau (China)], E-mail: fstlmt@umac.mo; Chen, J.H. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chung Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Chen, H.K. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hsiuping Institute of Technology, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Wai Meng Si Tou [Department of Electromechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Av. Padre Thomas Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macau (China)

2008-11-15

A system with more than one positive Lyapunov exponent can be classified as a hyperchaotic system. In this study, a sinusoidal perturbation was designed for generating hyperchaos from the Chen-Lee chaotic system. The hyperchaos was identified by the existence of two positive Lyapunov exponents and bifurcation diagrams. The system is hyperchaotic in several different regions of the parameters c, {epsilon}, and {omega}. It was found that this method not only can enhance or suppress chaotic behavior, but also induces chaos in non-chaotic parameter ranges. In addition, two interesting dynamical behaviors, Hopf bifurcation and intermittency, were also found in this study.

Unique cell type-specific junctional complexes in vascular endothelium of human and rat liver sinusoids.

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Cyrill Géraud

Full Text Available Liver sinusoidal endothelium is strategically positioned to control access of fluids, macromolecules and cells to the liver parenchyma and to serve clearance functions upstream of the hepatocytes. While clearance of macromolecular debris from the peripheral blood is performed by liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs using a delicate endocytic receptor system featuring stabilin-1 and -2, the mannose receptor and CD32b, vascular permeability and cell trafficking are controlled by transcellular pores, i.e. the fenestrae, and by intercellular junctional complexes. In contrast to blood vascular and lymphatic endothelial cells in other organs, the junctional complexes of LSECs have not yet been consistently characterized in molecular terms. In a comprehensive analysis, we here show that LSECs express the typical proteins found in endothelial adherens junctions (AJ, i.e. VE-cadherin as well as α-, β-, p120-catenin and plakoglobin. Tight junction (TJ transmembrane proteins typical of endothelial cells, i.e. claudin-5 and occludin, were not expressed by rat LSECs while heterogenous immunreactivity for claudin-5 was detected in human LSECs. In contrast, junctional molecules preferentially associating with TJ such as JAM-A, B and C and zonula occludens proteins ZO-1 and ZO-2 were readily detected in LSECs. Remarkably, among the JAMs JAM-C was considerably over-expressed in LSECs as compared to lung microvascular endothelial cells. In conclusion, we show here that LSECs form a special kind of mixed-type intercellular junctions characterized by co-occurrence of endothelial AJ proteins, and of ZO-1 and -2, and JAMs. The distinct molecular architecture of the intercellular junctional complexes of LSECs corroborates previous ultrastructural findings and provides the molecular basis for further analyses of the endothelial barrier function of liver sinusoids under pathologic conditions ranging from hepatic inflammation to formation of liver metastasis.

Current and Voltage Mode Multiphase Sinusoidal Oscillators Using CBTAs

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M. Sagbas

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Current-mode (CM and voltage-mode (VM multiphase sinusoidal oscillator (MSO structures using current backward transconductance amplifier (CBTA are proposed. The proposed oscillators can generate n current or voltage signals (n being even or odd equally spaced in phase. n+1 CBTAs, n grounded capacitors and a grounded resistor are used for nth-state oscillator. The oscillation frequency can be independently controlled through transconductance (gm of the CBTAs which are adjustable via their bias currents. The effects caused by the non-ideality of the CBTA on the oscillation frequency and condition have been analyzed. The performance of the proposed circuits is demonstrated on third-stage and fifth-stage MSOs by using PSPICE simulations based on the 0.25 µm TSMC level-7 CMOS technology parameters.

A transgenic model for conditional induction and rescue of portal hypertension reveals a role of VEGF-mediated regulation of sinusoidal fenestrations.

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Dalit May

Full Text Available Portal hypertension (PH is a common complication and a leading cause of death in patients with chronic liver diseases. PH is underlined by structural and functional derangement of liver sinusoid vessels and its fenestrated endothelium. Because in most clinical settings PH is accompanied by parenchymal injury, it has been difficult to determine the precise role of microvascular perturbations in causing PH. Reasoning that Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF is required to maintain functional integrity of the hepatic microcirculation, we developed a transgenic mouse system for a liver-specific-, reversible VEGF inhibition. The system is based on conditional induction and de-induction of a VEGF decoy receptor that sequesters VEGF and preclude signaling. VEGF blockade results in sinusoidal endothelial cells (SECs fenestrations closure and in accumulation and transformation of the normally quiescent hepatic stellate cells, i.e. provoking the two processes underlying sinusoidal capillarization. Importantly, sinusoidal capillarization was sufficient to cause PH and its typical sequela, ascites, splenomegaly and venous collateralization without inflicting parenchymal damage or fibrosis. Remarkably, these dramatic phenotypes were fully reversed within few days from lifting-off VEGF blockade and resultant re-opening of SECs' fenestrations. This study not only uncovered an indispensible role for VEGF in maintaining structure and function of mature SECs, but also highlights the vasculo-centric nature of PH pathogenesis. Unprecedented ability to rescue PH and its secondary manifestations via manipulating a single vascular factor may also be harnessed for examining the potential utility of de-capillarization treatment modalities.

Alternative Path Communication in Wide-Scale Cluster-Tree Wireless Sensor Networks Using Inactive Periods.

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Leão, Erico; Montez, Carlos; Moraes, Ricardo; Portugal, Paulo; Vasques, Francisco

2017-05-06

The IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee cluster-tree topology is a suitable technology to deploy wide-scale Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). These networks are usually designed to support convergecast traffic, where all communication paths go through the PAN (Personal Area Network) coordinator. Nevertheless, peer-to-peer communication relationships may be also required for different types of WSN applications. That is the typical case of sensor and actuator networks, where local control loops must be closed using a reduced number of communication hops. The use of communication schemes optimised just for the support of convergecast traffic may result in higher network congestion and in a potentially higher number of communication hops. Within this context, this paper proposes an Alternative-Route Definition (ARounD) communication scheme for WSNs. The underlying idea of ARounD is to setup alternative communication paths between specific source and destination nodes, avoiding congested cluster-tree paths. These alternative paths consider shorter inter-cluster paths, using a set of intermediate nodes to relay messages during their inactive periods in the cluster-tree network. Simulation results show that the ARounD communication scheme can significantly decrease the end-to-end communication delay, when compared to the use of standard cluster-tree communication schemes. Moreover, the ARounD communication scheme is able to reduce the network congestion around the PAN coordinator, enabling the reduction of the number of message drops due to queue overflows in the cluster-tree network.

Selection of doublet cellular patterns in directional solidification through spatially periodic perturbations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Losert, W.; Stillman, D.A.; Cummins, H.Z.; Kopczynski, P.; Rappel, W.; Karma, A.

1998-01-01

Pattern formation at the solid-liquid interface of a growing crystal was studied in directional solidification using a perturbation technique. We analyzed both experimentally and numerically the stability range and dynamical selection of cellular arrays of 'doublets' with asymmetric tip shapes, separated by alternate deep and shallow grooves. Applying an initial periodic perturbation of arbitrary wavelength to the unstable planar interface allowed us to force the interface to evolve into doublet states that would not otherwise be dynamically accessible from a planar interface. We determined systematically the ranges of wavelength corresponding to stable singlets, stable doublets, and transient unstable patterns. Experimentally, this was accomplished by applying a brief UV light pulse of a desired spatial periodicity to the planar interface during the planar-cellular transient using the model alloy Succinonitrile-Coumarin 152. Numerical simulations of the nonlinear evolution of the interface were performed starting from a small sinusoidal perturbation of the steady-state planar interface. These simulations were carried out using a computationally efficient phase-field symmetric model of directional solidification with recently reformulated asymptotics and vanishing kinetics [A. Karma and W.-J. Rappel, Phys. Rev. E 53 R3017 (1996); Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 4050 (1996); Phys. Rev. E 57, 4323 (1998)], which allowed us to simulate spatially extended arrays that can be meaningfully compared to experiments. Simulations and experiments show remarkable qualitative agreement in the dynamic evolution, steady-state structure, and instability mechanisms of doublet cellular arrays. copyright 1998 The American Physical Society

Periodic orbits and recurrences: An introduction and review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delos, J.B.

1993-01-01

A pedagogical introduction to and review of essential ideas in modern classical mechanics will be presented, and relationships between classical trajectories and quantum wave functions will be discussed. Much current work is focused on the effects of classical periodic orbits on quantum density of states, absorption spectra, and wave functions. The theory was first developed by Gutzwiller, who showed that each classical periodic orbit produces a sinusoidal fluctuation in the density of states as a function of energy. Short orbits produce large-scale fluctuations, while longer orbits produce small-scale fluctuations. Actually these fluctuations reside in the Green's function of the system, so they manifest themselves in all quantum properties. Two new questions will be addressed. (1) How do we understand periodic orbits from a classical perspective? How are they created and how do they proliferate as order changes to chaos? (2) Is the theory practically limited to calculation of large-scale structures in spectra, or can it be extended to calculate individual eigenfunctions?

Sinusoidal excitation on the Chua's circuit simulation of limit cycles and chaos

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindberg, Erik

1994-01-01

of charging”, and stable limit cycle behaviour based on the balance between the energy lost in the regions with mainly positive losses and the energy gained in the regions with mainly negative losses. Convergence problems observed in connection with simulation of the ideal piecewise-linear model are solved......Experiments with modelling and simulation of sinusoidal excitation on Chua's circuit are presented. It is demonstrated that the behaviour of the circuit is based on the interaction of two different kinds of energy balance: chaotic behaviour based on a balance between two unstable “states...

Interference pattern period measurement at picometer level

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Xiang, Xiansong; Wei, Chunlong; Jia, Wei; Zhou, Changhe; Li, Minkang; Lu, Yancong

2016-10-01

To produce large scale gratings by Scanning Beam Interference Lithography (SBIL), a light spot containing grating pattern is generated by two beams interfering, and a scanning stage is used to drive the substrate moving under the light spot. In order to locate the stage at the proper exposure positions, the period of the Interference pattern must be measured accurately. We developed a set of process to obtain the period value of two interfering beams at picometer level. The process includes data acquisition and data analysis. The data is received from a photodiode and a laser interferometer with sub-nanometer resolution. Data analysis differs from conventional analyzing methods like counting wave peaks or using Fourier transform to get the signal period, after a preprocess of filtering and envelope removing, the mean square error is calculated between the received signal and ideal sinusoid waves to find the best-fit frequency, thus an accuracy period value is acquired, this method has a low sensitivity to amplitude noise and a high resolution of frequency. With 405nm laser beams interfering, a pattern period value around 562nm is acquired by employing this process, fitting diagram of the result shows the accuracy of the period value reaches picometer level, which is much higher than the results of conventional methods.

Multiple Harmonics Fitting Algorithms Applied to Periodic Signals Based on Hilbert-Huang Transform

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Hui Wang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A new generation of multipurpose measurement equipment is transforming the role of computers in instrumentation. The new features involve mixed devices, such as kinds of sensors, analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters, and digital signal processing techniques, that are able to substitute typical discrete instruments like multimeters and analyzers. Signal-processing applications frequently use least-squares (LS sine-fitting algorithms. Periodic signals may be interpreted as a sum of sine waves with multiple frequencies: the Fourier series. This paper describes a new sine fitting algorithm that is able to fit a multiharmonic acquired periodic signal. By means of a “sinusoidal wave” whose amplitude and phase are both transient, the “triangular wave” can be reconstructed on the basis of Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT. This method can be used to test effective number of bits (ENOBs of analog-to-digital converter (ADC, avoiding the trouble of selecting initial value of the parameters and working out the nonlinear equations. The simulation results show that the algorithm is precise and efficient. In the case of enough sampling points, even under the circumstances of low-resolution signal with the harmonic distortion existing, the root mean square (RMS error between the sampling data of original “triangular wave” and the corresponding points of fitting “sinusoidal wave” is marvelously small. That maybe means, under the circumstances of any periodic signal, that ENOBs of high-resolution ADC can be tested accurately.

Dai-kenchu-to attenuates rat sinusoidal obstruction syndrome by inhibiting the accumulation of neutrophils in the liver.

Science.gov (United States)

Narita, Masato; Hatano, Etsuro; Tamaki, Nobuyuki; Yamanaka, Kenya; Yanagida, Atsuko; Nagata, Hiromitsu; Asechi, Hiroyuki; Takada, Yasutsugu; Ikai, Iwao; Uemoto, Shinji

2009-06-01

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is drug-induced liver injury that occurs in patients who receive hematopoietic cell transplantation and oxaliplatin-contained chemotherapy. The aim of study was to investigate the pharmacological treatment of SOS using a traditional Japanese medicine, Dai-kenchu-to (DKT). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with monocrotaline (MCT) to induce SOS. The rats were divided into three groups: control, MCT and MCT+DKT groups. In the MCT+DKT group, DKT was gavaged at 12 h after MCT treatment and given every 12 h until the end of the protocol. The rats of MCT group were treated with water instead of DKT. At 48 h after MCT treatment, blood and liver samples were collected. In the MCT+DKT group, the macroscopic and histological findings revealed liver congestion, sinusoidal alteration and the destruction of sinusoidal lining, which were comparable with those of the MCT group. However, the area of hepatic necrosis and serum AST levels significantly decreased in the MCT+DKT group compared with those of the MCT group. Treatment with DKT resulted in the reduction of neutrophil accumulation, myeloperoxidase activity and the expression of cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC) and intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) mRNA in the liver compared with those of the MCT group. Treatment with processed ginger, one of the ingredients in DKT, resulted in similar effects to those shown by DKT. Dai-kenchu-to attenuates MCT-induced liver injury by preventing neutrophil-induced liver injury through blockage of upregulation of CINC and ICAM-1 mRNA level.

Upregulation of miR21 and repression of Grhl3 by leptin mediates sinusoidal endothelial injury in experimental nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

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Sahar Pourhoseini

Full Text Available Sinusoidal endothelial dysfunction (SED has been found to be an early event in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH progression but the molecular mechanisms underlying its causation remains elusive. We hypothesized that adipokine leptin worsens sinusoidal injury by decreasing functionally active nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3 via miR21. Using rodent models of NASH, and transgenic mice lacking leptin and leptin receptor, results showed that hyperleptinemia caused a 4-5 fold upregulation of hepatic miR21 as assessed by qRTPCR. The upregulation of miR21 led to a time-dependent repression of its target protein Grhl3 levels as shown by western blot analyses. NOS3-p/NOS3 ratio which is controlled by Grhl3 was significantly decreased in NASH models. SED markers ICAM-1, VEGFR-2, and E-selectin as assessed by immunofluorescence microscopy were significantly up regulated in the progressive phases of NASH. Lack of leptin or its receptor in vivo, reversed the upregulation of miR21 and restored the levels of Grhl3 and NOS3-p/NOS3 ratio coupled with decreased SED dysfunction markers. Interestingly, leptin supplementation in mice lacking leptin, significantly enhanced miR21 levels, decreased Grhl3 repression and NOS3 phosphorylation. Leptin supplementation in isolated primary endothelial cells, Kupffer cells and stellate cells showed increased mir21 expression in stellate cells while sinusoidal injury was significantly higher in all cell types. Finally miR21 KO mice showed increased NOS3-p/NOS3 ratio and reversed SED markers in the rodent models of NASH. The experimental results described here show a close association of leptin-induced miR21 in aiding sinusoidal injury in NASH.

An all digital phase locked loop for synchronization of a sinusoidal signal embedded in white Gaussian noise

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Reddy, C. P.; Gupta, S. C.

1973-01-01

An all digital phase locked loop which tracks the phase of the incoming sinusoidal signal once per carrier cycle is proposed. The different elements and their functions and the phase lock operation are explained in detail. The nonlinear difference equations which govern the operation of the digital loop when the incoming signal is embedded in white Gaussian noise are derived, and a suitable model is specified. The performance of the digital loop is considered for the synchronization of a sinusoidal signal. For this, the noise term is suitably modelled which allows specification of the output probabilities for the two level quantizer in the loop at any given phase error. The loop filter considered increases the probability of proper phase correction. The phase error states in modulo two-pi forms a finite state Markov chain which enables the calculation of steady state probabilities, RMS phase error, transient response and mean time for cycle skipping.

Responses of Medullary Lateral Line Units of the Goldfish, Carassius auratus, to Amplitude-Modulated Sinusoidal Wave Stimuli

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Ramadan Ali

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the responses of brainstem lateral line units in goldfish, Carassius auratus, to constant-amplitude and to amplitude-modulated sinusoidal water motions. If stimulated with constant-amplitude sinusoidal water motions, units responded with phasic (50% or with sustained (50% increases in dicharge rate. Based on isodisplacement curves, units preferred low (33 Hz, 12.5%, mid (50 Hz, 10% and 100 Hz, 30% or high (200 Hz, 47.5% frequencies. In most units, responses were weakly phase locked to the carrier frequency. However, at a carrier frequency of 50 Hz or 100 Hz, a substantial proportion of the units exhibited strong phase locking. If stimulated with amplitude-modulated water motions, units responded with a burst of discharge to each modulation cycle, that is, units phase locked to the amplitude modulation frequency. Response properties of brainstem units were in many respects comparable to those of midbrain units, suggesting that they emerge first in the lateral line brainstem.

A Comparison Study of Sinusoidal PWM and Space Vector PWM Techniques for Voltage Source Inverter

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Ömer Türksoy

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the methods used to control voltage source inverters which have been intensively investigated in recent years are compared. Although the most efficient result is obtained with the least number of switching elements in the inverter topologies, the method used in the switching is at least as effective as the topology. Besides, the selected switching method to control the inverter will play an effective role in suppressing harmonic components while producing the ideal output voltage. There are many derivatives of pulse width modulation techniques that are commonly used to control voltage source inverters. Some of widespread methods are sinusoidal pulse width modulation and space vector pulse width modulation techniques. These modulation techniques used for generating variable frequency and amplitude output voltage in voltage source inverters, have been simulated by using MATLAB/SIMULINK. And, the total harmonic distortions of the output voltages are compared. As a result of simulation studies, sinusoidal pulse width modulation has been found to have more total harmonic distortion in output voltages of voltage source inverters in the simulation. Space vector pulse width modulation has been shown to produce a more efficient output voltage with less total harmonic distortion.

A two-level voltage source inverter with differentially sinusoidal pulse width modulation used in the interconnection system of a wind turbine generator

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Alexandros C. Charalampidis

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This study analyses an interconnection system based on differentially sinusoidal pulse width modulation, used for the interconnection to the grid of a variable speed wind turbine. The modulation technique used provides specific advantages in comparison with the commonly used sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM technique, such as lower DC bus voltage requirements, smaller switching losses for the same switching frequency as well as less higher harmonic content in the voltage waveforms produced. The respective control system is also described in detail. Thus this study provides a guide enabling the design of any interconnection system based on this modulation technique.

Evaluation of head movement periodicity and irregularity during locomotion of Caenorhabditis elegans

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Ryuzo eShingai

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Caenorhabditis elegans is suitable for studying the nervous system, which controls behavior. C. elegans shows sinusoidal locomotion on an agar plate. The head moves not only sinusoidally but also more complexly, which reflects regulation of the head muscles by the nervous system. The head movement becomes more irregular with senescence. To date, the head movement complexity has not been quantitatively analyzed. We propose two simple methods for evaluation of the head movement regularity on an agar plate using image analysis. The methods calculate metrics that are a measure of how the head end movement is correlated with body movement. In the first method, the length along the trace of the head end on the agar plate between adjacent intersecting points of the head trace and the quasi-midline of the head trace, which was made by sliding an averaging window of 1/2 the body wavelength, was obtained. Histograms of the lengths showed periodic movement of the head and deviation from it. In the second method, the intersections between the trace of the head end and the trace of the 5 (near the pharynx or 50% (the mid-body point from the head end in the centerline length of the worm image were marked. The length of the head trace between adjacent intersections was measured, and a histogram of the lengths was produced. The histogram for the 5% point showed deviation of the head end movement from the movement near the pharynx. The histogram for the 50% point showed deviation of the head movement from the sinusoidal movement of the body center. Application of these methods to wild type and several mutant strains enabled evaluation of their head movement periodicity and irregularity, and revealed a difference in the age-dependence of head movement irregularity between the strains. A set of five parameters obtained from the histograms reliably identifies differences in head movement between strains.

Phonological awareness and sinusoidal amplitude modulation in phonological dislexia.

Science.gov (United States)

Peñaloza-López, Yolanda; Herrera-Rangel, Aline; Pérez-Ruiz, Santiago J; Poblano, Adrián

2016-04-01

Dyslexia is the difficulty of children in learning to read and write as results of neurological deficiencies. The objective was to test the Phonological awareness (PA) and Sinusoidal amplitude modulation (SAM) threshold in children with Phonological dyslexia (PD). We performed a case-control, analytic, cross sectional study. We studied 14 children with PD and 14 control children from 7 to 11 years of age, by means of PA measurement and by SAM test. The mean age of dyslexic children was 8.39 years and in the control group was 8.15. Children with PD exhibited inadequate skills in PA, and SAM. We found significant correlations between PA and SAM at 4 Hertz frequency, and calculated regression equations that predicts between one-fourth and one-third of variance of measurements. Alterations in PA and SAM found can help to explain basis of deficient language processing exhibited by children with PD.

The FXR agonist PX20606 ameliorates portal hypertension by targeting vascular remodelling and sinusoidal dysfunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwabl, Philipp; Hambruch, Eva; Seeland, Berit A; Hayden, Hubert; Wagner, Michael; Garnys, Lukas; Strobel, Bastian; Schubert, Tim-Lukas; Riedl, Florian; Mitteregger, Dieter; Burnet, Michael; Starlinger, Patrick; Oberhuber, Georg; Deuschle, Ulrich; Rohr-Udilova, Nataliya; Podesser, Bruno K; Peck-Radosavljevic, Markus; Reiberger, Thomas; Kremoser, Claus; Trauner, Michael

2017-04-01

Steroidal farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonists demonstrated potent anti-fibrotic activities and lowered portal hypertension in experimental models. The impact of the novel non-steroidal and selective FXR agonist PX20606 on portal hypertension and fibrosis was explored in this study. In experimental models of non-cirrhotic (partial portal vein ligation, PPVL, 7days) and cirrhotic (carbon tetrachloride, CCl 4 , 14weeks) portal hypertension, PX20606 (PX,10mg/kg) or the steroidal FXR agonist obeticholic acid (OCA,10mg/kg) were gavaged. We then measured portal pressure, intrahepatic vascular resistance, liver fibrosis and bacterial translocation. PX decreased portal pressure in non-cirrhotic PPVL (12.6±1.7 vs. 10.4±1.1mmHg; p=0.020) and cirrhotic CCl 4 (15.2±0.5 vs. 11.8±0.4mmHg; p=0.001) rats. In PPVL animals, we observed less bacterial translocation (-36%; p=0.041), a decrease in lipopolysaccharide binding protein (-30%; p=0.024) and splanchnic tumour necrosis factor α levels (-39%; p=0.044) after PX treatment. In CCl 4 rats, PX decreased fibrotic Sirius Red area (-43%; p=0.005), hepatic hydroxyproline (-66%; pportal pressure (-14%; p=0.041) by restoring endothelial function, 14week PX therapy additionally inhibited sinusoidal remodelling and decreased portal pressure to a greater extent (-22%; p=0.001). In human liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, PX increased eNOS and DDAH expression. The non-steroidal FXR agonist PX20606 ameliorates portal hypertension by reducing liver fibrosis, vascular remodelling and sinusoidal dysfunction. The novel drug PX20606 activates the bile acid receptor FXR and shows beneficial effects in experimental liver cirrhosis: In the liver, it reduces scarring and inflammation, and also widens blood vessels. Thus, PX20606 leads to an improved blood flow through the liver and decreases hypertension of the portal vein. Additionally, PX20606 improves the altered intestinal barrier and decreases bacterial migration from the gut. Copyright �

Significance of power average of sinusoidal and non-sinusoidal ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-06-08

Jun 8, 2016 ... PG & Research Department of Physics, Nehru Memorial College (Autonomous),. Puthanampatti .... for long time intervals, the periodic or chaotic behaviour ..... square force (short dashed line), sawtooth force (long dashed.

Analysis of the southern pre-contact W UMa binary ZZ Eridani: A 34 year period study yields a possible low-mass companion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samec, R. G. [Faculty Research Associate, Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, One Pari Drive, Rosman, NC 28772 (United States); Clark, J. D. [Astronomy Group, Physics and Engineering Department, Bob Jones University, 1700 Wade Hampton Boulevard, Greenville, SC 29614 (United States); Hamme, W. Van [Physics Department, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199 (United States); Faulkner, D. R. [University of South Carolina, Lancaster, 476 Hubbard Drive Lancaster, SC 29720 (United States)

2015-02-01

Complete Bessel BVRI light curves of ZZ Eridani [2MASS J04130109-1044545, HV 6280, NSVS 14888164 α(2000) = 04{sup h}13{sup m}1{sub ·}{sup s}10, δ(2000) = −10°44′54{sub ·}{sup ″}5 (ICRS), V = 13.9-14.4-15.0] are observed and analyzed. The system is a southern pre-contact W UMa binary. Its light curve has the appearance of an Algol (EA) light curve, however, it is made up of dwarf solar-type components with a period of only 0.4521 days. Our 34 year period study yields a sinusoidal fit or an increasing quadratic fit. The sinusoid may indicate that a third body is orbiting the close binary. The lower-limit mass of the third body is near that of the brown dwarf limit (0.095 M α). Also included is an improved ephemeris, a mass ratio search, and a simultaneous BVRI Wilson–Devinney solution.

[Effect of 50 Hz 1.8 mT sinusoidal electromagnetic fields on bone mineral density in growing rats].

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Yu-Hai; Zhou, Yan-Feng; Li, Shao-Feng; Li, Wen-Yuan; Xi, Hui-Rong; Yang, Fang-Fang; Chen, Ke-Ming

2017-12-25

To study effects of 50 Hz 1.8 mT sinusoidal electromagnetic fields (SEMFs) on bone mineral density (BMD) in SD rats. Thirty SD rats weighted(110±10) and aged 1 month were randomly divided into control group and electromagnetic field group, 15 in each group. Normal control group of 50 Hz 0 mT density and sinusoidal electromagnetic field group of 50 Hz 1.8 mT were performed respectively with 1.5 h/d and weighted weight once a week, and observed food-intake. Rats were anesthesia by intraperitoneal injection and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry were used to detect bone density of whole body, and detected bone density of femur and vertebral body. Osteocalcin and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b were detected by ELSA; weighted liver, kidney and uterus to calculate purtenance index, then detected pathologic results by HE. Compared with control group, there was no significant change in weight every week, food-intake every day; no obvious change of bone density of whole body at 2 and 4 weeks, however bone density of whole body, bone density of excised femur and vertebra were increased at 6 weeks. Expression of OC was increased, and TRACP 5b expression was decreased. No change of HE has been observed in liver, kidney and uterus and organic index. 50 Hz 1.8 mT sinusoidal electromagnetic fields could improve bone formation to decrease relevant factors of bone absorbs, to improve peak bone density of young rats, in further provide a basis for clinical research electromagnetic fields preventing osteoporosis foundation.

On the Fully-Developed Heat Transfer Enhancing Flow Field in Sinusoidally, Spirally Corrugated Tubes Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hærvig, Jakob; Sørensen, Kim; Condra, Thomas Joseph

2017-01-01

A numerical study has been carried out to investigate heat transfer enhancing flow field in 28 geometrically different sinusoidally, spirally corrugated tubes. To vary the corrugation, the height of corrugation e/D and the length between two successive corrugated sections p/D are varied in the ra...

Period doubling on a non-neutral magnetized electron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boswell, R.W.

1984-01-01

Low frequency oscillations on a non-neutral magnetized electron beam of very low density are investigated. A perturbation analysis of the slow mode of the rigid rotator equilibrium is developed to illustrate the nature of large amplitude fundamental mode oscillations. The results of this theoretical analysis show two important characteristics: firstly, as the perturbation amplitude is increasedthe waveform ceases to be purely sinusoidal and shows period doubling. Secondly, above a certain threshold, all harmonics of the wave grow and the wave breaks. The results of the former are compared with a simple electron beam experiment and are found to be in good qualitative agreement

Diagnosis of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome by positron emission tomography/computed tomography: report of two cases treated by defibrotide.

Science.gov (United States)

Gauthé, Mathieu; Bozec, Laurence; Bedossa, Pierre

2014-11-01

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is a potentially fatal liver injury that mainly occurs after myeloablative chemotherapy. We report two cases of SOS investigated by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography and treated with defibrotide. © 2014 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Cytotoxicity of pyrrolizidine alkaloid in human hepatic parenchymal and sinusoidal endothelial cells: Firm evidence for the reactive metabolites mediated pyrrolizidine alkaloid-induced hepatotoxicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Mengbi; Ruan, Jianqing; Fu, Peter P; Lin, Ge

2016-01-05

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) widely distribute in plants and can cause hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS), which typically presents as a primary sinusoidal endothelial cell damage. It is well-recognized that after ingestion, PAs undergo hepatic cytochromes P450 (CYPs)-mediated metabolic activation to generate dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids (DHPAs), which are hydrolyzed to dehydroretronecine (DHR). DHPAs and DHR are reactive metabolites having same core pyrrole moiety, and can bind proteins to form pyrrole-protein adducts, which are believed as the primary cause for PA-induced HSOS. However, to date, the direct evidences supporting the toxicity of DHPAs and DHR in the liver, in particular in the sinusoidal endothelial cells, are lacking. Using human hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (HSEC) and HepG2 (representing hepatic parenchymal cells), cells that lack CYPs activity, this study determined the direct cytotoxicity of dehydromonocrotaline, a representative DHPA, and DHR, but no cytotoxicity of the intact PA (monocrotaline) in both cell lines, confirming that reactive metabolites mediate PA intoxication. Comparing with HepG2, HSEC had significantly lower basal glutathione (GSH) level, and was significantly more susceptible to the reactive metabolites with severer GSH depletion and pyrrole-protein adducts formation. The toxic potency of two reactive metabolites was also compared. DHPA was more reactive than DHR, leading to severer toxicity. In conclusion, our results unambiguously provided the first direct evidence for the critical role of DHPA and DHR in the reactive metabolites-mediated PA-induced hepatotoxicity, which occurs predominantly in HSEC due to severe GSH depletion and the significant formation of pyrrole-protein adducts in HSEC. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Variations in DNA synthesis and mitotic indices in hepatocytes and sinusoid litoral cells of adult intact male mouse along a circadian time span.

Science.gov (United States)

Surur, J M; Moreno, F R; Badrán, A F; Llanos, J M

1985-01-01

Variations of DNA synthesis (DNAS) and mitotic indices along a circadian time span are described in the hepatocyte and sinusoid litoral cell populations of adult intact male mouse liver. Standardized (light from 0600 to 1800) mice were killed in groups of six to nine animals, every 2-4 hr along a circadian time span. Hepatocytes show significant peaks in the synthesis of DNA and the mitotic activity at 0200 and 1400, respectively. These results correspond to those previously described by us in young immature liver, regenerating liver and hepatomas. The phase differences between these peaks and the differences between their absolute values are discussed. Also considered are the practical consequences of our findings for experimental design. The curve of DNA synthesis of sinusoid litoral cells show a peak at 0200. The mitotic index show a bimodal waveform with peaks at 0800 and 2000. The existence of four different cell populations composing the so called sinusoid litoral cells and also the migration into and out of the liver of some macrophages considered as litoral (Kupffer) cells in our counts, makes interpretation of the curves somewhat complicated and deserves further analysis.

Mode-locking behavior of Izhikevich neurons under periodic external forcing

Science.gov (United States)

Farokhniaee, AmirAli; Large, Edward W.

2017-06-01

Many neurons in the auditory system of the brain must encode periodic signals. These neurons under periodic stimulation display rich dynamical states including mode locking and chaotic responses. Periodic stimuli such as sinusoidal waves and amplitude modulated sounds can lead to various forms of n :m mode-locked states, in which a neuron fires n action potentials per m cycles of the stimulus. Here, we study mode-locking in the Izhikevich neurons, a reduced model of the Hodgkin-Huxley neurons. The Izhikevich model is much simpler in terms of the dimension of the coupled nonlinear differential equations compared with other existing models, but excellent for generating the complex spiking patterns observed in real neurons. We obtained the regions of existence of the various mode-locked states on the frequency-amplitude plane, called Arnold tongues, for the Izhikevich neurons. Arnold tongue analysis provides useful insight into the organization of mode-locking behavior of neurons under periodic forcing. We find these tongues for both class-1 and class-2 excitable neurons in both deterministic and noisy regimes.

Perception of the dynamic visual vertical during sinusoidal linear motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Pomante, A; Selen, L P J; Medendorp, W P

2017-10-01

The vestibular system provides information for spatial orientation. However, this information is ambiguous: because the otoliths sense the gravitoinertial force, they cannot distinguish gravitational and inertial components. As a consequence, prolonged linear acceleration of the head can be interpreted as tilt, referred to as the somatogravic effect. Previous modeling work suggests that the brain disambiguates the otolith signal according to the rules of Bayesian inference, combining noisy canal cues with the a priori assumption that prolonged linear accelerations are unlikely. Within this modeling framework the noise of the vestibular signals affects the dynamic characteristics of the tilt percept during linear whole-body motion. To test this prediction, we devised a novel paradigm to psychometrically characterize the dynamic visual vertical-as a proxy for the tilt percept-during passive sinusoidal linear motion along the interaural axis (0.33 Hz motion frequency, 1.75 m/s 2 peak acceleration, 80 cm displacement). While subjects ( n =10) kept fixation on a central body-fixed light, a line was briefly flashed (5 ms) at different phases of the motion, the orientation of which had to be judged relative to gravity. Consistent with the model's prediction, subjects showed a phase-dependent modulation of the dynamic visual vertical, with a subject-specific phase shift with respect to the imposed acceleration signal. The magnitude of this modulation was smaller than predicted, suggesting a contribution of nonvestibular signals to the dynamic visual vertical. Despite their dampening effect, our findings may point to a link between the noise components in the vestibular system and the characteristics of dynamic visual vertical. NEW & NOTEWORTHY A fundamental question in neuroscience is how the brain processes vestibular signals to infer the orientation of the body and objects in space. We show that, under sinusoidal linear motion, systematic error patterns appear in the

Use of alternating and pulsed direct current electrified fields for zebra mussel control

Science.gov (United States)

Luoma, James A.; Dean, Jan C.; Severson, Todd J.; Wise, Jeremy K.; Barbour, Matthew

2017-01-01

Alternatives to chemicals for controlling dreissenid mussels are desirable for environmental compatibility, but few alternatives exist. Previous studies have evaluated the use of electrified fields for stunning and/or killing planktonic life stages of dreissenid mussels, however, the available literature on the use of electrified fields to control adult dreissenid mussels is limited. We evaluated the effects of sinusoidal alternating current (AC) and 20% duty cycle square-wave pulsed direct current (PDC) exposure on the survival of adult zebra mussels at water temperatures of 10, 15, and 22 °C. Peak voltage gradients of ~ 17 and 30 Vp/cm in the AC and PDC exposures, respectively, were continuously applied for 24, 48, or 72 h. Peak power densities ranged from 77,999 to 107,199 µW/cm3 in the AC exposures and 245,320 to 313,945 µW/cm3 in the PDC exposures. The peak dose ranged from 6,739 to 27,298 Joules/cm3 and 21,306 to 80,941 Joules/cm3 in the AC and PDC exposures, respectively. The applied power ranged from 16.6 to 68.9 kWh in the AC exposures and from 22.2 to 86.4 kWh in the PDC exposures. Mortality ranged from 2.7 to 92.7% in the AC exposed groups and from 24.0 to 98.7% in PDC exposed groups. Mortality increased with corresponding increases in water temperature and exposure duration, and we observed more zebra mussel mortality in the PDC exposures. Exposures conducted with AC required less of a peak dose (Joules/cm3) but more applied power (kWh) to achieve the same level of adult zebra mussel mortality as corresponding PDC exposures. The results demonstrate that 20% duty cycle square-wave PDC requires less energy than sinusoidal AC to inducing the same level of adult zebra mussel mortality.

[The sequential use of local vacuum magnetotherapy and papaverine electrophoresis with sinusoidal modulated currents in impotence].

Science.gov (United States)

Karpukhin, I V; Bogomol'nyĭ, V A

1997-01-01

105 patients with chronic nonspecific prostatitis were examined and treated with papaverin electrophoresis using sinusoidal modulated currents (SMC) and local vacuum magnetotherapy (LVMT). Papaverin SMC electrophoresis and LVMT stimulated cavernous circulation. The highest stimulation was achieved at successive use of LVMT and the electrophoresis. LVMT followed by the electrophoresis maintained good cavernous circulation for 5-6 hours after the procedure in the course of which several spontaneous erections were observed.

Sinusoidal oscillators with lower gain requirements at higher frequencies based on an explicit tanh(x) nonlinearity

KAUST Repository

Elwakil, Ahmed S.

2009-04-28

Two novel sinusoidal oscillator structures with an explicit tanh(x) nonlinearity are proposed. The oscillators have the attractive feature: the higher the operating frequency, the lower the necessary gain required to start oscillations. A nonlinear model for the two oscillators is derived and verified numerically. Spice simulations using AMS BiCMOS 0.35 μ model parameters and experimental results are shown. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Response of resonant gravitational wave detectors to damped sinusoid signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pai, A; Celsi, C; Pallottino, G V; D'Antonio, S; Astone, P

2007-01-01

Till date, the search for burst signals with resonant gravitational wave (GW) detectors has been done using the δ-function approximation for the signal, which was reasonable due to the very small bandwidth of these detectors. However, now with increased bandwidth (of the order of 10 or more Hz) and with the possibility of comparing results with interferometric GW detectors (broad-band), it is very important to exploit the resonant detectors' capability to detect also signals with specific wave shapes. As a first step, we present a study of the response of resonant GW detectors to damped sinusoids with given frequency and decay time and report on the development of a filter matched to these signals. This study is a preliminary step towards the comprehension of the detector response and of the filtering for signals such as the excitation of stellar quasi-normal modes

Real-time detection of musical onsets with linear prediction and sinusoidal modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Glover, John; Lazzarini, Victor; Timoney, Joseph

2011-12-01

Real-time musical note onset detection plays a vital role in many audio analysis processes, such as score following, beat detection and various sound synthesis by analysis methods. This article provides a review of some of the most commonly used techniques for real-time onset detection. We suggest ways to improve these techniques by incorporating linear prediction as well as presenting a novel algorithm for real-time onset detection using sinusoidal modelling. We provide comprehensive results for both the detection accuracy and the computational performance of all of the described techniques, evaluated using Modal, our new open source library for musical onset detection, which comes with a free database of samples with hand-labelled note onsets.

Sensitivity of echo enabled harmonic generation to sinusoidal electron beam energy structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Hemsing

2017-06-01

Full Text Available We analytically examine the bunching factor spectrum of a relativistic electron beam with sinusoidal energy structure that then undergoes an echo-enabled harmonic generation (EEHG transformation to produce high harmonics. The performance is found to be described primarily by a simple scaling parameter. The dependence of the bunching amplitude on fluctuations of critical parameters is derived analytically, and compared with simulations. Where applicable, EEHG is also compared with high gain harmonic generation (HGHG and we find that EEHG is generally less sensitive to several types of energy structure. In the presence of intermediate frequency modulations like those produced by the microbunching instability, EEHG has a substantially narrower intrinsic bunching pedestal.

Magnetic cycles and rotation periods of late-type stars from photometric time series

Science.gov (United States)

Suárez Mascareño, A.; Rebolo, R.; González Hernández, J. I.

2016-10-01

Aims: We investigate the photometric modulation induced by magnetic activity cycles and study the relationship between rotation period and activity cycle(s) in late-type (FGKM) stars. Methods: We analysed light curves, spanning up to nine years, of 125 nearby stars provided by the All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS). The sample is mainly composed of low-activity, main-sequence late-A to mid-M-type stars. We performed a search for short (days) and long-term (years) periodic variations in the photometry. We modelled the light curves with combinations of sinusoids to measure the properties of these periodic signals. To provide a better statistical interpretation of our results, we complement our new results with results from previous similar works. Results: We have been able to measure long-term photometric cycles of 47 stars, out of which 39 have been derived with false alarm probabilities (FAP) of less than 0.1 per cent. Rotational modulation was also detected and rotational periods were measured in 36 stars. For 28 stars we have simultaneous measurements of activity cycles and rotational periods, 17 of which are M-type stars. We measured both photometric amplitudes and periods from sinusoidal fits. The measured cycle periods range from 2 to 14 yr with photometric amplitudes in the range of 5-20 mmag. We found that the distribution of cycle lengths for the different spectral types is similar, as the mean cycle is 9.5 yr for F-type stars, 6.7 yr for G-type stars, 8.5 yr for K-type stars, 6.0 yr for early M-type stars, and 7.1 yr for mid-M-type stars. On the other hand, the distribution of rotation periods is completely different, trending to longer periods for later type stars, from a mean rotation of 8.6 days for F-type stars to 85.4 days in mid-M-type stars. The amplitudes induced by magnetic cycles and rotation show a clear correlation. A trend of photometric amplitudes with rotation period is also outlined in the data. The amplitudes of the photometric variability

Modeling direction discrimination thresholds for yaw rotations around an earth-vertical axis for arbitrary motion profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Soyka, Florian; Giordano, Paolo Robuffo; Barnett-Cowan, Michael; Bülthoff, Heinrich H

2012-07-01

Understanding the dynamics of vestibular perception is important, for example, for improving the realism of motion simulation and virtual reality environments or for diagnosing patients suffering from vestibular problems. Previous research has found a dependence of direction discrimination thresholds for rotational motions on the period length (inverse frequency) of a transient (single cycle) sinusoidal acceleration stimulus. However, self-motion is seldom purely sinusoidal, and up to now, no models have been proposed that take into account non-sinusoidal stimuli for rotational motions. In this work, the influence of both the period length and the specific time course of an inertial stimulus is investigated. Thresholds for three acceleration profile shapes (triangular, sinusoidal, and trapezoidal) were measured for three period lengths (0.3, 1.4, and 6.7 s) in ten participants. A two-alternative forced-choice discrimination task was used where participants had to judge if a yaw rotation around an earth-vertical axis was leftward or rightward. The peak velocity of the stimulus was varied, and the threshold was defined as the stimulus yielding 75 % correct answers. In accordance with previous research, thresholds decreased with shortening period length (from ~2 deg/s for 6.7 s to ~0.8 deg/s for 0.3 s). The peak velocity was the determining factor for discrimination: Different profiles with the same period length have similar velocity thresholds. These measurements were used to fit a novel model based on a description of the firing rate of semi-circular canal neurons. In accordance with previous research, the estimates of the model parameters suggest that velocity storage does not influence perceptual thresholds.

Isothermal sinusoidal analysis of balanced compound Vuilleumier heat pumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finkelstein, T.

1992-01-01

This paper reports on Vuilleumier heat pumps with balanced compounding which have been under investigation for about fifteen years but have not yet reached the stage of commercial utilization. Previously published analytical treatment based upon isothermal treatment of the variable-volume spaces resulted in closed form solution of considerable complexity of the coupled differential equations but applied only to free piston machines. In contrast, the procedure presented here is based on previously demonstrated sinusoidal excursions of the reciprocators. It is of the same order of accuracy, but much more simple and usable. It was found that there is only negligible difference between the results of the present and the previous approach. Additionally, the treatment presented here is applicable to kinematic machines, as well as to free piston machines. For the latter design, an equation for the natural frequency is also derived. Ideal proportions and practical expressions for the energy streams are derived. Gas forces are plotted versus displacement and it is shown that they are equivalent to a linear spring, which is of importance for the concept of a free-piston design

Dynamic evolution of Rayleigh-Taylor bubbles from sinusoidal, W-shaped, and random perturbations

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Zhi-Rui; Zhang, You-Sheng; Tian, Bao-Lin

2018-03-01

Implicit large eddy simulations of two-dimensional Rayleigh-Taylor instability at different density ratios (i.e., Atwood number A =0.05 , 0.5, and 0.9) are conducted to investigate the late-time dynamics of bubbles. To produce a flow field full of bounded, semibounded, and chaotic bubbles, three problems with distinct perturbations are simulated: (I) periodic sinusoidal perturbation, (II) isolated W-shaped perturbation, and (III) random short-wave perturbations. The evolution of height h , velocity v , and diameter D of the (dominant) bubble with time t are formulated and analyzed. In problem I, during the quasisteady stage, the simulations confirm Goncharov's prediction of the terminal speed v∞=Fr√{A g λ /(1 +A ) } , where Fr=1 /√{3 π } . Moreover, the diameter D at this stage is found to be proportional to the initial perturbation wavelength λ as D ≈λ . This differed from Daly's simulation result of D =λ (1 +A )/2 . In problem II, a W-shaped perturbation is designed to produce a bubble environment similar to that of chaotic bubbles in problem III. We obtain a similar terminal speed relationship as above, but Fr is replaced by Frw≈0.63 . In problem III, the simulations show that h grows quadratically with the bubble acceleration constant α ≡h /(A g t2)≈0.05 , and D expands self-similarly with a steady aspect ratio β ≡D /h ≈(1 +A )/2 , which differs from existing theories. Therefore, following the mechanism of self-similar growth, we derive a relationship of β =4 α (1 +A ) /Frw2 to relate the evolution of chaotic bubbles in problem III to that of semibounded bubbles in problem II. The validity of this relationship highlights the fact that the dynamics of chaotic bubbles in problem III are similar to the semibounded isolated bubbles in problem II, but not to that of bounded periodic bubbles in problem I.

A Statistical and Spectral Model for Representing Noisy Sounds with Short-Time Sinusoids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Myriam Desainte-Catherine

2005-07-01

Full Text Available We propose an original model for noise analysis, transformation, and synthesis: the CNSS model. Noisy sounds are represented with short-time sinusoids whose frequencies and phases are random variables. This spectral and statistical model represents information about the spectral density of frequencies. This perceptually relevant property is modeled by three mathematical parameters that define the distribution of the frequencies. This model also represents the spectral envelope. The mathematical parameters are defined and the analysis algorithms to extract these parameters from sounds are introduced. Then algorithms for generating sounds from the parameters of the model are presented. Applications of this model include tools for composers, psychoacoustic experiments, and pedagogy.

FAA Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuels & Environment : Annual Technical Report : December, 2016 : For the period September 13, 2013 - September 30, 2015

Science.gov (United States)

2015-12-01

This report covers the period between the initial establishment of the FAA Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuels and Environment on September 13, 2013 through September 30, 2015. The Center was established by the authority of FAA solicitatio...

Long-term periodicities in the sunspot record

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, R.M.

1984-07-01

Sunspot records are systematically maintained, with the knowledge that an 11 year average period exists since about 1850. Thus, the sunspot record of highest quality and considered to be the most reliable is that of cycle eight through the present. On the basis of cycles 8 through 20, various combinations of sine curves were used to approximate the observed R sub MAX values (where R sub MAX is the smoothed sunspot number at cycle maximum). It is found that a three component sinusoidal function, having an 11 cycle and a 2 cycle variation on a 90 cycle periodicity, yields computed R sub MAX values which fit, reasonably well, observed R sub MAX values for the modern sunspot cycles. Extrapolation of the empirical functions forward in time allows for the projection of values of R sub MAX for cycles 21 and 22. For cycle 21, the function projects a value of 157.3, very close to the actually observed value of 164.5. For cycle 22, the function projects a value of about 107. Linear regressions applied to cycle 22 indicate a long-period cycle (cycle duration 132 months). An extensive bibliography on techniques used to estimate the time dependent behavior of sunspot cycles is provided

Bottomside sinusoidal irregularities in the equatorial F region. II - Cross-correlation and spectral analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Cragin, B. L.; Hanson, W. B.; Mcclure, J. P.; Valladares, C. E.

1985-01-01

Equatorial bottomside sinusoidal (BSS) irregularities have been studied by applying techniques of cross-correlation and spectral analysis to the Atmosphere Explorer data set. The phase of the cross-correlations of the plasma number density is discussed and the two drift velocity components observed using the retarding potential analyzer and ion drift meter on the satellite are discussed. Morphology is addressed, presenting the geographical distributions of the occurrence of BSS events for the equinoxes and solstices. Physical processes including the ion Larmor flux, interhemispheric plasma flows, and variations in the lower F region Pedersen conductivity are invoked to explain the findings.

Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome During Chemotherapy of Pediatric Cancers and its Successful Management With Defibrotide.

Science.gov (United States)

Kizilocak, Hande; Dikme, Gürcan; Özdemir, Nihal; Kuruğoğlu, Sebuh; Adaletli, İbrahim; Erkan, Tülay; Celkan, Tiraje

2017-10-01

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is a life-threatening complication generally occurring after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. SOS after standard dose chemotherapy in malignancies is rare. Between the year 1995 and 2016, 414 patients were diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 113 patients were diagnosed with Wilms tumor in our institution. Among these patients, 4 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (0.96%) and 2 patients with Wilms tumor (1.7%) developed SOS during treatment. SOS behaves like a local disseminated intravascular coagulation. Defibrotide has proved to be effective in SOS. In this article, we report our experience with defibrotide in SOS.

Additional Energy Losses from Asymmetric and Non-Sinusoidal Current in an Electrical Facility and Methods of their Reduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tarasov Evgeniy V.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Influence of the asymmetry and higher harmonics of current on the operation of an electrical facility is analyzed. The level of additional losses from the asymmetric and non-sinusoidal currents is evaluated for a 110 kV electrical network in the Siberian Region of the Russian Federation. Methods for reducing the additional energy losses in the electrical facility are suggested.

Additional Energy Losses from Asymmetric and Non-Sinusoidal Current in an Electrical Facility and Methods of their Reduction

OpenAIRE

Tarasov, Evgeny Vladimirovich; Bulyga, Leonid Leonidovich; Ushakov, Vasily Yakovlevich; Kharlov, Nikolay Nikolaevich

2015-01-01

Influence of the asymmetry and higher harmonics of current on the operation of an electrical facility is analyzed. The level of additional losses from the asymmetric and non-sinusoidal currents is evaluated for a 110 kV electrical network in the Siberian Region of the Russian Federation. Methods for reducing the additional energy losses in the electrical facility are suggested.

The role of computer-aided 3D surgery and stereolithographic modelling for vector orientation in premaxillary and trans-sinusoidal maxillary distraction osteogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Varol, Altan; Basa, Selçuk

2009-06-01

Maxillary distraction osteogenesis is a challenging procedure when it is performed with internal submerged distractors due to obligation of setting accurate distraction vectors. Five patients with severe maxillary retrognathy were planned with Mimics 10.01 CMF and Simplant 10.01 software. Distraction vectors and rods of distractors were arranged in 3D environment and on STL models. All patients were operated under general anaesthesia and complete Le Fort I downfracture was performed. All distractions were performed according to orientated vectors. All patients achieved stable occlusion and satisfactory aesthetic outcome at the end of the treatment period. Preoperative bending of internal maxillary distractors prevents significant loss of operation time. 3D computer-aided surgical simulation and model surgery provide accurate orientation of distraction vectors for premaxillary and internal trans-sinusoidal maxillary distraction. Combination of virtual surgical simulation and stereolithographic models surgery can be validated as an effective method of preoperative planning for complicated maxillofacial surgery cases.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography of hepatocellular carcinoma: Correlation between quantitative parameters and arteries in neoangiogenesis or sinusoidal capillarization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pei Xiaoqing; Liu Longzhong; Zheng Wei; Cai Muyan; Han Feng; He Jiehua; Li Anhua; Chen Minshan

2012-01-01

Objective: The quantitative parameters in contrast-enhanced ultrasonography-time–intensity curve of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were studied to explore their potential importance in monitoring the effects of anti-angiogenic therapy for HCC. Methods: 115 HCC patients were studied with contrast-enhanced ultrasonography-time–intensity curve (CEUS-TIC) and with immunohistochemical analysis of tissue sections. The CEUS images were analyzed off-line to obtained quantitative parameters including maximum of intensity (IMAX), rise time (RT), time to peak (TTP), mean transit time (mTT), rise slope (RS), and washout time (WT). Monoclonal antibodies specific for smooth muscle actin and anti-CD34 were used to observe unpaired arteries (UAs) and microvessel area (MVA) of sinusoidal capillarization, respectively. The UAs and MVA of 82 HCC cases were successfully stained. Results: The number of UAs had moderate correlation with RT (r = −0.446), TTP (r = −0.432), and RS (r = 0.431) (P < 0.05), and it had mild correlation with IMAX (r = 0.303) and WT (r = 0.285) (P < 0.05). MVA of sinusoidal capillarization had no correlation with perfusion parameters. Conclusion: Quantitative CEUS-TIC parameters reflecting hemodynamics of tumors are correlated with UAs, but not with MVA, and they might be used to monitor the effects of anti-angiogenic therapy on HCC.

Plasma electrolytic oxidation of A1050 aluminium alloy in homogeneous silicate-alkaline electrolytes with edta{sup 4−} complexes of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, La and Ba under alternating polarization conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rogov, A.B., E-mail: alex-lab@bk.ru [Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, 3, Acad. Lavrentiev Ave., Novosibirsk, 630090 (Russian Federation); Scientific and Technical Centre “Pokrytie-A” (OOO), 15, Dzerzhinskogo Ave., Novosibirsk, 630015 (Russian Federation)

2015-11-01

This work is devoted to the synthesis of coatings containing a number of transition elements by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) on aluminium A1050 alloy. The paper discusses PEO coatings obtained in silicate-alkaline electrolytes containing complexes of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, La and Ba with ethylenediaminetetraacetic anion edta{sup 4−}. It is also focused on the chemical basis of the electrolyte components choice and their role in the process of PEO. Possible mechanism of coating formation process is also discussed. Alternating current mode (symmetrical sinusoidal current pulses, initial average current density - 100 mA cm{sup −2}) was used to produce the coatings. The PEO process was characterized by behaviours of the anodic and cathodic peak voltage curves. Coating surfaces and cross sections are studied by optical dark field microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray and energy dispersive analysis. - Highlights: • Alkaline homogeneous electrolyte with transition metal-edta{sup 4-} complexes. • Coatings contain Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, La, Ba elements in alumina-silica matrix. • Alternating symmetric sinusoidal current of 100 mA cm{sup −2} was applied. • Borax buffer solution and silicate passivating agent were used.

Defibrotide: An Oligonucleotide for Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Aziz, May T; Kakadiya, Payal P; Kush, Samantha M; Weigel, Kylie; Lowe, Denise K

2018-02-01

To review the efficacy and safety of defibrotide as well as its pharmacology, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics (PK), drug-drug interactions, dosing, cost considerations, and place in therapy. A PubMed search was performed through August 2017 using the terms defibrotide, oligonucleotide, hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), and hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Other data sources were from references of identified studies, review articles, and conference abstracts plus manufacturer product labeling and website, the Food and Drug Administration website, and clinicaltrials.gov. English-language trials that examined defibrotide's pharmacodynamics, mechanism, PK, efficacy, safety, dosing, and cost-effectiveness were included. Trials have confirmed the safety and efficacy of defibrotide for treatment of VOD/SOS in adult and pediatric HCT patients, with complete response rates and day +100 overall survival rates ranging from 25.5% to 76% and 35% to 64%, respectively. The British Committee for Standards in Haematology/British Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Guidelines recommend defibrotide prophylaxis in pediatric and adult HCT patients with risk factors for VOD/SOS; however, its prophylactic use in the United States is controversial. Although there are efficacy data to support this strategy, cost-effectiveness data have not shown it to be cost-effective. Defibrotide has manageable toxicities, with low rates of grade 3 to 4 adverse effects. Defibrotide is the first medication approved in the United States for the treatment of adults and children with hepatic VOD/SOS, with renal or pulmonary dysfunction following HCT. Data evaluating defibrotide for VOD/SOS prevention are conflicting and have not shown cost-effectiveness.

Analytical solution to the problem of heat transfer in an MHD flow inside a channel with prescribed sinusoidal wall heat flux

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zniber, K.; Oubarra, A.; Lahjomri, J.

2005-01-01

An MHD laminar flow through a two dimensional channel subjected to a uniform magnetic field and heated at the walls of the conduit over the whole length with a sinusoidal heat flux of vanishing mean value or not, is studied analytically. General expressions of the temperature distribution and of the local and mean Nusselt numbers are obtained by using the technique of linear operators in the case of negligible Joule and viscous dissipation and by taking into account the axial conduction effect. The principal results show that an increase of the local Nusselt number with Hartmann number is observed, and, far from the inlet section, the average heat transfer between the fluid and the walls shows a significant improvement at all values of Hartmann number used when the frequency of the prescribed sinusoidal wall heat flux is increasing in the case of vanishing mean value of the heat flux and this is true especially at low Peclet numbers

A Route to Chaotic Behavior of Single Neuron Exposed to External Electromagnetic Radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Peihua; Wu, Ying; Zhang, Jiazhong

2017-01-01

Non-linear behaviors of a single neuron described by Fitzhugh-Nagumo (FHN) neuron model, with external electromagnetic radiation considered, is investigated. It is discovered that with external electromagnetic radiation in form of a cosine function, the mode selection of membrane potential occurs among periodic, quasi-periodic, and chaotic motions as increasing the frequency of external transmembrane current, which is selected as a sinusoidal function. When the frequency is small or large enough, periodic, and quasi-periodic motions are captured alternatively. Otherwise, when frequency is in interval 0.778 electromagnetic radiation. The frequency apparently plays a more important role in determining the system behavior.

Removing damped sinusoidal vibrations in adaptive optics systems using a DFT-based estimation method

Science.gov (United States)

Kania, Dariusz

2017-06-01

The problem of a vibrations rejection in adaptive optics systems is still present in publications. These undesirable signals emerge because of shaking the system structure, the tracking process, etc., and they usually are damped sinusoidal signals. There are some mechanical solutions to reduce the signals but they are not very effective. One of software solutions are very popular adaptive methods. An AVC (Adaptive Vibration Cancellation) method has been presented and developed in recent years. The method is based on the estimation of three vibrations parameters and values of frequency, amplitude and phase are essential to produce and adjust a proper signal to reduce or eliminate vibrations signals. This paper presents a fast (below 10 ms) and accurate estimation method of frequency, amplitude and phase of a multifrequency signal that can be used in the AVC method to increase the AO system performance. The method accuracy depends on several parameters: CiR - number of signal periods in a measurement window, N - number of samples in the FFT procedure, H - time window order, SNR, THD, b - number of A/D converter bits in a real time system, γ - the damping ratio of the tested signal, φ - the phase of the tested signal. Systematic errors increase when N, CiR, H decrease and when γ increases. The value of systematic error for γ = 0.1%, CiR = 1.1 and N = 32 is approximately 10^-4 Hz/Hz. This paper focuses on systematic errors of and effect of the signal phase and values of γ on the results.

Period doubling of azimuthal oscillations on a non-neutral magnetized electron column

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boswell, R.W.

1985-01-01

The low-frequency azimuthal oscillations on a non-neutral magnetized electron column of very low density are investigated. A perturbation analysis of the slow mode of the rigid rotator equilibrium is developed to illustrate the nature of large-amplitude fundamental-mode oscillations. The results of this theoretical analysis show two important characteristics: firstly, as the perturbation amplitude is increased the wave form ceases to be purely sinusoidal and shows period doubling. Secondly, above a certain threshold, all harmonics of the wave grow and the wave breaks. The results of the former are compared with a simple electron beam experiment and are found to be in good qualitative agreement. (author)

An Alternate Graphical Representation of Periodic table of Chemical Elements

OpenAIRE

Abubakr, Mohd

2009-01-01

Periodic table of chemical elements symbolizes an elegant graphical representation of symmetry at atomic level and provides an overview on arrangement of electrons. It started merely as tabular representation of chemical elements, later got strengthened with quantum mechanical description of atomic structure and recent studies have revealed that periodic table can be formulated using SO(4,2)* SU(2) group. IUPAC, the governing body in Chemistry, doesn't approve any periodic table as a standard...

Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS Mechanisms and Protocols

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amir V. Tavakoli

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Perception, cognition and consciousness can be modulated as a function of oscillating neural activity, while ongoing neuronal dynamics are influenced by synaptic activity and membrane potential. Consequently, transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS may be used for neurological intervention. The advantageous features of tACS include the biphasic and sinusoidal tACS currents, the ability to entrain large neuronal populations, and subtle control over somatic effects. Through neuromodulation of phasic, neural activity, tACS is a powerful tool to investigate the neural correlates of cognition. The rapid development in this area requires clarity about best practices. Here we briefly introduce tACS and review the most compelling findings in the literature to provide a starting point for using tACS. We suggest that tACS protocols be based on functional brain mechanisms and appropriate control experiments, including active sham and condition blinding.

Large right ventricular sinusoids in an infant with aorta-left ventricular tunnel and proximal right coronary artery atresia.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Peter C; Spinner, Joseph A; Heinle, Jeffrey S

2018-07-01

We report a 1-month-old infant diagnosed with an aorta-left ventricular tunnel, ventricular septal defect, and right coronary atresia with right ventricular sinusoids. The patient's anatomy and physiology did not indicate right-ventricular-dependent coronary circulation, and therefore right ventricular decompression could be performed without compromising coronary perfusion during surgical correction. A detailed understanding of the coronary anatomy is critical in managing this defect when coronary anomalies are present.

Instrumentation to Measure the Capacitance of Biosensors by Sinusoidal Wave Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavan Kumar KATHUROJU

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Micro Controller based instrumentation to measure the capacitance of biosensors is developed. It is based on frequency domain technique with sinusoidal wave input. Changes in the capacitance of biosensor because of the analyte specific reaction are calculated by knowing the current flowing through the sample. A dedicated 8-bit microcontroller (AT89C52 and its associated peripherals are employed for the hardware and application specific software is developed in ‘C’ language. The paper describes the methodology, instrumentation details along with a specific application to glucose sensing. The measurements are conducted with glucose oxidase based capacitance biosensor and the obtained results are compared with the conventional method of sugar measurements using the UV-Visible spectroscopy (Phenol-Sulphuric acid assay method. Measurement accuracy of the instrument is found to be ± 5 %. Experiments are conducted on glucose sensor with different bias voltages. It is found that for bias voltages varying from 0.5 to 0.7 Volt, the measurements are good for this application.

Alternating current electric fields of varying frequencies: effects on proliferation and differentiation of porcine neural progenitor cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Ji-Hey; McCullen, Seth D; Piedrahita, Jorge A; Loboa, Elizabeth G; Olby, Natasha J

2013-10-01

Application of sinusoidal electric fields (EFs) has been observed to affect cellular processes, including alignment, proliferation, and differentiation. In the present study, we applied low-frequency alternating current (AC) EFs to porcine neural progenitor cells (pNPCs) and investigated the effects on cell patterning, proliferation, and differentiation. pNPCs were grown directly on interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) localizing the EFs to a region accessible visually for fluorescence-based assays. Cultures of pNPCs were exposed to EFs (1 V/cm) of 1 Hz, 10 Hz, and 50 Hz for 3, 7, and 14 days and compared to control cultures. Immunocytochemistry was performed to evaluate the expression of neural markers. pNPCs grew uniformly with no evidence of alignment to the EFs and no change in cell numbers when compared with controls. Nestin expression was shown in all groups at 3 and 7 days, but not at 14 days. NG2 expression was low in all groups. Co-expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and TUJ1 was significantly higher in the cultures exposed to 10- and 50-Hz EFs than the controls. In summary, sinusoidal AC EFs via IDEs did not alter the alignment and proliferation of pNPCs, but higher frequency stimulation appeared to delay differentiation into mature astrocytes.

Identical phase oscillators with global sinusoidal coupling evolve by Mobius group action.

Science.gov (United States)

Marvel, Seth A; Mirollo, Renato E; Strogatz, Steven H

2009-12-01

Systems of N identical phase oscillators with global sinusoidal coupling are known to display low-dimensional dynamics. Although this phenomenon was first observed about 20 years ago, its underlying cause has remained a puzzle. Here we expose the structure working behind the scenes of these systems by proving that the governing equations are generated by the action of the Mobius group, a three-parameter subgroup of fractional linear transformations that map the unit disk to itself. When there are no auxiliary state variables, the group action partitions the N-dimensional state space into three-dimensional invariant manifolds (the group orbits). The N-3 constants of motion associated with this foliation are the N-3 functionally independent cross ratios of the oscillator phases. No further reduction is possible, in general; numerical experiments on models of Josephson junction arrays suggest that the invariant manifolds often contain three-dimensional regions of neutrally stable chaos.

Amelioration of cirrhotic portal hypertension by targeted cyclooxygenase-1 siRNA delivery to liver sinusoidal endothelium with polyethylenimine grafted hyaluronic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Liteng; Cai, Mingyue; Deng, Shaohui; Huang, Wensou; Huang, Jingjun; Huang, Xinghua; Huang, Mingsheng; Wang, Yong; Shuai, Xintao; Zhu, Kangshun

2017-10-01

Portal hypertension (PH), a leading cause of mortality in cirrhosis, lacks effective clinical therapeutic strategies. The increased thromboxane A 2 (TXA 2 ), derived primarily from the upregulation of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) in cirrhotic liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs), is responsible for hepatic endothelial dysfunction and PH. Thus, blocking the COX-1 pathway in cirrhotic LSECs may benefit the treatment of PH. In this study, hyaluronate-graft-polyethylenimine (HA-PEI) was synthesized for the targeted delivery of COX-1 siRNA to LSECs. Compared to non-targeted PEI, HA-PEI mediated much more efficient siRNA delivery, which resulted in potent targeted gene silencing in LSECs. In vivo, HA-PEI notably increased the accumulation of siRNA along the sinusoidal lining of the liver, inhibited over-activation of the COX-1/TXA 2 pathway in LSECs, and successfully reduced portal pressure in cirrhotic mice. These results highlight the potential of HA-PEI complexed siRNA to serve as a LSECs-specific nanomedical system for effective gene therapy in PH. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fine tuning of optical signals in nanoporous anodic alumina photonic crystals by apodized sinusoidal pulse anodisation.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Abel; Law, Cheryl Suwen; Chin Lei, Dominique Wong; Pereira, Taj; Losic, Dusan

2016-11-03

In this study, we present an advanced nanofabrication approach to produce gradient-index photonic crystal structures based on nanoporous anodic alumina. An apodization strategy is for the first time applied to a sinusoidal pulse anodisation process in order to engineer the photonic stop band of nanoporous anodic alumina (NAA) in depth. Four apodization functions are explored, including linear positive, linear negative, logarithmic positive and logarithmic negative, with the aim of finely tuning the characteristic photonic stop band of these photonic crystal structures. We systematically analyse the effect of the amplitude difference (from 0.105 to 0.840 mA cm -2 ), the pore widening time (from 0 to 6 min), the anodisation period (from 650 to 950 s) and the anodisation time (from 15 to 30 h) on the quality and the position of the characteristic photonic stop band and the interferometric colour of these photonic crystal structures using the aforementioned apodization functions. Our results reveal that a logarithmic negative apodisation function is the most optimal approach to obtain unprecedented well-resolved and narrow photonic stop bands across the UV-visible-NIR spectrum of NAA-based gradient-index photonic crystals. Our study establishes a fully comprehensive rationale towards the development of unique NAA-based photonic crystal structures with finely engineered optical properties for advanced photonic devices such as ultra-sensitive optical sensors, selective optical filters and all-optical platforms for quantum computing.

Electrochemical investigation of crack initiation during corrosion fatigue of stainless steels in the passive state. Elektrochemische Untersuchung der Rissbildung bei Schwingungsrisskorrosion im stabil-passiven Werkstoffzustand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spaehn, R. (Technische Hochschule Darmstadt (Germany, F.R.))

1991-03-01

The corrosion fatigue behaviour of three stainless steels - ferritic (12% Cr), austenitic (type 316 Ti) and austenitic-ferritic (type 31803; Duplex stainless steel) - was studied under rotating bending moments in aqueous sulphuric acid of 30deg C. An instrumental set-up for recording the transient currents of specimens during potentiostatically controlled corrosion fatigue is described. Based on this transient current signal technique, three stages on the corrosion fatigue process can be discerned. In the incubation period, small stochastic current transients are caused by the response of the passive layer to alternating stresses and environmental conditions. The appearance of sinusoidal current signals indicates crack initiation whereas the phase angle between a fixed marker - i.e. a light barrier signal -, and the anodic amplitude represents the site of initiating cracks. Finally, the crack growth period is characterized by an increasing cell current and steadily growing sinusoidal current signals caused by the interplay of microplastic and repassivation processes at the crack tip. (orig.).

Time-frequency analyses of fluid-solid interaction under sinusoidal translational shear deformation of the viscoelastic rat cerebrum

Science.gov (United States)

Leahy, Lauren N.; Haslach, Henry W.

2018-02-01

During normal extracellular fluid (ECF) flow in the brain glymphatic system or during pathological flow induced by trauma resulting from impacts and blast waves, ECF-solid matter interactions result from sinusoidal shear waves in the brain and cranial arterial tissue, both heterogeneous biological tissues with high fluid content. The flow in the glymphatic system is known to be forced by pulsations of the cranial arteries at about 1 Hz. The experimental shear stress response to sinusoidal translational shear deformation at 1 Hz and 25% strain amplitude and either 0% or 33% compression is compared for rat cerebrum and bovine aortic tissue. Time-frequency analyses aim to correlate the shear stress signal frequency components over time with the behavior of brain tissue constituents to identify the physical source of the shear nonlinear viscoelastic response. Discrete fast Fourier transformation analysis and the novel application to the shear stress signal of harmonic wavelet decomposition both show significant 1 Hz and 3 Hz components. The 3 Hz component in brain tissue, whose magnitude is much larger than in aortic tissue, may result from interstitial fluid induced drag forces. The harmonic wavelet decomposition locates 3 Hz harmonics whose magnitudes decrease on subsequent cycles perhaps because of bond breaking that results in easier fluid movement. Both tissues exhibit transient shear stress softening similar to the Mullins effect in rubber. The form of a new mathematical model for the drag force produced by ECF-solid matter interactions captures the third harmonic seen experimentally.

Dynamics of the Josephson multi-junction system with junctions characterized by non-sinusoidal current - phase relationship

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abal'osheva, I.; Lewandowski, S.J.

2004-01-01

It is shown that the inclusion of junctions characterized by non-sinusoidal current - phase relationship in the systems composed of multiple Josephson junctions - results in the appearance of additional system phase states. Numerical simulations and stability considerations confirm that those phase states can be realized in practice. Moreover, spontaneous formation of the grain boundary junctions in high-T c superconductors with non-trivial current-phase relations due to the d-wave symmetry of the order parameter is probable. Switching between the phase states of multiple grain boundary junction systems can lead to additional 1/f noise in high-T c superconductors. (author)

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (veno-occlusive disease in a patient receiving bevacizumab for metastatic colorectal cancer: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agarwal Vijay

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction We present the case of a patient with colon cancer who, while receiving bevacizumab, developed sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (veno-occlusive disease (SOSVOD. Certain antitumour agents such as 6-mercaptopurine and 6-thioguanine have also been reported to initiate hepatic SOSVOD in isolated cases. There have been no reports so far correlating bevacizumab with SOSVOD. Case presentation A 77-year-old man was being treated with oxaliplatin and a modified de Gramont regimen of 5-fluorouracil for metastatic colon cancer. Bevacizumab (7.5 mg/kg was added from the seventh cycle onwards. Protracted neutropenia and thrombocytopenia led to discontinuation of oxaliplatin after the ninth cycle. A computed tomography scan showed complete response and bevacizumab was continued for another 3 months, after which time the patient developed right hypochondrial pain, transudative ascites, splenomegaly and abnormal liver function tests. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed oesophageal varices. Liver biopsy showed features considered to be consistent with SOSVOD. Bevacizumab was stopped and a policy of watchful waiting was adopted. He tolerated the acute damage to his liver and subsequently the ascites resolved and liver function tests normalised. Conclusion We need to be aware that bevacizumab can cause sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (veno-occlusive disease and that the occurrence of ascites should not be attributed to progressive disease without appropriate evaluation.

Tissue responses to fractional transient heating with sinusoidal heat flux condition on skin surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Ezzat, Magdy A; El-Bary, Alaa A; Al-Sowayan, Noorah S

2016-10-01

A fractional model of Bioheat equation for describing quantitatively the thermal responses of skin tissue under sinusoidal heat flux conditions on skin surface is given. Laplace transform technique is used to obtain the solution in a closed form. The resulting formulation is applied to one-dimensional application to investigate the temperature distribution in skin with instantaneous surface heating for different cases. According to the numerical results and its graphs, conclusion about the fractional bioheat transfer equation has been constructed. Sensitivity analysis is performed to explore the thermal effects of various control parameters on tissue temperature. The comparisons are made with the results obtained in the case of the absence of time-fractional order. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Broadband frequency and angular response of a sinusoidal bull’s eye antenna

Science.gov (United States)

Beaskoetxea, U.; Navarro-Cía, M.; Beruete, M.

2016-07-01

A thorough experimental study of the frequency and beaming angle response of a metallic leaky-wave bull’s eye antenna working at 77 GHz with a sinusoidally corrugated profile is presented. The beam scanning property of these antennas as frequency is varied is experimentally demonstrated and corroborated through theoretical and numerical results. From the experimental results the dispersion diagram of the n  =  -1 and n  =  -2 space harmonics is extracted, and the operation at different frequency regimes is identified and discussed. In order to show the contribution of each half of the antenna, numerical examples of the near-field behavior are also displayed. Overall, experimental results are in good qualitative and quantitative agreement with theoretical and numerical calculations. Finally, an analysis of the beamwidth as a function of frequency is performed, showing that it can achieve values below 1.5° in a fractional bandwidth of 4% around the operation frequency, which is an interesting frequency-stable broadside radiation.

Iron losses evaluation in soft magnetic materials with a sinusoidal voltage supply

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nedelcu, Steluţa; Ritchie, Ewen; Leban, Krisztina Monika

2013-01-01

This paper presents an evaluation method of for specific iron losses in non-oriented laminated steel suitable for electric motors and transformers in the case of a sinusoidal excitation. The model is based on the separation of loss contribution due to hysteresis, eddy currents and excess losses...... (between 0.35 mm and 0.65 mm) and alloy compositions. Hysteresis and eddy currents loss coefficients have been considered as dependent on the frequency. For curve fitting of these coefficients third and fourth polynomials were employed, with good result for all the frequencies and magnetic flux density...... and it is proposing an identification procedure for the model coefficients from multi-frequency single sheet tests. The frequencies used are in the range 10 Hz and 150 Hz and with the values of magnetic flux density in the range 0.1 T and 1.4 T. The model was applied on six magnetic materials of different thicknesses...

Sensorless Sinusoidal Drives for Fan and Pump Motors by V/f Control

Science.gov (United States)

Kiuchi, Mitsuyuki; Ohnishi, Tokuo

This paper proposes sensorless sinusoidal driving methods of permanent magnet synchronous motors for fans and pumps by V/f control. The proposed methods are simple methods that control the motor peak current constant by voltage or frequency control, and are characterized by DC link current detection using a single shunt resistor at carrier wave signal bottom timing. As a result of the dumping factor from square torque load characteristics of fan and pump motors, it is possible to control stable starting and stable steady state by V/f control. In general, pressure losses as a result of the fluid pass of fan and pump systems are nearly constant; therefore, the flow rate and motor torque are determined by revolutions. Accordingly, high efficiency driving is possible by setting corresponding currents to q-axis currents (torque currents) at target revolutions. Because of the simple current detection and motor control methods, the proposed methods are optimum for fan and pump motor driving systems of home appliances.

Sinusoidal Parameter Estimation Using Quadratic Interpolation around Power-Scaled Magnitude Spectrum Peaks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kurt James Werner

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The magnitude of the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT of a discrete-time signal has a limited frequency definition. Quadratic interpolation over the three DFT samples surrounding magnitude peaks improves the estimation of parameters (frequency and amplitude of resolved sinusoids beyond that limit. Interpolating on a rescaled magnitude spectrum using a logarithmic scale has been shown to improve those estimates. In this article, we show how to heuristically tune a power scaling parameter to outperform linear and logarithmic scaling at an equivalent computational cost. Although this power scaling factor is computed heuristically rather than analytically, it is shown to depend in a structured way on window parameters. Invariance properties of this family of estimators are studied and the existence of a bias due to noise is shown. Comparing to two state-of-the-art estimators, we show that an optimized power scaling has a lower systematic bias and lower mean-squared-error in noisy conditions for ten out of twelve common windowing functions.

Is complementary and alternative therapy effective for women in the climacteric period?

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Mi Young; Choi, Seung Do; Ryu, Aeli

2015-04-01

Vasomotor symptoms start about 2 years prior to menopause in women who are approaching menopause, and early menopause symptoms appear including emotional disturbance and anxiety, followed by physical changes such as vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence and skin wrinkles. As time progresses, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, and dementia occur consecutively. Hormone therapy is primarily considered for the relief of menopause symptoms in postmenopausal women. However, as hormone replacement has emerged as a therapy that increases the potential risk of thrombosis, cerebral infarction and breast cancer, complementary and alternative medicine has drawn much attention. This study aimed to examine the types and effects of evidence-based complementary and alternative therapies that are currently used.

A Search for Quasi-periodic Oscillations in the Blazar 1ES 1959+650

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Xiao-Pan; Luo, Yu-Hui; Yang, Hai-Yan; Cai, Yan; Yang, Hai-Tao [Department of Physics, Zhaotong University, Zhaotong, 657000 (China); Yang, Cheng, E-mail: lxpzrc@163.com [College of Photoelectron and Communication Engineering, Yunnan Open University, Kunming, 650223 (China)

2017-09-20

We have searched quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in the 15 GHz light curve of the BL Lac object 1ES 1959+650 monitored by the Owens Valley Radio Observatory 40 m telescope during the period from 2008 January to 2016 February, using the Lomb–Scargle Periodogram, power spectral density (PSD), discrete autocorrelation function, and phase dispersion minimization (PDM) techniques. The red noise background has been established via the PSD method, and no QPO can be derived at the 3 σ confidence level accounting for the impact of the red noise variability. We conclude that the light curve of 1ES 1959+650 can be explained by a stochastic red noise process that contributes greatly to the total observed variability amplitude, dominates the power spectrum, causes spurious bumps and wiggles in the autocorrelation function and can result in the variance of the folded light curve decreasing toward lower temporal frequencies when few-cycle, sinusoid-like patterns are present. Moreover, many early supposed periodicity claims for blazar light curves need to be reevaluated assuming red noise.

Difficulties of Alternatively Certified Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Schonfeld, Irvin Sam; Feinman, Samantha J.

2012-01-01

This daily diary study followed, over a 2-week period, 252 beginning New York City public school teachers. Seventy percent were alternatively certified (New York City Teaching Fellows) and the rest, traditionally certified teachers. Alternatively certified teachers were more likely to experience stressors such as violent incidents and classroom…

Sustained diffusive alternating current gliding arc discharge in atmospheric pressure air

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jiajian; Gao, Jinlong; Li, Zhongshan; Ehn, Andreas; Aldén, Marcus; Larsson, Anders; Kusano, Yukihiro

2014-12-01

Rapid transition from glow discharge to thermal arc has been a common problem in generating stable high-power non-thermal plasmas especially at ambient conditions. A sustained diffusive gliding arc discharge was generated in a large volume in atmospheric pressure air, driven by an alternating current (AC) power source. The plasma column extended beyond the water-cooled stainless steel electrodes and was stabilized by matching the flow speed of the turbulent air jet with the rated output power. Comprehensive investigations were performed using high-speed movies measured over the plasma column, synchronized with simultaneously recorded current and voltage waveforms. Dynamic details of the novel non-equilibrium discharge are revealed, which is characterized by a sinusoidal current waveform with amplitude stabilized at around 200 mA intermediate between thermal arc and glow discharge, shedding light to the governing mechanism of the sustained spark-suppressed AC gliding arc discharge.

Biased and flow driven Brownian motion in periodic channels

Science.gov (United States)

Martens, S.; Straube, A.; Schmid, G.; Schimansky-Geier, L.; Hänggi, P.

2012-02-01

In this talk we will present an expansion of the common Fick-Jacobs approximation to hydrodynamically as well as by external forces driven Brownian transport in two-dimensional channels exhibiting smoothly varying periodic cross-section. We employ an asymptotic analysis to the components of the flow field and to stationary probability density for finding the particles within the channel in a geometric parameter. We demonstrate that the problem of biased Brownian dynamics in a confined 2D geometry can be replaced by Brownian motion in an effective periodic one-dimensional potential ψ(x) which takes the external bias, the change of the local channel width, and the flow velocity component in longitudinal direction into account. In addition, we study the influence of the external force magnitude, respectively, the pressure drop of the fluid on the particle transport quantities like the averaged velocity and the effective diffusion coefficient. The critical ratio between the external force and pressure drop where the average velocity equals zero is identified and the dependence of the latter on the channel geometry is derived. Analytic findings are confirmed by numerical simulations of the particle dynamics in a reflection symmetric sinusoidal channel.

Double-shell tank annulus pumping alternative evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

RIESENWEBER, S.D.

1999-01-01

This engineering evaluation compares five alternative schemes for maintaining emergency annulus pumping equipment in a reliable condition. The five schemes are: (1) continue status quo; (2) periodic pump removal and run-in; (3) periodic in-place limited maintenance; (4) uninstalled ready spares; and (5) expanded mission of Single-Shell Tank Emergency Pumping Trailer. Each alternative is described, the pros and cons identified, and rough order of magnitude life-cycle costs computed. The alternatives are compared using weighted evaluation criteria. The evaluation concludes that staging adjustable length submersible pumps in the Single-Shell Tank Emergency Pumping Trailer has the best cost-benefit characteristics

Sinusoidal Wave Estimation Using Photogrammetry and Short Video Sequences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ewelina Rupnik

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of the work is to model the shape of the sinusoidal shape of regular water waves generated in a laboratory flume. The waves are traveling in time and render a smooth surface, with no white caps or foam. Two methods are proposed, treating the water as a diffuse and specular surface, respectively. In either case, the water is presumed to take the shape of a traveling sine wave, reducing the task of the 3D reconstruction to resolve the wave parameters. The first conceived method performs the modeling part purely in 3D space. Having triangulated the points in a separate phase via bundle adjustment, a sine wave is fitted into the data in a least squares manner. The second method presents a more complete approach for the entire calculation workflow beginning in the image space. The water is perceived as a specular surface, and the traveling specularities are the only observations visible to the  cameras, observations that are notably single image. The depth ambiguity is removed given additional constraints encoded within the law of reflection and the modeled parametric surface. The observation and constraint equations compose a single system of equations that is solved with the method of least squares adjustment. The devised approaches are validated against the data coming from a capacitive level sensor and on physical targets floating on the surface. The outcomes agree to a high degree.

Broadband frequency and angular response of a sinusoidal bull’s eye antenna

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beaskoetxea, U; Beruete, M; Navarro-Cía, M

2016-01-01

A thorough experimental study of the frequency and beaming angle response of a metallic leaky-wave bull’s eye antenna working at 77 GHz with a sinusoidally corrugated profile is presented. The beam scanning property of these antennas as frequency is varied is experimentally demonstrated and corroborated through theoretical and numerical results. From the experimental results the dispersion diagram of the n   =  −1 and n   =  −2 space harmonics is extracted, and the operation at different frequency regimes is identified and discussed. In order to show the contribution of each half of the antenna, numerical examples of the near-field behavior are also displayed. Overall, experimental results are in good qualitative and quantitative agreement with theoretical and numerical calculations. Finally, an analysis of the beamwidth as a function of frequency is performed, showing that it can achieve values below 1.5° in a fractional bandwidth of 4% around the operation frequency, which is an interesting frequency-stable broadside radiation. (paper)

Exponential sinusoidal model for predicting temperature inside underground wine cellars from a Spanish region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mazarron, Fernando R.; Canas, Ignacio [Departamento de Construccion y Vias Rurales, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieros Agronomos, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Avda. Complutense s/n, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

2008-07-01

This article develops a mathematical model for determining the annual cycle of air temperature inside traditional underground wine cellars in the Spanish region of ''Ribera del Duero'', known because of the quality of its wines. It modifies the sinusoidal analytical model for soil temperature calculation. Results obtained when contrasting the proposed model with experimental data of three subterranean wine cellars for 2 years are satisfactory. The RMSE is below 1 C and the index of agreement is above 0.96 for the three cellars. When using the average of experimental data corresponding to the 2 years' time, results improve noticeably: the RMSE decreases by more than 30% and the mean d reaches 0.99. This model should be a useful tool for designing underground wine cellars making the most of soil energy advantages. (author)

Coherent resonance stop bands in alternating gradient beam transport

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, K.; Okamoto, H.; Tokashiki, Y.; Fukushima, K.

2017-06-01

An extensive experimental study is performed to confirm fundamental resonance bands of an intense hadron beam propagating through an alternating gradient linear transport channel. The present work focuses on the most common lattice geometry called "FODO" or "doublet" that consists of two quadrupoles of opposite polarities. The tabletop ion-trap system "S-POD" (Simulator of Particle Orbit Dynamics) developed at Hiroshima University is employed to clarify the parameter-dependence of coherent beam instability. S-POD can provide a non-neutral plasma physically equivalent to a charged-particle beam in a periodic focusing potential. In contrast with conventional experimental approaches relying on large-scale machines, it is straightforward in S-POD to control the doublet geometry characterized by the quadrupole filling factor and drift-space ratio. We verify that the resonance feature does not essentially change depending on these geometric factors. A few clear stop bands of low-order resonances always appear in the same pattern as previously found with the sinusoidal focusing model. All stop bands become widened and shift to the higher-tune side as the beam density is increased. In the space-charge-dominated regime, the most dangerous stop band is located at the bare betatron phase advance slightly above 90 degrees. Experimental data from S-POD suggest that this severe resonance is driven mainly by the linear self-field potential rather than by nonlinear external imperfections and, therefore, unavoidable at high beam density. The instability of the third-order coherent mode generates relatively weak but noticeable stop bands near the phase advances of 60 and 120 degrees. The latter sextupole stop band is considerably enhanced by lattice imperfections. In a strongly asymmetric focusing channel, extra attention may have to be paid to some coupling resonance lines induced by the Coulomb potential. Our interpretations of experimental data are supported by theoretical

Influence of edge conditions on material ejection from periodic grooves in laser shock-loaded tin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rességuier, T. de; Roland, C. [Institut PPRIME, UPR 3346, CNRS, ENSMA, Université de Poitiers, 1 ave. Clément Ader, 86961 Futuroscope Cedex (France); Prudhomme, G.; Lescoute, E.; Mercier, P. [CEA, DAM, DIF, 91297 Arpajon (France); Loison, D. [Institut de Physique de Rennes, CNRS, Université de Rennes 1, 35042 Rennes (France)

2016-05-14

In a material subjected to high dynamic compression, the breakout of a shock wave at a rough free surface can lead to the ejection of high velocity debris. Anticipating the ballistic properties of such debris is a key safety issue in many applications involving shock loading, including pyrotechnics and inertial confinement fusion experiments. In this paper, we use laser driven shocks to investigate particle ejection from calibrated grooves of micrometric dimensions and approximately sinusoidal profile in tin samples, with various boundary conditions at the groove edges, including single groove and periodic patterns. Fast transverse shadowgraphy provides ejection velocities after shock breakout. They are found to depend not only on the groove depth and wavelength, as predicted theoretically and already observed in the past, but also, unexpectedly, on the edge conditions, with a jet tip velocity significantly lower in the case of a single groove than behind a periodic pattern.

3D palmprint and hand imaging system based on full-field composite color sinusoidal fringe projection technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zonghua; Huang, Shujun; Xu, Yongjia; Chen, Chao; Zhao, Yan; Gao, Nan; Xiao, Yanjun

2013-09-01

Palmprint and hand shape, as two kinds of important biometric characteristics, have been widely studied and applied to human identity recognition. The existing research is based mainly on 2D images, which lose the third-dimensional information. The biological features extracted from 2D images are distorted by pressure and rolling, so the subsequent feature matching and recognition are inaccurate. This paper presents a method to acquire accurate 3D shapes of palmprint and hand by projecting full-field composite color sinusoidal fringe patterns and the corresponding color texture information. A 3D imaging system is designed to capture and process the full-field composite color fringe patterns on hand surface. Composite color fringe patterns having the optimum three fringe numbers are generated by software and projected onto the surface of human hand by a digital light processing projector. From another viewpoint, a color CCD camera captures the deformed fringe patterns and saves them for postprocessing. After compensating for the cross talk and chromatic aberration between color channels, three fringe patterns are extracted from three color channels of a captured composite color image. Wrapped phase information can be calculated from the sinusoidal fringe patterns with high precision. At the same time, the absolute phase of each pixel is determined by the optimum three-fringe selection method. After building up the relationship between absolute phase map and 3D shape data, the 3D palmprint and hand are obtained. Color texture information can be directly captured or demodulated from the captured composite fringe pattern images. Experimental results show that the proposed method and system can yield accurate 3D shape and color texture information of the palmprint and hand shape.

Evaluation of Expenditure Alternates

Science.gov (United States)

Poehlein, Gary W.; And Others

1973-01-01

Illustrates a system of calculating dollar expenditures over periods of time in terms of present value. The system enables planners, school boards, and administrators to compare expenditure alternatives as a decisionmaking factor. (Author)

46 CFR 61.40-6 - Periodic safety tests.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Periodic safety tests. 61.40-6 Section 61.40-6 Shipping... INSPECTIONS Design Verification and Periodic Testing of Vital System Automation § 61.40-6 Periodic safety tests. (a) Periodic Safety tests must demonstrate the proper operation of the primary and alternate...

Defibrotide in Severe Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome: Medicine and Economic Issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Steelandt, Julie; Bocquet, François; Cordonnier, Anne-Laure; De Courtivron, Charlotte; Fusier, Isabelle; Paubel, Pascal

2017-02-01

In Europe, Defitelio (defibrotide) has a Market Authorization in curative treatment of severe sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) but not in prophylaxis (2013). In France, defibrotide has had a compassionate-use program since 2009. Today, the high cost of defibrotide remains a major hurdle for hospital budgets. Medicine and economic issues were evaluated for the 39 hospitals of the French Public Assistance-Hospitals of Paris (AP-HP). We analyzed literature reviews, consumption, and expenditures through AP-HP data in 2014 and patient profiles with defibrotide in the corresponding diagnostic-related groups (DRGs) and consulted a board of hematologists. Finally, 18 publications were selected. Between 2011 and 2014 consumption increased to €5.2M. In 2014, 80 patients receiving defibrotide were mainly ascribed to the DRG "hematopoietic stem cell transplantation" levels 3 or 4. The tariffs attributed to drugs (€3544 to 4084) cover a small part of treatment costs (€97,524 for an adult). French experts thus recommended a harmonization of indications in prophylaxis (off-label use), improvement of pretransplant care, and optimization of the number of vials used. The economic impact led experts to change their practices. They recommended the restriction of defibrotide use to SOS curative treatment and to high-risk situations in prophylaxis. Copyright © 2017 The American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dynamics of laser ablative shock waves from one dimensional periodic structured surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Paturi, Prem Kiran; Chelikani, Leela; Pinnoju, Venkateshwarlu; Acrhem Team

2015-06-01

Spatio-temporal evolution of Laser ablative shock waves (LASWs) from one dimensional periodic structured surfaces (1D-PSS) of Aluminum is studied using time resolved defocused shadowgraphy technique. LASWs are generated by focusing 7 ns pulses from second harmonic of Nd:YAG (532 nm, 10 Hz) laser on to 1D-PSS with sinusoidal and triangular modulations of varying periodicity. An expanded He-Ne laser (632.8 nm) is used as probe beam for shadowgraphy. Evolution of ablative shock front (SF) with 1.5 ns temporal resolution is used to measure position of the SF, its nature, density and pressure behind the SF. The effect of surface modulation on the LASW and contact front dynamics was compared to those from a flat surface (FS) of Aluminum. SWs from FS and PSS obeyed Taylor's solution for spherical and planar nature, respectively. The velocity of SF from 1D PSS had a twofold increase compared to the FS. This was further enhanced for structures whose periodicity is of the order of excitation wavelength. Variation of SF properties with varying periodicity over a range of 3.3 μm to 0.55 μm has the potential to tailor shockwaves of required parameters. The work is supported by Defence Research and Developement Organization, India through Grants-in-Aid Program. The periodic surfaces were procured with financial support from BRFST project No. NFP-MAT-A12-04.

78 FR 58264 - Refuge Alternatives for Underground Coal Mines

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-23

... Refuge Alternatives for Underground Coal Mines AGENCY: Mine Safety and Health Administration, Labor... Agency's Request for Information (RFI) on Refuge Alternatives for Underground Coal Mines. This extension... Alternatives for Underground Coal Mines. The RFI comment period had been scheduled to close on October 7, 2013...

Measurement of electroosmotic and electrophoretic velocities using pulsed and sinusoidal electric fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadek, Samir H; Pimenta, Francisco; Pinho, Fernando T; Alves, Manuel A

2017-04-01

In this work, we explore two methods to simultaneously measure the electroosmotic mobility in microchannels and the electrophoretic mobility of micron-sized tracer particles. The first method is based on imposing a pulsed electric field, which allows to isolate electrophoresis and electroosmosis at the startup and shutdown of the pulse, respectively. In the second method, a sinusoidal electric field is generated and the mobilities are found by minimizing the difference between the measured velocity of tracer particles and the velocity computed from an analytical expression. Both methods produced consistent results using polydimethylsiloxane microchannels and polystyrene micro-particles, provided that the temporal resolution of the particle tracking velocimetry technique used to compute the velocity of the tracer particles is fast enough to resolve the diffusion time-scale based on the characteristic channel length scale. Additionally, we present results with the pulse method for viscoelastic fluids, which show a more complex transient response with significant velocity overshoots and undershoots after the start and the end of the applied electric pulse, respectively. © 2016 The Authors. Electrophoresis published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Alternative general-aircraft engines

Science.gov (United States)

Tomazic, W. A.

1976-01-01

The most promising alternative engine (or engines) for application to general aircraft in the post-1985 time period was defined, and the level of technology was cited to the point where confident development of a new engine can begin early in the 1980's. Low emissions, multifuel capability, and fuel economy were emphasized. Six alternative propulsion concepts were considered to be viable candidates for future general-aircraft application: the advanced spark-ignition piston, rotary combustion, two- and four-stroke diesel, Stirling, and gas turbine engines.

Hepatitis C virus core protein induces dysfunction of liver sinusoidal endothelial cell by down-regulation of silent information regulator 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Li-Jie; Yu, Jian-Wu; Shi, Yu-Guang; Zhang, Xiao-Yu; Shu, Meng-Ni; Chen, Mo-Yang

2018-05-01

. HCV core protein may down-regulate the activity and the expression of SIRT1 of LSEC, then decreasing synthesis of adiponectin and the expression of AdipoR2, thus inducing contraction of LSEC and hepatic sinusoidal capillarization and increasing oxidative stress, ultimately cause hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation. Treatment with SIRT1 activator restored the function of LSEC and inhibited the activation of HSC. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Scattering of atoms by a stationary sinusoidal hard wall: Rigorous treatment in (n+1) dimensions and comparison with the Rayleigh method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodman, F.O.

1977-01-01

A rigorous treatment of the scattering of atoms by a stationary sinusoidal hard wall in (n+1) dimensions is presented, a previous treatment by Masel, Merrill, and Miller for n=1 being contained as a special case. Numerical comparisons are made with the GR method of Garcia, which incorporates the Rayleigh hypothesis. Advantages and disadvantages of both methods are discussed, and it is concluded that the Rayleigh GR method, if handled properly, will probably work satisfactorily in physically realistic cases

Solitons supported by localized nonlinearities in periodic media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dror, Nir; Malomed, Boris A.

2011-01-01

Nonlinear periodic systems, such as photonic crystals and Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC's) loaded into optical lattices, are often described by the nonlinear Schroedinger or Gross-Pitaevskii equation with a sinusoidal potential. Here, we consider a model based on such a periodic potential, with the nonlinearity (attractive or repulsive) concentrated either at a single point or at a symmetric set of two points, which are represented, respectively, by a single δ function or a combination of two δ functions. With the attractive or repulsive sign of the nonlinearity, this model gives rise to ordinary solitons or gap solitons (GS's), which reside, respectively, in the semi-infinite or finite gaps of the system's linear spectrum, being pinned to the δ functions. Physical realizations of these systems are possible in optics and BEC's, using diverse variants of the nonlinearity management. First, we demonstrate that the single δ function multiplying the nonlinear term supports families of stableregular solitons in the self-attractive case, while a family of solitons supported by the attractive δ function in the absence of the periodic potential is completely unstable. In addition, we show that the δ function can support stable GS's in the first finite band gap in both the self-attractive and repulsive models. The stability analysis for the GS's in the second finite band gap is reported too, for both signs of the nonlinearity. Alongside the numerical analysis, analytical approximations are developed for the solitons in the semi-infinite and first two finite gaps, with the single δ function positioned at a minimum or maximum of the periodic potential. In the model with the symmetric set of two δ functions, we study the effect of the spontaneous symmetry breaking of the pinned solitons. Two configurations are considered, with the δ functions set symmetrically with respect to the minimum or maximum of the underlying potential.

Nonparametric Inference for Periodic Sequences

KAUST Repository

Sun, Ying

2012-02-01

This article proposes a nonparametric method for estimating the period and values of a periodic sequence when the data are evenly spaced in time. The period is estimated by a "leave-out-one-cycle" version of cross-validation (CV) and complements the periodogram, a widely used tool for period estimation. The CV method is computationally simple and implicitly penalizes multiples of the smallest period, leading to a "virtually" consistent estimator of integer periods. This estimator is investigated both theoretically and by simulation.We also propose a nonparametric test of the null hypothesis that the data have constantmean against the alternative that the sequence of means is periodic. Finally, our methodology is demonstrated on three well-known time series: the sunspots and lynx trapping data, and the El Niño series of sea surface temperatures. © 2012 American Statistical Association and the American Society for Quality.

Multi-Scale Peak and Trough Detection Optimised for Periodic and Quasi-Periodic Neuroscience Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Bishop, Steven M; Ercole, Ari

2018-01-01

The reliable detection of peaks and troughs in physiological signals is essential to many investigative techniques in medicine and computational biology. Analysis of the intracranial pressure (ICP) waveform is a particular challenge due to multi-scale features, a changing morphology over time and signal-to-noise limitations. Here we present an efficient peak and trough detection algorithm that extends the scalogram approach of Scholkmann et al., and results in greatly improved algorithm runtime performance. Our improved algorithm (modified Scholkmann) was developed and analysed in MATLAB R2015b. Synthesised waveforms (periodic, quasi-periodic and chirp sinusoids) were degraded with white Gaussian noise to achieve signal-to-noise ratios down to 5 dB and were used to compare the performance of the original Scholkmann and modified Scholkmann algorithms. The modified Scholkmann algorithm has false-positive (0%) and false-negative (0%) detection rates identical to the original Scholkmann when applied to our test suite. Actual compute time for a 200-run Monte Carlo simulation over a multicomponent noisy test signal was 40.96 ± 0.020 s (mean ± 95%CI) for the original Scholkmann and 1.81 ± 0.003 s (mean ± 95%CI) for the modified Scholkmann, demonstrating the expected improvement in runtime complexity from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text]. The accurate interpretation of waveform data to identify peaks and troughs is crucial in signal parameterisation, feature extraction and waveform identification tasks. Modification of a standard scalogram technique has produced a robust algorithm with linear computational complexity that is particularly suited to the challenges presented by large, noisy physiological datasets. The algorithm is optimised through a single parameter and can identify sub-waveform features with minimal additional overhead, and is easily adapted to run in real time on commodity hardware.

On the relationship between period and cohort mortality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John R. Wilmoth

2005-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper I explore the formal relationship between period and cohort mortality, focusing on a comparison of measures of mean lifespan. I consider not only the usual measures (life expectancy at birth for time periods and birth cohorts but also some alternative measures that have been proposed recently. I examine (and reject the claim made by Bongaarts and Feeney that the level of period is distorted, or biased, due to changes in the timing of mortality. I show that their proposed alternative measure, called "tempo-adjusted" life expectancy, is exactly equivalent in its generalized form to a measure proposed by both Brouard and Guillot, the cross-sectional average length of life (or CAL, which substitutes cohort survival probabilities for their period counterparts in the calculation of mean lifespan. I conclude that this measure does not in any sense correct for a distortion in period life expectancy at birth, but rather offers an alternative measure of mean lifespan that is approximately equal to two analytically interesting quantities: 1 the mean age at death in a given year for a hypothetical population subject to observed historical mortality conditions but with a constant annual number of births; and 2 the mean age at death, , for a cohort born years ago. However, I also observe that the trend in period does indeed offer a biased depiction of the pace of change in mean lifespan from cohort to cohort. Holding other factors constant, an historical increase in life expectancy at birth is somewhat faster when viewed from the perspective of cohorts (i.e., year of birth than from the perspective of periods (i.e., year of death.

The evaluation of distributed damage in concrete based on sinusoidal modeling of the ultrasonic response.

Science.gov (United States)

Sepehrinezhad, Alireza; Toufigh, Vahab

2018-05-25

Ultrasonic wave attenuation is an effective descriptor of distributed damage in inhomogeneous materials. Methods developed to measure wave attenuation have the potential to provide an in-site evaluation of existing concrete structures insofar as they are accurate and time-efficient. In this study, material classification and distributed damage evaluation were investigated based on the sinusoidal modeling of the response from the through-transmission ultrasonic tests on polymer concrete specimens. The response signal was modeled as single or the sum of damping sinusoids. Due to the inhomogeneous nature of concrete materials, model parameters may vary from one specimen to another. Therefore, these parameters are not known in advance and should be estimated while the response signal is being received. The modeling procedure used in this study involves a data-adaptive algorithm to estimate the parameters online. Data-adaptive algorithms are used due to a lack of knowledge of the model parameters. The damping factor was estimated as a descriptor of the distributed damage. The results were compared in two different cases as follows: (1) constant excitation frequency with varying concrete mixtures and (2) constant mixture with varying excitation frequencies. The specimens were also loaded up to their ultimate compressive strength to investigate the effect of distributed damage in the response signal. The results of the estimation indicated that the damping was highly sensitive to the change in material inhomogeneity, even in comparable mixtures. In addition to the proposed method, three methods were employed to compare the results based on their accuracy in the classification of materials and the evaluation of the distributed damage. It is shown that the estimated damping factor is not only sensitive to damage in the final stages of loading, but it is also applicable in evaluating micro damages in the earlier stages providing a reliable descriptor of damage. In addition

Flow and axial dispersion in a sinusoidal-walled tube: Effects of inertial and unsteady flows

Science.gov (United States)

Richmond, Marshall C.; Perkins, William A.; Scheibe, Timothy D.; Lambert, Adam; Wood, Brian D.

2013-12-01

In this work, we consider a sinusoidal-walled tube (a three-dimensional tube with sinusoidally-varying diameter) as a simplified conceptualization of flow in porous media. Direct numerical simulation using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods was used to compute velocity fields by solving the Navier-Stokes equations, and also to numerically solve the volume averaging closure problem, for a range of Reynolds numbers (Re) spanning the low-Re to inertial flow regimes, including one simulation at Re=449 for which unsteady flow was observed. The longitudinal dispersion observed for the flow was computed using a random walk particle tracking method, and this was compared to the longitudinal dispersion predicted from a volume-averaged macroscopic mass balance using the method of volume averaging; the results of the two methods were consistent. Our results are compared to experimental measurements of dispersion in porous media and to previous theoretical results for both the low-Re, Stokes flow regime and for values of Re representing the steady inertial regime. In the steady inertial regime, a power-law increase in the effective longitudinal dispersion (DL) with Re was found, and this is consistent with previous results. This rapid rate of increase is caused by trapping of solute in expansions due to flow separation (eddies). One unsteady (but non-turbulent) flow case (Re=449) was also examined. For this case, the rate of increase of DL with Re was smaller than that observed at lower Re. Velocity fluctuations in this regime lead to increased rates of solute mass transfer between the core flow and separated flow regions, thus diminishing the amount of tailing caused by solute trapping in eddies and thereby reducing longitudinal dispersion. The observed tailing was further explored through analysis of concentration skewness (third moment) and its assymptotic convergence to conventional advection-dispersion behavior (skewness = 0). The method of volume averaging was

Spline-based high-accuracy piecewise-polynomial phase-to-sinusoid amplitude converters.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrinović, Davor; Brezović, Marko

2011-04-01

We propose a method for direct digital frequency synthesis (DDS) using a cubic spline piecewise-polynomial model for a phase-to-sinusoid amplitude converter (PSAC). This method offers maximum smoothness of the output signal. Closed-form expressions for the cubic polynomial coefficients are derived in the spectral domain and the performance analysis of the model is given in the time and frequency domains. We derive the closed-form performance bounds of such DDS using conventional metrics: rms and maximum absolute errors (MAE) and maximum spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) measured in the discrete time domain. The main advantages of the proposed PSAC are its simplicity, analytical tractability, and inherent numerical stability for high table resolutions. Detailed guidelines for a fixed-point implementation are given, based on the algebraic analysis of all quantization effects. The results are verified on 81 PSAC configurations with the output resolutions from 5 to 41 bits by using a bit-exact simulation. The VHDL implementation of a high-accuracy DDS based on the proposed PSAC with 28-bit input phase word and 32-bit output value achieves SFDR of its digital output signal between 180 and 207 dB, with a signal-to-noise ratio of 192 dB. Its implementation requires only one 18 kB block RAM and three 18-bit embedded multipliers in a typical field-programmable gate array (FPGA) device. © 2011 IEEE

Magnetohydrodynamics effect on three-dimensional viscous incompressible flow between two horizontal parallel porous plates and heat transfer with periodic injection/suction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. C. Chaudhary

2004-11-01

Full Text Available We investigate the hydromagnetic effect on viscous incompressible flow between two horizontal parallel porous flat plates with transverse sinusoidal injection of the fluid at the stationary plate and its corresponding removal by periodic suction through the plate in uniform motion. The flow becomes three dimensional due to this injection/suction velocity. Approximate solutions are obtained for the flow field, the pressure, the skin-friction, the temperature field, and the rate of heat transfer. The dependence of solution on M (Hartmann number and λ (injection/suction is investigated by the graphs and tables.

Exploring Alternative Fuels in Middle Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Donley, John F.; Stewardson, Gary A.

2010-01-01

Alternative energy sources have become increasingly important as the production of domestic oil has declined and dependence on foreign oil has increased. Historically, there have been four time periods during which the United States was in fact crippled by oil shortages. These time periods include: (1) the early 1900s; (2) World War II; (3) the…

Delimitation of the warm and cold period of the year based on the variation of the Aegean sea surface temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. MAVRAKIS

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Knowledge of the warm and cold season onset is important for the living conditions and the occupational activities of the inhabitants of a given area, and especially for agriculture and tourism. This paper presents a way to estimate the onset/end of the cold and warm period of the year, based on the sinusoidal annual variation of the Sea Surface Temperature. The method was applied on data from 8 stations of the Hellenic Navy Hydrographic Service, covering the period from 1965-1995. The results showed that the warm period starts sometime between April 28th and May 21st while it ends between October 27th and November 19th in accordance with the findings of other studies. Characteristic of the nature of the parameter used is the very low variance per station – 15 days at maximum. The average date of warm period onset is statistically the same for the largest part of the Aegean, with only one differentiation, that between Kavala and the southern stations ( Thira and Heraklion.

Detailed comparative study regarding different formulae of predicting the iron losses in a machine excited by non-sinusoidal supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Kharashi, Eyhab

2014-01-01

Variable-speed drives in any machine provide an accurate control and high-energy efficiency. More and more often machines are excited by non-sinusoidal voltages. Predicting the amount of iron losses in non-sinusoidal excitation is important. The paper aims to achieve accurate efficiency estimation by presenting a new modified calculation method to predict the iron losses. In a switched reluctance motor, the iron losses can't be ignored, it has considered value. This paper presents conventional and modified Steinmetz formulae for the estimation of the iron losses. The conventional Steinmetz formula consists of three terms: hysteresis, eddy current and anomalous losses. The equations of hysteresis and eddy current losses depend mainly on the value of the peak flux density. The reason to modify the Steinmetz formula is to avoid the need of knowing the peak flux density and the anomalous losses in accurate figures. The paper also explains and clarifies the methods of using both the conventional as well as the modified Steinmetz formulae in accurate calculation of the iron losses in different sections of the magnetic circuit. For both formulae, a comparison is made between the distributions of the iron losses in different parts of the magnetic circuit and the efficiencies. - Highlights: • The paper aims to achieve accurate efficiency estimation. • The predicted iron loss by the conventional Steinmetz formula is inaccurate. • The modified Steinmetz formula is more accurate because it includes the minor loops losses caused by each flux density. • The paper compared the predicted losses obtained by the two different formals to stand on the degree of accuracy

The Relativistic Transformation for an Electromagnetic Plane Wave with General Time Dependence

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Glenn S.

2012-01-01

In special relativity, the transformation between inertial frames for an electromagnetic plane wave is usually derived for the time-harmonic case (the field is a sinusoid of infinite duration), even though all practical waves are of finite duration and may not even contain a dominant sinusoid. This paper presents an alternative derivation in which…

Experimental study of fluid flow in the entrance of a sinusoidal channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oviedo-Tolentino, F.; Romero-Mendez, R.; Hernandez-Guerrero, A.; Giron-Palomares, B.

2008-01-01

An experimental flow visualization study of the entrance section of channels formed with sinusoidal plates was made. The experiments were conducted in a water tunnel and a laser illuminated particle tracking was used as the technique of flow visualization. The geometric parameters of the plates were maintained constant while the distance between plates, phase angle, and the Reynolds number were varied during the experiments. The flow regimes that were found in the experiments are steady, unsteady and significantly-mixed flows. Instabilities of the flow first appear near the exit of the channel, and move closer to the inlet waves as the Reynolds number grows, but in the first wave from inlet the flow is always steady. The results show that, for all other parameters fixed, the Reynolds number at which unsteady flow first appears grows with the distance between plates. The phase angle that best promotes unsteady flow depends on the average distance between plates: for certain average distance between plates, there is a phase angle that best disturbs the flow. For the set of parameters used in this experiment, a channel with eight waves is sufficiently long and the flow features presented in the first eight waves of a longer channel will be similar to what was observed here

Frequency-Modulated Wave Dielectrophoresis of Vesicles And Cells: Periodic U-Turns at the Crossover Frequency

Science.gov (United States)

Frusawa, Hiroshi

2018-06-01

We have formulated the dielectrophoretic force exerted on micro/nanoparticles upon the application of frequency-modulated (FM) electric fields. By adjusting the frequency range of an FM wave to cover the crossover frequency f X in the real part of the Clausius-Mossotti factor, our theory predicts the reversal of the dielectrophoretic force each time the instantaneous frequency periodically traverses f X . In fact, we observed periodic U-turns of vesicles, leukemia cells, and red blood cells that undergo FM wave dielectrophoresis (FM-DEP). It is also suggested by our theory that the video tracking of the U-turns due to FM-DEP is available for the agile and accurate measurement of f X . The FM-DEP method requires a short duration, less than 30 s, while applying the FM wave to observe several U-turns, and the agility in measuring f X is of much use for not only salty cell suspensions but also nanoparticles because the electric-field-induced solvent flow is suppressed as much as possible. The accuracy of f X has been verified using two types of experiment. First, we measured the attractive force exerted on a single vesicle experiencing alternating-current dielectrophoresis (AC-DEP) at various frequencies of sinusoidal electric fields. The frequency dependence of the dielectrophoretic force yields f X as a characteristic frequency at which the force vanishes. Comparing the AC-DEP result of f X with that obtained from the FM-DEP method, both results of f X were found to coincide with each other. Second, we investigated the conductivity dependencies of f X for three kinds of cell by changing the surrounding electrolytes. From the experimental results, we evaluated simultaneously both of the cytoplasmic conductivities and the membrane capacitances using an elaborate theory on the single-shell model of biological cells. While the cytoplasmic conductivities, similar for these cells, were slightly lower than the range of previous reports, the membrane capacitances obtained

Regulation of alternative splicing of Slo K+ channels in adrenal and pituitary during the stress-hyporesponsive period of rat development.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Guey-Jen; McCobb, David P

2006-08-01

Stress triggers release of ACTH from the pituitary, glucocorticoids from the adrenal cortex, and epinephrine from the adrenal medulla. Although functions differ, these hormone systems interact in many ways. Previous evidence indicates that pituitary and steroid hormones regulate alternative splicing of the Slo gene at the stress axis-regulated exon (STREX), with functional implications for the calcium-activated K+ channels prominent in adrenal medullary and pituitary cells. Here we examine the role of corticosterone in Slo splicing regulation in pituitary and adrenal tissues during the stress-hyporesponsive period of early rat postnatal life. The sharp drop in plasma corticosterone (CORT) that defines this period offers a unique opportunity to test CORT's role in Slo splicing. We report that in both adrenal and pituitary tissues, the percentage of Slo transcripts having STREX declines and recovers in parallel with CORT. Moreover, addition of 500 nm CORT to cultures of anterior pituitary cells from 13-, 21-, and 30-d postnatal animals increased the percentage of Slo transcripts with STREX, whereas 20 microm CORT reduced STREX representation. Applied to adrenal chromaffin cells, 20 microm CORT decreased STREX inclusion, whereas neither 500 nm nor 2 microm had any effect. The mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist RU28318 abolished the effect of 500 nm CORT on splicing in pituitary cells, whereas the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU38486 blocked the effect of 20 microm CORT on adrenal chromaffin cells. These results support the hypothesis that the abrupt, transient drop in CORT during the stress-hyporesponsive period drives the transient decline in STREX splice variant representation in pituitary, but not adrenal.

Defibrotide sodium for the treatment of hepatic veno-occlusive disease/sinusoidal obstruction syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Paul G; Triplett, Brandon M; Ho, Vincent T; Chao, Nelson; Dignan, Fiona L; Maglio, Michelle; Mohty, Mohamad

2018-02-01

Hepatic veno-occlusive disease/sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (VOD/SOS) is an unpredictable condition associated with endothelial-cell damage due to conditioning for hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) or chemotherapy without HSCT. Mortality in patients with VOD/SOS and multi-organ dysfunction (MOD) may be >80%. Areas covered: Defibrotide is the only approved drug for the treatment of severe hepatic VOD/SOS after HSCT in the European Union and hepatic VOD/SOS with renal or pulmonary dysfunction in the United States. Its efficacy in patients with VOD/SOS with MOD post-HSCT was demonstrated in a clinical-trial program that included a historically controlled treatment study, a phase 2 trial, and a large T-IND expanded-access program that also included patients without MOD and who received chemotherapy without HSCT. Expert commentary: Defibrotide appears to protect endothelial cells and restore the thrombolytic-fibrinolytic balance. It addresses a significant clinical need and has demonstrated favorable Day +100 survival and overall adverse-event rates that seem similar to control groups receiving supportive care alone. Currently, defibrotide is under investigation for the prevention of VOD/SOS in high-risk pediatric and adult patients.

Successful treatment with defibrotide for sinusoidal obstruction syndrome after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yakushijin, Kimikazu; Matsui, Toshimitsu; Okamura, Atsuo; Yamamoto, Katsuya; Ito, Mitsuhiro; Chihara, Kazuo

2005-01-01

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) (formerly known as hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD)) is a life-threatening complication subsequent to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, no completely satisfactory strategies for the treatment of SOS have been established yet. Defibrotide is a single-stranded polydeoxyribonucleotide with anti-thrombotic, anti-ischemic, anti-inflammatory and thrombolytic properties, but without systemic anticoagulant effects, and some encouraging results have been reported in western countries. We treated four patients with defibrotide for SOS, since there seemed to be no possibility to cure the patients with conventionally available treatments in Japan. All patients showed evidence of multiple organ failure at the start of the treatment. Defibrotide was administered intravenously in normal saline in four divided doses for 14 to 27 days. Three patients (75%) responded to the therapy, while one died of SOS and cytomegalovirus infection despite intensive therapy. None of the patients suffered from significant adverse effects such as severe hemorrhage. This is the first report dealing with the treatment with defibrotide of Japanese patients with SOS. Because defibrotide is considered to be promising for the treatment of SOS, it is important to start a phase II study as soon as possible.

Investigation of secondary flows in turbulent pipe flows with three-dimensional sinusoidal walls

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Leon; MacDonald, Michael; Chung, Daniel; Hutchins, Nicholas; Ooi, Andrew

2017-11-01

The occurrence of secondary flows is systematically investigated via Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) of turbulent flow in a rough wall pipe at friction Reynolds numbers of 540. In this study, the peak-to-trough height of the roughness elements, which consist of three-dimensional sinusoidal roughness, is fixed at 120 viscous units while the wavelength of the roughness elements is varied. The solidity or effective slope (ES) of the roughness ranges from the sparse regime (ES = 0.18) to the closely packed roughness/dense regime (ES = 0.72). The time-independent dispersive stresses, which arise due to the stationary features of the flow, are analysed and are found to increase with increasing roughness wavelength. These dispersive stresses are related to the occurrence of secondary flows and are maximum within the roughness canopy. Above the crest of the roughness elements, the dispersive stresses reduce to zero at wall-normal heights greater than half of the roughness wavelength. This study has found that the size and wall-normal extent of the secondary flows scales with the roughness wavelength and can reach wall-normal heights of almost half of the pipe radius.

Improvement of stability of sinusoidally driven atmospheric pressure plasma jet using auxiliary bias voltage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyun-Jin Kim

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In this study, we have proposed the auxiliary bias pulse scheme to improve the stability of atmospheric pressure plasma jets driven by an AC sinusoidal waveform excitation source. The stability of discharges can be significantly improved by the compensation of irregular variation in memory voltage due to the effect of auxiliary bias pulse. From the parametric study, such as the width, voltage, and onset time of auxiliary bias pulse, it has been demonstrated that the auxiliary bias pulse plays a significant role in suppressing the irregular discharges caused by the irregular variation in memory voltage and stable discharge can be initiated with the termination of the auxiliary bias pulse. As a result of further investigating the effects of the auxiliary pulse scheme on the jet stability under various process conditions such as the distance between the jet head and the counter electrode, and carrier gas flow, the jet stability can be improved by adjusting the amplitude and number of the bias pulse depending on the variations in the process conditions.

ASSOCIATING LONG-TERM γ-RAY VARIABILITY WITH THE SUPERORBITAL PERIOD OF LS I +61°303

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ackermann, M.; Buehler, R.; Ajello, M.; Ballet, J.; Casandjian, J. M.; Barbiellini, G.; Bastieri, D.; Buson, S.; Bellazzini, R.; Bregeon, J.; Bonamente, E.; Cecchi, C.; Brandt, T. J.; Brigida, M.; Bruel, P.; Caliandro, G. A.; Cameron, R. A.; Caraveo, P. A.; Cavazzuti, E.; Chekhtman, A.

2013-01-01

Gamma-ray binaries are stellar systems for which the spectral energy distribution (discounting the thermal stellar emission) peaks at high energies. Detected from radio to TeV gamma rays, the γ-ray binary LS I +61°303 is highly variable across all frequencies. One aspect of this system's variability is the modulation of its emission with the timescale set by the ∼26.4960 day orbital period. Here we show that, during the time of our observations, the γ-ray emission of LS I +61°303 also presents a sinusoidal variability consistent with the previously known superorbital period of 1667 days. This modulation is more prominently seen at orbital phases around apastron, whereas it does not introduce a visible change close to periastron. It is also found in the appearance and disappearance of variability at the orbital period in the power spectrum of the data. This behavior could be explained by a quasi-cyclical evolution of the equatorial outflow of the Be companion star, whose features influence the conditions for generating gamma rays. These findings open the possibility to use γ-ray observations to study the outflows of massive stars in eccentric binary systems

Study of electromagnetic wave scattering by periodic density irregularities in plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyle, R.; Kuo, S.P.; Huang, J.

1995-01-01

A quasi-particle approach is used to formulate wave propagation and scattering in a periodically structured plasma. The theory is then applied to study the effect of bottomside sinusoidal (BSS) irregularities on the propagation of beacon satellites signals through the ionosphere. In this approach, the radio wave is treated as a distribution of quasi-particles described by a Wigner distribution function governed by a transport equation. The irregularities providing the collisional effect are modeled as a two dimensional density modulation on a uniform background plasma. The present work generalizes the previous work by including the spectral bandwidth (Δk/k) effect of the spatially periodic irregularities on the transionospheric signal propagation. The collision of quasi-particles with the irregularities modifies the quasi-particle distribution and give rise to the wave scattering phenomenon. The multiple scattering process is generally considered in this deterministic analysis of radio wave scattering off the ionospheric density irregularities. The analysis shows that this two dimensional density grating effectively modulates the intensity of the beacon satellite signals. This spatial modulation of the wave intensity is converted into time modulation due to the drift of the ionospheric irregularities, which then results in the scintillation of the beacon satellite signals

Treatment of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome with defibrotide: a single-center experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Sucak, G T; Aki, Z S; Yagcí, M; Yegin, Z A; Ozkurt, Z N; Haznedar, R

2007-06-01

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is a frequent, troubling, and potentially fatal complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Despite promising results with defibrotide (DF), no treatment has been established as standard. DF is a single-stranded polydeoxyribonucleotide, obtained from controlled depolymerization of porcine intestinal mucosal cells. It has antithrombotic, antiischemic, antiinflammatory, and thrombolytic properties without significant side effects. We retrospectively evaluated the charts of 80 consecutive patients, with 89 hematopoietic stem cell transplants for hematologic malignancies. The results of early initiation of DF treatment in 14 patients with SOS are presented in this study. Fourteen patients, 8 males and 6 females % median age 40.5 years (range, 16-46 years) were diagnosed to have SOS. Disease severity was classified as severe in 6 (42.85%), moderate in 4 (28.57%), and mild in 4 (28.57%) patients. We treated 14 patients with DF for a median of 21.5 days (range, 4-39 days). All 14 patients received DF after the diagnosis of SOS. Three patients with severe and all of the patients with mild to moderate SOS responded to treatment with complete resolution of SOS-related signs and symptoms. All patients responding to DF were alive at 100 days posttransplantation. There was no significant drug-related side effect among patients treated with DF. With an overall response rate of 78.56% and a 50% complete response rate in severe SOS cases and minimal side effects, we suggest that DF is the best available agent to treat SOS.

In-vitro study on haemodiluted blood flow in a sinusoidal microstenosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, M J; Ji, H-S; Lee, S J

2010-01-01

In-vitro experiments were carried out to investigate the haemodynamic and haemorheological behaviours of haemodiluted blood flow through a microstenosis using a micro-particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique. The micro-PIV system employed in this study consisted of a two-head neodymium:yttrium-aluminium-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser, a cooled charge-coupled device camera, and a delay generator. To simulate blood flow in a stenosed vascular vessel, a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannel with a sinusoidal throat of 80 per cent severity was employed. The width and depth of the microchannel were 100 microm and 50 microm, respectively. To compare the flow characteristics in the microstenosis, the same experiments were repeated in a straight microchannel under the same flow conditions. Using a syringe pump, human blood with 5 per cent haematocrit was supplied into the microstenosis channel. The flow characteristics and transport of blood cells through the microstenosis were investigated with various flowrates. The mean velocity fields were nearly symmetric with respect to the channel centreline. In the contraction section, the oncoming blood flow was accelerated rapidly, and the maximum velocity at the throat was almost 4.99 times faster than that of the straight microchannel without stenosis. In the diffusion section, the blood cells show rolling, deformation, twisting, and tumbling motion due to the flow-choking characteristics at the stenotic region. The results from this study will provide useful basic data for comparison with those obtained by clinical researchers.

Minimum period and the gap in periods of Cataclysmic binaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paczynski, B.; Sienkiewicz, R.

1983-01-01

The 81 minute cutoff to the orbital periods of hydrogen-rich cataclysmic binaries is consistent with evolution of those systems being dominated by angular momentum losses due to gravitational radiation. Unfortunately, many uncertainties, mainly poorly known atmospheric opacities below 2000 K, make is physically impossible to verify the quadrupole formula for gravitational radiation by using the observed cutoff at 81 minutes. The upper boundary of the gap in orbital periods observed at about 3 hours is almost certainly due to enhanced angular momentum losses from cataclysmic binaries which have longer periods. The physical mechanism of those losses is not identified, but a possible importance of stellar winds is pointed out. The lower boundary of the gap may be explained with the oldest cataclysmic binaries, whose periods evolved past the minimum at 81 minutes and reached the value of 2 hours within about 12 x 10 9 years after the binary had formed. Those binaries should have secondary components of only 0.02 solar masses, and their periods could be used to estimate ages of the oldest cataclysmic stars, and presumably the age of Galaxy. An alternative explanation for the gap requires that binaries should be detached while crossing the gap. A possible mechanism for this phenomenon is discussed. It requires the secondary components to be about 0.2 solar masses in the binaries just below the gap

Manifestations and management of veno-occlusive disease/sinusoidal obstruction syndrome in the era of contemporary therapies.

Science.gov (United States)

Tewari, Priti; Wallis, Whitney; Kebriaei, Partow

2017-02-01

The concept of veno-occlusive disease (VOD), along with our understanding of it, has historically been and remains an evolving phenomenon. This review presents a broad view of VOD, also known as sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), including (1) traditional hematopoietic stem cell transplant-associated VOD/SOS, (2) late-onset VOD/SOS, (3) pulmonary VOD, and (4) VOD/SOS associated with chemotherapy only. Several VOD/SOS management modalities exist that include modes for both prophylaxis and treatment. An extensive review of the literature on monoclonal antibodies, both approved and pending approval by the US Food and Drug Administration, reveals that only a few have been associated with an increased risk for VOD/SOS. In fact, bevacizumab appears to have a protective effect against the development of VOD/SOS. As the landscape of cancer treatment changes, careful attention needs to be focused on how new therapies affect the incidence of VOD/SOS.

Transcranial alternating current stimulation: A review of the underlying mechanisms and modulation of cognitive processes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christoph S Herrmann

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Brain oscillations of different frequencies have been associated with a variety of cognitive functions. Convincing evidence supporting those associations has been provided by studies using intracranial stimulation, pharmacological interventions and lesion studies. The emergence of novel non-invasive brain stimulation techniques like repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS now allows to modulate brain oscillations directly. Particularly, tACS offers the unique opportunity to causally link brain oscillations of a specific frequency range to cognitive processes, because it uses sinusoidal currents that are bound to one frequency only. Using tACS allows to modulate brain oscillations and in turn to influence cognitive processes, thereby demonstrating the causal link between the two. Here, we review findings about the physiological mechanism of tACS and studies that have used tACS to modulate basic motor and sensory processes as well as higher cognitive processes like memory, ambiguous perception, and decision making.

Flow control at low Reynolds numbers using periodic airfoil morphing

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Gareth; Santer, Matthew; Papadakis, George; Bouremel, Yann; Debiasi, Marco; Imperial-NUS Joint PhD Collaboration

2014-11-01

The performance of airfoils operating at low Reynolds numbers is known to suffer from flow separation even at low angles of attack as a result of their boundary layers remaining laminar. The lack of mixing---a characteristic of turbulent boundary layers---leaves laminar boundary layers with insufficient energy to overcome the adverse pressure gradient that occurs in the pressure recovery region. This study looks at periodic surface morphing as an active flow control technique for airfoils in such a flight regime. It was discovered that at sufficiently high frequencies an oscillating surface is capable of not only reducing the size of the separated region---and consequently significantly reducing drag whilst simultaneously increasing lift---but it is also capable of delaying stall and as a result increasing CLmax. Furthermore, by bonding Macro Fiber Composite actuators (MFCs) to the underside of an airfoil skin and driving them with a sinusoidal frequency, it is shown that this control technique can be practically implemented in a lightweight, energy efficient way. Imperial-NUS Joint Ph.D. Programme.

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome caused by herbal medicine: CT and MRI features

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Hua; Lou, Hai Yan; Wang, Yi Xiang J.; Xu, Xiao Jun; Zhang, Min Ming

2014-01-01

To describe the CT and MRI features of hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) caused by herbal medicine Gynura segetum. The CT and MRI features of 16 consecutive Gynura segetum induced HSOS cases (12 men, 4 women) were analyzed. Eight patients had CT; three patients had MRI, and the remaining five patients had both CT and MRI examinations. Based on their clinical presentations and outcomes, the patients were classified into three categories: mild, moderate, and severe. The severity of the disease was also evaluated radiologically based on the abnormal hepatic patchy enhancement in post-contrast CT or MRI images. Ascites, patchy liver enhancement, and main right hepatic vein narrowing or occlusion were present in all 16 cases. Hepatomegaly and gallbladder wall thickening were present in 14 cases (87.5%, 14/16). Periportal high intensity on T2-weighted images was present in 6 cases (75%, 6/8). Normal liver parenchymal enhancement surrounding the main hepatic vein forming a clover-like sign was observed in 4 cases (25%, 4/16). The extent of patchy liver enhancement was statistically associated with clinical severity classification (kappa = 0.565). Ascites, patchy liver enhancement, and the main hepatic veins narrowing were the most frequent signs of herbal medicine induced HSOS. The grade of abnormal patchy liver enhancement was associated with the clinical severity.

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome caused by herbal medicine: CT and MRI features

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Hua; Lou, Hai Yan [Dept. of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou (China); Wang, Yi Xiang J. [Dept. of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou (China); Xu, Xiao Jun; Zhang, Min Ming [Dept. of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou (China)

2014-04-15

To describe the CT and MRI features of hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) caused by herbal medicine Gynura segetum. The CT and MRI features of 16 consecutive Gynura segetum induced HSOS cases (12 men, 4 women) were analyzed. Eight patients had CT; three patients had MRI, and the remaining five patients had both CT and MRI examinations. Based on their clinical presentations and outcomes, the patients were classified into three categories: mild, moderate, and severe. The severity of the disease was also evaluated radiologically based on the abnormal hepatic patchy enhancement in post-contrast CT or MRI images. Ascites, patchy liver enhancement, and main right hepatic vein narrowing or occlusion were present in all 16 cases. Hepatomegaly and gallbladder wall thickening were present in 14 cases (87.5%, 14/16). Periportal high intensity on T2-weighted images was present in 6 cases (75%, 6/8). Normal liver parenchymal enhancement surrounding the main hepatic vein forming a clover-like sign was observed in 4 cases (25%, 4/16). The extent of patchy liver enhancement was statistically associated with clinical severity classification (kappa = 0.565). Ascites, patchy liver enhancement, and the main hepatic veins narrowing were the most frequent signs of herbal medicine induced HSOS. The grade of abnormal patchy liver enhancement was associated with the clinical severity.

Severe Hepatic Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome in a Child Receiving Vincristine, Actinomycin-D, and Cyclophosphamide for Rhabdomyosarcoma: Successful Treatment with Defibrotide.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Aery; Kang, Young Kyung; Lim, Sewon; Kim, Dong Ho; Lim, Jung Sub; Lee, Jun Ah

2016-10-01

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is a life-threatening syndrome that generally occurs as a complication after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or, less commonly, after conventional chemotherapy. Regarding SOS in rhabdomyosarcoma patients who received conventional chemotherapy, the doses of chemotherapeutic agents are associated with the development of SOS. Several cases of SOS in rhabdomyosarcoma patients after receiving chemotherapy with escalated doses of cyclophosphamide have been reported. Here, we report on a 9-year-old female with rhabdomyosarcoma who developed severe SOS after receiving chemotherapy consisting of vincristine, actinomycin-D, and a moderate dose of cyclophosphamide. She was treated successfully with defibrotide without sequelae to the liver.

Medicare Program; Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Alternative Payment Model (APM) Incentive Under the Physician Fee Schedule, and Criteria for Physician-Focused Payment Models. Final rule with comment period.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-11-04

The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) repeals the Medicare sustainable growth rate (SGR) methodology for updates to the physician fee schedule (PFS) and replaces it with a new approach to payment called the Quality Payment Program that rewards the delivery of high-quality patient care through two avenues: Advanced Alternative Payment Models (Advanced APMs) and the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for eligible clinicians or groups under the PFS. This final rule with comment period establishes incentives for participation in certain alternative payment models (APMs) and includes the criteria for use by the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) in making comments and recommendations on physician-focused payment models (PFPMs). Alternative Payment Models are payment approaches, developed in partnership with the clinician community, that provide added incentives to deliver high-quality and cost-efficient care. APMs can apply to a specific clinical condition, a care episode, or a population. This final rule with comment period also establishes the MIPS, a new program for certain Medicare-enrolled practitioners. MIPS will consolidate components of three existing programs, the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), the Physician Value-based Payment Modifier (VM), and the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program for Eligible Professionals (EPs), and will continue the focus on quality, cost, and use of certified EHR technology (CEHRT) in a cohesive program that avoids redundancies. In this final rule with comment period we have rebranded key terminology based on feedback from stakeholders, with the goal of selecting terms that will be more easily identified and understood by our stakeholders.

The lifetime of the nuclear alternators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guillard, J.M.; Guigues, B.

1989-01-01

The lifetime of an alternator, used in the nuclear domain, is investigated. The preventive actions, concerning the stresses (electrical mechanical or thermal), adopted during the fabrication processes and the severity and frequency of unordinary operating conditions, are analyzed. The aging modes of the alternator main units are studied. The procedures that can be applied to detect the beginning of the degradation, and to avoid an accident during operation are discussed. The turboalternators aging mechanisms are reviewed. It is shown that the mechanical or thermal fatigue, due to regime changements during operation and successive starts, are the main sources of problems. The alternator aging depends on the periodic inspections, on the preventive maintenance, and on the operating conditions [fr

THE PERIOD VARIATION OF AND A SPOT MODEL FOR THE ECLIPSING BINARY AR BOOTIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jae Woo; Youn, Jae-Hyuck; Lee, Chung-Uk; Kim, Seung-Lee; Koch, Robert H.

2009-01-01

New CCD photometric observations of the eclipsing system AR Boo were obtained from 2006 February to 2008 April. The star's photometric properties are derived from detailed studies of the period variability and of all available light curves. We find that over about 56 yr the orbital period of the system has varied due to a combination of an upward parabola and a sinusoid rather than in a monotonic fashion. Mass transfer from the less massive primary to the more massive secondary component is likely responsible for at least a significant part of the secular period change. The cyclical variation with a period of 7.57 yr and a semi-amplitude of 0.0015 d can be produced either by a light-travel-time effect due to an unseen companion with a scaled mass of M 3 sin i 3 = 0.081 M sun or by a magnetic period modulation in the secondary star. Historical light curves of AR Boo, as well as our own, display season-to-season light variability, which are best modeled by including both a cool spot and a hot one on the secondary star. We think that the spots express magnetic dynamo-related activity and offer limited support for preferring the magnetic interpretation of the 7.57 yr cycle over the third-body interpretation. Our solutions confirm that AR Boo belongs to the W-subtype contact binary class, consisting of a hotter, less massive primary star with a spectral type of G9 and a companion of spectral type K1.

[Transcranial alternating current stimulation. Entrainment and function control of neuronal networks].

Science.gov (United States)

Vosskuhl, J; Strüber, D; Herrmann, C S

2015-12-01

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a new technique for the modulation of oscillatory brain activity as measured in the electroencephalogram (EEG). In contrast to well-established stimulation techniques, such as transcranial direct current stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation, tACS applies a sinusoidal alternating current at a specific frequency. This enables the modulation of the amplitude and frequency of endogenous brain oscillations as well as related cognitive processes. Therefore, the use of tACS has the possibility to evaluate well-known correlations between brain oscillations and cognitive processes in terms of causality. Such causal relationships have been documented in numerous neurocognitive studies on sensory, motor and perceptual processes; however, the clinical application of tACS is still in its infancy. In principle, any pathology that can reliably be connected with brain oscillations of a defined frequency is treatable. A current main focus of clinical research is on symptoms of Parkinson's disease and to a lesser degree, tinnitus. For an effective application of tACS it is important to choose the electrode positions as well as the frequency, intensity and duration of the stimulation in a theory-based and symptom-related manner. A successful therapeutic intervention requires the persistence of the tACS effect after stimulation has ceased. A mechanism that offers not only an explanation to the origin of persistent tACS effects but is also of high therapeutic benefit is neural plasticity. Therefore, one current focus of research aims at a better understanding of tACS after effects.

A feedback control system for vibration of magnetostrictive plate subjected to follower force using sinusoidal shear

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Ghorbanpour Arani

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In this research, the vibrational behavior of magnetostrictive plate (MsP as a smart component is studied. The plate is subjected to an external follower force and a magnetic field in which the vibration response of MsP has been investigated for both loading combinations. The velocity feedback gain parameter is evaluated to study the effect of magnetic field which is generated by the coil. Sinusoidal shear deformation theory is utilized due to its accuracy of polynomial function with respect to other plate theories. Equations of motion are derived using Hamilton’s principle and solved by differential quadrature method (DQM considering general boundary conditions. The effects of aspect ratio, thickness ratio, follower force and velocity feedback gain are investigated on the frequency response of MsP. Results indicate that magneto-mechanical coupling in MsM helps to control vibrational behaviors of systems such as electro-hydraulic actuator, wireless linear Motors and sensors.

Hepatic Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome During Chemotherapy for Childhood Medulloblastoma: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Buckland, Amy; Phillips, Marianne B.; Cole, Catherine H.; Gottardo, Nicholas G.

2014-01-01

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS), also known as veno-occlusive disease, is a well-recognized toxic complication after autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant, during treatment of Wilms tumor and rhabdomyosarcoma associated with actinomycin-D, and during acute lymphoblastic leukemia therapy due to oral 6-thioguanine. However, its occurrence in the context of chemotherapy regimens for other childhood malignancies is rare. We report a 5-year-old girl with high-risk anaplastic medulloblastoma, who developed severe HSOS during her second cycle of maintenance chemotherapy, consisting of vincristine, cisplatin, and cyclophosphamide. She was treated with defibrotide with complete resolution of the HSOS. These findings and a review of the literature, highlight the occurrence of HSOS in children outside the established settings of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, Wilms tumor, rhabdomyosarcoma, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. PMID:24276042

Safety and effects of prophylactic defibrotide for sinusoidal obstruction syndrome in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Meerim; Park, Hyeon Jin; Eom, Hyeon-Seok; Kwon, Young Joo; Park, Jeong A; Lim, Yeon Jung; Yoon, Jong Hyung; Kong, Sun-Young; Ghim, Thad T; Lee, Hye Won; Yun, Tak; Park, Byung-Kiu

2013-01-28

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is a serious complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), with a mortality rate of up to 90%. We report our experience on the use of defibrotide for SOS prophylaxis in HSCT. We retrospectively reviewed data of 49 patients who received defibrotide as SOS prophylaxis during the course of HSCT at the National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea, between August 2005 and July 2008. Thirty-four patients (69.4%) were classified as a high-risk group for developing SOS. Defibrotide was well-tolerated, without any grade 3 or 4 toxicity. The median value of maximum total bilirubin within 100 days after HSCT was within the normal range. SOS was diagnosed in only 1 patient, who underwent autologous HSCT due to relapsed medulloblastoma. There was no day 100 treatment-related mortality in our study. Defibrotide appears to be a safe prophylaxis for SOS. This study suggests that it could be effective to use prophylactic defibrotide in advance to improve HSCT outcomes in patients at risk of SOS.

Improved nonparametric inference for multiple correlated periodic sequences

KAUST Repository

Sun, Ying

2013-08-26

This paper proposes a cross-validation method for estimating the period as well as the values of multiple correlated periodic sequences when data are observed at evenly spaced time points. The period of interest is estimated conditional on the other correlated sequences. An alternative method for period estimation based on Akaike\\'s information criterion is also discussed. The improvement of the period estimation performance is investigated both theoretically and by simulation. We apply the multivariate cross-validation method to the temperature data obtained from multiple ice cores, investigating the periodicity of the El Niño effect. Our methodology is also illustrated by estimating patients\\' cardiac cycle from different physiological signals, including arterial blood pressure, electrocardiography, and fingertip plethysmograph.

Geometric pre-patterning based tuning of the period doubling onset strain during thin film wrinkling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saha, Sourabh K. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2017-02-16

Wrinkling of supported thin films is an easy-to-implement and low-cost fabrication technique for generation of stretch-tunable periodic micro and nano-scale structures. However, the tunability of such structures is often limited by the emergence of an undesirable period doubled mode at high strains. Predictively tuning the onset strain for period doubling via existing techniques requires one to have extensive knowledge about the nonlinear pattern formation behavior. Herein, a geometric pre-patterning based technique is introduced to delay the onset of period doubling that can be implemented to predictively tune the onset strain even with limited system knowledge. The technique comprises pre-patterning the film/base bilayer with a sinusoidal pattern that has the same period as the natural wrinkle period of the system. The effectiveness of this technique has been verified via physical and computational experiments on the polydimethylsiloxane/glass bilayer system. It is observed that the period doubling onset strain can be increased from the typical value of 20% for flat films to greater than 30% with a modest pre-pattern aspect ratio (2∙amplitude/period) of 0.15. In addition, finite element simulations reveal that (i) the onset strain can be increased up to a limit by increasing the amplitude of the pre-patterns and (ii) the delaying effect can be captured entirely by the pre-pattern geometry. As a result, one can implement this technique even with limited system knowledge, such as material properties or film thickness, by simply replicating pre-existing wrinkled patterns to generate prepatterned bilayers. Thus, geometric pre-patterning is a practical scheme to suppress period doubling that can increase the operating range of stretch-tunable wrinkle-based devices by at least 50%.

Stability of A-150 plastic ionization chamber response over a ∼30 year period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kroc, Thomas K.; Lennox, Arlene J.

2007-01-01

At the NIU Institute for Neutron Therapy at Fermilab, the clinical tissue-equivalent ionization chamber response is measured every treatment day using a cesium source that was configured to match readings obtained at the National Bureau of Standards. Daily measurements are performed in air using the air-to-tissue dose conversion factors given in AAPM Report no. 7. The measured exposure calibration factors have been tabulated and graphed as a function of time from 1978 to present. For A-150 plastic ionization chambers, these factors exhibit a sinusoidal variation with a period of approximately one year and amplitude of ± 1%. This variation, attributable to the hygroscopic nature of A-150 plastic, is correlated with the relative humidity of the facility, and is greater than the humidity corrections for gas described in the literature. Our data suggest that chamber calibration should be performed at least weekly to accommodate these variations

Relativistic boost as the cause of periodicity in a massive black-hole binary candidate.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Orazio, Daniel J; Haiman, Zoltán; Schiminovich, David

2015-09-17

Because most large galaxies contain a central black hole, and galaxies often merge, black-hole binaries are expected to be common in galactic nuclei. Although they cannot be imaged, periodicities in the light curves of quasars have been interpreted as evidence for binaries, most recently in PG 1302-102, which has a short rest-frame optical period of four years (ref. 6). If the orbital period of the black-hole binary matches this value, then for the range of estimated black-hole masses, the components would be separated by 0.007-0.017 parsecs, implying relativistic orbital speeds. There has been much debate over whether black-hole orbits could be smaller than one parsec (ref. 7). Here we report that the amplitude and the sinusoid-like shape of the variability of the light curve of PG 1302-102 can be fitted by relativistic Doppler boosting of emission from a compact, steadily accreting, unequal-mass binary. We predict that brightness variations in the ultraviolet light curve track those in the optical, but with a two to three times larger amplitude. This prediction is relatively insensitive to the details of the emission process, and is consistent with archival ultraviolet data. Follow-up ultraviolet and optical observations in the next few years can further test this prediction and confirm the existence of a binary black hole in the relativistic regime.

Evaluation and statistical judgement of neural responses to sinusoidal stimulation in cases with superimposed drift and noise.

Science.gov (United States)

Jastreboff, P W

1979-06-01

Time histograms of neural responses evoked by sinuosidal stimulation often contain a slow drifting and an irregular noise which disturb Fourier analysis of these responses. Section 2 of this paper evaluates the extent to which a linear drift influences the Fourier analysis, and develops a combined Fourier and linear regression analysis for detecting and correcting for such a linear drift. Usefulness of this correcting method is demonstrated for the time histograms of actual eye movements and Purkinje cell discharges evoked by sinusoidal rotation of rabbits in the horizontal plane. In Sect. 3, the analysis of variance is adopted for estimating the probability of the random occurrence of the response curve extracted by Fourier analysis from noise. This method proved to be useful for avoiding false judgements as to whether the response curve was meaningful, particularly when the response was small relative to the contaminating noise.

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome during maintenance therapy of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia is associated with continuous asparaginase therapy and mercaptopurine metabolites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toksvang, Linea Natalie; De Pietri, Silvia; Nielsen, Stine N.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) during treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has mainly been associated with 6-thioguanine. The occurrence of several SOS cases after the introduction of extended pegylated asparaginase (PEG-asparaginase) therapy...... in the Nordic Society of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology (NOPHO) ALL2008 protocol led us to hypothesize that PEG-asparaginase, combined with other drugs, may trigger SOS during 6-thioguanine-free maintenance therapy. PROCEDURE: In children with ALL treated in Denmark according to the NOPHO ALL2008 protocol...... children receiving PEG-asparaginase biweekly, 29 developed SOS (≥2 criteria: hyperbilirubinemia, hepatomegaly, ascites, weight gain ≥2.5%, unexplained thrombocytopenia

Gemtuzumab ozogamicin-induced sinusoidal obstructive syndrome treated with defibrotide: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Lannoy, D; Decaudin, B; Grozieux de Laguérenne, A; Barrier, F; Pignon, J M; Wetterwald, M; Odou, P

2006-08-01

New treatments for relapse of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), include gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO), an anti-CD33 monoclonal antibody. We describe a second case of GO-induced sinusoidal obstructive syndrome (SOS) effectively treated with defibrotide (DF). No stem-cell transplantation was involved. On day 23 after the first GO dose, a patient presented with ascites, weight gain, liver enlargement and pain in the right upper quadrant. Sudden hepatic cytolysis (transaminases at six times the normal range: grade 3) and cholestasis [alkaline phosphatase ALP and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) respectively at four and eight times the normal range: grade 2] were observed but there was no evidence of increase serum bilirubin. Treatment with DF (Prociclide), Crinos; 10 mg/kg/day, or 200 mg, q.i.d.) improved the hepatic abnormality within a few days (serum transaminases decreased from 312 to 103 IU/L for aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and from 141 to 80 IU/L for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) within 3 days ALP increased from 253 to 383 IU/L and gamma-GT from 238 to 417 IU/L 4 days after administration of DF. The clinical and biological features of our case suggest a direct involvement of GO in causing SOS, even when used as monotherapy, without allogenic stem-cell transplantation. Low dose DF (10 mg/kg/day) given early during the development of SOS associated with GO was effective. Unfortunately, in our case the patient eventually died of multi-organ failure probably because of failure of GO.

Unsteady flow damping force prediction of MR dampers subjected to sinusoidal loading

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, M.; Wang, S. Q.; Fu, J.; Peng, Y. X.

2013-02-01

So far quasi-steady models are usually used to design magnetorheological (MR) dampers, but these models are not sufficient to describe the MR damper behavior under unsteady dynamic loading, for fluid inertia is neglected in quasi-steady models, which will bring more error between computer simulation and experimental results. Under unsteady flow model, the fluid inertia terms will bring error calculated upto 10%, so it is necessary to be considered in the governing equation. In this paper, force-stroke behavior of MR damper with flow mode due to sinusoidal loading excitation is mainly investigated, to simplify the analysis, the one-dimensional axisymmetric annular duct geometry of MR dampers is approximated as a rectangular duct. The rectangular duct can be divided into 3 regions for the velocity profile of the incompressible MR fluid flow, in each region, a partial differential equation is composed of by Navier-Stokes equations, boundary conditions and initial conditions to determine the velocity solution. In addition, in this work, not only Bingham plastic model but the Herschel—Bulkley model is adopted to analyze the MR damper performance. The damping force resulting from the pressure drop of unsteady MR dampers can be obtained and used to design or size MR dampers. Compared with the quasi-steady flow damping force, the damping force of unsteady MR dampers is more close to practice, particularly for the high-speed unsteady movement of MR dampers.

Unsteady flow damping force prediction of MR dampers subjected to sinusoidal loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, M; Fu, J; Wang, S Q; Peng, Y X

2013-01-01

So far quasi-steady models are usually used to design magnetorheological (MR) dampers, but these models are not sufficient to describe the MR damper behavior under unsteady dynamic loading, for fluid inertia is neglected in quasi-steady models, which will bring more error between computer simulation and experimental results. Under unsteady flow model, the fluid inertia terms will bring error calculated upto 10%, so it is necessary to be considered in the governing equation. In this paper, force-stroke behavior of MR damper with flow mode due to sinusoidal loading excitation is mainly investigated, to simplify the analysis, the one-dimensional axisymmetric annular duct geometry of MR dampers is approximated as a rectangular duct. The rectangular duct can be divided into 3 regions for the velocity profile of the incompressible MR fluid flow, in each region, a partial differential equation is composed of by Navier-Stokes equations, boundary conditions and initial conditions to determine the velocity solution. In addition, in this work, not only Bingham plastic model but the Herschel—Bulkley model is adopted to analyze the MR damper performance. The damping force resulting from the pressure drop of unsteady MR dampers can be obtained and used to design or size MR dampers. Compared with the quasi-steady flow damping force, the damping force of unsteady MR dampers is more close to practice, particularly for the high-speed unsteady movement of MR dampers.

Spectral Envelopes and Additive + Residual Analysis/Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Rodet, Xavier; Schwarz, Diemo

The subject of this chapter is the estimation, representation, modification, and use of spectral envelopes in the context of sinusoidal-additive-plus-residual analysis/synthesis. A spectral envelope is an amplitude-vs-frequency function, which may be obtained from the envelope of a short-time spectrum (Rodet et al., 1987; Schwarz, 1998). [Precise definitions of such an envelope and short-time spectrum (STS) are given in Section 2.] The additive-plus-residual analysis/synthesis method is based on a representation of signals in terms of a sum of time-varying sinusoids and of a non-sinusoidal residual signal [e.g., see Serra (1989), Laroche et al. (1993), McAulay and Quatieri (1995), and Ding and Qian (1997)]. Many musical sound signals may be described as a combination of a nearly periodic waveform and colored noise. The nearly periodic part of the signal can be viewed as a sum of sinusoidal components, called partials, with time-varying frequency and amplitude. Such sinusoidal components are easily observed on a spectral analysis display (Fig. 5.1) as obtained, for instance, from a discrete Fourier transform.

MODALITIES OF TRAINING PARAMETER ALTERNATION IN NOWADAYS STRENGTH TRAINING PRACTICE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RANISAVLJEV IGOR

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Large number of variables could be alternated during the process of planning and programming in sports training. Superior training results in majority of sports are achieved by optimally manipulating training parameters in appropriate sequences and combinations. Additionally, in some sports they might be the result of appropriate periodization pattern. Today's tendency in strength training practice is training movements instead of training muscles. Exercise classification according to the dominant movement types, allows creating new modalities in training alternation. Additional variations in volume, intensity, rest brakes, repetition velocity andinter-repetition rest can be the important part of functional strength training program. Alternation and combination of different training parameters makes appropriate training stimulus for strength increase in the most of nowadays sports. Optimal alternation of basic training parameters should be the first part in the processof planning and programming. As a result, majority of athletes might not need advanced periodization patterns for optimal improvement in muscle strength and power

A free-piston Stirling engine/linear alternator controls and load interaction test facility

Science.gov (United States)

Rauch, Jeffrey S.; Kankam, M. David; Santiago, Walter; Madi, Frank J.

1992-01-01

A test facility at LeRC was assembled for evaluating free-piston Stirling engine/linear alternator control options, and interaction with various electrical loads. This facility is based on a 'SPIKE' engine/alternator. The engine/alternator, a multi-purpose load system, a digital computer based load and facility control, and a data acquisition system with both steady-periodic and transient capability are described. Preliminary steady-periodic results are included for several operating modes of a digital AC parasitic load control. Preliminary results on the transient response to switching a resistive AC user load are discussed.

Control of nonlinear systems using periodic parametric perturbations with application to a reversed field pinch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirus, K.A.

1998-06-01

In this thesis, the possibility of controlling low- and high-dimensional chaotic systems by periodically driving an accessible system parameter is examined. This method has been carried out on several numerical systems and the MST Reversed Field Pinch. The numerical systems investigated include the logistic equation, the Lorenz equations, the Roessler equations, a coupled lattice of logistic equations, a coupled lattice of Lorenz equations, the Yoshida equations, which model tearing mode fluctuations in a plasma, and a neural net model for magnetic fluctuations on MST. This method was tested on the MST by sinusoidally driving a magnetic flux through the toroidal gap of the device. Numerically, periodic drives were found to be most effective at producing limit cycle behavior or significantly reducing the dimension of the system when the perturbation frequency was near natural frequencies of unstable periodic orbits embedded in the attractor of the unperturbed system. Several different unstable periodic orbits have been stabilized in this way for the low-dimensional numerical systems, sometimes with perturbation amplitudes that were less than 5% of the nominal value of the parameter being perturbed. In high-dimensional systems, limit cycle behavior and significant decreases in the system dimension were also achieved using perturbations with frequencies near the natural unstable periodic orbit frequencies. Results for the MST were not this encouraging, most likely because of an insufficient drive amplitude, the extremely high dimension of the plasma behavior, large amounts of noise, and a lack of stationarity in the transient plasma pulses

Control of nonlinear systems using periodic parametric perturbations with application to a reversed field pinch

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mirus, Kevin A. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)

1998-01-01

In this thesis, the possibility of controlling low- and high-dimensional chaotic systems by periodically driving an accessible system parameter is examined. This method has been carried out on several numerical systems and the MST Reversed Field Pinch. The numerical systems investigated include the logistic equation, the Lorenz equations, the Roessler equations, a coupled lattice of logistic equations, a coupled lattice of Lorenz equations, the Yoshida equations, which model tearing mode fluctuations in a plasma, and a neural net model for magnetic fluctuations on MST. This method was tested on the MST by sinusoidally driving a magnetic flux through the toroidal gap of the device. Numerically, periodic drives were found to be most effective at producing limit cycle behavior or significantly reducing the dimension of the system when the perturbation frequency was near natural frequencies of unstable periodic orbits embedded in the attractor of the unperturbed system. Several different unstable periodic orbits have been stabilized in this way for the low-dimensional numerical systems, sometimes with perturbation amplitudes that were less than 5% of the nominal value of the parameter being perturbed. In high-dimensional systems, limit cycle behavior and significant decreases in the system dimension were also achieved using perturbations with frequencies near the natural unstable periodic orbit frequencies. Results for the MST were not this encouraging, most likely because of an insufficient drive amplitude, the extremely high dimension of the plasma behavior, large amounts of noise, and a lack of stationarity in the transient plasma pulses.

Control of nonlinear systems using periodic parametric perturbations with application to a reversed field pinch

Science.gov (United States)

Mirus, Kevin Andrew

In this thesis, the possibility of controlling low- and high-dimensional chaotic systems by periodically driving an accessible system parameter is examined. This method has been carried out on several numerical systems and the MST Reversed Field Pinch. The numerical systems investigated include the logistic equation, the Lorenz equations, the Rossler equations, a coupled lattice of logistic equations, a coupled lattice of Lorenz equations, the Yoshida equations, which model tearing mode fluctuations in a plasma, and a neural net model for magnetic fluctuations on MST. This method was tested on the MST by sinusoidally driving a magnetic flux through the toroidal gap of the device. Numerically, periodic drives were found to be most effective at producing limit cycle behavior or significantly reducing the dimension of the system when the perturbation frequency was near natural frequencies of unstable periodic orbits embedded in the attractor of the unperturbed system. Several different unstable periodic orbits have been stabilized in this way for the low-dimensional numerical systems, sometimes with perturbation amplitudes that were less than 5% of the nominal value of the parameter being perturbed. In high- dimensional systems, limit cycle behavior and significant decreases in the system dimension were also achieved using perturbations with frequencies near the natural unstable periodic orbit frequencies. Results for the MST were not this encouraging, most likely because of an insufficient drive amplitude, the extremely high dimension of the plasma behavior, large amounts of noise, and a lack of stationarity in the transient plasma pulses.

Development and Integration of an Advanced Stirling Convertor Linear Alternator Model for a Tool Simulating Convertor Performance and Creating Phasor Diagrams

Science.gov (United States)

Metscher, Jonathan F.; Lewandowski, Edward J.

2013-01-01

A simple model of the Advanced Stirling Convertors (ASC) linear alternator and an AC bus controller has been developed and combined with a previously developed thermodynamic model of the convertor for a more complete simulation and analysis of the system performance. The model was developed using Sage, a 1-D thermodynamic modeling program that now includes electro-magnetic components. The convertor, consisting of a free-piston Stirling engine combined with a linear alternator, has sufficiently sinusoidal steady-state behavior to allow for phasor analysis of the forces and voltages acting in the system. A MATLAB graphical user interface (GUI) has been developed to interface with the Sage software for simplified use of the ASC model, calculation of forces, and automated creation of phasor diagrams. The GUI allows the user to vary convertor parameters while fixing different input or output parameters and observe the effect on the phasor diagrams or system performance. The new ASC model and GUI help create a better understanding of the relationship between the electrical component voltages and mechanical forces. This allows better insight into the overall convertor dynamics and performance.

A metabonomic evaluation of the monocrotaline-induced sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conotte, R.; Colet, J.-M.

2014-01-01

The main curative treatment of colorectal cancer remains the surgery. However, when metastases are suspected, surgery is followed by a preventive chemotherapy using oxaliplatin which, unfortunately, may cause liver sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS). Such hepatic damage is barely detected during or after chemotherapy due to a lack of effective diagnostic procedures, but liver biopsy. The primary objective of the present study was to identify potential early diagnosis biomarkers of SOS using a metabonomic approach. SOS was induced in rats by monocrotaline, a prototypical toxic substance. 1 H NMR spectroscopy analysis of urine samples collected from rats treated with monocrotaline showed significant metabolic changes as compared to controls. During a first phase, cellular protective mechanisms such as an increased synthesis of GSH (reduced taurine) and the recruitment of cell osmolytes in the liver (betaine) were seen. In the second phase, the disturbance of the urea cycle (increased ornithine and urea reduction) leading to the depletion of NO, the alteration in the GSH synthesis (increased creatine and GSH precursors (glutamate, dimethylglycine and sarcosine)), and the liver necrosis (decrease taurine and increase creatine) all indicate the development of SOS. - Highlights: • Urine metabonomic profiles of SOS have been identified. • Urine osmoprotectants and anti-oxidants indicated an initial liver protection. • Liver necrosis was demonstrated by increased urine levels of taurine and creatine. • NO depletion was suggested by changes in ornithine and urea

The Role of Thromboelastography in Pediatric Patients with Sinusoidal Obstructive Syndrome Receiving Defibrotide.

Science.gov (United States)

Gendreau, Joanna L; Knoll, Christine; Adams, Roberta H; Su, Leon L

2017-04-01

Sinusoidal obstructive syndrome (SOS) is a potentially fatal form of hepatic injury after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Patients can develop liver dysfunction, portal hypertension, ascites, coagulopathies, and multisystem organ failure. The mortality rate of severe SOS has been reported as high as 98% by day 100 after transplantation. Defibrotide, which is now approved for the treatment of SOS, has significantly decreased mortality. Defibrotide is a polynucleotide with profibrinolytic, anti-ischemic, and anti-inflammatory activity. These properties can increase the risk of life-threatening bleeding in this patient population. Previous protocols have suggested maintaining international normalized ratio ≤ 1.5, platelets > 30 k/uL, and fibrinogen ≥ 150 mg/dL to minimize this risk of bleeding. However, this can be challenging in fluid-sensitive patients with SOS. Thromboelastography (TEG) is a functional assay that evaluates the balance of procoagulant and anticoagulant proteins. In this series, TEG was used to guide defibrotide therapy as well as blood product transfusions in SOS patients with abnormal coagulation studies. Each patient recovered from SOS and had no bleeding complications. A randomized clinical trial is the next step in supporting the use of TEG in SOS patients with abnormal coagulation studies receiving defibrotide therapy. Copyright © 2017 The American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ASSOCIATING LONG-TERM {gamma}-RAY VARIABILITY WITH THE SUPERORBITAL PERIOD OF LS I +61 Degree-Sign 303

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ackermann, M.; Buehler, R. [Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron DESY, D-15738 Zeuthen (Germany); Ajello, M. [Space Sciences Laboratory, 7 Gauss Way, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7450 (United States); Ballet, J.; Casandjian, J. M. [Laboratoire AIM, CEA-IRFU/CNRS/Universite Paris Diderot, Service d' Astrophysique, CEA Saclay, F-91191 Gif sur Yvette (France); Barbiellini, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Trieste, I-34127 Trieste (Italy); Bastieri, D.; Buson, S. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Padova, I-35131 Padova (Italy); Bellazzini, R.; Bregeon, J. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa, I-56127 Pisa (Italy); Bonamente, E.; Cecchi, C. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Perugia, I-06123 Perugia (Italy); Brandt, T. J. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Brigida, M. [Dipartimento di Fisica ' ' M. Merlin' ' dell' Universita e del Politecnico di Bari, I-70126 Bari (Italy); Bruel, P. [Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet, Ecole polytechnique, CNRS/IN2P3, F-91128 Palaiseau (France); Caliandro, G. A. [Institute of Space Sciences (IEEE-CSIC), Campus UAB, E-08193 Barcelona (Spain); Cameron, R. A. [W. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Caraveo, P. A. [INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, I-20133 Milano (Italy); Cavazzuti, E. [Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) Science Data Center, I-00044 Frascati (Roma) (Italy); Chekhtman, A., E-mail: andrea.caliandro@ieec.uab.es, E-mail: hadasch@ieec.uab.es, E-mail: dtorres@ieec.uab.es [Center for Earth Observing and Space Research, College of Science, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States); and others

2013-08-20

Gamma-ray binaries are stellar systems for which the spectral energy distribution (discounting the thermal stellar emission) peaks at high energies. Detected from radio to TeV gamma rays, the {gamma}-ray binary LS I +61 Degree-Sign 303 is highly variable across all frequencies. One aspect of this system's variability is the modulation of its emission with the timescale set by the {approx}26.4960 day orbital period. Here we show that, during the time of our observations, the {gamma}-ray emission of LS I +61 Degree-Sign 303 also presents a sinusoidal variability consistent with the previously known superorbital period of 1667 days. This modulation is more prominently seen at orbital phases around apastron, whereas it does not introduce a visible change close to periastron. It is also found in the appearance and disappearance of variability at the orbital period in the power spectrum of the data. This behavior could be explained by a quasi-cyclical evolution of the equatorial outflow of the Be companion star, whose features influence the conditions for generating gamma rays. These findings open the possibility to use {gamma}-ray observations to study the outflows of massive stars in eccentric binary systems.

Corrigendum to "Sinusoidal potential cycling operation of a direct ethanol fuel cell to improving carbon dioxide yields" [J. Power Sources 268 (5 December 2014) 439-442

Science.gov (United States)

Majidi, Pasha; Pickup, Peter G.

2016-09-01

The authors regret that Equation (5) is incorrect and has resulted in errors in Fig. 4 and the efficiencies stated on p. 442. The corrected equation, figure and text are presented below. In addition, the title should be 'Sinusoidal potential cycling operation of a direct ethanol fuel cell to improve carbon dioxide yields', and the reversible cell potential quoted on p. 441 should be 1.14 V. The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Advancing Alternative Analysis: Integration of Decision Science

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malloy, Timothy F; Zaunbrecher, Virginia M; Batteate, Christina

2016-01-01

Decision analysis-a systematic approach to solving complex problems-offers tools and frameworks to support decision making that are increasingly being applied to environmental challenges. Alternatives analysis is a method used in regulation and product design to identify, compare, and evaluate......, and civil society and included experts in toxicology, decision science, alternatives assessment, engineering, and law and policy. Participants were divided into two groups and prompted with targeted questions. Throughout the workshop, the groups periodically came together in plenary sessions to reflect......) engaging the systematic development and evaluation of decision approaches and tools; (2) using case studies to advance the integration of decision analysis into alternatives analysis; (3) supporting transdisciplinary research; and (4) supporting education and outreach efforts....

77 FR 41873 - In the Matter of Alternative Energy Sources, Inc., Arlington Hospitality, Inc., Consolidated Oil...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-16

... SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [File No. 500-1] In the Matter of Alternative Energy Sources, Inc., Arlington Hospitality, Inc., Consolidated Oil & Gas, Inc., CSMG Technologies, Inc., Dakotah... Alternative Energy Sources, Inc. because it has not filed any periodic reports since the period ended...

Flame Structure and Chemiluminescence Emissions of Inverse Diffusion Flames under Sinusoidally Driven Plasma Discharges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Grazia De Giorgi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Reduction of nitric oxides (NOx in aircraft engines and in gas turbines by lean combustion is of great interest in the design of novel combustion systems. However, the stabilization of the flame under lean conditions is a main issue. In this context, the present work investigates the effects of sinusoidal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD on a lean inverse diffusive methane/air flame in a Bunsen-type burner under different actuation conditions. The flame appearance was investigated with fixed methane loading (mass flux, but with varying inner airflow rate. High-speed flame imaging was done by using an intensified (charge-coupled device CCD camera equipped with different optical filters in order to selectively record signals from the chemiluminescent species OH*, CH*, or CO2* to evaluate the flame behavior in presence of plasma actuation. The electrical power consumption was less than 33 W. It was evident that the plasma flame enhancement was significantly influenced by the plasma discharges, particularly at high inner airflow rates. The flame structure changes drastically when the dissipated plasma power increases. The flame area decreases due to the enhancement of mixing and chemical reactions that lead to a more anchored flame on the quartz exit with a reduction of the flame length.

Flagellum motion in 2-D: Work rate and efficiency of the non-sinusoidal approach

Science.gov (United States)

Viridi, Sparisoma; Nuraini, Nuning; Stephanie, Monica; Rifqi, Ainur; Christina, Dina; Thania, Elsa; Sihite, Erland

2018-03-01

Today microorganisms have been widely used to support human life. Some examples include foodstuffs (Spirulina.sp), to help with medical needs, for mining purposes and more. On the other hand, the development of technology is also very big influence on human life. The combination of technology and health science will be very useful if we can develop it. One is the cancer treatment by utilizing the movement of the flagella to be made a nanorobot used as a carrier of cancer drugs. Movement of flagella that resembles the shape of the arc and straight line can be searched formulation and then applied to the manufacture of nanorobot tail. Then the nanorobot will carry a cancer drug that leads directly to the cancer cells. So hopefully with this nanorobot, can minimize the death of healthy cells around cancer cells. From the results of research and analysis of the movement of flagella, it can be concluded that the smaller the mass of the flagella, the greater the efficiency will be or will be more efficient. So, the energy needed nanorobot will be smaller. Model with non-sinusoidal approach (Brokaw, 1965) is discussed in this work and formulation to get the energy efficiency is proposed and analyzed. Unfortunately, there is a negative value in the formulation.

Diagnostic performance of Contrast-enhanced CT in Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids-induced Hepatic Sinusoidal Obstructive Syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Kan, Xuefeng; Ye, Jin; Rong, Xinxin; Lu, Zhiwen; Li, Xin; Wang, Yong; Yang, Ling; Xu, Keshu; Song, Yuhu; Hou, Xiaohua

2016-01-01

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) can be caused by pyrrolizidine alkaloids(PAs)-containing herbals. Since PAs exposure is obscure and clinical presentation of HSOS is unspecific, it is challenge to establish the diagnosis of PAs-induced HSOS. Gynura segetum is one of the most wide-use herbals containing PAs. The aim of our study is to describe the features of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) in gynura segetum-induced HSOS, and then determine diagnostic performance of radiological signs. We retrospectively analyzed medical records and CT images of HSOS patients (71 cases) and the controls (222 cases) enrolled from January 1, 2008, to Oct 31, 2015. The common findings of contrast CT in PAs-induced HSOS included: ascites (100%), hepatomegaly (78.87%), gallbladder wall thickening (86.96%), pleural effusion (70.42%), hepatic vein narrowing (87.32%), patchy liver enhancement (92.96%), and heterogeneous hypoattenuation (100%); of these signs, patchy enhancement and heterogeneous hypoattenuation were valuable features. Then, the result of diagnostic performance demonstrated that contrast CT possessed better performance in diagnosing PAs-induced HSOS compared with various parameters of Seattle criteria. In conclusion, the patients with PAs-induced HSOS display distinct radiologic features at CT-scan, which reveals that contrast-enhanced CT provides an effective noninvasive method for diagnosing PAs-induced HSOS. PMID:27897243

Engraftment and reconstitution of hematopoiesis is dependent on VEGFR2 mediated regeneration of sinusoidal endothelial cells

Science.gov (United States)

Hooper, Andrea T.; Butler, Jason M.; Nolan, Daniel J; Kranz, Andrea; Iida, Kaoruko; Kobayashi, Mariko; Kopp, Hans-Georg; Shido, Koji; Petit, Isabelle; Yanger, Kilangsungla; James, Daylon; Witte, Larry; Zhu, Zhenping; Wu, Yan; Pytowski, Bronislaw; Rosenwaks, Zev; Mittal, Vivek; Sato, Thomas N.; Rafii, Shahin

2011-01-01

SUMMARY The phenotypic attributes and molecular determinants for the regeneration of bone marrow (BM) sinusoidal endothelial cells (SECs) and their contribution to hematopoiesis are unknown. We show that after myelosuppression VEGFR2 activation promotes reassembly of regressed SECs, reconstituting hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). VEGFR2 and VEGFR3 expression are restricted to BM vasculature, demarcating a continuous network of VEGFR2+VEGFR3+Sca1− SECs and VEGFR2+VEGFR3−Sca1+ arterioles. While chemotherapy (5FU) and sublethal irradiation (650 rad) induce minor SEC regression, lethal irradiation (950 rad) induces severe regression of SECs requiring BM transplantation (BMT) for regeneration. Conditional deletion of VEGFR2 in adult mice blocks regeneration of SECs in sublethally irradiated animals, preventing hematopoietic reconstitution. Inhibition of VEGFR2 signaling in lethally irradiated wild type mice rescued with BMT severely impairs SEC reconstruction, preventing engraftment and reconstitution of HSPCs. Therefore, activation of VEGFR2 is critical for regeneration of VEGFR3+Sca1− SECs that are essential for engraftment and restoration of HSPCs and hematopoiesis. PMID:19265665

Bevacizumab exacerbates sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) in the animal model and increases MMP 9 production.

Science.gov (United States)

Jafari, Azin; Matthaei, Hanno; Wehner, Sven; Tonguc, Tolga; Kalff, Jörg C; Manekeller, Steffen

2018-04-24

Thanks to modern multimodal treatment the ouctome of patients with colorectal cancer has experienced significant improvements. As a downside, agent specific side effects have been observed such as sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) after oxaliplatin chemotherapy (OX). Bevazicumab targeting VEGF is nowadays comprehensively used in combination protocols with OX but its impact on hepatotoxicity is thus far elusive and focus of the present study. After MCT administration 67% of animals developed SOS. GOT serum concentration significantly increased in animals developing SOS ( p SOS. In contrast, animals receiving VEGF developed SOS merely in 40% while increasing the VEGF dose led to a further decrease in SOS development to 25%. MMP 9 concentration in animals developing SOS was significantly higher compared to controls ( p SOS paralleled by MMP 9 production. Therefore, OX-Bevacizumab combination therapies should be administered with caution, especially if liver parenchyma damage is apparent. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were gavaged Monocrotaline (MCT) to induce SOS. Recombinant VEGF or an Anti-VEGF antibody was administered to MCT-treated rats and the hepatotoxic effect monitored in defined time intervals. MMP 9 expression in the liver was measured by ELISA.

Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome during Treatment for Wilms' Tumor: A Life-threatening Complication.

Science.gov (United States)

Totadri, Sidharth; Trehan, Amita; Bansal, Deepak; Jain, Richa

2017-01-01

Survival rates exceed 90% in Wilms' tumor (WT). Actinomycin-D (ACT-D) which is indispensable in the management of WT is associated with the development of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), a potentially fatal complication. The aim is to study the presentation, management, and outcome of SOS complicating ACT-D administration in WT. Retrospective file review conducted in a Pediatric Hematology-Oncology unit. Patients diagnosed and treated for WT from January 2012 to December 2015 were analyzed. SOS was diagnosed clinically, based on McDonalds criteria, requiring two of the following: jaundice, hepatomegaly and/or right upper quadrant pain, weight gain with or without ascites. Of 104 patients treated, SOS occurred in 5 (4.8%). Age: 6 months to 5 years, 3 were girls. Tumor involved left kidney in 3, right in 1 and a horseshoe kidney in 1. Histopathology was consistent with WT in 4 and clear cell sarcoma kidney in 1. One had pulmonary metastases. Three developed SOS preoperatively and two during adjuvant chemotherapy. None received radiotherapy. Clinical manifestations comprised of jaundice, hepatomegaly, ascites/weight gain, respiratory distress, hypotension, and encephalopathy. Laboratory findings included thrombocytopenia, elevated serum transaminases, and coagulopathy. Treatment included fluid restriction, broad spectrum antibiotics, and transfusional support. Two children received N-acetyl cysteine infusion. Defibrotide was administered to two patients. Four recovered and one succumbed to multi-organ failure. Two patients were safely re-challenged with 50% doses of ACT-D. SOS is a clinical diagnosis. Systematic supportive care can enable complete recovery. Under close monitoring, re-challenge of ACT-D can be performed in gradually escalating doses.

A Chaotic Oscillator Based on HP Memristor Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guangyi Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a simple autonomous memristor-based oscillator for generating periodic signals. Applying an external sinusoidal excitation to the autonomous system, a nonautonomous oscillator is obtained, which contains HP memristor model and four linear circuit elements. This memristor-based oscillator can generate periodic, chaotic, and hyperchaotic signals under the periodic excitation and an appropriate set of circuit parameters. It also shows that the system exhibits alternately a hidden attractor with no equilibrium and a self-excited attractor with a line equilibrium as time goes on. Furthermore, some specialties including burst chaos, irregular periodic bifurcations, and nonintermittence chaos of the circuit are found by theoretical analysis and numerical simulations. Finally, a discrete model for the HP memristor is given and the main statistical properties of this memristor-based oscillator are verified via DSP chip experiments and NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology tests.

An optimized method for mouse liver sinusoidal endothelial cell isolation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, Jeremy, E-mail: jeremy.meyer@hcuge.ch [Division of Digestive and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospitals of Geneva, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1211 Genève 14 (Switzerland); Unit of Surgical Research, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1206 Genève (Switzerland); Lacotte, Stéphanie, E-mail: stephanie.lacotte@unige.ch [Unit of Surgical Research, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1206 Genève (Switzerland); Morel, Philippe, E-mail: philippe.morel@hcuge.ch [Division of Digestive and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospitals of Geneva, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1211 Genève 14 (Switzerland); Unit of Surgical Research, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1206 Genève (Switzerland); Gonelle-Gispert, Carmen, E-mail: carmen.gonelle@unige.ch [Unit of Surgical Research, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1206 Genève (Switzerland); Bühler, Léo, E-mail: leo.buhler@hcuge.ch [Division of Digestive and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospitals of Geneva, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1211 Genève 14 (Switzerland); Unit of Surgical Research, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1206 Genève (Switzerland)

2016-12-10

The objective of the present study was to develop an accurate and reproducible method for liver sinusoidal endothelial cell (LSEC) isolation in mice. Non-parenchymal cells were isolated using a modified two-step collagenase digestion combined with Optiprep density gradient centrifugation. LSEC were further purified using two prevalent methods, short-term selective adherence and CD146+ magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS), and compared in terms of cell yield, viability and purity to our purification technique using CD11b cell depletion combined with long-term selective adherence. LSEC purification using our technique allowed to obtain 7.07±3.80 million LSEC per liver, while CD146+ MACS and short-term selective adherence yielded 2.94±1.28 and 0.99±0.66 million LSEC, respectively. Purity of the final cell preparation reached 95.10±2.58% when using our method. In contrast, CD146+ MACS and short-term selective adherence gave purities of 86.75±3.26% and 47.95±9.82%, respectively. Similarly, contamination by non-LSEC was the lowest when purification was performed using our technique, with a proportion of contaminating macrophages of only 1.87±0.77%. Further, isolated cells analysed by scanning electron microscopy presented typical LSEC fenestrations organized in sieve plates, demonstrating that the technique allowed to isolate bona fide LSEC. In conclusion, we described a reliable and reproducible technique for the isolation of high yields of pure LSEC in mice. This protocol provides an efficient method to prepare LSEC for studying their biological functions. - Highlights: • This protocol provides an efficient method to prepare primary mouse LSEC for studying their biological functions. • The liver cell dispersion step was improved by performing a retrograde cannulation of the liver. • The cell yield and the purity obtained were higher than comparative techniques in mice. • Contaminating macrophages were removed by introducing a CD11b- magnetic �

An optimized method for mouse liver sinusoidal endothelial cell isolation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, Jeremy; Lacotte, Stéphanie; Morel, Philippe; Gonelle-Gispert, Carmen; Bühler, Léo

2016-01-01

The objective of the present study was to develop an accurate and reproducible method for liver sinusoidal endothelial cell (LSEC) isolation in mice. Non-parenchymal cells were isolated using a modified two-step collagenase digestion combined with Optiprep density gradient centrifugation. LSEC were further purified using two prevalent methods, short-term selective adherence and CD146+ magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS), and compared in terms of cell yield, viability and purity to our purification technique using CD11b cell depletion combined with long-term selective adherence. LSEC purification using our technique allowed to obtain 7.07±3.80 million LSEC per liver, while CD146+ MACS and short-term selective adherence yielded 2.94±1.28 and 0.99±0.66 million LSEC, respectively. Purity of the final cell preparation reached 95.10±2.58% when using our method. In contrast, CD146+ MACS and short-term selective adherence gave purities of 86.75±3.26% and 47.95±9.82%, respectively. Similarly, contamination by non-LSEC was the lowest when purification was performed using our technique, with a proportion of contaminating macrophages of only 1.87±0.77%. Further, isolated cells analysed by scanning electron microscopy presented typical LSEC fenestrations organized in sieve plates, demonstrating that the technique allowed to isolate bona fide LSEC. In conclusion, we described a reliable and reproducible technique for the isolation of high yields of pure LSEC in mice. This protocol provides an efficient method to prepare LSEC for studying their biological functions. - Highlights: • This protocol provides an efficient method to prepare primary mouse LSEC for studying their biological functions. • The liver cell dispersion step was improved by performing a retrograde cannulation of the liver. • The cell yield and the purity obtained were higher than comparative techniques in mice. • Contaminating macrophages were removed by introducing a CD11b- magnetic �

Determination of Flood Reduction Alternatives for Climate Change Adaptation in Gyeongancheon basin

Science.gov (United States)

Han, D.; Joo, H. J.; Jung, J.; Kim, H. S.

2017-12-01

Recently, the frequency of extreme rainfall event has increased due to the climate change and the impermeable area in an urban watershed has also increased due to the rapid urbanization. Therefore, the flood risk is increasing and we ought to prepare countermeasures for flood damage reduction. For the determination of appropriate measures or alternatives, firstly, this study estimated the frequency based rainfall considering the climate change according to the each target period(reference : 1971˜2010, Target period Ⅰ : 2011˜2040, Target period Ⅱ : 2041˜2070, Target period Ⅲ : 2071˜2100). Then the future flood discharge was computed by using HEC-HMS model. We set 5 sizes of drainage pumps and detention ponds respectively as the flood reduction alternatives and the flood level in the river was obtained by each alternative through HEC-RAS model. The flood inundation map was constructed using topographical data and flood water level in the river and the economic analysis was conducted for the flood damage reduction studies using Multi Dimensional Flood Damage Analysis (MD-FDA) tool. As a result of the effectiveness analysis of the flood reduction alternatives, the flood level by drainage pump was reduced by 0.06m up to 0.44m while it was reduced by 0.01m up to 1.86m in the case of the detention pond. The flooded area was shrunk by up to 32.64% from 0.3% and inundation depth was also dropped. As a result of a comparison of the Benefit/Cost ratio estimated by the economic analysis, a detention pond E in the target period Ⅰ and the pump D in the periods Ⅱ and Ⅲ were considered as the appropriate alternatives for the flood damage reduction under the climate change. AcknowledgementsThis research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning(2017R1A2B3005695)

Waves in periodic medium. Atomic matter waves in light crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oberthaler, M. K.

1997-07-01

This work deals with the propagation of matter waves inside a periodic potential. In analogy to photon optics a potential can be described by a refractive index for matter waves. A real potential leads to a refractive spatial structure while an imaginary potential leads to an absorptive structure. A general theoretical description is given in the framework of Floquet theory. The equivalent approach of dynamical diffraction theory will be treated in detail. The analytic solution for weak potentials are given in a general form so that they are applicable for every kind of wave and medium. For our experiments an open two level atom (metastable Argon) propagating inside a standing light wave was used. Detuning the frequency of the light wave from the atomic resonance leads to a real (refractive) periodic potential. Tuning the laser exact on resonance gives rise to a pure imaginary (absorptive) periodic potential. In analogy to solid state crystals in X-ray and neutron optics we call a standing light wave a light crystal. Tuning the standing light field on resonance we demonstrated experimentally the Borrmann effect. This effect describes the increase of the total transmission through a crystal for Bragg incidence. Furthermore, we confirmed that this effect is coherent and that a sinusoidal wave field is formed inside the crystal. The nodes of the wave field were found to coincide with the maxima of absorption. For a detuned standing light field a refractive crystal was realized, for which the expected Pendelloesung effect was demonstrated. In this case the maximum of the wave field inside the crystal was found at the steepest gradient of the potential as predicted by dynamical diffraction theory. Superposing an absorptive and a refractive light crystal a complex light crystal was realized. With such a crystal the violation of Friedel's law was demonstrated in a very clear way. (author)

Advancing Alternative Analysis: Integration of Decision Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Malloy, Timothy F; Zaunbrecher, Virginia M; Batteate, Christina M; Blake, Ann; Carroll, William F; Corbett, Charles J; Hansen, Steffen Foss; Lempert, Robert J; Linkov, Igor; McFadden, Roger; Moran, Kelly D; Olivetti, Elsa; Ostrom, Nancy K; Romero, Michelle; Schoenung, Julie M; Seager, Thomas P; Sinsheimer, Peter; Thayer, Kristina A

2017-06-13

Decision analysis-a systematic approach to solving complex problems-offers tools and frameworks to support decision making that are increasingly being applied to environmental challenges. Alternatives analysis is a method used in regulation and product design to identify, compare, and evaluate the safety and viability of potential substitutes for hazardous chemicals. We assessed whether decision science may assist the alternatives analysis decision maker in comparing alternatives across a range of metrics. A workshop was convened that included representatives from government, academia, business, and civil society and included experts in toxicology, decision science, alternatives assessment, engineering, and law and policy. Participants were divided into two groups and were prompted with targeted questions. Throughout the workshop, the groups periodically came together in plenary sessions to reflect on other groups' findings. We concluded that the further incorporation of decision science into alternatives analysis would advance the ability of companies and regulators to select alternatives to harmful ingredients and would also advance the science of decision analysis. We advance four recommendations: a ) engaging the systematic development and evaluation of decision approaches and tools; b ) using case studies to advance the integration of decision analysis into alternatives analysis; c ) supporting transdisciplinary research; and d ) supporting education and outreach efforts. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP483.

A New Adaptive Self-Tuning Fourier Coefficients Algorithm for Periodic Torque Ripple Minimization in Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gilberto Herrera-Ruíz

2013-03-01

Full Text Available A New Adaptive Self-Tuning Fourier Coefficients Algorithm for Periodic Torque Ripple Minimization in Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM Torque ripple occurs in Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSMs due to the non-sinusoidal flux density distribution around the air-gap and variable magnetic reluctance of the air-gap due to the stator slots distribution. These torque ripples change periodically with rotor position and are apparent as speed variations, which degrade the PMSM drive performance, particularly at low speeds, because of low inertial filtering. In this paper, a new self-tuning algorithm is developed for determining the Fourier Series Controller coefficients with the aim of reducing the torque ripple in a PMSM, thus allowing for a smoother operation. This algorithm adjusts the controller parameters based on the component’s harmonic distortion in time domain of the compensation signal. Experimental evaluation is performed on a DSP-controlled PMSM evaluation platform. Test results obtained validate the effectiveness of the proposed self-tuning algorithm, with the Fourier series expansion scheme, in reducing the torque ripple.

A new adaptive self-tuning Fourier coefficients algorithm for periodic torque ripple minimization in permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM).

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez-Espinosa, Alfonso; Hernández-Guzmán, Víctor M; Bandala-Sánchez, Manuel; Jiménez-Hernández, Hugo; Rivas-Araiza, Edgar A; Rodríguez-Reséndiz, Juvenal; Herrera-Ruíz, Gilberto

2013-03-19

A New Adaptive Self-Tuning Fourier Coefficients Algorithm for Periodic Torque Ripple Minimization in Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM) Torque ripple occurs in Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSMs) due to the non-sinusoidal flux density distribution around the air-gap and variable magnetic reluctance of the air-gap due to the stator slots distribution. These torque ripples change periodically with rotor position and are apparent as speed variations, which degrade the PMSM drive performance, particularly at low speeds, because of low inertial filtering. In this paper, a new self-tuning algorithm is developed for determining the Fourier Series Controller coefficients with the aim of reducing the torque ripple in a PMSM, thus allowing for a smoother operation. This algorithm adjusts the controller parameters based on the component's harmonic distortion in time domain of the compensation signal. Experimental evaluation is performed on a DSP-controlled PMSM evaluation platform. Test results obtained validate the effectiveness of the proposed self-tuning algorithm, with the Fourier series expansion scheme, in reducing the torque ripple.

The periodic sℓ(2|1) alternating spin chain and its continuum limit as a bulk logarithmic conformal field theory at c=0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gainutdinov, A.M.; Read, N.; Saleur, H.; Vasseur, R.

2015-01-01

The periodic sℓ(2|1) alternating spin chain encodes (some of) the properties of hulls of percolation clusters, and is described in the continuum limit by a logarithmic conformal field theory (LCFT) at central charge c=0. This theory corresponds to the strong coupling regime of a sigma model on the complex projective superspace CP 1|1 =U(2|1)/(U(1)×U(1|1)), and the spectrum of critical exponents can be obtained exactly. In this paper we push the analysis further, and determine the main representation theoretic (logarithmic) features of this continuum limit by extending to the periodic case the approach of http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nuclphysb.2007.03.033 [N. Read and H. Saleur, Nucl. Phys. B 777 (2007) 316]. We first focus on determining the representation theory of the finite size spin chain with respect to the algebra of local energy densities provided by a representation of the affine Temperley-Lieb algebra at fugacity one. We then analyze how these algebraic properties carry over to the continuum limit to deduce the structure of the space of states as a representation over the product of left and right Virasoro algebras. Our main result is the full structure of the vacuum module of the theory, which exhibits Jordan cells of arbitrary rank for the Hamiltonian.

A metabonomic evaluation of the monocrotaline-induced sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) in rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conotte, R.; Colet, J.-M., E-mail: jean-marie.colet@umons.ac.be

2014-04-15

The main curative treatment of colorectal cancer remains the surgery. However, when metastases are suspected, surgery is followed by a preventive chemotherapy using oxaliplatin which, unfortunately, may cause liver sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS). Such hepatic damage is barely detected during or after chemotherapy due to a lack of effective diagnostic procedures, but liver biopsy. The primary objective of the present study was to identify potential early diagnosis biomarkers of SOS using a metabonomic approach. SOS was induced in rats by monocrotaline, a prototypical toxic substance. {sup 1}H NMR spectroscopy analysis of urine samples collected from rats treated with monocrotaline showed significant metabolic changes as compared to controls. During a first phase, cellular protective mechanisms such as an increased synthesis of GSH (reduced taurine) and the recruitment of cell osmolytes in the liver (betaine) were seen. In the second phase, the disturbance of the urea cycle (increased ornithine and urea reduction) leading to the depletion of NO, the alteration in the GSH synthesis (increased creatine and GSH precursors (glutamate, dimethylglycine and sarcosine)), and the liver necrosis (decrease taurine and increase creatine) all indicate the development of SOS. - Highlights: • Urine metabonomic profiles of SOS have been identified. • Urine osmoprotectants and anti-oxidants indicated an initial liver protection. • Liver necrosis was demonstrated by increased urine levels of taurine and creatine. • NO depletion was suggested by changes in ornithine and urea.

Stochastic resonance in underdamped periodic potential systems with alpha stable Lévy noise

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ruo-Nan; Kang, Yan-Mei

2018-06-01

In this paper, we investigate the effect of alpha stable Lévy noise with alpha stability index α (0 noise (0 noise has a more notable impact on the resonant effect of the asymmetric ratchet potential than that of the symmetric sinusoidal potential because of symmetry breaking.

Physical explanation of the periodic table.

Science.gov (United States)

Ostrovsky, V N

2003-05-01

The Periodic Table of the elements, the most important generalization in chemistry, is often considered as a representative special case in the study of the relation between chemistry and physics. Its quantum interpretation was initiated, but not completed, by Niels Bohr. In this paper, post-Bohr conceptual developments are discussed from historical and epistemological points of view. The difference between high-precision numerical calculations for individual atoms and the theory of the periodic system as a whole is emphasized. Periodic laws met in Nature are not restricted to the chemical Periodic Table. A comparative study of these laws makes it possible to single out essential features that define the particular pattern of periodicity. It is shown that the periodic system of neutral ground state atoms now has a firm nonempirical quantum-theoretical basis. Alternative approaches, based on group theory and other mathematical schemes, are briefly discussed. It is argued that, while quantum theory is capable of fully accurate calculations for relatively simple atoms or molecular objects, the complexity of polyatomic molecules and chemical reactions guarantees the flourishing of chemistry as a separate scientific discipline.

X1908+075: An X-Ray Binary with a 4.4 Day Period

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Linqing; Remillard, Ronald A.; Bradt, Hale V.

2000-04-01

X1908+075 is an optically unidentified and highly absorbed X-ray source that appeared in early surveys such as Uhuru, OSO 7, Ariel 5, HEAO-1, and the EXOSAT Galactic Plane Survey. These surveys measured a source intensity in the range 2-12 mcrab at 2-10 keV, and the position was localized to ~0.5d. We use the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) All-Sky Monitor (ASM) to confirm our expectation that a particular Einstein/IPC detection (1E 1908.4+0730) provides the correct position for X1908+075. The analysis of the coded mask shadows from the ASM for the position of 1E 1908.4+0730 yields a persistent intensity ~8 mcrab (1.5-12 keV) over a 3 yr interval beginning in 1996 February. Furthermore, we detect a period of 4.400+/-0.001 days with a false-alarm probability less than 10-7. The folded light curve is roughly sinusoidal, with an amplitude that is 26% of the mean flux. The X-ray period may be attributed to the scattering and absorption of X-rays through a stellar wind combined with the orbital motion in a binary system. We suggest that X1908+075 is an X-ray binary with a high-mass companion star.

Simulation of remediation alternatives for a 137Cs contaminated soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bea, S.A.; Carrera, J.; Saaltink, M.; Soler, J.M.; Ayora, C.

2004-01-01

We analyze remediation alternatives for a soil contaminated with 137 Cs, which sorbs strongly to clay aggregates where water flux is negligible. The mobile portion of the soil (macropores) retains little water and cesium. Some of the remediation alternatives involve infiltration of seawater enriched with KCl, to promote mobilization of Cs through exchange with K. Therefore, a fully coupled reactive transport model is used to test these alternatives. We conclude that flushing is a viable alternative, provided that some recommendations, derived from the modelling exercise are followed. These include high rate periodic infiltration and draining, as well as performing infiltration from independent cells to limit the effect of preferential flowpaths. (orig.)

Influence of alternative lifestyles on self-reported body weight and health characteristics in women.

Science.gov (United States)

Simões-Wüst, Ana Paula; Kummeling, Ischa; Mommers, Monique; Huber, Machteld A S; Rist, Lukas; van de Vijver, Lucy P L; Dagnelie, Pieter C; Thijs, Carel

2014-04-01

Alternative lifestyles are often associated with distinct practices with respect to nutrition, physical activity, smoking, alcohol use and usage of complementary medicine. Evidence concerning effects of these lifestyle-related practices on health status is still fragmentary. To describe maternal health characteristics related to alternative lifestyles, with emphasis on body-weight status, during pregnancy and maternity periods. We compared self-reported health-related features of mothers with alternative lifestyles and conventional lifestyles during pregnancy and maternity period in the KOALA Birth Cohort Study. This cohort comprises two recruitment groups of mother-infant pairs, one with a conventional (no selection based on lifestyle, n = 2333), the other with an alternative lifestyle (selected via organic food shops, anthroposophic clinicians and midwives, anthroposophic under-five clinics, Rudolf Steiner schools and relevant magazines, n = 485). Mothers in the alternative group more frequently chose organic foods, adhered to specific living rules, practised vegetarianism and identified themselves with anthroposophy. Mothers in the alternative group showed lower BMI and lower prevalence of overweight and obesity than the conventional group, before pregnancy as well as 4-5 years after delivery. This difference was partly retained after adjusting for potential confounders. Furthermore, women in the alternative group had a lower prevalence of pregnancy-related hypertension, more often started breastfeeding and gave exclusive and prolonged breastfeeding for a longer period. Finally, they smoked less often, but more often drunk alcohol during pregnancy. The results suggest that an alternative lifestyle is associated with favourable body weight and with several differences in other health features.

Characterization of Wet Air Plasma Jet Powered by Sinusoidal High Voltage and Nanosecond Pulses for Plasma Agricultural Application

Science.gov (United States)

Takashima, Keisuke; Shimada, Keisuke; Konishi, Hideaki; Kaneko, Toshiro

2015-09-01

Not only for the plasma sterilization but also for many of plasma life-science applications, atmospheric pressure plasma devices that allowed us to control its state and reactive species production are deserved to resolve the roles of the chemical species. Influence of the hydroxyl radical and ozone on germination of conidia of a strawberry pathogen is presented. Water addition to air plasma jet significantly improves germination suppression performance, while measured reactive oxygen species (ROS) are reduced. Although the results show a negative correlation between ROS and the germination suppression, this infers the importance of chemical composition generated by plasma. For further control of the plasma product, a plasma jet powered by sinusoidal high voltage and nanosecond pulses is developed and characterized with the voltage-charge Lissajous. Control of breakdown phase and discharge power by pulse-imposed phase is presented. This work is supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B) Grant Number 15K17480 and Exploratory Research Grant Number 23644199.

Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome during Treatment for Wilms' Tumor: A Life-threatening Complication

Science.gov (United States)

Totadri, Sidharth; Trehan, Amita; Bansal, Deepak; Jain, Richa

2017-01-01

Context: Survival rates exceed 90% in Wilms' tumor (WT). Actinomycin-D (ACT-D) which is indispensable in the management of WT is associated with the development of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), a potentially fatal complication. Aims: The aim is to study the presentation, management, and outcome of SOS complicating ACT-D administration in WT. Settings and Design: Retrospective file review conducted in a Pediatric Hematology-Oncology unit. Materials and Methods: Patients diagnosed and treated for WT from January 2012 to December 2015 were analyzed. SOS was diagnosed clinically, based on McDonalds criteria, requiring two of the following: jaundice, hepatomegaly and/or right upper quadrant pain, weight gain with or without ascites. Results: Of 104 patients treated, SOS occurred in 5 (4.8%). Age: 6 months to 5 years, 3 were girls. Tumor involved left kidney in 3, right in 1 and a horseshoe kidney in 1. Histopathology was consistent with WT in 4 and clear cell sarcoma kidney in 1. One had pulmonary metastases. Three developed SOS preoperatively and two during adjuvant chemotherapy. None received radiotherapy. Clinical manifestations comprised of jaundice, hepatomegaly, ascites/weight gain, respiratory distress, hypotension, and encephalopathy. Laboratory findings included thrombocytopenia, elevated serum transaminases, and coagulopathy. Treatment included fluid restriction, broad spectrum antibiotics, and transfusional support. Two children received N-acetyl cysteine infusion. Defibrotide was administered to two patients. Four recovered and one succumbed to multi-organ failure. Two patients were safely re-challenged with 50% doses of ACT-D. Conclusions: SOS is a clinical diagnosis. Systematic supportive care can enable complete recovery. Under close monitoring, re-challenge of ACT-D can be performed in gradually escalating doses. PMID:29333010

Matching bunched beams to alternating gradient focusing systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lysenko, W.P.

1980-07-01

A numerical procedure for generating phase-space distributions matched to alternating gradient focusing systems has been tested. For a smooth-focusing system a matched distribution can be calculated. With a particle tracing simulation code such a distribution can be followed while adiabatically deforming the focusing forces until an alternating gradient configuration is reached. The distribution remains matched; that is, the final distribution is periodic with the structure period. This method is useful because it can produce distributions matched to nonlinear forces. This is a feature that elliptical distributions, with ellipse parameters obtained from the Courant-Snyder theory, do not have. External nonlinearities, including nonlinear couplings, were included in our examples but space charge was not. This procedure is expected to work with space charge but will require a three-dimensional space charge calculation in the simulation code

Pramana – Journal of Physics | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Significance of power average of sinusoidal and non-sinusoidal periodic excitations in ... of zinc oxide nanoparticles elaborated via sonochemical synthesis method .... of soft X-ray intensity with different anode tips in Amirkabir plasma focus device ... BPX-65 PIN diodes covered by four different filters are used to register the ...

Metamaterials critique and alternatives

CERN Document Server

Munk, Ben A

2009-01-01

A Convincing and Controversial Alternative Explanation of Metamaterials with a Negative Index of Refraction In a book that will generate both support and controversy, one of the world's foremost authorities on periodic structures addresses several of the current fashions in antenna design-most specifically, the popular subject of double negative metamaterials. Professor Munk provides a comprehensive theoretical electromagnetic investigation of the issues and concludes that many of the phenomena claimed by researchers may be impossible. While denying the existence of negative refractio

Periodic equivalence ratio modulation method and apparatus for controlling combustion instability

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, George A.; Janus, Michael C.; Griffith, Richard A.

2000-01-01

The periodic equivalence ratio modulation (PERM) method and apparatus significantly reduces and/or eliminates unstable conditions within a combustion chamber. The method involves modulating the equivalence ratio for the combustion device, such that the combustion device periodically operates outside of an identified unstable oscillation region. The equivalence ratio is modulated between preselected reference points, according to the shape of the oscillation region and operating parameters of the system. Preferably, the equivalence ratio is modulated from a first stable condition to a second stable condition, and, alternatively, the equivalence ratio is modulated from a stable condition to an unstable condition. The method is further applicable to multi-nozzle combustor designs, whereby individual nozzles are alternately modulated from stable to unstable conditions. Periodic equivalence ratio modulation (PERM) is accomplished by active control involving periodic, low frequency fuel modulation, whereby low frequency fuel pulses are injected into the main fuel delivery. Importantly, the fuel pulses are injected at a rate so as not to affect the desired time-average equivalence ratio for the combustion device.

Computing Optical Variable Periods of BL Lac Object S5 0716+714 ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-01-27

Jan 27, 2016 ... From a large volume of literature, we have collected effective observation of BL Lac object S5 0716+714 in the optical band, and constructed its long-term light curve from 1994 to 2006 AD. The light curve shows that S5 0716+714 is very active and exhibits very complicated non-sinusoidal variations.

76 FR 71491 - Gross Estate; Election to Value on Alternate Valuation Date

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-18

... 14 may be applicable to determine fair market value for Federal estate tax purposes. (iii... valuation period shall be added to the value of the entity on the alternate valuation date. The sum of the... Gross Estate; Election to Value on Alternate Valuation Date AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS...

ADVERTISING TEXT AS THE REFLECTION OF SOCIAL-ECONOMIC CHANGES AND ITS DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEP (ON THE MATERIALS OF YENISEYSKAYA GUBERNIYA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. V. Yurlov

2014-09-01

Full Text Available On the modern level of History development its local and social fields are increasingly getting popular since they meet the requirements of innovation and actuality of scientific work. These fields allow to lead in the research new, often alternative, sources revealing new facets of traditional issues of precise historical period. In this work the author on the base of advertising texts in newspapers using quantity and content analysis researches the changes of business climate, main forms of companies organization, and their development in Yeniseyskaya guberniya in the 1920s. Moreover, taking newspaper advertisements the author highlights the periods of business activity having got it as a result of market and political conjuncture. The length of each period is 2 years and caused by the economic crisis in 1923, 1925, 1927 and 1929. Thus, materials of advertisements prove sinusoidal development of business through the periods of ups and downs and give the opportunity for researching market behavior of local entrepreneurs. 

Port exteriorization appendectomy in children: an alternative to the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

alternative to the conventional approach, especially in case ... this approach during an emergency shift throughout this period ... Clinical control was performed 2 weeks after surgery, and ... and local peritonitis was found in five cases (Table 1).

Large-area homogeneous periodic surface structures generated on the surface of sputtered boron carbide thin films by femtosecond laser processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Serra, R., E-mail: ricardo.serra@dem.uc.pt [SEG-CEMUC, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Coimbra, Rua Luís Reis Santos, 3030-788 Coimbra (Portugal); Oliveira, V. [ICEMS-Instituto de Ciência e Engenharia de Materiais e Superfícies, Avenida Rovisco Pais no 1, 1049-001 Lisbon (Portugal); Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa, Avenida Conselheiro Emídio Navarro no 1, 1959-007 Lisbon (Portugal); Oliveira, J.C. [SEG-CEMUC, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Coimbra, Rua Luís Reis Santos, 3030-788 Coimbra (Portugal); Kubart, T. [The Ångström Laboratory, Solid State Electronics, P.O. Box 534, SE-751 21 Uppsala (Sweden); Vilar, R. [Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa, Avenida Conselheiro Emídio Navarro no 1, 1959-007 Lisbon (Portugal); Instituto Superior Técnico, Avenida Rovisco Pais no 1, 1049-001 Lisbon (Portugal); Cavaleiro, A. [SEG-CEMUC, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Coimbra, Rua Luís Reis Santos, 3030-788 Coimbra (Portugal)

2015-03-15

Highlights: • Large-area LIPSS were formed by femtosecond laser processing B-C films surface. • The LIPSS spatial period increases with laser fluence (140–200 nm). • Stress-related sinusoidal-like undulations were formed on the B-C films surface. • The undulations amplitude (down to a few nanometres) increases with laser fluence. • Laser radiation absorption increases with surface roughness. - Abstract: Amorphous and crystalline sputtered boron carbide thin films have a very high hardness even surpassing that of bulk crystalline boron carbide (≈41 GPa). However, magnetron sputtered B-C films have high friction coefficients (C.o.F) which limit their industrial application. Nanopatterning of materials surfaces has been proposed as a solution to decrease the C.o.F. The contact area of the nanopatterned surfaces is decreased due to the nanometre size of the asperities which results in a significant reduction of adhesion and friction. In the present work, the surface of amorphous and polycrystalline B-C thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering was nanopatterned using infrared femtosecond laser radiation. Successive parallel laser tracks 10 μm apart were overlapped in order to obtain a processed area of about 3 mm{sup 2}. Sinusoidal-like undulations with the same spatial period as the laser tracks were formed on the surface of the amorphous boron carbide films after laser processing. The undulations amplitude increases with increasing laser fluence. The formation of undulations with a 10 μm period was also observed on the surface of the crystalline boron carbide film processed with a pulse energy of 72 μJ. The amplitude of the undulations is about 10 times higher than in the amorphous films processed at the same pulse energy due to the higher roughness of the films and consequent increase in laser radiation absorption. LIPSS formation on the surface of the films was achieved for the three B-C films under study. However, LIPSS are formed under

Large-area homogeneous periodic surface structures generated on the surface of sputtered boron carbide thin films by femtosecond laser processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serra, R.; Oliveira, V.; Oliveira, J.C.; Kubart, T.; Vilar, R.; Cavaleiro, A.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Large-area LIPSS were formed by femtosecond laser processing B-C films surface. • The LIPSS spatial period increases with laser fluence (140–200 nm). • Stress-related sinusoidal-like undulations were formed on the B-C films surface. • The undulations amplitude (down to a few nanometres) increases with laser fluence. • Laser radiation absorption increases with surface roughness. - Abstract: Amorphous and crystalline sputtered boron carbide thin films have a very high hardness even surpassing that of bulk crystalline boron carbide (≈41 GPa). However, magnetron sputtered B-C films have high friction coefficients (C.o.F) which limit their industrial application. Nanopatterning of materials surfaces has been proposed as a solution to decrease the C.o.F. The contact area of the nanopatterned surfaces is decreased due to the nanometre size of the asperities which results in a significant reduction of adhesion and friction. In the present work, the surface of amorphous and polycrystalline B-C thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering was nanopatterned using infrared femtosecond laser radiation. Successive parallel laser tracks 10 μm apart were overlapped in order to obtain a processed area of about 3 mm 2 . Sinusoidal-like undulations with the same spatial period as the laser tracks were formed on the surface of the amorphous boron carbide films after laser processing. The undulations amplitude increases with increasing laser fluence. The formation of undulations with a 10 μm period was also observed on the surface of the crystalline boron carbide film processed with a pulse energy of 72 μJ. The amplitude of the undulations is about 10 times higher than in the amorphous films processed at the same pulse energy due to the higher roughness of the films and consequent increase in laser radiation absorption. LIPSS formation on the surface of the films was achieved for the three B-C films under study. However, LIPSS are formed under different

Associations between levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 and sinusoidal obstruction syndrome after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weischendorff, Sarah; Kielsen, Katrine; Sengeløv, H

2017-01-01

. We hypothesised that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a mediator of growth and proliferation of various tissues, may attenuate chemotherapy-induced tissue damage after HSCT. We prospectively measured plasma levels of IGF-1 and its binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) in 41 patients undergoing...... myeloablative HSCT. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels were inversely correlated with C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 levels post HSCT. In multivariate analyses, low levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 before conditioning were associated with increased risk of developing sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS; OR=5.00 per 1...... SDS decrease in IGF-1 (95% CI: 1.45-16.67), P=0.011 and OR=5.00 (1.37-20.00), P=0.015, respectively). Furthermore, low pre-transplant levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were associated with increased fluid retention during the first 21 days post transplant (OR=7.69 (95% CI: 1.59-33.33), P=0.012, and OR=2...

Changes in the use practitioner-based complementary and alternative medicine over time in Canada: Cohort and period effects.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mayilee Canizares

Full Text Available The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM is growing. However the factors contributing to changes over time and to birth cohort differences in CAM use are not well understood.We used data from 10186 participants, who were aged 20-69 years at the first cycle of data collection in the longitudinal component of the Canadian National Population Health Survey (1994/95-2010/11. We examined chiropractic and other practitioner-based CAM use with a focus on five birth cohorts: pre-World War II (born 1925-1934; World War II (born 1935-1944; older baby boomers (born 1945-1954; younger baby boomers (born 1955-1964; and Gen Xers (born 1965-1974. The survey collected data every two years on predisposing (e.g., sex, education, enabling (e.g., income, behavior-related factors (e.g., obesity, need (e.g., chronic conditions, and use of conventional care (primary care and specialists.The findings suggest that, at corresponding ages, more recent cohorts reported greater CAM (OR = 25.9, 95% CI: 20.0; 33.6 for Gen Xers vs. pre-World War and chiropractic use than their predecessors (OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.7; 2.8 for Gen Xers vs. pre-World War. There was also a secular trend of increasing CAM use, but not chiropractic use, over time (period effect across all ages. Factors associated with cohort differences were different for CAM and chiropractic use. Cohort differences in CAM use were partially related to a period effect of increasing CAM use over time across all ages while cohort differences in chiropractic use were related to the higher prevalence of chronic conditions among recent cohorts. The use of conventional care was positively related to greater CAM use (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.6; 2.0 and chiropractic use (OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1; 1.4 but did not contribute to changes over time or to cohort differences in CAM and chiropractic use.The higher CAM use over time and in recent cohorts could reflect how recent generations are approaching their healthcare needs

Three Alternative Symbol-Lock Detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Shihabi, Mazen M.; Hinedi, Sami M.; Shah, Biren N.

1993-01-01

Three symbol-lock detectors proposed as alternatives in advanced receivers processing non-return-to-zero binary data signals. Two perform operations similar to those of older square-law and absolute-value types. However, integrals computed during nonoverlapping symbol periods and, therefore, only one integrator needed in each such detector. Proposed detectors simpler, but performances worse because noises in overlapping samples correlated, whereas noises in nonoverlapping samples not correlated. Third detector is signal-power-estimator type. Signal integrated during successive half symbol cycles, and therefore only one integrator needed. Half-cycle integrals multiplied to eliminate effect of symbol polarity, and products accumulated during M-cycle observation period to smooth out estimate of signal power. If estimated signal power exceeds threshold, delta, then lock declared.

Periodically Driven Array of Single Rydberg Atoms

Science.gov (United States)

Basak, Sagarika; Chougale, Yashwant; Nath, Rejish

2018-03-01

An array of single Rydberg atoms driven by a temporally modulated atom-field detuning is studied. The periodic modulation effectively modifies the Rabi coupling, leading to unprecedented dynamics in the presence of Rydberg-Rydberg interactions, in particular, blockade enhancement, antiblockades, and state-dependent population trapping. Interestingly, the Schrieffer-Wolf transformation reveals a fundamental process in Rydberg gases, correlated Rabi coupling, which stems from the extended nature of the Rydberg-Rydberg interactions. Also, the correlated coupling provides an alternative depiction for the Rydberg blockade, exhibiting a nontrivial behavior in the presence of periodic modulation. The dynamical localization of a many-body configuration in a driven Rydberg lattice is discussed.

Using spatiotemporal source separation to identify prominent features in multichannel data without sinusoidal filters.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Michael X

2017-09-27

The number of simultaneously recorded electrodes in neuroscience is steadily increasing, providing new opportunities for understanding brain function, but also new challenges for appropriately dealing with the increase in dimensionality. Multivariate source separation analysis methods have been particularly effective at improving signal-to-noise ratio while reducing the dimensionality of the data and are widely used for cleaning, classifying and source-localizing multichannel neural time series data. Most source separation methods produce a spatial component (that is, a weighted combination of channels to produce one time series); here, this is extended to apply source separation to a time series, with the idea of obtaining a weighted combination of successive time points, such that the weights are optimized to satisfy some criteria. This is achieved via a two-stage source separation procedure, in which an optimal spatial filter is first constructed and then its optimal temporal basis function is computed. This second stage is achieved with a time-delay-embedding matrix, in which additional rows of a matrix are created from time-delayed versions of existing rows. The optimal spatial and temporal weights can be obtained by solving a generalized eigendecomposition of covariance matrices. The method is demonstrated in simulated data and in an empirical electroencephalogram study on theta-band activity during response conflict. Spatiotemporal source separation has several advantages, including defining empirical filters without the need to apply sinusoidal narrowband filters. © 2017 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Coordinate regulation of cytochrome and alternative pathway respiration in tobacco.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanlerberghe, G C; McIntosh, L

1992-12-01

In suspension cells of NT1 tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv bright yellow), inhibition of the cytochrome pathway of respiration with antimycin A induced a large increase in the capacity of the alternative pathway over a period of approximately 12 h, as confirmed in both whole cells and isolated mitochondria. The increase in alternative pathway capacity required de novo RNA and protein synthesis and correlated closely with the increase of a 35-kD alternative oxidase protein. When the cytochrome pathway of intact cells was inhibited by antimycin A, respiration proceeded exclusively through the alternative pathway, reached rates significantly higher than before antimycin A addition, and was not stimulated by p-trifluoromethoxycarbonylcyanide (FCCP). When inhibition of the cytochrome pathway was relieved, alternative pathway capacity and the level of the 35-kD alternative oxidase protein declined. Respiration rate also declined and could once again be stimulated by FCCP. These observations show that the capacities of the mitochondrial electron transport pathways can be regulated in a coordinate fashion.

Infinte Periodic Structure of Lightweight Elements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Domadiya, Parthkumar Gandalal; Andersen, Lars Vabbersgaard; Sorokin, Sergey

2013-01-01

Lightweight wooden structures have become more popular as a sustainable, environmental- friendly and cost-effective alternative to concrete, steel and masonry buildings. However, there are certain drawbacks regarding noise and vibration due to the smaller weight and stiffness of wooden buildings....... Furthermore, lightweight building elements are typically periodic structures that behave as filters for sound propagation within certain frequency ranges (stop bands), thus only allowing transmission within the pass bands. Hence, traditional methods based on statistical energy analysis cannot be used...... for proper dynamic assessment of lightweight buildings. Instead, this paper discusses and compares the use of finite element analysis and a wave approach based on Floquet theory. The present analysis has focus on the effect of periodicity on vibration transmission within semi-infinite beam structures. Two...

Multi-criteria analysis of alternative-fuel buses for public transportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tzeng, G.-H.; Lin, C.-W.; Opricovic, Serafim

2005-01-01

The technological development of buses with new alternative fuels is considered in this paper. Several types of fuels are considered as alternative-fuel modes, i.e., electricity, fuel cell (hydrogen), and methanol. Electric vehicles may be considered the alternative-fuel vehicles with the lowest air pollution. Hybrid electric vehicles provide an alternate mode, at least for the period of improving the technology of electric vehicles. A hybrid electric vehicle is defined as a vehicle with the conventional internal combustion engine and an electric motor as its major sources of power. Experts from different decision-making groups performed the multiple attribute evaluation of alternative vehicles. AHP is applied to determine the relative weights of evaluation criteria. TOPSIS and VIKOR are compared and applied to determine the best compromise alternative fuel mode. The result shows that the hybrid electric bus is the most suitable substitute bus for Taiwan urban areas in the short and median term. But, if the cruising distance of the electric bus extends to an acceptable range, the pure electric bus could be the best alternative

The structure of a separating turbulent boundary layer. IV - Effects of periodic free-stream unsteadiness

Science.gov (United States)

Simpson, R. L.; Shivaprasad, B. G.; Chew, Y.-T.

1983-01-01

Measurements were obtained of the sinusoidal unsteadiness of the free stream velocity during the separation of the turbulent boundary layer. Data were gathered by single wire and cross-wire, anemometry upstream of flow detachment, by laser Doppler velocimetry to detect the movement of the flow in small increments, and by a laser anemometer in the detached zone to measure turbulence and velocities. The study was restricted to a sinusoidal instability frequency of 0.61 and a ratio of oscillation amplitude to mean velocity of 0.3. Large amplitude and phase variations were found after the detachment, with unsteady effects producing hysteresis in the relationships between flow parameters. The detached shear layer decreased in thickness with increasing free-stream velocity and increases in the Reynolds shear stress. Deceleration of the free stream velocity caused thickening in the shear layer and upstream movement of the flow reversal location. The results are useful for studies of compressor blade and helicopter rotors in transition.

Defibrotide for the treatment of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome: evaluation of response to therapy and patient outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Coutsouvelis, John; Avery, Sharon; Dooley, Michael; Kirkpatrick, Carl; Spencer, Andrew

2018-03-01

Defibrotide is an agent used to treat sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS/VOD) in patients undergoing haemopoietic stem cell transplantation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of defibrotide used within institutional guidelines for the treatment of SOS/VOD in patients undergoing haemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Data for 23 patients was retrospectively reviewed to evaluate the effectiveness of defibrotide and the utility of response criteria to direct therapy as specified within institution guidelines. Patients met institutional criteria for a diagnosis of SOS/VOD based on predominantly Baltimore criteria and received defibrotide. Stabilisation or improvement in symptoms and biochemical markers was required for continuation of therapy with defibrotide. Overall, 14 patients responded to therapy. Survival at day 100 post HSCT was 70%. Median serum (total) bilirubin concentrations in all evaluable patients had decreased at days 5 and 10 (p defibrotide, there was a decrease in the proportion of patients exhibiting hepatomegaly (p = 0.02), ascites (p Defibrotide to treat SOS/VOD and continued based on attainment of early response was effective management of this condition. Defibrotide should be considered in any consensus protocol providing guidance on the management of SOS/VOD, with future studies considered to assess appropriate time points for response to therapy during treatment.

Changes in cognitive functions of students in the transitional period from elementary school to junior high school.

Science.gov (United States)

Mizuno, Kei; Tanaka, Masaaki; Fukuda, Sanae; Sasabe, Tetsuya; Imai-Matsumura, Kyoko; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

2011-05-01

When students proceed to junior high school from elementary school, rapid changes in the environment occur, which may cause various behavioral and emotional problems. However, the changes in cognitive functions during this transitional period have rarely been studied. In 158 elementary school students from 4th- to 6th-grades and 159 junior high school students from 7th- to 9th-grades, we assessed various cognitive functions, including motor processing, spatial construction ability, semantic fluency, immediate memory, delayed memory, spatial and non-spatial working memory, and selective, alternative, and divided attention. Our findings showed that performance on spatial and non-spatial working memory, alternative attention, divided attention, and semantic fluency tasks improved from elementary to junior high school. In particular, performance on alternative and divided attention tasks improved during the transitional period from elementary to junior high school. Our finding suggests that development of alternative and divided attention is of crucial importance in the transitional period from elementary to junior high school. Copyright © 2010 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Refined Self-Tuning Filter-Based Instantaneous Power Theory Algorithm for Indirect Current Controlled Three-Level Inverter-Based Shunt Active Power Filters under Non-sinusoidal Source Voltage Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yap Hoon

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a refined reference current generation algorithm based on instantaneous power (pq theory is proposed, for operation of an indirect current controlled (ICC three-level neutral-point diode clamped (NPC inverter-based shunt active power filter (SAPF under non-sinusoidal source voltage conditions. SAPF is recognized as one of the most effective solutions to current harmonics due to its flexibility in dealing with various power system conditions. As for its controller, pq theory has widely been applied to generate the desired reference current due to its simple implementation features. However, the conventional dependency on self-tuning filter (STF in generating reference current has significantly limited mitigation performance of SAPF. Besides, the conventional STF-based pq theory algorithm is still considered to possess needless features which increase computational complexity. Furthermore, the conventional algorithm is mostly designed to suit operation of direct current controlled (DCC SAPF which is incapable of handling switching ripples problems, thereby leading to inefficient mitigation performance. Therefore, three main improvements are performed which include replacement of STF with mathematical-based fundamental real power identifier, removal of redundant features, and generation of sinusoidal reference current. To validate effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed algorithm, simulation work in MATLAB-Simulink and laboratory test utilizing a TMS320F28335 digital signal processor (DSP are performed. Both simulation and experimental findings demonstrate superiority of the proposed algorithm over the conventional algorithm.

Alternatives for long-term management of transuranic waste at the Savannah River Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Towler, O.A. Jr.; Molen, G.F.

1981-01-01

The six alternatives proposed consider the effects of making no decision (Alternative 1), delaying a decision for up to 100 years (Alternatives 2 and 3), or taking significant action (Alternatives 4, 5, or 6). Alternative 4 exhibits intermediate cost and risk values, and indicates good agreement with ideal disposal characteristics. Alternative 6, which is comparable to Alternative 4 in risk and disposal characteristics, would require a large single outlay of capital funds, whereas funds for Alternative 4 could be staged. The cases described, excluding the no-action case, represent the better alternatives of the 34 that have been studied. Their costs range from 80 to 270 million dollars, while the sum of the population risk and worker dose ranges from 95 to 13,800 man-rem. The naturally occurring dose from cosmic rays and terrestrial activity to the same population over the same period is many times larger

Alternative contract mechanisms for environmental restoration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Billings, R.M.; Geotze, P.; Billings, B.G.

1994-01-01

Remediation and investigation contracting mechanisms used by Billings and Associates, Inc. (BAI), for operations within New Mexico are described, and the advantages and disadvantages are considered. Methods discussed are: time and materials, unit pricing, and pay for performance. An emphasis is placed upon the pay for performance method. While there are alternative contracting mechanisms, the state has thus far been limited to traditional contract types, such as time and materials. While the undertaking of a pay for performance remediation scenario presents higher risk with an opportunity for comparable reward, application of this type of alternative contracting has been slow to materialize. The New Mexico Environment Department/Underground Storage Tank Bureau is mandated by regulation to seek complete remediation of petroleum contaminated soils and ground water within the shortest practicable period of time

Analytical and numerical solution of three-dimensional channel flow in presence of a sinusoidal fluid injection and a chemical reaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sahin Ahmed

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Modeling of three-dimensional channel flow in a chemically-reacting fluid between two long vertical parallel flat plates in the presence of a transverse magnetic field is presented. The stationary plate is subjected to a transverse sinusoidal injection velocity distribution while the uniformly moving plate is subjected to a constant suction and slip boundary conditions. Due to this type of injection velocity, the flow becomes three dimensional. Comparisons with previously published work are performed and the results are found to be in excellent agreement. An increase in the permeability/magnetic parameter is found to escalate the velocity near the plate in motion. Growing Reynolds number or magnetic parameter enhances the x-component and reduces the z-component of the skin-friction at the wall at rest. The acquired knowledge in our study can be used by designers to control MHD flow as suitable for certain applications which include laminar magneto-aerodynamics, materials processing and MHD propulsion thermo-fluid dynamics.

Alternative security

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weston, B.H.

1990-01-01

This book contains the following chapters: The Military and Alternative Security: New Missions for Stable Conventional Security; Technology and Alternative Security: A Cherished Myth Expires; Law and Alternative Security: Toward a Just World Peace; Politics and Alternative Security: Toward a More Democratic, Therefore More Peaceful, World; Economics and Alternative Security: Toward a Peacekeeping International Economy; Psychology and Alternative Security: Needs, Perceptions, and Misperceptions; Religion and Alternative Security: A Prophetic Vision; and Toward Post-Nuclear Global Security: An Overview

Alternative perturbation approaches in classical mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amore, Paolo; Raya, Alfredo; Fernandez, Francisco M

2005-01-01

We discuss two alternative methods, based on the Lindstedt-Poincare technique, for the removal of secular terms from the equations of perturbation theory. We calculate the period of an anharmonic oscillator by means of both approaches and show that one of them is more accurate for all values of the coupling constant. We believe that present discussion and comparison may be a suitable exercise for teaching perturbation theory in advanced undergraduate courses on classical mechanics

Comment on 'Approximation for a large-angle simple pendulum period'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan Qingxin; Ding Pei

2009-01-01

In a recent letter, Belendez et al (2009 Eur. J. Phys. 30 L25-8) proposed an alternative of approximation for the period of a simple pendulum suggested earlier by Hite (2005 Phys. Teach. 43 290-2) who set out to improve on the Kidd and Fogg formula (2002 Phys. Teach. 40 81-3). As a response to the approximation scheme, we obtain another analytical approximation for the large-angle pendulum period, which owns the simplicity and accuracy in evaluating the exact period, and moreover, for amplitudes less than 144 deg. the analytical approximate expression is more accurate than others in the literature. (letters and comments)

Alternative method of retesting UF{sub 6} cylinders

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Christ, R. [Nuclear Crago + Service GmbH, Hanau (Germany)

1991-12-31

The paper describes an alternative method to perform the periodic inspection of UF{sub 6} cylinders. The hydraulic test is replaced by ultrasonic checking of wall thickness and by magnetic particle testing of all the weld seams. Information about the legal background, the air leak test and the qualification of inspectors is also given.

A Lie-Deprit perturbation algorithm for linear differential equations with periodic coefficients

OpenAIRE

Casas Pérez, Fernando; Chiralt Monleon, Cristina

2014-01-01

A perturbative procedure based on the Lie-Deprit algorithm of classical mechanics is proposed to compute analytic approximations to the fundamental matrix of linear di erential equations with periodic coe cients. These approximations reproduce the structure assured by the Floquet theorem. Alternatively, the algorithm provides explicit approximations to the Lyapunov transformation reducing the original periodic problem to an autonomous sys- tem and also to its characteristic ...

How alternative are alternative fuels?

OpenAIRE

Soffritti, Tiziana; Danielis, Romeo

1998-01-01

Could alternative fuel vehicles contribute to a substantial reduction of air pollution? Is there a market for alternative fuel vehicles? Could a market be created via a pollution tax? The article answers these questions on the basis of the available estimates.

Generation of equivalent forms of operational trans-conductance amplifier-RC sinusoidal oscillators: the nullor approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raj Senani

2014-06-01

Full Text Available It has been shown in two earlier papers published from this study that corresponding to a given single-operational trans-conductance amplifier (single-OTA-RC and dual-OTA-RC sinusoidal oscillators, there are three other structurally distinct equivalent forms having the same characteristic equation, one of which employs both grounded capacitors (GC. In this study, an earlier nullor-based theory of generating equivalent op-amp oscillator circuits, proposed by the first author, is extended to derive equivalent OTA-RC circuits which discloses the existence of an additional number of equivalent forms for the same given OTA-RC oscillators than those predicted by the quoted earlier works, and thereby considerably enlarging the set of equivalents of a given OTA-RC oscillator. Furthermore, the presented nullor-based theory of generating equivalent OTA-RC oscillators results in three additional interesting outcomes: (i the revelation that corresponding to any given OTA-RC oscillator there are two ‘both-GC’ oscillators (and not merely one, as derived in the quoted earlier works; (ii the availability of explicit current outputs in several of the derived equivalents and (iii the realisability explicit-current-output ‘quadrature oscillators’ in some of the generated equivalent oscillators. The workability of the generated equivalent OTA-RC oscillators has been verified by SPICE simulations, based on CMOS OTAs using 0.18 µm CMOS technology process parameters, and some sample results are given.

Pulsations and period variations of the δ Scuti star AN Lyncis in a possible three-body system

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Gang; Fu, Jianning; Su, Jie; Fox-Machado, Lester; Michel, Raul; Guo, Zhen; Liu, Jinzhong; Feng, Guojie

2018-01-01

Observations for the δ Scuti star AN Lyn have been made between 2008 and 2016 with the 85-cm telescope at Xinglong station of National Astronomical Observatories of China, the 84-cm telescope at SPM Observatory of Mexico and the Nanshan One metre Wide field Telescope of Xinjiang Observatory of China. Data in V in 50 nights and in R in 34 nights are obtained in total. The bi-site observations from both Xinglong Station and SPM Observatory in 2014 are analysed with Fourier Decomposition to detect pulsation frequencies. Two independent frequencies are resolved, including one non-radial mode. A number of stellar model tracks are constructed with the MESA code and the fit of frequencies leads to the best-fitting model with the stellar mass of M = 1.70 ± 0.05 M⊙, the metallicity abundance of Z = 0.020 ± 0.001, the age of 1.33 ± 0.01 billion years and the period change rate 1/P · dP/dt = 1.06 × 10-9 yr-1, locating the star at the evolutionary stage close to the terminal age main sequence. The O-C diagram provides the period change rate of (1/P)(dP/dt) = 4.5(8) × 10-7 yr-1. However, the period change rate calculated from the models is smaller in two orders than the one derived from the O-C diagram. Together with the sinusoidal function signature, the period variations are regarded to be dominated by the light-travel time effect of the orbital motion of a three-body system with two low-luminosity components, rather than the stellar evolutionary effect.

The K2 M67 Study: Establishing the Limits of Stellar Rotation Period Measurements in M67 with K2 Campaign 5 Data

Science.gov (United States)

Esselstein, Rebecca; Aigrain, Suzanne; Vanderburg, Andrew; Smith, Jeffrey C.; Meibom, Soren; Van Saders, Jennifer; Mathieu, Robert

2018-06-01

The open cluster M67 offers a unique opportunity to measure rotation periods for solar-age stars across a range of masses, potentially filling a critical gap in the understanding of angular momentum loss in older main sequence stars. The observation of M67 by NASA K2 Campaign 5 provided light curves with high enough precision to make this task possible, albeit challenging, as the pointing instability, 75 day observation window, crowded field, and typically low-amplitude signals mean that determining accurate rotation periods on the order of 25–30 days is inherently difficult. Lingering, non-astrophysical signals with power at ≥25 days found in a set of Campaign 5 A and F stars compounds the problem. To achieve a quantitative understanding of the best-case scenario limits for reliable period detection imposed by these inconveniences, we embarked on a comprehensive set of injection tests, injecting 120,000 sinusoidal signals with periods ranging from 5 to 35 days and amplitudes from 0.05% to 3.0% into real Campaign 5 M67 light curves processed using two different pipelines. We attempted to recover the signals using a normalized version of the Lomb–Scargle periodogram and setting a detection threshold. We find that, while the reliability of detected periods is high, the completeness (sensitivity) drops rapidly with increasing period and decreasing amplitude, maxing at a 15% recovery rate for the solar case (i.e., 25 day period, 0.1% amplitude). This study highlights the need for caution in determining M67 rotation periods from Campaign 5 data, but this can be extended to other clusters observed by K2 (and soon, TESS).

A compound Poisson EOQ model for perishable items with intermittent high and low demand periods

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boxma, O.J.; Perry, D.; Stadje, W.; Zacks, S.

2012-01-01

We consider a stochastic EOQ-type model, with demand operating in a two-state random environment. This environment alternates between exponentially distributed periods of high demand and generally distributed periods of low demand. The inventory level starts at some level q, and decreases according

MULTI PERIOD SHOCKS ROLES ON GOVERNMENT SPENDING IN INDONESIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaka Sriyana

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes an alternative dynamic model of government spending in Indonesia. The model is based on short term disequilibrium assumption, in which multi period of shocks variables may play an important role. This research applies a loss function approach and uses optimum shock variables as the determinant for government spending during 1970-2010. The result shows that real GDP, population, and multi period shock of government spending are statistically significant. It provides evidence of the impact of multi period shocks to the realization of government spending. It implies that government faces a serious disequilibrium in determining their spending both in short and long terms.Keywords: Fiscal, government spending, deficit budget, shockJEL classification numbers: H53, H62, C22

Improvement of the growth and yield of lettuce plants by elf sinusoidal non-uniform magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souzal, A. De; Gonzalez, L.M.; Sueirol, L.; Peralta, O.; Liceal, L.; Porras, E.; Gilart, F.

2008-01-01

Influence of pre-sowing magnetic treatments on plant growth and final yield of lettuce (cv. Black Seeded Simpson) were studied under organoponic conditions. Lettuce seeds were exposed to full-wave rectified sinusoidal non-uniform magnetic fields (MFs) induced by an electromagnet at 120 mT(rms) for 3 min, 160 mT(rms) for 1 min and to 160 mT (rms) for 5 min. Non-treated seeds were considered as controls. Plants were grown in experimental stonemasons (25.2 m2) of an organoponic and cultivated according to standard agricultural practices. During nursery and vegetative growth stages, samples were collected at regular intervals for seedling growth assessment and growth rate analyses. At physiological maturity, the plants were harvested from each stonemason and the final yield and yield parameters were determined. In the nursery stage, the magnetic treatments induced a significant increase of root length and shoot height in plants derived from magnetically-treated seeds. In the vegetative stage, the relative growth rates of plants derived from magnetically-exposed seeds were greater than those shown by the control plants. At maturity stage, all magnetic treatments increased significantly (p<0.05) the plant height, the leaf area per plant, the final yield per area and the fresh mass per plant in comparison with the controls. Pre-sowing magnetic treatments would enhance the growth and final yield of lettuce crop

Sleep and alertness during alternating monophasic and polyphasic rest-activity cycles.

Science.gov (United States)

Porcú, S; Casagrande, M; Ferrara, M; Bellatreccia, A

1998-07-01

People involved in shift work often have to face altered patterns of sleep and wakefulness. This is particularly true for schedules involving night shifts and/or fragmentation of duty periods throughout the 24-hr day. In such conditions, it can be difficult to obtain satisfactory periods of sleep, and sleepiness on duty is a frequent and dangerous occurrence. The aim of this study was to evaluate sleep and wakefulness periods of subjects whose work schedule was characterized by an alternation of 2 hours of activity and 4 hours of rest (sleep allowed), repeated 4 times throughout the 24-hr day. This schedule was alternated with 24 hours off duty. Nine healthy male volunteers were monitored by means of ambulatory polysomnography while attending their 24-hr rest-activity schedule. Sleep periods were visually scored according to standard criteria. Wake periods were visually scored using both 30 s and 5 s epochs in order to reveal episodes of drowsiness and/or microsleep. Results showed that total sleep time was substantially reduced as compared to the usual 7-8 hour monophasic nocturnal sleep. Subjects did not sleep during the first rest period (11.00-15.00). Time in sleep linearly increased in the course of the 3 remaining rest periods. Normal sleep stage distribution was substantially spared only in the last rest period (3.00-7.00 a.m.). With regard to duty periods, only a few microsleeps were detected and their number did not significantly vary across the four 2-hr activity periods. In conclusion, this rest-activity schedule, despite the considerable sleep reduction, allowed maintaining good levels of vigilance as shown by the virtual absence of EEG microsleeps. Whether future research will prove that this regimen does not cause an impairment of performance, it should be a suitable strategy for the management of continuous operations.

Analytic reconstruction of magnetic resonance imaging signal obtained from a periodic encoding field.

Science.gov (United States)

Rybicki, F J; Hrovat, M I; Patz, S

2000-09-01

We have proposed a two-dimensional PERiodic-Linear (PERL) magnetic encoding field geometry B(x,y) = g(y)y cos(q(x)x) and a magnetic resonance imaging pulse sequence which incorporates two fields to image a two-dimensional spin density: a standard linear gradient in the x dimension, and the PERL field. Because of its periodicity, the PERL field produces a signal where the phase of the two dimensions is functionally different. The x dimension is encoded linearly, but the y dimension appears as the argument of a sinusoidal phase term. Thus, the time-domain signal and image spin density are not related by a two-dimensional Fourier transform. They are related by a one-dimensional Fourier transform in the x dimension and a new Bessel function integral transform (the PERL transform) in the y dimension. The inverse of the PERL transform provides a reconstruction algorithm for the y dimension of the spin density from the signal space. To date, the inverse transform has been computed numerically by a Bessel function expansion over its basis functions. This numerical solution used a finite sum to approximate an infinite summation and thus introduced a truncation error. This work analytically determines the basis functions for the PERL transform and incorporates them into the reconstruction algorithm. The improved algorithm is demonstrated by (1) direct comparison between the numerically and analytically computed basis functions, and (2) reconstruction of a known spin density. The new solution for the basis functions also lends proof of the system function for the PERL transform under specific conditions.

Polaritons in periodic and quasiperiodic structures

CERN Document Server

Albuquerque, Eudenilson L

2004-01-01

In recent years there have been exciting developments in techniques for producing multilayered structures of different materials, often with thicknesses as small as only a few atomic layers. These artificial structures, known as superlattices, can either be grown with the layers stacked in an alternating fashion (the periodic case) or according to some other well-defined mathematical rule (the quasiperiodic case). This book describes research on the excitations (or wave-like behavior) of these materials, with emphasis on how the material properties are coupled to photons (the quanta of the l

Fibre optic sensors in pressurized water reactor alternators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Favennec, J.M.; Piguet, M.

1994-01-01

Measurement in the electrical engine environment (alternator, transformer...) is identified as one of the two main applications of fibre optic sensors within EDF; the other application niche is the monitoring of civil works (dams, containment building of nuclear reactors...). At the EDF Research and Development Division, temperature and vibration fibre optic sensors were evaluated by the Metrology Service, since their use is under consideration for alternator monitoring. For alternator stator thermal monitoring, the BERTIN company developed a fibre optic sensor network. The optic coding technique is based on broadband source spectral modulation; the sensors are interrogated sequentially by electronic commutation. For alternator stator vibration monitoring, a fibre optic accelerometer was developed in the frame of a manufacturers and universities consortium supported by the French Research and Technology Ministry. The accelerometer is of cantilever beam type and its networking is possible by chromatic multiplexing. The Metrology Service evaluated these temperature and vibration sensors in order to verify their metrological characteristics (bias error, hysteresis, repeatability, resolution, noise, amplitude linearity, response time, frequency response, etc.) and to test their behaviour in harsh alternator environmental conditions (pressure, vibrations and temperature). Ageing and accidental condition resistance tests were also carried out. Temperature sensor test results were very satisfactory. An eight-sensor BERTIN prototype was installed on the Tricastin 1 alternator during the september 1993 nuclear station periodic stop. On the contrary, the accelerometers presented deficient metrological characteristics (shorter span than foreseen, low repeatability...). They need some improvements and could not be installed on alternators. (authors). 5 refs., 8 figs

First evidence of pyrrolizidine alkaloid N-oxide-induced hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Mengbi; Ruan, Jianqing; Gao, Hong; Li, Na; Ma, Jiang; Xue, Junyi; Ye, Yang; Fu, Peter Pi-Cheng; Wang, Jiyao; Lin, Ge

2017-12-01

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are among the most potent phytotoxins widely distributed in plant species around the world. PA is one of the major causes responsible for the development of hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) and exerts hepatotoxicity via metabolic activation to form the reactive metabolites, which bind with cellular proteins to generate pyrrole-protein adducts, leading to hepatotoxicity. PA N-oxides coexist with their corresponding PAs in plants with varied quantities, sometimes even higher than that of PAs, but the toxicity of PA N-oxides remains unclear. The current study unequivocally identified PA N-oxides as the sole or predominant form of PAs in 18 Gynura segetum herbal samples ingested by patients with liver damage. For the first time, PA N-oxides were recorded to induce HSOS in human. PA N-oxide-induced hepatotoxicity was further confirmed on mice orally dosed of herbal extract containing 170 μmol PA N-oxides/kg/day, with its hepatotoxicity similar to but potency much lower than the corresponding PAs. Furthermore, toxicokinetic study after a single oral dose of senecionine N-oxide (55 μmol/kg) on rats revealed the toxic mechanism that PA N-oxides induced hepatotoxicity via their biotransformation to the corresponding PAs followed by the metabolic activation to form pyrrole-protein adducts. The remarkable differences in toxicokinetic profiles of PAs and PA N-oxides were found and attributed to their significantly different hepatotoxic potency. The findings of PA N-oxide-induced hepatotoxicity in humans and rodents suggested that the contents of both PAs and PA N-oxides present in herbs and foods should be regulated and controlled in use.

A SYSTEMATIC SEARCH FOR PERIODICALLY VARYING QUASARS IN PAN-STARRS1: AN EXTENDED BASELINE TEST IN MEDIUM DEEP SURVEY FIELD MD09

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, T.; Gezari, S. [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Burgett, W. [GMTO Corp, 465 N. Halstead St, Suite 250, Pasadena, CA 91107 (United States); Chambers, K.; Hodapp, K.; Huber, M.; Kudritzki, R.-P.; Magnier, E.; Tonry, J.; Wainscoat, R.; Waters, C. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Draper, P.; Metcalfe, N., E-mail: tingting@astro.umd.edu [Department of Physics, University of Durham, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom)

2016-12-10

We present a systematic search for periodically varying quasars and supermassive black hole binary (SMBHB) candidates in the Pan-STARRS1 (PS1) Medium Deep Survey’s MD09 field. From a color-selected sample of 670 quasars extracted from a multi-band deep-stack catalog of point sources, we locally select variable quasars and look for coherent periods with the Lomb–Scargle periodogram. Three candidates from our sample demonstrate strong variability for more than ∼3 cycles, and their PS1 light curves are well fitted to sinusoidal functions. We test the persistence of the candidates’ apparent periodic variations detected during the 4.2 years of the PS1 survey with archival photometric data from the SDSS Stripe 82 survey or new monitoring with the Large Monolithic Imager at the Discovery Channel Telescope. None of the three periodic candidates (including PSO J334.2028+1.4075) remain persistent over the extended baseline of 7–14 years, corresponding to a detection rate of <1 in 670 quasars in a search area of ≈5 deg{sup 2}. Even though SMBHBs should be a common product of the hierarchal growth of galaxies, and periodic variability in SMBHBs has been theoretically predicted, a systematic search for such signatures in a large optical survey is strongly limited by its temporal baseline and the “red noise” associated with normal quasar variability. We show that follow-up long-term monitoring (≳5 cycles) is crucial to our search for these systems.

Simple analytic formula for the period of the nonlinear pendulum via the Struve function: connection to acoustical impedance matching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Douvropoulos, Theodosios G

2012-01-01

An approximate formula for the period of pendulum motion beyond the small amplitude regime is obtained based on physical arguments. Two different schemes of different accuracy are developed: in the first less accurate scheme, emphasis is given on the non-quadratic form of the potential in connection to isochronism, and a specific form of a generic formula that is met in many previous works is produced, while the second and main result contains the Struve function which is further approximated by a simple sinusoidal expression based on its maximum value. The accuracy of the final formula gives a relative error of less than 0.2% for angles up to 140°. In addition, a simple relation between the Struve function and the complete elliptic integral of the first kind is produced, since they both constitute solutions of the pendulum period. This relation makes it possible for someone to connect different areas in physics and solve a difficult task by comparison with another much more simple one. As an example, a connection between the pendulum period and the acoustical radiation impedance is proposed through impedance matching and some interesting relations are produced. This paper is intended for undergraduate students to be useful for analysing pendulum experiments in introductory physics labs and it is also believed to offer valuable insight into some properties of the simple pendulum in undergraduate courses on general physics. (paper)

An alternating voltage battery with two salt-water oscillators

Science.gov (United States)

Cervellati, Rinaldo; Soldà, Roberto

2001-05-01

We built a simple alternating voltage battery that periodically reverses value and sign of its electromotive force (emf). This battery consists of two coupled concentration salt-water oscillators that are phase shifted by initially extracting some drops of salt solution from one of the two oscillators. Although the actual frequency (period: ˜30 s) and emf (˜±55 mV) is low, our battery is suitable to demonstrate a practical application of oscillating systems in the physical, chemical, or biological laboratory for undergraduates. Interpretation of the phenomenon is given.

Accurate step-hold tracking of smoothly varying periodic and aperiodic probability.

Science.gov (United States)

Ricci, Matthew; Gallistel, Randy

2017-07-01

Subjects observing many samples from a Bernoulli distribution are able to perceive an estimate of the generating parameter. A question of fundamental importance is how the current percept-what we think the probability now is-depends on the sequence of observed samples. Answers to this question are strongly constrained by the manner in which the current percept changes in response to changes in the hidden parameter. Subjects do not update their percept trial-by-trial when the hidden probability undergoes unpredictable and unsignaled step changes; instead, they update it only intermittently in a step-hold pattern. It could be that the step-hold pattern is not essential to the perception of probability and is only an artifact of step changes in the hidden parameter. However, we now report that the step-hold pattern obtains even when the parameter varies slowly and smoothly. It obtains even when the smooth variation is periodic (sinusoidal) and perceived as such. We elaborate on a previously published theory that accounts for: (i) the quantitative properties of the step-hold update pattern; (ii) subjects' quick and accurate reporting of changes; (iii) subjects' second thoughts about previously reported changes; (iv) subjects' detection of higher-order structure in patterns of change. We also call attention to the challenges these results pose for trial-by-trial updating theories.

Investigation of alternating-phase focusing for superconducting linacs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sagalovsky, L.; Delayen, J.R.

1992-01-01

The paper describes a new model of alternating-phase focusing (APF) dynamics applicable to ion linacs with short independently controlled superconducting cavities. The equations of motion are derived for a cylindrically symmetric electric field represented by a traveling wave with continuous periodic phase modulation. Solutions are obtained and analyzed for both the linear and nonlinear particle motion. Problems of linear stability and overall longitudinal acceptance are solved using standard mathematical techniques for periodic systems; analytical results are obtained. It is shown that the main beam dynamical aspects of APF are adequately described by four parameters; equilibrium synchronous phase, phase modulation amplitude, length of APF period, and incremental energy gain. The model can be applied to study the feasibility of realizing APF in a low-β section of a proton linac. (author). 9 refs., 3 figs

Plane-wave diffraction by periodic structures with artificial anisotropic dielectrics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazerooni, Azadeh Semsar; Shahabadi, Mahmoud

2010-01-01

Periodic structures with artificial anisotropic dielectrics are studied. The artificial anisotropic dielectric material in this work is made of two alternating isotropic dielectric layers. By a proper choice of the dielectric constant of the layers, we can realize a uniaxial anisotropic medium with controllable anisotropy. The artificial anisotropic dielectric is then used in periodic structures. For these structures, the optical axis of the artificial dielectric is assumed to be parallel or perpendicular to the period of the structure. Diffraction of plane waves by these structures is analyzed by a fully vectorial rigorous matrix method based on a generalized transmission line (TL) formulation. The propagation constants and field distributions are computed and diffraction properties of such structures are studied to show that, by a proper choice of structural parameters, these periodic structures with artificial anisotropic dielectrics can be used as polarizers or polarizing mirrors

Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells induce immunosuppressive IL-10-producing Th1 cells via the Notch pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Neumann, Katrin; Rudolph, Christine; Neumann, Christian; Janke, Marko; Amsen, Derk; Scheffold, Alexander

2015-07-01

Under homeostasis, liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) shift intrahepatic T-cell responses towards tolerance. However, the role of LSECs in the regulation of T-cell-induced liver inflammation is less clear. Here, we studied the capacity of LSECs to modulate pro-inflammatory Th1-cell differentiation in mice. Using in vitro co-culture systems and subsequent cytokine analysis, we showed that LSECs induced high amounts of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in developing Th1 cells. These LSEC-stimulated Th1 cells had no pro-inflammatory capacity in vivo but instead actively suppressed an inflammatory Th1-cell-induced delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction. Blockage of IL-10 signaling in vivo inhibited immunosuppressive activity of LSEC-stimulated Th1 cells. We identified the Notch pathway as a mechanism how LSECs trigger IL-10 expression in Th1 cells. LSECs expressed high levels of the Delta-like and Jagged family of Notch ligands and induced expression of the Notch target genes hes-1 and deltex-1 in Th1 cells. Blockade of Notch signaling selectively inhibited IL-10 induction in Th1 cells by LSECs. Our findings suggest that LSEC-induced IL-10 expression in Th1 cells via the Notch pathway may contribute to the control of hepatic inflammatory immune responses by induction of a self-regulatory mechanism in pro-inflammatory Th1 cells. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

TRAIL enhances paracetamol-induced liver sinusoidal endothelial cell death in a Bim- and Bid-dependent manner

Science.gov (United States)

Badmann, A; Langsch, S; Keogh, A; Brunner, T; Kaufmann, T; Corazza, N

2012-01-01

Paracetamol (acetaminophen, APAP) is a universally used analgesic and antipyretic agent. Considered safe at therapeutic doses, overdoses cause acute liver damage characterized by centrilobular hepatic necrosis. One of the major clinical problems of paracetamol-induced liver disease is the development of hemorrhagic alterations. Although hepatocytes represent the main target of the cytotoxic effect of paracetamol overdose, perturbations within the endothelium involving morphological changes of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) have also been described in paracetamol-induced liver disease. Recently, we have shown that paracetamol-induced liver damage is synergistically enhanced by the TRAIL signaling pathway. As LSECs are constantly exposed to activated immune cells expressing death ligands, including TRAIL, we investigated the effect of TRAIL on paracetamol-induced LSEC death. We here demonstrate for the first time that TRAIL strongly enhances paracetamol-mediated LSEC death with typical features of apoptosis. Inhibition of caspases using specific inhibitors resulted in a strong reduction of cell death. TRAIL appears to enhance paracetamol-induced LSEC death via the activation of the pro-apoptotic BH3-only proteins Bid and Bim, which initiate the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Taken together this study shows that the liver endothelial layer, mainly LSECs, represent a direct target of the cytotoxic effect of paracetamol and that activation of TRAIL receptor synergistically enhances paracetamol-induced LSEC death via the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. TRAIL-mediated acceleration of paracetamol-induced cell death may thus contribute to the pathogenesis of paracetamol-induced liver damage. PMID:23254290

An evaluation of the alternative transport fuel policies for Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arslan, Ridvan; Ulusoy, Yahya; Tekin, Yuecel; Suermen, Ali

2010-01-01

The search for alternative fuels and new fuel resources is a top priority for Turkey, as is the case in the majority of countries throughout the world. The fuel policies pursued by governmental or civil authorities are of key importance in the success of alternative fuel use, especially for widespread and efficient use. Following the 1973 petroleum crisis, many users in Turkey, especially in transportation sector, searched for alternative fuels and forms of transportation. Gasoline engines were replaced with diesel engines between the mid-1970s and mid-1980s. In addition, natural gas was introduced to the Turkish market for heating in the early 1990s. Liquid petroleum gas was put into use in the mid-1990s, and bio-diesel was introduced into the market for transportation in 2003. However, after long periods of indifference governmental action, guidance and fuel policies were so weak that they did not make sense. Entrepreneurs and users experienced great economical losses and lost confidence in future attempts to search for other possible alternatives. In the present study, we will look at the history of alternative fuel use in the recent past and investigate the alternative engine fuel potential of Turkey, as well as introduce possible future policies based on experience.

Approach for discrimination and quantification of electroactive species: kinetics difference revealed by higher harmonics of Fourier transformed sinusoidal voltammetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Yishan; Huang, Xinjian; Wang, Lishi

2015-01-06

Discrimination and quantification of electroactive species are traditionally realized by a potential difference which is mainly determined by thermodynamics. However, the resolution of this approach is limited to tens of millivolts. In this paper, we described an application of Fourier transformed sinusoidal voltammetry (FT-SV) that provides a new approach for discrimination and quantitative evaluation of electroactive species, especially thermodynamic similar ones. Numerical simulation indicates that electron transfer kinetics difference between electroactive species can be revealed by the phase angle of higher order harmonics of FT-SV, and the difference can be amplified order by order. Thus, even a very subtle kinetics difference can be amplified to be distinguishable at a certain order of harmonics. This method was verified with structurally similar ferrocene derivatives which were chosen as the model systems. Although these molecules have very close redox potential (harmonics. The results demonstrated the feasibility and reliability of the method. It was also implied that the combination of the traditional thermodynamic method and this kinetics method can form a two-dimension resolved detection method, and it has the potential to extend the resolution of voltammetric techniques to a new level.

A modified parallel paradigm for clinical evaluation of auditory echoic memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Karino, Shotaro; Yumoto, Masato; Itoh, Kenji; Yamakawa, Keiko; Mizuochi, Tomomi; Kaga, Kimitaka

2005-05-12

We established a new parallel paradigm for mismatch negativity by presenting repetitive trains of three consonant-vowel syllables and those of three sinusoidal tones alternately. Magnetoencephalography was performed to test the new method, and mismatch negativities in six study participants with normal hearing were compared with the results of the conventional oddball paradigm. Peak amplitude and latencies of mismatch negativity showed no significant difference between the methods. The maximum amplitude in short memory probe interval of 1.0 s was significantly larger than in long memory probe interval of 3.0 s, demonstrating decay in auditory echoic memory caused by a prolonged memory probe interval. The new method facilitated simultaneous evaluation of mismatch negativity with various stimuli in a shorter period.

Electrical stimulation with periodic alternating intervals stimulates neuronal cells to produce neurotrophins and cytokines through activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Kenta; Yamamoto, Toshiro; Honjo, Kenichi; Ichioka, Hiroaki; Oseko, Fumishige; Kishida, Tsunao; Mazda, Osam; Kanamura, Narisato

2015-12-01

Peripheral neuropathy is a representative complication of dental surgery. Electrical therapy, based on electrical stimulation with periodic alternating intervals (ES-PAI), may promote nerve regeneration after peripheral nerve injury in a non-invasive manner, potentially providing an effective therapy for neuropathy. This study aimed to analyze the molecular mechanisms underlying the nerve recovery stimulated by ES-PAI. In brief, ES-PAI was applied to a neuronal cell line, Neuro2A, at various intensities using the pulse generator apparatus, FREUDE. Cell viability, neurotrophin mRNA expression, and cytokine production were examined using a tetrazolium-based assay, real-time RT-PCR, and ELISA, respectively. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling was assessed using flow cytometry. It was found that ES-PAI increased the viability of cells and elevated expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3); ESPAI also augmented vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) expression, which was restored by addition of p38 inhibitors. Phosphorylation of p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK-1/2) was augmented by ES-PAI. Hence, ES-PAI may ameliorate peripheral neuropathy by promoting neuronal cell proliferation and production of neurogenic factors by activating p38 and ERK-1/2 pathways. © 2015 Eur J Oral Sci.

Field Optimization for short Period Undulators

CERN Document Server

Peiffer, P; Rossmanith, R; Schoerling, D

2011-01-01

Undulators dedicated to low energy electron beams, like Laser Wakefield Accelerators, require very short period lengths to achieve X-ray emission. However, at these short period length (LambdaU ~ 5 mm) it becomes difficult to reach magnetic field amplitudes that lead to a K parameter of >1, which is generally desired. Room temperature permanent magnets and even superconductive undulators using Nb-Ti as conductor material have proven insufficient to achieve the desired field amplitudes. The superconductor Nb$_{3}$Sn has the theoretical potential to achieve the desired fields. However, up to now it is limited by several technological challenges to much lower field values than theoretically predicted. An alternative idea for higher fields is to manufacture the poles of the undulator body from Holmium instead of iron or to use Nb-Ti wires with a higher superconductor/copper ratio. The advantages and challenges of the different options are compared in this contribution.

Interrogation of transcriptomic changes associated with drug-induced hepatic sinusoidal dilatation in colorectal cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Jarzabek, Monika A; Proctor, William R; Vogt, Jennifer; Desai, Rupal; Dicker, Patrick; Cain, Gary; Raja, Rajiv; Brodbeck, Jens; Stevens, Dale; van der Stok, Eric P; Martens, John W M; Verhoef, Cornelis; Hegde, Priti S; Byrne, Annette T; Tarrant, Jacqueline M

2018-01-01

Drug-related sinusoidal dilatation (SD) is a common form of hepatotoxicity associated with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy used prior to resection of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). Recently, hepatic SD has also been associated with anti-delta like 4 (DLL4) cancer therapies targeting the NOTCH pathway. To investigate the hypothesis that NOTCH signaling plays an important role in drug-induced SD, gene expression changes were examined in livers from anti-DLL4 and oxaliplatin-induced SD in non-human primate (NHP) and patients, respectively. Putative mechanistic biomarkers of bevacizumab (bev)-mediated protection against oxaliplatin-induced SD were also investigated. RNA was extracted from whole liver sections or centrilobular regions by laser-capture microdissection (LCM) obtained from NHP administered anti-DLL4 fragment antigen-binding (F(ab')2 or patients with CRLM receiving oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy with or without bev. mRNA expression was quantified using high-throughput real-time quantitative PCR. Significance analysis was used to identify genes with differential expression patterns (false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05). Eleven (CCL2, CCND1, EFNB2, ERG, ICAM1, IL16, LFNG, NOTCH1, NOTCH4, PRDX1, and TGFB1) and six (CDH5, EFNB2, HES1, IL16, MIK67, HES1 and VWF) candidate genes were differentially expressed in the liver of anti-DLL4- and oxaliplatin-induced SD, respectively. Addition of bev to oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy resulted in differential changes in hepatic CDH5, HEY1, IL16, JAG1, MMP9, NOTCH4 and TIMP1 expression. This work implicates NOTCH and IL16 pathways in the pathogenesis of drug-induced SD and further explains the hepato-protective effect of bev in oxaliplatin-induced SD observed in CRLM patients.

Research of optical coherence tomography microscope based on CCD detector

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hua; Xu, Zhongbao; Zhang, Shuomo

2008-12-01

The reference wave phase was modulated with a sinusoidal vibrating mirror attached to a Piezoelectric Transducer (PZT), the integration was performed by a CCD, and the charge storage period of the CCD image sensor was one-quarter period of the sinusoidal phase modulation. With the frequency- synchronous detection technique, four images (four frames of interference pattern) were recorded during one period of the phase modulation. In order to obtain the optimum modulation parameter, the values of amplitude and phase of the sinusoidal phase modulation were determined by considering the measurement error caused by the additive noise contained in the detected values. The PZT oscillation was controlled by a closed loop control system based on PID controller. An ideal discrete digital sine function at 50Hz with adjustable amplitude was used to adjust the vibrating of PZT, and a digital phase shift techniques was used to adjust vibrating phase of PZT so that the phase of the modulation could reach their optimum values. The CCD detector was triggered with software at 200Hz. Based on work above a small coherent signal masked by the preponderant incoherent background with a CCD detector was obtained.

Design analysis of engineered alternatives for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myers, J.; Djordjevic, S.; Adams, M.; Spangler, L.; Valdez, J.; Vetter, D.; Drez, P.

1991-01-01

The effectiveness of several engineered alternatives, designed to enhance the performance of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), were evaluated relative to the performance of the baseline design. This evaluation was performed using a computer program referred to as the Design Analysis Model which couples salt creep closure, brine inflow, gas generation and dissipation to realistically simulate these interrelated processes over a 10,000 year period following the decommissioning of the repository. Analyses of the baseline design and nine alternative designs were performed for the undisturbed repository conditions, as well as three human intrusion events. Improvements in repository performance of up to four orders of magnitude were predicted for various engineered alternative waste forms. 6 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab

Alternatives to conventional crude oil. When, how quickly, and market driven?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaufmann, Robert K.; Shiers, Laura D.

2008-01-01

We examine the effect of uncertainty concerning remaining supplies of conventional crude oil and its production path on: the date alternative fuels will be needed, the quantity of alternative fuels needed, and how this uncertainty affects firms' willingness to provide alternatives in a timely fashion. Despite large uncertainties about the quantity of oil that remains and its production path, the start date for replacements is likely to fall within a twenty-two year period that is narrower and earlier than previous estimates. The twenty-two year window represents considerable uncertainty about the date of the peak and this uncertainty creates an asymmetry in the strategy that maximizes the welfare of firms relative to total social welfare, which works against the market's ability to generate a smooth transition from oil to alternative fuels. The timeliness of this transition is critical - the production paths generated here suggest that 10 million barrels per day or more of alternative fuels will be needed within a decade of the peak in production of conventional crude oil. (author)

Can patients with Parkinson's disease use dry powder inhalers during off periods?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luinstra, M.; Rutgers, A.W.F.; Dijkstra, H.; Grasmeijer, F.; Hagedoorn, P.; Vogelzang, J.M.J.; Frijlink, H.W.; De Boer, A.H.

2015-01-01

Because of its rapid onset of action, pulmonary administration of levodopa is an interesting alternative to oral administration for the rescue treatment of Parkinson's disease patients in an off period. We studied the ability of Parkinson's disease patients to operate a dry powder inhaler (DPI)

Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study in Pediatric Inpatients.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhankar, Mukesh

2018-01-01

The aim was to study the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use in acutely sick hospitalized children and factors associated with it. This is a cross-sectional, hospital-based study in a tertiary care center of Delhi, India. Children admitted to a pediatric unit during the study period were assessed using a specially designed questionnaire. Out of the total 887 admitted children, 161 (18.1%) were using complementary and alternate medicine in one form or another. Of these, 113 (70.2%) were using complementary and alternate medicine for the current illness directly leading to admission and the remaining 48 (29.8%) had used complementary and alternate medicine in past. The common complementary and alternate medicine use observed in our study was combined ayurveda and spiritual approach (25.5%), ayurveda (24.8%), spiritual (21.7%), homeopathic (13%), and 47.2% of children were using spiritual approach in form of Jhada (tying piece of cloth on arm or leg or keeping a knife by the side of child). The significant factors associated with complementary and alternate medicine use were younger age, female gender, and father being employed. Complementary and alternate medicine is commonly used even in acutely sick children.

A random walk description of individual animal movement accounting for periods of rest

Science.gov (United States)

Tilles, Paulo F. C.; Petrovskii, Sergei V.; Natti, Paulo L.

2016-11-01

Animals do not move all the time but alternate the period of actual movement (foraging) with periods of rest (e.g. eating or sleeping). Although the existence of rest times is widely acknowledged in the literature and has even become a focus of increased attention recently, the theoretical approaches to describe animal movement by calculating the dispersal kernel and/or the mean squared displacement (MSD) rarely take rests into account. In this study, we aim to bridge this gap. We consider a composite stochastic process where the periods of active dispersal or `bouts' (described by a certain baseline probability density function (pdf) of animal dispersal) alternate with periods of immobility. For this process, we derive a general equation that determines the pdf of this composite movement. The equation is analysed in detail in two special but important cases such as the standard Brownian motion described by a Gaussian kernel and the Levy flight described by a Cauchy distribution. For the Brownian motion, we show that in the large-time asymptotics the effect of rests results in a rescaling of the diffusion coefficient. The movement occurs as a subdiffusive transition between the two diffusive asymptotics. Interestingly, the Levy flight case shows similar properties, which indicates a certain universality of our findings.

Nutritional regimens with periodically recurring phases of dietary restriction extend lifespan in Drosophila.

Science.gov (United States)

Romey-Glüsing, Renja; Li, Yang; Hoffmann, Julia; von Frieling, Jakob; Knop, Mirjam; Pfefferkorn, Roxana; Bruchhaus, Iris; Fink, Christine; Roeder, Thomas

2018-04-01

Nutritional interventions such as caloric and dietary restriction increase lifespan in various animal models. To identify alternative and less demanding nutritional interventions that extend lifespan, we subjected fruit flies ( Drosophila melanogaster) to weekly nutritional regimens that involved alternating a conventional diet with dietary restriction. Short periods of dietary restriction (up to 2 d) followed by longer periods of a conventional diet yielded minimal increases in lifespan. We found that 3 or more days of contiguous dietary restriction (DR) was necessary to yield a lifespan extension similar to that observed with persistent DR. Female flies were more responsive to these interventions than males. Physiologic changes known to be associated with prolonged DR, such as reduced metabolic rates, showed the same time course as lifespan extension. Moreover, concurrent transcriptional changes indicative of reduced insulin signaling were identified with DR. These physiologic and transcriptional changes were sustained, as they were detectable several days after switching to conventional diets. Taken together, diets with longer periods of DR extended lifespan concurrently with physiologic and transcriptional changes that may underlie this increase in lifespan.-Romey-Glüsing, R., Li, Y., Hoffmann, J., von Frieling, J., Knop, M., Pfefferkorn, R., Bruchhaus, I., Fink, C., Roeder, T. Nutritional regimens with periodically recurring phases of dietary restriction extend lifespan in Drosophila.

Doctor-patient communication and cancer patients' choice of alternative therapies as supplement or alternative to conventional care.

Science.gov (United States)

Salamonsen, Anita

2013-03-01

Cancer patients' use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widespread, despite the fact that clinical studies validating the efficacy of CAM remain sparse in the Nordic countries. The purpose of this study was to explore possible connections between cancer patients' communication experiences with doctors and the decision to use CAM as either supplement or alternative to conventional treatment (CT). The Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics and the Norwegian Data Inspectorate approved the study. From a group of 52 cancer patients with self-reported positive experiences from use of CAM, 13 were selected for qualitative interviews. Six used CAM as supplement, and seven as alternative to CT, periodically or permanently. Communication experiences with 46 doctors were described. The analysis revealed three connections between doctor-patient communication and patients' treatment decisions: (i) negative communication experiences because of the use of CAM; (ii) negative communication experiences resulted in the decision to use CAM, and in some cases to decline CT; and (iii) positive communication experiences led to the decision to use CAM as supplement, not alternative to CT. The patients, including the decliners of CT, wanted to discuss treatment decisions in well-functioning interpersonal processes with supportive doctors. In doctors' practices and education of doctors, a greater awareness of potential positive and negative outcomes of doctor-patient communication that concern CAM issues could be of importance. More research is needed to safeguard CAM users' treatment decisions and their relationship to conventional health care. © 2012 The Author. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2012 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Alternative Energy Development and China's Energy Future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Nina; Fridley, David

2011-06-15

used to evaluate the energy and emission impact of two pathways of alternative energy development. The results show that China can only meets its 2015 and 2020 targets for non-fossil penetration if it successfully achieves all of its capacity targets for 2020 with continued expansion through 2030. To achieve this level of alternative generation, significant amounts of raw materials including 235 Mt of concrete, 54 Mt of steel, 5 Mt of copper along with 3 billion tons of water and 64 thousand square kilometers of land are needed. China’s alternative energy supply will likely have relatively high average energy output to fossil fuel input ratio of 42 declining to 26 over time, but this ratio is largely skewed by nuclear and hydropower capacity. With successful alternative energy development, 32% of China’s electricity and 21% of its total primary energy will be supplied by alternative energy by 2030. Compared to the counterfactual baseline in which alternative energy development stumbles and China does not meet its capacity targets until 2030, alternative energy development can displace 175 Mtce of coal inputs per year and 2080 Mtce cumulatively from power generation by 2030. In carbon terms, this translates into 5520 Mt of displaced CO₂ emissions over the twenty year period, with more than half coming from expanded nuclear and wind power generation. These results illustrate the critical role that alternative energy development can play alongside energy efficiency in reducing China’s energy-related carbon emissions.

Constraints to the possible alternatives from Arizona agriculture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foster, K.E.

1979-01-01

The problems plaguing Arizona agriculture are outlined including the primary factors of declining groundwater supplies and increasing costs of energy to pump irrigation water. Two alternatives are suggested. The first alternative is to reduce or stabilize energy costs, an event that the authors acknowledge as being rather unlikely. Pumping costs using various fuels during the period 1891 to 1978 are reviewed. The second alternative involves developing cultivation techniques for drought-resistant plants native to arid regions, plants which have economic potential. Most of these plants would require little irrigation under cultivation and could substitute for cash crops being cultivated under heavy irrigation in Arizona. Four of these plants native to arid regions in the United States are discussed in some detail. Guayule (Parthenium argentatum) is a known rubber producer. Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) produces a liquid wax similar to the oil of the sperm whale, an endangered species. The gopher plant (Euphorbia lathyrus) is a potential producer of petrochemical feedstock for use as an energy source. Finally the buffalo gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima) is a possible source of food for both humans and livestock.

Diverse alternative back-splicing and alternative splicing landscape of circular RNAs

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiao-Ou; Dong, Rui; Zhang, Yang; Zhang, Jia-Lin; Luo, Zheng; Zhang, Jun; Chen, Ling-Ling; Yang, Li

2016-01-01

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) derived from back-spliced exons have been widely identified as being co-expressed with their linear counterparts. A single gene locus can produce multiple circRNAs through alternative back-splice site selection and/or alternative splice site selection; however, a detailed map of alternative back-splicing/splicing in circRNAs is lacking. Here, with the upgraded CIRCexplorer2 pipeline, we systematically annotated different types of alternative back-splicing and alternative splicing events in circRNAs from various cell lines. Compared with their linear cognate RNAs, circRNAs exhibited distinct patterns of alternative back-splicing and alternative splicing. Alternative back-splice site selection was correlated with the competition of putative RNA pairs across introns that bracket alternative back-splice sites. In addition, all four basic types of alternative splicing that have been identified in the (linear) mRNA process were found within circRNAs, and many exons were predominantly spliced in circRNAs. Unexpectedly, thousands of previously unannotated exons were detected in circRNAs from the examined cell lines. Although these novel exons had similar splice site strength, they were much less conserved than known exons in sequences. Finally, both alternative back-splicing and circRNA-predominant alternative splicing were highly diverse among the examined cell lines. All of the identified alternative back-splicing and alternative splicing in circRNAs are available in the CIRCpedia database (http://www.picb.ac.cn/rnomics/circpedia). Collectively, the annotation of alternative back-splicing and alternative splicing in circRNAs provides a valuable resource for depicting the complexity of circRNA biogenesis and for studying the potential functions of circRNAs in different cells. PMID:27365365

Afghanistan and the development of alternative systems of animal health in the absence of effective government

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schreuder, B.E.C.; Ward, D.E.

2004-01-01

This case study describes the efforts by both non-governmental organisations and United Nations agencies to develop an alternative system for delivering animal health services in Afghanistan, during a period in which there was effectively no government. The authors examine the period from the

Periodic driving control of Raman-induced spin-orbit coupling in Bose-Einstein condensates: The heating mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez Llorente, J. M.; Plata, J.

2016-06-01

We focus on a technique recently implemented for controlling the magnitude of synthetic spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in ultracold atoms in the Raman-coupling scenario. This technique uses a periodic modulation of the Raman-coupling amplitude to tune the SOC. Specifically, it has been shown that the effect of a high-frequency sinusoidal modulation of the Raman-laser intensity can be incorporated into the undriven Hamiltonian via effective parameters, whose adiabatic variation can therefore be used to tune the SOC. Here, we characterize the heating mechanisms that can be relevant to this method. We identify the main mechanism responsible for the heating observed in the experiments as basically rooted in driving-induced transfer of population to excited states. Characteristics of that process determined by the harmonic trapping, the decay of the excited states, and the technique used for preparing the system are discussed. Additional heating, rooted in departures from adiabaticity in the variation of the effective parameters, is also described. Our analytical study provides some clues that may be useful in the design of strategies for curbing the effects of heating on the efficiency of the control methods.

Consolidation of long-term memory: evidence and alternatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Meeter, Martijn; Murre, Jaap M J

2004-11-01

Memory loss in retrograde amnesia has long been held to be larger for recent periods than for remote periods, a pattern usually referred to as the Ribot gradient. One explanation for this gradient is consolidation of long-term memories. Several computational models of such a process have shown how consolidation can explain characteristics of amnesia, but they have not elucidated how consolidation must be envisaged. Here findings are reviewed that shed light on how consolidation may be implemented in the brain. Moreover, consolidation is contrasted with alternative theories of the Ribot gradient. Consolidation theory, multiple trace theory, and semantization can all handle some findings well but not others. Conclusive evidence for or against consolidation thus remains to be found.

Exploring the options for alternative means of livelihood for blind ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aim: To explore the readiness of and the options for alternative means of livelihood for Blind Street beggars in Sokoto, Nigeria, with a view to achieving the millennium development goals. Materials and Methods: A cross.sectional study was conducted in a Local Government Area (LGA), in Sokoto State overa 6 weeks period ...

Evaluation of electrical stunning of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in seawater and killing by chilling: wel;fare aspects, product quality and possibilities for implementation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lambooij, E.; Gerritzen, M.A.; Reimert, H.G.M.; Burggraaf, D.; Andre, G.; Vis, van de J.W.

2008-01-01

The objective was to assess neural, behavioural responses and product quality in farmed sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) upon electrical stunning in seawater. The electrical sinusoidal 50 Hz or pulse square wave alternating 133 Hz current induced a general epileptiform insult with a current of

Alternative Fuel Guidelines for Alternative Transportation Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-31

The Volpe Center documented the increased use of alternative fuels on vehicles owned and operated by federal land management agencies. For each alternative fuel type, the Volpe Center documented the availability of vehicles, fueling mechanisms and pr...

An interlaboratory study to find an alternative to the MPN technique for enumerating Escherichia coli in shellfish

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ogden, I.D.; Brown, G.C.; Gallacher, S.

1998-01-01

Nine laboratories in eight countries tested 16 batches of common mussels (Mytilus edulis) over a 32 week period in order to find an alternative to the Most Probable Number (MPN) technique to enumerate E. coli. The alternatives investigated included the 3M Petrifilm system, the Merck Chromocult agar...

Comparison of different undulator schemes with superimposed alternating gradients for the VUV-FEL at the TESLA Test Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pflueger, J.; Nikitina, Y.M. [DESY/HASYLAB, Hamburg (Germany)

1995-12-31

For the VUV-FEL at the TESLA Test Facility an undulator with a total length of 30 m is needed. In this study three different approaches to realize an undulator with a sinusoidal plus a superimposed quadrupolar field were studied with the 3D code MAFIA.

Hair as an alternative matrix in bioanalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbosa, Joana; Faria, Juliana; Carvalho, Félix; Pedro, Madalena; Queirós, Odília; Moreira, Roxana; Dinis-Oliveira, Ricardo Jorge

2013-04-01

Alternative matrices are steadily gaining recognition as biological samples for toxicological analyses. Hair presents many advantages over traditional matrices, such as urine and blood, since it provides retrospective information regarding drug exposure, can distinguish between chronic and acute or recent drug use by segmental analysis, is easy to obtain, and has considerable stability for long periods of time. For this reason, it has been employed in a wide variety of contexts, namely to evaluate workplace drug exposure, drug-facilitated sexual assault, pre-natal drug exposure, anti-doping control, pharmacological monitoring and alcohol abuse. In this article, issues concerning hair structure, collection, storage and analysis are reviewed. The mechanisms of drug incorporation into hair are briefly discussed. Analytical techniques for simultaneous drug quantification in hair are addressed. Finally, representative examples of drug quantification using hair are summarized, emphasizing its potentialities and limitations as an alternative biological matrix for toxicological analyses.

Decrease of PECAM-1-gene-expression induced by proinflammatory cytokines IFN-γ and IFN-α is reversed by TGF-β in sinusoidal endothelial cells and hepatic mononuclear phagocytes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramadori Giuliano

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background and aim The mechanisms of transmigration of inflammatory cells through the sinusoids are still poorly understood. This study aims to identify in vitro conditions (cytokine treatment which may allow a better understanding of the changes in PECAM (platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1-gene-expression observed in vivo. Methods and results In this study we show by immunohistochemistry, that there is an accumulation of ICAM-1 (intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 and ED1 positive cells in necrotic areas of livers of CCl4-treated rats, whereas there are few PECAM-1 positive cells observable. After the administration of CCl4, we could detect an early rise of levels of IFN-γ followed by an enhanced TGF-β protein level. As shown by Northern blot analysis and surface protein expression analysed by flow cytometry, IFN-γ-treatment decreased PECAM-1-gene-expression in isolated SECs (sinusoidal endothelial cells and mononuclear phagocytes (MNPs in parallel with an increase in ICAM-1-gene-expression in a dose and time dependent manner. In contrast, TGF-β-treatment increased PECAM-1-expression. Additional administration of IFN-γ to CCl4-treated rats and observations in IFN-γ-/- mice confirmed the effect of IFN-γ on PECAM-1 and ICAM-1-expression observed in vitro and increased the number of ED1-expressing cells 12 h after administration of the toxin. Conclusion The early decrease of PECAM-1-expression and the parallel increase of ICAM-1-expression following CCl4-treatment is induced by elevated levels of IFN-γ in livers and may facilitate adhesion and transmigration of inflammatory cells. The up-regulation of PECAM-1-expression in SECs and MNPs after TGF-β-treatment suggests the involvement of PECAM-1 during the recovery after liver damage.

Control of Oscillating Foil for Propulsion of Biorobotic Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. N. Singh

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The paper treats the question of control of a laterally and rotationally oscillating hydrofoil for the propulsion of biologically inspired robotic (biorobotic autonomous underwater vehicles (BAUVs. Sinusoidal oscillations of foils produce maneuvering and propulsive forces. The design is based on the internal model principle. Two springs are used to transmit forces from the actuators to the foil. Oscillating fins produce periodic forces, which can be used for fish-like propulsion and control of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs. The equations of motion of the foil include hydrodynamic lift and moment based on linear, unsteady, aerodynamic theory. A control law is derived for the lateral and rotational sinusoidal oscillation of the foil. In the closed-loop system, the lateral displacement and the rotational angle of the foil asymptotically follow sinusoidal trajectories of distinct frequencies and amplitudes independently. Simulation results are presented to show the trajectory tracking performance of the foil for different freestream velocities and sinusoidal command trajectories.

Experimental methods of investigation of kinetics and dynamics of nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa Oliveira, Jaime M.

1969-03-01

The author presents experimental methods used to study kinetic and dynamic properties of nuclear reactors. Kinetic methods aim at determining characteristic parameters of the behaviour in time of neutrons. Dynamic methods aim at establishing the relationships between the reactor behaviour and its internal and external causes (notably the measurement of transfer functions). The author proposes a classification with respect to the excitation type: periodic excitation (reactivity sinusoidal modulation, source sinusoidal modulation, periodic pulse excitation), non periodic excitation (reactivity monitoring, reactivity linear variation, reactivity variation according to any given law, removal of starting source), random excitation (random reactivity or source excitation), natural fluctuations (alpha-Rossi method, methods of reduced variance, probabilistic methods, correlation methods, spectral analysis method). He also addresses space and energy effects. Applications are reported for low power and power reactors

Balancing related methods for minimal realization of periodic systems

OpenAIRE

Varga, A.

1999-01-01

We propose balancing related numerically reliable methods to compute minimal realizations of linear periodic systems with time-varying dimensions. The first method belongs to the family of square-root methods with guaranteed enhanced computational accuracy and can be used to compute balanced minimal order realizations. An alternative balancing-free square-root method has the advantage of a potentially better numerical accuracy in case of poorly scaled original systems. The key numerical co...

Influences of the alternation of wet-dry periods on the variability of chromophoric dissolved organic matter in the water level fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir area, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Tao; Wang, Dingyong; Wei, Shiqiang; Yan, Jinlong; Liang, Jian; Chen, Xueshuang; Liu, Jiang; Wang, Qilei; Lu, Song; Gao, Jie; Li, Lulu; Guo, Nian; Zhao, Zheng

2018-04-26

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a crucial driver of various biogeochemical processes in aquatic systems. Thus, many lakes and streams have been investigated in the past several decades. However, fewer studies have sought to understand the changes in DOM characteristics in the waters of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) areas, which are the largest artificial reservoir areas in the world. Thus, a field investigation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) properties was conducted from 2013 to 2015 to track the spatial-temporal variability of DOM properties in the TGR areas. The results showed that the alternations of wet and dry periods due to hydrological management have a substantial effect on the quantity and quality of aquatic DOM in TGR areas. Increases in DOC concentrations in the wet period show an apparent "dilution effect" that decreases CDOM compounds with relatively lower aromaticity (i.e., SUVA 254 ) and molecular weight (i.e., S R ). In contrast to the obvious temporal variations of DOM, significant spatial variability was not observed in this study. Additionally, DOM showed more terrigenous characteristics in the dry period but weak terrigenous characteristics in the wet period. Furthermore, the positive correlation between SUVA 254 and CDOM suggests that the aromatic component controls the CDOM dynamics in TGR areas. The first attempt to investigate the DOM dynamics in TGR areas since the Three Gorges Dam was conducted in 2012, and the unique patterns of spatial-temporal variations in DOM that are highlighted in this study might provide a new insight for understanding the role of DOM in the fates of contaminants and may help in the further management of flow loads and water quality in the TGR area. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Numerical solution of the Maxwell-Vlasov equations in the periodic regime. Application to the study of isotope separation by ion cyclotron resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omnes, P.

1999-01-01

This work is dedicated to the study of the behaviour of a magnetic confined plasma that is excited by a purely sinusoidal electric current delivered by an antenna. The response of the electrons to the electromagnetic field is considered as linear, whereas the ions of the plasma are represented by a non-relativistic Vlasov equation. In order to avoid transients, the coupled Maxwell-Vlasov equations are solved in a periodic mode and in a bounded domain. An equivalent electric conductivity tensor has been defined, this tensor is a linear operator that links the electric current generated by the movement of the particles to the electromagnetic field. Theoretical considerations can assure the existence and uniqueness of a periodical solution to Vlasov equations and of a solution to Maxwell equations in harmonic mode. The system of equations is periodical and has been solved by using an iterative method. The application of this method to the simulation of a isotopic separation device based on ionic cyclotron resonance has shown that the convergence is reached in a few iterations and that the solution is valid. Furthermore a method based on a finite-volume formulation of Maxwell equations in the time domain is presented. 2 new variables are defined in order to better take into account the Gauss' law and the conservation of the magnetic flux, the new system is still hyperbolic. The parallelization of the process has been successfully realized. (A.C.)

Stochastic demand patterns for Markov service facilities with neutral and active periods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Csenki, Attila

2009-01-01

In an earlier paper, a closed form expression was obtained for the joint interval reliability of a Markov system with a partitioned state space S=U union D, i.e. for the probability that the system will reside in the set of up states U throughout the union of some specific disjoint time intervals I l =[θ l ,θ l +ζ l ],l=1,...,k. The deterministic time intervals I l formed a demand pattern specifying the desired active periods. In the present paper, we admit stochastic demand patterns by assuming that the lengths of the active periods, ζ l , as well as the lengths of the neutral periods, θ l -(θ l-1 +ζ l-1 ), are random. We explore two mechanisms for modelling random demand: (1) by alternating renewal processes; (2) by sojourn times of some continuous time Markov chain with a partitioned state space. The first construction results in an expression in terms of a revised version of the moment generating functions of the sojourns of the alternating renewal process. The second construction involves the probability that a Markov chain follows certain patterns of visits to some groups of states and yields an expression using Kronecker matrix operations. The model of a small computer system is analysed to exemplify the ideas

Evolution of periodicity in periodical cicadas.

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Hiromu; Kakishima, Satoshi; Uehara, Takashi; Morita, Satoru; Koyama, Takuya; Sota, Teiji; Cooley, John R; Yoshimura, Jin

2015-09-14

Periodical cicadas (Magicicada spp.) in the USA are famous for their unique prime-numbered life cycles of 13 and 17 years and their nearly perfectly synchronized mass emergences. Because almost all known species of cicada are non-periodical, periodicity is assumed to be a derived state. A leading hypothesis for the evolution of periodicity in Magicicada implicates the decline in average temperature during glacial periods. During the evolution of periodicity, the determinant of maturation in ancestral cicadas is hypothesized to have switched from size dependence to time (period) dependence. The selection for the prime-numbered cycles should have taken place only after the fixation of periodicity. Here, we build an individual-based model of cicadas under conditions of climatic cooling to explore the fixation of periodicity. In our model, under cold environments, extremely long juvenile stages lead to extremely low adult densities, limiting mating opportunities and favouring the evolution of synchronized emergence. Our results indicate that these changes, which were triggered by glacial cooling, could have led to the fixation of periodicity in the non-periodical ancestors.

Benthic Uptake Rate due to Hyporheic Exchange: The Effects of Streambed Morphology for Constant and Sinusoidally Varying Nutrient Loads

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniele Tonina

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Hyporheic exchange carries reactive solutes, which may include biological oxygen demand (BOD, dissolved oxygen (DO and reactive dissolved inorganic nitrogen (Nr, into the sediment, where biochemical reactions consume DO. Here, we study the impact of streambed morphology, stream-reactive solute loads and their diel oscillations on the DO benthic uptake rate (BUR due to hyporheic processes. Our model solves the hyporheic flow field and the solute transport equations analytically, within a Lagrangian framework, considering advection, longitudinal diffusion and reactions modeled as first order kinetics. The application of the model to DO field measurements over a gravel bar-pool sequence shows a good match with measured DO concentrations with an overall agreement of 58% and a kappa index of 0.46. We apply the model to investigate the effects of daily constant and sinusoidally time varying stream BOD, DO and Nr loads and of the morphodynamic parameters on BUR. Our modeling results show that BUR varies as a function of bedform size and of nutrient loads and that the hyporheic zone may consume up to 0.06% of the stream DO at the pool-riffle bedform scale. Daily oscillations of stream BOD and DO loads have small effects on BUR, but may have an important influence on local hyporheic processes and organisms’ distribution.

Mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium prevents radiation-induced liver injury by inhibiting inflammation and protecting sinusoidal endothelial cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yixing; Zeng Zhaochong; Sun Jing; Huang Yan; Zhang Zhenyu; Zeng Haiying

2015-01-01

Current management of radiation-induced liver injury is limited. Sinusoidal endothelial cell (SEC) apoptosis and inflammation are considered to be initiating events in hepatic damage. We hypothesized that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory actions during hepatic irradiation, acting via paracrine mechanisms. This study aims to examine whether MSC-derived bioactive components are protective against radiation-induced liver injury in rats. MSC-conditioned medium (MSC-CM) was generated from rat bone marrow–derived MSCs. The effect of MSC-CM on the viability of irradiated SECs was examined by flow cytometric analysis. Activation of the Akt and ERK pathways was analyzed by western blot. MSC-CM was also delivered to Sprague–Dawley rats immediately before receiving liver irradiation, followed by testing for pathological features, changes in serum hyaluronic acid, ALT, and inflammatory cytokine levels, and liver cell apoptosis. MSC-CM enhanced the viability of irradiated SECs in vitro and induced Akt and ERK phosphorylation in these cells. Infusion of MSC-CM immediately before liver irradiation provided a significant anti-apoptotic effect on SECs and improved the histopathological features of injury in the irradiated liver. MSC-CM also reduced the secretion and expression of inflammatory cytokines and increased the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines. MSC-derived bioactive components could be a novel therapeutic approach for treating radiation-induced liver injury. (author)

Analysis and Adaptive Synchronization of Two Novel Chaotic Systems with Hyperbolic Sinusoidal and Cosinusoidal Nonlinearity and Unknown Parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Vaidyanathan

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This research work describes the modelling of two novel 3-D chaotic systems, the first with a hyperbolic sinusoidal nonlinearity and two quadratic nonlinearities (denoted as system (A and the second with a hyperbolic cosinusoidal nonlinearity and two quadratic nonlinearities (denoted as system (B. In this work, a detailed qualitative analysis of the novel chaotic systems (A and (B has been presented, and the Lyapunov exponents and Kaplan-Yorke dimension of these chaotic systems have been obtained. It is found that the maximal Lyapunov exponent (MLE for the novel chaotic systems (A and (B has a large value, viz. for the system (A and for the system (B. Thus, both the novel chaotic systems (A and (B display strong chaotic behaviour. This research work also discusses the problem of finding adaptive controllers for the global chaos synchronization of identical chaotic systems (A, identical chaotic systems (B and nonidentical chaotic systems (A and (B with unknown system parameters. The adaptive controllers for achieving global chaos synchronization of the novel chaotic systems (A and (B have been derived using adaptive control theory and Lyapunov stability theory. MATLAB simulations have been shown to illustrate the novel chaotic systems (A and (B, and also the adaptive synchronization results derived for the novel chaotic systems (A and (B.

Design and fabrication of Ni nanowires having periodically hollow nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Sada, Takao; Fujigaya, Tsuyohiko; Nakashima, Naotoshi

2014-09-01

We propose a concept for the design and fabrication of metal nanowires having periodically hollow nanostructures inside the pores of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane using a sacrificial metal. In this study, nickel (Ni) and silver (Ag) were used as the base metal and the sacrificial metal, respectively. Alternating an applied potential between -0.4 and -1.0 V provided alternatively deposited Ni and Ag segments in a Ni-Ag `barcode' nanowire with a diameter of 18 or 35 nm. After etching away the Ag segments, we fabricated Ni nanowires with nanopores of 12 +/- 5.3 nm. Such nanostructure formation is explained by the formation of a Ni shell layer over the surface of the Ag segments due to the strong affinity of Ni2+ for the interior surfaces of AAO. The Ni shell layer allows the Ni segments to remain even after dissolution of the Ag segments. Because the electroplating conditions can be easily controlled, we could carefully adjust the size and pitch of the periodically hollow nanospaces. We also describe a method for the fabrication of Ni nanorods by forming an Ag shell instead of a Ni shell on the Ni-Ag barcode nanowire, in which the interior of the AAO surfaces was modified with a compound bearing a thiol group prior to electroplating.We propose a concept for the design and fabrication of metal nanowires having periodically hollow nanostructures inside the pores of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane using a sacrificial metal. In this study, nickel (Ni) and silver (Ag) were used as the base metal and the sacrificial metal, respectively. Alternating an applied potential between -0.4 and -1.0 V provided alternatively deposited Ni and Ag segments in a Ni-Ag `barcode' nanowire with a diameter of 18 or 35 nm. After etching away the Ag segments, we fabricated Ni nanowires with nanopores of 12 +/- 5.3 nm. Such nanostructure formation is explained by the formation of a Ni shell layer over the surface of the Ag segments due to the strong affinity of Ni2+ for the

Plasmonic energy transfer in periodically doped graphene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silveiro, I; Manjavacas, A; Thongrattanasiri, S; García de Abajo, F J

2013-01-01

We predict unprecedentedly large values of the energy-transfer rate between an optical emitter and a layer of periodically doped graphene. The transfer exhibits divergences at photon frequencies corresponding to the Van Hove singularities of the plasmonic band structure of the graphene. In particular, we find flat bands associated with regions of vanishing doping charge, which appear in graphene when it is patterned through gates of spatially alternating signs, giving rise to intense transfer rate singularities. Graphene is thus shown to provide a unique platform for fast control of optical energy transfer via fast electrostatic inhomogeneous doping. (paper)

What Are the Alternatives to Student Loans in Higher Education Funding?

Science.gov (United States)

Stokes, Anthony; Wright, Sarah

2010-01-01

In a period of student loan scandals and U.S. financial market instability impacting on the cost and availability of student loans, this paper looks at alternative models of higher education funding. In this context, it also considers the level of financial support that the government should provide to higher education.

on some properties of the alternating sylvester series and alternating

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DJFLEX

. (iii) above is known in literature as the alternating Sylvester series while (iv) is known as the alternating Engel expansion (Kalpazidou and Ganatsiou (1991)). We are interested in studying the properties of these alternating series. Theorem 2: ...

Alternative Education: A Comparative Case Study of the Behavior Modification Programs of Two Upstate South Carolina Alternative Schools for Youth Who Exhibit Behavior That Is Disruptive

Science.gov (United States)

Scipio, Timothy Lamont

2013-01-01

This study examined behavior modification programs in schools designed to focus on discipline and that aim to reform disruptive behavior in students, usually over a limited period of time. This was a comparative case study of two type II alternative schools in the Upstate of South Carolina. The findings contributed to the research base regarding…

The Influence of Chordwise Flexibility on the Flow Structure and Streamwise Force of a Sinusoidally Pitching Airfoil

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, David Arthur

Many natural flyers and swimmers need to exploit unsteady mechanisms in order to generate sufficient aerodynamic forces for sustained flight and propulsion. This is, in part, due to the low speed and length scales at which they typically operate. In this low Reynolds number regime, there are many unanswered questions on how existing aerodynamic theory for both steady and unsteady flows can be applied. Additionally, most of these natural flyers and swimmers have deformable wing/fin structures, three dimensional wing planforms, and exhibit complex kinematics during motion. While some biologically-inspired studies seek to replicate these complex structures and kinematics in the laboratory or in numerical simulations, it becomes difficult to draw explicit connections to the existing knowledge base of classical unsteady aerodynamic theory due to the complexity of the problems. In this experimental study, wing kinematics, structure, and planform are greatly simplified to investigate the effect of chordwise flexibility on the streamwise force (thrust) and wake behavior of a sinusoidally pitching airfoil. The study of flexibility in the literature has typically utilized flat plates with varying thicknesses or lengths to change their chordwise flexibility. This choice introduces additional complexities when comparing to the wealth of knowledge originally developed on streamlined aerodynamic shapes. The current study capitalizes on the recent developments in 3D printer technology to create accurate shapes out of materials with varying degrees of flexibility by creating two standard NACA 0009 airfoils: one rigid and one flexible. Each of the two airfoils are sinusoidally pitched about the quarter chord over a range of oscillation amplitudes and frequencies while monitoring the deformation of the airfoil. The oscillation amplitude is selected to be small enough such that leading edge vortices do not form, and the vortical structures in the wake are formed from the trailing

Wealth and the Accounting Period in the Measurement of Means. The Measure of Poverty, Technical Paper VI.

Science.gov (United States)

Steuerle, Eugene; McClung, Nelson

This technical study is concerned with both the statistical and policy effects of alternative definitions of poverty which result when the definition of means is altered by varying the time period (accounting period) over which income is measured or by including in the measure of means not only realized income, but also unrealized income and…

Experimental Evaluation of the Free Piston Engine - Linear Alternator (FPLA)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leick, Michael T. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Moses, Ronald W. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-03-01

This report describes the experimental evaluation of a prototype free piston engine - linear alternator (FPLA) system developed at Sandia National Laboratories. The opposed piston design wa developed to investigate its potential for use in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). The system is mechanically simple with two - stroke uniflow scavenging for gas exchange and timed port fuel injection for fuel delivery, i.e. no complex valving. Electrical power is extracted from piston motion through linear alternators wh ich also provide a means for passive piston synchronization through electromagnetic coupling. In an HEV application, this electrical power would be used to charge the batteries. The engine - alternator system was designed, assembled and operated over a 2 - year period at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, CA. This report primarily contains a description of the as - built system, modifications to the system to enable better performance, and experimental results from start - up, motoring, and hydrogen combus tion tests.

Cooperative learning combined with short periods of lecturing: A good alternative in teaching biochemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández-Santander, Ana

2008-01-01

The informal activities of cooperative learning and short periods of lecturing has been combined and used in the university teaching of biochemistry as part of the first year course of Optics and Optometry in the academic years 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. The lessons were previously elaborated by the teacher and included all that is necessary to understand the topic (text, figures, graphics, diagrams, pictures, etc.). Additionally, a questionnaire was prepared for every chapter. All lessons contained three parts: objectives, approach and development, and the assessment of the topic. Team work, responsibility, and communication skills were some of the abilities developed with this new methodology. Students worked collaboratively in small groups of two or three following the teacher's instructions with short periods of lecturing that clarified misunderstood concepts. Homework was minimized. On comparing this combined methodology with the traditional one (only lecture), students were found to exhibit a higher satisfaction with the new method. They were more involved in the learning process and had a better attitude toward the subject. The use of this new methodology showed a significant increase in the mean score of the students' academic results. The rate of students who failed the subject was significantly inferior in comparison with those who failed in the previous years when only lecturing was applied. This combined methodology helped the teacher to observe the apprenticeship process of students better and to act as a facilitator in the process of building students' knowledge. Copyright © 2008 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Alternative education programmes and middle school dropout in Honduras

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, Jeffery H.; Aguilar, Claudia R.; Alas, Mario; Castellanos, Renán Rápalo; Castro, Levi; Enamorado, Ramón; Fonseca, Esther

2014-05-01

Honduras has made steady progress in expanding post-primary school coverage in recent years, but many rural communities still do not provide a middle (lower secondary) school. As a result, Honduras has implemented a number of middle school alternative programmes designed to meet the needs of at-risk populations throughout the country. This article analyses dropout in three of the four main alternative lower secondary school programmes in Honduras over a three-year period for a cohort of roughly 5,500 students. The results show that these programmes are indeed reaching a vulnerable population in the country, but dropout rates are generally very high - upwards of 50 per cent in some cases - between Grades 7 and 9. Furthermore, even in the control school comparison samples made up of formal lower secondary schools, about 25 per cent of children leave school between Grades 7 and 9. The authors' analysis includes propensity score matching (PSM) methods that make more focused comparisons between students in alternative programmes and control samples. These results show that dropout rates in alternative programmes are not much different than in control schools, and only significant in one programme comparison, when taking into account family background characteristics like socioeconomic status (SES). Multivariate analysis within alternative programme samples finds that attrition is lower in those learning centres which have adopted key features of formal schools, such as university-educated teachers. The results highlight the tremendous variation in the alternative middle school sector in terms of programme features, school quality and student outcomes, as well as the challenges of expanding this sector to meet the growing demand for lower secondary schooling in Honduras.

Defibrotide for the management of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome in patients who undergo haemopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Coutsouvelis, John; Avery, Sharon; Dooley, Michael; Kirkpatrick, Carl; Spencer, Andrew

2016-11-01

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, previously known as veno-occlusive disease (VOD/SOS), is a complication in patients undergoing haemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Severe VOD/SOS, including progression to multi-organ failure, has resulted in a mortality of greater than 80%. Defibrotide's varying pharmacological actions, particularly on endothelial cells, make it is a useful agent to consider for prophylaxis and treatment of VOD/SOS. Barriers to its routine use include the high acquisition cost and the fact that neither the oral or parenteral formulations are licensed products in many countries at this time. This review summarises available literature on the use of defibrotide in the management of VOD/SOS. Publications consist predominantly of single centre cohort studies and case series. Available evidence indicates that defibrotide is effective in the management of VOD/SOS. Using defibrotide prophylaxis should also be considered, especially in the paediatric setting, where there are available results from a large, open label, randomized controlled trial. Patient outcome data from the larger studies and compassionate programs can inform consensus recommendations on dosing regimen and criteria for the treatment of VOD/SOS with defibrotide in the adult population. The reviewed literature indicates an effective and safe dose for treatment is 25mg/kg/day, continued for at least 14days or until complete response is achieved. Further studies are required to determine the optimal dose and duration of treatment in both paediatric patients and adults. Recent recommendations and a phase 3 trial using historical controls indicate that defibrotide should be included as a pharmacotherapy option in protocols guiding management of VOD/SOS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phase synchronization of baroclinic waves in a differentially heated rotating annulus experiment subject to periodic forcing with a variable duty cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Read, P L; Morice-Atkinson, X; Allen, E J; Castrejón-Pita, A A

2017-12-01

A series of laboratory experiments in a thermally driven, rotating fluid annulus are presented that investigate the onset and characteristics of phase synchronization and frequency entrainment between the intrinsic, chaotic, oscillatory amplitude modulation of travelling baroclinic waves and a periodic modulation of the (axisymmetric) thermal boundary conditions, subject to time-dependent coupling. The time-dependence is in the form of a prescribed duty cycle in which the periodic forcing of the boundary conditions is applied for only a fraction δ of each oscillation. For the rest of the oscillation, the boundary conditions are held fixed. Two profiles of forcing were investigated that capture different parts of the sinusoidal variation and δ was varied over the range 0.1≤δ≤1. Reducing δ was found to act in a similar way to a reduction in a constant coupling coefficient in reducing the width of the interval in forcing frequency or period over which complete synchronization was observed (the "Arnol'd tongue") with respect to the detuning, although for the strongest pulse-like forcing profile some degree of synchronization was discernible even at δ=0.1. Complete phase synchronization was obtained within the Arnol'd tongue itself, although the strength of the amplitude modulation of the baroclinic wave was not significantly affected. These experiments demonstrate a possible mechanism for intraseasonal and/or interannual "teleconnections" within the climate system of the Earth and other planets that does not rely on Rossby wave propagation across the planet along great circles.

Morel et al., Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med., (2017) 14(S): 28 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Danielle

EFFECTS OF WHOLE BODY VIBRATION INTERVENTION ON HANDGRIP STRENGTH OF ... Background: Whole body vibration (WBV) exercises have been investigated as an alternative and complementary ... It has beem reported that WBV exercises can lead to strength and power enhancements in a short period of.

Alternative Remedies

Science.gov (United States)

... Home › Aging & Health A to Z › Alternative Remedies Font ... medical treatment prescribed by their healthcare provider. Using this type of alternative therapy along with traditional treatments is ...

Fast fundamental frequency estimation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jesper Kjær; Jensen, Tobias Lindstrøm; Jensen, Jesper Rindom

2017-01-01

Modelling signals as being periodic is common in many applications. Such periodic signals can be represented by a weighted sum of sinusoids with frequencies being an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency. Due to its widespread use, numerous methods have been proposed to estimate the funda...

Alternative Fuels

Science.gov (United States)

Alternative fuels include gaseous fuels such as hydrogen, natural gas, and propane; alcohols such as ethanol, methanol, and butanol; vegetable and waste-derived oils; and electricity. Overview of alternative fuels is here.

Periodically modulated dark states

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Yingying; Zhang, Jun; Zhang, Wenxian

2018-04-01

Phenomena of electromagnetically induced transparency (PEIT) may be interpreted by the Autler-Townes Splitting (ATS), where the coupled states are split by the coupling laser field, or by the quantum destructive interference (QDI), where the atomic phases caused by the coupling laser and the probe laser field cancel. We propose modulated experiments to explore the PEIT in an alternative way by periodically modulating the coupling and the probe fields in a Λ-type three-level system initially in a dark state. Our analytical and numerical results rule out the ATS interpretation and show that the QDI interpretation is more appropriate for the modulated experiments. Interestingly, dark state persists in the double-modulation situation where control and probe fields never occur simultaneously, which is significant difference from the traditional dark state condition. The proposed experiments are readily implemented in atomic gases, artificial atoms in superconducting quantum devices, or three-level meta-atoms in meta-materials.

HTGR gas-turbine program. Semiannual progress report for period ending March 31, 1980

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-01-01

This report describes the conceptual design and analysis performed by General Atomic Company and its subcontractors for the US Department of Energy on the direct cycle gas turbine high-temperature gas-cooled reactor. The primary accomplishments for this period were cost reduction studies, turbomachinery failure analysis, and alternate plant concept evaluation

A theory of an oscillating, periodic, speed-of-light as a possible limiting value converging to an average limit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.W. Mason

2018-06-01

Full Text Available This paper seeks to adopt and solve the wave-equation for the radial propagation of light in three dimensions from the moment of the Big-Bang and during Earth-based experiments. The primary purpose is to model a propagating beam of light emitted from the singularity, outwards, and to show that its velocity is sinusoidal, meaning that its speed oscillates periodically, and is therefore variable rather than constant. It is additionally shown, by calculating an appropriate solution to the wave-equation, that the velocity of light is not only negatively damped according to the inverse radial law, 1/r, throughout its journey over space and time, but that this latter feature also exhibits amplitude convergence from a very large initial value to a value that is very close to what is now defined to be a constant, namely the current value denoted by c=299792458m/s. The possibility that such observations may also vary depending upon the inertial frame in which a measurement is carried out is similarly considered, along with a discussion of the related nature of mass and energy, and how the possible variability of the speed-of-light and the fabric of the space-time continuum may affect each other. Keywords: Wave-equation, Transverse, Electromagnetic-wave, Radial motion, Eigen-function, Radial-solution, Redshift-drift, Speed-of-light, Displacement, Variable-velocity, Periodic, Oscillation, Convergence, Limit, Big-bang, Space-time, Neutrinos, CERN, Gran Sasso, Experiment

The role of alternative Polyadenylation in regulation of rhythmic gene expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Ptitsyna, Natalia; Boughorbel, Sabri; El Anbari, Mohammed; Ptitsyn, Andrey

2017-08-04

Alternative transcription is common in eukaryotic cells and plays important role in regulation of cellular processes. Alternative polyadenylation results from ambiguous PolyA signals in 3' untranslated region (UTR) of a gene. Such alternative transcripts share the same coding part, but differ by a stretch of UTR that may contain important functional sites. The methodoogy of this study is based on mathematical modeling, analytical solution, and subsequent validation by datamining in multiple independent experimental data from previously published studies. In this study we propose a mathematical model that describes the population dynamics of alternatively polyadenylated transcripts in conjunction with rhythmic expression such as transcription oscillation driven by circadian or metabolic oscillators. Analysis of the model shows that alternative transcripts with different turnover rates acquire a phase shift if the transcript decay rate is different. Difference in decay rate is one of the consequences of alternative polyadenylation. Phase shift can reach values equal to half the period of oscillation, which makes alternative transcripts oscillate in abundance in counter-phase to each other. Since counter-phased transcripts share the coding part, the rate of translation becomes constant. We have analyzed a few data sets collected in circadian timeline for the occurrence of transcript behavior that fits the mathematical model. Alternative transcripts with different turnover rate create the effect of rectifier. This "molecular diode" moderates or completely eliminates oscillation of individual transcripts and stabilizes overall protein production rate. In our observation this phenomenon is very common in different tissues in plants, mice, and humans. The occurrence of counter-phased alternative transcripts is also tissue-specific and affects functions of multiple biological pathways. Accounting for this mechanism is important for understanding the natural and engineering

Sinusoidal obstructive syndrome diagnosed with superparamagnetic iron oxide-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in patients with chemotherapy-treated colorectal liver metastases.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Janice; Guthrie, James A; Sheridan, Maria B; Boyes, Sheila; Smith, Jonathan T; Wilson, Daniel; Wyatt, Judy I; Treanor, Darren; Robinson, Philip J

2008-09-10

To assess the predictive value of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) -enhanced T2-weighted gradient echo (GRE) imaging to determine the presence and severity of sinusoidal obstructive syndrome (SOS). Sixty hepatic resection patients with colorectal metastases treated with chemotherapy underwent unenhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) followed by T2-weighted GRE sequences obtained after SPIO. The images were reviewed in consensus by two experienced observers who determined the presence and severity of linear and reticular hyperintensities, indicating SOS-type liver injury, using a 4-point ordinal scale. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) with 95% CIs for the detection of SOS were calculated. Twenty-four of 60 patients had moderate to severe SOS on MRI. MRI achieved a sensitivity of 87% (95% CI, 66% to 97%), specificity of 89% (95% CI, 75% to 97%), PPV of 83% (95% CI, 63% to 95%), and NPV of 92% (95% CI, 77% to 98%). SOS was never found at surgery or histology in patients whose background liver parenchyma was normal on SPIO-enhanced MRI. SOS is present in a significant proportion of patients with treated colorectal metastases and is effectively detected on SPIO-enhanced T2-weighted GRE images.

Changing Ideas about the Periodic Table of Elements and Students' Alternative Concepts of Isotopes and Allotropes.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Hans-Jurgen; Baumgartner, Tim; Eybe, Holger

2003-01-01

Investigates secondary school students' concepts of isotopes and allotropes and how the concepts are linked to the Periodic Table of Elements (PTE). Questions senior high school students with multiple choice items and interviews. Shows that students actively tried to make sense of what they had experienced. (KHR)

Alternativa i njeno značenje u kontekstu poznog socijalizma Jugoslavije / Alternative and Its Meaning in the Context of Late Socialism in Yugoslavia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vanja Milovanović

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The term alternative can be theoretically interpreted in a broader cultural context, which refers to cultural otherness derived as opposed to a dominant populist framework of society. Period of the last decade of existence the great state or period of the late socialism in Yugoslavia, also was a time of frequent performance of alternative ideologies. Alternative cultural practices, which developed and operated in the eighties of the 20th century, can be determined in four typological identification models. These are: model of over identification; model of identification in the field of ideology; model of simulacrum of popular culture; model of open identities as subcultural. Since there was no alternative ideology as ideology for themselves, the research is also indicated that the alternative language in the late socialist Yugoslavia was used, and thus neutralized by the new ideological inaugurated social institutional frameworks.

Alternative technique for biodiesel quality control using an optical fiber long-period grating sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falate, Rosane; Nike, Karen; Costa Neto, Pedro Ramos da; Cacao Junior, Eduardo; Muller, Marcia; Kalinowski, Hypolito Jose; Fabris, Jose Luis

2007-01-01

We report the use of an optical fiber sensor to measure the soybean oil concentration in samples obtained from the mixture of pure biodiesel and commercial soybean oil. The operation of the device is based on the long-period grating sensitivity to the surrounding medium refractive index, which leads to measurable modifications in the grating transmission spectrum. The proposed analysis method results in errors in the oil concentration of 0.4% and 2.6% for pure biodiesel and commercial soybean oil, respectively. Techniques of total glycerol, dynamic viscosity, density, and hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were also employed to validate the proposed method. (author)

Alternative technique for biodiesel quality control using an optical fiber long-period grating sensor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Falate, Rosane [Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, PR (Brazil). Dept. de Informatica; Nike, Karen; Costa Neto, Pedro Ramos da [Universidade Tecnologica Federal do Parana, Curitiba (Brazil). Dept. de Quimica; Cacao Junior, Eduardo; Muller, Marcia; Kalinowski, Hypolito Jose; Fabris, Jose Luis [Universidade Tecnologica Federal do Parana, Curitiba (Brazil). Dept. de Fisica]. E-mail: fabris@utfpr.edu.br

2007-07-01

We report the use of an optical fiber sensor to measure the soybean oil concentration in samples obtained from the mixture of pure biodiesel and commercial soybean oil. The operation of the device is based on the long-period grating sensitivity to the surrounding medium refractive index, which leads to measurable modifications in the grating transmission spectrum. The proposed analysis method results in errors in the oil concentration of 0.4% and 2.6% for pure biodiesel and commercial soybean oil, respectively. Techniques of total glycerol, dynamic viscosity, density, and hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were also employed to validate the proposed method. (author)

Alternating Hemiplegia

Science.gov (United States)

... to the symptoms of the disorder. View Full Definition Treatment Drug therapy including verapamil may help to reduce the ... the more serious form of alternating hemiplegia × ... Definition Alternating hemiplegia is a rare neurological disorder that ...

Impact of dispersed coupling strength on the free running periods of circadian rhythms

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Changgui; Rohling, Jos H. T.; Liang, Xiaoming; Yang, Huijie

2016-03-01

The dominant endogenous clock, named the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), regulates circadian rhythms of behavioral and physiological activity in mammals. One of the main characteristics of the SCN is that the animal maintains a circadian rhythm with a period close to 24 h in the absence of a daily light-dark cycle (called the free running period). The free running period varies among species due to heterogeneity of the SCN network. Previous studies have shown that the heterogeneity in cellular coupling as well as in intrinsic neuronal periods shortens the free running period. Furthermore, as derived from experiments, one neuron's coupling strength is negatively associated with its period. It is unknown what the effects of this association between coupling strength and period are on the free running period and how the heterogeneity in coupling strength influences this free running period. In the present study we found that in the presence of a negative relationship between one neuron's coupling strength and its period, surprisingly, the dispersion of coupling strengths increases the free running period. Our present finding may shed new light on the understanding of the heterogeneous SCN network and provides an alternative explanation for the diversity of free running periods between species.

Analysis of alternative light water reactor (LWR) fuel cycles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heeb, C.M.; Aaberg, R.L.; Boegel, A.J.; Jenquin, U.P.; Kottwitz, D.A.; Lewallen, M.A.; Merrill, E.T.; Nolan, A.M.

1979-12-01

Nine alternative LWR fuel cycles are analyzed in terms of the isotopic content of the fuel material, the relative amounts of primary and recycled material, the uranium and thorium requirements, the fuel cycle costs and the fraction of energy which must be generated at secured sites. The fuel materials include low-enriched uranium (LEU), plutonium-uranium (MOX), highly-enriched uranium-thorium (HEU-Th), denatured uranium-thorium (DU-Th) and plutonium-thorium (Pu-Th). The analysis is based on tracing the material requirements of a generic pressurized water reactor (PWR) for a 30-year period at constant annual energy output. During this time period all the created fissile material is recycled unless its reactivity worth is less than 0.2% uranium enrichment plant tails

SET: A Pupil Detection Method Using Sinusoidal Approximation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amir-Homayoun eJavadi

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Mobile eye-tracking in external environments remains challenging, despite recent advances in eye-tracking software and hardware engineering. Many current methods fail to deal with the vast range of outdoor lighting conditions and the speed at which these can change. This confines experiments to artificial environments where conditions must be tightly controlled. Additionally, the emergence of low-cost eye tracking devices calls for the development of analysis tools that enable non-technical researchers to process the output of their images. We have developed a fast and accurate method (known as ‘SET’ that is suitable even for natural environments with uncontrolled, dynamic and even extreme lighting conditions. We compared the performance of SET with that of two open-source alternatives by processing two collections of eye images: images of natural outdoor scenes with extreme lighting variations (‘Natural’; and images of less challenging indoor scenes (‘CASIA-Iris-Thousand’. We show that SET excelled in outdoor conditions and was faster, without significant loss of accuracy, indoors. SET offers a low cost eye-tracking solution, delivering high performance even in challenging outdoor environments. It is offered through an open-source MATLAB toolkit as well as a dynamic-link library (‘DLL’, which can be imported into many programming languages including C# and Visual Basic in Windows OS (www.eyegoeyetracker.co.uk.

Commensurability, chaos, and the devil's staircase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bak, P.; Jensen, M.H.

1984-01-01

These lectures deal with the effects of the discrete lattice on modulated structures in solid state physics. The modulated structure could be a periodic lattice distortion, a sinusoidal or helical magnetic structure, stagging of alkali metals in graphite intercalation compounds, polytypism in crystal formation, or some other periodic arrangement

VALVE TURBO-ALTERNATOR AS ADDITIONAL HYBRID CAR DEVICE FOR THE HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY CHARGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Kolesnikov

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The description of the hybrid car, its drive components and method of the solution of the problem with moving period of the car on electric pulling by means of valve turbo-alternator is given in this article.

Acute medical assessment units: an efficient alternative to in-hospital acute medical care.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Watts, M

2011-02-01

Acute Medical Assessment Units (AMAUs) are being proposed as an alternative to congested Emergency Departments (EDs for the assessment of patients with a range of acute medical problems. We retrospectively reviewed the discharge destination of patients referred to a newly established AMAU during a six-month period. During the same period we contrasted activity in the ED for a similar group of patients. 1,562 patients were assessed in the AMAU. 196 (12.5%) were admitted to an in-patient bed and 1,148 (73.5%) were entered into specific diagnosis-driven out-patient pathways. 1,465 patients attended the ED and 635 (43.3%) were admitted. Out-patient alternatives to expensive in-patient care need to be provided at the \\'coal face" of acute referral. The AMAU provides this, and as a consequence admission rates are relatively low. This is achieved by directly communicating with GPs, accessing senior clinical decision makers, and providing immediate access to diagnostically driven outpatient pathways.

76 FR 21673 - Alternative Efficiency Determination Methods and Alternate Rating Methods

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-18

... EERE-2011-BP-TP-00024] RIN 1904-AC46 Alternative Efficiency Determination Methods and Alternate Rating Methods AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice of... and data related to the use of computer simulations, mathematical methods, and other alternative...

Theoretical Design of a Depolarized Interferometric Fiber-Optic Gyroscope (IFOG) on SMF-28 Single-Mode Standard Optical Fiber Based on Closed-Loop Sinusoidal Phase Modulation with Serrodyne Feedback Phase Modulation Using Simulation Tools for Tactical and Industrial Grade Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez, Ramón José; Álvarez, Ignacio; Enguita, José María

2016-04-27

This article presents, by means of computational simulation tools, a full analysis and design of an Interferometric Fiber-Optic Gyroscope (IFOG) prototype based on a closed-loop configuration with sinusoidal bias phase- modulation. The complete design of the different blocks, optical and electronic, is presented, including some novelties as the sinusoidal bias phase-modulation and the use of an integrator to generate the serrodyne phase-modulation signal. The paper includes detailed calculation of most parameter values, and the plots of the resulting signals obtained from simulation tools. The design is focused in the use of a standard single-mode optical fiber, allowing a cost competitive implementation compared to commercial IFOG, at the expense of reduced sensitivity. The design contains an IFOG model that accomplishes tactical and industrial grade applications (sensitivity ≤ 0.055 °/h). This design presents two important properties: (1) an optical subsystem with advanced conception: depolarization of the optical wave by means of Lyot depolarizers, which allows to use a sensing coil made by standard optical fiber, instead by polarization maintaining fiber, which supposes consequent cost savings and (2) a novel and simple electronic design that incorporates a linear analog integrator with reset in feedback chain, this integrator generating a serrodyne voltage-wave to apply to Phase-Modulator (PM), so that it will be obtained the interferometric phase cancellation. This particular feedback design with sawtooth-wave generated signal for a closed-loop configuration with sinusoidal bias phase modulation has not been reported till now in the scientific literature and supposes a considerable simplification with regard to previous designs based on similar configurations. The sensing coil consists of an 8 cm average diameter spool that contains 300 m of standard single-mode optical-fiber (SMF-28 type) realized by quadrupolar winding. The working wavelength will be

Theoretical Design of a Depolarized Interferometric Fiber-Optic Gyroscope (IFOG on SMF-28 Single-Mode Standard Optical Fiber Based on Closed-Loop Sinusoidal Phase Modulation with Serrodyne Feedback Phase Modulation Using Simulation Tools for Tactical and Industrial Grade Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramón José Pérez

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This article presents, by means of computational simulation tools, a full analysis and design of an Interferometric Fiber-Optic Gyroscope (IFOG prototype based on a closed-loop configuration with sinusoidal bias phase- modulation. The complete design of the different blocks, optical and electronic, is presented, including some novelties as the sinusoidal bias phase-modulation and the use of an integrator to generate the serrodyne phase-modulation signal. The paper includes detailed calculation of most parameter values, and the plots of the resulting signals obtained from simulation tools. The design is focused in the use of a standard single-mode optical fiber, allowing a cost competitive implementation compared to commercial IFOG, at the expense of reduced sensitivity. The design contains an IFOG model that accomplishes tactical and industrial grade applications (sensitivity ≤ 0.055 °/h. This design presents two important properties: (1 an optical subsystem with advanced conception: depolarization of the optical wave by means of Lyot depolarizers, which allows to use a sensing coil made by standard optical fiber, instead by polarization maintaining fiber, which supposes consequent cost savings and (2 a novel and simple electronic design that incorporates a linear analog integrator with reset in feedback chain, this integrator generating a serrodyne voltage-wave to apply to Phase-Modulator (PM, so that it will be obtained the interferometric phase cancellation. This particular feedback design with sawtooth-wave generated signal for a closed-loop configuration with sinusoidal bias phase modulation has not been reported till now in the scientific literature and supposes a considerable simplification with regard to previous designs based on similar configurations. The sensing coil consists of an 8 cm average diameter spool that contains 300 m of standard single-mode optical-fiber (SMF-28 type realized by quadrupolar winding. The working

Alternative wastewatersystems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dyck-Madsen, Søren; Hoffmann, Birgitte; Gabriel, Søren

1999-01-01

The report:-  Communicates experiences from Swedish buildings from the establishment and running of alternative wastewater systems. Communicates pictures of alternative buildings and wastewater systems in Sweden. Gives a short evaluation of the performance and the sustainability of the systems....

Sleep-induced periodic breathing and apnea: a theoretical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Khoo, M C; Gottschalk, A; Pack, A I

1991-05-01

To elucidate the mechanisms that lead to sleep-disordered breathing, we have developed a mathematical model that allows for dynamic interactions among the chemical control of respiration, changes in sleep-waking state, and changes in upper airway patency. The increase in steady-state arterial PCO2 accompanying sleep is shown to be inversely related to the ventilatory response to CO2. Chemical control of respiration becomes less stable during the light stage of sleep, despite a reduction in chemoresponsiveness, due to a concomitant increase in "plant gain" (i.e., responsiveness of blood gases to ventilatory changes). The withdrawal of the "wakefulness drive" during sleep onset represents a strong perturbation to respiratory control: higher magnitudes and rates of withdrawal of this drive favor instability. These results may account for the higher incidence of periodic breathing observed during light sleep and sleep onset. Periodic ventilation can also result from repetitive alternations between sleep onset and arousal. The potential for instability is further compounded if the possibility of upper airway occlusion is also included. In systems with high controller gains, instability is mediated primarily through chemoreflex overcompensation. However, in systems with depressed chemoresponsiveness, rapid sleep onset and large blood gas fluctuations trigger repetitive episodes of arousal and hyperpnea alternating with apneas that may or may not be obstructive. Between these extremes, more complex patterns can arise from the interaction between chemoreflex-mediated oscillations of shorter-cycle-duration (approximately 36 s) and longer-wavelength (approximately 60-80 s) state-driven oscillations.

Production of factor VIII by human liver sinusoidal endothelial cells transplanted in immunodeficient uPA mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina E Fomin

Full Text Available Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs form a semi-permeable barrier between parenchymal hepatocytes and the blood. LSECs participate in liver metabolism, clearance of pathological agents, immunological responses, architectural maintenance of the liver and synthesis of growth factors and cytokines. LSECs also play an important role in coagulation through the synthesis of Factor VIII (FVIII. Herein, we phenotypically define human LSECs isolated from fetal liver using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence microscopy. Isolated LSECs were cultured and shown to express endothelial markers and markers specific for the LSEC lineage. LSECs were also shown to engraft the liver when human fetal liver cells were transplanted into immunodeficient mice with liver specific expression of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA transgene (uPA-NOG mice. Engrafted cells expressed human Factor VIII at levels approaching those found in human plasma. We also demonstrate engraftment of adult LSECs, as well as hepatocytes, transplanted into uPA-NOG mice. We propose that overexpression of uPA provides beneficial conditions for LSEC engraftment due to elevated expression of the angiogenic cytokine, vascular endothelial growth factor. This work provides a detailed characterization of human midgestation LSECs, thereby providing the means for their purification and culture based on their expression of CD14 and CD32 as well as a lack of CD45 expression. The uPA-NOG mouse is shown to be a permissive host for human LSECs and adult hepatocytes, but not fetal hepatoblasts. Thus, these mice provide a useful model system to study these cell types in vivo. Demonstration of human FVIII production by transplanted LSECs encourages further pursuit of LSEC transplantation as a cellular therapy for the treatment of hemophilia A.

PiC code KARAT simulations of Coherent THz Smith-Purcell Radiation from diffraction gratings of various profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Artyomov, K P; Ryzhov, V V; Potylitsyn, A P; Sukhikh, L G

2017-01-01

Generation of coherent THz Smith-Purcell radiation by single electron bunch or multi-bunched electron beam was simulated for lamellar, sinusoidal and echelette gratings. The dependences of the CSPR intensity of the corrugation gratings depth were investigated. The angular and spectral characteristics of the CSPR for different profiles of diffraction gratings were obtained. It is shown that in the case of femtosecond multi-bunched electron beam with 10 MeV energy sinusoidal grating with period 292 μm and groove depth 60 μm has the uniform angular distribution with high radiation intensity. (paper)

Alternative detox.

Science.gov (United States)

Ernst, E

2012-01-01

The concept that alternative therapies can eliminate toxins and toxicants from the body, i.e. 'alternative detox' (AD) is popular. Selected textbooks and articles on the subject of AD. The principles of AD make no sense from a scientific perspective and there is no clinical evidence to support them. The promotion of AD treatments provides income for some entrepreneurs but has the potential to cause harm to patients and consumers. In alternative medicine, simplistic but incorrect concepts such as AD abound. AREAS TIMELY FOR RESEARCH: All therapeutic claims should be scientifically tested before being advertised-and AD cannot be an exception.

Histone and RNA-binding protein interaction creates crosstalk network for regulation of alternative splicing.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yong-Eun; Park, Chungoo; Kim, Kyoon Eon; Kim, Kee K

2018-04-30

Alternative splicing is an essential process in eukaryotes, as it increases the complexity of gene expression by generating multiple proteins from a single pre-mRNA. However, information on the regulatory mechanisms for alternative splicing is lacking, because splicing occurs over a short period via the transient interactions of proteins within functional complexes of the spliceosome. Here, we investigated in detail the molecular mechanisms connecting alternative splicing with epigenetic mechanisms. We identified interactions between histone proteins and splicing factors such as Rbfox2, Rbfox3, and splicing factor proline and glutamine rich protein (SFPQ) by in vivo crosslinking and immunoprecipitation. Furthermore, we confirmed that splicing factors were bound to specific modified residues of histone proteins. Additionally, changes in histone methylation due to histone methyltransferase inhibitor treatment notably affected alternative splicing in selected genes. Therefore, we suggested that there may be crosstalk mechanisms connecting histone modifications and RNA-binding proteins that increase the local concentration of RNA-binding proteins in alternative exon loci of nucleosomes by binding specific modified histone proteins, leading to alternative splicing. This crosstalk mechanism may play a major role in epigenetic processes such as histone modification and the regulation of alternative splicing. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Design and fabrication of Ni nanowires having periodically hollow nanostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Sada, Takao; Fujigaya, Tsuyohiko; Nakashima, Naotoshi

2014-10-07

We propose a concept for the design and fabrication of metal nanowires having periodically hollow nanostructures inside the pores of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane using a sacrificial metal. In this study, nickel (Ni) and silver (Ag) were used as the base metal and the sacrificial metal, respectively. Alternating an applied potential between -0.4 and -1.0 V provided alternatively deposited Ni and Ag segments in a Ni-Ag 'barcode' nanowire with a diameter of 18 or 35 nm. After etching away the Ag segments, we fabricated Ni nanowires with nanopores of 12 ± 5.3 nm. Such nanostructure formation is explained by the formation of a Ni shell layer over the surface of the Ag segments due to the strong affinity of Ni(2+) for the interior surfaces of AAO. The Ni shell layer allows the Ni segments to remain even after dissolution of the Ag segments. Because the electroplating conditions can be easily controlled, we could carefully adjust the size and pitch of the periodically hollow nanospaces. We also describe a method for the fabrication of Ni nanorods by forming an Ag shell instead of a Ni shell on the Ni-Ag barcode nanowire, in which the interior of the AAO surfaces was modified with a compound bearing a thiol group prior to electroplating.

77 FR 31756 - Energy Conservation Program: Alternative Efficiency Determination Methods and Alternative Rating...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-30

...-AC46 Energy Conservation Program: Alternative Efficiency Determination Methods and Alternative Rating... regulations authorizing the use of alternative methods of determining energy efficiency or energy consumption... alternative methods of determining energy efficiency or energy consumption of various consumer products and...

New alternatives in veterinary anthelminthic therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romeo T. Cristina

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Present paper proposes the presentation of antiparasitic boluses, veterinary use specific conditionings with importance in gastro intestinal helminth population control, as a modern alternative to the classic antihelmintic therapy. The active substances are released consecutive to: diffusion, osmotic procesess, to progressive erosion, or through electronic programmed devices. Anthelmintic boluses are classified upon the releasing system in: a anthelmintic sustained release systems: for albendazole (Proftril bolus, morantel tartrate (Paratect flex and bolus ivermectines (Enzec and Alzet, Ivomec SR Bolus, levamisole (Chronominthic bolus, oxfendazol (Synanthic multidose bolus fenbendazole (Panacur Bolus.b anthelmintic programmed periodic release systems: Intra Ruminal Pulse Release Electronic Device (I.R.P.R.E.D and Repidose (Autoworm, Oxfendazole Pulsed Release Bolus.

DC Pollution of AC Mains due to modern compact fluorescent light lamps and LED lamps

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keyer, Cornelis H.A.; Timens, R.B.; Buesink, Frederik Johannes Karel; Leferink, Frank Bernardus Johannes

2013-01-01

Modern so-called energy efficient equipment often draw current only during a very short period of the period of a power supply mains. This is causing unwanted non-sinusoidal and harmonic currents. In some cases even a single diode is used for rectification causing direct current (DC) in the mains

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) related to chemotherapy for colorectal liver metastases: factors predictive of severe SOS lesions and protective effect of bevacizumab.

Science.gov (United States)

Hubert, Catherine; Sempoux, Christine; Humblet, Yves; van den Eynde, Marc; Zech, Francis; Leclercq, Isabelle; Gigot, Jean-François

2013-11-01

The most frequent presentation of chemotherapy-related toxicity in colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) is sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS). The purpose of the present study was to identify preoperative factors predictive of SOS and to establish associations between type of chemotherapy and severity of SOS. A retrospective study was carried out in a tertiary academic referral hospital. Patients suffering from CRLM who had undergone resection of at least one liver segment were included. Grading of SOS on the non-tumoral liver parenchyma was accomplished according to the Rubbia-Brandt criteria. A total of 151 patients were enrolled and divided into four groups according to the severity of SOS (grades 0-3). Multivariate analysis identified oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil as chemotherapeutic agents responsible for severe SOS lesions (P SOS lesions (P = 0.005). Univariate analysis identified the score on the aspartate aminotransferase : platelets ratio index (APRI) as the most significant biological factor predictive of severe SOS lesions. Splenomegaly is also significantly associated with the occurrence of severe SOS lesions. The APRI score and splenomegaly are effective as factors predictive of SOS. Bevacizumab has a protective effect against SOS. © 2013 International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association.

Incubation period and immune function: A comparative field study among coexisting birds

Science.gov (United States)

Palacios, M.G.; Martin, T.E.

2006-01-01

Developmental periods are integral components of life history strategies that can have important fitness consequences and vary enormously among organisms. However, the selection pressures and mechanisms causing variation in length of developmental periods are poorly understood. Particularly puzzling are prolonged developmental periods, because their selective advantage is unclear. Here we tested the hypotheses that immune function is stronger in species that are attacked at a higher rate by parasites and that prolonged embryonic development allows the development of this stronger immune system. Through a comparative field study among 12 coexisting passerine bird species, we show that species with higher blood parasite prevalence mounted stronger cellular immune responses than species with lower prevalence. These results provide support for the hypothesis that species facing greater selection pressure from parasites invest more in immune function. However, species with longer incubation periods mounted weaker cellular immune responses than species with shorter periods. Therefore, cellular immune responses do not support the hypothesis that longer development time enhances immunocompentence. Future studies should assess other components of the immune system and test alternative causes of variation in incubation periods among bird species. ?? Springer-Verlag 2005.

Alternate superior Julia sets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yadav, Anju; Rani, Mamta

2015-01-01

Alternate Julia sets have been studied in Picard iterative procedures. The purpose of this paper is to study the quadratic and cubic maps using superior iterates to obtain Julia sets with different alternate structures. Analytically, graphically and computationally it has been shown that alternate superior Julia sets can be connected, disconnected and totally disconnected, and also fattier than the corresponding alternate Julia sets. A few examples have been studied by applying different type of alternate structures

78 FR 5779 - Extension of Application Period for Seats for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-28

... Period for Seats for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric... following vacant seats on the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council: Business Alternate...

Practical Methodology for the Inclusion of Nonlinear Slosh Damping in the Stability Analysis of Liquid-Propelled Space Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Ottander, John A.; Hall, Robert A.; Powers, J. F.

2018-01-01

A method is presented that allows for the prediction of the magnitude of limit cycles due to adverse control-slosh interaction in liquid propelled space vehicles using non-linear slosh damping. Such a method is an alternative to the industry practice of assuming linear damping and relying on: mechanical slosh baffles to achieve desired stability margins; accepting minimal slosh stability margins; or time domain non-linear analysis to accept time periods of poor stability. Sinusoidal input describing functional analysis is used to develop a relationship between the non-linear slosh damping and an equivalent linear damping at a given slosh amplitude. In addition, a more accurate analytical prediction of the danger zone for slosh mass locations in a vehicle under proportional and derivative attitude control is presented. This method is used in the control-slosh stability analysis of the NASA Space Launch System.

Measurement of time delays in gated radiotherapy for realistic respiratory motions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chugh, Brige P.; Quirk, Sarah; Conroy, Leigh; Smith, Wendy L.

2014-01-01

Purpose: Gated radiotherapy is used to reduce internal motion margins, escalate target dose, and limit normal tissue dose; however, its temporal accuracy is limited. Beam-on and beam-off time delays can lead to treatment inefficiencies and/or geographic misses; therefore, AAPM Task Group 142 recommends verifying the temporal accuracy of gating systems. Many groups use sinusoidal phantom motion for this, under the tacit assumption that use of sinusoidal motion for determining time delays produces negligible error. The authors test this assumption by measuring gating time delays for several realistic motion shapes with increasing degrees of irregularity. Methods: Time delays were measured on a linear accelerator with a real-time position management system (Varian TrueBeam with RPM system version 1.7.5) for seven motion shapes: regular sinusoidal; regular realistic-shape; large (40%) and small (10%) variations in amplitude; large (40%) variations in period; small (10%) variations in both amplitude and period; and baseline drift (30%). Film streaks of radiation exposure were generated for each motion shape using a programmable motion phantom. Beam-on and beam-off time delays were determined from the difference between the expected and observed streak length. Results: For the system investigated, all sine, regular realistic-shape, and slightly irregular amplitude variation motions had beam-off and beam-on time delays within the AAPM recommended limit of less than 100 ms. In phase-based gating, even small variations in period resulted in some time delays greater than 100 ms. Considerable time delays over 1 s were observed with highly irregular motion. Conclusions: Sinusoidal motion shapes can be considered a reasonable approximation to the more complex and slightly irregular shapes of realistic motion. When using phase-based gating with predictive filters even small variations in period can result in time delays over 100 ms. Clinical use of these systems for patients

Measurement of time delays in gated radiotherapy for realistic respiratory motions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chugh, Brige P.; Quirk, Sarah; Conroy, Leigh; Smith, Wendy L., E-mail: Wendy.Smith@albertahealthservices.ca [Department of Medical Physics, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N2 (Canada)

2014-09-15

Purpose: Gated radiotherapy is used to reduce internal motion margins, escalate target dose, and limit normal tissue dose; however, its temporal accuracy is limited. Beam-on and beam-off time delays can lead to treatment inefficiencies and/or geographic misses; therefore, AAPM Task Group 142 recommends verifying the temporal accuracy of gating systems. Many groups use sinusoidal phantom motion for this, under the tacit assumption that use of sinusoidal motion for determining time delays produces negligible error. The authors test this assumption by measuring gating time delays for several realistic motion shapes with increasing degrees of irregularity. Methods: Time delays were measured on a linear accelerator with a real-time position management system (Varian TrueBeam with RPM system version 1.7.5) for seven motion shapes: regular sinusoidal; regular realistic-shape; large (40%) and small (10%) variations in amplitude; large (40%) variations in period; small (10%) variations in both amplitude and period; and baseline drift (30%). Film streaks of radiation exposure were generated for each motion shape using a programmable motion phantom. Beam-on and beam-off time delays were determined from the difference between the expected and observed streak length. Results: For the system investigated, all sine, regular realistic-shape, and slightly irregular amplitude variation motions had beam-off and beam-on time delays within the AAPM recommended limit of less than 100 ms. In phase-based gating, even small variations in period resulted in some time delays greater than 100 ms. Considerable time delays over 1 s were observed with highly irregular motion. Conclusions: Sinusoidal motion shapes can be considered a reasonable approximation to the more complex and slightly irregular shapes of realistic motion. When using phase-based gating with predictive filters even small variations in period can result in time delays over 100 ms. Clinical use of these systems for patients

New ways of looking at very small holes - using optical nanoscopy to visualize liver sinusoidal endothelial cell fenestrations

Science.gov (United States)

Øie, Cristina I.; Mönkemöller, Viola; Hübner, Wolfgang; Schüttpelz, Mark; Mao, Hong; Ahluwalia, Balpreet S.; Huser, Thomas R.; McCourt, Peter

2018-02-01

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, also known as nanoscopy, has provided us with a glimpse of future impacts on cell biology. Far-field optical nanoscopy allows, for the first time, the study of sub-cellular nanoscale biological structures in living cells, which in the past was limited to electron microscopy (EM) (in fixed/dehydrated) cells or tissues. Nanoscopy has particular utility in the study of "fenestrations" - phospholipid transmembrane nanopores of 50-150 nm in diameter through liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) that facilitate the passage of plasma, but (usually) not blood cells, to and from the surrounding hepatocytes. Previously, these fenestrations were only discernible with EM, but now they can be visualized in fixed and living cells using structured illumination microscopy (SIM) and in fixed cells using single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) techniques such as direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy. Importantly, both methods use wet samples, avoiding dehydration artifacts. The use of nanoscopy can be extended to the in vitro study of fenestration dynamics, to address questions such as the following: are they actually dynamic structures, and how do they respond to endogenous and exogenous agents? A logical further extension of these methodologies to liver research (including the liver endothelium) will be their application to liver tissue sections from animal models with different pathological manifestations and ultimately to patient biopsies. This review will cover the current state of the art of the use of nanoscopy in the study of liver endothelium and the liver in general. Potential future applications in cell biology and the clinical implications will be discussed.

Final results from a defibrotide treatment-IND study for patients with hepatic veno-occlusive disease/sinusoidal obstruction syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Kernan, Nancy A; Grupp, Stephan; Smith, Angela R; Arai, Sally; Triplett, Brandon; Antin, Joseph H; Lehmann, Leslie; Shore, Tsiporah; Ho, Vincent T; Bunin, Nancy; Iacobelli, Massimo; Liang, Wei; Hume, Robin; Tappe, William; Soiffer, Robert; Richardson, Paul

2018-05-16

Hepatic veno-occlusive disease/sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (VOD/SOS) is a potentially life-threatening complication of haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) conditioning and chemotherapy. Defibrotide is approved for treatment of hepatic VOD/SOS with pulmonary or renal dysfunction [i.e., multi-organ dysfunction (MOD)] after HSCT in the United States and severe VOD/SOS after HSCT in patients aged older than 1 month in the European Union. Defibrotide was available as an investigational drug by an expanded-access treatment programme (T-IND; NCT00628498). In the completed T-IND, the Kaplan-Meier estimated Day +100 survival for 1000 patients with documented defibrotide treatment after HSCT was 58·9% [95% confidence interval (CI), 55·7-61·9%]. Day +100 survival was also analysed by age and MOD status, and post hoc analyses were performed to determine Day +100 survival by transplant type, timing of VOD/SOS onset (≤21 or >21 days) and timing of defibrotide treatment initiation after VOD/SOS diagnosis. Day +100 survival in paediatric patients was 67·9% (95% CI, 63·8-71·6%) and 47·1% (95% CI, 42·3-51·8%) in adults. All patient subgroups without MOD had higher Day +100 survival than those with MOD; earlier defibrotide initiation was also associated with higher Day +100 survival. The safety profile of defibrotide in the completed T-IND study was similar to previous reports. © 2018 The Authors. British Journal of Haematology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Local electric dipole moments for periodic systems via density functional theory embedding.

Science.gov (United States)

Luber, Sandra

2014-12-21

We describe a novel approach for the calculation of local electric dipole moments for periodic systems. Since the position operator is ill-defined in periodic systems, maximally localized Wannier functions based on the Berry-phase approach are usually employed for the evaluation of local contributions to the total electric dipole moment of the system. We propose an alternative approach: within a subsystem-density functional theory based embedding scheme, subset electric dipole moments are derived without any additional localization procedure, both for hybrid and non-hybrid exchange-correlation functionals. This opens the way to a computationally efficient evaluation of local electric dipole moments in (molecular) periodic systems as well as their rigorous splitting into atomic electric dipole moments. As examples, Infrared spectra of liquid ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate are presented, which are commonly employed as solvents in Lithium ion batteries.

Local electric dipole moments for periodic systems via density functional theory embedding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luber, Sandra, E-mail: sandra.luber@chem.uzh.ch [Institut für Chemie, Universität Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich (Switzerland)

2014-12-21

We describe a novel approach for the calculation of local electric dipole moments for periodic systems. Since the position operator is ill-defined in periodic systems, maximally localized Wannier functions based on the Berry-phase approach are usually employed for the evaluation of local contributions to the total electric dipole moment of the system. We propose an alternative approach: within a subsystem-density functional theory based embedding scheme, subset electric dipole moments are derived without any additional localization procedure, both for hybrid and non-hybrid exchange–correlation functionals. This opens the way to a computationally efficient evaluation of local electric dipole moments in (molecular) periodic systems as well as their rigorous splitting into atomic electric dipole moments. As examples, Infrared spectra of liquid ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate are presented, which are commonly employed as solvents in Lithium ion batteries.

Lower growth temperature increases alternative pathway capacity and alternative oxidase protein in tobacco.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanlerberghe, G C; McIntosh, L

1992-09-01

Suspension cells of NT1 tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv bright yellow) have been used to study the effect of growth temperature on the CN-resistant, salicylhydroxamic acid-sensitive alternative pathway of respiration. Mitochondria isolated from cells maintained at 30 degrees C had a low capacity to oxidize succinate via the alternative pathway, whereas mitochondria isolated from cells 24 h after transfer to 18 degrees C displayed, on average, a 5-fold increase in this capacity (from 7 to 32 nanoatoms oxygen per milligram protein per minute). This represented an increase in alternative pathway capacity from 18 to 45% of the total capacity of electron transport. This increased capacity was lost upon transfer of cells back to 30 degrees C. A monoclonal antibody to the terminal oxidase of the alternative pathway (the alternative oxidase) from Sauromatum guttatum (T.E. Elthon, R.L. Nickels, L. McIntosh [1989] Plant Physiology 89: 1311-1317) recognized a 35-kilodalton mitochondrial protein in tobacco. There was an excellent correlation between the capacity of the alternative path in isolated tobacco mitochondria and the levels of this 35-kilodalton alternative oxidase protein. Cycloheximide could inhibit both the increased level of the 35-kilodalton alternative oxidase protein and the increased alternative pathway capacity normally seen upon transfer to 18 degrees C. We conclude that transfer of tobacco cells to the lower temperature increases the capacity of the alternative pathway due, at least in part, to de novo synthesis of the 35-kilodalton alternative oxidase protein.

Alternative Therapy of Animals – Homeopathy and Other Alternative Methods of Therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Løken Torleiv

2002-03-01

Full Text Available Alternative therapy of animals is described, in the meaning of alternatives to veterinary therapy traditionally accepted by veterinary faculties and schools and included in their curricula. Alternative therapy composes of different disciplines, of which homeopathy is emphasised in this presentation. Information is given on the use and interest of such therapy among veterinarians and animal owners. Homeopathy as other alternative therapies, may offer great advances, if they induce any effect. Some of the disciplines are based on a scientifically accepted documentation. Others, and homeopathy in particular, are missing such a documentation of effect. The justification of including alternative therapy in treating animals is discussed. Research in alternative therapy of animals is greatly needed, in particular to evaluate therapeutic methods which are in extensive use without any documented effect. An ongoing research project in Norway on the effect of homeopathic treatment of mastitis in cows is shortly presented.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Indiana Transportation Data for Alternative

Science.gov (United States)

(nameplate, MW) 1,430 Source: BioFuels Atlas from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Case Studies Video Alternative Fuels Save Money in Indy April 1, 2012 More Case Studies Videos Text Version More Indiana Videos on YouTube Video thumbnail for Indiana Beverage Company Invests in Alternative Fuels Indiana Beverage

A 4-year study on the effectiveness of alternate grazing of cattle and sheep in the control of bovine parasitic gastro-enteritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bairden, K; Armour, J; Duncan, J L

1995-11-01

In many farming enterprises, animal management systems which could provide a practical and effective alternative to chemotherapy for the control of bovine helminthosis would be readily accepted. One system which has been proposed and shown to be effective in the short or medium term involves grazing different host species on a rotational basis. The study described here examined the effect of alternating cattle and sheep annually over an extended period of 4 years. Up to the second grazing season the system appeared to be successful, with a marked reduction in the cattle worm burdens. However, by the end of the study period the parasite burdens in calves grazed on the alternated pasture were equal to, or greater than, those of set-stocked control animals. It was thus clear that the alternate grazing strategy had failed. Data obtained from other parameters measured, i.e. faecal egg counts, pasture larval numbers and plasma pepsinogen levels, confirmed this observation.

Estimation of common cause failure parameters with periodic tests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barros, Anne [Institut Charles Delaunay - Universite de technologie de Troyes - FRE CNRS 2848, 12, rue Marie Curie - BP 2060 -10010 Troyes cedex (France)], E-mail: anne.barros@utt.fr; Grall, Antoine [Institut Charles Delaunay - Universite de technologie de Troyes - FRE CNRS 2848, 12, rue Marie Curie - BP 2060 -10010 Troyes cedex (France); Vasseur, Dominique [Electricite de France, EDF R and D - Industrial Risk Management Department 1, av. du General de Gaulle- 92141 Clamart (France)

2009-04-15

In the specific case of safety systems, CCF parameters estimators for standby components depend on the periodic test schemes. Classically, the testing schemes are either staggered (alternation of tests on redundant components) or non-staggered (all components are tested at the same time). In reality, periodic tests schemes performed on safety components are more complex and combine staggered tests, when the plant is in operation, to non-staggered tests during maintenance and refueling outage periods of the installation. Moreover, the CCF parameters estimators described in the US literature are derived in a consistent way with US Technical Specifications constraints that do not apply on the French Nuclear Power Plants for staggered tests on standby components. Given these issues, the evaluation of CCF parameters from the operating feedback data available within EDF implies the development of methodologies that integrate the testing schemes specificities. This paper aims to formally propose a solution for the estimation of CCF parameters given two distinct difficulties respectively related to a mixed testing scheme and to the consistency with EDF's specific practices inducing systematic non-simultaneity of the observed failures in a staggered testing scheme.

Modeled and Measured Dynamics of a Composite Beam with Periodically Varying Foam Core

Science.gov (United States)

Cabell, Randolph H.; Cano, Roberto J.; Schiller, Noah H.; Roberts Gary D.

2012-01-01

The dynamics of a sandwich beam with carbon fiber composite facesheets and foam core with periodic variations in material properties are studied. The purpose of the study is to compare finite element predictions with experimental measurements on fabricated beam specimens. For the study, three beams were fabricated: one with a compliant foam core, a second with a stiffer core, and a third with the two cores alternating down the length of the beam to create a periodic variation in properties. This periodic variation produces a bandgap in the frequency domain where vibrational energy does not readily propagate down the length of the beam. Mode shapes and natural frequencies are compared, as well as frequency responses from point force input to velocity response at the opposite end of the beam.