WorldWideScience

Sample records for physical layer performance

  1. Wireless Physical Layer Security: On the Performance Limit of Secret-Key Agreement

    KAUST Repository

    Zorgui, Marwen

    2015-01-01

    Physical layer security (PLS) is a new paradigm aiming at securing communications between legitimate parties at the physical layer. Conventionally, achieving confidentiality in communication networks relies on cryptographic techniques such as public

  2. Link adaptation performance evaluation for a MIMO-OFDM physical layer in a realistic outdoor environment

    OpenAIRE

    Han, C; Armour, SMD; Doufexi, A; Ng, KH; McGeehan, JP

    2006-01-01

    This paper presents a downlink performance analysis of a link adaptation (LA) algorithm applied to a MIMO-OFDM Physical Layer (PHY) which is a popular candidate for future generation cellular communication systems. The new LA algorithm attempts to maximize throughput and adaptation between various modulation and coding schemes in combination with both space-time block codes (STBC) and spatial multiplexing (SM) is based on knowledge of SNR and H matrix determinant; the parameters which are fou...

  3. Design and Study of Cognitive Network Physical Layer Simulation Platform

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yongli An

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Cognitive radio technology has received wide attention for its ability to sense and use idle frequency. IEEE 802.22 WRAN, the first to follow the standard in cognitive radio technology, is featured by spectrum sensing and wireless data transmission. As far as wireless transmission is concerned, the availability and implementation of a mature and robust physical layer algorithm are essential to high performance. For the physical layer of WRAN using OFDMA technology, this paper proposes a synchronization algorithm and at the same time provides a public platform for the improvement and verification of that new algorithm. The simulation results show that the performance of the platform is highly close to the theoretical value.

  4. A Real-Time GPP Software-Defined Radio Testbed for the Physical Layer of Wireless Standards

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schiphorst, Roelof; Hoeksema, F.W.; Slump, Cornelis H.

    2005-01-01

    We present our contribution to the general-purpose-processor-(GPP)-based radio. We describe a baseband software-defined radio testbed for the physical layer of wireless LAN standards. All physical layer functions have been successfully mapped on a Pentium 4 processor that performs these functions in

  5. Physical Layer Security for Cooperative NOMA Systems

    KAUST Repository

    Chen, Jianchao

    2018-01-09

    In this correspondence, we investigate the physical layer security for cooperative non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) systems, where both amplify-and-forward (AF) and decode-and-forward (DF) protocols are considered. More specifically, some analytical expressions are derived for secrecy outage probability (SOP) and strictly positive secrecy capacity (SPSC). Results show that AF and DF almost achieve the same secrecy performance. Moreover, asymptotic results demonstrate that the SOP tends to a constant at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Finally, our results show that the secrecy performance of considered NOMA systems is independent of the channel conditions between the relay and the poor user.

  6. Physical Layer Security for Cooperative NOMA Systems

    KAUST Repository

    Chen, Jianchao; Yang, Liang; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

    2018-01-01

    In this correspondence, we investigate the physical layer security for cooperative non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) systems, where both amplify-and-forward (AF) and decode-and-forward (DF) protocols are considered. More specifically, some analytical expressions are derived for secrecy outage probability (SOP) and strictly positive secrecy capacity (SPSC). Results show that AF and DF almost achieve the same secrecy performance. Moreover, asymptotic results demonstrate that the SOP tends to a constant at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Finally, our results show that the secrecy performance of considered NOMA systems is independent of the channel conditions between the relay and the poor user.

  7. Estimation of Physical Layer Performance inWSNs Exploiting the Method of Indirect Observations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luigi Atzori

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs are used in many industrial and consumer applications that are increasingly gaining impact in our day to day lives. Still great efforts are needed towards the definition of methodologies for their effective management. One big issue is themonitoring of the network status, which requires the definition of the performance indicators and methodologies and should be accurate and not intrusive at the same time. In this paper, we present a new process for the monitoring of the physical layer in WSNs making use of a completely passive methodology. From data sniffed by external nodes, we first estimate the position of the nodes by applying the Weighted Least Squares (WLS to the method of indirect observations. The resulting node positions are then used to estimate the status of the communication links using the most appropriate propagation model. We performed a significant number of measurements on the field in both indoor and outdoor environments. From the experiments, we were able to achieve an accurate estimation of the channel links status with an average error lower than 1 dB, which is around 5 dB lower than the error introduced without the application of the proposed method.

  8. A Novel Physical Layer Assisted Authentication Scheme for Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiuhua Wang

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Physical-layer authentication can address physical layer vulnerabilities and security threats in wireless sensor networks, and has been considered as an effective complementary enhancement to existing upper-layer authentication mechanisms. In this paper, to advance the existing research and improve the authentication performance, we propose a novel physical layer assisted authentication scheme for mobile wireless sensor networks. In our proposed scheme, we explore the reciprocity and spatial uncorrelation of the wireless channel to verify the identities of involved transmitting users and decide whether all data frames are from the same sender. In our proposed scheme, a new method is developed for the legitimate users to compare their received signal strength (RSS records, which avoids the information from being disclosed to the adversary. Our proposed scheme can detect the spoofing attack even in a high dynamic environment. We evaluate our scheme through experiments under indoor and outdoor environments. Experiment results show that our proposed scheme is more efficient and achieves a higher detection rate as well as keeping a lower false alarm rate.

  9. A Novel Physical Layer Assisted Authentication Scheme for Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qiuhua

    2017-02-04

    Physical-layer authentication can address physical layer vulnerabilities and security threats in wireless sensor networks, and has been considered as an effective complementary enhancement to existing upper-layer authentication mechanisms. In this paper, to advance the existing research and improve the authentication performance, we propose a novel physical layer assisted authentication scheme for mobile wireless sensor networks. In our proposed scheme, we explore the reciprocity and spatial uncorrelation of the wireless channel to verify the identities of involved transmitting users and decide whether all data frames are from the same sender. In our proposed scheme, a new method is developed for the legitimate users to compare their received signal strength (RSS) records, which avoids the information from being disclosed to the adversary. Our proposed scheme can detect the spoofing attack even in a high dynamic environment. We evaluate our scheme through experiments under indoor and outdoor environments. Experiment results show that our proposed scheme is more efficient and achieves a higher detection rate as well as keeping a lower false alarm rate.

  10. Defect physics vis-à-vis electrochemical performance in layered mixed-metal oxide cathode materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoang, Khang; Johannes, Michelle

    Layered mixed-metal oxides with different compositions of (Ni,Co,Mn) [NCM] or (Ni,Co,Al) [NCA] have been used in commercial lithium-ion batteries. Yet their defect physics and chemistry is still not well understood, despite having important implications for the electrochemical performance. In this presentation, we report a hybrid density functional study of intrinsic point defects in the compositions LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (NCM1/3) and LiNi1/3Co1/3Al1/3O2 (NCA1/3) which can also be regarded as model compounds for NCM and NCA. We will discuss defect landscapes in NCM1/3 and NCA1/3 under relevant synthesis conditions with a focus on the formation of metal antisite defects and its implications on the electrochemical properties and ultimately the design of NCM and NCA cathode materials.

  11. Physical layer network coding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fukui, Hironori; Popovski, Petar; Yomo, Hiroyuki

    2014-01-01

    Physical layer network coding (PLNC) has been proposed to improve throughput of the two-way relay channel, where two nodes communicate with each other, being assisted by a relay node. Most of the works related to PLNC are focused on a simple three-node model and they do not take into account...

  12. Physical layer approaches for securing wireless communication systems

    CERN Document Server

    Wen, Hong

    2013-01-01

    This book surveys the outstanding work of physical-layer (PHY) security, including  the recent achievements of confidentiality and authentication for wireless communication systems by channel identification. A practical approach to building unconditional confidentiality for Wireless Communication security by feedback and error correcting code is introduced and a framework of PHY security based on space time block code (STBC) MIMO system is demonstrated.  Also discussed is a scheme which combines cryptographic techniques implemented in the higher layer with the physical layer security approach

  13. Performance Assessment of New Land-Surface and Planetary Boundary Layer Physics in the WRF-ARW

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Pleim-Xiu land surface model, Pleim surface layer scheme, and Asymmetric Convective Model (version 2) are now options in version 3.0 of the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) Advanced Research WRF (ARW) core. These physics parameterizations were developed for the f...

  14. Securing wireless communications at the physical layer

    CERN Document Server

    Liu, Ruoheng

    2009-01-01

    Throughout this book there is an underlying theme that the rich multipath environment that is typical of wireless scenarios supports the establishment of new security services at the physical layer, including new mechanisms that establish cryptographic keys, that support communication with assured confidentiality, and that can authenticate transmitters in mobile environments. The book takes a holistic approach to covering topics related to physical layer security solutions, with contributions ranging from the theoretical underpinnings behind secure communications to practical systems validatio

  15. Highway pavement performance test for colored thin anti-skidding layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Wei; Cui, Wei; Xu, Ming

    2018-03-01

    Based on the actual service condition of highway pavement colored thin anti-skidding layers, with materials of color quartz sand and two-component acrylic resin as basis, we designed such tests as the bond strength, shearing strength, tear strength, fatigue performance and aggregate polished value, and included the freeze-thaw cycle and de-icing salt and other factors in the experiment, connecting with the climate characteristics of circumpolar latitude and low altitude in Heilongjiang province. Through the pavement performance test, it is confirmed that the colored thin anti-skidding layers can adapt to cold and humid climate conditions, and its physical mechanical properties are good.

  16. Applying Physical-Layer Network Coding in Wireless Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liew SoungChang

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available A main distinguishing feature of a wireless network compared with a wired network is its broadcast nature, in which the signal transmitted by a node may reach several other nodes, and a node may receive signals from several other nodes, simultaneously. Rather than a blessing, this feature is treated more as an interference-inducing nuisance in most wireless networks today (e.g., IEEE 802.11. This paper shows that the concept of network coding can be applied at the physical layer to turn the broadcast property into a capacity-boosting advantage in wireless ad hoc networks. Specifically, we propose a physical-layer network coding (PNC scheme to coordinate transmissions among nodes. In contrast to "straightforward" network coding which performs coding arithmetic on digital bit streams after they have been received, PNC makes use of the additive nature of simultaneously arriving electromagnetic (EM waves for equivalent coding operation. And in doing so, PNC can potentially achieve 100% and 50% throughput increases compared with traditional transmission and straightforward network coding, respectively, in 1D regular linear networks with multiple random flows. The throughput improvements are even larger in 2D regular networks: 200% and 100%, respectively.

  17. Physical-layer network coding for passive optical interconnect in datacenter networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Rui; Cheng, Yuxin; Guan, Xun; Tang, Ming; Liu, Deming; Chan, Chun-Kit; Chen, Jiajia

    2017-07-24

    We introduce physical-layer network coding (PLNC) technique in a passive optical interconnect (POI) architecture for datacenter networks. The implementation of the PLNC in the POI at 2.5 Gb/s and 10Gb/s have been experimentally validated while the gains in terms of network layer performances have been investigated by simulation. The results reveal that in order to realize negligible packet drop, the wavelengths usage can be reduced by half while a significant improvement in packet delay especially under high traffic load can be achieved by employing PLNC over POI.

  18. Wireless Physical Layer Security: On the Performance Limit of Secret-Key Agreement

    KAUST Repository

    Zorgui, Marwen

    2015-05-01

    Physical layer security (PLS) is a new paradigm aiming at securing communications between legitimate parties at the physical layer. Conventionally, achieving confidentiality in communication networks relies on cryptographic techniques such as public-key cryptography, secret-key distribution and symmetric encryption. Such techniques are deemed secure based on the assumption of limited computational abilities of a wiretapper. Given the relentless progress in computational capacities and the dynamic topology and proliferation of modern wireless networks, the relevance of the previous techniques in securing communications is more and more questionable and less and less reliable. In contrast to this paradigm, PLS does not assume a specific computational power at any eavesdropper, its premise to guarantee provable security via employing channel coding techniques at the physical layer exploiting the inherent randomness in most communication systems. In this dissertation, we investigate a particular aspect of PLS, which is secret-key agreement, also known as secret-sharing. In this setup, two legitimate parties try to distill a secret-key via the observation of correlated signals through a noisy wireless channel, in the presence of an eavesdropper who must be kept ignorant of the secret-key. Additionally, a noiseless public channel is made available to the legitimate parties to exchange public messages that are also accessible to the eavesdropper. Recall that key agreement is an important aspect toward realizing secure communications in the sense that the key can be used in a one-time pad scheme to send the confidential message. In the first part, our focus is on secret-sharing over Rayleigh fading quasi-static channels. We study the fundamental relationship relating the probability of error and a given target secret-key rate in the high power regime. This is characterized through the diversity multiplexing tradeoff (DMT) concept, that we define for our model and then

  19. Functional Basis for Efficient Physical Layer Classical Control in Quantum Processors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ball, Harrison; Nguyen, Trung; Leong, Philip H. W.; Biercuk, Michael J.

    2016-12-01

    The rapid progress seen in the development of quantum-coherent devices for information processing has motivated serious consideration of quantum computer architecture and organization. One topic which remains open for investigation and optimization relates to the design of the classical-quantum interface, where control operations on individual qubits are applied according to higher-level algorithms; accommodating competing demands on performance and scalability remains a major outstanding challenge. In this work, we present a resource-efficient, scalable framework for the implementation of embedded physical layer classical controllers for quantum-information systems. Design drivers and key functionalities are introduced, leading to the selection of Walsh functions as an effective functional basis for both programing and controller hardware implementation. This approach leverages the simplicity of real-time Walsh-function generation in classical digital hardware, and the fact that a wide variety of physical layer controls, such as dynamic error suppression, are known to fall within the Walsh family. We experimentally implement a real-time field-programmable-gate-array-based Walsh controller producing Walsh timing signals and Walsh-synthesized analog waveforms appropriate for critical tasks in error-resistant quantum control and noise characterization. These demonstrations represent the first step towards a unified framework for the realization of physical layer controls compatible with large-scale quantum-information processing.

  20. Wireless physical layer security

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poor, H. Vincent; Schaefer, Rafael F.

    2017-01-01

    Security in wireless networks has traditionally been considered to be an issue to be addressed separately from the physical radio transmission aspects of wireless systems. However, with the emergence of new networking architectures that are not amenable to traditional methods of secure communication such as data encryption, there has been an increase in interest in the potential of the physical properties of the radio channel itself to provide communications security. Information theory provides a natural framework for the study of this issue, and there has been considerable recent research devoted to using this framework to develop a greater understanding of the fundamental ability of the so-called physical layer to provide security in wireless networks. Moreover, this approach is also suggestive in many cases of coding techniques that can approach fundamental limits in practice and of techniques for other security tasks such as authentication. This paper provides an overview of these developments.

  1. Physics considerations in MV-CBCT multi-layer imager design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Yue-Houng; Fueglistaller, Rony; Myronakis, Marios E; Rottmann, Joerg; Wang, Adam; Shedlock, Daniel; Morf, Daniel; Baturin, Paul; Huber, Pascal; Star-Lack, Josh M; Berbeco, Ross I

    2018-05-30

    Megavoltage (MV) cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) using an electronic portal imaging (EPID) offers advantageous features, including 3D mapping, treatment beam registration, high-z artifact suppression, and direct radiation dose calculation. Adoption has been slowed by image quality limitations and concerns about imaging dose. Developments in imager design, including pixelated scintillators, structured phosphors, inexpensive scintillation materials, and multi-layer imager (MLI) architecture have been explored to improve EPID image quality and reduce imaging dose. The present study employs a hybrid Monte Carlo and linear systems model to determine the effect of detector design elements, such as multi-layer architecture and scintillation materials. We follow metrics of image quality including modulation transfer function (MTF) and noise power spectrum (NPS) from projection images to 3D reconstructions to in-plane slices and apply a task based figure-of-merit, the ideal observer signal-to-noise ratio (d') to determine the effect of detector design on object detectability. Generally, detectability was limited by detector noise performance. Deploying an MLI imager with a single scintillation material for all layers yields improvement in noise performance and d' linear with the number of layers. In general, improving x-ray absorption using thicker scintillators results in improved DQE(0). However, if light yield is low, performance will be affected by electronic noise at relatively high doses, resulting in rapid image quality degradation. Maximizing image quality in a heterogenous MLI detector (i.e. multiple different scintillation materials) is most affected by limiting imager noise. However, while a second-order effect, maximizing total spatial resolution of the MLI detector is a balance between the intensity contribution of each layer against its individual MTF. So, while a thinner scintillator may yield a maximal individual-layer MTF, its quantum efficiency will

  2. Performance Evaluation Model for Application Layer Firewalls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xuan, Shichang; Yang, Wu; Dong, Hui; Zhang, Jiangchuan

    2016-01-01

    Application layer firewalls protect the trusted area network against information security risks. However, firewall performance may affect user experience. Therefore, performance analysis plays a significant role in the evaluation of application layer firewalls. This paper presents an analytic model of the application layer firewall, based on a system analysis to evaluate the capability of the firewall. In order to enable users to improve the performance of the application layer firewall with limited resources, resource allocation was evaluated to obtain the optimal resource allocation scheme in terms of throughput, delay, and packet loss rate. The proposed model employs the Erlangian queuing model to analyze the performance parameters of the system with regard to the three layers (network, transport, and application layers). Then, the analysis results of all the layers are combined to obtain the overall system performance indicators. A discrete event simulation method was used to evaluate the proposed model. Finally, limited service desk resources were allocated to obtain the values of the performance indicators under different resource allocation scenarios in order to determine the optimal allocation scheme. Under limited resource allocation, this scheme enables users to maximize the performance of the application layer firewall.

  3. Performance Evaluation Model for Application Layer Firewalls.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shichang Xuan

    Full Text Available Application layer firewalls protect the trusted area network against information security risks. However, firewall performance may affect user experience. Therefore, performance analysis plays a significant role in the evaluation of application layer firewalls. This paper presents an analytic model of the application layer firewall, based on a system analysis to evaluate the capability of the firewall. In order to enable users to improve the performance of the application layer firewall with limited resources, resource allocation was evaluated to obtain the optimal resource allocation scheme in terms of throughput, delay, and packet loss rate. The proposed model employs the Erlangian queuing model to analyze the performance parameters of the system with regard to the three layers (network, transport, and application layers. Then, the analysis results of all the layers are combined to obtain the overall system performance indicators. A discrete event simulation method was used to evaluate the proposed model. Finally, limited service desk resources were allocated to obtain the values of the performance indicators under different resource allocation scenarios in order to determine the optimal allocation scheme. Under limited resource allocation, this scheme enables users to maximize the performance of the application layer firewall.

  4. Physical Layer Built-In Security Analysis and Enhancement Algorithms for CDMA Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Tongtong

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Historically developed for secure communication and military use, CDMA has been identified as a major modulation and multiple-access technique for 3G systems and beyond. In addition to the wide bandwidth and low power-spectrum density which make CDMA signals robust to narrowband jamming and easy to be concealed within the noise floor, the physical layer built-in information privacy of CDMA system is provided by pseudorandom scrambling. In this paper, first, security weakness of the operational and proposed CDMA airlink interfaces is analyzed. Second, based on the advanced encryption standard (AES, we propose to enhance the physical layer built-in security of CDMA systems through secure scrambling. Performance analysis demonstrates that while providing significantly improved information privacy, CDMA systems with secure scrambling have comparable computational complexity and overall system performance with that of conventionally scrambled systems. Moreover, it is shown that by scrambling the training sequence and the message sequence separately with two independent scrambling sequences, both information privacy and system performance can be further improved. The proposed scheme can readily be applied to 3G systems and beyond.

  5. Physical Layer Network Coding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fukui, Hironori; Yomo, Hironori; Popovski, Petar

    2013-01-01

    of interfering nodes and usage of spatial reservation mechanisms. Specifically, we introduce a reserved area in order to protect the nodes involved in two-way relaying from the interference caused by neighboring nodes. We analytically derive the end-to-end rate achieved by PLNC considering the impact......Physical layer network coding (PLNC) has the potential to improve throughput of multi-hop networks. However, most of the works are focused on the simple, three-node model with two-way relaying, not taking into account the fact that there can be other neighboring nodes that can cause....../receive interference. The way to deal with this problem in distributed wireless networks is usage of MAC-layer mechanisms that make a spatial reservation of the shared wireless medium, similar to the well-known RTS/CTS in IEEE 802.11 wireless networks. In this paper, we investigate two-way relaying in presence...

  6. Physical Layer Ethernet Clock Synchronization

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-01

    42 nd Annual Precise Time and Time Interval (PTTI) Meeting 77 PHYSICAL LAYER ETHERNET CLOCK SYNCHRONIZATION Reinhard Exel, Georg...oeaw.ac.at Nikolaus Kerö Oregano Systems, Mohsgasse 1, 1030 Wien, Austria E-mail: nikolaus.keroe@oregano.at Abstract Clock synchronization ...is a service widely used in distributed networks to coordinate data acquisition and actions. As the requirement to achieve tighter synchronization

  7. Comparison of WRF local and nonlocal boundary layer Physics in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ooi, M. C. G.; Chan, A.; Kumarenthiran, S.; Morris, K. I.; Oozeer, M. Y.; Islam, M. A.; Salleh, S. A.

    2018-02-01

    The urban boundary layer (UBL) is the internal advection layer of atmosphere above urban region which determines the exchanges of momentum, water and other atmospheric constituents between the urban land surface and the free troposphere. This paper tested the performance of three planetary boundary layer (PBL) physics schemes of Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) software to ensure the appropriate representation of vertical structure of UBL in Greater Kuala Lumpur (GKL). Comparison was conducted on the performance of respective PBL schemes to generate vertical and near-surface weather profile and rainfall. Mellor-Yamada- Janjíc (MYJ) local PBL scheme coupled with Eta MM5 surface layer scheme was found to predict the near-surface temperature and wind profile and mixing height better than the nonlocal schemes during the intermonsoonal period with least influences of the synoptic background weather.

  8. Rendering Intelligence at Physical Layer for Smart Addressing and Multiple Access

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sanyal, Rajarshi; Prasad, Ramjee; Cianca, Ernestina

    2010-01-01

    addressing of a node. For a typical closed user group type of network, we propose a multiple access mechanism and network topology which will not only eliminate the need of intelligent core network equipments in the network area , but to use this intelligent physical layer to directly reach any node over......The primary objective of this work is to propose a technique of wireless communication, where we render intelligence to the physical layer. We aim to realize a physical layer that can take part in some processes which is otherwise confined to higher layer signalling activities, like for example...... the fundamentals behind the proposed multiple access scheme and draws out the benefits compared to the existing multiple access processes based on cellular approach....

  9. Layer-by-Layer Assembly for Preparation of High-Performance Forward Osmosis Membrane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Libin; Zhang, Jinglong; Song, Peng; Wang, Zhan

    2018-01-01

    Forward osmosis (FO) membrane with high separation performance is needed to promote its practical applications. Herein, layer-by-layer (LbL) approach was used to prepare a thin and highly cross-linked polyamide layer on a polyacrylonitrile substrate surface to prepare a thin-film composite forward osmosis (TFC-FO) membrane with enhanced FO performance. The effects of monomer concentrations and assembly cycles on the performance of the TFC-FO membranes were systematically investigated. Under the optimal preparation condition, TFC-FO membrane achieved the best performance, exhibiting the water flux of 14.4/6.9 LMH and reverse salt flux of 7.7/3.8 gMH under the pressure retarded osmosis/forward osmosis (PRO/FO) mode using 1M NaCl as the draw against a DI-water feed, and a rejection of 96.1% for 2000 mg/L NaCl aqueous solution. The result indicated that layer-by-layer method was a potential method to regulate the structure and performance of the TFC-FO membrane.

  10. Physical Layer Design in Wireless Sensor Networks for Fading Mitigation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nuo Chen

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the theoretical analysis, simulation results and suggests design in digital technology of a physical layer for wireless sensor networks. The proposed design is able to mitigate fading inside communication channel. To mitigate fading the chip interleaving technique is proposed. For the proposed theoretical model of physical layer, a rigorous mathematical analysis is conducted, where all signals are presented and processed in discrete time domain form which is suitable for further direct processing necessary for devices design in digital technology. Three different channels are used to investigate characteristics of the physical layer: additive white Gaussian noise channel (AWGN, AWG noise and flat fading channel and AWG noise and flat fading channel with interleaver and deinterleaver blocks in the receiver and transmitter respectively. Firstly, the mathematical model of communication system representing physical layer is developed based on the discrete time domain signal representation and processing. In the existing theory, these signals and their processing are represented in continuous time form, which is not suitable for direct implementation in digital technology. Secondly, the expressions for the probability of chip, symbol and bit error are derived. Thirdly, the communication system simulators are developed in MATLAB. The simulation results confirmed theoretical findings.

  11. Improving the Performance of PbS Quantum Dot Solar Cells by Optimizing ZnO Window Layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Xiaokun; Hu, Long; Deng, Hui; Qiao, Keke; Hu, Chao; Liu, Zhiyong; Yuan, Shengjie; Khan, Jahangeer; Li, Dengbing; Tang, Jiang; Song, Haisheng; Cheng, Chun

    2017-04-01

    Comparing with hot researches in absorber layer, window layer has attracted less attention in PbS quantum dot solar cells (QD SCs). Actually, the window layer plays a key role in exciton separation, charge drifting, and so on. Herein, ZnO window layer was systematically investigated for its roles in QD SCs performance. The physical mechanism of improved performance was also explored. It was found that the optimized ZnO films with appropriate thickness and doping concentration can balance the optical and electrical properties, and its energy band align well with the absorber layer for efficient charge extraction. Further characterizations demonstrated that the window layer optimization can help to reduce the surface defects, improve the heterojunction quality, as well as extend the depletion width. Compared with the control devices, the optimized devices have obtained an efficiency of 6.7% with an enhanced V oc of 18%, J sc of 21%, FF of 10%, and power conversion efficiency of 58%. The present work suggests a useful strategy to improve the device performance by optimizing the window layer besides the absorber layer.

  12. Physical layer impairments tolerance based lightpath provision in software defined optical network

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Zhao Xianlong; Xu Xianze; Bai Huifeng

    2017-01-01

    As all-optical networks grow with ever increasing ultra-high speed, the communication quality suffers seriously from physical layer impairments ( PLIs) .The same problem still exists in software defined optical network ( SDON) controlled by OpenFlow.Aimed to solve this problem, a PLIs tol-erance based lightpath provision scheme is proposed for OpenFlow controlled optical networks.This proposed approach not only takes the OSNR model to represent those linear PLIs factors, but also in-troduces those nonlinear factors into the OSNR model.Thus, the proposed scheme is able to cover most PLIs factors of each optical link and conduct optical lightpath provison with better communica-tion quality.Moreover, PLIs tolerance model is also set up and considered in this work with some necessary extension to OpenFlow protocols to achieve better compatibility between physical layer im-pairments factors and various services connections.Simulation results show that the proposed scheme is able to get better performance in terms of packet loss rate and connection setup time.

  13. Physical Layer Definition for a Long-Haul HF Antarctica to Spain Radio Link

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosa Ma Alsina-Pagès

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available La Salle and the Observatori de l’Ebre (OE have been involved in a remote sensing project in Antarctica for the last 11 years. The OE has been monitoring the geomagnetic activity for more than twenty years and also the ionospheric activity of the last ten years in the Spanish Antarctic Station Juan Carlos I (ASJI (62.7 ° S, 299.6 ° E. La Salle is finishing the design and testing of a low-power communication system between the ASJI and Cambrils (41.0 ° N, 1.0 ° E with a double goal: (i the transmission of data from the sensors located at the ASJI and (ii the performance of an oblique ionospheric sounding of a 12,760 km HF link. Previously, La Salle has already performed sounding and modulation tests to describe the channel performance in terms of availability, Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR, Doppler spread and delay spread. This paper closes the design of the physical layer, by means of the channel error study and the synchronization performance, and concludes with a new physical layer proposal for the Oblique Ionosphere Sounder. Narrowband and wideband frames have been defined to be used when the oblique sounder performs as an ionospheric sensor. Finally, two transmission modes have been defined for the modem performance: the High Robustness Mode (HRM for low SNR hours and the High Throughput Mode (HTM for the high SNR hours.

  14. Signal processing approaches to secure physical layer communications in multi-antenna wireless systems

    CERN Document Server

    Hong, Y-W Peter; Kuo, C-C Jay

    2013-01-01

    This book introduces various signal processing approaches to enhance physical layer secrecy in multi-antenna wireless systems. Wireless physical layer secrecy has attracted much attention in recent years due to the broadcast nature of the wireless medium and its inherent vulnerability to eavesdropping. While most articles on physical layer secrecy focus on the information-theoretic aspect, we focus specifically on the signal processing aspects, including beamforming and precoding techniques for data transmission and discriminatory training schemes for channel estimation. The discussions will c

  15. Physical and Cross-Layer Security Enhancement and Resource Allocation for Wireless Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bashar, Muhammad Shafi Al

    2011-01-01

    In this dissertation, we present novel physical (PHY) and cross-layer design guidelines and resource adaptation algorithms to improve the security and user experience in the future wireless networks. Physical and cross-layer wireless security measures can provide stronger overall security with high efficiency and can also provide better…

  16. Secure physical layer using dynamic permutations in cognitive OFDMA systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Meucci, F.; Wardana, Satya Ardhy; Prasad, Neeli R.

    2009-01-01

    This paper proposes a novel lightweight mechanism for a secure Physical (PHY) layer in Cognitive Radio Network (CRN) using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). User's data symbols are mapped over the physical subcarriers with a permutation formula. The PHY layer is secured...... with a random and dynamic subcarrier permutation which is based on a single pre-shared information and depends on Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA). The dynamic subcarrier permutation is varying over time, geographical location and environment status, resulting in a very robust protection that ensures...... confidentiality. The method is shown to be effective also for existing non-cognitive systems. The proposed mechanism is effective against eavesdropping even if the eavesdropper adopts a long-time patterns analysis, thus protecting cryptography techniques of higher layers. The correlation properties...

  17. Performance Analysis of IEEE 802.11e (EDCF) and IEEE 802.11(DCF) WLAN Incorporating Different Physical Layer Standards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, V.; Singh, H.; Malhotra, J.

    2012-12-01

    Medium access coordination function basically implements the distributed coordination function (DCF) which provides support to best effort services but limited to QoS services. Subsequently, a new standard, namely enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) is reported. The IEEE 802.11e (EDCA) defines MAC procedures to support QoS requirements which specifies distributed contention based access scheme to access the shared wireless media. This paper evaluates the performance of EDCA based IEEE 802.11 WLAN for various access categories (ACs) using OPNET™ Modeller 14.5. Further, the computed results are compared with DCF protocols in terms of QoS parameters. Furthermore, the simulative observation is reported at data rate of 54 Mbps using different physical layer protocols such as IEEE 802.11a/b/g to stumble on the best one to be implemented with EDCF to achieve improved QoS.

  18. Utilizing Cross-Layer Information to Improve Performance in JPEG2000 Decoding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hannes Persson

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available We focus on wireless multimedia communication and investigate how cross-layer information can be used to improve performance at the application layer, using JPEG2000 as an example. The cross-layer information is in the form of soft information from the physical layer. The soft information, which is supplied by a soft decision demodulator, yields reliability measures for the received bits and is fed into two soft input iterative JPEG2000 image decoders. When errors are detected with the error detecting mechanisms in JPEG2000, the decoders utilize the soft information to point out likely transmission errors. Hence, the decoders can correct errors and increase the image quality without making time-consuming retransmissions. We believe that the proposed decoding method utilizing soft information is suitable for a general IP-based network and that it keeps the principles of a layered structure of the protocol stack intact. Further, experimental results with images transmitted over a simulated wireless channel show that a simple decoding algorithm that utilizes soft information can give high gains in image quality compared to the standard hard-decision decoding.

  19. PERFORMANCE STUDY OF DISTRIBUTED COORDINATION FUNCTION OVER IEEE 802.11A PHYSICAL LAYER

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. SELVAKENEDDY

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available IEEE 802.11a is one of the latest standards to be released by the IEEE Project 802 for wireless LANs. It has specified an additional physical layer (PHY to support higher data rates, and is termed as the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM. In order to exploit its benefits, one of the medium access control (MAC protocols specified in the IEEE 802.11 specification is called distributed coordination function (DCF. DCF is a carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA scheme with slotted binary exponential backoff. The frames can be transmitted using the basic access scheme or the RTS/CTS scheme in DCF. It was demonstrated previously that the RTS/CTS mechanism works well in most scenarios for the previously specified PHYs. In this work, a simple simulator is developed to verify the scalability of the RTS/CTS mechanism over OFDM PHY, which supports much higher data rates.

  20. Revisiting of Channel Access Mechanisms in Mobile Wireless Networks through Exploiting Physical Layer Technologies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junmei Yao

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The wireless local area networks (WLANs have been widely deployed with the rapid development of mobile devices and have further been brought into new applications with infrastructure mobility due to the growth of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs. However, the WLANs still face persistent challenge on increasing the network throughput to meet the customer’s requirement and fight against the node mobility. Interference is a well-known issue that would degrade the network performance due to the broadcast characteristics of the wireless signals. Moreover, with infrastructure mobility, the interference becomes the key obstacle in pursuing the channel capacity. Legacy interference management mechanism through the channel access control in the MAC layer design of the 802.11 standard has some well-known drawbacks, such as exposed and hidden terminal problems, inefficient rate adaptation, and retransmission schemes, making the efficient interference management an everlasting research topic over the years. Recently, interference management through exploiting physical layer mechanisms has attracted much research interest and has been proven to be a promising way to improve the network throughput, especially under the infrastructure mobility scenarios which provides more indicators for node dynamics. In this paper, we introduce a series of representative physical layer techniques and analyze how they are exploited for interference management to improve the network performance. We also provide some discussions about the research challenges and give potential future research topics in this area.

  1. Experiments on the flow field physics of confluent boundary layers for high-lift systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Robert C.; Thomas, F. O.; Chu, H. C.

    1994-01-01

    The use of sub-scale wind tunnel test data to predict the behavior of commercial transport high lift systems at in-flight Reynolds number is limited by the so-called 'inverse Reynolds number effect'. This involves an actual deterioration in the performance of a high lift device with increasing Reynolds number. A lack of understanding of the relevant flow field physics associated with numerous complicated viscous flow interactions that characterize flow over high-lift devices prohibits computational fluid dynamics from addressing Reynolds number effects. Clearly there is a need for research that has as its objective the clarification of the fundamental flow field physics associated with viscous effects in high lift systems. In this investigation, a detailed experimental investigation is being performed to study the interaction between the slat wake and the boundary layer on the primary airfoil which is known as a confluent boundary layer. This little-studied aspect of the multi-element airfoil problem deserves special attention due to its importance in the lift augmentation process. The goal of this research is is to provide an improved understanding of the flow physics associated with high lift generation. This process report will discuss the status of the research being conducted at the Hessert Center for Aerospace Research at the University of Notre Dame. The research is sponsored by NASA Ames Research Center under NASA grant NAG2-905. The report will include a discussion of the models that have been built or that are under construction, a description of the planned experiments, a description of a flow visualization apparatus that has been developed for generating colored smoke for confluent boundary layer studies and some preliminary measurements made using our new 3-component fiber optic LDV system.

  2. Oxygen-reducing catalyst layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Brien, Dennis P [Maplewood, MN; Schmoeckel, Alison K [Stillwater, MN; Vernstrom, George D [Cottage Grove, MN; Atanasoski, Radoslav [Edina, MN; Wood, Thomas E [Stillwater, MN; Yang, Ruizhi [Halifax, CA; Easton, E Bradley [Halifax, CA; Dahn, Jeffrey R [Hubley, CA; O'Neill, David G [Lake Elmo, MN

    2011-03-22

    An oxygen-reducing catalyst layer, and a method of making the oxygen-reducing catalyst layer, where the oxygen-reducing catalyst layer includes a catalytic material film disposed on a substrate with the use of physical vapor deposition and thermal treatment. The catalytic material film includes a transition metal that is substantially free of platinum. At least one of the physical vapor deposition and the thermal treatment is performed in a processing environment comprising a nitrogen-containing gas.

  3. The Effect of Zingiber Officinale Rosc in The Diets of Performance in Culled Layer Ducks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tjokorda Gede Belawa Yadnya

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available The experiment was design using a completely randomized block design (CRBD with four treatments. Treatment were diets without Zingiber officinale rosc (A, diets contain 2,91% Zingiber officinale Rosc  (B, diets contain 5,66%. Zingiber officinale Rosc (C, and diets contain 8,26% Zingiber officinale Rosc (D. Each treatment with five replicates, and each replicate consist four culled layer ducks. Variable observed were feed conversation ratio, carcass physical composition, and meat quality. It was concluded that present  Zingiber officinale Rosc in the diets could be improved of performance in culled layer ducks.   Keywords : Zingiber officinale Rosc, Culled layer ducks, and  meat qualit

  4. Wireless Physical Layer Security with CSIT Uncertainty

    KAUST Repository

    Hyadi, Amal

    2017-09-01

    Recent years have been marked by an enormous growth of wireless communication networks and an extensive use of wireless applications. In return, this phenomenal expansion induced more concerns about the privacy and the security of the users. Physical layer security is one of the most promising solutions that were proposed to enhance the security of next generation wireless systems. The fundamental idea behind this technique is to exploit the randomness and the fluctuations of the wireless channel to achieve security without conditional assumptions on the computational capabilities of the eavesdropper. In fact, while these elements have traditionally been associated with signal deterioration, physical layer security uses them to ensure the confidentiality of the users. Nevertheless, these technical virtues rely heavily on perhaps idealistic channel state information assumptions. In that regard, the aim of this thesis is to look at the physical layer security paradigm from the channel uncertainty perspective. In particular, we discuss the ergodic secrecy capacity of different wiretap channels when the transmitter is hampered by the imperfect knowledge of the channel state information (CSI). We consider two prevalent causes of uncertainty for the CSI at transmitter (CSIT); either an error of estimation occurs at the transmitter and he can only base his coding and the transmission strategies on a noisy version of the CSI, or the CSI feedback link has a limited capacity and the legitimate receivers can only inform the transmitter about the quantized CSI. We investigate both the single-user multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wiretap channel and the multi-user broadcast wiretap channel. In the latter scenario, we distinguish between two situations: multiple messages transmission and common message transmission. We also discuss the broadcast channel with confidential messages (BCCM) where the transmitter has one common message to be transmitted to two users and one

  5. Physical-layer Network Coding in Two-Way Heterogeneous Cellular Networks with Power Imbalance

    OpenAIRE

    Thampi, Ajay K; Liew, Soung Chang; Armour, Simon M D; Fan, Zhong; You, Lizhao; Kaleshi, Dritan

    2016-01-01

    The growing demand for high-speed data, quality of service (QoS) assurance and energy efficiency has triggered the evolution of 4G LTE-A networks to 5G and beyond. Interference is still a major performance bottleneck. This paper studies the application of physical-layer network coding (PNC), a technique that exploits interference, in heterogeneous cellular networks. In particular, we propose a rate-maximising relay selection algorithm for a single cell with multiple relays assuming the decode...

  6. Double-Layer Structured CO2 Adsorbent Functionalized with Modified Polyethyleneimine for High Physical and Chemical Stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeon, Sunbin; Jung, Hyunchul; Kim, Sung Hyun; Lee, Ki Bong

    2018-06-18

    CO 2 capture using polyethyleneimine (PEI)-impregnated silica adsorbents has been receiving a lot of attention. However, the absence of physical stability (evaporation and leaching of amine) and chemical stability (urea formation) of the PEI-impregnated silica adsorbent has been generally established. Therefore, in this study, a double-layer impregnated structure, developed using modified PEI, is newly proposed to enhance the physical and chemical stabilities of the adsorbent. Epoxy-modified PEI and diepoxide-cross-linked PEI were impregnated via a dry impregnation method in the first and second layers, respectively. The physical stability of the double-layer structured adsorbent was noticeably enhanced when compared to the conventional adsorbents with a single layer. In addition to the enhanced physical stability, the result of simulated temperature swing adsorption cycles revealed that the double-layer structured adsorbent presented a high potential working capacity (3.5 mmol/g) and less urea formation under CO 2 -rich regeneration conditions. The enhanced physical and chemical stabilities as well as the high CO 2 working capacity of the double-layer structured adsorbent were mainly attributed to the second layer consisting of diepoxide-cross-linked PEI.

  7. Physical Layer Multi-Core Prototyping A Dataflow-Based Approach for LTE eNodeB

    CERN Document Server

    Pelcat, Maxime; Piat, Jonathan; Nezan, Jean-François

    2013-01-01

    Base stations developed according to the 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard require unprecedented processing power. 3GPP LTE enables data rates beyond hundreds of Mbits/s by using advanced technologies, necessitating a highly complex LTE physical layer. The operating power of base stations is a significant cost for operators, and is currently optimized using state-of-the-art hardware solutions, such as heterogeneous distributed systems. The traditional system design method of porting algorithms to heterogeneous distributed systems based on test-and-refine methods is a manual, thus time-expensive, task.   Physical Layer Multi-Core Prototyping: A Dataflow-Based Approach for LTE eNodeB provides a clear introduction to the 3GPP LTE physical layer and to dataflow-based prototyping and programming. The difficulties in the process of 3GPP LTE physical layer porting are outlined, with particular focus on automatic partitioning and scheduling, load balancing and computation latency reduction, specifically in sys...

  8. Method of performing a layer operation in a communications network

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bosch, H.G.P.; Mullender, Sape J.; Narlikar, G.J.

    2006-01-01

    In an embodiment of the present invention, a scheduling operation is performed at a lower layer based on upper layer information. In another embodiment of the present invention, an action is performed at an upper layer based on received lower layer information. Also, a scheduling operation may be

  9. Co-extrusion of electrolyte/anode functional layer/anode triple-layer ceramic hollow fibres for micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cells-electrochemical performance study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Tao; Wu, Zhentao; Li, K.

    2015-01-01

    In this study, the effects of an anode functional layer (AFL) with controlled thickness on physical and electrochemical properties of a micro-tubular SOFC have been systematically studied. A series of electrolyte/AFL/anode triple-layer hollow fibres with controllable AFL thicknesses (16.9-52.7 μm) have been fabricated via a single-step phase-inversion assisted co-extrusion technique. Both robustness of the cell and gas-tightness of the electrolyte layer are considerably improved by introducing the AFL of this type. The fracture force of the sample with the thickest AFL (9.67 N) almost doubles when compared to the electrolyte/anode dual-layer counterpart (5.24 N). Gas-tightness of the electrolyte layer is also considerably increased as AFL contributes to better-matched sintering behaviours between different components. Moreover, the formation of an AFL simultaneously with electrolyte and anode significantly improves the cell performances. The sample with the thinnest AFL (approximately 16.9 μm, 6% of the total anode thickness) leads to a 30% (from 0.89 to 1.21 W cm-2) increase in maximum power density, due to increased triple-phase boundaries (TPB). However, further increase in TPB from a thicker AFL is less effective for improving the cell performance, due to the substantially increased fuel diffusion resistance and subsequently higher concentration polarization. This indicates that the control over the AFL thickness is critically important in avoiding offsetting the benefits of extended TPB and consequently decreased cell performances.

  10. Equivalent physical models and formulation of equivalent source layer in high-resolution EEG imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yao Dezhong; He Bin

    2003-01-01

    In high-resolution EEG imaging, both equivalent dipole layer (EDL) and equivalent charge layer (ECL) assumed to be located just above the cortical surface have been proposed as high-resolution imaging modalities or as intermediate steps to estimate the epicortical potential. Presented here are the equivalent physical models of these two equivalent source layers (ESL) which show that the strength of EDL is proportional to the surface potential of the layer when the outside of the layer is filled with an insulator, and that the strength of ECL is the normal current of the layer when the outside is filled with a perfect conductor. Based on these equivalent physical models, closed solutions of ECL and EDL corresponding to a dipole enclosed by a spherical layer are given. These results provide the theoretical basis of ESL applications in high-resolution EEG mapping

  11. Equivalent physical models and formulation of equivalent source layer in high-resolution EEG imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yao Dezhong [School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu City, 610054, Sichuan Province (China); He Bin [The University of Illinois at Chicago, IL (United States)

    2003-11-07

    In high-resolution EEG imaging, both equivalent dipole layer (EDL) and equivalent charge layer (ECL) assumed to be located just above the cortical surface have been proposed as high-resolution imaging modalities or as intermediate steps to estimate the epicortical potential. Presented here are the equivalent physical models of these two equivalent source layers (ESL) which show that the strength of EDL is proportional to the surface potential of the layer when the outside of the layer is filled with an insulator, and that the strength of ECL is the normal current of the layer when the outside is filled with a perfect conductor. Based on these equivalent physical models, closed solutions of ECL and EDL corresponding to a dipole enclosed by a spherical layer are given. These results provide the theoretical basis of ESL applications in high-resolution EEG mapping.

  12. Securing Wireless Communications of the Internet of Things from the Physical Layer, An Overview

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Junqing; Duong, Trung; Woods, Roger; Marshall, Alan

    2017-08-01

    The security of the Internet of Things (IoT) is receiving considerable interest as the low power constraints and complexity features of many IoT devices are limiting the use of conventional cryptographic techniques. This article provides an overview of recent research efforts on alternative approaches for securing IoT wireless communications at the physical layer, specifically the key topics of key generation and physical layer encryption. These schemes can be implemented and are lightweight, and thus offer practical solutions for providing effective IoT wireless security. Future research to make IoT-based physical layer security more robust and pervasive is also covered.

  13. Point Defects in Two-Dimensional Layered Semiconductors: Physics and Its Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suh, Joonki

    Recent advances in material science and semiconductor processing have been achieved largely based on in-depth understanding, efficient management and advanced application of point defects in host semiconductors, thus finding the relevant techniques such as doping and defect engineering as a traditional scientific and technological solution. Meanwhile, two- dimensional (2D) layered semiconductors currently draw tremendous attentions due to industrial needs and their rich physics at the nanoscale; as we approach the end of critical device dimensions in silicon-based technology, ultra-thin semiconductors have the potential as next- generation channel materials, and new physics also emerges at such reduced dimensions where confinement of electrons, phonons, and other quasi-particles is significant. It is therefore rewarding and interesting to understand and redefine the impact of lattice defects by investigating their interactions with energy/charge carriers of the host matter. Potentially, the established understanding will provide unprecedented opportunities for realizing new functionalities and enhancing the performance of energy harvesting and optoelectronic devices. In this thesis, multiple novel 2D layered semiconductors, such as bismuth and transition- metal chalcogenides, are explored. Following an introduction of conventional effects induced by point defects in semiconductors, the related physics of electronically active amphoteric defects is revisited in greater details. This can elucidate the complication of a two-dimensional electron gas coexisting with the topological states on the surface of bismuth chalcogenides, recently suggested as topological insulators. Therefore, native point defects are still one of the keys to understand and exploit topological insulators. In addition to from a fundamental science point of view, the effects of point defects on the integrated thermal-electrical transport, as well as the entropy-transporting process in

  14. Physical layer simulation study for the coexistence of WLAN standards

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Howlader, M. K. [Marquette Univ., 222 Haggerty Hall, P. O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53201 (United States); Keiger, C. [Analysis and Measurement Services Corporation, 9111 Cross Park Drive, Knoxville, TN 37923 (United States); Ewing, P. D. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, MS-6006, P. O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States); Govan, T. V. [U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, MS T-10-D20, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852 (United States)

    2006-07-01

    This paper presents the results of a study on the performance of wireless local area network (WLAN) devices in the presence of interference from other wireless devices. To understand the coexistence of these wireless protocols, simplified physical-layer-system models were developed for the Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), and Zigbee devices, all of which operate within the 2.4-GHz frequency band. The performances of these protocols were evaluated using Monte-Carlo simulations under various interference and channel conditions. The channel models considered were basic additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN), Rayleigh fading, and site-specific fading. The study also incorporated the basic modulation schemes, multiple access techniques, and channel allocations of the three protocols. This research is helping the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) understand the coexistence issues associated with deploying wireless devices and could prove useful in the development of a technical basis for guidance to address safety-related issues with the implementation of wireless systems in nuclear facilities. (authors)

  15. Physical layer simulation study for the coexistence of WLAN standards

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Howlader, M. K.; Keiger, C.; Ewing, P. D.; Govan, T. V.

    2006-01-01

    This paper presents the results of a study on the performance of wireless local area network (WLAN) devices in the presence of interference from other wireless devices. To understand the coexistence of these wireless protocols, simplified physical-layer-system models were developed for the Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), and Zigbee devices, all of which operate within the 2.4-GHz frequency band. The performances of these protocols were evaluated using Monte-Carlo simulations under various interference and channel conditions. The channel models considered were basic additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN), Rayleigh fading, and site-specific fading. The study also incorporated the basic modulation schemes, multiple access techniques, and channel allocations of the three protocols. This research is helping the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) understand the coexistence issues associated with deploying wireless devices and could prove useful in the development of a technical basis for guidance to address safety-related issues with the implementation of wireless systems in nuclear facilities. (authors)

  16. Interfacial Layer Engineering for Performance Enhancement in Polymer Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hao Zeng

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Improving power conversion efficiency and device performance stability is the most critical challenge in polymer solar cells for fulfilling their applications in industry at large scale. Various methodologies have been developed for realizing this goal, among them interfacial layer engineering has shown great success, which can optimize the electrical contacts between active layers and electrodes and lead to enhanced charge transport and collection. Interfacial layers also show profound impacts on light absorption and optical distribution of solar irradiation in the active layer and film morphology of the subsequently deposited active layer due to the accompanied surface energy change. Interfacial layer engineering enables the use of high work function metal electrodes without sacrificing device performance, which in combination with the favored kinetic barriers against water and oxygen penetration leads to polymer solar cells with enhanced performance stability. This review provides an overview of the recent progress of different types of interfacial layer materials, including polymers, small molecules, graphene oxides, fullerene derivatives, and metal oxides. Device performance enhancement of the resulting solar cells will be elucidated and the function and operation mechanism of the interfacial layers will be discussed.

  17. Performance improvement of MEH-PPV:PCBM solar cells using bathocuproine and bathophenanthroline as the buffer layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Xiao Dong; Zhao Su-Ling; Xu Zheng; Zhang Fu-Jun; Zhang Tian-Hui; Gong Wei; Yan Guang; Kong Chao; Wang Yong-Sheng; Xu Xu-Rong

    2011-01-01

    In this work, bathocuproine (BCP) and bathophenanthroline (Bphen), commonly used in small-molecule organic solar cells (OSCs), are adopted as the buffer layers to improve the performance of the polymer solar cells (PSCs) based on poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene) (MEH-PPV): [6,6]-phenyl-C 61 -butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) bulk heterojunction. By inserting BCP or Bphen between the active layer and the top cathode, all the performance parameters are dramatically improved. The power conversion efficiency is increased by about 70% and 120% with 5-nm BCP and 12-nm Bphen layers, respectively, when compared with that of the devices without any buffer layer. The performance enhancement is attributed to BCP or Bphen (i) increasing the optical field, and hence the absorption in the active layer, (ii) effectively blocking the excitons generated in MEH-PPV from quenching at organic/aluminum (Al) interface due to the large band-gap of BCP or Bphen, which results in a significant reduction in series resistance (R s ), and (iii) preventing damage to the active layer during the metal deposition. Compared with the traditional device using LiF as the buffer layer, the BCP-based devices show a comparable efficiency, while the Bphen-based devices show a much larger efficiency. This is due to the higher electron mobility in Bphen than that in BCP, which facilitates the electron transport and extraction through the buffer layer to the cathode. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

  18. A Novel Secure Transmission Scheme in MIMO Two-Way Relay Channels with Physical Layer Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiao Liu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Security issue has been considered as one of the most pivotal aspects for the fifth-generation mobile network (5G due to the increasing demands of security service as well as the growing occurrence of security threat. In this paper, instead of focusing on the security architecture in the upper layer, we investigate the secure transmission for a basic channel model in a heterogeneous network, that is, two-way relay channels. By exploiting the properties of the transmission medium in the physical layer, we propose a novel secure scheme for the aforementioned channel mode. With precoding design, the proposed scheme is able to achieve a high transmission efficiency as well as security. Two different approaches have been introduced: information theoretical approach and physical layer encryption approach. We show that our scheme is secure under three different adversarial models: (1 untrusted relay attack model, (2 trusted relay with eavesdropper attack model, and (3 untrusted relay with eavesdroppers attack model. We also derive the secrecy capacity of the two different approaches under the three attacks. Finally, we conduct three simulations of our proposed scheme. The simulation results agree with the theoretical analysis illustrating that our proposed scheme could achieve a better performance than the existing schemes.

  19. Thermal Performance of Cryogenic Multilayer Insulation at Various Layer Spacings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Wesley Louis

    2010-01-01

    Multilayer insulation (MLI) has been shown to be the best performing cryogenic insulation system at high vacuum (less that 10 (exp 3) torr), and is widely used on spaceflight vehicles. Over the past 50 years, many investigations into MLI have yielded a general understanding of the many variables that are associated with MLI. MLI has been shown to be a function of variables such as warm boundary temperature, the number of reflector layers, and the spacer material in between reflectors, the interstitial gas pressure and the interstitial gas. Since the conduction between reflectors increases with the thickness of the spacer material, yet the radiation heat transfer is inversely proportional to the number of layers, it stands to reason that the thermal performance of MLI is a function of the number of layers per thickness, or layer density. Empirical equations that were derived based on some of the early tests showed that the conduction term was proportional to the layer density to a power. This power depended on the material combination and was determined by empirical test data. Many authors have graphically shown such optimal layer density, but none have provided any data at such low densities, or any method of determining this density. Keller, Cunnington, and Glassford showed MLI thermal performance as a function of layer density of high layer densities, but they didn't show a minimal layer density or any data below the supposed optimal layer density. However, it was recently discovered that by manipulating the derived empirical equations and taking a derivative with respect to layer density yields a solution for on optimal layer density. Various manufacturers have begun manufacturing MLI at densities below the optimal density. They began this based on the theory that increasing the distance between layers lowered the conductive heat transfer and they had no limitations on volume. By modifying the circumference of these blankets, the layer density can easily be

  20. Physical-layer network coding in coherent optical OFDM systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guan, Xun; Chan, Chun-Kit

    2015-04-20

    We present the first experimental demonstration and characterization of the application of optical physical-layer network coding in coherent optical OFDM systems. It combines two optical OFDM frames to share the same link so as to enhance system throughput, while individual OFDM frames can be recovered with digital signal processing at the destined node.

  1. Improved Performance of Fluorinated Copper Phthalocyanine Thin Film Transistors Using Para-hexaphenyl as the Inducing Layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma Feng; Wang Shi-Rong; Li Xiang-Gao; Yan Dong-Hang

    2011-01-01

    We demonstrate n-type organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) employing copper hexadecafluorophthalocyanine (CuPcF 16 ) as the active layer and para-hexaphenyl (p-6p) as the inducing layer. Compared with the CuPcF 16 -based OTFTs without the p-6p inducing layer, the performance of the CuPcF 16 /p-6p OTFTs is greatly improved. The charge carrier field-effect mobility μ, on-off current ratio I on /I off and threshold voltage V T of the CuPcF 16 /p-6p OTFTs are 0.07 cm 2 /V·s, 1.61 × 10 5 and 6.28 V, respectively, approaching the level of a single crystal device. The improved performance is attributed to the introduction of p-6p to form a highly oriented and continuous film of CuPcF 16 with the molecular π-π stack direction parallel to the substrate. (cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

  2. Code-Hopping Based Transmission Scheme for Wireless Physical-Layer Security

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liuguo Yin

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Due to the broadcast and time-varying natures of wireless channels, traditional communication systems that provide data encryption at the application layer suffer many challenges such as error diffusion. In this paper, we propose a code-hopping based secrecy transmission scheme that uses dynamic nonsystematic low-density parity-check (LDPC codes and automatic repeat-request (ARQ mechanism to jointly encode and encrypt source messages at the physical layer. In this scheme, secret keys at the transmitter and the legitimate receiver are generated dynamically upon the source messages that have been transmitted successfully. During the transmission, each source message is jointly encoded and encrypted by a parity-check matrix, which is dynamically selected from a set of LDPC matrices based on the shared dynamic secret key. As for the eavesdropper (Eve, the uncorrectable decoding errors prevent her from generating the same secret key as the legitimate parties. Thus she cannot select the correct LDPC matrix to recover the source message. We demonstrate that our scheme can be compatible with traditional cryptosystems and enhance the security without sacrificing the error-correction performance. Numerical results show that the bit error rate (BER of Eve approaches 0.5 as the number of transmitted source messages increases and the security gap of the system is small.

  3. Trusted communications with physical layer security for 5G and beyond

    CERN Document Server

    Duong, Trung Q; Poor, H Vincent

    2017-01-01

    Securely transferring confidential information over a wireless network is a challenging task. This book addresses security issues, not only for 5G but also beyond, using physical layer security technology and techniques.

  4. A primer on physical-layer network coding

    CERN Document Server

    Liew, Soung Chang; Zhang, Shengli

    2015-01-01

    The concept of physical-layer network coding (PNC) was proposed in 2006 for application in wireless networks. Since then it has developed into a subfield of communications and networking with a wide following. This book is a primer on PNC. It is the outcome of a set of lecture notes for a course for beginning graduate students at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The target audience is expected to have some prior background knowledge in communication theory and wireless communications, but not working knowledge at the research level. Indeed, a goal of this book/course is to allow the reader

  5. Physical Layer Secret-Key Generation Scheme for Transportation Security Sensor Network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Bin; Zhang, Jianfeng

    2017-06-28

    Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are widely used in different disciplines, including transportation systems, agriculture field environment monitoring, healthcare systems, and industrial monitoring. The security challenge of the wireless communication link between sensor nodes is critical in WSNs. In this paper, we propose a new physical layer secret-key generation scheme for transportation security sensor network. The scheme is based on the cooperation of all the sensor nodes, thus avoiding the key distribution process, which increases the security of the system. Different passive and active attack models are analyzed in this paper. We also prove that when the cooperative node number is large enough, even when the eavesdropper is equipped with multiple antennas, the secret-key is still secure. Numerical results are performed to show the efficiency of the proposed scheme.

  6. High performance a-IGZO thin-film transistors with mf-PVD SiO2 as an etch-stop-layer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nag, M.; Steudel, S.; Bhoolokam, A.; Chasin, A.; Rockele, M.; Myny, K.; Maas, J.; Fritz, T.; Trube, J.; Groeseneken, G.; Heremans, P.

    2014-01-01

    In this work, we report on high-performance bottom-gate top-contact (BGTC) amorphous-Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) with SiO2 as an etch-stop-layer (ESL) deposited by medium frequency physical vapor deposition (mf-PVD). The TFTs show field-effect mobility (μFE) of

  7. Simulation on the Performance of Dye Solar Cell Incorporated with TiO2 Passivation Layer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Unan Yusmaniar Oktiawati

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Dye Solar Cell (DSC has started to gain interest in the recent years for practical application because of its ecofriendly, low cost, and easy fabrication. However, its efficiency is still not as competitive as the conventional silicon based solar cell. One of the research efforts to improve the efficiency of DSC is to use the passivation layer in between the photoelectrode material and the conductive oxide substrate. Thus, the objective of this simulation study is to investigate the effect of passivation layer on the performance of DSC. Properties from literatures which are based on physical work were captured as the input for the simulation using process, ATHENA, and device, ATLAS, simulator. Results have shown that the addition of two-20 nm TiO2 passivation layers on DSC can enhance the efficiency by 11% as the result of less recombination, higher electron mobility, and longer electron lifetime.

  8. Cooperative Wireless Communications and Physical Layer Security : State of the Art

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rohokale, Vandana M.; Prasad, Neeli R.; Prasad, Ramjee

    2012-01-01

    in the mobile equipment is not feasible due to resource constraints. Cooperative wireless communication (CWC) is the upcoming virtual MIMO technique to combat fading and achieve diversity through user cooperation. Physical layer security (PLS) is the imminent security guarantee for the cooperative communication....

  9. Catalyst layers for PEMFC manufactured by flexography printing process: performances and structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bois, C.; Blayo, A.; Chaussy, D. [Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Science and Graphic Arts (LGP2) (UMR 5518 CNRS-CTP-INPG), Grenoble Institute of Technology (INP Grenoble - PAGORA), St Martin d' Heres (France); Vincent, R.; Mercier, A.G.; Nayoze, C. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA)/DRT/LITEN, Laboratoire des Composants Piles a Combustible, Electrolyse et Modelisation (LCPEM), Grenoble (France)

    2012-04-15

    This article focuses on the potential of a classic printing process, flexography, for manufacturing proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) are produced by deposition of a water-based catalyst ink on a gas diffusion layer (GDL). The affinity between the ink and the GDL is quantified. Thus, the strong hydrophobic character of the GDL and the poor printability of the ink are demonstrated. However, the permeability of the GDL allows developing a multilayer protocol. The deposition by superimposition of ink layers allows control of the platinum amount and to obtain catalyst layers with a similar density of platinum nanoparticles to coated samples. At similar platinum loading, flexography and coating made catalyst layers offer similar performances, which confirm the relevance of flexography in catalyst layer manufacturing. Structural characterization shows that manufacturing protocol and process has an influence on catalyst layer microstructure. However, catalyst layer cracking and aggregation are increased with the catalyst layer thickness, diminishing the charge and gas diffusion into the catalyst layer resulting in performance degradation. Consequently, a catalyst layer with 0.46 mgPt cm{sup -2} reaches similar performances to catalyst layers with 1.77 and 2.01 times less platinum loading. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  10. Physically Unclonable Cryptographic Primitives by Chemical Vapor Deposition of Layered MoS2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alharbi, Abdullah; Armstrong, Darren; Alharbi, Somayah; Shahrjerdi, Davood

    2017-12-26

    Physically unclonable cryptographic primitives are promising for securing the rapidly growing number of electronic devices. Here, we introduce physically unclonable primitives from layered molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) by leveraging the natural randomness of their island growth during chemical vapor deposition (CVD). We synthesize a MoS 2 monolayer film covered with speckles of multilayer islands, where the growth process is engineered for an optimal speckle density. Using the Clark-Evans test, we confirm that the distribution of islands on the film exhibits complete spatial randomness, hence indicating the growth of multilayer speckles is a spatial Poisson process. Such a property is highly desirable for constructing unpredictable cryptographic primitives. The security primitive is an array of 2048 pixels fabricated from this film. The complex structure of the pixels makes the physical duplication of the array impossible (i.e., physically unclonable). A unique optical response is generated by applying an optical stimulus to the structure. The basis for this unique response is the dependence of the photoemission on the number of MoS 2 layers, which by design is random throughout the film. Using a threshold value for the photoemission, we convert the optical response into binary cryptographic keys. We show that the proper selection of this threshold is crucial for maximizing combination randomness and that the optimal value of the threshold is linked directly to the growth process. This study reveals an opportunity for generating robust and versatile security primitives from layered transition metal dichalcogenides.

  11. Physical Layer Security Using Two-Path Successive Relaying

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qian Yu Liau

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Relaying is one of the useful techniques to enhance wireless physical-layer security. Existing literature shows that employing full-duplex relay instead of conventional half-duplex relay improves secrecy capacity and secrecy outage probability, but this is at the price of sophisticated implementation. As an alternative, two-path successive relaying has been proposed to emulate operation of full-duplex relay by scheduling a pair of half-duplex relays to assist the source transmission alternately. However, the performance of two-path successive relaying in secrecy communication remains unexplored. This paper proposes a secrecy two-path successive relaying protocol for a scenario with one source, one destination and two half-duplex relays. The relays operate alternately in a time division mode to forward messages continuously from source to destination in the presence of an eavesdropper. Analytical results reveal that the use of two half-duplex relays in the proposed scheme contributes towards a quadratically lower probability of interception compared to full-duplex relaying. Numerical simulations show that the proposed protocol achieves the ergodic achievable secrecy rate of full-duplex relaying while delivering the lowest probability of interception and secrecy outage probability compared to the existing half duplex relaying, full duplex relaying and full duplex jamming schemes.

  12. Physical properties of layered homologous RE-B-C(N) compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mori, Takao; Zhang Fuxiang; Leithe-Jasper, Andreas

    2004-01-01

    Physical properties of a series of homologous RE-B-C(N) B 12 cluster compounds REB 17 CN, REB 22 C 2 N, and REB 28.5 C 4 (RE=Er,Ho) were investigated. The structures of the compounds are layer-like along the c-axis, with rare earth and B 6 octahedral layers separated by B 12 icosahedral and C-B-C chain layers whose number increases successively from two B 12 layers for the REB 17 CN compound to four for the REB 28.5 C 4 compound. The rare earth atoms are configured in two triangular flat layers which are stacked on top of one another in AB stacking where the nearest-neighbor rare earth directions are the three atoms forming a triangle in the adjacent layer. The series of homologous compounds exhibit a spin glass transition with T f shifting in correspondence with variations of the basal plane lattice constants, consistent with the magnetic interaction being effective in the basal planes. The isothermal remanent magnetization shows a stretched exponential decay I m (t)∝ exp[-Ct -(1-n) ]. Exponents determined for the different homologous compounds were scaled as a function of T r =T/T f and found to follow the empirical dependency determined for typical spin glasses. It is indicated that a mixture of disorder originating from the partial occupancy of the rare earth sites and frustration of interactions due to the unique configuration is responsible for the manifestation of spin glass transitions in these homologous systems

  13. Physical-Layer Security with Full-Duplex Transceivers and Multiuser Receiver at Eve

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mahmood, Nurul Huda; Shafique Ansari, Imran; Popovski, Petar

    2017-01-01

    , leading researchers to study other possible applications that can accord higher gains. The potential of full-duplex communication in improving the physical-layer security of a communication link is investigated in this contribution. We specifically present a thorough analysis of the achievable ergodic...

  14. Performance improvement of a cross-flow hydro turbine by air layer effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Y D; Yoon, H Y; Inagaki, M; Ooike, S; Kim, Y J; Lee, Y H

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study is not only to investigate the effects of air layer in the turbine chamber on the performance and internal flow of the cross-flow turbine, but also to suggest a newly developed air supply method. Field test is performed in order to measure the output power of the turbine by a new air supply method. CFD analysis on the performance and internal flow of the turbine is conducted by an unsteady state calculation using a two-phase flow model in order to embody the air layer effect on the turbine performance effectively.The result shows that air layer effect on the performance of the turbine is considerable. The air layer located in the turbine runner passage plays the role of preventing a shock loss at the runner axis and suppressing a recirculation flow in the runner. The location of air suction hole on the chamber wall is very important factor for the performance improvement. Moreover, the ratio between air from suction pipe and water from turbine inlet is also significant factor of the turbine performance.

  15. Efficient Transfer of Graphene-Physical and Electrical Performance Perspective

    KAUST Repository

    Ghoneim, Mohamed T.

    2012-11-01

    Efficient Transfer of Graphene –Physical and Electrical Performance Perspective Graphene has become one of the most widely used atomic crystal structure materials since its first experimental proof by Geim-Novoselov in 2004 [1]. This is attributed to its reported incredible carrier mobility, mechanical strength and thermal conductivity [2] [3] [4]. These properties suggest interesting applications of Graphene ranging from electronics to energy storage and conversion [5]. In 2008, Chen et al reported a 40,000 cm2V-1s-1 mobility for a Single Layer Graphene (SLG) on SiO2 compared to 285 cm2V-1s-1 for silicon channel devices [6]. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a common method for growing graphene on a metal surface as a catalyst for graphene nucleation. This adds a necessary transfer step to the target substrate ultimately desired for graphene devices fabrication. Interfacing with graphene is a critical challenge in preserving its promising high mobility. This initiated the motivation for studying the effect of intermediate interfaces imposed by transfer processes. In this work, few layers graphene (FLG) was grown on copper foils inside a high temperature furnace. Then Raman spectroscopy was performed on grown graphene sample to confirm few (in between 3-10) layers. Afterwards the sample was cut into three pieces and transferred to 300 nm SiO2 on Si substrates using three techniques, namely: (i) pickup transfer with top side of Graphene brought in contact with SiO2 [7], (ii) Ploy (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) transfer with Graphene and a PMMA support layer on top scooped from bottom side [8], and (iii) a modified direct transfer which is similar to PMMA transfer without the support layer [9]. Comparisons were done using Raman spectroscopy to determine the relative defectivity, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to observe discontinuities and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to measure surface roughness. Then we conclude with electrical data based on the contact

  16. Enhanced Performance of Nanowire-Based All-TiO2 Solar Cells using Subnanometer-Thick Atomic Layer Deposited ZnO Embedded Layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghobadi, Amir; Yavuz, Halil I.; Ulusoy, T. Gamze; Icli, K. Cagatay; Ozenbas, Macit; Okyay, Ali K.

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, the effect of angstrom-thick atomic layer deposited (ALD) ZnO embedded layer on photovoltaic (PV) performance of Nanowire-Based All-TiO 2 solar cells has been systematically investigated. Our results indicate that by varying the thickness of ZnO layer the efficiency of the solar cell can be significantly changed. It is shown that the efficiency has its maximum for optimal thickness of 1 ALD cycle in which this ultrathin ZnO layer improves device performance through passivation of surface traps without hampering injection efficiency of photogenerated electrons. The mechanisms contributing to this unprecedented change in PV performance of the cell have been scrutinized and discussed

  17. Cognitive Security of Wireless Communication Systems in the Physical Layer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mustafa Harun Yılmaz

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available While the wireless communication systems provide the means of connectivity nearly everywhere and all the time, communication security requires more attention. Even though current efforts provide solutions to specific problems under given circumstances, these methods are neither adaptive nor flexible enough to provide security under the dynamic conditions which make the security breaches an important concern. In this paper, a cognitive security (CS concept for wireless communication systems in the physical layer is proposed with the aim of providing a comprehensive solution to wireless security problems. The proposed method will enable the comprehensive security to ensure a robust and reliable communication in the existence of adversaries by providing adaptive security solutions in the communication systems by exploiting the physical layer security from different perspective. The adaptiveness relies on the fact that radio adapts its propagation characteristics to satisfy secure communication based on specific conditions which are given as user density, application specific adaptation, and location within CS concept. Thus, instead of providing any type of new security mechanism, it is proposed that radio can take the necessary precautions based on these conditions before the attacks occur. Various access scenarios are investigated to enable the CS while considering these conditions.

  18. Analysis of physical factors on chosen properties of anodic alumina oxide (AAO layers and environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Gombár

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available In the contribution is evaluated an impact of physical factors of anodizing process, namely the temperature of an electrolyte, anodizing time and voltage, on the change of values of Vickers microhardness and thickness of formed layer of experimental materials Al99∙5. By increasing of electrolyte temperature, the values of layer microhardness and thickness layer increase, namely about 0.78 % at the increasing of electrolyte temperature by 1 °C. By lengthening of anodizing time grows the value of layer thickness, but only to the value of the critical deposition time, when chemical dissolution of the layer start to be more prominent. By voltage increasing, values of layer thickness and micro-hardness are increased in the range of the used experimental values.

  19. The layering and physical characteristics of Shaver Brown Hens in a ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Eggs were collected from 120 Shaver Brown hens for a period of 56 days in order to determine their oviposition time, sequence of laying, lag time, laying intensity and egg weight. The hens were subsequently divided into three classes on the basis of their laying performance namely: good layers, intermediate layers and ...

  20. Physical Performance Across the Adult Life Span: Correlates With Age and Physical Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Katherine S; Cohen, Harvey J; Pieper, Carl F; Fillenbaum, Gerda G; Kraus, William E; Huffman, Kim M; Cornish, Melissa A; Shiloh, Andrew; Flynn, Christy; Sloane, Richard; Newby, L Kristin; Morey, Miriam C

    2017-04-01

    A number of large-scale population studies have provided valuable information about physical performance in aged individuals; however, there is little information about trajectories of function and associations with age across the adult life span. We developed a mobility-focused physical performance screener designed to be appropriate for the adult life span. The physical performance battery includes measures of mobility, strength, endurance, and balance. Physical activity (PA) was assessed with accelerometry. We examined age-related trends in physical performance and PA, and the relationship between physical performance and PA across the age range (30-90+), by decade, in 775 participants enrolled in the study 2012-2014. Physical performance was worse with increasing age decade. Although men performed better than women across all ages, the decrement by age group was similar between genders. Worsening physical performance was observed as early as the fifth decade for chair stands and balance and in the sixth decade for gait speed and aerobic endurance. The number and strength of significant associations between physical performance and PA increased with greater age: the greatest number of significant associations was seen in the 60-79 age groups, with fewer reported in the 30-59 and 80-90+ age groups. More PA was associated with better physical function. These results emphasize the importance of a life span approach to studies of function and aging. This work points to the need for a physical performance screener that spans across adulthood as a clinical tool for identifying functional decline. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  1. Fuel Thermo-physical Characterization Project: Evaluation of Models to Calculate Thermal Diffusivity of Layered Composites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burkes, Douglas [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Casella, Amanda J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Gardner, Levi D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Casella, Andrew M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Huber, Tanja K. [Technische Universität München, Munich (Germany); Breitkreutz, Harald [Technische Universität München, Munich (Germany)

    2015-02-11

    The Office of Material Management and Minimization Fuel Thermo-physical Characterization Project at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is tasked with using PNNL facilities and processes to receive irradiated low enriched uranium-molybdenum fuel plate samples and perform analyses in support of the Office of Material Management and Minimization Reactor Conversion Program. This work is in support of the Fuel Development Pillar that is managed by Idaho National Laboratory. A key portion of the scope associated with this project was to measure the thermal properties of fuel segments harvested from plates that were irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor. Thermal diffusivity of samples prepared from the fuel segments was measured using laser flash analysis. Two models, one developed by PNNL and the other developed by the Technische Universität München (TUM), were evaluated to extract the thermal diffusivity of the uranium-molybdenum alloy from measurements made on the irradiated, layered composites. The experimental data of the “TC” irradiated fuel segment was evaluated using both models considering a three-layer and five-layer system. Both models are in acceptable agreement with one another and indicate that the zirconium diffusion barrier has a minimal impact on the overall thermal diffusivity of the monolithic U-Mo fuel.

  2. Maglev performance of a double-layer bulk high temperature superconductor above a permanent magnet guideway

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deng, Z; Wang, J; Zheng, J; Lin, Q; Zhang, Y; Wang, S

    2009-01-01

    In order to improve the performance of the present high temperature superconducting (HTS) maglev vehicle system, the maglev performance of single- and double-layer bulk high temperature superconductors (HTSC) was investigated above a permanent magnet guideway (PMG). It is found that the maglev performance of a double-layer bulk HTSC is not a simple addition of each layer's levitation and guidance force. Moreover, the applied magnetic field at the position of the upper layer bulk HTSC is not completely shielded by the lower layer bulk HTSC either. 53.5% of the levitation force and 27.5% of the guidance force of the upper layer bulk HTSC are excited in the double-layer bulk HTSC arrangement in the applied field-cooling condition and working gap, bringing a corresponding improvement of 16.9% and 8.8% to the conventional single-layer bulk HTSC. The present research implies that the cost performance of upper layer bulk HTSC is a little low for the whole HTS maglev system.

  3. Maglev performance of a double-layer bulk high temperature superconductor above a permanent magnet guideway

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Deng, Z; Wang, J; Zheng, J; Lin, Q; Zhang, Y; Wang, S [Applied Superconductivity Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031 (China)], E-mail: asclab@asclab.cn

    2009-05-15

    In order to improve the performance of the present high temperature superconducting (HTS) maglev vehicle system, the maglev performance of single- and double-layer bulk high temperature superconductors (HTSC) was investigated above a permanent magnet guideway (PMG). It is found that the maglev performance of a double-layer bulk HTSC is not a simple addition of each layer's levitation and guidance force. Moreover, the applied magnetic field at the position of the upper layer bulk HTSC is not completely shielded by the lower layer bulk HTSC either. 53.5% of the levitation force and 27.5% of the guidance force of the upper layer bulk HTSC are excited in the double-layer bulk HTSC arrangement in the applied field-cooling condition and working gap, bringing a corresponding improvement of 16.9% and 8.8% to the conventional single-layer bulk HTSC. The present research implies that the cost performance of upper layer bulk HTSC is a little low for the whole HTS maglev system.

  4. Effect of TiOx compact layer with varied components on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fang, Yanling; Ai, Xianglong; Wang, Xiaomeng; Wang, Qi; Huang, Jianguo; Wu, Tao, E-mail: tao_wu@zju.edu.cn

    2014-05-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • TiOx compact layers with varied components are deposited by sputtering deposition. • TiOx compact layers suppressed the recombination at the FTO glass/ electrolyte interface effectively. • 20 nm-TiOx compact layer with the lowest x value (named T1) gave the highest charge transfer or transport and reduced recombination most. • Lower value of x in TiOx showed slightly better transmittance. • Lower value of x in TiOx reveals higher conductivity and better charge transfer from the porous TiO{sub 2} to the substrate. - Abstract: In this study, approximately 20 nm thick compact layers of TiOx with varied components are deposited by physical vapor deposition. The performance of these layers in solar cells is investigated. The TiOx compact layers consist of T1 (with Ti{sup 0}, Ti{sup 2+}, Ti{sup 3+}, and Ti{sup 4+}), T2 (with Ti{sup 3+} and Ti{sup 4+}), and T3 (with Ti{sup 4+}). Results show that the optimum compact layer is T1, which exhibits an approximately 61% enhancement in energy conversion efficiency compared with the bare cell. Mott–Schottky plots indicate that the carrier concentration decreases and the flatband becomes less negative with decreasing x, which consequently increases the likelihood of charge transfer from the nanoporous TiO{sub 2} to the TiOx compact layers. Furthermore, a decrease in the x value of TiOx results in lower resistance. Voltage decay and electrical impedance spectrum (EIS) show that the electron-carrier lifetime and charge recombination reduction are improved the most by T1. Consequently, TiOx with smaller x works better as a compact layer. However, a solar cell with T2 shows weak enhancement of photovoltaic performance. Cyclic voltammetry and EIS illustrate that the low recombination blocking and high resistance of T2 may be a result of its large pore size and weak adhesion to fluorine-doped tin oxide glass.

  5. Structural and physical properties of a novel misfit-layered cobalt oxide (CaOH)1.14CoO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isobe, Masaaki; Shizuya, Mitsuyuki; Takayama-Muromachi, Eiji

    2007-01-01

    We have studied crystal structure and physical properties of a new layered cobalt oxide (CaOH) 1.14 CoO 2 . The compound is a composite crystal which consists of two interpenetrating subsystems of the CdI 2 -type CoO 2 layer and the rock-salt-type double CaOH atomic layer. The two subsystems have incommensurate periodicity along the a-axis, resulting in modulated crystal structure due to the inter-subsystem interaction. We found that the observed physical properties originate in the electronic state with a 'low-carrier-density limit' in the cobalt t 2g band

  6. Time-difference imaging of magnetic induction tomography in a three-layer brain physical phantom

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Ruigang; Li, Ye; Fu, Feng; You, Fusheng; Shi, Xuetao; Dong, Xiuzhen

    2014-01-01

    Magnetic induction tomography (MIT) is a contactless and noninvasive technique to reconstruct the conductivity distribution in a human cross-section. In this paper, we want to study the feasibility of imaging the low-contrast perturbation and small volume object in human brains. We construct a three-layer brain physical phantom which mimics the real conductivity distribution of brains by introducing an artificial skull layer. Using our MIT data acquisition system on this phantom and differential algorithm, we have obtained a series of reconstructed images of conductivity perturbation objects. All of the conductivity perturbation objects in the brain phantom can be clearly distinguished in the reconstructed images. The minimum detectable conductivity difference between the object and the background is 0.03 S m −1  (12.5%). The minimum detectable inner volume of the objects is 3.4 cm 3 . The three-layer brain physical phantom is able to simulate the conductivity distribution of the main structures of a human brain. The images of the low-contrast perturbation and small volume object show the prospect of MIT in the future. (paper)

  7. Influence of Physical Activities to Science Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    RS Wilson DR. Constantino

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This study explored the physical activities of fifth and sixth graders that projected correlations to science performance and how these physical activities may be utilized for classroom purposes in the context of science-related play activities. Descriptive survey correlational design directed the data collection and analysis of the physical activities of purposively selected 133 fifth and sixth graders. Primarily, the study used a researcher-developed and validated instrument (Physical Activity Questionnaire [PAQ], and standard instruments: Philippine National Physical Activity Guide (PNPAG and General Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ. The latter classified the physical activities into five domains which directed the interpretation of the participants‟ responses. The Pearson-r Moment of Correlation described the level of correlation of the frequency of engagement to physical activities (limited to local and localized activities and the science grade of the respondents. Results show that each of the physical activity domains showed specific correlations to science performance of the respondents. For further research, enrichment of the relationship of the physical activities and the science performance may focus on possible moderating variables like economic status, and time allotment for physical activities.

  8. On the physics of relativistic double layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carlqvist, P.

    1982-06-01

    A model of a strong, time-independent, and relativistic double layer is studied. Besides double layers having the electric field parallel to the current the model also describes a certain type of oblique double layers. The 'Langmuir condition' (ratio of ion current density to electron current density) as well as an expression for the potential drop of the double layer are derived. Furthermore, the distribution of charged particles, electric field, and potential within the double layer are clarified and discussed. It is found that the properties of relativistic double layers differ substantially from the properties of corresponding non-relativistic double layers. (Author)

  9. Multilayer insulation (MLI) in the Superconducting Super Collider: A practical engineering approach to physical parameters governing MLI thermal performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonczy, J.D.; Boroski, W.N.; Niemann, R.C.

    1989-03-01

    Multilayer insulation (MLI) is employed in cryogenic devices to control the heat load of those devices. The physics defining the thermal performance of an MLI system is extremely complex due to the thermal dynamics of numerous interdependent parameters which in themselves contribute differently depending on whether boundary conditions are transient or steady-state. The Multilayer Insulation system for the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) consists of full cryostat length assemblies of aluminized polyester film, fabricated in the form of blankets, and installed as blankets to the 4.5K cold mass, and the 20K and 80K thermal radiation shields. Approximately 40,000 blankets will be required in the 10,000 cryogenic devices comprising the SSC accelerator. Each blanket will be nearly 56 feet long by 6 feet wide and will consist of as many as 32 reflective and 31 spacer layers of material. Discussed are MLI material choices, and the physical parameters which contribute to the operational performance of MLI systems. Disclosed is a method for fabricating MLI blankets by employing a large diameter winding mandrel having a circumference sufficient for the required blanket length. The blanket fabrication method assures consistency in mass produced MLI blankets by providing positive control of the dimensional parameters which contribute to the MLI blanket thermal performance. The fabrication method can be used to mass produce prefabricated MLI blankets that by virtue of the product have inherent features of dimensional stability, three-dimensional uniformity, controlled layer density, layer-to-layer registration, interlayer cleanliness, and interlayer material to accommodate thermal contraction differences. 9 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs

  10. Designing high-Performance layered thermoelectric materials through orbital engineering

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Jiawei; Song, Lirong; Madsen, Georg K. H.

    2016-01-01

    Thermoelectric technology, which possesses potential application in recycling industrial waste heat as energy, calls for novel high-performance materials. The systematic exploration of novel thermoelectric materials with excellent electronic transport properties is severely hindered by limited...... insight into the underlying bonding orbitals of atomic structures. Here we propose a simple yet successful strategy to discover and design high-performance layered thermoelectric materials through minimizing the crystal field splitting energy of orbitals to realize high orbital degeneracy. The approach...... naturally leads to design maps for optimizing the thermoelectric power factor through forming solid solutions and biaxial strain. Using this approach, we predict a series of potential thermoelectric candidates from layered CaAl2Si2-type Zintl compounds. Several of them contain nontoxic, low-cost and earth...

  11. The effect of using waste newspaper in surface layers on physical and mechanical properties of three-layer particleboard

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    vahid vaziri

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available In this study, physical and mechanical properties of particleboard made from recycled newspaper in the surface layers were investigated. Coarse and fine wood chips and recycled newspaper with dimension of 0.5 × 4 cm2 were used. The variable in this research were the ratio of recycled newspaper to wood chips (at five levels; 0:100, 15:85, 30:70, 45:55, 60:40. Urea formaldehyde resin used at 10% content on dry weight basis of the wood particles and newspaper and ammonium chloride was used as a catalyst to 2% of the dry weight of adhesive. Physical and mechanical properties of panels measured according to EN Standard. The results showed that panels containing recycled newspapers at the level of 45% had the highest bending strength and modulus of elasticity. Internal bonding and screw holding strength decreased with increasing of recycled newspaper and control sample had the highest strength. Water absorption and thickness swelling increased with increasing of recycled newspaper portion. On the basis of results of this study can be concluded that particleboard containing recycled newspapers in the surface layers up to the level of 30% can be used for general purpose boards and interior fitments (including furniture for use in dry conditions.

  12. Comprehensive Assessment of Step Aerobics Exercises Effect on Women’s Physical Performance and Physical Health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    І. П. Масляк

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To identify the dynamics of physical performance and physical health indicators in young and middle-aged women under the effect of step aerobics exercises. Material and methods. The grounds for the study were Kharkiv fitness club “Zorianyi”. The participants were 28 women aged 20-35. The study used the following methods: theoretical analysis of scientific and methodical literature, pedagogical experiment, methods of mathematical statistics, methods of determining physical performance (Harvard step test and physical health (anthropometry, pulsometry, tonometry, spirometry, dynamometry. Results: The study assessed the level of physical performance and physical health; analyzed age-related performance differences; determined the level of the effect of step aerobics on women’s physical performance and physical health. Conclusions: Step-aerobics exercises proved to have a positive effect on the level of physical performance and physical health of the young and middle-aged women.

  13. Physical Activity, Physical Performance, and Biological Markers of Health among Sedentary Older Latinos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerardo Moreno

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Physical activity is associated with better physical health, possibly by changing biological markers of health such as waist circumference and inflammation, but these relationships are unclear and even less understood among older Latinos—a group with high rates of sedentary lifestyle. Methods. Participants were 120 sedentary older Latino adults from senior centers. Community-partnered research methods were used to recruit participants. Inflammatory (C-reactive protein and metabolic markers of health (waist circumference, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, and glucose, physical activity (Yale physical activity survey, and physical performance (short physical performance NIA battery were measured at baseline and 6-month followup. Results. Eighty percent of the sample was female. In final adjusted cross-sectional models, better physical activity indices were associated with faster gait speed (P<0.05. In adjusted longitudinal analyses, change in self-reported physical activity level correlated inversely with change in CRP (β=-0.05; P=0.03 and change in waist circumference (β=-0.16; P=0.02. Biological markers of health did not mediate the relationship between physical activity and physical performance. Conclusion. In this community-partnered study, higher physical activity was associated with better physical performance in cross-sectional analyses. In longitudinal analysis, increased physical activity was associated with improvements in some metabolic and inflammatory markers of health.

  14. Mathematical analogies in physics. Thin-layer wave theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José M. Carcione

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Field theory applies to elastodynamics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, gravitation and other similar fields of physics, where the basic equations describing the phenomenon are based on constitutive relations and balance equations. For instance, in elastodynamics, these are the stress-strain relations and the equations of momentum conservation (Euler-Newton law. In these cases, the same mathematical theory can be used, by establishing appropriate mathematical equivalences (or analogies between material properties and field variables. For instance, the wave equation and the related mathematical developments can be used to describe anelastic and electromagnetic wave propagation, and are extensively used in quantum mechanics. In this work, we obtain the mathematical analogy for the reflection/refraction (transmission problem of a thin layer embedded between dissimilar media, considering the presence of anisotropy and attenuation/viscosity in the viscoelastic case, conductivity in the electromagnetic case and a potential barrier in quantum physics (the tunnel effect. The analogy is mainly illustrated with geophysical examples of propagation of S (shear, P (compressional, TM (transverse-magnetic and TE (transverse-electric waves. The tunnel effect is obtained as a special case of viscoelastic waves at normal incidence.

  15. Stereotype Threat and Women's Performance in Physics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marchand, Gwen C.; Taasoobshirazi, Gita

    2013-12-01

    Stereotype threat (ST), which involves confirming a negative stereotype about one's group, is a factor thought to contribute to the gender gap in science achievement and participation. This study involved a quasi-experiment in which 312 US high school physics students were randomly assigned, via their classroom cluster, to one of three ST conditions. The conditions included an explicit ST condition, an implicit ST condition, and a nullified condition. Results indicated that males in all three conditions performed similarly on a set of physics problems. Females in the nullified condition outperformed females in the explicit ST condition and females in the implicit and explicit conditions performed similarly. Males performed better than females in the implicit and explicit ST conditions, but male and female performance on the physics problems was not significantly different in the nullified condition. The implications of these findings for physics instruction and future research on gender differences in physics and ST in science are discussed.

  16. Layer-by-Layer-Assembled High-Performance Broadband Antireflection Coatings

    KAUST Repository

    Shimomura, Hiroomi; Gemici, Zekeriyya; Cohen, Robert E.; Rubner, Michael F.

    2010-01-01

    uniformity, thickness control, roughness control, mechanical durability, and incorporation of a diverse set of functional organic molecules into nanoparticle thin films are major challenges. We have used the electrostatic layer-by-layer assembly technique

  17. Cross-Layer Design and Analysis of Downlink Communications in Cellular CDMA Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sun Jin Yuan

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available A cellular CDMA network with voice and data communications is considered. Focusing on the downlink direction, we seek for the overall performance improvement which can be achieved by cross-layer analysis and design, taking physical layer, link layer, network layer, and transport layer into account. We are concerned with the role of each single layer as well as the interaction among layers, and propose algorithms/schemes accordingly to improve the system performance. These proposals include adaptive scheduling for link layer, priority-based handoff strategy for network admission control, and an algorithm for the avoidance of TCP spurious timeouts at the transport layer. Numerical results show the performance gain of each proposed scheme over independent performance of an individual layer in the wireless mobile network. We conclude that the system performance in terms of capacity, throughput, dropping probability, outage, power efficiency, delay, and fairness can be enhanced by jointly considering the interactions across layers.

  18. Four dimensional data assimilation (FDDA) impacts on WRF performance in simulating inversion layer structure and distributions of CMAQ-simulated winter ozone concentrations in Uintah Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Trang; Tran, Huy; Mansfield, Marc; Lyman, Seth; Crosman, Erik

    2018-03-01

    Four-dimensional data assimilation (FDDA) was applied in WRF-CMAQ model sensitivity tests to study the impact of observational and analysis nudging on model performance in simulating inversion layers and O3 concentration distributions within the Uintah Basin, Utah, U.S.A. in winter 2013. Observational nudging substantially improved WRF model performance in simulating surface wind fields, correcting a 10 °C warm surface temperature bias, correcting overestimation of the planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) and correcting underestimation of inversion strengths produced by regular WRF model physics without nudging. However, the combined effects of poor performance of WRF meteorological model physical parameterization schemes in simulating low clouds, and warm and moist biases in the temperature and moisture initialization and subsequent simulation fields, likely amplified the overestimation of warm clouds during inversion days when observational nudging was applied, impacting the resulting O3 photochemical formation in the chemistry model. To reduce the impact of a moist bias in the simulations on warm cloud formation, nudging with the analysis water mixing ratio above the planetary boundary layer (PBL) was applied. However, due to poor analysis vertical temperature profiles, applying analysis nudging also increased the errors in the modeled inversion layer vertical structure compared to observational nudging. Combining both observational and analysis nudging methods resulted in unrealistically extreme stratified stability that trapped pollutants at the lowest elevations at the center of the Uintah Basin and yielded the worst WRF performance in simulating inversion layer structure among the four sensitivity tests. The results of this study illustrate the importance of carefully considering the representativeness and quality of the observational and model analysis data sets when applying nudging techniques within stable PBLs, and the need to evaluate model results

  19. Synthesis of PVA/PVP hydrogels having two-layer by radiation and their physical properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, K.R.; Nho, Y.C.

    2003-01-01

    In these studies, two-layer hydrogels which consisted of polyurethane membrane and a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)/poly-N-vinylpyrrolidone(PVP)/glycerin/chitosan were made for the wound dressing. Polyurethane was dissolved in solvent, the polyurethane solution was poured on the mould, and then dried to make the thin membrane. Hydrophilic polymer solutions were poured on the polyurethane membranes, they were exposed to gamma irradiation or two steps of 'freezing and thawing' and gamma irradiation doses to make the hydrogels. The physical properties such as gelation, water absorptivity, and gel strength were examined to evaluate the hydrogels for wound dressing. The physical properties of hydrogels such as gelation and gel strength was greatly improved when polyurethane membrane was used as a covering layer of hydrogel, and the evaporation speed of water in hydrogel was reduced

  20. Initial Results from an Energy-Aware Airborne Dynamic, Data-Driven Application System Performing Sampling in Coherent Boundary-Layer Structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frew, E.; Argrow, B. M.; Houston, A. L.; Weiss, C.

    2014-12-01

    The energy-aware airborne dynamic, data-driven application system (EA-DDDAS) performs persistent sampling in complex atmospheric conditions by exploiting wind energy using the dynamic data-driven application system paradigm. The main challenge for future airborne sampling missions is operation with tight integration of physical and computational resources over wireless communication networks, in complex atmospheric conditions. The physical resources considered here include sensor platforms, particularly mobile Doppler radar and unmanned aircraft, the complex conditions in which they operate, and the region of interest. Autonomous operation requires distributed computational effort connected by layered wireless communication. Onboard decision-making and coordination algorithms can be enhanced by atmospheric models that assimilate input from physics-based models and wind fields derived from multiple sources. These models are generally too complex to be run onboard the aircraft, so they need to be executed in ground vehicles in the field, and connected over broadband or other wireless links back to the field. Finally, the wind field environment drives strong interaction between the computational and physical systems, both as a challenge to autonomous path planning algorithms and as a novel energy source that can be exploited to improve system range and endurance. Implementation details of a complete EA-DDDAS will be provided, along with preliminary flight test results targeting coherent boundary-layer structures.

  1. PARALLEL IMPLEMENTATION OF CROSS-LAYER OPTIMIZATION - A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION BASED ON SWARM INTELLIGENCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vanaja Gokul

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available In distributed systems real time optimizations need to be performed dynamically for better utilization of the network resources. Real time optimizations can be performed effectively by using Cross Layer Optimization (CLO within the network operating system. This paper presents the performance evaluation of Cross Layer Optimization (CLO in comparison with the traditional approach of Single-Layer Optimization (SLO. In the parallel implementation of the approaches the experimental study carried out indicates that the CLO results in a significant improvement in network utilization when compared to SLO. A variant of the Particle Swarm Optimization technique that utilizes Digital Pheromones (PSODP for better performance has been used here. A significantly higher speed up in performance was observed from the parallel implementation of CLO that used PSODP on a cluster of nodes.

  2. Cross-Layer Admission Control Policy for CDMA Beamforming Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheng Wei

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available A novel admission control (AC policy is proposed for the uplink of a cellular CDMA beamforming system. An approximated power control feasibility condition (PCFC, required by a cross-layer AC policy, is derived. This approximation, however, increases outage probability in the physical layer. A truncated automatic retransmission request (ARQ scheme is then employed to mitigate the outage problem. In this paper, we investigate the joint design of an AC policy and an ARQ-based outage mitigation algorithm in a cross-layer context. This paper provides a framework for joint AC design among physical, data-link, and network layers. This enables multiple quality-of-service (QoS requirements to be more flexibly used to optimize system performance. Numerical examples show that by appropriately choosing ARQ parameters, the proposed AC policy can achieve a significant performance gain in terms of reduced outage probability and increased system throughput, while simultaneously guaranteeing all the QoS requirements.

  3. High-performance polymer/layered silicate nanocomposites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heidecker, Matthew J.

    High-performance layered-silicate nanocomposites of Polycarbonate (PC), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), and their blends were produced via conventional melt-blending techniques. The focus of this thesis was on the fundamentals of dispersion, control of thermal stability, maintenance of melt-blending processing conditions, and on optimization of the composites' mechanical properties via the design of controlled and thermodynamically favorable nano-filler dispersions within the polymer matrices. PET and PC require high temperatures for melt-processing, rendering impractical the use of conventional/commercial organically-modified layered-silicates, since the thermal degradation temperatures of their ammonium surfactants lies below the typical processing temperatures. Thus, different surfactant chemistries must be employed in order to develop melt-processable nanocomposites, also accounting for polymer matrix degradation due to water (PET) or amine compounds (PC). Novel high thermal-stability surfactants were developed and employed in montmorillonite nanocomposites of PET, PC, and PC/PET blends, and were compared to the respective nanocomposites based on conventional quaternary-ammonium modified montmorillonites. Favorable dispersion was achieved in all cases, however, the overall material behavior -- i.e., the combination of crystallization, mechanical properties, and thermal degradation -- was better for the nanocomposites based on the thermally-stable surfactant fillers. Studies were also done to trace, and ultimately limit, the matrix degradation of Polycarbonate/montmorillonite nanocomposites, through varying the montmorillonite surfactant chemistry, processing conditions, and processing additives. Molecular weight degradation was, maybe surprisingly, better controlled in the conventional quaternary ammonium based nanocomposites -- even though the thermal stability of the organically modified montmorillonites was in most cases the lowest. Dependence of the

  4. Self-organization of grafted polyelectrolyte layers via the coupling of chemical equilibrium and physical interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tagliazucchi, Mario; de la Cruz, Mónica Olvera; Szleifer, Igal

    2010-03-23

    The competition between chemical equilibrium, for example protonation, and physical interactions determines the molecular organization and functionality of biological and synthetic systems. Charge regulation by displacement of acid-base equilibrium induced by changes in the local environment provides a feedback mechanism that controls the balance between electrostatic, van der Waals, steric interactions and molecular organization. Which strategies do responsive systems follow to globally optimize chemical equilibrium and physical interactions? We address this question by theoretically studying model layers of end-grafted polyacids. These layers spontaneously form self-assembled aggregates, presenting domains of controlled local pH and whose morphologies can be manipulated by the composition of the solution in contact with the film. Charge regulation stabilizes micellar domains over a wide range of pH by reducing the local charge in the aggregate at the cost of chemical free energy and gaining in hydrophobic interactions. This balance determines the boundaries between different aggregate morphologies. We show that a qualitatively new form of organization arises from the coupling between physical interactions and protonation equilibrium. This optimization strategy presents itself with polyelectrolytes coexisting in two different and well-defined protonation states. Our results underline the need of considering the coupling between chemical equilibrium and physical interactions due to their highly nonadditive behavior. The predictions provide guidelines for the creation of responsive polymer layers presenting self-organized patterns with functional properties and they give insights for the understanding of competing interactions in highly inhomogeneous and constrained environments such as those relevant in nanotechnology and those responsible for biological cells function.

  5. Effects of microstructure characteristics of gas diffusion layer and microporous layer on the performance of PEMFC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tseng, C.-J., E-mail: cjtseng@ncu.edu.t [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Chungli, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan (China); Lo, S.-K. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Chungli, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan (China)

    2010-04-15

    Water management is an important issue in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell design and operation. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effects of the microstructure characteristics of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and microporous layer (MPL), including pore size distribution, hydrophobic treatment, gas permeability, and other factors, on the water management and performance of a PEM fuel cell. A commercial catalyst-coated membrane with an active area of 25 cm{sup 2} is used along with a GDL and an MPL for assembling a single cell. The effects of the MPL, the thickness of the MPL, the PTFE loading of carbon paper and MPL, and the baking time of the MPL have been investigated. Results show that the addition of MPL increases cell performance in the high current density region due to the elimination of mass transfer limitation. There exists an optimum thickness of MPL. Furthermore, increasing the MPL baking time enhances cell performance due to enlarged pore size and permeability.

  6. Effects of microstructure characteristics of gas diffusion layer and microporous layer on the performance of PEMFC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chung-Jen Tseng; Shih-Kun Lo [Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Central University, Chungli, Taoyuan 320 (China)

    2010-04-15

    Water management is an important issue in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell design and operation. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effects of the microstructure characteristics of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and microporous layer (MPL), including pore size distribution, hydrophobic treatment, gas permeability, and other factors, on the water management and performance of a PEM fuel cell. A commercial catalyst-coated membrane with an active area of 25 cm{sup 2} is used along with a GDL and an MPL for assembling a single cell. The effects of the MPL, the thickness of the MPL, the PTFE loading of carbon paper and MPL, and the baking time of the MPL have been investigated. Results show that the addition of MPL increases cell performance in the high current density region due to the elimination of mass transfer limitation. There exists an optimum thickness of MPL. Furthermore, increasing the MPL baking time enhances cell performance due to enlarged pore size and permeability. (author)

  7. Effects of microstructure characteristics of gas diffusion layer and microporous layer on the performance of PEMFC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tseng, C.-J.; Lo, S.-K.

    2010-01-01

    Water management is an important issue in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell design and operation. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effects of the microstructure characteristics of the gas diffusion layer (GDL) and microporous layer (MPL), including pore size distribution, hydrophobic treatment, gas permeability, and other factors, on the water management and performance of a PEM fuel cell. A commercial catalyst-coated membrane with an active area of 25 cm 2 is used along with a GDL and an MPL for assembling a single cell. The effects of the MPL, the thickness of the MPL, the PTFE loading of carbon paper and MPL, and the baking time of the MPL have been investigated. Results show that the addition of MPL increases cell performance in the high current density region due to the elimination of mass transfer limitation. There exists an optimum thickness of MPL. Furthermore, increasing the MPL baking time enhances cell performance due to enlarged pore size and permeability.

  8. Physical education, school physical activity, school sports and academic performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shephard Roy J

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The purpose of this paper is to review relationships of academic performance and some of its determinants to participation in school-based physical activities, including physical education (PE, free school physical activity (PA and school sports. Methods Linkages between academic achievement and involvement in PE, school PA and sport programmes have been examined, based on a systematic review of currently available literature, including a comprehensive search of MEDLINE (1966 to 2007, PSYCHINFO (1974 to 2007, SCHOLAR.GOOGLE.COM, and ERIC databases. Results Quasi-experimental data indicate that allocating up to an additional hour per day of curricular time to PA programmes does not affect the academic performance of primary school students negatively, even though the time allocated to other subjects usually shows a corresponding reduction. An additional curricular emphasis on PE may result in small absolute gains in grade point average (GPA, and such findings strongly suggest a relative increase in performance per unit of academic teaching time. Further, the overwhelmingly majority of such programmes have demonstrated an improvement in some measures of physical fitness (PF. Cross-sectional observations show a positive association between academic performance and PA, but PF does not seem to show such an association. PA has positive influences on concentration, memory and classroom behaviour. Data from quasi-experimental studies find support in mechanistic experiments on cognitive function, pointing to a positive relationship between PA and intellectual performance. Conclusion Given competent providers, PA can be added to the school curriculum by taking time from other subjects without risk of hindering student academic achievement. On the other hand, adding time to "academic" or "curricular" subjects by taking time from physical education programmes does not enhance grades in these subjects and may be detrimental to health.

  9. Physical performance in relation to menopause status and physical activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bondarev, Dmitriy; Laakkonen, Eija K; Finni, Taija; Kokko, Katja; Kujala, Urho M; Aukee, Pauliina; Kovanen, Vuokko; Sipilä, Sarianna

    2018-05-21

    The aim of this study was to examine differences in physical performance (muscle power, muscle strength, aerobic capacity, and walking speed) across menopausal stages and potential of leisure physical activity (PA) to modify the impact of menopause on physical performance. In this cross-sectional study, women aged 47 to 55 were randomly selected from the Finnish National Registry and categorized as premenopausal (n = 233), perimenopausal (n = 381), or postmenopausal (n = 299) based on serum concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone and bleeding diary. Physical performance was measured by knee extension force, handgrip force, vertical jumping height, maximal walking speed, and 6-minute walking distance. PA level was assessed by self-report and categorized as low, moderate, or high. Multivariate linear regression modeling was used for data analysis. After including fat mass, height, PA, and education in the model, the postmenopausal women showed 12.0 N weaker (P women. There was no significant interaction between menopausal stage and PA on physical performance. The peri- and postmenopausal women with a high PA, however, showed better performance in the maximal knee extension strength and 6-minute walking test, and showed greater lower body muscle power than those with a low PA. Menopause status is associated with muscle strength and power, whereas the association between menopause status and mobility/walking is clearly weaker. A high leisure PA level provides more capacity to counteract the potential negative influence of menopausal factors on muscle function.This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0.

  10. Physical conditions in the reconnection layer in pulsar magnetospheres

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uzdensky, Dmitri A. [Center for Integrated Plasma Studies, Physics Department, University of Colorado, UCB 390, Boulder, CO 80309-0390 (United States); Spitkovsky, Anatoly, E-mail: uzdensky@colorado.edu, E-mail: anatoly@astro.princeton.edu [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

    2014-01-01

    The magnetosphere of a rotating pulsar naturally develops a current sheet (CS) beyond the light cylinder (LC). Magnetic reconnection in this CS inevitably dissipates a nontrivial fraction of the pulsar spin-down power within a few LC radii. We develop a basic physical picture of reconnection in this environment and discuss its implications for the observed pulsed gamma-ray emission. We argue that reconnection proceeds in the plasmoid-dominated regime, via a hierarchical chain of multiple secondary islands/flux ropes. The inter-plasmoid reconnection layers are subject to strong synchrotron cooling, leading to significant plasma compression. Using the conditions of pressure balance across these current layers, the balance between the heating by magnetic energy dissipation and synchrotron cooling, and Ampere's law, we obtain simple estimates for key parameters of the layers—temperature, density, and layer thickness. In the comoving frame of the relativistic pulsar wind just outside of the equatorial CS, these basic parameters are uniquely determined by the strength of the reconnecting upstream magnetic field. For the case of the Crab pulsar, we find them to be of order 10 GeV, 10{sup 13} cm{sup –3}, and 10 cm, respectively. After accounting for the bulk Doppler boosting due to the pulsar wind, the synchrotron and inverse-Compton emission from the reconnecting CS can explain the observed pulsed high-energy (GeV) and very high energy (∼100 GeV) radiation, respectively. Also, we suggest that the rapid relative motions of the secondary plasmoids in the hierarchical chain may contribute to the production of the pulsar radio emission.

  11. Improving the physical layer security of wireless communication networks using spread spectrum coding and artificial noise approach

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Adedeji, K

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available at the application layer to protect the messages against eavesdropping. However, the evolution of strong deciphering mechanisms has made conventional cryptography-based security techniques ineffective against attacks from an intruder. Figure 1: Layer protocol... communication networks with passive and active eavesdropper,” IEEE Globecom; Wireless Communication System, pp. 4868-4873, 2012. [9] Y. Zou, X. Wang and W. Shen, “Optimal relay selection for physical layer security in cooperative wireless networks,” IEEE...

  12. The Role of Physical Layer Security in IoT: A Novel Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tommaso Pecorella

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper deals with the problem of securing the configuration phase of an Internet of Things (IoT system. The main drawbacks of current approaches are the focus on specific techniques and methods, and the lack of a cross layer vision of the problem. In a smart environment, each IoT device has limited resources and is often battery operated with limited capabilities (e.g., no keyboard. As a consequence, network security must be carefully analyzed in order to prevent security and privacy issues. In this paper, we will analyze the IoT threats, we will propose a security framework for the device initialization and we will show how physical layer security can effectively boost the security of IoT systems.

  13. Estimation of thermal insulation performance in multi-layer insulator for liquid helium pipe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shibanuma, Kiyoshi; Kuriyama, Masaaki; Shibata, Takemasa

    1991-01-01

    For a multi-layer insulator around the liquid helium pipes for cryopumps of JT-60 NBI, a multi-layer insulator composed of 10 layers, which can be wound around the pipe at the same time and in which the respective layers are in concentric circles by shifting them in arrangement, has been developed and tested. As the result, it was shown that the newly developed multi-layer insulator has better thermal insulation performance than the existing one, i.e. the heat load of the newly developed insulator composed of 10 layers was reduced to 1/3 the heat load of the existing insulator, and the heat leak at the joint of the insulator in longitudinal direction of the pipe was negligible. In order to clarify thermal characteristics of the multi-layer insulator, the heat transfer through the insulator has been analyzed considering the radiation heat transfer by the netting spacer between the reflectors, and the temperature dependence on the emissivities and the heat transmission coefficients of these two components of the insulator. The analytical results were in good agreements with the experimental ones, so that the analytical method was shown to be valid. Concerning the influence of the number of layers and the layer density on the insulation performance of the insulator, analytical results showed that the multi-layer insulator with the number of layer about N = 20 and the layer density below 2.0 layer/mm was the most effective for the liquid helium pipe of a JT-60 cryopump. (author)

  14. High-performance a-IGZO thin-film transistor with conductive indium-tin-oxide buried layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahn, Min-Ju; Cho, Won-Ju

    2017-10-01

    In this study, we fabricated top-contact top-gate (TCTG) structure of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a thin buried conductive indium-tin oxide (ITO) layer. The electrical performance of a-IGZO TFTs was improved by inserting an ITO buried layer under the IGZO channel. Also, the effect of the buried layer's length on the electrical characteristics of a-IGZO TFTs was investigated. The electrical performance of the transistors improved with increasing the buried layer's length: a large on/off current ratio of 1.1×107, a high field-effect mobility of 35.6 cm2/Vs, a small subthreshold slope of 116.1 mV/dec, and a low interface trap density of 4.2×1011 cm-2eV-1 were obtained. The buried layer a-IGZO TFTs exhibited enhanced transistor performance and excellent stability against the gate bias stress.

  15. The Impact of Microphysics and Planetary Boundary Layer Physics on Model Simulation of U.S. Deep South Summer Convection

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCaul, Eugene W., Jr.; Case, Jonathan L.; Zavodsky, Bradley T.; Srikishen, Jayanthi; Medlin, Jeffrey M.; Wood, Lance

    2014-01-01

    Inspection of output from various configurations of high-resolution, explicit convection forecast models such as the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model indicates significant sensitivity to the choices of model physics pararneterizations employed. Some of the largest apparent sensitivities are related to the specifications of the cloud microphysics and planetary boundary layer physics packages. In addition, these sensitivities appear to be especially pronounced for the weakly-sheared, multicell modes of deep convection characteristic of the Deep South of the United States during the boreal summer. Possible ocean-land sensitivities also argue for further examination of the impacts of using unique ocean-land surface initialization datasets provided by the NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRn Center to select NOAAlNWS weather forecast offices. To obtain better quantitative understanding of these sensitivities and also to determine the utility of the ocean-land initialization data, we have executed matrices of regional WRF forecasts for selected convective events near Mobile, AL (MOB), and Houston, TX (HGX). The matrices consist of identically initialized WRF 24-h forecasts using any of eight microphysics choices and any of three planetary boWldary layer choices. The resulting 24 simulations performed for each event within either the MOB or HGX regions are then compared to identify the sensitivities of various convective storm metrics to the physics choices. Particular emphasis is placed on sensitivities of precipitation timing, intensity, and coverage, as well as amount and coverage oflightuing activity diagnosed from storm kinematics and graupel in the mixed phase layer. The results confirm impressions gleaned from study of the behavior of variously configured WRF runs contained in the ensembles produced each spring at the Center for the Analysis and Prediction of Storms, but with the benefit of more straightforward control of the

  16. High performance EUV multilayer structures insensitive to capping layer optical parameters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pelizzo, Maria Guglielmina; Suman, Michele; Monaco, Gianni; Nicolosi, Piergiorgio; Windt, David L

    2008-09-15

    We have designed and tested a-periodic multilayer structures containing protective capping layers in order to obtain improved stability with respect to any possible changes of the capping layer optical properties (due to oxidation and contamination, for example)-while simultaneously maximizing the EUV reflection efficiency for specific applications, and in particular for EUV lithography. Such coatings may be particularly useful in EUV lithographic apparatus, because they provide both high integrated photon flux and higher stability to the harsh operating environment, which can affect seriously the performance of the multilayer-coated projector system optics. In this work, an evolutive algorithm has been developed in order to design these a-periodic structures, which have been proven to have also the property of stable performance with respect to random layer thickness errors that might occur during coating deposition. Prototypes have been fabricated, and tested with EUV and X-ray reflectometry, and secondary electron spectroscopy. The experimental results clearly show improved performance of our new a-periodic coatings design compared with standard periodic multilayer structures.

  17. Cross-Layer Design Approach for Power Control in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Sarfaraz Ahmed

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available In mobile ad hoc networks, communication among mobile nodes occurs through wireless medium The design of ad hoc network protocol, generally based on a traditional “layered approach”, has been found ineffective to deal with receiving signal strength (RSS-related problems, affecting the physical layer, the network layer and transport layer. This paper proposes a design approach, deviating from the traditional network design, toward enhancing the cross-layer interaction among different layers, namely physical, MAC and network. The Cross-Layer design approach for Power control (CLPC would help to enhance the transmission power by averaging the RSS values and to find an effective route between the source and the destination. This cross-layer design approach was tested by simulation (NS2 simulator and its performance over AODV was found to be better.

  18. An experimental investigation of the flow physics of high-lift systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Flint O.; Nelson, R. C.

    1995-01-01

    This progress report is a series of overviews outlining experiments on the flow physics of confluent boundary layers for high-lift systems. The research objectives include establishing the role of confluent boundary layer flow physics in high-lift production; contrasting confluent boundary layer structures for optimum and non-optimum C(sub L) cases; forming a high quality, detailed archival data base for CFD/modelling; and examining the role of relaminarization and streamline curvature. Goals of this research include completing LDV study of an optimum C(sub L) case; performing detailed LDV confluent boundary layer surveys for multiple non-optimum C(sub L) cases; obtaining skin friction distributions for both optimum and non-optimum C(sub L) cases for scaling purposes; data analysis and inner and outer variable scaling; setting-up and performing relaminarization experiments; and a final report establishing the role of leading edge confluent boundary layer flow physics on high-lift performance.

  19. Cost and performance analysis of physical security systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hicks, M.J.; Yates, D.; Jago, W.H.; Phillips, A.W.

    1998-04-01

    Analysis of cost and performance of physical security systems can be a complex, multi-dimensional problem. There are a number of point tools that address various aspects of cost and performance analysis. Increased interest in cost tradeoffs of physical security alternatives has motivated development of an architecture called Cost and Performance Analysis (CPA), which takes a top-down approach to aligning cost and performance metrics. CPA incorporates results generated by existing physical security system performance analysis tools, and utilizes an existing cost analysis tool. The objective of this architecture is to offer comprehensive visualization of complex data to security analysts and decision-makers

  20. ALICE: Physics Performance Report, Volume II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alessandro, B; Antinori, F; Belikov, J A

    2006-01-01

    ALICE is a general-purpose heavy-ion experiment designed to study the physics of strongly interacting matter and the quark-gluon plasma in nucleus-nucleus collisions at the LHC. It currently involves more than 900 physicists and senior engineers, from both the nuclear and high-energy physics sectors, from over 90 institutions in about 30 countries. The ALICE detector is designed to cope with the highest particle multiplicities above those anticipated for Pb-Pb collisions (dN ch /dy up to 8000) and it will be operational at the start-up of the LHC. In addition to heavy systems, the ALICE Collaboration will study collisions of lower-mass ions, which are a means of varying the energy density, and protons (both pp and pA), which primarily provide reference data for the nucleus-nucleus collisions. In addition, the pp data will allow for a number of genuine pp physics studies. The detailed design of the different detector systems has been laid down in a number of Technical Design Reports issued between mid-1998 and the end of 2004. The experiment is currently under construction and will be ready for data taking with both proton and heavy-ion beams at the start-up of the LHC. Since the comprehensive information on detector and physics performance was last published in the ALICE Technical Proposal in 1996, the detector, as well as simulation, reconstruction and analysis software have undergone significant development. The Physics Performance Report (PPR) provides an updated and comprehensive summary of the performance of the various ALICE subsystems, including updates to the Technical Design Reports, as appropriate. The PPR is divided into two volumes. Volume I, published in 2004 (CERN/LHCC 2003-049, ALICE Collaboration 2004 J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 30 1517-1763), contains in four chapters a short theoretical overview and an extensive reference list concerning the physics topics of interest to ALICE, the experimental conditions at the LHC, a short summary and update

  1. Performance and Metastability of CdTe Solar Cells with a Te Back-Contact Buffer Layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Andrew

    Thin-film CdTe photovoltaics are quickly maturing into a viable clean-energy solution through demonstration of competitive costs and performance stability with existing energy sources. Over the last half decade, CdTe solar technology has achieved major gains in performance; however, there are still aspects that can be improved to progress toward their theoretical maximum efficiency. Perhaps equally valuable as high photovoltaic efficiency and a low levelized cost of energy, is device reliability. Understanding the root causes for changes in performance is essential for accomplishing long-term stability. One area for potential performance enhancement is the back contact of the CdTe device. This research incorporated a thin-film Te-buffer layer into the contact structure, between the CdTe and contact metal. The device performance and characteristics of many different back contact configurations were rigorously studied. CdTe solar cells fabricated with the Te-buffer contact showed short-circuit current densities and open-circuit voltages that were on par with the traditional back-contacts used at CSU. However, the Te-buffer contact typically produced 2% larger fill-factors on average, leading to greater conversation efficiency. Furthermore, using the Te buffer allowed for incorporation of 50% less Cu, which is used for p-type doping but is also known to decrease lifetime and stability. This resulted in an additional 3% fill-factor gain with no change in other parameters compared to the standard-Cu treated device. In order to better understand the physical mechanisms of the Te-buffer contact, electrical and material properties of the Te layer were extracted and used to construct a simple energy band diagram. The Te layer was found to be highly p-type (>1018 cm-3) and possess a positive valence-band offset of 0.35-0.40 eV with CdTe. An existing simulation model incorporating the Te-layer properties was implemented and validated by comparing simulated results of Cd

  2. Experiments on performance of the multi-layered in-vessel core catcher

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, K.H.; Kim, S.B.; Park, R.J.; Cheung, F.B.; Suh, K.Y.; Rempe, J.L.

    2004-01-01

    LAVA-GAP experiments are in progress to investigate the performance of the in-vessel core catcher using alumina melt as a corium simulant. The hemispherical in-vessel core catcher made of carbon steel was installed inside the lower head vessel with a uniform gap of 10 mm. Until now, two types of the in-vessel core catcher were used in this study. The first one is a single layered in-vessel core catcher without an internal coating of the LAVA-GAP-2 test, and the other one is a two layered in-vessel core catcher with a 0.5 mm-thick ZrO 2 internal coating of the LAVA-GAP-3 test. Current LAVA-GAP experimental results indicate that an internally coated in-vessel core catcher has better thermal performance compared with an uncoated in-vessel core catcher. Metallurgical inspections on the test specimens of the LAVA-GAP-3 test have been performed to examine the performance of the coating material and the base carbon steel. Although the base carbon steel had experienced a severe thermal attack to the extent that the microstructures were changed and re-crystallization occurred, the carbon steel showed stable and pure chemical compositions without any oxidation and interaction with the coating layer. In terms of the material aspects, these metallurgical inspection results suggest that the ZrO 2 coating performed well. (authors)

  3. Clock- and data-recovery IC with demultiplexer for a 2.5 Gb/s ATM physical layer controller

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Flemming; Salama, C.A.T.

    1996-01-01

    A Clock- and Data-Recovery (CDR) IC for a Physical Layer Controller in an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) system operating at a bit rate of 2.488 Gb/s is presented. The circuit was designed and fabricated in a 0.8 μm BiCMOS process featuring 13 GHz fT bipolar transistors. Clock-recovery is accom......A Clock- and Data-Recovery (CDR) IC for a Physical Layer Controller in an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) system operating at a bit rate of 2.488 Gb/s is presented. The circuit was designed and fabricated in a 0.8 μm BiCMOS process featuring 13 GHz fT bipolar transistors. Clock...

  4. Ketogenic diets and physical performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Phinney SD

    2004-08-01

    Full Text Available Impaired physical performance is a common but not obligate result of a low carbohydrate diet. Lessons from traditional Inuit culture indicate that time for adaptation, optimized sodium and potassium nutriture, and constraint of protein to 15-25 % of daily energy expenditure allow unimpaired endurance performance despite nutritional ketosis.

  5. Enhancement of device performance of organic solar cells by an interfacial perylene derivative layer

    KAUST Repository

    Kim, Inho

    2010-05-26

    We report that device performance of organic solar cells consisting of zinc phthalocyanine and fullerene (C60) can be enhanced by insertion of a perylene derivative interfacial layer between fullerene and bathocuproine (BCP) exciton blocking layer (EBL). The morphology of the BCP is influenced by the underlying N,N′-dihexyl-perylene-3,4,9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (PTCDI-C6), which promotes migration of the cathode metal into the BCP layer. Insertion of a PTCDI-C6 layer between fullerene and BCP layers enhances the power conversion efficiency to 2.5%, an improvement of 32% over devices without PTCDI-C6 layer. The enhancement in device performance by insertion of PTCDI-C6 is attributed to a reduction in series resistance due to promoted metal migration into BCP and optimized optical interference effects in multilayered devices. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

  6. Scattering from a random layer of leaves in the physical optics limit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lang, R. H.; Seker, S. S.; Le Vine, D. M.

    1982-01-01

    Backscatter of electromagnetic radiation from a layer of vegetation over flat lossy ground has been studied in collaborative research at the George Washingnton University and the Goddard Space Flight Center. In this work the vegetation is composed of leaves which are modeled by a random collection of lossy dielectric disks. Backscattering coefficients for the vegetation layer have been calculated in the case of disks whose diameter is large compared to wavelength. These backscattering coefficients are obtained in terms of the scattering amplitude of an individual disk by employing the distorted Born procedure. The scattering amplitude for a disk which is large compared to wavelength is then found by physical optic techniques. Computed results are interpreted in terms of dominant reflected and transmitted contributions from the disks and ground.

  7. Enhanced performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell by introducing nitrogen-doped CNTs in both catalyst layer and gas diffusion layer

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Hou, S

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The performance of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is significantly improved through introducing nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) into the catalyst layer (CL) and microporous layer (MPL) of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA...

  8. Stress effects of the inter-level dielectric layer on the ferroelectric performance of integrated SrBi2Ta2O9 capacitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, Suk-Kyoung; Yang, B.; Oh, Sang Hyun; Kang, Young Min; Kang, Nam Soo; Hwang, Cheol Seong; Kwon, Oh Seong

    2001-01-01

    The thermal stress effects of the inter-level dielectric (ILD) layer on the ferroelectric performance of integrated Pt/SrBi 2 Ta 2 O 9 (SBT)/Pt capacitors were investigated. Two different thin film materials, pure SiO 2 grown at 650 degree C and B- and P-doped SiO 2 grown at 400 degree C by chemical vapor deposition techniques, were tested as an ILD layer. The ILD layer encapsulated the SBT capacitor array. During high temperature thermal cycling (up to 800 degree C) after ILD deposition, which is used for both densifying the ILD and curing of the various damage imposed on the SBT capacitors, a large thermal stress occurred in the bottom Pt layer due to the thermal expansion mismatch between the various layers. In particular, the pure SiO 2 ILD layer between the capacitors did not allow thermal expansion of the Pt layers, which led to a large accumulation of compressive stress in the layer. This resulted in hillock formation in the bottom Pt layer and eventual capacitor failure. However, the B- and P-doped SiO 2 ILD layer contracted during thermal cycling by removing residual impurities, which allowed greater expansion of the Pt layer. Therefore, compressive stress accumulation did not occur and excellent ferroelectric properties were thus obtained from the integrated capacitor array. [copyright] 2001 American Institute of Physics

  9. Ketogenic diets and physical performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Phinney Stephen D

    2004-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Impaired physical performance is a common but not obligate result of a low carbohydrate diet. Lessons from traditional Inuit culture indicate that time for adaptation, optimized sodium and potassium nutriture, and constraint of protein to 15–25 % of daily energy expenditure allow unimpaired endurance performance despite nutritional ketosis.

  10. Effect of interlayer bonding quality of asphalt layers on pavement performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaskula, Piotr; Rys, Dawid

    2017-09-01

    The quality of interlayer bonding at the interfaces between the asphalt layers in flexible pavements affects the overall pavement performance. Lack or partial lack of interlayer bonding between asphalt layers can cause pavement’s premature failures such as rutting, slippage of the wearing course, cracking or simply a reduction in the calculated fatigue life of the pavement structure. This paper shows the case studies of investigation of actual or potential premature failure of newly reconstructed and constructed pavements where low quality of interlayer bonding has a dominant meaning. In situ and laboratory tests were performed and followed by analytical calculation of pavement structure where thicknesses of layers and maximum shear strengths obtained from the tests were used. During the investigation it was found out that a low quality of tack coat as well as the same aggregate gradation in the bonded asphalt mixtures were the main reasons behind the weak quality of interlayer bonding. Partial interlayer bonding has a strong influence on reduction of calculated fatigue life of pavement. The summary of the paper includes recommendations on how to avoid the low quality of interlayer bonding of asphalt layers.

  11. Layered materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, David; Clarke, Simon; Wiley, John; Koumoto, Kunihito

    2014-06-01

    Layered compounds, materials with a large anisotropy to their bonding, electrical and/or magnetic properties, have been important in the development of solid state chemistry, physics and engineering applications. Layered materials were the initial test bed where chemists developed intercalation chemistry that evolved into the field of topochemical reactions where researchers are able to perform sequential steps to arrive at kinetically stable products that cannot be directly prepared by other approaches. Physicists have used layered compounds to discover and understand novel phenomena made more apparent through reduced dimensionality. The discovery of charge and spin density waves and more recently the remarkable discovery in condensed matter physics of the two-dimensional topological insulating state were discovered in two-dimensional materials. The understanding developed in two-dimensional materials enabled subsequent extension of these and other phenomena into three-dimensional materials. Layered compounds have also been used in many technologies as engineers and scientists used their unique properties to solve challenging technical problems (low temperature ion conduction for batteries, easy shear planes for lubrication in vacuum, edge decorated catalyst sites for catalytic removal of sulfur from oil, etc). The articles that are published in this issue provide an excellent overview of the spectrum of activities that are being pursued, as well as an introduction to some of the most established achievements in the field. Clusters of papers discussing thermoelectric properties, electronic structure and transport properties, growth of single two-dimensional layers, intercalation and more extensive topochemical reactions and the interleaving of two structures to form new materials highlight the breadth of current research in this area. These papers will hopefully serve as a useful guideline for the interested reader to different important aspects in this field and

  12. Using nanofluids in enhancing the performance of a novel two-layer solar pond

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Nimr, Moh'd A.; Al-Dafaie, Ameer Mohammed Abbas

    2014-01-01

    A novel two-layer nanofluid solar pond is introduced. A mathematical model that describes the thermal performance of the pond has been developed and solved. The upper layer of the pond is made of mineral oil and the lower layer is made of nanofluid. Nanofluid is known to be an excellent solar radiation absorber, and this has been tested and verified using the mathematical model. Using nanofluid will increase the extinction coefficient of the lower layer and consequently will improve the thermal efficiency and the storage capacity of the pond. The effects of other parameters have been also investigated. - Highlights: • A novel two-layer solar pond is discussed. • Nanofluid as thermal energy storage is used in this pond. • A mathematical model is developed to predict the performance of the pond. • The mathematical model is solved using Green's function. • The pond is simulated for different values of governing parameter

  13. Relating performance of thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes to support layer formation and structure

    KAUST Repository

    Tiraferri, Alberto

    2011-02-01

    Osmotically driven membrane processes have the potential to treat impaired water sources, desalinate sea/brackish waters, and sustainably produce energy. The development of a membrane tailored for these processes is essential to advance the technology to the point that it is commercially viable. Here, a systematic investigation of the influence of thin-film composite membrane support layer structure on forward osmosis performance is conducted. The membranes consist of a selective polyamide active layer formed by interfacial polymerization on top of a polysulfone support layer fabricated by phase separation. By systematically varying the conditions used during the casting of the polysulfone layer, an array of support layers with differing structures was produced. The role that solvent quality, dope polymer concentration, fabric layer wetting, and casting blade gate height play in the support layer structure formation was investigated. Using a 1M NaCl draw solution and a deionized water feed, water fluxes ranging from 4 to 25Lm-2h-1 with consistently high salt rejection (>95.5%) were produced. The relationship between membrane structure and performance was analyzed. This study confirms the hypothesis that the optimal forward osmosis membrane consists of a mixed-structure support layer, where a thin sponge-like layer sits on top of highly porous macrovoids. Both the active layer transport properties and the support layer structural characteristics need to be optimized in order to fabricate a high performance forward osmosis membrane. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.

  14. Complex confining layers : a physical and geochemical characterization of heterogeneous unconsolidated fluvial deposits using a facies-based approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Helvoort, Pieter-Jan van

    2003-01-01

    A proper characterization of physical and chemical heterogeneities in the subsoil is an important condition for successful modeling of groundwater flow and solute transport. This study focuses on the physical and chemical characterization of a complex confining layer in the Rhine–Meuse deltaic plain

  15. Gender-based performance differences in an introductory physics course

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKinnon, Mark Lee

    Cognitive research has indicated that the difference between males and females is negligible. Paradoxically, in traditionally-taught college level introductory physics courses, males have outperformed females. UC Davis' Physics 7A (the first class of a three-quarter Introduction to Physics sequence for Life-Science students), however, counters this trend since females perform similarly to males. The gender-based performance difference within the other two quarters (Physics 7B & 7C) of the radically restructured, active-learning physics sequence still echo the traditionally-taught courses. In one experiment, I modified the laboratory activity instructions of the Physics 7C course to encourage further group interaction. These modifications did not affect the gender-based performance difference. In a later experiment, I compared students' performance on different forms of assessment for certain physics concepts during the Physics 7C course. Over 500 students took weekly quizzes at different times. The students were given different quiz questions on the same topics. Several quiz questions seemed to favor males while others were more gender equitable. I highlighted comparisons between a few pairs of questions that assessed students' understanding of the same physical concept. Males tended to perform better in responding to questions that seemed to require spatial visualization. Questions that required greater understanding of the physical concept or scientific model were more gender neutral.

  16. PHYSICS PERFORMANCE AND DATASET (PPD)

    CERN Multimedia

    L. Silvestris

    2012-01-01

      Introduction The first part of the year presented an important test for the new Physics Performance and Dataset (PPD) group (cf. its mandate: http://cern.ch/go/8f77). The activity was focused on the validation of the new releases meant for the Monte Carlo (MC) production and the data-processing in 2012 (CMSSW 50X and 52X), and on the preparation of the 2012 operations. In view of the Chamonix meeting, the PPD and physics groups worked to understand the impact of the higher pile-up scenario on some of the flagship Higgs analyses to better quantify the impact of the high luminosity on the CMS physics potential. A task force is working on the optimisation of the reconstruction algorithms and on the code to cope with the performance requirements imposed by the higher event occupancy as foreseen for 2012. Concerning the preparation for the analysis of the new data, a new MC production has been prepared. The new samples, simulated at 8 TeV, are already being produced and the digitisation and recons...

  17. Fatigue and physical performance in children and adolescents receiving chemotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hooke, Mary Catherine; Garwick, Ann W; Gross, Cynthia R

    2011-11-01

    To examine the relationship between physical performance and fatigue in child and adolescent cohorts during the first three cycles of chemotherapy. Prospective, observational design. Two pediatric cancer centers in the upper Midwest region of the United States. 16 children and 14 adolescents newly diagnosed with cancer. Standardized instruments were administered during the first and third cycles of chemotherapy. Instruments included physical performance tests (Timed Up and Down Stairs [TUDS] and the 6-Minute Walk Test [6MWT]) and a self-report fatigue scale. Fatigue and physical performance. In the child cohort, physical performance appeared to improve and fatigue diminished from cycle 1 to 3 of chemotherapy. When time on TUDS decreased, fatigue tended to decrease; when 6MWT distance increased, fatigue decreased. In the adolescent cohort, fatigue seemed to decrease but physical performance measures evidenced little change. Correlations between changes in the physical performance variables and fatigue were not significant. Fatigue may decrease early in treatment as disease symptoms resolve. Fatigue in the child cohort was related to physical performance, which is consistent with previous studies that defined fatigue in children as primarily a physical sensation. Findings in the adolescent cohort support research that defined adolescent fatigue as more complex with mental, emotional, and physical components. Knowing how fatigue relates to physical performance in children and adolescents informs the nurse in educating patients and families about symptom management.

  18. Performance improvement of organic thin film transistors by using active layer with sandwich structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ni, Yao; Zhou, Jianlin; Kuang, Peng; Lin, Hui; Gan, Ping; Hu, Shengdong; Lin, Zhi

    2017-08-01

    We report organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) with pentacene/fluorinated copper phthalo-cyanine (F16CuPc)/pentacene (PFP) sandwich configuration as active layers. The sandwich devices not only show hole mobility enhancement but also present a well control about threshold voltage and off-state current. By investigating various characteristics, including current-voltage hysteresis, organic film morphology, capacitance-voltage curve and resistance variation of active layers carefully, it has been found the performance improvement is mainly attributed to the low carrier traps and the higher conductivity of the sandwich active layer due to the additional induced carriers in F16CuPc/pentacene. Therefore, using proper multiple active layer is an effective way to gain high performance OTFTs.

  19. Understanding the Flow Physics of Shock Boundary-Layer Interactions Using CFD and Numerical Analyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedlander, David J.

    2013-01-01

    Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analyses of the University of Michigan (UM) Shock/Boundary-Layer Interaction (SBLI) experiments were performed as an extension of the CFD SBLI Workshop held at the 48th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting in 2010. In particular, the UM Mach 2.75 Glass Tunnel with a semi-spanning 7.75deg wedge was analyzed in attempts to explore key physics pertinent to SBLI's, including thermodynamic and viscous boundary conditions as well as turbulence modeling. Most of the analyses were 3D CFD simulations using the OVERFLOW flow solver, with additional quasi-1D simulations performed with an in house MATLAB code interfacing with the NIST REFPROP code to explore perfect verses non-ideal air. A fundamental exploration pertaining to the effects of particle image velocimetry (PIV) on post-processing data is also shown. Results from the CFD simulations showed an improvement in agreement with experimental data with key contributions including adding a laminar zone upstream of the wedge and the necessity of mimicking PIV particle lag for comparisons. Results from the quasi-1D simulation showed that there was little difference between perfect and non-ideal air for the configuration presented.

  20. Cross-layer design in optical networks

    CERN Document Server

    Brandt-Pearce, Maïté; Demeester, Piet; Saradhi, Chava

    2013-01-01

    Optical networks have become an integral part of the communications infrastructure needed to support society’s demand for high-speed connectivity.  Cross-Layer Design in Optical Networks addresses topics in optical network design and analysis with a focus on physical-layer impairment awareness and network layer service requirements, essential for the implementation and management of robust scalable networks.  The cross-layer treatment includes bottom-up impacts of the physical and lambda layers, such as dispersion, noise, nonlinearity, crosstalk, dense wavelength packing, and wavelength line rates, as well as top-down approaches to handle physical-layer impairments and service requirements.

  1. Effects of feeding layer faeces on performance and microbial ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Thirty-two (32) weaned rabbits of mixed breeds and sexes with mean weight (410 g) were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments at 0, 10, 20 and 30% in a completely randomized design experiment to evaluate the growth performance and microbial diversity in the faeces of rabbits fed dietary inclusion of layers faeces.

  2. Assessment of Stability and Energy Dissipation Performances of an Antifer Layer Protected Caisson

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Sedat Kabdaşlı

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The present study intends to assess the stability and energy dissipation performances of a breakwater configuration (APC protected by an antifer layer. For comparison, an ordinary caisson (OC, which was 5% wider and 10% heavier, was also investigated. Physical models were implemented and tested under regular and irregular waves; and resulting linear and angular displacements were directly measured via a photogrammetric method. Additionally, wave forces and resulting horizontal displacements were estimated both from recorded pressure data and from individual incident waves by modified Goda method. To calculate the horizontal displacement, the estimated wave force time series were directly double-integrated, whilst the theoretical method proposed by Shimosako et al. (1994 were used on the individual force values. Although OC was tested under shorter durations and had a more favorable superstructure in terms of resisting forces, the results indicated that APC was significantly more stable. Energy dissipation performance of the tested configurations were quantified in terms of spectral averaged and phase resolved reflection coefficients, whereas antifer damage ratio was measured on a block-count basis. Results indicated that the APC configuration had an enhanced performance of dissipating the wave energy; moreover, the dissipated energy directly links to antifer damage ratio.

  3. Improved antifouling properties of polymer membranes using a ‘layer-by-layer’ mediated method

    KAUST Repository

    Chen, Lin; Thé rien-Aubin, Hé loï se; Wong, Mavis C. Y.; Hoek, Eric M. V.; Ober, Christopher K.

    2013-01-01

    Polymeric reverse osmosis membranes were modified with antifouling polymer brushes through a 'layer by layer' (LBL) mediated method. Based on pure physical electrostatic interaction, the attachment of LBL films did not alter separation performance

  4. Underwater Acoustic Wireless Sensor Networks: Advances and Future Trends in Physical, MAC and Routing Layers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Climent, S.; Sanchez, A.; Capella, J.V.; Meratnia, Nirvana; Serrano, J.J.

    2014-01-01

    This survey aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current research on underwater wireless sensor networks, focusing on the lower layers of the communication stack, and envisions future trends and challenges. It analyzes the current state-of-the-art on the physical, medium access control

  5. Atomic layer deposition of dielectrics for carbon-based electronics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, J., E-mail: jiyoung.kim@utdallas.edu; Jandhyala, S.

    2013-11-01

    Carbon based nanomaterials like nanotubes and graphene have emerged as future generation electronic materials for device applications because of their interesting properties such as high-mobility and ability to carry high-current densities compared to conventional semiconductor materials like silicon. Therefore, there is a need to develop techniques to integrate robust gate dielectrics with high-quality interfaces for these materials in order to attain maximum performance. To date, a variety of methods including physical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition (ALD), physical assembly among others have been employed in order to integrate dielectrics for carbon nanotube and graphene based field-effect transistors. Owing to the difficulty in wetting pristine surfaces of nanotubes and graphene, most of the ALD methods require a seeding technique involving non-covalent functionalization of their surfaces in order to nucleate dielectric growth while maintaining their intrinsic properties. A comprehensive review regarding the various dielectric integration schemes for emerging devices and their limitations with respect to ALD based methods along with a future outlook is provided. - Highlights: • We introduce various dielectric integration schemes for carbon-based devices. • Physical vapor deposition methods tend to degrade device performance. • Atomic layer deposition on pristine surfaces of graphene and nanotube is difficult. • We review different seeding techniques for atomic layer deposition of dielectrics. • Compare the performance of graphene top-gate devices with different dielectrics.

  6. Atomic layer deposition of dielectrics for carbon-based electronics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J.; Jandhyala, S.

    2013-01-01

    Carbon based nanomaterials like nanotubes and graphene have emerged as future generation electronic materials for device applications because of their interesting properties such as high-mobility and ability to carry high-current densities compared to conventional semiconductor materials like silicon. Therefore, there is a need to develop techniques to integrate robust gate dielectrics with high-quality interfaces for these materials in order to attain maximum performance. To date, a variety of methods including physical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition (ALD), physical assembly among others have been employed in order to integrate dielectrics for carbon nanotube and graphene based field-effect transistors. Owing to the difficulty in wetting pristine surfaces of nanotubes and graphene, most of the ALD methods require a seeding technique involving non-covalent functionalization of their surfaces in order to nucleate dielectric growth while maintaining their intrinsic properties. A comprehensive review regarding the various dielectric integration schemes for emerging devices and their limitations with respect to ALD based methods along with a future outlook is provided. - Highlights: • We introduce various dielectric integration schemes for carbon-based devices. • Physical vapor deposition methods tend to degrade device performance. • Atomic layer deposition on pristine surfaces of graphene and nanotube is difficult. • We review different seeding techniques for atomic layer deposition of dielectrics. • Compare the performance of graphene top-gate devices with different dielectrics

  7. Comparison of autoregressive (AR) strategy with that of regression approach for determining ozone layer depletion as a physical process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yousufzai, M.A.K; Aansari, M.R.K.; Quamar, J.; Iqbal, J.; Hussain, M.A.

    2010-01-01

    This communication presents the development of a comprehensive characterization of ozone layer depletion (OLD) phenomenon as a physical process in the form of mathematical models that comprise the usual regression, multiple or polynomial regression and stochastic strategy. The relevance of these models has been illuminated using predicted values of different parameters under a changing environment. The information obtained from such analysis can be employed to alter the possible factors and variables to achieve optimum performance. This kind of analysis initiates a study towards formulating the phenomenon of OLD as a physical process with special reference to the stratospheric region of Pakistan. The data presented here establishes that the Auto regressive (AR) nature of modeling OLD as a physical process is an appropriate scenario rather than using usual regression. The data reported in literature suggest quantitatively the OLD is occurring in our region. For this purpose we have modeled this phenomenon using the data recorded at the Geophysical Centre Quetta during the period 1960-1999. The predictions made by this analysis are useful for public, private and other relevant organizations. (author)

  8. Performance characterization of geopolymer composites for hot sodium exposed sacrificial layer in fast breeder reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haneefa, K. Mohammed, E-mail: mhkolakkadan@gmail.com [Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras, Chennai (India); Santhanam, Manu [Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras, Chennai (India); Parida, F. C. [Radiological Safety Division, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam (India)

    2013-12-15

    Highlights: • Performance evaluation of geopolymers subjected to hot liquid sodium is performed. • Apart from mechanical properties, micro-analytical techniques are used for material characterization. • The geopolymer composite showed comparatively lesser damage than conventional cement composites. • Geopolymer technology can emerge as a new choice for sacrificial layer in SCFBRs. - Abstract: A sacrificial layer of concrete is used in sodium cooled fast breeder reactors (SCFBRs) to mitigate thermo-chemical effect of accidentally spilled sodium at and above 550 °C on structural concrete. Performance of this layer is governed by thermo-chemical stability of the ingredients of sacrificial layer concrete. Concrete with limestone aggregate is generally used as a sacrificial layer. Conventional cement based systems exhibit instability in hot liquid sodium environment. Geo-polymer composites are well known to perform excellently at elevated temperatures compared to conventional cement systems. This paper discusses performance of such composites subjected to exposure of hot liquid sodium in air. The investigation includes comprehensive evaluation of various geo-polymer composites before any exposure, after heating to 550 °C in air, and after immersing in hot liquid sodium initially heated to 550 °C in air. Results from the current study indicate that hot liquid sodium produces less damage to geopolymer composites than to the existing conventional cement based system. Hence, the geopolymer technology has potential application in mitigating the degrading effects of sodium fires and can emerge as a new choice for sodium exposed sacrificial layer in SCFBRs.

  9. Considerably improved photovoltaic performance of carbon nanotube-based solar cells using metal oxide layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Feijiu; Kozawa, Daichi; Miyauchi, Yuhei; Hiraoka, Kazushi; Mouri, Shinichiro; Ohno, Yutaka; Matsuda, Kazunari

    2015-02-01

    Carbon nanotube-based solar cells have been extensively studied from the perspective of potential application. Here we demonstrated a significant improvement of the carbon nanotube solar cells by the use of metal oxide layers for efficient carrier transport. The metal oxides also serve as an antireflection layer and an efficient carrier dopant, leading to a reduction in the loss of the incident solar light and an increase in the photocurrent, respectively. As a consequence, the photovoltaic performance of both p-single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)/n-Si and n-SWNT/p-Si heterojunction solar cells using MoOx and ZnO layers is improved, resulting in very high photovoltaic conversion efficiencies of 17.0 and 4.0%, respectively. These findings regarding the use of metal oxides as multifunctional layers suggest that metal oxide layers could improve the performance of various electronic devices based on carbon nanotubes.

  10. Considerably improved photovoltaic performance of carbon nanotube-based solar cells using metal oxide layers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Feijiu; Kozawa, Daichi; Miyauchi, Yuhei; Hiraoka, Kazushi; Mouri, Shinichiro; Ohno, Yutaka; Matsuda, Kazunari

    2015-02-18

    Carbon nanotube-based solar cells have been extensively studied from the perspective of potential application. Here we demonstrated a significant improvement of the carbon nanotube solar cells by the use of metal oxide layers for efficient carrier transport. The metal oxides also serve as an antireflection layer and an efficient carrier dopant, leading to a reduction in the loss of the incident solar light and an increase in the photocurrent, respectively. As a consequence, the photovoltaic performance of both p-single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)/n-Si and n-SWNT/p-Si heterojunction solar cells using MoOx and ZnO layers is improved, resulting in very high photovoltaic conversion efficiencies of 17.0 and 4.0%, respectively. These findings regarding the use of metal oxides as multifunctional layers suggest that metal oxide layers could improve the performance of various electronic devices based on carbon nanotubes.

  11. Biosecurity practices on Australian commercial layer and meat chicken farms: Performance and perceptions of farmers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott, Angela Bullanday; Singh, Mini; Groves, Peter; Hernandez-Jover, Marta; Barnes, Belinda; Glass, Kathryn; Moloney, Barbara; Black, Amanda; Toribio, Jenny-Ann

    2018-01-01

    This paper describes the level of adoption of biosecurity practices performed on Australian commercial chicken meat and layer farms and farmer-perceived importance of these practices. On-farm interviews were conducted on 25 free range layer farms, nine cage layer farms, nine barn layer farms, six free range meat chicken farms and 15 barn meat chicken farms in the Sydney basin bioregion and South East Queensland. There was a high level of treatment of drinking water across all farm types; town water was the most common source. In general, meat chicken farms had a higher level of adoption of biosecurity practices than layer farms. Cage layer farms had the shortest median distance between sheds (7.75m) and between sheds and waterbodies (30m). Equipment sharing between sheds was performed on 43% of free range meat chicken farms compared to 92% of free range layer farms. There was little disinfection of this shared equipment across all farm types. Footbaths and visitor recording books were used by the majority of farms for all farm types except cage layer farms (25%). Wild birds in sheds were most commonly reported in free range meat chicken farms (73%). Dogs and cats were kept across all farm types, from 56% of barn layer farms to 89% of cage layer farms, and they had access to the sheds in the majority (67%) of cage layer farms and on the range in some free range layer farms (44%). Most biosecurity practices were rated on average as 'very important' by farmers. A logistic regression analysis revealed that for most biosecurity practices, performing a practice was significantly associated with higher perceived farmer importance of that biosecurity practice. These findings help identify farm types and certain biosecurity practices with low adoption levels. This information can aid decision-making on efforts used to improve adoption levels.

  12. Stormwater infiltration and surface runoff pollution reduction performance of permeable pavement layers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niu, Zhi-Guang; Lv, Zhi-Wei; Zhang, Ying; Cui, Zhen-Zhen

    2016-02-01

    In this paper, the laboratory-scale permeable pavement layers, including a surface permeable brick layer, coarse sand bedding layers (thicknesses = 2, 3.5, and 5 cm), and single-graded gravel sub-base layers (thicknesses = 15, 20, 25, and 30 cm), were built to evaluate stormwater infiltration and surface runoff pollution reduction performance. And, the infiltration rate (I) and concentrations of suspended solids (SS), total phosphorus (TP), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen, and total nitrogen (TN) were measured under the simulated rainfall intensity of 72.4 mm/h over duration of 60 min. The results indicate that the thickness factor primarily influences the infiltration rate and pollutant removal rate. The highest steady infiltration rate was for surface brick layer 51.0 mm/h, for 5-cm sand bedding layer 32.3 mm/h, and for 30-cm gravel sub-base layer 42.3 mm/h, respectively. The SS average removal rate was relative higher (79.8 ∼ 98.6 %) for all layers due to the interception and filtration. The average removal rates of TP and COD were for surface layer 71.2 and 24.1 %, for 5-cm bedding layer 54.8 and 9.0 %, and for 20-cm sub-base layer 72.2 and 26.1 %. Ammonia nitrogen and TN cannot steadily be removed by layers according to the experiment results. The optimal thickness of bedding sands was 5 cm, and that of sub-base gravels was 20 ∼ 30 cm.

  13. Gender differences in introductory university physics performance: The influence of high school physics preparation and affect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazari, Zahra Sana

    The attrition of females studying physics after high school is a concern to the science education community. Most undergraduate science programs require introductory physics coursework. Thus, success in introductory physics is necessary for students to progress to higher levels of science study. Success also influences attitudes; if females are well-prepared, feel confident, and do well in introductory physics, they may be inclined to study physics further. This quantitative study using multilevel modeling focused on determining factors from high school physics preparation (content, pedagogy, and assessment) and the affective domain that influenced female and male performance in introductory university physics. The study controlled for some university/course level characteristics as well as student demographic and academic background characteristics. The data consisted of 1973 surveys from 54 introductory physics courses within 35 universities across the US. The results highlight high school physics and affective experiences that differentially influenced female and male performance. These experiences include: learning requirements, computer graphing/analysis, long written problems, everyday world examples, community projects, cumulative tests/quizzes, father's encouragement, family's belief that science leads to a better career, and the length of time students believed that high school physics would help in university physics. There were also experiences that had a similar influence on female and male performance. Positively related to performance were: covering fewer topics for longer periods of time, the history of physics as a recurring topic, physics-related videos, and test/quiz questions that involved calculations and/or were drawn from standardized tests. Negatively related to performance were: student-designed projects, reading/discussing labs the day before performing them, microcomputer based laboratories, discussion after demonstrations, and family

  14. Physical and Chemical Interactions between Mg:Al Layered Double Hydroxide and Hexacyanoferrate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boclair, Joseph W.; Braterman, Paul S.; Brister, Brian D.; Wang, Zhiming; Yarberry, Faith

    2001-11-01

    The physical and chemical interactions of ferrocyanide (potassium and ammonium salts) and ferricyanide (potassium salt) with Mg:Al layered double hydroxides (LDH) (having Mg:Al ratios of 2 and 3) are investigated using powder XRD and FTIR spectroscopy. Physically, the potassium ferricyanide is shown to intercalate with a small local field deformation similar to that seen for hexacyanocobaltate (III) in similar materials. Chemically, the reduction of ferricyanide to ferrocyanide upon intercalation is confirmed. Physical interactions of ferrocyanide with 3:1 LDH are shown spectroscopically to include the possible generation of anions in differing environments. Chemically, ferrocyanide is shown to generate cubic ferrocyanides (of the type M2MgFe(CN)6, where M=K+ or NH+4) under conditions where free Mg2+ is likely present in solution, namely, solutions with a pH lower than ∼7.5. It is shown that the reported 2112-cm-1 band found in some chemically altered LDH ferrocyanide is indeed due to interlayer ferricyanide, but that the 2080 cm-1 band is due to the cubic material.

  15. Relationship between physical activity and physical performance in later life in different birth weight groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jantunen, H; Wasenius, N S; Salonen, M K; Perälä, M-M; Kautiainen, H; Simonen, M; Pohjolainen, P; Kajantie, E; von Bonsdorff, M B; Eriksson, J G

    2018-02-01

    There is strong evidence that physical activity (PA) has an influence on physical performance in later life. Also, a small body size at birth has been associated with lower physical functioning in older age and both small and high birth weight have shown to be associated with lower leisure time physical activity. However, it is unknown whether size at birth modulates the association between PA and physical performance in old age. We examined 695 individuals from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study born in Helsinki, Finland between 1934 and 1944. At a mean age of 70.7 years PA was objectively assessed with a multisensory activity monitor and physical performance with the Senior Fitness Test (SFT). Information on birth weight and gestational age was retrieved from hospital birth records. The study participants were divided in three birth weight groups, that is birth weight groups. However, the effect size of the association was large and significant only in men with a birth weight confidence interval 0.37-0.81, Pbirth weight. Our results suggest that men with low birth weight might benefit most from engaging in PA in order to maintain a better physical performance.

  16. Enhancement of device performance of organic solar cells by an interfacial perylene derivative layer

    KAUST Repository

    Kim, Inho; Haverinen, Hanna M.; Li, Jian; Jabbour, Ghassan E.

    2010-01-01

    We report that device performance of organic solar cells consisting of zinc phthalocyanine and fullerene (C60) can be enhanced by insertion of a perylene derivative interfacial layer between fullerene and bathocuproine (BCP) exciton blocking layer

  17. A high performance ceria based interdiffusion barrier layer prepared by spin-coating

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Plonczak, Pawel; Joost, Mario; Hjelm, Johan

    2011-01-01

    A multiple spin-coating deposition procedure of Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (CGO) for application in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) was developed. The thin and dense CGO layer can be employed as a barrier layer between yttria stabilised zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte and a (La, Sr)(Co, Fe)O3 based cathode....... The decomposition of the polymer precursor used in the spin-coating process was studied. The depositions were performed on anode supported half cells. By controlling the sintering temperature between each spin-coating process, dense and crack-free CGO films with a thickness of approximately 1 μm were obtained....... The successive steps of dense layer production was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction was employed to monitor the crystal structure of the CGO layer sintered at different temperatures. The described spin coated barrier layer was evaluated using an anode supported cell...

  18. PTSD is negatively associated with physical performance and physical function in older overweight military veterans

    OpenAIRE

    Hall, Katherine S.; Beckham, Jean C.; Bosworth, Hayden B.; Sloane, Richard; Pieper, Carl F.; Morey, Miriam C.

    2014-01-01

    This study examines the effect of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on function and physical performance in older overweight military Veterans with comorbid conditions. This is a secondary data analysis of older Veterans (mean age = 62.9 yr) participating in a physical activity counseling trial. Study participants with PTSD (n = 67) and without PTSD (n = 235) were identified. Self-reported physical function (36-item Short Form Health Survey) and directly measured physical performance (mobi...

  19. ASSESMENT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SCHOOL CHILDREN

    OpenAIRE

    Himanshu Tripathi

    2017-01-01

    There is a need to find out the association between school-based physical activity, including physical education and academic performance among school-aged youth. To better understand these connections, this research paper first finds out the independent variables upon which academic performance depends. Study is from a range of physical activity contexts, including school-based physical education, recess, classroom-based physical activity and extracurricular physical activity. In his attempt...

  20. A comparative study on the performance of hybrid solar cells containing ZnSTe QDs in hole transporting layer and photoactive layer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Najeeb, Mansoor Ani [Qatar University, Center for Advanced Materials (CAM) (Qatar); Abdullah, Shahino Mah; Aziz, Fakhra [University of Malaya, Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre (LDMRC), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science (Malaysia); Ahmad, Zubair, E-mail: zubairtarar@qu.edu.qa; Shakoor, R. A. [Qatar University, Center for Advanced Materials (CAM) (Qatar); Mohamed, A. M. A. [Suez University, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Petroleum and Mining Engineering (Egypt); Khalil, Uzma [University of Peshawar, Department of Electronics, Jinnah College for Women (Pakistan); Swelm, Wageh; Al-Ghamdi, Ahmed A. [King Abdulaziz University, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science (Saudi Arabia); Sulaiman, Khaulah [University of Malaya, Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre (LDMRC), Department of Physics, Faculty of Science (Malaysia)

    2016-12-15

    In this paper, ZnSTe quantum dots-based hybrid solar cells (HSC) with two different device architectures have been investigated. The improved performance of the poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]phenyl C{sub 71} butyric acid methyl ester (PC{sub 71}BM)-based bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells by the incorporation of ZnSTe quantum dots (QDs) with an average size of 2.96 nm in PEDOT:PSS layer and active layer that have been demonstrated. Although the efficiency of both types of devices is almost the same, a close comparison reveals different reasons behind their improved performance. The device prepared with QDs in the HTL has shown reduced series resistance, increased shunt resistance, and improved mobility. On the other hand, QDs in the photoactive layer demonstrates increased photo-generation leading to improved efficiency.

  1. High-performance organic light-emitting diodes comprising ultrastable glass layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez-Viejo, Javier

    2018-01-01

    Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are one of the key solid-state light sources for various applications including small and large displays, automotive lighting, solid-state lighting, and signage. For any given commercial application, OLEDs need to perform at their best, which is judged by their device efficiency and operational stability. We present OLEDs that comprise functional layers fabricated as ultrastable glasses, which represent the thermodynamically most favorable and, thus, stable molecular conformation achievable nowadays in disordered solids. For both external quantum efficiencies and LT70 lifetimes, OLEDs with four different phosphorescent emitters show >15% enhancements over their respective reference devices. The only difference to the latter is the growth condition used for ultrastable glass layers that is optimal at about 85% of the materials’ glass transition temperature. These improvements are achieved through neither material refinements nor device architecture optimization, suggesting a general applicability of this concept to maximize the OLED performance, no matter which specific materials are used. PMID:29806029

  2. Department of Defense Physical Strength and Job Performance Survey: Report on the Ability of First-Term Enlisted Personnel to Perform Physically Demanding Work

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Cooper, Barrie

    2002-01-01

    ... to perform physically demanding tasks. Within each service, 10 occupational specialties with moderate to high strength requirements were identified as the target populations for the DOD Physical Strength mid Job Performance Survey...

  3. Gender Differences in Introductory University Physics Performance: The Influence of High School Physics Preparation and Affect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazari, Zahra

    2006-12-01

    The attrition of females studying physics after high school has been a continuing concern for the physics education community. If females are well prepared, feel confident, and do well in introductory college physics, they may be inclined to study physics further. This quantitative study uses HLM to identify factors from high school physics preparation (content, pedagogy, and assessment) and the affective domain that predict female and male performance in introductory college physics. The study includes controls for student demographic and academic background characteristics, and the final dataset consists of 1973 surveys from 54 introductory college physics classes. The results highlight high school physics and affective experiences that differentially predict female and male performance. These experiences include: learning requirements, computer graphing/analysis, long written problems, everyday world examples, community projects cumulative tests/quizzes, father's encouragement, family's belief that science leads to a better career, and the length of time students believe that high school physics would help in university physics. There were also experiences that similarly predict female and male performance. The results paint a dynamic picture of the factors from high school physics and the affective domain that influence the future physics performance of females and males. The implication is that there are many aspects to the teaching of physics in high school that, although widely used and thought to be effective, need reform in their implementation in order to be fully beneficial to females and/or males in college.

  4. Ion - beam assisted process in the physical deposition of organic thin layers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dimov, D; Spassova, E; Assa, J; Danev, G [Acad. J .Malinowski Central Laboratory of Photoprocesses, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl.109, 1113 Sofia (Bulgaria); Georgiev, A, E-mail: dean@clf.bas.b [University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, 8 Kl. Ohridski Blvd., 1756 Sofia (Bulgaria)

    2010-04-01

    A novel method was developed for physical deposition of thin polyimide layers by applying an argon plasma assisted process. The influence was investigated of the plasma on the combined molecular flux of the two thermally evaporated precursors - oxydianiline and pyromellitic dianhydride. The effects observed on the properties of the deposited films are explained with the increased energy of the precursor molecules resulting from the ion-molecular collisions. As could be expected, molecules with higher energy possess higher mobility and thus determine the modification of the films structure and their electrical properties.

  5. Vitamin d and physical performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moran, Daniel S; McClung, James P; Kohen, Tal; Lieberman, Harris R

    2013-07-01

    Vitamin D is an essential nutrient obtained from the diet and exposure to sunlight. Roles for vitamin D have been established in the function of the cardiovascular, immune, and musculoskeletal systems. An electronic database search was conducted using EMBASE (1967 to August 2012), MEDLINE (1966 to August 2012), SPORTDiscus™ (1975 to August 2012), and the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) (1998 to August 2012) with no limits of language of publication. Articles that described vitamin D and performance were considered eligible for this review. Recent studies suggest that vitamin D maintains physical performance in athletes and other active populations, e.g., maximal oxygen consumption may be related to vitamin D status. Poor vitamin D status affects muscle strength, and vitamin D may participate in protein synthesis through the actions of the vitamin D receptor in muscle tissue. Vitamin D may protect against overuse injuries, such as stress fracture, through its well-documented role in calcium metabolism. The objective of this manuscript is to review recent evidence regarding the importance of vitamin D for maintaining physical performance, and includes specific examples of how vitamin D supports the cardiovascular, immune, and musculoskeletal systems.

  6. Measured Boundary Layer Transition and Rotor Hover Performance at Model Scale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Overmeyer, Austin D.; Martin, Preston B.

    2017-01-01

    An experiment involving a Mach-scaled, 11:08 f t: diameter rotor was performed in hover during the summer of 2016 at NASA Langley Research Center. The experiment investigated the hover performance as a function of the laminar to turbulent transition state of the boundary layer, including both natural and fixed transition cases. The boundary layer transition locations were measured on both the upper and lower aerodynamic surfaces simultaneously. The measurements were enabled by recent advances in infrared sensor sensitivity and stability. The infrared thermography measurement technique was enhanced by a paintable blade surface heater, as well as a new high-sensitivity long wave infrared camera. The measured transition locations showed extensive amounts, x=c>0:90, of laminar flow on the lower surface at moderate to high thrust (CT=s > 0:068) for the full blade radius. The upper surface showed large amounts, x=c > 0:50, of laminar flow at the blade tip for low thrust (CT=s boundary layer transition models in CFD and rotor design tools. The data is expected to be used as part of the AIAA Rotorcraft SimulationWorking Group

  7. Intelligence in early adulthood and midlife physical performance in men

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Meincke, Rikke Hodal; Hansen, Åse Marie; Mortensen, Laust Hvas

    2016-01-01

    The objective of this study was to examine whether associations between intelligence in early adulthood and midlife physical performance in men were mediated by education and leisure-time physical activity. Intelligence correlated positively with later education (r = 0.47) and negatively with phy......The objective of this study was to examine whether associations between intelligence in early adulthood and midlife physical performance in men were mediated by education and leisure-time physical activity. Intelligence correlated positively with later education (r = 0.47) and negatively...... performance, but because intelligence in early adulthood was inversely associated with physical activity, the indirect effects through physical activity were negative. Overall, education and leisure-time physical activity were not strong mediators of the association between early adult intelligence...

  8. Enhancing the performance of organic thin-film transistors using an organic-doped inorganic buffer layer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Su, Shui-Hsiang, E-mail: shsu@isu.edu.tw; Wu, Chung-Ming; Kung, Shu-Yi; Yokoyama, Meiso

    2013-06-01

    Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) with various buffer layers between the active layer and source/drain electrodes were investigated. The structure was polyethylene terephthalate/indium-tin oxide/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/pentacene/buffer layer/Au (source/drain). V{sub 2}O{sub 5}, 4,4′,4″-tris{N,(3-methylpheny)-N-phenylamino}-triphenylamine (m-MTDATA) and m-MTDATA-doped V{sub 2}O{sub 5} films were utilized as buffer layers. The electrical performances of OTFTs in terms of drain current, threshold voltage, mobility and on/off current ratio have been determined. As a result, the saturation current of − 40 μA is achieved in OTFTs with a 10% m-MTDATA-doped V{sub 2}O{sub 5} buffer layer at a V{sub GS} of − 60 V. The on/off current ratio reaches 2 × 10{sup 5}, which is approximately double of the device without a buffer layer. The energy band diagrams of the electrode/buffer layer/pentacene were measured using ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopy. The improvement in electrical characteristics of the OTFTs is attributable to the weakening of the interface dipole and the lowering of the barrier to enhance holes transportation from the source electrode to the active layer. - Highlights: • A buffer layer enhances the performance of organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). • The buffer layer consists of organic-doped inorganic material. • Interface dipole is weakened at the active layer/electrodes interface of OTFTs.

  9. Enhanced performance of C60 N-type organic field-effect transistors using a pentacene passivation layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang Xiaoyu; Cheng Xiaoman; Du Boqun; Bai Xiao; Fan Jianfeng

    2013-01-01

    We investigated the properties of C 60 -based organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) with a pentacene passivation layer inserted between the C 60 active layer and the gate dielectric. After modification of the pentacene passivation layer, the performance of the devices was considerably improved compared to C 60 -based OFETs with only a PMMA dielectric. The peak field-effect mobility was up to 1.01 cm 2 /(V·s) and the on/off ratio shifted to 10 4 . This result indicates that using a pentacene passivation layer is an effective way to improve the performance of N-type OFETs. (semiconductor devices)

  10. Is math anxiety in the secondary classroom limiting physics mastery? A study of math anxiety and physics performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mercer, Gary J.

    This quantitative study examined the relationship between secondary students with math anxiety and physics performance in an inquiry-based constructivist classroom. The Revised Math Anxiety Rating Scale was used to evaluate math anxiety levels. The results were then compared to the performance on a physics standardized final examination. A simple correlation was performed, followed by a multivariate regression analysis to examine effects based on gender and prior math background. The correlation showed statistical significance between math anxiety and physics performance. The regression analysis showed statistical significance for math anxiety, physics performance, and prior math background, but did not show statistical significance for math anxiety, physics performance, and gender.

  11. Performance analysis of STT-RAM with cross shaped free layer using Heusler alloys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bharat Kumary, Tangudu; Ghosh, Bahniman; Awadhiya, Bhaskar; Verma, Ankit Kumar

    2016-01-01

    We have investigated the performance of a spin transfer torque random access memory (STT-RAM) cell with a cross shaped Heusler compound based free layer using micromagnetic simulations. We have designed a free layer using a Cobalt based Heusler compound. Simulation results clearly show that the switching time from one state to the other state has been reduced, also it has been found that the critical switching current density (to switch the magnetization of the free layer of the STT RAM cell) is reduced.

  12. PropBase Query Layer: a single portal to UK subsurface physical property databases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kingdon, Andrew; Nayembil, Martin L.; Richardson, Anne E.; Smith, A. Graham

    2013-04-01

    Until recently, the delivery of geological information for industry and public was achieved by geological mapping. Now pervasively available computers mean that 3D geological models can deliver realistic representations of the geometric location of geological units, represented as shells or volumes. The next phase of this process is to populate these with physical properties data that describe subsurface heterogeneity and its associated uncertainty. Achieving this requires capture and serving of physical, hydrological and other property information from diverse sources to populate these models. The British Geological Survey (BGS) holds large volumes of subsurface property data, derived both from their own research data collection and also other, often commercially derived data sources. This can be voxelated to incorporate this data into the models to demonstrate property variation within the subsurface geometry. All property data held by BGS has for many years been stored in relational databases to ensure their long-term continuity. However these have, by necessity, complex structures; each database contains positional reference data and model information, and also metadata such as sample identification information and attributes that define the source and processing. Whilst this is critical to assessing these analyses, it also hugely complicates the understanding of variability of the property under assessment and requires multiple queries to study related datasets making extracting physical properties from these databases difficult. Therefore the PropBase Query Layer has been created to allow simplified aggregation and extraction of all related data and its presentation of complex data in simple, mostly denormalized, tables which combine information from multiple databases into a single system. The structure from each relational database is denormalized in a generalised structure, so that each dataset can be viewed together in a common format using a simple

  13. A physics-based model for maintenance of the pH gradient in the gastric mucus layer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Owen L; Keener, James P; Fogelson, Aaron L

    2017-12-01

    It is generally accepted that the gastric mucus layer provides a protective barrier between the lumen and the mucosa, shielding the mucosa from acid and digestive enzymes and preventing autodigestion of the stomach epithelium. However, the precise mechanisms that contribute to this protective function are still up for debate. In particular, it is not clear what physical processes are responsible for transporting hydrogen protons, secreted within the gastric pits, across the mucus layer to the lumen without acidifying the environment adjacent to the epithelium. One hypothesis is that hydrogen may be bound to the mucin polymers themselves as they are convected away from the mucosal surface and eventually degraded in the stomach lumen. It is also not clear what mechanisms prevent hydrogen from diffusing back toward the mucosal surface, thereby lowering the local pH. In this work we investigate a physics-based model of ion transport within the mucosal layer based on a Nernst-Planck-like equation. Analysis of this model shows that the mechanism of transporting protons bound to the mucus gel is capable of reproducing the trans-mucus pH gradients reported in the literature. Furthermore, when coupled with ion exchange at the epithelial surface, our analysis shows that bicarbonate secretion alone is capable of neutralizing the epithelial pH, even in the face of enormous diffusive gradients of hydrogen. Maintenance of the pH gradient is found to be robust to a wide array of perturbations in both physiological and phenomenological model parameters, suggesting a robust physiological control mechanism. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This work combines modeling techniques based on physical principles, as well as novel numerical simulations to test the plausibility of one hypothesized mechanism for proton transport across the gastric mucus layer. Results show that this mechanism is able to maintain the extreme pH gradient seen in in vivo experiments and suggests a highly robust regulation

  14. Performance of GeantV EM Physics Models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Amadio, G.; et al.

    2016-10-14

    The recent progress in parallel hardware architectures with deeper vector pipelines or many-cores technologies brings opportunities for HEP experiments to take advantage of SIMD and SIMT computing models. Launched in 2013, the GeantV project studies performance gains in propagating multiple particles in parallel, improving instruction throughput and data locality in HEP event simulation on modern parallel hardware architecture. Due to the complexity of geometry description and physics algorithms of a typical HEP application, performance analysis is indispensable in identifying factors limiting parallel execution. In this report, we will present design considerations and preliminary computing performance of GeantV physics models on coprocessors (Intel Xeon Phi and NVidia GPUs) as well as on mainstream CPUs.

  15. Performance of GeantV EM Physics Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amadio, G.; Ananya, A.; Apostolakis, J.; Aurora, A.; Bandieramonte, M.; Bhattacharyya, A.; Bianchini, C.; Brun, R.; Canal, P.; Carminati, F.; Cosmo, G.; Duhem, L.; Elvira, D.; Folger, G.; Gheata, A.; Gheata, M.; Goulas, I.; Iope, R.; Jun, S. Y.; Lima, G.; Mohanty, A.; Nikitina, T.; Novak, M.; Pokorski, W.; Ribon, A.; Seghal, R.; Shadura, O.; Vallecorsa, S.; Wenzel, S.; Zhang, Y.

    2017-10-01

    The recent progress in parallel hardware architectures with deeper vector pipelines or many-cores technologies brings opportunities for HEP experiments to take advantage of SIMD and SIMT computing models. Launched in 2013, the GeantV project studies performance gains in propagating multiple particles in parallel, improving instruction throughput and data locality in HEP event simulation on modern parallel hardware architecture. Due to the complexity of geometry description and physics algorithms of a typical HEP application, performance analysis is indispensable in identifying factors limiting parallel execution. In this report, we will present design considerations and preliminary computing performance of GeantV physics models on coprocessors (Intel Xeon Phi and NVidia GPUs) as well as on mainstream CPUs.

  16. Performance of GeantV EM Physics Models

    CERN Document Server

    Amadio, G; Apostolakis, J; Aurora, A; Bandieramonte, M; Bhattacharyya, A; Bianchini, C; Brun, R; Canal P; Carminati, F; Cosmo, G; Duhem, L; Elvira, D; Folger, G; Gheata, A; Gheata, M; Goulas, I; Iope, R; Jun, S Y; Lima, G; Mohanty, A; Nikitina, T; Novak, M; Pokorski, W; Ribon, A; Seghal, R; Shadura, O; Vallecorsa, S; Wenzel, S; Zhang, Y

    2017-01-01

    The recent progress in parallel hardware architectures with deeper vector pipelines or many-cores technologies brings opportunities for HEP experiments to take advantage of SIMD and SIMT computing models. Launched in 2013, the GeantV project studies performance gains in propagating multiple particles in parallel, improving instruction throughput and data locality in HEP event simulation on modern parallel hardware architecture. Due to the complexity of geometry description and physics algorithms of a typical HEP application, performance analysis is indispensable in identifying factors limiting parallel execution. In this report, we will present design considerations and preliminary computing performance of GeantV physics models on coprocessors (Intel Xeon Phi and NVidia GPUs) as well as on mainstream CPUs.

  17. Corrosion Performance of Composite Galvanic Coatings with Variable Concentration of Polymeric Nanoaggregates and/or Cr(III) Conversion Layers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koleva, D.A.; Taheri, P.; Tsvetkova, N.; Boshkov, N.; Van Breugel, K.; De Wit, J.H.W.; Mol, J.M.C.

    2011-01-01

    This paper reports on the corrosion performance of composite zinc layers (~ 8µm) on a steel substrate, considering the influence of nano-aggregates and Cr(III) conversion layers, compared to control (only Zn layers) conditions. The main factors, influencing the corrosion performance of Zn in this

  18. Electrical and physical characteristics for crystalline atomic layer deposited beryllium oxide thin film on Si and GaAs substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yum, J.H.; Akyol, T.; Lei, M.; Ferrer, D.A.; Hudnall, Todd W.; Downer, M.; Bielawski, C.W.; Bersuker, G.; Lee, J.C.; Banerjee, S.K.

    2012-01-01

    In a previous study, atomic layer deposited (ALD) BeO exhibited less interface defect density and hysteresis, as well as less frequency dispersion and leakage current density, at the same equivalent oxide thickness than Al 2 O 3 . Furthermore, its self-cleaning effect was better. In this study, the physical and electrical characteristics of ALD BeO grown on Si and GaAs substrates are further evaluated as a gate dielectric layer in III–V metal-oxide-semiconductor devices using transmission electron microscopy, selective area electron diffraction, second harmonic generation, and electrical analysis. An as-grown ALD BeO thin film was revealed as a layered single crystal structure, unlike the well-known ALD dielectrics that exhibit either poly-crystalline or amorphous structures. Low defect density in highly ordered ALD BeO film, less variability in electrical characteristics, and great stability under electrical stress were demonstrated. - Highlights: ► BeO is an excellent electrical insulator, but good thermal conductor. ► Highly crystalline film of BeO has been grown using atomic layer deposition. ► An ALD BeO precursor, which is not commercially available, has been synthesized. ► Physical and electrical characteristics have been investigated.

  19. Design and implementation of a software defined HiperLAN/2 physical layer model for simulation purposes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Hoesel, L.F.W.

    2002-01-01

    In this Master of Science thesis a simulation model of the HiperLAN/2 physical layer is designed and implemented. The model should provide insight in the demodulation functions that are necessary in HiperLAN/2 and it should be useful for determining channel selection and computational requirements

  20. Physical Education and Academic Performance in Urban African American Girls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Bo

    2017-01-01

    This study was designed to examine urban African American girls' participation in physical education and its association with academic performance. One hundred eighty four participants completed questionnaires assessing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and learning engagement in physical education while their academic performance was based…

  1. Focusing performance of a multilayer Laue lens with layer placement error described by dynamical diffraction theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Lingfei; Chang, Guangcai; Liu, Peng; Zhou, Liang

    2015-07-01

    The multilayer Laue lens (MLL) is essentially a linear zone plate with large aspect ratio, which can theoretically focus hard X-rays to well below 1 nm with high efficiency when ideal structures are used. However, the focusing performance of a MLL depends heavily on the quality of the layers, especially the layer placement error which always exists in real MLLs. Here, a dynamical modeling approach, based on the coupled wave theory, is proposed to study the focusing performance of a MLL with layer placement error. The result of simulation shows that this method can be applied to various forms of layer placement error.

  2. A novel catalyst layer structure based surface-patterned Nafion® membrane for high-performance direct methanol fuel cell

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chen, Ming; Wang, Meng; Ding, Xianan

    2018-01-01

    .5% respectively, compared with the conventional catalyst layer. Performance improvement is attributed to the fact that the novel catalyst layer structure optimizes the electrolyte membrane/catalyst layer and gas diffusion layer/catalyst layer interfacial structure, which increases the electrochemical reaction......Conventional catalyst layer with a smooth surface exists the larger area of“catalytic dead zone” and reduces the utilization of catalyst. Based on this, a novel catalyst layer structure based surface-patterned Nafion® membrane was designed to achieve more efficient electrochemical reaction...... to prepare the novel catalyst layer, and the effect of pressure on the performance of MEA was investigated. The results suggested that the peak power density of DMFC with optimal novel catalyst layer structure increased by 28.84%, the charge transfer resistances of anode and cathode reduced by 28.8% and 26...

  3. Mass-physical properties of surficial sediments on the Rhoˆne continental margin: implications for the nepheloid benthic layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chassefiere, Bernard

    1990-09-01

    Mass-physical properties of the surficial (upper 5 m) sediments on the Gulf of Lions continental margin were analysed, from more than 100 short (1 m) and longer (5 m) cores obtained during several cruises. Data include water content, unit weight, Atterberg limits (liquid limit, plastic limit, plasticity index), shear strength and compression index, and are used to determine: first, the mass property distribution, according to the main parameters influencing mass-physical properties; the relationships between these properties and the nepheloid layer on the shelf. The shoreline (lagoons) and inner shelf are characterized by low density and shear strength and high water content deposits, due to electrochemical flocculation of the sediment. The outer shelf is blanketed by higher density and shear strength and lower water content deposits generated by normal settling of suspended particles. On the inner shelf, during river peak discharges, a short-term thin bottom layer of "yogurt-like" [ FASS (1985) Geomarine Letters, 4, 147-152; FASS (1986) Continental Shelf Research, 6, 189-208] fluid-mud (unit weight lower than 1.3 mg m -3) is supplied, by a bottom nepheloid layer. During stormy periods, this "yogurt-like" layer (about 10 cm thick) partly disappears by resuspension of suspended particulate matter; this is advected, in the bottom nepheloid layer, over the shelf and the canyons within the upper slope.

  4. Wetted Foam Liquid DT Layer ICF Experiments at the NIF

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olson, R. E.; Leeper, R. J.; Peterson, R. R.; Yi, S. A.; Zylstra, A. B.; Kline, J. L.; Bradley, P. A.; Yin, L.; Wilson, D. C.; Haines, B. M.; Batha, S. H.

    2016-10-01

    A key physics issue in indirect-drive ICF relates to the understanding of the limitations on hot spot convergence ratio (CR), principally set by the hohlraum drive symmetry, the capsule mounting hardware (the ``tent''), and the capsule fill tube. An additional key physics issue relates to the complex process by which a hot spot must be dynamically formed from the inner ice surface in a DT ice-layer implosion. These physics issues have helped to motivate the development of a new liquid DT layer wetted foam platform at the NIF that provides an ability to form the hot spot from DT vapor and experimentally study and understand hot spot formation at a variety of CR's in the range of 12hot spot and the low adiabat cold fuel during the stagnation process and can allow for a fundamentally different (and potentially more robust) process of hot spot formation. This new experimental platform is currently being used in a series of experiments to discover a range of CR's at which DT layered implosions will have understandable performance - providing a sound basis from which to determine the requirements for ICF ignition. This work was performed under the auspices of the U. S. DOE by LANL under contract DE-AC52-06NA25396.

  5. Diffusion layer characteristics for increasing the performance of activated carbon air cathodes in microbial fuel cells

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Xiaoyuan; He, Weihua; Yang, Wulin; Liu, Jia; Wang, Qiuying; Liang, Peng; Huang, Xia; Logan, Bruce E.

    2016-01-01

    The characteristics of several different types of diffusion layers were systematically examined to improve the performance of activated carbon air cathodes used in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). A diffusion layer of carbon black and polytetrafluoroethylene (CB + PTFE) that was pressed onto a stainless steel mesh current collector achieved the highest cathode performance. This cathode also had a high oxygen mass transfer coefficient and high water pressure tolerance (>2 m), and it had the highest current densities in abiotic chronoamperometry tests compared to cathodes with other diffusion layers. In MFC tests, this cathode also produced maximum power densities (1610 ± 90 mW m−2) that were greater than those of cathodes with other diffusion layers, by 19% compared to Gore-Tex (1350 ± 20 mW m−2), 22% for a cloth wipe with PDMS (1320 ± 70 mW m−2), 45% with plain PTFE (1110 ± 20 mW m−2), and 19% higher than those of cathodes made with a Pt catalyst and a PTFE diffusion layer (1350 ± 50 mW m−2). The highly porous diffusion layer structure of the CB + PTFE had a relatively high oxygen mass transfer coefficient (1.07 × 10−3 cm s−1) which enhanced oxygen transport to the catalyst. The addition of CB enhanced cathode performance by increasing the conductivity of the diffusion layer. Oxygen mass transfer coefficient, water pressure tolerance, and the addition of conductive particles were therefore critical features for achieving higher performance AC air cathodes.

  6. Experience, gender, and performance: Connecting high school physics experience and gender differences to introductory college physics performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tai, Robert H.

    Current science educational practice is coming under heavy criticism based on the dismaying results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study of 1998, the latest in a series of large scale surveys; and from research showing the appallingly low representation of females in science-related fields. These critical evaluations serve to draw attention to science literacy in general and lack of persistence among females in particular, two issues that relate closely to the "preparation for future study" goal held by many high school science teachers. In other words, these teachers often seek to promote future success and to prevent future failure in their students' academic careers. This thesis studies the connection between the teaching practices recommended by reformers and researchers for high school teachers, and their students' subsequent college physics performance. The teaching practices studied were: laboratory experiences, class discussion experiences, content coverage, and reliance on textbooks. This study analyzed a survey of 1500 students from 16 different lecture-format college physics courses at 14 different universities. Using hierarchical linear modeling, this study accounted for course-level variables (Calculus-based/Non-calculus course type, professor's gender, and university selectivity). This study controlled for the student's parents education, high school science/mathematics achievement, high school calculus background, and racial background. In addition, the interactions between gender and both pedagogical/curricular and course-level variables were analyzed. The results indicated that teaching fewer topics in greater depth in high school physics appeared to be helpful to college physics students. An interaction between college course type and content coverage showed that students in Calculus-based physics reaped even greater benefits from a depth-oriented curriculum. Also students with fewer labs per month in high school physics

  7. Cross-Layer Design for Two-Way Relaying Networks with Multiple Antennas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    zhuo wu

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we developed a cross-layer design for two-way relaying (TWR networks with multiple antennas, where two single antenna source nodes exchange information with the aid of one multiple antenna relay node. The proposed cross-layer design considers adaptive modulation (AM and space-time block coding (STBC at the physical layer with an automatic repeat request (ARQ protocol at the data link layer, in order to maximize the spectral efficiency under specific delay and packet error ratio (PER constraints. An MMSE-interference cancellation (IC receiver is employed at the relay node, to remove the interference in the fist phase of the TWR transmission. The transmission mode is updated for each phase of the TWR transmission on a frame-by-frame basis, to match the time-varying channel conditions and exploit the system performance and throughput gain. Simulation results show that retransmission at the data link layer could alleviate rigorous error-control requirements at the physical layer, and thereby allows higher data transmission. As a result, cross-layer design helps to achieve considerable system spectral efficiency gain for TWR networks, compared to those without cross-layer design.

  8. Self-reported physical fitness of older persons : A substitute for performance-based measures of physical fitness?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    vanHeuvelen, MJG; Kempen, GIJM; Ormel, J; de Greef, M.H.G.

    1997-01-01

    To evaluate the validity of self-report measures of physical fitness as substitutes for performance-based tests, self-reports and performance-based tests of physical fitness were compared. Subjects were a community-based sample of older adults (N = 624) aged 57 and over. The performance-based tests

  9. Charged particle detection performances of CMOS pixel sensors produced in a 0.18 um process with a high resistivity epitaxial layer

    CERN Document Server

    Senyukov, Serhiy; Besson, Auguste; Claus, Gilles; Cousin, Loic; Dorokhov, Andrei; Dulinski, Wojciech; Goffe, Mathieu; Hu-Guo, Christine; Winter, Marc

    2013-01-01

    The apparatus of the ALICE experiment at CERN will be upgraded in 2017/18 during the second long shutdown of the LHC (LS2). A major motivation for this upgrade is to extend the physics reach for charmed and beauty particles down to low transverse momenta. This requires a substantial improvement of the spatial resolution and the data rate capability of the ALICE Inner Tracking System (ITS). To achieve this goal, the new ITS will be equipped with 50 um thin CMOS Pixel Sensors (CPS) covering either the 3 innermost layers or all the 7 layers of the detector. The CPS being developed for the ITS upgrade at IPHC (Strasbourg) is derived from the MIMOSA 28 sensor realised for the STAR-PXL at RHIC in a 0.35 um CMOS process. In order to satisfy the ITS upgrade requirements in terms of readout speed and radiation tolerance, a CMOS process with a reduced feature size and a high resistivity epitaxial layer should be exploited. In this respect, the charged particle detection performance and radiation hardness of the TowerJa...

  10. Mechanical performance of SiC three-layer cladding in PWRs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Angelici Avincola, Valentina, E-mail: valentina.avincola@kit.edu [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Guenoun, Pierre, E-mail: pguenoun@mit.edu [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Shirvan, Koroush, E-mail: kshirvan@mit.edu [Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)

    2016-12-15

    Highlights: • FEA calculations of the stress distribution in SiC three-layer cladding. • Simulation of SiC mechanical performance under operation and accident conditions. • Failure probability analysis of SiC in steady-state and accident conditions. - Abstract: The silicon carbide cladding concept is currently under investigation with regard to increasing the accident tolerance and economic performance of light-water reactor fuels. In this work, the stress fields in the multi-layered silicon carbide cladding for LWR fuels are calculated using the commercial finite element analysis software ADINA. The material properties under irradiation are implemented as a function of temperature. The cladding is studied under operating and accident conditions, specifically for the loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA). During the LOCA, the blowdown and the reflood phases are modeled, including the quench waterfront. The calculated stresses along the cladding thickness show a high sensitivity to the assumptions regarding material properties. The resulting stresses are compared with experimental data and the probability of failure is calculated considering a Weibull model.

  11. The performance of double layer structure membrane prepared from flowing coagulant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mieow Kee, Chan; Xeng, Anthony Leong Chan; Regal, Sasiskala; Singh, Balvinder; Raoo, Preeshaath; Koon Eu, Yap; Sok Choo, Ng

    2017-12-01

    Membrane with double layer structure is favourable as it exhibits smooth surface and macrovoids free structure. However, its’ performance in terms of permeability, porosity and strength has not been studied thoroughly. Additionally, the effect of flowing coagulant on the formation of double layer membrane has not been reported. Thus, the objective of this study is to investigate the performance of double layer membranes, which were prepared using flowing coagulant. Results showed that when the coagulant flow changed from laminar to turbulent, the pure water permeation of the membrane increased. It was due to the higher porosity in the membrane, which prepared by turbulent flow (CA-Turbulent) compared to the membrane which fabricated under laminar condition (CA-Laminar). This can be explained by the rapid solvent-coagulant exchange rate between the polymer solution and the turbulent coagulant. In term of strength, the tensile strength of the CA-Turbulent was ~32 MPa, which was 100% higher compared to CA-Laminar. This may due to the presence of large amount of nodules on its surface, which reduced the surface integrity. In conclusion, flowing coagulant altered the membrane properties and adopting turbulent coagulant flow in membrane fabrication would improve the porosity, surface roughness and the strength of the membrane.

  12. Using physical and numerical models to study possibilities of storing natural gas in horizontal layers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boucher, M; Marrast, j

    1969-11-01

    The absence of suitable structures in some regions has led Gaz de France to investigate the storage of natural gas in horizontal layers. Research aimed at completing work done in this field by Soviet researchers has been carried out at the Institut Francais du Petrole using physical and numerical models together with computing. This research included an examination of storage stability, of how the effective volume of gas evolved during different cycles, of how the gas bubble migrates under the effect of a slight dip, and of the influence of instabilities. The possibility of storing gas in horizontal or sub-horizontal layers was thus justified from a theoretical viewpoint. When the time comes to make a decision concerning the creation of such a storage area, it is the economic factor that will be preponderant. The effective volume of recoverable gas has turned out to depend to a large extent on the thickness of the layer. (12 refs.)

  13. A Unified NET-MAC-PHY Cross-layer Framework for Performance Evaluation of Multi-hop Ad hoc WLANs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachid El-Azouzi

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Most of the existing works have been evaluated the performance of 802.11 multihop networks by considering the MAC layer or network layer separately. Knowing the nature of the multi-hop ad hoc networks, many factors in different layers are crucial for study the performance of MANET. In this paper we present a new analytic model for evaluating average end-to-end throughput in IEEE 802.11e multihop wireless networks. In particular, we investigate an intricate interaction among PHY, MAC and Network layers. For instance, we incorporate carrier sense threshold, transmission power, contention window size, retransmissions retry limit, multi rates, routing protocols and network topology together. We build a general cross-layered framework to represent multi-hop ad hoc networks with asymmetric topology and asymmetric traffic. We develop an analytical model to predict throughput of each connection as well as stability of forwarding queues at intermediate nodes in saturated networks. To the best of our knowledge, it seems that our work is the first wherein general topology and asymmetric parameters setup are considered in PHY/MAC/Network layers. Performance of such a system is also evaluated through simulation. We show that performance measures of the MAC layer are affected by the traffic intensity of flows to be forwarded. More precisely, attempt rate and collision probability are dependent on traffic flows, topology and routing.

  14. Thickness dependence of the levitation performance of double-layer high-temperature superconductor bulks above a magnetic rail

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, R.X.; Zheng, J.; Liao, X.L.; Che, T.; Gou, Y.F.; He, D.B.; Deng, Z.G.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Thickness optimization of double-layer bulk HTSC arrangement is studied. • The new bulk HTSC arrangement makes better use of the flux distribution of the magnetic rails. • Levitation performance can be enhanced with the optimization. • The optimization can meet large levitation force requirements for HTS Maglev system. - Abstract: A double-layer high-temperature superconductor (HTSC) arrangement was proposed and proved to be able to bring improvements to both levitation force and guidance force compared with present single-layer HTSC arrangement. To fully exploit the applied magnetic field by a magnetic rail, the thickness dependence of a double-layer HTSC arrangement on the levitation performance was further investigated in the paper. In this study, the lower-layer bulk was polished step by step to different thicknesses, and the upper-layer bulk with constant thickness was directly superimposed on the lower-layer one. The levitation force and the force relaxation of the double-layer HTSC arrangement were measured above a Halbach magnetic rail. Experimental result shows that a bigger levitation force and a less levitation force decay could be achieved by optimizing the thickness of the lower-layer bulk HTSC. This thickness optimization method could be applied together with former reported double-layer HTSC arrangement method with aligned growth sector boundaries pattern. This series of study on the optimized combination method do bring a significant improvement on the levitation performance of present HTS maglev systems

  15. Thickness dependence of the levitation performance of double-layer high-temperature superconductor bulks above a magnetic rail

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, R.X.; Zheng, J.; Liao, X.L.; Che, T.; Gou, Y.F.; He, D.B.; Deng, Z.G., E-mail: zgdeng@gmail.com

    2014-10-15

    Highlights: • Thickness optimization of double-layer bulk HTSC arrangement is studied. • The new bulk HTSC arrangement makes better use of the flux distribution of the magnetic rails. • Levitation performance can be enhanced with the optimization. • The optimization can meet large levitation force requirements for HTS Maglev system. - Abstract: A double-layer high-temperature superconductor (HTSC) arrangement was proposed and proved to be able to bring improvements to both levitation force and guidance force compared with present single-layer HTSC arrangement. To fully exploit the applied magnetic field by a magnetic rail, the thickness dependence of a double-layer HTSC arrangement on the levitation performance was further investigated in the paper. In this study, the lower-layer bulk was polished step by step to different thicknesses, and the upper-layer bulk with constant thickness was directly superimposed on the lower-layer one. The levitation force and the force relaxation of the double-layer HTSC arrangement were measured above a Halbach magnetic rail. Experimental result shows that a bigger levitation force and a less levitation force decay could be achieved by optimizing the thickness of the lower-layer bulk HTSC. This thickness optimization method could be applied together with former reported double-layer HTSC arrangement method with aligned growth sector boundaries pattern. This series of study on the optimized combination method do bring a significant improvement on the levitation performance of present HTS maglev systems.

  16. Improved performance of GaN based light emitting diodes with ex-situ sputtered AlN nucleation layers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuo-Wei Chen

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The crystal quality, electrical and optical properties of GaN based light emitting diodes (LEDs with ex-situ sputtered physical vapor deposition (PVD aluminum nitride (AlN nucleation layers were investigated. It was found that the crystal quality in terms of defect density and x-ray diffraction linewidth was greatly improved in comparison to LEDs with in-situ low temperature GaN nucleation layer. The light output power was 3.7% increased and the reverse bias voltage of leakage current was twice on LEDs with ex-situ PVD AlN nucleation layers. However, larger compressive strain was discovered in LEDs with ex-situ PVD AlN nucleation layers. The study shows the potential and constrain in applying ex-situ PVD AlN nucleation layers to fabricate high quality GaN crystals in various optoelectronics.

  17. Physical exercise and cognitive performance in the elderly: current perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kirk-Sanchez NJ

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Neva J Kirk-Sanchez,1 Ellen L McGough21Department of Physical Therapy, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; 2Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USAAbstract: In an aging population with increasing incidence of dementia and cognitive impairment, strategies are needed to slow age-related decline and reduce disease-related cognitive impairment in older adults. Physical exercise that targets modifiable risk factors and neuroprotective mechanisms may reduce declines in cognitive performance attributed to the normal aging process and protect against changes related to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. In this review we summarize the role of exercise in neuroprotection and cognitive performance, and provide information related to implementation of physical exercise programs for older adults. Evidence from both animal and human studies supports the role of physical exercise in modifying metabolic, structural, and functional dimensions of the brain and preserving cognitive performance in older adults. The results of observational studies support a dose-dependent neuroprotective relationship between physical exercise and cognitive performance in older adults. Although some clinical trials of exercise interventions demonstrate positive effects of exercise on cognitive performance, other trials show minimal to no effect. Although further research is needed, physical exercise interventions aimed at improving brain health through neuroprotective mechanisms show promise for preserving cognitive performance. Exercise programs that are structured, individualized, higher intensity, longer duration, and multicomponent show promise for preserving cognitive performance in older adults.Keywords: aging, neurodegeneration, dementia, brain, physical activity

  18. Comparing Physics Scheme Performance for a Lake Effect Snowfall Event in Northern Lower Michigan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molthan, Andrew; Arnott, Justin M.

    2012-01-01

    High resolution forecast models, such as those used to predict severe convective storms, can also be applied to predictions of lake effect snowfall. A high resolution WRF model forecast model is provided to support operations at NWS WFO Gaylord, Michigan, using a 12 ]km and 4 ]km nested configuration. This is comparable to the simulations performed by other NWS WFOs adjacent to the Great Lakes, including offices in the NWS Eastern Region who participate in regional ensemble efforts. Ensemble efforts require diversity in initial conditions and physics configurations to emulate the plausible range of events in order to ascertain the likelihood of different forecast scenarios. In addition to providing probabilistic guidance, individual members can be evaluated to determine whether they appear to be biased in some way, or to better understand how certain physics configurations may impact the resulting forecast. On January 20 ]21, 2011, a lake effect snow event occurred in Northern Lower Michigan, with cooperative observing and CoCoRaHS stations reporting new snow accumulations between 2 and 8 inches and liquid equivalents of 0.1 ]0.25 h. The event of January 21, 2011 was particularly well observed, with numerous surface reports available. It was also well represented by the WRF configuration operated at NWS Gaylord. Given that the default configuration produced a reasonable prediction, it is used here to evaluate the impacts of other physics configurations on the resulting prediction of the primary lake effect band and resulting QPF. Emphasis here is on differences in planetary boundary layer and cloud microphysics parameterizations, given their likely role in determining the evolution of shallow convection and precipitation processes. Results from an ensemble of seven microphysics schemes and three planetary boundary layer schemes are presented to demonstrate variability in forecast evolution, with results used in an attempt to improve the forecasts in the 2011 ]2012

  19. Effects of Vigorous Intensity Physical Activity on Mathematics Test Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, David S.; Hannon, James C.; Castelli, Darla M.

    2015-01-01

    The effect of an acute bout of physical activity on academic performance in school-based settings is under researched. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between a single, vigorous (70-85%) bout of physical activity completed during physical education on standardized mathematics test performance among 72, eighth grade students…

  20. Modifying of Cotton Fabric Surface with Nano-ZnO Multilayer Films by Layer-by-Layer Deposition Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarıışık Merih

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract ZnO nanoparticle–based multilayer nanocomposite films were fabricated on cationized woven cotton fabrics via layer-by-layer molecular self-assembly technique. For cationic surface charge, cotton fabrics were pretreated with 2,3-epoxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride (EP3MAC by pad-batch method. XPS and SEM were used to examine the deposited nano-ZnO multilayer films on the cotton fabrics. The nano-ZnO films deposited on cotton fabrics exhibited excellent antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The results also showed that the coated fabrics with nano-ZnO multilayer films enhanced the protection of cotton fabrics from UV radiation. Physical tests (tensile strength of weft and warp yarns, air permeability and whiteness values were performed on the fabrics before and after the treatment with ZnO nanoparticles to evaluate the effect of layer-by-layer (LbL process on cotton fabrics properties.

  1. Analysis of Praxis physics subject assessment examinees and performance: Who are our prospective physics teachers?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Lisa; Hao, Jie; Rodriguez, Christian A.; Fallin, Rebekah; Linenberger-Cortes, Kimberly; Ray, Herman E.; Rushton, Gregory T.

    2018-06-01

    A generally agreed upon tenant of the physics teaching community is the centrality of subject-specific expertise in effective teaching. However, studies which assess the content knowledge of incoming K-12 physics teachers in the U.S. have not yet been reported. Similarly lacking are studies on if or how the demographic makeup of aspiring physics educators is different from previously reported analyses of the actual high school physics teaching workforce. Here we present findings about the demographics and subject knowledge of prospective high school physics teachers using data from Praxis physics subject assessments administered between 2006 and 2016. Our analysis reveals significant variations in exam participation and performance between men and women, as well as those with different undergraduate majors and academic performance over the past decade. Findings from this work inform understandings and decisions about the quality, recruitment, and preparation of the high school physics teaching workforce.

  2. Combined peak-to-average power ratio reduction and physical layer security enhancement in optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing visible-light communication systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhongpeng; Chen, Shoufa

    2016-07-01

    A physical encryption scheme for discrete Hartley transform (DHT) precoded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) visible-light communication (VLC) systems using frequency domain chaos scrambling is proposed. In the scheme, the chaos scrambling, which is generated by a modified logistic mapping, is utilized to enhance the physical layer of security, and the DHT precoding is employed to reduce of OFDM signal for OFDM-based VLC. The influence of chaos scrambling on peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) and bit error rate (BER) of systems is studied. The experimental simulation results prove the efficiency of the proposed encryption method for DHT-precoded, OFDM-based VLC systems. Furthermore, the influence of the proposed encryption to the PAPR and BER of systems is evaluated. The experimental results show that the proposed security scheme can protect the DHT-precoded, OFDM-based VLC from eavesdroppers, while keeping the good BER performance of DHT-precoded systems. The BER performance of the encrypted and DHT-precoded system is almost the same as that of the conventional DHT-precoded system without encryption.

  3. Quantum dot laser optimization: selectively doped layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korenev, Vladimir V.; Konoplev, Sergey S.; Savelyev, Artem V.; Shernyakov, Yurii M.; Maximov, Mikhail V.; Zhukov, Alexey E.

    2016-08-01

    Edge emitting quantum dot (QD) lasers are discussed. It has been recently proposed to use modulation p-doping of the layers that are adjacent to QD layers in order to control QD's charge state. Experimentally it has been proven useful to enhance ground state lasing and suppress the onset of excited state lasing at high injection. These results have been also confirmed with numerical calculations involving solution of drift-diffusion equations. However, deep understanding of physical reasons for such behavior and laser optimization requires analytical approaches to the problem. In this paper, under a set of assumptions we provide an analytical model that explains major effects of selective p-doping. Capture rates of elections and holes can be calculated by solving Poisson equations for electrons and holes around the charged QD layer. The charge itself is ruled by capture rates and selective doping concentration. We analyzed this self-consistent set of equations and showed that it can be used to optimize QD laser performance and to explain underlying physics.

  4. Quantum dot laser optimization: selectively doped layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Korenev, Vladimir V; Konoplev, Sergey S; Savelyev, Artem V; Shernyakov, Yurii M; Maximov, Mikhail V; Zhukov, Alexey E

    2016-01-01

    Edge emitting quantum dot (QD) lasers are discussed. It has been recently proposed to use modulation p-doping of the layers that are adjacent to QD layers in order to control QD's charge state. Experimentally it has been proven useful to enhance ground state lasing and suppress the onset of excited state lasing at high injection. These results have been also confirmed with numerical calculations involving solution of drift-diffusion equations. However, deep understanding of physical reasons for such behavior and laser optimization requires analytical approaches to the problem. In this paper, under a set of assumptions we provide an analytical model that explains major effects of selective p-doping. Capture rates of elections and holes can be calculated by solving Poisson equations for electrons and holes around the charged QD layer. The charge itself is ruled by capture rates and selective doping concentration. We analyzed this self-consistent set of equations and showed that it can be used to optimize QD laser performance and to explain underlying physics. (paper)

  5. Influences of layer thickness on the compatibility and physical properties of polycarbonate/polystyrene multilayered film via nanolayer coextrusion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Junfeng; Chen, Zhiru; Zhou, Jiaqi; Cao, Zheng; Wu, Dun; Liu, Chunlin; Pu, Hongting

    2018-05-01

    The effects of layer thickness on the compatibility between polycarbonate (PC) and polystyrene (PS) and physical properties of PC/PS multilayered film via nanolayer coextrusion are studied. The morphology of multilayered structure is observed using a scanning electron microscope. This multilayered structure may have a negative impact on the transparency, but it can improve the water resistance and heat resistance of film. To characterize the compatibility between PC and PS, differential scanning calorimetry is used to measure the glass transition temperature. The compatibility is found to be improved with the decrease of layer thickness. Therefore, the viscosity of multilayered film is also reduced with the decrease of layer thickness. In addition, the multilayered structure can improve the tensile strength with the increase of layer numbers. Because of the complete and continuous layer structure of PC, the PC/PS multilayered film can retain its mechanical strength at the temperature above Tg of PS.

  6. An Overview of Physical Layer Security in Wireless Communication Systems With CSIT Uncertainty

    KAUST Repository

    Hyadi, Amal; Rezki, Zouheir; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

    2016-01-01

    The concept of physical layer security builds on the pivotal idea of turning the channel's imperfections, such as noise and fading, into a source of security. This is established through appropriately designed coding techniques and signal processing strategies. In this vein, it has been shown that fading channels can enhance the transmission of confidential information and that a secure communication can be achieved even when the channel to the eavesdropper is better than the main channel. However, to fully benefit from what fading has to offer, the knowledge of the channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT) is of primordial importance. In practical wireless communication systems, CSIT is usually obtained, prior to data transmission, through CSI feedback sent by the receivers. The channel links over which this feedback information is sent can be either noisy, rate-limited, or delayed, leading to CSIT uncertainty. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of recent and ongoing research works on physical layer security with CSIT uncertainty. We focus on both information theoretic and signal processing approaches to the topic when the uncertainty concerns the channel to the wiretapper or the channel to the legitimate receiver. Moreover, we present a classification of the research works based on the considered channel uncertainty. Mainly, we distinguish between the cases when the uncertainty comes from an estimation error of the CSIT, from a CSI feedback link with limited capacity, or from an outdated CSI.

  7. An Overview of Physical Layer Security in Wireless Communication Systems With CSIT Uncertainty

    KAUST Repository

    Hyadi, Amal

    2016-09-21

    The concept of physical layer security builds on the pivotal idea of turning the channel\\'s imperfections, such as noise and fading, into a source of security. This is established through appropriately designed coding techniques and signal processing strategies. In this vein, it has been shown that fading channels can enhance the transmission of confidential information and that a secure communication can be achieved even when the channel to the eavesdropper is better than the main channel. However, to fully benefit from what fading has to offer, the knowledge of the channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT) is of primordial importance. In practical wireless communication systems, CSIT is usually obtained, prior to data transmission, through CSI feedback sent by the receivers. The channel links over which this feedback information is sent can be either noisy, rate-limited, or delayed, leading to CSIT uncertainty. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of recent and ongoing research works on physical layer security with CSIT uncertainty. We focus on both information theoretic and signal processing approaches to the topic when the uncertainty concerns the channel to the wiretapper or the channel to the legitimate receiver. Moreover, we present a classification of the research works based on the considered channel uncertainty. Mainly, we distinguish between the cases when the uncertainty comes from an estimation error of the CSIT, from a CSI feedback link with limited capacity, or from an outdated CSI.

  8. Pressurized planar electrochromatography, high-performance thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography--comparison of performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Płocharz, Paweł; Klimek-Turek, Anna; Dzido, Tadeusz H

    2010-07-16

    Kinetic performance, measured by plate height, of High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC), High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Pressurized Planar Electrochromatography (PPEC) was compared for the systems with adsorbent of the HPTLC RP18W plate from Merck as the stationary phase and the mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and buffer solution. The HPLC column was packed with the adsorbent, which was scrapped from the chromatographic plate mentioned. An additional HPLC column was also packed with adsorbent of 5 microm particle diameter, C18 type silica based (LiChrosorb RP-18 from Merck). The dependence of plate height of both HPLC and PPEC separating systems on flow velocity of the mobile phase and on migration distance of the mobile phase in TLC system was presented applying test solute (prednisolone succinate). The highest performance, amongst systems investigated, was obtained for the PPEC system. The separation efficiency of the systems investigated in the paper was additionally confirmed by the separation of test component mixture composed of six hormones. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Correlation between physics A-levels/A-levels and degree performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chadwick, Roy

    1985-09-01

    The author presents an analysis of 178 students who left Solihull Sixth form College between 1975 and 1981 to do a degree in physics (approximately one third) or engineering (approximately two thirds) at university or polytechnic. The first table is an analysis of physics A-level grade and degree performance; the second table an analysis of the points total for physics A-level plus maths A-level (five for A, four for B, etc.), against degree performances, and the final table an analysis of the points total for physics A-level plus maths A-level plus third A-level (again five for A, four for B, etc.), against degree performance.

  10. The Effects of Mental Fatigue on Physical Performance: A Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Cutsem, Jeroen; Marcora, Samuele; De Pauw, Kevin; Bailey, Stephen; Meeusen, Romain; Roelands, Bart

    2017-08-01

    Mental fatigue is a psychobiological state caused by prolonged periods of demanding cognitive activity. It has recently been suggested that mental fatigue can affect physical performance. Our objective was to evaluate the literature on impairment of physical performance due to mental fatigue and to create an overview of the potential factors underlying this effect. Two electronic databases, PubMed and Web of Science (until 28 April 2016), were searched for studies designed to test whether mental fatigue influenced performance of a physical task or influenced physiological and/or perceptual responses during the physical task. Studies using short (mental fatigue. Maximal strength, power, and anaerobic work were not affected by mental fatigue. The duration and intensity of the physical task appear to be important factors in the decrease in physical performance due to mental fatigue. The most important factor responsible for the negative impact of mental fatigue on endurance performance is a higher perceived exertion.

  11. Influence of the Mechanical Properties of Third-Generation Artificial Turf Systems on Soccer Players’ Physiological and Physical Performance and Their Perceptions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Sánchez, Javier; García-Unanue, Jorge; Jiménez-Reyes, Pedro; Gallardo, Ana; Burillo, Pablo; Felipe, José Luis; Gallardo, Leonor

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this research was to evaluate the influence of the mechanical properties of artificial turf systems on soccer players’ performance. A battery of perceptive physiological and physical tests were developed on four different structural systems of artificial turf (System 1: Compacted gravel sub-base without elastic layer; System 2: Compacted gravel sub-base with elastic layer; System 3: Asphalt sub-base without elastic layer; System 4: Asphalt sub-base with elastic layer). The sample was composed of 18 soccer players (22.44±1.72 years) who typically train and compete on artificial turf. The artificial turf system with less rotational traction (S3) showed higher total time in the Repeated Sprint Ability test in comparison to the systems with intermediate values (49.46±1.75 s vs 47.55±1.82 s (S1) and 47.85±1.59 s (S2); pperformance in jumping tests (countermovement jump and squat jump) and ball kicking to goal decreased after the RSA test in all surfaces assessed (pperformance deterioration (p>0.05). The physiological load was similar in all four artificial turf systems. However, players felt more comfortable on the harder and more rigid system (S4; visual analogue scale = 70.83±14.28) than on the softer artificial turf system (S2; visual analogue scale = 54.24±19.63). The lineal regression analysis revealed a significant influence of the mechanical properties of the surface of 16.5%, 15.8% and 7.1% on the mean time of the sprint, the best sprint time and the maximum mean speed in the RSA test respectively. Results suggest a mechanical heterogeneity between the systems of artificial turf which generate differences in the physical performance and in the soccer players’ perceptions. PMID:25354188

  12. Associating Physical Activity Levels with Motor Performance and Physical Function in Childhood Survivors of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hung, Stanley H; Rankin, Anne; Virji-Babul, Naznin; Pritchard, Sheila; Fryer, Christopher; Campbell, Kristin L

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: This cross-sectional, observational study investigated whether physical activity (PA) levels are associated with motor performance and physical function in children after treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Method: Participants aged 8-13 years who had completed treatment for ALL (3-36 months post-treatment) were tested at their oncology long-term follow-up appointment at the British Columbia Children's Hospital. PA level was measured using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). Motor performance was measured using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition, Short Form (BOT-2 SF), and physical function was measured using the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Results: Thirteen children completed testing. PAQ-C scores were not associated with BOT-2 SF or 6MWT performance. Eleven children (85%) performed below the norm for the 6MWT. Children with elevated body mass index had poorer 6MWT but similar PAQ-C scores. Conclusion: PA was not found to be associated with motor performance and physical function. Participants who were overweight or obese had poorer 6MWT performance, which may indicate the need for closer monitoring of post-treatment weight status and physical function in the oncology follow-up setting.

  13. Physical activity helps to control music performance anxiety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rocha, Sérgio F; Marocolo, Moacir; Corrêa, Elisangela N V; Morato, Gledys S G; da Mota, Gustavo R

    2014-06-01

    We evaluated if regular physical activity could influence musical performance anxiety (MPA) in college music students. Levels of MPA, as measured with the Kenny MPA Inventory, and a survey about the physical activity habits were obtained from 87 students of music. The results showed that physically active musicians had lower MPA scores (pindependent of gender. We conclude that there is an association between physical activity and minor MPA, and studies with a longitudinal design should be done to explore this important issue.

  14. Performance Test of the Microwave Ion Source with the Multi-layer DC Break

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Dae Il; Kwon, Hyeok Jung; Kim, Han Sung; Seol, Kyung Tae; Cho, Yong Sub

    2012-01-01

    A microwave proton source has been developed as a proton injector for the 100-MeV proton linac of the PEFP (Proton Engineering Frontier Project). On microwave ion source, the high voltage for the beam extraction is applied to the plasma chamber, also to the microwave components such as a 2.45GHz magnetron, a 3-stub tuner, waveguides. If microwave components can be installed on ground side, the microwave ion source can be operated and maintained easily. For the purpose, the multi-layer DC break has been developed. A multi-layer insulation has the arrangement of conductors and insulators as shown in the Fig. 1. For the purpose of stable operation as the multi-layer DC break, we checked the radiation of the insulator depending on materials and high voltage test of a fabricated multi-layer insulation. In this report, the details of performance test of the multi-layer DC break will be presented

  15. Associations of low-intensity light physical activity with physical performance in community-dwelling elderly Japanese: A cross-sectional study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kazuhiro P Izawa

    Full Text Available Physical activity and physical performance relate to quality of life, mortality, and morbidity in elderly people. However, little is known about differences in physical performance related to low-intensity light physical activity (LLPA, high-intensity light physical activity (HLPA, and moderate-intensity physical activity (MPA and how they are separated by sex in elderly populations.This study aimed to determine differences in LLPA, HLPA, MPA, and physical performance, and associations between these measures in community-dwelling elderly men and women.Physical activity and physical performance such as timed-up-and-go test, one-leg standing time, and maximum gait speed were measured in 181 community-dwelling elderly men (mean age, 75.1 ± 5.3 years and 109 women (mean age, 73.4 ± 4.8 years in 2013. Physical activity was classified as LLPA (1.6~1.9 METs of physical activity, HLPA (2.0~2.9 METs of physical activity, and MPA (over 3 METs of physical activity. The association between the values of these three intensities of physical activity in the participants was assessed by Pearson's correlation coefficients. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to assess the association of physical performance values with the three groups defined by accelerometer-measured physical activity intensity adjusted for sociographic, behavioral, and multiple diseases in the participants.MPA was beneficially associated with all physical performance indicators in the men (all P<0.05 and women (all P<0.05. Only HLPA showed significant associations with the timed-up-and-go test (P = 0.001 and maximum gait speed (P = 0.006 in women.These results may support the notion that not only HLPA in women but MPA in both sexes appears to improve physical performance in elderly populations.The present study findings provide novel epidemiological evidence for the potential benefits of HLPA in women and also reinforce the potential benefits of MPA in both sexes, which is the

  16. Physical readiness and performance of adolescents of different somatotype

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. M. Mysiv

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: to investigate the rate of puberty, changes in indicators of physical fitness and physical activity at the same somatotype different boys in the age range from 11 to 14 years. Material : 123 teenager were examined. The values of the studied parameters were determined at the beginning of each new school year. Tests were used to assess the major conditional qualities and coordination abilities. Results : the overall physical performance of boys of macrosplanchnic somatotype characterized annual trend towards improvement, except for the period between 11 and 12 years. Significant differences are typical for physical performance, except asthenoid and macrosplanchnic somatotype. Typological features installed due to changes in the studied parameters. Conclusions: noted the need to consider the data in shaping the content of physical education in improving orientation.

  17. Physiological responses and physical performance during football in the heat

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mohr, Magni; Nybo, Lars; Grantham, Justin

    2012-01-01

    To examine the impact of hot ambient conditions on physical performance and physiological responses during football match-play.......To examine the impact of hot ambient conditions on physical performance and physiological responses during football match-play....

  18. Impact of anode catalyst layer porosity on the performance of a direct formic acid fuel cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bauskar, Akshay S.; Rice, Cynthia A.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Lithium carbonate is used as a pore-former to increase porosity of anode catalyst layer. ► Maximum power density increased by 25%. ► Onset potential for formic acid electro-oxidation reduced by 30 mV for anode catalyst layer with 17.5 wt% pore-former. ► Electrochemical impedance spectra confirm increased formic acid concentration inside the anode catalyst layer pores. - Abstract: Direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs) have attracted much attention in the last few years for portable electronic devices, due to their potential of being high efficiency power sources. They have the potential to replace the state-of-the-art batteries in cell phones, PDAs, and laptop computers if their power density and durability can be improved. In the present investigation, the influence of increased anode catalyst layer porosity on DFAFC power density performance is studied. Lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ) was used as a pore-former in this study because of its facile and complete removal after catalyst layer fabrication. The anode catalyst layers presented herein contained unsupported Pt/Ru catalyst and Li 2 CO 3 (in the range of 0–50 wt%) bound with proton conducting ionomer. Higher DFAFC performance is obtained because of the increased porosity within the anode catalyst layer through enhanced reactant and product mass transport. The maximum power density of DFAFC increased by 25% when pore-former was added to the anode catalyst ink. The formic acid onset potential for the anode catalyst layer with 17.5 wt% pore-former was reduced by 30 mV. A constant phase element based equivalent-circuit model was used to investigate anode impedance spectra. Fitted values for the anode impedance spectra confirm the improvement in performance due to an increase in formic acid concentration inside the anode catalyst layer pores along with efficient transport of reactants and products.

  19. Layered inorganic solids

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Čejka, Jiří; Morris, R. E.; Nachtigall, P.; Roth, Wieslaw Jerzy

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 43, č. 27 (2014), s. 10274-10275 ISSN 1477-9226 Institutional support: RVO:61388955 Keywords : layered inorganic solids * physical chemistry * catalysis Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 4.197, year: 2014

  20. Body Composition Explains Sex Differential in Physical Performance Among Older Adults

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tseng, L.A.; Delmonico, M.J.; Visser, M.; Boudreau, R.M.; Goodpaster, B.H.; Schwartz, A.V.; Simonsick, E.M.; Satterfield, S.; Harris, T.; Newman, A.B.

    2014-01-01

    Background. Older women have higher percent body fat, poorer physical function, lower strength, and higher rates of nonfatal chronic conditions than men. We sought to determine whether these differences explained physical performance differences between men and women. Methods. Physical performance

  1. Multichannel MAC Layer In Mobile Ad—Hoc Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Logesh, K.; Rao, Samba Siva

    2010-11-01

    This paper we presented the design objectives and technical challenges in Multichannel MAC protocols in Mobile Ad-hoc Network. In IEEE 802.11 a/b/g standards allow use of multiple channels, only a single channel is popularly used, due to the lack of efficient protocols that enable use of Multiple Channels. Even though complex environments in ad hoc networks require a combined control of physical (PHY) and medium access control (MAC) layers resources in order to optimize performance. And also we discuss the characteristics of cross-layer frame and give a multichannel MAC approach.

  2. Diminished Dynamic Physical Performance Is Associated With Orthostatic Hypotension in Geriatric Outpatients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Bruïne, Eline S; Reijnierse, Esmee M; Trappenburg, Marijke C; Pasma, Jantsje H; de Vries, Oscar J; Meskers, Carel G M; Maier, Andrea B

    2018-03-23

    Orthostatic hypotension (OH), a blood pressure drop after postural change, is a highly prevalent and disabling syndrome in older adults. Yet, the association between physical performance and OH is not clearly established. The aim of this study was to determine whether different types of physical performance are associated with OH in a clinically relevant population of geriatric outpatients. This cross-sectional study included 280 geriatric outpatients (mean age: 82.2 years, standard deviation: 7.1). Orthostatic hypotension was determined using intermittently measured blood pressure and continuously measured blood pressure in a random subgroup of 58 patients. Physical performance was classified into a dynamic type (4-m Walk Test, Chair Stand Test, and Timed Up and Go test) and a static type (standing balance tests, handgrip strength). Associations were analyzed using logistic regression models with adjustments for age, sex, weight, and height. Diminished physical performance on the Chair Stand Test was associated with OH measured intermittently. Diminished physical performance on all dynamic physical domains (4-m Walk Test, Chair Stand Test, and Timed Up and Go test) was associated with OH measured continuously. Static physical performance was not significantly associated with OH. Dynamic physical performance tests with a substantial postural change and center of mass displacement were significantly associated with OH. The influence of physical performance on OH in daily routine activities should be further explored to establish counteracting interventions.

  3. Physical Performance in Elite Male and Female Team Handball Players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Herbert; Fuchs, Patrick; Fusco, Andrea; Fuchs, Philip; Bell, W Jeffrey; Duvillard, Serge P

    2018-06-12

    Biological differences between men and women are well known; however, literature-addressing knowledge about the influence of sex to specific and general performance in team handball is almost nonexistent. Consequently, the aim of the study was to assess and compare specific and general physical performance in male and female elite team handball players, to determine if the differences are consequential for general compared to specific physical performance characteristics and the relationship between general and specific physical performance. Twelve male and ten female elite team handball players performed a game based performance test, upper- und lower-body strength and power tests, a sprinting test, and an incremental treadmill-running test. Significant differences (Phandball specific tests compared to the general tests. Our findings also suggest that female players should focus more on strength training.

  4. Hydraulic Stability of Single-Layer Dolos and Accropode Armour Layers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, M.; Burcharth, H. F.

    1995-01-01

    A new design for Dolos breakwater armour layers is presented: Dolos armour units are placed in a selected geometric pattern in a single layer. A series of model tests have been performed in order to determine the stability of such single-layer Dolos armour layers. The test results are presented...... and compared to the stability formula for the traditional double-layer, randomly placed Dolos armour layer design presented by Burcharth (1992). The results of a series of stability tests performed with Accropode® armour layers is presented and compared to the test results obtained with single-layer Dolos...... armour layers. Run-up and reflection are presented for both single-layer Dolos armour and Accropode armour....

  5. Experimental studies and physically substantiated model of carbon dioxide emission from the exposed cultural layer of Velikii Novgorod

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smagin, A. V.; Dolgikh, A. V.; Karelin, D. V.

    2016-04-01

    The results of quantitative assessment and modeling of carbon dioxide emission from urban pedolithosediments (cultural layer) in the central part of Velikii Novgorod are discussed. At the first stages after the exposure of the cultural layer to the surface in archaeological excavations, very high CO2 emission values reaching 10-15 g C/(m2 h) have been determined. These values exceed the normal equilibrium emission from the soil surface by two orders of magnitude. However, they should not be interpreted as indications of the high biological activity of the buried urban sediments. A model based on physical processes shows that the measured emission values can be reliably explained by degassing of the soil water and desorption of gases from the urban sediments. This model suggests the diffusion mechanism of the transfer of carbon dioxide from the cultural layer into the atmosphere; in addition, it includes the equations to describe nonequilibrium interphase interactions (sorption-desorption and dissolution-degassing of CO2) with the first-order kinetics. With the use of statistically reliable data on physical parameters—the effective diffusion coefficient as dependent on the aeration porosity, the effective solubility, the Henry constant for the CO2 sorption, and the kinetic constants of the CO2 desorption and degassing of the soil solution—this model reproduces the experimental data on the dynamics of CO2 emission from the surface of the exposed cultural layer obtained by the static chamber method.

  6. Layer performance, fatty acid profile and the quality of eggs from ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    It was concluded that, although MOWSM inclusion improved yolk colour, maintained external egg quality, and improved the fatty acid profile, the deleterious effect that it had on layer performance indicated that it may not be fed to early-lay hens at these respective levels. Keywords: Alternative protein, egg production, laying ...

  7. The effect of aging on physical performance among elderly manual workers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Norheim, Kristoffer Larsen; Hjort Bønløkke, Jakob; Samani, Afshin

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: In 2012, the Danish Parliament decided to increase retirement age. Unfortunately, elderly people working in a physically demanding environment may be rendered unable to retain the ability to adequately perform the physical requirements of their jobs, due to age-related decreases...... in physical performance. Therefore, increasing the retirement age may not necessarily lead to the goal of keeping everybody in the labor market for a longer time. To date, our knowledge about the variations in physical performance of the elderly workforce is limited. OBJECTIVE: In this cross-sectional study...... we seek to investigate the effects of aging on physical performance among elderly manual workers. METHODS: Approximately 100 Danish manual workers between 50 and 70 years of age will be recruited. The main measurement outcomes include: (1) inflammatory status from blood samples; (2) body composition...

  8. Chicken Essence Improves Exercise Performance and Ameliorates Physical Fatigue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wen-Ching Huang

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Chicken essence (CE is a liquid nutritional supplement made from cooking whole chickens. In traditional Chinese medicine, CE is used to support health, promote healing, increase metabolism, and relieve fatigue. However, few studies have examined the effect of CE on exercise performance and physical fatigue. We aimed to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of CE on fatigue and ergogenic functions following physical challenge in mice. Male ICR mice were divided into four groups to receive vehicle or CE by oral gavage at 0, 845, 1690, or 4225 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks. Exercise performance and anti-fatigue function were evaluated by forelimb grip strength, exhaustive swimming time, and levels of physical fatigue-related biomarkers serum lactate, ammonia, glucose, and creatine kinase (CK after physical challenge. CE supplementation dose-dependently elevated endurance and grip strength. CE supplementation significantly decreased lactate, ammonia, and CK levels after physical challenge. Tissue glycogen content, an important energy source for exercise, was significantly increased with CE supplementation. In addition, CE supplementation had few subchronic toxic effects. The supplementation with CE can have a wide spectrum of bioactivities on health promotion, performance improvement and anti-fatigue.

  9. Cross-Layer Design in Dynamic Spectrum Sharing Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shadmand A

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available We consider a dynamic spectrum sharing system consisting of a primary user, whose licensed spectrum is allowed to be accessed by a secondary user as long as it does not violate the prescribed interference limit inflicted on the primary user. Assuming the Nakagami- block-fading environment, we aim at maximizing the performance of secondary user's link in terms of average spectral efficiency (ASE and error performance under the specified packet error rate (PER and average interference limit constraints. To this end, we employ a cross-layer design policy which combines adaptive power and coded discrete M-QAM modulation scheme at the physical layer with a truncated automatic repeat request (ARQ protocol at the data link layer, and simultaneously satisfies the aforementioned constraints. Numerical results affirm that the secondary link of spectrum sharing system combining ARQ with adaptive modulation and coding (AMC achieves significant gain in ASE depending on the maximum number of retransmissions initiated by the ARQ protocol. The results further indicate that the ARQ protocol essentially improves the packet loss rate performance of the secondary link.

  10. Physics of tokamak scrape-off layer confinement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cohen, R.H.

    1993-01-01

    Confinement in the scrape-off layer (SOL) of a tokamak is believed to be governed by classical flows along magnetic field lines terminated by sheaths, and turbulent transport across field lines. In this paper we review how these two effects conspire to establish the width of the SOL, and survey recent and ongoing work on mechanisms for turbulence in SOL's. The beneficial relationship between scrape-off layer turbulence in mitigating the heat flux density on divertors is noted, and tactics for actively altering SOL confinement so as to reduce the heat flux density are discussed

  11. Performance Comparison of Cross-Like Hall Plates with Different Covering Layers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fei Lyu

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper studies the effects of the covering layers on the performance of a cross-like Hall plate. Three different structures of a cross-like Hall plate in various sizes are designed and analyzed. The Hall plate sensitivity and offset are characterized using a self-built measurement system. The effect of the P-type region over the active area on the current-related sensitivity is studied for different Hall plate designs. In addition, the correlation between the P-type covering layer and offset is analyzed. The best structure out of three designs is determined. Besides, a modified eight-resistor circuit model for the Hall plate is presented with improved accuracy by taking the offset into account.

  12. Bike Desks in the Classroom: Energy Expenditure, Physical Health, Cognitive Performance, Brain Functioning, and Academic Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torbeyns, Tine; de Geus, Bas; Bailey, Stephen; Decroix, Lieselot; Van Cutsem, Jeroen; De Pauw, Kevin; Meeusen, Romain

    2017-06-01

    Physical activity is positively associated with physical health, cognitive performance, brain functioning and academic performance. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of bike desks in the classroom on adolescents' energy expenditure, physical health, cognitive performance, brain functioning and academic performance. Forty-four adolescents were randomly assigned to control group (CG) or intervention group (IG). During 5 months, the IG used a bike desk for 4 class hours/week. Energy expenditure was measured during 6 consecutive days. Anthropometric parameters, aerobic fitness, academic performance, cognitive performance and brain functioning were assessed before (T0) and after (T1) the intervention. Energy expenditure of the IG was significantly higher during the class hours in which they used the bike desks relative to normal class hours. The CG had a significantly higher BMI at T1 relative to T0 while this was not significantly different for the IG. Aerobic fitness was significantly better in the IG at T1 relative to T0. No significant effects on academic performance cognitive performance and brain functioning were observed. As the implementation of bike desks in the classroom did not interfere with adolescents' academic performance, this can be seen as an effective means of reducing in-class sedentary time and improving adolescents' physical health.

  13. Physical-layer security analysis of PSK quantum-noise randomized cipher in optically amplified links

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiao, Haisong; Pu, Tao; Xiang, Peng; Zheng, Jilin; Fang, Tao; Zhu, Huatao

    2017-08-01

    The quantitative security of quantum-noise randomized cipher (QNRC) in optically amplified links is analyzed from the perspective of physical-layer advantage. Establishing the wire-tap channel models for both key and data, we derive the general expressions of secrecy capacities for the key against ciphertext-only attack and known-plaintext attack, and that for the data, which serve as the basic performance metrics. Further, the maximal achievable secrecy rate of the system is proposed, under which secrecy of both the key and data is guaranteed. Based on the same framework, the secrecy capacities of various cases can be assessed and compared. The results indicate perfect secrecy is potentially achievable for data transmission, and an elementary principle of setting proper number of photons and bases is given to ensure the maximal data secrecy capacity. But the key security is asymptotically perfect, which tends to be the main constraint of systemic maximal secrecy rate. Moreover, by adopting cascaded optical amplification, QNRC can realize long-haul transmission with secure rate up to Gb/s, which is orders of magnitude higher than the perfect secrecy rates of other encryption systems.

  14. Effects of dietary clinoptilolite and calcium levels on the performance and egg quality of commercial layers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    DA Berto

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Among the different feed additives studied in poultry production, clinoptilolite, an aluminosilicate capable of adsorbing harmful substances and of improving live performance and egg and meat quality, was evaluated. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of dietary clinoptilolite and calcium levels on the performance and egg quality of layers. In total, 576 layers were distributed according to a completely randomized experimental design in a 3 x 4 factorial arrangement (three calcium levels - 2.5, 3.1, or 3.7% and four clinoptilolite levels - 0.0, 0.15, 0.25, or 0.50%, with 12 treatments of six replicates of eight birds each. The experiment included four 28-d cycles. The experimental diets were based on corn and soybean meal. Results were submitted to analysis of variance and means were compared by the test of Tukey at 5% significance level using SISVAR statistical package. There was a significant interaction between the evaluated factors for egg production and feed conversion ratio per dozen eggs and egg mass. The lowest calcium level resulted in worse performance and eggshell quality. Clinoptilolite levels affected albumen and yolk content. It was concluded that up to 0.50% inclusion of clinoptilolite in layer diets does not benefit layer performance or eggshell quality. Although the inclusion of only 2.5% calcium in layer diets is not recommended, it is possible to add 3.1% because it promoted similar results as the recommended level of 3.7%.

  15. Physical Profiling Performance of Air Force Primary Care Providers

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-08-09

    AFRL-SA-WP-TR-2017-0014 Physical Profiling Performance of Air Force Primary Care Providers Anthony P. Tvaryanas1; William P...COVERED (From – To) September 2016 – January 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Physical Profiling Performance of Air Force Primary Care Providers...encounter with their primary care team. An independent medical standards subject matter expert (SME) reviewed encounters in the electronic health record

  16. Power allocation and cooperative jamming for enhancing physical layer security in opportunistic relay networks in the presence of interference

    KAUST Repository

    Abd El-Malek, Ahmed H.; Salhab, Anas M.; Zummo, Salam A.; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, the impact of cochannel interference on the secrecy performance of dual-hop decode-and-forward relaying is investigated. In particular, the outage and intercept probabilities are obtained for the opportunistic relay selection (ORS) model in the presence of nonidentical interfering signals under a single/multiple passive eavesdropper(s) attack. Moreover, the proposed work enhances physical layer security performance of ORS model using cooperative jamming (CJ) techniques. Therefore, new closed-form expressions are derived for the intercept and outage probabilities of the CJ-ORS model in the presence of interference over Rayleigh fading channels. Moreover, the analyses are generalized to the case of multiple eavesdroppers where closed-form expressions are derived for the intercept probability. To reveal more insights on the proposed work secrecy performance, asymptotic closed-form expressions for the intercept and outage probabilities are obtained. Using these asymptotic expressions, a power allocation optimization problem is formulated and solved for enhancing the system security. The derived analytical formulas herein are supported by numerical and simulation results to clarify the main contributions of the paper. The results show that, although the cochannel interference increases the system outage probability, it might improve the system secrecy performance. Moreover, the proposed CJ-ORS model is shown to enhance the system secrecy performance compared to ORS model.

  17. Power allocation and cooperative jamming for enhancing physical layer security in opportunistic relay networks in the presence of interference

    KAUST Repository

    Abd El-Malek, Ahmed H.

    2017-04-18

    In this paper, the impact of cochannel interference on the secrecy performance of dual-hop decode-and-forward relaying is investigated. In particular, the outage and intercept probabilities are obtained for the opportunistic relay selection (ORS) model in the presence of nonidentical interfering signals under a single/multiple passive eavesdropper(s) attack. Moreover, the proposed work enhances physical layer security performance of ORS model using cooperative jamming (CJ) techniques. Therefore, new closed-form expressions are derived for the intercept and outage probabilities of the CJ-ORS model in the presence of interference over Rayleigh fading channels. Moreover, the analyses are generalized to the case of multiple eavesdroppers where closed-form expressions are derived for the intercept probability. To reveal more insights on the proposed work secrecy performance, asymptotic closed-form expressions for the intercept and outage probabilities are obtained. Using these asymptotic expressions, a power allocation optimization problem is formulated and solved for enhancing the system security. The derived analytical formulas herein are supported by numerical and simulation results to clarify the main contributions of the paper. The results show that, although the cochannel interference increases the system outage probability, it might improve the system secrecy performance. Moreover, the proposed CJ-ORS model is shown to enhance the system secrecy performance compared to ORS model.

  18. The effects of mechanised equipment on physical load among road workers and floor layers in the construction industry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Burdorf, A.; Windhorst, J.; Beek, A.J. van der; Molen, H. van der; Swuste, P.H.J.J.

    2007-01-01

    This study describes the impact of the use of mechanised equipment on physical load and workers' health among road workers and floor layers by comparing the traditional manual work method with frequently occurring scenarios of use of this new equipment. Continuous direct measurements of postures

  19. Does respiratory muscle training increase physical performance?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sperlich, Billy; Fricke, Hannes; de Marées, Markus; Linville, John W; Mester, Joachim

    2009-09-01

    Special force units and military personnel undergo demanding physical exercise and might benefit from high-intensity respiratory muscle training (RMT) by increasing their endurance performance. This study examined the effects of a 6-week high-intensity RMT on running performance and oxygen uptake (VO2max) in a group of German Special Force Squad members. 17 participants were randomly assigned to a training or control group. Baseline and post-testing included a ramp test, as well as an incremental test on a treadmill, performed to physical exhaustion. VO2, respiratory exchange ratio, and heart rate were measured breath by breath. Furthermore, maximum running speed (V(max)), 4 mmol x 1(-1) lactate threshold (V4) and perception of respiratory effort were determined. During pulmonary testing, sustained maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressure (PI(max) and PE(max)) were obtained. RMT was performed daily at approximately 90% PI(max) for 6 weeks with 2 x 30 breath cycles using an Ultrabreathe lung trainer. No statistical differences were detected between the groups for any parameter after RMT. High-intensity RMT did not show any benefits on VO2max and endurance performance and are unlikely to be of benefit to military or paramilitary training programs for an increase in endurance performance.

  20. Assessing artificial neural network performance in estimating the layer properties of pavements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gloria Inés Beltran

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available A major concern in assessing the structural condition of existing flexible pavements is the estimation of the mechanical properties of constituent layers, which is useful for the design and decision-making process in road management systems. This parameter identification problem is truly complex due to the large number of variables involved in pavement behavior. To this end, non-conventional adaptive or approximate solutions via Artificial Neural Networks – ANNs – are considered to properly map pavement response field measurements. Previous investigations have demonstrated the exceptional ability of ANNs in layer moduli estimation from non-destructive deflection tests, but most of the reported cases were developed using synthetic deflection data or hypothetical pavement systems. This paper presents further attempts to back-calculate layer moduli via ANN modeling, using a database gathered from field tests performed on three- and four-layer pavement systems. Traditional layer structuring and pavements with a stabilized subbase were considered. A three-stage methodology is developed in this study to design and validate an “optimum” ANN-based model, i.e., the best architecture possible along with adequate learning rules. An assessment of the resulting ANN model demonstrates its forecasting capabilities and efficiency in solving a complex parameter identification problem concerning pavements.

  1. Physical Performance Is Associated with Executive Functioning in Older African American Women

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brooke C. Schneider

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available An older adult's ability to perform physical tasks is predictive of disability onset and is associated with declines in cognition. Risk factors for physical performance declines among African Americans, a group with the highest rates of disability, remain understudied. This study sought to identify demographic, health, and cognitive factors associated with lower-extremity physical performance in a sample of 106 African American women ages 56 to 91. After controlling for global cognitive functioning (Mini Mental State Exam, physical performance was associated with executive functioning (Stroop Color/Word, but not visuospatial construction (WASI Block Design or processing speed (Trail Making Test, Part A. Executive functioning remained associated with physical performance after entry of demographic variables, exercise, depression, disease burden, and body mass index (BMI. Age, and BMI were also significant in this model. Executive functioning, age and BMI are associated with lower-extremity physical performance among older African American women.

  2. Effects of eight weeks of physical training on physical performance and heart rate variability in children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kraama Liisa

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Study aim: Physically active adults have been shown to have higher heart rate variability (HRV than less active adults, but less is known about children in this regard. In adults, training-induced changes in physical performance have been shown to be related to increase in HRV, especially in its high frequency component (HF, which is a marker of parasympathetic activity. The purpose of this study was to examine whether 8 weeks of instructed physical training would improve physical performance and cardiac autonomic function (HRV in secondary school pupils and to examine the relationship between changes in physical performance and the function of the autonomic nervous system. Material and methods: The test group included 12 girls and 12 boys and the control group 7 girls and 7 boys. All the sub­jects were 13-15 years old. Physical training included warm up, circuit training, endurance training, stretching and relaxation 3 times a week for eight weeks. Endurance training intensity was 70-75% of maximal heart rate. Endurance, flexibility, speed and power were measured before and after training. The low frequency (LF and high frequency (HF components of HRV were recorded in supine rest and in standing conditions before and after the eight-week period. Results: Time to exhaustion in the endurance test increased in the test group (p < 0.001, flexibility and ball throwing improved in the test group (p < 0.05, while no changes were observed in the control group. No significant changes were observed in HRV in either group. Conclusions: In conclusion, eight weeks of physical training improves physical performance in children, but it might not affect autonomic cardiac function.

  3. PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE AND BODY COMPOSITION IN MAINTENANCE HEMODIALYSIS (MHD PATIENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Zhang

    2012-06-01

    Conclusions: These findings indicate that adult MHD pts had a higher % body fat. Measures of physical performance were markedly reduced in MHD pts as compared to Normals. Physical performance in MHD, measured especially by 6-MW, correlated negatively with some measures of body composition, particularly with LBMI.

  4. Optimization of sound absorbing performance for gradient multi-layer-assembled sintered fibrous absorbers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Bo; Zhang, Weiyong; Zhu, Jian

    2012-04-01

    The transfer matrix method, based on plane wave theory, of multi-layer equivalent fluid is employed to evaluate the sound absorbing properties of two-layer-assembled and three-layer-assembled sintered fibrous sheets (generally regarded as a kind of compound absorber or structures). Two objective functions which are more suitable for the optimization of sound absorption properties of multi-layer absorbers within the wider frequency ranges are developed and the optimized results of using two objective functions are also compared with each other. It is found that using the two objective functions, especially the second one, may be more helpful to exert the sound absorbing properties of absorbers at lower frequencies to the best of their abilities. Then the calculation and optimization of sound absorption properties of multi-layer-assembled structures are performed by developing a simulated annealing genetic arithmetic program and using above-mentioned objective functions. Finally, based on the optimization in this work the thoughts of the gradient design over the acoustic parameters- the porosity, the tortuosity, the viscous and thermal characteristic lengths and the thickness of each samples- of porous metals are put forth and thereby some useful design criteria upon the acoustic parameters of each layer of porous fibrous metals are given while applying the multi-layer-assembled compound absorbers in noise control engineering.

  5. Influence of Cooling Condition on the Performance of Grinding Hardened Layer in Grind-hardening

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, G. C.; Chen, J.; Xu, G. Y.; Li, X.

    2018-02-01

    45# steel was grinded and hardened on a surface grinding machine to study the effect of three different cooling media, including emulsion, dry air and liquid nitrogen, on the microstructure and properties of the hardened layer. The results show that the microstructure of material surface hardened with emulsion is pearlite and no hardened layer. The surface roughness is small and the residual stress is compressive stress. With cooling condition of liquid nitrogen and dry air, the specimen surface are hardened, the organization is martensite, the surface roughness is also not changed, but high hardness of hardened layer and surface compressive stress were obtained when grinding using liquid nitrogen. The deeper hardened layer grinded with dry air was obtained and surface residual stress is tensile stress. This study provides an experimental basis for choosing the appropriate cooling mode to effectively control the performance of grinding hardened layer.

  6. Moored surface buoy observations of the diurnal warm layer

    KAUST Repository

    Prytherch, J.

    2013-09-01

    An extensive data set is used to examine the dynamics of diurnal warming in the upper ocean. The data set comprises more than 4700 days of measurements at five sites in the tropics and subtropics, obtained from surface moorings equipped to make comprehensive meteorological, incoming solar and infrared radiation, and high-resolution subsurface temperature (and, in some cases, velocity) measurements. The observations, which include surface warmings of up to 3.4°C, are compared with a selection of existing models of the diurnal warm layer (DWL). A simple one-layer physical model is shown to give a reasonable estimate of both the magnitude of diurnal surface warming (model-observation correlation 0.88) and the structure and temporal evolution of the DWL. Novel observations of velocity shear obtained during 346 days at one site, incorporating high-resolution (1 m) upper ocean (5-15 m) acoustic Doppler current profile measurements, are also shown to be in reasonable agreement with estimates from the physical model (daily maximum shear model-observation correlation 0.77). Physics-based improvements to the one-layer model (incorporation of rotation and freshwater terms) are discussed, though they do not provide significant improvements against the observations reported here. The simplicity and limitations of the physical model are used to discuss DWL dynamics. The physical model is shown to give better model performance under the range of forcing conditions experienced across the five sites than the more empirical models. ©2013. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

  7. Moored surface buoy observations of the diurnal warm layer

    KAUST Repository

    Prytherch, J.; Farrar, J. T.; Weller, R. A.

    2013-01-01

    An extensive data set is used to examine the dynamics of diurnal warming in the upper ocean. The data set comprises more than 4700 days of measurements at five sites in the tropics and subtropics, obtained from surface moorings equipped to make comprehensive meteorological, incoming solar and infrared radiation, and high-resolution subsurface temperature (and, in some cases, velocity) measurements. The observations, which include surface warmings of up to 3.4°C, are compared with a selection of existing models of the diurnal warm layer (DWL). A simple one-layer physical model is shown to give a reasonable estimate of both the magnitude of diurnal surface warming (model-observation correlation 0.88) and the structure and temporal evolution of the DWL. Novel observations of velocity shear obtained during 346 days at one site, incorporating high-resolution (1 m) upper ocean (5-15 m) acoustic Doppler current profile measurements, are also shown to be in reasonable agreement with estimates from the physical model (daily maximum shear model-observation correlation 0.77). Physics-based improvements to the one-layer model (incorporation of rotation and freshwater terms) are discussed, though they do not provide significant improvements against the observations reported here. The simplicity and limitations of the physical model are used to discuss DWL dynamics. The physical model is shown to give better model performance under the range of forcing conditions experienced across the five sites than the more empirical models. ©2013. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

  8. A game-theoretic method for cross-layer stochastic resilient control design in CPS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Jiajun; Feng, Dongqin

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, the cross-layer security problem of cyber-physical system (CPS) is investigated from the game-theoretic perspective. Physical dynamics of plant is captured by stochastic differential game with cyber-physical influence being considered. The sufficient and necessary condition for the existence of state-feedback equilibrium strategies is given. The attack-defence cyber interactions are formulated by a Stackelberg game intertwined with stochastic differential game in physical layer. The condition such that the Stackelberg equilibrium being unique and the corresponding analytical solutions are both provided. An algorithm is proposed for obtaining hierarchical security strategy by solving coupled games, which ensures the operational normalcy and cyber security of CPS subject to uncertain disturbance and unexpected cyberattacks. Simulation results are given to show the effectiveness and performance of the proposed algorithm.

  9. Performance enhancement of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells by dual-layered membrane electrode assembly structures with carbon nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Dong-Won; Kim, Jun-Ho; Kim, Se-Hoon; Kim, Jun-Bom; Oh, Eun-Suok

    2013-05-01

    The effect of dual-layered membrane electrode assemblies (d-MEAs) on the performance of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was investigated using the following characterization techniques: single cell performance test, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). It has been shown that the PEMFC with d-MEAs has better cell performance than that with typical mono-layered MEAs (m-MEAs). In particular, the d-MEA whose inner layer is composed of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) showed the best fuel cell performance. This is due to the fact that the d-MEAs with MWCNTs have the highest electrochemical surface area and the lowest activation polarization, as observed from the CV and EIS test.

  10. Performance implications of virtualization and hyper-threading on high energy physics applications in a Grid environment

    CERN Document Server

    Gilbert, Laura; Cobban, M; Iqbal, Saima; Jenwei, Hsieh; Newman, R; Pepper, R; Tseng, Jeffrey

    2005-01-01

    The simulations used in the field of high energy physics are compute intensive and exhibit a high level of data parallelism. These features make such simulations ideal candidates for Grid computing. We are taking as an example the GEANT4 detector simulation used for physics studies within the ATLAS experiment at CERN. One key issue in Grid computing is that of network and system security, which can potentially inhibit the wide spread use of such simulations. Virtualization provides a feasible solution because it allows the creation of virtual compute nodes in both local and remote compute clusters, thus providing an insulating layer which can play an important role in satisfying the security concerns of all parties involved. However, it has performance implications. This study provides quantitative estimates of the virtualization and hyper- threading overhead for GEANT on commodity clusters. Results show that virtualization has less than 15% run-time overhead, and that the best run time (with the non-SMP lice...

  11. Thermal Performance of Low Layer Density Multilayer Insu1ation Using Liquid Nitrogen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Wesley L.; Fesmire, James E.

    2011-01-01

    In order to support long duration cryogenic propellant storage, the Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) Project of the Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) is investigating the long duration storage propertie$ of liquid methane on the lunar surface. The Methane Lunar Surface Thermal Control (MLSTC) testing is using a tank of the approximate dimensions of the Altair ascent tanks inside of a vacuum chamber to simulate the environment in low earth orbit and on the lunar surface. The thermal performance testing of multilayer insulation (MLI) coupons that are fabricated identically to the tank applied insulation is necessary to understand the performance of the blankets and to be able to predict the performance of the insulation prior to testing. This coupon testing was completed in Cryostat-100 at the Cryogenics Test Laboratory. The results showed the properties of the insulation as a function of layer density, number of layers, and warm boundary temperature. These results aid in the understanding of the performance parameters o fMLI and help to complete the body of literature on the topic.

  12. Physical Exertion and Immediate Classroom Mental Performance Among Elementary School Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gabbard, Carl

    This study was designed (1) to investigate the relationship between physical exertion and mental performance in elementary school children and (2) to determine if male or female mental performances are more affected by physical exertion. A total of 95 second graders participated in six treatments of induced physical exertion during their regularly…

  13. Muscle strength, physical performance and physical activity as predictors of future knee replacement

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skou, Søren T; Wise, Barton L; Lewis, Cora E

    2016-01-01

    Activity Scale for the Elderly score with incident KR between baseline and the 84-month follow-up. RESULTS: 1,252 (99.6%) participants (1,682 knees) completed the follow-up visits. 331 participants (394 knees) underwent a KR during the 84 months (229 women and 102 men). The crude analysis demonstrated......OBJECTIVE: To investigate associations between lower levels of muscle strength, physical performance and physical activity and the risk of knee replacement (KR) in older adults with frequent knee pain. METHOD: Participants from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST) with knee pain on most......% CI) 0.99 (0.99 to 1.00)), but not when adjusting for Kellgren-Lawrence grade (p = 0.97). CONCLUSION: Lower levels of chair stand performance and self-reported physical activity are not associated with an increased risk of KR within 7 years, while the independent effect of knee extensor strength...

  14. Performance assessment of the disposal of vitrified high-level waste in a clay layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mallants, Dirk; Marivoet, Jan; Sillen, Xavier

    2001-01-01

    Deep disposal is considered a safe solution to the management of high-level radioactive waste. The safety is usually demonstrated by means of a performance assessment. This paper discusses the methodological aspects and some of the results obtained for the performance assessment of the disposal of vitrified high-level waste in a clay layer in Belgium. The calculations consider radionuclide migration through the following multi-barrier components, all of which contribute to the overall safety: (1) engineered barriers and the host clay layer, (2) overlying aquifer, and (3) biosphere. The interfaces between aquifers and biosphere are limited to the well and river pathway. Results of the performance assessment calculations are given in terms of the time evolution of the dose rates of the most important fission and activation products and actinides. The role of the glass matrix in the overall performance of the repository is also discussed

  15. Sleep restriction during simulated wildfire suppression: effect on physical task performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vincent, Grace; Ferguson, Sally A; Tran, Jacqueline; Larsen, Brianna; Wolkow, Alexander; Aisbett, Brad

    2015-01-01

    To examine the effects of sleep restriction on firefighters' physical task performance during simulated wildfire suppression. Thirty-five firefighters were matched and randomly allocated to either a control condition (8-hour sleep opportunity, n = 18) or a sleep restricted condition (4-hour sleep opportunity, n = 17). Performance on physical work tasks was evaluated across three days. In addition, heart rate, core temperature, and worker activity were measured continuously. Rate of perceived and exertion and effort sensation were evaluated during the physical work periods. There were no differences between the sleep-restricted and control groups in firefighters' task performance, heart rate, core temperature, or perceptual responses during self-paced simulated firefighting work tasks. However, the sleep-restricted group were less active during periods of non-physical work compared to the control group. Under self-paced work conditions, 4 h of sleep restriction did not adversely affect firefighters' performance on physical work tasks. However, the sleep-restricted group were less physically active throughout the simulation. This may indicate that sleep-restricted participants adapted their behaviour to conserve effort during rest periods, to subsequently ensure they were able to maintain performance during the firefighter work tasks. This work contributes new knowledge to inform fire agencies of firefighters' operational capabilities when their sleep is restricted during multi-day wildfire events. The work also highlights the need for further research to explore how sleep restriction affects physical performance during tasks of varying duration, intensity, and complexity.

  16. Joint optimization of physical layer parameters and routing in wireless mesh networks

    KAUST Repository

    Tobagi, Fouad A.

    2010-06-01

    Achieving the best performance in a wireless mesh network requires striking the right balance between the performance of links carrying traffic and the extent of spatial reuse of the wireless medium. The performance of a link depends on its transmit power and data rate as well as the level of interference caused by concurrent transmissions in the network; the latter is function of the Energy Detect (ED) threshold that determines when a node may access the medium. Which links in the network carry traffic is determined by the routing function; routing selects paths according to a link metric that reflects the relative performance of links (e.g., the expected transmission time of a packet on the link). In this paper, we seek to maximize end-to-end network throughput by jointly optimizing physical layer parameters and routing. We consider a random topology with a uniform node density. We consider that the signal attenuation between a pair of nodes is determined by a power law path loss model with an exponent equal to 3. Our findings are as follows. Consider first that the same transmit power and same data rate are used on all links. For any transmit power, data rate and ED threshold setting, the highest feasible load is obtained when the level of interference experienced by links used by routing is the highest possible. For a given transmit power and data rate setting, there is an optimum ED threshold that maximizes network performance. At the optimum ED threshold and maximum load, the range of link lengths used by routing is the lowest possible given the topology and routing metric used. With an ED threshold higher than the optimum, the same range of links is used by routing; however, the highest feasible load in this case is lower due to the fact that concurrent transmitters are allowed to be closer. With a lower ED threshold, concurrent transmitters are forced to be farther apart, and thus longer links become more attractive; as a result, the range of link lengths

  17. Joint optimization of physical layer parameters and routing in wireless mesh networks

    KAUST Repository

    Tobagi, Fouad A.; Hira, Mukesh M.

    2010-01-01

    Achieving the best performance in a wireless mesh network requires striking the right balance between the performance of links carrying traffic and the extent of spatial reuse of the wireless medium. The performance of a link depends on its transmit power and data rate as well as the level of interference caused by concurrent transmissions in the network; the latter is function of the Energy Detect (ED) threshold that determines when a node may access the medium. Which links in the network carry traffic is determined by the routing function; routing selects paths according to a link metric that reflects the relative performance of links (e.g., the expected transmission time of a packet on the link). In this paper, we seek to maximize end-to-end network throughput by jointly optimizing physical layer parameters and routing. We consider a random topology with a uniform node density. We consider that the signal attenuation between a pair of nodes is determined by a power law path loss model with an exponent equal to 3. Our findings are as follows. Consider first that the same transmit power and same data rate are used on all links. For any transmit power, data rate and ED threshold setting, the highest feasible load is obtained when the level of interference experienced by links used by routing is the highest possible. For a given transmit power and data rate setting, there is an optimum ED threshold that maximizes network performance. At the optimum ED threshold and maximum load, the range of link lengths used by routing is the lowest possible given the topology and routing metric used. With an ED threshold higher than the optimum, the same range of links is used by routing; however, the highest feasible load in this case is lower due to the fact that concurrent transmitters are allowed to be closer. With a lower ED threshold, concurrent transmitters are forced to be farther apart, and thus longer links become more attractive; as a result, the range of link lengths

  18. Exergy performance of human body under physical activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mady, Carlos Eduardo Keutenedjian; Albuquerque, Cyro; Fernandes, Tiago Lazzaretti; Hernandez, Arnaldo José; Saldiva, Paulo Hilário Nascimento; Yanagihara, Jurandir Itizo; Oliveira, Silvio de

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this work is to apply performance indicators for individuals under physical activity based on the concepts of exergy destroyed and exergy efficiency. The cardiopulmonary exercise test is one of the most used tests to assess the functional capacity of individuals with varying degrees of physical training. To perform the exergy analysis during the test, it is necessary to calculate heat and mass flow rates, associated with radiation, convection, vaporization and respiration, determined from the measurements and some relations found in the literature. The energy balance allowed the determination of the internal temperature over time and the exergy variation of the body along the experiment. Eventually, it was possible to calculate the destroyed exergy and the exergy efficiency from the exergy analysis. The exergy rates and flow rates are dependent of the exercise level and the body metabolism. The results show that the relation between the destroyed exergy and the metabolism is almost constant during the test, furthermore its value has a great dependence of the subject age. From the exergy analysis it was possible to divide the subjects according to their training level, for the same destroyed exergy, subjects with higher lactate threshold can perform more work. - Highlights: • Exergy analysis was applied to the human body under physical activities. • Concept of maximum available work from ATP hydrolysis was compared with exergy analysis results. • For the same destroyed exergy, subjects with higher lactate threshold can perform more work. • Runners during physical activities tend to a state of minimum destroyed exergy and maximum exergy efficiency

  19. Analysis on Interfacial Performance of CFRPConcrete with Different Thickness of Adhesive Layer and CFRP Plate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guo Qingyong

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The bond behavior of CFRP-concrete interface is the analysis foundation for concrete structures with external strengthening CFRP. In the paper, the influences of the thickness of CFRP plate and adhesive layer on interfacial adhesive properties are investigated through the finite element program. The influence rules of the thickness on the interfacial ultimate bearing capacity and the effective bond length are performed. The results show that the thickness of adhesive layer and CFRP plate has a significant effect on the interfacial performance of CFRP-concrete.

  20. Physical mechanisms of SiNx layer structuring with ultrafast lasers by direct and confined laser ablation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rapp, S.; Heinrich, G.; Wollgarten, M.; Huber, H. P.; Schmidt, M.

    2015-01-01

    In the production process of silicon microelectronic devices and high efficiency silicon solar cells, local contact openings in thin dielectric layers are required. Instead of photolithography, these openings can be selectively structured with ultra-short laser pulses by confined laser ablation in a fast and efficient lift off production step. Thereby, the ultrafast laser pulse is transmitted by the dielectric layer and absorbed at the substrate surface leading to a selective layer removal in the nanosecond time domain. Thermal damage in the substrate due to absorption is an unwanted side effect. The aim of this work is to obtain a deeper understanding of the physical laser-material interaction with the goal of finding a damage-free ablation mechanism. For this, thin silicon nitride (SiN x ) layers on planar silicon (Si) wafers are processed with infrared fs-laser pulses. Two ablation types can be distinguished: The known confined ablation at fluences below 300 mJ/cm 2 and a combined partial confined and partial direct ablation at higher fluences. The partial direct ablation process is caused by nonlinear absorption in the SiN x layer in the center of the applied Gaussian shaped laser pulses. Pump-probe investigations of the central area show ultra-fast reflectivity changes typical for direct laser ablation. Transmission electron microscopy results demonstrate that the Si surface under the remaining SiN x island is not damaged by the laser ablation process. At optimized process parameters, the method of direct laser ablation could be a good candidate for damage-free selective structuring of dielectric layers on absorbing substrates

  1. Improvement in IBC-silicon solar cell performance by insertion of highly doped crystalline layer at heterojunction interfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bashiri, Hadi; Azim Karami, Mohammad; Mohammadnejad, Shahramm

    2017-01-01

    By inserting a thin highly doped crystalline silicon layer between the base region and amorphous silicon layer in an interdigitated back-contact (IBC) silicon solar cell, a new passivation layer is investigated. The passivation layer performance is characterized by numerical simulations. Moreover, the dependence of the output parameters of the solar cell on the additional layer parameters (doping concentration and thickness) is studied. By optimizing the additional passivation layer in terms of doping concentration and thickness, the power conversion efficiency could be improved by a factor of 2.5%, open circuit voltage is increased by 30 mV and the fill factor of the solar cell by 7.4%. The performance enhancement is achieved due to the decrease of recombination rate, a decrease in solar cell resistivity and improvement of field effect passivation at heterojunction interface. The above-mentioned results are compared with reported results of the same conventional interdigitated back-contact silicon solar cell structure. Furthermore, the effect of a-Si:H/c-Si interface defect density on IBC silicon solar cell parameters with a new passivation layer is studied. The additional passivation layer also reduces the sensitivity of output parameter of solar cell to interface defect density. (paper)

  2. Student performance of the general physical examination in internal medicine: an observational study

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Many practicing physicians lack skills in physical examination. It is not known whether physical examination skills already show deficiencies after an early phase of clinical training. At the end of the internal medicine clerkship students are expected to be able to perform a general physical examination in every new patient encounter. In a previous study, the basic physical examination items that should standardly be performed were set by consensus. The aim of the current observational study was to assess whether medical students were able to correctly perform a general physical examination regarding completeness as well as technique at the end of the clerkship internal medicine. Methods One hundred students who had just finished their clerkship internal medicine were asked to perform a general physical examination on a standardized patient as they had learned during the clerkship. They were recorded on camera. Frequency of performance of each component of the physical examination was counted. Adequacy of performance was determined as either correct or incorrect or not assessable using a checklist of short descriptions of each physical examination component. A reliability analysis was performed by calculation of the intra class correlation coefficient for total scores of five physical examinations rated by three trained physicians and for their agreement on performance of all items. Results Approximately 40% of the agreed standard physical examination items were not performed by the students. Students put the most emphasis on examination of general parameters, heart, lungs and abdomen. Many components of the physical examination were not performed as was taught during precourses. Intra-class correlation was high for total scores of the physical examinations 0.91 (p internal medicine clerkship. Possible causes and suggestions for improvement are discussed. PMID:24712683

  3. Enhanced performance of inverted organic photovoltaic cells using CNTs-TiO(X) nanocomposites as electron injection layer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hong; Xu, Meifeng; Cui, Rongli; Guo, Xihong; Yang, Shangyuan; Liao, Liangsheng; Jia, Quanjie; Chen, Yu; Dong, Jinquan; Sun, Baoyun

    2013-09-06

    In this study, we fabricated inverted organic photovoltaic cells with the structure ITO/carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-TiO(X)/P3HT:PCBM/MoO₃/Al by spin casting CNTs-TiO(X) nanocomposite (CNTs-TiO(X)) as the electron injection layer onto ITO/glass substrates. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the 0.1 wt% single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs)-TiO(X) nanocomposite device was almost doubled compared with the TiO(X) device, but with increasing concentration of the incorporated SWNTs in the TiO(X) film, the performance of the devices appeared to decrease rapidly. Devices with multi-walled NTs in the TiO(X) film have a similar trend. This phenomenon mainly depends on the inherent physical and chemical characteristics of CNTs such as their high surface area, their electron-accepting properties and their excellent carrier mobility. However, with increasing concentration of CNTs, CNTs-TiO(X) current leakage pathways emerged and also a recombination of charges at the interfaces. In addition, there was a significant discovery. The incorporated CNTs were highly conducive to enhancing the degree of crystallinity and the ordered arrangement of the P3HT in the active layers, due to the intermolecular π-π stacking interactions between CNTs and P3HT.

  4. Stable Boundary Layer Issues

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Steeneveld, G.J.

    2012-01-01

    Understanding and prediction of the stable atmospheric boundary layer is a challenging task. Many physical processes are relevant in the stable boundary layer, i.e. turbulence, radiation, land surface coupling, orographic turbulent and gravity wave drag, and land surface heterogeneity. The

  5. Sleep restriction during simulated wildfire suppression: effect on physical task performance.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grace Vincent

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of sleep restriction on firefighters' physical task performance during simulated wildfire suppression. METHODS: Thirty-five firefighters were matched and randomly allocated to either a control condition (8-hour sleep opportunity, n = 18 or a sleep restricted condition (4-hour sleep opportunity, n = 17. Performance on physical work tasks was evaluated across three days. In addition, heart rate, core temperature, and worker activity were measured continuously. Rate of perceived and exertion and effort sensation were evaluated during the physical work periods. RESULTS: There were no differences between the sleep-restricted and control groups in firefighters' task performance, heart rate, core temperature, or perceptual responses during self-paced simulated firefighting work tasks. However, the sleep-restricted group were less active during periods of non-physical work compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Under self-paced work conditions, 4 h of sleep restriction did not adversely affect firefighters' performance on physical work tasks. However, the sleep-restricted group were less physically active throughout the simulation. This may indicate that sleep-restricted participants adapted their behaviour to conserve effort during rest periods, to subsequently ensure they were able to maintain performance during the firefighter work tasks. This work contributes new knowledge to inform fire agencies of firefighters' operational capabilities when their sleep is restricted during multi-day wildfire events. The work also highlights the need for further research to explore how sleep restriction affects physical performance during tasks of varying duration, intensity, and complexity.

  6. Motor performance and physical activity habits of college students in Costa Rica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Judith Jiménez-Díaz

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to analyze the motor performance of fundamental motor skills and physical activity habits of students at the University of Costa Rica. A total of 92 males and 48 females (M age = 19.78 yr., SD = 4.72 yr. enrolled in different Sports Activity courses taught at the Rodrigo Facio campus was assessed. The Instrument for the Evaluation of Fundamental Movement Patterns was used to assess motor performance in eight fundamental movement patterns (running, jumping, galloping, catching, throwing, bouncing, and kicking. The physical activity level was obtained from a self-reported questionnaire developed for such purpose. Results show that 28% of the participants were physically active. Participants presented a proficient performance in kicking, running, and galloping, but a non-proficient performance in jumping, hopping, bouncing, throwing and catching. Physical activity behavior was related to the overall performance of the motor skills assessed (Rho = .233; p = .006. In conclusion, college students presented a proficient performance on three of the eight skills assessed. In addition, a relationship was found between physical activity levels and performance. Physical Education teachers are recommended to develop activities to enhance motor performance of fundamental motor skills in college students.

  7. Experimental research on the stability of armour and secondary layer in a single layered Tetrapod breakwater

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    De Jong, W.; Verhagen, H.J.; Olthof, J.

    2004-01-01

    Physical model tests were done on an armour of Tetrapods, placed in a single layer. The objective of the investigations was to study the stability of the secondary layer, and to see if the material of this secondary layer could be washed out through the single layer of Tetrapods. It was concluded

  8. Reactor core performance estimating device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanabe, Akira; Yamamoto, Toru; Shinpuku, Kimihiro; Chuzen, Takuji; Nishide, Fusayo.

    1995-01-01

    The present invention can autonomously simplify a neural net model thereby enabling to conveniently estimate various amounts which represents reactor core performances by a simple calculation in a short period of time. Namely, a reactor core performance estimation device comprises a nerve circuit net which divides the reactor core into a large number of spacial regions, and receives various physical amounts for each region as input signals for input nerve cells and outputs estimation values of each amount representing the reactor core performances as output signals of output nerve cells. In this case, the nerve circuit net (1) has a structure of extended multi-layered model having direct coupling from an upper stream layer to each of downstream layers, (2) has a forgetting constant q in a corrected equation for a joined load value ω using an inverse error propagation method, (3) learns various amounts representing reactor core performances determined using the physical models as teacher signals, (4) determines the joined load value ω decreased as '0' when it is to less than a predetermined value upon learning described above, and (5) eliminates elements of the nerve circuit net having all of the joined load value decreased to 0. As a result, the neural net model comprises an autonomously simplifying means. (I.S.)

  9. Incidence of injury and physical performance adaptations during military training

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rosendal, Lars; Langberg, Henning; Skov-Jensen, Arne

    2003-01-01

    Strenuous physical activity, such as military training, is known to demand a high degree of physical performance and to cause overuse injuries. However, the exact relation between injury incidence and physical fitness level and the influence of military training on measures of functional...

  10. High performance diamond-like carbon layers obtained by pulsed laser deposition for conductive electrode applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stock, F.; Antoni, F.; Le Normand, F.; Muller, D.; Abdesselam, M.; Boubiche, N.; Komissarov, I.

    2017-09-01

    For the future, one of the biggest challenge faced to the technologies of flat panel display and various optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices is to find an alternative to the use of transparent conducting oxides like ITO. In this new approach, the objective is to grow high conductive thin-layer graphene (TLG) on the top of diamond-like carbon (DLC) layers presenting high performance. DLC prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) have attracted special interest due to a unique combination of their properties, close to those of monocrystalline diamond, like its transparency, hardness and chemical inertia, very low roughness, hydrogen-free and thus high thermal stability up to 1000 K. In our future work, we plane to explore the synthesis of conductive TLG on top of insulating DLC thin films. The feasibility and obtained performances of the multi-layered structure will be explored in great details in the short future to develop an alternative to ITO with comparable performance (conductivity of transparency). To select the best DLC candidate for this purpose, we focus this work on the physicochemical properties of the DLC thin films deposited by PLD from a pure graphite target at two wavelengths (193 and 248 nm) at various laser fluences. A surface graphenization process, as well as the required efficiency of the complete structure (TLG/DLC) will clearly be related to the DLC properties, especially to the initial sp3/sp2 hybridization ratio. Thus, an exhaustive description of the physicochemical properties of the DLC layers is a fundamental step in the research of comparable performance to ITO.

  11. High-Quality Ultrathin Gold Layers with an APTMS Adhesion for Optimal Performance of Surface Plasmon Polariton-Based Devices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sukham, Johneph; Takayama, Osamu; Lavrinenko, Andrei

    2017-01-01

    , in particular, when the Au layer is not much thicker than the adhesion layers. We experimentally compared the performances of the ultrathin gold films to show the pivotal influence of adhesion layers on highly confined propagating plasmonic modes, using Cr and 3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane (APTMS) adhesion...

  12. Study on coated layer material performance of coated particle fuel FBR (2). High temperature property and capability of coating to thick layer of TiN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naganuma, Masayuki; Mizuno, Tomoyasu

    2002-08-01

    'Helium Gas Cooled Coated Particle Fuel FBR' is one of attractive core concepts in the Feasibility Study on Commercialized Fast Reactor Cycle System in Japan, and the design study is presently proceeded. As one of key technologies of this concept, the coated layer material is important, and ceramics is considered to be a candidate material because of the superior refractory. Based on existing knowledge, TiN is regarded to be a possible candidate material, to which some property tests and evaluations have been conducted. In this study, preliminary tests about the high temperature property and the capability of thick layer coating of TiN have been conducted. Results of these tests come to the following conclusions. Heating tests of two kinds of TiN layer specimens coated by PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) and CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) were conducted. As a result, as for CVD coating specimens, remarkable charge was not observed on the layer up to 2,000degC, therefore we concluded that the layer by CVD had applicability up to high temperature of actual operation level. On the other hand, as for PVD coating specimens, an unstable behavior that the layer changed to a mesh like texture was observed on a 2,000degC heated specimen, therefore the applied PVD method is not considered to be promising as the coating technique. The surface conditions of some parts inside CVD device were investigated in order to evaluate possibility of TiN thick coating (∼100 μm). As a result, around 500 μm of TiN coating layer was observed on the condition of multilayer. Therefore, we conclude that CVD has capability of coating up to thick layer in actual coated particle fuel fabrication. (author)

  13. Osteoarticular diseases and physical performance of Brazilians over 80 years old

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vanessa Ribeiro dos Santos

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objective To investigate the physical performance of Brazilian individuals older than 80 years with and without OD. Methods The sample consisted of 135 individuals (aged > 80 years of both gender. Identification of osteopenia/osteoporosis was verified by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry, and the presence of others osteoarticular diseases (OD was obtained using a questionnaire of morbidities. Physical performance was analyzed by motor tests. Results Men presented higher proportion of osteopenia/osteoporosis compared to women (p = 0.013. The proportion of older people with arthritis/osteoarthritis for women and men was 33% and 26%, respectively, and with OD in the spine was 19% and 12%, respectively. No significant difference for physical performance, measured by each test and overall score, was observed between groups of OD. According to gender, male with OD presented lower performance in gait speed, balance and overall score (p < 0.05, while older people with osteopenia/osteoporosis are at higher risk for low physical performance (OR 2.73; CI 95% 1.31-5.66. Conclusion In conclusion it was verified in older people with age of 80 years or more, a high prevalence of OD, especially in men, and the presence of these diseases interfered negatively their physical performance.

  14. Evaluation of RSG-GAS purification system and pool warm water layer supplier performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sudiyono; Suhadi; Diah-Erlina-Lestari

    2005-01-01

    Function of RSG-GAS purification system and warm water supplier (KBE 02) are to pick up dissolve activation result and another dirts of warm water layer. To keep quality of water at the decided level. The system is equipped by heater to supply warm water layer on the reactor pool surface the distribution is to reduce radiation level in the operation hall area a speciality on the reactor pool surface. Line KBE 02 tomord beam tube headitty system supplies water necessary to be shielding to beam tube in use off time. Of the RSG-GAS purification system and pool warm water layer performance date can be shown north of water is always in good condition. To require the dechded requirement. Resin live time is two years and then months

  15. Motor performance as predictor of physical activity in children - The CHAMPS Study-DK

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Lisbeth Runge; Kristensen, Peter Lund; Junge, Tina

    2015-01-01

    Purpose Physical activity is associated with several health benefits in children, and physical activity habits developed in childhood tend to persist into adulthood. Physical activity may be the foundation of a healthy lifestyle and motor performance has been shown to be positively associated wit...... run in childhood may be important determinants of physical activity in adolescence.......Purpose Physical activity is associated with several health benefits in children, and physical activity habits developed in childhood tend to persist into adulthood. Physical activity may be the foundation of a healthy lifestyle and motor performance has been shown to be positively associated...... with physical activity in cross-sectional studies. The purpose of this study was to explore the longitudinal relationship between motor performance and physical activity in a three-year follow-up study. Methods Longitudinal analyses were performed using data from 673 participants (44% boys, 6-12 years old) who...

  16. [ASSOCIATION BETWEEN FITNESS, NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION STUDENTS].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godoy Cumillaf, Andrés; Valdés Badilla, Pablo; Fariña Herrera, Custodio; Cárcamo Mora, Francisco; Medina Herrera, Bernice; Meneses Sandoval, Elías; Gedda Muñoz, Relmu; Durán Agüero, Samuel

    2015-10-01

    several studies demonstrated that regular physical exercise would impact positively on the academic performance of students. to determine the association between physical fitness, nutritional status and academic performance of students of Pedagogy in Physical Education from Temuco, Chile. the sample was selected on a non-probabilistic approach, which included 208 subjects (n = 153 women and n = 55 women). The variables studied were physical fitness (short Abs, long jump with feet together, forward trunk flexion, elbow flexion and extension and "course navette" test), nutritional status (BMI) and academic performance (classified as up and down the academic average). 87.5% of students have a satisfactory fitness and a BMI of 23.8 ± 2.9 kg/m2. The students with the best academic performance were those with the higher proportion of satisfactory physical condition (92.5 %). No association between academic performance and nutritional status was determined, but it was observed between low fitness and a great risk of low academic performance (OR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.0 to 8 1; p academic achievement and physical fitness among students is observed, but no for the nutritional status and the academic performance. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

  17. Expected performance of the ATLAS experiment detector, trigger and physics

    CERN Document Server

    Aad, G.; Abbott, B.; Abdallah, J.; Abdelalim, A.A.; Abdesselam, A.; Abdinov, O.; Abi, B.; Abolins, M.; Abramowicz, H.; Acharya, Bobby Samir; Adams, D.L.; Addy, T.N.; Adorisio, C.; Adragna, P.; Adye, T.; Aguilar-Saavedra, J.A.; Aharrouche, M.; Ahlen, S.P.; Ahles, F.; Ahmad, A.; Ahmed, H.; Aielli, G.; Akdogan, T.; Akesson, T.P.A.; Akimoto, G.; Alam, M.S.; Alam, M.A.; Albert, J.; Albrand, S.; Aleksa, M.; Aleksandrov, I.N.; Alessandria, F.; Alexa, C.; Alexander, G.; Alexandre, G.; Alexopoulos, T.; Alhroob, M.; Alimonti, G.; Alison, J.; Aliyev, M.; Allport, P.P.; Allwood-Spiers, S.E.; Aloisio, A.; Alon, R.; Alonso, A.; Alonso, J.; Alviggi, M.G.; Amako, K.; Amaral, P.; Amelung, C.; Ammosov, V.V.; Amorim, A.; Amoros, G.; Amram, N.; Anastopoulos, C.; Anders, C.F.; Anderson, K.J.; Andreazza, A.; Andrei, V.; Andrieux, M-L.; Anduaga, X.S.; Anghinolfi, F.; Antonaki, A.; Antonelli, M.; Antonelli, S.; Antunovic, B.; Anulli, F.A.; Arabidze, G.; Aracena, I.; Arai, Y.; Arce, A.T.H.; Archambault, J.P.; Arfaoui, S.; Arguin, J-F.; Argyropoulos, T.; Arik, E.; Arik, M.; Armbruster, A.J.; Arnaez, O.; Arnault, C.; Artamonov, A.; Arutinov, D.; Asai, M.; Asai, S.; Ask, S.; Asman, B.; Asner, D.; Asquith, L.; Assamagan, K.; Astbury, A.; Astvatsatourov, A.; Atkinson, T.; Atoian, G.; Auerbach, B.; Auge, E.; Augsten, K.; Aurousseau, M.A.; Austin, N.; Avolio, G.; Avramidou, R.; Axen, A.; Ay, C.; Azuelos, G.; Azuma, Y.; Baak, M.A.; Baccaglioni, G.; Bacci, C.; Bachacou, H.; Bachas, K.; Backes, M.; Badescu, E.; Bagnaia, P.; Bai, Y.; Bailey, D.C.; Baines, J.T.; Baker, O.K.; Baltasar Dos Santos Pedrosa, F.; Banas, E.; Banerjee, S.; Banfi, D.; Bangert, A.; Bansal, V.; Baranov, S.P.; Baranov, S.; Barashkou, A.; Barber, T.B.; Barberio, E.L.; Barberis, D.; Barbero, M.B.; Bardin, D.Y.; Barillari, T.; Barisonzi, M.; Barklow, T.; Barlow, N.B.; Barnett, B.M.; Barnett, R.M.; Baron, S.; Baroncelli, A.; Barr, A.J.; Barreiro, F.; Barreiro Guimaraes da Costa, J.; Barrillon, P.; Bartoldus, R.; Bartsch, D.; Bastos, J.; Bates, R.L.; Batley, J.R.; Battaglia, A.; Battistin, M.; Bauer, F.; Bazalova, M.; Beare, B.; Beauchemin, P.H.; Beccherle, R.B.; Becerici, N.; Bechtle, P.; Beck, G.A.; Beck, H.P.; Beckingham, M.; Becks, K.H.; Bedajanek, I.; Beddall, A.J.; Beddall, A.; Bednar, P.; Bednyakov, V.A.; Bee, C.; Behar Harpaz, S.; Behera, P.K.; Beimforde, M.; Belanger-Champagne, C.; Bell, P.J.; Bell, W.H.; Bella, G.; Bellagamba, L.; Bellina, F.; Bellomo, M.; Belloni, A.; Belotskiy, K.; Beltramello, O.; Ben Ami, S.; Benary, O.; Benchekroun, D.; Bendel, M.; Benedict, B.H.; Benekos, N.; Benhammou, Y.; Benincasa, G.P.; Benjamin, D.P.; Benoit, M.; Bensinger, J.R.; Benslama, K.; Bentvelsen, S.; Beretta, M.; Berge, D.; Bergeaas Kuutmann, Elin; Berger, N.; Berghaus, F.; Berglund, E.; Beringer, J.; Bernardet, K.; Bernat, P.; Bernhard, R.; Bernius, C.; Berry, T.; Bertin, A.; Besson, N.; Bethke, S.; Bianchi, R.M.; Bianco, M.; Biebel, O.; Biesiada, Jed; Biglietti, M.; Bilokon, H.; Binet, S.; Bingul, A.; Bini, C.; Biscarat, C.; Bischofberger, M.; Bitenc, U.; Black, K.M.; Blair, R.E.; Blanchot, G.; Blocker, C.; Blocki, J.; Blondel, A.; Blum, W.; Blumenschein, U.; Boaretto, C.; Bobbink, G.J.; Bocci, A.; Bodine, B.; Boek, J.; Boelaert, N.; Boeser, Sebastian; Bogaerts, J.A.; Bogouch, A.; Bohm, C.; Bohm, J.; Boisvert, V.; Bold, T.; Boldea, V.; Bondarenko, V.G.; Bondioli, M.; Boonekamp, M.; Booth, C.N.; Booth, P.S.L.; Booth, J.R.A.; Borisov, A.; Borissov, G.; Borjanovic, I.; Borroni, S.; Bos, K.; Boscherini, D.; Bosman, M.; Bosteels, M.; Boterenbrood, H.; Bouchami, J.; Boudreau, J.; Bouhova-Thacker, E.V.; Boulahouache, C.; Bourdarios, C.; Boyd, J.; Boyko, I.R.; Braem, A.; Branchini, P.; Brandenburg, G.W.; Brandt, A.; Brandt, O.; Bratzler, U.; Brau, J.E.; Braun, H.M.; Brelier, B.; Bremer, J.; Brenner, R.; Bressler, S.; Breton, D.; Brett, N.D.; Britton, D.; Brochu, F.M.; Brock, I.; Brock, R.; Brodet, E.; Broggi, F.; Brooijmans, G.; Brooks, W.K.; Brubaker, E.; Bruckman de Renstrom, P.A.; Bruncko, D.; Bruneliere, R.; Brunet, S.; Bruni, A.; Bruni, G.; Bruschi, M.; Buanes, T.; Bucci, F.B.; Buchholz, P.; Buckley, A.G.; Budagov, I.A.; Buescher, Volker; Bugge, L.; Bujor, F.; Bulekov, O.; Bunse, M.; Buran, T.; Burckhart, H.; Burdin, S.; Burke, S.; Busato, E.; Buszello, C.P.; Butin, F.; Butler, B.; Butler, J.M.; Buttar, C.M.; Butterworth, J.M.; Byatt, T.; Cabrera Urban, S.; Caforio, D.; Cakir, O.; Calafiura, P.; Calderini, G.; Calkins, R.; Caloba, L.P.; Caloi, R.; Calvet, D.; Camarri, P.; Cambiaghi, M.; Cameron, D.; Campabadal Segura, F.; Campana, S.; Campanelli, M.; Canale, V.; Cantero, J.; Capeans Garrido, M.D.M.; Caprini, I.; Caprini, M.; Capua, M.; Caputo, R.; Caramarcu, C.; Cardarelli, R.; Carli, T.; Carlino, G.; Carminati, L.; Caron, B.; Caron, S.; Carron Montero, S.; Carter, A.A.; Carter, J.R.; Carvalho, J.; Casadei, D.; Casado, M.P.; Cascella, M.; Caso, C.; Castaneda Hernadez, A.M.; Castaneda Miranda, E.; Castillo Gimenez, V.; Castro, N.F.; Cataldi, G.; Catinaccio, A.; Catmore, J.R.; Cattai, A.; Cattani, G.; Caughron, S.; Cauz, D.; Cavalleri, P.; Cavalli, D.; Cavalli-Sforza, M.; Cavasinni, V.; Cazzato, A.; Ceradini, F.; Cerqueira, A.S.; Cerri, A.; Cerrito, L.; Cerutti, F.; Cetin, S.A.; Cevenini, F.; Chafaq, A.C.; Chakraborty, D.; Chapman, J.D.; Chapman, J.W.; Chareyre, E.C.; Charlton, D.G.; Chatterjii, S.C.; Cheatham, S.; Chekanov, S.; Chekulaev, S.V.; Chelkov, G.A.; Chen, H.; Chen, T.; Chen, X.; Cheng, S.; Cheng, T.L.; Cheplakov, A.; Chepurnov, V.F.; Cherkaoui El Moursli, R.; Tcherniatine, V.; Chesneanu, D.; Cheu, E.; Cheung, S.L.; Chevalier, L.; Chevallier, F.; Chiarella, V.; Chiefari, G.; Chikovani, L.; Childers, J.T.; Chilingarov, A.; Chiodini, G.; Chouridou, S.; Chren, D.; Christidi, I.A.; Christov, A.; Chromek-Burckhart, D.; Chu, M.L.; Chudoba, J.; Ciapetti, G.; Ciftci, A.K.; Ciftci, R.; Cindro, V.; Ciobotaru, M.D.; Ciocca, C.; Ciocio, A.; Cirilli, M.; Citterio, M.; Clark, A.; Cleland, W.; Clemens, J.C.; Clement, B.; Clement, C.; Clements, D.; Coadou, Y.; Cobal, M.; Coccaro, A.; Cochran, J.; Coelli, S.; Coggeshall, J.; Cogneras, E.; Cojocaru, C.D.; Colas, J.; Cole, B.; Colijn, A.P.; Collard, C.; Collins, N.J.; Collins-Tooth, C.; Collot, J.; Colon, G.; Coluccia, R.; Conde Muino, P.; Coniavitis, E.; Consonni, M.; Constantinescu, S.; Conta, C.; Conventi, F.; Cook, J.; Cooke, Mark S.; Cooper, B.D.; Cooper-Smith, N.J.; Copic, K.; Cornelissen, T.; Corradi, M.; Corriveau, F.C.; Corso-Radu, A.; Cortes-Gonzalez, A.; Costa, G.; Costa, M.J.; Costanzo, D.; Costin, T.; Cote, D.; Coura Torres, R.; Courneyea, L.; Cowan, G.; Cowden, C.C.; Cox, B.E.; Cranmer, K.; Cranshaw, J.; Cristinziani, M.; Crosetti, G.; Crupi, R.C.; Crepe-Renaudin, S.; Cuciuc, C.M.; Cuenca Almenar, C.; Curatolo, M.; Curtis, C.J.; Cwetanski, P.; Czyczula, Z.; D'Auria, S.; D'Onofrio, M.; D'Orazio, A.; Da Rocha Gesualdi Mello, A.; Da Silva, P.V.M.; Da Via, C.V.; Dabrowski, W.; Dai, T.; Dallapiccola, C.; Dallison, S.J.; Daly, C.H.; Dam, M.; Danielsson, H.O.; Dannheim, D.; Dao, V.; Darbo, G.; Davey, W.D.; Davidek, T.; Davidson, N.; Davidson, R.; Davison, A.R.; Dawson, I.; Dawson, J.W.; Daya, R.K.; De, K.; de Asmundis, R.; De Castro, S.; De Castro Faria Salgado, P.E.; De Cecco, S.; De Groot, N.; de Jong, P.; De La Cruz-Burelo, E.; De La Taille, C.; De Mora, L.; De Oliveira Branco, M.; De Pedis, D.; De Salvo, A.; De Sanctis, U.; De Santo, A.; De Vivie De Regie, J.B.; De Zorzi, G.; Dean, S.; Dedes, G.; Dedovich, D.V.; Defay, P.O.; Degenhardt, J.; Dehchar, M.; Del Papa, C.; Del Peso, J.; Del Prete, T.; Dell'Acqua, A.; Dell'Asta, L.; Della Pietra, M.; della Volpe, D.; Delmastro, M.; Delruelle, N.; Delsart, P.A.; Demers, S.; Demichev, M.; Demirkoz, B.; Deng, W.; Denisov, S.P.; Dennis, C.; Derue, F.; Dervan, P.; Desch, K.K.; Deviveiros, P.O.; Dewhurst, A.; Dhullipudi, R.; Di Ciaccio, A.; Di Ciaccio, L.; Di Domenico, A.; Di Girolamo, A.; Di Girolamo, B.; Di Luise, S.; Di Mattia, A.; Di Nardo, R.; Di Simone, A.; Di Sipio, R.; Diaz, M.A.; Diehl, E.B.; Dietrich, J.; Diglio, S.; Dindar Yagci, K.; Dingfelder, D.J.; Dionisi, C.; Dita, P.; Dita, S.; Dittus, F.; Djama, F.; Djilkibaev, R.; Djobava, T.; Vale, M.A.B.do; Dobbs, M.; Dobinson, R.; Dobos, D.; Dobson, E.; Dobson, M.; Dogan, O.B.; Doherty, T.; Doi, Y.; Dolejsi, J.; Dolenc, I.; Dolezal, Z.; Dolgoshein, B.A.; Donega, M.; Donini, J.; Donszelmann, T.; Dopke, J.; Dorfan, D.E.; Doria, A.; Dos Anjos, A.; Dosil, M.; Dotti, A.; Dova, M.T.; Doxiadis, A.; Doyle, A.T.; Dragic, J.D.; Drasal, Z.; Dressnandt, N.; Driouichi, C.; Dris, M.; Dubbert, J.; Duchovni, E.; Duckeck, G.; Dudarev, A.; Duehrssen, M.; Duerdoth, I.P.; Duflot, L.; Dufour, M-A.; Dunford, M.; Duperrin, A.; Duran Yildiz, H.; Dushkin, A.; Duxfield, R.; Dwuznik, M.; Dueren, M.; Ebenstein, W.L.; Eckert, S.; Eckweiler, S.; Edmonds, K.; Eerola, P.; Egorov, K.; Ehrenfeld, W.; Ehrich, T.; Eifert, T.; Eigen, G.; Einsweiler, K.; Eisenhandler, E.; Ekelof, T.; El Kacimi, M.; Ellert, M.; Elles, S.; Ellis, K.; Ellis, N.; Elmsheuser, J.; Elsing, M.; Ely, R.; Emeliyanov, D.; Engelmann, R.; Engl, A.; Epp, B.; Eppig, A.; 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Mora Herrera, C.M.; Moraes, A.; Morais, A.; Morel, J.; Moreno, D.; Moreno Llacer, M.; Morettini, P.; Morii, M.; Morin, J.; Morley, A.K.; Mornacchi, G.; Morozov, S.V.; Morris, J.D.; Moser, H.G.; Mosidze, M.; Moss, J.M.; Moszczynski, A.; Mountricha, E.; Mouraviev, S.V.; Moyse, E.J.W.; Mueller, J.; Mueller, K.; Mueller, T.A.; Muenstermann, D.M.; Muir, A.M.; Murillo Garcia, R.; Murray, W.J.; Musto, E.; Myagkov, A.G.; Myska, M.; Nadal, J.; Nagai, K.; Nagano, K.; Nagasaka, Y.; Nairz, A.M.; Nakano, I.; Nakatsuka, H.; Nanava, G.; Napier, A.; Nash, M.; Nation, N.R.; Naumann, T.; Navarro, G.; Nderitu, S.K.; Neal, H.A.; Nebot, E.; Nechaeva, P.; Negri, A.; Negri, G.; Nelson, A.; Nemecek, S.; Nemethy, P.; Nepomuceno, A.A.; Nessi, M.; Nesterov, S.Y.; Neubauer, M.S.; Neusiedl, A.; Neves, R.N.; Nevski, P.; Newcomer, F.M.; Ng, C.; Nicholson, C.; Nickerson, R.B.; Nicolaidou, R.; Nicoletti, G.; Nicquevert, B.; Nielsen, J.; Nikiforov, A.; Nikitin, N.; Nikolaev, K.; Nikolic-Audit, I.; Nikolopoulos, K.; Nilsen, H.; Nilsson, P.; Nisati, A.; Nisius, R.; Nodulman, L.J.; Nomachi, M.; Nomidis, I.; Nomoto, H.; Nordberg, M.; Notz, D.; Novakova, J.; Nozaki, M.; Nozicka, M.; Nuncio-Quiroz, A.E.; Nunes Hanninger, G.; Nunnemann, T.; O'Neale, S.W.; O'Neil, D.C.; O'Shea, V.; Oakham, F.G.; Oberlack, H.; Ochi, A.; Odaka, S.; Odino, G.A.; Ogren, H.; Oh, S.H.; Ohshima, T.; Ohshita, H.; Ohsugi, T.; Okada, S.; Okawa, H.; Okumura, Y.; Olcese, M.; Olchevski, A.G.; Oliveira, M.; Oliveira Damazio, D.; Oliver, J.; Oliver Garcia, E.O.; Olivito, D.; Olszewski, A.; Olszowska, J.; Omachi, C.; Onea, A.; Onofre, A.; Oram, C.J.; Ordonez, G.; Oreglia, M.J.; Oren, Y.; Orestano, D.; Orlov, I.O.; Orr, R.S.; Ortega, E.O.; Osculati, B.; Osuna, C.; Otec, R.; Ould-Saada, F.; Ouraou, A.; Ouyang, Q.; Oye, O.K.; Ozcan, V.E.; Ozone, K.; Ozturk, N.; Pacheco Pages, A.; Padhi, S.; Padilla Aranda, C.; Paganis, E.; Paige, F.; Pajchel, K.; Pal, A.; Palestini, S.; Palla, J.; Pallin, D.; Palma, A.; Pan, Y.B.; Panagiotopoulou, E.; Panes, B.; Panikashvili, N.; Panitkin, S.; Pantea, D.; Panuskova, M.; Paolone, V.; Papadopoulou, Th.D.; Park, W.; Parker, M.A.; Parker, S.; Parodi, F.; Parsons, J.A.; Parzefall, U.; Pasqualucci, E.; Passardi, G.; Passeri, A.; Pastore, F.; Pastore, Fr.; Pataraia, S.; Pater, J.R.; Patricelli, S.; Patwa, P.; Pauly, T.; Peak, L.S.; Pecsy, M.; Pedraza Morales, M.I.; Peleganchuk, S.V.; Peng, H.; Pengo, R.; Penwell, J.; Perantoni, M.; Pereira, A.; Perez, K.; Perez Codina, E.; Perez Reale, V.; Perini, L.; Pernegger, H.; Perrino, R.; Perrodo, P.; Perus, P.; Peshekhonov, V.D.; Petersen, B.A.; Petersen, J.; Petersen, T.C.; Petridou, C.; Petrolo, E.; Petrucci, F.; Petti, R.; Pezoa, R.; Pezzetti, M.; Pfeifer, B.; Phan, A.; Phillips, A.W.; Piacquadio, G.; Piccinini, M.; Piegaia, R.; Pier, S.; Pilcher, J.E.; Pilkington, A.D.; Pina, J.; Pinfold, J.L.; Ping, J.; Pinto, B.; Pirotte, O.; Pizio, C.; Placakyte, R.; Plamondon, M.; Plano, W.G.; Pleier, M.A.; Poblaguev, A.; Podlyski, F.; Poffenberger, P.; Poggioli, L.; Pohl, M.; Polci, F.; Polesello, G.; Policicchio, A.; Polini, A.; Poll, J.P.; Polychronakos, V.; Pomarede, D.M.; Pommes, K.; Pontecorvo, L.; Pope, B.G.; Popescu, R.; Popovic, D.S.; Poppleton, A.; Popule, J.; Portell Bueso, X.; Porter, R.; Pospelov, G.E.; Pospichal, P.; Pospisil, S.; Potekhin, M.; Potrap, I.N.; Potter, C.J.; Potter, C.T.; Potter, K.P.; Poulard, G.; Poveda, J.; Prabhu, R.; Pralavorio, P.; Prasad, S.; Pravahan, R.; Preda, T.; Pretzl, K.; Pribyl, L.; Price, D.; Price, L.E.; Price, M.J.; Prichard, P.M.; Prieur, D.; Primavera, M.; Prokofiev, Kirill; Prokoshin, F.; Protopopescu, S.; Proudfoot, J.; Przysiezniak, H.; Puigdengoles, C.; Purdham, J.; Purohit, M.; Puzo, P.; Pylypchenko, Y.; Perez Garcia-Estan, M.T.; Qi, M.; Qian, J.; Qian, W.; Qian, Z.; Qin, Z.; Qing, D.; Quadt, A.; Quarrie, D.R.; Quayle, W.B.; Quinonez, F.; Raas, M.; Radeka, V.; Radescu, V.; Radics, B.; Rador, T.; Ragusa, F.; Rahal, G.; Rahimi, A.M.; Rahm, D.; Rajagopalan, S.; Rajek, S.; Ratoff, P.N.; Rauscher, F.; Rauter, E.; Raymond, M.; Read, A.L.; Rebuzzi, D.M.; Redlinger, G.R.; Reece, R.; Reeves, K.; Reinherz-Aronis, E.; Reisinger, I.; Reljic, D.; Rembser, C.; Ren, Z.; Renkel, P.; Rescia, S.; Rescigno, M.; Resconi, S.; Resende, B.; Rezaie, E.; Reznicek, P.; Richards, A.; Richards, R.A.; Richter, R.; Richter-Was, E.; Ridel, M.; Rieke, S.; Rijpstra, M.; Rijssenbeek, M.; Rimoldi, A.; Rios, R.R.; Risler, C.; Riu, I.; Rivoltella, G.; Rizatdinova, F.; Roberts, K.; Robertson, S.H.; Robichaud-Veronneau, A.; Robinson, D.; Robson, A.; Rocha de Lima, J.G.; Roda, C.; Rodriguez, D.; Rodriguez, Y.; Roe, S.; Rohne, O.; Rojo, V.; Rolli, S.; Romaniouk, A.; Romanov, V.M.; Romeo, G.; Romero, D.; Roos, L.; Ros, E.; Rosati, S.; Rosenbaum, G.A.; Rosenberg, E.I.; Rosselet, L.; Rossi, L.P.; Rotaru, M.; Rothberg, J.; Rottlaender, I.; Rousseau, D.; Royon, C.R.; Rozanov, A.; Rozen, Y.; Ruckert, B.; Ruckstuhl, N.; Rud, V.I.; Rudolph, G.; Ruehr, F.; Ruggieri, F.; Ruiz-Martinez, A.; Rumiantsev, V.; Rumyantsev, L.; Rusakovich, N.A.; Rust, D.R.; Rutherfoord, J.P.; Ruwiedel, C.; Ruzicka, P.; Ryabov, Y.F.; Ryadovikov, V.; Ryan, P.; Rybin, A.M.; Rybkin, G.; Rzaeva, S.; Saavedra, A.F.; Sadrozinski, H.F-W.; Sadykov, R.; Sakamoto, H.; Salamanna, G.; Salamon, A.; Saleem, M.; Salihagic, D.; Salnikov, A.; Salt, J.; Salvachua Ferrando, B.M.; Salvatore, D.; Salvatore, F.; Salzburger, A.; Sampsonidis, D.; Samset, B.H.; Sanchis Lozano, M.A.; Sandaker, H.; Sander, H.G.; Sandhoff, M.; Sandvoss, S.; Sankey, D.P.C.; Sanny, B.; Sansoni, A.; Santamarina Rios, C.; Santi, L.; Santoni, C.; Santonico, R.; Santos, D.; Saraiva, J.G.; Sarangi, T.; Sarri, F.; Sasaki, O.; Sasaki, T.; Sasao, N.; Satsounkevitch, I.; Sauvage, G.; Savard, P.; Savine, A.Y.; Savinov, V.; Sawyer, L.; Saxon, D.H.; Says, L.P.; Sbarra, C.; Sbrizzi, A.; Scannicchio, D.A.; Schaarschmidt, J.; Schacht, P.; Schaefer, U.; Schaetzel, S.; Schaffer, A.C.; Schaile, D.; Schamberger, R.; Schamov, A.G.; Schegelsky, V.A.; Schernau, M.; Scherzer, M.I.; Schiavi, C.; Schieck, J.; Schioppa, M.; Schlenker, S.; Schlereth, J.L.; Schmid, P.; Schmidt, M.P.; Schmitt, C.; Schmitz, M.; Schott, M.; Schouten, D.; Schovancova, J.; Schram, M.; Schreiner, A.; Schroers, M.S.; Schuh, S.; Schuler, G.; Schultes, J.; Schultz-Coulon, H-C.; Schumacher, J.; Schumacher, M.; Schumm, B.S.; Schune, Ph.; Schwanenberger, C.S.; Schwartzman, A.; Schwemling, Ph.; Schwienhorst, R.; Schwierz, R.; Schwindling, J.; Scott, W.G.; Sedykh, E.; Segura, E.; Seidel, S.C.; Seiden, A.; Seifert, F.S.; Seixas, J.M.; Sekhniaidze, G.; Seliverstov, D.M.; Sellden, B.; Seman, M.; Semprini-Cesari, N.; Serfon, C.; Serin, L.; Seuster, R.; Severini, H.; Sevior, M.E.; Sfyrla, A.; Shan, L.; Shank, J.T.; Shapiro, M.; Shatalov, P.B.; Shaver, L.; Shaw, C.; Shaw, K.S.; Sherman, D.; Sherwood, P.; Shibata, A.; Shimojima, M.; Shin, T.; Shmeleva, A.; Shochet, M.J.; Shupe, M.A.; Sicho, P.; Sidoti, A.; Siebel, A.; Siebel, M.; Siegrist, J.; Sijacki, D.; Silbert, O.; Silva, J.; Silverstein, S.B.; Simak, V.; Simic, Lj.; Simion, S.; Simmons, B.; Simonyan, M.; Sinervo, P.; Sipica, V.; Siragusa, G.; Sisakyan, A.N.; Sivoklokov, S.Yu.; Sjolin, J.; Skubic, P.; Skvorodnev, N.; Slavicek, T.; Sliwa, K.; Sloper, J.; Sluka, T.; Smakhtin, V.; Smirnov, S.Yu.; Smirnov, Y.; Smirnova, L.N.; Smirnova, O.; Smith, B.C.; Smith, K.M.; Smizanska, M.; Smolek, K.; Snesarev, A.A.; Snow, S.W.; Snow, J.; Snuverink, J.; Snyder, S.; Soares, M.; Sobie, R.; Sodomka, J.; Soffer, A.; Solans, C.A.; Solar, M.; Solfaroli Camillocci, E.; Solodkov, A.A.; Solovyanov, O.V.; Soluk, R.; Sondericker, J.; Sopko, V.; Sopko, B.; Sosebee, M.; Sosnovtsev, V.V.; Sospedra Suay, L.; Soukharev, A.; Spagnolo, S.; Spano, F.; Speckmayer, P.; Spencer, E.; Spighi, R.; Spigo, G.; Spila, F.; Spiwoks, R.; Spogli, L.; Spousta, M.; Spreitzer, T.; Spurlock, B.; St. Denis, R.D.; Stahl, T.; Stamen, R.; Stancu, S.N.; Stanecka, E.; Stanek, R.W.; Stanescu, C.; Stapnes, S.; Starchenko, E.A.; Stark, J.; Staroba, P.; Stastny, J.; Staude, A.; Stavina, P.; Stavropoulos, G.; Steinbach, P.; Steinberg, P.; Stekl, I.; Stelzer, H.J.; Stenzel, H.; Stevenson, K.S.; Stewart, G.; Stewart, T.D.; Stockton, M.C.; Stoicea, G.; Stonjek, S.; Strachota, P.; Stradling, A.; Straessner, A.; Strandberg, J.; Strandberg, S.; Strandlie, A.; Strauss, M.; Strizenec, P.; Strohmer, R.; Strom, D.M.; Strong, J.A.; Stroynowski, R.; Stugu, B.; Stumer, I.; Su, D.; Subramania, S.; Suchkov, S.I.; Sugaya, Y.; Sugimoto, T.; Suhr, C.; Suk, M.; Sulin, V.V.; Sultansoy, S.; Sundermann, J.E.; Suruliz, K.; Sushkov, S.; Susinno, G.; Sutton, M.R.; Suzuki, T.; Sviridov, Yu.M.; Sykora, I.; Sykora, T.; Szczygiel, R.R.; Szymocha, T.; Sanchez, J.; Ta, D.; Taffard, A.T.; Tafirout, R.; Taga, A.; Takahashi, Y.; Takai, H.; Takashima, R.; Takeda, H.; Takeshita, T.; Talby, M.; Tali, B.; Talyshev, A.; Tamsett, M.C.; Tanaka, J.; Tanaka, R.; Tanaka, S.; Tappern, G.P.; Tapprogge, S.; Tarem, S.; Tarrade, F.; Tartarelli, G.F.; Tas, P.; Tasevsky, M.; Tassi, E.T.; Taylor, C.; Taylor, F.E.; Taylor, G.N.; Taylor, R.P.; Taylor, W.; Tegenfeldt, F.; Teixeira-Dias, P.; Ten Kate, H.; Teng, P.K.; Terada, S.; Terashi, K.; Terron, J.; Terwort, M.; Teuscher, R.J.; Tevlin, C.M.; Thadome, J.; Thananuwong, R.; Thioye, M.; Thomas, J.P.; Thomas, T.L.; Thompson, E.N.; Thompson, P.D.; Thompson, R.J.; Thompson, A.S.; Thomson, E.; Thun, R.P.; Tic, T.; Tikhomirov, V.O.; Tikhonov, Y.A.; Timmermans, C.J.W.P.; Tipton, P.; Tique Aires Viegas, F.J.; Tisserant, S.; Tobias, J.; Toczek, B.; Todorov, T.T.; Todorova-Nova, S.; Tojo, J.; Tokar, S.; Tokushuku, K.; Tomasek, L.; Tomasek, M.; Tomasz, F.; Tomoto, M.; Tompkins, D.; Tompkins, L.; Toms, K.; Tonazzo, A.; Tong, G.; Tonoyan, A.; Topfel, C.; Topilin, N.D.; Torrence, E.; Torro Pastor, E.; Toth, J.; Touchard, F.; Tovey, D.R.; Tovey, S.N.; Trefzger, T.; Tremblet, L.; Tricoli, A.; Trigger, I.M.; Trincaz-Duvoid, S.; Tripiana, M.F.; Triplett, N.; Trischuk, W.; Trivedi, A.; Trocme, B.; Troncon, C.; Tsarouchas, C.; Tseng, J.C-L.; Tsiafis, I.; Tsiakiris, M.; Tsiareshka, P.V.; Tsipolitis, G.; Tskhadadze, E.G.; Tsukerman, I.I.; Tsulaia, V.; Tsuno, S.; Turala, M.; Turecek, D.; Turk Cakir, I.; Turlay, E.; Tuts, P.M.; Twomey, M.S.; Tyndel, M.; Typaldos, D.; Tzanakos, G.; Ueda, I.; Uhrmacher, M.; Ukegawa, F.; Unal, G.; Underwood, D.G.; Undrus, A.; Unel, G.; Unno, Y.; Urkovsky, E.; Urquijo, P.; Urrejola, P.; Usai, G.; Vacavant, L.; Vacek, V.; Vachon, B.; Vahsen, S.; Valderanis, C.; Valenta, J.; Valente, P.; Valkar, S.; Valls Ferrer, J.A.; Van der Bij, H.; van der Graaf, H.; van der Kraaij, E.; van der Poel, E.; van Eldik, N.; van Gemmeren, P.; van Kesteren, Z.; van Vulpen, I.; VanBerg, R.; Vandelli, W.; Vandoni, G.; Vaniachine, A.; Vankov, P.; Vannucci, F.; Varela Rodriguez, F.; Vari, R.; Varnes, E.W.; Varouchas, D.; Vartapetian, A.; Varvell, K.E.; Vassilakopoulos, V.I.; Vassilieva, L.; Vataga, E.; Vazeille, F.; Vegni, G.; Veillet, J.J.; Vellidis, C.; Veloso, F.; Veness, R.; Veneziano, S.; Ventura, Andrea; Ventura, D.; Ventura, S.; Venturi, N.; Vercesi, V.; Verducci, M.; Verkerke, W.; Vermeulen, J.C.; Vetterli, M.C.; Vichou, I.; Vickey, T.; Viehhauser, G.H.A.; Villa, M.; Villani, E.G.; Villaplana Perez, M.; Vilucchi, E.; Vincter, M.G.; Vinogradov, V.B.; Virchaux, M.; Viret, S.; Virzi, J.; Vitale, A.; Vitells, O.V.; Vivarelli, I.; Vives, R.; Vives Vaques, F.; Vlachos, S.; Vlasak, M.; Vlasov, N.; Vogt, H.; Vokac, P.; Volpi, M.; Volpini, G.; von der Schmitt, H.; von Loeben, J.; von Toerne, E.; Vorobel, V.; Vorobiev, A.P.; Vorwerk, V.; Vos, M.; Voss, R.; Voss, T.T.; Vossebeld, J.H.; Vranjes, N.; Vrba, V.; Vreeswijk, M.; Vu Anh, T.; Vudragovic, M.; Vuillermet, R.; Vukotic, I.; Wagner, P.; Wahlen, H.; Walbersloh, J.; Walder, J.; Walker, R.; Walkowiak, W.; Wall, R.; Wang, C.; Wang, J.; Wang, J.C.; Wang, S.M.W.; Ward, C.P.; Warsinsky, M.; Watkins, P.M.; Watson, A.T.; Watts, G.; Watts, S.W.; Waugh, A.T.; Waugh, B.M.; Webel, M.; Weber, J.; Weber, M.; Weber, M.S.; Weber, P.; Weidberg, A.R.; Weingarten, J.; Weiser, C.; Wellenstein, H.; Wells, P.S.; Wen, M.; Wenaus, T.; Wendler, S.; Wengler, T.; Wenig, S.; Wermes, N.; Werner, M.; Werner, P.; Werthenbach, U.; Wessels, M.; Wheeler-Ellis, S.J.; Whitaker, S.P.; White, A.; White, M.J.; White, S.; Whiteson, D.; Whittington, D.; Wicek, F.; Wicke, D.; Wickens, F.J.; Wiedenmann, W.; Wielers, M.; Wienemann, P.; Wiglesworth, C.; Wildauer, A.; Wildt, M.A.; Wilhelm, I.; Wilkens, H.G.; Williams, H.H.; Willis, W.; Willocq, S.; Wilson, J.A.; Wilson, M.G.; Wilson, A.; Wingerter-Seez, I.; Winklmeier, F.W.; Winton, L.; Wittgen, M.; Wolter, M.W.; Wolters, H.; Wosiek, B.; Wotschack, J.; Woudstra, M.J.; Wraight, K.; Wright, C.; Wrona, B.; Wu, S.L.; Wu, X.; Xella, S.; Xie, S.; Xie, Y.; Xu, G.; Xu, N.; Yamamoto, A.; Yamamoto, S.; Yamamura, T.; Yamanaka, K.; Yamazaki, T.; Yamazaki, Y.; Yan, Z.; Yang, H.; Yang, U.K.; Yang, Y.; Yang, Z.; Yao, W-M.; Yao, Y.; Yasu, Y.; Ye, J.; Ye, S.; Yilmaz, M.; Yoosoofmiya, R.; Yorita, K.; Yoshida, R.; Young, C.; Youssef, S.P.; Yu, D.; Yu, J.; Yu, M.; Yu, X.; Yuan, J.; Yuan, L.; Yurkewicz, A.; Zaidan, R.; Zaitsev, A.M.; Zajacova, Z.; Zanello, L.; Zarzhitsky, P.; Zaytsev, A.; Zdrazil, M.; Zeitnitz, C.; Zeller, M.; Zema, P.F.; Zendler, C.; Zenin, A.V.; Zenis, T.; Zenonos, Z.; Zenz, S.; Zerwas, D.; Zhan, Z.; Zhang, H.; Zhang, J.; Zhang, Q.; Zheng, W.; Zhang, X.; Zhao, L.; Zhao, T.; Zhao, Z.; Zhelezko, A.; Zhemchugov, A.; Zheng, S.; Zhong, J.; Zhou, B.; Zhou, N.; Zhou, S.; Zhou, Y.; Zhu, C.G.; Zhu, H.; Zhu, Y.; Zhuang, X.A.; Zhuravlov, V.; Zilka, B.; Zimmermann, R.; Zimmermann, S.; Zinna, M.; Ziolkowski, M.; Zitoun, R.; Zivkovic, L.; Zmouchko, V.V.; Zobernig, G.; Zoccoli, A.; zur Nedden, M.; Zychacek, V.

    2009-01-01

    A detailed study is presented of the expected performance of the ATLAS detector. The reconstruction of tracks, leptons, photons, missing energy and jets is investigated, together with the performance of b-tagging and the trigger. The physics potential for a variety of interesting physics processes, within the Standard Model and beyond, is examined. The study comprises a series of notes based on simulations of the detector and physics processes, with particular emphasis given to the data expected from the first years of operation of the LHC at CERN.

  18. Effect of calcination temperature on microstructure and electrochemical performance of lithium-rich layered oxide cathode materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma, Quanxin; Peng, Fangwei; Li, Ruhong; Yin, Shibo; Dai, Changsong

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A series of Li-rich layered oxide cathode materials (Li_1_._2Mn_0_._5_6Ni_0_._1_6Co_0_._0_8O_2) were successfully synthesized via a two-step synthesis method. • The effects of calcination temperature on the cathode materials were researched in detail. • A well-crystallized layered structure was obtained as the calcination temperature increased. • The samples calcined in a range of 850–900 °C exhibited excellent electrochemical performance. - Abstract: Lithium-rich layered oxide cathode materials (Li_1_._2Mn_0_._5_6Ni_0_._1_6Co_0_._0_8O_2 (LLMO)) were synthesized via a two-step synthesis method involving co-precipitation and high-temperature calcination. The effects of calcination temperature on the cathode materials were studied in detail. Structural and morphological characterizations revealed that a well-crystallized layered structure was obtained at a higher calcination temperature. Electrochemical performance evaluation revealed that a cathode material obtained at a calcination temperature of 850 °C delivered a high initial discharge capacity of 266.8 mAh g"−"1 at a 0.1 C rate and a capacity retention rate of 95.8% after 100 cycles as well as excellent rate capability. Another sample calcinated at 900 °C exhibited good cycling stability. It is concluded that the structural stability and electrochemical performance of Li-rich layered oxide cathode materials were strongly dependent on calcination temperatures. The results suggest that a calcination temperature in a range of 850–900 °C could promote electrochemical performance of this type of cathode materials.

  19. Effect of calcination temperature on microstructure and electrochemical performance of lithium-rich layered oxide cathode materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ma, Quanxin; Peng, Fangwei; Li, Ruhong; Yin, Shibo; Dai, Changsong, E-mail: changsd@hit.edu.cn

    2016-11-15

    Highlights: • A series of Li-rich layered oxide cathode materials (Li{sub 1.2}Mn{sub 0.56}Ni{sub 0.16}Co{sub 0.08}O{sub 2}) were successfully synthesized via a two-step synthesis method. • The effects of calcination temperature on the cathode materials were researched in detail. • A well-crystallized layered structure was obtained as the calcination temperature increased. • The samples calcined in a range of 850–900 °C exhibited excellent electrochemical performance. - Abstract: Lithium-rich layered oxide cathode materials (Li{sub 1.2}Mn{sub 0.56}Ni{sub 0.16}Co{sub 0.08}O{sub 2} (LLMO)) were synthesized via a two-step synthesis method involving co-precipitation and high-temperature calcination. The effects of calcination temperature on the cathode materials were studied in detail. Structural and morphological characterizations revealed that a well-crystallized layered structure was obtained at a higher calcination temperature. Electrochemical performance evaluation revealed that a cathode material obtained at a calcination temperature of 850 °C delivered a high initial discharge capacity of 266.8 mAh g{sup −1} at a 0.1 C rate and a capacity retention rate of 95.8% after 100 cycles as well as excellent rate capability. Another sample calcinated at 900 °C exhibited good cycling stability. It is concluded that the structural stability and electrochemical performance of Li-rich layered oxide cathode materials were strongly dependent on calcination temperatures. The results suggest that a calcination temperature in a range of 850–900 °C could promote electrochemical performance of this type of cathode materials.

  20. Use of Physics Innovative Device for Improving Students‟ Motivation and Performance in Learning Selected Concepts in Physics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Virginia Songalia Sobremisana

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This research was focused on the development and evaluation of physics innovative device in enhancing students’ motivation and performance in learning selected concepts in physics. The Physics innovative device was developed based upon research on student difficulties in learning relevant concepts in physics and their attitudes toward the subject. Basic concepts in mechanics were also made as baselines in the development of the locally-produced Physics innovative learning device. Such learning devices are valuable resources when used either in lecture or demonstration classes. The developmental, descriptive and quasi-experimental research methods were utilized to determine the effectiveness, in terms of motivation and performance, of the innovative device in Physics. The instruments used for the data collection were the Instructional Materials Motivational Scale (IMMS developed by Keller and the students’ performance test. Pretest and posttest mean scores were measured to determine if there is a mean gain score difference between the experimental and control groups. The study revealed that the group taught with the Physics innovative device performed significantly better than those taught in the traditional method and also the use of Physics innovative device generally improved students’ understanding of concepts and led to higher academic achievements. Analysis of the students’ level of motivation showed that their interests were captured, the instructions they received were relevant to their personal goals and motives, their confidence to learn on their own were build-up, and learning for them was rewarding and important. In the four dimensions (ARCS of IMMS students were found to be attentive, confident, and in agreement in using the fun-learning tool having realize its applicability and relevance in learning their Physics lessons. Results of the study disclosed students and teachers consider the novel device acceptable because it is

  1. EroGRASS : Failure of grass cover layers at seaward and shoreward dike slopes. design, construction and performance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verhagen, H.J.; Verheij, H.J.; Cao, T.M.; Dassanayake, D.; Roelvink, D.; Piontkowitz, T.

    2009-01-01

    A large number of the dikes in the North Sea and Baltic Sea regions are covered with grass that is exposed to hydraulic loading from waves and currents during storm surges. During previous storm surges the grass cover layers often showed large strength and remained undamaged. A clear physical

  2. Enhanced photovoltaic performance of inverted pyramid-based nanostructured black-silicon solar cells passivated by an atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3 layer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hong-Yan; Lu, Hong-Liang; Ren, Qing-Hua; Zhang, Yuan; Yang, Xiao-Feng; Ding, Shi-Jin; Zhang, David Wei

    2015-10-07

    Inverted pyramid-based nanostructured black-silicon (BS) solar cells with an Al2O3 passivation layer grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) have been demonstrated. A multi-scale textured BS surface combining silicon nanowires (SiNWs) and inverted pyramids was obtained for the first time by lithography and metal catalyzed wet etching. The reflectance of the as-prepared BS surface was about 2% lower than that of the more commonly reported upright pyramid-based SiNW BS surface over the whole of the visible light spectrum, which led to a 1.7 mA cm(-2) increase in short circuit current density. Moreover, the as-prepared solar cells were further passivated by an ALD-Al2O3 layer. The effect of annealing temperature on the photovoltaic performance of the solar cells was investigated. It was found that the values of all solar cell parameters including short circuit current, open circuit voltage, and fill factor exhibit a further increase under an optimized annealing temperature. Minority carrier lifetime measurements indicate that the enhanced cell performance is due to the improved passivation quality of the Al2O3 layer after thermal annealing treatments. By combining these two refinements, the optimized SiNW BS solar cells achieved a maximum conversion efficiency enhancement of 7.6% compared to the cells with an upright pyramid-based SiNWs surface and conventional SiNx passivation.

  3. Tungsten oxides as interfacial layers for improved performance in hybrid optoelectronic devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vasilopoulou, M.; Palilis, L.C.; Georgiadou, D.G.; Argitis, P.; Kennou, S.; Kostis, I.; Papadimitropoulos, G.; Stathopoulos, N.A.; Iliadis, A.A.; Konofaos, N.; Davazoglou, D.; Sygellou, L.

    2011-01-01

    Tungsten oxide (WO 3 ) films with thicknesses ranging from 30 to 100 nm were grown by Hot Filament Vapor Deposition (HFVD). Films were studied by X-Ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (XPS) and were found to be stoichiometric. The surface morphology of the films was characterized by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Samples had a granular form with grains in the order of 100 nm. The surface roughness was found to increase with film thickness. HFVD WO 3 films were used as conducting interfacial layers in advanced hybrid organic-inorganic optoelectronic devices. Hybrid-Organic Light Emitting Diodes (Hy-OLEDs) and Organic Photovoltaics (Hy-OPVs) were fabricated with these films as anode and/or as cathode interfacial conducting layers. The Hy-OLEDs showed significantly higher current density and a lower turn-on voltage when a thin WO 3 layer was inserted at the anode/polymer interface, while when inserted at the cathode/polymer interface the device performance was found to deteriorate. The improvement was attributed to a more efficient hole injection and transport from the Fermi level of the anode to the Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) of a yellow emitting copolymer (YEP). On the other hand, the insertion of a thin WO 3 layer at the cathode/polymer interface of Hy-OPV devices based on a polythiophene-fullerene bulk-heterojunction blend photoactive layer resulted in an increase of the produced photogenerated current, more likely due to improved electron extraction at the Al cathode.

  4. Utilities for high performance dispersion model PHYSIC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamazawa, Hiromi

    1992-09-01

    The description and usage of the utilities for the dispersion calculation model PHYSIC were summarized. The model was developed in the study of developing high performance SPEEDI with the purpose of introducing meteorological forecast function into the environmental emergency response system. The procedure of PHYSIC calculation consists of three steps; preparation of relevant files, creation and submission of JCL, and graphic output of results. A user can carry out the above procedure with the help of the Geographical Data Processing Utility, the Model Control Utility, and the Graphic Output Utility. (author)

  5. Objectively Measured Physical Activity During Physical Education and School Recess and Their Associations With Academic Performance in Youth: The UP&DOWN Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esteban-Cornejo, Irene; Martinez-Gomez, David; Garcia-Cervantes, Laura; Ortega, Francisco B; Delgado-Alfonso, Alvaro; Castro-Piñero, José; Veiga, Oscar L

    2017-04-01

    This study examined the associations of objectively measured physical activity in Physical Education and recess with academic performance in youth. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,780 participants aged 6 to 18 years (863 girls). Physical activity was objectively measured by accelerometry and was also classified according to sex- and agespecific quartiles of physical activity intensities. Academic performance was assessed through school records. Physical activity in physical education (PE) and recess was not associated with academic performance (β ranging from -0.038 to -0.003; all P > .05). Youth in the lowest quartile of physical activity in PE engaged in an average of 1.40 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and those in the highest quartile engaged in 21.60 min (for recess: lowest quartile, 2.20 min; highest quartile, 11.15 min). There were no differences in academic performance between quartiles of physical activity in Physical Education and recess. Time spent at different physical activity intensities during PE and recess does not impair academic performance in youth.

  6. Effects of Physical Attractiveness on Evaluation of Vocal Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wapnick, Joel; Darrow, Alice Ann; Kovacs, Jolan; Dalrymple, Lucinda

    1997-01-01

    Studies whether physical attractiveness of singers affects judges' ratings of their vocal performances. Reveals that physical attractiveness does impact evaluation, that male raters were more severe than female raters, and that the rating of undergraduate majors versus graduate students and professors combined were not differently affected by…

  7. The association between school-based physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance: a systematic review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rasberry, Catherine N; Lee, Sarah M; Robin, Leah; Laris, B A; Russell, Lisa A; Coyle, Karin K; Nihiser, Allison J

    2011-06-01

    The purpose of this review is to synthesize the scientific literature that has examined the association between school-based physical activity (including physical education) and academic performance (including indicators of cognitive skills and attitudes, academic behaviors, and academic achievement). Relevant research was identified through a search of nine electronic databases using both physical activity and academic-related search terms. Forty-three articles (reporting a total of 50 unique studies) met the inclusion criteria and were read, abstracted, and coded for this synthesis. Findings of the 50 studies were then summarized. Across all the studies, there were a total of 251 associations between physical activity and academic performance, representing measures of academic achievement, academic behavior, and cognitive skills and attitudes. Slightly more than half (50.5%) of all associations examined were positive, 48% were not significant, and 1.5% were negative. Examination of the findings by each physical activity context provides insights regarding specific relationships. Results suggest physical activity is either positively related to academic performance or that there is not a demonstrated relationship between physical activity and academic performance. Results have important implications for both policy and schools. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Atomic Layer Deposition of Chemical Passivation Layers and High Performance Anti-Reflection Coatings on Back-Illuminated Detectors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoenk, Michael E. (Inventor); Greer, Frank (Inventor); Nikzad, Shouleh (Inventor)

    2014-01-01

    A back-illuminated silicon photodetector has a layer of Al2O3 deposited on a silicon oxide surface that receives electromagnetic radiation to be detected. The Al2O3 layer has an antireflection coating deposited thereon. The Al2O3 layer provides a chemically resistant separation layer between the silicon oxide surface and the antireflection coating. The Al2O3 layer is thin enough that it is optically innocuous. Under deep ultraviolet radiation, the silicon oxide layer and the antireflection coating do not interact chemically. In one embodiment, the silicon photodetector has a delta-doped layer near (within a few nanometers of) the silicon oxide surface. The Al2O3 layer is expected to provide similar protection for doped layers fabricated using other methods, such as MBE, ion implantation and CVD deposition.

  9. Physical Protection System Upgrades - Optimizing for Performance and Cost

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hicks, Mary Jane; Bouchard, Ann M.

    1999-01-01

    CPA--Cost and Performance Analysis--is an architecture that supports analysis of physical protection systems and upgrade options. ASSESS (Analytic System and Software for Evaluating Security Systems), a tool for evaluating performance of physical protection systems, currently forms the cornerstone for evaluating detection probabilities and delay times of the system. Cost and performance data are offered to the decision-maker at the systems level and to technologists at the path-element level. A new optimization engine has been attached to the CPA methodology to automate analyses of many combinations (portfolios) of technologies. That engine controls a new analysis sequencer that automatically modifies ASSESS PPS files (facility descriptions), automatically invokes ASSESS Outsider analysis and then saves results for post-processing. Users can constrain the search to an upper bound on total cost, to a lower bound on level of performance, or to include specific technologies or technology types. This process has been applied to a set of technology development proposals to identify those portfolios that provide the most improvement in physical security for the lowest cost to install, operate and maintain at a baseline facility

  10. Tailoring the Dielectric Layer Structure for Enhanced Performance of Organic Field-Effect Transistors: The Use of a Sandwiched Polar Dielectric Layer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shijiao Han

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available To investigate the origins of hydroxyl groups in a polymeric dielectric and its applications in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs, a polar polymer layer was inserted between two polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA dielectric layers, and its effect on the performance as an organic field-effect transistor (OFET was studied. The OFETs with a sandwiched dielectric layer of poly(vinyl alcohol (PVA or poly(4-vinylphenol (PVP containing hydroxyl groups had shown enhanced characteristics compared to those with only PMMA layers. The field-effect mobility had been raised more than 10 times in n-type devices (three times in the p-type one, and the threshold voltage had been lowered almost eight times in p-type devices (two times in the n-type. The on-off ratio of two kinds of devices had been enhanced by almost two orders of magnitude. This was attributed to the orientation of hydroxyl groups from disordered to perpendicular to the substrate under gate-applied voltage bias, and additional charges would be induced by this polarization at the interface between the semiconductor and dielectrics, contributing to the accumulation of charge transfer.

  11. Differences in gender performance on competitive physics selection tests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Kate; Low, David; Verdon, Matthew; Verdon, Alix

    2016-12-01

    [This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Gender in Physics.] We have investigated gender differences in performance over the past eight years on the Australian Science Olympiad Exam (ASOE) for physics, which is taken by nearly 1000 high school students each year. The ASOE, run by Australian Science Innovations (ASI), is the initial stage of the process of selection of teams to represent Australia at the Asian and International Physics Olympiads. Students taking the exam are generally in their penultimate year of school and selected by teachers as being high performing in physics. Together with the overall differences in facility, we have investigated how the content and presentation of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) affects the particular answers selected by male and female students. Differences in the patterns of responses by male and female students indicate that males and females might be modeling situations in different ways. Some strong patterns were found in the gender gaps when the questions were categorized in five broad dimensions: content, process required, difficulty, presentation, and context. Almost all questions saw male students performing better, although gender differences were relatively small for questions with a more abstract context. Male students performed significantly better on most questions with a concrete context, although notable exceptions were found, including two such questions where female students performed better. Other categories that showed consistently large gaps favoring male students include questions with projectile motion and other two-dimensional motion or forces content, and processes involving interpreting diagrams. Our results have important implications, suggesting that we should be able to reduce the gender gaps in performance on MCQ tests by changing the way information is presented and setting questions in contexts that are less likely to favor males over females. This is important as MCQ tests are

  12. Teaching and Learning Physics: Performance Art Evoking Insight

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sommer, Wilfried

    2015-01-01

    Doing experiments in physics lessons can create a magical moment if students become really intrigued with the experimental progression. They add a new quality to what the experiment shows. Their attention and nature's revelations flow together: a performance is taking place. It's similar to a moment during a theatrical performance, when the…

  13. First MCM-D modules for the b-physics layer of the ATLAS Pixel Detector

    CERN Document Server

    Basken, O; Ehrmann, O; Gerlach, P; Grah, C; Gregor, I M; Linder, C; Meuser, S; Richardson, J; Topper, M; Wolf, J

    2000-01-01

    The innermost layer (b-physics layer) of the ATLAS Pixel Detector will consist of modules based on MCM-D technology. Such a module consists of a sensor tile with an active area of 16.4 mm*60.4 mm, 16 read out ICs, each serving 24* 160 pixel unit cells, a module controller chip (MCC), an optical transceiver and the local signal interconnection and power distribution busses. We show a prototype of such a module with additional test pads on both sides. The outer dimensions of the final module will be 21.4 mm*67.8 mm. The extremely high wiring density, which is necessary to interconnect the read-out chips, was achieved using a thin film copper/photo-BCB process on the pixel array. The bumping of the read out chips was done using electroplating PbSn. All dice are then attached by flip-chip assembly to the sensor diodes and the local busses. The focus of this paper is the description of the first results of such MCM-D-type modules. (11 refs).

  14. Secondary link adaptation in cognitive radio networks: End-to-end performance with cross-layer design

    KAUST Repository

    Ma, Hao

    2012-04-01

    Under spectrum-sharing constraints, we consider the secondary link exploiting cross-layer combining of adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) at the physical layer with truncated automatic repeat request (T-ARQ) at the data link layer in cognitive radio networks. Both, basic AMC and aggressive AMC, are adopted to optimize the overall average spectral efficiency, subject to the interference constraints imposed by the primary user of the shared spectrum band and a target packet loss rate. We achieve the optimal boundary points in closed form to choose the AMC transmission modes by taking into account the channel state information from the secondary transmitter to both the primary receiver and the secondary receiver. Moreover, numerical results substantiate that, without any cost in the transmitter/receiver design nor the end-to-end delay, the scheme with aggressive AMC outperforms that with conventional AMC. The main reason is that, with aggressive AMC, different transmission modes utilized in the initial packet transmission and the following retransmissions match the time-varying channel conditions better than the basic pattern. © 2012 IEEE.

  15. Modification of SnO2 Anodes by Atomic Layer Deposition for High Performance Lithium Ion Batteries

    KAUST Repository

    Yesibolati, Nulati

    2013-05-01

    Tin dioxide (SnO2) is considered one of the most promising anode materials for Lithium ion batteries (LIBs), due to its large theoretical capacity and natural abundance. However, its low electronic/ionic conductivities, large volume change during lithiation/delithiation and agglomeration prevent it from further commercial applications. In this thesis, we investigate modified SnO2 as a high energy density anode material for LIBs. Specifically two approaches are presented to improve battery performances. Firstly, SnO2 electrochemical performances were improved by surface modification using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD). Ultrathin Al2O3 or HfO2 were coated on SnO2 electrodes. It was found that electrochemical performances had been enhanced after ALD deposition. In a second approach, we implemented a layer-by-layer (LBL) assembled graphene/carbon-coated hollow SnO2 spheres as anode material for LIBs. Our results indicated that the LBL assembled electrodes had high reversible lithium storage capacities even at high current densities. These superior electrochemical performances are attributed to the enhanced electronic conductivity and effective lithium diffusion, because of the interconnected graphene/carbon networks among nanoparticles of the hollow SnO2 spheres.

  16. Effect of the prominent catalyst layer surface on reactant gas transport and cell performance at the cathodic side of a PEMFC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perng, Shiang-Wuu; Wu, Horng-Wen

    2010-01-01

    The cell performance enhancement of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has been numerically investigated with the prominence-like form catalyst layer surface of the same composition at the cathodic half-cell of a PEMFC. The geometries of the prominence-like form catalyst layer surface are assigned as one prominence, three prominences, and five prominences catalyst layer surfaces with constant distance between two prominences in the same gas diffusion layer (GDL) for the purpose of investigating the cell performance. To confine the current investigation to two-dimensional incompressible flows, we assume that the fluid flow is laminar with a low Reynolds number 15. The results indicate that the prominence-like form catalyst layer surface can effectively enhance the local cell performance of a PEMFC.

  17. Mechanical performance of resol type phenolic resin/layered silicate nanocomposites

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tasan, C.C.; Kaynak, C.

    2009-01-01

    Clay addition has been shown to affect polymer resins positively in terms of several physical and chemical properties, including mechanical performance, high temperature endurance and durability. These increases are limited only to relatively low concentrations of reinforcement phase, but at these

  18. Performance of the modules for layer 1 of the CMS phase 1 pixel detector upgrade

    CERN Document Server

    Meinhard, Maren Tabea; Berger, Pirmin; Starodumov, Andrey

    2017-01-01

    The instantaneous luminosity of the Large Hadron Collider will increase to up to 2x10$^{34}$\\;cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ by 2023. In order to cope with such luminosities, the pixel detector of the CMS experiment has been replaced in January 2017. The upgraded detector features four sensitive layers in the barrel part. A designated readout chip (PROC600V2) is used for layer 1, which is closest to the interaction point and therefore has to handle larger particle fluxes. An irradiation campaign has been performed with PROC600V2 to verify its radiation tolerance up to the maximum expected dose for 2017 of 0.2\\;MGy. Modules for layer 1 have been built with PROC600V2 for the detector production. The quality of every inserted module was assessed in a number of tests, some of which were performed using X-radiation. The characteristics of the modules used in the detector as well as the main failure modes will be presented.

  19. Physical Environment Comfort Impacts on Office Employee’s Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chua Shirley Jin Lin

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Office workplaces today is now no longer only consisting of passive and fixed activity but also towards a more flexible environment activity. The number of office workplaces is hiking from day to day which leads to the increase of the office workers. The productivity will be improved by providing optimum physical environment. The physical environment comfort in a workplace is claimed to be vital as it will encourages healthier, more productive and lower absenteeism rate among employees. The physical environment comfort encompassed optimum room temperature, relative humidity and illuminance level. This research intend to investigate the importance of physical environment comfort by evaluating the comfort based on the existing workplace and determine its effect on employee’s performance. Evaluation between the selected case studies are made in the aspects of employee’s comfort perceive health and absenteeism rate by wielding the elements of physical comfort consisting room temperature, relative humidity and illuminance level. Field study was carried out for 3 institutional building particularly management department. High correlations are found between room temperature, lighting and relative humidity with health related issue such as stuffy, easily tired and difficulty in concentration which affect employees’ productivity and work performances.

  20. High performance thin layer chromatography profile of Cassytha filiformis

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Mythili Sathiavelu; Sathiavelu Arunachalam

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To study the phenols, flavonoids, saponin profile of the medicinal plant Cassytha filiformis (C. filiformis) using high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). Methods:The extracts were tested to determine the presence of various phytochmeicals like alkaloids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, carbohydrates, glycosides, saponins, terpenoids, tannins, fixed oils, fats and protein and aminoacids (Harborne and Harborne, 1998). HPTLC studies were carried out by Harborne and Wagner et al method. Different compositions of the mobile phase for HPTLC analysis were tested in order to obtain high resolution and reproducible peaks. Results: The results of the preliminary phytochemical studies confirm the presence of phenols, alkaloids, carbohydrates, saponins, flavanoids, terpenoids and tannins in the methanolic extracts of C. filiformis. The methanolic extracts of C. filiformis displayed the presence of 13 types of phenolic substances with 13 different Rf values ranging from 0.01 to 0.96. The results illustrated the presence of 9 different types of flavonoides with 9 different Rf values ranging from 0.01 to 0.97. The results of HPTLC analysis of saponins demonstrated the presence of 11 different types of saponins with 11 different Rf values ranging from 0.04 to 0.92. Conclusions: In the present study we observed the phenols, flavonoids, saponin profile of the medicinal plant C. filiformis using high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). Hence it was concluded that the phenolic compounds present in the methonolic extract could be responsible for antioxidant activities. Plant derived antioxidants, especially phenols and flavonoids, have been described to have various properties like anticancer, antiaging and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Furthur, separation and characterization of the bioactive compound from the plant is to be evaluated and reported in near future.

  1. Layer-by-Layer-Assembled High-Performance Broadband Antireflection Coatings

    KAUST Repository

    Shimomura, Hiroomi

    2010-03-24

    Nanoparticles are indispensable ingredients of solution-processed optical, dielectric, and catalytic thin films. Although solution-based methods are promising low-cost alternatives to vacuum methods, they can have significant limitations. Coating uniformity, thickness control, roughness control, mechanical durability, and incorporation of a diverse set of functional organic molecules into nanoparticle thin films are major challenges. We have used the electrostatic layer-by-layer assembly technique to make uniform, conformal multistack nanoparticle thin films for optical applications with precise thickness control over each stack. Two particularly sought-after optical applications are broadband antireflection and structural color. The effects of interstack and surface roughness on optical properties of these constructs (e.g., haze and spectral response) have been studied quantitatively using a combination of Fourier-transform methods and atomic force microscopy measurements. Deconvoluting root-mean-square roughness into its large-, intermediate-, and small-scale components enables enhanced optical simulations. A 4-stack broadband antireflection coating (<0.5% average reflectance in the visible range, and 0.2% haze) composed of alternating high-index (n ≈ 1.96) and low-index (n ≈ 1.28) stacks has been made on glass substrate. Films calcinated at 550 °C endure a one-hour-long cloth cleaning test under 100 kPa normal stress. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

  2. Performance of a Polymer Flood with Shear-Thinning Fluid in Heterogeneous Layered Systems with Crossflow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kun Sang Lee

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Assessment of the potential of a polymer flood for mobility control requires an accurate model on the viscosities of displacement fluids involved in the process. Because most polymers used in EOR exhibit shear-thinning behavior, the effective viscosity of a polymer solution is a highly nonlinear function of shear rate. A reservoir simulator including the model for the shear-rate dependence of viscosity was used to investigate shear-thinning effects of polymer solution on the performance of the layered reservoir in a five-spot pattern operating under polymer flood followed by waterflood. The model can be used as a quantitative tool to evaluate the comparative studies of different polymer flooding scenarios with respect to shear-rate dependence of fluids’ viscosities. Results of cumulative oil recovery and water-oil ratio are presented for parameters of shear-rate dependencies, permeability heterogeneity, and crossflow. The results of this work have proven the importance of taking non-Newtonian behavior of polymer solution into account for the successful evaluation of polymer flood processes. Horizontal and vertical permeabilities of each layer are shown to impact the predicted performance substantially. In reservoirs with a severe permeability contrast between horizontal layers, decrease in oil recovery and sudden increase in WOR are obtained by the low sweep efficiency and early water breakthrough through highly permeable layer, especially for shear-thinning fluids. An increase in the degree of crossflow resulting from sufficient vertical permeability is responsible for the enhanced sweep of the low permeability layers, which results in increased oil recovery. It was observed that a thinning fluid coefficient would increase injectivity significantly from simulations with various injection rates. A thorough understanding of polymer rheology in the reservoir and accurate numerical modeling are of fundamental importance for the exact estimation

  3. Influence of superoleophobic layer on the lubrication performance of partially textured bearing including cavitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tauviqirrahman, M.; Bayuseno, A. P.; Muchammad, Jamari, J.

    2016-04-01

    Surfaces with high superoleophobicity have attracted important attention because of their potential applications in scientific and industrial field. Especially classical metal bearing are faced with lubrication problem, because metal surface shows typically oleophilicity. The development of superolephobic metal surfaces which repel oil liquid droplet have significant applications in preventing the stiction. In addition, for classical bearing with texturing, the cavitation occurence is often considered as the main cause of the deterioration of the lubrication performance and thus shorten the lifetime of the bearing. In the present study, the exploration of the influence of adding the superoleophobic layer on the improvement of the performance of partially textured bearing in preventing the cavitation was performed. Navier slip model was used to model the behavior of the superoleophobic layer. A formulation of the modified Reynolds equation with mass-conserving boundary conditions was derived and the pressure distribution was of particular interest. The equations of lubrication were discretized using a finite volume method and solved using a tri-diagonal-matrix-algortihm. In this calculation, it was shown that after introducing the superoleophobic layer at the leading edge of the contact, the cavitation occurence can be prevented and thus the increased hydrodynamic pressure is found. However, the results showed that for deeper texture, the deterioration of the load support is noted. This findings may have useful implications to extend the life time of textured bearing.

  4. Atomic Layer Deposition of Nickel on ZnO Nanowire Arrays for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Qing-Hua; Zhang, Yan; Lu, Hong-Liang; Wang, Yong-Ping; Liu, Wen-Jun; Ji, Xin-Ming; Devi, Anjana; Jiang, An-Quan; Zhang, David Wei

    2018-01-10

    A novel hybrid core-shell structure of ZnO nanowires (NWs)/Ni as a pseudocapacitor electrode was successfully fabricated by atomic layer deposition of a nickel shell, and its capacitive performance was systemically investigated. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicated that the NiO was formed at the interface between ZnO and Ni where the Ni was oxidized by ZnO during the ALD of the Ni layer. Electrochemical measurement results revealed that the Ti/ZnO NWs/Ni (1500 cycles) electrode with a 30 nm thick Ni-NiO shell layer had the best supercapacitor properties including ultrahigh specific capacitance (∼2440 F g -1 ), good rate capability (80.5%) under high current charge-discharge conditions, and a relatively better cycling stability (86.7% of the initial value remained after 750 cycles at 10 A g -1 ). These attractive capacitive behaviors are mainly attributed to the unique core-shell structure and the combined effect of ZnO NW arrays as short charge transfer pathways for ion diffusion and electron transfer as well as conductive Ni serving as channel for the fast electron transport to Ti substrate. This high-performance Ti/ZnO NWs/Ni hybrid structure is expected to be one of a promising electrodes for high-performance supercapacitor applications.

  5. Stable Boundary Layer Issues

    OpenAIRE

    Steeneveld, G.J.

    2012-01-01

    Understanding and prediction of the stable atmospheric boundary layer is a challenging task. Many physical processes are relevant in the stable boundary layer, i.e. turbulence, radiation, land surface coupling, orographic turbulent and gravity wave drag, and land surface heterogeneity. The development of robust stable boundary layer parameterizations for use in NWP and climate models is hampered by the multiplicity of processes and their unknown interactions. As a result, these models suffer ...

  6. Differences in gender performance on competitive physics selection tests

    OpenAIRE

    Kate Wilson; David Low; Matthew Verdon; Alix Verdon

    2016-01-01

    [This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Gender in Physics.] We have investigated gender differences in performance over the past eight years on the Australian Science Olympiad Exam (ASOE) for physics, which is taken by nearly 1000 high school students each year. The ASOE, run by Australian Science Innovations (ASI), is the initial stage of the process of selection of teams to represent Australia at the Asian and International Physics Olympiads. Students taking the exam are generally ...

  7. Structures and electrochemical performances of pyrolized carbons from graphite oxides for electric double-layer capacitor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Ick-Jun; Yang, Sunhye; Jeon, Min-Je; Moon, Seong-In; Kim, Hyun-Soo; Lee, Yoon-Pyo; An, Kye-Hyeok; Lee, Young-Hee

    The structural features and the electrochemical performances of pyrolized needle cokes from oxidized cokes are examined and compared with those of KOH-activated needle coke. The structure of needle coke is changed to a single phase of graphite oxide after oxidation treatment with an acidic solution having an NaClO 3/needle coke composition ratio of above 7.5, and the inter-layer distance of the oxidized needle coke is expanded to 6.9 Å with increasing oxygen content. After heating at 200 °C, the oxidized needle coke is reduced to a graphite structure with an inter-layer distance of 3.6 Å. By contrast, a change in the inter-layer distance in KOH-activated needle coke is not observed. An intercalation of pyrolized needle coke, observed on first charge, occurs at 1.0 V. This value is lower than that of KOH-activation needle coke. A capacitor using pyrolized needle coke exhibits a lower internal resistance of 0.57 Ω in 1 kHz, and a larger capacitance per weight and volume of 30.3 F g -1 and 26.9 F ml -1, in the two-electrode system over the potential range 0-2.5 V compared with those of a capacitor using KOH-activation of needle coke. This better electrochemical performance is attributed to a distorted graphene layer structure derived from the process of the inter-layer expansion and shrinkage.

  8. The Effects of Physical Conditioning on Mental Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    1984-10-04

    Effect of one-minute and five-minute step-ups on performance of simple addition. Research Quarterly 39: 81-85, 1968. Halberg, F. Chronobiology . Annual... performance , vol.8: 73-80, 1955. Terjung, R.L., and W.W. Winder. Exercise and thyroid function. Med. Sci. Sports 7: 20, 1975. Thompson, E.G., I.T...MEDICAL CENTER WILFORD HALL AIR FORCE MEDICAL CENTER Title of Thesis: "The Effects of Physical Conditioning on Mental Performance " Name of

  9. Performance Determinants in Physical Sciences for ODL ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Identifying performance determinants in physical science subjects for students studying through open and distance learning modes in higher learning institutions requires wider range of intuition than it is for conventional institutions. Using data from The Open University of Tanzania, this paper has unearthed some of the ...

  10. The role of molecular architecture and layer composition on the properties and performance of CuPc-C6 photovoltaic devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schultes, S.M.; Sullivan, P.; Heutz, S.; Sanderson, B.M.; Jones, T.S.

    2005-01-01

    We have studied the effects of molecular architecture, co-deposition and annealing on the properties and performance of photovoltaic cells based on copper phthalocyanine (CuPc)-fullerene (C 6 ) heterojunctions. Significant improvements in performance are achieved when mixed CuPc:C 6 layers are incorporated into the device structure due to the creation of an intermolecularly mixed donor (D)-acceptor (A) blend that favours efficient exciton dissociation. We utilise the control afforded by organic molecular beam deposition to show that the mixed-layer composition plays an important role in determining device performance and correlate device efficiency to the morphological and spectroscopic properties of the organic layers. A maximum power conversion efficiency of η p = 1.17% is achieved for devices containing a mixed layer of ratio 75:25 CuPc:C 6 surrounded by thin continuous layers of pure organic material at the electrode interfaces. A structure containing a compositional gradient where the CuPc:C 6 composition is varied from purely D to purely A via three mixed layers of increasing A composition leads to a further improvements in efficiency (η p = 1.36%). Finally, we use thermal annealing to show how structural defects and morphological templating of organic thin films reduces the interfacial area for exciton separation and yields poor device performance

  11. Physical Characteristics and Performance of Japanese Top-Level American Football Players.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamashita, Daichi; Asakura, Masaki; Ito, Yoshihiko; Yamada, Shinzo; Yamada, Yosuke

    2017-09-01

    Yamashita, D, Asakura, M, Ito, Y, Yamada, S, and Yamada, Y. Physical characteristics and performance of Japanese top-level American football players. J Strength Cond Res 31(9): 2455-2461, 2017-This study aimed to compare the physical characteristics and performance between top-level nonprofessional football players in Japan and National Football League (NFL) Combine invited players and between top-level and middle-level players in Japan to determine the factors that enhance performance in international and national competitions. A total of 168 American football players (>20 years) in Japan participated in an anthropometric (height and weight) and physical (vertical jump, long jump, 40-yard dash, pro-agility shuttle, 3-cone drill, and bench press repetition test) measurement program based on the NFL Combine program to compete in the selection of candidates for the Senior World Championship. All players were categorized into 1 of the 3 position groups based on playing position: skill players, big skill players, and linemen. Japanese players were additionally categorized into selected and nonselected players for the second tryout. The NFL Combine candidates had significantly better performance than selected Japanese players on all variables except on performance related to quickness among the 3 position groups. Compared with nonselected players, selected Japanese skill players had better performance in the 40-yard dash and bench press test and big skill players had better performance in the vertical jump, broad jump, and 40-yard dash. Selected and nonselected Japanese linemen were not different in any measurements. These results showed the challenges in American football in Japan, which include not only improving physical performance of top-level players, but also increasing the number of football players with good physical performance.

  12. High performance LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode by Al-coating and Al3+-doping through a physical vapor deposition method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Peng; Ma, Ying; Zhai, Tianyou; Li, Huiqiao

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Metal Al was used as an electrical conductive coating material for LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 . • The uniform surface coating layer of metal Al was successfully achieved with adjusted thickness through a physical vapor deposition technology. • Al 3+ -doped LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 can be easily obtained by further directly annealing of Al-coated LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 in air. • The conductive Al-coating layer can greatly improve the rate performance and cycle stability of LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 . - Abstract: In this work, spinel LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 (LNMO) hollow microspheres are synthesized by an impregnation method using microsphere MnO 2 as both the precursor and template. To enhance the electrical conductivity of LNMO, metal Al was employed for the first time as a coating material for LNMO. Though an Electron-beam Vapor Deposition approach, the surface of LNMO can be easily coated by a tight layer of Al nanoparticles with adjusted thickness. Further annealing the Al-coated sample at 800 °C in air, the Al 3+ -doped LNMO can be obtained. The effects of Al-coating and Al 3+ -doping on the sample morphology and structure are investigated by SEM, TEM, XRD and FT-IR. The electrochemical properties of Al-coated LNMO and Al 3+ -doped LNMO are measured with comparison of bare LNMO by charge/discharge tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that both Al-coating and Al 3+ -doping can greatly enhance the cycle performance and rate capability of LNMO. Especially for Al-coated LNMO, it shows the lowest battery impedance due to the existence of conductive Al coating layer, thus delivers the best rate performance among the three. The physical coating procedure used in this work may provide a new facile modification approach for other cathode materials.

  13. Sleep and Final Exam Performance in Introductory Physics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coletta, Vincent; Wikholm, Colin; Pascoe, Daniel

    2018-03-01

    Most physics instructors believe that adequate sleep is important in order for students to perform well on problem solving, and many instructors advise students to get plenty of sleep the night before an exam. After years of giving such advice to students at Loyola Marymount University (LMU), one of us decided to find out how many hours students actually do sleep the night before an exam, and how that would relate to their performance. The effect of inadequate sleep on exam performance was explored in a second-semester introductory physics course. At the end of the final exam, students reported the number of hours they slept the night before. Sleep deprivation corresponded to lower final exam scores. The main purpose of this study is to provide evidence that instructors can provide to their students to convince them that their time is better spent sleeping rather than studying all night before an exam.

  14. Experimental studies on the performance of novel layered materials under highly dynamic loads

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shukla, A, E-mail: shuklaa@egr.uri.ed [Dynamic Photomechanics Laboratory Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881 (United States)

    2009-08-01

    This paper focuses on the experimental observations of the performance of different layered composite material systems subjected to blast loadings. These material systems include layered composites and sandwich composite materials. A controlled blast loading of pre-defined pressure magnitude and rise time were obtained using a shock tube apparatus. Rectangular plate elements of the desired material system were subjected to such a controlled blast loading and the effects of the blast loading on these elements were studied using optical and residual strength measurements. A high speed imaging technique was utilized to study the damage modes and mechanisms in real time. It was observed that layering of a conventional composite material with a soft visco-elastic polymer provided better blast resistance and sandwiching the polymer greatly enhanced its survivability under extreme air blast conditions. Aside from layering the conventional composite material with a soft visco-elastic polymer, it was observed that layering or grading the core can successfully mitigate the impact damage and thus improve the overall blast resistance as well. In addition to these, three dimensional (3D) woven skin and core reinforcements were introduced in the conventional sandwich composites and their effects on the blast resistance were studied experimentally. It was observed that these reinforcements also enhance the blast resistance of conventional sandwich composites by changing the mechanism of failure initiation and propagation in these sandwich structures.

  15. Joint Power Allocation for Multicast Systems with Physical-Layer Network Coding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhu Wei-Ping

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper addresses the joint power allocation issue in physical-layer network coding (PLNC of multicast systems with two sources and two destinations communicating via a large number of distributed relays. By maximizing the achievable system rate, a constrained optimization problem is first formulated to jointly allocate powers for the source and relay terminals. Due to the nonconvex nature of the cost function, an iterative algorithm with guaranteed convergence is developed to solve the joint power allocation problem. As an alternative, an upper bound of the achievable rate is also derived to modify the original cost function in order to obtain a convex optimization solution. This approximation is shown to be asymptotically optimal in the sense of maximizing the achievable rate. It is confirmed through Monte Carlo simulations that the proposed joint power allocation schemes are superior to the existing schemes in terms of achievable rate and cumulative distribution function (CDF.

  16. The performance assessment of undergraduate students in physics laboratory by using guided inquiry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mubarok, H.; Lutfiyah, A.; Kholiq, A.; Suprapto, N.; Putri, N. P.

    2018-03-01

    The performance assessment of basic physics experiment among undergraduate physics students which includes three stages: pre-laboratory, conducting experiment and final report was explored in this study. The research used a descriptive quantitative approach by utilizing guidebook of basic physics experiment. The findings showed that (1) the performance of pre-laboratory rate among undergraduate physics students in good category (average score = 77.55), which includes the ability of undergraduate physics students’ theory before they were doing the experiment. (2) The performance of conducting experiment was in good category (average score = 78.33). (3) While the performance of final report was in moderate category (average score = 73.73), with the biggest weakness at how to analyse and to discuss the data and writing the abstract.

  17. Improved performance of organic solar cells with solution processed hole transport layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhargav, Ranoo; Gairola, S. P.; Patra, Asit; Naqvi, Samya; Dhawan, S. K.

    2018-06-01

    This work is based on Cobalt Oxide as solution processed, inexpensive and effective hole transport layer (HTL) for efficient organic photovoltaic applications (OPVs). In Organic solar cell (OSC) devices ITO coated glass substrate used as a transparent anode electrode for light incident, HTL material Co3O4 dissolve in DMF solvent deposited on anode electrode, after that active layer material (donor/acceptor) deposited on to HTL and finally Al were deposited by thermal evaporation used as cathode electrode. These devices were fabricated with PCDTBT well known low band gap donor material in OSCs and blended with PC71BM as an acceptor material using simplest device structure ITO/Co3O4/active layer/Al at ambient conditions. The power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) based on Co3O4 and PEDOT:PSS have been achieved to up to 3.21% and 1.47% with PCDTBT respectively. In this study we reported that the devices fabricated with Co3O4 showed better performance as compare to the devices fabricated with well known and most studied solution processed HTL material PEDOT:PSS under identical environmental conditions. The surface morphology of the HTL film was characterized by (AFM). Lastly, we have provided Co3O4 as an efficient hole transport material HTL for solution processed organic photovoltaic applications.

  18. Friedel Transition in Layered Superconductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dzierzawa, M.; Zamora, M.; Baeriswyl, D.; Bagnoud, X.

    1996-01-01

    Weakly coupled superconducting layers are described by the anisotropic 3D XY model. A low-temperature layer decoupling due to a proliferation of fluxons between planes, as proposed by Friedel, does not occur. The same is true for a periodic superlattice of high and low T c layers, although the interplane coherence can become extremely weak. On the other hand a true layer decoupling is found for a random stack. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

  19. Investigation of fundamental physical properties of CdSiP{sub 2} and its application in solar cell devices by using (ZnX; X = Se, Te) buffer layers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Verma, A.S., E-mail: ajay_phy@rediffmail.com [Department of Physics, Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan 304022 (India); Gautam, Ruchita; Singh, Pravesh [Department of Physics, Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan 304022 (India); Department of Electronics and Communication, Krishna Institute of Engineering and Technology, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201206 (India); Sharma, Sheetal [Department of Physics, Swami Premanand Mahavidyalaya, Mukerian, Punjab 144211 (India); Kumari, Sarita [Department of Physics, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur 302004 (India)

    2016-03-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • FP-LAPW method has been used to compute the solid state properties of CdSiP{sub 2}. • Electronic and optical properties reported by WIEN2K with recently developed mBJ potential. • The elastic and thermal properties were evaluated by first principles calculations. • Hardness was calculated for the first time at different temperature and pressure. • Solar cell devices with ZnSe/ZnTe buffer layers by simulated work. - Abstract: The first principles calculations were performed by the linearized augmented plane wave (LAPW) method as implemented in the WIEN2K code within the density functional theory to obtain the structural, electronic and optical properties of CdSiP{sub 2} in the body centered tetragonal (BCT) phase. The six elastic constants (C{sub 11}, C{sub 12}, C{sub 13}, C{sub 33}, C{sub 44} and C{sub 66}) and mechanical parameters were presented and compared with the available experimental data. The thermodynamic calculations within the quasi-harmonic approximation is used to give an accurate description of the pressure-temperature dependence of the thermal-expansion coefficient, bulk modulus, specific heat, Debye temperature, entropy Grüneisen parameters and hardness. Further, CdSiP{sub 2} solar cell devices have been modeled; device physics and performance parameters are analyzed for zinc chalcogenide (ZnX; X = Se, Te) buffer layers. Simulation results for CdSiP{sub 2} thin layer solar cell show the maximum efficiency (25.7%) with ZnSe as the buffer layer.

  20. ITER-EDA physics design requirements and plasma performance assessments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uckan, N.A.; Galambos, J.; Wesley, J.; Boucher, D.; Perkins, F.; Post, D.; Putvinski, S.

    1996-01-01

    Physics design guidelines, plasma performance estimates, and sensitivity of performance to changes in physics assumptions are presented for the ITER-EDA Interim Design. The overall ITER device parameters have been derived from the performance goals using physics guidelines based on the physics R ampersand D results. The ITER-EDA design has a single-null divertor configuration (divertor at the bottom) with a nominal plasma current of 21 MA, magnetic field of 5.68 T, major and minor radius of 8.14 m and 2.8 m, and a plasma elongation (at the 95% flux surface) of ∼1.6 that produces a nominal fusion power of ∼1.5 GW for an ignited burn pulse length of ≥1000 s. The assessments have shown that ignition at 1.5 GW of fusion power can be sustained in ITER for 1000 s given present extrapolations of H-mode confinement (τ E = 0.85 x τ ITER93H ), helium exhaust (τ* He /τ E = 10), representative plasma impurities (n Be /n e = 2%), and beta limit [β N = β(%)/(I/aB) ≤ 2.5]. The provision of 100 MW of auxiliary power, necessary to access to H-mode during the approach to ignition, provides for the possibility of driven burn operations at Q = 15. This enables ITER to fulfill its mission of fusion power (∼ 1--1.5 GW) and fluence (∼1 MWa/m 2 ) goals if confinement, impurity levels, or operational (density, beta) limits prove to be less favorable than present projections. The power threshold for H-L transition, confinement uncertainties, and operational limits (Greenwald density limit and beta limit) are potential performance limiting issues. Improvement of the helium exhaust (τ* He /τ E ≤ 5) and potential operation in reverse-shear mode significantly improve ITER performance

  1. Synthesis of PVA/PVP hydrogels having two layers by radiation and their physical properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nho, Y.C.; Park, K.R.

    2002-01-01

    Complete text of publication follows. The radiation can induce chemical reaction to modify polymer under even the solid state or in the low temperature. The radiation crosslinking can be easily adjusted by controlling the radiation dose and is reproducible. The finished product contains no residuals of substances required to initiate the chemical crosslinking that can restrict the application possibilities. In these studies, two layer's hydrogel which consisted of urethane membrane and a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol/poly-N-vinylpyrrolidone /glycerin/chitosan was made by gamma-ray irradiation or two steps of 'freezing and thawing' and gamma-ray irradiation for wound dressing. The physical properties such as gelation, water absorptivity, and gel strength were examined to evaluate the hydrogels for wound dressing. Urethane was dissolved in solvent, the urethane solution was poured on the mould, and then dried to make the thin membrane. Hydrophilic polymer solutions were poured on the urethane membranes, they were exposed to gamma irradiation or 'freezing and thawing' and gamma irradiation doses of 25, 35, 50 and 60 kGy to evaluate the physical properties of hydrogels. The physical properties of hydrogels such as gelation and gel strength were improved, and the evaporation speed of water in hydrogel was low when urethane membrane was used

  2. PHYSICS PERFORMANCE AND DATASET (PPD)

    CERN Multimedia

    L. Silvestris

    2012-01-01

      Introduction The PPD activities, since the last CMS Bulletin (March 2012), have been focussed on the validation of the new releases meant for the Monte Carlo (MC) production and data processing for ICHEP (CMSSW 50X and 52X), and the preparation for 2012 operations. The PPD and physics groups, before the data-taking start-up, worked on the optimisation of the reconstruction algorithms and on the code to cope with the performance requirements imposed by the higher event occupancy. The new samples, simulated at 8 TeV, have been reconstructed using 52x. A lot of effort has been put in to ensure that the samples needed for the High Priority Analyses (HPA) for ICHEP have been produced on time. The AlCa and Database team as well as the DQM and Data Certification team have devoted their activities to ensure high quality for data processing, providing continuous monitoring of the detector conditions and producing weekly the data certification JSON used by the different physics groups for their analyse...

  3. Neurocognitive performance and physical function do not change with physical-cognitive-mindfulness training in female laboratory technicians with chronic musculoskeletal pain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jay, Kenneth; Brandt, Mikkel; Schraefel, M. C.

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Cognitive and physical performance can be negatively affected by chronic pain. This study evaluates the effect of combined physical-, cognitive-, and mindfulness training (PCMT) on cognitive and physical performance. METHODS: From a large pharmaceutical company in Denmark we randomly...

  4. Improved charge trapping flash device with Al2O3/HfSiO stack as blocking layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Zhi-Wei; Huo Zong-Liang; Zhu Chen-Xin; Xu Zhong-Guang; Liu Jing; Liu Ming

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, we investigate an Al 2 O 3 /HfSiO stack as the blocking layer of a metal—oxide—nitride—oxide—silicon-type (MONOS) memory capacitor. Compared with a memory capacitor with a single HfSiO layer as the blocking layer or an Al 2 O 3 /HfO 2 stack as the blocking layer, the sample with the Al 2 O 3 /HfSiO stack as the blocking layer shows high program/erase (P/E) speed and good data retention characteristics. These improved performances can be explained by energy band engineering. The experimental results demonstrate that the memory device with an Al 2 O 3 /HfSiO stack as the blocking layer has great potential for further high-performance nonvolatile memory applications. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

  5. Impact of habitual physical activity and type of exercise on physical performance across ages in community-living people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landi, Francesco; Calvani, Riccardo; Picca, Anna; Tosato, Matteo; Martone, Anna Maria; D'Angelo, Emanuela; Serafini, Elisabetta; Bernabei, Roberto; Marzetti, Emanuele

    2018-01-01

    The maintenance of muscle function into late life protects against various negative health outcomes. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of habitual physical activity and exercise types on physical performance across ages in community-living adults. The Longevity check-up 7+ (Lookup 7+) project is an ongoing cross-sectional survey conducted in unconventional settings (e.g., exhibitions, malls, and health promotion campaigns across Italy) that began on June 1st 2015. The project was designed to raise awareness in the general population on major lifestyle behaviors and risk factors for chronic diseases. Candidate participants are eligible for enrolment if they are at least 18 years of age and provide written informed consent. Physical performance is evaluated through the 5-repetition chair stand test. Analyses were conducted in 6,242 community-living adults enrolled between June 1st 2015 and June 30th 2017, after excluding 81 participants for missing values of the variables of interest. The mean age of the 6,242 participants was 54.4 years (standard deviation 15.2, range 18-98 years), and 3552 (57%) were women. The time to complete the chair stand test was similar from 18 to 40-44 years, and declined progressively across subsequent age groups. Overall, the performance on the chair stand test was better in physically active participants, who completed the test with a mean of 0.5 s less than sedentary enrollees (p performance across exercise intensities was observed, with better performance being recorded in participants engaged in more vigorous activities. Our findings suggest that regular physical activity modifies the age-related pattern of decline in physical performance, with greater benefits observed for more intensive activities. Efforts are needed from health authorities and healthcare providers to promote the large-scale adoption of an active lifestyle throughout the life course.

  6. Impact of habitual physical activity and type of exercise on physical performance across ages in community-living people.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Landi

    Full Text Available The maintenance of muscle function into late life protects against various negative health outcomes. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of habitual physical activity and exercise types on physical performance across ages in community-living adults. The Longevity check-up 7+ (Lookup 7+ project is an ongoing cross-sectional survey conducted in unconventional settings (e.g., exhibitions, malls, and health promotion campaigns across Italy that began on June 1st 2015. The project was designed to raise awareness in the general population on major lifestyle behaviors and risk factors for chronic diseases. Candidate participants are eligible for enrolment if they are at least 18 years of age and provide written informed consent. Physical performance is evaluated through the 5-repetition chair stand test. Analyses were conducted in 6,242 community-living adults enrolled between June 1st 2015 and June 30th 2017, after excluding 81 participants for missing values of the variables of interest. The mean age of the 6,242 participants was 54.4 years (standard deviation 15.2, range 18-98 years, and 3552 (57% were women. The time to complete the chair stand test was similar from 18 to 40-44 years, and declined progressively across subsequent age groups. Overall, the performance on the chair stand test was better in physically active participants, who completed the test with a mean of 0.5 s less than sedentary enrollees (p < .001. After adjusting for potential confounders, a different distribution of physical performance across exercise intensities was observed, with better performance being recorded in participants engaged in more vigorous activities. Our findings suggest that regular physical activity modifies the age-related pattern of decline in physical performance, with greater benefits observed for more intensive activities. Efforts are needed from health authorities and healthcare providers to promote the large-scale adoption of an

  7. A new physical performance classification system for elite handball players: cluster analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chirosa, Ignacio J.; Robinson, Joseph E.; van der Tillaar, Roland; Chirosa, Luis J.; Martín, Isidoro Martínez

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The aim of the present study was to identify different cluster groups of handball players according to their physical performance level assessed in a series of physical assessments, which could then be used to design a training program based on individual strengths and weaknesses, and to determine which of these variables best identified elite performance in a group of under-19 [U19] national level handball players. Players of the U19 National Handball team (n=16) performed a set of tests to determine: 10 m (ST10) and 20 m (ST20) sprint time, ball release velocity (BRv), countermovement jump (CMJ) height and squat jump (SJ) height. All players also performed an incremental-load bench press test to determine the 1 repetition maximum (1RMest), the load corresponding to maximum mean power (LoadMP), the mean propulsive phase power at LoadMP (PMPPMP) and the peak power at LoadMP (PPEAKMP). Cluster analyses of the test results generated four groupings of players. The variables best able to discriminate physical performance were BRv, ST20, 1RMest, PPEAKMP and PMPPMP. These variables could help coaches identify talent or monitor the physical performance of athletes in their team. Each cluster of players has a particular weakness related to physical performance and therefore, the cluster results can be applied to a specific training programmed based on individual needs. PMID:28149376

  8. A new physical performance classification system for elite handball players: cluster analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bautista Iker J.

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to identify different cluster groups of handball players according to their physical performance level assessed in a series of physical assessments, which could then be used to design a training program based on individual strengths and weaknesses, and to determine which of these variables best identified elite performance in a group of under-19 [U19] national level handball players. Players of the U19 National Handball team (n=16 performed a set of tests to determine: 10 m (ST10 and 20 m (ST20 sprint time, ball release velocity (BRv, countermovement jump (CMJ height and squat jump (SJ height. All players also performed an incremental-load bench press test to determine the 1 repetition maximum (1RMest, the load corresponding to maximum mean power (LoadMP, the mean propulsive phase power at LoadMP (PMPPMP and the peak power at LoadMP (PPEAKMP. Cluster analyses of the test results generated four groupings of players. The variables best able to discriminate physical performance were BRv, ST20, 1RMest, PPEAKMP and PMPPMP. These variables could help coaches identify talent or monitor the physical performance of athletes in their team. Each cluster of players has a particular weakness related to physical performance and therefore, the cluster results can be applied to a specific training programmed based on individual needs.

  9. NIF capsule performance modeling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weber S.

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Post-shot modeling of NIF capsule implosions was performed in order to validate our physical and numerical models. Cryogenic layered target implosions and experiments with surrogate targets produce an abundance of capsule performance data including implosion velocity, remaining ablator mass, times of peak x-ray and neutron emission, core image size, core symmetry, neutron yield, and x-ray spectra. We have attempted to match the integrated data set with capsule-only simulations by adjusting the drive and other physics parameters within expected uncertainties. The simulations include interface roughness, time-dependent symmetry, and a model of mix. We were able to match many of the measured performance parameters for a selection of shots.

  10. SnO2 anode surface passivation by atomic layer deposited HfO2 improves li-ion battery performance

    KAUST Repository

    Yesibolati, Nulati; Shahid, Muhammad; Chen, Wei; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Reuter, Mark C.; Ross, Frances M.; Alshareef, Husam N.

    2014-01-01

    For the first time, it is demonstrated that nanoscale HfO2 surface passivation layers formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD) significantly improve the performance of Li ion batteries with SnO2-based anodes. Specifically, the measured battery

  11. Absorption and reflectivity of the lithium niobate surface masked with a graphene layer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. Salas

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available We performed simulations of the interaction of a graphene layer with the surface of lithium niobate utilizing density functional theory and molecular dynamics at 300K and atmospheric pressure. We found that the graphene layer is physisorbed on the lithium niobate surface with an adsorption energy of -0.8205 eV/(carbon-atom. Subsequently, the energy band structure, the optical absorption and reflectivity of the new system were calculated. We found important changes in these physical properties with respect to the corresponding ones of a graphene layer and of a lithium niobate crystal.

  12. Differences in gender performance on competitive physics selection tests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kate Wilson

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available [This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Gender in Physics.] We have investigated gender differences in performance over the past eight years on the Australian Science Olympiad Exam (ASOE for physics, which is taken by nearly 1000 high school students each year. The ASOE, run by Australian Science Innovations (ASI, is the initial stage of the process of selection of teams to represent Australia at the Asian and International Physics Olympiads. Students taking the exam are generally in their penultimate year of school and selected by teachers as being high performing in physics. Together with the overall differences in facility, we have investigated how the content and presentation of multiple-choice questions (MCQs affects the particular answers selected by male and female students. Differences in the patterns of responses by male and female students indicate that males and females might be modeling situations in different ways. Some strong patterns were found in the gender gaps when the questions were categorized in five broad dimensions: content, process required, difficulty, presentation, and context. Almost all questions saw male students performing better, although gender differences were relatively small for questions with a more abstract context. Male students performed significantly better on most questions with a concrete context, although notable exceptions were found, including two such questions where female students performed better. Other categories that showed consistently large gaps favoring male students include questions with projectile motion and other two-dimensional motion or forces content, and processes involving interpreting diagrams. Our results have important implications, suggesting that we should be able to reduce the gender gaps in performance on MCQ tests by changing the way information is presented and setting questions in contexts that are less likely to favor males over females. This is important as MCQ

  13. Sandwich-like graphene/polypyrrole/layered double hydroxide nanowires for high-performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xuejin; Zhang, Yu; Xing, Wei; Li, Li; Xue, Qingzhong; Yan, Zifeng

    2016-11-01

    Electrode design in nanoscale is considered to be ultra-important to construct a superb capacitor. Herein, a sandwich-like composite was made by combining graphene/polypyrrole (GPPY) with nickel-aluminum layered double hydroxide nanowires (NiAl-NWs) via a facile hydrothermal method. This sandwich-like architecture is promising in energy storage applications due to three unique features: (1) the conductive GPPY substrate not only effectively prevents the layered double hydroxides species from aggregating, but also considerably facilitates the electron transmission; (2) the ultrathin NiAl-NWs ensure a maximum exposure of active Ni2+, which can improve the efficiency of rapid redox reactions even at high current densities; (3) the sufficient space between anisotropic NiAl-NWs can accommodate a large volume change of the nanowires to avoid their collapse or distortion during the reduplicative redox reactions. Keeping all these unique features in mind, when the as-prepared composite was applied to supercapacitors, it presented an enhanced capacitive performance in terms of high specific capacitance (845 F g-1), excellent rate performance (67% retained at 30 A g-1), remarkable cyclic stability (92% maintained after 5000 cycles) and large energy density (40.1 Wh·Kg-1). This accomplishment in the present work inspires an innovative strategy of nanoscale electrode design for high-rate performance supercapacitor electrodes containing pseuducapacitive metal oxide.

  14. Longitudinal associations between physical and cognitive performance among community-dwelling older adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tolea, Magdalena I; Morris, John C; Galvin, James E

    2015-01-01

    To assess the directionality of the association between physical and cognitive decline in later life, we compared patterns of decline in performance across groups defined by baseline presence of cognitive and/or physical impairment [none (n = 217); physical only (n = 169); cognitive only (n = 158), or both (n = 220)] in a large sample of participants in a cognitive aging study at the Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis who were followed for up to 8 years (3,079 observations). Rates of decline reached 20% for physical performance and varied across cognitive tests (global, memory, speed, executive function, and visuospatial skills). We found that physical decline was better predicted by baseline cognitive impairment (slope = -1.22, pphysical impairment not contributing to further decline in physical performance (slope = -0.25, p = 0.294). In turn, baseline physical impairment was only marginally associated with rate of cognitive decline across various cognitive domains. The cognitive-functional association is likely to operate in the direction of cognitive impairment to physical decline although physical impairment may also play a role in cognitive decline/dementia. Interventions to prevent further functional decline and development of disability and complete dependence may benefit if targeted to individuals with cognitive impairment who are at increased risk.

  15. A Protocol Layer Trust-Based Intrusion Detection Scheme for Wireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jian Wang

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available This article proposes a protocol layer trust-based intrusion detection scheme for wireless sensor networks. Unlike existing work, the trust value of a sensor node is evaluated according to the deviations of key parameters at each protocol layer considering the attacks initiated at different protocol layers will inevitably have impacts on the parameters of the corresponding protocol layers. For simplicity, the paper mainly considers three aspects of trustworthiness, namely physical layer trust, media access control layer trust and network layer trust. The per-layer trust metrics are then combined to determine the overall trust metric of a sensor node. The performance of the proposed intrusion detection mechanism is then analyzed using the t-distribution to derive analytical results of false positive and false negative probabilities. Numerical analytical results, validated by simulation results, are presented in different attack scenarios. It is shown that the proposed protocol layer trust-based intrusion detection scheme outperforms a state-of-the-art scheme in terms of detection probability and false probability, demonstrating its usefulness for detecting cross-layer attacks.

  16. ATLAS Physics Objects Status and Performance at 13 TeV

    CERN Document Server

    Riu, Imma; The ATLAS collaboration

    2015-01-01

    Important for physics analyses is the understanding and commissioning of physics objects. A first look at the 13 TeV data has proved a reasonably good Monte Carlo modelling of the objects and they have been used for first physics measurements and searches beyond the Standard Model. This talk is to be given at the Top Workshop and provides an overview of the status and performance of the physics objects with the early 13 TeV data taken in summer 2015.

  17. CFD Analysis of a Centrifugal Fan for Performance Enhancement using Converging Boundary Layer Suction Slots

    OpenAIRE

    K. Vasudeva Karanth; N. Yagnesh Sharma

    2009-01-01

    Generally flow behavior in centrifugal fan is observed to be in a state of instability with flow separation zones on suction surface as well as near the front shroud. Overall performance of the diffusion process in a centrifugal fan could be enhanced by judiciously introducing the boundary layer suction slots. With easy accessibility of CFD as an analytical tool, an extensive numerical whole field analysis of the effect of boundary layer suction slots in discrete regions ...

  18. Designing a Physical Security System for Risk Reduction in a Hypothetical Nuclear Facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saleh, A.A.; Abd Elaziz, M.

    2017-01-01

    Physical security in a nuclear facility means detection, prevention and response to threat, the ft, sabotage, unauthorized access and illegal transfer involving radioactive and nuclear material. This paper proposes a physical security system designing concepts to reduce the risk associated with variant threats to a nuclear facility. This paper presents a study of the unauthorized removal and sabotage in a hypothetical nuclear facility considering deter, delay and response layers. More over, the study involves performing any required upgrading to the security system by investigating the nuclear facility layout and considering all physical security layers design to enhance the weakness for risk reduction

  19. Eating Disorders, Physical Fitness and Sport Performance: A Systematic Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marwan El Ghoch

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Eating disorders are health problems that are particularly prevalent in adolescents and young adults. They are associated with considerable physical health and psychosocial morbidity, and increased risk of mortality. We set out to conduct a systematic review to determine their effect on physical fitness in the general population and on sport performance in athletes. Methods/Design: A systematic review of the relevant peer-reviewed literature was performed. For inclusion, articles retrieved from PubMed had to be published in English between 1977 and 2013. Wherever possible, methods and reporting adhere to the guidelines outlined in the PRISMA statement. Some additional studies were retrieved from among those cited in the reference lists of included studies and from non-electronic databases. Literature searches, study selection, method and quality appraisal were performed independently by two authors, and data was synthesized using a narrative approach. Results: Of the 1183 articles retrieved, twenty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were consequently analysed. The available data indicate that eating disorders have a negative effect on physical fitness and sport performance by causing low energy availability, excessive loss of fat and lean mass, dehydration, and electrolyte disturbance. Discussion: Although the paucity of the available data mean that findings to date should be interpreted with caution, the information collated in this review has several practical implications. First, eating disorders have a negative effect on both physical fitness and sport performance. Second athletics coaches should be targeted for education about the risk factors of eating disorders, as deterioration in sport performance in athletes, particularly if they are underweight or show other signs of an eating disorder, may indicate the need for medical intervention. However, future studies are needed, especially to assess the direct effect of

  20. Eating Disorders, Physical Fitness and Sport Performance: A Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Ghoch, Marwan; Soave, Fabio; Calugi, Simona; Dalle Grave, Riccardo

    2013-01-01

    Background: Eating disorders are health problems that are particularly prevalent in adolescents and young adults. They are associated with considerable physical health and psychosocial morbidity, and increased risk of mortality. We set out to conduct a systematic review to determine their effect on physical fitness in the general population and on sport performance in athletes. Methods/Design: A systematic review of the relevant peer-reviewed literature was performed. For inclusion, articles retrieved from PubMed had to be published in English between 1977 and 2013. Wherever possible, methods and reporting adhere to the guidelines outlined in the PRISMA statement. Some additional studies were retrieved from among those cited in the reference lists of included studies and from non-electronic databases. Literature searches, study selection, method and quality appraisal were performed independently by two authors, and data was synthesized using a narrative approach. Results: Of the 1183 articles retrieved, twenty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were consequently analysed. The available data indicate that eating disorders have a negative effect on physical fitness and sport performance by causing low energy availability, excessive loss of fat and lean mass, dehydration, and electrolyte disturbance. Discussion: Although the paucity of the available data mean that findings to date should be interpreted with caution, the information collated in this review has several practical implications. First, eating disorders have a negative effect on both physical fitness and sport performance. Second athletics coaches should be targeted for education about the risk factors of eating disorders, as deterioration in sport performance in athletes, particularly if they are underweight or show other signs of an eating disorder, may indicate the need for medical intervention. However, future studies are needed, especially to assess the direct effect of eating disorders on

  1. The associations between physical activity, sedentary behaviour and academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maher, Carol; Lewis, Lucy; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Dumuid, Dot; Cassidy, Leah; Olds, Tim

    2016-12-01

    To examine the relationships between children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sedentary behaviours, and academic performance. This study investigated cross-sectional relationships between children's accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour patterns, and academic performance using a standardised, nationally-administered academic assessment. A total of 285 Australian children aged 9-11 years from randomly selected schools undertook 7-day 24h accelerometry to objectively determine their MVPA and sedentary behaviour. In the same year, they completed nationally-administered standardised academic testing (National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy; NAPLAN). BMI was measured, and socio-demographic variables were collected in a parent-reported survey. Relationships between MVPA, sedentary behaviour and academic performance across five domains were examined using Generalised Linear Mixed Models, adjusted for a wide variety of socio-demographic variables. Higher academic performance was strongly and consistently related to higher sedentary time, with significant relationships seen across all five academic domains (range F=4.13, p=0.04 through to F=18.65, p=academic performance was only related to higher MVPA in two academic domains (writing F=5.28, p=0.02, and numeracy F=6.28, p=0.01) and was not related to language, reading and spelling performance. Findings highlight that sedentary behaviour can have positive relationships with non-physical outcomes. Positive relationships between MVPA and literacy and numeracy, as well as the well documented benefits for MVPA on physical and social health, suggest that it holds an important place in children's lives, both in and outside of school. Copyright © 2016 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Expected Performance of the ATLAS Experiment - Detector, Trigger and Physics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aad, G.; Abat, E.; Abbott, B.; Abdallah, J.; Abdelalim, A.A.; Abdesselam, A.; Abdinov, O.; Abi, B.; Abolins, M.; Abramowicz, H.; Acharya, Bobby Samir; Adams, D.L.; Addy, T.N.; Adorisio, C.; Adragna, P.; Adye, T.; Aguilar-Saavedra, J.A.; Aharrouche, M.; Ahlen, S.P.; Ahles, F.; Ahmad, A.; /SUNY, Albany /Alberta U. /Ankara U. /Annecy, LAPP /Argonne /Arizona U. /Texas U., Arlington /Athens U. /Natl. Tech. U., Athens /Baku, Inst. Phys. /Barcelona, IFAE /Belgrade U. /VINCA Inst. Nucl. Sci., Belgrade /Bergen U. /LBL, Berkeley /Humboldt U., Berlin /Bern U., LHEP /Birmingham U. /Bogazici U. /INFN, Bologna /Bologna U.

    2011-11-28

    The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN promises a major step forward in the understanding of the fundamental nature of matter. The ATLAS experiment is a general-purpose detector for the LHC, whose design was guided by the need to accommodate the wide spectrum of possible physics signatures. The major remit of the ATLAS experiment is the exploration of the TeV mass scale where groundbreaking discoveries are expected. In the focus are the investigation of the electroweak symmetry breaking and linked to this the search for the Higgs boson as well as the search for Physics beyond the Standard Model. In this report a detailed examination of the expected performance of the ATLAS detector is provided, with a major aim being to investigate the experimental sensitivity to a wide range of measurements and potential observations of new physical processes. An earlier summary of the expected capabilities of ATLAS was compiled in 1999 [1]. A survey of physics capabilities of the CMS detector was published in [2]. The design of the ATLAS detector has now been finalised, and its construction and installation have been completed [3]. An extensive test-beam programme was undertaken. Furthermore, the simulation and reconstruction software code and frameworks have been completely rewritten. Revisions incorporated reflect improved detector modelling as well as major technical changes to the software technology. Greatly improved understanding of calibration and alignment techniques, and their practical impact on performance, is now in place. The studies reported here are based on full simulations of the ATLAS detector response. A variety of event generators were employed. The simulation and reconstruction of these large event samples thus provided an important operational test of the new ATLAS software system. In addition, the processing was distributed world-wide over the ATLAS Grid facilities and hence provided an important test of the ATLAS computing system - this is the origin of

  3. Physical Predictors of Cognitive Performance in Healthy Older Adults : A Cross-Sectional Analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blankevoort, Christiaan G.; Scherder, Erik J. A.; Wieling, Martijn B.; Hortobagyi, Tibor; Brouwer, Wiebo H.; Geuze, Reint H.; van Heuvelen, Marieke J. G.

    2013-01-01

    There is ample evidence that physical and cognitive performance are related, but the results of studies investigating this relationship show great variability. Both physical performance and cognitive performance are constructs consisting of several subdomains, but it is presently unknown if the

  4. Dual-Task Performance: Influence of Frailty, Level of Physical Activity, and Cognition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giusti Rossi, Paulo; Pires de Andrade, Larissa; Hotta Ansai, Juliana; Silva Farche, Ana Claudia; Carnaz, Leticia; Dalpubel, Daniela; Ferriolli, Eduardo; Assis Carvalho Vale, Francisco; de Medeiros Takahashi, Anielle Cristhine

    2018-03-08

    Cognition and level of physical activity have been associated with frailty syndrome. The development of tools that assess deficits related to physical and cognitive frailties simultaneously are of common interest. However, little is known about how much these aspects influence the performance of dual-task tests. Our aims were (a) to verify the influence of frailty syndrome and objectively measured physical activity and cognition on the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and Timed Up and Go associated with dual-task (TUG-DT) performances; and (b) to compare TUG and TUG-DT performances between older adults who develop frailty syndrome. Sixty-four community-dwelling older adults were divided into frail, prefrail, and nonfrail groups, according to frailty phenotype. Assessments included anamnesis, screening of frailty syndrome, cognitive assessment (Addenbrooke's cognitive examination), placement of a triaxial accelerometer to assess level of physical activity, and TUG and TUG-DT (TUG associated with a motor-cognitive task of calling a phone number) performances. After 7 days, the accelerometer was removed. A multiple linear regression was applied to identify which independent variables could explain performances in the TUG and TUG-DT. Subsequently, the analysis of covariance test, adjusted for age, cognition, and level of physical activity covariates, was used to compare test performances. There were no differences in cognition between groups. Significant differences in the level of physical activity were found in the frail group. Compared with the frail group, the nonfrail group required less time and fewer steps to complete the TUG. Regarding the TUG-DT, cognition and age influenced the time spent and number of steps, respectively; however, no differences were found between groups. Frail older adults presented worse performance in the TUG when compared with nonfrail older adults. The dual-task test does not differentiate older adults with frailty syndrome, regardless of

  5. [Individual physical performance capacity with physiological and biochemical indicators of stress].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergert, K D; Nestler, K; Böttger, H; Schettler, R

    1989-09-01

    22 health male subjects were exposed by a combination of physical exercises and heat. Strain related physiological and biochemical parameters were measured. Different individual reactions were obtained under controlled conditions. In dependence on the individual performance an increased mobilisation of lactat, free fatty acids and catecholamines were found. The determination of aerob physical performance can be applied for the evaluation of working capacity.

  6. A prediction model to identify hospitalised, older adults with reduced physical performance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bruun, Inge H; Maribo, Thomas; Nørgaard, Birgitte

    2017-01-01

    of discharge, health systems could offer these patients additional therapy to maintain or improve health and prevent institutionalisation or readmission. The principle aim of this study was to identify predictors for persisting, reduced physical performance in older adults following acute hospitalisation......BACKGROUND: Identifying older adults with reduced physical performance at the time of hospital admission can significantly affect patient management and trajectory. For example, such patients could receive targeted hospital interventions such as routine mobilisation. Furthermore, at the time...... admission, falls, physical activity level, self-rated health, use of a walking aid before admission, number of prescribed medications, 30s-CST, and the De Morton Mobility Index. RESULTS: A total of 78 (67%) patients improved in physical performance in the interval between admission and follow-up assessment...

  7. Does physical exposure throughout working life influence chair-rise performance in midlife?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Anne; Reventlow, Susanne; Hansen, Åse Marie

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to study associations between physical exposures throughout working life and physical function measured as chair-rise performance in midlife. METHODS: The Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank (CAMB) provided data about employment and measures of physical function. Individual...... and confirmed the findings. CONCLUSIONS: Higher physical exposure throughout working life is associated with slightly poorer chair-rise performance. The associations between exposure and outcome were non-linear.......-years and chair-rise performance (number of chair-rises in 30 s) were analysed in multivariate linear and non-linear regression models adjusted for covariates. RESULTS: Mean age among the 5095 participants was 59 years in both genders, and, on average, men achieved 21.58 (SD=5.60) and women 20.38 (SD=5.33) chair...

  8. An objective measure of physical function of elderly outpatients. The Physical Performance Test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reuben, D B; Siu, A L

    1990-10-01

    Direct observation of physical function has the advantage of providing an objective, quantifiable measure of functional capabilities. We have developed the Physical Performance Test (PPT), which assesses multiple domains of physical function using observed performance of tasks that simulate activities of daily living of various degrees of difficulty. Two versions are presented: a nine-item scale that includes writing a sentence, simulated eating, turning 360 degrees, putting on and removing a jacket, lifting a book and putting it on a shelf, picking up a penny from the floor, a 50-foot walk test, and climbing stairs (scored as two items); and a seven-item scale that does not include stairs. The PPT can be completed in less than 10 minutes and requires only a few simple props. We then tested the validity of PPT using 183 subjects (mean age, 79 years) in six settings including four clinical practices (one of Parkinson's disease patients), a board-and-care home, and a senior citizens' apartment. The PPT was reliable (Cronbach's alpha = 0.87 and 0.79, interrater reliability = 0.99 and 0.93 for the nine-item and seven-item tests, respectively) and demonstrated concurrent validity with self-reported measures of physical function. Scores on the PPT for both scales were highly correlated (.50 to .80) with modified Rosow-Breslau, Instrumental and Basic Activities of Daily Living scales, and Tinetti gait score. Scores on the PPT were more moderately correlated with self-reported health status, cognitive status, and mental health (.24 to .47), and negatively with age (-.24 and -.18). Thus, the PPT also demonstrated construct validity. The PPT is a promising objective measurement of physical function, but its clinical and research value for screening, monitoring, and prediction will have to be determined.

  9. Identifying Opportunities for Exploiting Cross-Layer Interactions in Adaptive Wireless Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Troy Weingart

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available The flexibility of cognitive and software-defined radio heralds an opportunity for researchers to reexamine how network protocol layers operate with respect to providing quality of service aware transmission among wireless nodes. This opportunity is enhanced by the continued development of spectrally responsive devices—ones that can detect and respond to changes in the radio frequency environment. Present wireless network protocols define reliability and other performance-related tasks narrowly within layers. For example, the frame size employed on 802.11 can substantially influence the throughput, delay, and jitter experienced by an application, but there is no simple way to adapt this parameter. Furthermore, while the data link layer of 802.11 provides error detection capabilities across a link, it does not specify additional features, such as forward error correction schemes, nor does it provide a means for throttling retransmissions at the transport layer (currently, the data link and transport layer can function counterproductively with respect to reliability. This paper presents an analysis of the interaction of physical, data link, and network layer parameters with respect to throughput, bit error rate, delay, and jitter. The goal of this analysis is to identify opportunities where system designers might exploit cross-layer interactions to improve the performance of Voice over IP (VoIP, instant messaging (IM, and file transfer applications.

  10. Digital Physical Activity Data Collection and Use by Endurance Runners and Distance Cyclists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Victor R.; Drake, Joel

    2013-01-01

    The introduction of sensor technologies to sports has allowed athletes to quantify and track their performance, adding an information-based layer to athletic practices. This information layer is particularly prevalent in practices involving formal competition and high levels of physical endurance, such as biking and running. We interviewed 20…

  11. Enhancing Photovoltaic Performance of Inverted Planar Perovskite Solar Cells by Cobalt-Doped Nickel Oxide Hole Transport Layer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Yulin; Lu, Kai; Duan, Jiashun; Jiang, Youyu; Hu, Lin; Liu, Tiefeng; Zhou, Yinhua; Hu, Bin

    2018-04-25

    Electron and hole transport layers have critical impacts on the overall performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, for the first time, a solution-processed cobalt (Co)-doped NiO X film was fabricated as the hole transport layer in inverted planar PSCs, and the solar cells exhibit 18.6% power conversion efficiency. It has been found that an appropriate Co-doping can significantly adjust the work function and enhance electrical conductivity of the NiO X film. Capacitance-voltage ( C- V) spectra and time-resolved photoluminescence spectra indicate clearly that the charge accumulation becomes more pronounced in the Co-doped NiO X -based photovoltaic devices; it, as a consequence, prevents the nonradiative recombination at the interface between the Co-doped NiO X and the photoactive perovskite layers. Moreover, field-dependent photoluminescence measurements indicate that Co-doped NiO X -based devices can also effectively inhibit the radiative recombination process in the perovskite layer and finally facilitate the generation of photocurrent. Our work indicates that Co-doped NiO X film is an excellent candidate for high-performance inverted planar PSCs.

  12. Effect of Codoping Cl Anion and 5-AVA Cation on Performance of Large-Area Perovskite Solar Cells with Double-Mesoporous Layers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yaxian Pei

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available For the perovskite solar cells (PSCs, the performance of the PSCs has become the focus of the research by improving the quality of the perovskite absorption layer. So far, the performance of the large-area PSCs is lower than that of small-area PSCs. In the paper, the experiments were designed to improve the photovoltaic performance of the large-area PSCs by improved processing technique. Here we investigated the optoelectronic properties of the prototypical CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3 further modulated by introducing other extrinsic ions (specifically codoped Cl− and 5-AVA+. Moreover, we used inorganic electron extraction layer to achieve very rapid photogenerated carrier extraction eliminating local structural defects over large areas. Ultimately, we fabricated a best-performing perovskite solar cell based on codoping Cl anion and 5-AVA cation which uses a double layer of mesoporous TiO2 and ZrO2 as a scaffold infiltrated with perovskite and does not require a hole-conducting layer. The experiment results indicated that an average efficiency of double-mesoporous layer-based devices with codoping Cl anion and 5-AVA cation was obtained with exceeding 50% enhancement, compared to that of pure single-mesoporous layer-based device.

  13. Effect of Lanthanum-Strontium Cathode Current-Collecting Layer on the Performance of Anode Supported Type Planar Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Sun-Young; Ji, Ho-Il; Kim, Hae-Ryoung; Yoon, Kyung Joong; Son, Ji-Won; Lee, Hae-Weon; Lee, Jong-Ho

    2013-07-01

    We applied screen-printed (La,Sr)CoO3 as a current-collecting layer of planar type unit-cell for lower temperature operation of SOFCs. In this study the effects of the cathode current-collecting layer on the performance of unit cell and symmetric half cell were investigated via AC and DC polarization experiments. According to our investigation, appropriately controlled current collecting layer was very effective to enhance the unit cell performance by reducing not only the ohmic resistance but also the polarization losses of SOFC cathode.

  14. Influence of oxygen uptake kinetics on physical performance in youth soccer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doncaster, Greg; Marwood, Simon; Iga, John; Unnithan, Viswanath

    2016-09-01

    To examine the relationship between oxygen uptake kinetics (VO2 kinetics) and physical measures associated with soccer match play, within a group of highly trained youth soccer players. Seventeen highly trained youth soccer players (age: 13.3 ± 0.4 year, self-assessed Tanner stage: 3 ± 1) volunteered for the study. Players initially completed an incremental treadmill protocol to exhaustion, to establish gaseous exchange threshold (GET) and VO2max (59.1 ± 5.4 mL kg(-1) min(-1)). On subsequent visits, players completed a step transition protocol from rest-moderate-intensity exercise, followed by an immediate transition, and from moderate- to severe-intensity exercise (moderate: 95 % GET, severe: 60 %∆), during which VO2 kinetics were determined. Physical soccer-based performance was assessed using a maximal Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1) and via GPS-derived measures of physical soccer performance during soccer match play, three 2 × 20 min, 11 v 11 matches, to gain measures of physical performance during soccer match play. Partial correlations revealed significant inverse relationships between the unloaded-to-moderate transition time constant (tau) and: Yo-Yo IR1 performance (r = -0.58, P = 0.02) and GPS variables [total distance (TD): r = -0.64, P = 0.007, high-speed running (HSR): r = -0.64, P = 0.008 and high-speed running efforts (HSReff): r = -0.66, P = 0.005]. Measures of VO2 kinetics are related to physical measures associated with soccer match play and could potentially be used to distinguish between those of superior physical performance, within a group of highly trained youth soccer players.

  15. Enhanced photovoltaic performance of ZnO nanorod-based dye-sensitized solar cells by using Ga doped ZnO seed layer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dou, Yuanyao [State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Transmission, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Department of Applied Physics, College of Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331 (China); Wu, Fang, E-mail: fang01234@163.com [State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Transmission, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Department of Applied Physics, College of Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331 (China); Mao, Caiying [Department of Applied Physics, College of Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331 (China); Fang, Liang, E-mail: lfang@cqu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Transmission, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Department of Applied Physics, College of Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331 (China); Guo, Shengchun [Department of Applied Physics, College of Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331 (China); Zhou, Miao [State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Transmission, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China)

    2015-06-05

    Highlights: • ZnO nanorods were grown on Ga-doped ZnO seed layers using hydrothermal method. • Using the ZnO nanorods as photoanodes for fabricated dye-sensitized solar cells. • The highest η of 1.23% can be achieved in a DSSC with 3 at.% Ga-doped in seeds. • The effects of ZnO seed layers on electron transport properties were investigated. • The enhancement performance of DSSCs contributed to higher dye loading and η{sub cc}. - Abstract: Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod arrays were grown on FTO substrates with a Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) seed layer by a hydrothermal method. GZO seed layers were obtained via sol–gel technology with Ga concentration in the range of 0–4 at.%. The dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) using ZnO nanorod arrays as the photoanode layers were prepared. The effect of Ga dopant concentrations in ZnO seed layer on the morphology features of ZnO nanorod arrays and the performance of DSSCs were systematically investigated. Results indicate that the average diameter and density of ZnO nanorod arrays decrease with increasing Ga concentration, but their length shows an opposite trend. The photocurrent density–voltage (J–V) characteristics reveal that the DSSCs with GZO seed layer exhibit significantly improved photovoltaic performance. In particular, the highest energy conversion efficiency (η) of 1.23% can be achieved in a DSSC with 3 at.% Ga doping, which is increased by 86.36% compared with that of the undoped DSSC. The external quantum efficiency (EQE) spectra and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were employed to explore the photon-to-electron conversion process in DSSCs. It is demonstrated that the performance enhancement of DSSCs based on GZO seed layer can be attributed to higher amount of dye loading, more efficient electron transportation and better electrons collection efficiency.

  16. RHIC Sextant Test -- Physics and performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, J.; Fischer, W.; Ahrens, L.

    1997-01-01

    This paper presents beam physics and machine performance results of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) Sextant and AGS-to-RHIC (AtR) transfer line during the Sextant Test in early 1997. Techniques used to measure both machine properties (difference orbits, dispersion, and beamline optics) and beam parameters (energy, intensity, transverse and longitudinal emittances) are described. Good agreement was achieved between measured and design lattice optics. The gold ion beam quality was shown to approach RHIC design requirements

  17. Adiposity, physical activity, and muscle quality are independently related to physical function performance in middle-aged postmenopausal women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward-Ritacco, Christie L; Adrian, Amanda L; Johnson, Mary Ann; Rogers, Laura Q; Evans, Ellen M

    2014-10-01

    Poor physical function performance is associated with risks for disability in late life; however, determinants of physical function are not well characterized in middle-aged women. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the contributions of body composition, physical activity, muscle capacity, and muscle quality to physical function performance. Postmenopausal women (N = 64; mean [SD] age, 58.6 [3.6] y) were assessed for body composition via dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, for physical activity via accelerometer (steps per day), and for physical function via Timed Up and Go, 30-second chair stand, and 6-minute walk. Leg strength was assessed using isokinetic dynamometry at 60° second. Leg power was assessed with the Nottingham Leg Extensor Power Rig. Muscle quality was calculated as (1) the ratio of leg strength at 60° second to upper leg lean mass and (2) the ratio of leg power to total lower body lean mass. Regression analyses revealed the following: (1) age and muscle quality calculated with leg power are independently related to Timed Up and Go, explaining 12% and 11% of the variance, respectively (P quality calculated with leg strength are independently related to 30-second chair stand, explaining 12% and 10% of the variance, respectively (P quality calculated with leg strength, steps per day, and adiposity are independent predictors of 6-minute walk, collectively explaining 51% of the variance. In postmenopausal women, a more optimal body composition (including lower adiposity and higher lean mass) and higher levels of physical activity are associated with better physical function performance at midlife.

  18. Positive associations between physical and cognitive performance measures in fibromyalgia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cherry, Barbara J; Zettel-Watson, Laura; Chang, Jennifer C; Shimizu, Renee; Rutledge, Dana N; Jones, C Jessie

    2012-01-01

    To investigate the associations between perceived physical function (self-report) and physical and cognitive performance (objective assessments) in persons with fibromyalgia (FM). Correlational study. Exercise testing laboratory in Southern California. Community-residing ambulatory adults meeting the American College of Rheumatology 1990 criteria for FM (N=68; mean age, 59.5y). Not applicable. Composite Physical Function scale, Senior Fitness Test (3 items), Fullerton Advanced Balance scale, 30-foot walk, Trail Making Test parts A and B, Digit Symbol Substitution Test, a composite score of these 3 cognitive measures, attention/executive function composite, processing speed composite, problem solving, inhibition, and episodic memory composite. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that after controlling for age and FM symptoms, better physical performance (based on assessments, not self-report) was associated with higher cognitive function in attention/executive function, processing speed, problem solving, and inhibition. Researchers should continue to investigate the relationship between physical and cognitive function in both clinical and nonclinical populations, as well as explore changes across time. Because physical activity has been associated with neural improvements, further research may identify whether particular mechanisms, such as neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, or changes in inflammatory marker levels, are involved. Copyright © 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Solution-Processed Ultrathin TiO2 Compact Layer Hybridized with Mesoporous TiO2 for High-Performance Perovskite Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Inyoung; Park, Yun Hee; Bae, Seunghwan; Park, Minwoo; Jeong, Hansol; Lee, Phillip; Ko, Min Jae

    2017-10-25

    The electron transport layer (ETL) is a key component of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) and must provide efficient electron extraction and collection while minimizing the charge recombination at interfaces in order to ensure high performance. Conventional bilayered TiO 2 ETLs fabricated by depositing compact TiO 2 (c-TiO 2 ) and mesoporous TiO 2 (mp-TiO 2 ) in sequence exhibit resistive losses due to the contact resistance at the c-TiO 2 /mp-TiO 2 interface and the series resistance arising from the intrinsically low conductivity of TiO 2 . Herein, to minimize such resistive losses, we developed a novel ETL consisting of an ultrathin c-TiO 2 layer hybridized with mp-TiO 2 , which is fabricated by performing one-step spin-coating of a mp-TiO 2 solution containing a small amount of titanium diisopropoxide bis(acetylacetonate) (TAA). By using electron microscopies and elemental mapping analysis, we establish that the optimal concentration of TAA produces an ultrathin blocking layer with a thickness of ∼3 nm and ensures that the mp-TiO 2 layer has a suitable porosity for efficient perovskite infiltration. We compare PSCs based on mesoscopic ETLs with and without compact layers to determine the role of the hole-blocking layer in their performances. The hybrid ETLs exhibit enhanced electron extraction and reduced charge recombination, resulting in better photovoltaic performances and reduced hysteresis of PSCs compared to those with conventional bilayered ETLs.

  20. Modeling and performance analysis dataset of a CIGS solar cell with ZnS buffer layer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Md. Billal Hosen

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This article represents the baseline data of the several semiconductor materials used in the model of a CIGS thin film solar cell with an inclusion of ZnS buffer layer. As well, input parameters, contact layer data and operating conditions for CIGS solar cell simulation with ZnS buffer layer have been described. The schematic diagram of photovoltaic solar cell has been depicted. Moreover, the most important performance measurement graph, J-V characteristic curve, resulting from CIGS solar cell simulation has been analyzed to estimate the optimum values of fill factor and cell efficiency. These optimum results have been obtained from the open circuit voltage, short circuit current density, and the maximum points of voltage and current density generated from the cell.

  1. Operational stressors on physical performance in special operators and countermeasures to improve performance: a review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Hara, Reginald; Henry, Amy; Serres, Jennifer; Russell, Dawn; Locke, Robert

    2014-01-01

    Military training in elite warfighters (e.g., U.S. Army Rangers, Navy SEALs, and U.S. Air Force Battlefield Airmen) is challenging and requires mental and physical capabilities that are akin to that of professional athletes. However, unlike professional athletes, the competitive arena is the battlefield, with winning and losing replaced by either life or death. The rigors of both physical training and prolonged deployments without adequate rest and food intake can compromise physical performance. Therefore, the primary purpose of this effort was to identify occupational stressors on the physical performance of Special Operators during training and while on missions. The secondary purpose was to suggest specific countermeasures to reduce or prevent significant decrements in physical performance and reduce musculoskeletal injuries. A search of the literature for 2000?2012 was performed using the Air Force Institute of Technology search engines (i.e., PubMed and ProQuest). There were 29 articles located and selected that specifically addressed the primary and secondary purposes of this literature review. The remaining 32 of 61 referenced articles were reviewed after initial review of the primary literature. This review indicates that operational stress (e.g., negative energy balance, high-energy expenditure, sleep deprivation, environmental extremes, heavy load carriage, etc.) associated with rigorous training and sustained operations negatively affects hormonal levels, lean muscle mass, and physical performance of Special Operators. The number of musculoskeletal injuries also increases as a result of these stressors. Commanders may use simple field tests to assess physical decrements before and during deployment to effectively plan for missions. Specific countermeasures for these known decrements are lacking in the scientific literature. Therefore, future researchers should focus on studying specific physical training programs, equipment, and other methods to

  2. Gastroesophageal anastomosis: single-layer versus double-layer technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aslam, V.A.; Bilal, A.; Khan, A.; Ahmed, M.

    2008-01-01

    Considerable controversy exists regarding the optimum technique for gastroesophageal anastomosis. Double layer technique has long been considered important for safe healing but there is evidence that single layer technique is also safe and can be performed in much shorter time. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcome of single layer and double layer techniques for gastroesophageal anastomosis. A prospective randomized study was conducted in cardiothoracic unit, Lady Reading Hospital from Jan 2006 to Jan 2008. Fifty patients with oesophageal carcinoma undergoing subtotal oesophagectomy were randomized to have the anastomosis by single layer continuous or double layer continuous technique (group A (n=24) and B (n=26) respectively). The demographic data, operative and anastomosis time, postoperative complications and hospital mortality were recorded on a proforma and analyzed on SPSS 10. There was no significant difference between group A and B in terms of age, gender, postoperative complications and duration of hospital stay. Anastomotic leak occurred in 4.2% patients in group A and 7.7% in group B (p=NS). Mean anastomosis time was 10.04 minutes in group A and 19.2 minutes in group B (p=0.0001). Mean operative time was 163.83 minutes and 170.96 minutes in group A and B respectively. Overall hospital mortality was 2%; no deaths occurred due to anastomotic leak. Single layer continuous technique is equally safe and can be performed in shorter time and at a lower cost than the double layer technique. (author)

  3. Compact hematite buffer layer as a promoter of nanorod photoanode performances

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milan, R.; Cattarin, S.; Comisso, N.; Baratto, C.; Kaunisto, K.; Tkachenko, N. V.; Concina, I.

    2016-10-01

    The effect of a thin α-Fe2O3 compact buffer layer (BL) on the photoelectrochemical performances of a bare α-Fe2O3 nanorods photoanode is investigated. The BL is prepared through a simple spray deposition onto a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) conducting glass substrate before the growth of a α-Fe2O3 nanorods via a hydrothermal process. Insertion of the hematite BL between the FTO and the nanorods markedly enhances the generated photocurrent, by limiting undesired losses of photogenerated charges at the FTO||electrolyte interface. The proposed approach warrants a marked improvement of material performances, with no additional thermal treatment and no use/dispersion of rare or toxic species, in agreement with the principles of green chemistry.

  4. Performance of Used Tire Cushion Layer under Rockfall Impact

    OpenAIRE

    Sun, Jianhu; Chu, Zhaojun; Liu, Yingfang; Luo, Weiming; Wang, Min

    2016-01-01

    Rock shed is widely used in traffic lines against rockfall. In order to cushion rockfall impact and dissipate impact energy, cushion layer is usually adopted in rock shed. Used tire cushion layer is proposed in this paper and it can cushion rockfall impact utilizing large radial deformation of tire. Reinforced concrete structure model is built with used tire cushion layer and artificial rockfall test is carried out. Twelve tests are divided into 4 sets with different rockfall mass, rockfall h...

  5. Performance in tactical decision making on the physical load in the game.

    OpenAIRE

    Navara, Ondřej

    2015-01-01

    Title: Performance in tactical decision-making on the physical load in the game. Objectives: Determine the relationship between the physical load and tactical decision making. Methods: Watching. Results: The greater the physical load, the smaller the rightness of tactical decision-making. Keywords: Tactical decision-making, soccer, physical load.

  6. Two is better than one: Physical interactions improve motor performance in humans

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganesh, G.; Takagi, A.; Osu, R.; Yoshioka, T.; Kawato, M.; Burdet, E.

    2014-01-01

    How do physical interactions with others change our own motor behavior? Utilizing a novel motor learning paradigm in which the hands of two - individuals are physically connected without their conscious awareness, we investigated how the interaction forces from a partner adapt the motor behavior in physically interacting humans. We observed the motor adaptations during physical interactions to be mutually beneficial such that both the worse and better of the interacting partners improve motor performance during and after interactive practice. We show that these benefits cannot be explained by multi-sensory integration by an individual, but require physical interaction with a reactive partner. Furthermore, the benefits are determined by both the interacting partner's performance and similarity of the partner's behavior to one's own. Our results demonstrate the fundamental neural processes underlying human physical interactions and suggest advantages of interactive paradigms for sport-training and physical rehabilitation.

  7. Discrete multi-physics simulations of diffusive and convective mass transfer in boundary layers containing motile cilia in lungs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ariane, Mostapha; Kassinos, Stavros; Velaga, Sitaram; Alexiadis, Alessio

    2018-04-01

    In this paper, the mass transfer coefficient (permeability) of boundary layers containing motile cilia is investigated by means of discrete multi-physics. The idea is to understand the main mechanisms of mass transport occurring in a ciliated-layer; one specific application being inhaled drugs in the respiratory epithelium. The effect of drug diffusivity, cilia beat frequency and cilia flexibility is studied. Our results show the existence of three mass transfer regimes. A low frequency regime, which we called shielding regime, where the presence of the cilia hinders mass transport; an intermediate frequency regime, which we have called diffusive regime, where diffusion is the controlling mechanism; and a high frequency regime, which we have called convective regime, where the degree of bending of the cilia seems to be the most important factor controlling mass transfer in the ciliated-layer. Since the flexibility of the cilia and the frequency of the beat changes with age and health conditions, the knowledge of these three regimes allows prediction of how mass transfer varies with these factors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. A Performance Evaluation of NACK-Oriented Protocols as the Foundation of Reliable Delay- Tolerant Networking Convergence Layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iannicca, Dennis; Hylton, Alan; Ishac, Joseph

    2012-01-01

    Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) is an active area of research in the space communications community. DTN uses a standard layered approach with the Bundle Protocol operating on top of transport layer protocols known as convergence layers that actually transmit the data between nodes. Several different common transport layer protocols have been implemented as convergence layers in DTN implementations including User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and Licklider Transmission Protocol (LTP). The purpose of this paper is to evaluate several stand-alone implementations of negative-acknowledgment based transport layer protocols to determine how they perform in a variety of different link conditions. The transport protocols chosen for this evaluation include Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) File Delivery Protocol (CFDP), Licklider Transmission Protocol (LTP), NACK-Oriented Reliable Multicast (NORM), and Saratoga. The test parameters that the protocols were subjected to are characteristic of common communications links ranging from terrestrial to cis-lunar and apply different levels of delay, line rate, and error.

  9. Performance of inverted polymer solar cells with randomly oriented ZnO nanorods coupled with atomic layer deposited ZnO

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zafar, Muhammad [School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 300 Youngbong-dong, Gwangju 500-757 (Korea, Republic of); Yun, Ju-Young [Center for Vacuum, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, 267 Gajeong-ro, Daejeon 305-600 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Do-Heyoung, E-mail: kdhh@chonnam.ac.kr [School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, 300 Youngbong-dong, Gwangju 500-757 (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-03-15

    Highlights: • Hydrothermally grown, randomly oriented, and low areal density ZnO nanorods have been successfully adopted as the electron transport layer in inverted organic solar cells. • The addition of atomic layer deposited ZnO on the ZnO nanorods effectively enhance the photovoltaic performances of inverted organic solar cells. • The inverted organic solar cells with 5 nm thick-ALD ZnO showed the highest power conversion efficiency of 3.08%, which is an enhancement of approximately 80% compared to the cells without the ALD ZnO layer (PCE = 1.67%). - Abstract: Nanostructuring of the electron transport layer (ETL) in organic photovoltaic cells (OPV) is of great interest because it increases the surface area of the cell and electron transport. In this work, hydrothermally grown, randomly oriented, and low areal density ZnO nanorods (NRs) have been adopted as the ETL, and the effect of adding atomic layer deposited (ALD) ZnO on the ZnO NRs on the inverted organic solar cell performance has been investigated. The fabricated inverted organic solar cell with 5-nm-thick ALD-ZnO grown on the ZnO NRs showed the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.08%, which is an enhancement of 85% from that of the cell without ALD-ZnO (PCE = 1.67%). The ultrathin ALD-ZnO was found to act as a curing layer of the surface defects on the hydrothermally grown ZnO NRs, resulting in an improvement in photovoltaic performance.

  10. Performance of inverted polymer solar cells with randomly oriented ZnO nanorods coupled with atomic layer deposited ZnO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zafar, Muhammad; Yun, Ju-Young; Kim, Do-Heyoung

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Hydrothermally grown, randomly oriented, and low areal density ZnO nanorods have been successfully adopted as the electron transport layer in inverted organic solar cells. • The addition of atomic layer deposited ZnO on the ZnO nanorods effectively enhance the photovoltaic performances of inverted organic solar cells. • The inverted organic solar cells with 5 nm thick-ALD ZnO showed the highest power conversion efficiency of 3.08%, which is an enhancement of approximately 80% compared to the cells without the ALD ZnO layer (PCE = 1.67%). - Abstract: Nanostructuring of the electron transport layer (ETL) in organic photovoltaic cells (OPV) is of great interest because it increases the surface area of the cell and electron transport. In this work, hydrothermally grown, randomly oriented, and low areal density ZnO nanorods (NRs) have been adopted as the ETL, and the effect of adding atomic layer deposited (ALD) ZnO on the ZnO NRs on the inverted organic solar cell performance has been investigated. The fabricated inverted organic solar cell with 5-nm-thick ALD-ZnO grown on the ZnO NRs showed the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.08%, which is an enhancement of 85% from that of the cell without ALD-ZnO (PCE = 1.67%). The ultrathin ALD-ZnO was found to act as a curing layer of the surface defects on the hydrothermally grown ZnO NRs, resulting in an improvement in photovoltaic performance.

  11. Is Intelligence in Early Adulthood Associated With Midlife Physical Performance among Danish Males?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Osler, Merete; Meincke, Rikke Hodal; Mortensen, Erik Lykke

    2016-01-01

    Objective: Insights into the causes of variances in physical performance are important to prevent mobility limitations in old age. We examined associations between intelligence in early adulthood and midlife physical performance. Method: Data from the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank were...... analyzed using linear regression. In total, 2,848 male cohort members had intelligence scores from conscription and physical performance measures from midlife. Results: In adjusted models, a 1 SD increase in intelligence resulted in 1.10 more chair-rises (p

  12. Formation of double layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leung, P.; Wong, A.Y.; Quon, B.H.

    1981-01-01

    Experiments on both stationary and propagating double layers and a related analytical model are described. Stationary double layers were produced in a multiple plasma device, in which an electron drift current was present. An investigation of the plasma parameters for the stable double layer condition is described. The particle distribution in the stable double layer establishes a potential profile, which creates electron and ion beams that excite plasma instabilities. The measured characteristics of the instabilities are consistent with the existence of the double layer. Propagating double layers are formed when the initial electron drift current is large. Ths slopes of the transition region increase as they propagate. A physical model for the formation of a double layer in the experimental device is described. This model explains the formation of the low potential region on the basis of the space charge. This space charge is created by the electron drift current. The model also accounts for the role of ions in double layer formation and explains the formation of moving double layers. (Auth.)

  13. On the physical mechanism at the origin of multiple double layers appearance in plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dimitriu, D.G.; Gurlui, S.; Aflori, M.; Ivan, L.M.

    2005-01-01

    Double layers (DLs) in plasma are nonlinear potential structures consisting of two adjacent layers of positive and negative space charge, respectively. Between these layers a potential jump exists, creating an electric field. A common way to obtain a DL structure is to positively bias an electrode immersed in asymptotic stable plasma. In this way, a complex space charge structure (CSCS) in form of a positive 'nucleus' surrounded by a nearly spherical DL is obtained. Under certain experimental conditions (gas nature and pressure, plasma density, electron temperature) a more complex structure in form of two or more subsequent DLs was observed, which was called multiple double layers (MDL). It appears as several bright and concentric plasma shells attached to the electrode. The successive DLs are located at the abrupt changes of luminosity between two adjacent plasma shells. Probe measurements emphasized that the axial profile of the plasma potential has a stair steps shape, with potential jumps close to the ionization potential of the used gas. Experimental results clarify the essential role of excitation and ionization electron-neutral collisions for the generation and dynamics of MDL structures. However, if the electrode is large, the MDL structure appears non-concentrically, as a network of plasma spheres, near each other, almost equally distributed on the electrode surface. Each of the plasma spots is a CSCS as described above. Here, we will present experimental result on concentric and non-concentric MDL, which prove that the same physical mechanism is at the origin of their appearance in plasma. In this mechanism the electron-neutral impact excitations and ionizations play the key role. A simultaneously generation of both types of MDL was recorded. The dynamics of the MDL structures was analyzed by using the modern methods provided by the nonlinear dynamics. In this way, a scenario of transition to chaos by torus breakdown was emphasized, related with the

  14. Development of "all natural" layer-by-layer redispersible solid lipid nanoparticles by nano spray drying technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Taoran; Hu, Qiaobin; Zhou, Mingyong; Xia, Yan; Nieh, Mu-Ping; Luo, Yangchao

    2016-10-01

    Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) have gained tremendous attraction as carriers for controlled drug delivery. Despite numerous advances in the field, one long-standing historical challenge for their practical applications remains unmet: redispersibility after drying. In this work, a novel design of SLNs using a layer-by-layer (LbL) technique was developed and the formulations were optimized by surface response methodology (Box-Behnken design). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the fabrication of SLNs from all natural ingredients in the absence of any synthetic surfactants or coatings. The SLNs were prepared by a combined solvent-diffusion and hot homogenization method, with soy lecithin as natural emulsifier (first layer), followed by the subsequent coating with sodium caseinate (second layer) and pectin (third layer), both of which are natural food biopolymers. The adsorption of pectin coating onto caseinate was reinforced by hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions induced by a pH-driven process along with thermal treatment. The innovative nano spray drying technology was further explored to obtain ultra-fine powders of SLNs. Compared to uncoated or single-layer coated SLNs powders, which showed severe aggregation after spray drying, the well-separated particles with spherical shape and smooth surface were obtained for layer-by-layer (LbL) SLNs, which were redispersible into water without variation of dimension, shape and morphology. The SLNs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared and high-performance differential scanning calorimetry for their physical properties. The LbL-coated SLNs based on all natural ingredients have promising features for future applications as drug delivery systems, overcoming the major obstacles in conventional spray drying and redispersing SLNs-based formulations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. A two layer chaotic encryption scheme of secure image transmission for DCT precoded OFDM-VLC transmission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhongpeng; Chen, Fangni; Qiu, Weiwei; Chen, Shoufa; Ren, Dongxiao

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, a two-layer image encryption scheme for a discrete cosine transform (DCT) precoded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) visible light communication (VLC) system is proposed. Firstly, in the proposed scheme the transmitted image is first encrypted by a chaos scrambling sequence,which is generated from the hybrid 4-D hyper- and Arnold map in the upper-layer. After that, the encrypted image is converted into digital QAM modulation signal, which is re-encrypted by chaos scrambling sequence based on Arnold map in physical layer to further enhance the security of the transmitted image. Moreover, DCT precoding is employed to improve BER performance of the proposed system and reduce the PAPR of OFDM signal. The BER and PAPR performances of the proposed system are evaluated by simulation experiments. The experiment results show that the proposed two-layer chaos scrambling schemes achieve image secure transmission for image-based OFDM VLC. Furthermore, DCT precoding can reduce the PAPR and improve the BER performance of OFDM-based VLC.

  16. Optimizing pentacene thin-film transistor performance: Temperature and surface condition induced layer growth modification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lassnig, R; Hollerer, M; Striedinger, B; Fian, A; Stadlober, B; Winkler, A

    2015-11-01

    In this work we present in situ electrical and surface analytical, as well as ex situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies on temperature and surface condition induced pentacene layer growth modifications, leading to the selection of optimized deposition conditions and entailing performance improvements. We prepared p ++ -silicon/silicon dioxide bottom-gate, gold bottom-contact transistor samples and evaluated the pentacene layer growth for three different surface conditions (sputtered, sputtered + carbon and unsputtered + carbon) at sample temperatures during deposition of 200 K, 300 K and 350 K. The AFM investigations focused on the gold contacts, the silicon dioxide channel region and the highly critical transition area. Evaluations of coverage dependent saturation mobilities, threshold voltages and corresponding AFM analysis were able to confirm that the first 3-4 full monolayers contribute to the majority of charge transport within the channel region. At high temperatures and on sputtered surfaces uniform layer formation in the contact-channel transition area is limited by dewetting, leading to the formation of trenches and the partial development of double layer islands within the channel region instead of full wetting layers. By combining the advantages of an initial high temperature deposition (well-ordered islands in the channel) and a subsequent low temperature deposition (continuous film formation for low contact resistance) we were able to prepare very thin (8 ML) pentacene transistors of comparably high mobility.

  17. Personality types and student performance in an introductory physics course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harlow, Jason J. B.; Harrison, David M.; Justason, Michael; Meyertholen, Andrew; Wilson, Brian

    2017-12-01

    We measured the personality type of the students in a large introductory physics course of mostly life science students using the True Colors instrument. We found large correlations of personality type with performance on the precourse Force Concept Inventory (FCI), both term tests, the postcourse FCI, and the final examination. We also saw correlations with the normalized gain on the FCI. The personality profile of the students in this course is very different from the profile of the physics faculty and graduate students, and also very different from the profile of students taking the introductory physics course intended for physics majors and specialists.

  18. Impact of the electron-transport layer on the performance of solution-processed small-molecule organic solar cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Guankui; Wan, Xiangjian; Kan, Bin; Hu, Zhicheng; Yang, Xuan; Zhang, Yi; Zhang, Mingtao; Wu, Hongbing; Huang, Fei; Su, Shijian; Cao, Yong; Chen, Yongsheng

    2014-08-01

    Although the performance of polymer solar cells has been improved significantly recently through careful optimization with different interlayers for the same materials, more improvement is needed in this respect for small-molecule-based solar cells, particularly for the electron-transport layers (ETLs). In this work, three different solution-processed ETLs, PFN, ZnO nanoparticles, and LiF, were investigated and compared in the performance of small-molecule-based devices, and power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 8.32, 7.30, and 7.38% were achieved, respectively. The mechanism for the ETL-induced enhancement has been studied, and different ETLs have a significantly different impact on the device performance. The clearly improved performance of PFN is attributed to the combination of reduced bimolecular recombination and increased effective photon absorption in the active layer. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Numerical analysis of natural convection in a double-layer immiscible system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gubaidullin, A.A.; Sehgal, B.R.

    2001-01-01

    In the present paper numerical analysis has been applied to study the natural convection heat transfer in a system composed of two immiscible fluids with uniform internal heat generation in the lower layer or in both layers enclosed in a rectangular or in a semi-circular vessel. The objective of the work is to perform a parametric study to assess the effect of physical properties on the heat transfer characteristics as well as to complement results obtained from experiments by means of CFD simulations for a range of lower Rayleigh number and combine the experimental data and the computational results. (author)

  20. Shot Peening Effects on Subsurface Layer Properties and Fatigue Performance of Case-Hardened 18CrNiMo7-6 Steel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. S. Ho

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The present study is conducted with a dual-aim: firstly, to examine the effect of several single shot peening conditions on the subsurface layer properties and fatigue performance of the case-hardened 18CrNiMo7-6 steel, and secondly, to propose an optimized peening condition for improved fatigue performance. By carrying out the subsurface integrity analysis and fatigue testing, the underlying relationships among the peening process, subsurface layer property and fatigue performance are investigated, the way peening conditions affect the fatigue life and its associated scatter for the case-hardened 18CrNiMo7-6 steel is quantitatively assessed. The in-depth study shows that dual peening can be an optimized solution, for it is able to produce a subsurface layer with enhanced properties and eventually gain a significant improvement in fatigue performance.

  1. The Performance Evaluation of a Hot Water Layer using a Numerical Simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jong Hark; Chae, Hee Taek; Kim, Heon Il; Jun, Byung Jin; Park, Cheol

    2009-01-01

    Most of all research reactors are immerged in the deep water pool to be a ultimate heat sink. At the neighbor of the reactor, some radio-active matters, such as Na-24, Ar-41, Mg-27, Al-28 and etc, may be generated by the neutron irradiation. Those radio-active isotopes may rise up to the pool water surface through the natural convection flow, which can make the radioactivity in the reactor hall rise high enough to concern about the health of people working in the reactor hall. When the irradiation test facilities are loaded or unloaded during a normal operation, the highly radio-activated primary coolant may flow out through the irradiation test holes on the top of the reactor. This also may be a main hazard source to make the working environment of the reactor hall bad. Making a hot water layer 1.5 ∼ 2.0 m thick at the top of reactor pool would be a good measure to resolve that problem. The hot water layer is formed by a thermal stratification of pool water, which can effectively suppress the ascending of the radio-active matters and primary coolant flowing out from the IR holes. In this study a performance evaluation of the hot water layer is conducted by a computational fluid dynamics technique. According to the results of the prediction the hot water layer is formed well about 1.5 m thick, and can suppress the flows containing radioactive matters ascending from the neighbor of the reactor

  2. School education, physical performance in late midlife and allostatic load

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Åse M.; Andersen, Lars L.; Mendes de Leon, Carlos F.

    2016-01-01

    , sagittal flexibility) and muscle strength (jump height, trunk extension and flexion, and handgrip strength). RESULTS: Among women, higher school education was associated with better performance in all physical performance tests. Among men, higher school education was associated with better performance only......, and to determine to what extent cumulative physiological stress mediated these associations. METHODS: The study is based on data from the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank (CAMB; n=5467 participants, aged 48-62 years, 31.5% women). School education was measured as highest examination passed in primary...... in chair rise and jump height. AL partially mediated the association between school education and physical performance, and accounted only for 2-30% of the total effect among women. Similar results were observed among men for chair rise and jump height. CONCLUSIONS: These results might indicate that AL...

  3. Influence of Electrode Design and Contacting Layers on Performance of Electrolyte Supported SOFC/SOEC Single Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mihails Kusnezoff

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The solid oxide cell is a basis for highly efficient and reversible electrochemical energy conversion. A single cell based on a planar electrolyte substrate as support (ESC is often utilized for SOFC/SOEC stack manufacturing and fulfills necessary requirements for application in small, medium and large scale fuel cell and electrolysis systems. Thickness of the electrolyte substrate, and its ionic conductivity limits the power density of the ESC. To improve the performance of this cell type in SOFC/SOEC mode, alternative fuel electrodes, on the basis of Ni/CGO as well as electrolytes with reduced thickness, have been applied. Furthermore, different interlayers on the air side have been tested to avoid the electrode delamination and to reduce the cell degradation in electrolysis mode. Finally, the influence of the contacting layer on cell performance, especially for cells with an ultrathin electrolyte and thin electrode layers, has been investigated. It has been found that Ni/CGO outperform traditional Ni/8YSZ electrodes and the introduction of a ScSZ interlayer substantially reduces the degradation rate of ESC in electrolysis mode. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that, for thin electrodes, the application of contacting layers with good conductivity and adhesion to current collectors improves performance significantly.

  4. Influence of Electrode Design and Contacting Layers on Performance of Electrolyte Supported SOFC/SOEC Single Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kusnezoff, Mihails; Trofimenko, Nikolai; Müller, Martin; Michaelis, Alexander

    2016-11-08

    The solid oxide cell is a basis for highly efficient and reversible electrochemical energy conversion. A single cell based on a planar electrolyte substrate as support (ESC) is often utilized for SOFC/SOEC stack manufacturing and fulfills necessary requirements for application in small, medium and large scale fuel cell and electrolysis systems. Thickness of the electrolyte substrate, and its ionic conductivity limits the power density of the ESC. To improve the performance of this cell type in SOFC/SOEC mode, alternative fuel electrodes, on the basis of Ni/CGO as well as electrolytes with reduced thickness, have been applied. Furthermore, different interlayers on the air side have been tested to avoid the electrode delamination and to reduce the cell degradation in electrolysis mode. Finally, the influence of the contacting layer on cell performance, especially for cells with an ultrathin electrolyte and thin electrode layers, has been investigated. It has been found that Ni/CGO outperform traditional Ni/8YSZ electrodes and the introduction of a ScSZ interlayer substantially reduces the degradation rate of ESC in electrolysis mode. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that, for thin electrodes, the application of contacting layers with good conductivity and adhesion to current collectors improves performance significantly.

  5. Unit physics performance of a mix model in Eulerian fluid computations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vold, Erik [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Douglass, Rod [Los Alamos National Laboratory

    2011-01-25

    In this report, we evaluate the performance of a K-L drag-buoyancy mix model, described in a reference study by Dimonte-Tipton [1] hereafter denoted as [D-T]. The model was implemented in an Eulerian multi-material AMR code, and the results are discussed here for a series of unit physics tests. The tests were chosen to calibrate the model coefficients against empirical data, principally from RT (Rayleigh-Taylor) and RM (Richtmyer-Meshkov) experiments, and the present results are compared to experiments and to results reported in [D-T]. Results show the Eulerian implementation of the mix model agrees well with expectations for test problems in which there is no convective flow of the mass averaged fluid, i.e., in RT mix or in the decay of homogeneous isotropic turbulence (HIT). In RM shock-driven mix, the mix layer moves through the Eulerian computational grid, and there are differences with the previous results computed in a Lagrange frame [D-T]. The differences are attributed to the mass averaged fluid motion and examined in detail. Shock and re-shock mix are not well matched simultaneously. Results are also presented and discussed regarding model sensitivity to coefficient values and to initial conditions (IC), grid convergence, and the generation of atomically mixed volume fractions.

  6. Annual and semiannual variations in the ionospheric F2-layer: II. Physical discussion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Rishbeth

    2000-08-01

    Full Text Available The companion paper by Zou et al. shows that the annual and semiannual variations in the peak F2-layer electron density (NmF2 at midlatitudes can be reproduced by a coupled thermosphere-ionosphere computational model (CTIP, without recourse to external influences such as the solar wind, or waves and tides originating in the lower atmosphere. The present work discusses the physics in greater detail. It shows that noon NmF2 is closely related to the ambient atomic/molecular concentration ratio, and suggests that the variations of NmF2 with geographic and magnetic longitude are largely due to the geometry of the auroral ovals. It also concludes that electric fields play no important part in the dynamics of the midlatitude thermosphere. Our modelling leads to the following picture of the global three-dimensional thermospheric circulation which, as envisaged by Duncan, is the key to explaining the F2-layer variations. At solstice, the almost continuous solar input at high summer latitudes drives a prevailing summer-to-winter wind, with upwelling at low latitudes and throughout most of the summer hemisphere, and a zone of downwelling in the winter hemisphere, just equatorward of the auroral oval. These motions affect thermospheric composition more than do the alternating day/night (up-and-down motions at equinox. As a result, the thermosphere as a whole is more molecular at solstice than at equinox. Taken in conjunction with the well-known relation of F2-layer electron density to the atomic/molecular ratio in the neutral air, this explains the F2-layer semiannual effect in NmF2 that prevails at low and middle latitudes. At higher midlatitudes, the seasonal behaviour depends on the geographic latitude of the winter downwelling zone, though the effect of the composition changes is modified by the large solar zenith angle at midwinter. The zenith angle effect is especially important in longitudes far from the magnetic poles. Here, the downwelling occurs

  7. Research on performance of three-layer MG-OXC system based on MLAG and OCDM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yubao; Ren, Yanfei; Meng, Ying; Bai, Jian

    2017-10-01

    At present, as traffic volume which optical transport networks convey and species of traffic grooming methods increase rapidly, optical switching techniques are faced with a series of issues, such as more requests for the number of wavelengths and complicated structure management and implementation. This work introduces optical code switching based on wavelength switching, constructs the three layers multi-granularity optical cross connection (MG-OXC) system on the basis of optical code division multiplexing (OCDM) and presents a new traffic grooming algorithm. The proposed architecture can improve the flexibility of traffic grooming, reduce the amount of used wavelengths and save the number of consumed ports, hence, it can simplify routing device and enhance the performance of the system significantly. Through analyzing the network model of switching structure on multicast layered auxiliary graph (MLAG) and the establishment of traffic grooming links, and the simulation of blocking probability and throughput, this paper shows the excellent performance of this mentioned architecture.

  8. Discontinuous Galerkin methods for plasma physics in the scrape-off layer of tokamaks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michoski, C.; Meyerson, D.; Isaac, T.; Waelbroeck, F.

    2014-01-01

    A new parallel discontinuous Galerkin solver, called ArcOn, is developed to describe the intermittent turbulent transport of filamentary blobs in the scrape-off layer (SOL) of fusion plasma. The model is comprised of an elliptic subsystem coupled to two convection-dominated reaction–diffusion–convection equations. Upwinding is used for a class of numerical fluxes developed to accommodate cross product driven convection, and the elliptic solver uses SIPG, NIPG, IIPG, Brezzi, and Bassi–Rebay fluxes to formulate the stiffness matrix. A novel entropy sensor is developed for this system, designed for a space–time varying artificial diffusion/viscosity regularization algorithm. Some numerical experiments are performed to show convergence order on manufactured solutions, regularization of blob/streamer dynamics in the SOL given unstable parameterizations, long-time stability of modon (or dipole drift vortex) solutions arising in simulations of drift-wave turbulence, and finally the formation of edge mode turbulence in the scrape-off layer under turbulent saturation conditions

  9. Effect of the thickness of the anode electrode catalyst layers on the performance in direct methanol fuel cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glass, Dean E.; Olah, George A.; Prakash, G. K. Surya

    2017-06-01

    For the large scale fuel cell manufacture, the catalyst loading and layer thickness are critical factors affecting the performance and cost of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs). The influence of catalyst layer thicknesses at the anode of a PEM based direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) has been investigated. Catalysts were applied with the drawdown method with varied thicknesses ranging from 1 mil to 8 mils (1 mil = 25.4 μm) with a Pt/Ru anode loading of 0.25 mg cm-2 to 2.0 mg cm-2. The MEAs with the thicker individual layers (8 mils and 4 mils) performed better overall compared to the those with the thinner layers (1 mil and painted). The peak power densities for the different loading levels followed an exponential decrease of Pt/Ru utilization at the higher loading levels. The highest power density achieved was 49 mW cm-2 with the 4 mil layers at 2.0 mg cm-2 catalyst loading whereas the highest normalized power density was 116 mW mg-1 with the 8 mil layers at 0.25 mg cm-2 loading. The 8 mil drawdowns displayed a 50% and 23% increase in normalized power density compared to the 1 mil drawdowns at 0.25 mg cm-2 and 0.5 mg cm-2 loadings, respectively.

  10. Characterization of dual layer phoswich detector performance for small animal PET using Monte Carlo simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, Yong Hyun; Choi, Yong; Cho, Gyuseong; Choe, Yearn Seong; Lee, Kyung-Han; Kim, Byung-Tae

    2004-01-01

    A positron emission tomograph dedicated to small animal imaging should have high spatial resolution and sensitivity, and dual layer scintillators have been developed for this purpose. In this study, simulations were performed to optimize the order and the length of each crystal of a dual layer phoswich detector, and to evaluate the possibility of measuring signals from each layer of the phoswich detector. A simulation tool GATE was used to estimate the sensitivity and resolution of a small PET scanner. The proposed scanner is based on dual layer phoswich detector modules arranged in a ring of 10 cm diameter. Each module is composed of 8 x 8 arrays of phoswich detectors consisting of LSO and LuYAP with a 2 mm x 2 mm sensitive area coupled to a Hamamatsu R7600-00-M64 PSPMT. The length of the front layer of the phoswich detector varied from 0 to 10 mm at 1 mm intervals, and the total length (LSO + LuYAP) was fixed at 20 mm. The order of the crystal layers of the phoswich detector was also changed. Radial resolutions were kept below 3.4 mm and 3.7 mm over 8 cm FOV, and sensitivities were 7.4% and 8.0% for LSO 5 mm-LuYAP 15 mm, and LuYAP 6 mm-LSO 14 mm phoswich detectors, respectively. Whereas, high and uniform resolutions were achieved by using the LSO front layer, higher sensitivities were obtained by changing the crystal order. The feasibilities for applying crystal identification methods to phoswich detectors consisting of LSO and LuYAP were investigated using simulation and experimentally derived measurements of the light outputs from each layer of the phoswich detector. In this study, the optimal order and lengths of the dual layer phoswich detector were derived in order to achieve high sensitivity and high and uniform radial resolution

  11. Energy consumption and quality of service in WBAN: A performance evaluation between cross-layer and IEEE802.15.4

    OpenAIRE

    Correa-Chica, Juan Camilo; Botero-Vega, Juan Felipe; Gaviria-Gómez, Natalia

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Different communication schemes for Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN) pretend to achieve a fair tradeoff between efficient energy consumption and the accomplishment of performance metrics. Among those schemes are the Cross-layer protocols that constitute a good choice to achieve the aforementioned tradeoff by introducing novel protocol techniques which are away from the traditional communications model. In this work we assessed the performance of a WBAN cross-layer protocol stack by...

  12. Effects of pentacene-doped PEDOT:PSS as a hole-conducting layer on the performance characteristics of polymer photovoltaic cells

    OpenAIRE

    Kim, Hyunsoo; Lee, Jungrae; Ok, Sunseong; Choe, Youngson

    2012-01-01

    We have investigated the effect of pentacene-doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene:poly(4-styrenesulfonate) [PEDOT:PSS] films as a hole-conducting layer on the performance of polymer photovoltaic cells. By increasing the amount of pentacene and the annealing temperature of pentacene-doped PEDOT:PSS layer, the changes of performance characteristics were evaluated. Pentacene-doped PEDOT:PSS thin films were prepared by dissolving pentacene in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone solvent and mixing with PEDO...

  13. Developing A Physical Gesture Acquisition System for Guqin Performance

    OpenAIRE

    He, Jingyin; Kapur, Ajay; Carnegie, Dale

    2015-01-01

    Motion- based musical interfaces are ubiquitous. With the plethora of sensing solutions and the possibility of developing custom designs, it is important that the new musical interface has the capability to perform any number of tasks. This paper presents the theoretical framework for defining, designing, and evaluation process of a physical gesture acquisition for Guqin performance. The framework is based on an iterative design process, and draws upon the knowledge in Guqin performance to de...

  14. Cross-Layer Protocol as a Better Option in Wireless Mesh Network with Respect to Layered-Protocol

    OpenAIRE

    Ahmed Abdulwahab Al-Ahdal; Dr. V. P. Pawar; G. N. Shinde

    2014-01-01

    The Optimal way to improve Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) performance is to use a better network protocol, but whether layered-protocol design or cross-layer design is a better option to optimize protocol performance in WMNs is still an on-going research topic. In this paper, we focus on cross-layer protocol as a better option with respect to layered-protocol. The layered protocol architecture (OSI) model divides networking tasks into layers and defines a pocket of services for each layer to b...

  15. Automatic settlement analysis of single-layer armour layers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hofland, B.; van gent, Marcel

    2016-01-01

    A method to quantify, analyse, and present the settlement of single-layer concrete armour layers of coastal structures is presented. The use of the image processing technique for settlement analysis is discussed based on various modelling
    studies performed over the years. The accuracy of the

  16. Effect of Curcumin Supplementation on Physiological Fatigue and Physical Performance in Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wen-Ching Huang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Curcumin (CCM is a well-known phytocompound and food component found in the spice turmeric and has multifunctional bioactivities. However, few studies have examined its effects on exercise performance and physical fatigue. We aimed to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of CCM supplementation on fatigue and ergogenic function following physical challenge in mice. Male ICR mice were divided into four groups to receive vehicle or CCM (180 μg/mL by oral gavage at 0, 12.3, 24.6, or 61.5 mL/kg/day for four weeks. Exercise performance and anti-fatigue function were evaluated after physical challenge by forelimb grip strength, exhaustive swimming time, and levels of physical fatigue-associated biomarkers serum lactate, ammonia, blood urea nitrogen (BUN, and glucose and tissue damage markers such as aspartate transaminase (AST, alanine transaminase (ALT, and creatine kinase (CK. CCM supplementation dose-dependently increased grip strength and endurance performance and significantly decreased lactate, ammonia, BUN, AST, ALT, and CK levels after physical challenge. Muscular glycogen content, an important energy source for exercise, was significantly increased. CCM supplementation had few subchronic toxic effects. CCM supplementation may have a wide spectrum of bioactivities for promoting health, improving exercise performance and preventing fatigue.

  17. Motor performance as predictor of physical activity in children - The CHAMPS Study-DK

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Lisbeth Runge; Kristensen, Peter Lund; Junge, Tina

    , health-related fitness and performance-related fitness were significantly associated to time spent at moderate to vigorous physical activity level at three years follow up. The clinical relevance of the results indicated cardiorespiratory fitness and shuttle run to be important skills to perceive......Background Physical activity is associated to several health benefits in children and has a tendency to track from childhood to adulthood. An adequate motor performance has been shown positively related to physical activity level in cross sectional studies and may be the foundation of a healthy...... lifestyle, but there is a lack of longitudinal studies. The objective of this study was to explore the longitudinal relationship between motor performance and physical activity in a three-year follow up study. Methods Longitudinal analyses were performed using data from the CHAMPS-Study DK, including 673...

  18. Numerical study on effect of boundary layer trips on aerodynamic performance of E216 airfoil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B.K. Sreejith

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Simulation is carried out to find the performance of airfoil E216 using Transition γ-Reθ model at Reynolds number of 100,000. Flow behaviour and effect of angle of attack (AOA on laminar separation bubble (LSB formation are examined. The results are validated with wind tunnel experimental results. LSB formation is clearly spotted in the velocity vector plot and coefficient of pressure distribution over airfoil. LSB moved upstream towards the leading edge with increase in AOA. Effect of boundary layer trip on LSB formation over the airfoil and performance of airfoil are studied. Two different trip locations, 17% of chord and 10% of chord from leading edge, and different trip heights (0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 1 mm are investigated in this study. Results showed that boundary layer trip could eliminate LSB partially or completely and improve aerodynamic performance of the airfoil. Maximum improvement in drag by 15.48% and lift to drag ratio by 21.62% are obtained at angle of attack of 60. In all the cases, improvement in performance is observed only up to trip height of 0.5 mm.

  19. Relating performance of thin-film composite forward osmosis membranes to support layer formation and structure

    KAUST Repository

    Tiraferri, Alberto; Yip, Ngai Yin; Phillip, William A.; Schiffman, Jessica D.; Elimelech, Menachem

    2011-01-01

    the technology to the point that it is commercially viable. Here, a systematic investigation of the influence of thin-film composite membrane support layer structure on forward osmosis performance is conducted. The membranes consist of a selective polyamide

  20. Graphene double-layer capacitor with ac line-filtering performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, John R; Outlaw, R A; Holloway, B C

    2010-09-24

    Electric double-layer capacitors (DLCs) can have high storage capacity, but their porous electrodes cause them to perform like resistors in filter circuits that remove ripple from rectified direct current. We have demonstrated efficient filtering of 120-hertz current with DLCs with electrodes made from vertically oriented graphene nanosheets grown directly on metal current collectors. This design minimized electronic and ionic resistances and produced capacitors with RC time constants of less than 200 microseconds, in contrast with ~1 second for typical DLCs. Graphene nanosheets have a preponderance of exposed edge planes that greatly increases charge storage as compared with that of designs that rely on basal plane surfaces. Capacitors constructed with these electrodes could be smaller than the low-voltage aluminum electrolyte capacitors that are typically used in electronic devices.

  1. Graphene Double-Layer Capacitor with ac Line-Filtering Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, John R.; Outlaw, R. A.; Holloway, B. C.

    2010-09-01

    Electric double-layer capacitors (DLCs) can have high storage capacity, but their porous electrodes cause them to perform like resistors in filter circuits that remove ripple from rectified direct current. We have demonstrated efficient filtering of 120-hertz current with DLCs with electrodes made from vertically oriented graphene nanosheets grown directly on metal current collectors. This design minimized electronic and ionic resistances and produced capacitors with RC time constants of less than 200 microseconds, in contrast with ~1 second for typical DLCs. Graphene nanosheets have a preponderance of exposed edge planes that greatly increases charge storage as compared with that of designs that rely on basal plane surfaces. Capacitors constructed with these electrodes could be smaller than the low-voltage aluminum electrolyte capacitors that are typically used in electronic devices.

  2. Improved performance of polymer solar cells using PBDTT-F-TT:PC{sub 71}BM blend film as active layer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zang, Yue; Gao, Xiumin, E-mail: oemt@hdu.edu.cn; Lu, Xinmiao; Xin, Qing; Lin, Jun; Zhao, Jufeng

    2016-07-15

    Highlights: • The PCE of PBDTT-F-TT-based PSCs was improved to 9.34% by morphology control and device engineering. • Effect of DIO additive on the BHJ morphology and charge transport was investigated. • Effect of device architecture on the performance was studied in depth by optical modeling. • A low-temperature processed interfacial layer was introduced for plastic substrates. - Abstract: A detailed study of high-efficiency polymer solar cells (PSCs) based on a low bandgap polymer PBDTT-F-TT and PC{sub 71}BM as the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) layer is carried out. By using 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) as solvent additive to control the morphology of active layer and comparing different device architecture to optimize the optical field distribution, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the resulted devices can be reached as high as 9.34%. Comprehensive characterization and optical modeling of the resulting devices is performed to understand the effect of DIO and device geometry on photovoltaic performance. It was found that the addition of DIO can significantly improve the nanoscale morphology and increased electron mobility in the BHJ layer. The inverted device architecture was chosen because the results from optical modeling shows that it offers better optical field distribution and exciton generation profile. Based on these results, a low-temperature processed ZnO was finally introduced as an electron transport layer to facility the fabrication on flexible substrates and showed comparable performance with the device based on conventional ZnO interlayer prepared by sol-gel process.

  3. Improved performance of polymer solar cells using PBDTT-F-TT:PC_7_1BM blend film as active layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zang, Yue; Gao, Xiumin; Lu, Xinmiao; Xin, Qing; Lin, Jun; Zhao, Jufeng

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • The PCE of PBDTT-F-TT-based PSCs was improved to 9.34% by morphology control and device engineering. • Effect of DIO additive on the BHJ morphology and charge transport was investigated. • Effect of device architecture on the performance was studied in depth by optical modeling. • A low-temperature processed interfacial layer was introduced for plastic substrates. - Abstract: A detailed study of high-efficiency polymer solar cells (PSCs) based on a low bandgap polymer PBDTT-F-TT and PC_7_1BM as the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) layer is carried out. By using 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) as solvent additive to control the morphology of active layer and comparing different device architecture to optimize the optical field distribution, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the resulted devices can be reached as high as 9.34%. Comprehensive characterization and optical modeling of the resulting devices is performed to understand the effect of DIO and device geometry on photovoltaic performance. It was found that the addition of DIO can significantly improve the nanoscale morphology and increased electron mobility in the BHJ layer. The inverted device architecture was chosen because the results from optical modeling shows that it offers better optical field distribution and exciton generation profile. Based on these results, a low-temperature processed ZnO was finally introduced as an electron transport layer to facility the fabrication on flexible substrates and showed comparable performance with the device based on conventional ZnO interlayer prepared by sol-gel process.

  4. A review on transport layer protocol performance for delivering video on an adhoc network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suherman; Suwendri; Al-Akaidi, Marwan

    2017-09-01

    The transport layer protocol is responsible for the end to end data transmission. Transmission control protocol (TCP) provides a reliable connection and user datagram protocol (UDP) offers fast but unguaranteed data transfer. Meanwhile, the 802.11 (wireless fidelity/WiFi) networks have been widely used as internet hotspots. This paper evaluates TCP, TCP variants and UDP performances for video transmission on an adhoc network. The transport protocol - medium access cross-layer is proposed by prioritizing TCP acknowledgement to reduce delay. The NS-2 evaluations show that the average delays increase linearly for all the evaluated protocols and the average packet losses grow logarithmically. UDP produces the lowest transmission delay; 5.4% and 5.8% lower than TCP and TCP variant, but experiences the highest packet loss. Both TCP and TCP Vegas maintain packet loss as low as possible. The proposed cross-layer successfully decreases TCP and TCP Vegas delay about 0.12 % and 0.15%, although losses remain similar.

  5. Influence of the layer parameters on the performance of the CdTe solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haddout, Assiya; Raidou, Abderrahim; Fahoume, Mounir

    2018-03-01

    Influence of the layer parameters on the performances of the CdTe solar cells is analyzed by SCAPS-1D. The ZnO: Al film shows a high efficiency than SnO2:F. Moreover, the thinner window layer and lower defect density of CdS films are the factor in the enhancement of the short-circuit current density. As well, to increase the open-circuit voltage, the responsible factors are low defect density of the absorbing layer CdTe and high metal work function. For the low cost of cell production, ultrathin film CdTe cells are used with a back surface field (BSF) between CdTe and back contact, such as PbTe. Further, the simulation results show that the conversion efficiency of 19.28% can be obtained for the cell with 1-μm-thick CdTe, 0.1-μm-thick PbTe and 30-nm-thick CdS.

  6. Sarcopenia and impairment in cognitive and physical performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tolea MI

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Magdalena I Tolea,1 James E Galvin1–3 1Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Department of Neurology, 2Department of Psychiatry, 3Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA Background: Whether older adults with sarcopenia who underperform controls on tests of physical performance and cognition also have a higher likelihood of combined cognitive-physical impairment is not clear. We assessed the impact of sarcopenia on impairment in both aspects of functionality and the relative contribution of its components, muscle mass and strength.Methods: Two hundred and twenty-three community-dwelling adults aged 40 years and older (mean age =68.1±10.6 years; 65% female were recruited and underwent physical functionality, anthropometry, and cognitive testing. Participants with low muscle mass were categorized as pre-sarcopenic; those with low muscle mass and muscle strength as sarcopenic; those with higher muscle mass and low muscle strength only were categorized as non-sarcopenic and were compared on risk of cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment <26; Ascertaining Dementia 8 ≥2, physical impairment (Mini Physical Performance Test <12, both, or neither by ordinal logistic regression. Results: Compared to controls, those with sarcopenia were six times more likely to have combined cognitive impairment/physical impairment with a fully adjusted model showing a three-fold increased odds ratio. The results were consistent across different measures of global cognition (odds ratio =3.46, 95% confidence interval =1.07–11.45 for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment; odds ratio =3.61, 95% confidence interval =1.11–11.72 for Ascertaining Dementia 8. Pre-sarcopenic participants were not different from controls. The effect of sarcopenia on cognition is related to low muscle strength rather than low muscle mass. Conclusion: Individuals with sarcopenia are not only more likely to have single but also to have dual

  7. Mental Fatigue Impairs Soccer-Specific Physical and Technical Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Mitchell R; Coutts, Aaron J; Merlini, Michele; Deprez, Dieter; Lenoir, Matthieu; Marcora, Samuele M

    2016-02-01

    To investigate the effects of mental fatigue on soccer-specific physical and technical performance. This investigation consisted of two separate studies. Study 1 assessed the soccer-specific physical performance of 12 moderately trained soccer players using the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test, Level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1). Study 2 assessed the soccer-specific technical performance of 14 experienced soccer players using the Loughborough Soccer Passing and Shooting Tests (LSPT, LSST). Each test was performed on two occasions and preceded, in a randomized, counterbalanced order, by 30 min of the Stroop task (mentally fatiguing treatment) or 30 min of reading magazines (control treatment). Subjective ratings of mental fatigue were measured before and after treatment, and mental effort and motivation were measured after treatment. Distance run, heart rate, and ratings of perceived exertion were recorded during the Yo-Yo IR1. LSPT performance time was calculated as original time plus penalty time. LSST performance was assessed using shot speed, shot accuracy, and shot sequence time. Subjective ratings of mental fatigue and effort were higher after the Stroop task in both studies (P motivation was similar between conditions. This mental fatigue significantly reduced running distance in the Yo-Yo IR1 (P performance time were not different between conditions; however, penalty time significantly increased in the mental fatigue condition (P = 0.015). Mental fatigue also impaired shot speed (P = 0.024) and accuracy (P performance.

  8. Read/write performance of perpendicular double-layered cylindrical media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamada, H.; Shimatsu, T.; Watanabe, I.; Tsuchiyama, R.; Aoi, H.; Muraoka, H.; Nakamura, Y.

    2005-01-01

    A cylindrical magnetic storage system using perpendicular double-layered media has been developed. CoCrTa/CoZrNb deposited on a rotating cylindrical substrate shows perpendicular anisotropy and magnetic properties, which have almost the same characteristics as conventional disk-media. The fundamental read/write characteristics of perpendicular double-layered cylindrical media were measured using a single-pole-type (SPT) writer with a sliding-contact-type slider and a merged giant magneto-resistive (GMR) reader with a one-pad-type slider designed for use with cylindrical media. Preliminary studies for improving the characteristics of the recording layer are also described

  9. Reliability of six physical performance tests in older people with dementia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blankevoort, C.G.; Heuvelen, M.J.; Scherder, E.J.A.

    2012-01-01

    Background. Physical performance tests are important for assessing the effect of physical activity interventions in older people with dementia, but their psychometric properties have not been systematically established within this specific population. Objective. The purpose of this study was to

  10. Reliability of Six Physical Performance Tests in Older People With Dementia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blankevoort, Christiaan G.; van Heuvelen, Marieke J. G.; Scherder, Erik J. A.

    Background. Physical performance tests are important for assessing the effect of physical activity interventions in older people with dementia, but their psychometric properties have not been systematically established within this specific population. Objective. The purpose of this study was to

  11. Probability theory for 3-layer remote sensing radiative transfer model: univariate case.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben-David, Avishai; Davidson, Charles E

    2012-04-23

    A probability model for a 3-layer radiative transfer model (foreground layer, cloud layer, background layer, and an external source at the end of line of sight) has been developed. The 3-layer model is fundamentally important as the primary physical model in passive infrared remote sensing. The probability model is described by the Johnson family of distributions that are used as a fit for theoretically computed moments of the radiative transfer model. From the Johnson family we use the SU distribution that can address a wide range of skewness and kurtosis values (in addition to addressing the first two moments, mean and variance). In the limit, SU can also describe lognormal and normal distributions. With the probability model one can evaluate the potential for detecting a target (vapor cloud layer), the probability of observing thermal contrast, and evaluate performance (receiver operating characteristics curves) in clutter-noise limited scenarios. This is (to our knowledge) the first probability model for the 3-layer remote sensing geometry that treats all parameters as random variables and includes higher-order statistics. © 2012 Optical Society of America

  12. Looking for new active methods to improve the school performance: Physical activity!

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruiz-Ariza Alberto

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The practice of physical activity (PA has recently been used as a stimulant to improve the cognitive performance in young people and to have positive repercussions on the academic performance [2]. The aims of this research were to conceptualize the relationship between PA and cognition, as well as to associate different physical qualities with better or worse school performance, and thus to be able to make decisions about the kind of PA more adequate to foment from the educative and familiar areas. Our findings are in line with previous literature, and show that a higher physical fitness is associated with better school performance. In conclusion, our study suggests that it is necessary to strengthen the daily PA practice within school context, as well as to raise awareness among families and society about PA promotion.

  13. A Study of relationship between frailty and physical performance in elderly women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeoung, Bog Ja; Lee, Yang Chool

    2015-08-01

    Frailty is a disorder of multiple inter-related physiological systems. It is unclear whether the level of physical performance factors can serve as markers of frailty and a sign. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between frailty and physical performance in elderly women. One hundred fourteen elderly women participated in this study, their aged was from 65 to 80. We were measured 6-min walk test, grip-strength, 30-sec arm curl test, 30-sec chair stand test, 8 foot Up- and Go, Back scratch, chair sit and reach, unipedal stance, BMI, and the frailty with questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, frequencies, correlation analysis, ANOVA, and simple liner regression using the IBM 21. SPSS program. In results, statistic tests showed that there were significant differences between frailty and 6-min walk test, 30-sec arm curl test, 30-sec chair stand test, grip-strength, Back scratch, and BMI. However, we did not find significant differences between frailty and 8 foot Up- and Go, unipedal stance. When the subjects were divided into five groups according to physical performance level, subjects with high 6-min walk, 30-sec arm curl test, chair sit and reach test, and high grip strength had low score frailty. Physical performance factors were strongly associated with decreased frailty, suggesting that physical performance improvements play an important role in preventing or reducing the frailty.

  14. Development of analytical theory of the physical libration for a two-layer Moon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrova, Natalia; Barkin, Yurii; Gusev, Alexander; Ivanova, Tamara

    2010-05-01

    Investigation is being carried out in the frame of Russian-Japanese grant and directed onto providing of the future observations in the frame of the ILOM-project which is planned onto the end of the second decade. The analytical theory presents both scientific interest in its own right and can be useful as a base for the lunar annual in a future, as a clue to lunar interiors and to processes inside the lunar body. A comparison of the libration's analytical theory with new observations will allow to refine the parameters of lunar interiors: an existence or absence of a core, its size, composition and state of aggregation, Love numbers, qualitative parameter Q, etc. Contrary to the usual application of numerical libration models for analyses of observations, the analytical model is able to predict the new harmonics, early unknown and not observed (owing to the insufficient accuracy of observations) in libration's series of observations. As part of the investigation the following results were achieved. Development of the analytical theory of the Lunar Physical Libration (LPhL) were performed using the Poisson Series Processor (PSP). The base solution is realized for the 'main problem' of the LPhL in view of 4-th harmonic of selenopotential. Data on a dynamical figure of the Moon are incorporated in the theory on the basis of new observations of the Lunar gravitational field, received in a frame of space projects Clementine (1994, NASA), Lunar Prospector (1999, NASA) and the SELENE (2007 - 2009, Japan). On the basis of the constructed theory the following actions were done: 1) analyses of the present dynamical models; 2) modeling of stars trajectories in the field of view of the future optical telescope, which is planned to be placed on one of the Lunar poles in the second stage of the Japanese project SELENE-B - ILOM. Results of modeling have shown opportunities of determination of LPhL-parameters with the desirable accuracy 0.001 arc seconds planned in the ILOM

  15. TCP Performance Enhancement for UMTS Access Network

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hu, Liang

    2008-01-01

    is between UMTS access network and Internet. The split proxy divides the bandwidth delay product into two parts, resulting in two TCP connections with smaller bandwidth delay products. Simulation results show, the split TCP proxy can significantly improve the TCP performance under high bit rate DCH channel......We aim at optimize the TCP performance over UMTS access network challenged by the large delay bandwidth product that is mainly caused by the latency from the link layer ARQ retransmissions and diversity technique at physical layer. We propose to place a split TCP proxy at GGSN nodes which...

  16. Improvement of crystal identification performance for a four-layer DOI detector composed of crystals segmented by laser processing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohammadi, Akram; Inadama, Naoko; Yoshida, Eiji; Nishikido, Fumihiko; Shimizu, Keiji; Yamaya, Taiga

    2017-09-01

    We have developed a four-layer depth of interaction (DOI) detector with single-side photon readout, in which segmented crystals with the patterned reflector insertion are separately identified by the Anger-type calculation. Optical conditions between segmented crystals, where there is no reflector, affect crystal identification ability. Our objective of this work was to improve crystal identification performance of the four-layer DOI detector that uses crystals segmented with a recently developed laser processing technique to include laser processed boundaries (LPBs). The detector consisted of 2 × 2 × 4mm3 LYSO crystals and a 4 × 4 array multianode photomultiplier tube (PMT) with 4.5 mm anode pitch. The 2D position map of the detector was calculated by the Anger calculation method. At first, influence of optical condition on crystal identification was evaluated for a one-layer detector consisting of a 2 × 2 crystal array with three different optical conditions between the crystals: crystals stuck together using room temperature vulcanized (RTV) rubber, crystals with air coupling and segmented crystals with LPBs. The crystal array with LPBs gave the shortest distance between crystal responses in the 2D position map compared with the crystal array coupled with RTV rubber or air due to the great amount of cross-talk between segmented crystals with LPBs. These results were used to find optical conditions offering the optimum distance between crystal responses in the 2D position map for the four-layer DOI detector. Crystal identification performance for the four-layer DOI detector consisting of an 8 × 8 array of crystals segmented with LPBs was examined and it was not acceptable for the crystals in the first layer. The crystal identification was improved for the first layer by changing the optical conditions between all 2 × 2 crystal arrays of the first layer to RTV coupling. More improvement was observed by combining different optical conditions between all

  17. Quantification of Quercetin and Rutin from Benincasa hispida Seeds and Carissa Congesta Roots by High-performance Thin Layer Chromatography and High-performance Liquid Chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doshi, Gaurav Mahesh; Une, Hemant Devidas

    2016-01-01

    In Indian Ayurvedic system, Benincasa hispida (BH) and Carissa congesta (CC) are well-known plants used for major and minor ailments. BH has been regarded as Kushmanda, whereas CC has been used in immune-related disorders of the human system. Quercetin and rutin identified from the vast plethora of plant extracts have proved to possess ethnopharmacological relevance. In present studies, we have determined quercetin and rutin in terms of percentage in BH seeds and CC roots by high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). After extraction and phytochemical screening, the extracts were subjected to quantification for the presence of quercetin and rutin by HPTLC and HPLC. HPTLC showed quercetin as 44.60, 27.13% and rutin as 32.00, 36.31% w/w, whereas HPLC revealed quercetin as 34.00, 35.00% and rutin as 21.99, 45.03% w/v in BH and CC extracts, respectively. The BH and CC extracts have elucidated peaks that were corresponding with standard peaks on undertaking chromatographic studies. Quercetin and rutin are isolated from BH seeds and CC roots by High Performance. Thin Layer Chromatography and High Performance Liquid Chromatography. HPTLC revealed presence of quercetin as 44.60, 27.13 % and rutin as 32.00, 36.31 % w/w. HPLC revealed presence of quercetin as 34.00, 35.00 % and rutin as 21.99, 45.03 % w/v. Abbreviation Used: HPTLC: High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography; HPLC: High Pressure Liquid Chromatography, UV: Ultraviolet, CC: Carissa congesta, BH: Benincasa hispida.

  18. Quantification of Quercetin and Rutin from Benincasa hispida Seeds and Carissa Congesta Roots by High-performance Thin Layer Chromatography and High-performance Liquid Chromatography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doshi, Gaurav Mahesh; Une, Hemant Devidas

    2016-01-01

    Objective: In Indian Ayurvedic system, Benincasa hispida (BH) and Carissa congesta (CC) are well-known plants used for major and minor ailments. BH has been regarded as Kushmanda, whereas CC has been used in immune-related disorders of the human system. Quercetin and rutin identified from the vast plethora of plant extracts have proved to possess ethnopharmacological relevance. Materials and Methods: In present studies, we have determined quercetin and rutin in terms of percentage in BH seeds and CC roots by high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). After extraction and phytochemical screening, the extracts were subjected to quantification for the presence of quercetin and rutin by HPTLC and HPLC. Results: HPTLC showed quercetin as 44.60, 27.13% and rutin as 32.00, 36.31% w/w, whereas HPLC revealed quercetin as 34.00, 35.00% and rutin as 21.99, 45.03% w/v in BH and CC extracts, respectively. Conclusion: The BH and CC extracts have elucidated peaks that were corresponding with standard peaks on undertaking chromatographic studies. SUMMARY Quercetin and rutin are isolated from BH seeds and CC roots by High Performance. Thin Layer Chromatography and High Performance Liquid Chromatography. HPTLC revealed presence of quercetin as 44.60, 27.13 % and rutin as 32.00, 36.31 % w/w. HPLC revealed presence of quercetin as 34.00, 35.00 % and rutin as 21.99, 45.03 % w/v. Abbreviation Used: HPTLC: High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography; HPLC: High Pressure Liquid Chromatography, UV: Ultraviolet, CC: Carissa congesta, BH: Benincasa hispida PMID:26941534

  19. Sub-Transport Layer Coding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Jonas; Krigslund, Jeppe; Roetter, Daniel Enrique Lucani

    2014-01-01

    Packet losses in wireless networks dramatically curbs the performance of TCP. This paper introduces a simple coding shim that aids IP-layer traffic in lossy environments while being transparent to transport layer protocols. The proposed coding approach enables erasure correction while being...... oblivious to the congestion control algorithms of the utilised transport layer protocol. Although our coding shim is indifferent towards the transport layer protocol, we focus on the performance of TCP when ran on top of our proposed coding mechanism due to its widespread use. The coding shim provides gains...

  20. Improved performance of diatomite-based dental nanocomposite ceramics using layer-by-layer assembly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lu X

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Xiaoli Lu1,2, Yang Xia1, Mei Liu1, Yunzhu Qian3, Xuefeng Zhou4, Ning Gu4, Feimin Zhang1,41Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 2Nantong Stomatological Hospital, Nantong, 3Center of Stomatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou University, Suzhou, 4Suzhou Institute, Southeast University, Suzhou, People's Republic of ChinaAbstract: To fabricate high-strength diatomite-based ceramics for dental applications, the layer-by-layer technique was used to coat diatomite particles with cationic [poly(allylamine hydrochloride] and anionic [poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate] polymers to improve the dispersion and adsorption of positively charged nano-ZrO2 (zirconia as a reinforcing agent. The modified diatomite particles had reduced particle size, narrower size distribution, and were well dispersed, with good adsorption of nano-ZrO2. To determine the optimum addition levels for nano-ZrO2, ceramics containing 0, 20, 25, 30, and 35 wt% nano-ZrO2 were sintered and characterized by the three-point bending test and microhardness test. In addition to scanning electron microscopy, propagation phase-contrast synchrotron X-ray microtomography was used to examine the internal structure of the ceramics. The addition of 30 wt% nano-ZrO2 resulted in the highest flexural strength and fracture toughness with reduced porosity. Shear bond strength between the core and veneer of our diatomite ceramics and the most widely used dental ceramics were compared; the shear bond strength value for the diatomite-based ceramics was found to be significantly higher than for other groups (P < 0.05. Our results show that diatomite-based nanocomposite ceramics are good potential candidates for ceramic-based dental materials.Keywords: layer-by-layer, diatomite, nanoceramics, zirconia (ZrO2, dental materials

  1. Long-Term Performance of Primary and Secondary Electroactive Biofilms Using Layered Corrugated Carbon Electrodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baudler, André; Riedl, Sebastian; Schröder, Uwe

    2014-01-01

    The performance of primary and secondary electroactive biofilms grown on layered corrugated carbon (LCC) electrodes was studied over a period of several months. With an average projected current density of 6.7 mA cm −2 , the studied secondary electroactive biofilms outperformed the primary biofilms (3.0 mA cm −2 ) over the entire experimental period. At the same time, both, primary and secondary biofilms, exhibited a constant Coulomb efficiency of about 89%. The study further illustrates that three-dimensional electrodes such as LCC allow a sustained long-term performance without significant decrease in electrode performance.

  2. Long-Term Performance of Primary and Secondary Electroactive Biofilms Using Layered Corrugated Carbon Electrodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baudler, André; Riedl, Sebastian; Schröder, Uwe, E-mail: uwe.schroeder@tu-bs.de [Institute of Environmental and Sustainable Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig (Germany)

    2014-07-30

    The performance of primary and secondary electroactive biofilms grown on layered corrugated carbon (LCC) electrodes was studied over a period of several months. With an average projected current density of 6.7 mA cm{sup −2}, the studied secondary electroactive biofilms outperformed the primary biofilms (3.0 mA cm{sup −2}) over the entire experimental period. At the same time, both, primary and secondary biofilms, exhibited a constant Coulomb efficiency of about 89%. The study further illustrates that three-dimensional electrodes such as LCC allow a sustained long-term performance without significant decrease in electrode performance.

  3. Electron-transporting layer doped with cesium azide for high-performance phosphorescent and tandem white organic light-emitting devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Yaoyao; Chen, Xingming; Jin, Yu; Wu, Zhijun; Yu, Ye; Lin, Wenyan; Yang, Huishan

    2017-07-01

    Cesium azide was employed as an effective n-dopant in the electron-transporting layer (ETL) of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) owing to its low deposition temperature and high ambient stability. By doping cesium azide onto 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline, a green phosphorescent OLED having best efficiencies of 66.25 cd A-1, 81.22 lm W-1 and 18.82% was realized. Moreover, the efficiency roll-off from 1000 cd m-2 to 10 000 cd m-2 is only 12.9%, which is comparable with or even lower than that of devices utilizing the co-host system. Physical mechanisms for the improvement of device performance were studied in depth by analyzing the current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics of the electron-only devices. In particular, by comparing the J-V characteristics of the electron-only devices instead of applying the complicated ultraviolet photoelectron spectrometer measurements, we deduced the decrease in barrier height for electron injection at the ETL/cathode contact. Finally, an efficient tandem white OLED utilizing the n-doped layer in the charge generation unit (CGU) was constructed. As far as we know, this is the first report on the application of this CGU for fabricating tandem white OLEDs. The emissions of the tandem device are all in the warm white region from 1213 cd m-2 to 10870 cd m-2, as is beneficial to the lighting application.

  4. Electron-transporting layer doped with cesium azide for high-performance phosphorescent and tandem white organic light-emitting devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Yaoyao; Chen, Xingming; Jin, Yu; Wu, Zhijun; Yu, Ye; Lin, Wenyan; Yang, Huishan

    2017-01-01

    Cesium azide was employed as an effective n-dopant in the electron-transporting layer (ETL) of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) owing to its low deposition temperature and high ambient stability. By doping cesium azide onto 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline, a green phosphorescent OLED having best efficiencies of 66.25 cd A −1 , 81.22 lm W −1 and 18.82% was realized. Moreover, the efficiency roll-off from 1000 cd m −2 to 10 000 cd m −2 is only 12.9%, which is comparable with or even lower than that of devices utilizing the co-host system. Physical mechanisms for the improvement of device performance were studied in depth by analyzing the current density–voltage ( J – V ) characteristics of the electron-only devices. In particular, by comparing the J – V characteristics of the electron-only devices instead of applying the complicated ultraviolet photoelectron spectrometer measurements, we deduced the decrease in barrier height for electron injection at the ETL/cathode contact. Finally, an efficient tandem white OLED utilizing the n-doped layer in the charge generation unit (CGU) was constructed. As far as we know, this is the first report on the application of this CGU for fabricating tandem white OLEDs. The emissions of the tandem device are all in the warm white region from 1213 cd m −2 to 10870 cd m −2 , as is beneficial to the lighting application. (paper)

  5. Thickness optimization of the ZnO based TCO layer in a CZTSSe solar cell. Evolution of its performance with thickness when external temperature changes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chadel, Meriem; Moustafa Bouzaki, Mohammed; Chadel, Asma; Aillerie, Michel; Benyoucef, Boumediene

    2017-07-01

    The influence of the thickness of a Zinc Oxide (ZnO) transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer on the performance of the CZTSSe solar cell is shown in detail. In a photovoltaic cell, the thickness of each layer largely influence the performance of the solar cell and optimization of each layer constitutes a complete work. Here, using the Solar Cell Capacitance Simulation (SCAPS) software, we present simulation results obtained in the analyze of the influence of the TCO layer thickness on the performance of a CZTSSe solar cell, starting from performance of a CZTSSe solar cell commercialized in 2014 with an initial efficiency equal to 12.6%. In simulation, the temperature was considered as a functioning parameter and the evolution of tthe performance of the cell for various thickness of the TCO layer when the external temperature changes is simulated and discussed. The best efficiency of the solar cell based in CZTSSe is obtained with a ZnO thickness equal to 50 nm and low temperature. Based on the considered marketed cell, we show a technological possible increase of the global efficiency achieving 13% by optimization of ZnO based TCO layer.

  6. Improvement in high-voltage and high rate cycling performance of nickel-rich layered cathode materials via facile chemical vapor deposition with methane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hyuk Son, In; Park, Kwangjin; Hwan Park, Jong

    2017-01-01

    Nickel-rich layered-oxide materials are considered promising candidates for application as cathode material in high-energy lithium ion batteries. However, their cycling performance at high voltages and rate conditions require further improvement for the purpose of commercialization. Here, we report on the facile surface modification of nickel-rich layered oxide by chemical vapor deposition with methane which yields a conductive and protective artificial solid electrolyte interphase layer consisting of amorphous carbon, alkyl lithium carbonate, and lithium carbonate. We examine the mechanism of the protective layer formation and structural deformation of the nickel-rich layered oxide during chemical vapor deposition with methane. Via optimizing the reaction conditions, we improve the electrical conductivity as well as the interfacial stability of the nickel-rich layered oxide without inducing structural deformation. The surface-modified nickel-rich layered oxide exhibits an improved performance due to the resulting enhanced rate capability, high initial efficiency, and long cycle life at high voltage (>4.5 V).

  7. Age and gender differences in correlations of leisure-time, household, and work-related physical activity with physical performance in older Japanese adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsunoda, Kenji; Soma, Yuki; Kitano, Naruki; Tsuji, Taishi; Mitsuishi, Yasuhiro; Yoon, Ji-Yeong; Okura, Tomohiro

    2013-10-01

    This study aimed to compare relationships of leisure-time, household, and work-related physical activity (PA) with physical performance by age and gender in older Japanese adults. This cross-sectional study included 525 community-dwelling older adults (73.3 ± 5.2 years) recruited in 2009-2011 in Kasama City, rural Japan. We used the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly to assess PA variables. Physical performance was evaluated by 11 performance tests: grip strength, single-leg balance, functional reach, sit-and-reach, standing time from long sitting position, sit-to-stand, timed up and go, habitual walk, hand working, and simple and choice reaction times. After adjusting for potential confounders, leisure-time PA in young-old (≤ 74 years) men correlated significantly with eight performance tests (absolute value of Spearman's partial rank correlation coefficient: r = 0.18-0.39), whereas in old-old (≥ 75 years) men it correlated with three performance tests (r = 0.20-0.23). Although leisure-time PA correlated with six performance tests (r = 0.19-0.22) in young-old women, there were no significant correlations between leisure-time PA and performance tests in old-old women. Household PA of young-old men (r = 0.20-0.23) and old-old women (r = 0.26-0.34) correlated with four performance tests. In old-old men and young-old women, no significant correlation was found between household PA and performance tests. Work-related PA did not relate significantly to any performance tests in any groups. This study showed that leisure-time PA is related to physical performance, especially in young-old men and women, and household PA is especially related in young-old men and old-old women. Our findings suggest that supporting strategies for maintaining physical functions would differ by gender and age. © 2013 Japan Geriatrics Society.

  8. Effects of online games on student performance in undergraduate physics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadiq, Irfan

    The present state of physics teaching and learning is a reflection of the difficulty of the subject matter which has resulted in students' low motivation toward physics as well as lack of meaningful and deeper learning experiences. In light of an overall decline in interest in physics, an investigation of alternate teaching and learning methods and tools was appropriate. The research posed the following question: To what extent do online games about kinematics and two-dimensional motion impact student performance in undergraduate general physics as measured by a unit posttest? Two intact classes of 20 students each were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group. Only the experimental group received the treatment of using online games. The duration of topics covered in the game content was identical to the lecture on kinematics and two-dimensional motion. Instructors for the experimental group incorporated online games in their regular classroom teaching, whereas those in the control group continued with their previously used curriculum without games. This study was conducted in three weekly sessions. Although students were not selected using random sampling, existing classes were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group. There were 20 students in the experimental group and 20 students in the control group. The independent samples t test was conducted to compare the means of two independently sampled experimental and control groups. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to determine if the two groups were significantly different with regard to their general physics performance on the posttest while controlling for the pretest scores. Analysis of posttest and pretest scores revealed that game-based learning did not significantly impact student performance.

  9. Cross-Layer Adaptive Feedback Scheduling of Wireless Control Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Feng; Ma, Longhua; Peng, Chen; Sun, Youxian; Dong, Jinxiang

    2008-01-01

    There is a trend towards using wireless technologies in networked control systems. However, the adverse properties of the radio channels make it difficult to design and implement control systems in wireless environments. To attack the uncertainty in available communication resources in wireless control systems closed over WLAN, a cross-layer adaptive feedback scheduling (CLAFS) scheme is developed, which takes advantage of the co-design of control and wireless communications. By exploiting cross-layer design, CLAFS adjusts the sampling periods of control systems at the application layer based on information about deadline miss ratio and transmission rate from the physical layer. Within the framework of feedback scheduling, the control performance is maximized through controlling the deadline miss ratio. Key design parameters of the feedback scheduler are adapted to dynamic changes in the channel condition. An event-driven invocation mechanism for the feedback scheduler is also developed. Simulation results show that the proposed approach is efficient in dealing with channel capacity variations and noise interference, thus providing an enabling technology for control over WLAN. PMID:27879934

  10. A New, Two-layer Canopy Module For The Detailed Snow Model SNOWPACK

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gouttevin, I.; Lehning, M.; Jonas, T.; Gustafsson, D.; Mölder, M.

    2014-12-01

    A new, two-layer canopy module with thermal inertia for the detailed snow model SNOWPACK is presented. Compared to the old, one-layered canopy formulation with no heat mass, this module now offers a level of physical detail consistent with the detailed snow and soil representation in SNOWPACK. The new canopy model is designed to reproduce the difference in thermal regimes between leafy and woody canopy elements and their impact on the underlying snowpack energy balance. The new model is validated against data from an Alpine and a boreal site. Comparisons of modelled sub-canopy thermal radiations to stand-scale observations at Alptal, Switzerland, demonstrate the improvements induced by our new parameterizations. The main effect is a more realistic simulation of the canopy night-time drop in temperatures. The lower drop is induced by both thermal inertia and the two-layer representation. A specific result is that such a performance cannot be achieved by a single-layered canopy model. The impact of the new parameterizations on the modelled dynamics of the sub-canopy snowpack is analysed and yields consistent results, but the frequent occurrence of mixed-precipitation events at Alptal prevents a conclusive assessment of model performances against snow data.Without specific tuning, the model is also able to reproduce the measured summertime tree trunk temperatures and biomass heat storage at the boreal site of Norunda, Sweden, with an increased accuracy in amplitude and phase. Overall, the SNOWPACK model with its enhanced canopy module constitutes a unique (in its physical process representation) atmosphere-to-soil-through-canopy-and-snow modelling chain.

  11. Physical and Motor Performance Predictors of Lower Body ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The aim of this study was to develop a lower body explosive power (LBEP) prediction model from various physical and motor performance components among a cohort of male and female adolescents living in the Tlokwe local municipality of the North-West Province. A cross-sectional experimental research design was ...

  12. High performance CaS solar-blind ultraviolet photodiodes fabricated by seed-layer-assisted growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He, Qing Lin; Lai, Ying Hoi; Sou, Iam Keong; Liu, Yi; Beltjens, Emeline; Qi, Jie

    2015-01-01

    CaS, with a direct bandgap of 5.38 eV, is expected to be a strong candidate as the active-layer of high performance solar-blind UV photodiodes that have important applications in both civilian and military sectors. Here, we report that a seed-layer-assisted growth approach via molecular beam epitaxy can result in high crystalline quality rocksalt CaS thin films on zincblende GaAs substrates. The Au/CaS/GaAs solar-blind photodiodes demonstrated , more than five orders in its visible rejection power, a photoresponse of 36.8 mA/w at zero bias and a corresponding quantum efficiency as high as 19% at 235 nm

  13. An evaluation of the performance of a WRF multi-physics ensemble for heatwave events over the city of Melbourne in southeast Australia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imran, H. M.; Kala, J.; Ng, A. W. M.; Muthukumaran, S.

    2018-04-01

    Appropriate choice of physics options among many physics parameterizations is important when using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The responses of different physics parameterizations of the WRF model may vary due to geographical locations, the application of interest, and the temporal and spatial scales being investigated. Several studies have evaluated the performance of the WRF model in simulating the mean climate and extreme rainfall events for various regions in Australia. However, no study has explicitly evaluated the sensitivity of the WRF model in simulating heatwaves. Therefore, this study evaluates the performance of a WRF multi-physics ensemble that comprises 27 model configurations for a series of heatwave events in Melbourne, Australia. Unlike most previous studies, we not only evaluate temperature, but also wind speed and relative humidity, which are key factors influencing heatwave dynamics. No specific ensemble member for all events explicitly showed the best performance, for all the variables, considering all evaluation metrics. This study also found that the choice of planetary boundary layer (PBL) scheme had largest influence, the radiation scheme had moderate influence, and the microphysics scheme had the least influence on temperature simulations. The PBL and microphysics schemes were found to be more sensitive than the radiation scheme for wind speed and relative humidity. Additionally, the study tested the role of Urban Canopy Model (UCM) and three Land Surface Models (LSMs). Although the UCM did not play significant role, the Noah-LSM showed better performance than the CLM4 and NOAH-MP LSMs in simulating the heatwave events. The study finally identifies an optimal configuration of WRF that will be a useful modelling tool for further investigations of heatwaves in Melbourne. Although our results are invariably region-specific, our results will be useful to WRF users investigating heatwave dynamics elsewhere.

  14. Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Academic Performance: Cross-Lagged Associations from Adolescence to Young Adulthood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aaltonen, Sari; Latvala, Antti; Rose, Richard J; Kujala, Urho M; Kaprio, Jaakko; Silventoinen, Karri

    2016-12-15

    Physical activity and academic performance are positively associated, but the direction of the association is poorly understood. This longitudinal study examined the direction and magnitude of the associations between leisure-time physical activity and academic performance throughout adolescence and young adulthood. The participants were Finnish twins (from 2,859 to 4,190 individuals/study wave) and their families. In a cross-lagged path model, higher academic performance at ages 12, 14 and 17 predicted higher leisure-time physical activity at subsequent time-points (standardized path coefficient at age 14: 0.07 (p academic performance. A cross-lagged model of co-twin differences suggested that academic performance and subsequent physical activity were not associated due to the environmental factors shared by co-twins. Our findings suggest that better academic performance in adolescence modestly predicts more frequent leisure-time physical activity in late adolescence and young adulthood.

  15. Puff pastry with low saturated fat contents: The role of fat and dough physical interactions in the development of a layered structure

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Renzetti, S.; Harder, R. de; Jurgens, A.

    2015-01-01

    In puff pastry, fat and dough rheological behavior during sheeting control pastry dough development by formation of the layered structure which is essential for product quality. The aim of this work was to unravel the influence of fat and dough physical interactions during sheeting, as affected by

  16. On the Role of Physical Interaction on Performance of Object Manipulation by Dyads

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keivan Mojtahedi

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Human physical interactions can be intrapersonal, e.g., manipulating an object bimanually, or interpersonal, e.g., transporting an object with another person. In both cases, one or two agents are required to coordinate their limbs to attain the task goal. We investigated the physical coordination of two hands during an object-balancing task performed either bimanually by one agent or jointly by two agents. The task consisted of a series of static (holding and dynamic (moving phases, initiated by auditory cues. We found that task performance of dyads was not affected by different pairings of dominant and non-dominant hands. However, the spatial configuration of the two agents (side-by-side vs. face-to-face appears to play an important role, such that dyads performed better side-by-side than face-to-face. Furthermore, we demonstrated that only individuals with worse solo performance can benefit from interpersonal coordination through physical couplings, whereas the better individuals do not. The present work extends ongoing investigations on human-human physical interactions by providing new insights about factors that influence dyadic performance. Our findings could potentially impact several areas, including robotic-assisted therapies, sensorimotor learning and human performance augmentation.

  17. ALGORITHMS FOR OPTIMIZATION OF SYSYTEM PERFORMANCE IN LAYERED DETECTION SYSTEMS UNDER DETECTOR COORELATION

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wood, Thomas W.; Heasler, Patrick G.; Daly, Don S.

    2010-01-01

    Almost all of the 'architectures' for radiation detection systems in Department of Energy (DOE) and other USG programs rely on some version of layered detector deployment. Efficacy analyses of layered (or more generally extended) detection systems in many contexts often assume statistical independence among detection events and thus predict monotonically increasing system performance with the addition of detection layers. We show this to be a false conclusion for the ROC curves typical of most current technology gamma detectors, and more generally show that statistical independence is often an unwarranted assumption for systems in which there is ambiguity about the objects to be detected. In such systems, a model of correlation among detection events allows optimization of system algorithms for interpretation of detector signals. These algorithms are framed as optimal discriminant functions in joint signal space, and may be applied to gross counting or spectroscopic detector systems. We have shown how system algorithms derived from this model dramatically improve detection probabilities compared to the standard serial detection operating paradigm for these systems. These results would not surprise anyone who has confronted the problem of correlated errors (or failure rates) in the analogous contexts, but is seems to be largely underappreciated among those analyzing the radiation detection problem - independence is widely assumed and experimental studies typical fail to measure correlation. This situation, if not rectified, will lead to several unfortunate results. Including overconfidence in system efficacy, overinvestment in layers of similar technology, and underinvestment in diversity among detection assets.

  18. Deconsolidation and combustion performance of thermally consolidated propellants deterred by multi-layers coating

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zheng-gang Xiao

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Both heating and solvent-spray methods are used to consolidate the standard grains of double-base oblate sphere propellants plasticized with triethyleneglycol dinitrate (TEGDN (TEGDN propellants to high density propellants. The obtained consolidated propellants are deterred and coated with the slow burning multi-layer coating. The maximum compaction density of deterred and coated consolidated propellants can reach up to 1.39 g/cm3. Their mechanic, deconsolidation and combustion performances are tested by the materials test machine, interrupted burning set-up and closed vessel, respectively. The static compression strength of consolidated propellants deterred by multi-layer coating increases significantly to 18 MPa, indicating that they can be applied in most circumstances of charge service. And the samples are easy to deconsolidate in the interrupted burning test. Furthermore, the closed bomb burning curves of the samples indicate a two-stage combustion phenomenon under the condition of certain thickness of coated multi-layers. After the outer deterred multi-layer coating of consolidated samples is finished burning, the inner consolidated propellants continue to burn and breakup into aggregates and grains. The high burning progressivity can be carefully obtained by the smart control of deconsolidation process and duration of consolidated propellants. The preliminary results of consolidated propellants show that a rapid deconsolidation process at higher deconsolidation pressure is presented in the dynamic vivacity curves of closed bomb test. Higher density and higher macro progressivity of consolidated propellants can be obtained by the techniques in this paper.

  19. Validity of the German Version of the Continuous-Scale Physical Functional Performance 10 Test

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irene Härdi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. The Continuous-Scale Physical Functional Performance 10 Test (CS-PFP 10 quantitatively assesses physical functional performance in older adults who have a broad range of physical functional ability. This study assessed the validity and reliability of the CS-PFP 10 German version. Methods. Forward-translations and backtranslations as well as cultural adaptions of the test were conducted. Participants were German-speaking Swiss community-dwelling adults aged 64 and older. Concurrent validity was assessed using Pearson correlation coefficients between CS-PFP 10 and gait velocity, Timed Up and Go Test, hand grip strength, SF-36 physical function domain, and Freiburger Physical Activity Questionnaire. Internal consistency was calculated by Cronbach’s alpha. Results. Backtranslation and cultural adaptions were accepted by the CS-PFP 10 developer. CS-PFP 10 total score and subscores (upper body strength, upper body flexibility, lower body strength, balance and coordination, and endurance correlated significantly with all measures of physical function tested. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach’s alpha 0.95–0.98. Conclusion. The CS-PFP 10 German version is valid and reliable for measuring physical functional performance in German-speaking Swiss community-dwelling older adults. Quantifying physical function is essential for clinical practice and research and provides meaningful insight into physical functional performance of older adults. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01539200.

  20. Asymmetrically interacting spreading dynamics on complex layered networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wei; Tang, Ming; Yang, Hui; Younghae Do; Lai, Ying-Cheng; Lee, GyuWon

    2014-05-29

    The spread of disease through a physical-contact network and the spread of information about the disease on a communication network are two intimately related dynamical processes. We investigate the asymmetrical interplay between the two types of spreading dynamics, each occurring on its own layer, by focusing on the two fundamental quantities underlying any spreading process: epidemic threshold and the final infection ratio. We find that an epidemic outbreak on the contact layer can induce an outbreak on the communication layer, and information spreading can effectively raise the epidemic threshold. When structural correlation exists between the two layers, the information threshold remains unchanged but the epidemic threshold can be enhanced, making the contact layer more resilient to epidemic outbreak. We develop a physical theory to understand the intricate interplay between the two types of spreading dynamics.

  1. Solvothermal synthesis of Li–Al layered double hydroxides and their electrochemical performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, Jinbo; Gao, Zan; Song, Yanchao; Yang, Wanlu; Wang, Jun; Li, Zhanshuang; Mann, Tom; Zhang, Milin; Liu, Lianhe

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, for the first time, Li/Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were synthesized by a facile and environment-friendly solvothermal approach. X-ray diffraction patterns show that the as-prepared products belong to the hexagonal phase. Well-defined LDHs particles with spiral-shape (1–2 μm), hexagonal (2–3 μm) and petal-like structures (10–15 μm) have been successfully fabricated by adjusting the content of water/ethanol in the synthesis process. A possible growth mechanism was proposed for the formation of these structures. Their electrochemical performances were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The hexagonal Li/Al LDHs calcined at 450 °C exhibit the specific capacitance of 848 F g −1 at a current density of 1.25 A g −1 . The high specific capacitance and remarkable rate capacity of Li/Al LDHs are promising for applications in capacitors and low-cost aqueous lithium ion batteries. - Graphical abstract: Hexagonal Li/Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with high specific surface area and remarkable rate capacity via a facile and environmentally friendly solvothermal approach. Highlights: ► Li/Al LDHs with different morphologies were fabricated by a solvothermal method. ► Hexagonal Li/Al LDHs display better electrochemical performance. ► A possible growth mechanism to explain the different morphology is proposed

  2. Cost and performance analysis of physical protection systems - a case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hicks, M.J.; Snell, M.S.; Sandoval, J.S.; Potter, C.S.

    1998-01-01

    Design and analysis of physical protection systems requires (1) identification of mission critical assets; (2) identification of potential threats that might undermine mission capability; (3) identification of the consequences of loss of mission-critical assets (e.g., time and cost to recover required capability and impact on operational readiness); and (4) analysis of the effectiveness of physical protection elements. CPA -- Cost and Performance Analysis -- addresses the fourth of these four issues. CPA is a methodology that joins Activity Based Cost estimation with performance-based analysis of physical protection systems. CPA offers system managers an approach that supports both tactical decision making and strategic planning. Current exploratory applications of the CPA methodology address analysis of alternative conceptual designs. Hypothetical data is used to illustrate this process

  3. Structure and photocatalytic performance of layered HNbWO6 nanosheet aggregation

    KAUST Repository

    Hu, Li-Fang

    2015-12-10

    Layered HNbWO6HNbWO6 nanosheet aggregation (e-HNbWO6e-HNbWO6) has been assembled by HNbWO6HNbWO6 nanosheet via an exfoliation-restaking route. The as-prepared samples are characterized by means of powder x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, laser Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and N2N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. The photocatalytic performances of the as-prepared samples are evaluated by degradation of methylene blue (MB). The results revealed that e-HNbWO6e-HNbWO6 has a specific surface area of about 156.5  m2 g−1156.5  m2 g−1, and exhibits a relatively excellent photocatalytic performance for degradation of MB under UV light.

  4. Structure and photocatalytic performance of layered HNbWO6 nanosheet aggregation

    KAUST Repository

    Hu, Li-Fang; Li, Rui; He, Jie; Da, Liang-guo; Lv, Wei; Hu, Jin-song

    2015-01-01

    Layered HNbWO6HNbWO6 nanosheet aggregation (e-HNbWO6e-HNbWO6) has been assembled by HNbWO6HNbWO6 nanosheet via an exfoliation-restaking route. The as-prepared samples are characterized by means of powder x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, laser Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and N2N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. The photocatalytic performances of the as-prepared samples are evaluated by degradation of methylene blue (MB). The results revealed that e-HNbWO6e-HNbWO6 has a specific surface area of about 156.5  m2 g−1156.5  m2 g−1, and exhibits a relatively excellent photocatalytic performance for degradation of MB under UV light.

  5. Turmeric root and annato seed in second-cycle layer diets: performance and egg quality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C Laganá

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of annato (Bixa orellana L. and turmeric (Turmeric longa L. in layer feeds on live performance, egg quality, and yolk pigmentation and depigmentation time. A number of 144 layers were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design, with four treatments with six replicates of six birds each. In the basal diet, sorghum replaced 50% of corn, and was supplemented or not with natural pigments to composse the following treatments: Control (0% pigments, AS (2.0% annato, TR (2% turmeric and ASTR (1% annato and 1% turmeric. Egg weight (g, egg production (%, egg mass (%, feed intake (g, feed conversion ratio (kg/dz and kg/kg and mortality were evaluated. The following egg quality parameters were evaluated: specific gravity (SG; yolk, albumen, and eggshell percentages, and yolk color. The treatments did not influence layer performance or egg quality parameters, except for egg production and yolk color. The dietary inclusion of 1% turmeric root and 1% annato seed promoted higher egg production. Diets containing annato resulted in more saturated, more intense, and redder yolk color, with increasing pigment deposition after day 10, with maximum values obtained on day 28. Dried turmeric root did not promote good yolk pigmentation, resulting in higher presence of white in the yolk, which was stabilized on day 4. Three days after pigments were withdrawn from the feeds, yolk color faded in the treatments with annato inclusion.

  6. Short communication: final year students' deficits in physical examination skills performance in Germany.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krautter, Markus; Diefenbacher, Katja; Koehl-Hackert, Nadja; Buss, Beate; Nagelmann, Lars; Herzog, Wolfgang; Jünger, Jana; Nikendei, Christoph

    2015-01-01

    The physical examination of patients is an important diagnostic competence, but little is known about the examination skills of final-year medical students. To investigate physical examination skills of final-year medical students. In a cross-sectional study, 40 final-year students were asked to perform a detailed physical examination on standardized patients. Their performances were video-recorded and rated by independent video assessors. Video ratings showed a mean success rate of 40.1 % (SD 8.2). As regards accompanying doctor-patient communication, final-year students achieved a mean of no more than 36.7 % (SD 8.9) in the appropriate use of the corresponding communication items. Our study revealed severe deficits among final-year medical students in performing a detailed physical examination on a standardized patient. Thus, physical examination skills training should aim to improve these deficits while also paying attention to communicative aspects. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

  7. Dimensions of physical punishment and their associations with children's cognitive performance and school adjustment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Font, Sarah A; Cage, Jamie

    2018-01-01

    This study examined how a range of physical punishment measures, ranging from mild corporal punishment to physical abuse, are associated with cognitive performance, school engagement, and peer isolation over a 3- year span among 658 children initially observed between the ages of 8 and 14. Physical punishment was captured in three groups: mild corporal punishment, harsh corporal punishment, and physical abuse, and both caregiver- and child-reported punishment measures were considered. After accounting for socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, only Ninitial exposure to physical abuse was significantly associated with declines in cognitive performance. However, all forms of physical punishment were associated with declines in school engagement, and harsh corporal punishment was associated with increased peer isolation. Our findings were relatively consistent regardless of whether physical punishment was reported by the child or caregiver. Overall, our findings suggest that the prevention of physical abuse may enhance children's cognitive performance, but that alone may not be sufficient to ensure children are engaged and well-adjusted in school. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Annual and semiannual variations in the ionospheric F2-layer: II. Physical discussion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Rishbeth

    Full Text Available The companion paper by Zou et al. shows that the annual and semiannual variations in the peak F2-layer electron density (NmF2 at midlatitudes can be reproduced by a coupled thermosphere-ionosphere computational model (CTIP, without recourse to external influences such as the solar wind, or waves and tides originating in the lower atmosphere. The present work discusses the physics in greater detail. It shows that noon NmF2 is closely related to the ambient atomic/molecular concentration ratio, and suggests that the variations of NmF2 with geographic and magnetic longitude are largely due to the geometry of the auroral ovals. It also concludes that electric fields play no important part in the dynamics of the midlatitude thermosphere. Our modelling leads to the following picture of the global three-dimensional thermospheric circulation which, as envisaged by Duncan, is the key to explaining the F2-layer variations. At solstice, the almost continuous solar input at high summer latitudes drives a prevailing summer-to-winter wind, with upwelling at low latitudes and throughout most of the summer hemisphere, and a zone of downwelling in the winter hemisphere, just equatorward of the auroral oval. These motions affect thermospheric composition more than do the alternating day/night (up-and-down motions at equinox. As a result, the thermosphere as a whole is more molecular at solstice than at equinox. Taken in conjunction with the well-known relation of F2-layer electron density to the atomic/molecular ratio in the neutral air, this explains the F2-layer semiannual effect in NmF2 that prevails at low and middle latitudes. At higher midlatitudes, the seasonal behaviour depends on the geographic latitude of the winter downwelling zone, though the effect of the composition changes is modified by the large solar zenith angle at midwinter. The zenith angle effect is especially important in longitudes far from the magnetic

  9. Mesoderm layer formation in Xenopus and Drosophila gastrulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Winklbauer, Rudolf; Müller, H-Arno J

    2011-01-01

    During gastrulation, the mesoderm spreads out between ectoderm and endoderm to form a mesenchymal cell layer. Surprisingly the underlying principles of mesoderm layer formation are very similar in evolutionarily distant species like the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, and the frog, Xenopus laevis, in which the molecular and the cellular basis of mesoderm layer formation have been extensively studied. Complementary expression of growth factors in the ectoderm and their receptors in the mesoderm act to orient cellular protrusive activities and direct cell movement, leading to radial cell intercalation and the spreading of the mesoderm layer. This mechanism is contrasted with generic physical mechanisms of tissue spreading that consider the adhesive and physical properties of the cells and tissues. Both mechanisms need to be integrated to orchestrate mesenchymal morphogenesis

  10. Cardiorespiratory performance and physical activity in normal weight and overweight Finnish adolescents from 2003 to 2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palomäki, Sanna; Heikinaro-Johansson, Pilvikki; Huotari, Pertti

    2015-01-01

    We investigated changes in cardiorespiratory performance, BMI and leisure-time physical activity among Finnish adolescents from 2003 to 2010. In addition, we compared cardiorespiratory performance levels between normal weight and overweight adolescents, grouped according to their physical activity. Participants were a national representative samples of 15-16-year-old adolescents in their final (ninth) year of comprehensive school in 2003 (n = 2258) and in 2010 (n = 1301). They performed an endurance shuttle run test and reported their height and weight and leisure time physical activity on a questionnaire. Results showed no significant secular changes in cardiorespiratory performance from 2003 to 2010. The mean BMI increased in boys. Leisure-time physical activity increased among normal weight girls. Adolescents of normal weight had better cardiorespiratory performance than those classified as overweight at both assessment points. BMI-adjusted physical activity was a significant determinant for cardiorespiratory performance among overweight adolescents, and very active overweight adolescents had similar cardiorespiratory performance levels as moderately active adolescents of normal weight. The results of the present study support the idea that the physical activity has the great importance for the cardiorespiratory performance in adolescents. Overweight adolescents, in particular, benefit from higher levels of physical activity.

  11. Tests and Analysis of the Compressive Performance of an Integrated Masonry Structure of a Brick-Stem-Insulating Layer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suizi Jia

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes, for low buildings, an integrated wall structure of a brick-stem-insulating layer, which plays a major part in both heat preservation and force bearing. The research team has tested the thermal performance of the structure, the results of which are satisfying. To further study the force-bearing performance, the paper carries out compressive tests of specimens of different structural design, with two types of bricks, i.e., clay and recycled concrete bricks; three types of stems, i.e., square-shaped wood, square-shaped steel pipe and circular steel pipe; and one type of insulating layer, i.e., fly ash masonry blocks. Afterward, the force bearing performance, damage that occurred, compressive deformation and ductility of all of the specimens are compared. On the sideline, the structure is applied in the construction of a pilot residence project, yielding favorable outcomes. The results indicate that in comparison with a brick wall with an insulating layer sandwiched in between, the integrated wall structure of bricks and fly ash blocks is a more preferable choice in terms of compressive performance and ductility. The integrated wall structure of brick-stem-fly ash blocks delivers much better performance to this end. Note that regarding the stem’s contribution to compressive strength, circular steel pipe is highest, followed by square-shaped steel pipe and then square-shaped wood. The compressive performance of the sandwiched blocks surpasses that of the two brick wall pieces combined by a large margin.

  12. Phytochemical analysis of ethanolic extract of Dichrostachys Cinerea W and Arn leaves by a thin layer chromatography, high performance thin layer chromatography and column chromatography

    OpenAIRE

    M Vijayalakshmi; K Periyanayagam; K Kavitha; K Akilandeshwari

    2013-01-01

    Background: The leaves of Dichrostachys cinerea are used as laxative, diuretic, painkiller. It is also used in the treatment of gonorrhoea, boils, oedema, gout, veneral diseases and nasopharyngeal affections, etc. Materials and Methods: The Phytochemical investigation of ethanolic extract of D. cinerea leaves were performed by standard chemical tests, thin layer chromatography (TLC) by using various solvent systems, and by high performance liquid chromatography (HPTLC). Two compounds were...

  13. Electrochemical performance of Sn-Sb-Cu film anodes prepared by layer-by-layer electrodeposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang Qianlei; Xue Ruisheng; Jia Mengqiu

    2012-01-01

    A novel layer-by-layer electrodeposition and heat-treatment approach was attempted to obtain Sn-Sb-Cu film anode for lithium ion batteries. The preparation of Sn-Sb-Cu anodes started with galvanostatic electrochemically depositing antimony and tin sequentially on the substrate of copper foil collector. Sn-Sb and Cu-Sb alloys were formed when heated. The SEM analysis showed that the crystalline grains become bigger and the surface of the Sn-Sb-Cu anode becomes more denser after annealing. The energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed the antimony, tin and copper were alloyed to form SnSb and Cu 2 Sb after heat treatment. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis showed the surface of the Sn-Sb-Cu electrode was covered by a thin oxide layer. Electrochemical measurements showed that the annealed Sn-Sb-Cu anode has high reversible capacity and good capacity retention. It exhibited a reversible capacity of about 962 mAh/g in the initial cycle, which still remained 715 mAh/g after 30 cycles.

  14. Effect of Single or Combined Climatic and Hygienic Stress in Four Layer Lines: 1. Performance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Star, L.; Kemp, B.; Anker, van den I.; Parmentier, H.K.

    2008-01-01

    Effects of long-term climatic stress (heat exposure), short-term hygienic stress [lipopolysaccharide (LPS)], or a combination of both challenges on performance of 4 layer lines were investigated. The lines were earlier characterized by natural humoral immune competence and survival rate. At 22 wk of

  15. Double-layered buffer to enhance the thermal performance in a high-level radioactive waste disposal system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Heui-Joo; Choi, Jongwon

    2008-01-01

    A thermal performance is one of the most important factors in the design of a geological disposal system for high-level radioactive wastes. According to the conceptual design of the Korean Reference disposal System, the maximum temperature of its buffer with a domestic Ca-bentonite is close to the thermal criterion, 100 deg. C. In order to improve the thermal conductivity of its buffer, several kinds of additives are compared. Among the additives, graphite shows the best result in that the thermal conductivity of the bentonite block is more than 2.0 W/m deg. C. We introduced the concept of a double-layered buffer instead of a traditional bentonite block in order to use the applied additive more effectively. The thermal analysis, based upon the three-dimensional finite element method, shows that a double-layered buffer could reduce the maximum temperature on a canister's surface by 7 deg. C under identical conditions when compared with a single-layered buffer. An analytical solution was derived to efficiently analyze the effects of a double-layered buffer. The illustrative cases show that the temperature differences due to a double-layered buffer depend on the thickness of the buffer

  16. Initial condition effects on large scale structure in numerical simulations of plane mixing layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    McMullan, W. A.; Garrett, S. J.

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, Large Eddy Simulations are performed on the spatially developing plane turbulent mixing layer. The simulated mixing layers originate from initially laminar conditions. The focus of this research is on the effect of the nature of the imposed fluctuations on the large-scale spanwise and streamwise structures in the flow. Two simulations are performed; one with low-level three-dimensional inflow fluctuations obtained from pseudo-random numbers, the other with physically correlated fluctuations of the same magnitude obtained from an inflow generation technique. Where white-noise fluctuations provide the inflow disturbances, no spatially stationary streamwise vortex structure is observed, and the large-scale spanwise turbulent vortical structures grow continuously and linearly. These structures are observed to have a three-dimensional internal geometry with branches and dislocations. Where physically correlated provide the inflow disturbances a "streaky" streamwise structure that is spatially stationary is observed, with the large-scale turbulent vortical structures growing with the square-root of time. These large-scale structures are quasi-two-dimensional, on top of which the secondary structure rides. The simulation results are discussed in the context of the varying interpretations of mixing layer growth that have been postulated. Recommendations are made concerning the data required from experiments in order to produce accurate numerical simulation recreations of real flows.

  17. Association between health-related physical fitness and academic performance in adolescents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fábio Jorge Santos de Castro

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1980-0037.2016v18n4p441   This study aimed to verify the association between health-related physical fitness and academic performance in adolescents. Overall, 326 students aged 15-18 years of the Federal Institute of Sergipe (IFS participated in this cross-sectional study. Data relating to physical fitness were collected by applying the following tests: body mass index, sit and reach, abdominal in one minute and one mile running, which comprise the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance testing battery. Academic performance was measured by the grades of two-month period in the disciplines that comprise the following areas of knowledge: languages and codes, natural sciences and humanities, obtained from the IFS school record. Students with average grades ≥ 6.0 were considered on satisfactory academic performance. The prevalence of physical unfitness in the sample was 15.8% (girls 15.4%; boys 16.4% in body composition, 32.3% (girls 23.1%; boys 41.5% in flexibility, 93.0% (95.8% girls; 90.2% boys in muscular strength and 86.9% (85.3% girls; 88.5% boys in cardiorespiratory endurance. On academic performance, the prevalence of adolescents below the average grade was 8.8% (girls 5.6%; boys 12.0% in languages and codes, 24.5% (girls 19.5%; boys 29.5% in natural sciences and 12.8% (girls 11.9%; boys 13.7% in humanities. Adolescents with low cardiorespiratory endurance levels were more likely to have worse academic performance (OR=2.39; CI95%=1.05 to 5.44. It was concluded that low cardiorespiratory endurance levels were associated with worse academic performance.

  18. Using physical models to study the gliding performance of extinct animals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koehl, M A R; Evangelista, Dennis; Yang, Karen

    2011-12-01

    Aerodynamic studies using physical models of fossil organisms can provide quantitative information about how performance of defined activities, such as gliding, depends on specific morphological features. Such analyses allow us to rule out hypotheses about the function of extinct organisms that are not physically plausible and to determine if and how specific morphological features and postures affect performance. The purpose of this article is to provide a practical guide for the design of dynamically scaled physical models to study the gliding of extinct animals using examples from our research on the theropod dinosaur, †Microraptor gui, which had flight feathers on its hind limbs as well as on its forelimbs. Analysis of the aerodynamics of †M. gui can shed light on the design of gliders with large surfaces posterior to the center of mass and provide functional information to evolutionary biologists trying to unravel the origins of flight in the dinosaurian ancestors and sister groups to birds. Measurements of lift, drag, side force, and moments in pitch, roll, and yaw on models in a wind tunnel can be used to calculate indices of gliding and parachuting performance, aerodynamic static stability, and control effectiveness in maneuvering. These indices permit the aerodynamic performance of bodies of different shape, size, stiffness, texture, and posture to be compared and thus can provide insights about the design of gliders, both biological and man-made. Our measurements of maximum lift-to-drag ratios of 2.5-3.1 for physical models of †M. gui suggest that its gliding performance was similar to that of flying squirrels and that the various leg postures that might have been used by †M. gui make little difference to that aspect of aerodynamic performance. We found that body orientation relative to the movement of air past the animal determines whether it is difficult or easy to maneuver.

  19. Reference values for physical performance measures in the aging working population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cote, Mark P; Kenny, Anne; Dussetschleger, Jeffrey; Farr, Dana; Chaurasia, Ashok; Cherniack, Martin

    2014-02-01

    The aim of this study was to determine reference physical performance values in older aging workers. Cross-sectional physical performance measures were collected for 736 manufacturing workers to assess effects of work and nonwork factors on age-related changes in musculoskeletal function and health. Participants underwent surveys and physical testing that included bioelectrical impedance analysis, range-of-motion measures, exercise testing, and dynamic assessment. Physical characteristics, such as blood pressure and body fat percentage, were comparable to published values. Dynamic and range-of-motion measurements differed from published normative results. Women had age-related decreases in cervical extension and lateral rotation. Older men had better spinal flexion than expected. Predicted age-related decline in lower-extremity strength and shoulder strength in women was not seen. Men declined in handgrip, lower-extremity strength, and knee extension strength, but not trunk strength, across age groups. There was no appreciable decline in muscle fatigue at the trunk, shoulder, and knee with aging for either gender, except for the youngest age group of women. Normative values may underestimate physical performance in "healthy" older workers, thereby underappreciating declines in less healthy older workers. Work may be preservative of function for a large group of selected individuals. A "healthy worker effect" may be greater for musculoskeletal disease and function than for heart disease and mortality. Clinicians and researchers studying musculoskeletal function in older workers can use a more specific set of reference values.

  20. Turbomachinery Flow Physics and Dynamic Performance

    CERN Document Server

    Schobeiri, Meinhard T

    2012-01-01

    With this second revised and extended edition, the readers have a solid source of information for designing state-of-the art turbomachinery components and systems at hand.   Based on fundamental principles of turbomachinery thermo-fluid mechanics, numerous CFD based calculation methods are being developed to simulate the complex 3-dimensional, highly unsteady turbulent flow within turbine or compressor stages. The objective of this book is to present the fundamental principles of turbomachinery fluid-thermodynamic design process of turbine and compressor components, power generation and aircraft gas turbines in a unified and compact manner. The book provides senior undergraduate students, graduate students and engineers in the turbomachinery industry with a solid background of turbomachinery flow physics and performance fundamentals that are essential for understanding turbomachinery performance and flow complexes.   While maintaining the unifying character of the book structure in this second revised and e...

  1. INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF VISUAL AND AUDITORY INTERVENTION ON PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE AND PERCEIVED EFFORT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ju-Han Lin

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using different types of media on physical performance and perceived exertion. This study was divided into two parts. In Part 1, we examined the effects of different combination of audio and video interventions on physical performance and rating of perceived effort (RPE. We recruited 20 collegiate students who performed a 12-minute cycling task (where they were asked to bike as hard as possible under 4 conditions (music, video, music and video, and control in a randomized order. Results indicated participants in the 2 media groups (music & audio reported a significantly lower score for RPE. In addition, there was also an effect of media type where participants in music condition perceived less effort on the cycling task compared to the video condition. Part 2 examined how music preference influenced physical performance, but used a running task (where they were asked to run as hard as possible, and by recruiting a much larger sample. Seventy-five students were assigned into 5 groups (high preference and high motivation, high preference and low motivation, low preference and low motivation, low preference and high motivation, and control based on responses on the Brunel Music Rating Inventory (BMRI. Results showed that music preference, but not its motivational quality, had a significant effect on physical performance. Overall, these results show that listening to music, and in particular preferred music increases physical performance and reduces perceived effort.

  2. Effects of the thickness of NiO hole transport layer on the performance of all-inorganic quantum dot light emitting diode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Xiao Li; Dai, Hai Tao; Zhao, Jun Liang; Li, Chen; Wang, Shu Guo; Sun, Xiao Wei

    2014-01-01

    All-inorganic quantum dot light emitting diodes (QLEDs) have recently gained great attention owing to their high stability under oxygenic, humid environment and higher operating currents. In this work, we fabricated all-inorganic CdSe/ZnS core-shell QLEDs composed of ITO/NiO/QDs/ZnO/Al, in which NiO and ZnO thin film deposited via all-solution method were employed as hole and electron transport layer, respectively. To achieve high light emitting efficiency, the balance transport between electrons and holes play a key role. In this work, the effects of the thickness of NiO film on the performance of QLEDs were explored experimentally in details. NiO layers with various thicknesses were prepared with different rotation speeds. Experimental results showed that thinner NiO layer deposited at higher rotation speed had higher transmittance and larger band gap. Four typical NiO thickness based QLEDs were fabricated to optimize the hole transport layer. Thinner NiO layer based device performs bright emission with high current injection, which is ascribed to the reduced barrier height between hole transport layer and quantum dot. - Highlights: • All-inorganic quantum dot light emitting diodes (QLEDs) were fabricated. • Thinner NiO film can effectively enhance on–off properties of devices. • Improved performance of QLEDs is mainly attributed to energy barrier reduction

  3. Physical Activity and School Performance: Evidence from a Danish Randomised School-Intervention Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quinto Romani, A.; Klausen, T. B.

    2017-01-01

    It has been claimed that physical activity has a positive effect on not only health but also on school performance. Using data from a randomised school-intervention study, this paper investigates whether different interventions promoting physical activity affect school performance in primary school children. The results indicate that on average,…

  4. Cross layers security approach via an implementation of data privacy and by authentication mechanism for mobile WSNs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Imen Bouabidi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available To implement a new secure network with high mobility and low energy consumption, we use smart sensors. These sensors are powered by micro batteries generally non rechargeable. So, to extend their lifetime, it is necessary to implement new energy conservation techniques. Existing works separate the two features (security, energy conservation and are interested specifically in only one layer. Consequently, the originality of this work consists to combine together the two features using a crossing between three layers: physical layer, data link layer and network layer. Our proposition consists firstly in developing a new network deployment in hierarchical areas. This model takes place at the network layer. Secondly, implementing an energy efficient and secure MAC protocol providing a secure authentication, data privacy and integrity in a mobile WSN. Finally, implementing an intrusion detection system protecting the physical layer from malware and viruses that threaten it. We have been used OMNet++ for simulation .Our proposed protocol SXMachiavel offered the best performances and more reliability at the mobility rate (can reach 99% compared with XMachiavel, which doesn’t exceed 35%, loss packets rate (0.05% for a small network size and energy consumption (decreases by 0.01% for each exchanged packet.

  5. Characterization of plasma nitrided layers produced on sintered iron

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcos Alves Fontes

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Plasma nitriding is a thermo-physical-chemical treatment process, which promotes surface hardening, caused by interstitial diffusion of atomic nitrogen into metallic alloys. In this work, this process was employed in the surface modification of a sintered ferrous alloy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD analyses, and wear and microhardness tests were performed on the samples submitted to ferrox treatment and plasma nitriding carried out under different conditions of time and temperature. The results showed that the nitride layer thickness is higher for all nitrided samples than for ferrox treated samples, and this layer thickness increases with nitriding time and temperature, and temperature is a more significant variable. The XRD analysis showed that the nitrided layer, for all samples, near the surface consists in a mixture of γ′-Fe4N and ɛ-Fe3N phases. Both wear resistance and microhardness increase with nitriding time and temperature, and temperature influences both the characteristics the most.

  6. The role of neuropsychological performance in the relationship between chronic pain and functional physical impairment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pulles, Wiesje L J A; Oosterman, Joukje M

    2011-12-01

      In this study, the relationship between pain intensity, neuropsychological, and physical function in adult chronic pain patients was examined.   Thirty participants with chronic pain completed neuropsychological tests tapping mental processing speed, memory, and executive function. Pain intensity was measured with three visual analog scales and the Pain Rating Index of the McGill Pain Questionnaire. A grip strength test, the 6-minute walk test, the Unipedal Stance Test and the Lifting Low Test were administered in order to obtain a performance-based measure of physical capacity. Self-reported physical ability was assessed with the Disability Rating Index and the Short Form-36 Physical Functioning, and Role Physical scales. Psychosocial function was examined using the Mental Health and Role Emotional subscales of the Short Form-36.   The study was set in two outpatient physical therapy clinics in The Netherlands.   The analysis showed that a lower mental processing speed was related to a higher level of pain, as well as to a lower performance-based and self-reported physical functioning. In addition, both performance-based and self-reported physical function revealed an inverse correlation with pain intensity. Psychosocial function turned out to be an important mediator of the relationship between pain and self-reported, but not performance-based, physical function. Mental processing speed, on the other hand, was found to mediate the relationship between pain and performance-based physical functioning.   The results suggest that in chronic pain patients, mental processing speed mediates the relationship between pain and physical function. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Preparation of a Highly Conductive Seed Layer for Calcium Sensor Fabrication with Enhanced Sensing Performance

    KAUST Repository

    Ahmad, Rafiq

    2018-03-16

    The seed layer plays a crucial role in achieving high electrical conductivity and ensuring higher performance of devices. In this study, we report fabrication of a solution-gated field-effect transistor (FET) sensor based on zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs) modified iron oxide nanoparticles (α-FeO NPs) grown on a highly conductive sandwich-like seed layer (ZnO seed layer/Ag nanowires/ZnO seed layer). The sandwich-like seed layer and ZnO NRs modification with α-FeO NPs provide excellent conductivity and prevent possible ZnO NRs surface damage from low pH enzyme immobilization, respectively. The highly conductive solution-gated FET sensor employed the calmodulin (CaM) immobilization on the surface of α-FeO-ZnO NRs for selective detection of calcium ions (Ca). The solution-gated FET sensor exhibited a substantial change in conductance upon introduction of different concentrations of Ca and showed high sensitivity (416.8 μA cm mM) and wide linear range (0.01-3.0 mM). In addition, the total Ca concentration in water and serum samples was also measured. Compared to the analytically obtained data, our sensor was found to measure Ca in the water and serum samples accurately, suggesting a potential alternative for Ca determination in water and serum samples, specifically used for drinking/irrigation and clinical analysis.

  8. Effect of CuPc layer insertion on the memory performance of CdS nanocomposite diodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tripathi, S.K., E-mail: surya@pu.ac.in; Kaur, Ramneek; Jyoti

    2016-09-15

    Highlights: • CdS nanocomposite as an active layer investigated for memory device application. • Effect of copper phthalocyanine layer insertion on the memory performance studied. • Bipolar switching behaviour with high ON/OFF ratio ∼1.4 × 10{sup 4}. • Series resistance and interface states dominate the electrical properties of the device. - Abstract: In the present work, semiconductor diodes with CdS nanocomposite as an active layer have been fabricated and investigated for memory device applications. The effect of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) layer insertion between the bottom electrode and CdS nanocomposite has been studied. I–V characteristics show electrical hysteresis behaviour vital for memory storage application. The as-fabricated devices exhibit bipolar switching behaviour with OFF to ON state transition at positive bias and vice versa. Device with CuPc layer exhibits I{sub ON}/I{sub OFF} ratio ∼ 1.4 × 10{sup 4}. Possible conduction mechanism has been described on the basis of theoretical current conduction models. The frequency dispersion capacitance, series resistance and conductance of the devices have been studied and discussed. At low frequency, the series resistance and the interface states dominate the electrical properties of the device. The results indicate that the multilayered devices open up the possibility of new generation non-volatile memory devices with low cost, high density and stability.

  9. Enhanced electrochemical performance of CoAl-layered double hydroxide nanosheet arrays coated by platinum films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheng, J.P.; Fang, J.H.; Li, M.; Zhang, W.F.; Liu, F.; Zhang, X.B.

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Schematic illustration for the electron transport between the current collector and the active CoAl LDH arrays, where the yellow arrows indicate the high resistance of CoAl LDH, while the green arrows present the high conductivity of Pt films on LDH. -- Highlights: •CoAl layered double hydroxide nanosheet arrays are synthesized by hydrothermal method. •Pt films coated on surface of CoAl nanosheets facilitate fast electron transport. •CoAl LDH nanosheets coated with Pt film for 5 min have an excellent performance. -- Abstract: Three-dimensional network of cobalt and aluminum layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets was synthesized on nickel foam by a simple hydrothermal method. The CoAl-LDH nonosheets were subsequently coated by ion sputtering with thin layers of Pt films to facilitate fast electron transport between current collector and the CoAl-LDH active materials. The optimal thickness of the Pt film acquiring the best performance was identified by applying various sputtering time in controlled experiments. The supercapacitor built by the CoAl-LDH nanosheets coated with Pt film sputtered for 5 min has a high specific capacitance (734.4 F g −1 at 3 A g −1 ), excellent rate capability as well as cycling stability. Moreover, it showed a long life of 77% retention after 6000 cycles and its general morphology was preserved after the test. The synergetic affect of conductive layer of Pt films and CoAl-LDH on the improvement of electrochemical properties was discussed and this would provide a useful clue in designing novel and effective electrode materials for supercapacitors

  10. A review of caffeine's effects on cognitive, physical and occupational performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLellan, Tom M; Caldwell, John A; Lieberman, Harris R

    2016-12-01

    Caffeine is consumed by over 80% of U.S. adults. This review examines the effects caffeine has on cognitive and physical function, since most real-world activities require complex decision making, motor processing and movement. Caffeine exerts its effects by blocking adenosine receptors. Following low (∼40mg or ∼0.5mgkg -1 ) to moderate (∼300mg or 4mgkg -1 ) caffeine doses, alertness, vigilance, attention, reaction time and attention improve, but less consistent effects are observed on memory and higher-order executive function, such as judgment and decision making. Effects on physical performance on a vast array of physical performance metrics such as time-to-exhaustion, time-trial, muscle strength and endurance, and high-intensity sprints typical of team sports are evident following doses that exceed about 200mg (∼3mgkg -1 ). Many occupations, including military, first responders, transport workers and factory shift workers, require optimal physical and cognitive function to ensure success, workplace safety and productivity. In these circumstances, that may include restricted sleep, repeated administration of caffeine is an effective strategy to maintain physical and cognitive capabilities. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  11. Additional Layers of Violence: The Intersections of Gender and Disability in the Violence Experiences of Women With Physical Disabilities in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Heijden, Ingrid; Abrahams, Naeemah; Harries, Jane

    2016-04-27

    South Africa has unprecedented levels of violence and many South African women are exposed to violence during their lifetime. This article explores how gender and disability intersect in women's experiences of violence during their lifetime. Repeat in-depth qualitative interviews with 30 physically disabled women in Cape Town reveal that women with physical disabilities are exposed to various forms of violence, and shows how their impairments shape their violence experiences. The most common forms of violence women with disabilities experience are psychological violence, financial abuse, neglect, and deprivation, with disability stigma playing a central role and contributing to how women with disabilities are exploited and dehumanized. Constructions of women as asexual shape their sexual relationships and experiences of sexual violence. This article identifies that women with disabilities are more at risk and experience additional layers of violence than women without disabilities. These additional risks and layers of violence need to be recognized and inform interventions to prevent and respond to violence against women with disabilities in the country. Prevention of violence against women with physical disabilities in South Africa needs to address the role of disability stigma that shapes the types of violence they experience, change gender norms, and create accessible and safe environments and economic empowerment opportunities. © The Author(s) 2016.

  12. Reducing gender differences in performance in introductory college physics through values affirmation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kost-Smith, Lauren

    2011-04-01

    Despite males and females being equally represented at the college level in several STEM disciplines (including biology, chemistry and mathematics), females continue to be under-represented in physics. Our research documents and addresses this participation gender gap in the introductory, calculus-based physics courses at the University of Colorado. We characterize gender differences in performance, psychological factors (including attitudes and beliefs) and retention that exist in Physics 1 and 2 [L. E. Kost, et al., Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 5, 010101 (2009); L. E. Kost-Smith, et al., Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 6, 020112 (2010)]. We find that the gender differences in performance can largely be accounted for by measurable differences in the physics and mathematics backgrounds and incoming attitudes and beliefs of males and females. But these background factors do not completely account for the gender gaps. We hypothesize, based on gender differences in responses to survey questions about students' sense of physics identity and confidence levels, that identity threat (the fear of confirming a negative characterization about one's identity) is playing a role in our courses. Working with researchers in psychology, we implemented an intervention where students either wrote about their most important values or not, twice at the beginning of the course [A. Miyake, et al., Science, 330, 1234 (2010)]. This ``values affirmation'' activity reduced the male-female performance difference substantially and elevated women's modal grades from the C to B range. Benefits were strongest for women who tended to endorse the stereotype that men do better than women in physics. This brief psychological intervention may be a promising way to address the gender gap in science performance.

  13. Poor Physical Performance is Associated with Obesity Among University Students in China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Tianhua; Zhu, Ergang; Jiao, Suhua

    2017-05-05

    BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between physical performance and BMI (body mass index) of university students in China. MATERIAL AND METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study evaluating the physical performance and BMI of university students. BMI was calculated based on height and weight. Overweight and obesity were defined by the Working Group on Obesity references in China. RESULTS A total of 2313 participants (978 males and 1335 females) were recruited in our study. The mean value of the 50-meter dash and standing long jump in male students was higher than in female students (Pobesity) and obesity for male students were 17.9% and 4.2%, respectively, and 5.1% and 0.5%, respectively, for female university students. BMI was weakly positively associated with the 50-meter dash score, but was negatively associated with the score for standing long jump and pull-ups. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggested that overweight and obesity are associated with physical performance of university students, especially in male students. University students should exercise more to improve physical health.

  14. Becoming a Health and Physical Education (HPE) Teacher: Student Teacher "Performances" in the Physical Education Subject Department Office

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossi, Tony; Sirna, Karen; Tinning, Richard

    2008-01-01

    This study considered how physical education teacher education students "perform" their "selves" within subject department offices during the practicum or "teaching practice". The research was framed by a conceptual framework informed by the work of Goffman on "performance" and "front". The findings revealed three common performances across the…

  15. Sleep and Final Exam Performance in Introductory Physics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coletta, Vincent; Wikholm, Colin; Pascoe, Daniel

    2018-01-01

    Most physics instructors believe that adequate sleep is important in order for students to perform well on problem solving, and many instructors advise students to get plenty of sleep the night before an exam. After years of giving such advice to students at Loyola Marymount University (LMU), one of us decided to find out how many hours students…

  16. Effect of ramadan fasting on body composition and physical performance in female athletes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Memari, Amir-Hossein; Kordi, Ramin; Panahi, Nekoo; Nikookar, Laya R; Abdollahi, Mohammad; Akbarnejad, Ali

    2011-09-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Ramadan fasting on body composition, calorie intake and physical performance in young female athletes undertaking training sessions during Ramadan. Twelve voluntary female athletes (15-27 years old) were assigned to the research. A prospective study was conducted to investigate the athletes on four different occasions: one week before Ramadan (T1), the second (T2) and fourth (T3) weeks of Ramadan, and two weeks after the end of Ramadan (T4). Food intake, body composition and physical performance (agility, balance and explosive leg power) were investigated on each occasion. Further, Physical performance was assessed by agility, vertical jump and balance tests. There was a significant main effect for time for body composition indices. A significant decrease was observed in weight (P=0.01) and body mass index (BMI) (P=0.01) in T2 compared with T1, further decrease in weight (Peffect for time for agility performance (P=0.03), but no significant main effect for time was observed for vertical jumping (P=0.1) and balance performance (P=0.3). This study has found that Ramadan fasting could affect the body composition, but not physical performance in female athletes during Ramadan.

  17. Effects of inter-limb asymmetries on physical and sports performance: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bishop, Chris; Turner, Anthony; Read, Paul

    2018-05-01

    The prevalence of inter-limb asymmetries has been reported in numerous studies across a wide range of sports and physical qualities; however, few have analysed their effects on physical and sports performance. A systematic review of the literature was undertaken using the Medline and SPORT Discus databases, with all articles required to meet a specified criteria based on a quality review. Eighteen articles met the inclusion criteria, relating participant asymmetry scores to physical and sports performance measures. The findings of this systematic review indicate that inter-limb differences in strength may be detrimental to jumping, kicking and cycling performance. When inter-limb asymmetries are quantified during jumping based exercises, they have been primarily used to examine their association with change of direction speed with mixed findings. Inter-limb asymmetries have also been quantified in anthropometry, sprinting, dynamic balance and sport-specific actions, again with inconsistent findings. However, all results have been reported using associative analysis with physical or sport performance metrics with no randomised controlled trials included. Further research is warranted to understand the mechanisms that underpin inter-limb differences and the magnitude of performance changes that can be accounted for by these asymmetries.

  18. Physical activity and 5-year changes in physical performance tests and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women: the Yokogoshi Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitamura, Kaori; Nakamura, Kazutoshi; Kobayashi, Ryosaku; Oshiki, Rieko; Saito, Toshiko; Oyama, Mari; Takahashi, Shunsuke; Nishiwaki, Tomoko; Iwasaki, Masanori; Yoshihara, Akihiro

    2011-09-01

    The effect of physical activity on musculoskeletal health in older adults is not completely understood. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between physical activity and 5-year changes in physical performance tests and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. The design was a 5-year cohort study. Subjects were 507 women (55-74 years old) living in a rural community in Japan. Physical activity assessed included housework, farm work, and moderate leisure-time physical activity within the previous week. Measurements at baseline included handgrip strength, walking time (timed "Up & Go" test) and BMD of the femoral neck and vertebrae. Five-year changes in these measures (outcome variables) were compared among groups with different levels of physical activity by analysis of covariance. Women who did not do housework performed worse in changes in handgrip strength (difference=2.22 kg, P=0.0201) and worse in changes in the walking time (difference=0.54 s, P=0.0072) than those who did housework alone. Women who spent at least 9h per week (median=24) doing farm work performed better in changes in handgrip strength (difference=0.28 kg, P=0.0334), but worse in changes in the walking time (difference=0.66 s, Pwork. However, leisure-time activity was not associated with changes in any outcome variable, and none of the physical activities predicted BMD changes. Engaging in housework and farm work are determinants of physical function in postmenopausal women, which may help them maintain independence in daily living. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Investigation on iterative multiuser detection physical layer network coding in two-way relay free-space optical links with turbulences and pointing errors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abu-Almaalie, Zina; Ghassemlooy, Zabih; Bhatnagar, Manav R; Le-Minh, Hoa; Aslam, Nauman; Liaw, Shien-Kuei; Lee, It Ee

    2016-11-20

    Physical layer network coding (PNC) improves the throughput in wireless networks by enabling two nodes to exchange information using a minimum number of time slots. The PNC technique is proposed for two-way relay channel free space optical (TWR-FSO) communications with the aim of maximizing the utilization of network resources. The multipair TWR-FSO is considered in this paper, where a single antenna on each pair seeks to communicate via a common receiver aperture at the relay. Therefore, chip interleaving is adopted as a technique to separate the different transmitted signals at the relay node to perform PNC mapping. Accordingly, this scheme relies on the iterative multiuser technique for detection of users at the receiver. The bit error rate (BER) performance of the proposed system is examined under the combined influences of atmospheric loss, turbulence-induced channel fading, and pointing errors (PEs). By adopting the joint PNC mapping with interleaving and multiuser detection techniques, the BER results show that the proposed scheme can achieve a significant performance improvement against the degrading effects of turbulences and PEs. It is also demonstrated that a larger number of simultaneous users can be supported with this new scheme in establishing a communication link between multiple pairs of nodes in two time slots, thereby improving the channel capacity.

  20. Controlling the Performance of P-type Cu2O/SnO Bilayer Thin-Film Transistors by Adjusting the Thickness of the Copper Oxide Layer

    KAUST Repository

    Al-Jawhari, Hala A.

    2014-11-11

    The effect of copper oxide layer thickness on the performance of Cu2O/SnO bilayer thin-film transistors was investigated. By using sputtered Cu2O films produced at an oxygen partial pressure, Opp, of 10% as the upper layer and 3% Opp SnO films as the lower layer we built a matrix of bottom-gate Cu2O/SnO bilayer thin-film transistors of different thickness. We found that the thickness of the Cu2O layer is of major importance in oxidation of the SnO layer underneath. The thicker the Cu2O layer, the more the underlying SnO layer is oxidized, and, hence, the more transistor mobility is enhanced at a specific temperature. Both device performance and the annealing temperature required could be adjusted by controlling the thickness of each layer of Cu2O/SnO bilayer thin-film transistors.

  1. A proposed architecture for a satellite-based mobile communications network - The lowest three layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, T. Y.; Naderi, F. M.

    1986-01-01

    Architecture for a commercial mobile satellite network is proposed. The mobile satellite system (MSS) is composed of a network management center, mobile terminals, base stations, and gateways; the functions of each component are described. The satellite is a 'bent pipe' that performs frequency translations, and it has multiple UHF beams. The development of the MSS design based on the seven-layer open system interconnection model is examined. Consideration is given to the functions of the physical, data link, and network layers and the integrated adaptive mobile access protocol.

  2. Early and extraordinary peaks in physical performance come with a longevity cost

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    van de Vijver, Paul L; van Bodegom, David; Westendorp, Rudi G J

    2016-01-01

    Life history theory postulates a trade-off between development and maintenance. This trade-off is observed when comparing life histories of different animal species. In humans, however, it is debated if variation in longevity is explained by differences in developmental traits. Observational...... studies found a trade-off between early and high fecundity and longevity in women. Development encompasses more than fecundity and also concerns growth and physical performance. Here, we show a life history trade-off between early and above average physical performance and longevity in male Olympic...... suffered a 4.7-year longevity cost. (95% CI 2.1-7.5 years, p=0.001). This is the first time a life history trade-off between physical performance and longevity has been found in humans. This finding deepens our understanding of early developmental influences on the variation of longevity in humans....

  3. Visual physics analysis-from desktop to physics analysis at your fingertips

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bretz, H-P; Erdmann, M; Fischer, R; Hinzmann, A; Klingebiel, D; Komm, M; Lingemann, J; Rieger, M; Müller, G; Steggemann, J; Winchen, T

    2012-01-01

    Visual Physics Analysis (VISPA) is an analysis environment with applications in high energy and astroparticle physics. Based on a data-flow-driven paradigm, it allows users to combine graphical steering with self-written C++ and Python modules. This contribution presents new concepts integrated in VISPA: layers, convenient analysis execution, and web-based physics analysis. While the convenient execution offers full flexibility to vary settings for the execution phase of an analysis, layers allow to create different views of the analysis already during its design phase. Thus, one application of layers is to define different stages of an analysis (e.g. event selection and statistical analysis). However, there are other use cases such as to independently optimize settings for different types of input data in order to guide all data through the same analysis flow. The new execution feature makes job submission to local clusters as well as the LHC Computing Grid possible directly from VISPA. Web-based physics analysis is realized in the VISPA-Web project, which represents a whole new way to design and execute analyses via a standard web browser.

  4. Circadian phenotype composition is a major predictor of diurnal physical performance in teams

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elise Rose Facer-Childs

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Team performance is a complex phenomenon involving numerous influencing factors including physiology, psychology, and management. Biological rhythms and the impact of circadian phenotype have not been studied for their contribution to this array of factors so far despite our knowledge of the circadian regulation of key physiological processes involved in physical and mental performance. This study involved 216 individuals from 12 different teams who were categorized into circadian phenotypes using the novel RBUB chronometric test. The composition of circadian phenotypes within each team was used to model predicted daily team performance profiles based on physical performance tests. Our results show that the composition of circadian phenotypes within teams is variable and unpredictable. Predicted physical peak performance ranged from 1.52pm to 8.59pm with performance levels fluctuating by up to 14.88% over the course of the day. The major predictor for peak performance time of day in a team is the occurrence of late circadian phenotypes. We conclude that circadian phenotype is a performance indicator in teams that allows new insight and a better understanding of team performance variation in the course of a day as often observed in different groupings of individuals.

  5. Improved Performance of Pentacene Organic Field-Effect Transistors by Inserting a V2O5 Metal Oxide Layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Geng; Cheng Xiao-Man; Du Bo-Qun; Tian Hai-Jun; Liang Xiao-Yu

    2011-01-01

    We fabricate pentacene-based organic field effect transistors (OFETs), inserting a transition metal oxide (V 2 O 5 ) layer between the pentacene and Al source-drain (S/D) electrodes. The performance of the devices with V 2 O 5 /Al S/D electrodes is considerably improved compared to the pentacene-based OFET with only Al S/D electrodes. After the 10-nm V 2 O 5 layer modification, the effective field-effect mobility of the devices increases from 2.7 × 10 −3 cm 2 /V·s to 8.93× 10 −1 cm 2 /V·s. Owing to the change of the injection property, the effective threshold voltage (V th ) is changed from −7.5 V to −5 V and the on/off ratio shifts from 10 2 to 10 4 . Moreover, the dispersion of sub-threshold current in the devices disappears. These performance improvements are ascribed to the low carrier injection barrier and the reduction of contact resistance. It is indicated that V 2 O 5 layer modification is an effective approach to improve pentacene-based OFET performance. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

  6. Effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive and physical performance in university students

    OpenAIRE

    Patrick, Yusuf; Lee, Alice; Raha, Oishik; Pillai, Kavya; Gupta, Shubham; Sethi, Sonika; Mukeshimana, Felicite; Gerard, Lothaire; Moghal, Mohammad U.; Saleh, Sohag N.; Smith, Susan F.; Morrell, Mary J.; Moss, James

    2017-01-01

    Sleep deprivation is common among university students, and has been associated with poor academic performance and physical dysfunction. However, current literature has a narrow focus in regard to domains tested, this study aimed to investigate the effects of a night of sleep deprivation on cognitive and physical performance in students. A randomized controlled crossover study was carried out with 64 participants [58% male (n?=?37); 22???4 years old (mean???SD)]. Participants were randomized i...

  7. Academic performance of Korean children is associated with dietary behaviours and physical status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hye-Young P; Frongillo, Edward A; Han, Sung-Sook; Oh, Se-Young; Kim, Woo-Kyung; Jang, Young-Ai; Won, Hye-Sook; Lee, Hyun-Sook; Kim, Sook-He

    2003-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to obtain a fuller understanding of the association of dietary behaviours, physical status and socio-economic status with academic performance in Korean teenagers. The subjects in this study were 6,463 boys and girls, in grade 5, 8, and 11 in Korea. A self-administered questionnaire and the food-frequency form were used. Grade point average (GPA), height, weight, and physical fitness score for the year were recorded from the school record. The academic performance of students was strongly associated with dietary behaviours, especially with regularity of three meals even after control for parent's education level. Regular breakfast and lunch were more important in grades 5 and 8, while regular dinner was more related with academic performance in grade 11. Small, positive associations of height and physical fitness to academic performance were also found. The relative importance of regularity of meals was greater than that of socio-economic status and physical status in older teenagers. The results of this study suggest that accommodation of better dietary environment and nutrition education for three regular meals is recommended.

  8. Performance Analysis and Optimal Allocation of Layered Defense M/M/N Queueing Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Longyue Li

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available One important mission of strategic defense is to develop an integrated layered Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS. Motivated by the queueing theory, we presented a work for the representation, modeling, performance simulation, and channels optimal allocation of the layered BMDS M/M/N queueing systems. Firstly, in order to simulate the process of defense and to study the Defense Effectiveness (DE, we modeled and simulated the M/M/N queueing system of layered BMDS. Specifically, we proposed the M/M/N/N and M/M/N/C queueing model for short defense depth and long defense depth, respectively; single target channel and multiple target channels were distinguished in each model. Secondly, we considered the problem of assigning limited target channels to incoming targets, we illustrated how to allocate channels for achieving the best DE, and we also proposed a novel and robust search algorithm for obtaining the minimum channel requirements across a set of neighborhoods. Simultaneously, we presented examples of optimal allocation problems under different constraints. Thirdly, several simulation examples verified the effectiveness of the proposed queueing models. This work may help to understand the rules of queueing process and to provide optimal configuration suggestions for defense decision-making.

  9. Investigation of the interface region between a porous silicon layer and a silicon substrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Ki-Won; Park, Dae-Kyu; Kim, Young-You; Shin, Hyun-Joon

    2005-01-01

    Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurement and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis were performed to investigate the physical and structural characteristics of the interface region between a porous silicon layer and a silicon substrate. We discovered that, when anodization time was increased under a constant current density, the Si crystallites in the interface region became larger and formed different lattice parameters than observed in the porous silicon layer. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analysis also revealed that the Si was more concentrated in the interface region than in the porous silicon layer. These results were interpreted by the deficiency of the HF solution in reaching to the interface through the pores during the porous silicon formation

  10. Hybrid Microscopy: Enabling Inexpensive High-Performance Imaging through Combined Physical and Optical Magnifications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yu Shrike; Chang, Jae-Byum; Alvarez, Mario Moisés; Trujillo-de Santiago, Grissel; Aleman, Julio; Batzaya, Byambaa; Krishnadoss, Vaishali; Ramanujam, Aishwarya Aravamudhan; Kazemzadeh-Narbat, Mehdi; Chen, Fei; Tillberg, Paul W; Dokmeci, Mehmet Remzi; Boyden, Edward S; Khademhosseini, Ali

    2016-03-15

    To date, much effort has been expended on making high-performance microscopes through better instrumentation. Recently, it was discovered that physical magnification of specimens was possible, through a technique called expansion microscopy (ExM), raising the question of whether physical magnification, coupled to inexpensive optics, could together match the performance of high-end optical equipment, at a tiny fraction of the price. Here we show that such "hybrid microscopy" methods--combining physical and optical magnifications--can indeed achieve high performance at low cost. By physically magnifying objects, then imaging them on cheap miniature fluorescence microscopes ("mini-microscopes"), it is possible to image at a resolution comparable to that previously attainable only with benchtop microscopes that present costs orders of magnitude higher. We believe that this unprecedented hybrid technology that combines expansion microscopy, based on physical magnification, and mini-microscopy, relying on conventional optics--a process we refer to as Expansion Mini-Microscopy (ExMM)--is a highly promising alternative method for performing cost-effective, high-resolution imaging of biological samples. With further advancement of the technology, we believe that ExMM will find widespread applications for high-resolution imaging particularly in research and healthcare scenarios in undeveloped countries or remote places.

  11. Code structure for U-Mo fuel performance analysis in high performance research reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jeong, Gwan Yoon; Cho, Tae Won; Lee, Chul Min; Sohn, Dong Seong [Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Kyu Hong; Park, Jong Man [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-05-15

    A performance analysis modeling applicable to research reactor fuel is being developed with available models describing fuel performance phenomena observed from in-pile tests. We established the calculation algorithm and scheme to best predict fuel performance using radio-thermo-mechanically coupled system to consider fuel swelling, interaction layer growth, pore formation in the fuel meat, and creep fuel deformation and mass relocation, etc. In this paper, we present a general structure of the performance analysis code for typical research reactor fuel and advanced features such as a model to predict fuel failure induced by combination of breakaway swelling and pore growth in the fuel meat. Thermo-mechanical code dedicated to the modeling of U-Mo dispersion fuel plates is being under development in Korea to satisfy a demand for advanced performance analysis and safe assessment of the plates. The major physical phenomena during irradiation are considered in the code such that interaction layer formation by fuel-matrix interdiffusion, fission induced swelling of fuel particle, mass relocation by fission induced stress, and pore formation at the interface between the reaction product and Al matrix.

  12. Electromagnetic design, engineering development and magnetic qualification of a horizontal layered scaled magnet for physics experiments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trivedi, Praveen; Teotia, Vikas; Malhotra, Sanjay; Taly, Y.K., E-mail: praveent@barc.gov.in [Control Instrumentation Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India)

    2014-07-01

    Neutrino detectors around the world have shown evidence that these weakly interacting, little-understood particles are not really mass less, as was thought so far. Not only do they have non-zero masses, different species (or flavors) of neutrinos seem to mix and oscillate into one another as they traverse through the cosmos. If this is true, this is not only one of the first pieces of evidence for physics beyond the so-called Standard Model of Particle Physics, but would also have great impact on diverse fields such as nuclear and particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology. It is thus imperative to study the details of the interactions of these particles. These will be detected by means of an iron calorimeter (ICAL), comprising detectors sandwiched in alternate layers of soft magnetic iron. The iron core is magnetized to allow bending of the charged particles. The direction and the energy of the original incoming neutrino, that caused the interaction, can then be accurately determined. Racetrack coils through slots cut in the iron core create a uniform magnetic field in the iron core. A highly uniform magnetic field in the soft iron core is required to accurately determine the mass and energy of incident particle. The charged particles bend in this magnetic field; oppositely charged particles bending in opposite directions. The charge, energy and momentum of the emitted particle is thus determined. An electromagnet was designed as a laboratory facility for conducting experimental studies in particle physics. This paper discusses the electromagnetic design, development, fabrication, magnetic qualification and magnetic measurement issues of an electromagnet developed for physics studies. (author)

  13. Simulation of Natural Convection in the Oxide Layer of Three-Layer Corium Pool in an IVR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Su-Hyeon; Park, Hae-Kyun; Chung, Bum-Jin [Kyung Hee University, Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    This paper describes the three-layer phenomena and preliminary plan to simulate the oxide layer experimentally. We will perform the mass transfer experiments using a copper sulfate-sulfuric acid (CuSO{sub 4}-H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}) electroplating system based on the heat and mass transfer analogy concept. By performing the mass transfer experiments, we can achieve the high buoyancy condition with small facilities. The test facility is semicircular whose bottom is chopped, simulating the oxide pool above the heavy metal layer in a three-layer configuration. We will measure the heat flux at the top plate, side wall and bottom plate, and compare these results with those for a two-layer pool. In a three-layer configuration, the upper light metal layer becomes thinner, increasing the focusing effect. Thus, it is important to evaluate the heat flux from the oxide pool to the upper metallic layer. However, there is few heat transfer studies for a three-layer configuration. This paper is to discuss and to make a plan for the heat transfer experiments of oxide pool in a three- layer system. We will perform the mass transfer experiments based on the heat and mass transfer analogy concept. The test results will be analyzed phenomenologically and compared with two-layer results.

  14. Functional Movement Screen Scores and Physical Performance among Youth Elite Soccer Players

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruno Silva

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available This study had two main objectives: (1 to determine if differences in Functional Movement Screen (FMS scores exist between two levels of competition; and (2 to analyze the association between FMS individual and overall scores and physical performance variables of lower-limb power (jumps, repeated sprint ability and shot speed. Twenty-two Under 16 (U16 and twenty-six Under 19 (U19 national competitive soccer players participated in this study. All participants were evaluated according to anthropometrics, FMS, jump performance, instep kick speed and anaerobic performance. There were no significant differences in the individual FMS scores between competitive levels. There were significant negative correlations between hurdle step (right and Running-based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST power average ( ρ = −0.293; p = 0.043 and RAST fatigue index (RAST FatIndex ( ρ = −0.340; p = 0.018. The hurdle step (left had a significant negative correlation to squat jump (SJ ( ρ = −0.369; p = 0.012. Rotary stability had a significant negative correlation to RAST fatigue index (Right: ρ = −0.311; p = 0.032. Left: ρ = −0.400; p = 0.005. The results suggest that individual FMS scores may be better discriminants of performance than FMS total score and established minimal association between FMS scores and physical variables. Based on that, FMS may be suitable for the purposes of determining physical function but not for discriminating physical performance.

  15. Effect of Mesostructured Layer upon Crystalline Properties and Device Performance on Perovskite Solar Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Listorti, Andrea; Juarez-Perez, Emilio J; Frontera, Carlos; Roiati, Vittoria; Garcia-Andrade, Laura; Colella, Silvia; Rizzo, Aurora; Ortiz, Pablo; Mora-Sero, Ivan

    2015-05-07

    One of the most fascinating characteristics of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is the retrieved obtainment of outstanding photovoltaic (PV) performances withstanding important device configuration variations. Here we have analyzed CH3NH3PbI3-xClx in planar or in mesostructured (MS) configurations, employing both titania and alumina scaffolds, fully infiltrated with perovskite material or presenting an overstanding layer. The use of the MS scaffold induces to the perovskite different structural properties, in terms of grain size, preferential orientation, and unit cell volume, in comparison to the ones of the material grown with no constraints, as we have found out by X-ray diffraction analyses. We have studied the effect of the PSC configuration on photoinduced absorption and time-resolved photoluminescence, complementary techniques that allow studying charge photogeneration and recombination. We have estimated electron diffusion length in the considered configurations observing a decrease when the material is confined in the MS scaffold with respect to a planar architecture. However, the presence of perovskite overlayer allows an overall recovering of long diffusion lengths explaining the record PV performances obtained with a device configuration bearing both the mesostructure and a perovskite overlayer. Our results suggest that performance in devices with perovskite overlayer is mainly ruled by the overlayer, whereas the mesoporous layer influences the contact properties.

  16. Activity and lifetime of urease immobilized using layer-by-layer nano self-assembly on silicon microchannels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forrest, Scott R; Elmore, Bill B; Palmer, James D

    2005-01-01

    Urease has been immobilized and layered onto the walls of manufactured silicon microchannels. Enzyme immobilization was performed using layer-by-layer nano self-assembly. Alternating layers of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, with enzyme layers "encased" between them, were deposited onto the walls of the silicon microchannels. The polycations used were polyethylenimine (PEI), polydiallyldimethylammonium (PDDA), and polyallylamine (PAH). The polyanions used were polystyrenesulfonate (PSS) and polyvinylsulfate (PVS). The activity of the immobilized enzyme was tested by pumping a 1 g/L urea solution through the microchannels at various flow rates. Effluent concentration was measured using an ultraviolet/visible spectrometer by monitoring the absorbance of a pH sensitive dye. The architecture of PEI/PSS/PEI/urease/PEI with single and multiple layers of enzyme demonstrated superior performance over the PDDA and PAH architectures. The precursor layer of PEI/PSS demonstrably improved the performance of the reactor. Conversion rates of 70% were achieved at a residence time of 26 s, on d 1 of operation, and >50% at 51 s, on d 15 with a six-layer PEI/urease architecture.

  17. Poor Physical Performance is Associated with Obesity Among University Students in China

    OpenAIRE

    Du, Tianhua; Zhu, Ergang; Jiao, Suhua

    2017-01-01

    Background The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between physical performance and BMI (body mass index) of university students in China. Material/Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study evaluating the physical performance and BMI of university students. BMI was calculated based on height and weight. Overweight and obesity were defined by the Working Group on Obesity references in China. Results A total of 2313 participants (978 males and 1335 females) were recruited in ou...

  18. Dietary carbohydrates and change in physical performance of elderly Europeans. SENECA 1993 and 1999

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kynde, I; Schroll, K; Tetens, Inge

    2010-01-01

    scores indicate a better physical performance. Habitual diets were measured using diet history interviews and dietary GI and GL were estimated from table values. Setting Eight towns/centres from the Survey in Europe on Nutrition and the Elderly, a Concerted Action (SENECA) in 1993 and 1999. Subjects...... Seven hundred and sixty-five men and women, 75–80 years old, were examined in 1993; of these, 357 (47 %) were followed up in 1999, at age 80–85 years. Results At baseline, both dietary GI and GL were significantly inversely associated with PPT scores (P = 0·03 and P = 0·05, respectively). When adjusted......Objective To study dietary glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) in association with physical performance in elderly Europeans. Design Cross-sectional and prospective study. Physical performance was measured using the Physical Performance Test (PPT) score on a scale from 0 to 27, where high...

  19. Resource scarcity, effort, and performance in physically demanding jobs: An evolutionary explanation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitesa, Marko; Thau, Stefan

    2018-03-01

    Based on evolutionary theory, we predicted that cues of resource scarcity in the environment (e.g., news of droughts or food shortages) lead people to reduce their effort and performance in physically demanding work. We tested this prediction in a 2-wave field survey among employees and replicated it experimentally in the lab. In Study 1, employees who perceived resources in the environment to be scarce reported exerting less effort when their jobs involved much (but not little) physical work. In Study 2, participants who read that resources in the environment were scarce performed worse on a task demanding more (carrying books) but not less (transcribing book titles) physical work. This result was found even though better performance increased participants' chances of additional remuneration, and even though scarcity cues did not affect individuals' actual ability to meet their energy needs. We discuss implications for managing effort and performance, and the potential of evolutionary psychology to explain core organizational phenomena. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  20. Complexities and constraints influencing learner performance in physical science

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mavhungu Abel Mafukata

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores complexities and constraints affecting performance and output of physical science learners in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study was motivated by the desire of the researcher to establish, profile and characterise the complexities and constraints reminiscence of poor performance of learners in physical science as measured through end-of-year Grade 12 (final year of high school education examination results. Twenty six schools (n=26 were purposively selected from three circuits of education (n=3. From these schools, two learners were randomly selected (n=52 for interviews. In addition, two circuit managers (n=2 were conveniently selected as part of Key Informant Interviews (KII. For the Focus Group Discussions (FGDs, twelve (n=12 parents were randomly selected to form two groups of six members each. Multi-factor complexities and constraints impeding performance of learners were discovered. Intensive teacher in-service programme is recommended. Community engagement should be encouraged to educate parents on the value of involvement in the education of their children. Free access learner support structures such as Homework and Extra-lessons Assistance Centre (H&EACs should be established.